Extreme Crafts 25 05 - 12 08 2007 at Contemporary Art Centre in Vilnius Lithuania ::
the exhibition will completely embrace the spirit of the DIY movement–with major artworks, crackpot projects, and hands-on workshops (via Garth Johnson who I believe wrote the catalogue essay).

excerpt from introduction essay: (read the rest here)

Handicrafts are increasingly being used by artists and designers as a source of inspiration and method of manufacture. … Punk knitting, origami with an agenda and epic cross-stitch have surged in numbers. … Customisation is also experiencing a renaissance. Technology, perceived to be removed and sophisticated, is being re-attached to the user by the democratic ‘anyone-can-make-and-do‘ … self organised groups of artists and makers are creating forums for people to do it for themselves. … Crucial to Extreme Crafts is not only the product of craft, but the process of crafting: the gallery spaces will be activated by different groups invited to demonstrate their activities and importantly, visitors will be encouraged to participate.

Some of the participating artists include:

Sonya Schonberger is spending a week in the gallery space sewing an entire newspaper. The many hours of labour as the intensive sewing allows Schönberger to study the usually swiftly consumed media image.

Claudia Borgna’s accumulation of tightly folded plastic bags represents her relationship with discarded materials and the environment. Her installations are part of an ongoing observation and questioning of how ‘plastic’ and the natural realms interact with one another.

Catherine Bertola creates site-specific works with dust, skin cells, hair and dirt to recreate patterns and elements from times gone by. For this exhibition she has painted a pattern from a Lithuanian domestic interior with dust and has revived the endeavours of a previous artisan, in the stark Modernist halls of the exhibition space, acknowledging the history of the site which was once home to bustling shops and domiciles.

Tyre printing with Refunc and Garbage Architecture by Refunc / Jan Korbes

Jan Körbes from the Netherlands takes disused objects to create interiors, research projects and workshops based on recovered waste materials. The curators of this exhibition challenged him to find furniture solutions for the exhibition spaces. Employing the help of a team of local people, Körbes set about creating strange amalgams from objects which would ordinarily be discarded and considered useless such as bald car tyres, old sofas and bits of metal and wood.

The exhibition also includes community events and workshops (see timetable for more details) such as a knitting marathon, the second hand clothes remix and the refunc garbage challenge,

See more images at flickr and see the exhibition timetable here - if anyone is going to this - would love to hear about it.

Thanks all for introducing your craft at the whiplash page. Lots of time left for anyone else to introduce yourself and meet some like minded folk. You can upload a link for a tutorial or showcase - but remember please don’t upload links to items that are for sale. I will be featuring more entries next week.

Abmatic is making baby rugs/blankets/playmats and has a simple how-to do it if are interested in making these yourself.

crafty ginger is doing some perfunctional crafting - her word, it means taking an item that might be a little bland, and making it perfect for her (or your) needs. Love it!

Hey lucy has a neat little tutorial for making a simple booklet.

Ruby crowned kinglet has a video tutorial - with music - on how to make some gorgeous covered buttons. - pics too if the video is not working for you.

U-handbag has one of her fab tutes on making a bag - this time with piping.

Hanne has been doing up deck chairs - love the results

Check out website/online mag Cut out and keep - the fabric ball necklace tutorial is cool, sock gloves and magazine sushi.

The site is run by Cat Morley - she says: This is a website that teaches anyone, of any skill or age, how to craft and live creatively. All of the DIY projects are made from common household items and the step by step photo tutorials will teach anyone how to be a skilled crafter in no time.

Love this great way to organise your fabric stash

The adventurous scrapbooker: creating wonderful scrapbooks from almost anything, by Katherine Duncan Aimone. 2006 Lark Books.

I like this scrapbooking book because it is about using what you have or can find, not about purchasing expensive papers and accessories (although there are some cute products out there I will admit), however this book is really about using your creative side to make your own designs and using unusual materials, to step outside the traditional scrapbooking box and be an adventurous scrapbooker. There are lots of great projects in the book that utilise interesting materials, such as using a children’s board book as a base with vintage ephemera, maps and fabric swatches. Using an old book as a base and embellishments like index tabs and photocopied photos. Using mail order catalogues with lace and torn papers and maps. Another great idea is to bind vintage postcards together to make an album to use as a starting point. There are heaps of other great projects that will really get your creative energies going.

