This Year's Best Posts

Works of Wyoming is prod of their blog this past year.  Here are 11 of your favorite posts (based on your views comments and impressions) from the past year.


All about scarves
Affordable Art for the Holidays
DIY Beauy Tips
Plarn
Facebook Lists
Rated M for Mature Artists
Student Art League at WOW
Online Sales Venues
Facebook Efficiency
Why Have a Facebook Page?
4th Day of Christmas (Put a Bird on It)

Holiday Countdown: Upcycled New Year

Storage box covered in magazine.
You could use wrapping paper
to create a festive version
of this project.

We all have our New Years resolutions and if yours relates to waste less, avoiding consumerism as much as possble, crafting with the kids, or creating some fun home decorations, here are some great projects for you.  Now that the holiday season is coming to an end and we have a ton of leftover wrapping paper and cards it is time to use them a second time.  Here are some of the best ways I found to upcycle the remnants of Christmas before you throw them out.

Christmas cards

Cards upcycled into jewelry
Make thank you or other holiday cards by cutting the old cards up
Cut out images from Christmas cards and use them to make cards similar to those in this video.  There are a plethora of tutorials on how to make cards on YouTube.  Cut outs from old cards will work just as well as prepared store bought sayings and images.



Another video from YouTube


You could also...

Make some ornaments for next year or for winter.  A simple way to accomplish this task is by using the cutouts, like you would in the tutorials above.  Just cut a hole through the top and thread a string through.

Create gift tags using the same cut out pieces.

Design your own scrapbook cutouts - I did this for our wedding album.  I cut off borders and cut out images. and used them to create frames for photos and backgrounds for text.

Create a 3-d star

Wrapping Paper Upcycling ideas

Use it to wrap candles that can be purchased at a dollar store.

Create your own gift bows

Thin paper is perfect for origami.

Shred to create easter hay or packaging for gift baskets and gift bags

Recover your lampshades.

Scrapbooking paper

Colorful paper also makes great book covers (it could be turned inside out as well).

use like you would magazine (or newspaper) and create any of these projects from an earlier post in our Holiday Countdown.

Holiday Countdown: Wyoming Artists

For our second to last post of the Holiday Countdown,
I wanted to share some beautiful holiday season inspired artwork created by Wyoming artists.

Christmas Cardinal painted by Wyoming artist Mike Beeman.

All of the artists below are WOW members and more of their work can be seen via the links in the sidebar.

Penguins in Hand Knitted Sweaters print by Kim Harris
Kim Harris has more winter themed artwork for sale on her ETSY store (link above), Full Frog Moon.
She has ornaments and prints featuring animals and people enjoying the winter.
They are perfect for this holiday and winter season, and we all know winter in Laramie will not be over for some time.

Sugar and Cream set by Deborah Britt

There is nothing better than a hot drink, a warm blanket and a movie with friends and family.
This set is the perfect accessory to be placed next to your coffee and tea.
Deborah has a large selection of practical pottery and ceramics that can be seen on her website (link to the right)

If you would like to become a member or have your work featured on this blog let us know.  You can contact us on Facebook, this blog, give us a call at 307.742.6574, or send us an email.  You can also get more information on the Works of Wyoming website. 

Holiday Countdown: Lets Rock!

Its about that time (Christmas time) and I wanted to share some holiday and Christmas music with you.  There is a large amount of Christmas and other holiday music everywhere I go this time of year.  I absolutely love it.  I thought it would be fun to help you find some fun music for this holiday season.

Below are a some of the songs from the album X Christmas, a compilation of various Christmas songs performed by a variety of artists.  If you like the music you can purchase the album on Amazon or listen to some of the songs on YouTube.  Most of the songs are rock, but not all.  

Most people who grew up around Taco Johns are familiar with this Spanish song.
Feliz Navidad by the David Crowder band


Do You Hear What I hear - Seventh Day Slumber


Carol of the Bells by August Burns Red.


