MARIMELLO

Links a la Mode: 2.22.10

2010-02-22T10:16:00.000-08:00

Just a few notable notes today...

This article on TSA, the uh "danger" of knitting needles and NCIS cracked me up.
Miss Malaprop's got a great guest post from Glitter and Glue on how to set up and maintain your Facebook Fan Page for your craft business.
Applications are up for BUST's Spring Fling Craftacular. Click here for the details.
Faythe Levie's started up a new project...a movie about sign painters. She's started to blog about it here. If Handmade Nation is any indication, this is gonna be great.
Clubs have started up at ReFrom school. Check them out and rsvp here.
I may have linked this before, but it's worth repeating. The VA has some ah-mazing 1940s knitting patterns up. Check out these fishnets!

Links a la Mode: 1.26.10

2010-01-26T11:23:00.000-08:00

Handmade for Haiti updates abound over at West Coast Crafty.
You can now participate in Jennifer Marsh's Dream Rocket Project for a mere $25. Similar to the Gas Station Wrap project in which Marsh covered an old gas station, this project seeks to cover a Saturn V missile. I have seen the missile in person people and it is friggin' HUGE. (via International Fiber Collective)
We already knew it...Handmade is the New Black. (via USA Today)
Valentine's Day can strike dread in the heart of the hardiest New Yorker: If you're coupled, there's the delicate dance of aligning your own celebratory expectations with those of your beloved; if you're unhappily single, all the emphasis on romance can be special kind of torture. In response to this, Brooklyn Indie Market and the {NewNew} are joining forces to present "A Valentine Fling: A day of fun, flirting, and handmade shopping on Smith Street," Saturday February 13 from 11-6 at Starting Artists, 211 Smith Street. Take the F/G to the Carroll Street Station. Admission FREE.
Speaking of NYC happenings, there's a new handmade shop opening in Bushwick. Writes Karin, "So many creative people live here in Bushwick, but we have to travel to other neighborhoods for some good fashion. I want to showcase the handmade work of some local designers, teach workshops, and hold other events, to bring the community a little closer together and hopefully get people to visit Our neighborhood." Better Than Jam opens on the 1st, but there's a party on the 5th that shouldn't be missed. (via Karin)
Over at Toronto Craft Alert they're looking for writers. "We’ve been working with our fantastic editorial intern Stevie to generate more content and new ideas for columns and editorial features, and we would like to bring on a bunch of new voices to share ideas, entertain, and inspire TCA readers. We will even compensate you for your contribution!" Compensation! Yay! (via TCA)
For those of us in Lala land, the Urban Craft Center is having their mid-winter yarn sale.
Chronicle is having a sale, too. Now through Valentine's day enter code "bemine" at checkout for a 25% discount.
Ever wonder what happened to Craft Con? We'll you're about to find out. Head on over and sign up for the mailing list. We've got big plans for 2010.

Links a la mode: 1.21.10

2010-01-21T10:18:00.000-08:00

The weather here in LA has been so bad over the last week. It's perfect for staying home with a warm laptop and my dear friend the internet. Check out this week's neat links:

Hell YES I want to make my own cheese! As soon as this rain subsides, I'm heading over to HomeEc!
I really enjoyed this review of Yarn: Remembering a Way Home over on ModCloth's blog.
How do you feel about craft magazines covering blogs? Personally, I love love LOVE them. However Jenny makes a point over at Craft Test Dummies. Is a magazine about craft bloggers redundant?
Make sure you're sitting down for this one LA peeps...Plush You is coming to town! The show isn't until August, but if you want in, you need to get your application in by the 22nd of February.
The call for makers at Maker Faire in San Mateo is o-p-e-n open! If you haven't already heard, they announced the dates for Maker Faire Detroit and New York too. Check it out on the site here.
Don't you sometimes wish you were back in school...elementary school? Here's a new reason the kids have it better these days: Craft Club! Craft club "is a new campaign that pioneers craft in schools in the UK. Lucky ducks! (via Craftivism)

Links a la mode: Handmade for Haiti

2010-01-13T10:54:00.000-08:00

We crafters have a long history of banding together in times of disaster. Recent news from Haiti is grim to say the least, but crafty help is on the way. Check out these links to see how you can help:

Our friend Jen over at Indie Fixx is doing a silent auction here.
Etsy posted a list of shops that are pledging items to Indie Fixx's auction over on the Storque.
Vickie Howell is donating all proceeds from pattern sales to the Red Cross. Hurry though, this benefit is ending soon.
Susan Beal at West Coast Crafty has a GREAT roundup of fundraisers here. She's updating the list too, so keep checking back.
You might remember Mama-to-mama's craftivism in Haiti last year with the baby caps and blankets project. I'm going to keep checking for developments...you might too.
Yarn Harlot threw up the Knit Signal. For more info on Knitters Without Borders go here.
If you have links to add, please feel free to list them in the comments and I'll post an update shortly.

Update:

The Craft Hope for Haiti shop opened today to benefit Doctors Without Borders.
SFgirlbybay has another great roundup of fundraisers. Check out the comments for even more.
Vickie Howell tweets, "100% of profits from my shop and any other Open Sky shop through Sunday, go to Haiti!" Check it out here.
Ravelry has posted a list of designers who have pledged a portion of the proceeds from their pattern sales to Haiti Relief Efforts. (you need a login for this one)
Betsy posted a beautiful and realistic piece over on Craftivism.

Craft Links a la Mode: 1.6.2010

2010-01-06T14:36:00.000-08:00

It's the first Links a la Mode of the year and yet most of this stuff is from last month. Oh well. I've been busy with the holidays, catching up with work and crafting.

Debbie Stoller's new yarn reviewed here. There's a sale on the yarns here if you're interested in trying them out for yourself.
It's not news that ex-CEO Rob Kalin is returning to his CEO position over at Etsy, but the discussions amongst Etsians are ongoing. Have you chimed in yet?
Not sure how I found this link but I love the color-your-own Dress idea. I'm not much of a sewer, but when it comes to coloring, well...that's right up my alley. Check out more of the designer's work here.
Yokoo was in the NYT a while back. Did you see it? Now that's some great press for makers and crafters everywhere.
Where will Craftivism as performance art take contemporary art? The Journal of Modern Craft posted an interesting article on Craftivism and Yarn Bombing in Tazmania last month.

Craft Links a la Mode: 12.10.09

2009-12-10T14:32:00.000-08:00

Sooo much of the focus in craft this time of year is on the shows and shopping. It's really hard to avoid if you're as broke as I am. But does it depress me? Hell no! Just because I can't buy anything, doesn't mean I can't enjoy the amazing parade of inspiration that is seasonal crafts! What do you think? I've tried to gather a few links of the non-shopping variety, but the shows are unavoidable people. Unavoidable. Go forth and at least window-shop all the great inspiration out there. Maybe it will help you make a list of new things to do/attempt in 2010.

Over at Craftivism, Betsy announced the launch of Make and Meaning. I think this is going to be a really outstanding project: "We believe in making, and we love the fact that the internet allows makers to meet and geek out together, regardless of geography. There are many, many websites that celebrate making in all its forms. We created Make & Meaning to celebrate all the ways making enhances our lives, and all the things it causes us think about."
American Craft Magazine posted an online exclusive "Crafty Living Online." You can read it here. I was sort of blown away by the comments just now and I'd be interested in hearing what you all think. Is there a place in American Craft for Etsy and Craftster?
Another new project out there on the internets is The Hand Embroidery Network. "The Hand Embroidery Network (HEN) is a new exciting community for hand embroiderers across the globe. The website's aim is to encourage and promote the practice and knowledge of the art of embroidery in all its forms and to bring together like minded people who enjoy needlework and wish to learn and share their knowledge."
Speaking of embroidery, Jenny Hart is in Los Angeles next week at Home Ec! The class is closed now, but you can still come to the book signing on December 16from 7 to 9. Stop by Home Ec's calendar for the details. And if you did get into the class, let me know...I'll be there too!
Speaking of classes, the Urban Craft Center has their January Calendar up here. Yudu screen printing looks interesting and not out of range price-wise.
Maker Faire is headed to the Motor City That's big news for our friends over at Handmade Detriot, and maybe Craft Con too. More as that develops.
ArtFire has announced a huge change in the way crafters may list items in their shop: "As of today, there is no longer a limit on the number of items sellers (Basic or Verified/Pro) can list on ArtFire! There are no limits: no insertion fees, final valuation fees, commissions or hidden fees. Unlimited listing and selling is completely free for all members of ArtFire. "For some time, the ArtFire team has discussed how the cost of hosting a product listing today is dramatically lower than it was just 4-5 years ago. The old-fashioned model, which charges fees and commissions at every step, has been copied by almost every venue since eBay. This model was based on the very real costs of a listing in the late 1990's, however, the model has not kept up with advances in technology and costs of service, and it's time for a change."
The Marimello Craft Calendar is hard work peoples...especially this time of year. Craft's blog seems to be doing a pretty good job though. I wonder if they have elves or something. Check out this week's list here.
And finally, speaking of events, if you're not doing anything this weekend, why not volunteer at City of Craft? I got the message via facebook, but it's posted over on the Toronto Craft Alert here.

Craft Links a la Mode: 11.21.09

2009-11-21T10:00:00.000-08:00

Over at Craftivism, Betsey brings us a really interesting story about a WWII prisoner of war who knit a giant rug while imprisoned in Germany. See it here.
Are you using Twitter lists? I am. And I can tell you while there are a lot of good uses for lists, the devil in me wants to make a list called, "hey I'm ignoring y'all." Anyway, Listorious has a good "Handmade Nation" list you might want to check out. Lot of my favorite people are on there.
Speaking of Handmade Nation, Faythe tells us via the Handmade Nation blog that her presentation to the American Craft Council last month is live on the ACC site. You can download most of the presentations here in case you weren't able to be in Minneapolis in person. Neat!
Etsy changed the rules. What's new you say? Plenty as usual.
Speaking of Etsy, Rob Kalin gave an interview to Reader's Digest here. It's always interesting to me to read about something familiar in an article geared toward people to whom it is not familiar at all.
Last week I asked about Regretsy. Well now Regretsy got a book deal. You can read about it, oh, pretty much everywhere, or you can read what April Winchell has to say about it on Regretsy here.
I also talked about The American Craft Council's big move to Minneapolis next summer. Chair Leilani Duke talks a bit more about why they're moving on the MinnPost here. I know I was curious.
And finally in internal Marimello news, the Craft Calendar is up and running again. I had been taking some time off of maintaining that, but I shall slack no more. If you have any events you'd like to submit, leave a comment and I'll get right on it.

Craft links a la mode: 11.14.09

2009-11-14T10:09:00.000-08:00

Marimello isn't quite dead, but it sure needs a major overhaul. So while I'm busy thinking about what I want to do with this space, here's some pretties for you to peruse.

Paper Fashion accessories (ahem, SHOES) from LeCreativeSweatshop. Art? Craft? Design? Whatever. It's certainly inspiration for the paper crafter. (via GreenMuze)
This cute unicorn is on my list of to do. It reminds me of my mother's knitted creche animals.
These are also AHHHMAZING.
Wool and the Gang (kind of like knitting for hipsters, but cool) opened up a shop in SoHo. I'll be in New York next week and I'm definitely going to check this out. I'll post more about it after I visit, but I'm really looking forward to checking out this new twist (yuk yuk) on the traditional LYS. (via coolhunting)
I've been recycling a lot of chains to make necklaces lately (see above) and apparently I'm not the only one. Check out this convertable chain project posted on M.I.S.S. this week. (via IFB)
In case you've been living under a rock, the Handmade Nation DVD is finally shipping from Buy Olympia. I pre-ordered it and when I got it a couple weeks ago, I watched it twice in one night.
Speaking of just out, Powell's tells me that Jane Austen's Sewing Box is out. I don't have a copy for review yet, and I'm not much use when it comes to sewing, but no doubt some bloggers out there will preview some of the projects for you. Ms. Austen seems to be having quite the fall if you ask me. The New York Times tells me that there's a good Jane Austen exhibit at the Morgan Library. Maybe I'll check that out next week too. (via Craft)
In the Important Craft News category, the American Craft Council has announced that it is moving headquarters from NYC to Minneapolis. This is really interesting and seems to be a move inspired by the high cost of doing business in the city. I wonder if this is part of a larger shift in the focus of the future of the craft movement. What do you think?
I'm also interested to know what you all think about Regretsy and Badder Homes and Gardens. Both are getting a lot of press. Both are hilarious. Is everyone in on the joke though?
And if you've been missing Marimello, well I'm sorry. I've been posting more inspiration, some of it crafty, over on my tumblr here.

Marimello Takes on the Naughty Secretary

2008-08-12T17:00:00.000-07:00

Marimello has been taking a bit of a summer vacay here, but not on IndieFixx, where today you can read my review of Jennifer Perkin's Naughty Secretary Club book, The Working Girl's Guide to Handmade Jewelry. Check out the review here.

Craft Business Links: Tres Useful!

2008-06-09T10:20:00.001-07:00

Average Jane Crafter posted this ah-mazing list of crafty business links. From general info to blogging and pitching your book ideas, Rachel has gathered the best links and created what will no doubt be one of the most useful and in depth resources for the business-minded craft.

Craft Job Post: Bazaar Bizarre Web Help

2008-06-06T11:27:00.000-07:00

Marimello is sick as a sick dog, friends so please excuse the sparse/lazy style postings...we have however been adding to the calendar so check out all the new events.

Here's the post from Bazaar Bizarre:

We hope your summer has started off crafty and cool! The folks here at Bazaar Bizarre San Francisco are looking for a special person to take on some web maintenance for our part of the Bazaar Bizarre Web Site.

What we're looking for:

* A fellow crafter with expertise in HTML and FTPing files. Some graphic design experience is a plus!

* Ability to make minor changes as needed to the site from home. We have an expected rate of 2-3 days turn around. Peak work times are 2 months before a show. SF currently produces 2-3 shows a year.

* Commitment of one year to volunteer your services to us. We really don't anticipate this task taking up a lot of your time, but you have to be responsive and available by e-mail most of the year.

If you're interested in applying please send a message to:

E-mail Address: sf_info [at] bazaarbizarre [dot] org
Subject Heading: BBSF Web Maintenance Application

Include in your E-mail:

Name
Contact information
Vendor Name + Url
List previous shows you have vended with us
A link to a resume or portfolio of your work
What your work schedule is like for the next year
Why you would be interested in becoming a permanent member of the Bazaar Bizarre Volunteer Team

Applications will be reviewed by several city organizers from Baz Biz. Thanks in advance to any interested parties! We really appreciate all the great support and feedback you have given us over the last year!

Are you looking for some one to help out with your crafty business, or is your company looking for some one interested, talented and experienced in crafting? Posting your job description on Marimello.com entitles you to a Marimello post about your company and the position available. A great investment for just $25. If you are interested in posting your Crafty job, please contact us at marimellodesign at gmail dot com or check out the job board on the right.

