With a scant few days to spare [or, at least there was when I started writing this post], the Imbolc issue of The AntiCraft has arrived, full of hearty foods to sustain you while your body begs to hibernate during the coldest and greyest parts of winter.

As I said in this issue's letter, "There are plenty of plans buzzing around Headquarters right now, it's one of the things I love about the Imbolc issue, no matter how difficult it likes to make itself. January just sort of cackles with potential, doesn't it?" So tell me about your plans!



Anyway, enjoy it muchly. The Beltane issue is already 100% planned and the editors and I are about to jump in to working on it! Craziness abounds around HQ! We love it.

Kisses and craftiness,
.:Zabet

Labels: current issue, imbolc10, zabet

Here is why you should love my friend Janis: She is The AntiCraft's Ravelry editor, which means that I can avoid the huge timesuck that is Ravelry (don't get me wrong, I love it, but I could spend waaaaay too many hours there just in my own notebook), yet all knitting and crochet patterns that pass through HQ's hallowed halls still make it onto Rav's hallowed pages. (Don't know what Ravelry is? Where have you been, under a rock? Short answer: it's crack for fiber artists.)

Also, sometimes Janis has forethought, which is very helpful because mine is often on the fritz. Other times, she simply reads The AntiCraft group's board and reports back when others have forethought. Thank you, Rogue, for reminding us about the Ravelympics! Without your forethought and Janis' dedication, there was a 99.9% chance that once again, Team Angstylvania would be "unofficial" and we'd have to all stand around embarrassed, pretending we did it on purpose because we are just that cool. (Obviously, we're not.)

So, to make a long post short—better late than never, I suppose—I'm pleased to announce that Team Angstylvania is officially part of the 2010 Ravelympics. Whether or not we bother to participate after signing up is kind of a coin toss, but if you do want to participate, check out the Ravelmpics thread. Earwax, ho!

Labels: Ravelry, Ravelympics, zabet

Thanks for all the well-wishes; wouldn't you know that right as I was getting better my husband caught it? Jeez. All healthy now, though, just with a lingering cough, which means we're back to shipping out books and all other orders!

We've has sold books in all but 15 states. There are 18 books left. Coincidence? I think not. (Arkansas, Arizona, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, and Wyoming, in case you are wondering.)

I mean, Hawaii I get. Who wants to knit with wool or wear black there? But Kansas, oh Kansas. Every autumn you prove to me you can be awesome if you just try, but now this? The woe, the betrayal! And Wyoming, don't you remember when I came to visit and (in theory) ride horses in 1982, before I knew I had a severe allergy and the beasts would kill me? Don't you still love me?

Also, I promise the Imbolc issue will be up before Imbolc. Stick a needle in my eye!

Labels: book, imbolc10, swag, zabet

Flu.

Labels: zabet

Just an FYI for folks who might be ordering things: The AntiCraft is closing down HQ from December 31st to January 3rd. We'll send emails/ship stuff as soon as we get back from rural North Carolina.

I don't know about y'all, but 2009 was pretty rough for most of my loved ones. 2010 cannot get here fast enough. Let's all focus on making 2010 the Best. Year. EVER.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Labels: zabet

A few things left from Bazaar Bizarre are now available for purchase at the post-Christmas sale.

You can only get there by clicking here, so click already!
(opens in a new window)

Quantities are limited. First in-the-inbox, first served!

Labels: swag, want, zabet

Running out of time but still want to give handmade gifts? Come visit the West Cleveland Bazaar Bizarre and save your sanity without compromising your standards. All manner of handmade goods will abound!

I'm bringing ornaments, books, and stickers. Rebecca will have creepy Santa eyeballs and goodness only knows what else. Robyn is bringing her hand-blended batts and hand dyed yarns. There will probably also be baby onsies in the mix as well as the occasional knitted or crocheted cap. It'll be a fun time, so come on out and shop indie/handmade/relatively local with us!

When:
Sat, Dec 12, noon-9pm
Sun, Dec 13, noon-6pm

Where:
78th Street Studios
1300 W. 78th St.
Cleveland, OH

Vendors:
Click here for list.

More Info:
bazaarbizarre.org

Labels: consumerism, zabet

Enjoy!

Labels: samhain09, surprise, yule, zabet

I feel like all I do lately is encourage folks to buy things, and it's beginning to make me feel dirty. But I'm so in love with our new holiday card design that I can't not share it. What's a girl to do?