Warning this next song is pretty emotional.  I have cried...
FM Static - Christmas Shoes


I realize that not everyone is a fan of rock music but I did want to offer something unique.  If you would like to personalize your music to your specific tastes look into Pandora.  You can select a musician or song and it will find songs that are similar.  You can then "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" a specific song to help it find music you do like.  Pandora Radio also offerers some excellent holiday stations including classical and indie rock Christmas stations.

If you are still searching for Christmas gifts and other ideas to help create the environment you desire, come look at our holiday ornaments and decorative ideas.  If you are a musician or other artist come in to talk about possible performances during openings and other ways we could potentially help you develop your art career.  We are located in the Laramie Plains Civic Center in Suite 271.  You can also find us on Facebook.

Holiday Countdown: Shop Local

Found on Teenormous.com

It has been wonderful to see the number of individuals that came into our gallery because they wanted to shop local.  One man was excited that he only needed to find gifts from two more people (and he did found them at WOW) and all his other gifts were purchased in Laramie.

To this man and the rest who have stopped in, I would like to thank you for supporting us local artists by purchasing our work rather than the standard decor found at one of those hip chain stores, or the large stores that sell everything, with work created overseas.  This is not a political post but rather a post about how you can continue to shop locally throughout out the year, if you so choose, without putting a dent in your wallet.

Necklaces made by one of our artists.  

Matching earrings also available. 

Artist Made Greeting Cards

WOW has a plethora of unique cards.  These cards consist of photographs, paintings, colored pencil works and more.  No one will receive another card just like the one you will purchase here (there are some sets, so just don't send two cards to the same person and you should still be good).  Currently the majority of the cards are competitively priced.  Some are as low as $2.50 and you can purchase a pack of 20 for $25.

Save Time and Money with WOW!

One of my favorite tips for saving time and money is purchasing several cards at once.  This way when mothers day, or Nana's birthday rolls around you are not in a rush to go to Mall Wart and buy the first, or second card, you see.  This not only saves time, but a line on your to do list when you are already swamped as well.

You get a beautiful print when you
 purchase this statement piece.

Gift Basket


This can be done with birthday and housewarming gifts as well.  I love to create gift baskets on a budget.  My one rule is to always have something handmade or a little bit more expensive and combine it with some items that are more cost efficient.  At WOW you can find all price ranges, but we are also an excellent resource for the handmade gift.

Personal Style

I use this same trick with my wardrobe as well.  I have several staple pieces such as nice jeans and tank tops that I pair with statement pieces such as jackets, jewelry and accessories.  WOW has accessories and jewelry that will make excellent staple pieces.

As you may have noticed... 

Another statement piece
for your Cowboy fan.

There are ways to support local artists and businesses wile still following your budget.  We are not the only small/local business located in Laramie.  Laramie Main Street is a source for great local shops.  Coal Creek Coffee has some excellent loose leaf teas for sale, that will go wonderfully with a hand thrown tea pot and tea cups.  How else can WOW help you with your gift giving?  What are your tricks to giving gifts on a budget?  Let us know below!

These are just a few of the ways that you can support local artists, craftspeople, and artisans through supporting WOW.  If you would like more information about our artists, gift shop or gallery stop by or give us a call.  We are located in suite 271 of the Laramie Plains Civic Center and our phone number is 307.742.6574.  See the links in the right side bar to contact individual artist.

Thanks again! Our artists appreciate your support!

LINK DEC 17 Holiday Countdown: DIY Decor

It is always fun to redecorate your home and there is not a better time than during the winter.  And there is not a better place in Laramie to go for handcrafted artwork, design, a home decorations, created by local artists.  There are a couple DIY home decor examples as well as some perfect gift ideas below.

Concentric Circles from Mid Century Modern.  This could be combined with the CD wall art or cardboard tube project.  (LINKS TO POSTS)  WOW used a variation of this using picture frames.  I took some frames from our storage room and placed a mini mirror in the center.  They are located in our gift shop, which has a plethora of home decorating ideas, arts and crafts.

Here is DIY display project from Your Marketing BFF (could be used for storage ideas) similar to what we are doing at the gift shop in WOW.

Another DIY idea comes from one of our WOW member's who blogs.  Upcycled magazine boxes.

