I’ve been kind of swamped with tying up loose ends for work, so haven’t had a chance to post much over here this week — still no baby, but I’ll announce whenever there is exciting news! I also have high hopes of posting this little craft-room-organizing tutorial I’ve been meandering around with but haven’t finished up the last few photos. So while I’m in limbo I thought I’d mention this fantastic offer I just heard about via buy olympia:

This is our call to action. At buyolympia.com, we believe strongly in making yourself heard. To help you get your message out, we’re giving away 10,000 posters to encourage people to vote. The posters include a space that lets you personalize them; write your message and let the world see it.

So if you visit their site and order the gorgeous Nikki McClure poster, it’s totally free, and shipping is free to US addresses — they are giving away 10,000 posters, a limit of 25 to each person.

I love this idea and the poster imagery is absolutely beautiful. Yay Nikki McClure and buy olympia!

Three weeks til we vote in our primary here… I can’t wait.

I adore Ryan and Lucy Berkley — they are a super talented couple in addition to being the sweetest, friendliest pair around. I first met Ryan when he illustrated Super Crafty for us in 2004, and it has been such a treat to enjoy his gorgeous artwork ever since. Lucy does amazing photography and I treasure the pieces I have of hers… and now the Berkleys have started a new blog called Let’s Share that’s just as lovely as they are.

Andrew and I were recently the lucky recipients of the most wonderful baby gift: Ryan surprised us by illustrating our family as a trio of cardinals, with a space left to add our baby girl’s name when she arrives this month! I just love them. I grew up in North Carolina, where the state bird and flower are the cardinal and the dogwood, so I had talked to him awhile back about commissioning a piece featuring the two of them together. Lucy remembered all the little details from our conversation, so my little cardinal-lady alter ego has a dogwood blossom on her lacy collar… love it. Such a fantastic and thoughtful present!

So today when I stopped by the Buckman Art Show + Sell today to bring a signed copy of Bead Simple and a raku pot from our friend Russell Mott to add to the silent auction (which is killer… seriously, make sure you have a chance to stop by and browse all the work!), I spotted this lovely Lady Squirrel print that the Berkleys had donated. And since I’ll be a few blocks away at the Buckman Bash all evening, I asked if I could put in a bid early… and got the chance to snap it up outright. Sorry, everyone else in Portland, but I couldn’t resist, and now this beautiful piece is going up in the baby’s room along with her cardinal friends!

If you want to see more of Ryan and Lucy’s work, they will have originals and prints at the Buckman Art Show + Sell this weekend, and will be selling at Crafty Wonderland on Sunday. If you’re out of town, or can’t make it by those events, definitely check out their Etsy shops: Berkley Illustration and Lucybird Photo… and their flickrs are pretty awesome too! Viva Berkleys!

Today I thought I’d post a round-up of six cool things that caught my eye this week: two to make, two to win, and two to check out in person — and all of them are free!

to make

First, the crafty projects to do are both up for grabs online. Rachel of Average Jane Crafter has been posting a series of lovely vintage embroidery transfers on her blog as part of a weeklong celebration hosted by Floresita. The designs are so charming and it’s such a cool idea to share them all!

And Lee Meredith has posted a free bucket hat pattern on her blog and on Ravelry, and shows off her version that she knitted up in her own brightly colored homespun. Gorgeous!

to win

I’m so pleased to announce that there are two Bead Simple giveaways going on right now: Jessica of Jekbot and Scrumdillydilly, who designed the Bits and Baubles Keychain, is offering up a copy of the book for her readers to win. Just comment on this post and she’ll pick a winner from the first 25 entries!

And Natalie of Coquette and CRAFT:, who designed the Vintage-Style iPod Cozy, is also offering a copy for readers to win over on the CRAFT: blog. Just comment on this post by 11 am on Thursday, and mention why you would like to have the book, and you’re entered to win there too. Thank you, Nat and Jess!!

and to do

Tomorrow night is First Thursday here in Portland and there are two openings I’m especially excited about. First, at PNCA (1241 NW Johnson St., in Portland), my husband Andrew is part of a group show called The Searchers. The exhibition originally premiered in New York at the EFA Gallery in December 2006. We performed AC Dickson: eBay PowerSeller as part of the opening week, and for this encore exhibit, Andrew has put together a visual show and essay about the culture of eBay — this is the sequel to the performance, answering the age-old dilemma: what should you sell?