AntiCrafters living in the US: If you buy 25 or more Zazzle greeting card, note card, postcard, invitation, or photo card products (from any Zazzle store, not just The AntiCraft), you can get free ground shipping now until December 31st. Enter promo code FREECARDSHIP at checkout to receive the free shipping.



And I can't leave out our other holiday cards.

Labels: consumerism, zabet

Lest we forget!

Coming from the current issue, we have realized the White Witch is right after all: it is dull to drink without eating. Therefore, in case you haven't sussed it yet, the upcoming issue of The AntiCraft is all about comfort food and the accoutrements on the table or in the kitchen that make it happen. We know most of you pull out all the stops during the holiday season and we invite you to submit your must-have recipes, special tabletop touches, and crafty kitchen projects.

Submissions should preferably be in by December 20, but we can probably stretch it until the 26th. Please be sure to check out the new (and hopefully improved) Submission Guidelines.

Look for the Imbolc 2010 issue to be out around January 9th; we'll make an announcement when it's available!

Labels: imbolc10, submit, zabet

You now how your own book order button under the book tab. The price is $16.76 (~£10), including shipping. Enjoy!

Labels: book, swag, zabet

When life gives me lemons, I turn off all the lights, listen to The Cure for 24 hours straight, and write horrible poetry on black paper with black ink while I weep black mascara tears all over it. Then I go make narcotic lemonade.

I got a letter from our publisher saying that they have found themselves in an "overstock situation" with Anticraft: Knitting, Stitching, and Beading for the Slightly Sinister (really, I will never stop hating that subtitle). So, the bad news is that it will not be reprinted, but the GOOD NEWS is that I was able to buy 150 deeply discounted copies, which I will in turn sell to you, signed and personalized. I will even go so far as to steal a page from Amanda Palmer and Om Nom Nom on them if you so desire, despite the warning I put in the back of the book about NOT LICKING IT because it was printed in China so Gods only know what might be on it. That's right, I'm totally putting my personal health at risk FOR YOU. That's love, baby.

We ordered the books Friday morning, and they will reach HQ in 10 business days. Which means that you can preorder a personalized book right now and have your holiday shopping done and out of the way in a trice, and we'll ship it out as soon as we have them in our hot little hands. Aren't we so helpful?

Profits from these book sales are going to be put into a savings account to one day fund... are you ready for it? ANTICON. Coming in the next 24-36 months or so to a city probably not very near you (and very likely in Ohio, unless Carin manages to put together AntiCon West first, in which case it will be somewhere nearish to San Francisco), so start saving now for your airfare!

And speaking of holiday shopping, if you want to give a gift to us, you can totally shop via our Amazon.com portal on the Materialism page, where we'll get little kickbacks for anything you buy. Not that you shouldn't buy local (BUY LOCAL!!!!), but when you can't get it local and have to shop online anyway, you can enter Amazon through our portal, get whatever you like, and we get a little kickback. It's all sorts of awesome.

Labels: book, swag, zabet

I have just realized that in the post about the trivets and hotpads contest I didn't exactly spell out that it's a crafting contest, did I? Prob'ly should have run that past the other editors before posting, eh? Whoops!

Anyway, the nitty gritty details are:

1. CRAFT your trivet/hotpad out of any medium.

2. SEND your photos to submit@theanticraft.com by 11:59pm EST, December 10, 2009.

3. If you win, we'll need your INSTRUCTIONS by December 20 so that we can publish them in the next issue!

4. Get fabulous prizes!

Labels: contest, imbolc10, zabet

That can only mean one thing: time for another AntiCrafty contest! When mixing up a batch of eye of newt, toe of frog, wool of bat, and tongue of dog, how do you keep from scorching your counter or tabletops? Better yet, how do you propose that WE keep from scorching OUR counters and tabletops? Trivet? Hotpad? Some ill-begotten offspring of the two? Or something entirely new, say, like a cross between a bicycle and an octopus?

Send photos of your heat protection device—tripad? hotvet?—to submit@theanticraft.com by 11:59pm EST, December 10, 2009. (And then give it away as a holiday gift if you so desire, we don't mind!) The staff will pick one lucky winner who can pillage our library for two books and will get a special cannot-yet-be-named prize from Zabet. (We know what it is already, we're just being coy.)

The winner will, of course, have his or her project included in the Imbolc 2010 edition. What an AntiCrafty way to start off the new year!

