(almost) nothing new

Taking some time off

2011-04-19T16:41:00.000-07:00

I was about to pull the plug on this blog altogether this afternoon when I decided the more sensible option is to just put the whole thing on hold for a bit and decide where I want to go with it. It's been a hectic few weeks; my dad has been in the hospital for a month now and I'm securing plans for my temporary return to Ohio. Although the circumstances are sad, I'm looking forward to taking some time out for my family as well as myself. While helping my dad heal, I'll be seeking out my own creative focus. Thanks to all who have stopped by the site. I'll keep you posted.

Mental Disorder Poster Series

2011-03-30T18:09:00.001-07:00

from Adapt Creative

RM 100

2011-03-30T18:01:00.000-07:00

I'm totally digging ReadyMade's Top 100 Projects of the Year. Pictured is the Glass Act chandelier.

T-Shirt Market Bags

2011-03-21T15:10:00.000-07:00

I've been sewing like a fiend! This batch of t-shirt market bags is for Wild Carrot Cuisine and will be screen printed with the Wild Carrot logo. Available for purchase at the Wild Carrot Cuisine booth at the Sheboygan Winter Farmer's Market.

Next I'll be cranking out a batch that will be available for purchase at Sheboygan's local food co-op, Goodside Grocery. Goodside is set to to open May 4 and they are in need of memberships so they can stock their shelves. So if you're a Sheboyganite and are not already a member, do not pass go, do not collect $200, go directly to get your membership!

The T-Shirt Chair

2011-03-09T14:35:00.000-08:00

Winner of the 2011 Green Furniture Award. Design by Maria Westerberg.

Recent Projects

2011-03-01T15:58:00.001-08:00

Wood bead necklaces requested by a local pastor to give as gifts to his confirmation class.

'Thank You' postcards for Chicago musician Emily White to send out to friends who house and feed her while on the road.

Button Mancala. Just for fun.

Best Wisconsin Protest Signs

2011-02-28T17:39:00.001-08:00

Enjoy this link to the 100 best protest signs from Wisconsin's capitol. I saw so many brilliant and funny handmade signs on Saturday that I had to share.

A New Take on Milk Crate Storage

2011-02-24T14:27:00.001-08:00

via apartment therapy

'Nothing New' Revisited

2011-02-10T16:03:00.000-08:00

After some unexpected, costly care repairs, I've been reexamining my finances. I want to pay off my credit card debt and establish a savings fund so that when emergencies arise (such as costly car repairs) I can pay for them with cash and not my credit card. To help me achieve this goal, I'm going back to my 'nothing new' ways with a new creative challenge:

Starting today, February 10, 2011, I will not purchase any art materials or tools, new or used, until my credit card debt is completely paid off.

I have three desired outcomes in mind for this challenge. First, I should be able to pay down the debt faster by diverting art funds to my debt. Second, I'll be using up all these miscellaneous materials I have laying around instead of accumulating more. Third, I will be forcing myself to discover some creative design solutions that I otherwise would not have considered. Creativity arises out of limitation, so here we go!

Paint Swatch Valentines

2011-02-08T16:18:00.001-08:00

Saw this brilliant idea on craftgawker today. Love!

Up in the Air

2011-02-02T17:42:00.000-08:00

I'm taking a brief hiatus from making while I figure out my living situation/studio space. In the meantime, I'll keep posting lots of inspiration that I find on the interweb. Please stand by...

Dwell's Salvage Resource Map

2011-02-02T17:29:00.000-08:00

Dwell magazine is collecting locations to score salvaged goods for a map on its website. Brilliant! Follow the link and add your favorite scrapyard.

(map by Aaron Foster)

Bag Monster

2011-01-31T13:42:00.000-08:00

bagmonster.com

Cake Tins!

2011-01-29T07:25:00.001-08:00

1 of 10 Upcycled Art Projects on Apartment Therapy.

Two Days in to 2011

2011-01-02T11:44:00.000-08:00

Every New Year's Eve, my friends Kate and Hannah host a potluck where everyone brings a dish they've never made before. For 2011 I tried my hand at some bacon-balsamic deviled eggs, although I think Baker and Chelsea's vegan version won the popular vote. This year I'm resolving to cook more so at least I'm starting off on the right foot.

Bacon-balsamic deviled eggs by me, plated by Kate

Baker & Chelsea's vegan deviled endives

The hostesses with the mostesses

Third Annual Local Yokel Yuletide Craft Swap!!!

2010-11-07T08:48:00.000-08:00

"I want to live in a society where people are intoxicated with the joy of making things." -William S. Copperthwaite

Artists, crafters, makers, tinkerers, and hobbyists of all creative disciplines and ability levels are invited to bring their wares to trade and sell at the third annual LOCAL YOKEL YULETIDE CRAFT SWAP on SUNDAY, DECEMBER 12, kindly hosted by Paradigm Coffee & Music, 1202 North 8th St, Sheboygan. Whatever your creative niche...knitting, baking, pottery, poetry, jewelry, stationary, photography, drawing, origami, macrame, lapidary, lithography, papier mache...bring some to trade!

