Cedar Rapids woman creates unusual concrete gifts

Brenda Salat, 47, knows a thing or two about working with concrete. But don't expect her to be pouring any backyard patios. Salat's mother taught her to mix plaster of Paris as a young girl, which she used to make Christmas ornaments. These days, she's graduated to mixing up concrete that she expertly crafts into stone bears and other works of art.

Salat, who was born in Iowa City and raised in Cedar Rapids, is the owner and maker at Blind Bicyclist Cards + Concrete. Besides making concrete bears, cobs of corn and flower pots, she also crafts greeting cards and on occasion sells her own photographs as well.

Her work can be found online or at various farmers markets and craft shows around the area. 'I'm shy but, I keep trying to get out there,” she says. 'This is my art and what I love to do.”

Q. How and when did you get started?

A. I think I've always been a maker, fixer, repurposed. The concrete was inadvertent though, or happenstance, if you will. In or around 2006, I made some repairs to a few concrete items my grandma left me. I then had a 60-pound bag of concrete left over and I needed to use that up. There were a few empty honey bear containers around the house and I thought why not. It just kept progressing from there. I became obsessed with finding ways to pour concrete and then opened my Etsy shop in 2011.

Q. If you had only three words to describe what you do, what would they be?

A. This is tough but I think the three words to describe what I do would be: maker, seeker, cyclist.

Q. Where do you find your inspiration?

A. I find inspiration in light, materials, nature, music and books.

Q. What's the best part about being a crafty/creative person?

A. The best part of being a creative person is the freedom, expression, and finding a way; the actual process including success, failures, and frustrations. Finding a way forward and realizing these subtle hints of inspiration and then trying to fabricate and give them form.

Q. Do you remember the first craft project you ever tried?

A. I remember when I was little I made a lot of plaster ornaments. My mom taught me to mix the plaster of Paris for the ornaments. I painted them and added sparkles. I just loved materials and tools of any kind. One hot summer day, I melted some Crayola crayon shaving in a plastic box and my sister said, 'that's art.” And of course we always had craft projects in school like bird houses and pinhole cameras.

Q. When you become rich and famous for your work, then what will you do?

A. When I become rich and famous, ha! I'll just keep on doing what I'm doing because it's working right? I will travel more and try to put some into good causes.