Anthology

window for our Mothers

I can't believe we are coming up on Mother's Day of 2012 and I am feeling like the battles being fought are from decades ago.  It's rather aggravating, to say the least.

But GOP politicians are not the only culprits.  I was reading something recently about the "mommy wars," as well as a blog of a teacher with a "mean girls" situation in her classroom, and also revisiting my own post about the customer who yelled at me, and thinking about the times that I make (or at least think) snide things about other women.  I think much of it comes from our insecurities and pains and angers, examples yet again of how we misdirect our energies.

But particularly in light of the current political climate, it seems like women should not be consumed with petty grievances and judgments over who is a better parent, which is a better career choice - I doubt we ever fully know the choices that a person has to make, the things they give up, the things they keep - isn't it enough that we just make our way in the world with our own idea of success?  We need a little more solidarity, I'm thinking.  All right, I know, that's easier said than done, because a part of me is still judging that customer who yelled at me, but anyway, it's something to work towards.

With that in mind, I made my Mother's day print - first just as a sign for the window, but now printed in quantity for purchase.  I could have spent another week agonizing over word choice, looking things up in the dictionary and thesaurus and even though I basically wrote it in a day, I decided that it really did say what I wanted it to say, and there is such a thing as overthinking, so I quickly sent it off to the printer before I could change my mind.

It is partly an external response to the way women's power is being attacked.  In all honesty, not to diminish the severity of recent legislation, but I kind of view this as the death throes of an era - women are earning more money, younger generations think gay marriage is fine, the country is becoming more diverse, there is more interracial mixing... you can't tell me this doesn't terrify certain people.  And their response? To try and legislate or otherwise force the world to stay the way they want it to?  It isn't going to work.  I know for darn sure that I'm never going to be a stay-at-home mom and the apron and pearls are pretty much just for show.  Why should there be a single role for a woman to fill? why can't we have as much say in our own lives as men do in theirs?  (I want to be very clear here that I am not criticizing the choice to be a stay-at-home mom, it is just not my choice.  I think the whole point of the feminist movement is for women to be able to create their own lives and while it is entirely true that I might not make such a choice myself, that doesn't mean it is not as valid.  My only concern for any woman is that she is following the path of her life that is of her choosing, knowing all of her options, and being true more to her own self than to the expectations of others.  But everyone is different so everyone's path will no doubt be different).

But the people who wish that women's lives were the way they were in the 1950s certainly aren't stopping from trying to make that so, are they?  So, the sign is, in part, externally focused, hoping to remind people that, hey, women in their lives are doing great things, they are your equal in as much as any human being is your equal.  Quit behaving as if they need you to direct their life (or supporting, or keeping silent about, other peoples' such behavior).

But this is also meant to be an internal document as well.  A personal reminder of the women that we each have in our lives, of their influence, and an... exhortation... to be as much in return, or to pay as much forward to other women in your life.
And yes, I managed to have some pretty and flowery elements of the window, too.  It is possible that I've never hung the washi paper in the window... but it sure is lovely.  I had specifically ordered some bird and flower prints on antique book pages for the window.  They are from an artist in Texas who recently lost her mother, so it seems especially poignant that they are in the Mother's day window.  The prints looked so lovely against the washi paper that I bypassed my usual jumbled window and just left those two elements together.  I love the way the colors play off each other.  I had this grand idea of some sort of Anthropologie paper extravaganza - but there's a reason those windows always look so great - very time and labor intensive... and I just petered out.  Maybe someday.

I love our assortment of Mother's Day cards.  I'm reminded of our first year in business - we had only been open a few months when Mother's Day came along and we totally ran out of cards.  I was scrounging through my own collection, pulling out flowery and thank you cards that could serve the purpose.  We have more to choose from this year.  Oh, yes, in case you didn't know, Mother's day is May 13th.  It'll be here before you know it.

The other project for the week has been an expansion of our protest bracelets.  We first started making bracelets because customers kept asking about them.  I make them in small batches and keep thinking that sales will start to slow but they really haven't.  And now, with the new emphasis on women's issues, it seemed like a new variation was needed.  Happily, I managed to get Sachi's panty protest pins sized down so she could make a protest bracelet, and I've also added a few such images (as well as "voting is sexy") to a new set of protest bracelets.

And now, I think, it is safe for me to leave town for a few days.  I'll be out at a workshop at Valley Ridge Art Studio so I will be without phone and internet for a little while.  But I can't wait to report back next week with my creations and inspirations!

