Terrarium Tiny on My Mind

 

I’ve been really inspired by the music at the new Girdwood Farmers Market(!) yay! I also have been inspired by NPR’s Tiny Desk AND soooo began thinking tiny, miniature, smaller bits of beauty etc. I stumbled across these Odoria 1:24 Vintage Japanese Furniture pieces & thought about how each piece is so cool and wanted to isolate or encapsulate these miniatures along with natural beauty here in Girdwood, especially after the rain. Using moss I found in the yard, I made these glass terrariums that are about 5-7” tall each with the Odoria phonograph and low table, vintage telephone, vintage TV, and my favorite, a vintage sewing machine and bench. Hope you like them as much as I do!

#girdwood #GirdwoodFarmersMarket #terrarium #tinyart #crowcreekcool #cindyshake #miniatures #intothewoodsfarmersmarket

Into the Woods We Go!

 

How exciting to be prepping for a MARKET!! I don't even mind digging out the tent and racks, table, chairs, performing the tagging, pricing, bagging, loading, and everything else that goes into free market capitalism. At the top of my "positives" list for this market is that it forced me to up my POS bank card transaction game. Using my Crow Creek Cool Shopify set up I was able to obtain a Shopify card reader and integrate my current e-commerce sales flow! No more printers, reconciling sales after each show, crazy expensive cc machines and paper that annually become obsolete. The past pandemic year has hit everyone hard - especially us MAKERS. I've always needed an outlet for my making and the new, home grown neighborhood farmers market being kicked off in Girdwood is just what the community needed. Every other Sunday throughout the summer come to the Ghood and shop local for veggies, artisan wares, coffee, self-care goods, flowers, ferments, tie-dye, and even FRESH SALMON(!), all bathed in LIVE MUSIC! Crow Creek Cool will have new bags & flags -even one-of-a-kind hand painted cool flags along with my latest hand crafted items of muse! The market is made possible in part by the generosity of the founders of Girdwood's new Raw Market Company located next to the Girdwood Laundromall near Towne Square.

Here is a little video link of the last market posted by the Girdwood Community Land Trust! > https://www.facebook.com/GirdwoodCLT/videos/1617038768495377 

Ahhhhlaska never disappoints...

Merely on the drive home to Girdwood from the grocery store in Anchorage. In 20+ years I don't think I have ever slowed and pulled over into a Seward Highway turnout but on this day I just had to. Here is Turnagain Arm in rare and calm reflective beauty. xOx
 

Share the Care Friends

We are in a strange, new world.I have uploaded my most popular designs to our Crow Creek Cool Society6 page for Masks. Share the Care friends

https://society6.com/crowcreekcool/collection/crow-creek-cool-face-masks

#Society6

#masks

 

Loving American Buttercream

Oooooo! Now you can follow these bakes & creations on IG at > https://www.instagram.com/cindysbakes/

☆ Creative provisions by a Newb Baker, Artist + Maker in the cool little ski town of Girdwood, Alaska USA ☆

Practice continues 👩‍🍳 sweet fun! Trying something NEW can be challenging and takes some bravery to fail -I should do a better job of showing photos of my "uglies!" I need to remember patience while I practice but at least we can eat my fails😆 But how am I expected to patient when Miss Margaret sends me this link: https://www.ice.edu/newyo…/continuing-ed/art-cake-decorating (!!) 🧁💗😬

🍰For friends who are inspired here are my go-to links:
How to make buttercream flowers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHc8cqgmYTQ
Attempting Russia Piping Tips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRAgXne621o

Next, still refining the #AmericanButtercream recipe and learning what pipes best using various tips. Also practicing the basic piping borders onto a cookie sheet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYOiXvujb_o&t=76s

#cupcakes #cakedecorating #wilton #preppykitchen #cake #kitchenaid #GreatBritishBakingShow love🧁💗

My Latest MUSE!