Acrylic revolution: new tricks & techniques for working with the world’s most versatile medium, by Nancy Reyner. 2007 North Light Books.

A wonderful resource for the budding artist, student or anyone wishing to experiment with acrylic paint. Chapters on what to paint onto, and with, various base treatments and effects and textures to incorporate as well as mixed media and stenciling. Chapter one for example - ‘you can paint on anything’ shows the more traditional materials such as wood, canvas and paper together with fabric, metal and glass with advice on how to treat the materials before using them. Each chapter is similarly explained all with excellent and really I mean excellent pictures and examples of the techniques in use and finished examples too. A great resource for classes, artists and families.

The art of beaded beads: Exploring design, color and technique, edited by Jean Campbell. 2006 Lark Books.

Creative designs and techniques from top beadwork artists. A tribute to the art of beading, this book is both a technical guide and a project based book with designs by various artists who show the reader how to achieve and make their designs. Some gorgeous examples include the crisscross bead by Sharon Bateman, which is shaped like a cross. The lava lamp bead, designed by Wendy Ellsworth has a really unusual tube shape that slightly flares out. This book is totally for the beading enthusiast with a pretty good skill level.

Here’s something new to try! Ever see vintage bras at the thrift shop or yard sales? Grab a few and try out Crafty Chi’s Bra Wristlet Tutorial.

CRAFT recently featured a tutorial by etsy labs on how to fuse plastic bags together to make fabric. Something I have been experimenting with at home, so I was excited to see a tutorial. And TreeHugger recently featured an artist, Anna Roebuck, who makes jewellery and art from fused plastic bags (see pic)

Check out this video tutorial on doing it. And this fantastic dress made from this method, and this plastic bag wallet from vestal design. Also check out the tutorial from in the wake which was mentioned way back on whipup.

Duct Tape is hosting a “Stuck on Prom” contest where students from all over the US and Canada had to make their own prom outfits from, you guessed it, Duct Tape! I can’t believe how detailed and fabulous these designs are! The ingenuity displayed by each couple really makes me want to start experimenting. . . . I had no idea Duct Tape came in so many colors!

You can click over and vote on the best outfit! The lucky winners will each receive a $3,000 cash scholarship so you’ll be helping some creative kids earn some cash for their college educations! Voting ends 6/29.

There’s so much talent in the craftblog universe that it’s not a surprise that we’re starting to cross over into traditional publishing. Bella Dia just posted a handy list of bloggers in books. It’s quite the list, with more books on the way. Here’s a guide to joining in the fun.

books

The easiest way to get your work into books is to submit to projects looking for designers. Blogs will sometimes advertise for submissions for a book in progress, and Whip Up also occasionally posts submission requests from publishers, like Lark Books (project submission page). Some of these publishers seem to read craft blogs and approach people directly through email if they like your work. If you’re really serious, you can get an agent, but that’s beyond the scope of this post. Craft Sanity has some good podcasts with folks talking about how they got into the big time, including interviews with Amy Karol, the Sew Subversive ladies, and a variety of other (published) crafting rock stars.

magazines

There’s also the wide world of craft magazines, including online ones like Knitty (submission guide) and “real life” ones like Craft (submission guidelines), Readymade (submissions), and Adorn (design submissions).

When submitting projects, make sure to know what kind of things they are looking for and typically publish so you can make sure it’s the right match for your idea and style. Also, follow all directions, meet all deadlines, read any contracts thoroughly, and put your best foot forward in the proposal.

self publishing

The other route to go is to self-publish, which has the obvious benefits of lower barriers to entry, more flexibility, and that DIY ethic we all love, but the downsides that you have to do everything yourself and maybe even invest money up front. Graphic design and drawing skills are a definite plus. Patterns can be downloads or printed, free or sold through your website or Etsy.