Industry Update: Interweave aquires Four New Magazine Titles

2008-06-03T20:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, via Folio, we learned that Nielsen Business Media has sold four of its titles to Interweave, a unit of Aspire Media. As of yesterday, American Artist, Drawing, Watercolor, and Workshop magazines are all Interweave pubs, and while that may not seem like a big deal, it indicates a strength in the economy of crafting and creativity that is not being exhibited elsewhere in the magazine world.

Nielsen (gigantic! world power! Nielsen!) is shedding a few titles to Aspire, who predominantly publishes enthusiast titles. Enthusiast magazines (think, Dog Fancy or Hot Boats--the ads cater to the reader) typically weather economic downturns well, while regular old glossy magazines (think People, Life--the ads are for a more general audience) do not. Since acquiring Interweave in 2005, Aspire has increased the number of Interweave magazine titles from six to 21. Wowza! Aspire is on a mainline to craft city by creating a huge creative title catalog and clearly sees a huge potential for the genre. All of which is good news for crafters. Craft suppliers will continue to advertise. Project makers and pattern designers will continue to publish. And more importantly, Marimello will continue to have something to read on the train.

Craft Job Post: The Hobby Lobby

2008-06-03T16:07:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again and everyone is hustling their kids into summer activities. You know what that means? It means you can pick up some extra cash teaching crafts in your local shop.

Hobby Lobby Stores are currently seeking Independent Class Instructors.

We are currently seeking Independent Class Instructors. Would you like to share your expertise with other enthusiasts? If you answered yes, then this is the position for you!

Our independent instructors take home 100% of their class fees and there is no charge for the use of the classroom. This is an ideal position with flexible hours, and a great work environment!

Responsibilities:

Planning the curriculum for classes
Working with the store to schedule your classes
In store promotion

Requirements:

Experience/ Certification with craft or hobby that is being taught
Works and communicates well with others
Desire to share your talents with others
Be self motivated

If you are interested in this position, please apply online for consideration, or you can apply at rebekah [dot] whittaket [at] hobbylobby [dot] com.

Are you looking for some one to help out with your crafty business, or is your company looking for some one interested, talented and experienced in crafting? Posting your job description on Marimello.com entitles you to a Marimello post about your company and the position available. A great investment for just $25. If you are interested in posting your Crafty job, please contact us at marimellodesign at gmail dot com or check out the job board on the right.

Craft Porn: Handmade Movements takes on and whole new meaning in PlayGirl Magazine

2008-05-22T09:12:00.000-07:00

If you're on Etsy, you're probably familiar with the current buy-in ad campaigns they are running. It caused a kerfluffle of sorts when not every one who bought in was pleased with Etsy's exclusion of instructions for general searches on the site, but hey, you can't please everyone right?

But not all advertising is paid for and sometimes the best press is free press. So Etsy should be seeing some traffic from a different source very soon because Playgirl (that's right, the magazine) just did a little feature on their blog. Playgirl is also running the Etsy items in their print version which should be arriving in mailboxes very soon (er, not that we would know).

And no one should be surprised.

It's not news that craft sometimes takes a turn for the pervy, and even in the mainstream, porn has a DIY streak a mile wide. So, if Playgirl is reaching out to the Bust-subscribing, Jezebel-reading demographic, this is probably a wise move. This might turn out to be one of those moments when the handmade movement takes a little dip in the legitimizing waters of the mainstream. If G-rated crafters are a little peeved about the association with Playgirl, just think what porn did for VHS.

via the sweetie pie press, and Faythe on Glimmer.

[Image: Shannon Gerard, you can pick up these pins in the Witchfire shop on Etsy, or you can peruse lots more in Shannon's Etsy shop]

Economy Schmeeee-conomy: Etsy Posts Plus Signs

2008-05-02T17:38:00.000-07:00

Those of you who have only been reading along for the last year, might not have noticed the frothy edges of Marimello's mouth when speaking about buying handmade. Suffice to type that Marimello toots the importance of buying handmade for a number of reasons, yet begrudges the need to consume and buy anything in almost the same breath.

Let's not get into the complete description here.

We gotta keep it short, because it's time to hit the road for Maker Faire, but we don't want to rub it in that we are going to the most fantastical geek fest, so here's some good news to leave you with:
Not making it to Maker Faire is nothing to be sorry about because there is SO MUCH going on this weekend. Check out the calendar for other options.
OK so what's the good economy news? While news about recession/slow economy growth keeps pouring in, Etsy news looks bright.
One one level, for sellers, maybe Etsy is sending out the "nothing to see here" message of calm. The last month has seen growth, but maybe not as much as projected.
Sales are out of this world though, so on another level it would seem that Etsy is succumbing to the same old slow down that most retailers are experiencing. Which is not as sad as it sounds! This might be the sign that Etsy really is legitimizing the handmade movement as a force to be reckoned with. Sure, Etsy has been making big waves in the smaller realm of the handmade community, but now it looks like some of those waves might be big enough to appear on the larger online consumer economy. Etsy certainly has the mainstream press to prove its influence on a larger social scale and reporting these kinds of numbers might fall on more mathematical ears as a sign of a new type of consumerism.

Your thoughts are welcomed...is Etsy's glass half full? What on earth does that mean? Should the handmade movement necessarily move forward in the mainstream?

Marimello Meetup at Maker Faire

2008-05-01T10:34:00.000-07:00

Marie is going to be up at Maker Faire this weekend and would love to see some of your shining faces--like, in person. Drop a note to marimellodesign [at] gmail [dot] com, if you'd like to chat over some suds.

Craft Internship: Plush You/Schmancy

2008-04-21T12:04:00.000-07:00

Wow, the jobs just keep rolling in! Marimello promises a serious post soon...in the meantime, if you are looking for experience in an indie shop, here's a good crafty internship. Let us know if you get it. We'll be jealous.

In case you aren't familiar, Plush You is an annual plush show that recently opened up a great brick and mortar up in Seattle called Schmancy. Here's the plea:

Folks, I just can't do it anymore all on my own. Elena is awesome and I wish I could clone her so I would have more of her but I can't. I am looking for an intern here at Schmancy to help with the gallery portion of my job. All the aspects of my job are like one full time job after another. BUT the internship is a part time gig that would help you learn the ins and outs of running a gallery.

Here are more details:

We are looking for an intern to help us manage the gallery side of Schmancy. This would be a part time position with us that can be done mostly from your home.

Description of job duties:
*update blog for gallery
*communicate with artists on a regular basis
*manage preview list
*promote the shows
*contact media about upcoming shows
*hang art with artist on day of openings (second friday of the month)

We are looking for someone right away. Resumes are due by April 25th. Please email me or drop them off directly at Schmancy 1932 2nd ave

Craft Job: Wm. Wright Co.

2008-04-18T08:12:00.000-07:00

Wm. Wright Co. is a leading manufacturer of sewing and craft products such as Boye knitting & crochet implements, EZ Quilting tools, as well as trimmings, ribbons, home decorator trimmings and more!
This position is geared for a third or fourth year college student enrolled in a marketing or fashion merchandising program. You will be responsible for assisting the marketing team with preparation of new product presentation materials for the sales team, trade show materials, and assisting the marketing team in the day-to-day activities of the department.

This position will work with the Advertising and PR Manager for approximately 6 weeks and work with the Product Development team for 6 weeks.
Job Requirements:

Should have working knowledge of Microsoft Office; knowledge of MS Project a plus.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to organize and prioritize work, juggle several projects at once.
20 hours per week minimum (2-3 days/week) for a twelve week period. Must have own transportation.

This is a paid position. College credit may be available depending on the requirements of your college or university.

Location: Antioch, TN
Compensation: $10 / hour
This is a part-time job.
This is an internship job
Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
Please, no phone calls about this job!
Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.

See the original post over here.

Craft Internship: Toronto Craft Alert

2008-04-17T13:11:00.000-07:00

Read the original post here.

TCA is seeking interns to contribute the development of the project to be a greater resource to readers, and to reach people outside of our current community.

Depending on your area of interest, intern responsibilities may include:

Research for an exciting new craft resource directory
Coverage of local craft events
Identifying creative venues and new ways to spread the word about the TCA
Researching and posting blog & mailing list content

Perks may include tickets to craft related events, volunteer/internship hours for school programs, credited experience for your CV, and the opportunity to support and become more engaged in your local craft community.

Interested?
Respond to the following questions & attach your resume in an email to torontocraftalert@gmail.com.

1. What is your interest or how are you engaged in craft?
2. What type of work are you interested in doing for the TCA?
3. What skills and experience can you bring to this work?
4. How do you think this internship will serve your needs and interests?

Please reply to this posting by April 25, 2008.

Craft Job Post: The Knitter's Studio

2008-04-14T16:04:00.000-07:00

If you love knitting and crocheting and are looking for a job in the fiber arts industry, The Knitter's Studio may be the place for you.

We're looking for an enthusiastic knitter to work full or part time with technical experience who can fix mistakes and help customers with good customer service skills. You must have a flexible schedule and be willing and able to work on weekends and/or weekdays. We are going on line as a retail shopping site very soon and computer literacy is required. Familiarity with Adobe Photoshop would be a plus. Punctuality and being responsible is a must. We need a minimum of a year commitment.

This is a great opportunity to gain experience in knitting, retail, and ecommerce. Please email or fax us your resume if you think you would be a good match.

Phone: 323 655-6487
Fax: 323 655-6480

Craft Internship: Martha Stewart Living Magazine

2008-04-11T11:56:00.000-07:00

Oh if only Marimello were younger and richer...

Martha Stewart Living magazine is looking for 2 summer editorial interns, one would receive monetary compensation, the other must be eligible for college credit. Candidates should have an interest in magazine publishing and a background in English, journalism or communications; a passion for home, crafts, food, decor, or gardening is a plus. Please email resume and cover letter to mbuffardi [ at] marthastewart [ dot] com.

MagKnits Update

2008-04-10T11:16:00.000-07:00

Crafters are such nice people.
With the closure of MagKnits, there are patterns floating out there with out homes. Moonlight Stitches has offered up space on her blog for those patterns here. If you know of any one who published their patterns and is looking for a new space to host them, send them Moonlight's way.
What a nice warm fuzzy to tack on an otherwise sad story.

Crafty Bummer: MagKnits closes up shop

2008-04-09T10:38:00.000-07:00

Marimello strives to be a resource and to provide you dear readers with calendar and job info. It's tough stuff, but not as tough as some of the other crafty services being provided out there in the internet. So tough in fact, that it can be overwhelming and it is with sadness that we read about MagKnits closing up shop after a four year run. It is with even greater sadness that the reason stems from a surge of negative feedback about the site:

"Lou and I have thought long and hard about what kind of action to take, and as hard as it is for me to give up MagKnits I know that it is the right thing for us to do. The amount of negative feedback we have been receiving has hugely increased this year and to be perfectly honest there is only so much of ourselves that we can give to the site. Someone made a comment about us earlier in the week that we would be stupid to run a business that didn't pay us a salary, this made us sit back and think 'Yes, you're right. We would be stupid to carry on giving so much and getting little in return.'"

Bummer. The silver lining is of course that the designers whose patterns were published on MagKnits own their designs and we expect to see a bunch of them posted on blogs. And also we're glad to hear of Kerrie's continued efforts on the big old supply site, Yarn Forward.

If you are really too bummed, go brighten your day with the neatoness in Amanda Sainsbury's shop.

Craft in the News

2008-04-09T08:48:00.000-07:00

So many new friends from Craft Con this last weekend! It's nice to see their shining faces popping up in the news. Yesterday, Sacramento Craft Mafia was the Lifestyle/Scene feature in an article titled Handmade With Attitude. The article points out something Marimello is particularly fascinated with--that this group, like so many other crafty groups, germinates online before moving out into the three dimensional world. The article also touches on a major talking point of Craft Con--that be they local, like a craft mafia or global, like Etsy, having our networks online enables us to participate in the creation of a new "think global, act local" movement.

"Such global dreams are part of the crafting phenomenon's social-movement dimension, complete with a countercultural, political tone that appeals to those interested in living more simply and greenly (many popular crafts use recycled material). Its earnestness shows up in terms like "craftivism" and the online circulation of 'buy handmade' pledges."

Check out the rest of the article here, and congrats on the press Peptogirl!

Craft Con Round Up...Tomorrow

2008-04-07T15:52:00.001-07:00

Marimello's taking the day off before giving you the lowdown on Craft Con. Suffice to say it was a blast!

Marimello is hittin' the road: Craft Con 2008

2008-04-03T11:50:00.000-07:00

Big doing have been afoot all week at Marimello HQ. We've all been running around like chickens with our heads cut of in preparation for Craft Con 2008.

In case you're in the Bay area this weekend, come stop by and say hello!

Tomorrow, Friday April 4:
Things will be kicking off about 2:30 at La Boulange where we'll all meet up and head out for a tour of the city. We'll be checking out the Rag Co-Op, Rose and Raddish, Dark Coast Garden Corsets, Stitch Lounge, Rare Device, Pandora's Trunk, and Doe before we rest our tootsies with ReadyMade Magazine at Danny Coyle's.
Dinner at Cafe International is going to look reeeaaally good after that hike.

Saturday, April 5:
If we survive the tour, we're kicking crafty things off on Saturday at the Brava Theater. We've planned a whole load of sessions on Social Networking, Brick and Mortar shopkeeping, Crafting Green, Getting Published, Extreme Craft, Product Development, Altruism and Project Management. In addition, we all get to peep the new Handmade Nation trailer and have a little Q&A time with Faythe. We're really looking forward to the evening discussion on High vs. Low Crafting. Marimello got a sneak preview of the discussion from Garth Johnson of Extreme Craft and you can bet it's gonna be good. (You may remember the recent stirrings on this topic over here on imogene.org.)

In the evening, we're kicking up our heel at the Crafty Style Gala. Even if you didn't come for the sessions, you can still get into the Gala.

Sunday, April 6:
Marimello will surely be pooped at this point, but you can be sure our dragging feet will be headed back to the Brava for sessions on structuring a Craft Business, finding Sponsorship, getting Healthcare and peeping a case study in Craft Gym.

Stay tuned for more blogging from the actual event!

Craft Con 2008: Last Minute Reprieve

2008-03-28T08:54:00.000-07:00

Well we take it all back. Craft Con 2008 is still accepting applications:

The official application period for attending Craft Con 2008 has closed. But, do not despair! We will continue to accept applicants provisionally until the venue has filled. What does this mean? You may apply on a rolling basis through the week leading up to the conference, BUT we cannot guarantee that you will be included in meals or that you will recieve all conference materials. We will work hard to include everybody in these things because ongoing interest in the event is too powerful to deny!

Apply here.

Craft Con 2008: Last day to apply!

