Crafts Go Geek: Paperpourri Offers Crafting How-To in an Innovative Interactive Zine

Paperpourri offers a new learning experience for paper crafters seeking creative instruction and fresh ideas. Publisher Carole Pivarnik serves up a hearty buffet of projects, techniques, and ideas in each issue, all in a fully interactive multimedia format. Video, audio, text, and images are used to present, explain, and demonstrate projects and techniques in a folksy, informal manner that is at the same time thorough and professional.

Castleton, VA (PRWEB) August 7, 2005 -- Paperpourri combines paper crafts artistry and multimedia technology to deliver a new kind of instructional art zine. Each quarterly issue is filled with project tutorials, techniques, ideas and art. The brainchild of artist and teacher Carole Pivarnik, Paperpourri was created to share how-to instruction for her original project designs with the large, geographically diverse audience of rubber stampers, book arts enthusiasts, and other paper crafters.

Pivarnik explains: One of my goals for Paperpourri is to encourage people to try projects outside their comfort zone and bolster their confidence along the way." She continues, The projects in the zine often look complex, but theyre presented in easily-digestible steps with lots of hand-holding along the way. That means anyone can do the projects successfully, regardless of experience."

Paperpourri projects and illustrative samples are diverse. Decorative boxes, mini shrines, art dolls, altered playing cards wall art, visual journals, greeting cards, and more are in the mix. Projects are typically created with rubber stamps and other products provided by sponsors. I strongly encourage sponsorship by small companies who manufacture their own products," says Pivarnik. Its a win-win situation because my audience gets to see lots of design variety, while sponsors get exposure to potential customers who are always hungry to see products in action."

The zines regular features include two step-by-step project tutorials, a Techniques Journal, the ATC Studio (where digital artist trading cards can be designed, printed, and saved), Art Goodies (high-resolution royalty-free ephemera and images), and tidbits, tips, and humor sprinkled randomly throughout the zine. Content is presented using a combination of video, audio, text, and graphics. With a click or two of the mouse, users can quickly jump from one section or screen to another. Useful touches such as printable supply lists and templates for tutorials are easily accessible.

Paperpourri is technically a sophisticated multimedia software product," Pivarnik says, But I deliberately refer to it as a zine because I feel the term zine" gets closer to the spirit of creative sharing and comfortable informality that I seek to cultivate."

Published quarterly on CD-ROM, Paperpourri runs on Windows PCs and requires no installation or Internet connection to run. A single issue is $8; a 4-issue subscription is $28. Review copies are provided to the press and media upon request.

Blending art with technology, Paperpourri fills the gap between static publications and the live classroom experience with an interactive multimedia experience focused on instruction, ideas, and inspiration for paper crafters. For additional information, contact Carole Pivarnik or visit www.paperpourri.com.

About Carole Pivarnik:

Carole Pivarnik is a mixed media artist and paper crafts project designer, teacher, and publisher working out of her Tulip Hill Studio in Virginia. For nearly 20 years prior to launching her art business, she wrote software manuals and developed courseware for government and private industry clients.

Contact:

Carole Pivarnik
Publisher, Paperpourri
540-987-8566
http://www.paperpourri.com

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