Tuesday, August 16, 2011

{SAVE WETLANDS} Sky High Skateshop/Gallery Temporary Mural Project 4th ed.

Around 10 months ago I began a weekly project to draw portraits of endangered species using a specific centrally balanced format and limited pallette that formulaically popped and included a garland frame associated with identity shields. EGRET, POLAR BEAR

Not being able to decide what animal deserved the most attention, I instead went to biomes.
sky high gallery mural design idea
I researched a list of Wetlands Habitat plants and animals.

My final image starts with individual elements that are pencil sketched and then inked, then scanned. data
The resulting images must be "closed configurations" which means that they have a "closed circuit" contour line enclosing the entire "object." If they are not, they can be corrected in photoshop.
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In this way, objects can be individually selected by selecting the negative space around it, then selecting the inverse of it.

Each object is pasted into the new composition on its own labeled layer, transformed and arranged, thus "knitting" the composition together in photoshop. This was a progress report on the image layers
mural progress report

Final images can have hundreds of layers, which i keep separate the entire time rather than flattening any of them.
10x102

This image was then saved as a flattened object, and taken to kinkos to get a transparency made.
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Luckily i have a pretty sweet hallway to work on this. The wood needed to either be installed somewhere or stretched on a frame. The projector has to be far enough back to focus properly. I drilled it in to the brick. Now for the fun part. Actually painting!!!
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Here is the border finished with and without the projector. data

Fun to see progress when you turn off the light.
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Stay tuned! The mural goes up next week Thursday, ready for the friday Fine Line 4th Edition party at SKY HIGH

xx, v

Monday, August 15, 2011

Aug-Oct CRAFT and EVENT CALENDAR at LOOK NOOK!

Craft Nights at LOOK NOOK are free, and may require some basic supplies. Please check the calendar descriptions or bring a project of your own!
**please NOTE: No Craft Nights Sept 3rd and Sept 17! Please see alternate
events in chronological order below.

SATURDAY AUGUST 13TH
CHOPTOP™:
Ponybeaded fringe trim and ladderwoven slash mesh, makes a no sew bandana or croptop. Bring your own tshirt.

SATURDAY AUGUST 20TH
INTERSECTERS™:
Intersect insects with the intersecter. Back yard fun for hours with a stick, a wire, and some stitched mesh. Supplies included.

SATURDAY AUGUST 27TH
KURTSY™:
Kutely Kut Kurtains (AND BANNERS)! Chop old sheets into new cool curtains in a snowflake manner with scallops and cut-aways! Bring an old sheet or hankies will be provided for a small banner.

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 3RD
NO CRAFT NIGHT!
MADE IN MILWAUKEE FASHION SHOW AT CATHEDRAL SQUARE PARK

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 10TH
CORTNEY Heimerl ART OPENING AND CRAFT NIGHT!
PLAITRAITS™:

Pen engraved portraits on small styrofoam plates, ink brayered, stamped, and embellished. Bring a loved one or a portrait of one.

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 17th
NO CRAFT NIGHT!
**NINE WEST VINTAGE AMERICA
DENIM CUSTOMIZATION BOOTH AT
CARSONS YORKTOWN MALL IN CHICAGO 11AM-1PM

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 24TH:
FLAURETTES™
Faux flower and feather flair! Use deconstructed fake flowers, feathers, felt and hot glue to make fresh barrettes! Bring what have you.

SATURDAY OCTOBER 1ST
BLANGLES™: Beaded bangle bling. Pile beads on a spiral wire strand to look like many bracelets in one! Bring beads to share.

SATURDAY OCTOBER 8TH
***Last day of EAST SIDE GREEN MARKET!
WINDWELLERS™
Wind telling dwellers! Make a mini windsock! Turn it into a creature. Then, laugh.

SATURDAY OCTOBER 15TH
Regular shop hours resume!
HUGE FALL VINTAGE SALE!


FRIDAY OCTOBER 21st and SATURDAY OCTOBER 22nd
GALLERY NIGHT/DAY
Cortney Heimerl

Craft Calendar August-October
All coined phrases, but not necessarily the projects, are trademarks of Madam Chino, rights reserved.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

{QUEEN ANTIQUES LACE} Ann and Flame's House

Ann Powell is a local lifetime collector of antique and vintage clothing, textiles, paintings and housewares. Over the years she has graciously imparted many items to me, knowing that my appreciation for them will not set them to waste. Yesterday I came to her house to help her set up her online shop Queen Antiques Lace on etsy, and enjoyed roaming her home and yard gawking at the items in and around her eastside museum of a home.
Anns yard
Anns yard
Anns dining room

Thursday, July 21, 2011

{BABY and MAMAGURUMI} show closing this weekend with special hours!!