2008-03-26T08:57:00.000-07:00

Today is the last day to apply for Craft Con 2008 so you'd better get moving. Apply here.
"Craft Con is a business development conference for the craft community. People who make things of all types, of all backgrounds, will come together to talk about the business side of crafting, how they market themselves, and the philosophies behind it all. The conference will be held April 4-6 in San Francisco, California."
Special bonus in case the distance is holding you back--if you're in the Los Angeles area and you're looking for a ride to share, contact Marimellodesign at gmail dot com. For all of you who we already know are going, we can't wait to see you!

Upcoming Craft Events: March 21-March 23

2008-03-21T11:46:00.000-07:00

The weekly search for craft events to tell you about has unearthed some great treasures. Here a couple we like:

If you're in Portland, Around the Sun has a great weekly post on cheap or free things to do. Check out the link for this week, here.

Toronto Craft Alert is keeping up on Canadian happenings for you here.

The Marimello calendar is a little sparse on happenings this weekend. With the holiday, we won't be going anywhere that isn't near family, so we're guessing that is pretty much the case for all of you. Check back next week for more.

(image above is from elle's shop on etsy. We heart Elle!)

Do you have an event you would like to promote? Please send Marimello your event details and we'll be sure to post them on the calendar.

Craft Job Post: Assistant Editor for Handmade Nation

2008-03-20T14:39:00.000-07:00

Wanted: Assistant Editor (Milwaukee/Chicago based)

Handmade Nation - a documentary about the indie craft community - is looking for a part time assistant editor (approx 15-20 hours a week) to help in the pre-editing process of raw footage. You will be working under the direction of editor Cris Siqueira. The ideal candidate should have basic knowledge of Final Cut Pro and preferably (but not necessarily) access to a computer with enough memory and space to run the software. This is a good opportunity for editors in training to work in a feature-length project. Please watch our youtube clip before applying to get an essence of the project http://youtube.com/watch?v=zH2HWPfwpOw. Hourly rate $7 per hour to start.

Please email indiecraftdocumentary@gmail.com with "Assistant Editor Application" in the subject line:

contact information (name, phone, email)
a short resume that includes any editing experience
links to any work available to view online

Nerd-Craft Job Post: MAKE Magazine

2008-03-13T16:00:00.000-07:00

Wow. This is an awesome opportunity from a publication we love: MAKE magazine.

Here's the squishy:

Extraordinary Publishing Group Seeks Extraordinary Online Manager
Quick, name an upstart magazine team that's been featured on CBS News, The Colbert Report, Jimmy Kimmel Live, CNN, NBC and PBS. One that's been covered by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Newsweek, Wired and virtually every major daily and online blog in its first 36 months. Whose two DIY magazines won back-to-back awards for the best new magazine launch. Whose websites attract more than 3 million visitors/month and whose Weekend Projects video is one of the top-rated tech podcasts anywhere. Name a magazine team who two years ago introduced what has already become the the largest Do-It-Yourself (DIY) event on the planet. And who last year shipped thousands of DIY kits, tools and books to makers, teachers and students around the world.

If you answered O'Reilly's Maker Media group, you'd be right. In just three years, our small but motivated team has launched Make: magazine, Craft: magazine, makezine.com, craftzine.com, Maker Faire, a line of DIY books, and The Maker Store. But now, we're looking for yet another truly unique individual to join the Maker Media family in the capacity of our new Online Manager.

This is a hands-on position on a hands-on team requiring a combination of management, design, and coding skills. You need to be able to come out of one of our roundtable brainstorms, synthesize new ideas from a mix of editorial, design, brand and marketing stake holders, and then transform your ideas into reality. You will manage projects and day-to-day operations, and implement code and content for the Maker Media sites including Makezine.com, Craftzine.com, MakerFaire.com, Hackszine.com, and a few other cool ideas we're working on.

Must be able to work closely with O'Reilly's IS staff and outside vendors to ensure that features and tools are implemented properly. The online manager needs to be a self-motivated, detail-oriented individual with exceptional project management skills. At the same time, we really don't care a lot about charts and tools you learned in school, but we do want to know that you can define the tasks and organize and manage resources to get it all done.

Upcoming Crafft Events: March 14 to 18

2008-03-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

Hey Winnipeg! How is the DIY Fest going? If you dear readers haven't heard, the Fest is going on through the 18th. This is one of those weeks Marimello kinda wants to escape from and since escaping to Canada is so en vogue, maybe you'll see us sooner than later.

Tonight:
Did you not hear? It is time to move to Canada. For more than one reason. This week's reason is the Winnipeg DIY Fest, but we have to move fast though. It all wraps up on the 16th.

Tomorrow, Friday, March 14:
Craft Panel Discussion with Crafty Chica in Tempe, AZ. Changing Hands Bookstore is hosting the creamies of crafty dreamies; “Crafty Chica” Kathy Cano Murillo, Linda Young from Art Unraveled, Becky Stern of CRAFT magazine, and Cyndi Coon of Laboratory 5.
6:30-8:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 15:
Crafty Mama's Market: Visit "Austin's chic boutique for trendy spenders!" (Marimello loves a good rhyme) 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Big Ass Book of Crafts signing at Skylight Books in Los Feliz, Los Angeles, CA. Marimello will be there. Will you?
In NYC, check out the usual events on both Saturday and Sunday: The Market NYC and Artist and Fleas.

Sunday, March 16:
Demonstration in Balboa Park: The Craft of Woodblock Printing from 1 to 3 p.m. A step-by-step demonstration of the woodblock printing process by Igor Koutsenko, acclaimed San Diego artist.
In L.A. The Southpark Flea Market is back. Marimello's award winner for Best Weatherman Name, Dallas Raines said it might be cold. Marimello says, suck it up. In other places in the world it is still what they call winter.
Speaking of...the NYC events on both Saturday and Sunday, trudge on as scheduled: The Market NYC and Artist and Fleas

Monday, March 17:

Luck schmu-ahhhh whatever. Cross your fingers and go see if Etsy's Alchemy is up again.

Tuesday, March 18:
Los Angeles Craft Mafia is holding its very third meeting at Saints and Sinners in West LA. You'll love it. And if you're lucky, Marimello will actually be there instead of lurking in some dusty Las Vegas hotel room. Either way, you'll get the scoop.

Do you have an event you would like to promote. We simply can't find everything out there and try as we might we miss a few. Please send Marimello your event details and we'll be sure to post them on the calendar.

Dissing Glitter? Marimello Makes War!

2008-03-12T21:34:00.000-07:00

Marimello hasn't made up our minds about Ellen. Though were all about her sitcom and we all had mad mad crushes on her brother Vance back in the early days (the Craig Ferguson days) of the Daily Show, this may make our minds up: Ellen's dissing glitter. That's right GLITTER, one of the five food grou--, er, essentials fingers on the crafting hand of Marimello.

If you too are a little incensed by glitter dissers, and you're in Los Angeles, you may want to check this email from Crafty Chica.

Hola, my crafty sistahfriends!!

I'm writing to you to see if any of your posse would be interested in joining me in standing up in the name of sparkle in front of Ellen DeGeneres' Burbank studio this Thursday, March 13th.

I LOVE Ellen and was heartbroken when she started dissing glitter on her show because it is messy and gets everywhere. She even went on a jumbotron on Hillary Clinton's press rally and asked if she would ban glitter if Hills became our next Prez.

I want us crafters to educate Ellen and let her know about the many "safe sparkle" alternatives out there. We could help her choose the right glitter for her, so she will stop judging all glitter the same. It is LOOSE glitter she hates, so her fans need to know to send her other kinds of sparkle. Ellen is a sparkling chica, she deserves glitter that suits her!

I know glitter won't be banned, but I thought it would be fun if all of us crafters stepped up with "safe sparkle" alternatives.

I have the power of Duncan Enterprises behind me, we are all driving down there with signs and samples of non-messy glitter. The PR lady is sending out a press release to all the major news outlets.

I think Ellen would get a kick out of it and maybe even come outside to meet us.

So, basically, I'm in need of more bodies to join me! Interested??

Mucha gracias (holds scissors over heart in respect)

Kathy :-)

p.S. Please email me at kathy(at)craftychica.com

Upcoming Craft Events: March 6 to 10

2008-03-05T19:41:00.000-08:00

Marimello heart heart hearts the craft events. This weekend is gonna be a doozy!

Tonight:
Come make Fly in the Wind Bird Fans from 9pm til' midnight at Akbar. There's a $2 processing fee, for all the fun feathers and googly-eyes, but bring some more cash for the yummy cocktails! Go check out the CRAFTNIGHT schedule here.

Tomorrow, March 6:
Out at the Pomona Fairgrounds, check out the Pomona Craft and Sewing Show happening Thursday through Sunday.
In Seattle, Etsy Rain is having their first SHOP Stir
In Portland, Moshi Moshi is having a show featuring artists include Bwana Spoons, Ryan Berkeley, and Chelsea Fletcher. 6 -9 p.m.
In NYC, DIY Salon with Church of Craft are having a fantabulous extravaganza at the Museum of Art and Design. Local do-it-yourself artists will demonstrate their personal skills and help guide you in creating your own projects. Techniques will range from unconventional embroidery to button-making to fiber text and many other contemporary twists on classic crafts. 7-10 p.m.
OK so here's our pick: Compai Design Studios Book Release Party. You gotta check the site to see why we love Compai so much.

Friday March 7:
Head back out to Pomona or recover. Apparently Thursday is the new Friday.

Saturday, March 8:
Check out some more NY indie designers at the Brooklyn Homeshow.
Contemporary Crafts Market in San Francisco is happening Saturday and Sunday
Fibertastic in Sacramento with both a drop spindle and a spinning wheel demonstration, and of course, many vendors selling fiber-related wares.
Not sure about this one, but...Also in Sacramento Sellout Buyout should be having their quarterly show at Fools Foundation.
Crescent City Craft Market in NOLA with the New Orleans Craft Mafia.
Our pick for the day is DEFINITELY the SXSW Interactive Panel on High Tech Craft: Why Sewing and Knitting Still Matter. But, le sigh, we won't be there so we want anyone who does go to tell us allllllll about it.

Sunday March 9:
The Rose Bowl Flea Market in Pasadena is back to taunt you wallet.
And if that's not enough flea market for you LA kids, this week The Southpark Flea Market is back in Los Angeles.
Craft zine is throwing launch parties all over the place, but here in LA you can trek out to the Valley and hang with Marimello at Handmade Galleries.
And as usual, you have the NYC events on both Saturday and Sunday: The Market NYC and Artist and Fleas

Monday, March 10:
It is time to move to Canada. For more than one reason. This week's reason is the Winnipeg DIY Fest, though. It's happening all week so if like Marimello and you live vicariously through blogs, be sure to check out all the cool goings on, because you know some crafty nerd will be telling us all about it.

Do you have an event you would like to promote. We simply can't find everything out there and try as we might we miss a few. Please send Marimello your event details and we'll be sure to post them on the calendar.

Look what Marimello got!

2008-03-05T19:38:00.001-08:00

Stickers! Thanks Garth! We here at Marimello can, will and will always CRAFT HARD!

Upcoming Craft Events: February 28 to March 2

2008-02-28T18:59:00.000-08:00

Marimello loves them craft events. Send us yours so we don't start reporting all the Demolition Derbies we could be posting here.

Today:
Fresh Impressions: Letterpress in Contemporary Art opening at the Oregon College of Art and Craft (runs through March 20)--the exhibition explores the relevance of letterpress printing in contemporary art, while seeking to define its significance to current art making practices. The participating artists include Abra Ancliffe, Jan Baker, Amy Borezo, Sarah Bryant, Macy Chadwick, Julie Chen, Wendy Fernstrum, Heather Green, Carl Haase, Diane Jacobs, Alicia McKim, Heidi Neilson, Erin Newell, Amy Pirkle, Robin Price, Harry Reese, John Riesseeuw, Regula Russelle, Wilbur Schilling, CB Sherlock, Amy Sterly, and Rachel Wiecking.

Saturday, March (no, seriously it's MARCH already?) 1:
Tinlark Gallery opening for The Garden That You Planted, featuring new paintings by Katherine Chiu and Ramis Kim at 5pm. But double super bonus! Also opening 3/1 is Mother's School, a solo show of drawings and mixed media creations by Alyson Fox. Marimello has a major crush on Alyson Fox, who you maybe have recently met on Design for Mankind's recent post.

And as usual, you have the NYC events: The Market NYC and Artist and Fleas

Sunday, March 2:
This week The Southpark Flea Market is back in Los Angeles. For reals. We swear. If it rains, Marimello will eat a knitting needle.
And don't forget to check out I Heart Rummage in its new digs at Chop Suey in Seattle.

Do you have an event you would like to promote. We simply can't find everything out there and try as we might we miss a few. Please send Marimello your event details and we'll be sure to post them on the calendar.

I Heart Rummage's Triumphant Return

2008-02-28T09:06:00.000-08:00

Get your wallets ready because I Heart Rummage is BACK! Since the sad closure of Seattle's famed Crocodile Cafe (who really needs to take their site down, ahem), I Heat Rummage has been homeless. So big thanks to Pete for offering up Chop Suey in Capitol Hill.
Here's the details from Marimello's bestest Seattle crafty pal, Cassandra:

Chop Suey
325 E. Madison

Seattle, WA

Capitol Hill

12 NOON-4:00PM

All of us are looking forward to the new location, new layout, and new bar and food to try!!!

We need to let all our customers know that IHR is still an all ages event, however Chop Suey requires that ONLY 21+ enter the bar area, which is also where food is ordered. There is a 21+ lounge area where food can be enjoyed at a table, however children are not allowed in this area. There will also be 3 IHR vendors located in the bar area, in some cases, these spots may be had by our more racy vendors. Just lettin' ya know!

Also, as many of you may know, a local artist's husband, Nicholas Francisco has gone missing. Please watch the video here. We all hope for his safe return, but until that time, we would like to help out the family. IHR will have a donation box available for donations to the family. On Monday, the donations will be taken to the family's bank account. Please help this young family in this time of need.

Sooooo..... we'll see you all on Sunday! Expect many of your old faves as well as a whole bunch of new goodies that you're going to LOVE!!!!

A Handmade Face

2008-02-27T19:25:00.000-08:00

What's that? Marimello is a handmade face? Don't tell Mommimello. Or at least give her some genentic props when you do. These cheek bones didn't just come from the store.

If you aren't already a Modish fan, become one instantly. Jena has got a GREAT shop running and a blog that features more than mere Marimellos.

Etsy News: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

2008-02-27T15:39:00.000-08:00

Marimello loves Etsy. Correction, Marimello wastes countless hours trawling Etsy for the new and unusual. Etsy is a great place to hook up with makers and crafters who share a similar goal of making consumerism more interesting to put it simply. If you want to talk about buying Indie and the handmade movement, Etsy is a goldmine.

But we're not trying to make selling there our day job and plenty of people are. One of the more important things Etsy has allowed crafters and maker to do is to participate in the creation of a new business model. (And for that, Marimello tips her NaikFur hat!)

