Kiva. org

Every year I pick a giving theme in December. Last year, I "adopted" endangered animals from around the world in the names of friends and family members. This year, I would like to help entrepreneurs in third world countries by loaning them money through www.kiva.org. Kiva.org is an online organization that helps individuals start businesses in areas of the world where business loans are difficult, or impossible to get. Loans come from all over the world in small amounts. $20 is a reasonable amount to loan and be helpful to someone who needs help in establishing a viable business!

So, I am started to look into businesses to help support. In the month of December, a portion of all of my profits from selling Xmittens fingerless gloves will be used to create this loan (minimum $50). As I narrow down my search, I will post my top three choices. So far, I feel a connection to the Aqlema Group in Afghanistan, a small group of women who run a quilting business and needs new sewing machines. **Aqlema Group became fully funded as I was finishing this post up. Wonderful!

In the meantime, if you have a minute, check out www.kiva.org and feel free to leave a suggestion in the comments below as to who you think I should support.

Pittsburgh Gives!

Today is a good day to donate to a Pittsburgh non-profit. The Pittsburgh Foundation is sponsoring a day of "gift matching". In other words, your donation will be added to by the Foundation, so that it can go even farther in the non-profit of your choice. Some of my favorites include:

Calliope: The Pittsburgh Folk Music Society


The Carnegie Library System

and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania.

There are so many organizations that need a little extra TLC. Have fun searching through the extensive database of wonderful organizations that make Pittsburgh a culturally rich city.

Madrid, Frederick and Lawrenceville

Planning on traveling anytime soon? Well, if you find yourself in Madrid Spain, Frederick Maryland, or in the Lawrenceville area in Pittsburgh, make sure to visit one of the three new stores carrying my work!



If you find yourself in need of Xmittens while in Madrid, visit Little Miss Maimum. Little Miss Maimum opened in September and is the kind of shop I would want to peruse while traveling. So much color and a thoughtful variety of items. This is the first international wholesale order for me, so this is shop is extra special.



The Muse in Frederick, Maryland is a fantastic boutique that also offers classes, artist demos and now offers Xmittens, too! Plus, the boutique was voted as a Top Retailer of American Craft in 2005, 2006, 2008. Whitney Bingham, the owner, is a sweetheart with great taste, so make sure to stop by!



And the latest to join the list is one of my favorite local boutiques, Pavement. I have always loved Pavement- I buy as many shoes as I can afford there, including my fave winter boots EVER. Pavement will carry a variety of both Xmittens Fashions and amtextiles hand-dyed accessories some of which you may see on live models at the Local Motion Fashion Show later this week.

Other news:
~Sprayblog, the fantastic art blog, asked to interview me about my artwork. They published the interview this week. Go to www.sprayblog.net to read it and see some photos (old and new) of my work. Sprayblog is pretty cool overall, so make sure to read up on other artist and artistic happenings!

Business Tools for Artists, Crafters, whomever needs 'em!

Let's face it- we all need a little help when it comes to some area of our business. For me, though I love the business-y side of things, I need a a starting point to jump off from. So, i have been searching the internet, the library and bookstore for business ideas and advice. Here's some online sources that have been helpful.

Biz Ladies on Design Sponge is my new favorite for getting in-depth, but easy to read business advice. Usually oriented towards artists (Wow!), articles such as Microenterprise Development and Fortune in the Follow up have been helpful as I continue to create a successful creative arts business. There are even more articles than the last time I checked. I can't wait to read about Media Kits, since I am putting together some this week!

And, of course, Modish Biz Tips is amazing, as well. I especially like the monthly goals check-in. It's informative to read about how people develop their business and creative goals and how we all deal with meeting, or not meeting, the monthly goals. Also, there are series such as Brick-by-Brick and Biz Basics the latest of which was written by Tara Gentile of Scoutie Girl ( current blog fave).

Got any business resources you want to share? Leave a comment with your favorite!

More Disappointing News From Pennsylvania

I hate that I am still having to post these disappointing updates about the Arts in PA. However, there are still a few more days to make changes to the budget! Here is the latest news from the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council and Citizens for the Arts:

Proposed State Budget Includes Sales tax Expansion

The new proposed state budget agreement removes a sales tax exemption on tickets to museums, theaters, concerts, opera, ballet and other similar activities as a means of raising revenue for the state. According to an article in yesterday's Philadelphia Inquirer "Sources familiar with the final package said the deal calls for the creation of a special fund for cultural institutions and the arts."



