Please grab my feed at the RSS DesignJournal button on the right side bottom of the side bar links.

Thanks Lovelies!

EDIT: MAY 12/13–you can’t leave a comment *anywhere* on this blog now due to the number of spammers.

I’m blogging at my old starter place at http://arleebarr.squarespace.com/designjournal. I’ve paid for a year, am getting my own domain, and WP can go to hell.

My posts will slowly be migrating back there, as will new posts. I’m re-learning squarespace as there are new features, so please be patient. Galleries, links, etc will be shifting around.

Not hasta la vista, WankPrick. Adiós para siempre!

“Autumn Vortex” Red Osier ecoprint on cotton

red osier on bamboo

I’ve done some “pre-research” and i should be able to find red osier on the island. This is definitely my personal favourite of plants local to me!

“Gift of the Oak” oak ecoprint on silk habotai

Garry Oak is prolific in parts of BC, but it remains to be seen if any grows on Bowen! Hoofies crossed. The focus of the class is of course on indigenous, or at least “local” vegetation if transplanted from elsewhere, so my plant ID books are going with me as well. I’ve been lucky on this voyage to have an extensive background in identifying plants as an avid gardener, floral designer, amateur botanist and finally as ecoprint artist, but i don’t know it all (yet! )

The Summer edition of Fiber Arts Now has a wonderful article by my friend Wendy Feldberg about taking ecoprints to the next level. I’m pleased to be among such great company as several wonderful international artists are highlighted.

So here’s some red and white I’ve been slowly replacing as many of my synthetic threads as i can with cotton. I’m not a purist when it comes to machine work, but i do like having the option of overdyeing something too. My go to place for machine threads is actually (gasp, a reasonably priced Canadian source!) in BC. Tristan Threads carries a lot of the Aurifil line, some Italian silks and Egyptian cottons, bits and bobs and this water soluble stabilizer that i also bought some of. (It’s slated for my collaborative piece for an upcoming FAN (Fibre Arts Network) show in the fall at La Connor in Washington.)

I will probably never use all of this thread but a good red is hard to find, doubly so when it’s cotton and triply so at a good price. I paid 24 bucks for 12 spools, and at 300M per spool, that’s one fine fine deal! I do plan on using some of it in handwork, either doubled or quadrupled, as it’s a regular machine 12WT. (I LOVE their “door Crasher” and “Grab Bag” specials–head over there and check ‘em out: just don’t leave any drool on your keyboard. Their service is fabulous also–personal and FAST.)

And appearances, or lack thereof lately, of little work done is kind of true. I have little work and in little sizes, but the pile is slowly getting done for the second element of SSTF. I figured a way to cut down on the number of pieces needed, without sacrificing the look, so instead of having 15-19 pieces left to augment these finished 13, i will have 10 pieces to complete. If i had gone with the original plan of 70, i surely would have gone mad(der)!

Looking for a new place to live is consuming much of our free time, as did an SDA meeting and then a lovely pot luck supper at one of the members homes after day 2 of Lisa Grey’s 3 day workshop. (Which sadly i had to pass on as work interferes so badly with play time )

Time is flying and at this rate, i fear there will be little to show for all the time spent on handwork this year. For someone who used to poopoo slow and steady, i am not ready to give up on it now. It is what it is, and i love what is might become.

Utter silkand cotton

yumshynesses.

(EDIT: OOPS, someone just bough them all–now i’ll have to do some work and list more, darn you “S” )

Last night’s SDA meeting was presided over by this beauty:

I use Canada Post for letters and small packets going elsewhere, not just the States, and for items that are not going to shows, exhibits or conferences. They are more than adequate for sending articles from my small business in the form of fabrics etc to paid up customers. What did mystify and scare me was shipping Actual Art. For most of us in Canada that means shipping to the US. (Depending on time and information accessible, i’ll talk about other continents at a later point.)

NUMBER ONE: If shipping to the US, don’t go to Canada Post! Find A UPS Canada and ASK for help. Start the process by going online first and creating an account. It’s free and not complicated at all. (Tip: when signing the terms of agreement, it’s set up so you have to at least pretend to read it all by scrolling through–the box won’t let you check “read and agreed” until it thinks you’ve digested every word. Most of it is “proprietary” agreements about UPS materials and data, prohibition about sending no-no’s–check local laws regarding proscribed materials, etc.) Make sure you store your info somewhere: user name, password and account number.

