Storque articles: CRAFTIVISM

$700 Billion Bail Out Cramping Your Style?

2008-10-04T20:04:00Z

Many folks are shuddering at the thought of gifting in the upcoming holidays and wondering how to manage. And while some families and friends are deciding to go without exchanging gifts, we here at Etsy want to urge those who will be shopping to consider supporting independent artists and crafters this holiday season. Then you can be sure that your shopping money will go to real people and rather than through the mass-production retail system, which (not to be too preachy) often involves sweatshop labor.

Everyone likes a good bargain, and buying handmade has the added value of really making a difference for a seller. Etsy admin Mary has just posted a Weekend Deals selection. You can find affordable options in our "Everyday" Gift Guide, get a custom item made to your specifications through Alchemy, or hey, learn how to make something yourself! In which case, you should join in to our Virtual Labs Monday Crafts Nights or see the How-to section of the Storque!

Election Time, Americans!

2008-09-25T19:51:00Z

It's time to get our heads in the game and get out the vote. We've been noticing many election-related Etsy items cropping up from the grassroots of this here marketplace. Creativity is on the march! These handmade items will help you spread the message about your candidate — and many will help you alert your fellow citizens to the flaws of the opposition.

Who will it be — Obama or McCain?

You might also be interested in:

Bark the Vote | Etsy Finds: An Informal U.S. Presidential Poll

Items tagged with Obama | Items tagged with McCain

Items tagged with Democrat | Items tagged with Republican

Items tagged with Vote

Etsian and Blogger Critically Injured in Plane Crash: Nienie Recovery Project

2008-09-12T14:43:00Z

On Saturday, August 16, 2008, Stephanie Nielson was in a plane crash with her husband, Christian Nielson, and his flight instructor, Doug Kinneard, near St. Johns, Arizona. Doug Kinneard passed away soon after arriving at the Maricopa County Hospital.

Christian and Stephanie remain in critical condition at the Maricopa Burn Center. Christian has sustained burns on over 30% of his body. His wife Stephanie’s body was burned over 80%.

Since 2005, Stephanie has welcomed us into her charming abode through the NieNie Dialogues (nieniedialogues.blogspot.com). Woven into enchanting stories on home décor, vegetarian cooking, and joy filled parenting, a handcrafted life came into focus. Weeknight dinners were carefully conceived, organic celebrations, walls were an opportunity to display needlework or framed artwork by a four-year-old, and Christmas was a time dedicated to exchanging handmade treasures.

Afternoons were often spent crafting home art with her four children, all under the age of 6. The results ranged from portrait silhouettes to Vintage Jane baby blankets. Stephanie was dedicated to a handmade lifestyle because she enjoyed the romance that came from using something that was infused with someone else’s love and talent.

The Etsy community has swarmed to help one of their own since hearing of the tragedy. Stephanie aka stephanienie had purchased on Etsy and made friends. Hundreds of community members have hosted online auctions, dedicated sales to the family’s benefit, or joined in the upcoming Etsy Benefit Sale to be held September 23rd-24th. Check into this Etsy shop for the Benefit. Etsy sellers can use this blog post as a starting point for getting involved or visit www.nierecovery.com or contact nierecovery@gmail.com.

Katie aka katelynjane.etsy.com also suggests checking for updates on Stephanie (Nie Nie) and Christian on Stephanie's sister's blog CJane http://blog.cjanerun.com/. Also see http://www.designmom.com/2008/08/nie-nie-day-is here.htm where all, most of the Nie Day auctions are listed. Their family recently appeared on the Today Show; view video here.

Parents Teach Art, Part 2: Making it Happen

2008-09-05T11:27:00Z

In my recent article Parents Teach Art I shared information about Duniway Elementary School in Portland, Oregon, and its award-winning, parent-led art program. Now I'll go into more detail about how to make a program like this work at your child's school.