Mother's Day window, third draft

Well, in part, it's a Mother's Day tribute, a tribute to our mother (pictured above, with the two of us at the beach, circa 1975).  As I mentioned earlier, I'm working on details for the window installation, and started thinking about what the window should say, particularly in light of the upcoming protest.

I was thinking about a sign, about the women who have shaped my lives, and about myself.  Who I am, and my response to those who would say that my only value is as a vessel for future generations.  Which, by the way, if that is the only measure of my value, I have utterly failed... and yet, I think the world is a better place with me in it so clearly there is more value to me than just that.

I was thinking about my niece, my hopes that I have for her as she makes her way in the world, and about all the generations of women who have come before, and who will still come.  (Here's our mom and the adorable girl at the UW Arboretum today).

(Please remember that I'm doing all of this on a tight timeline - the protest is Saturday, but more signficantly, the window installation is Tuesday, and I'm going out of town on Friday.  SO, there's not a lot of time).

With those thoughts on Sunday morning, I started a rough draft, which I finished on Sunday evening so I could send it to the printer.  There's not quite enough time for a huge print run as I've done with my "keep calm" print - that may yet be to come.  I need to sit with the words just a little bit longer, make sure I haven't overlooked anything major or messed it up with my inability to edit down any further.  For now, a quick and dirty production.  I have no doubt that I've already overthought the word selection, and every person who contributed their list of women who have shaped them has added a new word to my list.  But I think it pretty much says what I need it to say.

 

I'm looking forward to hanging it up in the window tomorrow.

 

 

 

more love

Well, perhaps the Banksy cards aren't exactly Valentine, but they seemed to fit well with Wisconsin's current political situation.  Miss Forward was holding a big bunch of heart balloons on Wednesday night; I found myself thinking of all the things that have inadvertently become symbols of the Wisconsin protests: plastic palm trees, heart balloons....

Most of my energy this week has been focused on Valentine garlands.  I'm leading a church Sunday school activity on Sunday morning so I've been working on the prototype.  I ended up going rather low-tech: hand-cut and hand-sewn paper hearts, which is just easier all around.

I've been rearranging my living room and studio space at home, doing a little organizing and consolidating (though much more needs to be done).  In the process, I was reminded of the wealth of supplies that I have and was pleased to put some of them to use for these garlands: 1 book of cake recipes, 1 atlas, 1 book of sheet music, 1 box of black & white Paris pictures... all to cut up into hearts.

And as soon as I'm done with the Sunday school activity, the papercrafts will be coming to the craft table for February.  We've been gathering supplies for card- and garland-making: an assortment of papers and rubber stamps.  I might have to reprise my hand-cut doily rubber stamp for my Valentines this year.

The low-tech theme continues with Sachi's projects: hand sewn heart ornaments, with text screenprinted by a local artist.

I also rearranged the front table a bit so there's room for our assortment of Valentine goodies.  The anatomical heart stamp has been particularly popular.

 

Meanwhile, Sachi installed the Valentine's window this week, also chock full of Valentine goodness. 

 

I'm particularly impressed with her embroidery hoops, with song lyrics that she hand-embroidered.  She HAS been busy with hand-sewing this year!

Valentine goodness

Well, to tell the truth, I'm not quite ready yet...  I'm in the middle of a big rearranging project at home (rotated the living room 90 degrees and am finally dealing with the consolidation & studio organization that needed to be done after I moved things to the shop... FOUR years ago).  I've also been busy with year-end paperwork and resting from Christmas (which means spending time on Pinterest instead of making things to restock the store).  We had an amazing year in 2011!  I'm so grateful for our great sales figures but I think a little rest is necessary before we jump back in to graduation, Mother's Day, summer tourists, and Christmas. Our California buying trip this year is to San Francisco and is later than previous trips to Los Angeles so I have a few more weeks to wait before getting away from Wisconsin winter for a little vacation.

Meanwhile, Sachi has been working like crazy the past couple weeks.  Her main project has been sewing these little sweetheart ornaments with Spanish phrases, inspired by a box of Spanish sweetheart candies that a friend gave her:

Today, Sachi is installing the Valentine's window (to be fair, I installed the New Year window right after Christmas so we are continuing to take turns on window installation and I am not being a total slacker).  Here are some of the pieces:

In other Valentine-related news, this weekend I am helping our church Sunday school kids make Valentines to send to people who are home-bound or otherwise in need of a pick-me-up.  I decided, for the sake of variety, that we will make Valentine garlands instead of just cards.  We can all work together on the garlands and string a bunch of hand-cut hearts with Valentine wishes on them.  On to baker's twine, of course, my current obsession.

Or maybe we will just stitch them with red thread.  I kind of like the hand-sewn look.

