I love how the internet can lead you to wonderful wonderful things.

I also love how sites can sometimes carry beautiful ideals with them.

Recently I discovered 20×200, a website created with the idea that great talent doesn’t always come with steep prices.

Every Tuesday one new photograph and one new work on paper is added to the site for purchasing in three sizes:

Small: 200 prints for $20
Medium: 20 for $200
Large: 2 prints for $2000

The site was created by Jen Bekman, who runs an eponymous gallery in New York City, and the photography contest Hey Hotshot!

What delights me most about this site is that it serves as a reminder that “expensive” does not equal “good.” By giving three different pricing options to the buyer, it allows individuals to obtain work that formerly they may not have been able to afford.

By making work available to anyone via the internet, 20×200 gives us the opportunity to see new pieces each week while also reminding us that people who love talented work come from all over the economic spectrum.

This is especially welcome as we work towards building a microconomy of our own via our creativity and are at times walking the divide between those who have and those who haven’t.

The work above is “Manshroom,” a collage by Amy Ross.
The work below is “The Faceted Couroucou,” archival pigment print by Carrie Marill.

This month’s whiplash them is fibre inspired jewellery – to find out more about how to enter – go to the whiplash page - to post your link go this forum thread and also see and comment on the other entries.

The themes for whiplash are always just a starting off point – a way to get you started and get your creative juices flowing – perhaps inspire you to try a new craft or to find new ways to utilise your already amazing skills in a particular craft.

Fibre and mixed media jewellery is a wide theme and open for plenty of interpretation. Fibre can be felted, crocheted, knitted, spun or woven and mixed with other media too, mixed media – is pretty much anything all mixed together – usually mixed media might relate to paper and stone and fabric with found objects to create something a little 3D, collage and sculptural all in one piece. Lots to have fun with and experiment with here. what this theme is not – is traditional gemstone and wire jewellery – but of course traditional jewellery making techniques can be used to create something else.

Some inspiration:

this piece is from sea glass designs and is a piece of china sea glass, most likely from a teacup or plate that somehow found its way into the ocean many years ago.

this next piece is a crochet bracelet from milk

This felt and crochet necklace is from kjoo

this found object necklace is from lorimarsha

and this found item piece is from opulent oddities

button rings are from anna kate jewelry

and this indian spice ring is from beadkeepers

Whiptips craft advice column for readers to ask questions or offer advice by leaving comments. Whiptips archive here. Ask your whiptips questions at the ‘tips and tricks’ section of the forum - right here.

Nancy asked this question over at the forum – if you can help out then please head on over to the forum and add your answer to this thread.

I’m looking for a US source for those metal springy things that close the kind of change purses that open when you squeeze the sides of the top–hey, at this point I’d be happy just to know what they’re called!

How to Make Books: Fold, Cut & Stitch Your Way to a One-of-a-Kind Book, written by Esther K. Smith from Purgatory Pie Press, with illustrations by Lindsay Stadig and photographs by David Michael Zimmerman and published by Potter craft.

This is one of those books that is a pleasure to hold and touch and you just want to keep on feeling it. It is weighty with a solid brown cardboard cover with red vintage hand set type for the cover and each chapter title page (by Dikko Faust of Purgatory Pie Press), it just looks and feels good. This is one book that I really enjoy the matt textured paper, the images come up slightly faded with a vintage feel to the colours – it fits really well with the hand set type throughout the book.

The author, Esther K Smith, has a lovely natural writing style, not too teachery, but still with lots of advice to impart. The chapters go through the various types of ways to make a book by hand – without using presses and lots of fancy equipment and glue. These are folded books and stitched books with lots of variations and examples. I was immediately taken with the very first chapter – ‘Instant books’ such a simple idea – folding a single piece of paper to make an instant book, zine, sketch book, note pad. I immediately made one from a scrap of paper, then I showed the children how to make them too and they spent the evening at home making little books and writing poetry, doing sketches and other secret children’s business. My 5 year old boy was so impressed with himself that he took his books to school the next day and taught the teachers and the class how to make them and now a whole bunch of pre-school kids are making their own books and writing and drawing their secret business.

