Mattress Factory Installation is coming up!

Umm...it's in 10 days. The opening...I still have so much to do! Sleep is not on my list of things to get done. It is going to be one of the best pieces I have ever made, though! I have been asking people from my community to donate 1-2 objects that they are "unseen". here's the official invite I sent out:


My installation is about the unseen objects that share our living space. You
know, those things you have kept around for years, but don't really look at, or use
anymore. Think Knick knacks, keys that have no lock, rusty nails, an old
shoe...I would love to have 1-2 items from people in my life to include in the
installation.

So far, I have 6 people who have donated some really interesting things: sunglasses with dust all over them, rusty screws, an old electrical outlet, a spiderman toy...I'll post more pics soon! In the meantime, put the opening on May 8 7pm-9pm on your list to do!

Mattress Factory Art Installation

destruction documentation 001, originally uploaded by ambermayhem.

mmmm....I really like it when life comes and embraces me. For several years now I have been going down the wearable art road. I mean, fabric dyeing as a main medium does lend itself very well into making art to wear. However, sometimes an artist needs a push in another direction! So, just when it seems like I need to explore some new ideas, I get an invitation to create an art installation at the Mattress Factory, a world-renowned art gallery/museum that specializes in site-specific art installations. Perfect! My alchemist/mad scientist/visual artist side can come out to play even more!

I have been exploring using the typical processes I use (sewing, fabric dyeing, manipulation of cloth), but with a distinctive destructive edge to them. The photos show some of the process of sketches I created to get some hands-on ideas. I am using bleach, vinegar and rusting techniques to destroy and remove dyes in the fabric. It is so refreshing to get away from functional work! Though, I will probably miss it and run right back to it with new ideas after this is done.

I'll post more pictures as things progress!

April Featured Artist- Joan Dulla!

People ask me all the time where I learned to knit and crochet with wire. Well, Joan Dulla was my teacher! I volunteered to be Joan's helper one week at Touchstone Center for Crafts. I learned so much! I was able to catch up with Joan at the American Craft Council Show in February and she agreed to be my featured artist this month.

Describe your work and/or studio process.

I crochet fine wire, (fine silver, 18K gold, niobium and color copper wire ) into jewelry and sculptures. I make rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, collars, cuff links and do commissions.

How has it been for you as a metalsmith working with a traditional textile construction technique?

I started taking classes as a metalsmith in 1986. I was making pendants and friends were telling me that I needed to make handmade chains for my pieces. Traditional ways to make handmade chains are VERY labor intensive and not something I could do out of a studio. An old friend taught me how to use a crochet hook and a wooden skewer to "crochet" a chain. It was VERY difficult and my fingers were bleeding and my hands hurt after a very short time. And I had only made about an inch of chain. I knew there had to be a better way. Having made a sweater when I was 16 (and not a very pretty one either!!!) I knew that knitting stitch and purling were opposites. So, I played with the stitch my metalsmith friend has shown me, and magic happened. Once I got going, I could make a chain in about 3 hours, which is still expensive, but a lot less than anything I had ever done before.

Then I started playing with opening the tube (chain) up and making larger necklaces using pearls. This is the first award that I won with the 18K gold and 3mm and 10 mm pearls. It was a Niche Award Finalist and Won the Lapidary Joural's Best of Competition in 2001. I figured I was on to something. I play with the process some more, and have made beads, of all shapes and sizes, bracelets using the flat stitch and sculptures using all of the above.

In Recreating Myself, I used my toes as my form by making long sided beads, and crocheted them together using the flat stitch. The remarkable thing about this stitch is its ability to create a skeleton and a sturdy form i.e- Emily's Fine sculpture which is a
life-size human spinal column. And I am still learning about this process, as I figured out this February how to make a Heart shape. It is so exciting!!!

Any new creations you are excited about?

I love my new series using money. I started about two years ago making purses, as I had customers who collected them. I made "Pretty Penny," <"Dime Bag", Nickel Bag". Change Purse, when I realized that the weight that I was carrying around to shows had gone up significantly. So I decide to try using shredded money. I had a knee replacement last March and was on all kinds of drugs. Not the time to use a torch or hammer. So I sat happily in my chair, on my drugs and make millions of beads out of shredded money. I have made since coming off of the drugs :>) several more pieces in this series: Pot O'Money, ( a tea pot ) Money Collar, Bracelet, Ring, Necklace, Money Bag-x2 and am really having a blast.
What are your thoughts on Art, Craft, AltCraft/Indie Craft as categories or definitions in general and as they pertain to your work?