And so on to gathering Valentine garland- and card-making supplies, for church and for the shop.  As soon as Sachi gets the table cleared of her window pieces, I can start unpacking.  I'm eager to make some garlands myself, and know a few customers who are apparently all ready for card-making, judging by their requests.

Besides the crafty projects, we've got paper packs, cards, sheets of paper and more to choose from.

This can be a relatively quiet time of year in terms of customers and new arrivals.  We are waiting to see what we find on our buying trip and also slowly making our way through our list of current and possible consignees to restock and add to our collection.  We did restock our "Midwest is Best" t-shirts, which were a popular Christmas gift.  We were also pleased that a new artist dropped into our laps with these great tiles with her own collage images.

Finally, we were pleased to get more of the hearts for Haiti, stone hearts made by Haitian artists which fund works in Haiti.  We feel strongly that arts are an important part of life and appreciate the opportunity to help artists elsewhere in the world.

Happy 2012!

"In those days, we finally chose to walk like giants & hold the world in arms grown strong with love & there may be many things we forget in the days to come, but this will not be one of them." Brian Andreas

I don't know what it is exactly, perhaps it is just my starry-eyed optimism that has somehow managed to stay undimmed even through the political tumult of 2011.  I'm sure it has something to do with the fact that our December 2011 sales were well above December 2010 sales (and not just because of buttons).  It also has something to do with the amazing creative renaissance that I witnessed in 2011 - in the face of frustrating politics and shaky economics, I was concerned that people would no longer have time for creating, would be preoccupied by trying to cover their rising cost of living, would be distracted from following their passion by having to follow the strictures of their workplace.  And instead I was blown away by the ways people found to voice their anger, their hope, their humor, their very selves.  In song, in metalworking, in signs, in video, in printmaking.  The list goes on.  Of all that has come about from politics in Wisconsin, this creative renaissance is truly inspiring to me. I am filled with so much gratitude for the people who supported our shop, for the moments of laughter around the button table, for the spirit and resilience that I witness everyday.

I have a strong & good feeling about 2012.

I realize there is a lot of work ahead of us and maybe all of my wishes won't come true but I am also very mindful of everything that was wakened in 2011 - there is a sense of anger and frustration (with politics, mostly), that's true, but there is also a sense of energy and vigor, of committment and community.  If everything that has led us to this point brings more of us out to vote, makes us think more about where we shop and how we eat, helps us think more about the hands that actually made whatever it is we are buying/selling/giving, gives us a stronger sense of our Christian or moral or American duty, well, then I think my optimism is not misplaced.  I don't things will be easy or easily resolved, I think we will always be fighting against those who would deny us power or wealth or influence, but I think we are strong, and have the ability and generosity to support everyone else on this journey and affirm the value of All.

I know, there are great forces that have been at work for decades now and some part of me feels that I am witnessing the American version of the fall of the Roman empire.  There's little doubt in my mind that lots of people will be worse off for more years to come, that some people will never willingly let go of the money and power they have, even if it is at cost to the health of our entire nation.  There are great forces at work against the American Dream, but that doesn't mean we have to cede our dreams or our voices.

Change is coming - it is here, in the slow food movement, in the buy local movement, in the ways that the internet connects us and informs us, in the diversity of our population, in the challenges of the environment and the demands of the world.  I sometimes feel like some people's political and economic motivations are based on a way of life that is more fitting for the 1950s, but that time is gone, the world is changing.  They will fight it, and desperately, but I don't think the change can be undone.

"There is a river flowing now, very fast. It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid. They will try to hold on to the shore. They will feel they are being torn apart and suffer greatly. Know that the river has its destination. The elders say we must push off into the middle of the river, keep our eyes open and our heads above the water. See who is in there with you and celebrate. At this time in history we are to take nothing personally least of all ourselves, for the moment we do that, our spiritual growth comes to a halt. The time of the lone wolf is over. Gather yourselves; banish the word ‘struggle’ from your attitude and vocabulary. All that we do now must be done in a sacred way and in celebration. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for." Hopi Elder's Prophecy

I would also note, though I've forgotten what Madison businessperson said this, that I am taking to heart the notion of defending Madison like a city-state.  I feel so blessed to live here, I love my city, and my state, and I am resolved in my committment to uphold the qualities that I love so much.

So, 2012, bring it on!  We have spirit, we have resourcefulness, we have creativity, we have wealth.  May we use it in the pursuit of Liberty and Justice for All, and a Happy New Year.