WHY A CRAFT SWAP AND NOT YOUR TYPICAL CRAFT SALE? Good question. Our intention for this event is to encourage our community to express their creativity and give locally handmade gifts for the holiday season. Although we HIGHLY ENCOURAGE bartering for other handmade goods (more fun!), you can also buy and sell for money if you choose (boring).

SET UP BEGINS AT 10AM! NO SOONER PLEASE! The swap takes place from 12pm-4pm. Approximately 4' of table space will be provided for each vendor.

Oh yeah, and ADMISSION IS TOTALLY FREE! No booth fees either. What a deal!

RSVP is not necessary, but STRONGLY ENCOURAGED so that we know how many swappers to expect. Please send a shout out to: paradigmbooking@gmail.com. Thanks!

{a}nn @ paradigm

2010-10-14T11:12:00.000-07:00

Jewelry now available for purchase at Paradigm Coffee & Music, 1202 N. Eighth St, Sheboygan. $15 for necklaces, $10 for earrings.

Use It or Give it Away

2010-10-07T17:45:00.001-07:00

My current mantra as I sort through all the material I've collected over the past 2 years. Destination: minimalism.

A Tribute to Esme

2010-09-28T18:30:00.001-07:00

A Tribute to Esme: Journey of Grief & Healing
October 1- January 14, 2011
YWCA Women's Art Gallery

Opening Reception
Friday, October 1, 6-8 pm

On March 7, 2009, just weeks after her 13th birthday, Esme Louise Kenney was abducted and killed while jogging across the street from her home by a known murderer and sex offender. Outraged by this crime against a vibrant young woman, friends, family and community reached out to honor her memory by submitting quilt squares for the Esme Kenney Memorial Quilt. Esme's mother, Lisa Siders-Kenney has bravely and generously stepped forward in organizing this exhibit for the YWCA Women's Art Gallery.

The YWCA supports all efforts to stop violence and make our community safer for women and children and is honored to present this exhibit including the first showing of the Esme Kenney Memorial Quilt. Quilts by Esme and her mother, Lisa, will also be on display as well as works by other fabric artists paying tribute to her memory.

Other Artists:
Leslie Alexandria, Amy Bogard, Ruby Brooke, Denise Burge, Judi Langewish Clausen, Kelly Frigard, Ali Hansen, Terry Hancock Mangat, Michelle Miller, Tina Westerkamp, Sherry Lynn Wood

The Women's Art Gallery is located in downtown Cincinnati, 898 Walnut Street, 45202, at the corner of 9th and Walnut across from the Public Library. For more information, call the YWCA at (513) 241-7090.

Earthfest Photos

2010-09-05T14:47:00.000-07:00

The plastic bag vest commissioned by Chris Kuehnel earlier this year.

Now that it's Labor Day Weekend, signifying the close of summer, I'm so relieved to be done with the heat and done with shows for a bit. Holiday show applications are all in, now I just wait and see. September will be spent breaking in my new studio space and working on a very special quilt.

The Majestic Plastic Bag - A Mockumentary

2010-08-17T19:59:00.000-07:00

EARTHFEST!

2010-08-14T13:15:00.000-07:00

{A}NN will be there both days, sharing a booth with up-and-coming crafter extraordinaire, Willa Leannah.

Cardboard Box Postcards

2010-08-11T14:54:00.000-07:00

Workshop Photos

2010-08-01T12:29:00.000-07:00

from the Plastic Bag Balloons Workshop held at Vollrath Park, July 31, 2010. Sponsored by the Sheboygan Visual Artists. See more photos on Frank Juarez's flickr site.

Due to rain in the morning, for the AM session we had a plastic bag rope challenge to see who could make the strongest rope out of plastic bags. To test the strength of the ropes, we had children of increasing weight swing from them. Two teams combined efforts to create a rope that held an 80 lb. 6th grader.

Art in the Parks

2010-07-20T20:49:00.001-07:00

Plastic Bag Balloons Workshop
Saturday, July 31 at Vollrath Park
AM Session: 9:30-11:30
PM Session: 1:00-3:00
sponsored by the Sheboygan Visual Artists

Participants are encouraged to bring their own disposable plastic shopping bags from home to use in the construction of temporary inflatable sculptures. Bags will be recycled after the workshop.

And check out sheboyganvisualartists.com for other exciting Art in the Parks projects throughout Sheboygan this summer!

{A}NN @ NOMO Expo

2010-07-05T19:01:00.000-07:00

Celebrate the shift from petrol-powered to people-powered transportation at this Nonmotorized Expo! See bicycle choreography, hear a bike orchestra, learn to repair your bike or make handlebar streamers, pinwheels, spoke cards and more in a Bike Bling workshop. Carry all you can in a Load-A-Bike contest to benefit local food pantries. Plus open mic, live music with Peter Mulvey and different fun activities each day celebrate Sheboygan as one of just four U.S. cities chosen for a federal NOMO pilot project. Not all activities are offered all days, so please check the John Michael Kohler Art Center's website for additional information.

