artist victoria o'neill

Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen Crochet Rug Making Workshop

2012-01-22T21:16:00.001-05:00

My mother taught me how to sew in the third grade, and many thanks to her, I can really make just about anything that involves a sewing needle, sewing machine, etc. Most of my fiber art experiences have been extremely positive, including cloth dolls, toys, clothes, mobiles, costumes, puppets, curtains, flags, quilts, hats, upholstered furniture, and sew on and sew forth. I just finished making a big stuffed ball out of old sweaters for my grandson for his birthday today!

But in spite of my best efforts, all attempts have failed with crochet. Got a CD. Failed. Took a class. Failed. I’m so sick and tired of hearing people say how easy it is to crochet. I HAVE CROCHLEXIA, but am bound and determined to overcome this learning disability.

I’ve always wanted to make one of those crochet rag rugs, so was delighted to find out about the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen’s Crochet Rug Class coming up in February. It's in Narberth, a sweet town to spend an afternoon in. I signed right up for it.

Hoping for the best! It appears to be just one stitch and you just keep on doing it, creating a long rope which you sew together! Easy! We’ll see.

artypantzvo@yahoo.com

Handmade Snowflakes

2012-01-08T12:48:00.002-05:00

We had fun making big 3 dimensional paper snowflakes with our grandsons and grandnephews last week. They are so easy to make. All you need is paper, tape and staples.

I learned how to make these several years ago after stopping by an elementary school classroom to marvel at a flurry of them hanging from the ceiling. The kids had made them! The teacher graciously offered one of the students to show me how.

Snowflakes can be made with all kinds of paper. I've seen some beautiful ones created with junk mail,scrapbook paper and magazines. You can easily make the white ones with regular copy paper, but my favorite is 65 lb cover stock. It's stiffer and holds its shape really well, for a truly everlasting snowflake.

Here’s a tutorial! Go ahead and create a snowstorm.

http://www.artypantz.blogspot.com/

Love That Smeill

2011-12-26T09:34:00.003-05:00

Ahh….My Christmas morning was spent curled up in a nice hot bathtub with a new book and a fresh bar of handmade goat’s milk soap, from the hearts and hands of 13th Moon Creations

I discovered them in their booth at the Phoenixville Firebird Festival this year, and was lucky enough to leave that evening with an assortment of six bars of heavenly soap.

When I smell something good I just can’t get enough of it. My whole studio is infused with the combined scents of those soap bars! They are tucked into a basket right next to my sewing machine, intoxicating in the purest sense of the word.

I’m really sensitive to smells and when someone smells good I just have to get closer and inhale with my eyes closed. It’s such a simple pleasure! I kept thinking that certain people in my booth at the Firebird Festival smelled so good and kept commenting on it, until I realized it was my next door neighbors’ booth permeating the air with their heavenly scents.

So, I just had to pop over there and meet the sweetest couple behind 13th Moon Creations Luxury Handmade Artisan Soaps and other fragrant wares, including Purse Sprays, Air Freshener/Linen Sprays & Sachets, Whipped Body Butters, Propriety Blend Perfume Oils, Solid Sugar Scrubs and more.

13 Moon Creations, LLC is the collaboration between the husband and wife team, Selena and Dan. Fueled by their love of all things from the 1940’s & 1950’s, fantasy, and mythology, they decided to combine their skills to create something they could share with the public.

Selena makes the goods and Dan designs the colorful and inviting packaging, ALL HANDMADE IN PENNSYLVANIA! Luckily you can order right off their website, and there is a list of PA stores on their website that carry their products., and they have their own brick and mortar store now too.

Jim and Selena just opened a store in Jim Thorpe Pennsylvania called Venus & the Moon at 31 Race Street in Jim Thorpe PA 18229. In addition to their merchandise, they also feature the work of local artisans. They are open Monday through Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. 267-884-5583. Email to VenusNtheMoon@gmail.com

You can find Venus and the Moon and 13th Moon Creations on FaceBook

http://www.artypantz.blogspot.com/

handmade Holiday Cards

2011-12-12T19:28:00.000-05:00

Designing and making your own holiday cards goes hand in hand with being an artist. I’ve been making mine forever, in one form or another. I did a few silkscreen ones over the years, and some block prints. Among others, I’ve made some birds out of sheet music and salt dough mermaids. It’s nice to make your card serve double duty as an ornament, which can be easily achieved by simply tying a piece of ribbon on it, or inserting an ornament hook.

A memorable card one year was a painstakingly carved linoleum print cut with a picture of Santa and what was planned to be Ho! Ho! Ho! Uh Oh! The entire thing had to be carved all over again when the first print out of the gate shouted !oH !oH !oH. That was a hard way to learn to carve words in reverse. Ha! Ha! Ha!

Here is the beginning of my card for this year. Technology has made things a little easier. If I knew how to use Photoshop it would be real easy, but I don’t. Instead I drew this birdie with my own real hands and a pen, and colored with Prisma markers and used a rubber stamp to make the words. The words were stamped on a piece of paper, then cut out and glued into place. The bird was scanned into my computer, and copied and pasted to put three on a page. Then printed!