Labels: contest, zabet

Just a note to say that the submission guidelines have been updated, hopefully in a way which you will find to be more specific (and therefore user-friendly). Also, AntiCrafty designers will want to note that we've made an email list just for you! Check it out and sign up!

The AntiCraft Submission Guidelines
http://theanticraft.com/submit.htm

Labels: submit, zabet

Here's one for the science geeks: check out the updated Firewater Paint With Me for some corrections involving triple-bonding between carbon and nitrogen. Sexy, we know!

(Thanks Alex!)

Labels: correction, samhain09, zabet

Two things!

1. Announcement to N.Ohio AntiCrafters: The ReBelle girls Robyn and Sarah will be joining with Rebecca and myself to form The AntiCraft Collective and sell handmade goods at the Cleveland Bazaar Bizarre on December 12 and 13. More details as they become available!




2. Any AntiCrafters living in/near Asheville/Hendersonville/Brevard, NC, want to get together for an Angstylvanian Reunion in the first week of January? We would either meet up in Asheville (I'll need location suggestions) or possibly in Brevard if I can get a friend-in-law of mine to let me use his lodge's common room (complete with crackly fireplace and antler chandeliers) on the cheap.

If you're remotely interested, send an email to me (zabet@theanticraft.com) and I'll make up a mini mailing list to let y'all know the plan.

Note: Being on the email list is not an obligation on your part to attend.

Also Note: There MAY be a small fee to join in (no more than $10, I promise) if and ONLY IF we have to pay to use the location where we end up.

Labels: angstylvania, craft shows, geography, NC, OH, zabet

I almost hate to say it—no, wait, I DO hate to say it—but the automagical linking setup over on Facebook means I'm a lot more likely to post stuff there. Then I feel guilty for neglecting the blog, so I post it here. Then I feel sorry for those who follow both the blog and FB and got a double whammy. What to do?

I recommend you check out The AntiCraft's Facebook page. Most of my short "Hey look at this!" stuff will be there. News will continue to be posted in both places. Not all the staff is on FB, so the blog will remain a place they can share stuff. Sound fair?

Edited to add: Btw, if you are wondering what you're missing on the FB page, here are some recent links:

Artist Crissy Conant

For Strange Women

I Will Not Read Your Fucking Script

Rugged Femininity Work Corset

Labels: facebook, zabet

First off, that's a real book, and I own several copies so that I can pass them along to my lovely but hyper-driven friends when they are pushing themselves too the point of absurdity.

That said, by no means let it anyone misunderstand the quote I'm going to post next. I'm not accusing Amanda Palmer of being a slacker or an underachiever or anything with the words "lazy" and "ass" in the same phrase. I am totally, completely aware of her dedication and the constant motion of her whirling dervish craftsmanship. I'm sure if I had half her drive I'd be dead of a heart attack.

THAT said, to keep us creative types from driving ourselves mad, she has some wisdom we need to accept. I think it bears repeating here because sometimes we can only hear things when they come from another creative type.

i warn you against falling prey to the “but it’s not like i imagined it” syndrome.

this actually applies to any and all art. it will be one way in your head. then it will look different on the canvas. you deal, you adjust, you change your head-picture, you adjust.

the ability to deal is the talent, not the perfection in your head. nobody will ever see the perfection in your head. sorry.

this is why some artists kill themselves.
—Amanda Palmer

I could do with occasional reminding that the 'zine is a living Frankensteined thing, and will grow as it will in the way that it wants, no matter what the original idea in my head looked like. And I'll love it anyway, because Mary, the impenetrable wall, wide as the sea, it's fucking awesome working with you all.

Labels: zabet

While trying to ban some IP addresses from comment-spamming my mom's website this morning, I introduced a typo that made everything on my servers inaccessible. Go me! Everything should be fixed now, but let me know if strangeness continues.

Labels: d'oh, zabet

Don't forget to enter into Mr X Stitch's first birthday contest! You have until noon GMT (that's 7am Eastern) on October 3 to enter. Good luck!

Happy birthday, Jamie and Bee!

Labels: embroidery, zabet

This Thursday, August 27, Mr. X Stitch is celebrating the site's first birthday with big news and a big giveaway:

"First of all we will be launching a new range of cross stitch and embroidery patterns from some of the newest embroidery talents out there. When you find out who they are, you're going to want them!

We're also announcing a new roster of guest posters, who will be bringing you more views from the wonderful world of stitching.

