Bamboo Village

wohm, wip and wwt

2009-12-03T15:24:00.010-05:00

wohm: work out of home mom

I'm discovering that my days of re-developing Bamboo Village are shaping into a somewhat predictable flow... and that flow simply consists of 5-minute bursts of time in which to get things done. Maybe if it was summer, it would be easier - I'd be able to open the back door and release these little hooligans into the yard. For now, it's Pacific Northwest winter, which means chilly, often rainy weather, and since my boys are to a large extent still crawlers, I can't really send them out into the elements so easily. I am bound by their needs and attention spans (as all parents are!), and this means my time to focus and concentrate is very limited.

wwt:
working with toddlers

My workspace is in our living room - susceptible to hands with a taller and taller reach, which means I have to do a lot of stacking and remembering where I left things. For now, I'm bound by the limitations imposed by my mama-to-twin-toddler status and the cash-flow realities of a single, stay-at-home mom. Not that I'm complaining - it's working, and I'm getting into the swing... I just figure if I'm going to blog and tell you my story, I might as well be real about it! I honestly don't know how other parents working from home do it!

my desk.
i finally got a bookshelf that now stands next to my workspace so i can get things a little more organized.

wip:
work in progress

Given this environment, it's been challenging to 1) come up with new ideas, and 2) bring the ones I have been able to dream up into production. I have been working on some new things, though, and I'm pretty excited about them!

I am developing a line of eco-friendly kitchen linens, and one project I've long had in mind is a design to print on produce bags. I'm about halfway there - I've got one of the papercuts designed and cut, and it's this papercut that will serve as the main silk screen. I've got two I'm working on: one for veggie bags, and one for fruits.

eat your veggies detail

I've got a new silk screen burned and fully in the process of development of a new print and Moleskine design. I hope this one will make people as happy as it makes me: it's a lovely papercut showing children at a panda exhibit at a zoo... maybe it's even the Panda Preserve in Sichuan? Either way, it's a sweet image, and I think it would be a great gift for a mom, a babysitter or teacher... a sister... or just for the love of pandas and general cuteness. It's going to be a pretty special design, and I'm particularly excited that I'll be offering it on those hot new Moleskine cahiers in deep red and midnight blue. Stunning! Here's a little bit of detail from one of my test prints:

Finally, here's a shot of my pretties all finished and organized. Oh, how I love and adore things that are orderly --- I've never been a very tidy person, but wow, I really value it now that I have extra small people wanderig around! Just the sight of all these cello bags makes me happy.

Hope you're having a nice early December! Stay tuned for weekly specials, new discoveries from Etsy and 1000 Markets, and more.

New Venue!

2009-11-27T16:49:00.006-05:00

Bamboo Village now has one new place you can find us -- for US customers only (for now), please check us out at 1000markets.com!

I'm really excited about trying this venue. Here's a description:

Our passion is supporting small, artisan businesses as they deliver small-scale authenticity to appreciative customers. The end result, a work in progress, we call The Artisan Experience™ on 1000 Markets, and it’s our vision for the boutique, art-filled, authentic shopping experience you’ve dreamed of.

In the weeks ahead, I'll be adding special designs just for this shop - specifically, items that have been prohibitive for me to send abroad. I'll be bringing back my popular etched glass pieces with Chinese characters such as "love," "peace," and "joy." There will be some new designs based on traditional papercuts, and who knows... maybe even some Gocco!

What a nice way to celebrate my birthday today - with a grand opening! Through Monday 11/30, use the code 1000MARKETSBV in any purchase over $15 and receive a free Ancient Compass Moleskine!

BUMP!

2009-11-20T12:01:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was one of my best Etsy days ever. After doing some digging, I discovered that my Cricket Notecards were featured in Etsy's email newsletter "Etsy Finds". This is how it happened that I had 500 visitors to my shop yesterday!

You can read the full article and view items in four different international groups here.

Congratulations, my little cricket, and THANK YOU to Emily Bidwell for selecting one of my items.

a rose by any other name

2009-11-16T12:10:00.005-05:00

Last week, the lovely Mei Gui Designs featured my "love" notebook in her gray-themed treasury. It's always so sweet to get a little note in my Etsy conversations letting me know that one of my items has been picked for a Treasury. It's a great way to discover new artists and get to know other Etsians.

Meigui is the Chinese word for "rose" so I knew right away that we'd have this - interest in China - in common. Then I discovered her shop - wow! - what a great collection of jewelry. Her prices are a total steal for such lovely pieces.

Julie is the brains behind Meigui Designs, and is mama to two daughters adopted from China. Maybe one day it will be my turn to adopt from the country that has meant so much to me, but for now, I'm just so moved by the families that have pursued adoption. Way back many lifetimes ago, I lived and worked at an orphanage in the Amazon region of Brazil, and those children made such a cellular impression on me. Would that every single child in this world would have a family to call their own. What a crime that this is not the case.

I will definitely be supporting MeiGui Designs. I particularly like these October Again earrings:

Thanks, Julie - so nice to meet you and discover your shop!

new this week

2009-11-06T22:45:00.001-05:00

New to Bamboo Village Press this week, I'm excited to announce I finally have a PDF version of my popular iron-on transfers of various styles of papercuts. I figured for those of you who are savvy enough on the computer, you might enjoy being able to print these beauties at whim, using them in any crafty application that strikes your fancy. So far, we have the acrobat girls, pagodas and Chinese girls, and phoenixes and dragons.

I am also slowing gathering up my collection of Asian fabrics to offer through the shop. I've added a really cool Robert Kaufman print that comes in both black and red, some really cute, kitschy China doll prints (photos below) that will be up this weekend, a Kona Bay dragon fabric that's now out of print, more silk brocades, and some unique Japanese fabric in a lovely goldenrod yellow that I particularly love. I'm getting low on brocade yardage, so get it while you still can! Wow, seeing that all listed, I'm amazed at what I've gotten done!

Finally, I'm particularly happy to say I've added one of my own prints - the double happiness fish is back, this time in the form of small-scale prints. I posted about the process of making them here. These beauties are a limited edition print - I used all of the gorgeous, nubbly handmade paper we had on hand for this print run.

Thanks as always for your interest and support!

November Special!

2009-11-03T22:07:00.000-05:00

As a Thanksgiving baby, I'm partial to November. The leaves, the crisp autumn air, the possibility of a first snow, setting aside time for experiencing deep wells of gratitude, seeing family, and eating great food. It's a lovely month.

This year, I kicked off by deciding to participate in NaBloPoMo on my family blog, and then was delightedly surprised yesterday when I was contacted by the sharp-eyed design blogger Gay, who wrote to tell me that she'd included my hand printed Cricket Moleskine in her latest post. If you haven't come across I Dreamed I Saw before, be sure to check it out. Her themed posts cover beautiful, diverse, and whimsical designs - it's a great place to get inspired about holiday shopping or simply to get lost in the strange beauty she shares with her readers.

Then this evening I sat down at the computer (to finish this post!) and found out that the lovely Katie of EdensWake included my "Love" linen notebook in her stunning Treasury. What a cool shop Katie has! She makes fancy purses and accessories, and in a nice bit of synchronicity, her sister (like mine) also has a shop.

The Special!!

I was working on getting some items back in the shop this morning (think Happiness Fish Towels and Phoenix Iron-Ons!), and decided that I'd put the whole Papercut Section on Special this month. I'm excited to offer free US domestic shipping on everything from this section! Enjoy!!

working it

2009-10-29T22:25:00.000-04:00

Today, instead of spending the day wondering how to fit things in, I just sort of did it. This meant no down time when the twins were napping, and it meant an extra messy kitchen by late afternoon, but I got some solid things done!

I made my weekly trip to the post office to send Etsy mail out. I found the designs I'm going to print in a second print run and got them Xeroxed - this is one of the steps fors screen printing with a Gocco printer. Rather than spending the time required to clear myself a work space on the kitchen table (which is currently half-occupied by a baby blanket I'm making), I set up on the floor amidst all the toys and burned two silk screens. I also didn't manage to get it all put away before Max woke up, so he had a few brief moments of Gocco fun before I swooped in and moved my precious printer.

This weekend I'll be prepping to screen some double happiness fish kitchen towels. Hooray!

balance

2009-10-27T15:56:00.000-04:00

Ah, the days of leisurely photographing and editing, thinking calmly about blog post content and product development in the shop... they are long gone! As the mother of twin toddlers (soon to be 15 months old!), I am always hungry, tired, on the run, and juggling a thousand things that need to get done. It's not a complaint - I love my life! Finding time and creative energy is a challenge, though.

I've been slowly re-introducing prints, cards, Moleskines, Asian fabrics, and other Bamboo Village favorites over the last 3 weeks. As I write, I'm sitting on a bed strewn with luscious silks and lovely cottons, all whispering to me their desired projects.

I know many of you are also busy crafters, always looking for small breaks in the bustle to get your crafting groove on. How do you do it? What are your tips and tricks for being creatively-driven amidst the daily grind? How do you self-employed folks with littles get anything done?

Looking forward to your inspiring tales!

Maternity Leave

2009-04-17T22:44:00.002-04:00

Hello! Nimen Hao! It's been months on top of months since I've posted anything here, but I wanted to brush off the old Bamboo Village blog, because I'm getting ready to come out of my maternity leave!

I've been feeling rather disconnected from my former home in Sichuan, so it was very welcome this week that the team from NPR headed back to Chengdu. They've taken up blogging about their trip again, and you can read their Chengdu Diary here. I am very interested to follow their reports of how my dear Sichuanese are faring one year after the big earthquake.

I'm not even sure if I will have any readers here anymore, but I'm going to try to start posting as much as I can. As you may or may not know, my status has changed since I last wrote: I'm now the proud and astonished mama to twin boys. They were born on the most auspicious of days: 8/8/08, and this month they are 8 months old. I figure a little Chinese luck would do me good as I venture out of the realm of Stay at Home mom and into that of Work From Home Mom. The focus of my writing here will probaby take on this theme as I pick up the pieces of this business and get it going again.

Requests, ideas, feedback, advice - it's all welcome! Talk to you soon!!

child labor

2008-07-09T18:58:00.003-04:00

Today on The World, there was a segment discussing child labor. Specifically, they were talking about exactly the issue that we're trying to deal with at Bamboo Village Educational Fund: children dropping out of school in their early teens to become migrant workers. Click here to read the transcript from today's broadcast. You can also check out their photo stream here.

This also prompts me to stop procrastinating and let you know that Zhang Lin has been accounted for! Daniel just returned from China on Sunday.

More Sichuan Coverage

2008-06-11T15:11:00.004-04:00

Today on Talk of the Nation, they're interviewing NPR reporters who were actually in Sichuan when the earthquake struck.

After 6pm Eastern time, they'll have it uploaded so you can listen to it. Here's the link.

I've been looking for current blogs written by people on the ground in Sichuan, but am having a hard time finding any that are really talking about up-to-date issues. If anyone out there happens to have any links, I'd love it if you'd post them in the comments.

Daniel is leaving tomorrow for his trip to Chengdu, and of course I'm just longing to be on the trip with him. I hope he'll be able to take a lot of photos, and beyond that, I hope that he'll be able to help in some way. Maybe he'll come back with some new ideas for Bamboo Village and how we might be able to help from here.

Thank you for your comments - it really meant a lot to me, to feel like Bamboo Village is something more than just me posting random things about the Fund or the shop. I was also amazed yesterday to be contacted through Etsy by someone asking when the shop would be opening up again.

