Recycled Quilled Art - Vertical Khatam Flower

I was out this week with my girls looking for used medical supplies. We do this weekly around our town, sending our finds to Syrian refugees at a camp in Jordan.

On the way to the check out, I came across this Hallmark lighthouse shadow box frame with an image and a poem.  I loved the blue mat colors and picked it up to bring home.

Last night, I played around with designs on Photoshop. I then pulled out my quilling tool and papers and this is what I came up with in one sitting.

Recycled Quilled Art - Vertical Khatam Flower

Voting Muslim Pin Sets

Voting Muslim Pin Sets by A Crafty Arab

I usually don't get into politics on this page. But I'm making an exception this time.

This election is very important time for Muslims. It is crucial that we get out the vote.

Among all the presidential candidates that are up for election this year, only one has refused to go to AIPEC. That fact that he is Jewish was not lost on the American public.

This event have never occurred in our history and I think it is very telling of the kind of leadership we need right now. One not controlled by bankers or outside countries.

That is why I have just created these Voting Muslim Pins that are available in my Zibbet shop.  Every set includes six pins and can be mailed to anywhere in the world.

100% of the profits will go to the Bernie Sanders campaign.

Creative Muslim Women March Loop Giveaway Winner

I recently participated in a giveaway with Creative Muslim Women on the A Crafty Arab Instagram account.

Creative Muslim Women March Loop Giveaway Winner by A Crafty Arab

I'm thrilled to report that I picked a winner on Saturday and it's Craftipali! I'm so excited her name was drawn.

Please stay tuned to the A Crafty Arab Instagram account for more giveaways.

Creative Muslim Women March Loop Giveaway

Creative Muslim Women March Loop Giveaway by A Crafty Arab

I am participating in a LOOP GIVEAWAY with 5 other #CreativeMuslimWomen

Each creative Muslimah is giving away a unique prize.

I will be giving away a set of Eid Buttons.

Creative Muslim Women March Loop Giveaway by A Crafty Arab

To enter the giveaway,
1. like and follow me on the A Crafty Arab IG account.
2. like and follow the next Muslimah in the loop (tap this image to see who is next)
3. Type done when you come back after following everyone in the loop.

Good luck!

Arabic Name Tags Product Review

I recently made a custom order for Arabic iron-on name tags for Arabbaby. She liked them so much she included them as a favorite item on her list of Arabic name recognition: cute ideas for kids.

Shukran (thank you in Arabic) to Arabbaby for the write up.

Arabic Name Tags Product Review

Best A Crafty Arab Nine Instagram photos of 2015

I thought it might be fun to do a photo round up for 2015 from my A Crafty Arab Instagram account.

There is an app out now called #2015BestNine that is all the rage so I gave it a try.

Best A Crafty Arab Nine Instagram posts of 2015

Eid crafts, multi-language teachings, Ramadan activities, Arab products, Muslim humor, Eid rocks (pun intended) and two beautiful reposts of followers who tried out ACraftyArab tutorials. These are the 2015 Best Nine on this account. Shukran for an amazing year on Instagram.

A Crafty Arab is at The Handmade Showroom

I'm so excited to annouce that A Crafty Arab will now be selling at Handmade Showroom in Pacific Place.

They will be selling my quilled snowflakes.

They have also asked for quillled art, so I've been having a creativity storm in the studio coming up with different designs.

I made them a quilled khatam, but with the beehive method.

I also beehive quilled two Washington State art pieces with a heart in Olympia, our capital.

I glued everything in white shadow boxes and made sure to add the islands in our state on the Washington quilled art.  While delivering it to the store, it enjoyed a photo op at the downtown bus tunnel.

I'm looking forward to this new venue for A Crafty Arab products.  I  would encourage you to go show there and #SupportHandmade this holiday season.

Flood the Streets with Art (III) in Redmond, WA

Flood the Streets with Art (III) in Redmond, WA

Today is Black Friday, the one day a year that Americas go crazy for stuff. It's called Black Friday because it represents the point in the year when retailers have historically begun to turn a profit, thus going from being "in the red" to being "in the black".

I wanted to counter the Black Friday commercialism while teaching my children the value of homemade. I researched some projects online and came across this website sent to me by a fellow artist. I immediatley knew I wanted to do this project and tried to think about what my art would be.

I decided on Christmas ornaments.  I realized  that not many people would expect Christmas ornaments from an Arab artist.

