Almost there...

I posted this on my website today. It's ME-time finally after a very busy fall season and early December.
Hi kind people, I have not added any products lately as I was busy finishing custom tams.
I have finished all custom requests and mailed all orders and have reduced the inventory to a fraction of what I usually offer.
At this time I cannot take on any special requests anymore.
My daughter will be home for Christmas and will fly in from Germany this Saturday. I will try to spend as much time with her as possible.
I will resume "business as usual" at the end of December with new One Of A Kind items and a few new customs designs along with the popular custom designs.
I will answer all emails regarding past purchases or future items since I am at home and have access to the pc, though.
Merry Christmas, much love & PEACE to all of you!***Angelika

Planning 2009

First of all I want to congratulate my husband Sid.
He has been accepted to exhibit his digital art work at the local Ponca City Arts Center in April 2009.
A milestone for his ambitions within the visual arts.

At the Purple Sage Designz HQ I have made a few steps into new directions.
Finally sales on Handmadefuzion and a $7/month lifetime account at Artfire.
Check them out, as it is always wise NOT to put all your eggs into one basket.
Register on ArtFire.com

Out of the loop

and into the music of the past.
It's the weird time of the year with Christmas commercials, a large number of orders and work,
CNN with bad news about the economy and a retrospective view at life for me in general.
This song touches a cord in me...and always has.
Four Tops ...Still Waters Are Deep (Peace), the Long Version

No Black Friday...

I got nothing going on for Black Friday or Cyber Monday.
Not in my own online shops nor did I hunt any new bargains.
In fact I had planned on thrifting today...and both downtown thrift stores were closed.
Downtown appeared like a ghost town, half of all the shopping locations were either closed at the end of the week or they had given up permanently.
What a pitiful sight.
We spent Thanksgiving with Sid's entire family which was a huge feast since everyone brought plenty of food.
There seems to be the understanding that Thanksgiving may be viewed negatively in context of the genocide of Native Americans, but where we live, Thanksgiving is a tradition which is being celebrated by Native American families (as is Sid's family). The main focus may not be on the first white settlers though.

Sunday...Are you working?

Yep, me too.
Today I was thinking how nice it would be to have the "boring Sunday" of my childhood back.
When there was no school, no work for my dad, no house hold work for my mum (except dinner which was a big deal...so I guess she had a workload there), no stores open, special Sunday clothes for mass (church) and visits to my grandparents.
And back then, I felt bored. Deprived of every day activities, distractions and noises.
Sundays were quiet days in our home.
Outlooks on life changes...and that's a good thing.
I have tried to bring back a little bit of the Sunday spirit back into my life. Just for starters.
But in the handmade business for tams November is a big month and I have to postpone Sunday leisure times for a little longer.
The workaholic in me is happy though:)
Wanna see what I worked on today?
The tams above are all new additions to my website and are for sale here.

Disappointment

when I found out that the Christmas package from Germany has been partially emptied by thieves.
My sister, my mum and a friend had carefully selected German Christmas specialties, hard-to-find vintage Burdas and a designer sunflower ceramic pottery piece. They paid dearly for postage as the package was filled to the brim.
Thieves cut it open, took Milka candy, crochet books, the Christmas goodies and dumped other people's Christmas cards and trash into it. I feel sorry for the original writers of these cards as their packages to loved ones were affected as well.
We still have a few goodies to enjoy...as they left some packages of Lebkuchen and Marzipan...
and the pottery.
May those low down people ache from eating other people's food and lose their job with DHL.
My sister will file a complaint.
Maybe they can find satisfaction for the financial loss...but the loss of trust into shipping services will last longer.
I was going to post a picture of my Christmas package, filled with all the special candy which you can only find in Germany, but ...
Sometimes it's hard to maintain the Christmas spirit.

I knew that the hippie movement was dead when it became a fashion...

(this awesome little hippie girl gif was spotted here)
but some of us still try to live in the "spirit of hippieness"... however we define it.
On the other hand for many it's just a hollow cliche of tie-dye clothes and peace necklaces, obviously.
Yet ... handmaking and selling homemade wares to like-minded folks is a part of the "hippie lifestyle".
If you want to list a little patchwork skirt and you think Little Hippie Patchwork Skirt is a fine title,
well, think again, because "Little Hippie" has been trademarked by a New York based company.
Fake biz world hippies are policing their brothers' and sisters' wording now.
This doesn't need any further comment from my side.

