Big Big Big Announcement!

Handmade Nation will now not only be a documentary but a book, available in November 2008 out on Princeton Architectural Press!!! The book with be written by me (Faythe Levine) and co-author Cortney Heimerl (super amazing designer and recent Masters Graduate of NYU). We decided that the documentary will also be released around this time (a bit later than our original projected release) for a variety of reasons, number one being we need more time to edit.

Want to know more about the book?? It will feature 25 community members with 5 essays, all people we interviewed over the course of shooting the film.

There will be illustrations and hand drawn fonts by the lovely Kate Bingaman-Burt of Obsessive Consumption! Here are some samples of fonts she sent over this week- there is a photo set HERE if you want to see more!!!Want to know who is going to be featured in the book???

Essayists:
Besty Greer
Dennis Stevens
Garth Johnson
Callie Janoff
Susan Beal

Community Members:
Tracy Bull, Happy Owl Glass
Jenine Bressner
Deb Dormody, If'n Books + Marks
Heidi Kenny, My Paper Crane
Sabrina Gschwandter, KnitKnit
Sarah Neuburger, The Small Object
Ileana Rodriguez, India Romeo
Shannon Mulkey, Patina
Alena Hennessy
Christy Petterson, a bardis
Melissa & James BuchananThe Little Friends of Printmaking
Emily Kircher, EKRA
Melissa Dettloff, Lekkner & Crafters for Critters
Sue Blatt, Timber!
Annie Mohaupt, Mohaupt Shoes
Stephanie Syjucco, anti-factory
Nikki McClure
Jill Bliss, blissen
Sarah Anderson, birds of prey
Clarity Miller, Black Bird Fashion
Jenny Hart, Sublime Stitching
Knitta
Whitney Lee, Made With Sweet Love
Kathy Sever, Ramonster
Jennifer Perkins, Naughty Secretary Club

We will also be giving shout-out's to the online community forums, more on that later!! I have to go install a show at my shop called the New Witch, so much to do, so little time.

xo, Faythe

This last week went by in a blur......
I want to tell you all about our trip to Chicago Renegade and the trip to NY but only have time to post the links to the photo albums right now.


Check them out and see all the amazing stuff we've been up to HERE & HERE!

In New York we did interviews with

Sabrina of KnitKnit and

Callie of the Church of Craft

as well as the new Editor in Chief of American Craft Magazine!

yowza!

Tell us what you think & more news to come soon, cross my heart!

Faythe Levine

P.S. Keep those Crafty Tattoos Coming!!!

Hey, I am waiting to upload 200 stills from when we shot at Renegade Craft Fair last weekend because my camera batter got sucked into some blackhole, then we had to jump on a plane to New York for the re-launch party of American Craft Magazine. So here I am in NY and we are about to be on our way to SoHo to do an interview Andrew Wagner the new Editor in Cheif of American Craft- hopefully this weekend I'll have time to upload all the Chicago picutres and now the NY pictures as well. Yesterday we did a great interview with Sabrina of KnitKnit Magazine (now book) and Callie of The Church of Craft.

More soon including big news about the Handmade Nation Book! Gotta go catch the Subway-

Faythe

Handmade Nation gets attention on ETSY's Storque!



-----------> NEW YORK peeps go to this (I wish I could!!)

New Clip!!

A bit of the footage from our previous one and a lot of new faces including peeps from: Poketo, Needles & Pens, Little Otsu, Jenny Hart, Reform School and more! We are still chugging along with editing with our original goal of having a 2008 release still a good possibility. Please feel free to re-post the clip on your blogs, myspace, etc.---------->

In other news:

• Micaela and I will be doing some follow-up shooting this weekend in Chicago at the Renegade Craft Fair.
• We will also be out in New York for the re-launch of American Craft Magazine next week as well as shooting at the ETSY Labs!
• I will be making the trip to Austin in November for Stitch.
• There will be screening a clip of the film previous to the fashion show here in Milwaukee at Art vs. Craft.
• Cortney and I are still working on the details of our book deal with Princeton Architectural Press (which will be a companion book to the documentary!!).
• Our ETSY shop still is our main source of income for the film, if you haven't checked out our most recent donations and T-shirts still on sale for $13 please do.

Otherwise, be in touch and we will let you know as soon as there is more news to share!

Warmly,
Faythe Levine
Director

Wanted: Crafty Tattoo photos!

Handmade Nation is seeking photos of crafty themed tattoos for possible use in the end credits in the documentary, This is still just an idea and all you need to do is to take a new photo in the daylight that shows off your crafty-fantastic tattoo work.

We DO NOT have release forms at this time since we are exploring if there will be any interest from the community. When you send your image we will contact you before using it in the film (we will need a release before doing so).

Please submit the following along with you 300dpi jpg of your crafty tattoo:
*We will not give out your email of phone number this information is so we can contact you if we move forward with the idea and get a signed release.

1. Your Name:
2. Your email:
3. Your website: “leave this blank if you do not want us to share this information on flickr*”
4. Your phone number:
   

YES- you can submit more than one photo

*By submitting a photo you are however giving us the right to post it on our flickr page, and we will credit you!

email all the information to indiecraftdocumentary@gmail.com
with the subject “Crafty Tattoo”

Don’t hesitate to email with any questions.

