Happy 4th, everyone! Here's this week's prize pack:

- Two cute rubber stamps from Asta Arts. (Visit their website for mor stamp designs, and some great free How-To's.)

- A set of adorable "Hello" and "I Love You" cards from Papered Together. There's even a set of little "Lunchtime Hello" cards that you can tuck into the lunchbox of someone you love.

One lucky winner will win all these goodies. Hope it's you!

UPDATE: And the winner is . . . Linda Dodson!

. . . Seriously, how can you not love jewelry that comes packaged in a sushi container?

This cuter-than-cute bracelet is up for grabs this week. It's made by the Amy Secrest of Amyville.com fame. And she is a wizard with the tiny polymer clay sushi. Check out this close-up:

If you're the lucky winning subscriber, you'll be wearing this everywhere all summer. We'll announce the winner here next week!

UPDATE: Congratulations to Renee Hyatt, our lucky winner!

Here's this week's giveaway, and as it turns out, the theme is Circles and Threes:

- We have a set of three cute cards by Sugar Lily Designs. I love those kiwi slices!

- And we have three adorable button hairpins, by Two Busy Bees.

- Plus, three charming bottle-cap magnets by Manic Trout. In case the photo doesn't show them, there's a pear, a cricket, and a clothesline, complete with clothespins.

All this crafty bounty will go to one lucky subscriber, early next week. Good Luck!

UPDATE: Our lucky winner is . . . Liz Adams!

. . . It's the book so nice, we're giving it away twice. Seriously, Tina Barseghian's new book on hobbies is great fun, and highly inspiring. With profiles of 101 different hobbies, you're sure to find a new obsession or two.

We have another copy for one lucky subscriber, so . . . fingers crossed!

UPDATE: And the winner is . . . Maria Raleigh! Congratulations!

In my humble opinion, Trillium Artisans is one of the greatest nonprofits in town. They provide so much support to artists and crafters who are working to build small businesses. We're chatting today with Trillium's Artisan Coordinator, Claire Patoine.

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So, tell us about Trillium Artisans. What is the goal of the organization?  Trillium Artisans is a nonprofit organization that supports Portland’s craftspeople by providing “access to markets” -- i.e. we help artisans sell their work through our retail store, website, and wholesale orders. We also provide one-on-one small business support and resources. Trillium Artisans products are made from 50% reclaimed or recycled material and are priced to pay the artisan a livable wage.

Will you tell us a bit about that wonderful retail store? We carry items that range from the refined to the hip and funky, such as women’s accessories, garden art, and houseware items. We also make an effort to sell a variety crafted items that will appeal to budgets small and large.

 

What kinds of help does Trillium provide to craftspeople trying to build their businesses? We provide on-on-one support and advice. We have resources on writing business plans, and we organize monthly meetings that typically have guest speakers that share their knowledge. These meetings have covered topics such as product development, pricing, how to approach shops, blogging, and marketing. We also provide free access to merchant services -- i.e. credit card services. We also have our website and store, and we attend or organize events where we market our artisan’s wares. There is also a strong sense of support that our artisans provide to one another with information sharing and advice.

Can anyone become a Trillium Artisan? How do people go about joining you? Yes, anyone can apply to become a Trillium Artisan! The first step involves submitting your craft for product review. We have a form that folks can download on our website. (Look for the “download product review form here” link). Just print out the form, fill it out, and set up a time to meet with me, and bring along the product to be reviewed.

 

From there, our Product Review committee (made up of well-experienced volunteers) goes through our criteria to make sure the product is meeting our requirements. Some of these requirements are: the product must be created with at least 50% reclaimed or recycled material; it must be well made; it must be priced to pay the artisan a livable wage of at least $12.50 an hour; and it must be “functional craft,” (in other words, not two dimensional art.)

Once your product is accepted, you’re a Trillium Artisan! This may sound daunting, but I always provide support in walking folks through the process and it’s always a learning opportunity for a potential artisan to experience.

What do you think is the difference between "Art" and "Craft?" Indeed a timeless question…. I often discuss this idea with artisans and customers alike. The lines between art and craft often blur or are indistinguishable. However, I often view craft as having a functional or utilitarian purpose, such as a hand-carved wood bowl or a needlepoint felted scarf. Art, such as a two dimensional framed image, can be viewed in a far more subjective manner, while a handmade scarf meets a function of keeping you warm.