On a positive note:
It was great to just step away from it all this weekend and meet and do something with nice people.

So...I am kind of old-fashioned

I don't own a cell-phone.... there is life without a cell-phone.
I don't twitter...because I just don't get it.
And I don't feel comfortable to aggressively market my wares on every social site out there on the internet.
Call me stupid, but I don't want to step into the footsteps of the big box stores and websites.

It's not like I don't argue with myself if these features may have benefits.
The rebel in me refuses to do something just because everyone does it.

Here is my good ole-fashioned blog promo.
I ordered several boxes of pure wool yesterday, and I need to make room:)

The new tams above can be purchased here.

Just a cartoon

spotted on this website

A little revamp...

So I got tired of all the lavender backgrounds and girlie look of my blog.
And I added a little "self-portrait" photo (if I may call it that way) to the right side bar.
Change is good...

Oh Happy Day

Our new president-elect: BARACK OBAMA
History has been made.
It's a good morning to wake up in the USA.
Webcam chat at Ustream

one more day

What should I post about one day before the US presidential election?
It's almost like I am holding my breath.
I told Sid the other day that I will apply for the US citizenship if the democratic party wins.
I have been holding off so far because there is a lot of paperwork involved in order for me to keep my original nationality. The German citizenship will be lost if if I take on a foreign citizenship unless I can provide proof that it is a necessity to take on the new one and keep the old one as well. Besides paperwork money will a big factor as well...
I am almost at the point where I will settle for the US citizenship only.

Custom orders...I did a lot of those lately and usually not many people other than the buyers see the pictures.
At the top of the post are a few tams that were made with the ideas and according to the specifications of some dear customers.
Below are new tams that I will list soon in my web-shop Purple Sage Designz

These are new in my Etsy shop

Shameless promoting...

I hadn't talked a lot about my work lately, but I have been working really hard to meet the higher demand of tams as it has gotten cold in certain regions early this year.
I am a workaholic when it comes to crocheting for sale.
I feel good about my work and my handmade business. When you believe in something it is easy to pour your heart and hours into it.
(All new tams are available at my webstore Purple Sage Designz)

A crocheter's dream

Someone on my crafting group board posted a link to an ad on Craigslist NH.
Yarn and more yarn...up for grabs $1 a skein.
Pictures like this make my adrenaline rush and I can imagine going through all these totes and picking several hundred dollars worth of wools.
(Some people including my husband may be happy that New Hampshire is not within my reach).
The ad is here (if you happen to be a yarn addict and live in this area)

Poverty in the Western World -- In the back yard of the USA (Pine Ridge Reservation)

The Pine Ridge Reservation ranks #2 right after Haiti on the poverty list of the western hemisphere.



"Spreading the wealth around", is it really such a bad idea considering that even in bad economic times there is still an abundance of luxury in this wealthy country?

Even if the present government may not believe in social justice or giving to the poor with infrastructural programs, there are ways for us ordinary people to share what we may have to spare for people who need our help.

These are 2 organizations which I can recommend from personal experience as the donated goods reach directly the people who need help most.


Friends of Pine Ridge Reservation
Crafting For A Cause (crafter yahoo group which supports the Pine Ridge Reservation community services and 101 sponsorships for children and elders in need
Crafted items and store bought items are usually donated especially for the cold winter months)

Click to join CraftingForACause

There are more organizations out there and their non-profit status grants a tax-deduction for donations.
Now that Christmas shopping starts soon and we are lured into consuming more than we need, it's a good time to reflect on the needs of the poor right here in this country.

I refuse to feel helpless.
I believe we all can make a difference.

(More videos on the subject of Poverty which does not only refer to Native Americans can be viewed on YouTube, for example

Great book find -- Decorative Art 70s

Sid and I went book shopping yesterday since he was hunting for specific photograph volumes. I really didn't have a certain book in mind and just browsed through craft books, fiction and non-fiction bargains.
Besides another issue of Crochet Interweave, Candy Crochet (Candi Jenson) I discovered this life-style pop art book.