Amigurumi's will no longer be featured at LOOK NOOK after this weekend!
Please visit this adorable tiny handmade crochet animal adoption center and take one home or ask the stork to make you a new friend!

Open special hours this Friday July 22nd from 5pm-7pm, drinks, snacks, learn to crochet!!!

Regular summer LOOK NOOK hours are as usual Saturdays with traveling showcase at the Eastside Green Market from 10am-2pm, and Craft Night at LOOK NOOK from 4pm-7pm. This weekend we are having a review of all the crafts we did in July, so if you missed a night its not too late.

Amigurumi show at LOOK NOOK! With handmade slat pallet splalletwall™ by Madam Chino
Amigurumi show at LOOK NOOK! With handmade slat pallet splalletwall™ by Madam Chino

Hope to see you!

All the Best,
Madam Chino

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

{Sticklaces™} Craft Night at LOOK NOOK Sat July 16, 4-7!

Stick it where the sun shines! Join Madam Chino at the LOOK NOOK to make these fun necklaces (or whatever jewelry you want!) *Please see this POST

Here is a brief preview!
Stick hunt:
Stick hunt

Pruning Sheers, a drill with a tiny bit, and some nylon thread
Pruning and drilling stick beads

tada! a Sticklace!
Sticklace! Look nook craft night sat july 18

I will also have paints, brushes, snaxxx and drinxxx!

xx, v

{POTATOTES} Craft Night at LOOK NOOK Saturday July 9th

{POTATOTES} Carved potato block printed totes! Totes carvin' potates and makin' totes.

Potates

Potatotes

xx,v

Thursday, June 30, 2011

{ReJewelry} Craft Night Saturday July 2nd, 2011

Join Madam Chino and Friends this Saturday and every Saturday for Craft Night!

WHO: YOU!
WHAT: {ReJewelry} Turn excess sorry jewelry into accessories again. Get out the ole satchels of booty and make diy jumprings! Pool and/or trade. Bring tools or broken jewels to share.
WHERE: Madam Chino's LOOK NOOK
100 A e. Pleasant Street
3rd Floor, MKE Fortress
WHEN: Saturday July 2nd, 2011, 4pm-7pm

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{LOOK NOOK} Traveling Saturday Showcase and Craft Night Calendar!

LOOK NOOK Traveling Showcase and Craft Night Calendar
All coined terms are original phrases invented by Madam Chino for the {DARN IT!} Look Nook Craft Night programming, 2011, rights reserved.

June 18th: {Woodallions}: Embroidered and burnished coin cut branch charms
June 25th: {H2O'lsters}: Strapping crochet waterbottle holsters
July 2nd: {Excess}sorries: aka ReJewelry (tm) Turn excessories into accessories again. Get out the ole satchels of booty and make diy jumprings! Pool and/or trade. Bring tools or broken jewels to share.
July 9th: {Potatotes}: Potato print your handmade tote!
July 16th: {Sticklaces}: drill, strand, burnish and/or paint your own stick necklaces!
July 22nd: Gallery night: Amigurumi show closing!
July 23rd: Amigurumi: Show closing and crochet fun

Stay Tuned for events throughout the summer and into early fall!

Best,
Madam Chino

Monday, June 20, 2011

{DARN IT!} LOOK NOOK Craft Night Calendar!

Hi friends!

Madam Chino at the LOOK NOOK has been hard at work brainstorming craft nights! Every Saturday from 4-7pm after the East Side Green Market, Madam Chino will be hostessing these fun events! Please come, bring your friends, and anything you would like to make or share.

An extended calendar will be released for the remainder of the summer on July 1st. All coined terms are original phrases invented by Madam Chino for the {DARN IT!} Look Nook Craft Night programming, 2011, rights reserved.

June 18th: {Woodallions}: Embroidered and burnished coin cut branch charms
June 25th: {H2O'lsters}: Strapping crochet waterbottle holsters
July 2nd: {Excess}sorries: aka ReJewelry (tm) Turn excessories into accessories again. Get out the ole satchels of booty and make diy jumprings! Pool and/or trade. Bring tools or broken jewels to share.
July 9th: {Potatotes}: Potato print your handmade tote!
July 16th: {Sticklaces}: drill, strand, burnish and/or paint your own stick necklaces!
July 22nd: Gallery night: Amigurumi show closing!
July 23rd: Amigurumi: Show closing and crochet fun

etsyCRAFTparty6-10-11 003

Madam Chino's LOOK NOOK is located at
The Milwaukee Fortress
100A East Pleasant Street 3rd Floor
Brewers Hill Milwaukee WI 53212

Special Summer Hours:
Saturdays only
10am-2pm East Side Green Market at Beans'n'Barley
4pm-7pm Madam Chino's LOOK NOOK at the Fortress

xx,
madam chino

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

{CRAFTIME!} Woodallions

Woodallion

LOOK NOOK Craft Party Saturday June 18th 4-7pm. Embroider your own drill holes on a small wood medallion. Make necklaces and/or rear view mirror charms, what have you!

