For the practical joker in all of us!
I’ve always loved April Fool’s Day and May Day because those were the two day’s of the year when it was socially acceptable to play little jokes designed to make people smile. Author Marthe Jocelyn suggests we put a bit of mirth into our ordinary days with Sneaky Art: Crafty Surprises to Hide in Plain Sight. As part of a double prize, I’m offering a copy of Sneaky Art—let me tell you more about this fun and original book!
Sneaky Art projects are small, artistic creations intended to bring a smile to someone’s day. In her book Jocelyn offers twenty-four sneaky art projects to get us started. Most can be created with items already at home. A few of my favorites are:
- Cork Critters—Small animals or people created with corks and scraps of fabric and paper. Leave them on the shelf in a washroom, by the sugar at the coffee shop, on a friend’s desk.
- Stick Pixies—Characters taped to the top of straws or stir-sticks making them easy to tuck into pencil cups, books, or condiment dispensers.
- Clip-On Flock—Paper birds glued onto clothespins. The book shows the birds clipped onto shopping carts; what a fun way to brighten up the next shopper’s experience!
Each craft in Jocelyn’s book includes a list of materials, complete instructions, a picture of the final result, and suggestions on where to leave your sneaky art.
The premise of Sneaky Art is to leave little works of art in public places and as such there are some basic guidelines to follow. Jocelyn offers clear instructions of what Sneaky Art is not (“Sneaky Art is not mean, defacing, ugly, hurtful, messy, or permanent. Sneaky Art is not graffiti or marking up someone’s property”) and what Sneaky Art is (“Sneaky art is funny clever, thoughtful, subversive, playful, and surprising”). She even suggests going back to the scene of our “sneak” and retrieving our art if it is still there.
To this I add my own suggestion that any art placed outdoors be created with good stewardship in mind. We don’t want to create litter, and we don’t want to endanger any wild life. So, any paints should be non-toxic. Do not use thin threads or fishing line as they can wrap around the feet of birds and small animals causing injury. Do not use colored beads or fake berries as birds may ingest them and get sick (or worse).
Sneaky Art: Crafty Surprises to Hide in Plain Sight is intended for ages 8-12 but appeals to sneaky artists of all ages. The projects are inexpensive and easily adaptable for large groups, making it a good resource for teachers, but the true beauty of the book lays in the underlying lessons in conceptualization and material re-purposing. Caution: this book may cause regular ransacking of your recycle bin!
Would you like to win a copy of Sneaky Art? Details on how to win today’s special double giveaway are posted below.
About the Book
Sneaky Art: Crafty Surprises to Hide in Plain Sight by Marthe Jocelyn
Synopsis:
For young artists, tricksters, and crafters, here is a hip, friendly how-to manual for creating removable and shareable art projects from easily found materials. The sneaky part is in the installation! Each work of art is custom-created for display in public places — a tiny cork-bottomed boat in a public fountain, a plate of tiny paper cupcakes on your teacher’s desk, a penny left on the ground for a stranger, a funny message left on your mother’s bathroom mirror, and more. This utterly unique guide — part craft book, part art-philosophy — offers a stylish and sweet “made-you-look-twice” spirit of fun meant to put a smile on the faces of strangers and loved ones alike.
Connect with the author:
Marthe Jocelyn’s websites:
http://www.marthejocelyn.com/index.htm
Twitter:
@scissorhouse
#SneakyArt
Double Giveaway 
As part of the Sneaky Art virtual book tour through Women On Writing, I am offering a double-prize package consisting of my hardcover, review copy of Sneaky Art and a Rainy Day Art Pack by Marthe Jocelyn.
The Rainy Day Art Pack comes with a body template and a selection of scraps for crafting (decorative paper, pompoms, feathers, yarn, buttons, etc…) Just add glue and scissors! More fun than paper dolls (remember them?) Where will this little character end up? He/she might become part of a collage…or even take part in a Sneaky Art caper!
To Enter The Giveaway:
Leave a Comment: Let us know why this book appeals to you OR share your idea of a good place to leave a sneaky art project. Make sure your email address is either in your profile or included in your comment so I can get in touch with you!
For additional Entries:
Tweet about this giveaway. Come back and leave the url to your tweet. Be sure to use the hashtag #SneakyArt in your tweet! (Each tweet gains an additional entry!)
Follow @scissorhouse on Twitter
Follow @RCchrps (that’s me) on Twitter
Visit this past Friday’s post at Museiddity.com for more chances to win this Double Giveaway!
Contest runs December 13, 2013 through December 21, 2013. One random winner will be chosen from all entries gathered on Museiddity and A Ponderance of Things. One winner will win the prize package consisting of one hardcover copy of the book, Sneaky Art, and one Rainy Day Art Pack. Items to be mailed separately. Winner to be notified by email and the name posted in a blog update.
Good Luck!
Update: Congratulations to Pillows-a-la-mode for winning our Sneaky Art double giveaway. She has been contacted via email.
A Ponderance of Things 