I will be at the Expo on Sunday, July 11 from 10-4 selling my wares. I also have a bicycle basket made from disposable plastic shopping bags, (soon to have a matching pair of paniers), in the NOMO exhibition.

Elkhart Lake Farmer's & Artisans Market

2010-05-28T19:30:00.000-07:00

Saturdays (beginning June 5) from 8:30am-12:30pm
In downtown Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin

I'll be at the market on June 12, 19, 26, and July 3 selling my recycled wares. Expect to see lots of market bags, some made from T-shirts, and others made from disposable plastic bags. I'll have plastic bag baskets too.

Read more at the Elkhart Lake Chamber of Commerce website.

Spring Craft Swap

2010-05-28T19:13:00.001-07:00

June 13, 1-4pm
Paradigm Coffee & Music
1202 N. 8th St, Sheboygan, WI

Artists/Crafters/Makers: Bring your wares to trade and sell. All ability levels welcome! Set-up begins at noon, swap & sale from 1-4.

RSVP encouraged, but not necessary: paradigmbooking@gmail.com

Admission is FREE (no booth fees either!)

Good News and Bad News

2010-01-01T20:11:00.001-08:00

The bad news: I’m giving up the blog for a while. As evidenced by my inconsistency in posting, I just haven’t been feeling it. My inspiration is elsewhere, and the honest decision is to follow where it leads me. I don’t want to force anything.

The good news: Erica Jane Huntzinger and I are started a craft coalition! Made In Sheboygan will meet the first and third Wednesdays of each month; the first Wed we will meet at Erica’s house (email ellemimller@gmail.com for an address) and the third Wed will meet at Paradigm Coffee & Music, 1202 N. 8th St in Sheboygan, from 6-8ish pm, beginning January 6. All mediums and ability levels welcome.

Also, I’d like to note that during the holiday season I took on a seasonal position at a big box retailer (whom I will not name but will hint that it is a retailer that provides high-end design at low-end prices). It may seem ironic, contradictory perhaps, that the artist who didn’t buy anything new for a year is now working big box retail. However, I really like the job. I like the meditative repetition of shelf stocking, I like the early hours so that I have my day to myself, and I am excited about the possibility of health insurance in my near future. My art-making explores consumerism objectively so working for a successful national retailer actually makes a lot of sense. I’m learning from the inside how it all works, and so far I’m finding it all fascinating.

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for my latest project…there’s always another one waiting in the wings.

Take care,

Michelle

Michael Johansson

2009-12-26T11:18:00.001-08:00

Green Piece, 2009 (installation view)
Green garden equipment.
Dimensions: 0.6 x 0.6 x 0,6 m.

Artist's website

upcoming shows

2009-12-04T12:20:00.001-08:00

SAT 12.05.09
Holiday Art Market
Deland Community Center
901 Broughton Dr, Sheboygan, WI
9am-4pm
{hardware jewelry}

View Larger Map

FRI 12.11.09
Holiday Open House
Sweatshop Dance Studios
1229 N. Water St, Sheboygan, WI
5-8pm
{hardware jewelry}

SUN 12.20.09
Local Yokel Yuletide Craft Swap
Paradigm Coffee & Music
1202 N. 8th St, Sheboygan, WI
1-4pm
{hardware jewelry}

SUN 01.24.10
Eight Counties Opening
John Michael Kohler Arts Center
608 New York Ave, Sheboygan, WI
11am-3pm
{Battery Cloud installation}

plastic snowflakes

2009-12-01T09:49:00.000-08:00

Clever little snowflake made from six-pack rings. This project inspired me to create a new label, "Why didn't I think of that??" Full instructions are here.

Happy Black Friday {aka 'Buy Nothing Day'}

2009-11-27T10:10:00.000-08:00

This link popped up on my daily wiki-how gadget:
How to Escape Materialism and Find Happiness

from the gallery to the compost pile

2009-11-19T20:24:00.000-08:00

Sacks of Potatoes photo {top} by Brad Allen.

Esme Kenney Memorial Sculpture Project

2009-11-18T20:37:00.001-08:00

{drawing by Jessie Henson}
A project that is near and dear to my heart. Read more about the project in today's article in the Cincinnati Enquirer and be sure to check out the project blog.

obsessively sorting buttons

2009-11-17T10:01:00.000-08:00

vuja de

2009-11-12T14:01:00.000-08:00

"Vuja De" is the inverse of "deja vu;" it's looking around at very familiar territory with new eyes; "like a traveler." Inspiring lecture about how to pay closer attention and observe details that are easily overlooked.

double fortune

2009-11-03T15:16:00.000-08:00

I got a fortune cookie the other day with 2 fortunes!