 

"...I hope you will have a wonderful year, that you'll dream dangerously and outrageously, that you'll make something that didn't exist before you made it, that you will be loved and that you will be liked, and that you will have people to love and to like in return. And, most importantly (because I think there should be more kindness and more wisdom in the world right now), that you will, when you need to be, be wise, and that you will always be kind." --Neil Gaiman

 

 

it's beginning to look a lot like....

Dare I even say the word? As retailers, we've been thinking about Christmas for quite a while now, though I only just added Christmas music into the iPod shuffle. 

It's strange how much time I've spent preparing, and now it seems like it's almost over.  Don't rush things! you might say, but I did already get some sales calls about Valentine cards.  I am making progress on my personal list of gifts to make & buy, feeling proud of myself this year for sticking to the mostly local/handmade resolution. 

The adorable girl put in a request for a Cinderella dress and I had one late night of sewing.  I was pleased that the dress is made mostly of fabric that I already had in my collection, even did a little repurposing of something started for a completely different project.  I had to put it in a box and wrap it, otherwise I would run the risk of spoiling the surprise.  Bad enough, I know, that she already knows the dress is on its way.  And now that that's checked off the list, I can't help thinking about accessories... shoes? crown? maybe undergarments of some sort since that sparkly fabric can be kind of scratchy on bare arms/legs?

Meanwhile, at the shop, it is definitely looking like Christmas, even though I went with the Alice and Wonderland theme for the window.  I feel like it is a nice mix of holiday - storybook - whimsy, perfect for the season.  Our silver tinsel tree is covered with a variety of ornaments from whimsical cupcakes to souvenirs of Madison/Wisconsin.  Sachi's felt Wisconsin ornament remains a favorite - she brought in help this year so hopefully she'll keep up.

This weekend we hosted a craft party for a group of people making holiday gift tags.  I'm personally quite pleased with the cardstock Wisconsin gift tag that I made.  I'm so addicted the die-cut machine at Scrapbook Superstore, it's just a shame that I discovered it so late.

From December 8 - 14, the table will have an assortment of papers and glitter for people to make decoupage ornaments.

We are particularly looking forward to this coming Saturday, when guest artist Stefanie Lin will be coming to teach her yarn-covered wreaths.  She'll have supplies and ephemera for embellishment, in addition to the goodies we have for sale at the shop.  You can also bring your own holiday ephemera to work into your wreath - I have a few favorite childhood ornaments that I'm thinking would work nicely in a wreath.

Stefanie will be in the shop on December 10th from 11 - 2.  She will have supplies if you'd like to work on your own at our table, or take pieces home to work on later.

From December 15 - 22, we'll have holiday garlands at our craft table.  We'll have paper available for triangle flags, circles or paper chain garlands.  Bring in your old Christmas cards if you'd like to cut them up and incorporate them into garlands.

We have plenty of rubber stamps and supplies for card-making, holiday paper and baker's twine for creative gift-packaging, and many other items for the crafty person on your holiday list. 

We have works by over 100 local and independent artists so your purchases at Anthology go to support many creative endeavors.  We really appreciate your business and your general efforts to buy local and handmade this holiday season!  Thank you!

Alice's Winter/Wander/Wonderland

 

Well, this window has been a long time coming.  I've been plotting for an Alice in Wonderland window for ages and finally all the pieces came together.  I only wish I had larger windows so I could really use all the lovelies that I gathered.  As it is, everything is just going to have to take turns.  I had planned to make it more winterland than wonderland but got distracted with various possibilities.  So, it's really only vaguely a holiday window but I think it represents our store well.  Closer to Christmas, I'll probably bring the tree more front and center, but this felt about right for this moment - as much as I've been preparing for Christmas at the shop all year long, I'm not quite ready to jump full in.

To be honest, I've only recently become obsessed with Alice in Wonderland.  Of course, I always like the blue dress with the little apron, and who hasn't been tempted to shout, "off with her head!" every once in a while. 

No, my latest preoccupation wasn't connected to the movie, though maybe there is some mass conscience that I was tapping into since the timing is suspicious.  But, before I knew the movie was coming out, I was working on an altered book for an exhibit.  I'm not sure I even went out hunting for Alice in Wonderland specifically, but I found an oversize storybook that ended up being a perfect format to work with.  In the process of working on the altered book, I read the story several times and each time found more things that charmed and spoke to me.  For that project, I ended up using chapter headings and excerpts as springboards to a somewhat autobiographical piece.  And then I made some mini books along the same line. And then a collage...

Ages ago I found these paper masks for the various characters in the story and thought those would be great for a window.  I've been hanging onto them for a while and this year suddenly seemed right to pull all the pieces together.  Or, rather, find more pieces to pull the window together.