[Second grade "Paint and Poetry" lesson]

The Art Committee
If you are lucky enough to have your school's support, and you have a strong force of willing parent volunteers, form an Art Committee. At Duniway, we found that the program runs smoothly with clearly defined roles and responsibilities, such as:

Chairperson or Co-Chairs – Runs committee meetings, assigns tasks, follows up on action items, liaison to school administration and PTA.
Art Room "Mom" (or Dad!) – If you have a designated art room, this person keeps it clean and organized.
Art Show Coordinator – Manages volunteer crew for set-up and take-down of student art show.
Curriculum Master – Develops lessons, leads training sessions, maintains overall art curriculum.
Kiln Master – Maintains clay and kiln-related supplies, develops kiln use schedule, provides kiln support.
Publicity Coordinator – Creates and distributes promotional materials for art show, writes press releases, etc.
Scheduling Coordinator – Develops master schedule for art room and individual schedules for each class based on classroom teachers' input.
Supply Master/Treasurer – Orders and maintains supplies, responsible for budgeting and cash flow, seeks donations.
Web Master – Maintains a website or blog to post lesson plans, showcase student art, and keep parents informed.
Volunteer Coordinator – Maintains volunteer database, recruits Classroom Art Coordinators, makes phone calls, etc. to enlist help!

It's also great to have at-large committee members who can assist where needed. Of course, you might not need to fill all of these positions — remember to start small!

[Kindergarten "Basic Bugs" lesson]

Getting Ready
Now that you have a framework in place, it's time to start making it happen!

Develop an "art year calendar" outlining deadlines and important dates. At Duniway, art is a twelve-week program that begins in January and ends in April, with a student art show in May. (But the art committee works all year long.) You can expect to put in 1-3 hours a week volunteering, so be sure you have the time before making the commitment.

Come up with a theme. Duniway holds a poster contest and incorporates the theme at the art show: for "Art Rocks," we held a silent auction of kid-decorated musical instruments; for "Art á La Mode," we sold pie and ice cream, etc.

[Guitars decorated by kids for the "Art Rocks" silent auction]

In the fall, work on developing curriculum, creating schedules, soliciting donations, recruiting volunteers and inventorying supplies. Try to get all your supplies in stock by mid-December. Hold information and training sessions for parents so they'll be ready to start teaching in January. Provide copies of lesson plans, show samples and demonstrate techniques.

Build a library of prints, posters, slides, books and music to help enhance the kids' art experience. Slide presentations are amazing, but even walking around showing pictures from a book will be inspiring. An alternative is to go digital and project images from the web; try Artcyclopedia for a vast library of masterpieces.

Appoint a Classroom Art Coordinator for each classroom who will make sure parents sign up to teach and assist with every class. The Coordinator also creates portfolios for storing finished work and meets with each child at the end of the program to select and title pieces for the art show.

[Young designer at work in one of my mandala classes]

Teaching Art
You're standing at the front of the class with 24 pairs of bright eyes expectantly fixed on you. Don't panic! Here are some tips to help you out:

Allow adequate time for set-up and clean-up.
Set ground rules, like: raise your hand, keep a positive attitude and turn mistakes into "happy accidents" by finding a way to make it work instead of erasing or starting over.
Be prepared. Study the lesson plan and check supplies in advance.
Explain that examples are for inspiration, not copying.
Demonstrate the technique, but keep it short and sweet! Kids will grasp the concept quickly, and you don't want to bore them. Explain the lesson, then get out of the way!
Have free-drawing materials available for those who finish early.
To get kids' attention, clap your hands and have them put down their materials and clap back in the same rhythm, such as "clap, clap, clap-clap-clap." Dimming the lights also helps.
Never, ever tell them they've done it "wrong." Encourage free expression — each child's artwork is unique and special.

Do you have more teaching tips? Post them in the comments below!

[Second graders' abstract paintings, based on the work of Joan Miro, hanging at the Duniway Student Art Show]

Putting on a Student Art Show
Just one 2-D piece and one 3-D piece from each child provides enough art to transform two gyms and two hallways into an incredible art gallery.

[A parent volunteer arranges mounted artwork to hang]

At Duniway, we made banners of black vinyl which are attached to long poles. The selected artwork is mounted, labeled, laid out and attached to the banners with removable putty. Then, with the help of tall ladders, the poles are suspended from the metal window screens and basketball backboards in the gym using chains with hooks.