I'm not yet sure when I will be able to get the shop back up. It involves quite a bit of space, and of course, the physical ability to run the shop properly. The twins are due sometime between September 5 and October 10, so that last 6 weeks is probably out, though my sister has said she'd help me run the shop. I don't know... we're living out of boxes right now. Part of me really wants to get things rolling again, especially in light of current events in Sichuan. If anyone has any advice or ideas, I'd love to hear them!

Finally, we still haven't located Zhang Lin. Daniel is going to make sure to track her family down while he's there, and he's carrying her scholarship money for the next school year with him. I'll let you know as soon as I hear anything.

Sichuan Calling

2008-06-03T20:44:00.005-04:00

I'm not sure that anyone's reading any more, but I figured I'd continue posting now and again, especially now that Sichuan is in the news daily.

Daniel is going to visit this month, and this time I'll be staying in the US. It's hard to imagine what he'll see in our city of Chengdu and beyond... if I wasn't 22 weeks pregnant, I'd probably be there already to help in the relief efforts. I'm actually thinking that once the boys are about 9 months old, I will head back. Despite my exposure to development issues around the world, never have I had the experience of a place I love being devastated the way Sichuan has. I think of my family and friends there constantly, and of how much there is to do to help my sisters and brothers there recover.

We still haven't been able to reach Zhang Lin or her family - the phone number we had for her uncle (our primary contact) isn't working. It's quite troubling to think of her situation... Daniel will surely track her down when he's there later this month.

Speaking of his trip, he wanted me to spread the word that he's going to hook up with some relief teams himself. He is taking small donations of money with him, which he will give directly to victims of the earthquake. He plans to take a photo of the recipients to send back here to those who make donations. You can contact me about this by email (bamboovillagepress AT gmail DOT com) if you're interested. He leaves in a week.

Aside from our own feeble attempts to help, I wanted to also point out that there's a blog about Chengdu from NPR. It's very touching to read how these big names in NPR reporting have been moved by their experiences in Sichuan. I thought you might like to take a read as well.

Sichuan Earthquake

2008-05-13T10:28:00.004-04:00

Just a quick post to say that our friends and family in the city of Chengdu, Sichuan have finally been accounted for. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to reach anyone in Da Miao Village yet. Zhang Lin's school is in the Western mountains of Sichuan, so of course I'm concerned for her safety in the wake of the terrible earthquake yesterday. My heart breaks to see familiar names of towns and cities affected and all of devastated faces on the news.

As I learn more news, I'll keep you updated. Daniel is traveling to Sichuan in less than a month, one of his tasks being to bring Zhang Lin her second year of tuition funds. I'm sure he'll be able to reach the family and find out how everyone fared.

Changes Abound

2008-04-14T17:31:00.004-04:00

The time came over the weekend for me to close up shop. We're moving in only 2 weeks, and the necessary packing, combined with the increased energy needs of this pregnancy, mean that I'm going to need every minute I can get.

Fortunately, here in Eastern PA, spring is in full force, which is a very cheery thing. Who doesn't love this season? Even with allergies (and I get hit hard), it's pure delight.

When I lived in Chengdu, China, I looked forward to the green and wonder of spring every year. Sadly, I didn't have the awesome camera I have now... I wish I could go back to capture all the incredible details. In just a few weeks, the rice paddies will be flooded and rice plants started in small corners of their muddy confines. Fresh veggies, including my favorite springtime treat, pea shoots, are already up and flourishing. The folks in rural Sichuan are no doubt busy with all the farm work that will carry them through spring, summer and fall.

So, we'll see you from Portland in a few weeks! Thanks for your patience with the blog and the shop.

Happy News!

2008-03-22T10:51:00.002-04:00

With the total lack of posting and new products in Bamboo Village, one might wonder if all the little pandas are hibernating... but it's not the case, I promise. Instead, the head panda in charge (that would be me) has been cooking up something big for the last 3 months, namely two little babies.

That's right - I'm pregnant, with twins! This is a long-awaited state, and I'm so excited about the whole thing. I'm also exhausted, pretty much all the time, which might explain why there's been nothing but silence from me lately.

The other announcement is that Bamboo Village is going to be moving! In late April, I'll be packing all my supplies, my trusty Gocco printer, and all those huge maternity clothes, and moving to the ultimate crafty city of Portland, Oregon. The shop will be closed for about 6-8 weeks during the transition.

I hope all my faithful friends and well-beloved guest artists will forgive my silence over these past months, now that I've revealed the true state of affairs. Know that I value you all beyond measure and look forward to lots of fantastic promotions and growth in the months to come.

She's One!

2008-02-21T19:44:00.005-05:00

Happy Etsyversary, Bamboo Village!

Well, Saturday marks my one year mark on Etsy! In one year, we've accomplished so much! I've refined my product line and introduced a bunch of new designs. We've made over 300 sales, and raised more than $1000 for the Fund, including money raised through the shop as well as direct donations.

In the first year, I was also invited to participate in a gallery show, and now have some of my own items for sale in a bricks and mortar store in Seattle, and yet another design being used by a Chinese brush painting artist as her price tags. I've also had a few of my items on the home page at Etsy, in January I was a featured artist on Poppytalk Handmade, and have been spotlighted on several blogs. I've had the privelege of sending Bamboo Village Press goodies to four continents and at least nine countries. Wow, that's more than I ever dreamed of, really.

We've also had the immense and humbling experience of working with these amazing guest artists:

OUOU Designs

Anonymous Guest Artist

Sea Find Designs

Jealous Jewelry

Altinay Designs

Field & Sea

Additionally, we have another new guest artist, waiting in the wings! We'll be unveiling the stunning items she's contributed in the next month, as a part of the celebration!

Thank you all for making this year so amazing, but mostly, for making it possible for us to sponsor Zhang Lin less than 5 months after we started Bamboo Village Educational Fund. The next year promises to bring with it lots of surprises, lots of new successes and creativity.

春节愉快 - Happy Spring Festival

2008-02-04T19:48:00.000-05:00

Happy Chinese New Year!

Lest you be thinking "what's she talking about? Chinese New Year was TWO days ago," don't be alarmed! Spring Festival actually lasts for TWELVE days, so I've got plenty of time.

I swear, I had all good intentions of having a Chinese New Year, and New Year's Eve post. They were actually saved as drafts. My week got steamrolled halfway through, and I'm only just now starting to recover. Not that it was bad news, not at all; in fact, I'll be making happy announcements soon. For now, though, it's all wrapped up in shiny red paper to be cherished and savored, much like Chinese New Year!

Would you just look at this little peanut? This is the daughter of one of my awesome customers, who recently purchased the dragon papercut iron-on you see on Little Cutie's shirt. How cool is that? I used to always ask those who purchased supplies to send photos, but I gave that up after a while. So, this picture, left in my feedback, was a very pleasant surprise. A special thank you to her, for sending the pic and allowing me to post it here.

I think she looks perfectly prepared for some lion dancing and fire crackers!

So, Happy Spring Festival, all! The Year of the Rat is here!

介绍 - introduction - Field and Sea

2008-02-03T17:03:00.000-05:00

It is with great pleasure that I announce a brand new Guest Artist at Bamboo Village Press. Field and Sea is an artist I've been admiring on Etsy for some time, and through a little bit of serendipity and lot of fortune on our part, she's joined the family!

Her contribution is a graceful bamboo notebook - offered to Bamboo Village Press as an exclusive design.

I had the chance to hear a little about Field and Sea. Here's what she had to say about her process and shop:

On an average day, I will: collect one peculiar texture; notice one shadow or sliver of light that takes my breathe away; walk twenty minutes, looking above eye level at least once; wonder why; think of cheese or chocolate, and most likely consume a piece; forget to defrost the fish; take a multivitamin; and use a semi-colon. Eating lima beans will never be a part of this list.

I decided to start Field and Sea as an outlet for the creation of all the art and jewelry and miscellaneous beautiful things that just can't be crammed into a day job.

As a result of a lucky set of fortunate circumstances, I met Celeste of BambooVillagePress and found out about this wonderful woman's inspiration for how all of us can help a little more.

Without further ado, here's the gorgeous notebook, designed and handmade by Field and Sea:

Learn more and check out all the elegant, stylish pieces at Field and Sea by visiting her shop:

A special thanks to Field and Sea, and to all of the other wonderful Guest Artists who have contributed to such an amazing first year at Bamboo Village Press and Bamboo Village Educational Fund!

下雪了- It's Snowing!

2008-01-30T09:58:00.000-05:00

While many of us here in the US jump for joy over a snow day, we still know the destruction that unexpectedly heavy snow can bring. This morning, the BBC compared the current snow emergency in China to Katrina. Hundreds of thousands of travelers are stranded (two times the entire population of the USA), homes, crops, and greenhouses are being destroyed, and in 17 provinces, emergency blackouts are being enforced because of coal shortages.

China is a very fragile country in many ways. The infrastructure was, I'm sure, quite unprepared to handle this weather situation... in fact, this morning I read that China hasn't seen snow of this magnitude since 1954.

The situation is particularly challenging because Spring Festival starts next week. The national holiday that lasts for two weeks around Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) is well known to be the busiest travel time of the year in China. Migrant workers and workers in sweatshops travel back home to their far-off provinces by the cheapest means possible - mostly by slow train. This travel is brutally bare-bones and uncomfortable. The trains are incredibly crowded, smoky, cold, and dirty because of the sheer mass of people. People eat instant noodles and packaged foods like sausages, sunflower seeds, and cookies to the tolerance of their budgets along the way, using the only free service on the train: boiled water. Perhaps conditions have improved in the past 5 years I've been away, but I doubt they've changed that much, especially for the masses of travelers who are barely affording the travel.

Spring Festival is actually a 12-day event, with prescribed rituals for each day, beginning on the eve of the holiday, when everyone should be home. At least in Sichuan, it was considered bad luck to be traveling on the first day - Chinese New Year. After the insular first day of the festival, different visits are carried out to various family members and neighbors. Of course, I'm talking about celebrating in the countryside... I never actually spent a Spring Festival in the city. If there are any readers who have, please share!

My heart goes out now to all those stoic holiday travelers, longing and toiling to get home for a holiday that's probably more culturally dear than Christmas is in the West, if you can image that. I'm hoping for safety and protection for all those facing this unpredictable weather situation.

Read All About It!

2008-01-27T20:52:00.000-05:00

Here's a little linky for Sunday night: the blog Arts in RI interviewed me, and the post is up. This Etsy street team of Rhode Island artists is writing a cool series of "Etsy Rhode Trips," interviewing sellers from the 50 US states. I'm happy to be in position in spot number 9!

Here it is: Stop Nine on our Etsy Rhode Trip: Pennsylvania!

A happy little tidbit about the RI Street Team: one of the members is our own Guest Artist: SeaFindDesigns!

More Mice for Spring Festival

2008-01-22T19:26:00.000-05:00

Ready? Here are some more mice books for ya!

First up, (from comments - thank you!) is the Newbery Metal winner and kid favorite, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh. Originally published in 1972, this young adult tale by Robert C. O'Brien tells the story of "Mrs. Frisby, a widowed mouse with four small children, [who] must move her family to their summer quarters immediately, or face almost certain death. But her youngest son, Timothy, lies ill with pneumonia and must not be moved. Fortunately, she encounters the rats of NIMH, an extraordinary breed of highly intelligent creatures, who come up with a brilliant solution to her dilemma." (from Amazon.com)

Next we have a book that was also suggested in the comments section (thanks, Mom) by a children's lit lover and veteran preschool teacher: The Dark at the Top of the Stairs. She wrote: [this] is also a great story about some mice children who want to explore in spite of their grandfathers admonitions about what is at the top of the basement stairs (a cat!). A sweet story about courage, fears and exploration.