This of course makes the ornaments a perfect art to share because it reminds people that the Arab world is full of people from all three major religions.

Each ornamnet has a vintage sequeince patch that has been handsewn on a felt circle. Then I stuffed the circle with cotton fiber and blanket stitched around. I also added a ribbon hanger and my business tag so people can find my website.

A couple of the ornaments have fabric flower centers.

 

I made eleven total.

We placed each ornament in a Ziploc bag with a paper cut out explaining what it was and my business card.

My daughter and I then drove around town and placed the ornaments in various parks. One in the nook of a tree...

One next to a lake...

One as payment at a bait shop...

One in a "Extra Balls" bin at a dog park...

One at an entrance to a play park.

We had to pause for robotics club happening in our home, but will place the rest before dinner. Watch this space for the other photos and let me know if you find an ornament.

Mr. Galabeya Made it to the CD

In October I told you about Mr. Galabeya Goes to the CD.

I am happy to report he has made it there and is now being passed out to children to take home.

Here are photos of him peeking out of the beautifully crafted Art Supply Depot.

A Crafty Arab - Mr. Galabeya Made it to the CD

Here is another photo of him, but this one includes the beautiful artist in charge of this project, reflected in the glass. Shukran, Esther Ervin, for allowing Mr. Galabeya to be part of your dream!

A Crafty Arab - Mr. Galabeya Made it to the CD

Mr. Galabeya Goes to the CD

Two years ago, I created a Mr. Galabeya Card Tutorial while I was teaching Arabic art to students at the Startalk Language Camp.

Once the camp was over, I printed out the instructions and created card kits. These kits included a colorful blank card, envelope, three cutouts and step by step details. All that was needed was a pen and glue. These kits were listed in my Zibbet shop and I would often take them to events to sell.

A Crafty Arab's Mr. Galabeya Goes to the CD

Recently I discovered that my friend Esther Ervin was creating a Little Art Supply Depot to install in the Seattle Central District. Her artwork is to be part of the City of Seattle's Art Interruptions series. These art instillation offers ephemeral moments of surprise and reflection in the Central Area Neighborhood Greenway from September 4, 2015 to January 3, 2016.

Ervin will create a "Little Art Supply Depot" modeled after Little Free Libraries, Ervin's installation will be stocked with small packages of miscellaneous art supplies for people to take and use. Participants are invited to post photos of their creations via social media and art supply donations are encouraged.

Supplies are maintained and stocked by the artist. To learn more about the project, visit its Facebook or Twitter accounts. To make a contribution, visit GoFundMe.

Ervin was an Artist in Residence at Pratt Fine Arts Center and the James W. Washington Foundation. Her art includes mixed media work and jewelry. We meet many years ago while attending the Washington Arts Alliance Foundation's Cultural Congress. We recently both exhibited at a Onyx Fine Arts Collective group show.

I really wanted to be involved in her project and contacted her to see if she would like some Mr. Galabeya Card Kits for her Depot.  I'm excited to say that she has agreed.

If you do find yourself near the Little Art Supply Depot and do take home a Mr. Galabeya to make, please send me a photo! I'll post them below or on IG as they come in.

A Crafty Arab will no longer be at Ventures

This afternoon I went to a meeting with a product specialist of one of my main brick and mortar stores, Ventures, in Pike Place Market.

I had just bought 3 Scrabble boards the previous week and planned on dropping off some newly made tile earrings at the store shortly after.

A Crafty Arab Scrabble supplies

I began selling earrings and other handmade items with Ventures after completing their Business Development Training winter 2010 classes. Theses classes were instrumental in launching the Arabic Alphabet Animal Poster. Since then, this store and staff has been extremely helpful by providing me with lawyer assistance, product development, and realizing when it's time to let go of inventory logistical nightmares and hire an accountant. I even started selling at their SeaTac airport store.

I had assumed our meeting was to analyze the 100 items sold in their store last month.

No.

I was told that because my husband made too much money at his job, I did not fit into their new incubator system that focuses solely on growing low income entrepreneurs. My items could remain in the store if I choose to finish out the year.

I'm sad that the store that started it all is pulling the plug. But I have to look on the bright side and think that maybe God sometimes closes the door but opens a window.

I've already been to Pike Place and gotten a directory to decide on other locations I want to sell because my sarcastic cards, barrettes, I Heart Seattle pins, and earrings seem to do very well with the tourist market.

