FREE PAPER FRIDAY!

Nothing in life is free . . . except for awesome paper this Friday!!

It's a crafter's paradise here at Alaska Litho (one of my day jobs is working at a local printing company akLitho) and we are clearing out extra inventory of paper this Friday and Saturday - all day starting at 10am! Totally Brilliant!

There is neon paper and white paper, 8.5x11 sized and 11x17 sized, cream paper, and recycled paper, aaaaaaahhhhh- it's full of endless possibilities- my brain can barely comprehend, and my craft room is about to cry from overload.

Also, we've got extra monitors if you're a computer junky who needs to stock up.  Or teachers who want to load up for kids playtime.  Whatever your shtick - there is paper here for you.

This Friday and Sat at Ak Litho- near the mall at 8420 Airport Blvd.  Across and down one from Les Schwab- or better yet, right next to the new Aspen Hotel!

See you here!

I'll-Ask-A-Crafter: Crafter Coming to Alaska

Dear Alaska Crafter,
I'll be in Alaska for a week on vacation in August-- Anchorage, Seward and thereabouts, and a drive up to Denali.  I am always on the lookout for local craft shops-- fabrics, yarn, other cool local craft items.

I live in New York, so I have plenty of stores here for this stuff (and not enough space to store all my purchases! :) ,  but I would love to get something super Alaskan on my trip.  For instance, in France, I bought a cross-stitch project of a blue Vespa and some Provencal fabric for table linens, in Japan I bought some scraps of kimono fabric that I haven't figured out what to do with yet.

In my cliched imagination, I see some bear- or moose- printed fabric that would make an awesome throw pillow for my city apartment.  But what does a local crafter think I should get in Alaska?  And do you have any suggestions where to get it?

Thanks for any help or advice! 
Best,
On My Way to the Big AK

Dear On My Way,
Let me be the first to welcome you to our great state! The tourist season is just days away for us here in Juneau and, like each year, we welcome crafters of all kinds. From crafting cruises, to cruisers who like to craft, independent visitors, family, friends and even locals, our state offers handcrafted takeaways of every kind to remind you of adventurous times passed and still to come.

Read more after the jump . . . 

And as this article is mostly focused on the Juneau area, if you are in the interior area of Alaska and have info to add please leave a comment so that all crafters coming to Alaska this season can find out where to go to get the goods!! Thanks so much!!!

Have a Froggy Day!

Ribbit - maybe I'll get a pattern together for these to share the froggy footed love!

In the meantime enjoy a green day!

A Crafter's Ergonomics

I love my new craft room. Paint on the walls, organization in the closet, every tool within a fingertip's reach - it is like living in a dream. So what happened to the crafter who suddenly got everything she always wanted? Like a childhood chocolate-factory fantasy, she lived happily ever after. But then a pain in her wrist started to develop, accompanied by a tweak in her back and a slightly pinched nerve somewhere in between. It seems that all those years of crafting over the coffee table, stitching on the floor, and using the bed as a cutting surface (don't ask) added up to pain in all parts. So she learned a new word: ergonomics.

From the US Gov's OSHA website on ergonomics

Ergonomics is an applied science "concerned with designing and arranging things people use so that the people and things interact most efficiently and safely," according to Merriam-Webster.

For a craft room there couldn't be a better plan than efficiency and safety in design. Crafters of all kinds create in small spaces meant for other activities (you know, scrapbooking at the kitchen table between meals) and according to the U.S. Department of Labor, ergonomic risk factors are found in exactly those kinds of spaces in jobs, or crafts, that require repetitive movement, fine hand-work, constant pushing and pulling, and most importantly "prolonged awkward postures." Sounds like my entire sewing experience. Though I can't go back and undo the years of cramped coffee-table sewing I endured, I can embrace ergonomics for the future and create a more friendly stitching station while encouraging others to do so too.