If you are interested in any of these projects set up an appointment and we can help you get started.  If you prefer to purchase decorations rather than make them WOW is the perfect place to come for your Affordable Art for the Holidays (click the link to see some of the work currently in the gallery and gift shop). We are located in the Laramie Plains Civic Center in Suite 271.

SMM Holiday Countdown: Go Viral

This image is part of an infographic fro Mashable.com

What does "Going Viral" Mean?
Something is said to have gone viral when it becomes extremely popular very quickly.  Some would argue that for something to have truly gone viral, it must enter into peoples real lives.  Going viral is a desire for many who produce web content.  It provides exposure for small (and large) businesses.

How Can My Campaign go Viral?
It is not as simple as we may wish.  Not every campaign can go viral.
The best advice I can offer is what not to do.
1. A video that is long, boring, or low quality (unless there is some catchy factor) will not go viral.
2. A video created by an unlucky person (I think a certain amount of luck is required) will not go viral, unless you capitalize on your unluckiness.
3. A project that only has one outlet or medium will be limited.  Not utilizing many resources will hurt your chances of going viral.

There are some more tips below from those who are experts on this specific topic.

Social Times shares seven tips for going viral in this excellent post.

Check out this beautiful infographic from Mashable featuring more tips for how to go viral.

If you would like help with some of the basic resources (number 3) such as Facebook, Twitter, blogging, website design, You Tube and more be sure stop by or call WOW.  We are located in Suite 271 of the Laramie Plains Civic Center and our phone number is 307.742.6574.

Holiday Countdown: Project Websites

Are you an artist, craftsperson, or simply someone looking for some fun crafty projects, gift ideas, or projects for the little ones?  Here are some wonderful websites to search for upcycling, crafting, and creative project ideas.  Be sure to look for these pages (and similar pages) on Facebook and add them to your "art list."  Learn more about Facebook lists here.

Craft Gossip - Facebook
Crafting a Green World
Recycle This
ThreadBanger - Facebook
Etsy - Facebook
Pinterest - You can post to Facebook and/or Twitter via Pinterest

Connecting with these sites can offer some excellent networking opportunities.  What are some sites you have learned from? Post them below!  If you would like to get involved in the local emerging artist, artisan, and small art business communities here in Laramie (and greater Wyoming) be sure to stop by WOW.  We are located in the Laramie Plains Civic Center in suite 271.  Our phone number is 307.742.6574 or feel free to email us.

Holiday Countdown: His and Her Gift Ideas

Cut steel wall hangings by Dan Roberts
make and excellent gift.

It can often be a challenge to come up with gift ideas. Here are some Christmas and/or holiday gift ideas for your significant other.  Many of them would work for a  best friend, family member, or acquaintance whose name you drew for a white elephant party.

Coupon book - Coupons are simple to make even if you don't have any fancy graphics programs.  Cut an 8.5x11 piece of nice paper in to 4ths ot 5ths and print or draw your coupons.  Some coupon ideas could be free hug, free kiss, movie or game night, or homemade supper of your choice on me.

Personal Note - hidden notes are always a great surprise to wake up to.

12 Days of Christmas (or insert chosen holiday here) - decide on 12 gifts and give one to your sweety each of the 12 days leading up to the holiday of choice.  Here is website that shows the significance behind the Christian meaning of the song.

Candy or other sweets especially homemade treats always make great gifts for the holiday season.
Chocolate Kisses - These could be used along with the coupon book and each candy could redeem a kiss (or a hug if you give hugs).
You can also use candy instead of packaging peanuts.

Gift baskets are fun and very personal.  You could combine one or several of these ideas with a gift basket.  Gift baskets are great for most friends and family.

Remember mixed tapes?  It wasn't long ago that this was the gift to give your date.  Now it would clearly be a Mixed CD.  You can dig though your music collection and pick songs that had significance behind them.  This is a great gift for girls or guys.

A blanket, movie, and popcorn (or hot chocolate) make a great gift for nearly anyone living through a cold winter (like those here in Larmaie, Wyoming).