I wanted to recommend one of my favorite stories to tell and to give: The Little Mouse, the Red, Ripe Strawberry, and the Big, Hungry Bear by Don and Audrey Wood, illustrated by Don Wood. Child's Play Ltd, 1991.

The Woods are among my favorite illustrators, with so many delightful and stunning books to their esteemed name, I don't know where to start. They bring to life this adorable story about a mouse who must eat his strawberry before the big, hungry bear comes to take it. It's a toddler and preschool age delight.

Finally, please do check out several mouse stories by Ellen Stoll, a few of which are Mouse Match, Mouse Paint, and Mouse Count. Those chubby critters are sure to please the babes and toddlers in your life.

I wanted to mention that, in looking for the graphics for this post, I came upon a great site that actually has an index of mouse tales! Here it is: Penn State Center for the Book. I'd still love your thoughts on mouse books, and any other crafty Chinese New Year ideas!

Spotlight on BVP

2008-01-14T18:00:00.001-05:00

It's fun to have a moment in the sun, isn't it? Things are going really well at Bamboo Village Press, and that means that things are also going well for Bamboo Village Educational Fund. For once, I'm excited about getting to the taxes, because then I'll be able to come and report to you how much we raised in 2007! Who would have thought that my little idea that emerged after visiting China last winter would have actually developed into something real? It amazes me.

I mentioned a while ago that I'm one of the featured artists on this month's Poppytalk Handmade Marketplace - very cool! It's packed with some amazing pieces, like wall graphics from One Up, these amazing cards I've been coveting for a while by uccello curioso, and even fine art pieces by eric leichty. If you've taken the handmade pledge, Poppytalk Handmade Market is a great place to bookmark and will make the sometimes overwhelming volume of items on Etsy much more manageable.

Tonight I switched around some of my items in the market, and this is what it looks like. Etsy doesn't provide site stats, so I can't tell how much traffic is being generated, but it's sure to be helping!

Meanwhile, Jen from Indie Fixx contacted me and made my day today by informing me that BVP is a pick in their Valentine's Day Gift Guide! What a treat - that was even better than getting a big heart-shaped box of chocolates! Look how pretty:

Indie Fixx is a celebration of the creativity, tenacity, and general
spunky goodness that is the indie design movement. The indie design movement
is made up of artists, crafters and designers who make
a literal smorgasbord of delectable indie products.
Once you shop indie, you’ll never go back.

Thanks to both Poppytalk and Indie Fixx for selecting Bamboo Village - it means a lot to me personally, but even more, the attention helps Bamboo Village Educational Fund, and that's what it's all about!

Whose Mouse are You?

2008-01-11T08:32:00.001-05:00

As a huge fan of children's literature, I thought the lead-up to Chinese New Year on February 7th would be fun if I introduced some of my favorite books starring mice.

OK, I also have an ulterior motive - I've never been too pleased about my own Chinese astrology sign being the rat, so now that we're kicking off a new zodiac cycle, I figured it was time to celebrate my animal in style.

The first one is Whose Mouse Are You?, a delightfully-illustrated story of a little mouse's journey to save his family and become a big sibling mouse. It's one of the stories I remember most vividly from my early childhood.

Whose Mouse Are You, by Robert Kraus
Illustrated by Jose Aruego. Originally published 1970

"My brother's mouse - he's brand new."

Next up, we have my favorite illustrator, David Christiana, bringing us lovely mice in his interpretation of the classic folktale "Mouse Bride." If you're not familiar with this story, a mouse seeking her mate courts the sun, the wind, and others, before she discovers the most powerful one of all - another mouse.

Masterful writer and illustrator Ed Young also has a version of this tale, titled Mouse Match. His is executed in his typical cut paper and ink style, and is presented as a wonderful accordion book. The reverse of all the pages presents the tale in Chinese.

While we're talking about Ed Young, I shouldn't fail to mention his Caldecott Award-winning Seven Blind Mice. This gorgeous, boldly-illustrated book is an easy crowd pleaser, as the readers are led through the adventure of seven mice trying to piece together their individual interpretations of an elephant. A classic Asian folktale.

What are your favorite stories about mice? I'll be back to feature more, and I'd love to hear about yours.

The Big Unveil

2008-01-07T07:38:00.000-05:00

Monday morning greetings!! (*yawn*)

After a whirlwind of creating, photographing and editing, most of my new items are officially uploaded, and are now being featured on Poppytalk Handmade! I hope you'll visit this wonderful venue and check out all the amazing participants. I've been dying to post about this since my invitation about a month ago, but for once managed to keep it under my hat!

I have to work this morning, so I don't have any more time for details, but I'll be back tonight with more. ^_^

新东西 - New Stuff - Valentine's Day Gocco

2008-01-05T01:19:00.001-05:00

This is the fastest way I can think to share my new additions to Bamboo Village Press!

Find more photos like this on Indiepublic

As you might notice, it's after one in the morning, and this lady is BEAT! Tomorrow's going to be a busy day again, though, so I wanted to be sure to show you. Hooray for new stuff! Believe it or not, that's not all! More to come in the next several days....

新东西- New Stuff - sneak preview

2008-01-02T20:52:00.000-05:00

It's all coming together - new items are almost finished for the shop, just as I'm on my last few Cricket and Ancient Compass moleskines. I'm being a little hush-hush about what this is all for, but fear not - I'll be coming out with the whole story on Saturday! For now, here's a little preview:

a new 2-color printed moleskine, here's the look of color one:

The second is a new Year of the Rat design, seen here on some gift tags. These will be great for 2008 gifts, not only for new Rat Year babies, but also for all of your friends bearing the rat as their Chinese zodiac sign.

Rat year dates:

Here's our 2008 masot:

Finally, inspired by Lupin, I'm trying for a little daily craft by joining Crafting 365. I certainly accomplished the goal today! ^_^

ps: Did you see Laurie's new design? gah, it melts mah heart every time I see it!!

pomegranates for fertility

2008-01-01T20:17:00.000-05:00

Although we've just turned over the new year (happy 2008!!!), my mind is focused on spring and fertility. In part, it's the upcoming Chinese New Year, which is known as Spring Festival, and in part, it has to do with stuff in my own non-work/craft life. So, tonight, as a tribute to Mel, I've put together this little pomegranate poster of items from etsy. You can find them all by searching on the word pomegranate - they're delightful!

节日- Holidays - 冬至- Winter Solstice

2007-12-26T20:18:00.000-05:00

I'm away and traveling for the holidays, (and so happy to be online, however briefly, after 4 days) but just read a nice summary of Chinese Winter Solstice and thought I'd share! Happy winter!

Wish me happy driving tomorrow, when I'll be making the 6-hour drive home. :o)

Spectacular Swankatronics

2007-12-20T20:05:00.001-05:00

wee Celeste, circa 1977
first pair of glasses: gold wire, hexagonal

As a glasses wearer since age 3, I have a particular (peculiar?) love for great glasses, and today I hit the googley jackpot! Glasses have come a long way since 1970-something, especially for those of us who are unfortunate enough to be far sighted. Remember those lenses - the ones that provided the outside world with up close and personal views of the poor far-sighted slob's eyeballs? Well, no more of that, my friends! Of course, you have to pay hundreds of extra dollars to have your lenses slenderizes and de-magnified, but it's worth it, I say! And since I have vision insurance that is more than generous, I figured I'd go all out. Now that I'm self employed, there's no telling how long it's going to be until I can afford another pair!

Over the years, I've tried contacts, but somehow the old familiarity of glasses resting on my nose wins every time... or maybe I'm just lazy and won't be bothered to deal with putting lenses in every morning... or it could also have to do with the fact that they're just plain uncomfortable!

Anyway, without further ado, meet the new specs, in all of their 1970s coloration:

all-day wear, black with mustard yellow lining

the big splurge: prescription sunglasses, baby! black and avocado green!

kindergarten portrait: 1978.

新年好 - Happy New Year Prep

2007-12-19T19:36:00.000-05:00

As all the holiday revelers attend Christmas parties and wrap their presents, the gals in this house are in full preparation mode for 2008. As such, in the weeks to come, you'll be seeing some ideas being kicked around and new products emerge from my harried mind, which hopefully will be the cause of some good hubbub! Just to make things extra fun, Chinese New Year falls on February 7th this year, which means that basically I have to launch all my Valentine's Day -and- Chinese New Year stuff simultaneously. Fun for Celeste, I tell you!

新闻- News

Laurie wrote about this last night, but I had some excitement yesterday when I was contacted by the wonderful Linda Woods, telling me that she'd featured Bamboo Village Press on her blog! Sisters Linda and Karen write the Rev It Up list, a blog that introduces art and ideas to fuel your life and imagination. It's a fantastic new space, and I was so thrilled that one of our products was spotlit by these very talented and accomplished women. Thanks, ladies! Squee!

In other news, it's been quite a whirlwind these past 2 weeks. Last week I negotiated my very first contract work and began doing some consulting in the area of my "professional" expertise: marketing. I should clarify, since now running BVEF and BVP are both online, that I am not an Internet marketing professional... oh, no... I'm having to learn all of that as I go. Rather, I've been working for an ad agency, specializing in print marketing, art direction, and planning. I'm sure you can imagine how thrilling it is to be in the process of building my career in this new direction - it's awesome!

买卖- Business

It's been such an intense 6 weeks! Seriously, I have been astounded by the number of sales that have come through the shop. I sold out of my Happiness Fish floursack cotton towels, which was amazing after thinking that design wasn't going to move. The two new gocco designs: the cricket moleskine and the ancient compass moleskine, are actually close to being sold out, which was also a wonderful surprise.

The thing about this apparent success is that it's very encouraging to me as a designer. Being a technical crafter is very different from actually having some reliable sense for design work, and I'm keenly aware of my status as a novice in this arena. I know some will argue with that assessment, but really, it's different to create something and give it as a gift and create something, make as many of them as I can afford, and offer them for sale.

研究 - Research

Finally, I've been doing a bit of information gathering of late. In thinking about products for Bamboo Village Press for 2008, I've realized that I'm going to need a constant influx of ideas from the Asian realm. I've kind of painted myself into a corner by tying all of the Bamboo Villages together in the sense that for branding purposes, my work for Bamboo Village Press is going to have to be predominantly of Asian flair. You do all know that I'm not actually Chinese, right? So, the task might be a little challenging.

Today I received the latest addition to my library: Symbols and Rebuses in Chinese Art. If you're like me, you have no idea what rebuses means, so here you go:

rebus: n., pl. -bus·es.
A representation of words in the form of pictures or symbols,
often presented as a puzzle.

Pretty spiffy, eh?

I've also been reading quite a lot about Chinese New Year, so that I can write you a wonderful post about this most beloved Asian festival. I'm particularly excited about 2008, since it's the Year of the Rat, which is my animal. I have major plans for the year, so watch out world!

***

Well, there you have it! Another day, another blogger! Until next time, here's a happy dragon stack to make your day a little cheerier:

收获 - acquisitions - prints!

