My New Mystery Project!

My new craft project by m. diaz

What do you think this new craft project will be?? Take your guess and let me know in the comments!

-Ciao Amarettogirl

Hipstamatic Blossoms

hipstablossom1 by m.diaz hipstablossom2 by m. diaz

Kokeshi FREE Laptop Sleeve Tutorial

the laptop sleeve by marisol diaz tutorial finished laptop sleeve

- Ciao Amarettogirl

Paper-Cut Stop Motion Animation Inspo

Anyone who really knows me knows I am a book fanatic and I love to write. In fact, at this moment I am drowning in books on my side of the bed and have to walk over stacks and piles that block my path. I would say my weekly shopping addiction is in the form of books and magazines (and why yes the kindle and nook would solve some of the obvious three-dimensional problems and I might one day look into them) I love the feel, smell and handling of a physical book in my hands.

Anyway, I digress. I live with the dichotomy of creating visually artistic work when I'm not writing and writing when I not creating visual art...and you all know I love me some stop-motion!

I bring all of this up, because The New Zealand Book Council has cleverly brought the two together with this phenomenal and very inspiring little ditty- if you have 2 minutes and 11 seconds you need to treat yourself to this:

Produced by Colenso BBDO
Animated by Andersen M Studio

One day I will finish my hub and I's stop-motion...one day...

-Ciao Amarettogirl

If Birds Can Fly Why Oh Why Can't I?

if birds can fly why oh why can't I? by Amarettogirl on Polyvore.com

for sources please click on title

Make a Wordle!

my blog Amarettogirl's Wordle One of my students just taught me what 'Word Clouds' are and they introduced me to Wordle. Now I'm hooked!

A word cloud scans a body of text (or a blog or website) for key/repetitive words and pulls them, then it arranges them in a funky layout. You can modify font, layout stye and color palette. If you're a blogger (or not) try it it you'll like it...also imagine doing it with a poem or interviews or anything! Its a fantastic graphic design toy!

If you make a wordle because of this post- leave me a link to it in my comments so that I can see it!

-Ciao Amarettogirl

Choose a Hairstyle! Custom Kokeshi Laptop bag

Ok, well among all else I'm doing these days, I've taken on a commission for a custom kokeshi laptop bag. I'm designing the kokeshi applique now, before I start assembling the laptop bag.

kokeshi applique in process by m. diaz

I was wondering if (even just for fun) if I could get some help with her hairstyle options.

• a. Lady- which is an updo,

• b. chic - which is a short bob or

• c. Harajuku style

Leave me a comment and let me know WHICH do you think I should put on the laptop bag???

Ciao- Amarettogirl

Updated Glasswork Portfolio

Hey there folks! It's been in baby steps I'm sure, but slowly I've been updating my Glass Art portfolio. All the portfolio's are in need of clean-up, re-organization and re-clarification since I hurriedly posted something up two years ago when I first started my blog. I would love for folks to click on the portfolio and check it out!

My Alice glass illustration and block by marisol diaz

I still have more to upload and rearrange. I have made a distinction between glass 'art' and glass 'sketches' as the first is more about pieces I feel are more resolved with clear intention and the latter is about products that emerge out of the process of learning and experimenting.

Wooly Willy magnet toy

Many of you have asked about the techniques. When illustrating, I work with ground glass called frit. It can be ground into different consistencies - coarse to powdery. Much like one would play with a 'Wooly Willy' magnet toy and push around the crushed magnets to draw Willy's hair or mustache, I push around the glass frit to illustrate. After each layer of glass has a frit drawing on it - it then gets fired, usually into one singular block of glass. Such is the case with the 'Alice' above. Often time there is great depth to these illustrations that is almost impossible to capture in a photograph head on. So please check out my glass art gallery!

Well, I hope you have all had a beautiful day!

-

Ciao Amarettogirl

DRIFTWEAR T-Shirt Winner!!

Driftwear has officially launched!!

And to celebrate we're doing a giveaway of the DRIFTBEAR t-shirt!

Congrats to Cristhian!!! You are the random number generators comment selection! Be sure to comment a thank you on the Birth of Driftwear Blog!

As for everyone else sorry this post was delayed, we had some technical difficulties. However, the Driftwear etsy shop is up and running and is now available for your shopping needs!

Congrats to Isabella for making just one of her Indie dreams come true! I'm proud!

Dog Love

Chulo dreaming of Chica Chica dreaming of Chulo Chica upside down throwing me a kiss - the harlot!

The Driftwear Giveaway is tonight!! So be back after 9PM to check to see who the winner is!

-Ciao Amarettogirl