+++++++++++++
DECORATIVE ART 70s

Edited by Charlotte & Peter Fiell.
Both a serious reference tool and enjoyable browsing material, this features over 600 images of decorative arts and design from the 1970s.
The futuristic, experimental aesthetic was everywhere, as well as a return to natural methods, an emphasis on craft, and pushing the logic of industrial living to its extreme. Once again, Taschen has assembled a comprehensive collection of photographs that define an era.
Out of print
+++++++++++++
I am fascinated with 70s culture.
As a lot of its architecture and fashion is considered a "hOW nOT tO dO iT" in our present design world, for me the 1970s represent a decade of experimental life-styles and social changes, reflected in both decor, community structures and self expression.
Many may call it ugly. But often we develop an unconditional love for the decade of our youth.

PEACE -- Just something for us ole hippies?

I am not afraid to say that I am still a pacifist...is this a bad word these days?

I let John Lennon speak (sing)...Give peace a chance. Off to watch more CNN about the election race.
This is an exciting time.
Have a great weekend, everyone.

Just Do It

I found this article today How To Just do It when I was browsing online comments of handcrafting sellers on discussion forums (something I do very seldom these days, but sometimes I just can't help it, it's like reading a newspaper for my genre).
These questions come up all the time.
Should I have a blog? a website? go to craft shows? Try another handmade site like Dawanda?
Try to sell my handmade wares at all?
Of course it's reasonable and smart to do a research, gain as much knowledge and opinions beforehand as possible, but why not just do it and try for yourself?
Invest a little time, a small sum of disposable money and give it a shot.
Learning by doing is the best way to find out if something works for you.

And as much as I detest companies like "Nike" who have their merchandise produced under questionable work conditions in certain countries, their slogan is powerful.

It's a shame

AIG luxury retreat scandal (AP report)
While people are worrying about fundamental issues in their lives like homes, pensions, savings, affordability of heating and transportation...life goes on in the corp world as if nothing happened.
Insane spending on a luxury life style while the ordinary Joe and Jane suffer from anxieties about how to secure a standard modest life style.
Just another affirmation that I will never work for the corp world again.
When will ethics and responsibility which comes with handling other people's finances ever go hand in hand with making profits?
Shame on you.
There is more to life than spas, stuffing your face and hitting the golf ball in a luxury hotel.

Feature, dentist and new tams

Today I just would like to add a brief update, as there are not many new things happening around here.

This blog feature just blew me away:
Thanks so much Angie of iheartnorwegianwood for all the kind words and pictures about my products that she purchased for her store in Montreal.

The dentist saga just keeps going on...and I don't want to make anyone cringe listening to root canal treatments. I am grateful to have affordable health insurance...for now. Through Sid's employer. I still spend large sums on co-payments and the expenses after my insurance coverage has been maxed out. My son does NOT have health insurance. I strongly hope for change, so that everyone in this country CAN go to a dentist. A tooth cannot be fixed with an over-the-counter medication, just like cancer cannot be cured with aspirin from Walgreens. America, join the Western world on health care for your people already, please, it's the 21st century!

Now, the busiest time of the year for crocheted tams has just begun. And I will update with many more OOAK tams as I have a huge inventory of yarns in smaller quantities. Each one will be unique and never repeated.

Available on my site and in my Etsy shop.

Bob Marley & The Wailers 'Could You Be Loved'

Raggae was the only music style I truly enjoyed in the early 1980s.
I had all his albums on those little cassette player tapes. A long gone era.
Could you be loved is one of my favorites by Bob Marley because of the energy in this song.
You just want to get up and dance.

I always post a video when I don't want to:
promote
talk about Etsy
talk about buying/selling
consumerism
my crafts
got no advice
didn't do anything interesting
got nothing to say.
Jamming is better than unmotivated bla bla:)

