I Want To Live Here – Tonight!
Hey all
A reminder to come check out the I Wanna Live Here housing affordability short film comp finals tonight. Not only is the Craft Cartel running a market but there’s a craft film in the finals!
Yip, the ever awesome Anna Brownfield made s short film about the Melbourne Revolutionary Craft Circle anti-land banking action back in August and it’s one of the finalists to win $3000!
We even got in The Age. I suspect the journalist that interviewed me is a closet radical crafter. I hope to get her along one day. Maybe we have imbedded journalists in radical craft actions?
See you tonight!
Wed Dec 3rd
The Order of Melbourne
Level 2, 401 Swanston St (opp RMIT)
6.30-9pm
Craft In!
Melbourne Craft Cartel helps patch up economic woes – Call to action!
Craft-in demonstration to be held in Bourke St Mall, Melbourne CBD, Monday December 8th
On Monday December the 8th the Rudd Government is giving big cash bonuses to pensioners, parents, low income families and first home buyers. The objective of this handout is to boost peoples spending in order to keep the economy pumping. What the Government isn’t talking about is the most effective way to spend this handout to truly support the economy.
As crafters we understand the importance of buying handmade. We know that buying a handmade present means supporting your local community as well as giving a big finger to mass produced sweat shop crap. We know that buying handmade is infinitely better for our environment too.
As crafters we also understand that in times of economic pressure, people are less likely to spend a few more dollars for the handmade option.
We want to give the community the message that if they really want to contribute positively to the Australian economy, they should forget the plasma tv and Buy Handmade and Buy Local this festive season.
Did you know?
- For every $100 spent at a locally owned business $45 goes back into the community and our tax base. For every $100 spent at a chain store only $14 comes back.
- Small local businesses are the largest employer in Australia. Every $1million spent locally equals 14 jobs!
- Non-profit organisations receive 250% more support from small local businesses than from large businesses. So if you support local business you support local causes too!
- Local business are more likely to purchase goods and services from other local businesses which dramatically reduces transport costs, one of the biggest causes of climate change.
- Handmade goods are more likely to include recycled materials which reduces the need for landfills
- Handmade goods are unique, high quality and set trends rather than following them!
The Craft Cartel will be supplying craft materials at the Craft In and encouraging passers-by to make a crafty gift or card themselves. The Craft Cartel will also be handing out an alternative gift buying guide, with plenty of ideas for christmas gifts that don’t cost the planet or our communities.
We are looking for more crafters, designers, makers and handmade retailers to join us on the street to spread the message of buying handmade. We encourage people to bring examples of your work and promotional material to spread to people on the streets. We want people to come talk to passers-by about the pressures they face trying to earn a living making and selling handmade goods.
So come join us on the street and spread the word amongst your communities about buying handmade!
RSVP on Facebook and spread the word
We W.A.N.T. No More War
Sorry things have been a bit quiet round here of recent. I had this crazy election thing going on and then as soon as that was over we skipped over to Vanuatu to spend 10 days working with the local community on economic sustainability issues. More on that later when I’ve edited up video and photos! I have some serious craft loveliness from my trip to share!
We’ve also been pretty busy with the Craft Cartel summer market series. We had the first market (in the cold!) on Sunday at the Bicycle Film Festival B.est F.riends F.orever Street Party and it was an extreme amount of fun! Great to meet some new cartel members and awesome to see some mad bike fun going on. The Craft Cartel was sponsoring the market, Art Jam, the Bike Beauty Pageant (which I got to judge!) and the Bicycle Mating Project. Here’s some pics:
This is Dan from Nearly Road Kill with his best bad-ass face on. His belts made from old bike tyres were a serious hit with the BMX kids. This market was made for Dan!
My lovely wee stall set up on a plastic kids table which we grabbed from Savers on the way there!
They had Bike Polo too. It was mental. I actually thought it could be a bit more violent. But they tried their best. And I did admire the sticker on the bike in the foreground of this pic which read ‘One Less Horse’. Nice. If you find the thought of riding around on a bike while chasing a plastic ball to be your ultimate idea of thrillseeking, check their website for training and playing times.
