Failed craft (Photo by Chauncey P. Graham) Anyone who makes crafts -- whether they're professional iPod cozy designers or amateur macrame owl enthusiasts -- knows that crafting takes trial and error. Crocheting homicidal vegetables or felting Jabba the Hutt miniatures takes skill and practice, and before you get that knitted digestive system to look just right, you're probably going to make some mistakes. But be warned: the Internet is not kind to ugly, misguided, or ineptly executed crafts. If you've got a thin skin when it comes to your homemade chicken poncho, perhaps it's best if you don't list it on etsy until you're sure you've got it right. Because crafters, while creative and wily and determined, can also be -- well, snarky. In the defense of sites like Regretsy and Homemade Hilarity, which poke fun at the bizarre, confused, and unintentionally hilarious crafts of the Internet, there are some terrible crafts out there (we know -- we've made some of them), and it's hard to resist making comments at their expense. Do we feel bad about it? Sure. Will that stop us from giggling madly at the crocheted beer can Darth Vader helmet or the toilet paper cover and/or hat? Not a chance. But it will stop us from posting our own, um, "awesome poop earrings" -- unless we decide to embrace our failures and share them for the education -- and hysterical, mocking laughter -- of others. Suggested Sites... Homemade Hilarity - giving misguided crafts the fond, snarky commentary they deserve. Regretsy - showcases the handmade gems that were never meant to see the light of day. CraftFail - crafters fess up to their own terrible works by sharing their crafts gone awry. Craftastrophe - proceed with caution.... Cake Wrecks - still makes us laugh after all these years.

Directory categories: Bad Crafts, Crafts, Crafts for Sale, Folk, Self-Taught, and Outsider Art, Bad Art

Archived under: Arts, Blogs, Cake Decorating, Crafts, DIY, Flops, Homemade, Humor

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Writers hold a "midnight write" to kick off NaNoWriMo. (Photo by Megan Myers) Writers, boot up your laptops! November is National Novel Writing Month, or "NaNoWriMo" to the initiated. The idea is that with the right combination of drive and discipline, anyone can crank out a 175-page novel over the course of a month. A group of writers in San Francisco organized the first NoWriMo in 1999, and since then the event has snowballed into a national (if niche) phenomenon. Interestingly, the project isn’t for pen and paper. To be an official participant, you have to submit your manuscript electronically in order to have the length verified by word-count software. It should be noted that people were keeping tabs on words long before machines made it easy to do so. Ernest Hemingway famously wrote 500 words a day. This marathon of writing events begs the question: Can you really write a good novel in 30 days? Well, it doesn't have to be Proust; it just has to be 50,000 words. The event organizers are the first to admit that writing done in this manner isn't the stuff of masterpieces. They say -- and I quote -- "You will be writing a lot of crap." To them, it's more about the process. And like the marathon, not everyone finishes. According to the site, last year 120,000 participants signed on at the beginning of the month, but only 20,000 people completed their pieces by midnight on November 30, the official deadline. Suggested Sites... National Novel Writing Month - the official site of the event's organizers. Word Count Tool - start generating your official word count with an online tool. National Novel Writing Month for Homeschoolers - learn how to incorporate National Novel Writing Month into homeschooling lessons. About.com: How to Organize a NaNoWriMo Write-In - tips on how to mobilize a writing group for the big event. Essortment's Strategies for Overcoming Writer's Block - offers a few exercises to help your creative juices flow.

Directory categories: Literature, Creative Writing, Literature Events, Authors, San Francisco

Archived under: Arts, Authors, Books, Events, Fanatics, Literature, San Francisco, Writing

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Skeleton Jack-O-Lantern (Photo by Rennett Stowe) Halloween enthusiasts of all ages like to get creative and crafty with costumes. But this holiday also brings out the artist in many who will use the pumpkin as their canvas. People are starting their jack-o’-lantern projects online, searching for ideas and inspiration, as well as patterns and instructions. On Halloween night, countless pumpkins will sit in front of homes with their classic, old-fashioned faces. But their triangular eyes will be staring jealously across the street at the fancy pumpkins -- the ones with elaborately carved faces, elegant stencils, and ferocious demeanors. If you'd like to try your hand at pumpkin carving, check out some galleries of images for ideas. Looking at all the amazing creations can be intimidating, but there are designs for all styles and skill levels. There are also a number of tutorials out there. For those of us who wish to decorate pumpkins but aren't allowed to handle knives, an apple corer can produce some great effects. If you are squeamish about stabbing your pumpkin at all, you can paint it. Or you can do the humane thing and display them in all their natural glory. Suggested Sites... How to Carve an Elaborate Pumpkin Design, Easily! - step-by-step instructions with pictures. Extreme Pumpkins - photo galleries of creative and crazy pumpkins, with tutorials, patterns, and instructions on how to preserve your pumpkin. Ray's Pumpkin Carving Tutorial - instructions on 3-D style pumpkin sculpting, with photos. Pumpkin Carving and Decorating Ideas - from Martha Stewart Living, dozens of amazing examples. The Pumpkin Wizard - hundreds of pumpkin carving patterns.

