Abandoned Art Project
I don't know about you but when I get in a creative mood I do a lot of experimenting and in the process I make a lot of the things I'm working on. I make as many as I feel like while the mood is on me. Then I wonder what in the world to do with it all! For several years I sold my crafts at shows but when I stopped doing that, but kept on making things, I ended up with bags and boxes of finished crafts that just sit around taking up space.
Flower Magnets! They all have new homes.
I think I held on to my hoard with the idea that maybe "someday" I'd do more craft fairs and sell them all! But time passed and I didn't do anything about selling them. Then one day I heard about the Abandoned Art project. I thought it was a very cool idea and I started unpacking my boxes, looking for things I could 'abandon'.
(A sample note)
There are several groups that do this, all around the world. I chose a small group to join on Facebook – Abandoned Art (https://www.facebook.com/groups/art.luckyme/) There people can post the items they are leaving and the people who find them can post their reactions.
I have a partner in this - @stormyowl – who got me started and went with me on my first 'missions'. We went to our local Farmer's Market which is held in a small park with benches and tables, perfect little nooks to leave our art. Then we casually sat in the park to see what would happen.
The first was a small family with two young girls. The girls were observant and spotted two of the art pieces right away! These were necklaces with angel charms, @stormyowl's work. She said she'd never watched her pieces being found and it was a true delight all the way around. The girls shouted out and ran to their parents to open their gifts and have the necklaces put on. Then they ran around laughing and showing everyone what they had found!
)Some of my crocheted hats for the project
So of course we went back and did it again. We also found a few vendors who let us hide things at their booths. We didn't watch for them to be found but the vendors told us about it later. They had enjoyed the surprise as much as the finders, acted just as surprised and got a huge kick out of it. They never revealed who we were, they loved being part of the secret.
Ladybug Magnets!
I have left these surprises in our library, on walking trails, and near our city hall. I have left hats, bracelets, magnets, and crocheted bags made of recycled plastic bags! Over this past year I have 'abandoned' so many things that I have almost none left and might have to start making more! Not all of them have been reported found but enough have to let me know people love finding them.
A crocheted bag made from recycled plastic bags.
The instructions I used can be found here -
sourceI've started adding little flaps to close
them with a crocheted loop and 'button'.
This project has been a pure pleasure for me, it's like being the Easter Bunny and Santa's elf all at the same time! And of course now I have more space in the house, an extra bonus for me!
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Hola @donna-metcalfe , seleccione tu post para participar en el concurso, "Pay It Forward". está ahora en su semana Nº 27, Es un concurso maravilloso. Estas invitado, a participar.
I like this project very much.
People will be happy getting gifts from you. It is some kind of suprise. This is really good idea. Thanks @celinavisaez for choosing this post in pifc curation contest.
Such a cool initiative! Brilliant, @donna-metcalfe! :-)
I've found you because @celinavisaez featured you in her entry for the Pay It forward Contest
I love this Donna! Have you heard any good feedback from people finding them?
Yes I have! I would keep doing it even if I didn't, but have to admit it feels good to hear from the finders.
On the little notes I leave with the items I put the feedback info - the email address and Facebook page for the project. The responses have been excited and positive, it makes me happy all over again to think about them.
One of the places I've put things has been our Farmer's Market which is held near our city offices. I'd left a red crocheted hat (with red sparkle beads!) near one of their back doors and saw someone find it. That was exciting right there! I saw her taking photos of it and later I saw her talking to a group of women at the market, explaining what abandoned art was. Weeks later I found out that she had given it to the market manager who wore it all through the Christmas season! She had sent a photo to the FB page so I got to see her wearing it.
Yes, I would do it anyway but so very nice to have the feedback.
Such a fun project. I love the flowers!
I've found your post today thanks to @celinavisaez's entry to the Pay it Forward Curation contest. Keep up the great work!
Thank you! The flowers and magnets were from my magnet-making days. I made hundreds of them, not all flowers, a wide variety. The flower faces are stuffed bits of nylon stockings, and that was another phase - I made larger faces with different expressions, Santa and Mrs. Claus. When I get started on a craft I keep exploring the possibilities!
This post got a lot of attention and I hope it means that at least some people reading it will also abandon some art and keep widening the circle of giving and sharing the fun!
I'm the same! When I like something, I can't stop. I would be doing more and more and more until I eventually get fed up and stop. I see that this is where you differ from me :) I love the project. I am now thinking to start in Switzerland :) Thank you for sharing!
We are not so different! ;-) I keep going, trying different ideas but on the same theme until one day I look up and say that's enough! One summer I was obsessed with making beads from polymer clay. When I wasn't making them I was thinking of designs and color combinations. I'm afraid to count how many I have, at least several hundreds. I am thinking they will be part of my next abandoning project.
It would be wonderful to start a project where you are and see how far it spreads! It wasn't my original idea, many groups have been doing it for years and all over the world. You might like to see if there is a group going on where you are. Or start a whole new group!
Hahaha, I also do things in hundreds :D and then I have no idea how to use them :D My husband is not such a fan of this approach but he got used to that :D
I will google a little bit about these projects to get different ideas as well.
Thank you for getting back to me so fast! :)
I hope your husband will be okay with the project? My husband at first was not happy to hear that I was going to give away things - that I put time and money into - that I could sell! But when he saw how much fun I was having and heard how excited people were to find the things, he was all for it!
Oh, no, no, my husband would give everything what we have to the less fortunate people :) He would love the idea and would support me 100% :) I'm glad to hear that your husband supports you at the end too! :)
Excellent! It's fun to go out on secret missions with a partner. He might come up with more ideas of things to give too!
I love the magnets especially the flower ones. Very cute! I can already imagine how the refrigerator door will look like if it is filled with those. It must be lovely. 😊 I did not realize those are magnets until I read through. Good job! But on top of that, you have a big heart leaving those as anonymous Santa and make any day a Christmas day. Bless you!
I suppose you already know about the Pay It Forward Curation Contest wherein @celinavisaez have featured your article. The contest is open to everyone so you are welcome to join.
This post was shared in the Curation Collective Discord community for curators, and upvoted and resteemed by the @c-squared community account after manual review.
Thank you so much!
Wow this is really awesome. I have heard about this with books but not art. Neat idea and wonderful that you are contributing :) plus frees up room to create!
For some reason we don't have those little libraries around here. Maybe because we have an excellent library in town?
I'd not heard of the art project before I joined but it's been going on for years. Once I got started it was really addicting! I'm always looking for new places to 'hide' things. And yes, I'm loving the space at home that I'm creating.
Hey, did you see this, going on in New Zealand?
https://steemit.com/teamnz/@tattoodjay/the-kindness-rocks-project
A rock, some paint, and a whole lot of love!
@tattoodjay is my friend :) Steemit friend anyway. He is in Connecticut now. Not sure I ever figured out how he got from NZ to US.
I might have misread it. Wherever the beach is I love the idea!
I love this idea @donna-metcalfe! What a fantastic and selfless idea :)
I found your post because @celinavisaez featured you in her Pay it Forward Curation Contest entry :) We'd love to have you back again with an entry of your own :)
Yes, she let me know she picked me, very cool! I was going to enter this week but then thought that might be weird, to be a nominee and a curator at the same time. That's okay, it gives me more time to make my choices.