(note the blue skies in that photo for all you who stayed home ’cause of the ‘rain’)
Some of the Craft Cartel crew have been busy over the last couple of weeks attaching gorgeous crafty valentines to bikes all over town. If you found one on your bike and also managed to find it’s matching pair, you could come claim a prize. These two bikes found each other and decided to come to the street party on a date. It got a bit risque…
There’s more pics on our Facewank group if you’re wanting more.
So while the cool kids of Melbourne have been celebrating all the different fossil fuel-free ways to get around and have fun, some crafty Iraq War vets have been bringing attention to the human costs of filling up your car. Called Operation W.A.N.T. (We Are Not Toys), this ace crew went and did an installation at their local gas station to show people just how many US soldiers have been buried during this state sponsored corporate resource grab.
Awesome pics by Jonas Lara
Props Groundswell
So now all my winter business has passed and my summer business is beginning I should be posting a lot more stuff on here. And we’ll be doing more work on the Craft Cartel site so you should get on the mailing list!
Craft Cartel All Grown Up
One of the reasons I haven’t been posting on here much recently is that we;ve been BUSY BEAVERS building a new website for the Craft Cartel. Yip, seven podcast episodes, a great market season and a public talk later. We decided it was definitely time to move out.
So go check it out, we’ve got HEAPS of stuff coming up. Get on the mailing list. And of course get in touch if you wanna be a member.
Getting Sweaty
You might remember a while back we put up this pattern designed by Katie Lee and the profits have been going to the super awesome people who run the Austin Yellow Bike Project. We’ve sold quite a few of these patterns and it’s nice to think we’re helping get Texans out of their cars and onto bikes.
I really wanted to stitch it at some point and when I got this old school fluro sweatshirt, I knew this was perfect. It’s been produced especially for the first Craft Cartel market of the summer, which is a bike-themed market we’re running at the Bicycle Film Festival Street Party on Nov 23rd. So if you MUST HAVE this sweatshirt you better get along. I probably won’t put this online for sale.
I just adore the shininess of old clothing labels.
I’m also planning on producing some little kits for the market of this pattern. I’ll be donating half of the proceeds to Austin and half to a local bike recycling project. Although I haven’t decided which one yet, anyone got any tips? If you can’t wait to get a pattern or don’t need all the thread, fabric, needles etc, you can get an electronic one here.
And stay tuned for some very exciting new craft cartel news!
xox
If your arts looks good in bike shorts we want you
We want your bike crafts!
Or on a bike, or just somewhere in the general vicinity of a bicycle…
The Melbourne Craft Cartel is running a bike themed craft market at the Bicycle Film Festival Street Party on Nov 23. So we’re on the hunt for crafters with arts and crafts to go on bikes, use on bikes, make bikers look hot, or have crafts that have bikes on them. Sound like you?
The Street Party is gonna be super neat and will have tons of music, beer, hot boys and girls doing ace bike tricks, a bike fashion parade, and a bike-themed art jam. Check out the BFF website for more details http://bicyclefilmfestival.com.au And of course this is our FIRST market for the summer season so we are PUMPED! (that was a bike pun, be warned, there will be more).
Stalls cost a measly $10 or $15 if you want to be a full Craft Cartel member (which means you get a whole page on our soon to be snazzy website for just $5 – deadly!) and you need to provide your own table.
Your stall can have non bike related crafts on it but it needs to have at least one bike related.
So if you’re keen to join in the fun of this awesome day send the following details to
Name:
Email:
Mobile:
Website:
Table size:
What crafts you sell:
What bike crafts you’ll have:
Member? Yes/No
Wanna be? Yes/No
If you want more details about membership, the bike crafty pageant, the Bike Love bicycle mating project, the Art Jam or whatever check out our facefuck page or give me a buzz and I will ramble at you about it all for a while.
love & rage
casey & rayna & crew
casey-0439 354 560
The Revolution is Handmade
The Melbourne Craft Cartel are hosting an event! Yip, ’cause it’s not all about making stuff and selling stuff and buying stuff but it’s also about thinking about stuff!