I found these instructions for the ‘instant book’ or otherwise known as an ‘origami book’.

The rest of this book is just as wonderful, with lots of new ways with old techniques and new ideas to combine different techniques too. There are gems like making books from cereal boxes, and using recycled papers as well as 3D books and different decorative and basic stitches to use. A real gem of a book.
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- All sorts of juicy papercraft over at Canon, masks, buckets, banners and more. Link and here, via
- Awesome masks and lollipop covers over at LJC FYI. Link
- Witch kitchen jars. Link
- Felt banner. Link
- Pumpkin picture holder. Link
- Make your own foam skull. Link
- A little late now, but for next year, make your own Halloween countdown calendar. Link
- Links to more great paper crafts. Link
- Halloween trinket wreath. Link
- Simple invites. Link
- DIY Fairy wings. Link. And some for your puppy. Link
- For a laugh, Extreme Pumpkins. Link
- Bat Dog. Link
- Ghost chair covers. Link and more projects and ideas, link
- Scary spiders. Link
- Ghost lollipops. Link
- Wonder Woman dress from ALine skirt. Link
- Knitted candy corn bag. Link
- Fall corn medallions. Link
- Teddy Boos. Link

The following found via Craft…awesome as usual:
- Skeleton paper doll. Link
- Candy corn fondant. Link
- Masks and sacks for your Blythe!! Link
- Crochet pig mask. Link

Of course, Martha gets in on the act. Link

And, get yourself a copy of MAKE’s Halloween Special edition. Link

Check out SquidBoo! Link

Thanks to everyone that sent in Halloween tutorials! Keep on sending tutorials in, Halloween or otherwise at whipup.tutorials[@]gmail.com.

Header graphic for this post created using Photoshop Brushes from 500ml Brushes. Link

Phase 2 of the continued campaign by Jill Bliss to keep Gocco alive. I recently, finally, succumbed and bought a PG-5. I’m yet to dive in and can’t wait to!

save gocco campaign
although our own signature collection here at savegocco has ended, you can still help save gocco! we suggest sending a gocco’d postcard to the president of the company, explaining why you feel they should continue production on gocco:
Akira Hayama
President & CEO
Riso Corporation
5-34-7 Shiba,
Minato-ku,
Tokyo 108-8385,
Japan

Link

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Interweave Knits, the editors picked their favorite designs and published them in a new book, The Best of Interweave Knits: Our Favorite Designs from the First 10 Years (Interweave Press, $24.95, available in bookstores and craft shops nationwide). Now it’s readers’ turn to tell the editors their favorites.

Interweave Knits Announces Readers’ Choice Awards Readers’ Favorite Designs from the Magazine’s First 10 Years Will Be Published in a Free eBook, The Best of Interweave Knits: The Readers’ Choice Awards Collection. Readers are invited to nominate their all-time favorite pattern from Interweave Knits online. Designs must have been published in Interweave Knits magazine between Spring 1997 and Spring 2007, excluding patterns published in the new book (view the table of contents online ).

A great design should be beautiful, be wearable for seasons to come, and above all, be fun to knit! I can’t wait to see which designs rise to the top as our readers’ personal favorites from the last decade

Eunny Jang, editor of Interweave Knits.

The nominating process continues till December 15, 2007. There will be a vote-off of the top 10 nominated patterns in January 2008 on KnittingDaily.com, and the top five patterns to receive the most votes will be published in a free eBook titled The Best of Interweave Knits: The Readers’ Choice Awards Collection. The eBook will be available exclusively on KnittingDaily.com for a limited time in Spring 2008 as the editors’ gift to their loyal readers.