2007-12-15T17:29:00.000-05:00

收获 acquisition/pron: shou1 huo4

Today I thought I'd share some of the fabulous finds I've come across (and taken home) lately. Etsy is the most amazing marketplace, bursting with talents on the rise and those cruising right along. Since my housing situation changed about 2 months ago, I've been trying to beautify my living space, and this weekend, I'm framing some of the pieces I've got to hang up on these walls!

Joseph Blake

My first introduction is Joseph Blake, a Philadelphia illustrator, is a recent RISD grad. I've been admiring his work since discovering his shop a few months ago, and finally couldn't resist grabbing up one of this prints for myself.

This is the one I got, titled Midwinter:

Joseph got this into the mail immediately, and it arrived the next day, much to my delight. The packaging was impeccable, beautifully put together with extras and a personal note on the back of the print. Fabulosity!

I will definitely be following this rising star. I love his visual tone and his little narratives about the pieces. On some of his listings, he even shows the originals in his work space, which I just adore. I wrote to him that he reminds me of one of my very favorite children's lit illustrators: David Christiana:

I've already got Midwinter framed and ready to hang next to another recent acquisition: Snow Day.

OUOU

Now, of course I'm partial to this particular print, since it was made by my roomie and sister and I got to see every step of the creative process, but seriously? this is one of the cutest things ever. I can just see these two being transformed into rag dolls of the sort I played with as a kid, the sort made by our grandmas. This was our first experiment with 2-color Gocco printing with registration, and it was a phenomenal success.

Strawberry Luna

Back in August, Laurie and I went to see fabulous, joy-provoking Rufus Wainwright, and afterwards, she found another Etsy genius: Strawberry Luna, a print maker who makes gig posters! She surprised me with a gift of this fabulous print from the show:

lineanongrata

Finally, one last print is on its way to me, and it's by an artist from France! I just love being able to purchase fantastic art from folks in other countries, and have had lineanongrata in my list of favorites for quite some time. Her story is personally inspiring - she talks about her journey through other professions before going into illustration in her Etsy profile. I love knowing this about her... as another one who is coming to her artistic senses after working in other careers, I feel a kinship with this woman. I love her style and look forward to growing my collection. I can't wait to get this print in the mail: wintergirl

Are you seeing a theme coming together here?? I've got kiddos on my mind lately, and just love the idea of filling my "children & creativity" feng shui area of my home with these gorgeous and inspiring works!

Who am I to blow against the wind?

2007-12-12T22:33:00.001-05:00

One afternoon in 2002, while I was living in Chengdu, I had wandered into a restaurant and was sitting, looking out the window at this big, uncertain world around me. People were everywhere, like in so many cities, but especially characteristic in Chinese cities, and I remember thinking that I was so insignificant, so helpless to make any lasting change or impression on a world so troubled. At the time, I was in a relationship with He Zegang, the man who would the next year become my husband, and in that moment, I thought maybe 20 years down the road I would be able to look back on the life we made (thinking it would be in China) and you know, write a book like every good American should. And I thought I would title the book "Blowing Against the Wind."

produce market, Chengdu, Sichuan, China. 01/07

Tonight I have a heavy heart. It's been a couple of days of feeling the tidal wave of responsibilities and ambitions may overwhelm me, and I suppose it only made matters worse that Laurie and I watched A Mighty Heart, which my tender and susceptible heart could barely endure. If you haven't seen it, it's definitely worth a viewing. I'd also even more highly recommend Krista Tippett's interview with Mariane Pearl on Speaking of Faith.

Today I also learned that one of my sisters in infertility had a chemical pregnancy from her latest round of IVF, and my soul purely aches for her. I thought of her yesterday as I was dashing between projects, and said to myself "I'd like to live in a world where she finally gets her positive pregnancy test." Alas, it's not that kind of world, quite apparently.

It's just one of those times when it all feels so gruesome, so enormous, so beyond reach, you know?

shy girls in DaMiao Village, Sichuan. 05/01

I've been working on a post about sweatshops in China and how to find companies who engage in Fair Trade practices, but it's not done yet. So, in lieu of a completed post with carefully thought-out ideas, I'm just showing up as your fellow human tonight, sad and concerned about the state of our world. Do you think about these things in your daily life? How do your encounter the vastnes of our human experience? Care to share? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

little Meimei and her great grandmother. DaMiao Village., Sichuan. 01/07

新东西- New Stuff - Crickets & Compasses

2007-12-11T08:02:00.000-05:00

Here I am in my second week of self employment, and only now do I have a chance to check in! It's been a real process of adjustment, getting used to the new flow of time and trying to reorganize my space without spending a ton of money. Things are finally settling down, and I've got some new introductions to make!

Emblem of Courage

I've been working on this new design for a while - I had the idea a few weeks ago to pair a screened image of a hand-written letter in Chinese with some sort of symbol. I took the letter of introduction we received about Zhang Lin during the process of coming to sponsor her education and made it ready for burning a Gocco screen. Then I spend quite some time toying with which symbol to overlay. Too busy and it would fight with the Chinese characters. Too simple, I could end up with something meaningless. Finally I settled on the cricket, a beloved little beast in Chinese culture and a symbol of courage. Courage seemed like a perfect match for Zhang Lin, who has been through so much in her young life.

Last night I did the printing, both on moleskines, cards, and tags. They came out so well! I'm excited about posting them in my shop as well as using these cards in my Bamboo Village correspondence. Whether or not this story means anything to you, I hope the design will stand on its own as a beautiful print.

Ancient Compass

During the process of developing the cricket design, I was suddenly inspired with another design idea which ended up being a quick and successful print. I launched the Ancient Compass Moleskine last week and have met with great success and attention. Every time I list one, they generate more traffic than any other item in my shop. These are a great gift for guys - evidenced by the fact that every one that's sold has been purchased by men! Very exciting!

The design is a modified photograph of a fengshui luopan (风水罗盘） - a compass used in hard core feng shui consultations for determining energy flow in physical space.

More Cozy for the Coffee

Finally, I whipped up a couple more french press coffee cozies (one and two). These pretties have been warmly received in the shop since I made up the pattern last month, so I've got one on the needles just about all the time now.

December is turning out to be my best month ever, for more reasons than just Bamboo Village Press. I'm so excited to be fully engaged in this new endeavor, and can't wait to get more work done on the Educational Fund! Coming soon, we've got a new guest artist, and I will finally be able to do some writing about life in rural Sichuan, China.

Attention!

2007-12-07T09:42:00.000-05:00

I was sitting in front of my computer, tending shop before heading out into the world, when one of my items' views started skyrocketing! I called Laurie in, saying something must be wrong at Etsy, and then we realized: my item is on the front page!!! See it there, above the fold, center top row??? Wow!

I love this treasury, featuring indigo items! Check them all out by visiting Etsy.com before they switch the collection!

Yes Grasshoppah

2007-12-02T09:30:00.000-05:00

Big changes are taking place! Friday was my last day at my full time job, and now I am officially self employed! Hooray! Yikes! Exciting! Scary!

I've got a lot of change coming up in the next few months, so when I decided to leave my job, I thought "what the heck, let's give Bamboo Village a shot." I'll be taking the next months to form Bamboo Village Educational Fund as a real non-governmental organization, and will be spending lots of time doing product development for Bamboo Village Press. It's all terrifically exciting, and if you have any advice, I'm all ears!

One of the first projects I'm working on is a two-color Gocco print. My sister just completed her first last night, and after all of your brains stop exploding from the indescribable cuteness of her print, I'll be posting mine (which won't be fitting in the "cute" category). As a way to commemorate the beginnings of this new endeavor, I'm making a print in the spirit of Zhang Lin, BVEFs first sponsored student. I'll tell you only that there will be Chinese characters, a cricket, and moleskines involved. It's gonna be pretty cool!

Happily, being an at-home worker is going to mean more posting, more information on Sichuan, China, interviews with Etsy artists and others working for the greater good. I'm excited to be able to move this cause forward!

With that, I leave you with this shot of me from last night, working carefully over the light box. See you soon!

this is what happens...

2007-11-25T13:18:00.000-05:00

When one posts only once a week, what happens is either you end up leaving out significant pieces, or you end up with a post that is rather more like a word smörgåsbord. Hopefully this will not be the trend here at Bamboo Village, because we are soon getting wireless internet and will not have to be computer-sharing as much. Hooray for our household!

Here is our week in review, working backwards:

Cozies a go-go.

I love knitting while watching tv, and these cozies are super-easy! Strangely enough, my own French press is still without its own cozy, but I think I'm going to fix that today. It's getting cold enough that the coffee is cold before I get to my second cup. I've always wrapped a towel around the cylinder, but I want my own cozy! Here's the new one, just added to Bamboo Village Press:

Saturdays are for Delicious Food

measuring out the rice

anise cloves

Yesterday I went to spend the day with Knittah, her husband and close friend Amy. It was a lovely, crisp fall day, perfect for slow-cooking meat. Don't worry, dear veggie friends, there will be no photos of the pork. This is one of my all-time favorite recipes, and it's always a hit with guests. It's very easy, and ridiculously scrumptious. It's the "Shanghai Ham" recipe from the Joyce Chen Cookbook, and is just one of many crowd-pleasing meals from this great collection of Chinese recipes.

红烧猪肉
Shanghai Ham

4lb fresh pork ham, butt or shoulder [we always use shoulder, bone-in is best, but buy more than 4lbs if you're getting one with the bone]
1 cup dark soy sauce [if you can, buy your soy sauce from an Asian market. it will give much better flavor than the kikkoman you usually get at the regular grocery]
1/2 cup sugar [honey is also ok!]
1TBS dry sherry [i skip this and use a splash of white or rice vinegar]
2 [generous] slices of fresh ginger - or 2 whole cloves garlic
few cloves star anise
1/2 - 1 cup water

Sear and scald the pork by soaking it in boiling water for a few minutes. Rinse with cold water.
Place the pork with all the ingredients in a large sauce pan or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer. Turn the pork over occasionally until tender - about 2 hours or more. Remove cover and increase heat. Baste the pork until about 1 cup of liquid remains (about 15-20 minutes). Skim fat and serve it hot or cold.

Gifties!

Unexpectedly, the gathering of friends yesterday also opened the birthday lead-up, complete with gifts and talk of cheesecake.

I received these two awesome books, appropriately, from Knittah. I think we have an unspoken pact to support each other's knitting obsessions on our birthdays. The first book, Last Minute Knitted Gifts, has been a long-time favorite. The photographs are stunning, and I like almost all of the projects. It was among my last batch of overdue library books, and was destined to be so again, so this is super-awesome!

The second, Knitting Nature, is as artistic as the previous is practical. The patterns are simply mind-blowing, so this will be a book of patterns to aspire to making.

I've also included here a gift from Knittah's aunt, Mother Earth and her Children, which was signed by the author. If you don't know the story behind this book, take the time to look it up. It's completely worth it.

Autumnal

On Friday, my sister and I were fortunate enough to take a 2-hour hike at the Wissahickon, one of my favorite places for outdoor bliss in this area. I say fortunate because it was our last chance to see the foliage before it all dropped to the wintery ground. Here are some of the photos... you can see more on Laurie's blog, linked above.

covered bridge along the "forbidden trail"

japanese maple, in full autumn glory

And, although that is not a *week* in review, it's all I've got in me! Stay tuned next week for a new moleskine design honoring Bamboo Village's China roots and Zhang Lin, our sponsored student.

