The Dreamy Mr. Gene Kelly

Well hello, fine readers! Hope you had a fantastic summer. We're still melting here in Texas, but the kids are back in school and that means the routine around here is finally getting back in order. Whew!

Today, a group of friends and I are kicking off a fun, easy-going craft-along in honor of one of our all-time favorite film and dance stars: Gene Kelly. You may remember that I have been madly in love with Gene for years, and that way back in my awesome surface design class with Kat, I made a Gene Kelly screen so I could print his face on anything and everything. Because, really, shouldn't his face be on everything?

Last week, some folks started a twitter conversation about a shared love for the dancing super star, and within a short period of time it was decided that we should do a Gene Kelly craft-along. I checked to see when his birthday was, in case it might coincide with when we'd start the craft-along, and Lo! TODAY is his birthday. Such kismet. It's as though he's speaking to us from the other side, saying, "Please! Immortalize me in craft!" Sorta.

So! What does this mean? Well, we are keeping things loose. Mostly, we are interested in sharing a common interest in this amazing actor, singer, dancer (talk about a triple threat!) and to get folks who might not have paid much attention to him before (for shame!) to learn more about and appreciate his work. Any kind of craft is welcome, and there are no firm deadlines - just fun! You can share your Gene Kelly-inspired projects over on our Gene Kelly Craft-Along Flickr group. You can also tweet pics and progress using the tag #GK4EVR. Read Diane's intro post over on CraftyPod!

Let's take a look at why Gene makes my heart swoon:

- That velvety voice: Not just in singing - in talking, too! Dreamy.

- That charming smile: I get all Monkee's Twinkly Eyed just thinking about it.

- That mischievous sense of humor: As though it's not enough that he can sing and dance, now he's gonna make me LAUGH!? Fuhgetaboudit.

- Those dance moves: Really? Turning newspaper into a dancing art form? C'mon, Gene, you had me at shuffle-ball-change.

- That bod: I'm not gonna lie. The fella had a stunning body, highlighted by beautifully made trousers that always accentuated the ... positive.

Some of my all-time favorite movies star Gene Kelly. If you haven't watched any of his films, get on it. Singin' in the Rain is, of course, one of the greatest films ever made, but some of his other lesser-known movies are great fun, too. In fact, one of my favorites will be the inspiration for my Gene Kelly project: Summer Stock. It's a hilarious movie starring Gene, Judy Garland and Phil Silvers. The clothes are simple and gorgeous (this brown and coral dress worn by Judy Garland makes me weak in the knees) and is loads of fun. And no one can forget On The Town and An American in Paris. And if you're wanting to know more about the man himself, you absolutely must watch Anatomy of a Dancer. It's a fantastic documentary on his life and is brilliantly done. (and it's available on Netflix Instant!)

There's something about watching Gene Kelly at work that lifts your spirits in a most delightful way. Blending that feeling with making stuff is a recipe for great fun, so join in on the Gene Kelly craft-along. S'Wonderful!

There she goes ...

Last launch ever ... and my art is on there

I still haven't really found the words. Be back when I have.

(Well, I found these words just minutes after the launch. They are shaky, tear-filled, nerding-out words, but they came when I was still feeling the power - on all levels - of the launch through my body. So ... ya know ... forgive my blabbering.)

I will say the easiest words to come by right now, though: THANK YOU.

Make Stuff Together! (and a giveaway)

If ever there was a book that not only inspired me creatively, but also gave me hope for the future, this is it. Kathie Sever and Bernadette Noll's Make Stuff Together book explores crafting as a community effort though creating with family and friends. Simple projects with special meaning make this book a unique treasure.


I'd love to be able to claim objectivity here, but who am I kidding? Bern and Kathie are friends of mine from my days in Austin, and I love them dearly. These are the kind of folks who make your life richer and give you hope in humanity, but not in an annoying, pretentious way. They are genuine and funny and smart and loving and down-to-earth, and Make Stuff Together is a perfect manifestation of their personalities. The essays on crafting as a family, the projects that use upcycled materials - all of it is 100% true to these ladies and how they live their lives. To know them is to love them, and to love them is to cherish this book.


