Overall Winner of Tour de Faux

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In a previous post, I mentioned I would be attending the first ever Tour de Faux this past Sunday.
And after some serious deliberation it was determined that I was the overall winner of the art bike parade!
Here are some pics:

These photos were taken by Tom Richardson, the curator and janitor of Tour de Faux.

Here are some photos I took of the trophy in my home.  I love this trophy by the way.

Tour de Faux

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I've been posting a lot about my art car this summer and not too much about my art bicycle.  That's just simply because the car is a new venture, but the bike is equally cool if not cooler.  I am constantly adding more to it even though I am running out of room.

This Sunday, the 19th, there's going to be an art bicycle "parade" at the Faux Museum in Old Town, Portland.  The reason I put parade in quotes is because it's the first ever 0 miles parade, meaning nobody is going nowhere.  I guess people will just have to walk around us.  It's probably the hardest parade I've ever been in, ha!

Here are some recent photos of my lovely bicycle that I call the Big Pink.  I have included my Pink Princess helmet in the photos because it's equally as glamorous.

Almost everything I have added to my bicycle came from SCRAP.  The bling on the spokes are file folder tabs, the streamers are used Mylar balloons, fake flowers from SCRAP or free boxes, plastic candle doilies on fenders, plastic swan nut cup, all from SCRAP.  There's a faux moustache hidden in between the two flaming tail pipes that I made out of materials -- everybody -- SCRAP!.

If you have an art bike and live in Portland, Oregon, here are the details for the contest:

TOUR DE FAUX

The Faux Museum, NW 2nd and Davis

10:00am - 12:00pm

The Tour de Faux is a 0.0 mile bike event sponsored by The Faux Museum and taking place at the museum at NW 2nd & Davis in Old Town, on Sunday at 10am. Bicyclist, tricyclist, unicyclist {anything without a motor} will be judged in four categories: 1. Best Bike. 2. Best outfit. 3. Best Helmet 4. Best attitude and Regimen. Prizes will be awarded. $10 entry fee includes picture and spoke card.
CREATIVITY, SPONTANEITY, and OUTRAGEOUSNESS will be rewarded.
  Go to www.thefauxmuseum.com for more details!
Tom Richards, tomthefauxmuseum, The Faux Museum, 206-218-3984

Craft Day with my good friend Sarah Dyer

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My friend, Sarah, went to a small town in Spain last June to work as a teacher's assistant.  She and I were roommates and fellow SCRAPpy crafters and so I was sad to see her go.

She had a blast in Spain and came back home in June only home is where her parents have recently moved to, which is Chattanooga, Tennessee.  When she sent out the email that she was coming to Portland for two weeks, I began planning all of the fun things we would do together.

Sarah is an amazing artist and LOVES to craft.  I knew she would need some craft time since it's a hard thing to do when you have traveled to a new place and left your art supplies at home.  Plus if you don't have a SCRAP nearby, you really are missing out on a great resource.

Today we had a craft reunion and it was awesome.  Sarah made this beautiful refrigerator magnet that has a clothespin so you could attach a note or reminder to it.  Here are some action shots and the final product.

I too worked on a craft that I had been meaning to do for two years now.  It's about time.  I got the instructions from "The Naughty Secretary Club," which is a book on how to make fun jewelry out of reused items.

I first made the necklace without the antique bling, but Sarah convinced me that it needed a little something and so I added the old chain and bangle.

It was so much fun to craft with Sarah.  She and I are a great pair when it comes to crafting because we brainstorm well together and can make our crafts even better with the tiniest sliver of an idea -- not to mention she is so talented.  I love it.

My Crafting BFF!

Repurposed Montana Crafts

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Last weekend I headed to Missoula, Montana for a Bender family reunion.  I hadn't been to a family reunion in 20 years and this is the first one that has ever been in Montana.
It was great to see my relatives and I had a lot of fun.

On Friday we went mining for sapphires.  As we were heading to the mine, we passed the Testicle Festival, which is a festival for eating Rocky Mountain Oysters.  If you don't know what Rocky Mountain Oysters are, you should Google it.
Apparently my cousin, who lives in Missoula, said that she went once and it was quite the spectacle.  Since it's near Sturgis and right around the time of Sturgis the Testicle Festival is populated with a mix of bikers and Montana hippies and probably some folks who are just curious.  She said you really have to go to see what it's like.  We didn't have time for that; next time.

On Saturday, myself and a couple of my cousins went to the various Saturday Markets, all of which are located on South Higgins Avenue.  There are three of them:  one is a farmer's market, strictly food,  few blocks down is a craft and fine arts market where I got this super cool skirt made out of a t-shirt.  I couldn't resist the horses.  The third one is more local foods and crafts, I guess.  I'm actually not sure, but they were all very cool.

On the way home I saw so many billboards that said come check out the "50,000 Silver $ Saloon."  I couldn't resist, plus my cousin told me I should check it out.  It turns out that it has a saloon where the walls are totally covered with vintage silver dollars.  It's pretty cool.  My pictures don't do it justice.

Me and my mom

While perusing the gift shop, I spotted these very interesting bowls and vases made out of rancher's rope, the kind you tie cows up with.  It was old rope that wasn't being used any longer, and since I am a huge advocate of reused products, I couldn't resist.  Actually, my mom bought it for me for being such a nice daughter; aw, thanks, Mom.

Who knew Montana had such cool reused crafts, and I am totally in love with Missoula.  It's like a mini Portland.

Art Car Part 3

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Here's the latest in the art car progress.
I was driving up to my brother's a couple weekends ago and I had the idea that I would let my six-year-old nephew, Warren, draw some of his robots and monsters on the trunk of my car.  He's quite the little illustrator.
He was very excited about the idea.  Here are the action shots and results of his work.  I added a few things, too, because he likes the idea of drawing together.  We had a great time doing this together.