Hobo Curtains

Shab to Fab...

So we just recently moved into a new house and it has provided a place for many new projects!  Here I was working on the laundry room and as you can see the windows needed a lot of help...

So I came up with an idea to make what I like to call  "Hobo Curtains."  
I have a lot of fabric scraps and upholstery samples that I have collected and I started piecing them together.

Since we are on a tight budget, I did not want to spend the extra money to get curtain rods, so I took a spool of string and strung it across the top of the window, winding it around a nail in the center to keep it tight.  I tied the string to a small clay bead and fished it through the new curtains.  

AND, with a few strips of one of my favorite color fabrics, I tied the curtains together.  They turned out so well that my fiance is now requesting I make "Hobo Curtains" for our living room too!

"Don't Think, Don't Blink"

December Gallery Showing....

The show was held at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan as part of the MAJIC Concert Series (MAJIC-Musical Arts for Justice in the Community).  The Opening was December 9th 2011 with music by Sergei Kvitko and Ken Beachler.  The artwork was up until January 9th 2012.  

"The Magic Armadillo" Click Here

Textile Tree--made of all repurposed materials.

Watercolor Birdhouse--Made of recycled materials.

"The Mad Owl" Click Here

"The Mad Owl" Click Here

"Budgie Baby" 

"Up up and Away" 

"Up up and Away" 

"Up up and Away" 

"A Day to Dream" 

"The Excitable Misunderstood Genius" by Cam DeCaussin Click Here

"Portrait of the Excitable Misunderstood Genius" Click Here

"What are Your Thoughts?" 

"What are Your Thoughs?" 

"Dancing With The Trees" 

"Dancing With the Trees" 

"Penguin Waddle Bottle" Click Here

"Stumped" Click Here

"The Rooster" Click Here

"Baboon Creative" Click Here

"Beach Blissed Seals" Click Here

"Come Along With Me" Click Here

"One Small Discovery" Click Here

"One Small Discovery" Click Here

*GLUB-GLUB*

In a new addition to the Funamals collection, Penguin Meets Fish! 

Another new addition to the Funamals studio, is Amy's assistant, Grace! 

And this is Grace, writing her first-ever blog as Funamals :)

With his scuba helmet made from recycled plastic, he dives under the sea, in this new tote bag design. Named the most imaginative tote, by the creator herself, it is definitely my favorite. 

This fabulous new tote is up for sale on etsy.com. 

I love it not just because I helped a bit with the design....but, then again, I may be a little bit partial ;P

While photographing this new tote in Amy's studio, I also took some photos of her fish, Rain, with his giraffe. He is a very photogenic fish.

Tonight, I am sleeping over at Amy's house.  Aside from all of my next tasks for tonight, I think that Amy's "Desk Buddy" needs a night-cap.  Maybe I can slip in some Grace time on the sewing machine when she is not looking.

 Tomorrow we are leaving at 7:00 am to go to an art market in South Haven, MI.  This will be the first art fair I have ever been to as one of the vendors, or vendor's assistant, I should say. :) 

...So I got a New Cell Phone...

(I switched to AT&T)

And I sewed a textile cover for it because I am pretty clumsy.  This upcycled piece will protect it. 

Now I have a Samsung Evergreen

What is really neat about this phone is that 70% of the handset is made of post-consumer recycled materials.  The package that it comes in is recyclable and and printed with soy inks--a very earth friendly choice.  It also comes with a bag that you can put your old phone in and send to be recycled.  You don't even have to pay to send it!

AT&T has a Recycle program for old phones. Click Here for more info

AT&T and the Environment Click here

Update!

It has been a while! I was having some issues with my blog. But now I have lots to show!

My nephew Hunter had his first birthday recently so I made him a cloth book all about fans. Hunter loves fans. He points to them whenever he sees them. We always joke that it will be his first word.

I had an "art sale" up at my cottage. It was a fun weekend. We hung paintings along the ropes using clothes pins. I really like the look of it. Here are some photos of it.

The gator is for sale on etsy: http://www.etsy.com/listing/49126667/the-alligator as well as the upcycled coasters. They are made from tin cans, plastic and repurposed fabric. They are hand sewn.

The "Lifemouse" photo is the image I am working on to promote my artprize piece. It is a stop motion animation. http://www.artprize.org/artists/public-profile/48604

This fish is on a laptop sleeve that I made, also on sale http://www.etsy.com/listing/53504464/fishy-textile-laptop-case