Directory categories: Jack-O'-Lanterns, Halloween Activities and Crafts, Halloween, Pumpkin Carving Tips and Templates, Pumpkin Carving Supplies

Archived under: Arts, Autumn, Crafts, Halloween, Holidays, Home and Garden, Jack-O-Lanterns, Pumpkins

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.They say this is a monkey, but it looks like a poodle to us. (Photo by rick) In the days before the Internet, if you wanted to learn how to do something, you had to actually go out and seek the tutelage of an expert. If, for example, you wanted to learn how to make balloon animals, there were two options: trial and error (which would likely leave you with a pile of popped poodles) or expert instruction. Good luck getting a clown to give up his trade secrets, though. But nowadays, thanks to online videos, just about anybody can learn how to sculpt a dog or a flower. If you happen to already be versed in the art of balloon modeling, then today is the day for you to make your annual contribution to society. "Balloons Around the World" is a global event where twisters can volunteer their services, either for free or to raise funds for charity. And the rest of us? We can support our local artists at various events. Balloon artists are certainly not relegated to inflating their creations on demand at schools and parties, however. They've touched the world of fashion and set Guinness records. Above all, twisters provide much-needed smiles and laughs to people of all ages around the world. Suggested Sites... Balloons Around the World - official site, with global events calendar. Balloon HQ - professional resources for twisters, plus balloon facts and fun. Twist & Shout Convention - all the best balloon manipulators, all in one place. Basics of Balloon Animals - instructions from About.com, with various techniques and step-by-step guides to making specific sculptures. The Balloon Animals Blog - videos about making balloon figures, including an Oscar statuette.

Directory categories: Inflatable Sculpture, Balloon Artists, Clowning, Volunteerism, Philanthropy

Archived under: Arts, Balloons, Charity, Children, Circus Arts, Clowns, Crafts, DIY, Entertainment, Hobbies, How-To, Philanthropy, Society and Culture

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Will "American Idiot" hit like a grenade or just bomb? "Musical theater is dead!" That's the cry pundits have been wailing for the last 20 years. Or perhaps it's been wailed all along and I've only been listening for the last 20 years. Whatever the case, it's being wailed and I have to admit, I just don't see it. Being a fairly well-seasoned follower and attendee of the theater, I'm continually excited by the quality and cleverness of new shows (and new types of shows) that are bubbling up. In recent seasons, we've been treated to self-aware and self-referential parodies like "Urinetown," "Avenue Q," and "[title of show]," challenging "art" pieces like Michael John LaChiusa's "The Wild Party," Adam Guettel's "The Light in the Piazza," and blockbuster spectacles like the juggernaut "Wicked." Two of the most pervasive current trends are the musicalization of movies -- which can produce both hits ("Billy Elliot," "The Producers," and "Hairspray") and misses ("Cry Baby," "9 to 5," and "Legally Blonde") -- and the pairing of existing music catalogs with a (usually painfully forced) storylines for "jukebox" musicals. This latter genre has been mostly forgettable (who cares about "Lennon," "Ring of Fire," or "Rock of Ages"? Not audiences, obviously ...), with the notable exception of "Jersey Boys," and perhaps the ABBA-inspired hit, "Mamma Mia." And then there are rock musicals. This newish form began in the late '60s and early '70s with shows like "Hair," "Jesus Christ Superstar," and "Grease," but has really found a devoted audience since Jonathan Larson's 1996 Pulitzer Prize-winning "Rent." That show truly opened the door to the modern rock musical and has inspired such exciting efforts as "Passing Strange," "Spring Awakening," and this year's "Next to Normal," all of which feature blatantly rock-inspired scores. Advancing the rock trend to yet another decibel, beginning tonight, California's Berkeley Repertory Theatre will be treating eager audiences to what some might consider the first punk-rock musical: "American Idiot," a collaboration between director Michael Mayer  (who was at the helm for Duncan Sheik's "Spring Awakening") and the punk band Green Day. Basing a musical on their 2004 Grammy-winning album of the same name might seem like an odd choice for a theater piece, but in fact the album was conceived as a rock opera (inspired by "The Who's "Tommy," "Jesus Christ Superstar," and "West Side Story.") How audiences will respond has yet to be decided, but regardless, other rockers are following suit. Duncan Sheik is working on a new musical "Whisper House," and fine tuning an older one, "Nero;" Bono and The Edge (of U2 fame) are collaborating with director Julie Taymor on the eagerly-anticipated (and financially-unstable) "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark," set to open on Broadway next year, and piano chanteuse Tori Amos is busy composing for a stage adaptation of George MacDonald's fairy tale, "The Light Princess" for London's National Theater. "Musical theater is dead?" Hardly! It's just morphing and adapting and trying to find its place in an age of DVDs, DVRs, YouTube, and iTunes. Green Day, among countless others, is proving that the form is as alive and vibrant and fresh as it ever has been -- you just might have to warn grandma to turn down her hearing aid. Suggested Sites... Berkeley Repertory Theatre - theatre that has built its reputation through creative programming and collaborations with world-renowned theatre artists. Green Day - official site, with news, updates from the band, tour info, videos, and more. Playbill On-Line - complete Broadway, off-Broadway, regional, and London theatre listings, as well as daily updated news. BroadwayBox.com - lists free discount coupon codes with savings up to 50% off regular ticket prices for Broadway and Off-Broadway shows. Broadway.com - coverage of live theater worldwide, including news, interviews, reviews, and videos.

Directory categories: Musical Theater, Musicals, Green Day, Performing Arts, Rock and Pop

Archived under: Arts, Broadway, Composers, Entertainment, Events, In Character, Music, Music History, Musicals, Musicians, Performing Arts, Rock and Roll, Songs

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