An artist in Texas makes some lovely prints on old book and sheet music pages, including the illustrations from the classic edition.  Illustrations which are also used on our scrabble tile necklaces, notebooks, notecards and rubber stamps.

 

 

I even managed to find some Christmasy items that (loosely) fit with the theme: some sweet mushrooms and fairy houses from an artist in Utah, and glitter houses from an artist in Appleton.  And some cupcake ornaments are on their way to complement the felt donuts.

And I found some great t-shirts with the white rabbit riding a bicycle, and had fun making coordinating paper skirts for the mannequins.

Being a text person, one of the pieces that I am most pleased about is from one of our newer Wisconsin artists, a letterpress artist in Kimberly, who made a series of Alice quotations on our request.  I really love their contribution to the window.

 

A customer once commented that coming into our store was like falling down the rabbit hole.  We hope you'll stop in to have your own adventures in our little wonderland.

more Valentine goodness

Well, we are definitely ready to change from thoughts of cold and icy blue... and Valentine's Day arrives just in time.  We have a wonderful assortment of Valentine cards and nothing makes me happier to think of our role in eliciting that feeling of a card in the mail or a shoebox full of notes.  Remember those days? 

Sachi cleared out the window yesterday and installed the Valentine window made of red, black & white.  It's a bit of a change from the usual pastels that I think of, but bold colors seem to catch more attention from passerby.  Since it is still dark at night, we thought we'd leave up the lights in the window.  Sachi found red ones though and to make them a little more Valentiney, I attached tissue paper cut outs. They kind of look like flowers but they are supposed to be hearts.  They looked super cute as pink tissue on white Christmas lights, but then I remembered Sachi's bold color scheme.  I quite like the graphic look of this old tissue paper that we inherited from the previous tennants.

Meanwhile the window is full of assorted Valentine items. The stone hearts from Haiti are still my favorites, though Sachi's anatomical heart embroidery is a close second.  Sachi was able to sew a sweet felt heart garland from all the hearts that she cut out for Wisconsin felt ornaments.

Just in the nick of time, we received a new delivery of bicycle skirts and Wisconsin onesies.  The red is a perfect addition to the window. 
 


 

 
 

Valentine sneak peek

Honestly?  I'm not really ready for Valentine's Day.  I'm stil feeling kind of tired from the holidays and from all the year-end wrap up.  The Valentine's things that I've seen in stores are just causing me to balk a bit -- too early!  But every day, a customer comes in asking, and, of course, it isn't too early to get started on making cards, so here we go...  There are more items coming in, but I set up the front table with a little Valentine goodness. 

I love these little sets of ephemera and charms.  One set comes in a sweet little heart-shaped box which would be a nice substitute for chocolates.  Well, maybe not a substitute.

The CHA show is at the end of January and a little late for things to arrive in time for Valentine's Day, but there is sure to be lots of crafty inspiration.  Maybe some new craft table projects!   In February, we will have an assortment of papers available for Valentine card making, and are making plans for an embellished clothing workshop.  Additionally, Sachi has made up this sweet fabric button necklace, which you can come in and make on Saturday, January 22nd from noon to 3.

 

Sachi ordered an assortment of folk crafts with a vaguely Valentine theme.  These pierced tin ornaments are from Haiti.  There is no end to the ways that we can help Haiti, but purchasing handcrafts is one of the most satisfying for me.  As an artist, I think it is always rewarding to be able to find something that appeals to customers, not to depend on charity but have a job that is creative and income-generating. I think it is a nice way to reach across the distances (geographical and economical) that lie between us.

My favorite item of all is these heart rocks that are carved by Haitian artists.  I'm a geologist by training so I might be biased.  I love the feel of a stone in my hand.  Proceeds from sales of these stones go to the HAND/EYE Fund's Artisan Grants Program, which is working with artisans in Haiti. These artisans embody their country’s rich cultural heritage, employ their neighbors, solve community problems with their entrepreneurial skills, and create opportunities for themselves and others. They are essential to Haiti’s future, and HAND/EYE Fund is dedicated to serving them.  How can you resist?!

 

Christmas & New Year wishes

What an amazing year we had in 2010!  We are so grateful to our customers, our consignment artists, the people who inspire us, the people who were inspired by us...  Oh, so very many people!  As we looked around, the store is a veritable treasure trove of our thoughts and wishes for you this holiday season and into the new year.  And after the thousands of words that I've typed this year, perhaps it is best just to let the pictures do the talking.  Cranes for peace, more joy and on it goes.

 

 

 

and, ever and again, thanks, thanks and evermore thanks.