The first step in assessing your ergonomic situation is to sit at your sewing station as you would when stitching, stitch a few lines if you have to, and then take a look at your position. Are your shoulders raised, your wrists bent or forearms resting on the sharp corner of the table, your legs jammed as you push the pedal? These common awkward postures are often caused by a chair that is too short or too high. The goal is to create a supportive environment that keeps your body in a near-neutral position where knee, elbow and seat angle are around 90 degrees, shoulders are down and wrists and neck are elongated, not bent. Adjustable chairs, wrist pads, foot lifts and even adjustable height sewing tables are all tricky ways of getting your station to fit you perfectly.

Next, take a look at the other activities you perform while sewing. Does your hand get sore from scissors, or your neck tire from bending over to squint at a skipped stitch? Think about investing in more ergonomic spring-back and bent shears that require less force on your part. They even have electric scissors these days for just this kind of thing. Do you squint from lack of light or lack of sight? Whatever the issue, address it with a light or magnifying glass and hopefully you'll assist both your neck and eyes at the same time.

All activities you perform as a crafter have some potential for repetitiveness built-in, but that doesn't mean that every time you string a bead on a wire your fingers are doomed. The most important weapon in your arsenal against awkward pain is taking breaks and switching activities. Which means more crafts for you! So start crafting with awareness now and you might just live craftily ever after.

Find more information about ergonomics and your sewing environment at the US Government's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) website.

Alaska Folk Festival Preview: Poster Art

Poster art by Bill Hudson from the 17th Alaska Folk Festival

The streets are abuzz with the final countdown to Alaska Folk Festival number 37. Who can wait for balloon animals in the lobby, meeting long lost friends, dancing in the aisles and of course the musical styling of generations of folks from near and far. Take a closer look and you'll find out what begins the buzz: one singly crafted sheet of paper hanging plainly in a window. The poster.

Another Bill Hudson original Folk Fest poster.

 Artists and crafters have lent their creativity over the years to these brief but meaningful masterpieces. From drawing and painting a silk-screened poster to digitally rendering, scanning and printing, the processes of creation have changed dramatically over the years since Folk Fest began, but the heart of the artist has been ever-present. Taking a look back over the cadre of Folk Fest posters, one former Alaskan stands out as the most prolific: artist Bill Hudson.

Self-Portrait

So, I have been taking this photography course at UAS - it's just intro to digital photography, but I bought this NIKON D-5000 sweet camera last year with biz money as a tax write-off and haven't really used it to it's full potential (like at all).  Anyhow, I have learned SO Much!  It was a bit expensive, but for me totally worth it.

Mostly now I know what all the little buttons do- but the buttons are super- important!  Homework this week included a self-portrait (that actually says something about yourself, not just a "I flipped the camera around and took a shot and somehow it turned out making me look really hot" kind of photo, which in my day I was infamous for). 

So, here goes world.  my self portrait.

Hahahahahahh- doesn't it make you laugh?  I hope so!

And now you're really gonna love this.  A portrait session with the Cap'n produced a few gems- 

oooh, are you even ready?

That's right, forget whales baby, he's gonna be the next face of Alaskan TV stardom!!

And one more selfy, which has a little sampling of our new house wall color- yup.  

BRIGHT. ORANGE.  

It's def a love it or hate it- anyhow, those pics will be coming soon I SWEAR!  

But life is busy sometimes you know?

R&R At Martina's Fabrics

Interior of Martina's Fabrics in Lemon Creek

SABLE: Stash Accumulation Beyond Life Expectancy (craft slang).

Is this you? Do you have endless piles of fabric swatches, yarn skeins, or bead bins? This is what’s known as a crafter’s stash, and chances are, if you know what a craft stash is, you’re bordering on a little SABLE yourself. Since spring has finally arrived (cross your fingers), it’s the perfect time to take inventory and do a little purging of whatever SABLE you’ve got piling up. Don’t let your crafter’s guilt take over by throwing out perfectly practical fabrics. Instead give yourself a spring gift by taking them to Martina’s Fabrics for a little stash R&R.

Fabric R&R, a win-win for all!