PDF patterns

One increasingly popular route is the PDF tutorial. These are very much like the blogged tutorials we all know and love, but generally in a more put-together, printable (and saleable) format. There are over 1500 items in Etsy’s pattern category, plus some other examples like Fitzpatterns (sewing), Wee Wonderfuls (several toys), Futuregirl (cool octopus stuffie pattern) and Roxycraft (crochet and knit toys).

PDF patterns are pretty easy to do with fairly standard software. I’ve self-published a PDF book (for scientists, not crafters, but the concept’s the same) put together with my digital camera, scanned-in drawings, the graphics software that came with my computer, and Microsoft Word, which will export to PDF. Powerpoint can also do the job and has a little more layout flexibility. Illustrator and Photoshop are upgrades worth considering for more complicated stuff.

The Art of Crochet has a cool variation of this where you can buy downloadable patterns and also use an online size calculator to customize the pattern for your measurements. Plus they offer technical support. This is one thing I love about the intersection of publishing and the internet: the author is accessible, you can ask questions, get any corrections right away, and interact with other people making the patterns through Flickr groups or Craftster threads.

self-published but professionally printed

To take this idea to a more professional level, you can actually get patterns printed by a company. Disdressed (recent backpack pattern, sold out but being reprinted), Wee Wonderfuls (several pattern booklets and embroidery transfers, some still available), Angry Chicken (Mailorder) and Jess Hutch (knitted soft toys, out of print), among others, have successfully self-published patterns that are professionally printed, sold through their websites, and mailed to you. Overnight Prints seems to be a popular printer, though there are certainly others out there. Lulu.com is another way to do this. They offer both downloads and professionally printed options. The crafts and hobbies section includes stuff from The Crochet Dude among others.

Whew, long post, and it’s really only a cursory tour. People who know more than me, please feel free to add advice and resources in the comments section.

Doll stories has a visual chronology of how her fantastic dolls are put together here and here.

Her blog Bum Crane. Pru is located in QLD Australia.

I am a farm animal..hear me roar!

These are the next guys on the production front.They’re each made using six two piece moulds and one single mould which are all grafted together to make these little bird/pig fellows. As all seems to be holding, although not yet completely dry, I’ll push on with the herd. Colour and scrafito/text etc are yet to be added …which will be made up of hog fodder fables or something along those lines.

Coe and Waito

porcelain jellyfish

Spruce cones

Sew Useful contest: Etsy and Instructables have partnered to launch the Sew Useful contest to celebrate their two communities. Entrants will bring their skills to practical projects that make life easier, then share the how-tos.
UPDATE: Deadline for entry has been extended to July 16, 2007!!!

It’s not too late to submit your entry for 500 Handbags! If you haven’t done so already, send your entries to us postmarked by July 16. Lark books - Questions can be directed to: squinn@larkbooks.com

We are currently looking for hip, creative, and fashion-savvy young thrifters to make up our 2007-2008 Savers/ Value Village Redesigners team. The deadline for Applications if June 25th, next MONDAY!
Vintage. Think. Do-it-yourself designs. Whatever the style, shopping secondhand comes first among the fashion-forward crowd. Do you know how to get the “it” look for less? Is your style all your own? Can you creatively mix and match clothes like nobody’s business? Then, we’re looking for you! Questions? Contact ReDesigners@savers.com

Laura Wazna-Blank wrote:
Hi Whip Up!

Thank you so much for being here, WhipUp is the first site I check in the morning and the last at night!
I just opened up my online shop, Modern Craft, and thought it might appeal to some of your readers. We sell Japanese Craft books, some fabric (also mostly Japanese), and notions. Our aim is to provide craft supplies with a Modern style, that are both high quality and contemporary.

Professional artists are invited to submit materials for selection to become published in Masters of Today 100 Contemporary Artists (two-pages) and one page bonus in Art of Excellence, global art books edited by WOA Publishing (London / Stockholm). All entries go through the selection process. Place and availability in the book are subject to quality and acceptance. The nominations and inclusions are judged solely by visuals submitted as attachment send to: info@worldofartmagazine.com. The editors will review all submission and make decisions on acceptance.