[Hanging art is fun!]

A student art show is a wonderful time to celebrate art with the community. Duniway makes it exciting with student musicians, student portrait artists, a pizza dinner and a hands-on art station for little ones.We've even had a mini-tattoo parlor featuring temporary tattoos made from children's artwork! Silent auctions of classroom art projects, raffle prizes, and the sale of children's art note cards and custom t-shirts can also help raise funds for the program.

[The South Gym is transformed into the South Gallery for the evening]

Do What You Can
I hope these articles have been inspiring. If you can't find a way to work art into the school day, consider after-school classes such as those offered by Portland's SUN (Schools Uniting Neighborhoods) program. Even if you just teach one class, you will have touched young lives in a way that will make a difference. Keep asking for more art, and don't be afraid to do it yourself.

Further Resources:
Duniway Art Lesson Plans: Duniwayart.org
Artcyclopedia — Art image library and search engine: Artcyclopedia.com

Please see Part One of this article for more resources.

About the author: Christine Claringbold, aka EyePopArt, has been in business since 2003. She is also a mom, an art teacher and a back-up singer in a punk rock band. Her designs have been published in Tattoo Flash Magazine, and her record products have been reviewed by Venus Zine, National Geographic Traveler, Brainstorm Northwest magazine, and blogs including Great Green Goods and Wickedly Chic. She is a proud member of Trillium Artisans, Etsy Trashion, PDX Etsy and Eco Etsy. Check out her blog at eyepopart.blogspot.com.

Parents Teach Art: A DIY Approach to Elementary School Art Education

2008-08-26T17:35:00Z

Where I live, there are billboards all over town that simply say, "Art. Ask for More." At the bottom is a line of smaller print that says, "Are your kids getting enough?"

As an artist and a mother of two, I feel fortunate that my kids attended a public elementary school with a thriving, well-established, award-winning art education program that is available to every student during the regular school day for twelve weeks out of the year.

This is rare. Many schools have after-school programs with enrichment classes or occasional projects with artists-in-residence, but very few public schools have a comprehensive art program incorporated into their regular curriculum. Portland, Oregon's Duniway School, which my kids attended, is even more impressive when you consider that they don't even have an art teacher. Instead, the entire program is organized, funded and taught by parent volunteers.

Are you a parent who is frustrated by the lack of art education at your child's school? Are you "asking for more" but still not getting enough? Maybe it's time to take matters into your own hands, in the true DIY spirit. This is the first in a two-part series that will provide some tips and resources for starting and maintaining a parent-led art program at the elementary school level.

[First grade "Sunflowers" lesson based on the work of Van Gogh.]

Start Small
All you really need to start is one classroom and one lesson plan. Talk to your child's teacher at the beginning of the year. Ask for a chance to come in for one hour to teach a fun, simple art lesson. What teacher could refuse that? To find great lesson plans specifically for your child's grade level, you can visit the Duniway Art website at www.duniwayart.org.

[The Duniway Art website]

These lessons were all designed to be taught by parent volunteers who don't necessarily have any art or teaching experience. Passionate parent artists like Michelle Smit, a mom of two boys who creates abstract paintings and fused glass works, revamp the lessons each year based on student and parent feedback to ensure they are fresh, relevant, and easy to understand. Michelle also makes sure these aren't "cookie cutter" projects, but rich, meaningful lessons that engage the child's heart, encouraging free expression, imagination and "happy accidents." The program encourages exploration of a wide variety of media, while building technical skills and incorporating art history and multiculturalism.

[Artist and parent volunteer Michelle Smit with her favorites from the fourth grade Picasso lesson, which she wrote.]

The program earned Duniway an Oregon Creative Ticket Schools award last year from the Oregon Alliance for Art Education and the Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education.

Duniway's lessons are all downloadable PDF files with sample images of student artwork. Each lesson includes the concept and objective of the class, prep work and supplies needed, vocabulary words and detailed instructions for teaching the lesson. Pick one and try it out in your kid's class. Or take a look at some of the many other great art lesson plans on the web (see the Further Resources list below for some links). Or, write your own lesson plan! You don't have to do it all alone — team up with your spouse, a friend, grandma, another parent or neighborhood volunteer to make this an experience the kids will never forget. Take pictures and have fun!