And finally, the information you've all been waiting for…we're having a giveaway!

Yes indeed, you will have the chance to win one of the following:

* A gift pack from the awesome Subversive Cross stitch!
* One of Emily Peacock's fabulous needlepoint kits!
* A free sampler of your choice from Miso Funky!
* A copy of Manga Cross Stitch, courtesy of Ilex Books!
* An original Beefranck stitchery!
* And a piece of work from some wiseacre called Mr X Stitch.

We've also got a special prize of a batch of light effects threads that will end up with whoever makes us laugh the most over the course of the week. Can't be bad!"

Mmmm...stitchgasm!

Labels: cool link, embroidery, zabet

This is straight up whorin' for some folks whose stuff I like:

We Rouges of Wool
Original comic here.
Available as a tshirt or tote.

 

Oh, and Emergency Survival Kit tshirts are finally available!

Labels: want, zabet

Upcoming themes have gotten juggled a bit, but don't worry, nothing that was in store has been axed.

The AntiCraft is throwing three sheets to the wind this autumn and looking for submissions on a mixological theme. Original cocktails, recipes, bar accoutrements, and all other "spirit"ual projects will be considered. Deadline for submissions is 11:59pm Sunday, September 6, 2009. Please check the Submission Guidelines for details. Drunken crafting is a dangerous and time honored AntiCraft tradition, so join in*!

*Provided, of course, that you are old enough to drink. If not, your consolation prize is feeling left out. Congrats!

Labels: zabet

I've just learned from Helen that the (British) Poetry Society is doing a knitted poem. The Poetry Society has chosen a poem but kept it secret, and folks have volunteered to knit a letter on a square. Then it gets put together into order and will be revealed in October 2009.

Sadly, all the letter squares have been taken, but knitted and crocheted blank squares are needed to fill in around the words. Contact them if you'd like to participate.

I'd also like to point out, especially for any AntiCrafters living in Virginia, that Poked You Too is not just your average tattoo and body piercing parlor, but a gallery and a retail shop for handmade goods.

"As our region continues to encourage artists through the new museum in Roanoke and small independent galleries throughout the area, we wanted to add our own unique style of art to the mix – both through fine art offered by area artists and a retail shop stocked with only handmade goods made from independent artists around the world that simply can’t be found in our area."

So if you're in the area, check them out!

.:Zabet

Labels: art, poetry, tattoo, zabet

Some time ago, I blogged about The Addams Family being made into a musical. There is news on this front.

According to The Associated Press:

"..[T]he show will open April 8 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. Previews begin March 4 after a Chicago tryout that starts in mid-November."

"Nathan Lane will play Gomez and Bebe Neuwirth will be Morticia in the production. Also in the cast are Kevin Chamberlin as Uncle Fester, Jackie Hoffman as Grandma and Zachary James as Lurch."

I can only assume the AP means it will open on April 8, 2010, as the article I read was dated July 22, 2009. Way to be specific, journalists!

I have absolutely no permission to use that image, btw. Sorry, Tee & Charles Addams Foundation.

Labels: art, theatre, zabet

Janis told me that David Malki ! of Wondermark (An Illustrated Jocularity) will be putting out the following adorable tshirts based on this comic sometime now-ish, with online ordering opening up near the end of the month. Go clicky for more info!



In the meanwhile, this adorable crafty shirt IS available:




Also, this made the rounds in 2007, but I hadn't seen it before Deb posted it on The AntiCraft's FB page (thanks, Deb!), so I figured I'd share in case there were other's like me. Who couldn't love Keetra Dixon's blood puddle pillows called The Great Slumber? They are simple but evocative.

Labels: art, want, zabet

I'm getting bad at blogging. Facebook's short status updates have spoiled me, leaving my deep-thinking and pontificating muscles unused and beginning to atrophy.

Puerto Rico was fabulous, and I swear if something could be done about the heat and humidity, I'd move there in a heartbeat. While I didn't get to meet up with any AntiCrafters, I was somehow outed to my day job teammates (we were there giving a workshop) as being Strange Craft Girl during my off hours. These are stiff, academic types, but they took it reasonably well, in a "we knew you were weird, we just didn't know HOW weird" sort of way.

In crafting news, one of my favorite cross stitchers, Julie Jackson of Subversive Cross Stitch, just did an interview with my new embroidery heartthrob, Jamie Chalmers of Mr. X Stitch, for Craft. My only regret is that there is not more Bee! Go read it now and leave loving comments for both the subject and the author, for they are both faboo and deserve our cookies.

