Friday's Finds: Getting ready for the holidays

The holidays are here! And that means you can find a bazaar most any weekend. This Sunday check out the Multicultural Bazaar at Beth Shalom, 3750 E. Third St., Bloomington. I'll be selling gift bags made from my artwork (three designs, two sizes, beaded handles) from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Bazaar has 20 artists/craftspeople plus IU's Fair Trade Global Gifts group. You can buy coffee and bagels until 1 p.m., and cookies are for sale all day.

While we are on the topic of holidays: Some of my friends out there are busily preparing Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) to swap at the Bloomington Watercolor Society's Holiday Party Dec. 6. This "Find" is for you!! Wishful Thinking, a scrapbooking store in Nashville, Ind., sells all kinds of ATC paraphernalia and inspiration. They have books, kits, cards, but my favorite was "The ATC Wizard Tool" that makes the template I shared at the last BWS meeting look lame. The plastic template has outside dimensions, border dimensions, center markings and even perfectly spaced holes in case you want to sew or lace your card. These guys are no amateurs; they had an ATC workshop last week -- so sorry I missed it -- and monthly card swaps. The store is located at Old School Way & Main in Nashville. Its Web site is http://www.wishfulthinking-in.com/. 

My new favorite tool: The Incredible Nib. This Grafix product, which came with a bottle of liquid fisket, had hung out unused in my gadget drawer for several months. I had continued to use an old brush dipped in dishwashing liquid to apply frisket. But inevitably I spent more time than I wanted picking out pieces of latex from the brush bristles. This week I used the Nib to apply the frisket on a snow scene and couldn't believe how easy it was. Dip the Nib into water, blot it with tissue, dip into the frisket, and apply to paper. Swish the nib in water (just as you would do with a brush) and pat dry. That's all. It has a pointed tip and a broad, angled tip so it's pretty versatile as well.

That's it for this week. Got to get back to gluing gift bags for Sunday's Bazaar!