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Madam Chino WOMENS SPRING 2011

Handdrawn woodgrain, grass, and birds as observed in nature by Madam Chino, hand screened disassembled t-shirts reassembled into short gowns.
LOOK at the entire set!

SPRING11steph 369

SPRING11steph 393

SPRING11steph 521

SPRING11steph 293

SPRING11steph 323

SPRING11steph 184

SPRING11steph 239

SPRING11steph 070

SPRING11steph 210

Special Thanks to all my homies and trubies, support and love! Model Citizens, the UWM Craft Center, and Stephanie Renee Alderson.

Visit the LOOK NOOK Saturdays in the Summer at the East Side Green market from 10am-2pm, or at the LOOK NOOK Show Room for post market shopping and making from 4-7pm. Each week new craft projects are provided in addition to food and bevs, but feel free to bring your own and a project!

Love,
Madam Chino

Saturday, May 14, 2011

{SPLINES} deconstructing pallets

Over the last week there was always something to do because using a battery powered handheld sawzall makes for a slow deconstruction process with recharge layovers hours apart.
deconstructing pallets
Sawing the nails prevents the wood from splitting
deconstructing pallets
Soon to be a slatwall for displaying the upcoming Amigurumi Show!
xx, v

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

{AMIGURUMI} Small Anthropomorphic Creatures!

Madam Chino proudly presents a two month showing of Amigurumi
by local makers Chris Christy, Jenny Gartman, Leah Illingworth,
and the MPS Students of Jessie Graves.

Amigurumi is the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small
anthropomorphic creatures. Please visit us during shop hours
or stop by for our special events:

*{CRAFT NIGHT: Amigurumi Practice}
Saturday June 4th 6-10pm
*{GALLERY WEEKEND: Closing Reception}
Friday July 22rd 6-10pm
Saturday July 23th 12-6pm

Summer Look Nook Fortress Shop Hours are Saturdays 4-7pm starting on June 18th 2011, the mornings of which will be spent at the East Side Green Market with plenty of new handmade and a special Vintage Sales Calendar to be posted at www.madamchino.blogspot.com!

xx,
madam chino!

OWLgurumoCARDFRONT
OWLgurumoCARDBACK

Madam Chino's LOOK NOOK!
100A e. Pleasant Street
3rd Floor, MKE 53212

xx, Madam Chino!

Saturday, April 30, 2011

{STICKY SITUATION} stick earrings

First i went to the park to get some felled sticks!
old public pool

I counted them out to make some pairs
collecting sticks

Back in the studio, the fun was playing matchmaker
match making

they made charming pairs
matches

I gathered the pliers and my simple solution to making show earrings for my models on the fly: paperclips.
paperclip fixtures


For the paperclips, first i straightened them, then i made these little triangle folds. In the future I will purchase proper metals and bend them to these same shapes!
findings

with the tiniest drillbit, i made small holes and threaded the triangles before I twisted them into loops at the top!
finisheds

painting them and adding little leather scraplings made for proper flair!
painted with leather and earrings

painteds

xx,
madam chino

{PREP WORK} studiotimes

Always nice to look back post show and remember the preparations of finished works! I am currently attempting to book it up with some gracious models for the newest work, possibly in the piano room!

Mean time, here are a few progress shots in the studio, all of which are available HERE
First necessity, a clean and rearranged studio workspace:
first vision

The Sewing Company
friends

Wildcats T-shirt reclamation! The waistline circle-skirting is made by cuttin up the side of a shirt and then opening from sleeve to shoulder and flattening the circular collars agains the straight waist.
wildcats

The cleanest thing i've ever seen! a table with stretched fabric for pinning!
clean

t-shirt fabrics cut in various shapes appropriate for reconstructing the desired style~
pinning

A hand drawn bird being hand screened in 2 layers with masking sheets to avoid ghosts
Birds and masks

Beautiful lady friend helpers
coming together from either end!

Watch the video in the following post to see the show!

xx,
madam chino!