Alas, that's just the big picture. For those of us keeping up with Unofficial Etsy News lately, it's no surprise that there is a bit of distention among the Etsian ranks. The Unofficial Etsy News blog is, of course, unrelated to the actual business of Etsy:

"UEN’s editors are NOT employed by Etsy or affiliated with Etsy; we just care about the community."

And the, um, goal of the site is stated thusly:

"If/when an Etsy-sanctioned news and announcements vehicle becomes available, this site will no longer be needed. At that point, it may continue in a limited capacity, change directions, or be no more! We’ll see, but until then, many thanks for reading."

So it is exactly zero surprise the Etsy, while providing the most crafty-user friendly site out there, leaves users with something to be desired. But it was a bit of a surprise however that this news hit the Consumerist yesterday. You can read the Consumerist's post here to get the gist of the gripe.

It reminds Marimello of a couple of real life jobs though. The head honchos start the wheels of restructuring, but in order to keep the momentum of the business, information about the details of the plan must be handled delicately. It raises the question of how much information about company structuring is too much information to be distributed and, more importantly, in the webby world of Etsy, where do the buyers and sellers factor into the chain of information dissemination?

[Image about is Clare Boothe Luce. And no offense Dorothy Parker, but when won't Clare's quote come in handy?]

BUST's Craftacular Spring Fling: application due date March 30

2008-02-22T10:30:00.000-08:00

Well no sooner do we promise deadline reminders than this little missive from BUST slides into the email box:

BUST Magazine is excited to announce the first ever Spring Fling Craftacular set to take place on Sunday April 27, 2008 at The Warsaw in Brooklyn! After 3 years of enormously successful Holiday Craftaculars, BUST is ready to spring into step with our first ever Springtime craft fair and '90s themed dance! We're bringing the party back to Brooklyn with over 50 vendors, DJs, dancing, and drinks.

We are handpicking the most unique and talented crafters we can find from across the country to sell their wares from 11am until 9pm at the Warsaw in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Not only will we have the best in DIY shopping in town, but our Craftacular DJs will be spinning your favorite jams from the '90s for a Spring Fling dance that is too cool for school!

If you would like to participate as a vendor, applications are now available! There are no exceptions as to who can apply, and we'll consider everything: hip handmades, accessories, housewares, vamped up vintage clothing, knitwear, silk-screened items, cosmetics, paper goods, handbags, cards, and whatever else your crafty canny brings to the table. Here's how to participate:

1. Fill out our online vendor application, which can be found here. Applications will only be accepted online and must be submitted by March 30, 2008.

2. Pay the required non-refundable $10 application and processing fee that is payable at the time you submit your application. Checks and money orders should be made payable to BUST Magazine (78 Fifth Avenue, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10011, Attention: BUST Spring Fling Craftacular 2008) and must be postmarked by March 26, 2008 for your application to be considered. We will notify all applicants of their status on Tuesday April 1, 2008. If you are accepted as a vendor, your deposit will go towards the full booth fee of $225 due by April 11, 2008. All application and processing fees are non-refundable.

For a list of frequently asked questions, go here.
Got questions? E-mail us at craftacular@bust.com.

Upcoming Craft Events: February 22 to 24

2008-02-22T08:16:00.000-08:00

Lots to do in the coming weeks fellow crafties. Marimello is trying to keep tabs on the application due dates for you too, so expect another couple of muy importante lists coming your way. For now, here's your weekend agenda.

Today:
STITCHES West kicks off in Santa Clara. If you haven't been, STITCHES is just about the biggest yarn junkie fest with classes, shows and a marketplace to die for. It runs Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Bring extra empty luggage. You'll need it.
Applications are due for the San Diego North Park Craft Mafia's Spring Line Up happening March 30th at the Silver Gate Masonic Hall

Saturday, February 23:
If you got a seat, don't forget to plop down into it at Machine Project in Echo Park, Los Angeles. This is the last weekend for Sewing 101, and it looks like there's still room for a few more students.
And as usual, you have the usual NYC events: The Market NYC and Artist and Fleas

Sunday, February 24:
[UPDATE: The Southpark Flea Market CANCELED DUE TO RAIN]
Today is your last chance to see Interlaced at the Oregon College of Art and Craft. Interlaced is a showcase of textile processes using alternative media and if you go Marimello would LOVE to hear about it. The exhibit is curated by Jiseon Lee Isbara and Heidi Schwegler and artists showing include Lanny Berger, Jerry Bleem, Elizabeth Brim, Cat Chow, Lyn Christiansen, Arline Fisch, John Garret, Lonna Keller, Lindsay Ketterer Gates, Aaron Kramer, and Tracy Krumm.
In San Francisco, check out the Mission Indie-Mart. Check out the wealth of independent local designers, offering everything from one of a kind fashions and reconstructed vintage to offbeat crafts, handmade jewelry and fun antiques. Enjoy cheap beer, hot plates, local DJs and the cream of the crop of SF’s indie designer scene.

Do you have an event you would like to promote. We simply can't find everything out there and try as we might we miss a few. Please send Marimello your event details and we'll be sure to post them on the calendar.

Crafty Potential for the XBOX

2008-02-19T22:16:00.000-08:00

Marimello needs your help. An Xbox just arrived in the house. We've already tricked out the controllers with stickers, but what next. We're not techy. Help help help! We sense great potential, but we fear red circle of doom. Since infancy, Marimello have NEVER ever ever ever owned a game system.

Expect to find mucho Katamari crafting here in the days to come. If you have some of your own, send it on.

(Image courtesy of cyberhadji. You can find this an other great prints at Fort Awesome Studios)

Post Valentine's Day Lazy Link Haze

2008-02-15T15:35:00.000-08:00

It has been a busy busy week for Marimello. Not very crafty though and certainly not very posty.

Here's just a few of the things the nice internet burped up for us while we were gone:
DIY City Magazine has launched and we're diggin' it.
Twinkle City Knits has a new book, Weekend Knits, which we're hankering for over here. But before we get our copy, we've been pouring over their runway show at Fashion Week here.
A couple of great art and craft collections are posted online now. Crafts Council UK's collection of fascinating objects is here. The Mingei International Museum of folk art and craft is here.
A new documentary from BFG Communications about Renee Garner of Wolfie and the Sneak is on YouTube. Check out some of the other artists they have profiled.
OKOK Gallery is having an amazing exhibit, which led to much googling of the artists' work particularly Diem Chau. Very time consuming and very beautiful.

If you're looking for something to do, check out the calendar up on the right. And never fear. We're just tired. We'll be back next week with more crafting and events.

(Image above: Ryan Jacob Smith New prints just went into his shop and Marimello is particularly fond of this one today.)

Upcoming Craft Events: February 5 to 10

2008-02-06T13:41:00.000-08:00

Hope you had a lovely Mardi Gras all. Welcome to Lent. We're really hoping to didn't give up craft shows for 40 days because there is a LOT to do this weekend.

Tonight:
Craftnight is back! This week's project is Dress-A-Rat and for just $2 you too can sip on cocktails and figure out just what that means.

Friday, February 8th:
Check out the Cabinet of Natural Curiosities opening at Roq la Rue in Seattle, WA.
In Iowa, bring a preemie project and support critically ill infants University of Iowa Hospitals. Special guest Betty Christiansen.

Saturday, February 9th:
The Los Angeles Craft Mafia is holding its very first craft show: the I Made it Market at Billy's Coffee Shop on 5th and Main in downtown, LA.
Pack up your sewing machine and take in a little knowledge at Machine Project in Echo Park, Los Angeles. Sewing 101 is a crash course happening this, next and the following weekends and there's only a few spaces left for new students.
H. Palleiko Designs, Kiki Designs, EM&Co, and Xavier will be featured from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Jewelry Trunk Show (7940 3rd St. near the Grove) in Los Angeles
In Gettysburg, PA, head on out to Emmaus for Forest Party featuring the plush art of Heidi Kenney, Jenny Harada and Spooky Daddy
The Craft and Hobby Association's Winter Convention and Trade Show kicks off in Anaheim, CA (through Wednesday the 13th)
And as usual, you have the usual NYC events: The Market NYC and Artist and Fleas

Sunday, February 10th:
This week The Southpark Flea Market is back in Los Angeles.
LA is freakin' busy this weekend! But there's plenty to do back east...
If you're through checking out The Market and Artists ad Fleas in NYC, head out to the Brooklyn Indie Market: Be Your Own Valentine
Saunter down to the Fourth Annual Pittsburgh Knit & Crochet Festival at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Pittsburgh South.
Further South, join the Richmond Craft Mafia at the Camel for I Heart Craft
And even if you're way up in Canada and still don't have the perfect Valentine, City of Craft and the Workroom are having a trunkshow featuring all kinds of great indie vendors and artists

Charity Craft Sale: Bleeding Hearts Benefit for the Sierra Club

2008-02-01T09:27:00.001-08:00

From our pal Renee:

Today is the day folks!
Wolfie and the Sneak are hosting a One-day market to benefit the Sierra Club.

Why would we do such a thing??

Well, in 5 short days, the US will vote whether to place land up for lease for oil drilling in the Chuckchi Sea, and, well, we kinda like the polar bears up there, want them to feel at home and not too threatened. The Sierra Club has been working extra hard to get the word out while the rest of the world focuses on the newest Spears Sister debacle and the Primaries. We sure do thank 'em for it.

So here's your chance to buy your sweetie's Valentine's Day present, or just a little something for yourself. You'll find wearable goodies ("Hung Over" eye quilt, anyone?) to fine art to satisfy every style in all price ranges.

So we hope you'll stop by, take a gander, and buy a little something. And although we can't really guarantee what a polar bear roaring really means, we sure like to think they're yelling out at great big ol' thank you.

Bear Hugs and Puppy Kisses,
Renee, Charlie, Wolfie and the Sneak

Speaking of Sabrina Gschwandtner and KnitKnit...

2008-01-31T16:07:00.000-08:00

[In some sort of low blood sugar haze yesterday, Marimello published this as Susan...HUGE APOLOGIES]

Sabrina Gschwandtner is over on NPR today rocking like only an extreme knitter would. Give it a listen and check out the slideshow which will probably make you wonder whether the questions in the interview were edited in later. Depending on which order you watch/listen. [She clarified that the slideshow was recorded two days before the on air interview and then edited--Thanks Sabrina!]

Final thought for the day: "knitivism rhymes with recidivism."

Craft Protest Panel in review

2008-01-31T14:38:00.000-08:00

It is interesting that while the internet has facilitated craft's recent resurgence, exposed everyone to just about everything, and made it possible for us all to find things we probably didn't need to be exposed to, that we all still need to meet in person once in a while. And we can still use the phrase "guess you had to be there" and mean it. That said, we weren't there last Saturday for the Craft Protest Panel at the New School and we had to hit up Cat Mazza for some info. Since you probably weren't there either, here you go:

"Each of us talked about our projects, mostly drawing from these links...
Allison Smith
Sabrina Gschwandtner, of Knit Knit
Cat Mazza who meant to show Stitch for Senate, too.
Liz Collins "

While they didn't compile notes at the event, you can check out some of the slides here, here, and here.

The Storque ran a piece yesterday with a few more details on the discussions that took place. And we understand that Modern Painters just published an article featuring the same panelists in the February issue.

Craft Job Post: Advertising Sales for Crafts Magazines

2008-01-31T06:30:00.000-08:00

Hubert Burda Media Group is one of the Etsy investors...in case you didn't read yesterday's post, there's big new at Etsy.

Vikant Crafts Publishing (VCP), a joint venture between the Hubert Burda Media Group, which publishes over 300 magazines worldwide, and Vikant Holdings, is ready to launch operations in North America and is looking to fill the position of Advertising Sales Representative. In Europe, VCP publishes world famous knitting fashion magazine, VERENA, crafts magazine, ANNA, and several related specials. The North American market is ready for European fashion and crafts publications!

The successful candidate will be an experienced magazine sales professional with a background in the knitting, crafts or sewing markets. He/She should have experience making face to face and virtual sales presentations and have excellent writing and organizational skills. The qualified candidate should exhibit a positive, outgoing personality and understand the importance of developing strong industry relationships.
Being a knitting and/or crafts enthusiast would be an important plus. Also, a comprehensive knowledge of the knitting and crafts markets is highly desirable.

As the advertising sales representative, you would be responsible for contacting, developing and maintaining relationships with all the prospects and customers in your territory. In addition, the qualified candidate would understand the importance of keeping their account records accurate and up to date.

This position requires travel to industry shows as well as personal sales calls throughout your territory. Location of this position is open.

Craft Job Post: Photojojo Writer Extrordinaire

2008-01-31T06:00:00.000-08:00

Flickr is a great tool for crafters. Marimello is not so good with the cameras, so you won't see to much of us, but if YOU'RE on flickr, you've probably seen or heard of Photojojo.
If not, here's a little bit about Photojojo:
We publish an insanely great newsletter on photography.

More specifically, we scour the internets, rip pages out of magazines, ransack our friends' closets, and go through dumpsters to find the very best Photo tips, DIY projects, and Gear.

Hello, there.

Photojojo is an email newsletter with awesome photograpy tips, DIY ideas, and gear. We also run an online store, make a product or two, are working on a book that comes out on Random House next year, and some fun online tools and toys for photography. People seem to like us.

We're just two folks, but we have big dreams and big ambition, and we're looking for one amazing boy or girl to join our crusade to stand for everything photography + fun.

This is a dream job for anyone who loves photography, writing, and all this internet stuff, and wants to help invent the future of Photojojo.

Responsibilities and all that jazz
You will be primarily responsible for writing our twice-weekly photo newsletter, working on a Photojojo Book project, and coming up with, discovering, and researching awesome photo projects, then making them happen.

But because we're a tiny company, you'll get to do a little bit of everything -- building and nurturing a community of photo enthusiasts, identifying and working with contributors, helping to find new items for the Photojojo store, spreading the word about Photojojo far and wide, planning the occasional event, etc.

Why this rocks
We have over 150,000 subscribers and over a quarter million people visit our site every month, so your work will be seen far and wide. You'll also get to learn all about marketing and spreading ideas online, and taking an idea from concept to launch and beyond.

Who we're looking for
We're looking for someone to whom this opportunity sounds like a dream come true. Someone who's an excellent and fast writer and handy with crafts and DIY. Someone exceptionally creative and fun who's also self-motivated, disciplined, optimistic, and has stellar follow-through. Basically, a super human.

It's a plus if you have prior writing experience, art/craft background, spunk, a blog and flickr account, and know HTML.

Where/when?
Location: This is a full-time job opening in San Francisco, CA. It starts as soon as we find you.

