This week:

#1 Happy New Year!
#2 First trip of the new year to Knoxville, TN!
Friday January 2, 2009:

50 Books/50 Covers Exhibition
UT Downtown Gallery, 106 S. Gay Street
Opening: Friday, January 2nd from 5 - 9pm
with a presentation at 7pm by author/director Faythe Levine
(show running through January 24th)
Admission is free. It will be awesome. Links:
Info on the 50 Books/ 50 Covers Exhibition
More event information
This exhibition showcases selections from the "AIGA 50 Books/50 Covers" competition, which aims to identify the 50 best-designed books and book covers of the year.

At the exhibit, Faythe Levine, author of Handmade Nation, will be promoting her book and upcoming documentary about the DIY movement in the United States.

Saturday January 3, 2009:
Knoxville Museum of Art
2:00 talk with Faythe Levine and screening of the 20 minute work in progress of Handmade Nation. Signed copies of the book will be available for purchase.

#3 Check out this article in the NY Times from Sunday about my Great Grandpa Harry Levine who was a woodcarver. A quote by yours truly ends the article.

Happy Hanukkah. Some Handmade Nation press in the Jewish Chronicle

Today, one of my favorite blogs interviews one of my favorite people....

My Love For You Q&A with Kate Bingaman-Burt (illustrator & typographist for Handmade Nation) HERE

I think that a garden on the white house lawn is a fantastic idea. Read more about the project and how you can help HERE

Book Giveaway & NPR!

Featured Handmade Nation maker Jennifer Perkins of Naughty Secretary Club did an interview with me and is doing a book giveaway on her blog. You have until the 18th to enter HERE.


This weekend Cortney and I were on To The Best Of Our Knowledge which is a national show syndicated on 160 public radio stations around the country. The segment was called Reconsidering Crafts, we are in segment 1 along with Handmade Nation essayist Besty Greer! Listen HERE.

Interview with Cortney & I up on the Urban Outfitter blog HERE

Home again home again. My trip to Providence and Boston was quick and fun!

Craftland is a magical space in downtown Providence filled with some rare crafty finds that I haven't seen anywhere else, ever. I was there from 2pm til 7pm on Saturday, the day after their grand opening, there was a line to buy stuff the entire time! It was nice since I had time to just poke around so I got a bunch of photos. Jen Corace took me to lunch for a delicious taco at AS220 where I got to meet the maker of the bloody man dolls, Cory Thompson (pictured below). Deb Dormody and Alec Thibodeau were my hosts with the mosts for the night, such an amazing pair!



Window displays by Jen Corace




This is something that I found of particular interest. I love these felt bloody men made by Cory Thompson (I bought 3). These xmas stockings are also by Cody Thomson. Amazing.




And at Craftland you will always find a smattering of insane prints, well, since it is Providence and Providence is a mecca of genius printmakers.


I couldn't resist one of Ray Fenwick's paintings on a vintage book cover either, it took me about an hour to pick one out.


The next morning was blanketed with snow and I packed up ye' ol' rental car and headed back to Boston for Bazaar Bizarre. Have you ever navigated in Boston? It sucks. Once when Micaela and I were there shooting a few years back we got sooooo lost. This time, I only got a little lost thanks to my trusty iphone. The space the show was in is called the Castle, an old armory. I was at my table myself all day so I only got a handful of pictures. The show was a hit, great turn-out, super space and I got to be next to Tracy and Justin of Happy Owl Glass!



Now it's all about being home in Milwaukee for three entire weeks until the madness of January travel starts!

This weekend!

Friday & Saturday Cortney is at No Coast Craft-o-Rama in Minneapolis!
Saturday Faythe will be at Craftland from 4-6 in Providence, RI

Sunday Faythe will be at Bazaar Bizarre from 12-7 in Boston, MA

Come say HI!

A quick shout out for a show I am having at my gallery in Milwaukee that opens tomorrow night 7-10pm .

Lisa Congdon: life in wondermountain
December 5- January 11, 2009

Here are a photos from the install and more are HERE...

Today we signed a case of books for Keith at fredflare.com. They are selling signed books for the holiday season on their site- we also took some snowy portraits for them per request.

Guess what? Handmade Nation is traveling to Australia in early 2009! Details soon to come!

Art vs. Craft was a huge success!
November 29th, 2008
65 vendors
3500 visitors