Livia Marin, Ficciones de un uso, 2004. 2,214 lipsticks, each one sculpted to a unique shape.

I finally had a chance to see Manuf®actured: The Conspicuous Transformation of Everyday Objects. Locals, be sure and get to this show - it’s amazing. Non-locals, you can experience some of it via the excellent show website.

The whole concept involves makers who take manufactured materials (like zippers, lipsticks, and printed tins) and transform them into art. Call me odd, but this kind of work excites me way more than any pristine Fine Craft glass vase or wooden bowl.

Harriete Estel Berman, Consuming Conversation, 2001–04. Printed tins, cut and shaped.

. . . Not that I’m dissing traditional craft. I just love the surprises inherent in looking at everyday things differently. When I look at a beautiful handmade vase, it’s lovely, but leaves me a bit cold. Seeing these teacups made of metal tins, however, makes my fingers itch to deconstruct and reconstruct stuff around me.

Laura Splan, Trousseau (Negligee #1), 2007. Machine embroidery on cosmetic facial peel.

It struck me that quite a few of these creators have been featured in CRAFT Magazine, so it was super cool to see their work in person - like Laura Splan’s meticulous Trousseau, made from her own peeled skin.

So again, take a look at the show website, and be inspired.

Hey everyone - I have a new tutorial over at CraftStylish. This one takes the leftover scraps from my Recycled Necktie Scarf and turns them into a Quilted Necktie Cuff. I’m happy with how it came out - very silky and pretty. Hope you like!

As promised, here’s another interesting fiber-jewelry book. Fabulous Fabric Beads by Kristal Wick is one of those high-value craft books that teaches you lots of different craft techniques within a simple project framework.

The first section of the book is about making designs on a fabric surface. Each technique has clear step-by-step photos, and whether you make the beads or not, these techniques have application to all kinds of crafts. The book covers everything from sponging to salting to bleaching to stamping, foiling, stenciling, splattering, and more. Lots of ways to alter fabrics!

From there, the book offers a whole slew of ways to make beads from these altered fabrics. Most of these beads are made in this cylindrical form, but within that simple shape, we have a nice variety of looks.

. . . Like, here’s a variation on that theme in leather.

And I think these quilted beads are very, very cool. The book also shows you how to make this tubular bead using materials like wire, cross-stitch, copper, Angelina Fiber, eyelash yarn, and beaded fringe.

There are also some pretty non-tube beads here. I love these Victorian-looking ribbon pendant beads! The book also has a square variation on these, and a nice project where the fabric is set into a resin-filled frame.

. . . And in the back, a gallery of projects to make with all these fabric beads.

I’m excited to play around with all these ideas!

This makes me giggle every time I say it out loud: I’m in a knitting book! Chronicle Books was kind enough to invite me to contribute an intarsia pattern for their new book, Picture Perfect Knits.

Here it is - it’s a portrait of my previous cat, Athens. It must be said: I cannot knit. So maybe this would be easy to execute, maybe really hard - I don’t know.

Now, that said, Picture Perfect Knits is full of cool patterns by real knitters and other creative types. We have stuff here by Jenny Hart, Kathy Cano Murillo, Denyse Schmidt, and more. Look at this cool thing Alice did:

. . . And in addition to pattern charts, there’s a nice collection of intarsia projects to try. I love this bag! The striped handle really makes it sing.

“This is all well and good,” you’re saying, “but didn’t she say something about a giveaway?”

Yes, I did! Chronicle has donated two copies of this book for me to give. So, leave a comment here by noon PST on Monday, 10/6. I’ll draw two winners at random. And then, winners, you can tell me how my cats were to knit.

*********UPDATE*************

Congrats to DeeAnn S., who won the first book….

…And to Jennifer Refat, who won the second. I’ll be contacting you both shortly for your mailing info.

I have a couple of cool fiber jewelry books to share with you this week - this one is by the talented Sherri Haab, I’m such a fan of jewelry made from non-traditional materials. . . . Well, let’s face it - I’m a fan of anything made from non-traditional materials.

Anyway, Felt, Fabric, and Fiber Jewelry incorporates those eponymous materials in some very ingenious ways, and the book’s design is lovely. I really like these dimensional felt flowers on the cover.

Also a big fan of this fabric treatment for wooden beads - very elegant, and this simple stringing on the cording really lets the beads shine.

This is probably my favorite project in the whole book - it involves looping thin fabric strips into a burlap background. The technique is simple, but yields this rich, vintage-y brooch. (Excuse my fingers there.)

Each project, by the way, has nice, clear step-by-step photos. And there’s a great variety of techniques here - needle-felting, crochet, sewing/quilting, embroidery, and knotting.

Speaking of crochet, I was excited to see a wire crochet flower! And even more excited to see the wire embellished with cotton.

*raising right eyebrow, tapping fingertips together, looking meaningfully at wire and cotton stashes*

Got some ’sploring to do….