How to Apply
1) Write us a note and tell us why you're the one. The more you tell us about yourself, the better. We want to know what makes you awesome.
2) Attach a resume, writing samples, links to your photos, your profile on facebook, your blog, whatever. Show us things. (Best formats: links, PDF, JPG, TXT, RTF) Be sure to give us specifics on your writing/editing, photo, and craft/DIY experience.
3) Email it in soon. We're eager to meet you! :)

If we like what we see, we'll either meet up in person or ask you for more information.

our site: http://photojojo.com/
about us: http://photojojo.com/about
press: http://photojojo.com/press

Are you looking for some one to help out with your crafty business, or is your company looking for some one interested, talented and experienced in crafting? Posting your job description on Marimello.com entitles you to a Marimello post about your company and the position available. A great investment for just $25. If you are interested in posting your Crafty job, please contact us at marimellodesign at gmail dot com.

Big Etsy News

2008-01-30T15:00:00.000-08:00

Etsy just announced in the Storque that they have accepted a $27 million investment. What does that mean? Says Rob:

"This means that we now have the resources to extend Etsy's reach in this world, to enable so many more people to make a living making things. We want Etsy to exist for hundreds of years. Our goal is for Etsy to be an independent, publicly traded company, focused on all things handmade. Throughout Etsy's growth, we have been very careful when raising money. We run the company as a democracy, meaning no one party has the power to act unilaterally. This new investment preserves these values, and adds to what we can do."

What else does it mean? Etsy will be able to grow...big time. Aside from wanting to add lots of features for buyers and seller, they've been wanting to expand European sales, but only support US dollars. This will help them overcome that. They will also be able to support more languages.

Another interesting point to look at is the current economic climate. As the article points out, some people are running businesses from their Etsy shops. Pre-investment, Etsy ran off fees collected. With sales of just about everything dropping, one could assume that the handmade market will be no different. Seeking and accepting an investment is a survival tactic on Etsy's part. If Etsy chugs through the recession, then presumably so will the indie shops and their owners.

But if this sounds like selling out, then maybe it is. We'd be interested to hear your thoughts on the Etsy investment and you can be sure we'll be keeping our ears to the ground in the forums. Rob has a promised a town hall and it will no doubt be a big one.

Go read the whole article here. For other reports check out CNET and TechCrunch.

New Craft Event: I Made It Market

2008-01-30T10:51:00.000-08:00

We don't imaging Vegas was as pleased to see the mafia arrive in town. But then it didn't need a new craft show the way Los Angeles does. So behold! The newly founded Los Angeles Craft Mafia has brought us just such a show!

I Made It! Market
It's a handmade/indie craft fair with 16 Los Angeles area artists. Screenprinting, fused glass, comic books, children's clothes... it's a diverse group of vendors.

It's on Feb 9th from 12-4pm at Billy's Coffee Shop 114 West 5th, Los Angeles, CA 90013.

It's free admission with music, food, good times! We're going to be right on Gallery Row so after you've been to the market, stop by the other galleries and see some art. Downtown at 5th and Main!

More info: www.imadeitmarket.blogspot.com

Upcoming Craft Events: January 30 to February 3 [UPDATED]

2008-01-30T09:09:00.000-08:00

Marimello took a snooze this week. We thought of you often and fondly. Pop in later for an update on last week's Craft Protest Panel and check out Craft Arsenal for an interview with Miriam from CrafterByNight.

Tonight:
Action/Reaction Runway Show at the Museum of Contemporary Craft in Portland. Local independent fashion designers have created one-of-a-kind pieces in response to the tactile and distinctive work from the Touching Warms the Art exhibition. Space is tight though and it sounds like if you haven't contacted them yet, you might be SOL.

Friday, February 1:
Indie Valentine at CooperElla in Maplewood, MO. Between 7 and 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday, go lash out against the commercialized corporate travesty that is Valentine’s Day by showing our love of craft.

Saturday, February 2:
You have the usual NYC events: The Market NYC and Artist and Fleas

Sunday, February 3:
Check out a new weekly event in Los Angeles, The Southpark Flea Market. [UPDATE: the Flea Market is canceled]
If you're in Seattle, and you still haven't cleaned out your house for the new year (i.e. made room for all the new stash you will inevitably buy this year), head on down to the Sunday Swap Smackdown. Come meet Kristen, owner of Schmancy and curator of Plush You and Moxie, needle felting master and local artist for the first, Sunday Swap Smackdown.
[NEW] Crafts and Kisses in Washington DC

Upcoming Craft Events: January 24-27

2008-01-23T10:53:00.000-08:00

First a Date of note....Yesterday Etsy announced that January 21st was an all time high in number of page views. Drumroll please....

8.6 MILLION page views in one day!

Woah. So onto the onto the other fun stuff. This is going to be a hearty weekend friends.

Tonight:
Craftnight is canceled in Los Angeles. Send some love to JP who is feeling under the weather.

Tomorrow, January 24th:
Craft in Context Lecture, Excellence in Craft, in partnership with OCAC, at the Museum of Contemporary Crafts in Portland. This sounds reallllly interesting if you are in the Portland area and if you go we want you to spill all the details:
This quarterly lecture series is designed to examine issues affecting the world of craft today through the lens of people who develop, create and critique new horizons in the arts. Having practiced her craft for more than 50 years, Arline Fisch is one of the most respected jewelry makers in the field. Her work melds jewelry, sculpture, and clothing, and she incorporates the structure of textiles and fiber craft into metal-based pieces that are often inspired by ancient cultures and the natural world.

Saturday, January 26th: (Ahem, Marimello's birthday...shower us with gifts as appropriate.)
Craft Protest Panel at The New School, NY, NY. If you go, we want to hear about it! Here's the blurb: "Many contemporary artists are using craft to make diverse and timely political statements. Because creating crafts is so often social and communal, they can play a vital role in the public sphere. The speakers examine the role of craft in forming national identities, especially in times of political turmoil or war; notions of patriotism; feminism and the domestic sphere; and unconventional economic models."
Artist presenting their projects: Liz Collins, artist/designer; Sabrina Gschwandtner, artist/curator; Cat Mazza, artist/activist; and Allison Smith, visual artist. Moderator: Julia Bryan-Wilson, art historian and critic, University of California at Irvine.

Sunday, January 27th:
The Market NYC, happens every Saturday and Sunday at 368 Mulberry St. Between Prince and Houston, NYC.
Artist and Fleas is also happening every Saturday and Sunday on 6th between Bedford and Berry, NYC.
And though it's not particularly crafty, it still looks like fun: The Lower East Side Girls Club is performing Sunday at 3:30 in NYC. Visit the site for details.

Craft Job Post: Ralph Lauren Knit Designer

2008-01-23T10:45:00.000-08:00

Thought knitting would never be a practical job skill. Think again and aim high:

SENIOR DESIGNER, SWEATERS, MEN'S - 5307 NEW YORK, NY

Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation is a leader in the design, marketing and distribution of premium lifestyle products in four categories: apparel, home, accessories and fragrances. For more than 40 years, Ralph Lauren’s reputation and distinctive image have been consistently developed across an expanding number of products, brands and international markets.

Purpose and Scope: Design and develop men’s sweaters through market research, vintage inspiration, sketches, swatching, and mock ups.

Responsibilities:

Under the direction of the SVP of design, partner with the design team to rig seasonal inspiration boards and concept rigs for approval.
Partner with design team to oversee and create sketches and with sweaters ideas for presentation.
Attend all fittings.
Partner with merchandising and sales to focus the line within a line plan.
Input and send out all design info into Wed PDM for proto making.
Travel to Italy for Pitti Filati yarn show, Asia for factory visits and development.

Job Requirements:

BA or BS in Fashion Design, preferably received from a design-oriented university.
Minimum of 5-8 years experience in Designing for a high-end market. Must have extensive knowledge of yarns, hand knitting, fully-fashioned garments and sweater construction.
Comprehensive understanding of Ralph Lauren aesthetic and sensibility and ability to design within those parameters.
Ability to sketch.
Strong attention to detail and strong presentation skills
Good eye for color and pattern.
Computer skills: Word, Excel, Illustrator, Photoshop, Web PDM, Pointcarre is a plus.
Travel as needed.

Craft Mafia Meetup in Los Angeles: Jan. 22

2008-01-21T14:45:00.000-08:00

Wondering what Marimello looks like? Cloven footed? Eye-patched? Are we really as infuriated as that picture over there to the right? Well now is your chance to find out because we'll be heading out of the craft cave tomorrow to the Los Angeles Craft Mafia meeting at Saints and Sinners Lounge. Come meet fun and creative people like us, er, you! We’ll be in the back room. They tell us the craft for this months meet-up will be Mafiosa Bath Bombs by Nichole Moraila/Mucha Muchacha .

Here's the details:
Tuesday, January 22nd
7pm @ Saints and Sinners Bar
10899 Venice Boulevard
West Los Angeles, CA 90034

Hey You Bloggers: Budget Fashionista

2008-01-17T12:46:00.000-08:00

The web is full of jobs today it seems:

Simply Good Media is looking for a blogger who can successfully and consistently blog about Do it Yourself home decorating and fashion projects twice per week.

Our bloggers must have have a solid grasp of the English language, basic knowledge of HTML, be able to edit their own work, follow directions and be consistent. Please send a short bio and two sample DIY projects (one home, one fashion). The samples should include a list of materials and step by step instructions.

Make sure to include your name, city, and e-mail address.

Application submitted via The Budget Fashionista website will not be opened and will be deleted. This is a paid position.

Read more about the Budget Fashionista here.

Are you looking for some one to help out with your crafty business, or is your company looking for some one interested, talented and experienced in crafting? Posting your job description on Marimello.com entitles you to a Marimello post about your company and the position available. A great investment for just $25. If you are interested in posting your Crafty job, please contact us at marimellodesign at gmail dot com.

Reform School January 19th

2008-01-17T11:36:00.000-08:00

Another event to tickle your weekend plans:

This Saturday night from 7 to 9, Reform School in Los Angeles having a great new art show from Matte Stephens. New original work will be on display, including his exclusive Reform School-only print called "Fossil Fuel Fun". You'll also be able to enjoy candy, cupcakes, retro soda and booze.

Fossil Fuel Fun
Saturday, January 19, 7-9pm
Reform School
4014 Santa Monica Blvd.
LA, CA 90029
ph: 323-906-8660

Craft Job Post: Assistant--One Good Bumblebee

2008-01-17T09:21:00.000-08:00

**INTERNSHIP (or part-time assistant)**
Location: Dallas, TX
When: ASAP!
Pay: negotiable / to be determined

Job Description:
I’m looking for a super creative, friendly, enthusiastic, crafty type of intern who loves to create but also wants to know more about the business side of being an artist or designer. All work is done at my home in my studio/office located just south of Lakewood / Highland Park in Dallas, TX. Your job would be to assist me in production of products, managing sales and stock, and other various tasks including the creation of new products, customer services, etc. I imagine I will need you for at least 4 days a week from 9am to 4pm or whatever works best for you. My schedule is very flexible so exact times are negotiable.

Specific Responsibilities and Tasks:
- Preparing & completing products: cutting, gluing, trimming, labeling, printing, stuffing, packaging, lots of measuring.
- Shipping and receiving: packaging orders / unloading received packages.
- Keeping track of stock of both materials and finished products.
- Placing orders to re-stock sold out items: calling, emailing, & faxing vendors.
- Communicating with clients and customers via email. Lots of email!
- Running errands (coffee break!) - You must have access to a car, please!
- Helping me with day-to-day decisions, problem solving, creative ideas in terms of invention and design, as well as choosing new products to carry (the really fun part!)
- Organizing the studio, keeping everything tidy and manageable.
- Adding new products to the website: web skills including HTML and blogging are a plus.
- Taking product pictures for both website and print catalog - photography skills are a huge plus.

Qualifications:
Most importantly you should be interested and skilled in craft, art and design. A good sense of aesthetics and design are a must! The ideal intern would be honest, dependable, drama-free, friendly, focused, eager, meticulous, enthusiastic, organized, detail oriented, neat, and tidy. Photoshop skills are a plus.

Application Instructions:
If you are interested in working as an intern at One Good Bumblebee, please contact me at mail@onegoodbumblebee and include a little bio about yourself and tell me why you want to intern at One Good Bumblebee. I will get back to you and we can set up an interview and we’ll go from there! I hope to hear from you soon.

If you have any questions, please contact me at mail@onegoodbumblebee.com

Are you looking for some one to help out with your crafty business, or is your company looking for some one interested, talented and experienced in crafting? Posting your job description on Marimello.com entitles you to a Marimello post about your company and the position available. A great investment for just $25. If you are interested in posting your Crafty job, please contact us at marimellodesign at gmail dot com.

Upcoming Craft Events: January 16-20

2008-01-16T11:43:00.001-08:00

As always it seems the Marimello will need to be firing up the teleporter for this weekend...but it uses so much gas...

Tonight:
Craft Night in Los Angeles, CA. As always, the fabulous JP will be hosting Craft Night over at Akbar on Sunset and Fountain in Silverlake. It's always a party and the drinks are both delicious and cheap!
Speaking of drinking...if you're Austin area, toddle down to Ninety Proof and raise a glass or two to improve healthcare in Austin. $2 from every drink will support the People's Community Clinic.

Tomorrow, January 17th:
The Pasadena Design and Bead Show will be happening from 10 to 6 until the 20th at the Pasadena Hilton in Pasadena, CA. You need to register to attend, so check out the site. 250 vendor and professionals will be there.

Friday, January 18th:
CRAFT UPRISING: Creating a Design Revolution, Biddle Gallery, Wyandotte MI, 6-9PM. Check out the site for more info.

Saturday, January 19th:
The Market NYC, happens every Saturday and Sunday at 368 Mulberry St. Between Prince and Houston, NYC.
Artist and Fleas is also happening every Saturday and Sunday on 6th between Bedford and Berry, NYC.
And though it's not particularly crafty, it still looks like fun: The Lower East Side Girls Club is performing Saturday at 3:30 in NYC. Visit the site for details.

Sunday, January 20th:
Well you got the Bead Show, The Market, and Artists and Fleas. What more could you want?

Craft Job Post: Managing Editor -- KP Craft Books

2008-01-16T08:53:00.000-08:00

F + W Publications, the leading niche publisher and marketer of magazines, books, events and interactive media, is seeking qualified candidates for a Managing Editor of Book Editorial.

The Managing Editor creates and delivers inspiring soft craft books, fulfilling the development, content edit and production edit on five to seven titles per year; manages editorial staff, and is responsible for schedules, working closely with the Editorial Director to complete these tasks.

For more information on this position, check the listing here. Are you looking for some one to help out with your crafty business, or is your company looking for some one interested, talented and experienced in crafting? Posting your job description on Marimello.com entitles you to a Marimello post about your company and the position available. A great investment for just $25. If you are interested in posting your Crafty job, please contact us at marimellodesign at gmail dot com.

Craft Communication Congress

2008-01-10T10:29:00.000-08:00

Everyone has already written up the Craft Communication Congress, but we really like this link fest on We Make Money Not Art. Call us lazy, but it is a nice round up.