新东西 - New Stuff - Gocco & Fiber

2007-11-18T11:48:00.000-05:00

Happy Sunday! The Nadeau girls have been busy this weekend, making and finishing new items for the shop!

After a successful rollout of my hand knit coffee cozy last week, I've made two more - a knit one and a new quilted cozy in rich Asian blues.

And we were so excited to get the Gocco rolling yesterday. After spending about 8 hours on our feet, testing out designs and print quality and color, we've got two new designs by Laurie up in the shop! Click the graphic and check them out in full detail. We'd love your feedback!

Friday Treasury Trove

2007-11-16T14:54:00.000-05:00

Have I mentioned lately how much I love Etsy?

It looks like the geniuses over there are up to something... they're building a new Treasury feature or something... well, anyway, this afternoon I stumbled upon a discussion in forums and linked to Treasury West, where I promptly seized two treasuries! Such fun! For those of us addicted to Treasury surfing and constantly covet getting to curate one ourselves, this is a real treat.

The one on the left is called "Snowflakes Falling," and my second one, because I was so shocked about being granted two, was just "OMG TREASURIES!!!"

Laurie's illustration "Yay, surprises!" was featured in another treasury, shown below.

And finally, I had some of my green silk selected for this collection here, called "Serene Green"

介绍 - introduction - everything in blue

2007-11-15T18:47:00.001-05:00

You all already know my sister Laurie from her popular designs featured in Bamboo Village Press, like our fabulous panda logo, Two Plus Yarn Equals Love, and Knit Kitty, but now she's making her online artistic debut with the launch of her blog, with Etsy shop soon to follow.

I hope you'll visit her and shower your Internet-y love upon her - she's brand new to the online community and will certainly appreciate the welcome! Here's her blog, brand spanking new with only one post: everything in blue.

We had the gocco all fired up last night and managed to crank out a whole lotta silk screened love. It's gonna be a great winter!

晚饭- Dinner - Havij Polo

2007-11-13T20:21:00.000-05:00

I was recently talking up a wonderful Persian rice dish and was asked for the recipe, so here you have it, in my improvised form!

The fun thing about the recipe is that it is VERY flexible! Want more carrot? Go ahead and add more? The only risk is that if you add too much oil, you'll have an oily rice... but I don't see any problem there... do you? Feel free to ask if you have questions - this is the first time I've written up a recipe from memory!

Havij Polo

Ingredients:

*white basmati rice
*5 medium carrots, grated
*2-3 onions, finely sliced
*cooking or olive oil
*1/2 c. sugar or 3/4 c. honey (or alternative sweetener)
*salt
*1 potato, cut into 1/8" slices.

In a large skillet, saute onions in oil until translucent, then add carrots. I always have to add more oil at this stage, to accommodate so many carrots! Add enough salt that this mixture will be on the slightly salty side. Add sweetener. Simmer until carrots are soft.

While onions are cooking, in a large pot, add 3 cups of rice to a whole pot of water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat so the rice is simmering, uncovered. Cook until the rice is al dente. Drain in a colander and keep rice in colander.

When both the rice and the carrot/onion mixture are done, cover the bottom of the pot used for cooking the rice with oil (butter if you're feeling indulgent!) and turn burner on medium high. When oil is hot, add potato slices to cover the bottom of the pan and salt potatoes.

Spoon carrot mixture on top of the rice, blending the two as you go. Once the rice and carrot mix are combined simply add by the spoonful to the pot. When all ingredients are mixed and in the pot, take a clean kitchen towel or cloth napkin and cover the pot, then put the lid on the pot.

Continue to cook at medium high heat for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low and cook for another 30 minutes or so, until the rice is fully cooked.

To serve, carefully spoon rice onto a platter, and then use a spatula or flip pot to remove the crisply cooked potatoes & rice from the bottom of the pot. This part of the rice is called tadik and is a much-loved part of any Persian rice dish! (see top photo)

Enjoy as-is or serve with kabobs, lamb, meatballs, or other rich meat.

the finished rice, without tadik.

Zao - A Morning Treasury

2007-11-13T10:10:00.002-05:00

This morning I waited and waited, and was rewarded by getting a Treasury on Etsy! It's called Zao, which means both "early" and "good morning" in Chinese.

I was able to feature some of my Guest Artists, as well as beloved shops I've purchased from and those I'm dreaming of purchasing from! I think it all came together pretty well! Check it out - it will be active for 2 more days.

Jie–shao – Guest Artist Altinay Designs

2007-11-06T14:54:00.001-05:00

Just in time for the holiday season comes Altinay, who has showered her support on us by contributing a beautiful Asian-themed necklace and earring set to Bamboo Village!

Not only are these pieces stunning, but they’re extra special because of the Chinese theme. Taking her inspiration from the novel The Secret Fan, the necklace features a carved fan pendant, with the body of the necklace and the earrings in a beautiful red coral.

Here’s an excerpt from her Etsy Profile Description:

My name is Altinay (pronounced Al-ti-nai), which means "golden moon" in Kyrgyz and other Turkic languages.

Jewelry design presents a crossroad where several of my passions meet: appreciation for aesthetic beauty and applied art, love for unique jewelry, and fascination with stones and crystals, and their inherent metaphysical qualities.

I create eclectic pieces that are unique, timeless, and do not necessarily follow the fashion trends of the day. Although I do not adhere to and limit myself to one particular style, at times I draw inspiration from my heritage and the traditional jewelry made by silversmiths of Central Asia, as well as ethnic / tribal jewelry from other regions of the world. I like incorporating tribal beads, like vibrant hand-crafted Tibetan beads and pendants, in my designs and giving a contemporary interpretation to old pieces.

A deep thanks to Altinay for contacting me and for her support!

Waxing Poetic

2007-11-03T20:53:00.001-04:00

Lodge in the Bamboo

I sit alone in the bamboo that hides me,
plucking the harp and whistling long.
It is deep in the woods and no one knows -
The bright moon comes to shine on me.

~Wang Wei (701-61AD)

calling all knitters

2007-10-25T19:56:00.001-04:00

My dear friend posted on her blog yesterday the linked message detailing an afghan project for her aunt and cousin who have lost their homes in the San Diego fires.

I'll be casting on tonight.

mid-week

2007-10-24T20:22:00.000-04:00

As everyone knows, I don't usually do mid-week posts. But I'm trying to be more communicative about the ole BV, so here we are!

First, in personal WIPs, we've made some progress on my current knitting project, the 103-1 Drops Jacket. May I say again how dearly I love this yarn??? Goodness gracious me, it is so soft, it just exudes the spirit of comfort, into my fingers, hands and then straight to my heart (where I need it these days!). Who knew a mere fiber could produce such wonderous effect? Why, every knitter on the planet who has worked with yarns other than acrylic and novelty yarn, of course! But this alpaca is special. I will say that Misti Alpaca is just as good. Bulky weight alpaca wonderfulness. ::sigh::

So, yeah. I've made some progress! I am done both sleeves! I settled after quite some back and forth on a size large, and I'm sure I won't regret it. It's going to be the embodiment of cozy, and this fabric has a lot of drape, but I wouldn't have been happy if it pulled at the top button. So there you have it. I'm one happy knitter.

In other excitements and acquisitions, I have some new books in my collection! I'm looking forward to some quiet time because I think they're going to be pretty inspiring.

Here's one: China: People, Place, Culture, History - it's a gorgeous coffee table book I've been eyeing at B&N, but saved a bundle on by buying online! It's typical DK Publishing style, with lots of terrific graphics. I'm looking for lots of inspiring ideas for design in this one.

The other one I got is The Chinese Calligraphy Bible. It's a nice spiral-bound number with lots of great ideas for mugs & other etched goods for BV Press.

That's all I've got, besides a steaming cup of Sleepytime tea ready for late night sippin'!

hu xi - breathe

2007-10-20T08:12:00.001-04:00

In Bamboo Village, autumn has settled in. The rice is harvested and winter crops are taking root. Children are back in school. Nights have become cold.

Meanwhile, here in the northeast region of the United States, it still feels like summer. The cooling and grounding of fall has yet to reach us, and it seems like in my own life, the heat and discomfort of summer months continues in many areas. So much is currently unsettled for me that I am simply putting nose to grindstone to get through it. I'm waiting for the calming, cool relief of fall in oh, so many ways.

In an attempt to quiet the mind and restore some comfort to this time, I've taken up the needles. Last weekend, I went up to Reading, PA with knittah, and we spend a couple of happy hours fondling yarn and chatting with the wonderful women at the Yarn Gallery. I walked out with Baby Alpaca Grande in a gorgeous moss green for this Drops jacket pattern. And since then, I've been spending my evenings with this heavenly yarn, knitting and sometimes just holding (because it's soooooo soft) this amazing fiber.

Coming soon, we have a new Guest Artist!

Lessons in Quality

2007-10-06T17:30:00.000-04:00

Way back in another lifetime, about 15 years ago, I was given a gorgeous piece of Chinese silk. I kept it put away, folded, for years, until I finally asked my grandmother to back it for me so I could use it as a blanket. I had tender thoughts of this becoming the special "birthday blanket" to my future children - something to put on their beds on days of special significance.

Grandma is an accomplished seamstress, and took this simple project on easily. When she gave it back to me, the gorgeous red silk was framed in a heavy wool fabric. It was beautiful, simple, and perfect.

Today, I sat on my couch and ripped out all of her lovingly-executed seams. I felt sad and disappointed to take out my grandmother's work. But it had to be done: although she had used wool and silk of excellent quality for the outside, she'd used polyester batting on the inside. Big mistake.

Over the years, the batting had migrated to the outside of the wool, creating an uncomfortable, ugly "beard" on the black fabric.

There it is, above - the man made fiber culprit.

Her seams were so perfect! She double-stitched the seams for durability, and had "quilted" the blanket with invisible stitching hidden in the peony blossoms.

Lesson learned: don't skimp on good quality materials!

Li Wu - Gifts

2007-10-06T14:03:00.000-04:00

Recently, one of my closest friends spent a couple of weeks in China, and he graciously brought back for our shop some amazing Chinese silk brocade fabric. I waited a whole month to see it - he drove up to see me in Portland last weekend and brought the silk with him.

This is a pretty cool thing about Bamboo Village - all kinds of friends and strangers are becoming involved in supporting the Fund. It's a very cool thing to be here in the middle of it all.

This weekend, I'll be listing the silk in the Fabric section in Bamboo Village Press.

You can check them out there or on Flickr!

Hui Lai - Returning

2007-10-03T14:03:00.000-04:00

Didja miss me?

I've been traveling for business and pleasure for a week, which explains my silence. Here are some photos to prove it!

Be My Guest: SeaFindDesigns

2007-09-22T22:00:00.000-04:00

A warm and beachy welcome to Tracy Prince from SeaFindDesigns! I've long been an admirer of her work, and am so thrilled to introduce her here. She's so generously donated two of her amazing SeaGlass Sun Catchers to Bamboo Village, and I've just listed them in the shop for your pleasure!

Beyond how cool it is to have Tracy's work in our shop, it's just so great to get to make this introduction. She's actually the one who orchestrated our relationship with the also amazing JealousJewelry, and has been so supportive of Bamboo Village since we met in Etsy's forums.

Be sure to check out Tracy's work in her shop and let her know just how cool we all think she is by leaving her some nice comments here! Thanks, Tracy!