This Kumihimo-style ribbon cord is lovely, and I really like the combination with a polymer clay pendant. They contrast so nicely together.

I’m pretty hopped up about fabric charms lately, and I loved these - the subtle colors make them very elegant.

A note about the complexity of the projects in this book - I think it’s perfect. When I shop for a craft book, I’m always a little disappointed when the projects are too easy. The whole reason I’ll buy a book rather than look things up on the internet is to savor projects that will stretch my creative muscles a little. All these projects have exciting twists to them.

Anyway - there are lots more pretty things in here that I didn’t show you. Give it a flip-through next time you’re at the bookstore.

. . . Just to prove that I DO still make things once in a while, go check out my tutorial for making these flower greeting cards over at CraftStylish!

I did some deep-cleaning over the weekend and ran across this little beaded vase. BOY, does this bring back memories! There was a time when these were all I made.

I had newly returned to Portland after the end of - ahem! - a very bad chapter in my life. It was October 2001, and jobs weren’t easy to come by, so I had a lot of time on my hands. Much of it was spent with a beading needle in my hand, dishes of seed beads spread out around me, and NPR on the radio.

There’s something about a rhythmic craft like beadweaving that really lets your mind go to work. Bead by bead, I processed a whole lot of angry, sad emotions. And I churned out a whole lot of vases. If you knew me between October 2001 and May 2002, you probably own one.

And then, oddly, when I was done, I was done. I haven’t touched a peyote stitch in years. But I have a fondness for this funny little vase - a portrait of an unsettled time that worked itself out.

What crafts do you do during unsettled times?

Hi, everyone - let’s get back into the swing with a little Resource Roundup:

Image courtesy of Better Homes & Gardens

Better Homes and Gardens has just launched its 100 Days of Holidays program, which looks like great fun. There’s a subscriber email newsletter, plus over 400 slide shows, 50 tutorial videos, online courses, and interactive tools.

. . . Like this Pumpkin Stencil Maker! You can drag and drop various eyes, noses, and mouths onto your pumpkin, change their sizes, arrange them just so, and then print out a copy to transfer to a real, live pumpkin. Awesome!

Image courtesy of Ecologue

Next up, there’s Ecologue, a new website devoted to living green. It’s a collection of how-to articles and videos, and they have a whole category for Crafty Recycling.

Image courtesy of Michelle Kaufman, via Ecologue

The collection of projects is pretty interesting. I love this bowl made from the wire spirals from old spiral notebooks, by Michelle Kaufman

What’s really innovative about this site is that it includes a map to green resources near you. Check it out!

Image courtesy of Artella

And then there’s Artella. Most papercrafters seem to know about this site, but it’s a fun resource for creative people of all stripes. Take a little time and explore - there are all kinds of articles, images, and inspiration.

——————————————————

Before I sign off, I want to thank you all so much for your loving support during last week’s kitty crisis. Your comments and emails warmed my heart and eased the pain greatly. I was surprised to hear from quite a few people who’ve had a similar experience while adopting a shelter animal. How utterly sad - I wish there were a better way.

I love this community. I love all of you. Thank you so much.

The last 48 hours haven’t been happy. We took Louie in to the vet, and were advised to return him to the Humane Society. Apparently all our ongoing struggles to get him to eat had some cause: Louie’s not well.

I don’t even have words to express how heartbroken K. and I both are at this turn of events. We’ve fallen in love with this little guy. I wish we had the means to offer him the kind of ongoing medical care he needs, but we just don’t. So we brought him back this morning. Hardest thing ever.

I feel it’s important to say that I don’t fault the Oregon Humane Society at all. It’s unfortunate that we couldn’t have had a clearer picture of Louie’s health before we adopted him, but the OHS tries to serve so many kitties with stretched resources. These things happen.

Anyway, I’m going to take a few days off from internet things, finish out my emotional reactions, and rest. I’ll see you all later.

And, I can’t thank you enough for all the kind Tweets and Facebook notes. They’ve really helped.

Welcome to the CraftyPod, a craft podcast all about making stuff.

Click the “Play” button at the bottom of this post to listen!

In this show:

- Interviews with Christina Loff, a publicist at Chronicle Books, and Kate McKean, a literary agent.

- Find out what really goes into writing and publishing a craft book.

- Discussion of agents: do you need one?

- And how has the blogosphere affected craft book publishing?

Bookish Links:

- Visit Chronicle Books online.

- Christina Loff has a blog and an Etsy shop.

- Kate McKean can be found online at the Howard Morhaim Literary Agency website.

- Kate mentioned Publishers Marketplace as great resource for keeping track of craft book deals.

- Christina mentioned Publisher’s Weekly.

- Here’s a good outline of what goes into a book proposal.

- Here’s a very thorough article on proposal writing.

- Definitely read this post on book proposals from an editor’s view, at the Chronice Books Blog.

- And read this post on knitgrrl - even more perspectives from an author of many craft books.

 

 CraftyPod #77: Publish a Craft Book, with Christina Loff and Kate McKean: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download