Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Artist Trading Card Workshop at Sterling Yoga!!







I'm very excited about this Friday's Artist Trading Card Workshop at Sterling Yoga!! (Check out the Facebook event for full description and details.) These are a few of the ATC's I've made and thought you may like to see them.  :)  There are a bunch more here on Flickr.

The local coffee shops, a fabric store, The Good Life Market, Khun's Grocery store and my naturopath all have flyers for the workshop up.  Anyone in Pittsburgh know some good places to put up flyers or otherwise let know about art workshops (I have more coming up)?  Specifically the Dormont/Mt. Lebanon area?  

The naturopath's office and fabric store have flyers specifically for those clients- letting people know how healthy art-making is and how you can use up fabric scraps respectively.  I've tried to convey that you do not need to know how to draw or paint to do this form of collage, so that those who haven't realized they are already artists feel welcome. 

Anyone have other advice for promoting local art workshops?  I'd really appreciate the help! :)

Also at Sterling Yoga this weekend (Saturday evening) is a hafla!  I'm performing!!! Come and see us! :)

Studio Location:  2889 Glenmore Ave, Dormont, PA 15216
* From West Liberty to Potomac - 1st Right onto Gleamer
* From Banksville to Potomac -across the"T" tracks - 2nd Left onto Glenmore
Yoga Studio sits immediately back to the Right - across the street from the Dor-Stop Rest. -
there a few parking spots to the Left & in front of the studio.
412.260.0533 
 



Friday, September 23, 2011

Wine, Chocolate and Artist Trading Cards Sept. 30th!


Just a quick reminder that my workshop on mixed media collage artist trading cards is just a week away!!!  check out the Facebook event!

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Taking another blog break

Taking a little break.  I'll be back soon.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Beginning the Belly Dance teaching adventure again!



I'm going to be available for private lessons in my home studio in a couple of weeks. (We are in Mt. Lebanon, and there's a bus stop on either side of my house. Two buses go there, Mt. Lebanon and Bower Hill rd. I think 40 and 42, but don't quote me on that.)

I've been feeling the pull to teach again and am inspired to answer that call! 

I have a Master's degree in Occupational Therapy, a certification in Yoga for the Special Child, about 14 or so years of yoga experience, have been belly dancing since 1993 and teaching belly dance since 1997. In recent years, I've added mixed media collage artist to my creative repertoire and it has opened my whole life up to creative possibilities. I've danced in troupes, lead student troupes and danced solo; studied Turkish, Egyptian Cabaret, American Cabaret, American Tribal, Tribal Fusion, and a good dose of various world folk dances. My students appreciate my precise breakdown as well as my ability to get to the heart and soul of the dance. 

I can teach 1-5 people in the home studio, a haven of creativity, as it is housed with my other artistic pursuits. 

A one hour session for one person is $60, and for 2-5 people, it is $45/person per hour.

Topics include technique, history, costuming design, sewing, achieving dance goals, getting the most from your dance, stretching, strengthening, centering, emotional expression, creative vision and bringing that vision to fruition, and more!

I don't have this info up on my website just yet, but you can check out videos, costuming info, historical papers I've written and more atwww.tribalbellydance.net 

Email me or give me a call at 304-276-DANCE (still using the WV #, even though we are in Mt. Lebanon now.

Thanks and have a great day!
~Narah
www.VinegarandGlitter.com 
www.facebook.com/narah.arrington.minardi
http://twitter.com/#!/VinegarnGlitter

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

I made a baby

This one is made of cloth. I think I made this for Angelo for the Christmas of 2010.  I think I wasn't happy with the pictures, so I didn't post about it.  Or, maybe it just got away from me. ;0)
Pattern pieces for the clothing.

Pre-sewn muslin doll I tea-dyed, stuffed and embroidered.

Felt diaper with velcro tabs

Made from the back of a front stained baby tee shirt.

I wanted him to be able to diaper and dress the baby for fine motor skills and encourage nurturing.

He was much more interested in trains and blocks when I gave it to him, but now he hugs and gives baby a ride in the stroller.