Genuine antique and historic sea glass, found by the Prince family, on the beautiful shores or Rhode Island. Each piece is one of a kind and unique. All jewelry designs are by Tracy Prince.

here fishy fishy

2007-09-15T20:01:00.001-04:00

New design for the gocco.... survey says?

What do you think?

ps: I'd love it if you'd sign my guestbook at the bottom of the page!

bat wings WIP

2007-09-12T12:02:00.000-04:00

I thought I'd open the studio up today... I've been dying to start using my gocco for cloth printing, but with a schedule as tight as I've had lately, the process has been slow. This weekend, I got to start on the work for the first screen.

I decided that in the spirit of the autumn, I thought I'd use the weird-looking bat nuts I brought back from Sichuan in 2002. They look Halloween-y don't they? So, I took some photos, and then edited the best one to use on the silk screen.

Then I just had to print it out and xerox it for burning the screen master.

Today I made the screen and discovered the challenges of printing on cloth! First, the ink is really thick and dries fast, making it difficult to mix. As far as I can tell, the fabric inks only come in black, white, red, yellow, blue, green and brown. When I tried mixing the brown to come up with a more appealing walnut color, I quickly realized that this trial-and error process was going to waste a lot of ink! So I tried printing the brown mix and wasn't happy with the resulting print. So of course, I switched to black!

Now I'm pretty happy with the print. It does take some getting used to, though! Although I didn't want black for this particular graphic, I'm going to stick with it for now. What do you think? Is the image too weird? Cool?

ETA: Although I don't have the towels ready to show, I do have some fabric panels finished and they look AWESOME! I'll be posting them as supplies tonight on Bamboo Village Supply.

"tuo xiang le" - I've succombed

2007-09-12T09:21:00.000-04:00

I might as well admit it: I've been a little more than naughty lately. I just adopted Devon's yarn collection, which amounts to a mountain of high-quality wool (like Malabrigo, Peace Fleece, and LTK yarn), and today the zakka got the best of me, and I bought this gorgeous book. It's much more exotic for the fact that it's being shipped from Japan! Who can resist this kind of ethereal cuteness???

I was sorely tempted to get this book, too:

Otherwise, this week has been all about work, and sadly, not Bamboo Village work. I've got several things in the pipelines, though. Maybe I'll manage to get them photographed for your perusal today.

I did manage to get a post up on Travels With Swatchy, though, so that was a huge relief! I've taken Swatchy many places this summer, so I've got to start getting them written up.

The best news of this week is that we confirmed the money transfer has been successfully completed - Zhang Lin's tuition is paid! Hoooooray! Interesting that this is 9 months after our visit to China - a nice gestation period for Bamboo Village and our first successful sponsorship. :o)

fellow etsians

2007-09-10T14:26:00.000-04:00

Here they are! Jealous Jewelry, who donated those gorgeous earrings, and Sea Find Designs, who coordinated the whole thing:

Sea Find Designs - Genuine antique and historic sea glass, found by the Prince family, on the beautiful shores or Rhode Island. Each piece is one of a kind and unique. All jewelry designs are by Tracy Prince.

Pain in the Pi-gu, or the Great Tyrolean Arse-Kicking

2007-09-06T16:07:00.000-04:00

Hello. I’m Celeste, and I’m not a sock knitter.

I know, it’s so shocking, in this current craze of sock knitting. But hey, they just don’t do much for me! Small needles, tiny yarn... counting, and lace, and all that... it just doesn’t inspire me.

However, when I saw the Tyrolean Stockings in the latest Interweave Knits, I went out and invested shocking amounts of money in gorgeous yarn and cast on. It’s been an arse-whooping experience ever since.

I can’t really say why this is happening, expect maybe to admit that I'm not such a great knitter! I won't be admitting that, so it's got to be something else! I’ve been traveling a lot, so I thought this would be good for plane rides and airport waits. Good for late nights in beds that aren’t my own. Long car rides. You know. But for some reason, I get into some kind of blank, zen-like state and miss a cable. Or cable twice in two rows. Or knit through where I should have cabled. Or cable in the wrong direction. You get the picture.

At least I’m learning how to fix bad cables without ripping back. I can’t believe I didn’t take a photo at one of the worst moments, when I had 8 needles active at once.

What is most remarkable is that I haven’t given up yet. You can see why I have a block on socks.

Shop News

2007-09-04T17:34:00.001-04:00

Coming up this week, you'll be meeting Bamboo Village Press' new Guest Artist, Lori from JealousJewelry. She very generously donated these gorgeous earrings to raise funds for Bamboo Village!

The earrings are now listed in the shop - I hope you'll check them - and Lori's shop - out!

Hooray for awesome artists!

Summer End

2007-08-31T09:55:00.000-04:00

With no Internet at home right now, it's been a challenging week, lemme tell ya! Here's a bit of what's happening in Bamboo Village, despite the lack of DSL...

1) We sent the money over to Zhang Lin! This is so exciting, I can't even bear it! I can't believe this really happened. Eight months ago I was meeting Lin for the first time, and now we're really sponsoring her high school education. This is such an unexpected turn in my life path, and I'm really thrilled to have it be happening!

2) Today I received some gorgeous earrings for Bamboo Village Press, donated by a new Guest Artist, Lori of Jealous Jewelry on Etsy. I'll fill you in on all the details either this afternoon or after the long weekend. As soon as my summer sale is over, I'll be putting her gorgeous earrings up in the shop along with some other brand new products.

3) Way on the other side of the world, the rice harvest is under way. Several years ago I got to be in DaMiao Village for the rice harvest, and I can tell you it's really an incredible process. There's absolutely no mechanization. I have some photos of the rice harvest and other DaMiao Village shots still residing in an old online album on Webshots. I hope to post more about it next week.

OK, my time is out for this morning! Just a reminder: several items are currently discounted for my summer sale through September 8th. Anything left from the sale section will be leaving the shop after the 8th, so get them while you can!

traveling

2007-08-23T20:34:00.001-04:00

I know it's "wrong" for me to post the latest photo of Swatchy Hugz here, and not on Travels with Swatchy where he belongs, but we wanted to say HI from Atlanta!

This week, I met some new friends online - a couple of artists new to Etsy, and I'm excited that we'll be doing an interview with them next week! My first interview! It sounds like they want to partner up somehow to help Bamboo Village, which is really cool! So you'll be meeting them soon.

In other news, I have been a knitting fool lately! I'm knitting some amazing socks from Interweave Knits new issue - they're all cabled and beautiful. I'm also thinking I've leapt into a higher level of knitting obsession - this trip I think I packed more yarn than clothes. And I've purchased more yarn since being here!

I'll be home on Sunday, so there will be lots of new things to share then. For now, greetings from Atlanta!

ready, set. GOCCO!

2007-08-19T20:51:00.000-04:00

I don't know what the block was to getting another post written... I did so enjoy looking at those blue bottles, I think that might have been part of it, lol. This week, there's not a lot of news about Zhang Lin except that she's started back to school already and now I have to figure out how to get the funds over there!

Meanwhile, not only did I finally get my gocco, but today I broke it in! Do you know what a gocco is? It's a Japanese home screen printer, and it's such a revolutionary little toy, it's crazy. I was concerned about fine lines, and was pleasantly surprised to see that I could have even gotten away with even finer lines than the ones I drew, but I'm getting ahead of myself, here.

I took pictures and everything. This is just a one by one set of shots... there are notes about them all in my flickr photostream.

Step 1: draw your design, and set in the gocco printer. Load the screen.

Step 2: load the bulbs, and set that in the cover. Press hard and the bulbs flash (and burn out), burning the screen.

Step 3: examine your screen, a.k.a. one of the coolest things, EVAR.

Step 4: Ink the screen, set your paper beneath, and peel off the original.

Step 5: press the screen down, and voila! a print!

Here are the finals - the owl and the hedgehog. I'm less confident about the hedgie, so he's not been posted in the shop...

It has actually been a very productive week over here, craft-wise. There's been a whole lot of photography for my ravelry account. And there's been knitting... knitting "Luxe" a neckwarmer pattern I am loving. Here are 2:

Finally, my sister came to visit! We went to see Rufus Wainwright on Friday night, which was truly memorable. Niko Case opened, we were in an outdoor venue, and there was a glorious thunderstorm between acts. It was fantastic. And before we went to the concert, we spent some time at Rosie's... where the sister simply sat and inhaled wool fumes and fondled wonderful fibers.

nei tian? what day is it??

2007-08-09T20:58:00.001-04:00

Is today Wednesday? Thursday? Oh, yeah... it's Thursday. OK, so HI! Has it really been almost a week since I last checked in?

It's been a week of fantastic finds for Bamboo Village Press! I'd sold my last 2 single pitchers last week, and had none left! Now I've found some new ones, in several different sizes and styles, so I have 7 in stock and ready for etching. Yay! Also, I found these pretty little bottles, just the right size for table cream, or oil and vinegar bottles. I'm looking forward to figuring out which characters they want on them.

The most exciting news, though, is that I got my Gocco Printer delivered yesterday!!! It's a big ole press - with the largest dimensions available - 8.5 x 11. I've been taking notes on ideas and starting some sketches. So far, I only have ink for printing on paper, but soon I'll be getting some fabric ink, and that's when the fun is really going to begin! I haven't even taken it out of the box yet! My crafting room is such a disaster right now, I have to wait for the temp to be below 90 so I can get in there and clean up so the little guy can emerge. Can't wait!

I'm happy to say that I finally located all my letters and journals from China. I'm going to start posting a bit more about life there, (thanks for the question, Morrgan!), so it's helpful tobe able to look back at what was prominent in my experience at the time.

Meanwhile, my husband had a chance to call Zhang Lin's family and learn more about her situation. I have to say, it gets to be a more dismal story with every call we make. I'm just thankful to have a chance to help. Turns out, her uncle was one of the many, many thousands of parents who have had to face the decision to put a child (daughter) up for adoption. Can you imagine? My heart just breaks for him, and truly, for his wife. He said that he knew she'd been adopted... wouldn't it be incredible that, through this whole Bamboo Village thing, we learned that their daughter is living here in the US? Or in fact, anywhere that her adoptive parents might one day see this post and learn more about their daughter's family in China??? It's not difficult to imagine.

Wow, you know, things are just never simple... the story is always so much broader than you can imagine. I thought we'd just be telling you stories of Lin and perhaps her grandparents, but as we get to know her and her family, we'll have a lot to share with you. This should shed a lot of light on rural life in China! Could be really impactful!!

ps: lots of new photos on flickr

pondering

2007-08-03T21:08:00.001-04:00

Greetings... it's Friday night and I'm relieved to be home, with my cozy bed waiting, the air conditioning cranking, and a weekend awaiting. I've been thinking a lot this week about Bamboo Village, and what my best approach will be to developing the fund. Bamboo Village Supply and Press are doing fairly well - every transaction means so much to me, and I compile each package with gratitude and humility. I'm astounded that suddenly I have not only an avenue for serving humanity, but also a place in which to share things of great beauty that I either make or find and bring to the shop for sale. This is a dream come true.

This creative outlet is both a delight and a challenge. It's hard not to be outcome oriented when trying to put excellent, original and beautiful objects in my shops. Putting the time into Bamboo Village means that I'm working 2 jobs, and I'm really happy doing it, I'm just getting a little fried, and my "real" job is suffering. How do people do this?

What I'm exploring this weekend is where art used to sit in my life, and how to resurrect that comfortable, curious, regenerative approach to creating. After all, it's that approach that actually fills you up as an artist and brings more energy to your experience.