 Not quite a spa vacation for your fabric friends, but the new Recycle & Replenish program at Martina’s Fabric is Juneau’s first fabric stash consignment where you can buy and sell fabrics that are in desperate need of a new life. The program was conceived by shop-owner Martha Narino-Torres when a fellow quilter brought in her stash of felted wool that had been destined for a project that simply fizzled. After pondering what to do with a pile of wool in a cotton-fabric quilt-dominated store, Martha’s crafty daughter gave her the key; why not upcycle the pieces into blocks for beading? The idea blossomed from there. Simply drop your stash extras at Martina’s and pick up a few new-to-you pieces at the same time. Not only does the program help in harder financial times, but it’s also a source of inspiration.

Tools of the (Crafting) Trade

Years of unending desperate anticipation have led to this moment as I now embrace my new title: homeowner. Was it the excitement of a mortgage? Was I waiting with bated breath to mow my lawn and shovel my drive? Was the thought of painting every surface of my house a different color getting me giddy? OK, maybe a bit, but the truly exciting part of the moving process has been the acquisition of my very own ... craft room (did I just hear you squeal?). And now that I have it, I'm at a complete loss.

Craft rooms take years to perfect. They are based upon delicate organizational systems that teeter on the brink of brilliance and insanity. At any moment a drawer full of fabric might be pulled one inch too far, causing a mountainous paper avalanche and a Rube Goldberg-esque unforeseen chain of reactions. It may take me 30 years to create that delicate balance, but thankfully I have spent the last 30 years gathering all the crafting fodder to fill the room for when the day finally came. Consolidating the craft stashes from all over my apartment into one craft Mecca has helped me refine my tools of trade into a top ten list to share with you, in case you'd like to get to crafting in your own room in, say, less than 30 years.


My top ten tools (in no particular order) to craft with are as follows: 

3M Super 77 adhesive spray: This heavy-duty adhesive spray has the perfect level of tack for paper, cardboard, and even metal. Be forewarned that it stinks and sticks to everything (meaning I only spray outside), but when you want a clean, flat bond it's the best.

 X-Acto knife with #11 blades: For perfect cuts of paper, illustration board, foamcore and more, I use my X2000 with padded handle every time. To store discarded blades, keep an old coffee can handy by slitting a hole in the lid and popping them in (and away from kiddos).

The Art of Cutting In

No, not the art of cutting in line, because who isn't good at that?  My best attempt at a cleanly cut line of paint after getting wise tips from local painting pros.

Three weeks ago I made a huge commitment, which forced me to learn a few things about myself. That commitment? I bought a house. (More on that in coming posts). The lesson? I realized I have no idea how to paint.

This came as quite a shock considering I spent a good 10 years of my theater career lurking around the paint shop. Don't get me wrong, I can paint a faux wood grain all up and down. You want a marble entryway? From 15 feet (a.k.a., audience distance) I can make sheetrock look like a Grecian temple carved of stone, but paint the ceiling in my living room with White Dove? You've got to be kidding! There wasn't a lot of ceiling painting or precision accuracy in those 10 years.

Thankfully, while I had a decade in theater, other more industrious types had spent those years gathering valuable house painting skills. A couple of my friends, house painter Robert Araujo and former house painter Patrick Barry, roused me from my fear coma enough to teach me the art of cutting in.

Cutting in is the first step in the interior house painting process, and to my knowledge, the most difficult. As a theatrician I am a huge fan of blue painter's tape. If you want a clean edge, tape it! Well, try taping the ceiling, the floor, the windows, the outlets, the trim and the doggy door - in seven rooms. Instead of wasting all the time of taping, actual house painters use a precision technique called "cutting in," which basically amounts to free-handing it. Perhaps you had the same reaction as I did: yeah, right. But no, this is a tried-and-true method that leaves a lovely living room even from 5 fet away. How is it done? A lot of practice. Beyond that there are a few tips I gathered from my expert friends to share.

Tip 1: Caulk it!
Robert's number one helpful hint to get a clean line between windowsill and wall was a nice bead of caulk. By creating a smooth seam between the wall and window or trim, he was able to get a long clean line of paint, as well as seal any cool-air cracks. A double-win in my book.