Check out this covered button tutorial at crafty b

Cherri House, of Cherry House Quilts has written in with a tutorial and pattern (link is PDF file) for this lovely quilt design - check it out.

thread and thimble wrote in with this cool link to decoupage using found children’s books

Shannon Garson is a potter living in Queensland, Australia. She makes porcelain pots with drawn garden life upon them. The purpose of these pots is to create a small dorway into a different world as people go about their everyday lives, having cups of tea, washing dishes, eating cakes.

Image: Nests - Series one - The delicate ‘Nests - Series one’ vessels are pared back, porcelain bowls with a matt surface that are etched with drawings of twigs and sticks to form a series of tactile ‘birds nests’.

When I went to the judging for the shortlist one of the judges asked me” if I had considered getting my works manufactured in China.” At the time I was so shocked I just said that was not where I saw my practice going but what I really meant was I think it is unethical to get your work manufactured in another country simply because the people there will work for very low wages. It is also environmentally and socially unsustainable to ship work across the world and back again. … Manufacturing my work in the community I live in strengthens the both the community and the artist. I buy my clay from a local business and, should I ever become prosperous enough I will be able to employ local people. I think it is really important for artists to manufacture within their communities, it leads to a greater understanding of what artists do and makes a rich, textured community where productivity leads directly to local products and local profits.

I was recently asked to talk on local radio about the resurgence in knitting. I know for many it has never gone away, however knitting in popular culture is definitely on the increase.

Some say that the resurgence is due to its meditative qualities, the quiet click clack of the needles, the feel of the yarn through your hands as you watch your project grow. For others it is the need for a simpler lifestyle within the hi-tech fast paced increasingly impersonal society we live. A response to how we feel about the environment and mass consumerism, it is part of a broader collective urge to simplify our lives.

There is a greater value placed on handmade things, the uniqueness and variation that come from flaws and mistakes and experimentation are celebrated rather than sneered at, the maker is visible within the object and so is the love that went into creating the object. We are also rediscovering the intense satisfaction there is to be found in creating something and being rewarded by our labour intensive efforts.

Youth are discovering the versatility in knitting, how it can be shaped and used within popular and sub cultures. Knitted super heroes and movie character’s costumes and knitted graffiti and street arts are happening along side ‘geek’ or ‘tech’ knitting; knitted mouse pads, ipod cosies, knitted robots, daleks and zombies, and lets not forget knitted skulls appearing on everything.

Along with all this self discovery, we also have a desire to give back to society; community and charity knitting is a wonderful way where people can use their skill for good, not only to help those in need but to help themselves by being a part of something bigger. A large part of this is knitting for activism, where knitting is used as a strong political tool to gain the attention of the government and society and to rally communities together.

The internet is a big part of the international communication that is happening within the knitting community. Websites such as knitty.com where free online patterns become part of our collective conscious, craftzine.com with links to ‘diy’ and ‘how-to’ projects, etsy.com where crafter’s can sell their knitted items and of course whipup.net which provides a broad view of the online crafting community. Apart from these sites the thousands upon thousands of knitting blogs, podcasts and forums shows how versatile knitting is to changes in society and technology, and how important a tool knitting is for reaching out to others.

Artists have taken up the call to knit as well. When knitting is used in a fine art setting it manages to make the ordinary look extraordinary. It speaks of gender politics and domestic processes, it pays homage to long traditions and is naturally imbued with history, survival, warmth and protection. It is an artists job to subvert, explore and extend the medium of their choice and the use of non-traditional materials helps to push boundaries. However it is the handmade quality of knitting that is valued in art, the process, transparent technique, the tactile qualities that are prized, and the simple craft of knitting allows freedom to explore ideas and experiment, to pursue the creative process.

Image credit: Gurilla artist Banksy Old women knitting punk slogans from BBC website

I am so excited about to share the awesomeness of this project! Siobhan, of the “deliciously crafty” (love that!) blog Magpie & Cake, recently completed a quilt made from nothing but cardboard coffee sleeves! As you can see, the end result is gorgeous, and totally functional ;).

Based on the premise that quilts are traditionally made from scraps of materials, Siobhan has created a quilt out of the discarded coffee sleeves that are scraps from our morning coffees. With the line “Intended for single use only” imprinted on the sleeves, we are encouraged to use these things for the duration of our beverage and then throw ‘em away! Really, the re-purposing of these materials is genius.