As the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council continues to work with partners across Pennsylvania to determine a unified course of action, local arts advocates can help by calling their state legislators.



1) Let them know that you are opposed to the sales tax expansion and that this is "taxing" ordinary citizens out of the cultural experience.



2) Ask them why the arts have been singled out for this tax, when other forms of entertainment with much greater revenue generating potential, such as movies and sporting events, are exempted?



3) Demand that if Harrisburg is going to create a dedicated arts fund, then the arts need to be invited to the table to talk about it.



If you need a phone number for your legislators visit the Citizens for the Arts website. The budget will take at least 10 days to pass, so the time to act is now.



For up-to-the-minute information regarding arts funding in the state budget, follow the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.


Please forward this message to your contacts or networks who are supportive of the arts.

Art funding in PA, there's some, but not all...

For people in Pennsylvania, this is really important. Call you legislators today!
Call Your State Legislators Now!

During a press conference this morning (9/11/2009), members representing both caucuses in the Senate and the House Democratic caucus announced that an agreement had been reached on the state budget for FY 09-10. It is reported the budget includes $10 million for arts grants (down from $15.2 million) through the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and $1 million (down from $1.3 million) for administration of the Council.


This increase is a huge testament to your advocacy efforts considering the ZERO offered in SB 850. However it still represents a cut of almost 30% over last year's approved appropriation. There is a brief window of time to CALL your legislators. Express your appreciation for including the funding for the PCA but urge them to fund arts grants at a level between $12.5 million - $14 million. Arts funding supports jobs, programming in schools and at senior citizens centers, and helps revitalize our downtowns. Remember to tell them why this is a priority to you and your community. Tell them the many ways that we all benefit from an investment in the arts. CALL YOUR LEGISLATORS TODAY.

You can locate phone numbers on Citizen's for the Arts in PA's e-advocacy site at http://capwiz.com/artsusa/pa .

Crafts N'At Indie Craft fair this Saturday!

Need something to do this weekend? Want to get a heads start on holiday shopping?

Come to Crafts n'At at the Union Project in Highland Park, Pittsburgh. All the new styles of Xmittens will be there!

10am-6pm this Saturday! Crafts, Music and a Benefit to the Parkinson's Foundation...Find out more here.

Inspiration came on a Tuesday

Last month, I took a jewelry course at the Society for Contemporary Craft that has gotten me addicted! I can't wait to have a little more time to put towards soldering, riveting and constructing out of metal. My favorite piece I finished is a sterling silver thumb ring inspired by the skyscrapers outside. Here are some pictures of the ring and the skyscrapers and me interacting.

New Xmittens and Xmittens coupon offer!

Let your voice be heard AND save on Xmittens! Go to this Xmittens survey, fill it out and receive a coupon of your choice!

You could save on any style of Xmittens fingerless gloves (including the new Utili-Xmittens shown in the picture) or other Xmittens accessory.

This will really help me in my endeavor to finish writing my business plan, so thanks ahead of time!

In the meantime, be well!

Xmittens get a new look, plus my new addiction

Xmittens have a new look! Check out my new logo banner (designed by the lovely Heather Mallak of DYHM design)!


In honor of my new logo and all of the crazy amount of planning I have been doing, I have revamped my pricing structure in my Xmittens shop on etsy. Most items have LOWER prices! Check out the new look and new prices at www.xmittens.etsy.com! Mention code TWOFER in the message to seller to get $3 off when you purchase 2 or more items thru Sept. 1, 2009!

Like the cool font she used? www.dafont.com has all sorts of great fonts to use for your crafts, documents, websites, wherever for free and as an open source. You can even preview a word or phrase to see how it looks: check out my preview of "Horror" fonts here. This site will help me create better looking wholesale catalogs for Xmittens and amtextiles , plus all the other promo materials I have been working on.

Have fun font hunting!

Photo Shoot Outtakes

My lovely friend and model Jenn is awesome! We work very well together at photo shoots. We shoot the breeze, catch up with each other and take some amazing photographs of both her loveliness and my amtextiles and Xmittens fashions.

Well, I also make her laugh. You know, like blow milk out your nose laugh. And, I get to catch it on film! So, here are some of the latest creations from my studio and Jenn being her funny self, plus a little one of me showing off my soon-to-be-unveiled Utili-Xmittens. Enjoy!