One summer when I worked at a church camp, I had a ton of fun creating scavenger hunts for my coworkers (who were friends).  One wanted a car so it ended with a toy car.  A variation on this would be to create a board game and there is a space that results in the gift.

Finally for those of you who are not crafty you can always come in to visit us here at Works of Wyoming.  We are located in suite 271 of the Laramie Plains Civic Center on the corner of 7th and Garfield in Laramie, WY.  Our phone number is 307.742.6574 give us a call or send an email.

What are some of the best gifts you have given or received?

Holiday Countdown: Old CDs

After this holiday season WOW is looking for more jewelry in our gift shop.  It selling like mad.  If you try this idea, be sure to bring your work on in for us to see.

Super easy necklace made from an old CD

If you have old X-Box games, CDs or scratched DVDs in storage and are looking for something to do with them, here is an excellent project idea.  Old games do not sell for much these days and once a disk is scratched they do little good.  Upcyleing may be the perfect solution to taking care of this type of clutter.

Lamp created from old CDs


Mirror from CDs - I actually did this in highschool and it worked quite well as a decorative piece.  The one in the video is a functional storage solution.  I would be careful about the lack of protection.  The one I created in high school was simply for decoration.

If you are looking for more creative ideas be sure to stop by our Affordable Art for the Holidays sale or come talk to our staff and artist.  We are located in the Laramie Plains Civic Center in suite 271.  You can also contact us via Facebook.

Holiday Countdown: Framed

I was at one of my good friend's new apartment yesterday and was really excited about her picture frames.  Here are some DIY frames, so that I can be envious of yours too.  In this post I will share a variety of techniques for creating cute picture frames for yourself, friends, and family this holiday season.

Cardboard Tube Picture Frames
Whether it is paper towels, toilet paper or food packaging, we have all thrown these guys away.  Next time you have one to toss, think about this fantastic photo frame made from cardboard tubes.  For all you fine and emerging artists out there, this project could be used to creatively display photographs of your work and be given as a gift as well.  This marketing trick (subliminal imaging) can be given as a beautiful gift your friends, family, and even collectors will love.

Circuit board Frames - These upcycled frames are fun to make, cost effective, and could be sold in our next Affordable Art for the Holiday sale (if you still need some side projects).

Holiday Countdown: Facebook Marketing

Pagemodo is a great way to get a custom Welcome tab for your Facebook page. It is simple too. Login, using your Facebook account, and follow the directions.  Pagemodo is free for one page per Facebook user.  (This is why the samples come from my personal art page, Felicia Follum Art + Design, rather than WOW's page.)  Social Stage is another option for those of you wanting to create websites on your Facebook business page.  I have played around with it a bit and may use it for WOW's Facebook page n the near future.

Some ways to prepare for pagemodo (if you want to come into WOW for a lesson, this is what you will need to have )
1. Have photographs of your work, or you and your work. The images should be jpg, png, or gif files. You will want both portrait and landscape (mostly landscape) images, but you will have a chance to crop them to fit in the template as well.  Screen shots work perfectly.
2. Prepare a paragraph of text. If you have a website or blog you can use the same text. See why in a post about online marketing consistency.
3. Know that you can only have one free page for profile. Example Anthony has one Facebook personal page and three business or organization pages that he updates. He must pick just one for pagemodo’s free version.

One concern that arises with FB Welcome pages is whether you want to require a like before someone can see page content.  It will probably increase likes to require liking the page.  If the goal is quality likes, it does not seem beneficial.  One of my Top 5 Reasons for Artists to have a FB Page that is lost when requiring likes is that the page is no longer public to those who do not use Facebook.

Now instead of having a page that opens to your wall you can have a facebook Welcome page that looks like this….

A Facebook bonus: Here is a webinar addressing some of the recent Facebook changes.  If you have questions or would like more info about some of the most significant changes stop by WOW located in Suite 271 of the Laramie Plains Civic Center and ask for more info or send us an email.  

Post links to your Facebook pages with welcome tabs below or share a link on our Facebook wall (There is a good chance your page will either be added as an example to this post or featured in another post).