I'd also like to use this blog to share more with you about DaMiao - the village in China where we're focusing attention with Bamboo Village. I'd really love to respond to questions, since I've been facing a little writer's block. It's hard to translate such a life-changing experience as becoming part of DaMaio Village into concrete little vignettes, but I desperately want to share the story with you, and I'd love your help.

Bikes, Trikes, and Unicykes

2007-08-02T10:38:00.001-04:00

I love bike treasuries. There's just something so iconic and even nostalgic about the image of those wheels, handlebars and spokes.

The photograph above was taken in 1995, outside the apartment I was living in. At that time in Beijing, foreigners couldn't just live anywhere, and this space was actually off-limits (oh I'm such a rebel!) . These bikes were standard issue at the time.

I was thrilled to be included in the list below with my photo card Revolutionary. I took the featured picture in Beijing during my first stint of China living in 1995. It was one of the office buildings for the Art Institute - actually situated on the grounds of one of the palaces from the Qing Dynasty. Can you imagine?? During the Cultural Revolution in the 60s and 70s, sites like these were taken over for the proletariat.

photos and stats

2007-07-31T21:04:00.000-04:00

new items posted in Bamboo Village Press and Supply

Reading Materials:

New cell phone:

Finished Objects:
Dotty's latest socks using Bamboo Village Supply yarn (thanks for the link, Noricum!!!)

Statistics
Miles on the car: 600
Flights: 2
Number of new toothbrushes: 2
Days on the road in the past 3 weeks: 9
Friends announced pregnancy: 1!
Friend's babies born: 1!

Number of dollars raised for Bamboo Village Educational Fund in July: $140!

Hand Picked

2007-07-23T11:03:00.000-04:00

Check this out! My "fish legs" photo is on the home page of etsy today!!

Now that's the best way to start off a Monday!

squee!

In the News

2007-07-17T19:33:00.000-04:00

Please, please listen to this report from today's edition of The World. This story is so very relevant to Bamboo Village - in many ways, it is the story of myhusband, who, like the young man in this story, was the first university grad in his home village. This story will describe so much better than I am able the great sacrifice a community will make for its children, and also the immense expectation placed on that child.

I'd love to hear your reaction to this story!

Listen to The World

Read the Transcript

workin and stuff

2007-07-15T19:35:00.000-04:00

Today's been much about Bamboo Village. Calls to the village, maintenance on etsy... all that kind of stuff. Tonight, the formalities of Bamboo Village are looming, and I feel like I'm going back to college!!

What's the difference between a nonprofit and an NGO (non-governmental organization)? Am I forming a foundation or a fund?

I'll be turning to my alma mater for some help next week for sure. Clark University has an excellent program (from which I eventually graduated) in International Development & Social Change, and I'm hoping they can help.

In the meanwhile, I'm reading from Idealist and Social Edge to see what I can discern.

In other excitement, I got my invitation to Ravelry yesterday! Yahoo!!! My username in those parts is celesterra - hope to see some familiar faces there. hee.

How do YOU say Massasoit?

2007-07-08T19:03:00.000-04:00

I grew up on Cape Cod, where it's a dilemma for every child learning to read how to pronounce (or spell, as the case may be) the multitude of Wampanoag words in the area. For example, I grew up on Cotuit Road... pronounced ka-too-it. This weekend, I took a road trip up to the Cape, where my brother and his girlfriend were visiting. We endured the rain and low temps until Friday, when we went to Martha's Vineyard and enjoyed beautiful weather and fun times...

My sister (the mind behind Two Plus Yarn Equals Love, Knit Kit, and other illustrated lovelies), brother aka DJ Ender, and his sweetie - the two of them live in Albuquerque.

"Gingerbread houses" in Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard

preety flowers in a flowerbox

oak bluffs beach.

finally, I was commissioned to make a nice drinkware set, ever challenging to photograph:

ps: Massasoit = mass-a-soy-it. ;o)

An Intro to Bamboo Village Educational Fund

2007-06-28T20:51:00.001-04:00

Bamboo Village Educational Fund

HeJiaWan is a small rural village in a valley of rice paddies and seasonal croplands. The residents here practice farming much as they have for hundreds of years – with only the help of their water buffalos and the strength of their own backs to rely on. There is no running water, no refrigeration, and precious few machines for use in their labor-intensive subsistence farming.

Economic pressures in HeJiaWan are severe, as in so many areas of the developing world. While there are schools available for children from first grade through high school, many children do not stay enrolled past junior high school. Instead, their families take children out of school so they can start working. Inevitably, these children must move to far-flung provinces for work in dangerous sweatshops, as there are so few job opportunities for local adults. Parents facing financial pressure cannot afford to keep their children in school, but by short-circuiting their educations, the parents doom their children to subsistence living of one kind or another.

Ensuring just one more high school, or even college, graduate means quite a lot to this village. Education translates into many immediate and significant choices that open up to that individual and family. I have seen with my own eyes how the education of one person can transform the lives of many, many people.

Through scholarship and stipend programs, the Bamboo Village Educational Fund hopes to give families a viable option to keep children in school. As the Fund grows, we also hope to expand by opening a library, offering teacher training, and bringing computers to the school. There are many opportunities to make a significant impact.

Here is how you can participate in this special initiative, and help educate these children:

Make purchases through Bamboo Village Press or Cafe Press
Become a guest artist by offering handmade goods for sale in Bamboo Village Press
Donate children's books in Simplified Chinese

By doing any of these simple things, you will be directly participating in the transformation of HeJiaWan though the Bamboo Village Educational Fund.

Jie Shao - Introducing Zhang Lin

2007-06-27T20:43:00.001-04:00

Jie Shao is a noun and a verb, meaning introduction or introduce.

Today is about 4 months after I decided to start Bamboo Village Educational Fund, and I am really excited to introduce Zhang Lin, our first scholarship recipient. I met her and her grandmother last winter when we were walking down the unpaved path to see my husband's grandmother. We were visiting China, in Sichuan seeing family. Despite travel delays because of dense fog that closed airports and highways, we made it all the way out to HeJiaWan, a small village in rural Sichuan Province.

On the day we were leaving, we made a stop to see Zegang's maternal grandmother, who lives in a neighboring village. I tend to attract a lot of attention, you know, being white, and plump, and all (I stand out like a sore thumb), and people know my husband and his family, of course, so while we were walking Zhang Lin's grandma called us from the path to come sit with them and visit in the courtyard, which we did.

I wish it hadn't been so cold, not only because I was practically numb , but because my camera batteries were also frozen, and I wasn't able to take any pictures. At the time, it would have just been more photos of our trip, and more portraits to send back to the village, since we always send back any photos we've taken for the actual families to enjoy. It's pretty rare for a family to have a camera there. Now, of course, I wish I could have documented Zhang Lin's home and shown her to you in her own element, and not dressed in new clothes, in a street-side photo studio. But we'll take what we can get, she comes across in these photos with the innocence and shyness of a true countryside girl, and I'm sure she was nervous, thinking about where this photo was going to be sent.

Without further ado, gentle readers, meet Zhang Lin:

Zhang (her surname) Lin (pronounced like the English word "lean," meaning "cute and smart," according to Zegang) is a serious and hard working young woman. The photos we received today were accompanied by letters testifying to her character and situation - one from one of her teacher, and another from her local government office. I'll post those letters later this week.

Lin was essentially orphaned before her third birthday, when her mother died of tuberculosis and her father abandoned her and her older sister, a common occurrence for children of widowed or divorced men in China. After her mother's death, she went to live with her maternal grandparents, peasant farmers like many of the other families in this region. Her grandparents have struggled and sacrificed to support the two sisters, her grandfather, in his late 60s, now works as a quarry man in the steppes of Tibet, his physical labor of breaking stone bringing home about $500US per year.

Without a son to support them in their old age, and without any kind of pension, social security, or health insurance to depend on, this family lives on the edge of survival. The fact that the generation between these grandparents and the children (Zhang Lin's parents) is missing means that every cent spent on Zhang Lin's education and upbringing leaves the grandparents closer and closer to life and death decisions.

Zhang Lin was actually a really good choice for Bamboo Village's first sponsored student. She's just finishing Jr. High School, and is at the point of making the decision as to whether or not to go on to Senior High School.

While she attended junior high school, her school and local government, in a very rare gesture, covered her tuition, but now that she's about to enter senior high, or a vocational school for actual job training, her family will have to pay for her to attend. This is no small feat: families like hers in this region may make about $200 US dollars a year, and that's less than we predict the tuition to be.

This family faces the decision so many in China's poverty-stricken countryside must make: to choose deep and dire sacrifice to send a child to high school, or send them off to work. Often times, the choice is clear - the short-term gain of earning even $50 a month in a sweatshop or dangerous construction job is deemed more feasible than three or four more years of sacrifice for school, and then even more, to attend college.

Zhang Lin is a good choice on our side because she doesn't need 10 years of support; she needs about three (the course of senior high school or vocational school). It's a big commitment for a fledgling fund, but it will be worth it. I know you'll agree.

I'll write lots more about Zhang Lin's personal story in the days to come. For tonight, know that your support, moral and monetary, is meaningful and being put to use. I can hardly believe that I get to introduce her here to you. Your purchases at the many Bamboo Village shops have made this possible. Thanks so much - you my friends and supporters - you've made this possible.

Zhang Lin and her maternal grandmother. May, 2007.

dongxi

2007-06-24T14:24:00.000-04:00

Dongxi means things or stuff (the characters are literally east (pron: doong)/west (pron: she)) and today I'm bringing you another smattering of good stuff...

First, and ok, this SO has to be first, today I received a photograph of a dear friend's baby, outfitted in a sweater I made! This is the crossover baby sweater from Debbie Bliss' Easy Knits, done in Grace mercerized cotton.

Just look at her! GORGEOUS! I'm talking about the baby, not the sweater, of course. SWEETness.

Plus, this proves that 1) I do knit, and 2) I do finish projects.

And here, check it out! Slide brings us evidence of my weekend fun! (slide your cursor over the photo and check it out...)

a little customer love

2007-06-24T10:32:00.000-04:00

One of the best things about having these shops is hearing back from customers! Dotty has been with me from the get-go on Bamboo Village Press. I never asked her how she found me, but she's been loyal, remarkably easy-to-work-with, and generous with her feedback.

I always make a point to ask people to show me how they use the supplies and other items I send them, and she never fails. Here are some socks she's made with the "super soft wool" yarn, in the two-tone natural, and the grass green:

This morning, I found another terrific bit of feedback from Dotty, along with the green sock photo. Thanks again, Dotty, for your support, friendship, and taking the time to share your projects!

And, in case you don't know, I've moved the supplies from Bamboo Village Press over to Bamboo Village Supply! Free shipping in both shops continues until the end of June. I'll be back later today to report in on my latest Asian supermarket find, progress on Rowena and Breeze, and more!

zao

2007-06-19T19:42:00.000-04:00

What did your morning look like when you were a school child? My dear friend just returned from a research trip to Gansu, China, and posted this really telling video:

"ka-cha"

2007-06-17T13:49:00.000-04:00

I've been listening to Chinese Pod on my walk to & from work (when I'm not listening to Lime and Violet!), and one particularly fun episode is about onomatopoeias. Here are a few, for your entertainment:

pron: she-lee-hoo-loo (xilihulu) - "slurp"
pron: hwa-hwa (huahua) - "gurgle" as in a river
pron: she-she (xixi) - "tee-hee"
pron: ka-cha (kacha) - "click"

So, here, in honor of the sound a camera makes - kacha - are some photos:

2 new listings in Bamboo Village Supply: angora yarn and Fighting Dragons fabric

Yesterday we went to a big Asian market on Washington Street and to Fabric Row in Philly. Fabric Row was a total dud, but we stocked up on provisions and made some friends at the market.