Just a few blocks away, Cathy Pitters of Bossa Nova Baby is showing the beautiful chair that she created for the Chair Affair. The opening is from 6 - 8pm at The Art Institute, 1122 NW Davis St. in Portland, and her piece will be on display until it is part of the charity auction for Community Warehouse later this month.

On a related note, I would like to spotlight a fantastic site and blog, Around the Sun, which features an impressive selection of free or affordable things to check out here in Portland and beyond — definitely bookmark it or subscribe if you haven’t already. Amy is a fellow crafter and designer, and she does a beautiful job highlighting all kinds of money-saving ideas, free events, and all kinds of other interesting resources. She was kind enough to post about my Powell’s event this week, too — thank you so much, Amy!

I got to meet up with Mariko and Melissa for lunch at Pine State* Biscuits yesterday and… wow. I have to say that as a Southern girl living on the West Coast I miss the delicacies of home, and the luxury of biscuits like these in the adjoining zip code is a huge improvement to my day-to-day quality of life! Now if only I could have an occasional dose of my other favorites (fireflies, thunderstorms, Carolina home games, and hushpuppies, not to mention my family who all live three hours ahead of me), things would be perfect.

But back to the biscuits: they are awesome. I had a scrambled egg and cheese biscuit sandwich with Stumptown coffee and it was perfect for a chilly, rainy day. I was too busy eating to get a picture of my delightful food, but Mariko snapped one of me with about 2/3 of my sandwich left, and even had the willpower to photograph hers before starting in on it. Impressive! As a bonus, I got a bottle of Cheerwine to bring home, along with a biscuit for Andrew. I have not had a drop of Cheerwine in the eleven years I’ve lived out here and it was pretty fantastic… and speaking of Pine State excitement, I can’t wait for the Carolina game this afternoon, and the Davidson game tomorrow!

And on the subject of my adopted state, the always-wonderful Jill Bliss is having dual art openings in Portland tonight. Both shows run from today through April 20, and they’re both on Alberta St. From her announcement:

“the colors of nature” collaborative show with jill bliss, seth neefus and amy ruppel
reception: march 27, 7 - 10 pm
together gallery
2314 ne alberta st. in portland

“califoregon” duo show with jill bliss and brittany powell
reception: march 27, 7 - 10 pm
office pdx shop + gallery
2204 ne alberta st. in portland

Jill says, “brittany’s a native oregonian, i’m a native californian. we met at c.c.a. in san francisco a few years back and have been planning the idea of this show ever since. now that we both live in portland, it’s the perfect time to make it a reality! collaborative drawings and paper cut-outs, gocco screenprints, and postcards — all relating to our favorite things and places in our two favorite states.”

p.s. Just wanted to mention that Kayte of Love Forever is doing a fun contest this week to celebrate the release of Bead Simple: just comment on this post and tell her about your favorite piece of jewelry, and she’ll pick a winner to send a copy of the book to on Friday. Don’t miss her beautiful Lacy Trio Earrings on page 39, too!

*the nickname for my native state, North Carolina.

Just wanted to announce a super cool upcoming art-music fundraiser, the Buckman Bash, benefiting Buckman Elementary School here in Southeast Portland. I’m especially excited that my husband Andrew will be hosting the show… which will include performances by James Mercer of the Shins and Stephen Malkmus of the Jicks and a killer art auction featuring work from Storm Tharp, Joe Thurston, and a dozen other artists — plus there’s a gallery of student work!

I first heard about Buckman and their amazing art curriculum through my friend Cathy Pitters, whose son Levi is in fifth grade there. Cathy has volunteered tirelessly for the school the whole time Levi has been a student there, and she’s gotten the girls of PDX Super Crafty involved in the Art Show + Sell over the last few years as well. I’ll be a bit too preoccupied this April to be much of a presence there, so I’ve donated a signed copy of Bead Simple and a piece of my jewelry to the silent auction at the school. This is the first year of the Buckman Bash, and our friend Juli Wittenmeier is organizing the evening’s festivities, with lots of cool surprises (did I mention the dessert bar yet?). I’ll be helping Andrew out with the PowerPoint during his hosting duties — so please come say hi if you make it to the show, I’ll be the nine-months-pregnant girl with the laptop!

You can buy tickets online or at either Jackpot Records location (downtown or Hawthorne). All the proceeds for both the Bash and the Art Show + Sell go directly to the art programs!

p.s. Speaking of Cathy, she has just started a new craft blog, Stitch and Destroy — be sure to check it out!