My Fam is Extreme

No, literally- this weekend my cousin Chris WON the SALOMON EXTREME FREERIDE CHAMPIONSHIPS in TAOS.  Yeah, like literally 1st place.

check it out here

We are all super proud of you Chris- you kicked butt!!!  Cap'n and I both actually tuned in right at the moment as you went down on the third day and caught your winning run.  

This comp. is so extreme the logo is a skeleton.  wo.

Cheers Cous!!

Like Snow and Beer?

 Then rock your body over to Eaglecrest this weekend because the Alaskan Brewing Company turns 25 and wants to celebrate with you at the High Gravity Games!!!

Okay, this is part shameless self-promotion (I designed the poster), but mostly all about how fun this crazy day sounds.  When else are you going to get to see dudes hitched to a dogsled and chicks tossing kegs while dummys get thrown down the mountain all from the comfort of a fabu beer garden?  Only in J-town!! And only at Eaglecrest this Sunday- so hopefully I will see all your crafty faces there!

Happy

 This week in my photography class we were assigned to take a photo with the theme "happy" without showing any smiles, so I took this picture:

 Not the most amazing picture ever taken, but it's pretty amazing to me.  and weird. very weird.

Also, for some reason "move-in" is much easier to write on a white-erase board than it is to do in real life. go figure.  Happy Monday!

Let's Believe Again in Valentine's Day!

Xtra Tuff Love brought to you by AlaskanDermish.etsy.com

 Ah, Valentine's Day. Every year, if I actually have a date, inevitably my wonder boy doesn't "believe" in the holiday. How can you not believe in a holiday? It's on every calendar out there! But my conspiracy theorist exes would have you convinced that the card folders are in cahoots with the chocolate dippers who in turn scratch the backs of the jewelry setters who are definitely in bed with the flower de-thorners who, of course, all own the calendar cutters.

And this maze of deception has one end, to get their precious money that they otherwise would be spending on a 60-inch flatscreen with surround sound. So this year there will be no more excuses. Let me help you put the craft back in Valencraftines Day and believe once again in a holiday free of commercialism.

When NOT To Craft

Sometimes pork chops really are just meant for eating.

Once I made a pork chop ... out of felt. Yes, I made a plushy pork chop. The kind of plush a tiny girl might carry on all her journeys and cuddle with at night and brush its hair, except it had no hair because it was a pork chop. I proudly took my pork chop to my crafty co-workers and with gleaming eyes announced, "Look what I made!" Their wan smiles and feeble encouragements were all dashed when the next three words were spoken: "What is it?"

"What is it!" I cried in disgust. "It is a pork chop, of course! A witty, irreverent, plushy pork chop made of pink and brown felt that has been 'stuffed'" - I used air quotes - "get it? Stuffed!"

This did not help them "get it." I tried another avenue. "Well, it's a man thing. Boyfriend will think it's hilarious!" Sure boyfriend liked pork chops, to eat. My gift was sweetly rejected with, "Oh, you hold on to it for me honey." That day I met face to face with the realization that some days you have to know when not to craft.

"We should start with a list"

Cap'n is not a big list guy, and I am way-too-obsessed with them.  But yesterday over a where-to-have-our-wedding-and-when conversation he said the sweetest, most brilliant, most marrying-worthy thing ever.

He said, "We should start with a list."!  That is why I am marrying him.  And because he's really cute. 

I love also that he said, "Like the one the Rookery boys had on their wall."

Ok, for a little backstory, when my fabu friends Travis and Jason bought the local coffee shop Valentine's and turned it into the Rookery Cafe (and had me help with the design, SO FUN!) they closed for one month to get it all fixed up.  They had a hard time keeping track of everything they had to do so they made enormous to-do lists that covered the walls.

This is just one of many- think 3' wide by 4' tallish. 

Perfect.  I always love a good chalkboard wall list too.

[source]

Personally, I'm a long-skinny-flip-book kind of list maker.  

But I also have a white-erase board of listy goodness just in case I get a hankering.  

Anyhow, the list he's talking about, the invitees list, I'm afraid it's a bit long for a giant-sheets-of-paper-on-the-wall type of list.  It sounds more like a very-boring-typed-in-excel type of list.  

We'll see.

Do you live with a list maker?

What kind of lists do you make?