Business Planning for Artists- the Daily Worth

Last year, as we were looking into buying a house, I researched how to clean up my credit. It took a little bit of time, but so very worth it! Had I known about the Daily Worth I would have started working on this even earlier.

If you are a crafter, artisan, self-employed, a nine-to fiver, or just have some questions about personal finance, this is a great blog and email series to read! If you sign up for the Daily Worth emails you will receive short and sweet email messages about various financial topics like: Budgeting, cutting your credit card debt and being efficient and making more money this blog has something that everyone can learn. As their website says:

" DailyWorth is a
free daily personal finance
email for women. We deliver
practical tips, empowering ideas
and the occasional kick in the pants."

This is geared towards the ladies, though everyone can learn invaluable advice. I highly recommend it!

Inspiration Wednesday- New Jewelry Class!

As a birthday present from my mom (thanks mom!!) I am attending a great beginning jewelry making class this July. I love that I get to saw metal, solder silver, rivet rings and all sorts if crazy cool things that I have always wanted to do!

Here are some pictures of what I made during the first class. A copper pendant that I sawed, filed, sanded and drilled. I used a newly blossomed tiger lily from my garden as inspiration for the lines of the piece. I plan on doing a little bit more with it during the next class. Maybe round the "petals" a bit more? We'll see....

As I left class, I saw a beautiful sunset with the downtown skyline as a backdrop. Here's the pendant "squishing" one of the skyscrapers in downtown Pittsburgh...


What's your inspiration this Wednesday? Leave a comment about it!

Recycling Fabric- Ribbon

Recycling fabric is something I do every day in my studio. Some people may call it upcycling. Whatever the official name is, I make sure to not throw away anything that can be used again. As a new and regular blog subject I will be posting about recycling fabric ideas every week or so.

Today, Recycled Ribbon! I use a serger sewing machine most days. The cool thing about the serger is that it can be really interesting three dimensional ridges that I use to design on fabric frequently. The downside to this is that as it cuts the fabric to make the thread details, it leaves behind a thin piece of material. Since I use it a lot, this means I have a lot of very thin strips of fabric that are not use-able for many things.

Then, I got smart. I started to tie these thin strips together. This make beautiful ribbon! I use the recycled silk ribbon as gift wrap for my amtextiles line of art-to-wear and for gifts for friends and family.


Any kind of fabric will work. Or, tie scraps of ribbon together to make multi-colored ribbon. Just make sure to knot the fabric strips together at least twice so it is strong enough. Hang it around the house for easy decoration, wrap it around a vase, your wrist or neck...you decide! If you don't have leftover fabric, check out my etsy supply shop for some already made recycled ribbon.

Arts Funding still in Jeopardy!

After a few weeks of good news, eliminating ALL Funding for the Arts in pennsylvania is back on the table. Here is an excerpt of an email I just received from Jenny Hershour who is the Managing Director of Citizens for the Arts:

We are facing a disaster in state support for the arts.



The outlook for state funding for the arts has taken a dramatic and significant turn for the worse. Your immediate efforts are needed.



Senate Bill 850, that eliminates all funding for the arts and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, is back under consideration.



But it is worse.



The proposed budget in SB 850 would need to be reduced by an additional $1.7 billion to balance the budget. That’s billion, with a “B.”



We need more help from you.



Join us and tell your friends about the upcoming Arts Rally at the Capitol on Tuesday, July 14 at 11 am in the Rotunda of the Main Capitol. Your presence will make a powerful statement of support for the arts.



http://www.citizensfortheartsinpa.org/SavetheArtsinPARally.asp



Please contact 5 other people to get them to sign up for advocacy alerts and to send a message to their legislators by using the Citizens for the Arts website.



http://capwiz.com/artsusa/pa



Thank you for contacting your legislators in support of the state funding for the arts. We know your message is being heard. As the legislature and the Governor develop a budget for next year we must keep them aware of the strong support for the arts among our fellow citizens.



SAVE THE ARTS IN PA RALLY

JULY 14

11 AM

MAIN CAPITOL ROTUNDA HARRISBURG, PA


Do what you can to save the arts in PA!

Our backyard

We bought this house last year. Both Adam and I have owned other houses, but this is the first we picked out together (awwww....). Anyway, we love being outdoors. We love the convenience and diversity of living in a city. As we found out, it can be hard to find a place in the city that has outdoor space.