Along with the two presentations, we’ll also be screening the film of the Melbourne Revolutionary Craft Circle Footscray I wanna live here craft action night. Plus drinks and nibbles, and it’s free! Awesome
Please note this venue isn’t wheelchair accessible. This is a child friendly event but getting prams up the stairs is a two person job, so get in touch if you’re gonna need a hand up the stairs and we’ll suss out a plan.
RSVP and tell your friends on Facebook.
Craft Cartel Podcast Episode #5
This episode on the Craft Cartel Podcast we have a lovely long chat to the super inspiring Zoe Thompson-Moore from the Addington Revolutionary Womyn’s Craft Circle. Zoe was my partner in crime at the TiNA Festival and Newcastle when we got together with some locals for the first fence stitching project.
Only time for one track this episode and it’s ‘Rebel Girl’ by Bikini Kill.
This episodes zine review is actually a magazine review of World Sweet World.
Events coming up:
Craftea Chats brought to you by Polka Dot Rabbit.
The best way to listen to the podcast is to subscribe and download today!
Putting this podcast together does take a bit of time and effort (especially this episode!) so if you like what you hear, feel free to chuck some dosh in our virtual busking hat. We’ll love you for it! (and it might help Casey get home…)
And as always we love to hear from YOU! So drop us a comment or email and don’t forget to check out the archive.
Craft Cartel Podcast Episode #4
This week on the Craft Cartel podcast we go on a crafty travelling adventure to Uluru and check out some of the amazing Indigenous Craft collectives:
To understand more about the NT Intervention and how to support the resistance to the invasion, please visit the National Aboriginal Alliance and ANTaR.
First track is ‘Steven Wallace, Waiata Tangi’ by Anatonio Te Maiotia from the album Tu Kotahi: Freedom Fighting Anthems supporting those affection by the October 15th Raids.
We interview Sharna Nolan from the seriously awesome Skateistan project which is working to teach kids in Kabul how to skateboard. If you like the sounds of this project please make a donation to the project, and tell your friends!!
Second track is ‘There is a War going on for your Mind’ by Flobots
We also delve into the issues surrounding female body representation in the craft world and the current trend of vacant googly eyed big headed freaks. We’d love to hear what you think!
This episodes links to check out are:
The Groundswell Collective
Make Art Like You Care
Anti Advertising Agency
ArtThreat
Rebel Art
Just Seeds
Notices
Free Tibet XStitch Comp
Pop Goes The Needle
Hoopla #2 (coming VERY soon!)
The best way to listen to the podcast is to subscribe and download today!
Putting this podcast together does take a bit of time and effort (especially this episode!) so if you like what you hear, feel free to chuck some dosh in our virtual busking hat. We’ll love you for it! (and it might help Casey get home…)
And as always we love to hear from YOU! So drop us a comment or email and don’t forget to check out the archive.
It’s a Grrl!
I am pleased to announce the newest addition to the Radical Cross Stitch family.
Coming all the way to us from Sweden, or maybe somewhere in Africa… everyone say a big hi to Johanna!
We all know and love Johanna from the mighty Cross Yr Stitches blog. The Ninja and I decided that since one is an obsession, two is a conspiracy and three is a gang, we really should expand the crew a bit. We are also working on secret handshakes and passwords.
Johanna makes super ace cross stitch, and we thought she was absolutely deserving of a place in the community. Here’s some of Johanna’s latest bits.
We are also planning a fundraiser to get Johanna a new camera so she can take super cool photos of her finished stuff!
And I’m working on a special place in the Gallery for all of Johanna’s stuff so you can be even more inspired!
I haven’t actually asked her to do this yet, so I’ll do so publicly (sorry lady!). I’d love it if you could make you first post a bit of an intro and tell us a bit about who you are, where you’re from and what got you into radical cross stitch.
I also want to take a moment to say a big thank you to all the people who read this site. It is such a fun project and great to know that we are just a small part of such a vibrant radical craft community. I especially want to thank those of you who have been supporting the other media projects; hoopla and the craft cartel. Just so you know the zine is almost complete and the podcast is being edited as we speak!
We have some big dreams and visions for this project so stay tuned, keep conscious and most of all keep crafting!
Arohanui