I’m running on pure adrenaline. Sleep is a frivolous thing long forgotten and pushed aside. More important and immediate tasks have taken its place. The tables and chairs need to be arranged, decorations put up, the registration desk needs to be organized and the printer isn’t working. I’m rushing to accomplish a last minute to do list on the eve of the Summit of Awesome after months of planning, coordinating and stressing.

If you’re considering converting your favorite pastime into a money-making venture, keep these five things in mind.

If you are a firm believer in the ethos that life is about the journey and not the destination, then you'll enjoy Chuck Close Prints: Process and Collaboration, currently on view at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. This fascinating dissection of Close's finished artwork raises the curtain on his creative process, showcasing his vast print work that ranges in technique, but never style.

In the fast moving era of the industrial revolution, Eadweard Muybridge was and still is considered a pioneer and innovator. He helped redefine how we view the world with his studies of human and animal locomotion. He stopped time, then reanimated it, exploring early cinematics. In Helios: Eadweard Muybridge in a Time of Change, the Corcoran brings together a retrospective of over 300 selections from Muybridge's body of work from 1857 to 1893.

Kelly Rand, from Crafting a Green World & DCist.com, has put together a summer tutorial roundup. – jen. Now that it is officially summer, thoughts tend to wander to laying on the beach, at the pool or just hanging out in the backyard with a cool glass of lemonade soaking up the sun. Here are some great summery tutorials to get you beach, pool and backyard ready.

Kelly Rand, director of Hello Craft & a writer for both Crafting a Green World & DCist.com, shares another post for her regular series on the Guest Blog called From the Desk of Kelly Rand. I’ve never really thought all that much about felt. As a crafting material it is inexpensive, easy to work with, and it’s always been in my stash pile.

Kelly Rand, director of Hello Craft & a writer for both Crafting a Green World & DCist.com, is back with another post for her regular series on the Guest Blog called From the Desk of Kelly Rand. Recent post include this one & this one. I have a fixation with watching people create. I could spend hours watching someone draw, paint, knit, embroider; it doesn’t really matter.

The message above pops up on my phone. Clicking on the link takes me to a coupon I can use exclusively in-store, no more waiting for crumpled circulars in the mail. This is an example of a text message or short messaging service (SMS). It is one example from a company that sends millions of text messages, multiple times per week, according to Lee Washington, Manager, CRM & Loyalty Strategy for JOANN.

When you pick up a paintbrush, put pen to paper, or take needle to fabric, does your heart sing? Indeed, “making” can be a powerful drug. It can be a stress reliever, a creative outlet, or for some of us, that which quenches an innate need to create. But should you turn your hobby into a business? And what does it take to make it a successful and thriving one?

Once out of college, most of us find it rare to receive care packages. Remember having your day brightened after treking down to mail services to retrieve a package, tearing it open with anticipation of what might be inside? But gone are the days of mystery boxes packed with love and much needed supplies from mom.

Opening today, the Renwick Gallery presents Staged Stories: Renwick Craft Invitational 2009 which brings together four artists who explore the narrative in their medium of choice. Ceramic artist Christyl Boger, fiber artist Mark Newport, glass artist Mary Van Cline and ceramic artist SunKoo Yuh walk the fine line between what is traditionally known as craft and art, showing decidedly non-functional pieces that are heavy on the narrative.

Kelly Rand is a writer for DCist.com and Crafting a Green World, as well as a compulsive knitter and avid maker. She spends most of her free time pursuing crafty endeavors and volunteering for numerous causes. Her latest upstart, Hello Craft, is pretty awesome (see our posts about it here and get involved!).