Of course we wish we'd been at the congress. We're obviously obsessed with discussions about making, weird science, and trips to Berlin, so we're particularly sad about missing this one. But of course, we're involved in a Craft Congress of our own and Maker Faire is coming up sooner than you think.

There's something to be said for sitting around knitting on your couch with the cat, twirling simple yarn into something useful, but on the other hand, participating in events like the Congress or the Faire puts the whole handmade movement in perspective. It's a bit of an ego trip, but who doesn't want to hang out with like minded people and ride silly motorcycles?

Oooooo New Etsy Plugin

2008-01-09T13:17:00.000-08:00

Buying Handmade, or at least searching for it just got a little easier with Etsy's new plugin for your web browser. Sure it only works for tags and titles, but whatever. If you have Firefox 2+ or Internet Explorer 7, why not give it a try? Etsy says, "You can try it elsewhere if you’re feeling adventurous."

OMG...WTF: Naughty Origami

2008-01-08T12:02:00.000-08:00

Appologies to Extreme Craft for borrowing the tag, but seriously, OMG...WTF?

It all started with this morning's regular perusal of the craft books on Powell's. We stumbled upon Nick Robinson's Very Naughty Origami, which led us to Origami Underground (peruse at your own risk) and Master Sugoi's Pornogami and on to the topic of crafty porn, er, reflections of sexuality in Craft.

We've seen knitting, cross stitch, quilting, ceramics, hook rugs, crochet, and pretty much anything else you can think of turned into subversive crafts, but this is the first we've seen pornigami.

Unlike so many subversive crafts though, Origami Underground presents anatomy and sex origami under the assumption that origami is childish and has used the taboo of sex to give the craft a more adult image. Not exactly the complexity of most sexuality based art, but not completely invalid. While origami may not necessarily be childish, we always will welcome to the fold anyone with a new idea about how to use something unexpected and crafty to turn a construct on its head.

Craft Job Post: The Tuanton Press

2008-01-08T11:27:00.000-08:00

This is a new feature on Marimello. We hope in the future to list more jobs like this...

As part of a bold, new multi-platform initiative, The Taunton Press is looking for an experienced journalist who is keenly interested in CRAFTS to join its staff as managing editor. Duties of this position include all aspects relating to the production and editing of special issues and digital products and the management of an editorial staff. Successful candidates should have proven editing and writing skills and at least 3 years of magazine or newspaper editorial experience. Management and magazine production experience are desirable. Digital photography skills, while not necessary, are an asset. Some travel is required. We offer a competitive salary, an excellent benefits package, and a pleasant work environment. Send letter, resume, and writing samples to HR.

Location: Newtown Connecticut

Please apply by visiting their career site at http://careers.taunton.com

Craft Crest: Part Deux

2008-01-04T10:36:00.000-08:00

Is crafting the Britney Spears of DIY? Not really. Is Debbie Stoller an evil marketing mastermind forcing the craft arts into the public sphere? Certainly not. Is it important to discuss the hipster-related frustrations? Debatable.
Did putting extreme-ish, subversive-esque crafts in a Museum really piss off that many people? Really?

Pricked: Extreme Embroidery at the Museum of Arts and Design in NYC opened November 8th of last year. The New York Times published an article about the exhibit on December 28th, which got picked up as part of a blog entry on Jezebel. Jezebel makes a point we like, namely, why does embroidery have to be feminist:

"Is it because embroidery and knitting were considered housewifely arts and the feminist movement was reclaiming them by making samplers of penises or something? Is this why Bust is always bombarding us with craft projects? Please explain!! "

Which prompted a slew of comments on the post. Some responded to the fury sparked by NYT's assumption that embroidery in a museum is necessarily feminist. But the more troubling discussion revolved around crafting being something fun, something handed down by grandma, something hipsters do while they drink, and somehow the "downward spiral of Bust." Read the comments on your own, but the general tenor is that crafting has taken on an unacceptable hipster tint, that no one is particularly happy about.

And that friends is exactly the type of discussion we like to start. Momma always said money, religion and politics were taboo topics for polite company, but so far she's been silent on hipsters and instigating crafter fights, er, debates. But while we like crafting and we want other people to craft, we find it is hard to define hipster without using the word annoying.

So which is more annoying, the hipster adoption or the assertion that feminism is necessarily inherent to crafting. Would any of this deter a potential crafter? If crafting is resurfacing as a cool thing to do, will the crafty popularity peak have been reached? Is there any middle ground on either of these points?

If you happen to see us in a bar, be prepared to answer one or all of these questions. Happy Friday! Let's get this party started.

Craft Resurgence Crest: Say it Ain't So

2008-01-02T11:26:00.000-08:00

Personally we LIKE football glowing the background while we craft, but when the boys aren't looking, we switch to the DIY network.

Rumors are swirling around the blogs that the DIY Network may be canceling some of the programs we all love though. Average Jane Craft has drawn up a letter and encourages readers to write to the network and express their concerns. Go for it if you like, however upon a little further digging, we discovered that the network is not canceling the programs, just reshuffling their schedule to accommodate their core audience's tastes. Which of course makes sense for a business that survives on advertising revenues.

The one thing that we found has actually been canceled is Vicki Howell's Knitty Gritty marathon on Super Bowl Sunday. Last year this time, we didn't have cable, so watching was out of the question. But this year we won't have the chance. Here's the scoop from Vicki's blog:

Oh, before I forget, I just got word that DIY nixed the Knitty Gritty marathon (aka the Knit In), 2008 in favor of a bathroom renovation they're calling, the Toilet Bowl. Soooo, I know I told a lot of people that the KG special would air on Superbowl Sunday but that's apparently no longer the case. I'll keep you posted on any new developments but in the meantime, if you're looking for more Knitty Gritty love and want to tell the network(s) about it, here's where you can send your comments:
DIY Network Viewer Comments
HGTV Viewer Comments

Toilet Bowl?

Canceling a program sucks. There's no way around it. But, moving the crafty programming to 2 in the morning works great for us night owls. Sure, it doesn't do much to introduce crafting to people who might not otherwise give it a try, but that's our job. Make a point to take your knitting (or whatever) with you somewhere. Bar, Superbowl party, whatever; people are curious and it will keep your hands out of the cheese dip.

And if you're looking for something charitable to do with your Super Bowl sit fest, consider checking out other charities to which you could be donating, and do something for them. Knit a hat. Knit an afghan square. Check out the Witch Fire Project, hint hint. Let the football lull you, crack a beer, and get to it.

To Geek or not to Geek: Geek Craft

2007-12-28T09:41:00.001-08:00

Ever tried knitting on a bus? Or in a bar? Well we did both recently and were met with raised eyebrows. Made us, and our date, feel a little geeky, but we forgot that to some football fans, crafting is something strange and unusual. Somehow these folks didn't get the memo that crafting periodically makes these leaps into the limelight of trendiness. Rather than explain it though, we sat quietly, knit, and as usual pondered.

Craft becomes a cultural fixation when posed in front of the backdrop of increasingly fast-paced, technological environments. See William Morris, and Arts & Crafts movement. And while crafting may be seen as a sort of rejection of the modern world, it can also be an awesome place to riff on modern technologies. See Make.

Lately though, this techno crafting has fallen into the dimmly defined category of "geek craft."

A couple of weeks ago Geek Sugar, one of the many facets of the Sugar empire, posted this poll to vote for the best geek craft of 2007. Oddly they only came up with six crafts, and of those five were video game related. Geek Sugar has obviously picked up on a craft trend here. Hey, even Martha Stewart made a Wii cake for the cover of Wired.

Yesterday the Globe and Mail in Canada published this article about Geek Craft, that while sort of typical in it's whole shocked-and-awed approach to geek craft, features a brief interview with Kimberly Chapman, a self proclaimed nerd.

"A significant amount of the joy I derive from my nerdy crafts is to be the first to present these juxtapositions to the world," [Kimberly Chapman] says.

She realizes her hobby may seem a bit odd to outsiders, and she's fine with that. Most people, Ms. Chapman notes, "don't watch a puppet show and mentally take apart the stitching to imagine how the puppet was made...They don't look at a structure and wonder what it would take to make a cake version.

"Nerds do those things. Nerds can't stop asking questions and mentally disassembling the world around them. Nerds wonder, and wonder is at the heart of creativity."

Read the whole article if you are interested, but nerd or not, Chapman sounds like a just another crafter who protects her patterns and likes to look at the world from 'how could I do that myself' perspective. Who wouldn't want to have their Wii and eat it too?

New Craft Calendar

2007-12-27T11:51:00.001-08:00

We're starting up a new calendar of all things crafty for 2008. Check out that button on the right And while you're at it, feel free to email us or comment on this post with any events you might be planning or in which you might be participating.

Photo courtesy of Elle at Elle's Studio on Etsy.

Happy Merry

2007-12-25T16:42:00.000-08:00

Whether you bought handmade or not, we are betting you bought something special. And received something special.We hope you didn't puzzle, til your puzzlers were sore. And whether you thought Christmas might not come from a store, we hope this year, you though Christmas might mean a little bit more.

Marimello's Long Winter's Nap

2007-12-20T18:48:00.000-08:00

Well well well, look who's decided to wake up and join you crafters...our founder.

Somehow I was enjoying a cruise to Mexico and now it's the 20th. But all that sun and sand has been muted by the news that while I was gone, an amazing woman, and mother of my best friend died suddenly. Being that she was such an influential and creative lady, I've been thinking and chatting about how creativity is passed on through the people we know.

Certainly my friend's mother was an influence on me directly. She welcomed me into her home after I only just met my friend in college and I slurped up her sense of interior decorating. On the same trip, she took me to her stylist after a series of seriously bad hair cuts and taught me to trust the powers of a good hair cut again. She knit me a scarf after a fun, but cold trip to London and encouraged me to return to knitting. Which of course led to this here blog.

But more so I knew her through people she loved and who loved her. My friend talked me out of my men's undershirts and into a fetish for shoes. She weaned me off my baggy earth-tone wardrobe and taught me that good clothes open all doors. After we hadn't seen each other for a year, we showed up on the quad with the same shade of hot pink hair. She got me into blogging and inspired my writing both on and off line. Somewhere behind all of this, her mom was shopping for stylish vintage, borrowing the pink hair dye, and reading the blogs. Knowing a woman with a pink fish tail allowed me to trust my own flashy instincts and to wear them on the outside. I couldn't be more grateful to have known Judy. And I couldn't be more pleased with the thought of her keeping the eclectic fire alive in her family and friends.

Craft Congress Invite

2007-11-28T09:47:00.000-08:00

So Craft Congress is in the planning stages again. You can check the site here, or you can just read the about info right here on Marimello if you, like we are lazy:

CRAFT CONGRESS, the first-ever gathering of organizers in the DIY/indie craft community, is now a sweet memory!

Fifty indie craft organizers came together in Pittsburgh, PA, USA, to share ideas, find ways to work together for our mutual benefit and to make our craft community even better.

While some questions were answered, many more were raised. So, that leaves us with the task of planning the Second Annual Craft Congress in 2008!

If you'd like to help plan the 2nd Annual CC, contact: Gloria in Pittsburgh at: gtforouzan (at) gmail.com. We'll need your help with:

1. Planning topics for discussion.

2. Fund raising to keep Craft Congress affordable for participants.

3. Getting the word out to all of the organizers around the world.

We’re reaching out across the U.S.A., U.K., Canada, Australia and every where that crafty types are at work. Please help us get the word out.

Organizers please join our Yahoo group, (to brainstorm, plan, etc.), by going to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/craftcongress2007

Happy Handmade Holidays

2007-11-20T07:20:00.000-08:00

Sigh. To be honest, we don't like Thanksgiving. This is not to say we do not adore our family or the spirit or the slight drop in temperature.

In fact, except for the food ( NOT THE CRANBERRY SAUCE MOM) we like the whole idea of Thanksgiving. It's the only holiday that doesn't involve buying a whole bunch of stuff. So this year consider taking the handmade pledge.

The handmade pledge lists the usual benefits of buying handmade:
Buying handmade makes for better gift giving,
Buying handmade is better for people,
Buying handmade is better for the environment

Of course the premise remains the same: buying stuff. Even handmade stuff is still stuff. Whether you belong to the Black Friday camp or the Buy Nothing Day camp, crafty people have yet another option that doesn't get a whole lot of press outside the Martha Stewart camp. So while the crafty peoples are always extra busy this time of year with craft shows and such, crafty people always have the option of making their own gifts.

That said, we will still be making the rounds at the craft shows around town. Last week it was Felt Club. This weekend, it will be Handmade for the Holidays over at Fairfax High.

Just not on Friday.

Famouser than Famous

2007-11-16T17:38:00.000-08:00

The Witch Fire Project has been getting a lot of press lately, and we think that's super cool. But, but, what about Marimello? Well it was only a matter of time, before we got our due. In fact, Marimello has been in the news quite a bit this week.

First the interview with Ravelry, was finally published on SuperNaturale, which lead to the post on CRAFT's blog yesterday. Whee! On other fronts, our presence at the super wonderful Craft Republic Fair, drew some attention and an observation that within a minute of talking to us, we are obviously a blogger. Whaaaaat? Is that curious gleem in our eye so noticeable?

And speaking of gleam...Naikfur just posted a cute picture on her blog. Which is especially cool, because we will be meeting Amy in person for dinner next week. We are so excited.

Take that Witch Fire. You are always welcome to tell people you knew us when.

We Love Marc Jacobs

2007-11-13T22:26:00.000-08:00

Fashion obsession alert!
If you didn't know how much the Marimello office dolls spend drooling over the fashion rags and blogs, let us come out of the closet right now. It's obscene. The fact that our keyboards even work anymore...well...please, don't tell our editors.

OK, so we bought a very expensive, very popular purse a few years ago. Who didn't? Well, probably you didn't. But we bet you didn't because you thought, "oh pish posh, Marc Jabobs is for SNOBS."

And right you were. KNITTING snobs that is! Did you know his grandmother taught him to knit and that was the whole start of the fashion obsession? Did you care? We did! Anyway, we were pleased to see that Marc Jacobs (and his hair cut THANK GOD) would be traveling through town via Louis Vuitton, via Takashi Murakami via an exhibit at the Geffen, MOCA in L.A.

P.S. Manolo, if you are listening, we still own that delectable pair of peeptoes with the lime green suede. Let's go eat at Mr/ Ramen next door to the Geffen and, you know, if you ever need a model, you know where to contact us when this whole thing goes vintage...

Craft Republic Fair in Pomona: Guess where we'll be

2007-11-09T09:24:00.000-08:00

Head on out to the first ever Craft Republic Fair in Pomona, CA (1101 W. McKinley Ave, Gate 1) this Saturday from 11am - 7pm to experience some great handmade shopping. Featuring 45 vendors who are fantastic, including Michelle Caplan and Planet Tokki. You can also take some great crafting workshops! Tickets are $2 for adults and kids under 11 are free. For more information, visit their web site. Link.