Long slouchy beanie tams...a few answers to your questions

Now, I have received several questions concerning the "long style hippie tam" pattern from last year, made in willow green wool blend.
I don't have this tam anymore, but I have quickly taken 2 snapshots of some longer tams.
As you can see, they are not round beret style tams. I start with an increase at the top like you would start a beret, but I stop increasing before I would end up with a dinner-plate size crown. I make the crown up to smaller dessert-style plate size:)
Then, depending on my pattern (in blue-brown it's an open weave with 1 dc, 1 chain, (skip one dc), 1 dc) and in orange it's the same with half-double crochet stitches.
I just add rows to the round crown until I have reached my desired length. I don't increase or decrease.
If it turns out really wide, then I will crochet 1 row where I decrease every 6th stitch by crocheting it together to reduce the width. As you can see in the orange tam, it comes in a bit towards the rim. If it's still too wide I repeat another decreasing row.
Last row usually is a row of single crochet stitches with a gap inbetween where I lace the tie-string through.
In the picture of the orange tam you can see the "underside" more clearly, where the rows are joined without a width increase, this will sit at the back of your head where it folds down and is invisible that way. Darker colors or variegated yarns usually hide the joining, that's why I picked this tam for demonstration.
To Fabien and other blog readers who had emailed me, I am not sure if this answers your question so far.
For the length I don't count rows, I have a measuring tape and go by inch length.
I estimate length 12" for a good size rasta tam, 14" for extreme long dreads, 10"-11" for moderate, maybe chin-shoulder long dreads, 8"-9" for short hair, with just a bit of slouch.
I lay the hat flat and measure from crown to rim. The width usually is an 12" average.
Any questions?
Please post in comments, I'll be happy to answer.

15Th Annual Standing Bear PowWow

This was the event to be on a Saturday night in Ponca City.
(My new camera and I are not friends yet, my pictures don't do this colorful vibrant event any justice)
We enjoyed an Indian taco, fried bread, songs and dance.
We kept our spending to a minimum at the art&crafts booths though. We bought official powwow T-shirts with the artwork and official powwow design of Burgess Roye (and autographed by the artist with a sharpie) to support the funding of future powwows. And braids of sweetgrass and a bag of white sage.
An inspirational night-out.

Maybe it's a good thing NOT to be popular

Sometimes I venture to the blog of Emily of TheBlackApple because frankly I admire her. Even though her art may not be exactly the kind of paintings I would decorate my entire walls with, I have often considered ordering one or 2 prints that caught my eye. But since Sid is the "art person" in our house I have refrained from it.
But back on subject, she is a young lady who has made a name for herself with her paintings, prints and dolls and I love to see women entrepreneurs being successful, especially in the arts & crafts sector.
I just read her last post, and I am shocked about the hateful mail she receives from blog readers.
What is wrong with those people?
I seldom talk about people (on the internet) being nasty because everyone has a different perception about what is nasty or just a frank honest statement. I personally tend to say things without the sugar coating myself and have stopped commenting on most forums for this very reason, because I come across as "snarky" for those who cannot take an open word.
But, posting unsolicitated hurtful comments on someone's blog who is not "controversial" or attacking others, is just wrong.
This "Etsy world" (where TheBlackApple is selling her artwork) can be a good environment for starting out with arts& crafts. There are many helpful people to give support or answer questions about marketing, techniques and sales procedures. But, it can also be a shiny fragile bubble of fake "community" that bursts at closer examination beyond the shallowness and superficial words of some of its members.
Very sad.
But it happens everywhere...once you are good at what you do, gain popularity and exposure, the socalled critiques are in their wings to "bring you down"...as seen in sports, politics, and yes, in the Etsy community.

Childhood memory rediscovered on the internet -- Heilige Schutzengel

This print used to hang in my late grandparents bedroom.
A place where I spent many nights of my childhood.
As a kid in the 1960s there were not many distractions so I gazed at this framed old-fashioned lithographic print for many hours. Little details were engraved in my mind, but forgotten over the decades.
A random thought made me research guardian angels on the internet...one thing led to the other and I found this art print bringing back cherished moments of childhood. It took the blink of an eye to recognize this painting among all the colorful vintage pictures of guardian angel impressions -- it's the one.
I ordered a poster print...and I am excited and will matte it and put it into one of my vintage frames.

Carpe Diem (Seize The Day)

I don't have much time for philosophy or musings these days...it's an action, work and "get it done"
mode of life.

Yesterday I have updated my shops with some of the new tams I had made before the craft show...I have the largest inventory ever since I started crocheting tams.

I decided not to let my acute tooth root canal problems hold me back. The penicillin and other meds took a lot of the pain off, but are rough on my stomach and overall condition. I have had fatigue and dizzy spells, but it's getting back to normal. I didn't want to give into feeling miserable this time.

We went to Sid's company anniversary picnic on Saturday and a local fine art festival on Sunday. The fall weather is just too beautiful to miss outdoor events. It's my undisputed favorite season.
Where am I heading with this?
The quintessence of those statements can read as following: Sometimes you don't want to give into sickness, depression or whatever obstacle may cross your path.
The old "mind over body" saying proves itself not always, but often effective.