Monday, September 19, 2011

A Boy And His Drum

We have a variety of drums in the living room and he loves them all.  He's also excited that he now has his very own little drum (metal, synthetic head so it can withstand a 4-year-old).  We went to a hafla at Zafira Studios recently and drummed most of the time.  We also chatted with and he got lots of tickles from friends. :) Next time, we may even take his mini-zills!

Friday, September 16, 2011

Meditation

Meditate, focus on gratitude, journal, and work it out.








Thursday, September 15, 2011

Attachment Parenting

Why babies want to be held most of the time... we are born to attach.



  One reason I enjoyed co-sleeping, a common attachment parenting practice.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Belly Dance Collages part 4

If you've read any of last week's post, you know where these are from.  This is the last of the collages I have finished in the Belly Dance altered book.  Tomorrow's post will be something of a different nature. :)

Image from Lunagirl.com

A tag I made a while ago added to a new background.  Image is from Art Chix, I believe.  "My Gypsy Heart" collage sheet.
If you haven't checked it out already, I've added an Upcoming Events page.  Right now, it has information on my Artist Trading Card workshop at Sterling Yoga on September 30th.  There will be wine and chocolate too!  Fun!

Friday, September 9, 2011

Belly Dance Collages part 3

I believe all of these ladies came from Luna girl's Near East collage sheets.





Happy Friday! Enjoy your weekend! :)

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Belly Dance "and Related" collages

More collages from the "Belly Dance" altered book.

In the pocket.

Out of the pocket.  Mata Hari hanging ATC.   Image from here.

Heart Song.  A collage I made last year and added to a new background.  Images found here.

You know I couldn't resist these guys when I found them at an antique show. :)

Have I told you about my Flickr photostream?  I finally uploaded some pictures (artwork, sewing, vintage finds).  They are fairly organized.  Hooray!

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Belly Dance-y Collages

These collages are from an altered address book I made.  The paisley cover (and the $0.75 thrift store price) made me pick it up right away.  Also right away, I knew what I would do with it.  It is a 3 ring binder, so it made removing the address pages and the dividers to collage on easy.

I started some of the collages in the book years ago and then abandoned them, not knowing where else to go.  Some I started in March for my altered book workshop and most I started/finished in the last week or so.  I think all the Pennsic posts had me inspired.  :)  I still have some work to do before it is "complete", but the bulk of it is complete for now.

Here are a couple of the collages from my Belly Dance "and related" altered book.

The stamp of Fahima, 1910, is from Stampfransico.

This dancer stamp, I got when I first started using rubber stamps (and the image I stamped back then too.  The initial paper layering was done then too.)  I don't remember the manufacturer of the stamp, but I got it at Artemis Imports.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Fertility Goddess Pendant


A pendant I made for my sister, who is due with her first baby any day now.  She gave me something similar   when I was pregnant with Angelo, so when I saw this stamp from Enchanted Gallery, I knew I would make her a paper clay pendant.  The purple is eco-friendly, non-toxic paint and the pearly white is pigment ink.  

Monday, September 5, 2011

Vampires

"Stewart and Jonathan" Vampires
copyright 2010 Narah Kimberly A. Minardi.  All rights reserved.

"Charles" Vampire
copyright 2010 Narah Kimberly A. Minardi. All rights reserved.
This spread is from one of my altered books, which is full of mish mash.  There are several Halloween themed pages in a row.  I was happy that the backgrounds worked for Halloween, even though when I did the backgrounds, they were totally random (I painted at least one color throughout the book all at once.)  There are those who say that altered books "should" never be finished.  None of mine are because I still find things to add to each one, including this first one.  For instance, this card was one I made and didn't send out, so it became a tip-in:

I altered Stewart, Jonathan and Charles in photoshop and they are available on my Halloween Collage Sheet.  :)

Friday, September 2, 2011

Thursday, September 1, 2011

A Couple More Creepy Relatives

Copyright 2011 Narah Kimberly A. Minardi All rights reserved.

Copyright 2011 Narah Kimberly A. Minardi All rights reserved.
Inventing Creepy Relatives was so much fun, I made a couple more.  Both images are from my vintage/antique photo collection.  "Barry and Sophia" are available on my Altered Halloween Collage Sheet.