You know we'll be there. Not just for the craft fair, but for the motorcycles. Mmmmm...Motorcycles. AND we'll probably end up in the Claremont village sucking down some beers at Hero's afterwards. Come join us.

I Heart Indie Holidays is Just Around the Corner

2007-11-08T11:25:00.000-08:00

Marimello has been so focused on updating the Witch Fire Project's shop that the holidays sort of crept up on us this year. Ever year we have another excuse to be surprised by impending holidays, but this year was a doozy.

We did not mean to keep you out of the loop dear crafties! Here's the latest news from our friend over at I Heart Indie:

I Heart Indie Holidays 2007 will premiere as the Northwest's first united independent urban craft show. Three unique NW shows spanning time and space! Three different shows on three different weekends in three different cities!

Shop with us in Seattle, Portland, and Bellingham.

Seattle - Seattle Center Pavilion, Saturday Nov. 24th, 11am-6pm

Portland - Wonder Ballroom, Sunday Dec. 2nd, Noon-5pm

Bellingham - The Majestic, Sunday Dec. 9th, Noon-6pm

Be one of the first 50 people at any show and receive a Project Bag filled with swag and crafty treasures that YOU turn into a masterpiece of crafty creativity! Put your creation on display and have your peers pick the winner! Winner of the Project gets a gift basket prize of handmade goodies!

All three shows will feature a free photo booth provided by Liminist Photography, a Seattle-based photo team specializing in portraiture, fashion, and event photography.

Our Portland and Bellingham events will feature special "men's areas" for the guys to chill out and watch TV while the gals shop till they drop!

Join us for three fun filled holiday shopping days that get you away from the crowds at the malls and back to what DIY is all about!

Shop indie, shop local, shop I Heart Indie Holidays!

www.iheartindieholidays.com

Get the to one of these shows! You might even see Marimello. We stand out in a crowd.

Old Mother Leary Left the Lantern in the Shed

2007-10-25T18:46:00.000-07:00

And when the cow kicked it over, Marimello shrieked and said, GOOD GOD it's a hot time in the old town tonight.

OK not to pound it into your heads crafty friends, but it is still crazy here and it is a wonder that the poor little elves can type as you dear editatrix dictates. Their poor little eyes are swollen so, but you know we can't be bothered with typing ourselves with this washcloth over our eyes.

Speaking of washcloths! The Witch Fire shop is open for business and the donations are rolling in. Obviously it's time to put the red eyed elves to work photographing this luxurious stuff. So if you haven't already, roll on over to the shop on Etsy. And keep rolling back for more new stuff. The word has gone out to the fashionista friends of Marimello and we expect great things to be coming our way!

Check out the shop on the right over there and see what's happening. If you want to donate and get some FREE PRESS, head on over to the blog or give us an e-jingle.

Inferno in SoCal

2007-10-23T12:24:00.001-07:00

Hey Crafties,
Wracking you brain for ways to help out the parched/burnt communities in Southern California? Know some one who's been evacuated. The Marimello clan alone has about 15 members evacuated from 7 homes. It's enough to make our heads spin.

And spin they did, until we settled on this idea for a charity raffle/donation site. We thought we would set up a collective to raise money for charities in SoCal. Through this new blog, Marimello is looking for donations of items that are less than $5-$10 (your cost), anything bigger will be put into a raffle. The drawing for these items will work thusly: names will come from a pool of anyone who donates, buys, or just sends in a good contribution story will be entered.
Email or leave comments if you can help!

Check it out here: witch-fire.blogspot.com

Show Etsy Some Love

2007-10-18T16:16:00.000-07:00

Ellen has been in the news a lot these last couple of days. Let's just say we wouldn't be sad if she'd go into retreat for a while. But whatever, we'll let her live a little bit longer if it means we can get a slot on her show. We mean ETSY on her show. Go fill out the form, and if you slip up and, say, put in your favorite blogger we won't tell.

New Craft Spectacular: Get Right Outta Town

2007-10-18T11:08:00.000-07:00

Marimello has been contemplating the necessity of a new Los Angeles craft fair. Wouldn't it be fun if you could go to a little indie craft shopping every weekend? Wouldn't mixing and mingling with other crafties be a swell addition to an otherwise football-filled coupla days?

We want to know your thoughts. What have you been dying to see at a craft fair? Any special vendor types you think are missing from the usual mix? What kind of howtos would have you hanging on the edge of your seat? Would you have rocking tunes ala DJ or live band? What part of your stash would you bring and leave or trade on a big table of free goodies?

Inquiring minds want to know...Leave a suggestion in the comments or email the elves at marimellodesign [at] gmail [dotty] com. And derrr, anyone who gives us feedback will be immediately enslaved to help out with the project. Or at least be subject to more brain picking.

We can't wait to hear from you!

Where my stitches at? Interview with Jess and Casey of Ravelry

2007-10-10T18:34:00.000-07:00

Ohmigoshomigosh, Marimello is finally on Ravelry. OH you aren't in yet? There, there.

And either BoingBoing is stalking us (again) or we got our invite the same week. (Check out the recent Boing Boing TV post.) Clearly is trying to outdo Marimello but little do they know we have something up our luscious bamboo silk sleeves: a vintage interview with Jess and Casey, the brains and passion behind Ravelry. Read on:

M: For those who don't get to play with Ravelry yet, just how much fun are we going to have?

J&C: I think that most people will have a lot of fun :) Ravelry is multi-faceted and we've found that everyone's favorite part of Ravelry is different. If you love organizing, you'll probably really enjoy your Ravelry notebook, where you can keep track of your projects, stash and tools. Do you like wandering around the web and checking out people's projects and patterns on their personal blogs and sites? Ravelry is perfect for fiber voyeurs. Really love forums and online communities? There are plenty of options out there but we think that our community is something special because there is that extra substance behind (and all around) the chatting. Fun is the whole point!

M: What has surprised you so far about the ways people are using their Ravelry abilities?

J&C: I guess the biggest surprise is how quickly people are finding one another. We just love hearing from independent designers who have been found by local yarn store owners because they want to stock their patterns, new independent dyers and spinners who are getting wholesale orders for their yarns for the first time, people starting up new Stitch'n Bitch groups in their area...all happening already, before we have even opened the site for real!

M: What role do you think community plays in the crafting world? Knitting in particular.

J&C: I often giggle to myself when Casey and I talk about Ravelry to people who are not knitters or crocheters. Often they just don't understand that there is a huge online community of crafters already and that we don't actually have to build all of those connections from the ground up. We are just providing a fun and concise way to find others who share your interests or live near you.

Obviously, communities centered around crafting is not anything new- sewing circles and groups at local stores have been happening for a long time. I think what is different now is that it is possible to connect with people from all over the world and even find local people that you might not have met otherwise.

I know that I learned to knit by myself, from a book, and I didn't know anyone who knit or crocheted until I started my blog. After a while, I was knitting pretty much every day and it was just so fun to do something creative after I got home from work, sitting in front of a computer all day. I really wanted to meet people who shared my love for knitting and, even in a city like Boston, it was a bit challenging to meet new people. I think online communities make that initial meeting a lot less stressful and more comfortable. After you have been chatting with someone on your blog or on Ravelry, you feel like you know them a bit and you can skip all the 'getting to know you' chitchat and actually hang out. I have met people through the blogging community that I consider my real friends.

One of the reasons that we created Ravelry in the first place was that the online crafting community was such a wealth of information and ingenuity but there was not a way to really search and find what you were looking for--besides googling for hours on end. Over the past year, we just noticed that there were so many new indie designers and yarn dyers and spinners--with etsy stores and their own websites--but there are only a handful of ways to get the word out about your stuff (profiles with bigger bloggers, knitty, crochetme, etc). We are hoping that Ravelry helps people to find their audience as well has helps crafters find new and interesting ways to express themselves.

M: It's fair to say social networking sites have had a significant impact on both the music and crafting communities. How do you think it has worked out differently for both communities? How do you think they influence the way crafters market themselves, conduct business, show off? I mean are we more showey-offy?

J&C: Here is our music parallel :) Online communities allow everyone to share their art with the world. The Internet (and especially blogs and community sites) has given talented crafters and musicians a way to find fans and customers themselves. You don't need a big marketing budget and you don't have to wait to be discovered by an industry. You can be discovered by the people instead.

We're very excited about all of the independent designers, dyers, and spinners that are using Ravelry. We really want to help these amazing people (and they really are amazing!) showcase their work, find their audience, and promote their businesses. Community is an extremely important part of small and independent business (businesses of any size, but the bigger guys often miss the point). People aren't only shopping small because they like things that are handmade or locally produced; we consumers are beginning to want a more real connection with the creators that we support.

This really means a lot to us. We want to help people do what they love for a living.

Coincidence? We Think Not: Creative Commons and Copyright

2007-10-09T10:17:00.000-07:00

First Ann Wood posted about her politely unnamed bird theives. Then Etsy's Storque carried a column on Creative Commons and Copyrights. Linda over at CraftApple posted two more interesting and link filled posts on the topic here and here.

Marimello talked about this topic awhile ago, but there seems to be a lot of copycatting going around these days. Many of the threads on Copyrighting are fueled by justifiable anger at the design thieves, but few seem to point to actual legal definitions and sites where a crafter can start the process of reclaiming a design.

A good place to start is the government's site on copyright. Sure it seems obvious, but it also seems boring. So suck it up and remember boring equals important.

If you've seen some of your designs floating on the web's high seas, best reel them in with a quick peruse of the government's site on fair use and copyright. Fair use means there are certain circumstances when it is OK to repost copyrighted works. So, before you head up the hill with torches burning, best to see EXACTLY what your rights are. And before you burn someone up in a tyrannical thread, know what their rights are.

Not to sign the post off on such a serious note...here's the fun part. Exactly which laws is Marimello breaking with that jpeg up top? Extra bonus points if you can tell us what laws our hamburglar halloween costume is not be breaking!

The BEST Crochet Tutorial: Thank You YouTube

2007-10-05T20:17:00.000-07:00

Marimello needs an intern. Does any one know this kid's number?

Teen Vogue does DIY

2007-10-05T09:08:00.000-07:00

Not being teens anytime this century, we are unfamiliar with the goings on of Teen Vogue. Back in day, we had Sassy, YM and Seventeen to get our fashion/advice fix. But it's good to see that these days Teen Vogue is keeping in touch with the DIY scene and the teen fascination with couture.

We find this interesting because in our crafty world, recreating couture falls under the umbrella of subversion. Of course this is a fairly recent association to make given that crafters, more specifically seamstresses and tailors, have been recreating the latest fashions for centuries. This whole buying off the rack thing is a wee babe in the grand old house of fashion when you think about it.

But the Teen Vogue articles, from Marchesa to Zac Posen, all involve and highlight the original designers. This is more about giving teens access to high fashion and allowing them to tweak and customize the designs.

Now don't get us wrong. We're all for getting the kids crafting, but we're really hoping two things:

1) That no one is getting parental help on this project. Again, it's not that we don't enjoy mommy's sweaters (xoxo! Mom), but having you mom do your 4th grade math homework didn't go over well with Mrs. Westra then and it doesn't go over with Marimello now.

2) That the theme of making your own stuff doesn't go right over the teens' heads. While it is AWESOME to have your own Tory Burch-esque v-neck avec signature dickie, it's not so awesome to own one that was made by some one who made less than the change you pump into a soda machine in passing period.

We're hoping that the brilliant teens of today figure out how that DIY is a responsible choice and alternative to pawing through cheap knockoffs at the Rack. Not that we made any responsible decisions until we were age 25 or so, but we can always hope.

Check out Teen Vogue's DIY here. And for more on Marimello's irresponsible descision making skills, just try googling us. Back in our day the WAS no MySpace. Back in my day we left no digital footprints and whatever we were doing out so late is lost in the sands of time. Fer Sure.

I Heart Rummage: Rocktober Extravaganza

2007-10-05T08:09:00.000-07:00

Our friends over at I Heart Indie are having a swell event on October 7 (that's Sunday) at the Crocodile Cafe in Seattle. Boy do we wish we were in Seattle soaking up the fall, but it's still 80 degrees outside here. Some of you maybe are jealous of that, but we here at Marimello are freaking sick of our anemic end of summer/fall season...sigh.

Anyway here's the dirt from Cassandra:

It's Rocktober!

Halloween is a favorite in the IHR peeps' household! We love all the spookylicious goodies you find at this time of year. This month at IHR we have a few very cool and spookylicious artists for you to check out for your Halloween goodies!

Look for TC Leathercraft, new to the IHR scene! She has some of the most glorious handmade leather masks and accessories! You will swoon for these!

Our own Miss Oblivious of Payne Creations has promised some extra-out-of-the-ordinary dolls for us us to choose from for this ghoulish holiday season!

We are also lucky to have Carla Sonheim Creative back with us. Carla comes to us all the way from Colorado! She was hugely popular last year when she came to town, so any of you who have been longing to see her fabulous art again, don't miss your chance to see her!

Our special guest for October is everyone's favorite local boutique where you can find your favorite IHR artists during the rest of the month! Bouncing Wall! on Queen Anne! Owner Kim is creating a little artist of her own - due any time now! Congrats!

Our DJ for October will be DJs unka-neecie! 2 dj's, one idea... bring more to music

We still have issue #2 of the IHR Zine available! This issue showcases our wonderful toymakers!

There are just a few vintage IHR t-shirts left, and we have buttons and stickers so you can show off your good taste in shopping!

Remember to support your local Rollerderby Team, The Jet City Rollergirls!

And if you have a chance, send a donation to Ginger's Pet Rescue to help her keep on doing the amazing work she does.

So if you are LUCKY enough to be in Seattle this weekend, go check out IHR at the Crocodile and tell them Marimello sent you!

Even MORE Crafty Influence

2007-09-28T16:22:00.000-07:00

Well golly gee, we skipped one!
Out in Denver, far away from Marimello-land, The Denver Post has been speaking to our friend and Craft editor, Carla Sinclair. Read the article here for some stats on just how much money the average American home spends on crafting. The Post draws the conclusion that, duh, people are sick of a lacking variety of things to buy, but that also people are following a new trend of green living. Well?! Which is it!??!

But more importantly, can you believe how LITTLE the average bored/green American is spending on craft supplies etc? $476!? These statisticians are obviously not tallying Marimello Enterprise's receipts...

More Craft the Vote

2007-09-28T15:59:00.000-07:00

Not that we haven't seen this type of thing all OVER the blog world, and granted the article is a little stale, but it's still good to know that Slate is on the crafty side. The article is still surprising late coming readers, though, as indicated by today's citing by the Loyolan, here. Anyway, here in Marimello-land, we're feeling a little bit of a snooze in the crafty community. And not just because it's Friday. And we had pie for lunch. Maybe this politics thing will get us off our butts this weekend. That and good trawl through Ravelry, where we were FINALLY invited to play. Thanks Jess!