In other crafting news, Shannon Okey (aka Knitgrrl aka the woman who does not ever ever ever stop working) is opening up Knitgrrl Studio in Lakewood, OH (near Cleveland). She of course had her big to-do this Saturday and I completely failed to tell you all ahead of time. (Sorry!) But if you're in the area, check it out! (Knitgrrl Studio website, Knitgrrl Studio FB page)

And for your AntiCrafting pleasure, proof that there might be such a thing as "too much juxtaposition" (and you know how I loves me some juxtaposition!): Hairy Spoon Rest and Toenail Clipping Spoon Rest. (From Craftster via Craftastrope.)

Labels: cool link, embroidery, why didn't i think of that?, zabet

Pointy fun for young and old. Go check it out, peeps!

Labels: love, lugh09, zabet

By a huge stroke of luck, I'll be in San Juan, Puerto Rico, from July 6- July 10, with husband in tow.

¿Hay unos puertoricaños anticrafticos que quieren reunirse? Escribeme: zabet@theanticraft.com. (Sean simpaticos, por favor... hablo muy mal el español.)

O.o


^.^

Labels: on location, zabet

I posted this on FB and totally forgot to mention it here as well!

Until the end of June, you can order any of our Zazzle merch (tshirts, totebags, greeting cards) and get free shipping anywhere in the world with no minimum purchase. Just use code "JUNESHIPFREE" when you check out.

Labels: want, zabet

I did want to talk about Ed Franklin today, so here we go.

Ed is local to The AntiCraft HQ, and I'd be lying if I didn't admit I had a total crush on him in high school. (In my defense, he had a book on Dalí. What high school boy has a book about Dalí?)

For each day in June, Ed is making a wooden doll and hiding it around downtown. He then posts a pic of the doll with a clue as to its whereabouts. Each doll has a note attached that indicates the game is played with strict rule of Finders, Keepers.



June is coming to an end and I've yet to find one of the little buggers. I can only hope he decides to do it again next year!

See the full gallery of dolls to date on Flickr.

Labels: art, dolls, local, zabet

Have just discovered the drop-down menu archives aren't working. Not sure if I'll have time to look at it before the new issue, but I'm aware of the problem and will give it a go as soon as I can.

Thanks! .:Z

Labels: zabet

As requested: the Team Angstylvania Kiva lending team. This group is open to everyone.

Helpful links:
Where's Angstylvania?
Learn about Kiva
Register with Kiva
Add credit to your Kiva account (requires registration)
Kiva Help Center
Team Angstylvania Kiva Page

Labels: angstylvania, hand up not hand out, zabet

I recently joined Kiva and made my first loan to a Nigerian lady named Bibiri. It's weird and awesome to think I can help out like this. If anyone else would like to join Kiva and pitch some cash her way, use the link below. ($25 min; you get it back and can then lend it to someone else. I didn't have $25 all at once so I added it to my Kiva account $5 a month until I had enough to lend.)



Would anyone be interested in having an Angstylvanian lending team?

"Because the best way to fix a problem is to throw money at it."
—Svetlana Vyalostova, Team Angstylvania Olympic coach

Labels: angstylvania, hand up not hand out, zabet

First, we'd like to congratulate Gemma who was awarded ∞+162 out of 10 points by the staff for her chaise-longue luchadora. Fabulous translation, Gemma!

AntiCrafters will find full pictures of and a pattern for Gemma's project in the next issue.

---

Secondly, we'd like to announce that the final merkin is in place and available for your crafting (*ahem*) pleasure.

Labels: contest, surprise, zabet

The idea for this shirt came about when my friends Sage and Helen and I decided we really needed a shirt to wear to parties so we'd be left alone. (Why don't we all just hang out with each other? Because one of us lives in the USA, another in Canada, and another in the UK. Not exactly convenient!) So, for all the other misanthropes who find themselves beset by gregarious individuals at parties they'd been pressured into attending: here's looking at you.



(PS - also comes in a babydoll version.)

Labels: swag, zabet

I've been meaning to point out Mr. X Stitch since the beginning of the month, but have had blog fail. Time to rectify, especially since they were nice enough to plug the current contest and upcoming issue for us!