About the book The Best of Interweave Knits: Our Favorite Designs from the First Ten Years (Interweave) edited by Ann Budd with an introduction by Pam Allen – former Interweave Knits Editor, includes 25 designs ‘that stand the test of time’ mostly sweaters and cardigans. These projects represent the work of more than 20 notable designers including Véronik Avery, Debbie Bliss, Norah Gaughan, Kate Gilbert, Faina Letoutchaia, Marta McCall, Charlotte Morris, Kristin Nicholas, Leigh Radford, ….

My favourites in the book would have to be (there are three) – Marcel’s Sweater by Véronik Avery: a slightly fitted sweater with a lovely simple slightly raised neckline and textured knit based on traditional Indian designs. Cambridge Jacket by Ann Budd: a fitted mens zippered cardigan which use placed ribs for fit. Union Square Market Pullover by Kate Gilbert: with a gently contoured fit, slightly flared sleeves and an unusual neckline. You can see I like the simple lines and more fitted styles – but their are plenty more included lacy shawls and argyle vests, stripy scarves and a big felted tote. Also included in the book are ‘beyond the basics’ sections throughout that give step by step illustrated instructions on such things as casting on and binding off, increases and decreases, lace knitting and reading charts, and more. (see an online preview of the book here) What are your favourites? did they make it in the book – if not – why not have your say and vote for your favourite to appear in the online pattern book.

For those completely out of the loop – Interweave Knits is a quarterly knitting magazine with stylish knitwear patterns, inspiration and detailed instructions ranging from introductory to challenging and from traditional to cutting-edge, with a full range of sizing.

Written afterwards, a collaborative work by mafuyu and yoshikazu yamagata, two Japanese artists, is about the relationships between human and fashion, they say fashion can be a communication tool which has point of views of education, society, culture and environment. This work MY TOWN IN MY HOME was recently at “Arnehem Mode Biennale 2007″ in Arnehem, Holland on 1 – 30 June 2007. [via]

At the forum we ask what topics should be discussed at whipup. So far some suggestions include:

Liten would like to see more about street art and guerilla crafting.

JohannaM would like more debate about art vs. craft vs. design. … Topics to sink our teeth into!

Beautiful things asks: I think I could be interested in learning how to be more environmentally friendly at home when I craft. Not just recycling ideas – though I’d LOVE some good ideas of how to use some of the mountain of packaging we get these days! I hadn’t thought until recently about the impact I have when I use paint and dye, particularly on the water supply.
Dyeing with natural dyes seems far more complicated and hit and miss than just opening the packet or jar. And is it less toxic? Any ideas?

To answer this question or to get in on this discussion head on over to the forum:

This month’s whiplash them is fibre inspired jewellery – to find out more about how to enter – go to the whiplash page - to post your link go this forum thread and also see and comment on the other entries.

Some inspiration for fibre inspired jewellery. (fiber jewelry)

The themes for whiplash are always just a starting off point – a way to get you started and get your creative juices flowing – perhaps inspire you to try a new craft or to find new ways to utilise your already amazing skills in a particular craft.

Fibre and mixed media jewellery is a wide theme and open for plenty of interpretation. Fibre can be felted, crocheted, knitted, spun or woven and mixed with other media too, mixed media – is pretty much anything all mixed together – usually mixed media might relate to paper and stone and fabric with found objects to create something a little 3D, collage and sculptural all in one piece. Lots to have fun with and experiment with here. what this theme is not – is traditional gemstone and wire jewellery – but of course traditional jewellery making techniques can be used to create something else.

Some inspiration:

this first piece comes from cherylavenue etsy store and is faux suede with mohair and camel felted beads, hemp and glass beads.

This next piece is from the funky felter etsy store and is needle felted wool ring.

this next piece comes from tigerlilly etsy shop and is made from handmade buttons that are made from recycled bicycle inner tubes.

This next piece is a pendant made from handmade clay tiles from Jewelry by Evinglenside etsy shop.

This next piece is called swing time earrings and they are made from beads wrapped with soft merino wool from lindsay streem designs