[Fourth grade "Sumi-E" lesson based on Chinese brush painting.]

Get the Community Involved
If you'd like to take this beyond just teaching one class and create a school-wide art program like Duniway's, there are three elements you must have in place: support and commitment from the school, help from lots of parent volunteers, and funding to buy supplies.

Talk to your principal and teachers to see if they could carve out one "art hour" per week for up to twelve weeks. Explain that parent volunteers will be doing all the work. If there are objections that art time will take away from valuable time teaching other subjects, point to Duniway as an example. Duniway is consistently rated an "exceptional" school year after year, based on high test scores and overall academic achievement — yet kids take time out for art, physical education and music one or more times each week. It's no surprise, really — according to Americans for the Arts (the group behind those billboards), kids actively engaged in arts education are likely to have higher test scores than those with little to no involvement.

[Fifth grade "Musical Collage" lesson]

Start talking to your school community. Find out how many parents are interested in art and are available for an hour or so a week to volunteer. Find out which parents own print shops, frame shops, art supply stores or other businesses that can help out with in-kind donations.

[First grade "Houses" lesson]

If your school has a PTA or similar organization, find out if you can form an art committee. With a handful of like-minded parents, your committee can begin to recruit and train parent volunteers and organize fundraising efforts to pay for supplies. How much funding will you need? At Duniway, the PTA's art committee has a budget of $4000 each year, which includes all supplies, as well as expenses related to putting on an annual Student Art Show. With a population of around 400, this averages out to only $10 per kid! As Michelle Smit says, "Where in the world could you purchase 12 great art lessons, including supplies, for under $10.00?"

Further Resources:
EyePopArt's blog post about the 2008 Duniway Student Art Show
Duniway Art
Princeton Online - Incredible Art Lessons
The Educator's Reference Desk
National Endowment for the Arts - State and Regional Art Agencies
Lowe's Toolbox for Education
Americans for the Arts
Arts Education Partnership
National PTA
No Subject Left Behind - A Guide to Arts Education Opportunities

Coming Next Week...
Stay tuned! Next week we will take a closer look at how the program works, including roles and responsibilities of the art committee, scheduling classes, teaching tips, and ideas for hosting an exhibit of student art.

About the author: Christine Claringbold, aka EyePopArt, has been in business since 2003. She is also a mom, an art teacher, and a back-up singer in a punk rock band. Her designs have been published in Tattoo Flash Magazine, and her record products have been reviewed by Venus Zine, National Geographic Traveler, Brainstorm Northwest magazine, and blogs including Great Green Goods and Wickedly Chic. She is a proud member of Trillium Artisans, Etsy Trashion, PDX Etsy, and Eco Etsy. Check out her blog at http://eyepopart.blogspot.com.

Earth Tones: Eco Ego Game for Kids, via Inhabitat

2008-08-13T18:48:00Z

Videogames have huge educational potential — not only do they teach kids strategy but the content can be thought-provoking too. Take for example Eco Ego, a free online game that lets kids (and adults) roleplay a sweet little creature living in a tree stump. The goal is a Sims-like equilibrium with the natural environment.

Thanks to Inhabitat, a great website to check out if you're into greener living and good design. They've launched a sister site for kids too, www.inhabitots.com.

More Earth Tones posts.

One Woman's Road to Veganism

2008-07-25T16:37:00Z

Why go vegan? For those of us who aren't vegan, the no-animal-product lifestyle can seem alternately inconvenient or utopian. We recently posted a profile of the Vegan Etsy Team, a group of Etsy sellers dedicated to promoting their goods and the benefits of vegan products. In this follow-up piece, team member Michelle, aka myzoetrope, describes her journey to veganism.

I was really slow to come around to veganism. It has been nearly nine years since I stopped eating meat altogether and started calling myself a vegetarian, and almost a year since I have cut dairy completely out of my diet and taken a closer look at the everyday beauty, cleaning, clothing, and other general products that I have used that have animal products in them or affect the environment in a negative way.