Mr. X Stitch is like taking Julie Jackson and Jenny Hart, stuffing them into a blender, pureeing them into one paste, kneading that paste into clay, and forming that clay into a superhuman embroidering golem, but in blog format. No, really! Monsieur Stitcher himself, Jamie, and his partner in crime, Bee, bring you the best in truly artistic, twisted, awesome, and self-referential embroidery every day. (Beefrank, may I call you Bee? I'm going to call you Bee.)

He and Bee are no slouches with a needle, either, as evidenced by their Etsy stores. (Who wants a blackwork "The Hammer Is My Penis"? I do, I do!)

Labels: cool link, embroidery, want, zabet

Labels: music, video, zabet

After taking into account that the U.S. dollar is worth less than the British pound and then adding the cost of importing, buying a British craft mag can get expensive to the tune of ~$10/issue. U.S. AntiCrafter fans of YARN forward or the new Inside Crochet will be happy (in a jaded and cynical way, of course) to know they have heard your cries for electronic (and therefore, cheaper) copies.

YARN forward
online issue preview | buy or subscribe to electronic issues

Inside Crochet
online issue preview | buy or subscribe to electronic issues

Edited to add a hint from Shannon: "I find, on my Mac, that going to the 'Thumbnails' section and navigating to there is easiest, since in the preview, not all pages are available, and that way you can also see the 'greyed out' pages." I'm a Mac user as well, and this worked for me.

Labels: knitgrrl, print mags, U.K., zabet

For Ariana Page Russell, it's her skin.

Via Jezebel.

Labels: art, zabet

There have some strange things going on with the forum's database the past ten minutes or so. Give it a break and come back a little later if it's messing with you.

Labels: forums, zabet

I don't know what it is about vagina dentata, but I just can't get 'em out of my head since the new issue went up.

Vagina Dentata wallet from VulvaLoveLovely on Etsy.
[Link fixed now. Thanks for the heads up, Anthony!]

This Time You Bleed tee from primalscreen on Etsy.

The surprisingly funny movie, Teeth. (Ok, maybe not funny if you are a guy. I found it pretty funny.)

And, of course, everyone's favorite song over at Queen of Wands.

Labels: cool link, vagina dentata, zabet

We were so impressed with the Vlad hats that we wanted to give y'all another chance to shine. The Lughnasadh '09 issue (yet to be named) is going to be embroidery projects (crewel, needlepoint, cross stitch, WHATEVER), and the winner of this brand! new! contest! will have their patterns featured.

Seeing as how no one is currently impugning our collective craft honor (Hi, Steven!), we decided to juice up our brain-hamsters to come up with a suitable theme. Drumroll, please!

Interpret that however you like. No really... there were some drugs involved and we really can't be held responsible for any sane explanation of the theme.

So then!

1. Come up with some kind of embroidery project centering on the theme of Luchador Boudoir.
   
   
2. Send your entry to submit@theanticraft.com. Be sure to do the following things. Entries not meeting these conditions will be disregarded. (If you need to send multiple emails to get in all your photos, that's fine, we'll go by the timestamp on your first email.)
   • Put "Luchador Boudoir entry" in the subject line.
   • Send photos of the front and back of your project.
   • Write instructions following the submission guidelines.
   
   
   
3. Your email must be timestamped in our mailbox by 11:59pm on May 20 June 1, 2009. Winners will be notified by email around June 1. (Winners will also keep it to themselves until the issue publishes in the first week of July.) Entries not meeting these conditions will be disregarded; winners who can't keep a secret will forfeit their prize.
   
   
4. PRIZES! We have a bunch of craft books piling up at HQ. When a winner has been chosen we'll send them a list of available titles and they can pick 5. We'll package them specially in a project bag and throw in some other goodies, too.

Labels: contest, lucha libre, zabet

Labels: merkin, new issue, zabet

I came across this portable photo studio after chortling over some tshirt links my friends send me from ThinkGeek. I must say that I'm pretty damn impressed. This is a great idea, and it's reasonably priced. I can't tell you how many times I've been annoyed with terribly lit, blurry photos on Etsy or Ebay—or in The AntiCraft's submission box!

I know everyone is probably on an even more strict budget than usual these days, so even if you can't afford to buy this particular setup, take a minute to look at it and try to recreate it on the cheap: Stack up a couple of books instead of the mini-tripod. The white box is like those collapsible storage cubes you can find at places like Ikea. Set up a bunch of flashlights on either side of the cube (the thin white fabric of the cube diffuses it; enlist friends or get more books to set them on).