Slightly obsessed with American Buttercream &🧁🍥 loving to learn how to decorate PLUS any mistakes are the best part!👩‍🍳💜
#Wilton #Cupcakes #FrostingArt #Sugar

Sneak peek at our birthday girl's👸 "Sea Jelly" 🌊birthday cake! My first layer cake and I learned a thing or THREE! BTW Love YouTube's PreppyKitchen 🍥🧁
#AmericanButtercream 🎂💗
#cakedecorating

Show at Georgia Blue Gallery

Cindy Shake objets trouvés 

GEORGIA BLUE GALLERY  ▫  April 5 - April 30, 2019

Opening Reception April 5, 2019 ▫ 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.

georgiabluegallery.com

“Handmade”

23” x 27” Mixed Media Assemblage by Cindy Shake

All images © 2019 Cindy Shake

Oh So Many Ways to Stay FRESH

More COOL for YOU> https://crowcreekcool.com/

FOLLOW + Stay FRESH > https://www.instagram.com/crowcreekcool/

Friendship + FUN > https://www.facebook.com/CrowCreekCoolture/

NEW Artist Fabric Panels & Art Quilt Patterns are now available!

NEW Artist Fabric Panels & Art Quilt Patterns are now available at Quilt Shops or on line through our website at Crow Creek Coolture! https://crowcreekcool.com/
A Be-YOU-tiful display at Quilt Tree ❤ Our new Plushy friends, AK ABC and Raven Panels merch are customer-ready ✂ #makersmovement  https://crowcreekcool.com/
#sewing #patterns #madeinalaska #madebyhand #quilting

Let It SNOW!

NEW Line of Hand-crafted COOL Wearables, Gear, and ARTful Originals!

New designs, new art, and a new brand just in time for adventuring! Though it has been a LOT of work, I have been feeling satisfied creatively and having a lot of fun creating new t-shirt art, new Growler and gear bag designs with Kristen (our daughter) for our new Crow Creek Coolture  brand.  Below is the new logo and a couple of the graphics for the weather-resistant Growler & Gather bags we are making. The water resistant vinyl bags are a perfect fit for a Growler (...from LaBodega Girdwood!) or even for berry picking this fall! 

Water resistant Growler Bag production on the sewing table! Just in time for our walk up to La Bodega Girdwood!

Our new logo and brand for COOL wearables, Gear, and ARTful Originals!

NEW Line of Hand-crafted COOL Wearables, Gear, and ARTful Originals!

New designs, new art, and a new brand just in time for adventuring! Though it has been a LOT of work, I have been feeling satisfied creatively and having a lot of fun creating new t-shirt art, new Growler and gear bag designs with Kristen (our daughter) for our new Crow Creek Coolture  brand.  Below is the new logo and a couple of the graphics for the weather-resistant Growler & Gather bags we are making. The water resistant vinyl bags are a perfect fit for a Growler (...from LaBodega Girdwood!) or even for berry picking this fall! 

Water resistant Growler Bag production on the sewing table! Just in time for our walk up to La Bodega Girdwood!

Our new logo and brand for COOL wearables, Gear, and ARTful Originals!

Raven Flags spotted in NC!

A bit of a flashback. Love this photo taken outside of my friend Tracey Broome's pottery studio in Raleigh NC where she hung a set of Raven Flags I had sent her. 

They seem to be beautifully weathering into the landscape. 

http://tsbroome.blogspot.com/

Happy HeARTs Day with FREE Valentine cards!

That's right! Download, print, cut and fold your FREE artfully designed Valentine card for the ones you LOVE! Visit: http://www.cindyshakedesign.com/ 

Happy HeARTs Day!

Printer Error with an Artful Fail

 I wasn't thrilled with how much ink was used when my art inkjet printer errored, but this is an enhanced image I created from the fail! A full page of saturated CMYK ink spit out instead of two pages of Word docs. Cool fail, huh?! I'm seeing some fun pattern works both digitally and in fiber. Normally, I use my commercial grade HP laser printer for graphic design but I also have an HP Photosmart inkjet printer that I use for making iron-on transfers and other artful projects that the expensive laser printer isn't suitable for.

Creating Your Personal Mandala

My personal Mandala created digitally was inspired by my Birth Chart Wheel.
Note  -I have edited the opacity intentionally for this post.