A Crafty Arab I Heart Seattle and Seattle Map pins

Wish me luck and if you have any leads on stores that might be a good fit for my items, plus some newly made Scrabble earrings, let me know.

A Crafty Arab Scrabble tile earrings in the making

A Crafty Arab Scrabble tile earrings ready to go to your favorite shop

On FIre For Handmade is featuring A Crafty Arab as it's weekly Zibbet Featured Shop

 

I am so honored and full of gratitude (we say alhumdullah in Arab for it) to have A Crafty Arab be picked at the On Fire for Handmade featured Zibbet shop.

I will also be featured on the home page slider and What's Happening Now Section.

Please do head over (the link is in my shop name above) and show them so hob (the Arabic word for love).

Fragmented Libya...rejected

Yesterday, I received a rejection email from Dawn Laurant, the curator for the cARTography: Personal Metaphors and Mindful Maps show, for my submitted artwork Fragmented Libya. The show is due to occur at the ryan james fine arts gallery in spring 2015.



Fragmented Libya

After reading the standard "We received an overwhelming response" I decided to write the curator an inquiry email to ask why my piece was not accepted.  Having never submitted to a juried gallery show before, I wanted to learn from the process to better improve myself. I included a link to my post from last week about my submission and said I'd like to do a follow up for my blog readers.

Ms. Laurant accidentally sent me this email that was to go to her boss: 

Ryan,

I had to stop myself and erase my response several times...her work wasn't very good is the honest answer but I really don't want to get involved in a long conversation...she seems like trouble....help!!! I'll just blame it all on you okay? Kidding. but not...oh boy it's getting late.

Dawn

Two minutes later this email was also sent to me:

Dear Kay,

I realized you just received an email that was not meant for you...the artist I was referring to in my email to Ryan is someone that has been working with us for awhile but was not accepted into this show.

It goes on, but let's pause here so we clearly understand where this email starts to go wrong.

It's obvious the original email was about me because if the email was meant for a different artist that has been working with ryan james fine arts gallery for awhile, then why would the email refer to this very artist as someone who "seems like trouble."  If you've been working with someone for awhile, wouldn't you already know if they were trouble or not? 

I honestly stopped reading after that. There seemed to be no point in learning about a juried gallery show process, when it simply boils down to the fact that there is none and she didn't think the piece was good. Fair enough, she's entitled to her opinion.

I am not taking it personally that Dawn Laurant did not think it was good. I started the year with artwork hanging at the Washington State Convention Center, followed by the Bellevue Art Museum, two respected institutions in our community.

I replied to let her know that I won't be taking up any more of her time since she has her hands full of so many other artists responses.  I'm not exactly sure why she thought I was trouble from an inquiry email.

I'm looking forward to the spring opening to see who was chosen for this exhibit.

As for Fragmented Libya, it is evident it needs to stay in my home a little bit longer.   As my favorite artist Marita Dingus always says "Hisroty informs my art" and that is how I feel about this piece. 

You need thick skin to try to be an artist, and knowing that Fragmented Libya belongs elsewhere will keep me going on the search of where it needs to hang for others to appreciate all 178 fragmented khatim maps of the battles that occurred in history.

Fragmented Libya

I was inspired by an oil painting by the great artist Ashby Reed, Jr. at the Onyx exhibit I took part in last year.  Something about his painting of a chair on the porch just spoke to me and made me look close at the technique he used, oil painting with a knife.

Intrigued about oil palette painting, having never done it before, I contacted Mr. Reed by email to ask for some tips on how to start. 

He sent me some excellent video examples in a lovely return email, and after a stop at my local art store, Danielle Smith in Bellevue which has the best staff ever, I got started learning a new art technique. I documented the process along the way on my Instagram account, taking photos of my taping and painting.

After months and layers and newly acquired paint splotches on my studio Turkish rug, I finished the piece last week.

I then contacted my local community Buy Nothing Project to ask for help in professionally photographing my finished artwork, Fragmented Libya.

A wizard behind the camera, Quintin Doroquez, contacted me and offered his camera services for free.

I will be forever grateful to these two men for helping me create this piece. 

This artwork has allowed me much cathartic release during these last few months. It has been a tiring, emotional  winter while I listened to the news of what is happening to my beloved Libya, watched helpless as people were being prosecuted because their religion after Charlie Hebdo, and then unfriended over 600 people on Facebook.