Labels: photography, zabet

I never cease to be amazed at the things you can find on the Internet. Here's the Sledge Grits Band, made up of sisters, aged 6 - 13 that play "funky blues-infused rock and soul." I'm fairly well jealous that I didn't have a band as a kid.



Did I mention the 6yo is the drummer? Did I mention she's already WAY better than I am? I think she may actually be cuter than Spooky, my foster bunny.

Labels: music, zabet

Hey all, I just wanted to let you know that you can look for the new issue to be out on Saturday, April 4, probably noon-ish my time (GMT -5).

Also, I wanted to let you know that I ran into someone on Etsy using the name "TheAnticraft." I had never heard of her and she had never heard of us, but we came to a very amicable agreement where she will keep the name for buying but not selling [edited to add: and no longer use it elsewhere online]. She is is not to be harassed, capisce? Everything is cool.

.:Zabet

Labels: new issue, zabet

If we had a payroll, anyway. Here's another fab thing I learned about from Helen. I have to say that I rather hate plarn, but had not had time to think of alternate cool things to do with plastic bags. Luckily, the Lucky Ladybird has been quite industrious in this sector.



And hey, I'm posting during production crunch time! Either I've lost my frickin' mind or things are VERY CLOSE to being ready for the new issue. Or both.

.:Zabet

Labels: instructables, plastic bags, why didn't i think of that?, zabet

Helen is a wellspring of blogfodder these days. Today she sent me a link to "undead wedding cakes." Now, if you'll all remember we've seen the Corpse Bride cake before, but there are some other, really lovely cakes out there. Just check out this post on the Cake Wrecks blog. (Don't get your dander up just yet; this is actually a post on cakes done well.)

Labels: baking, cake, zabet

I don't think I've ever thought of Bruce Springsteen this way before. Rawr.



.:Zabet

Labels: music, video, zabet

I am a big fan of online comics (such as Something Positive, Diesel Sweeties, Clan of the Cats), and was amused when my friend Helen pointed me in the direction of this comic in the series The Knit Princess.

I checked the site out but am not enthralled. The art is decent, the plotlines are mildly amusing. She started to loose me, though, when she called a hank a skien. Then I noticed he "tiara hat" pattern you get from donating appears to be a simple star-top beanie with a crown shaped garter stitch piece sewn to the front. Yeeeeeah. Not even a felted tiara that has enough structure to hold its own shape? Not a stranded piece that gives the illusion of wearing a crown? I am left with one thought: Meh.



.:Zabet

Labels: web comics, zabet

I wrote the words. Adam read them. Sage edited the audio.

I give you No Joy In Mudville.
Rated R for language, violence, nudity, and motor oil.

.:Zabet

Labels: storytelling, zabet

Thanks, Brenda!

Labels: art, video, zabet

...playing online Flash game Bloody Fun Day. You get to be the Grim Reaper of cute things!

Labels: cool link, gaming, zabet

If anyone shops Overstock.com and would like to post reviews about the AntiCraft book, it would be much appreciated. The only review there is from one of those crafters who won't lower herself to learning how to crochet or do anything else. *eyeroll*

.:Zabet

Labels: book, zabet

Shannon Okey is selling deeply discounted, signed copies of AlterNation—$8 including s/h, but AntiCrafters only pay $6.50 with this discount code: anticraft

(Remember to click "update cart" after entering the code.)



Grab one while you can!

"AlterNation’s subtitle is Transform. Customize. Embellish. and that’s what we hope you’ll do! The book is designed to teach even a novice sewer how to make totally unique, one-of-a-kind garments from thrift store finds… though more advanced seamstresses will also find plenty of tips, tricks and ideas, too."

[more, including photos...]

Labels: book, knitgrrl, want, zabet

I came across a new sock yarn club called GothSocks from Rainy Days & Wooly Dogs on Etsy.

"What are GothSocks you ask? GothSocks are our line of self striping yarns that stripe a sold black for 4-5 rows and then a variegated or semi-sold for another 4-5 rows."

Color me enchanted! Tip of the hat to you, Rainy Days & Wooly Dogs!

Rainy Days & Wooly Dogs also has adorable orifice hooks for spinners. (I love how dirty that sounds!) They are handmade and decorated with woodburining and color. My favorites were the one with the garden gnome and another one Gir from Invader Zim riding a pig. Had I not just brought home a Fricke with a delta orifice (locally; link is for reference), I'd be all over these hooks.