"Appreciate the caring people who surround you."

~and~

"Don't give up. Your problem gets better next month."

ART SAVES THE DAY

2009-10-29T10:33:00.000-07:00

These past few weeks have felt like a rollercoaster, extreme highs and lows. I experienced moments of intense panic and fear that I haven't felt in a long time. For some reason, I let myself go there.

I'm happy to report that it's October 29 and I have enough money to pay my rent, 3 days before it's due. And the money came through from my art sales. Wow. I am humbled, grateful, giddy, and exhausted. Panic and despair waste a lot of energy.

Once again, I got myself into a situation that seemed hopeless. And once again, a solution appeared. How many times must I fall into the safety net before I let myself trust?

I've said and typed the words 'thank you' so many times this past week that they don't feel adequate to express the gratitude I feel. But it's all the English language has to offer. Thank you to everyone that purchased my work.

Thank you.

TIMON TUPPER ART TRADE

2009-10-28T13:07:00.000-07:00

My friend Timon Tupper brought me his damaged jacket (pictured above) and proposed that I patch it for an art trade. The wedding of my friends, Brit and Paul, was fast approaching, so I asked him to do a painting that I could give as a wedding gift. Here are the results. (P&B were thrilled!)

NAME YOUR PRICE & PAY MY RENT

2009-10-23T10:45:00.000-07:00

Name your own price for a pair of handmade hardware earrings, made by me with love and gratitude ($10 suggested donation). The Name-Your-Price-And-Pay-My-Rent sale is grab-bag style so if the pair you receive isn't quite your style, they make great gifts. The cotter pin earrings pictured are just one of many styles up for grabs. (Also, a few necklaces are available to those without pierced ears. Please specify.)

Payments are through PayPal and can be made using the Donate button at the bottom of this post. Be sure to include your current address so I know where to send your earrings!

Thank you for your support.

SHOW PHOTOS

2009-10-23T10:31:00.001-07:00

As promised, photos from the THIS IS ONLY A TEST opening, courtesy of Paul Andrews.

POOR, NEGLECTED BLOG

2009-10-21T11:18:00.000-07:00

So when I'm feeling up to it, I will have an abundance of posts about my adventures this past month. I went to Boulder, CO for the Big Feed, went to Ohio for a wedding, visited a couple MFA programs, had an art show, and helped move a whole coffee shop with muscles not motors. With no coffee shop this month while the new one is being built out, my internet access has been scarce and hence a lack of posts.

I'm sitting in EBCO right now reflecting on the amazing month I've had and the subsequent lack of funds in my bank account. I've been out of a job as the coffee shop moves from one location to another. The job was yanked out from under my feet after my travelling plans and art show plans were already set in motion. Pushing fear out of my view, I went forward with these plans and continued to dare to trust that ends would meet at the end of the month. I even thought I would sell some art. I am now 10 days away from my rent being due with no idea how that will happen.

The month has been full of so many blessings; I've been able to catch up with so many old friends, make some new ones, and I was able to display my work in a well-received show. Yet today, it feels like I made a series of mistakes. Instead of travelling, making, and LIVING, I should have been working. I should have applied at the temp agency weeks ago, and foregone my visits and art. This is the message I'm receiving and I'm so confused. Why am I wired to do work that doesn't pay the bills, that doesn't allow me to support myself? Why must I choose between feeling alive and making a living? How come my gifts continue to feel like burdens?

Where do I go from here?

SAVE A NEW DATE

2009-10-02T11:48:00.000-07:00

THIS IS ONLY A TEST
painting, sculpture, and installation by
Gregory Brulla, Erica Jane Huntzinger, and Michelle Ann Miller
Opening Reception
Saturday, October 17
6-9pm
EBCO Artworks
1201 Erie Ave, Sheboygan, WI

SCHMISCHMELLE SCHMILLER WEEK

2009-09-12T08:42:00.000-07:00

2006 Winner Stuart Hyatt

2007 Winner Adam Krandle

2008 Winner Kris Rusch

It's that time of year again, the time when we gather together at a bowling alley and compete for a handmade trophy in a tournament known as "Michelle Miller Week." This year's event will take place Monday, September 14 at Pine Grove Lanes in Howards Grove.

The first "Michelle Miller Week" took place at the end of my JMKAC/municipalWORKSHOP internship in Sheboygan, August 2006 and was loosely modelled after LebowskiFest. In August 2007 the tradition was kept alive to celebrate my move from Sheboygan to NYC. That year the name changed to "Elle Miller Week." In August 2008 I was in Delaware with the munici crew and another "Elle Miller Week" was observed. This year I'm not in transit (a highly unusual phenomenon) and so we will bowl.

(Oh yeah, just to make things more confusing, it's called "Michelle Miller Week" again.)

