Okay, I'm making the forbidden back-to-back posts here -- something that I pounce on, and scold for in another location -- but I knew this post would take up a lot of space, and wanted to make things easier for those who might want to skip it altogether.

I asked permission to post the current Joggles newsletter here, for those of you who might be interested in exploring the website, or who might be looking for a new creative outlet. If you have a few spare HOURS to explore cool stuff, go to: www.joggles.com.

Here is today's newsletter:



Hi everyone and welcome to Sunday,

After what seemed like an endless spell of hot, humid, wilt inspiring weather I awoke this morning to cool, drier air and a breeze. To say that this is a relief could only be described as a huge understatement. I feel more energetic and excited about life in general when its nice like this and Im sure you all do too. Whats even more exciting is that this change, a breath of fresh air so to speak, comes on the morning when I have an exciting new project to share with you, one that lets me expand Joggles in a direction Ive long been interested in. Have I piqued your curiosity? Well good! Read on

When Joggles began four years ago I was working full time in Boston and began on a bit of a whim at the behest of Julie McCullough of Magic Threads. During the ensuing years much has changed. I left my job two and a half years ago to concentrate full time on Joggles and never looked back. Weve grown to selling far more than doll supplies and now employ two full time people and four part timers in addition to yours truly. One consistent theme for me has been a wealth of ideas and new things I have wanted to try in terms of how to expand and grow the business. I always have ideas; whats lacking is the time to implement them. This new project is one that has been brewing for close to 18 months now. Jess and I began to talk about this back in early 2006 and unlike some of the possibilities we discuss, this one took hold and never let us forget.

So, after 18 months of gestation (I feel like Im giving birth, which makes this a good metaphor!) Im very pleased to let you know that Joggles is expanding into print publications! Our first adventure will be a one time special publication which will present the results of a brand new challenge more about that in a moment and the first of what I hope will be many such publications over the next few years. My expectation is that this will expand to become a regularly scheduled periodical, though at this time I have no definitive idea what that might be not the content or the schedule - yet. Like any new baby, this one will take time to grow and will need to find its own way in the world. To say that Im excited would barely capture the overwhelming sense of what I feel!

So, more about this challenge After a lot of thought and discussion, Jess and I have decided that shoes would be the basis this time. With all of the altering and embellishing thats been happening over the last several years we wanted to find something that hadnt already been done, done again, and then overdone till everyone was tired of hearing about it. While I have seen some altered shoes, it seemed as though this was one article of clothing that had not been fully explored and the perfect canvas for further discovery. Pick a shoe and do something cool with it is really what this challenge boils down to. Gather your favorite materials and just create. Or if youre more of a planner sketch, ponder, debate, and then create! What you do to your shoe, how you alter it, is entirely up to you as is what type of shoe to use.

After additional discussion, we decided not only to feature the challenge entries in the publication, but to also have some articles that explored techniques and presented projects from the how to perspective. The challenge will not only extend to all of you (and anyone else who wishes to participate this is not limited to Joggles customers) but also to a very special group of artists I have invited to contribute. These are folks whose work I admire greatly and who have not only graciously agreed to create for the challenge, but have also agreed to write a how to article. That list includes many names you will recognize Maureen Blackman, Sue Bleiweiss, Patti Culea, Patricia Dibona, Gail Ellspermann, Sherrill Kahn, Jane LaFazio, Julie McCullough, Adele Scortino, Judy Skeel, and perhaps more. There are still artists I have to make contact with. Im grateful to this talented group who think this is a good idea too and are willing to dive in with me! I think the challenge and publication will be something very special. By default it is just because these wonderful artists have agreed to join the fun. I know it will be even better based on the art you all create and enter.

Please follow this link to read much more about the challenge:

http://www.joggles.com/shoe-challenge.htm

I have one other good thing to share with you today Im incredibly fortunate to have one child whom I not only adore, but whom I think is a terrific human being that I get to work with each day. Jess makes me proud of her in so many obvious ways and in ones that she isnt even aware of. Dont get me wrong, we butt heads and argue with some regularity. Simon refers to her as Mini Me, meaning shes a miniature version of me ala the Austin Powers movies. Any two people who are so alike are bound to have differences, but whats amazing is that 18 months after she came to work for me she still comes back each day and Ive not changed the lock on the door to keep her out! As a child she was always creative she draws much better than I do and has always dabbled in a variety of things that interested her. Today I have a new tutorial to share with you; one that Jess created and wrote herself based on her experiments with one of the paper mache lunchboxes we received a couple of weeks ago. I was half aware of what she was doing, but was totally blown away when I saw the results. I hope that you all like it too! Follow this link to read Jess Théâtre de L'Amour tutorial:

http://www.joggles.com/theatre-tutorial.htm

BOOKS & MAGAZINES: Last Sunday I told you about the crush of new magazines and today I have one more to add the new issue of Quilting Arts is here! Follow this link to see the August/September 2007 issue of Quilting Arts:

http://rd.joggles.com/?pf=13801

Or go here to see all of the new magazines from the last couple of weeks:

http://www.joggles.com/store/catalog/products_new_script.php?newcat=2

There are six new books this week and three of them are about Kumihimo. Ive been very interested in this specialized form of braiding since Patti Culea mentioned it to me several years ago. While the subject is fascinating, one impediment to a lot of people learning more about Kumihimo has been the cost of the equipment. Up until now that is. We recently received two braiding discs which are produced in Japan and are a low cost way to try Kumihimo. The discs both include instructions written in Japanese which is great if youre fluent in the language. For those who arent, part of the instructions (more than enough to get started with) have been translated by Helen Deighan into English. I mention this because Helen also has a brand new book that is devoted solely to using these two discs to create Kumihimo braids. This book, Beautiful Braiding Made Easy, is one of the three Kumihimo books that are new today. Follow this link to see Beautiful Braiding Made Easy:

http://rd.joggles.com/?pf=13835

Go here to see both styles of the Kumihimo discs there is one to make round braids and another to make flat ones:

http://rd.joggles.com/?pt=32_99

Go here to see the Beginners Guide to Braiding:

http://rd.joggles.com/?pf=13833

Follow this link to see Making Kumihimo:

http://rd.joggles.com/?pf=13834

Our other new books this week span a wide area of the art world with one about scrapbooking, another about using Photoshop, and the last that talks about casting cool stuff from a variety of materials. Follow this link to see Out of Bounds: Scrapbooking Without Boundaries:

http://rd.joggles.com/?pf=13836

The Photoshop enthusiasts who want to dig deeper and learn more about this incredibly rich program may enjoy this next new book; Photoshop Pro Photography Handbook:

http://rd.joggles.com/?pf=13837

Our last new book, Casting for Crafters, is one of those that defies categorization since it works with many types of media to create a broad range of art. From concrete to making cool stuff for your yard and garden to resin jewelry, this book covers a lot of territory! Follow this link to take a peek inside:

http://rd.joggles.com/?pf=13838

Books that have come back into stock include Pretty Little Things, Beginners Guide to Feltmaking, Vintage Pop-up Cards, Edges and Finishes in Machine Embroidery, Dreamscapes in Ribbon Embroidery and Stumpwork, Papercrafts Workshop, and Fantastic Fairies and Their Friends just to name a few!

Pretty Little Things was first published about 8 months ago and remains a nice book. Its got great projects inside and is a visual pleasure to read and peruse. Follow this link to see Pretty Little Things:

http://rd.joggles.com/?pf=10441

Beginners Guide to Feltmaking is also a nice book and its return is timely given that weve received so much wool over the last couple of weeks. Follow this link to see the book:

http://rd.joggles.com/?pf=9031

Go here to see all of the stuff for making felt whether youre an experienced feltmaker or just getting started we have the stuff you need:

http://rd.joggles.com/?pt=277

Vintage Pop-up Cards is a fairly recent book that we added several months ago. It continues to sell since the novelty of creating those pop-ups hasnt worn off! Follow this link to see the book:

http://rd.joggles.com/?pf=11619

Edges and Finishes in Machine Embroidery is like the Energizer Bunny of Books it just continues to sell and sell. This is an oldie but goodie which you can see here:

http://rd.joggles.com/?pf=1660

Dreamscapes in Ribbon Embroidery and Stumpwork is another book that weve carried for a while and one that is visually stunning once you open the pages. Anyone who is interested in ribbon embroidery will find it hard to resist! Follow this link to see Dreamscapes Ribbon Embroidery and Stumpwork:

http://rd.joggles.com/?pf=9134

Go here if you need ribbon embroidery supplies we sell all kinds of wonderful silk ribbon, other books, and more:

http://rd.joggles.com/?pt=290_691_469

Papercrafts Workshop is a great book for anyone new to this art form who isnt entirely sure where to begin. It has plenty of good information and techniques and will get you started on the road to creating with paper. Follow this link to see the book:

http://rd.joggles.com/?pf=13252

Fantastic Fairies and Their Friends is a silly little book sure to make you smile as you create the silly little creatures detailed throughout. Go here to see the book and be ready to grin:

http://rd.joggles.com/?pf=9739

To see all of the books that have come back into stock, go here:

http://www.joggles.com/store/catalog/products_back_in_stock_script.php?biscat=1

PATTERNS: Just in is Cyndi Mahlstadts lovely mermaid pattern called Under the Sea. If you love mermaids youre going to love this pattern! Follow this link to see her:

http://rd.joggles.com/?pf=277

Patti Culea also checked in with an order this week that included her tome set, itsy bitsy turning tubes, and a couple of other patterns. If youve not begun to make the Tome series and want all 12 patterns its an easy buy with one click since we sell the patterns individually and as a set. Follow this link to see the patterns and those ever-important turning tubes:

http://rd.joggles.com/?pt=21_63

An order of Design and Planning Concepts patterns also rolled in last week. From purses to interesting wearables, these patterns will get your creative juices flowing. Go here to see them:

http://rd.joggles.com/?pt=21_265

FABRIC: Brand spanking new is a collection of batik fabrics from Bali Fabrications Princess Mirah collection. These are not only new to us, but are brand new styles that were released at spring Quilt Market. Because theyre custom dyed in Bali it takes time for them to arrive once the order has been submitted. Jess uploaded half of the collection the other day which you can see here:

http://rd.joggles.com/?pt=30_755

Are they just too yummy? Whats great is that you can tell which specific fabrics are from the same color family and will therefore coordinate by the name. If you see fabric named Orchid Reef you know that anything with that name will work with the others. Of course you can coordinate totally different styles as well. Dont be afraid of color just go for it!