Warmly,
Faythe Levine
Director

Last week Irene Serrano a writer from a spanish version of Marie Claire contacted me about an article she was working on about the DIY philosopy and she wanted to know if I would give her my opinion. Of course I said yes and the result went live today-- the cool thing about it is that I am featured in the same article as my friend Alicia who runs a shop in Barcelona called Dudua which is a gallery and boutique similar to my shop Paper Boat here in Milwaukee!! The internet makes the world so small-- above is a screen shot of our piece and HERE is a link to the article!

Just picked up the Fall issue of Adorn & found our fundraiser totes featured! Thanks Adorn!


The new issue looks super rad, I haven't had a second to really look at it, but it is tempting me right now.....

Holy YES! We are nearing the end of phase 1 with editing (transcribing all the tapes, all 80 hours) I never realized how painful it would be to listen to myself talk that much. Let's just say it made me squirm. BUT this means we now get to the fun part of piecing the puzzle of the documentary together! Piece of cake, right?!

What Cris and I realized over the course of watching all the footage gathered from the last year, is that we needed to follow-up on a few things. And of course there was some stuff missing.

So gave up my space at Renegade Craft fair and instead of vending we will be shooting. Not just roaming around and talking to people shooting (although we will probably do some of that too), but following one lucky vendor for 24 hours. That's right, 24 hours with a crafter-- so the view can expierecne the amount of work that goes into participating in a show this scale. Our lucky lady is going to be the fantastic Ileana of India*Romeo.

FUN FACT: Ileana was actually the very first person we interviewed for the documentary in Atlanta, GA at ICE.

Micaela and I will also be making an unexpceted very quick trip to New York for the launch of the newly revamped American Craft Magazine (not to be confused with CRAFT: zine) and doing an interview with Andrew Wagner the new editor-in-chief (formerly of Dwell). Cris and I decided we need a little more imput from someone who is apart of the American Craft community and Mr. Wagner fits the bill! It just so happens that it times out perfectly to catch the last of the Summer in the City Salon Series at the American Craft Council Library. The last segment is on Blogging the Handmade: Creating Community, Conversation & Commerce. Brooklyn gallery owners Amy Shaw (Greenjeans) and Rena Tom (Rare Device) speak about their blogs and how they’re linking craft and design lovers to build communities smitten with unique handmade objects.
And we will not leave NY a second time without paying homage to the ETSY Labs! We are also going to try to get Rob Kalin (the man behind the concept and software) on camera for an interview to get his two cents about the DIY community and the quick growth of ETSY.

Some of you may know that I have been finalizing a book deal with Princeton Architectural Press (I think that's the first time I've officially printed their name on the blog!!). The book with be a companion to the documentary featuring makers from around the country including parts of their interviews from our footage and lots of pictures and essays from community members (I'm so flippin excited!). More on that soon along with an introduction to Cortney Heimerl who will be the co-author!

That made me think, maybe we should do a Q&A for Cortney, Micaela (our camera-lady) & Cris (the editor)? Thoughts?

Please don't forget- I posted new donation up in the ETSY shop and the blue totes are restocked for those of you who have been emailing!

Lates!
Faythe

FUN FACT: My brick & mortar shop is featured in the September issue of Spin Magazine in an article about Milwaukee! Page 146!

Ad for Renegade program
Originally uploaded by Indie Craft Documentary.

On my way to Cris' house to edit this morning before I open Paper Boat at noon-- Just emailed this to Sue and Kathleen for the Renagade Craft Fair Booklet-- a few days late, but hopefully it's okay, I totally spaced it until late last night.

Since we are in super boring editing mode and there isn't much to share about the film right now I am going to make an effort to post stuff that I think is important for our community...

Starting now.

#1 Leaders of the DIY Movement Speak at American Craft Counsil Salon
Everyone should go and read this blog, it's fantastic.


#2 I'm sure a lot of you are familiar with the amazing show that happens once a year in Chicago called the DIY Trunk Show- if not, well you should check out their site. I especially like their
Craftifesto......

The DIY Trunk Show Craftifesto: The Power is in Your Hands!

The DIY Trunk Show is an annual event that brings the best of the Chicago area's alternative craft community to the people.

We believe:

Craft is powerful. We want to show the depth and breadth of the Chicago crafting community. Anything you want—clothing, jewelry, art, music—you can probably get from a real live person here in Chicago. And buying handmade, one-of-a-kind goods from your neighbor kicks the ass of buying mass-produced, slave-made corporate stuff.

Craft is personal. To know that something was made by hand, by someone who cares that you like it, makes that object much more enjoyable. And it makes you feel less lonely when you realize that you know the name of the person who made the bar of soap you use, the earrings you wore when you met that special someone, or the scarf that kept you from freezing while you waited for the train.

Craft is political. We're not just trying to sell stuff. We're trying to change the world. We want everyone to rethink corporate culture and consumerism.

