Handmade Nation Screenings

2010 is starting out with a bang! If you have yet to see the indie craft documentary Handmade Nation, you may be able to catch it this weekend. Filmmaker, author, independent curator and creative director Faythe Levine is taking her film to the road and will be in several different cities over the course of four days, with more stops in February and March. I read on Facebook that one of Faythe's goals in '10 is to be home more, but it doesn't look like that's happening just yet! You can read my review of Handmade Nation, which we screened in August, here.

January 15, 6pm & 8pm: Providence, RI
Presented by CRAFTLAND
Tickets are $8 and include popcorn and one beverage. There are only 40 seats available for each screening. Buy your tickets online now or stop into Craftland. Directors Q&A after screening.

January 16, doors 7pm, film 7:30pm: Portland, ME
Presented by Eli Phant; Screening at SPACE GALLERY
$7 non-memebers, $5 members; Directors Q&A after screening.

January 17, 3:00pm: Belfast, ME
Screening at Waterfall Arts
Tickets $5; Directors Q&A after screening.

January 18, Doors 6:30, Screening 7pm: Boston, MA
Presented by Video Underground & ML4U
Screening at 4th Wall Project, 132 Brookline Ave.
Tickets $7; Directors Q&A after screening.

Funky Five: Holiday Gift Ideas

(1) What: Twilight Girl Bottle Cap Necklace
For: For the Twilight-obsessed fan
Where to buy: Whirly Squirrel

(2) What: Ceramic Notepad
For: The obsessive compulsive list maker
Where to buy: Mocha

(3) What: Handmade Nation DVD
For: Cool crafter
Where to buy: Buy Olympia

(4) What: Doodle Bread
For: Foodie and Cook
Where to buy: Doodle Bread website

(5) What: Handmade Bow Tie
For: Debonair Man
Where to buy: xo elle

Weekend Events

WHAT: One of a Kind Show & Sale
WHEN: Thursday, October 8 through Sunday, October 11
WHERE: Vancouver Convention Centre, Vancouver, Canada

WHAT: Art Outside
WHEN: Friday, October 9 through Sunday, October 11
WHERE: Apache Pass, 9112 N. FM 908, Rockdale, TX 76567

WHAT: Indie Emporium
WHEN: Friday, October 9 and Saturday, October 10
WHERE: VFW Post 577, 1109 East 6th St., Tulsa, OK
ETC: View the documentary Handmade Nation on Sunday from 1-3:30pm. Admission is $4 with your Indie Emporium ticket.

WHAT: Sugarloaf Craft Festival
WHEN: Friday, October 9 through Sunday, October 11
WHERE: Montgomery Co. Fairgrounds, Gaithersburg, MD

WHAT: St. Timothy's Annual Craft Fair
WHEN: Saturday, October 10; 9am-4pm
WHERE: St. Timothy, 3001 Forest Ridge Dr., Bedford, TX 76095

WHAT: Urban Street Bazaar
WHEN: Saturday, October 10; 12-8pm & Sunday, October 11; 12-4pm
WHERE: Bishop Arts District, Dallas, TX
ETC: Funky Finds is proud to sponsor this event that is always fantastic!

WHAT: Bayou City Art Festival Downtown
WHEN: Saturday, October 10 & Sunday, October 11; 10am-6pm
WHERE: Houston, TX
ETC: Admission is $10 for adults and free for children 12 and under.

WHAT: Craft Attack 2009
WHEN: Saturday, October 10 & Sunday, October 11
WHERE: 300 Hawthorne Lane, Charlotte, NC 28204

Handmade Nation

Saturday Joe and I attended a screening of Handmade Nation at the Philadelphia Convention Center. The documentary, created by Faythe Levine, delves into what motivates crafters (or makers) to create and sell their wares. We met Faythe at Stitch Austin in 2007 when she was beginning her journey around the country and it was exciting to see how it all came together in the end. The comment within the documentary that resonated the most with me was, "If you don't like the culture you are living in, you have to create your own." Many of the makers interviewed commented on the DIY movement as one that is fed up with mass-produced goods and poorly made items from third world countries. I think that is something most crafters can associate with, as well as the desire to create upcycled, eco-friendly items. So many makers pride themselves on using recycled materials, as well as soy-based inks and other Earth-friendly supplies. And, as buyers, many of us tend to look for that when deciding on a purchase. I believe that the basis for the DIY movement in this day & age is the desire to express one's self creatively & to create unique, one-of-a-kind items that aren't mass-produced and allows you to be your true self instead of a cookie cutter image. Handmade Nation showed many of the interviewees working in the home studios and offices. It was especially interesting to hear how these crafters aren't just doing their own crafting, but also their own marketing, shipping, and bookkeeping. In truth, their entire business from top to bottom is DIY! When it all boils down to it, the best part of the documentary was seeing so many like-minded people doing what they love for all the right reasons. Check out the Handmade Nation blog for a schedule of screenings around the world.

Handmade Nation Products:

- Handmade Nation: The Rise of DIY, Art, Craft, and Design (Paperback) by Faythe Levine

- Handmade Nation Embroidery Patterns by Sublime Stitching