What it says in the booklet - Shrines In Your Pocket - Teensy shrines for BIG inspiration! In this class, students will create two or more original miniature shrines, small enough to tuck in pocket or purse, wear as a pendant, or hang from your car's rear-view mirror. Supplies, color, inspiration and humor provided, but you might want to bring your own tweezers to class.
What we're doing - We'll make two, maybe three shrines.
One is going to be pure kitsch, and kind of by-the-numbers (though each student kit is slightly different). This will be your Elvis shrine, in a matchbook or matchbox. Blue suede paper, Elvis images, and silly ideas will be provided. The tone will be reminiscent of the book, "Retro ReVamp."
The Elvis shrine is your warm-up, to get a sense of what to do to make a teensy shrine that works for you.
Your next shrine will be more serious and eclectic. The recommended theme is Chinese good luck. In a matchbox or matchbook, you'll use bits of Chinese papers, including a newspaper and a reproduction of an ancient Chinese coin, to create a visually stunning Oriental shrine. If you love Oriental designs such as in the recent Somerset Studio, or if you're a Feng Shui enthusiast, you'll love your new shrine!
Every kit for this shrine is different, and you'll have far more supplies than you'll need to design your own, one-of-a-kind shrine to Prosperity, Double Happiness (also Romance), and/or Longevity... or your own subject (or lack of one) with an Oriental "look" to it.
Your third shrine--if we have time in this two-hour workshop--will be your original concept. For this, you may want to bring small bits of stuff with a particular theme. I'll have a few odd collage elements on hand for you to use, but without a cohesive theme... you supply the originality!
What you should bring - Your supplies, recommended on the list provided for all Artfest participants. Specifically, you'll need scissors or your Exacto knife/mat, gluestick, and maybe small images, and/or charms or trinkets from home, if you like.
Optional, and I really mean it, don't rush out to buy this stuff because it's NOT essential:
- Bits of gold stuff... stickers, fringe, trim... they're always a nice addition to a shrine.
- Fabric suited to a shrine, such as very loud red satin. Fake fur works, too. Mini-pompoms or fringe can be a plus. If you're entirely covering your matchbox with fabric, plan on a piece about 2 1/2" x 5" or so, which allows about a half inch to trim or fold at the edges. (Modpodge can adhere fabric to the matchbox.) Matchbooks are smaller, of course, and require less fabric.
- Your own themed items, to fit in the provided matchboxes or matchbooks. Generally, your images and trinkets should be 2" x 1 1/4", or less.
- Tweezers and your reading glasses, but only if you like to use these when you work small, since we'll be working with very tiny stuff.
- Candles are an extra, and some consider them an essential part of a shrine. You'll
want birthday candles, the little ones. To hold your candles in the shrine, I recommend
making a teensy Fimo-type holder. The matchboxes are only 3/8" deep, so you'll want
to buy/make holders narrower than that.
Consider teensy little pins (jewelry findings, dollhouse pins, etc) pushed through the matchbox into the bottom of the candle, to hold it in place, secured with a blob of hot glue. (But, oh my, I'm starting to teach the workshop here, aren't I! *grin*)
What I'm bringing - Matchboxes and matchbooks, lots of bits of paper, some rubber stamps, glue gun for larger/difficult pieces, and a sense of humor.
The two basic shrines will be in bagged supply kits: Elvis, and Chinese.
I'll also have a bunch of random images and a few trinkets for your own themes, including religious and kitschy themes. Please feel free to glare at me and clear your throat, loudly, if I'm laughing at a theme that you take seriously. I mean, to some of us, Elvis is an icon to chuckle over, while others figure he's a god.
What you can buy - My sample shrines will be for sale after the workshop. Remember my rule: The art I bring with me, does not go home with me! *grin* (Well, except my journal, but that's different...)
If I have kits left over, they'll be priced between $2 and $5 for each theme, depending upon what's in them. Obviously, the ones with the replica Chinese coins are more expensive.
However, I'm bringing supplies for 30, and we have a full-house of 26 signed up. Teesha said to expect maybe 3 or 4 extra folks to show up, so... I may have no kits available afterwards. First come, first served, if there are extras.
When and where - First class on Friday morning (Session 1), in Classroom D, for Dazzling, Delightful, Daring works of art!