But, wag of the finger to you, Rainy Days & Wooly Dogs, for copyright infringement! Cartoon characters such as Gir are not public domain, and selling an orifice hook does not fall under Fair Use. My friend Clarine can educate you further on this subject, as she regularly smacks down unlicensed usage of the anime characters distributed via her company, Funimation.

Labels: cool link, copyright, want, yarn, zabet

You can find/friend/fan us at the following locations:

The AntiCraft on Facebook

The AntiCraft on MySpace

AntiCraft: Knitting, Beading and Stitching for the Slightly Sinister on Facebook

Labels: social media, zabet

Anything sent to us via snail mail needs to be addressed to:

Zabet Stewart
4101 Tates Creek Centre Dr.
Suite 150 #254
Lexington, KY 40517

Labels: contact, mailing address, zabet

People have been sending me a lot of links to bacon things since the Unclean issue, and largely they've been unwanted. Bacon makes me fairly damn sick still. And yet, even through that, I have found something so clever in its construction that I can't look away, even if it is wrapped in its own woven bacon casing:



.:Zabet
[whoops, forgot to add the pictures!]

Labels: bacon, zabet

My friend Todd shared an article with me that spoke to me on several levels. The following quote sums up a lot of why I wanted to help start something like The AntiCraft:

Human beings are every day and in numerous ways psychologically, socially, and spiritually assaulted by a culture which:

* creates increasing material expectations
* devalues human connectedness
* socializes people to be self-absorbed
* obliterates self-reliance
* alienates people from normal human emotional reactions
* sells false hope that creates more pain

You can read the entire article Fundamentalist Consumerism and an Insane Society by Bruce E. Levine here.

Labels: consumerism, cool link, zabet

I know I post a lot about things none of us can afford, which is depressing, no matter how cool they are. But here is something for all the Google Whores (like me) and it's absolutely free:



Seeing as how I'm also obsessed with office supplies and stationary, you can bet I'm gonna get in on this.

.:Zabet

Labels: free, Google, want, zabet

I can't believe it. I've been waiting for REPO! The Genetic Opera to come out since I first posted about it last February. Rebecca even mentioned it again in November. HOW DID I MISS IT IN THEATERS? HOW?

::weeps a frenzy of weeps::

So if you're an idiot like me, or if you just really liked it, you can now get REPO! The Genetic Opera on DVD.

.:Zabet

Labels: art, cinema, want, zabet

I reviewed Mortal Coils for this issue, but if anyone wants to check it out, you can download the first nine chapters from the author's website.

Eric Nylund: Novels: Mortal Coils
Now with cover art!

Labels: book, imbolc09, zabet

Everyone, thanks for your patience and feedback as I get the new feeds sorted.

I do believe that you should now get the feed button up in the address bar. Also, the Atom and RSS feeds should be displaying the same things, to include pictures and other embedded media.

If anyone is seeing anything different, please drop a comment and let me know which feed reader you're using. I'll do my best to get it sorted!

Labels: feed problems, zabet

I was surfing over at Morbid Outlook this morning and saw they had an interview with Devil and Mouse—"Charmingly creepy jewelry design" they called it. I could not resist taking a peek.

Oh. Mein. Gott.

They make the most adorable and squeetastic handpainted polymer clay pendants as well as some more elegant Victorian-type pieces. Oh, and they have a Tardis™ Dark Blue Police Box Time Machine lapel pin. What more you could you want?

Clicky!	Clicky!	Clicky!
Clicky!	Clicky!	Clicky!

Labels: cool link, jewelry, want, zabet

Seriously? I am incompetent with the linking for some reason lately. Materialism link in post below is all fixed now.

By way of apology check out this freaking awesome centipede:



It's the art of Jon Beinart. (From Sage via Craftastrophe.)

Labels: art, cool link, why didn't i think of that?, zabet

As most of you already know, the new issue Olde Larhus is now available.

If you want to update your feed for the new blog, you can use this link.

Also, the Materialism page has been heavily updated to 1) make browsing a little easier (I know it gets confusing with all the "this comes from here but that comes from there" stuff) and 2) show all available items. There are seven new stickers!

I'm coding like a good little monkey. Please keep the comments, suggestions, and concerns coming!

Labels: imbolc09, swag, zabet

Check it out. It's like design continuity or some crazy shit like that.

I'll post a re-direct over on the old blog. For now, though, update your favorites and your feeds.

Labels: new issue, zabet