[Mini Onion Print by myzoetrope]

The major turning point for me was when I was a sophomore in college, working at the campus library. As an art student, one of the many perks of this job was that I would came across hundreds of artists' books and magazines that appealed to me and influenced me.

One day, I came across the book Dead Meat by the artist Sue Coe, and it literally changed my life. Sue Coe toured factory farms all across the country, armed with only her sketchbook, and wrote and illustrated the atrocities that happen inside those buildings. Downed animals being left for dead, chickens in cramped cages with their beaks cut off, healthy male chicks being thrown in the dumpster because they have no other use.

For me, this was quite an eye-opener. I come from a very large Italian family from a small town. In fact, my grandparents owned a steak house in this small town, in which my parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, sisters, and myself all worked in at some point in our lives. None of my friends were vegetarian, much less vegan. I had never been to a proper vegetarian restaurant in my life, and had mostly never really thought about how my food got to my plate. Reading this book, with its very straightforward and brutal descriptions and illustrations of the short and tragic life of a factory farm animal, finally put a face to the food I was eating. The more I read, in books and online, the more concrete it became that I could no longer eat meat or wear leather, wool, silk, etc. with a clean conscience.

Living in a small city, I didn't come across vegan options at restaurants when going out with friends, and I only knew a few people who were vegan. I mostly thought of them admirably, thinking to myself that I could never cut dairy out of my diet. Meat was easy, but dairy? I mean, what do they eat, right? Pure vegetables? Spaghetti?

It wasn't until I moved to NYC a little over four years ago that the thought of me becoming vegan even occurred to me. Restaurants that only served vegetarian and vegan food, the bountiful farmer's markets and the plethora of health food stores made veganism seem very possible. I gradually started to experiment with cutting dairy out of my diet. I started only eating dairy when I went out to restaurants, and only if there wasn't a vegan option on the menu. Soon I was learning to actually cook more than a pasta dinner and experimenting with baked goods. I owe a lot of thanks to the vegan cooking forum, The Post Punk Kitchen, for my successes in the kitchen over the last few years.

[Vegan Strawberry Pie from myzoetrope]

The only thing that prevented me from going completely vegan was my social hang-up about being polite. Yes, politeness. I felt guilty going home and refusing my mom's cookies or meal she made me. I felt guilty being the "weird" one in my group of friends and everyone having to accommodate for my eating choices when we would go out. Reading about other people's hang-ups and how they dealt with their family/friends in regards to their veganism gave me a whole new confidence level when it came to my own diet and lifestyle. I no longer felt like the odd one out when I went home for Thanksgiving dinner. I make my own tofurkey and all the fixings of a "normal" holiday dinner, except it is cruelty-free. My family no longer gives me an uncertain look when I bake them vegan cupcakes or cakes or pies. I'll bring vegan baked goods to work potlucks and they'll be snatched up. In short, I got over my social hang-ups about veganism, and stepping on other people's toes in regards to it, when I gained confidence in the kitchen.

If I had outdoor space in this crowded city I live in, I would have a full-blown garden, but instead I participate in my local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and receive fresh fruits and vegetables grown at a nearby Long Island farm every week. If I have a craving for mac and cheese, I mix up a quick "cheese sauce" made from nutritional yeast (found at any health food store), soy milk, some vegan margarine (I use Earth Balance), and some salt and pepper.

[Vegan Mac and Cheese from myzoetrope]

I'm lucky to live in a very vegan-friendly neighborhood, so that I can walk down the street and have vegan pizza, ice cream, cake, cookies, and fast food at any time. See? I'm not "missing out" on anything. Also, I have found it's pretty simple to find a veganized version of just about anything with a quick Google search. Etsy is full of amazing vegan arts and craftsters that make everything from vegan soap to vegan scarves to vegan baked goods to vegan beauty products.

I'm a member of the Vegan Etsy Team, which has 70+ members with strictly vegan shops, plus there are TONS of other shops outside of the team. I've found it's pretty easy being vegan in this day and age, and not only is it healthier for me physically, but I can have the peace of mind that I'm not contributing to the harm of a factory farm animal.