A new year is an opportunity to learn about and renew those things that matter to each of us -and hopefully, be mindful of them throughout the year. One way is to create a personal Mandala as a visual to aid in mindfulness. A Mandala is a symmetrical design that uses shape and colors as an expression. Most Mandalas are circular and I created mine digitally in Adobe Illustrator CC, as I wanted to efficiently incorporate various imagery and graphics (both vector and rasterized) that are meaningful to me. The basis for my original inspiration and design came from a Natal Chart or Birth Chart Wheel and then sprinkling in some numerology, my Tarot Birth Card from the major arcana, which is The Empress. I've provided links in this post that may be helpful should you want to explore some of these ideas. Starting with a spiral base design, you can easily copy, cut and paste imagery, write affirmations, hopes, and dreams. There really are no rules so use these base spirals as a template to enlarge or even reduce and copy for multiple smaller spirals to form a larger Mandala! Here are a couple of Mandala base spiral graphics I put together that you can download for free to start creating your personal Mandala.

ENTER the Moleskine - HOW HAS YOUR DIARY MADE IT THROUGH 2015?

My entry! Tossed to the bottom of my backpack, riding on the floor of my car,
accepting quick flicks from my Sharpie or stale glue sticks my
Moleskine kraft cover journal recorded ideas and flashes
of inspiration and thoughts I had already forgotten.
Thank you, Cindy Shake #M_myDiary 

How has your diary made it through the year? Is it bruised and falling apart from the beating it took the past 12 months, or does it look ready to go for 12 more?

For this Creativity Challenge, we're asking you to show us your diary at the end of the year. If your submission is the best among the three most voted ones, we'll send you a package full of Moleskine treats. Including, of course, a new diary for 2016.

Upload a photograph with the tag #M_myDiary.

You have time until January 7th.

Last year's winner was Merve Sariahmet. Will it be you this year?

#M_MYDIARY

First Batch of Botanical Inks Has Been Bottled!

The first "batch" has been bottled and shared with a few close artsy friends to demo!

OK, I admit the fun part is ALL OF IT! The gathering, the science, the waiting for the alchemy to surprise me, the design of the packaging and label design...and the PAINTING! What fun it is to be an ARTist. 

These are the various label ideas I designed for the different colors of inks.

I've been tracking and logging the different color strengths, alchemy and experiments using the lichens, berries, mosses, mushrooms with varying results -some are spectacular and others are getting scrapped. 

First bottles of ink! 

Fun with Botanicals

: : NuHu15 : : & Botanical Hand-Crafted INKS!

 I've been inspired lately by natural dyes and the idea of making them into drawing inks. I've collected lichens, mushrooms and moss from the Girdwood Valley and berries from Mt. Alyeska. Friends and family have sent me more interesting berries, nuts and mosses from places far and near! I'm experimenting and creating beautiful limited batches of artisan, hand-crafted drawing inks and some of the colors are FAB! I've also noticed that by using glacier water, the colors are far more beautiful, clear and true.

Proud to Be Part of the Class of 2015 ATHENAS

Anchorage Chamber of Commerce Anchorage ATHENA Society  -  Nominations for Anchorage ATHENA Society members are solicited from the community at large. Inductees are selected based on the recognition of their outstanding leadership and excellence in their business or profession, their community service outside of job requirements and that they are known for assisting women to reach their full leadership potential. They must also be an Anchorage resident. The nominations are screened by selection committee comprised of past award Recipients.

Pictured are the 2015 Class of inductees to the Anchorage ATHENA Society, along with Leadership Award winner Carolyn E. Jones. Our smiles were contagious following the luncheon at the Dena'ina Convention Center on Monday in our honor that celebrated the amazing energy and accomplishments from each of these women! I was not only proud but a bit emotional as I learned what each of these empowering women have done not only locally, regionally but globally I realized that I can continue to do more with my life to mentor and pay it forward. Back row from left to right: Dr. Robyn Rehmann, Cindy Shake (me!), Carolyn E. Jones (not only was she the Keynote Speaker but was surprised to be named the 2015 ATHENA of the Year!), Alison E. Kear, and Jackie Purcell. Front row from left to right: Barbara A. Jones, Stephanie Kesler, Kristi Acuff, Julie Hasquet, Hilary Morgan. Special THANK YOU to Jana Hayenga, (The Quilted Raven and Cabin Fever)  2014 Anchorage ATHENA Society Leadership Award Recipient who nominated me and continues to inspire and support others.