Well, we found it! I have posted pics of the fabulous sunsets we get up here already. This summer we are working on making our backyard into the relaxing space that we have always wanted (so we can enjoy those sunsets). currently, we are building a garage and we already built a fence. Of course, since we are quirky, the fence has bird house turrets with hand-dyed dowel rod perches and a photo opportunity straight from the circus fun house!

Here are some pics of friends that poked their head through our gate only to find me taking their pictures. Adam painted the "Anonymous Rebel Leader" and I painted the "Lil' Goldilocks". Can't help but have a little fun with what's around us.

YART Sale at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts

It's going to be fun! I went through my studio and packed up lots of fabric (some hand-dyed!), jewelry and jewelry supplies, plus some of last year's Xmittens fingerless gloves! I know some of the other artists and they will also have good stuff, so visit if you can!

Here is what the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review has to say about the Sale.

Strategic Planning for artists

It's summertime and not only does that mean I am busy making wonderful new things to unveil in fall, it also means I have been creating my yearly strategic plan. Yep, an artist who thinks strategically is not a person to mess with :)

Every morning before I start working I create a new visual journal entry inspired by business plans, strategic and creative businesses practices...basically, things I never thought would be pertinent to me, but now I find fascinating.

The picture is of an entry based on how I envision myself and my creative business to be at its best, along with what I am already good at. Things like "Outline Brain is Fun", "I can Focus" and "If I could pick my skin colors, I would pick the colors of sunset" help me sort out what is important to concentrate on and what is not.

One of the main strategic goals I have right now is to improve my blog entries by planning ahead and writing regularly along with cleaning up my Textile Arts newsletter email list. In this theme, here is a link to sign up for my e-newsletter. Either sign up for a Bi-monthly newsletter with exclusive product updates and coupons, or sign up for the monthly newsletter with in depth featured artist interviews, plus textile art news, reviews and special deals in my online shops.

By the way, I am using the book "The Creative Entrepreneur" as my guide in this process. I really recommend it to those looking for some structure in their creative business.

Happy Creating!

ivh6rewk87

Art Installation Photo in the Paper

Wow! My Gestures 12 Art Installation was on the first page of the Arts Magazine in the Post-Gazette yesterday! Nice way to wake up!

Check it out here.

If you are ever in Pittsburgh, definitely go to the Mattress Factory museum. It is one of the few places that still encourages art process as much as art product. Their annual Garden Party is this Friday from 7pm-11pm. I donated a piece of wearable art that used the art material theme they provide, Vinyl Records, to create Japanese Shibori surface design on the cloth. Since it is the Urban Rock Star Gareden Party this year, the Art-to-Wear Wrap Shawl is a bit Spicy...

A little bit about "Echoes of Objects"

Since I featured the other textile artists in the Gestures 12 Mattress Factory, I thought I should share something about my own.

In the end, about 25 people donated "unseen objects" from their lives to be in the show. What are unseen objects? Well, I defined them as objects that are in our everyday lives, but we don't even see anymore. Knick knacks, things we need to fix, but haven't yet, sentimental objects you don;t know what to do with anymore...

Some of the items I got were:

A plastic vase
a rusty, soldered together wrench
tiger's teeth
picture frames
Japanese seed packets
a belt
a broken electrical outlet
an angel figurine



Quite an eclectic bunch! After I dyed the silk organza that I used as the fabric base, I bound each of the objects into the silk and subjected all the fabric panels to some abuse similar to a wet felting process. Once the fabric soaks and then air dries, the objects can be unbound and VOILA! Permanent echoes of the object remain in the fabric.

I decided to go this direction for several reasons.

1) It is a process I use in my textile art-to-wear, but I wanted to take it further and be surprised by the objects I would use rather than plan ahead of time

2) It is based on Japanese shibori. Japanese shibori fabric dyeing techniques use three dimensional objects to create two dimensional surface design on cloth. The traditional methods have been passed down for generations and use a specific community's location as inspiration i.e. shibori that comes from near the ocean looks like waves.

3) There is an underlying commentary on what objects those in my community choose to have around them. Tiger's teeth and old toys? Strange. And, why? I wanted those who gave me objects to look around and question their lifestyle even just briefly. And, hopefully, the art audience would do the same.



So, as you look at the photos (go to flickr for more) you can try and see what object may have been embedded in the fabric and imagine what object you would have contributed.