Last week we received an order of wool felt from National NonWovens that I was able to put back into stock. This week the girls were able to make some of the samplers in both the mini and full sized versions. Follow this link to see the samplers, yardage, and precut pieces of National NonWovens wool felt:

http://rd.joggles.com/?pt=30_256

EMBELLISHMENTS: There is a lot to talk about here this week we had a seemingly endless variety of embellishment type items arrived recently. I know many of you have been waiting for The Face to come back into stock. It took a while (please accept my apologies for the delay!), but we have the Basic Face, Winged Face, and Hooded Face all back in stock. Follow this link where you can see them all:

http://rd.joggles.com/?pt=77_490

Prismacolor Pencils also arrived last week. We restocked the sets of 12 and 24, plus I have taken further markdowns on the larger sets (72, 90, and 120 if youve always wanted a set heres your chance to get one at a reduced price!) that I do not plan to stock any longer. Follow this link to see the open stock pencils, the sets, and the sets that are on sale:

http://rd.joggles.com/?pt=34_588

Along the same line, we received a new set of 12 of Shiva Paintsticks, restocked the Iridescent set of 12 and some of the mini sets. These are oil paint in a stick form and are big fun to use with mini molding mats or rubbing plates to create surface textures. Follow this link to see the Shiva Paintstick sets and individual color sticks:

http://rd.joggles.com/?pt=34_325

Easy Metal Leaf also came back into stock. Whats cool about this stuff is that you can use it on a variety of surfaces including fabric. Just change the method of adhesion based on the surface and you can add metal leafing almost anyplace. Follow this link to see the four colors of Easy Metal Leaf as well as the Easy Metal Size:

http://rd.joggles.com/?pt=34_576

Some wire ribbon flowers are back in stock too I like these and find them a bit more elegant that the usual dime store ribbon flowers. Go here to see them:

http://rd.joggles.com/?pt=290_691_461_704

PURSE HANDLES: We just received brand new wood and natural materials purse handles. These are from an order I placed at a show months ago and forgot about until they arrived a short while ago Too many shows, too many goodies ordered to keep track of them all! There are some very nice, very unusual styles that I think youre going to like. Theyre quite different from the run of the mill handles you usually see which is why I was so excited about them. Go here to see the new purse handles youll see the ones from this week and the ones Jess posted a couple of weeks ago:

http://www.joggles.com/store/catalog/products_new_script.php?newcat=10

RUBBERSTAMPS: After a delay that went on longer than I would have liked, we have finally received an order of the ColorBox Mini Molding Mats. These are essentially unmounted rubber stamps that you can use with polymer clay, Shiva Paintsticks, or wherever youd normally use an unmounted stamp. Follow this link to see the Mini Molding Mats:

http://rd.joggles.com/?pt=473_518

If youve used premade rubber stamps and have always wondered about carving your own I can tell you that its actually not all that difficult. I tried it a couple of years ago and was pleasantly surprised with my results. If you want to give it a try we just received an order of supplies you can use. Go here to see them:

http://rd.joggles.com/?pt=473_476&p=3

PAINTS: All Purpose Inks and Fantastix are back in stock! Go here to see all of the colors and the two styles of Fantastix:

http://rd.joggles.com/?pt=387_52

POLYMER CLAY: Back in stock are Puppen Fimo and Premo Sculpey clays. Go here for Puppen Fimo (fabulous for sculpting dolls):

http://rd.joggles.com/?pt=194_306

And here for Premo Sculpey:

http://rd.joggles.com/?pt=194_535

Thats it for this week except for my usual reminder about online classes. This session is drawing to a close, but there are still ones you can enroll in. Go here to see them:

http://www.joggles.com/onlineclasses.htm

I hope you will not only participate in the Shoe Challenge but will spread the word to your friends and other artists from the various online and in person communities. Im so looking forward to seeing what everyone creates!

Heres the link to the challenge details again:

http://www.joggles.com/shoe-challenge.htm

Enjoy the rest of the weekend. Make art and have fun!

Barb

www.joggles.com
"Everything for the cloth doll, mixed media & textile artist"

UNSUBSCRIBE INFORMATION: You are receiving this newsletter because your Joggles account "Email Notifications" is turned on. To unsubscribe either login to your account and uncheck the newsletter subscriptions checkbox or reply to this email with "Unsubscribe" in the subject.