January 01, 2008
Crafty Bloggy Things
Lazy New Year's day and so I'm checking out some blogs that are marginally or occassionally dealing with stained glass or glass art.
Extreme Craft
In this globalized consumer-based economy, it can be pretty radical to suggest that you make your own stuff - and even more so when it's the distinctly out-of-the-ordinary stuff promoted on this blog. Craft hard, Garth!
American Craft Magazine + Blog
A few months ago, American Craft Magazine introduced its new look, part of its attempt to revamp its image. It's now redone the website, which has taken on a distinctly 'bloggier' look. On top of this, there is the 'official' blog, Zoom. All nice improvements, though I must admit I don't see the big difference between the magazine 'site' and the official 'blog'. My advice - IMHO - drop the blog and make the magazine site the blog/site, and please... lose the name 'Zoom', it has zero connection to the idea of craft and sounds so much like it was come up by some marketing consultant desperately trying to make boring old 'Craft' sound hip and young. It doesn't work.
Craftzine Blog
Despite the way too many ads cluttering the site, this is a good general non-conventional craft blog. Covers more of the 'crafter' world rather than the 'fine craft' world of American Craft and that's just fine by me. The posts are generally good and there is much unusual work to be seen, like this stained glass shopping cart.
Official Title - 'Have and Have Not", by Chrystal Schenk
as featured on Craftzine Blog in May of 2007.
and I stumbled on all these mosaic blogs - I'd no idea there were so many...
Mosaic Art and Glass Art
A mosaic artist does a blog, and also deals a bit with stained glass.
Not much commentary but prolific, often several posts a day, nearly every day! Yikes.
Make Mine Mosaics
Out of Australia, I believe. Many, many images of mosaic art.
The Joy of Shards
English in origin with lots of interesting links throughout the entire site.
For instance, this page on 'Picassiette', which, in today's terminology, is the creation of mosaics using recycled ceramics. That is - broken pottery, tiles, dishes, glassware, etc. They even try to establish a link between this and what I always call the English Jumble Window. It's an interesting hypothesis, especially when they put it in context with a visit to Winchester Cathedral, but I'm still not sure that the motivations were the same.
Kim Grant Mosaic Blog
Do check out the Amazing, Creepy Social Realist North Korean Mosaic Mural.