Behind the Scenes: A Two Week Show and Tell Art and Craft Explosion!

I've been leading up to this post for over a week now and I'm finally ready to share!  I was waiting for a final phone call that it was a 100% cool, for the project I wanted to do . . .  in my first art show/benefit, EVER!

I got the call and it was a YES and she sounded super excited too and now I'm crazy pumped up and rarin' to go!!!

The Art Show Benefit is sponsored by an awesome group of women called Muslimahs United.  Samira Axelson, is the president and founder and does an awesome job of putting together all kinds of fundraising projects and just plain fun events, to help other sisters, serve our community and so much more. And she's a sweetheart! ♡  

This event is an Art Showcase and it will be featuring traditional and contemporary art by local muslim women.  It will be benefiting the Hidaya Women's Resource and Advocacy Project.  Hidaya is an Arabic word meaning for our group, "leading to the goal with gentleness and kindness".

It looks like I cut off some of the flyer.  Sorry.  The full fyler is on my Facebook page www.facebook.com/nancy.gaines.12

The women in this group are amazing and such an inspiration to me. When Samira asked if I wanted to be one of the artists, I was blown away!  I actually still am!  A LOT!  I am so very, very honored and so want to do my very best for this show, not just as an artist, but as a way of giving back to my community. So I'm hoping and praying all of you will be able to help me to help them.  

We are selling tickets to this event (women only) at $25.00 each AND also donations of any amount would be so very welcome as well! Click on this link and then at the bottom of the flyer there is a donations button too! click that, and imagine, in your head  . . . me doing a happy dance! ♡

I knew what I wanted to create the minute I was asked if I would participate!  I was told later that they wanted us to tell "our story" too!  Eeeek!  A 3 to 5 minute speech about "our story"! Part of me wanted to bail and run crying like a baby at that point, but I simply couldn't.   Just not cool, you know?

So what I'm doing, is going to be different from anyone else's work and it will tell my story AND be 100% me!  Don't you love it when it clicks like that?  I am having so much fun already!

I'm doing a rather large installation that will create a lovely and cozy vignette about DIY and re-purposing vintage castoffs and will include, but will not be limited to the following:

1.  A vintage, swivel rocker chair with ottoman, covered in vintage doilies and whatever else inspires me, as I make it.

2.  A standing light fixture with a 1/2 globe lampshade.

3.  A vintage red suitcase made into a inspiration craft & art station.

4.  A red train case made into stationery & office supply case.

5.  A vintage typewriter "updated" with decoupage fabric.

6.  A vintage globe re-purposed somehow,  haven't decided yet.  Any ideas for me?

7.  An old,  paint stained wooden ladder to hold the typewriter and globe and other yumminess. 

8.  A couple of buntings made from vintage bed sheets. 

9.  Some kind of area rug.

In sha Allah (God willing),  I can pull this off.  I've got two weeks-ish and I've got everything I need, "in house", to create this project!  Eeeek!!!  I am going to be the craft happiest a crafty girl can get!  Except for no one to craft with!  Although, my bestie, Dana will be coming over at least one day ahead of show-time and then she is going to help me transport everything to the event at Multnomah Arts Center!  I so love that woman!! ♡

So I decided to invite you guys into my studio and for the next two weeks and we will get our craft on like nobodies business!

I'll share lots of photos of what it's like behind the scenes and I'll take you through step by step on some of the stuff with tutorials as well!

I'm going to make it a "behind the scenes of me, Nancy . . . Domesticraft-ing my bonoonies off event" before the big event!! There are going to be random giveaways and tons and tons of virtual and for real sequins, glitter, cupcakes and donuts flying!! Oh, and power tools might be involved too!  Woot!

I've started a new Pinterest board called "Born to Make ♡ My Story" and I've pinned a bunch of amazing photos that inspire the heck outa me!  Whew, that was hard work! Psych!!!  And I get to more!  It's part of my "research"  Hahahaha!  

Okay, I'm calmed down now. ;) That was the first time in way too long that I've spent that much time on Pinterest and it was better than . . . well, lets just say, again, it was AHHHHHH-mazing! :)   

So I'm inviting you to go Pinterest Happy with me too!  Share some pins with me that you think might be cool for my project inspiration or that you just love or would like to try out yourself! Share them on Facebook too, your page, my page, whatever. Just try to remember to tag me, I would really like to see!♡

I'm also tying in #bonafidebosslady tips. This project is HUGE for me, not only as an artist, but as a business woman and personally as well.

To help me with my nerves about the "talk" (sounds so much easier to handle than "speech")  I figured I would pump myself up with graphics and tips and little stories about being myself and being positive and doing things that are hard, even if it makes you want to barf.  By the time this fantastic event is here, I will be full of confidence and be as pithy and adorable as all get-out! In sha Allah.  (God willing)

So, who's on board for my crafty ride?  This is basically what I'll be eating, sleeping and breathing for the next two weeks, with breaks now and then for real life, of course. ;) I'm so excited for you to be a part of this super cool and unbelievable project I'm about to start!  Do you think I can pull it off, guys?  I'm going to need this biggest bunch of cheerleaders I can get!  I can't wait to start crafting with you guys!  It's about time, huh? ♡

p.s.  Remember, I'm counting on you to be my cheerleaders!  Ladies over in the Gratitude Girl's Cheer League . . . do we have room for some more "Cheer-ers"?  You can join our group of positive, encouraging and bright women from all backgrounds and faith and from all over the world to boot!  It really is a lovely bunch of women and we would love to welcome you as well!♡




XOXOXO
NANCY