Last weekend, they had a raging book release party at the Stitch Lab in Austin. I was so bummed I couldn't be there. These folks and this community are one of the things I miss most about Austin. What is so wonderful about Make Stuff Together, though, is that I can feel that connection to community and the inspiration of making things through the book - no matter where I am.

Check out their Facebook page and the other stops on their Blog Tour for more information and to see why what these two rad moms from Austin are doing is so darn important.


Lucky You! I was gifted one copy of Make Stuff Together to review, and I have one copy to give away to an Average Jane Crafter reader. I just want to know a favorite crafting memory of yours, and if it involved working with someone else. Did you stitch with your grandmother? Make pine derby cars with you dad? How do you think crafting with someone changes the experience of making things for you? Let me know in the comments, and be sure to leave a way I can get in touch with you. Comments will close at 11AM CST on Sunday, July 3.

Maker Faire prep day 1

A hugely wonderful day getting ready for Maker Faire! Here are some pics from the day - descriptions and more soon, right now we have to get back to work! :)

Back to the Happy Place

I can't believe it's already time for Maker Faire again. This year has flown by. I got to San Francisco earlier today and spent a wonderful afternoon with Natalie. Tonight, I get to see Lish and Nick for dinner & tomorrow I'll see the rest of my CRAFT & MAKE pals at the Fairgrounds. Truly ... these people make me so stinkin' happy. I can't wait to hug Diane for the first time in TWO years, squee like a school girl over Moxie and bask in the awesomeness that is Becky Stern. Good good times. It's like a very nerdy Christmas and I love it.

I'm setting up my phone so I can blog from it. I haven't done this in a while, so this is a dry run. We'll see how it goes. It's a very quick way to share fun stuff from Maker Faire, though most of my activity will be over on Twitter (@avgjanecrafter and on @craft) Forgive my sappiness - this is just really one of the highlights of my year & I'm so glad it's here again!

Natalie took me to Daiso today, where we flipped out over cute Japanese packaged craft supplies and a wall 'o bento goodness. Then she took me out for dim sum for the first time ever. She ordered a great spread of food, and we sipped chrysanthemum tea and talked for ages. It was so awesome. A great start to the weekend! More fun from Maker Faire soon!

Announcing the World of Geekcraft Book Winner!

Thanks to all who entered to win a copy of Susan Beal's new World of Geekcraft book, and for being so understanding of my big ole craft FAILs. I loved reading all about your favorite geeky possessions from childhood. It made me want to go scour ebay to find some of these things. (especially the E.T. glasses - I used to have a set but lost them during one of our many moves over the years.)


I'm so excited to announce the winner, because I happen to know her! The random number generator picked comment number 22, which is Jen (@FlyingJenny on Twitter). I met Jen through twitter ages ago, and she's actually quite the space crafter as well. I've featured her work on Craft before, and her bad ass needle felted Hubble Space Telescope was a finalist in the Etsy/NASA Space Craft Contest. She's a very prolific crafter and is constantly posting cool things that she makes over on Twitter. Congrats, Jen! I can't wait to see what you make from this book!

And now, I've got to bust out on unpacking boxes in my studio. We've gotten just about all of the house unpacked and settled, but of course my studio has gotten pushed to end. Time to get it set up before I head out to Maker Faire next week!

Cool Crafty iPhone cases

I saw these fun crafty iPhone cases from Uncommon a while back, but was having trouble choosing between the Magda Sayed cases and the Sublime Stitching cases. I just read about their Buy One, Get One Free sale and instantly went to snap both of them up. After I bought them, I started browsing through the catalog of artists and realized there are TONS I'd also love to have (Jill Bliss, anyone!?)



My current iPhone case is beat to heck, and I'm looking forward to sporting a bold, crafty one - especially when I can change it out with another depending on my mood! (NERDALERT) The sale ends today, so go grab some while you can! Enter BOGOCASE in the discount box when ordering. Have you found any other artists in the Uncommon database that you love?

(and no, I didn't get any compensation for this little post - no free cases {well, except for the one with the sale} no perks - just stumbled on 'em and wanted to share ... so there!)