Glow in the Park, August 4, 2012 7-11pm

This is going to be an amazing event. Imagine anything and everything that glows in the dark, lights, leds, luminescence. Glow in the Park will feature many artists that have created installations of artwork & projects that "Glow". Dancing Bear Indian Trader will have their teepee set up and people can go inside to learn how to make beaded glow in the dark bracelets.

Here's some  more infomation about the event:

Are You Ready for Glow-in-the-Park?

Glow-in-the-Park artists from around Southern California will be installing their pieces in Grape Day Park Saturday August 4th.  Join us from 7pm - 11pm to interact and explore the pieces. 

Artists include Bella Luna/Anne Herlihy, Rebecca Goodman, Jon- Loren Bazan, Ben Nelson and Lepidus Films, Michael McGaugh, Bettina Heinz, Joey Chavez, Judith Shadzi, Students from the USD Architectural Dept.,  Mid-Air-Trio, Dancing Bear Indian Trader, Gwyn Henry, Misty Cater Clark, Brian A. Gibson and Chrisanne Moats.  Local artist Andrea Zuill has created artwork to promote the event.

 

Glow-in-the-Park is an innovative summer evening of installation art that will transform Grape Day Park into an Art Park featuring works of art illuminating the space with light and sound installations, inflatable art, film as well as performance, environmental and water pieces.   This event is free and appropriate for all ages.  

Glow in the Park will allow everyone to 'play' with hands-on interactive activities like Joey Chavez's glow blocks, Misty Cater Clark's glow in the dark hand print experience and make beads in the Dancing Bear Indian Traders "Luminaria Tipi".

The event is being produced by the Escondido History Center in association with the Escondido Arts Partnership/Municipal Gallery. This event is made possible with grants from The San Diego Foundation's Arts and Culture working group and the Matt McLaughlin Endowment Fund, as well as the Escondido Charitable Foundation  

Glow-in-the-Park highlights the diversity of contemporary artists working in our region as well as introducing Grape Day Park to large scale installation art.  

Grape Day Park is located in Downtown Escondido at 321 N. Broadway, Escondido, CA 92025.
Information at: www.grapedaypark.org and www.escondidoarts.orghttp://www.escondidoarts.org

Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/GlowInThePark

Craft Night this week at Dancing Bear

This Tuesday night, July 24 will be craft night at Dancing Bear. It's always a lot of fun to make stuff, socialize and eat some treats.

Dancing Bear just got some lights for their class room area. The lights are fluorescent magnifiers.

During craft night, they are offering a 5% discount for craft night participants.

There will be room for sewing if you bring your sewing machine. Bring an extension cord just in case.

Please RSVP if you plan on going so that we can make sure to have space for you. Bring something to share to eat.

Dancing Bear added a sewing night on the 2nd Tuesday of the month from 6-9pm, and every 1st & 3rd Tuesdays from 6-9pm there will be Native American beadwork classes as well.

Location for store is:

1016 West Valley Parkway, Escondido, CA 92025

Phone number: 760-747-2323

RSVP: craftnight@sandiegonorthparkcraftmafia.com

Visit the Craft Mafia at the Comic-Con Art Show!

Comic-Con happens once a year right in our own backyard!  It's such a fantastic event and visitors come from all over to partake in the festivities.  Each year there is an Art Show section that showcases artists.  Here you will find a variety of art, jewelry, clothing, and other hand made craft items.  We thought it was about time that our Craft Mafia group had a space at the Art Show to let visitors see what our group is all about!  Located in the Sails Pavilion upstairs at the Convention Center, the Art Show has many items for sale by silent or voice auction.   Bidder numbers and Art Show information can be obtained from the administration table inside the Art Show.  The Craft Mafia table will feature some great pieces that are all handmade by Mafia Members!  So, if you are lucky enough to be attending this year, be sure to stop by the Art Show and maybe even bid on something!

Visit Comic-Con online to get all the latest info about what's happening this weekend!  Also, don't forget about the Local Artist Showcase happening on Saturday at the Village 631.  Read the blog post below for all the info! 

Homemade Water-Proof Fabric?

Yes, there is a way!

This all started with cleaning my make-up brushes and deciding to wash the holder for them too. The lining fabric disintegrated. I had heard of laminated fabric before. I assumed it was either purchased that way, or sent through one of those paper laminating machines. A quick internet search later, I find out it can be done at home with Iron-on vinyl (and an iron of course). It seemed like the perfect way to make a make-up bag that would wipe clean easily. I needed a new crochet hook anyway, so I looked for the iron-on vinyl while I was at Joann's. The one they carry is by Pellon and it's a boxed 15" by 2 yard roll in the notions aisle. I posted my project idea on facebook and was instantly asked several questions on the performance of the material and what it looks like. So, I thought I would share my iron-on vinyl experiment will all of you too.

I cut the vinyl to the size I wanted and applied it to a larger sheet of fabric. I did this to protect my ironing board from the vinyl's adhesive because I have seen ironing boards ruined my adhesive! Having a larger piece of fabric also makes it easier to get the vinyl positioned. I followed package instructions for application, but noticed a few spots that were winkly and realized they were from where the pointed end of my iron was and I just went back over them to smooth them out. After doing the first piece I noticed a small cat hair stuck in near the edge, so make sure use a lint roller on the fabric and board before to so you not add in any "extra material" to your laminating. It's also a good idea to save the backing paper in case you need to iron it while you are working on it.

In the image below on the left is the vinyl before ironing, in the middle is just the regular fabric, and on the left is the vinyl that has been ironed down. The vinyl layer does not distort or cloud the print on this fabric, it just makes it shine since this is the gloss version of this product (some manufacturers also make a matte version). 

I am quite please with the results of the homemade water-proof fabric. Working with it, however, is a different story and takes some careful selection of project and construction techniques. 

I had no actual pattern to follow going into this project and was just using an extra piece of fabric to test how this laminated fabric works up. In the past I have often sewn purses and other things by putting the right-sides of the fabric together, sewing almost all the way around the edges, and leaving a little opening to flip the piece right sides out. That did not work very well with this laminated vinyl because it is a little delicate at stress points and tore right by the opening I flipped it through.

I was able to iron one seam flat very carefully by pressing it with my fingers then putting it between the backing paper and ironing just the seam. That turned out fine, but when using that construction method I like to the whole iron the piece once I flip it out to press in all the seams. I put it between the pieces of the backing paper to iron it as per the instructions on the package. It got all wrinkly, so that was a disappointment. 

I noticed while sewing on it that the vinyl makes a bit of plastic build-up that sticks to the needle. It also wants to not feed through the machine when it's near the edge, and just generally was a bit "stickier" than regular fabric. The vinyl does make the fabric thicker too. I was in a bit of a rush trying to sew it and got frustrated with how the seams were not behaving, so I took them apart and re-did them with bias tape instead of trying to sew it inside out then flipping it right side out. Try not to be in a rush when you work with laminated vinyl as your needle marks will show in the fabric, as well as, the pins you use to hold it together while you sew, so pin in the seam allowance if you need to pin!

I would highly recommend that you practice using this material on a test project to experience how it behaves so that you do not ruin something important. Please feel free to comment on your experiences with this iron-on vinyl, or ask any questions you might have.

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