Some of my favorite resources:

Cookbooks
Veganomicon, Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, and Vegan with a Vengeance, all by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero
Yellow Rose Recipes, by Joanna Vought
My Sweet Vegan, by Hannah Kaminsky
Ani's Raw Food Kitchen, by Ani Pho

Vegan Cooking Blogs
Veganyumyum.com
Bittersweetblog.wordpress.com
Kitteekake.blogspot.com
Havecakewilltravel.com
Donteatoffthesidewalk.com
Blog.fatfreevegan.com
Veganlunchbox.blogspot.com
Vegandad.blogspot.com
Veganicecream.blogspot.com

Further Resources
Veganessentials.com
Farmsanctuary.org/issues/factoryfarming
Herbivoreclothing.com
Supervegan.com
Team.etsy.com/profilest/vegan.shtml
Govegannow.com
Nonviolenceunited.org/veganvideo.html

Looking for more vegan related content? Check out our past articles.

Handmade Kids: Eco-Friendly Gear for Toddler Boys

2008-07-15T12:23:00Z

When we started brainstorming ideas for the Handmade Kids Series, there were two ideas that came through loud and clear: eco-friendly items and finds for little boys. There is so much cute stuff for girls, so we decided to share the love! cloud9designstudio, an Etsy seller with an eco-mission and a lil' boy of her own, stepped up to the plate.

The eco-movement, with regards to clothing, is a conscious effort to shift the public's thought process from buying at mainstream big box stores toward buying local, organic and earth friendly items. This effort to save our planet is important because it helps reduce our carbon footprint, brings awareness to global warming and helps us tread a little lighter on this earth. The future is in our hands. What will the world be like for our children if we don't start making greener choices?

From Organic Consumers:

"Just 2.4% of the world's arable land is planted with cotton, yet it accounts for 24% of the world's insecticide market and 11% of sale of global pesticides, making it the most pesticide-intensive crop grown on the planet. $2.6 Billion worth of pesticides are used on cotton worldwide each year."

The health of our planet has also been adversely affected by pesticides. The pesticides and synthetic fertilizers used on cotton routinely contaminate groundwater, surface water and pollute the water we drink. Fish, birds and other wildlife are also affected by the movement of these chemicals through the ecosystem. Many of these problems have been documented by the Pesticide Action Network North America.

[Cotton ball photographed by that owl]

Here's how you can get involved in the eco movement: You can support local farmers and workers and cut down on pollution caused by shipping, support fair wage labor practices (fair trade), and buy recycled or upcycled items.

Here’s what to look for:
1) Organic or fair trade clothing
2) USA made, local or sweatshop free clothing
3) Recycled, upcycled, thrifted or reused clothing

As a mom to a 2 and a 1/2 year old toddler boy, I know how hard it is to find cute clothes for little boys, much less eco-friendly clothes. So I scoured Etsy to bring you the very best eco-gear for boys. I found some cool handmade items sure to look hip on your eco-tot while he's out there huggin' trees!

This tie from redpajamas is adorable.

Like this hand dyed block printed and appliquéd Owl long sleeve shirt from 1girl1boy.

Or these darling upcycled wide leg pants from earthbabyee that are made from a man’s dress shirt.

How cute is this lightening bolt appliqued shirt from trustysidekick.

And MaryZoom has a cute art smock made from a repurposed 100% cotton shirt.

This upcycled shirt from SarahBird is so colorful.

This organic hoodie by SweetMemoriesQuilts is too sweet.

Here’s a bright blue organic dragonfly shirt from inkyspider.

An organic “strong” tee from littlegorganics.

Sandcookies has this precious set.

And this “I’m like totally organic” tee from ninaandtom says it all.

For More Info on Being an Eco-Friendly Parent...