SAVE THE DATE

2009-09-09T14:56:00.000-07:00

THIS IS ONLY A TEST
painting, sculpture, and installation by
Gregory Brulla, Erica Jane Huntzinger, and Michelle Ann Miller
Opening Reception
Friday, October 16
6-9pm
EBCO Artworks
1201 Erie Ave, Sheboygan, WI

JOIN THE BUCKET BRIGADE!

2009-09-08T08:18:00.001-07:00

Kate and I paced it out. We need 96 people to really make this work. And it will...

ARTIST STATEMENT HAIKU

2009-09-04T08:19:00.000-07:00

The transformation
of mundane materials
into works of art.

OLAFUR ELIASSON

2009-08-31T08:43:00.001-07:00

LYRIC

2009-08-27T10:28:00.000-07:00

“Go on, go on, and scream and cry,
you’re miles from where anyone will find you.
This is nothing new,
no television crew,
they don’t even put on the sirens.”

from Star Witness by Neko Case

BREAK DOWN

2009-08-26T17:33:00.001-07:00

receipts//plastic bags//stained clothes

PORTRAIT

2009-08-25T09:06:00.000-07:00

photo by Hedrik Kerstens

BUCK

2009-08-22T11:23:00.000-07:00

Amy spotted him in her yard and snapped a photo while we were on the phone. Just another example of my recent animal magnetism.

FOR THE BIRDS

2009-08-21T14:48:00.000-07:00

Recalling the snake I saw shed it’s skin, I’ve had to shed some skin myself recently. By skin, I mean half my wardrobe. I left a tube of tinted lip balm in my pocket when I did my laundry, and now a load of my clothes have pink stains all over them. The amazing part is that most of the clothes that were ruined were from my Brooklyn era and I didn’t even like them much anymore. The favorite items that I wear regularly (like my white cardigan) are completely clean.

Typically I sell or donate my old clothes, but I can’t pass on clothing with stains. So I’ve been shredding the stained garments, breaking them down as much as I can with my hands (and some blades). I’m not sure what I’ll do with the shredded material exactly, that’s still TBD. However, I did offer up one shredded garment for the birds to use for nesting material. On my way back from the beach, the day I spotted the garter snake, I hit a bird with my truck. I turned back around to see if it was OK and unfortunately, it didn’t survive the collision. I made the nesting offering in the spot where I laid it’s little body to rest.

CURE FOR CONSUMERISM

2009-08-19T19:19:00.000-07:00

Spend one year working fashion retail in NYC. You’ll never want to spend any time in a store ever again. Seriously.

SERPENT SYMBOLS

2009-08-17T08:30:00.000-07:00

I've been bombarded with animal imagery lately, specifically snakes. When I house-sat for Kathy and Craig last month, I had to look after Sequoia's corn snake. I actually walked into the room as it was shedding it's skin. As much as snakes creep me out, it was a cool thing to witness.

Then a couple weeks later, while gathering stones along Lake Michigan, a garter snake slithered out of the brush, we acknowledged each other, and then it disappeared.

As I was thinking about these snakes, it occurred to me that my latest knitting project, a scarf out the book Twinkle's Town and Country Knits, is called, "The Serpentine Scarf."

So I've been busy gathering as much info on animal symbolism as I can. In general, snakes symbolize entering a new phase in life, "shedding one's old skin." Garter snakes in particular encourage us to give birth to lots of new ideas and to see them through, as garter snakes give live birth to lots of little baby snakes. And the corn snake, a climbing snake, urges us to reach to the top of our potential, to set our sights a little higher.

FENDER BLENDER

2009-08-17T08:24:00.000-07:00

The bicycle-powered blender was a big hit at Sheboygan's EARTHFEST this past weekend. (I got to peddle a couple slushies myself. Much harder than it looks).

OUTRAGEOUSLY HAPPY

2009-08-12T10:34:00.000-07:00

THE POST OF REVELATIONS

2009-08-11T15:16:00.000-07:00

I’ve been at a loss for posts recently. Instead of feeling guilty about it or forcing anything that doesn’t feel authentic, I’ve been rethinking the concept of this blog, redefining what it’s truly about. {almost} nothing new is no longer about devising cute and clever creative reuse techniques. That focus is too narrow, (although the documentation of the things I make will certainly continue to be an important component). I’ve had too many enchanting encounters these past couple weeks with no outlet to ruminate on them. It’s time to loosen the belt on “nothing new” and dwell on the spiritual side of things a bit.

I guess I haven’t posted in a while because it has felt so silly to document external things when so much has been going on internally. My blogging has always been about things/objects/matter/stuff and since the internal defines the external, it seems necessary to include the internal workings.

I’ve been thinking about “nothing new” in regards to my spiritual journey. Ideas that I have heard over and over again are finally sinking in. I used to think I needed this thing or that to make me happy, I used to think I NEEDED some THING outside myself. I’ve been moving from place to place, changing my address, my job, my love interests, even my NAME, all in hopes of finding the right combination of external circumstances that could finally make me happy. And although I had heard the truth over and over again, that "happiness begins within," I didn’t truly understand it until just recently. Everything I needed was there all along. The fact that I need nothing new to be happy is not a new concept.

