The tinkering elves have been busy in the learning studio getting ready for a party at the American Visionary Art Museum in two weeks. We’re hosting a tinkerer’s ball in Baltimore the night before the ASTC conference complete with musical performances, film screenings, DIY costume making, and what may possibly end up being the greatest cake of all time. We pack up the truck to ship our stuff across the country next week so let’s share just a few of the scenes from our preparations for the upcoming extravaganza.
Walter and Nicole made a pop-up card for the invited guests
Lianna works on plastic fused tea light lanterns. Plastic fused costume making will also be one of the activities that night.
We’re figuring out how to tinker with party hats.
Luigi and Walter obsess over getting the lighting right for a giant frame that guests can take pictures in wearing their costumes
Golden glue guns decorate the top of the tinkering photo frame that Nicole has been embellishing with fancified tools.
In addition to the frame and the invitations, Nicole has been constructing absolutely beautiful chandeliers made from plastic coat hangers.
All kinds of other surprises and delightful decorations and activities are in the works for what promises to be a magical night of tinkering in our finest cardboard/soldered/plastic/light-up evening wear. Stay tuned for more photos and videos as we get closer to the date.
Looking at your tinkering ball stuff on you blog -preparations for your ball– after seeing the facebook entry reminded me of stuff I did with BRAF. A nifty thing you might want to try experimenting with for your frames and crowns and the like, is taking a heat gun to the brightly colored plastics that make up detergent bottles and even clear plastic bottles used for water and juice.
You can cut the plastic with heavy shears and then use the heat gun to make fabulous shapes and twists and leaves and animals –its very fun but do be careful the guns pack a punch. i still have mine if you need one. its in my garage somewhere. I meant to tall you all theis when youy were playing with plastic but forgot.
you can also just use the geometry of plastic bottles to make purty purty flowers
the heat gun lets you do things like this http://www.flickr.com/photos/40144745@N06/4685028456/
the orange and blue of Tide bottles though are especially spectacular colors
Love the great idea of the cloths hangers a very beautiful chandler
I am an East Coast tinkerer who has made many bubble machines over the years. My presence has been requested at the Tinkerer’s Ball, along with my Renaissance Bubble Machine, which was designed using technology of the time and the inspiration of Master Leonardo. Looking forward to meeting everyone there… Felix C.
I’m a bmore local who’s spent a wee bit of time tinkering about, trouble shooting absurdities & realizing one outlandish idea after another in laalaa film world special effects & AVAM cacophonies.
Really lookling forward to seeing what kind of brew ha haa Karen is cooking up.