Edible MICE, #FAFyes and Ornaments

From Jafabrit

In between Nancy running the gallery for the YS Arts Council and moi drawing and plotting next years art projects, we play.  I've finished making the wedding crackers for my daughters wedding, and last Tuesday was spent making chocolate mice, a whole bowl of them. How we didn't gobble them all down is a wonder.

Nancy saw the idea in an old Family Fun magazine, and an apt title because it was FUN.

Nancy has been busy making felt ornaments and this weeks Free Art Friday Box-ATC Kit, which we left out this morning.

It was raining so we had to put the box in a clear bag, but if you are in town and see the yellow tag, it's finders keepers.

Have a GREAT weekend and thanks for visiting.

Nancy's Notes: Talking Trash

and we love trash
as in recycled trash that is.

Nancy has done quite a few pieces of work that creatively recycle odds and ends. This is a crushed can painting called "huh" that was included in several exhibits and a book.

This is felt applique on a hubcap for the landfill project.

I found this old ceramic from next to the trash one day and gave it to Nancy and it got collaged.

All those little itty bitty pieces of felt scraps are saved and used, so Nancy has a way of saving and using anything :)

Nancy is the gallery curator for the Yellow Springs Arts Council.

Happy Tree

What a glorious sunshiney day in 

Yellow Springs Ohio on Friday

and hanging out with Nancy while she's working at Village Artisans always makes me smile.

Smileys mostly around the Village

Ha Ha said the Fly to the Poop for Free Art Friday

Karma Box has found a home

Congratulations to Jade Wolf who found our Karma Box outside Ha Ha pizza.

Karma Box is made by corrine bayraktaroglu, with a hand embroidered fly, floss wrapped wire, altoid tin, vintage shag fabric and photo of sky. 

Olga the Traveling Bra Story

FRIDAY, APRIL 18, 2008

BUSTED! at the Knit Knot Tree in Yellow Springs, Ohio

Well, I guess it was inevitable...a big ol' bodacious Bra traveling around all by herself was bound to attract the attention of The Authorities sooner or later!

But who'da thunk I'd ever end up getting BUSTED

for making a public spectacle of myself in peaceful Yellow Springs, Ohio?

Certainly not me! But, here's how it all went down...

I was in Yellow Springs yesterday to check out a

unique art exhibit I'd read about on the Internet....

My Chaperon, Esqueleta (a very old but respected local artist) hosted a little cocktail party in my honor which was attended by several other localceleBRAties...But then Esqueleta (being a big old party pooper) started resenting all the attention I was getting (especially from a cute little bra-ling named Vicky)....
So she broke up the party and made me help her with her knitting!

Hmphf!...I did not think being a yarn holder was very becoming of one

so bodacious as I......so Vicky and I decided to ditch the ol' bag of bones and skipped off to see

what I came here for in the 1st place...the famous Knit Knot Tree!

Woo-Hoo! It was SPECTACULAR!!!I'd read about the Knit Knot Tree on the artist's blogs Jafabrit's Art andJafaGirlArt, and was so captivated by it's beauty, I just had to come and see it for myself!And as I hung upon the brightly colored tree branches, I felt inspired to release my own creativity...as well as my inhibitions...and so - I just let it ALL hang out!

Apparently this was quite entertaining for the local residents, as they were lining up just to get a gander at this wild and crazy bra hanging upon their tree...even Marco Comegys, Yellow Springs' famous local bra model, stopped by to have his picture taken with me!

But then....
I guess things got a bit too rowdy and I was BUSTED

for "wild flirtation with the local men" and being a "public nuisance"!

Oh the humiliation!

Luckily, the Police Chief let me off with only a stern warning

to "control myself"...

...then he stamped my passport to ensure I'd have a permanent record

of my very wild and breastly day in Yellow Springs, Ohio!

The artists/creators of the now FAMOUS KNIT KNOT TREE in Yellow Springs, Ohio are Corinne Bayraktaroglu and Nancy Mellon. They were inspired to start this project by a group of graffiti knitters, called Knitta, who tag inner cities with vibrant, stitched works of art. Corrine, Nancy, and the Tree all have become local celeBRAties in their own right - please read more about the Knit Knot Tree here and here, and see more amazing examples of other tree sweatershere and here!

And in case you're wondering

Why a Knit Knot Tree?

Here's what Corrine says:

"Well it's simple really.

Because we can, because it's fun,

because it makes people smile,

because it brightens up a dreary winter's day,

because children go ooooooh!aaaaaaaah!

because!!!!!! Life is too short to be getting yer knickers in a knot!"

Cycle of Giving and Doorstop Faeries

It happens a lot in our Village and it's one of the many things I love about living here. You put the call out for something and before you know it you find the Doorstop Faeries have left something in your mailbox or near the front door. Sometimes you know who it is, other times you don't. 

In our case we know and we want to thank them.

♥

Sam Eckenrode, Selwa Whitesell, Karen Russell, and Joy Joseph 

♥

We shall in turn make a gift out of your old boxes and turn them into our little BOX-isms for Free Art Friday.

This Friday's box is 

"the fly and the poop"

based on a Kurt Cobain quote.

If you're a really mean person you're going to come back as a fly and eat poop.

If you live in town or plan visiting Yellow Springs on Friday I will be posting a clue where it is on here or twitter, look for the hashtag #FAFyes.

It goes out after 1pm.
Clue
If you find me it will make you go ha ha, but sitting out here it is chilly.

Cheers

A jafagirl is SHAMELESS

Yep, jafabrit, BLUSH! is in Margot Potter's newest book as one of the Shameless one's. 

Book Link

Margot has this wonderful way of writing, which is as fun as she is, and SPOT ON with tips and advice about marketing and branding.

To be honest I wasn't quite sure how I was going to fit in with the theme of the book. I am not selling my work online or marketing a product. I guess I just take some things for granted and it hadn't really occurred to me that the jafagirls have become a brand. It wasn't planned that way. I admit it. I do enjoy shamelessly  promoting the arts, but mine is more altruistic in nature. Which is not to say I don't toot my own horn now and again. I'm doing that right now, yes ;)

 I love creating art, talking about it and sharing it, and that includes running an art blog highlighting the arts/artists in Yellow Springs, Free Art Friday around the world and of course the jafagirls. 

Spreading Good Cheer 

Jafabrit

Online Reviews

Snap out of it Jean!