Urban Outfitters rips off another indie designer!!!

BEWARE OF URBAN OUTFITTERS.....
They strike again ripping off an indie designer and reworking their design & selling it with their label. They are renound for this and it MUST STOP!

Here is the rip off version from 2006and here is the original Johnny Cupcakes versioin from 2004!!!

Read more about it here.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?
-Re-post this & these photos/this link on websites.
-E-mail this to anyone & everyone you know.
-Support more independent shops & boutiques, rather than feeding your dollars to a company that is fine with cheating real companies.
-Please let me know me if you come across any other Johnny Cupcake-ish designs in the Urban Outfitters stores.
-And you can purchase the real deal -- Johnny Cupcakes shirts here .

WEEKEND events!

Friday is Gallery Night here in Milwaukee.

At the Paper Boat we are showing "Lumberjack Lolitas" work by Amanda Kindgren.

Next door at Fasten Clothing Co-op there will be....
PLUS I will have a letter (which letter you may ask???? well, it's the "L") up in a collaborative project at Walkers Point Center for the Arts. Chris Silva a Chicago-based "street artist" has an original installation along with You Are Beautiful (check out this site!!) who are sharing the space.On the exhibition’s close, the bulk of the artwork will become reconfigured in the form of various public installations. I somehow spaced out photographing my piece before I dropped it off so I'll have to wait until the show to post pictures.

SATURDAY in CHICAGO I will oddly enough be at the Empty Bottle for two events:
The Handmade Market from 12-4:30pm where I'll have a varity of things including some Valentine's goodies...


THEN at 10:00 pm my band Wooden Robot will be playing a show with Califone.
This is our first time in 4.5 years as a band to play in Chicago and our first show out in over 6 months....how exciting. We play second at 11:00 pm right before Califone.

Paper Boat press...

A cool article featuring the Paper Boat and talking about the indie craft scene (and its future effects on the museum world and galleries), small Milwaukee businesses and a interview of sorts with me can be viewed at mnartists.org.

Crafts are in the press EVERYWHERE, watch out world.

hearts hearts & hearts.

New projects from this week.... Interested? Drop a line.

Getting stuff done....

So I guess when you own a shop you put up your Valentines Day display pretty much right after New Years.... these are the types of things I am still getting a grasp on. Thinking about Summer style and fashion when the grey duldrums of Winter are in your face daily......


I also have to think in the same manner for Flying Fish to give myself time to be creative and think about what seasonal items I may want to introduce. I know all of you fashionitias are thinking, well duh, but it's really a hard adjustment for me. Plus, I usually don't do Holiday-centric lines..... I did make these lil' guys last week to sell at the shop and at a few other retailers. I am a straight up sucker for Valentines Day, not the commercial idea of buying bullshit for someone you care about but the idea of crushes and true love and making little sweet notes to give to your peeps.

These felt heart patches were my first attempt of using my gocco on fabric. It's pretty easy, but it used a ton of ink since the lines are heavy and the felt soaks it all up. I put these for sale up on my etsy shop if you would like to rock one on your hoodie or send it to a pal.....

These big peace patches were also recently screened. Orginally they were for the renegade craft fair back in September. The weekend of that show was also the weekend of a big war protest in Washington D.C. I thought it would be good to show some solidiarity, but cut myself short on time.

I'm determined to make the things I've planned on, even if it is 5 months later!

Recent Press Clippings....

Just catching up on all sorts of odds and ends today. Letter's, scanning in press clippings, emails.....






Flying Fish Design was recently featured in CURB Magazine in the Style section, I don't make these bags anymore but it's cool regardless... PLUS I'm on the same page as the Fashion Ninja who is a local friend of mine! CURB Magazine is "Creating A Balance for Wisconsin's Young Professionals", how the writer came across my stuff I do not know!




A bit cooler and a really great article on the New Wave of Craft is in this issue of Vital Source, a Milwaukee monthly paper. It's the cover story and the writer did a great job of capturing the ideals of the "scene" along with a shopping guide including many folks I know.... There is interviews with about 4-5 ladies including myself.... Pretty sweet Milwaukee!

My web shop should be going back up any day now..... I think I am all recovered!

What's gonna happen in 2006?

Things I am going to try to focus on in the next year:
• NOT taking on too many projects.
• NOT getting burned out!
• Projects that are for no reason (i.e. being creative with out a deadline of a show).
• Going to the gym.
• Reading, reading & more reading.
• My shop.
• Writing good ol' fashioned letters like I used too.
• Making my big new project happen, it's still a secret.....

For inspiration today~

Everyone should check out Miyuki Sakai's site. She is the amazing illustrator that works with Nylon Magazine sewing all the products..... free hand on her trusty machine! AMAZING!
Here are some images from her portfolio!!

WOW, right?!