So everything that I've been learning recently is nothing new. Anything I have to say/see/do has already been said/seen/done. So, if there is "nothing new under the sun," why bother doing anything at all? Why speak words that have already been spoken? Why make work that has already been made?

Because no one has said it exactly like me. Or you. Or you or you or you. We each have our own perspective to share, our own "remix" to produce. Although the content of this blog is nothing new, the specific combination and arrangement of content that I create is unique. It's {almost} nothing new.

Oh, and happy birthday Amy. Thanks for everything.

PLASTIC BAGS IN THE PRESS

2009-08-10T16:03:00.001-07:00

A couple recent news stories from NPR featuring my favorite medium-the plastic bag.

Seattle's Plastic Bag Debate
How Green Are Reusable Bags?

It may seem odd that as a collector and crocheter of plastic bags, I am totally 110% in favor of a fee that would help motivate buyers to bring their own bags. My relationship to plastic bags is one of divine dichotomy; I am drawn to them, inspired to experiment and play, while simultaneously I curse their existence. The Seattle article mentions the 'Great Garbage Patch' of plastic circulating in the Pacific Ocean. I first learned of the GGP from the book The World Without Us, and the idea of an island of plastic in the ocean is what keeps me coming back to the plastic bag as a medium. This stuff isn't going anywhere! We've got to figure out something to do with the bags (and other discarded plastics as well). And so I crochet...

MICHELLE ANN MILLER

2009-07-23T12:59:00.000-07:00

It just occurred to me that the initials for this project, ANN, spell out my middle name. 'Almost Nothing New' is literally my middle name.

On a side note, I'm transitioning away from Elle and back to Michelle. Elle had a good run, but after 3 years of frequent use, I still feel like deep down I'm a Michelle. Sorry for all of you that knew me originally as Michelle and finally got used to calling me Elle. I change my mind a lot.

GETTING WARMER...

2009-07-20T08:06:00.001-07:00

I'm getting SO CLOSE to a great bag design. These are good, but each time I finish one, I start a new one because I know how I can make it better. Off to the studio...

KNITTING UP A STORM

2009-07-13T16:12:00.001-07:00

My apologies for the inconsistency in posts, but my fingers have been busy knitting. Every chance I get, I seem to have a pair of needles in my hands. I've been exceptionally broke lately, so I'm using up my yarn reserves on a variety of small projects. It's extremely satisfying to finish a project AND clear out some of the mess in my yarn basket.

The meditative mindset that knitting puts me in has also been the ideal place to mentally prepare for my upcoming show at EBCO Artworks (more details on that later). With my sketchbook open beside me, I find that working leads my brain to ideas which leads to more ideas which leads to more ideas. It's an exciting time.

So with approximately 5 projects in process, look for pictures of finished products coming soon...

...In the meantime, you should check out brooklyn tweed.

FLASHDANCE TRIBUTE

2009-07-03T10:29:00.000-07:00

I'd like to take this post to pay tribute to Jennifer Beals, the Flashdance star who inspired the off-the-shoulder t-shirt alteration, henceforth making t-shirts and sweatshirts just a little sexier. My closet is still full of JB tees and I'd just like to say thanks. I would not be able to successfully sport so many second-hand tees without your contribution to fashion.

WORK SPACE

2009-06-28T14:48:00.000-07:00

Work space made from hollow-core doors, salvaged cabinet, second-hand shelf, and two new bricks. (I scored the chair from the EBCO Rummage Sale).

NATURAL COLLECTION

2009-06-25T10:50:00.000-07:00

My interior decorating strategy as of late has been to display the feathers, rocks, shells, sticks and so forth that I compulsively collect. As an artist, I just have to accept that nature is always going to have one up on me; it's the older sibling that will always be just a little bit better. So I keep it's remnants around me to inspire my own acts of creation.

SUMMER KNITTING

2009-06-24T16:46:00.001-07:00

I haven't knit in a few months and then all of a sudden, in 90 degree heat, I cranked out this hat in 3 days. The last time I attempted a hat I was following a pattern, it took several months, and the end result didn't even fit right so I ended up ripping it out and reusing the yarn. This one fits perfectly! No pattern, just divine inspiration I guess.

LAUNDRY DAY

2009-06-19T08:27:00.000-07:00

I can make it one more day without buying new underwear if I wear my bathing suit bottoms...

YAY OR NAY?

2009-06-17T16:18:00.000-07:00

These glasses belonged to my grandma and I'm deciding whether or not to get lenses put in them. They even have her initials, which are my initials (M. Miller). Opinions?

DRY ERASE BOARD

2009-06-17T16:16:00.001-07:00

PESTO ANYONE?

2009-06-06T10:59:00.000-07:00

This little box is going to save me a lot of money. Have you priced basil lately? It seems so silly to buy it when it's so easy to grow. Now accepting basil recipes...