Art comes from some place deep inside us, and we need to nurture that more in our children. I find in the college classes that I teach and a lot of people have never touch pastels, or graphite, or paints of any kind. I think this is horrible as Art is a way to find out about your inner workings and how to express yourself. My students are so afraid of criticism and are locked into thinking that they possess no artistic talent. They leave with portfolios of beautiful things that they never believed that they could do. We need to bring more art back into the classroom for students who may not succeed at first with the usual ABC's but explode when they are given a paintbrush, or pastel. And as for Alt- craft.... I believe that ART is ART whether it is in a museum or on the wall in the classroom. It comes from the heart-- it is art!

Where can people find your work?

I do shows on both coasts, ACC Baltimore, and San Francisco, Contemporary Craft Market in Santa Monica, Washington Craft Show, Philadelphia Craft Show etc. The best way to find me is to go to my website (www.joandulla.com) and I have listed all the coming attractions.

I also have a web presence on Etsy at http://www.joan963.etsy.com

I love my new camera

I do. I won't say anything else- just look! There's more on Facebook, too.

Recycling Fabric Project #1

I found this great book at the library the other day "Don't Throw It Out". It's awesome!
Such great ideas for how to re-use and upcycle all sorts of things.



I opened the book up to a fun Woven Tie Seat Cover. I have so many old ties in boxes in my studios that I don't know what to do with. Now, I think I do!

Here's a quick tutorial on how to make a woven seat cover made of old ties.

Spring Cleaning Your Etsy Shop

I just wrote an article about how to spring clean your etsy shop.
Here's a snippet:

1)Analyze your shop. Do you have items that are only going to attract attention during winter months? Delete them, or discount them. However, if you ship internationally, consider focusing a part of your marketing budget on renewing or advertising for those in the Southern Hemisphere where Autumn and Winter is just starting.

2)Create images with a consistent look. Look around your shop- are all your photos really different? Consider taking some new photographs with the same colorful background, or outside with some spring flowers. People will think you have new items which is always exciting!

Check out my Amtextiles shop to see how it looks! I like it so much better now!

Want to read the full article? Go to How to Spring Clean Your Etsy Shop.

Featured Artist: Jen from Raeburn Ink

I met Jen from Raeburn Ink at the AltCraft section of the American Craft Council show. She had the table next to me and I fell in love with her "Pillow Rings" (see photo) and her creative use of color. I asked her to the the featured artist for March. Check out what she has to say about her work, textile art and make sure to stop by her shops as well!


1) How would you describe your textile work as it currently is being made?
My current processes are screen printing and patchwork. I create functional objects - pillows, bags, jewelry, tee shirts. My screen printed fabrics use images drawn from various sources - some recent collections are inspired by scientific imagery, office supplies, and my trip to Japan. In general, I'm interested in color, geometry, and abstraction. I try to bring a sense of adventure into my pieces through the use of bright colors, contrasts, and hopefully a sense of humor. My patchwork pieces evolved out of a desire to use every scrap of fabric that I create. I couldn't bring myself to throw away the tiny bits, so I created a whole new collection to work with them.

2) List some of your inspiration for your current work
I have recently been working on my Macro/Micro print collection, looking at similarities between the very large and the very small. It has a heavy geology influence. I've been working with delicate line drawings, which is pretty new for me.

3) Do you incorporate other media or non-textile techniques in your work? how?
The actual pieces I produce use very established techniques - sewing and printing. I do use Photoshop and Illustrator a lot in the development of my imagery. I create sketches and manipulate photos and drawings. I test colorways and ideas, which I can do much faster on the computer than I can otherwise. The computer is an amazing tool for me in the development of my work.
4) What are your thoughts on Art, Craft, AltCraft/Indie Craft as categories or definitions in general and as they pertain to your work?
I'm not crazy about the perceived divisions in the Art/Craft/Design worlds. I feel like there's so much overlap in these genres, and I've always wondered where I fit in - I feel like all of them describe my work to some degree. I am very interested in conceptual art, and that informs my work and aesthetic quite heavily. I choose to make functional objects, which aligns my work with much of the craft world. I really connect with and love the return to the handmade that is a main element of the Indie Craft world. I don't fit in entirely to any of these categories, I'm really somewhere in the middle.

5) Any new creations you are excited about?
I'm starting some new designs that are based on my test prints, I love the unexpected results that happen when images are layered unintentionally. I'm also studying clothing construction and design, and I am planning to work on a new small clothing collection. And some plans to experiment with digitally printed fabrics.
6) Where can people find your work?
The easiest place to find me is online at www.raeburnink.com. I travel a lot to exhibit at various shows, and I list my show schedule online. I also have an etsy shop, of course! Its www.raeburnink.etsy.com