Healthy Child
Simple Steps
Green Mom Finds
Organic Consumers
Sustainable Cotton
Environmental Working Group's Advice for Parents
Treehugger
Green Living Online
Green Mom
Green Hour
Organic Cotton Association
Friends of the Earth
Climate Crisis
Stop Global Warming
Team EcoEtsy
Team EtsyKids
Team EtsyMoms
Trailer for Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth

For more information on being a friend of the environment, check out the Storque's Earth Tones series. For more child related content, continue reading the Handmade Kids series!

Handmade Kids Series | Special Kids Showcase | Baby Gift Guide | Children Gift Guide

Bark the Vote

2008-07-10T16:00:00Z

Dogs are definitely getting more political these days. (Or at least their owners are.) It seems our dogs can get us to do just about anything. They want to sleep on the bed? We move over. They whimper and give puppy dog eyes? We give them treats. Bark at the door? We let them out. So how far does the dog’s influence go? For some people, it extends into giving their dog a political voice.

Owners and their politically-minded dogs have a wide range of products to choose from. They can support their favorite presidential candidates with items from several Etsy sellers. I have been inspired to sell dog bandanas bearing the slogans, "Barkers for Barack", "RePUPlicans for McCain", and "Canines for Clinton". AutumnLeavesJewelry creates custom dog tags for Barack fans. Dogs looking for a less subtle way to speak their mind can opt for the full t-shirts from alfieandrex with the logo, "Dogs 4 Obama", emblazoned on their back.

The messages move beyond the upcoming presidential election. An intelligent dog would probably appreciate a "Smarter than the President" bandana available from makeyourdogsmile's shop. Peaceful pups are the perfect candidates for the "Another Puppy for Peace" shirt created by Blackflag317.

Have a dog who is afraid to speak his mind? Never fear! Dog-owners can wear their pets’ opinions as well. Campaign buttons abound in thedogcoatlady’s shop for every breed from Boxers to Westies.

These buttons are not limited to dogs, either. Cats and even ferrets can speak their mind vicariously through their owners.

Want to support your dog’s opinion but not sure which party your dog would endorse? Take this quiz from squidoo.com to quickly determine your dog’s political leanings.

Republican vs. Democrat: Is your dog a donkey or an elephant?
Republican Pets:
1. They bark at passing neighbors and traffic; home security is very important to them.
2. Their ears perk up when Fox News comes on.
3. They are a big spender at the local pet store.
4. Strongly believe pet matrimony should only occur between two cats or two dogs.
5. Believe in the 2nd amendment right to bear teeth and claws.
6. Are for electric border fences for the yard.
7. Want national ID tags for all pets.
8. They advocate for the pet tracking chip — you can never have too much security!

Democrat Pets:
1. They want universal veterinary care for all!
2. They want their treats for free.
3. They socialize with all breeds at the dog park.
4. They prefer their owner uses biodegradable poop bags.
5. Are very concerned with the rising rate of pet food.
6. Have the young puppy and kitten vote locked.
7. Want an end to the war of dogs vs. cats once and for all.
8. Think of Ralph Nadar as the dog catcher.

Once you know where your dog falls, you can register him to vote at mypoliticalpet.com, a "non-partisan, informative, free website dedicated to your pets and the latest political news." There you and your dog can connect with pets from across the nation and discuss the latest political issues. You can also monitor important animal issues including keeping pets out of labs and the dog and cat fur prohibition act.

When you consider the fact that elected officials make decisions that can affect the lives of pets, it doesn’t seem so far-fetched to let your dog influence your vote. After all, it is not just your world, it’s your dog’s, too.

Now I have to wonder, would my dog influence the way I vote? I don’t know…I guess it would depend on what she was wearing at the time, and of course, where she bought it.

American Consumerism

2008-07-04T12:31:00Z

Consumerism: A passion for acquisition of personal property; the concept that a healthy economy requires a strong consumer market; advocacy to protect consumers from false advertising, shoddy merchandise.

Have you noticed how the definition of consumerism is being interpreted by those of us in America who consider ourselves part of the so-called Indie Movement? This movement has been initiated, motivated, propagated by us – and folks like us from all over the world. Us, being the people who care more about the personal part of the property. Us, being worldwide consumers, AND artists, crafts people, activists, punk rockers, back woods weavers, dirty potters, knitting divas, computer nerds, and so much more. We, being one weird bunch coming together to create something and succeeding. Succeeding because we are working together across our opposite occupations, mismatched philosophies. We are the buyers and the sellers who are bringing the world back to basics.