NUMBER TWO: Even though we are talking about sending Actual Art, unless you are willing to pay outrageous fees and fill out 11tybajillion forms in duplicate, triplicate, quaziplicate and “twenty seven eight-by-ten colour glossy pictures with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back”, don’t send it as ART: Fill out the NAFTA Certificate of Origin form as “materials”! 300 beads from the Lost City of Snowlandia, cotton from Calamazoo, thread and widgets from Upper Slobovia…..You do not need (a) Tariff/Harmonized code(s) for this. (Again though, if you use particular materials like feathers, flora or fauna, check country prohibitions–i sent a piece of mail art that included paper with embedded flowers to Australia once that was held at Customs there for the recipient to pay 45AUS dollars to have irradiated—she declined and no blame to her, i wouldn’t have either!)

NUMBER THREE: Always check with the exhibitor about anything you need to know about shipping to their country–mention was made to me that one artist sending to Germany had to specify that the item was Not For Sale—if pieces are bought, item must return to sender then be sent to buyer–another ball of wax, but probably easier to deal with, but unfortunately also an added expense……(Take that into consideration too when initially pricing your work.) “Obtain documentation from the body organizing the exhibition, that the work will be for ‘educational purposes only, and not offered for sale’. If interest in purchasing is expressed, bring the piece home and then export it to the new purchaser, who may or may not have to pay import duties.” (from Linda Wallace)

I was also told that any paperwork that does state the value of an item for sale should be sent separately so as not to flag for value and customs fees–i’m still checking into this.

I’ve also gotten in touch with a few Canadian artists who exhibit internationally and sell widely, and am hoping they can share some insights as well–more on this as i hear from them.

(There’s a new category for this: “ARTSPEAK: shipping, shows and sealing wax”. Information you didn’t think you needed until you need it: the hard facts, the hard feelings, the correct and legal, the etiquette and the naked truths. Because i’m such an expert Worry-wart.)

Quite frankly: shit. And $%^#.

Tariff numbers. NAFTA Certificate. Export for Customs. Certificate of Canadian Origin. Carnet ATA’s. ITIN (US). (Returning) Goods of Canadian Origin. Which yes, which no? Triplicates, duplicates and photocopies.

If i declare the value, i could be hit with high customs fees. If i insure for the value, i will be hit with high custom fees. I have to declare because if i don’t and they see the papers that go to the show itself for sale purposes, they will know the value and i will be screwed with high fees, paperwork and seized bank accounts. (I kid you not: a distinct possibility.) If i under “estimate” the value to avoid all this, i can’t insure because that will immediately flag that it is worth more. I could send the info in a separate letter to avoid all this, but will it get there in time, to the proper person and be adjoined to the artwork in all the logistics of hanging umpteen artists’ works?

Or do i just send as an innocent package with a return label and shipping??

Screwed, blued and tattooed, so far from the sun it would take a billion years for the light to reach me.

Shit and $%#@.

I’m bringing this forward to the SDA meeting tonight, hoping someone amongst our members has some experience and will share info and tips.

I gathered stitch samples, fabric samples and notes in one one binder, have a burgeoning pile of fabrics and threads to be dyed and ecoprinted, washed all the old FAILS in readiness for re-use, edited my notes for the class, practice  “intro’d” and practice instructed (bored audience: 3 cats and a dog) and practice packed. I have to do an extra checked bag for the fabrics and accoutrements!

Speaking of excess weight: clearing my stoodio for our move (who even knows if i will even have stoodio space after…. ♠  ) means lessening the weight of the fabric files as well: there will be some juicy packs in the shop, perfect for add-ons to larger works, or as small gems in themselves. If you like natural dyes and natural processes, these little sampler packs are perfect for you. (I’ll be adding them through tomorrow.) Reasonably priced as always, and as always including the shipping.

And i heard very sad news yesterday: my old alma mater Capilano College (nka Capilano University) in North Vancouver is cutting the Textile Arts programs from its curriculum. There are few enough fibre programs in Canada, especially in the Western provinces. (ACAD has a wonderful one.) This is a real travesty and a shame. Though i was a stubborn, “works too fast and narrowly focused” student there in the early 90′s, i had fabulous teachers (Lesley Richmond, Ruth Scheung, Anthea Mallinson, Kif Holland) who tried with good humour and dedication to chivvy me along, and i treasure the things i learned there.

Bugger, we didn’t get the little house we looked at on Sunday–we met all the criteria–credit check, references, employment, personalities- —except that we have “too many animals”——-%$^#…………………