To my amusement, I found Pocky, a Japanese pretzel I had when I was in Japan in 1986.

I also got a whole bunch of zakka Japanese candies, so send out with Bamboo Village orders.

We still haven't received the photo of our chosen scholarship recipient - hopefully it will come in the mail this week with a phone number in her village so we can hammer out the details. I will be posting the details as soon as I have 'em!

mang se-le

2007-06-10T09:28:00.001-04:00

"mang se-le" basically means "so busy, it's killing me" and that's how the past month has been! At my day job, I'm driving my little marketing team to all ends of the earth to meet a deadline we have looming on Wednesday, which explains the lack of creative posting here. In fact, I'm about to head to the office, on this Sunday morning.

I have, however, managed to begin the process of diving Bamboo Village Press... I opened Bamboo Village Supply so that I would have a specific place to sell the yarn, fabric and other Chinese curiosities.

I also did something fun: I continued the process of settling into my at-home studio/craft room. Here's the Wall of Fiber:

Gear!

2007-06-06T18:19:00.000-04:00

The Bamboo Village Cafe Press shop is live! Now you can get your gear with many of the cute images from Bamboo Village Press on apparel & mugs. More to come! If you see an image you want, but prefer it on another garment, I can make the switch for you. Just let me know at bamboovillagepress AT gmail DOT com.

Check it out!

No Slow Boat Here!

2007-05-31T20:13:00.000-04:00

My awesome friend and China researcher Child of Africa and my in-laws in Chengdu pulled together and got me new yarns! Hooray - they got here in NO TIME AT ALL!

Here are the 4 new colors - all in the same super-soft, fingering weight wool that we've come to know and love in our little Bamboo Village.

There's a very limited supply, and I'm listing one at a time, so if you need more - speak up!

wizarding wonderfulness

2007-05-31T14:55:00.000-04:00

OK, this has nothing to do with Bamboo Village, except of course that it is our educations that have opened up worlds of possibility and wonder to all of us who are writing and reading online.

I just read, and had to share: Universal Studios Orlando is creating a theme park called The Wizarding World of Harry Potter... due to open in 2009. Folks, I'm no theme park junkie, but SIGN ME UP!

miscellaneousness

2007-05-27T13:52:00.000-04:00

Turns out, this weekend has been too hot for much of anything except sitting around, feeling exhausted. That's ok - every once in a while, you just gotta let the body crash, right? So, in the spirit of using this down time to catch up with the internets, I bring you new photos and new blogs, two great tastes that taste great together.

Of course, this Bamboo Village blog is just a wee fledgling, so if anyone is reading, you certainly have come here because you know me already. I've already linked some of my favorite blogs in the bar on the right, but this week, I've made some new discoveries and thought I'd share:

ONE: I found this blogger by browsing through a Wee Wonderfuls photostream. She happens to be a fellow Pennsylvanian, and has a gallery show of her quilts coming up! Here she is, Keet Leibowitz.

TWO: This blogger isn't new to me, in fact she's one of my best friends! Knittah of Travels with Swatchy had some real excitement this week when another of that blog's contributors went to the S&B at Lettuce Knit and met Stephanie Pearl McPhee. Indeed, Swatchy was even mentioned on the blog of the Yarn Harlot herself. Terribly exciting, not only for reasons obvious to us all, but also for the attention it will bring to the Swatchy blog and to CFIDS. Way to go, team!

(A little aside here to tell you that yesterday I had the pleasure of spending the morning with Knittah engaging in one of our favorite pass times: fiber shopping. We went to Yarnings and spend a delicious time there, enjoying the 25% off sale and spending way too much money (at least I did!). The coolest part was when we were sitting chatting with a young knitter, who, upon hearing that my companion was the proprietress of Travels with Swatchy, said "YOU're Swatchy?" It was one of the neatest moments ever, made even sweeter because I will still take the credit for getting Knittah away from crocheting with - gasp - acrylic yarn and bringing her firmly into the world of knitting. Job well done, me!)

THREE: Plushyou. Need I say more?

And now I give you a photo of the most artfully made latte I have had in more than 10 years:

And here are a few shots of me and Zegang, on a fishing trip last weekend:

those wacky crafters

2007-05-23T20:55:00.000-04:00

Today crafter Dotty sent me this awesome and clever photo to showcase her recently-completed socks. You must also know that dear Dotty lives in Tornado alley, and often comments on the drastic preparations she must make to avoid certain destruction.

What's the cleverest FO shot you've taken???

homesick

2007-05-23T17:59:00.000-04:00

Well, all that attention today made me a little homesick. So, here it is: our home in HeJiaWan.

Featured

2007-05-23T10:54:00.000-04:00

Etsy has so many cool tools! One of them is the treasury, in which individuals "curate" small shows of Etsy sellers.

I was super-surprised this morning to discover that Bamboo Village Press was included in (UPDATED) FIVE curations! How fun is that? Check 'em out while they last!

Surprise

Buy and Replace for fun

Oriental Inspired

Plain Old Jeans and Tee?

Let the River Run

If you find the treasuries in which I'm featured, you'll also find details on the special I'm running!

ETA: One of Etsy's generous shopkeepers just contacted me - he's donating proceeds from the sale of this item to Bamboo Village! Check it out! Thanks, sgtray!

Harvest Time

2007-05-21T20:04:00.000-04:00

May is a beautiful time in the village of HeJiaWan. Everything is spectacularly green - the wheat is ready and the rapeseed crops are ripe. In fact, Zegang's parents are back there now, pulling in the harvest. Back in 2001 and 2002, we spent some time there, since on May first, all of China goes on a national holiday for a week in observation of International Labor Day. It was a great excuse for us to get out of the city (Chengdu) and visit Zegang’s hometown during the warm (but not too hot) weather.

This weekend, I had Ritz scan some of my film to a CD. What a treat – many of the photos probably aren’t worthy of being placed in Bamboo Village Press, but they bring back sweet memories to my heart. The photos I've linked here are unedited - the film versions are much richer in color!

Harvest

May is harvest time for wheat and rapeseed (canola). In HeJiaWan, this means all the adult men and women go to work, cutting the stalks by hand and carrying everything in on their backs. It’s hard work, since nothing there is mechanized and the village is in a valley.

Paddies

During this time, the paddies are also being prepped for rice planting. Paddies are not only used for rice – they’re also home to carp! I was quite surprised to learn that fishing here isn’t done with fishing poles. For that matter, it’s not usually accomplished with nets, either! People wade into the mud and drag their hands through the muck, occasionally coming up with a huge carp between their fingers and palms: unbelievable! (and delicious!)

To prep the paddy for fishing, we first beat the water with long bamboo poles to scare the fish into the corners.

You can see more photos in my shop, or in my flickr album.

early inspiration

2007-05-11T22:47:00.000-04:00

I found this tonight and had to share. This performance had such an impact on my young heart, I feel it's connection to this very project of reaching out in whatever small way I can... And so I give you: Harry Belafonte, Turn the World Around.

Guests in the House

2007-05-10T10:26:00.000-04:00

We've got new designs! Laurie's been busy, and has 4 new designs she's making available in the shop. Better than that, there's also talk of a dragon! How kewl is that? She's gearing up to open her own etsy shop, so be on the lookout!

Just listed this week are 2 small prints:

We've actually got even more in the pipelines: a local artist and friend has donated some beautiful felted bowls. I just have to take some photos and get them posted. That should happen over the weekend.

As for our first sponsored child, I'm just waiting on some photos and details of the girl's story so I can share her with you. In fact, I met her on our last trip, and it was her story, in part, that inspired this whole thing to get off the ground. So it means a lot to me that she'll be the first recipient of our efforts.

It's a Sign!

2007-05-07T09:22:00.000-04:00

One of the fun (and sometimes frustrating) things about traveling in China is the frequently problematic English - on signs, menus, instructions... just about everywhere!

We were visiting Wuzhizhou Island off the coast of Hainan this winter when we encountered this sign - just a case in point.

I was recently thoroughly entertained by a broadcast on NPR which addressed this very topic. Take a listen! I'm sure you'll enjoy it, too.

2007-05-06T19:56:00.000-04:00

Looking for some awesome Chinese language resources? You can't beat Chinese Pod, a wonderful Chinese language instruction podcast that comes to us every day (that's right, folks - EVERY DAY!) from Shanghai.

Another tool I always have handy is an online Chinese dictionary... ever so handy.

long weekend

2007-04-30T17:13:00.000-04:00

I grew up on Cape Cod. Needless to say, China, and especially Sichuan, is a world away. This weekend, we drove up there for some business, and I spent a while at the "boardwalk beach" in Sandwich, MA.

We're getting ready to post some information on a girl we plan to sponsor through funds raised in my etsy shop. I'm really excited, not only that we might sponsor someone so early, but that it's a girl, and her story... well, it's really amazing. I can't wait to see how this unfolds.

the pearler

2007-04-19T22:25:00.000-04:00

This morning, I woke up, put on the coffee, and sat down at the computer, per the usual morning routine. Much to my delight, I learned quickly that one of my recent additions to the shop sold! It's not so much the sale that delights me, though that is exciting and wonderful, it's the idea that these things that I've seen with my own eyes have connected with someone's heart. Here she is, a pearl seller I photographed in Hainan, China last December:

I'm really looking forward to the weekend. I plan on completing my Treasure Map, assembling some Buddha Belly cards, and printing more iron-ons on Saturday, updating the bamboovillage.org site with the recent totals (hint, we've now surpassed $200!) and then doing some sewing! Yes, you heard me right... I've got some beautiful Asian patterned delights in mind. I should be ready for an update of new items on the Press come the beginning of May. New etched glass, more China photos, a fresh illustration from Laurie, and what a beautiful thing this is: a whole new section for Guest Artists. I'm terribly excited about this!

end of week wrap

2007-04-13T16:32:00.000-04:00

Ooh, it's been a busy week in the Bamboo Village! Over last weekend I made quite a few sales, and then I had to get busy and do all the fulfillment! It was very exciting and quite addicting. I actually lost sleep on Saturday night, I was so full of ideas and excitement.

In addition to purchases made through the Etsy shop, I also was quite humbled to receive 2 direct donations! I have to get busy and make this more official. I have a bank account set up for the Fund, but no tax ID number yet. Must get that done very soon.

I also sent out an intro to everyone on my mailing list this week. That was very daunting and scary! But I did it and was warmed by the response. Bamboo Village was mentioned and linked on two blogs that I am aware of this week, so that was quite awesome.

It's going to be a busy weekend, but I'll check in somehow!
Zai jain

cards on the brain

2007-04-08T20:30:00.000-04:00

Last night I couldn't sleep, I was so into my etsy thoughts. Here are two corny new cards that will soon be ready for upload... you may or may not find these funny, but they kept me chuckling all day long:

It's a logo!

2007-04-08T20:25:00.000-04:00

I commissioned our resident artiste for a logo for Bamboo Village --- of course our logo and mascot had to be a panda. This is our preliminary sketch....

presenting, Panda: