Tuesday, March 31, 2009

PORTLAND: The Museum of Contemporary Craft just added an additional 4th screening to the weekend programing to keep up with the demand.

SUNDAY MATINEE, April 5, 3:00 pm General admission: $10

Buy tickets for Sunday 3:00 or 5:30 HERE

Thanks Portland for the love!

Australia wrap-up!

A handful of the amazing people/places/things I saw/met/did while in Melbourne earlier this month. My photos are HERE.

Viva La Craft at Craft Victoria
And of course a big huge thanks and oodles of amazingness goes out to to Ross and Angela of Living Creatively who brought me over to Australia for the premiere of Handmade Nation at the Melbourne Stitches and Craft show. Stay tuned for the Brisbane and Sydney events soon!
This week! West coast!!

Thursday I will be in Eureka, CA and Friday, Saturday & Sunday I will be in Portland, OR with the movie (details on the right sidebar)!

Also, the new edition of Dialogue! from design for mankind on Self-Discipline is live:

Design For Mankind - Dialogue Episode 4 from Design For Mankind on Vimeo.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Check out the incube.8r gallery blog for photos on my visit when I was there. If you are in Melbourne make sure to stop in there, it's a great little shop exclusively supporting indie designers.

Second video for Handmade Nation made by Porter Panther for Museum of Contemporary Craft!

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Okay, somehow it's already Sunday and I've been home for a week and a half but I still have not unpacked from Australia or done my trip recap like I promised. But I will, maybe tomorrow....

In other news my business partner and I announced that we will be closing the doors of our Milwaukee based shop Paper Boat Boutique & Gallery. You can read about it HERE. It is a bittersweet decision as you an imagine.

AND the lovely lovely Kate of Obsessive Consumption has been documenting the affairs surrounding the Portland, OR premiere next weekend including all the incredible goodies that are coming in for the swag bags that come with the Friday night ticket. Check out her flickr set HERE.

Details about the screenings happening at the Portland Museum of Contemporary Craft are HERE and while your at it check out this rad promo video they made for the event- they are killing it!

Friday, March 27, 2009

Podcast live: Interview//chat with Rayna from Craft Cartel


Podcast live: Interview//chat with Rayna from Craft Cartel
Originally uploaded by Handmade Nation!.

I was so lucky to get to sit and chat with Rayna who does Radical Cross Stitch and Craft Cartel when I was in Australia.

Check out the interview and the rest of the site, it's a great resource!

http://radicalcrossstitch.com/2009/03/26/craft-cartel-podcast-episode-9-faythe-levine/

Monday, March 23, 2009

I will be on Indie Business Radio today at 1:00 EST tune in online HERE!

Indie Business Radio: TODAY!

Australia round up coming later this week!

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Check out Design For Mankind I am featured this week on the Dialogue series Episode 2 along with LISA SOLOMON and PIA BIJKERK. The Dialogue series is a really cool concept that Erin has developed- if you haven't checked out her site now is the perfect time. Also, as a little side note I feel compelled to mention that my segment was shot in my hotel room here in Australia which is why it looks so sterile compared to Lisa and Pia's amazing spaces. I have cool rooms too.... just on the other side of the world!


"The bailout. The financial crisis. The economic downturn. However you slice it, finances are fast becoming our world’s new favorite topic, so naturally— our Dialogue cast weighs in. Find out more about the life of a freelancer, tips for staying afloat and the benefits of working for “the man”, right here on Design for Mankind."

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Handmade Nation SOLD OUT San Francisco premiere!
Thanks to Clare Jacobson our editor of Handmade Nation who sent some photos from the San Francisco premiere of the film last week!

Friday, March 13, 2009

Just uploaded a ton of photos HERE from Stitches & Craft, Viva La Craft at Craft Victoria and more....

Indie Craft section at Stitches & Craft show
Indie Craft section at Stitches & Craft

Pip (Meet Me At Mikes) & Justine (editor of Mix Tape zine)
Pip (owner and author of Meet Me At Mikes) & Justine (editor of Mix Tape zine)

Viva La Craft at Craft Victoria

Viva La Craft at Craft Victoria

Viva La Craft at Craft Victoria
Chicks on Speed present: Viva la Craft at Craft Victoria

Alex, Melissa & Abigail (director of Third Drawer Down)

Melissa at Third Drawer Down
Alex (Chicks on Speed), Melissa (Chicks on Speed) & Abigail (director of Third Drawer Down) at Third Drawer Down after hours special shopping visit thanks to Abigail!
Sunday night here in Melbourne I will be doing a special visit to in.cube8r Gallery!From the in.cube8r blog:

If there is one place to be this Sunday evening it is at in.cube8r where we are thrilled to present to our in.cube8r friends, Handmade Nation's Faythe Levin. If you have been stuck under a rock and not heard about the handmade nation phenominon it is the Internationally received film/documentary and book on all things art, craft, design & DIY.

Faythe Levine will be visiting in.cube8r on Sunday to present her take on our Handmade Nation, meet our cubers and unwind after a busy week at the Stitches and Craft Show.

Date: Sunday March 15th 2009
Time: 6.30pm - 8.00pm
Location: in.cube8r, 321 Smith Street Fitzroy
Who should come: All that are inspired by art, craft, design, DIY and hand made

We will be selling copies of Handmade Nation book and one lucky in.cube8r friend will WIN a copy to take home.

Sunday Night at in.cube8r in Melbourne

Thursday, March 12, 2009

I got the pleasure of meeting Leslie Hall at Felt Club this summer. She told me she wrote a craft song and holy heck she sure did. Feast your eyes on this number peeps!



More coming very soon about Australia, screenings and Stitches and Craft!

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Today is the second day of the Stitches and Craft show in Melbourne. After a few massive AV (audio visual) glitches got sorted out everything is going fantastic. The show is really cool, a lot different then the events I've been to in the past. I really like how they have the workshops set up and Angela, from Living Creatively, who puts on the event has such a fantastic vision for the show. There are really great small details that are just beautiful (photos to come).

This morning I got here early to be broadcast live on Channel 9 on the Kerri-Anne Kennerley show. Kerri-Anne wasn't here herself but her affiliate did a quick little introduction about me and they showed a close-up shot of the book. Live TV freaks me out.

Faythe on live TV
Here I am. Thanks to Justine from Mix Tape for the photo!

Later today or tomorrow I will be showing you the amazing indie crafters I've met here and that are featured at this show!

Monday, March 09, 2009

For as much time as I waste on social networking sites like facebook.com there is always those moments when they pay off. One of those times happened to be this week when I got a message from a lovely lady by the name of Pip. Pip not only owns a crafty boutique here in Melbourne called Meet Me at Mike's but is also the author of a book soon to be released by the same name!



I visited Pip and her guy Cam yesterday after my radio interview at 3RRR, it was a holiday here in Melbourne so the shop was closed.
Radio interview at 102.7 3RRR in Melbourne

Radio interview at 102.7 3RRR in Melbourne
in the studio!


Pip, Cam and I spent some time drinking tea and catching up about the city, the Australian craft scene and good spots to check out. Their space was so amazing and I could of kicked myself for only having my iphone to capture the afternoon. Their home/shop is worth some real documenting for sure!

Pip & Cam, owners of Meet Me at Mikes

Tea & Nougat with Pip & Cam

Pip & Cam's house

Pip & Cam in their shop Meet Me at Mike's!

I couldn't be more pleased with my new friends who I am meeting for dinner tonight and also getting up at the crack of dawn with on Sunday to go to a flea market. Dinner and flea markets are really in my top 5 favorite things ever. Yay facebook! Yay Australia!

Somehow I forgot to blog about this amazing press we got on the PBS website HERE

You can even watch a few clips you can't see anywhere else from the film!

Thursday, March 05, 2009

I did this Threadbanger interview while I was in NY a few weeks ago for the premiere and it went live today. They are giving away 5 copies of our book on their site HERE so hop on that if you want a free copy of Handmade Nation!

Threadbanger Interview LIVE

Wednesday, March 04, 2009

I arrived in Melbourne on Monday morning, which was incredibly confusing since left Milwaukee at 2pm on Saturday afternoon! My flight went from Chicago to Los Angeles, Los Angeles direct to Melbourne. The time difference is 17 hours a head between here and Milwaukee! Yowza!!

When I arrived not only was my luggage last off the plane (45 minute wait) but it was one of the most difficult customs I have ever gone through! Two hours after landing I made it through and Ross and Angela were there to meet me! I had only ever spoke with them once and the rest of our communication has been via email but they were both as sweet and lovely as could be. Their Company Living Creatively puts on the Stitches and Craft show where I am having my Australian premiere of Handmade Nation next week! They are responsible for bringing me here and I am so excited to take in as much of the city as possible! On top of having great hosts I have two friend from Milwaukee who just happen to be here at the same time. We have already seen some great stuff over the past few days:

Rooftop Cinema
Last night we watched Heathers at the Rooftop Cinema
Milk Bar
I learned that Milk Bar = Corner Store
nesting doll shop
I found a nesting doll shop
Melbourne street graffiti
Street Graffiti is legal

A few more pictures HERE

Over the next few days I am doing a bunch of interviews for print and radio. Then next week we start the screenings. I will also be doing some programing with Craft Victoria with my friends Chicks on Speed (information below).

More soon.....
I'm in Australia!
Melbourne

I am a bit behind in blogging land due to all the travels, colds and taking care of business here and there! But I have a lot of news to share with you including reminders about quickly approaching screenings and lectures as well as the fantastic piece on the PBS website yesterday Art Beat: Common Threads, online News Hour with Jim Lehrer

Screenings & lectures next week:

San Francisco, March 11th
(Director Faythe Levine will sadly not be present)
San Francisco Film Society presents the SF360 Film + Club
Handmade Nation Doors at 7, movie starts at 7:3o
Mezzanine, 444 Jessie Street
Tickets are $8 for SFFS members and $12 for non-members and are available here.

Melbourne, Australia, March 11-15th
(Director Faythe Levine will be in attendance)
Presented by the Stitches & Craft Show
March 11-15: Melbourne, Australia premiere!

Melbourne, Australia March 13th 6-7pm
Presented by Craft Victoria
Cost $8 Craft Victoria Members; $15 Non-Members

Faythe Levine lecture: Craftivism: Reclaiming Craft & Creating Community
Artist, director, author and filmmaker Faythe Levine will lead a visual discussion about the background on the politics of handmade as it stands today. Within a world of mass production, globalized economy, and extreme materialism, what does crafting something by hand mean? Where does craft find itself today? Visual examples of the politics of handmade focusing on political crafters from the DIY/Indie/New Wave of Craft movement including Knitta, Stephanie Syjuco (AntiFactory, Counterfeit Crochet Project), Kate Bingaman-Burt (Obsessive Consumption) and Betsy Greer (Craftivism).
Length 60 minutes plus Q&A

Melbouren, Australia March 16th, 6pm
Presented by Craft Victoria
Cost $15 Craft Victoria Members; $25 Non-Members

Faythe Levine, Handmade Nation Workshop: Highlighting the Politics of Craft
Immerse yourself in the politics of handmade. Whether you have never been introduced to the power that can be wielded by craft or if you are a seasoned veteran living a DIY lifestyle, come join the discussion led by Faythe Levine, Director and co-author of Handmade Nation. Each participant will create his or her own embroidery while discussion is stimulated by a series of handouts, photographs and two screenings of political craft in motion.