I know a lot of people who would give anything to make their hobby into their job.  Is it possible?  Sure!  It is like any other business.  You have to have the skill, the drive, and the self-discipline to make it work.  Sometimes with a hobby, that is a double-edged sword; you are turning your leisure time activity into your work so working on it is part of what you have to do.  That can be good, but it can also turn something you love into a chore.  Only you can decide if that will work for you.

For Kelly Mason, in Maine, it works great.  She had a hobby making soap.  She turned that hobby into a business and is building a good reputation with a product that she has a passion for.  Read her story as reported in the “Bangor Daily News.”  You too could take your hobby to the next level - the main ingredient is dedication.

In A Lather

I do not have a clue what The Lorenz Manifold is.  I only know that it is a physical representation of a mathematical formula.  After that my eyes just sort of glaze over.   But understanding it, is not necessary to admiring it and seeing the value of such a formula interpreted in crochet.  As I decorate in a contemporary, modernistic style, I find this particular piece of what I would call crochet sculpture, particularly appealing.

I really can’t explain it.  All I can say is that it is big, impressive and totally cool.  Take a look.  It just might be a great focus for your decorating style as well.

The Lorenz Manifold In Crochet

Instructions - Crocheting The Lorenz Manifold

Crocheting the Hyperbolic Plane

Quilting fascinates me.  So does recycling items into art.  But I never dreamt these two crafts could meet and form such beautiful work.  Janet Cooper did dream it though and made the dream happen.  The result?  Some of those most intriguing quilts you have ever laid eyes on.

The quilt I decided to feature today is called, “Quilt of Favorite Objects and Fabric.”  I see it as an interior decorating project; perhaps with a theme of shabby chic?

There is a marvelous French word with no exact English equivalent that describes in part what I do. Bricoleur. Used by Claude Levi-Strauss to describe the builders and maintainers of myths, “bricoleur” literally means a tinkerer or a jack of all trades. A bricolelur is the artisan who creates from what is at hand, rather than from a set list of needed components to achieve an end.
Janet Cooper

I believe this quilt attracted me because I like the idea of incorporating objects that are important to me, with a fiber art, and creating something that is meaningful.  I have never been one to collect something, be it art or anything else, unless it has personal meaning to me.  Therefore my collections grow just as much as everyone else’s; it is just that each piece has a story behind it that means a great deal to me.

Such it could be with a quilt like this.  Cooper has many other quilts in her gallery and each one has its own inspiration and I am sure, its own story. 

But that isn’t really enough for Cooper.  She has a very busy right brain!  She also creates Box Art.  Remember when we were kids and a teacher assigned the infamous shoe box project?  How I wish I had known Janet Cooper then.  I would have received a better grade in art.  She has taken shoe box art to a whole new level.  Take a look through this gallery - my favorite is the last one - it appeals to my sense of fiber crafting, I think.

Last, and as they say, certainly not least, the Ladies collection deserves some time as well.  True to form, Cooper has taken the bits or this and that in her life, and translated them into artistic creations.  I see one of these as the decorative main piece in a bedroom - using one of these Ladies would create a theme and color combination that would leave these wonderful pieces of art as the focus while enhancing the rest of the room.  Being a single lady now, I would enjoy that look very much. 

Janet Cooper has shown us that there is no such thing as worthless items around our house.  She has turned them into original and expressive crafts that speak to us on a level of emotion.  In many ways, this to me is a new wave of impressionism within crafting.  And although we might not be artists of this caliber, we may be able to use her talent as inspiration in creating something of our own.  Just think carefully next time you throw something out - is it really trash?

Janet Cooper Quilt Design Gallery 

Janet Cooper’s Box Art

Janet Cooper’s Ladies

One person’s junk is another person’s treasure.  At least, that is what the old saying is.  Considering the success of garage sales, I would have to agree.  What I really like though is when discarded items from one person become crafts and works of arts of another.  I particularly liked, being on the computer as much as I am, the idea of jewelry being made out of computer parts.  We all end up with bits and pieces of hardware that we can’t use; something fails and is replaced, so do you just throw that piece of “useless” equipment away?  Maybe you should reconsider what you could do with it.

Bonnie Meltzer is an artist that has taken discarded computer hardware and turned it into some of the most intriguing jewelry you will find.  She creates pins by using the bits and pieces of computers and then embellishes them.  Each piece is one-of-a-kind.  The faces are incredible.  I would not have thought such expression could be achieved using this technique but she has done it and she has done it well.  I debated for awhile before I decided on which photo to post because I like them all, but this particular one had a look of surprise (dare I say “shock” when it has to do with computer parts?) on its face, and that appealed to me.  I see these pieces as a great way to show your emotions of the day to the outside world.  I can guarantee you that while you are wearing one, you are going to have people asking about it - these are completely unique and just a lot of fun.

Meltzer also makes necklaces and wall art.  The photo at the top is one of her pieces of art.  It measures 24″ X 64″ X 7″.  Wouldn’t that just be perfect in a contemporary office setting?  I believe her style adapts well to a contemporary, yet softened feminine look, for the office and career woman.  I know I would love to have that piece hanging near my desk.  I decorate in contemporary lines and styles and I am totally smitten with Meltzer’s style.

Take a look at her Web site.  I know you will enjoy the photographs.  Exhibition information is also available.  And whatever you do, don’t miss her Portrait Series.  I have the link provided below.  It is very unique - I couldn’t leave you without being sure you took at look at it.  I know that once you spend a few minutes at this site, Bonnie Meltzer will have a new fan; it is impossible to see her work and not become an admirer.

Bonnie Meltzer- Very Mixed Media Constructions

Bonnie Meltzer - Pins

Bonnie Meltzer’s Portrait Series