The finished quilt measures 4′3″ x 5′6″ and used over 200 coffee sleeves which were mostly donated by Siobhan’s co-workers in just a few weeks with 80% of the sleeves coming from Starbucks. . . . You can read more about the process here.

Rae Dunn is a California/San Francisco artist. She is inspired by simple shapes and organic forms.

This weekend you’re all invited to visit the students´ exhibition at Skals Håndarbejdsskole in Denmark. Skals Håndarbejdsskole is a boarding school of needlecraft. The school is known for utilizing classical needlework techniques, good craft and excellent quality, but it’s also at the forefront when it comes to being innovative within the textile crafts.

Skals Håndarbejdsskole has 3 main classes: Clothing, Weaving and Embroidery where high professional standards combined with generation of ideas and drawing encourage students to develop their own creative skills.

Like all Danish Folk High Schools Skals is subsidised by the Danish state. In other words you get board, lodging and tutoring at a reasonable price. However, at Danish folk high school there’s always included elements of general education. That is the reason why history, literature, story-telling, art and cultural history are natural parts of the daily tutoring. And the reason why dialogue and socializing is regarded an important part of the students` stay.

Every year the school arranges a large student exhibition. The exhibition will take place on Friday 22 and Saturday 23 June, both days from 9:00 to 17:00. I plan to go – I hope to see some of you too!

Lost: Lost and found pet posters from around the world, by Ian Phillips, 2002 Princeton Architectural Press.

This collection of pet posters is totally addictive, heart warming and funny. My kids favourite is the ‘lost sandwich’, never fails to invoke hilarity. Posters filled with kids drawing, photos and sketches - very sweet and moving book.

Vogue knitting: knits for pets on the go. 2006 Sixth&Spring books.

Ways to use your creative energy to give love to your pets. Patterns for making clothes, toys and accessories for pets. There is a fab felted hot dog chew toy, a fair isle dog bed with bones and paw print pattern, the most adorable puppy booties, I especially love the felted mice, the kids dog purse and the fish bone cat mat.

Peter Chang - widely regarded as one of the greatest working jewellers of our time is having a large retrospective exhibition of his work, entitled ‘Unnatural Selection’ at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool, England…it will run from the 15th of June through to the 30th of September.

This is the first time early work and sculptures, along with drawings, paintings, prints and pieces from private collections from across the world will be brought together alongside his more recent jewellery explorations.

Peter Chang works with various plastics, such as Acrylic, Polyester, Resin and PVC and developed many of the techniques he uses himself…a true and original pioneer of the material. Read a short essay about Peter’s life and work here …

I read that the exhibition may also be touring to London and Glasgow [where Peter lives] after the Liverpool show closes…so I will let you know as soon as I hear venue confirmations.

I think this is one show not to miss!

Gender Stitchery: artists sew knit art was at the Carleton College Art Gallery located in Northfield, Minnesota in May 2006. It showcased Mark Newport’s knitted people, Maggy Rozycki Hiltner’s, machine and hand stitched cotton, and Kent Henricksen’s, Lithographs on linen with digitized embroidery and decorative trim.

Image: Elaine Reichek, Sampler (Troilus and Cressida), 2001. Embroidery on linen, 31 x 18 3/8” (framed).

Image: Cat Mazza, Nike Blanket Petition, 2003-2007. 55 x 140”, Crocheted orange and white synthetic yarn.

Image: Maggy Rozycki Hiltner, Pocket Candy, 2005. Hand-stitched cotton and found textiles. 12 x 22”.

An exerpt from the exhibition catalogue:

Gender Stitchery brings together nine artists from New York, Chicago, Arizona and points in between who knit and sew art. Stitchery, only recently deemed a legitimate artistic medium, is showing up in surprising and varied works by long-established and emergent artists. … Many choose to sew and knit, some substituting thread for paint in creating evocative compositions, others more self-consciously using stitchery to advance critiques of gender stereotypes and artistic hierarchies.

via microrevolt