Think about baby America for a minute. Baby America was full of rebels and idealists. Full of people who wanted to find a different way, a better way, a more fulfilling way; people like us. Those oddball revolutionaries built this new world with hand forged tools as they pushed across the land. And the lands were settled and each settlement was full of folks with the necessary skills for survival: they could make soap, knit socks, shoe a horse. Each settlement had some sort of crafts people - basket weavers, blacksmiths, and carpenters. The people created what they needed on their own, and they went to the local Indie folks for the works that fell out side of their own skill set. And the nation flourished and grew and prospered. Then, folks spread out even further a field and it became hard for them to get all the things they needed. During this time, the blight of slavery began to spread across our nation as many of our forefathers looked for ways to more easily obtain what they needed and wanted.

The nation grew more, and more, full of all manner of great minds, melding skills from all over the vast, earthen world. There were times people traveled many miles by horse and buggy, or waited months and months for their goods to be delivered, but the Indie Artist Craftsperson was still able to make at least some sort of living.

But our new country continued to grown even bigger. And smarter. And faster. The machine age of industry grew, and the plastic world began. General stores became Five and Dimes, and then Sears and Roebucks, and then Targets and Wal-Marts. The American people could easily find very inexpensive items to meet their every need. They no longer had to MAKE life's little necessities. They no longer needed to visit their local craftsman or wait for a handcrafted dining table from the carpenter three towns away. They could buy particle board and polyester! They never had to sit up at night to knit mittens or slippers because they could run down to the Super Center at any hour of the day or night to buy such things for pennies of the cost of knitting them!

The craftastic connections that had made communities strong in spirit and economy began to unravel and the people in Adolescent America seemed to have forgotten how positively lovely it was to sleep beneath a hand pieced quilt, made by a grandma lady, and filled with natural fibers. They forgot that buying hand thrown pottery dishes to eat off of, not only keeps an age old art alive, it fulfills someone’s creative drive; it helps SOMEONE ELSE to support their family.

Thank goodness we, not just us Americans, but all the people of the Indie Craft Movement, have come along to connect the dots. We have begun to recant some of the mistakes our parents and grandparents made. We have started to realize once again how delicious it feels to wash up with natural goat's milk soap and to dress our babies in handcrafted clothes emblazoned with pirates and sushi. And we have started to realize what this awakening means to consumerism, to craft, to the economy, to people, to the country, to the WORLD!

How odd that this eye-opening fusion of consumption and craftivism, connecting us and helping us create a more personal level of consumerism has been birthed from the all amassing global sphere of technology and information known as the internet. If only those original renegades could see where their steps have led us; right back to a new frontier. It is still a new frontier. And just like the original American frontier folk, we are relying on each other for support and encouragement. We are turning to each other to buy the things we cannot make ourselves. We are teaching each other and ourselves new skill sets. It seems that after several generations of near oblivion, we are beginning to be much more responsible in Adolescent America. We are more concerned about our Earth and the land; much more concerned about the foods we eat and the waste we create; once again interested in helping and supporting each other in a crafty sense.

The naysayers who call our movement a trend — they just don't get it. They must not be hearing us when we say that this sense of community, albeit mostly virtual, is changing a lot of lives, this country, and the world for the good. But they will see, because we are all standing together on this front, sewing machines and scissors at the ready — and we ARE making a difference.

If you're interested, I recommend these for further reading:

http://www.artjewelryforum.org/speakers-presentations/diy-websites-and-energy-the-new-alternative-crafts/

http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/etsy_ebay_distributed_mass_customization.php

https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/dspace/bitstream/1794/5194/1/Rachel_Johnson_07.pdf

Big thanks to twiststyle for sharing her reflections. Please leave your thoughts in the comments below! You can also read, Crafting, Consumerism & Cooptation: Materializing a Utopian Idea, MicroRevolt: Changing the Way We Think About Protest, or stringtheory's Make like a Tree posts.