SEEDS UP, HOES DOWN

2009-06-04T11:27:00.000-07:00

Monday was the first official day in the garden (the day spent measuring and gridding was only a warm-up). Growing my own food has been an important part of the (almost) nothing new lifestyle and since Wisconsin only offers a brief window of opportunity, I revel in this time of year. This year I'm working in Paradigm's garden, which will supply local organic produce to the cafe all summer long. In exchange, I get a ton of produce for my own pantry. The seeds are in the ground...now we add water and wait.

QUOTES FOR A THURSDAY

2009-05-28T15:38:00.000-07:00

"Too many people spend money they haven't earned, to buy things they don't want, to impress people they don't like" -Will Rogers

"People wish to be settled. Only as far as they are unsettled is there any hope for them." -Emerson

"It is preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else, that prevents us from living freely and nobly." -Bertrand Russell

"Change and growth take place when a person has risked himself and dares to become involved with experimenting with his own life." -Herbert Otto

"The truth of Zen, just a little bit of it, is what turns one's hum drum life, a life of monotonous, uninspiring commonplaceness, into one of art, full of genuine inner creativity." -D.T. Suzuki

{Gathered from Zen and the Art of Making a Living, Laurence G. Boldt}

OLD BRASS BED

2009-05-23T10:35:00.000-07:00

When I found the parts to an old brass bed at the thrift store for $12 I couldn't resist, even though they were missing the connector pieces. So I designed a way to connect an exposed box spring to the pieces using nuts and bolts. After an evening of struggling to make that work, a cinder block and zip tie solution finally did the trick.

MONDAY EP

2009-05-20T18:01:00.000-07:00

For their Monday EP, Brianna Lane and Cahalen David Morrison (together, Harbor Collective) deconstructed an old atlas to create unique, handmade CD sleeves. A customized name stamp adds the finishing touch. Get your own at CD Baby.

SUITCASE STORAGE

2009-05-19T07:54:00.000-07:00

I'm using old suitcases as storage containers. They look better than those big, plastic totes you see at box stores and when I'm ready to move (which seems to happen pretty frequently), I can just grab the handle and go.

ROAD TRIP READY

2009-05-13T17:09:00.001-07:00

Stopped by the library this afternoon to pick up a couple books on tape and some fresh music for my weekend road trip to West Virginia. Amy introduced me to the magnificence of driving to books on tape when she rescued me from New York.

RECENT FINDS

2009-05-12T11:46:00.000-07:00

I recently picked up this vintage Wisconsin sweatshirt, as well as the clothing stand which I'll be utilizing for upcoming clothing alteration projects.

LETS

2009-05-12T07:57:00.000-07:00

Local Exchange Trading Systems. Most of my graphic design services are offered on a bartering basis, so I'm very interested in LETS. Anyone have any additional info?

GO OUTSIDE. NOW.

2009-05-11T16:14:00.000-07:00

It's finally warming up here in Wisconsin and there's nothing like emerging from a long winter to make you appreciate the great outdoors. If I ever find myself feeling anxious, worrisome, etc, my coping mechanism is to simply spend some time outside. Photo taken atop Parnell Tower in Kettle Moraine.

MADE FROM SCRATCH

2009-05-10T09:41:00.000-07:00

A recent new purchase has been the book, Made from Scratch: Discovering the Pleasures of a Handmade Life. Jenna Woginrich is my age, works a full-time desk job, and has written a very practical, easy-to-read memoir about her adventures in self-sufficient living. A lot of the chapters aren't quite applicable to me in my yardless studio apartment, (beekeeping, chickens, house dogs, etc), but I mostly wanted to support a 26-year old writing about homesteading. Check out her blog, Cold Antler Farm.

ZIPPER REPAIR

2009-05-08T09:03:00.001-07:00

When the zipper on my favorite pair of pink pants stopped working, I thought I had to retire them. But low and behold, Arnst Zipper is located across the street! For $5.25, my pink pants will live on.

USING THINGS UP

2009-05-06T07:34:00.000-07:00

Came across a post on one of my favorite blogs, Re-Nest, about spring cleaning by means of using things up. I recently overheard some friends discussing skipping a week of grocery shopping and using up everything collecting dust in the cabinets. Brilliant.

I'm also reminded of a story I once heard about a girl, let's call her Betty. Betty was moving to the big city and knew that she would not be able to buy new clothes often because the big city is freakin' expensive. So Betty, being such a clever girl, divided her wardrobe into 3 mini-wardrobes. She took one of the mini-wardrobes with her when she moved to the city and when she got to that point where she felt like she had "nothing to wear," she had her mom ship her another wardrobe. Free new clothes! And Betty and her 3 mini-wardrobes lived happily ever after. (Until she got sick of the city and moved back to the Midwest).

DISHRACK

2009-05-03T15:24:00.001-07:00

Instead of buying a dishrack, I'm using a towel to dry my few dishes. (Besides, I really hate cleaning those things.)