I have submitted this piece to the ryan james fine arts gallery upcoming exhibit called cARTography: Personal Metaphors and Mindful Maps.

This exhibition invites artists to use the art and language of maps, to create personal geographies that locate their place in the world, and include the real or imagined boundaries that define them.

I'd love to hear your feedback on it.

Fragmented Libya, oil on hardbord, four pieces, each 11x14.

A Crafty Arab is on Instagram (again)

I'm happy to report that I've come out of the dark ages and have a cell phone again. 

I broke my other phone a million months ago (well, it felt like it!) and couldn't get a new one because of the "plan" so I had to wait till last week.

My apologies to all those that have filled my message box.  I promise to get to them ASAP.  But in the meantime, I've rediscovered my camera and have gotten back on Instagram.

Grasslawn Park

I'm going to search for the girls' #WhatGazaKidsCouldBeDoing sign and hopefully get them back on track with taking photos for that important cause too.

And if you are on Instagram, give a shout out so I can follow you!

Welcome sign in Arabic, Bengali, English and Thai

A dear friend in book club recently moved into a multi generational home that includes two sets of grandparents.

As a housewarming gift, I hand painted her a custom sign that says Welcome in the four languages that will be spoken in her new home.  I knew the Arabic and English but had to look up the other two languages. I really hope I got the Thai and Bengali correct.

It was so much fun to make and I'd love to do it again.  Contact me if you'd like your own sign made.

Welcome hand painted in Arabic, Bengali, English and Thai

Here are a few close ups of the individual boards.

Hand painted Welcome in English

Hand painted Welcome in Thai

Hand painted Welcome in Arabic

Hand painted Welcome in Bengali

Aminah and Ayah Custom Arabic Name Signs

A dear friend recently asked me to make custom Arabic name signs for her.  Her daughter picked out the anchor and dragonfly wood cutouts and requested that I incorporate the color turquoise in them.

I just finished painting them today and I hope she likes them.  I still have to add the wire for hanging, but while I hunt down my drill bit, I thought you might want to see what they look like completed.

Ayah and Aminah Custom Arabic Name Signs

Feel free to contact me if you'd like your own Arabic name sign.  Simply send an email to ACraftyArab at my Gmail account and I'll be happy work with you. Unless you see your name already here.

Quilled 12th Man

I'll be teaching a Beginner Quilling tutorial class at Ben Franklin Crafts and Frames in Redmond on November 12th from 6:30 to 8:30pm.  

To help advertise the class in the store, I created this quilled 12th Man mini board with wood letters and paper.

Considering our entire town of Seattle has gone crazy with 12th man fever, I thought it might be fun to come up with my own quilled interpretation.

Stop by the Ben Franklin store to see it live. It is on the display in the middle of the store, on top of the supply rack for the quilling supplies.  This previously held the large letter B full of flowers and one little bee.

If you want to sign up for my class and learn how to make your own, call 425-883-2050 and let them know you want Beginning Quilling. Bring a friend and for less then $20, you'll learn an easy craft invented by nuns during the Renaissance.  It only uses one tool, stripes of paper and tiny, minuscule amounts of glue. I'll even give you a coupon to shop till you drop for whatever you want to quill in the store.

Hope to see you there!

Quilled Earrings

While you read this blog post, I'm on a ferry, travestying the Puget Sound, northern bound for Orcas Island.

I'm going to be teaching quilling at the YMCA's Women's Wellness Weekend. I've been doing this for several years now and highly encourage anyone to attend this special place.

In honor of the class, I've been spending the last few days making new, simple quilled earrings to show students.


A Crafty Arab Quilled Earrings



A Crafty Arab Quilled Earrings



A Crafty Arab Quilled Earrings



A Crafty Arab Quilled Earrings



A Crafty Arab Quilled Earrings



A Crafty Arab Quilled Earrings

A Crafty Arab Quilled Earrings

Onyx 10 year Anniversary Exhibit Opening Reception

Last night I attended the Onyx 10 year anniversary exhibit opening reception that was held at the Washington State Convention Center.

It was so wonderful to see old friends, meet new ones, and be exposed to emerging artists.

Grand Prize Winner Carol Rashawnna Williams 

Honorary Mention

Here we are gathered to meet all the artists.

I love that my piece is to the right of the security phone. Just. In. Case.

Border Camel walking to the phone.