There are a lot of pretty cool things going on today! If you don’t mind the round-up format here are three things I am pretty excited about this morning.

Sweaters!
First, in honor of Fred Rogers’s 80th birthday, be sure to wear a sweater today! If you haven’t already seen it, this video (starring Mr. McFeely the delivery man) inviting everyone to participate is so charming. I’m a big fan of both Mr. Rogers and cardigans, so I am happily putting one on for the afternoon. Happy birthday, Mr. Rogers!

Jewelry classes!
I also just heard that Jennifer Perkins is teaching a new series of classes at Craft-O-Rama in Austin. If you want to make a super-poppy charm bracelet using a variety of wire techniques, or a fantastic set of fabric jewelry (a ring, ponytail holder and two different bracelets), zip on over and register. As a bonus, Jennifer says, “Not only will we be learning how to make jewelry, we can also chat about running a small business, marketing, correct ways to open a jump ring and more — for 2 whole hours I am yours to quiz on all your hot burning questions.”

fabric jewelry galore

To sign up for either or both classes, register through the store’s website, call 512-707-2405 or stop by (3100 S Congress Ave Austin, TX 78704). I love Jennifer’s work and I am so lucky that she is one of my guest designers for Bead Simple! I wish so much that I could take her classes myself, but they are both scheduled for the week of my due date, so not this time… but hopefully I can catch an encore series later in the year. At age 34 I still have not made it to Texas, I am sorry to say, and I definitely need to do something about that.

The Design-It-Yourself Revolution!
Here in town, Contemporary Crafts Museum is hosting a pair of excellent craft and design events this week with Ellen Lupton, author, designer, and curator at the Cooper-Hewitt Museum: one tonight and one on Saturday. Don’t miss them!

EXCELLENCE IN CRAFT LECTURE
Ellen Lupton
The Design It Yourself Revolution
Thursday, March 20, 7 PM at PNCA, 1241 NW Johnson
$5 (Free for members and students)
Ellen Lupton wants to bring design to the masses. In the much-discussed books D.I.Y.: Design It Yourself and D.I.Y. Kids, Lupton shares design concepts with writers, teachers, crafters and children. Now she’ll deliver her message in person. Lupton’s Excellence in Craft Lecture investigates how increased access to desktop publishing tools, paired with the growth of “do-it-yourself” culture, has changed the way we think about design. Drawing from her books, she will share ways to use design principles in everyday life.

SPECIAL FAMILY EVENT
D.I.Y. Kids Day
Saturday, March 22, 1-4 PM, Free, The Lab at Museum of Contemporary Craft
Work alongside Ellen Lupton and crew to design a button, a book and magnet art. These fun creative activities will engage all kids — and adults will have a blast too — making unique items from an exciting array of materials.

I have been writing up a lot of love for Portland recently so I wanted to focus on a few other favorite places today and some cool stuff going on in each city. If you are in New York or Los Angeles, here’s what I would be doing this weekend if I were there, too!

In New York, I’m pleased to announce that the outstanding documentary Sputnik Mania is premiering tonight at the IFC Center (323 Avenue of the Americas, at Third Street). The film is based on my father-in-law Paul Dickson’s book Sputnik: The Shock of the Century. I saw it at the Seattle world premiere last summer and just loved it. It’s showing for the next two weeks, so if you’re in or near the city, don’t miss it!

Congratulations, Paul! I was very excited to see the fantastic and well-deserved review in the New York Times today, too.

On the other side of the country., Sara Wookey is premiering a new performance, Walking L.A., at 7 and 9 pm tomorrow. When I lived in the city, I absolutely loved walking there, especially downtown (and in Griffith Park, and Los Feliz, and Silver Lake…) so I really wish I could be there to check it out! It’s free, you just need to make reservations and request tickets for the time you prefer.

Andrew and I first met Sara at an arts festival in Belgium and I’ve had the chance to see some of her subsequent performances in California, too. Here is what she has to say about this show:

This multi-disciplinary performance work evolved from Sara’s experiences of walking in Los Angeles. A meeting ground of movement, video, text and live sound, this performance highlights the subsurface layers of the city made available to the one who walks and offers up alternative ways of reading and re-imagining it.

ps: on another geographical note entirely, Go Heels!

Tonight and tomorrow night kick off two art shows I’ve been looking forward to for months! Such a fun weekend ahead. Both shows are up for the rest of March if you don’t make it to the openings themselves, too.