CRAFT and MAKE flix

2007-09-16T08:50:00.000-07:00

Oh CRAFT, how do we love thee? Well we can count one more reason to love CRAFT now--a new DVD rental service. With everything from airbrushing to tatting, visual learners (Marimello included) now have a one stop shop for instructional DVDs. And for you MAKE fans, there's a MAKE service too.

We're looking forward to receiving Kente--Woven Ceremonial Cloths of Ghana. And though the price is a little steep ($9.99 for 48 minutes, gulp) we're pretty sure we're not going to find this one on any shelf of our local rental shop.

I Heart Rummage is Back

2007-09-14T09:32:00.000-07:00

From our dear friends at I Heart Rummage:

Greetings!

Welcome back to IHR!!! Hope everyone had a good summer! We're rarin' to get back into some shopping action and have a fun-filled few months in store for everyone. This month's show is noticeably NOT on the first Sunday. As you all must know by now, we were at Bumbershoot on the first Sunday, and we had a fantastic time! Thanks to all who came by the booth!

The special guest for this September's IHR is our good friends from Tacoma, UrbanXchange. If you haven't had a chance to get down to the shop yet, owner Julie Bennett will have a handful of treasures from her shop, including some pieces from her own local Tacoma designers.

Our DJ for September will be one of our faves, DJ Jessie Beans! Look for her to start selling again too!

OH! And our NEW issue of the IHR Zine is available! This issue showcases our wonderful toymakers!

The September IHR is being sponsored by IZZE Sparkling Juice. IZZE will be providing free sparkling juice beverages to everyone (while supplies last).

Recently we were contacted by the Washington Lawyers for the Arts. We would like to work together to help aspiring artists & designers protect their growing businesses through education. Currently the WLA is putting on a class called Counterfeit Chic. Read more about it below. Artists & designers pay only $10 to attend! You are guranteed to save many times that much by learning to protect yourself!

We have good news to report - one of the recent death row dogs was adopted by a relative of an IHR customer! That's two dogs we have helped save now! Thank you to those kind hearted customers of ours! We love you!

And thanks again to the Crocodile Cafe for letting us meet here each month! We'll be back in two weeks for the normally scheduled Oct. IHR! We know you can't get enough of us!!!

Where are you showing off this fall

2007-09-09T12:36:00.000-07:00

We know. The holidays always sort of sneak up on everyone. Maybe more so if you are planning on showing off this fall at a craft show or two. So here's a friendly reminder that applications are out for Felt Club XL and Boston Bazaar Bizarre. We in Marimello-ville are still stuck in our 90 degree heat wave though. So don't excpect any wooly scarves any time soon. We might be up for NaNoSweMo, but that is all up to the weather. If we are still knitting in euroflax come November, we're gonna cry.

And speaking of Felt Club, this week we're off to the L.A. County Fair to see what they're up to.

Did Etsy Just Get Better

2007-09-07T06:46:00.000-07:00

If you haven't already heard, Etsy retired the Etsy Garden Blog earlier this week and debuted the Storque. We think this is a much more interesting way of presenting the goings on of Etsy, and we're happy to see so many Etsians who can write their way out of a paper bag. But what do you think? Will this format fly? On an internet that is absolutely swamped with online mags, does the Storque still reflect the innovation we normally associate with the web design behind Etsy?
As always, Marimello if obsessing over new marketing tools, so we're interested to see what you think of this infant Storque. Leave a comment, or contact us directly and let us know what you think.

Stitch Applications are due Today

2007-08-29T12:48:00.000-07:00

From our Friends over at Naughty Secretary Club and the Austin Craft Mafia:

If you have been debating whether of not to show your clothing line on the runway or sell you handmade goodies in the craft bazaar on Nov 10th, debate no longer. Stitch must have your application in today as we are choosing the designers and vendors on Thursday.
Application here.
We are also still interested in swapping sponsorship packages for tote bags. If you want your tote bags in the hands of 500 Austinites email Jennifer at info [at] naughtysecretaryclub [dot] com We ask that the bags be large enough to hold magazines and that you can donate at least 10. Tote bags must be received by October 1st.
Want to sponsor Stitch? Join companies like Simplicity, Etsy, Duncan, Sublime Stitching, Dremel, Bust Magazine, Sakura, Baby Lock and more by supporting Austin’s largest independent fashion show and craft bazaar. We have packages for as low as $100! Email Jennifer at info [at] naughtysecretaryclub [dot] com if you are interested. This is a great way to spread the word about your business! We’ll see you at Stitch Nov 10th at the Austin Convention Center.

Back To School: Marimello's abandoned projects, Summer 2007 edition

2007-08-29T11:48:00.001-07:00

This is the first year since high school that we've had a summer vacation. And we had so many plans laid for things we were going to accomplish...sigh. Apparently the long break form vacations has taught us nothing. Once again Labor Day is right around the corner and all we have done is the laundry. Here's just a few of the things we've flaked on this year:

Project 1) Get back into Ceramics. Speaking of High School, we were once heavily into ceramics. It was such a pleasant calming craft, and the studio definitely had the bast air conditioning. We were interested to start up again when we saw Barry's Big Clay Blog which included some great video posts. Reason for flaking: our house has the worst air conditioning and we already have 14,000 mugs.

Project 2) Learn to Crochet. The Marimello staff is full of knitters. Crochet does not make sense at all, but earlier this summer we were inspired by hyperbolic crochet and rushed out t obuy matching hooks. A couple of days ago this pattern for crazy cat hats showed up on Craftster and our interest was renewed. Maybe it's not to late for this one. Reason for possible flaking: the cat is not amused.

Project 3) Intarsia. We saw this video post that made it look so easy. Unfortunately we are very picky about our color combos and couldn't make up our minds. We completely forgot about the whole thing after one crazy week running from yarn shop to yarn shop. Official reason for flaking: whatever we choose color-wise, it will be warm. Let's put this one off 'til winter.

Project 4) Yohji Yamamoto's super cute jacket. Doesn't it look fab? So simple, so comfy; this should be the official new uniform in the Marimello office. Reason for flaking: we have no excuse on this one.

So with summer dwindling down, it looks like all we have time for is wallpapering our doors. It's about time we revamped the color scheme around here and this project looks so simple ever we cannot fail to complete it. Let's just hope the landlord doesn't come by.

Speaking of Charity Crafting

2007-08-26T11:49:00.001-07:00

You don't necessarily have to send out a million afghans to make a difference. As our friend Renee of Wolfie and the Sneak points out, "Living a passionate existence doesn't seem to coincide with a well-insured one." More often than not, there is a crafty individual in need of our help.
The Wyman benefit over at Wonderland Retreat will be wrapping up on September 15th and there are plenty of items left in the shop. So go on over to Etsy and take a peek.
Renee also alerted us to a couple of other benefits that are happening.
If you're a crafty sort, there's little doubt you've heard of mymy, an indie shopping dream.
perhaps you also keep up with Taryn's blog well enough to know her sister is in the hospital?
Jenifer, a single mother who works 2 jobs AND pitches in over at mymy.
Well, the ever-so-lovely Trisha combs has decided to step up and help out; she's looking for goodies to fill a basket for a raffle to benefit Jenifer's hospital bills.
Check out all the details here.

Save the World Sunday

2007-08-26T11:00:00.000-07:00

The latest issue of Wired appeared in our mailbox recently. We do not remember subscribing, but being the voracious magazine readers we are, we did not complain.
We especially did not complain when we read Clive Thompson's article "Count on the Geeks to Rescue the Earth." It's online too so go check it out.
Thompson brought our attention to the interesting research Paul Slovic is doing on decision making. Slovic has discovered that people are more inclined to help a singular person in need over a group of people who share the same need. It's not that we are stingy, just that we're better at conceptualizing the plight of smaller groups and terrible when it comes to larger groups. Thompson's point is that this is why people like Bill Gates are good at tackling large scale third world diseases through philanthropy. Geeks are better wired to conceptualize big numbers. "We look at the huge numbers and go numb. Gates looks at them and runs the moral algorithm: Preventable death = bad; preventable death x 1 million people = 1 million times as bad."
Uh huh. Sounds simple enough. What does it have to do with crafting? Well we got to thinking about how in fiber arts particularly deal with large numbers. Cast on a sweater in the round lately? Calculate the number of threads needed for the warp and weft of your pattern? If we too conceptualize large numbers well, Slovic's research and Thompson's suggestion probably explains crafters' ability to launch large scale charity projects. It also suggests a root for the optimism with which these efforts are launched. 12 stitches = pattern; 12 stitches x 100,000 = afghan; afghan x 1 million = afghans for an entire country.
And if that's not inspiring food for a Sunday afternoon's though, well we don't know what.

CROQ 10: Marimello in Print

2007-08-22T22:40:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody! CROQ 10 is out and your very own Marimello editor is there on her soapbox for all to see.

Should I Stay or Should I Go: Weekend Plans

2007-08-17T17:14:00.000-07:00

We here at Marimello are too bogged down with important work to even consider setting foot outside the house this weekend and if you're like us, you have a will of steel! However you also might need some distraction in between moments of inspiration. What a conundrum.
There, there, Marimello will make it all better…

You should stay:
International Fiber Collective needs your help to cover a gas station with craft. So craft a 3'x3' square and send it on in.
Craft and Adorn both have new issues out. Get thee to a bookstore (ok that means going a little bit out) and cuddle up with your mags.
But if the bookstore is too much of a trip there's always a bit of reading to do online. May we suggest you peruse Sisterhood of the Needle. Our favorite is definitely the mother-daughter team who both needed shoulder surgery after too much knitting. Cheesey? Yes, but Marimello likes it too.
Finally, nothing says distraction like a good i-cord project. And nothing says too much time on your hands like a headphone cord cozy. But surly you can think of something that needs an initial a la LaVerne and Shirley, or maybe some one you love needs a curse word emblazoned on a pennant.
Or you could do your work...sigh.

You should go:
Giant Robot NY is showing Susie Ghahremani's work and there is an opening tomorrow. You all know Susie from Boy Girl Party. The best part is Susie will be there handing out free copies of Craft and sample of the sampler.
Down New Zealand way, you can hit up Craft 2.0. Our noses have been pointed decidedly south ever since we heard about Lynda Dorrington's plans to turn Perth (yeah yeah we know, different country) into some sort of arts and crafts utopia.
Back on this side of the equator, there's a Recraft Fair happening in Somerville, MA on Saturday. Besides music and loads of free stuff, our friends from Magpie will be there.
Also free and also tomorrow, there's Craftanostra, hosted by the St. Louis Craft Mafia. If you had a private jet, you could make both events, because Craftanostra goes until 1 a.m. Best part? Drinks at the bar.
If you're in our neck of the woods, head over to Fiber Fest in Santa Monica. We might duck out for a moment and head over too. We hear there's an alpaca that needs petting.
And while alpaca-petting may get us out of the house for a moment or two, this Toronto event is our favorite. Maybe it's their offer of weenies, or maybe it's because 20 vendors are all cramming into some one's backyard. More likely it's that afterward, they having a clothing swap and chocolate tasting.

Oh did we say we were going to make your weekend easier? We meant harder.

Image Ann Taintor. She is hilarious.

2007-08-16T17:11:00.000-07:00

We are beginning to love Jezebel. With this new installation of LOLVogue, they finally seem to prove their understanding of our love of crafting and our fascination with over analysis of idiosyncratic web speak.

Now if someone will just put together a LOL Craftzine blog, we can ROFL until we dies.

God How We Love the Local News

2007-08-14T22:32:00.000-07:00

We know it's old timey to craft. But it's really only a little bit old timey; say maybe only on the public transit. Other circles we travel in think it's A-OK and totally hip to the jive, if not a little trendy. So we were happy to see this posted as news today. Offbeat crafting billed so shockingly makes us feel fresh and young again!

But the breaking new we really wanted to bring you was that Marimello wriggled in the glow of the spotlight today. We know that it's gauche to mention, but fuck it.
Check us out in Pack Rat Magazine and on Manolo. We made him blush. Ayyyy!

So shine on you wacky indie! Or indie wackos. We forget which. We'll deal with Miss Web 2.0 Manners next.

Ideas Unbound: Interview with David Bernstein Part II

2007-08-14T09:01:00.000-07:00

Digital content (i.e. your patterns, your words, your pics) will find an audience who doesn’t want or need to pay. This is faboo if you are posting on say Instructables, but not so if you are trying to make a buck. So, we’re back with part deux of the David Bernstein interview where in we discuss the desire for digital content to be free, what gets the New Pamphleteer out the door, and the future of print in the digital age. The New Pamphleteer has embraced the ideas which big publishing houses have not and has big plans for navigating the murky waters between print and digital formats.

M: Many publishers, small and large, are worried about giving away any scrap of their merchandise, including allowing access to a book via Google Book Search or Amazon Search Inside the Book. But you send out an ebook version of your pamphlets to everyone who orders. While we may be so sated with the instant readability, who says we're not gonna turn around, print it out and circulate it our damn selves?

DB: Our mantra on this is unoriginal, but true: Digital content wants to be free. Ebooks are to, me, a not particularly attractive product as a reader. What advantage do they have, as currently constituted, over printed books? The bottom line is, if someone really wants the content, they want to own it in physical form. If they only want to read it, but aren't willing to pay ... well, they would just borrow the printed book from a friend or a library, or but a used copy fro a buck from Amazon. For us, ebooks are just an easier way to let people pass around our stuff to their friends, which I don’t see as a bad thing. The more people who see our pamphlets, the better it is for us. Marketing guru Seth Godin proved this a few years ago, when he gave away the ebook version of one of his books and saw sales of the physical copies skyrocket. Most publishers are terrified of this model, but we're pretty certain that it’s what the future will hold – at least until someone comes up with a more interesting (meaning interactive and fun) way of creating ebooks. Which I might add, is one of our goals as well.

M: Your background in big publishing houses suggests to us that you've had lots of lots of in-house resources—designers, copyeditors, publicists, worker bees, knuckle draggers, etc. Are the Pamphlet Guys handling these tasks with freelancers or what?

DB: We have a VERY talented pool of freelancers who do our design, copyediting, and publicity. But we also do quite a bit ourselves.

M: Aside from revolutionize publishing and the digital stream of consciousness on the web, have you got any big plans in the works? Because we think you are onto something. We think the fate of creative industries, and those that support them lie in the hands of the indies.

DB: As I alluded to earlier, we have big plans for the future relating to ebooks. Print and digital are going to continue to converge in ways that are difficult to predict, but we plan to be right at the center of it, creating a whole range of innovative products. Our logo says "The Future of Print in a Digital Age" which I think sums it up perfectly. Print is going to look different. Digital is going to look different, as our ways of accessing content continue to evolve as a result of new products and technologies. And I think the line between the two will just get blurrier.