hellaweave

yesterday i saw a weave getting dragged down the street by a car bumper.

YES WE CAN do whatever the fuck we want, we're "artists"

or "crafters", whatever.

i was just reading about shepard fairey's iconic image of barack obama being in the smithsonian. i have mixed feelings about his art, but that's sort of beside the point (once i get there). and congrats to him, seriously. it will surely be his most historic work. i think as an artist these days one is about more than you can hope for. ah, hope...


anyway! i have seen this image ALL OVER etsy for months now. mostly as scrabble tile pendants (go figure)- yet not one person has mentioned faireys name. oh, i wonder why?
maybe because that would equate admitting you are not selling your art, you are not really supporting the cause-sorry, your paypal account doesn't count- and because it is full admittance that all you did was steal someone elses graphic.
maybe because shepard fairey offered it as a free download people thought that meant "take and do whatever you want with it, that's cool"...
so. does shrinking it down and having the creativity to put it on a pendant constitute enough of a "change" (heh) to call it your own work of art? does running it through photoshop and giving it a weathered look make it your own?
um.

more importantly, if you bought any of that stuff, the odds of a single penny of your money actually supporting obama's campaign- slim to none. they were/are just cashing in on your ideology. i did see one listing mention portions of the cost going to the campaign. but the campaign trail ended a few months ago and the listing is brand new. where does the money go now?
there is little if any difference between these sellers and the random street vendors who set up a tent with their democrat/republican, doesn't matter/choose your own adventure merchandise on the street corner, doesn't matter anyway they got them wholesale from overseas/doesn't matter they'll be gone in a few days laughing all the way to the bank/hey, did they even vote?
bummer.
think about what you buy.



and now for something fun.


i've been eyeballing this shirt for a few months, but as much as i love it i just can't bring myself to buy it. i think the true humor of it would (for lack of a better term) turn frat when worn on a bodacious rack. and by bodacious i mean big.
or maybe don't think too hard about *some* of the things you buy.

vagina

why are there so many vagina items on etsy?
you're proud of your pussy. that's rad. but come on?!

it's funny but weird. but funny.
but weird.

babble and whine

i haven't been around much lately. anywhere. the holiday season hit me like a ton of bricks and i haven't quite dug myself out yet. don't get me wrong- it was GREAT, but i feel like i haven't had time to just breathe in a few months. i'm on a fake vacation right now (fakation/facation?) but i think i'm going to need a real vacation after my fakation. (i wish made up words looked better in print.)

i'm so incredibly thankful for all the business that came my way this year. but for as prepared as i thought i was about a month ago, well, i wasn't. i fucked up a couple orders, i shipped slowly, i missed a few local deadlines (zach, i don't know if those onesies will be ready tomorrow)... it was kind of a one-armed juggling act. i'm the sort of person who likes to do everything myself. i learned that for the next holiday season i absolutely have to have help. i basically have 3 businesses and it was simply overwhelming. getting a cold that kicked my ass didn't help either.

anyway! my holiday rush will all be over after this textile art show i'm in on january 2nd.


i was asked to be in it pretty last minute but i'm flattered just the same. and the gallery is conveniently located about 10 feet from my store, so how could i say no? i keep guilting myself about how simple the work i'll be showing will be, that it isn't really art. i insist on making new stuff for it and i haven't actually sewn ANY of it yet.
t.i.m.e.
need more.
i must subconsciously like pressure. here is a little preview of a half finished squid cape-


that squid is freaking huge! i think mary pattavina will be showing squid fascinators- that's very exciting. i don't know what the other ladies are showing but i am thrilled to see all of it. and now i should be sewing instead of babbling and whining.

oh yeah

in the hustle and bustle of a chaotic holiday season i keep forgetting something- something pretty thrilling- so why not blog about it. someone bought cuff links from me to gift to one of their 'high end clients' barack obama. i'm over the moon about it yet i keep forgetting because i've been so busy. i hope blogging about it isn't tacky. i'm not a braggart, just psyched. anyway, yay. :)