Thursday

First up is “I Heart Mr. T,” a group show honoring the great man himself!

Greg says, “First off, Levi and Tripper have organized an I {heart} Mr. T Art Show to open on this First Thursday, March 6th, 6-9pm, on the west side of town at the NEW Moshi-Moshi (916 W. Burnside St., 97209). Levi came up with the idea of donating 20% of all art sales to go towards the Buckman Elementary’s Opal Creek Scholarship Fund, which helps his fellow 5th graders attend the annual overnight outdoor school.” There are dozens of artists in the show from Portland, including Lucy Berkley, Levi Pitters, Cathy Pitters, Greg Pitters, Tripper Dungan, and Justin “Scrappers” Morrison.

I’m so excited to see all the artwork — I am a huge fan of Mr. T.! Andrew worked on an Oregon Lottery commercial with him years ago, and I sent along a fan letter to him while they were on set. Andrew brought me back an awesome autographed photo of him that says “To Susan, Stay Sweet” on it and it is one of my treasures! I have to find it and snap a picture… a lot of our cool stuff is still in boxes, unfortunately.

Friday

I love Lisa Congdon’s work and I am so looking forward to her Little Souvenirs show at Redux.

Lisa says, “The show opens this Friday, March 7 at 6 pm and the party will go until 9:30 (there is also an amazing opening at The Grass Hut next door at the same time, so it should be a good evening.) Work will be for sale beginning Friday and can be purchased over the phone or in person. For phone sales, please reference the names of the pieces here. You can call the shop at 503.231.7336 to inquire and/or complete transactions. If you come by the opening, please say hello to me. I am very nice and do not bite. And I like to meet new people!”

Hope to see you at one of them… or at Velveteria on Saturday, or the CRAFT: release party or at Crafty Wonderland on Sunday!

Wow, thanks so much for the congratulations on the baby news! I really appreciate it. I’ve been a little shy to make the big announcement for some reason, and with being so busy (house, move, work, etc.) lately it was hard to find the time to sit down and write an actual personal, chatty post. For some reason it’s so much easier for me to write about other people’s cool stuff going on, you know? But I am very happy to be out about it, finally! And I’m getting very excited to meet her in a few months.

So while I’m dwelling on all things personal, I would also like to announce a lecture by my favorite artist, who, lucky for me, also happens to be my husband: Andrew Dickson. It’s part of the current Portland State MFA lecture series, which is free and open to the public on Monday night.

AC Dickson: eBay PowerSeller

The lectures so far have been stellar — Harrell Fletcher and the MFA department are hosting such a great weekly series and keeping it so accessible, too. In the upcoming line-up, I am especially excited to see Marie Watt’s event on April 14, baby permitting.

Sell Out

Andrew will be showing video clips and photos of his past visual, film, and performance work and previewing some new projects as well. I am admittedly quite biased, but I think it will be a very cool event!

Beck’s Nausea video

The other lectures have been pretty crowded so come a bit early if you can make it over! I will be front and center and would love to see crafty friends afterwards.

me and Andrew at the Birthday premiere

If you go:
Andrew Dickson artist lecture
5th Avenue Cinemas, 510 SW Hall Street in Portland
Monday, January 28th at 7:30 pm
Free and open to the public

ReForm School has a lovely art opening this weekend, Fossil Fuel Fun. Billie and Tootie just announced: “Our first art show of the year opens this Saturday night, January 19th at 7 p.m. Our latest Student Of The Month, Matte Stephens, will be showing original works. Come by and have some “Fossil Fuel Fun” and enjoy our retro candy bar, cupcakes and old fashioned soda pop ( we’ll have the hard stuff too!).”

And don’t forget to check out the new ReForm School blog for shop updates, artist interviews and interesting tidbits. Billie and Tootie are the two most charming girls imaginable and I’m excited that they’ll be posting regularly!

Meanwhile, the fabulous Tinlark Gallery is having a first-anniversary celebration: a solo opening featuring Brooks Shane Salzwedel, and “Time Flies,” a group show including work from one of my favorite artists, Ryan Berkley. Ryan illustrated Super Crafty and has a gorgeous collection of paintings, illustrations, and comics. Congratulations, Ryan!

Well, I’m in California but a few hundred miles north of the parties, unfortunately! Luckily, I’ll be in LA in a few weeks and I’m very excited to see the shows while they’re still up.