Of course the lines blur, especially when you talk about high-end craft and the world of collecting, but that’s the great thing about art and craft -- there isn’t necessarily a right or wrong answer … but there is always more than one way of seeing and creating. Ah yes, crafting in a postmodern time!

What is your favorite creative spot in Portland? Besides my kitchen, I would say Trillium’s "fabric room.” We sell fabric samples and donated fabric at a $1 a pound. I believe this is one of Portland ’s best kept secrets. Whenever I feel frazzled from sitting at my computer, I take a quick break to check-out our fabric section to peruse for my next potential project and chat with customers!

This week, we have four beautiful pairs of bead earrings, handmade by Anna Perrone Designs. The wires are either sterling silver or 24 K gold, and the beads are glass in assorted shapes and colors. You need these for that new summer outfit you just got.

Four lucky subscribers will win. Hope it's you!

UPDATE: And the lucky winners are: - Sundaykat Gomez - Sam McKenzie - Cara Buchalter - Kelly Welch

This week, we have another fab crafty book: Get Crafty, by Jean Railla. It's a great manifesto of living a creative life, complete with tips, projects, and recipes! One lucky subscriber will win. Hope it's you! UPDATE: Kalina Wilson won this one. Congratulations, Kalina!

This week's treasure is two sets of adorable gift tags by Fern House Studio. These are made from repurposed children's books, and as you can see, the illustrations are so much fun. They're blank inside, and so perfect for any gifting occasion. Two lucky subscribers will win a set of six each. Good luck! UPDATE: This week's winners were Jen Neitzel and Sarah P. Congratulatons, Ladies!

This week, we're giving away a copy of Get a Hobby: 101 All-Consuming Diversions for Any Lifestyle, by Tina Barseghian. This is an awesome reference manual for hobbies -- quite literally profiling 101 wide-ranging pastimes. You can read my review of the book, and an interview I did with the author, here. One lucky person will win, and we'll announce next. week. Good Luck!

This week, we're talking with Laural Winter, a Reference Librarian at Hollywood Library. The Multnomah County Library system has recently added a collection of zines to its stacks. Why is this cool, and what are zines? Read on and find out:

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For the uninitiated, will you explain what a zine is? Zines (pronounced like "zeens") are self-created publications. Or as a child told me, zines are homemade magazines. They can be about any topic. For example, there are zines about people's personal lives, dogs, veganism, feminism, politics, shoes, crafts, libraries, books, music, and zines about other zines. Personally, I have been reading zines for about two decades. Zines have been around for many decades. One of my favorite zines is a personal zine called Invincible Summer by Nicole Georges. Another favorite zine is The Dvorak zine : changing the world one keyboard at a time, narrated by Alec, Frunch, & GCB. A new favorite is a craft zine called Do Stuff!: Leethal Zine by Lee Meredith. Was it challenging, creating a collection of independently-published work like this for the Library system? Yes. We, the Zine Library Group, first had to see if there was a demand for a zine collection in the Library. We held zine events. We had a table at the Portland Zine Symposium. We communicated with other library systems that had zine collections. We connected with Portland zine businesses and organizations like Microcosm Publishing, Reading Frenzy and Independent Publishing Resource Center. We had fun in the process. And we found that Portlanders gave us a resounding yes for a zine collection in the Multnomah County Library. Why is it important for people to read zines? As a librarian, I see zines as being important for local history research. I also see zines supporting freedom of speech through representing all points of view. Besides these lofty ideals, zines are great for nonfiction and fiction reading for entertainment. Can we check zines out, just like books? Yes, you can check out zines for 3 weeks just like books. You can renew your checked out zines as long as there isn't a hold on the zine. What if we want to suggest a particular zine for the Library? How do we go about that? If you would like to suggest a zine you can find an online suggestion form on our website, or you can email us at: zines@multcolib.org. Will you also tell us about other resources the Libraries have for zine-makers? We have a large collection of clip art books. We have computer labs and photocopiers. We also have books on self-publishing, bookbinding, collage, and zines. We have a zine website, too. The Central Library has an amazing picture file that has been maintained since the 1920s. It has pictures on a wide array of topics. You can ask a librarian at the third floor Art & Music reference desk to help you find pictures. We also have staff that can help you find any information you need. We'd love to see you! I'd like to add professionally, it has been very rewarding working on the zine collection for Multnomah County Library. I never knew one of my personal interests would affect me so profoundly and professionally as zines have!