Craft is possible. Everybody can create something—you don't have to be an established business to make stuff. The DIY Trunk Show encourages new crafters by giving them a place to sell their work for the first time. We hold workshops to teach people how to make things. And we're creating friendships and connections between crafters‹being a small business owner doesn't mean you have to work in isolation.

I am going to be back in blog-land soon. At Cris's house editing as I type and just wanted to let you know we have new donations up in the etsy shop including a generous donations from the above Sublime Stitching.

Prints by the talented JAMIE ZOLLARS (who I got the pleasure of drinking with after Felt Club in LA) Whale Print from Foxy & Winston

Postcard sets from Catia Chen

More donations going live by the end of the week, I swear! Plus our t-shirt sale is still going on, blue totes will be back next week and more to be announced soon!

Hello supporters of Handmade Nation
Some of you may already know this and some of you may not know but so far the film has been funded by my personal credit cards (thanks VISA & CHASE) and generous community support. I'm having a hard time keeping up with my minimum payments SO I've put all our T-shirts on sale to help raise some quick funds.

If you've been meaning to get a shirt now is the time. SHOP HERE



Hope everyone's summer is going well-- we are chugging along editing. More updates soon and thanks as always for your interest and support!

xo,
Faythe
Director of Handmade Nation

Limited Art vs. Craft Totes now available
Originally uploaded by Indie Craft Documentary.

Just got back from LA where I got to be a part of Felt Club (www.feltclub.com) it was amazing and I'll have photos up very soon. Just posted these leftover Art vs. Craft totes up on our etsy site, they are super rad. I took only 5 to LA with me to sell at Felt Club and they all went within the first hour! More details on felt club soon!

Mirror Mirror in my hand----

mirror ad.
Originally uploaded by Indie Craft Documentary.

Finally got around to putting these puppies in the etsy shop! See you in Los Angeles at Felt Club on Sunday!

Okay okay SO much news.... First, my baby, Art vs. Craft was a huge success. Pictures are up on flickr HERE.

I'm sitting here with Cris my editor chipping away at transcribing hours upon hours of footage. We just wrapped up working on Stephanie Syjuco's interview and now we just started Erin Weckerle of Sodafine who is talking about organic fibers and production from beginning to end.

Also, it's safe to announce the BIG news which is (drum roll please......) Princeton Architectural Press will be publishing a book that will be a companion to the film. It will be a separate project that will hopefully come out around the same time as the film. More details soon, but HOW EXCITING! PA Press is the same publisher that put out "By Hand" and "DIY by Design", both super great books supporting the creative community we are documenting.

Kate Bingaman's spread in Print Magazine is out, she included a logo off of the tote bag she purchased to support the film!!! Super rad! Thanks Kate! (little side note: Kate will be illustrating parts of our book with PA Press!!)Last but not least, join us in Los Angeles this weekend for the fantastic FELT CLUB put on by Jenny Ryan!

Susan Beal includes us in her Renegade Brooklyn Roundup for Venus Magazine online HERE

Director of Handmade Nation, Faythe Levine, makes it onto the cover of MKE, the Milwaukee weekly paper!! Read the article here where they discuss the film, her shop and the craft fair that is happening THIS WEEKEND, Art vs. Craft!!

Also, we just put up our new shirts in the ETSY SHOP, get em' while they last, American Apparel 50/50 blend T's in a really good Orchid color and Evergreen color!! FREE SHIPPING in the United $tates!

Sweeeeet mention in the New York Times today!!

More soon and check our flickr account for photos from our trip to Renegade Brooklyn!

xo, Faythe

New shirt designs!! Here they are debuting at Renegade Brooklyn. See you in NYC!

Oh DANG! It's been awhile, but during this time so much has been unfolding, which is why the lack of updates, I swear I have not been laying around a pool sipping icy drinks (boy does that sound nice, it's 90 and humid here in Milwaukee!!).

So, did you see our recent press in the June/July issue of American Craft Magazine? It's super rad, and I will post a scan of it as soon as I can. We even got a picture, thanks American Craft for the shout out, we really appreciate the exposure to a different demographic!!

Also, the most recent ReadyMade Magazine has a pull-out section featuring super rad designers as well as a list of Indie Craft Fairs through this September that we put together for them-- thanks ReadyMade for the support!

Our editor Cris, just got back from a trip to NY and we are back on the ball, slowly chipping away at our footage.

I am getting ready to fly out to New York for Renegade Craft Fair next week to do promo for the film, swing by my booth and say hi, okay?

I will be sharing a booth with the lovely Becky of Sweetie Pie Press. We will have new Handmade Nation T-shirts available (in oh-so-rad lavender & evergreen american apparel 50/50 blends) with this new logo (they will be available in our etsy shop soon too!):We will also have the red and navy totes, pocket mirrors from My Favorite Mirror and of course you will be able to watch the clip we have up on youtube if you haven't seen it yet at our table.

We will also be at Art vs. Craft in Milwaukee (well, duh, that's my show I coordinate)

AND in Los Angeles at Felt Club in July!!

Um, yeah. So back to work for me.... more soon, I promise!