HDMA

2009-05-01T07:31:00.000-07:00

map #W1, Guardo, Spain

Hand Drawn Map Association Open Studio

John Michael Kohler Arts Center
May 2, 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., Free

Map your day with artist and founder of the Hand Drawn Map Association, Kris Harzinski. Use a variety of materials to tell the story of your day- a routine day, a work day, a school day, or a special day- and then add your map to the collection of hand drawn maps on Harzinski’s website. The Hand Drawn Map Association is featured in the exhibition, All Over the Map.

Why buy a new map when you can draw your own?

AFRIGADGET

2009-04-30T13:07:00.000-07:00

AfriGadget: Solving everyday problems with African ingenuity.

PLASTIC BAG COASTERS

2009-04-29T11:43:00.000-07:00

PINK CHAIR SAGA CONT'D

2009-04-27T07:35:00.000-07:00

After watching the instructional video on sock darning that Amy sent, I tried it out on the pink chair. It's better, but I'll probably keep the quilt handy. I am excited to get a hold of some holey socks though...

SINGING LESSONS

2009-04-26T08:01:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege to hear one of the greatest voices of our time perform in Milwaukee last night; Neko Case. A well-seasoned performer, she was at the end of her tour and her voice remained pitch-perfect, clear as day throughout the show.

My appreciation for good vocals has grown over the past couple weeks as I’ve started taking voice lessons. Being surrounded by so much music, I wanted to learn to play something myself, but I don’t have the money to buy an instrument. So in the spirit of ‘nothing new,’ I’m starting with my voice because it’s built-in.

And no, don’t ask me to sing for you. Not yet.

LUCKY DAY!

2009-04-24T16:56:00.000-07:00

The Gods and Goddesses of the Goodwill have answered a long-standing prayer of mine. I've been coveting Amy's converted sewing machine for quite some time, and today I finally found a stand so that I can convert my own. And...it was 50% off furniture day! This beauty only set me back $32.50; in excellent condition too. I'll be sewing my way through the Apocalypse.

FOLDING TABLE

2009-04-23T09:08:00.000-07:00

Another "they don't make 'em like they used to," this metal table with 4 seats completely folds down to a suitcase! I picked it up from the Salvation Army across the street yesterday for $20. It will indefinitely serve as my kitchen table, until I need to pack it up for a game of Uno in the woods.

DRILL

2009-04-22T09:53:00.000-07:00

This bad boy came from the Habitat Restore and yes, I used it to install the ceiling tile bulletin board. They don't make 'em like they used to.

Oh yeah, Happy Earth Day.

RUNNING SHOES

2009-04-21T09:47:00.000-07:00

I gave up on running for a while. I was in college, and I couldn't afford new shoes, so I ran in the same pair of shoes for too long and ruined my knees. I'm easing myself back into it, with a good pair of shoes and a strategy to run on the ground instead of the sidewalk.

HYPERBOLIC CROCHET

2009-04-21T09:46:00.000-07:00

VACCUUM CLEANERS

2009-04-20T10:38:00.000-07:00

Used vacuum cleaners for sale on Michigan Ave, Sheboygan.

CEILING TILES

2009-04-19T17:15:00.001-07:00

Drop ceiling tiles make an excellent bulletin board. These 2' x 4' tiles were purchased from the Habitat for Humanity Restore in Sheboygan for fifty cents a piece and the quart of gray paint cost one dollar. Project inspired by my college roommate Magda Wala.

FRUIT BASKET

2009-04-18T13:25:00.001-07:00

Made from plastic shopping bags.

WATERING CAN

2009-04-16T08:04:00.001-07:00

Although I like the charm of an old metal watering can, I like the simplicity of just using something that I already have. One less thing cluttering up my space.

SOME THOUGHTS ON PROCESS...

2009-04-15T07:52:00.000-07:00

"I don't care too much about the medium. I don't even care too much about the object. I really care about the process." -Oliver Herring

I've been hand-sewing all of my quilt blocks. Sure, my sewing machine lives in South Carolina right now, but I truly prefer to hand-stitch. When using a machine, the process is exactly that-using a machine. More time is spent preparing the machine and fabric while the actual sewing takes little time and effort. Stitching by hand means every second is spent connecting one piece of fabric to another, stitch by stitch.

Also, when I use the sewing machine I feel once-removed from my material. I'm interacting with plastic knobs and metal gears, which are interacting with the fabric. I prefer to take out the middleman and alter the fabric with my own two hands. (This is perhaps why I've never taken to metalworking. There's too much safety gear standing between me and the material).

So my pieces take a long time, and I can't really price them to sell, but I enjoy the process. Ah, the trade-off.

DESIGNER SAMPLES

2009-04-14T09:06:00.000-07:00

In the top image, I'm using granite samples as coasters.
The quilt block is pieced together by interior design fabric samples.