All those pencil and eraser lines don’t matter because each one will be cut out. I’ll be punching a hole in the tail and tying on a piece of ribbon or raffia. These will be going into the envelopes along with my annual winter brouchure mailing next week. Anybody out there making cards this year?

http://www.artypantz.blogspot.com/

Birds for The Firebird Festival!

2011-12-07T07:47:00.000-05:00

Gearing up for the Artisans Bazaar at the Phoenixville Firebird Festival. This final week beforehand, I'm in the process of cranking out bird wands!

If you would like to march in the parade with the flock of birds that we made at the workshop, and you don't have one, you can stop by my booth and get one! Then go join the flock across the street from The Children's Plaza by 7:25 on Saturday Dec. 10th. The birds will be ceremoniously welcomed into the parade as it passes by on the way to the bird site.

http://www.artypantz.blogspot.com/

Hand Turkey

2011-11-28T17:28:00.001-05:00

Here is an except from my Creative Blast column on Handmade in PA today.

While drawing this hand turkey for today’s blog post, I just had to laugh. At the age of 16 I picked up a pen one day, started to draw, and knew how. At the time it was generally assumed by all that I would grow up and become a writer one day, which come to think about it does seem to have come true after all. But drawing kind of took over there for awhile, and then onto painting, and fiber art and on and on.
Anyway, I illustrated many of my teenage poems and stories with simple line drawings. A family artist friend, the now famous Pennsylvania born and bred Kitty Wallis (known for her beautiful pastels and pastel paper she invented) commented that there were no hands on any of the people. Look Ma! No hands!

Click HERE to read the rest of the article.

http://www.artypantz.blogspot.com

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T16:49:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

artist victoria o'neill

Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen Crochet Rug Making Workshop

Handmade Snowflakes

Love That Smeill

handmade Holiday Cards

Birds for The Firebird Festival!

Hand Turkey

Happy Thanksgiving

Families Making Wands for the Firebird Festival

Making Birds for the 2011 Firebird Festival Parade

Philosophy of Life

Kimberton Hills on Handmade in PA

Love for One Another as a Foundation for Government

The Outdoor Craft Store in Swarthmore

Making Mandalas at Camp Tabarsi

SHIMAMA - Together

Name the Womannequin

Belt Pocket Purses

Come Join the Rainbow in Phoenixville

Come Join the Rainbow at Lamott Library

Come Join the Rainbow Open to the Public at Local Libraries

Getting Ready for The Vibrant Living Festival

If You Can't Stand the Heat Collage Art

Handmade Cloth Birthday Banners from ArtyPantz

FREE show Hooray 4 Bugs in Mt Airy Saturday July 23rd

Flannel Cloth Napkins for Kids

The Day I Painted The Ceiling of my Husband's Cadillac

Hooray 4 Bugs! open to the public at Wired Beans Cafe in Mt Airy

Celebrate 4th of July Collage Mail Art

Incognito Mermaid and Merman with Sunglasses

More Prints on Etsy for Sale

Collage Art Galore

Come Join the Rainbow is the CUTEST show ever

patent for sale or for licensing

Creative Blast on Handmade in PA Do You Have a Cheerleader?

Jim Heth aka Captain Splendid's Dream Emporium Business Card

Gwyn Michael Illustrates Creative Blast Today

ArtyPantz Booth at DVAEYC

ArtyPantz Productions at DVAEYC Conference

New Flyers for ArtyPantz!

Happy Spring

Back in the Saddle

Rainbow Skirt for Come Join the Rainbow

Handmade Philly Book Exchange

Last Day in Santa Cruz

Welcome Spring Baskets with Live Grass

What's New With You on Handmade in PA

Interview on Creative Liberty

Creative Blast on Handmade in PA

The Omo People

Big Rainbow Costume for Come Join the Rainbow

Loving the Raw Food Diet

Five Stars for Cool Backpack from CSN

Sweet

Women Go Raw - Mimi Kirk

Are YOU an Artist on Handmade in PA

Thinking Spring and Summer

happy valentines day!

Kiss the Birdies Valentine Tutorial

Accessing ArtyPantz Productions LLC at Tax Time

Joy the Golden Bird

ArtyPantz Productions presents Come Join the Rainbow Show

Lighthouse Lounge/Sunstone Studios on Handmade in PA

Mermaid with Fish Purse

Handmade Philly Book Exchange

Saying Good-bye to the Ones You Love

Beauty

Happy New Year!

Playing with Clay at Handmade in PA

Mae West Mermaid on Etsy Treasury

Merry Christmas to All

Going on A Sleigh Ride at Manheim Township Public Library

More Bird Wands

The Magic of Crayons on Handmade in PA

The Firebird Festival is tomorrow

A Million Minutes for Peace

Dancing Owl Stick Puppets Trio

Firebird Wand Making was Fantastic

Handmade Paper Song Birds

Home is Where the Art Is