"Weavers Words" Vol. 3 Iss. 99 Date Sent: February 07, 2000 Web Page: http://members.xoom.com/dgcollins/ Subscribers: 1323 David Collins 408 North Devon Avenue Indianapolis, IN 46219 Phone: (317) 899-5747 Fax: (520) 222-0391 davidc@iei.net %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Do You Like Weavers Words? Click Below To "Recommend-It" To A Friend! http://recommend-it.com/l.z.e?s=210339 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% The Basket Bookstore Stop by "Weavers Words Basketry Bookstore" for a great selection of basketry literature & save up to 40%. Over 40 titles to choose from. The address is: http://members.xoom.com/dgcollins/book.html %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Attention New Subscribers You can search Weaver's Words web page and back issues by going to Weaver's Words web page (http://members.xoom.com/dgcollins/) and entering your search criteria into the PinPoint search box. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Attention AOL Subscribers For some reason some AOL subscribers haven't been receiving Weaver's Words through email. If you are one of these subscribers, or know one of someone who has not been receiving Weaver's Words, you can get all of the issues on the Weaver's Words web page. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Hi Everyone, YOU MUST READ THIS MESSAGE! ! ! GET PAID TO SURF THE WEB! ! ! If I haven't already told you, I recently joined AllAdvantage.com, a cool new Internet company that pays its members to surf the Web. You never pay anything and you don't have to change how you surf. All you need to do to get paid is download the free AllAdvantage.com Viewbar and keep it on your screen while you surf! AllAdvantage.com has already paid its members hundreds of thousands of dollars, just for surfing the Web as they usually do. If you've already become an AllAdvantage.com member, SMART MOVE! If you haven't, now there are even more reasons to join, download your Viewbar and tell your friends: 1.AllAdvantage.com was rated the 12th most-visited property on the Web in October. 2.Last month, more than 30 AllAdvantage.com members earned well over US$1,000 EACH and the top earner pulled in more than US$4,400! 3.The company has more than 3 million members, but there are still 75 million active online users (in the US and Canada alone) who are waiting to hear about AllAdvantage.com and become members. Makes you think, huh? Make sure you're the first to tell them about it so you get paid while they surf! For the first 25 hours you're online using your Viewbar(tm) service: You're credited $.50 per hour. For the first 25 hours each direct referral spends online using their Viewbar(tm) service: They're credited $.50 per hour. You're credited $.10 per hour. For the first 25 hours each extended referral spends online with their Viewbar(tm) service: They're credited $.50 per hour. The member who referred them is credited $.10 per hour. You're credited $.05 per hour. Join now at http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BOK567 and please use my membership ID number (BOK567) when asked if you were referred by someone. Happy Surfing! David Member ID# BOK567 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Re: "Weavers Words" V. 3 I. 96 Date: Sat, 5 Feb 2000 21:43:26 -0600 From: Roberta R Comstock To: davidc@iei.net "Weavers Words" Vol. 3 Iss. 96 Bren - I think several of the basketry supply dealers carry (or did) the book you are looking for. (Hisako Sekijima, Akihiko Tokue (Photographer) "Basketry: Projects from Baskets to Grass Slippers") I know I've seen it in catalogs. You might start with the links from the WW website. Joanne - When I teach drawing or painting, we may do some required exercises on scrap material so the students can practice the techniques of the day, but when they paint on their final piece, they can paint what they want. Can you call the instructor ahead of time and ask about alternate designs? Bert Comstock Independence, MO %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Re: "Weavers Words" V. 3 I. 97 Date: Sat, 5 Feb 2000 21:45:17 -0600 From: Roberta R Comstock To: davidc@iei.net "Weavers Words" Vol. 3 Iss. 97 David - Your tips on making a good website answered many of the questions I didn't know enough to ask yet! Thank you! One of these days, I'll get it together. Deleana Adams - What a great cow & Kool-Aid story! LOL Kay - Your backpack basket doesn't sound cutesy to me. It sounds unique and fascinating. Mary Hooper - If you don't ask about switching the baskets in the library display case, you'll never know. Bert Comstock Independence, MO %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Tax Info Date: Sun, 6 Feb 2000 09:01:14 EST From: Wickrwoman@aol.com To: davidc@iei.net, mjhooper@mitchell.main.nc.us Mary Hooper, I'm not sure if what I have to tell you will answer your questions about sales taxes and inventories in your state, but here goes. My situation might be a bit more complicated than just a basketmaker, because I have several other facets to deal with. Not only am I a basketmaker and teacher, but I restore and sell antique wicker furniture, am an antique wicker furniture dealer, and have a small retail shop for cane and basket supplies which also doubles as my gallery for my deer antler basketry. Here in Minnesota, I have an inventory of raw basket materials, completed baskets, raw materials used in my wicker restoration for customers, plus retail antique wicker pieces, the materials I use in teaching classes, plus retail cane and basket materials, tools, books, etc. I am required to obtain a Minnesota State sales tax license and to charge sales tax on every completed basket or antique wicker piece I sell, plus any raw materials (reed, cane, tools, books, etc.), I sell to the public. Also, on my wicker restoration facet, I have to break down the materials, tax on those materials and my labor fee on my work invoices. If I don't and get audited, the IRS will assume that everything I did for that customer would be treated as a taxable sale, including my labor! Since the material costs in my profession are far lesser than my labor fee, it behooves me to separate out the two and do as the IRS says! Regarding the inventory question exactly, at the end of the year, I take a look back on my supply order list for that year, total up all the purchases, plus do a visual inventory of all the chairs I bought, baskets I made and still have in the shop, and all the half used hanks of reed, etc., and books and tools that make up my inventory for the year. I then subtract all the things that have been sold that are registered in my sales slips for that year, and that way I come up with my remaining inventory that gets carried over to the following year. It's my beginning inventory total amount for the following year. After reading that last paragraph, it doesn't make sense, I'll try again. When I work on the taxes, I take the beginning total from the current tax year, add to that all the things I bought and used as inventory during that year, then do the ending inventory and subtract that total from the total of the other two, and come up with the amount I use as a beginning inventory for the following tax year. Well, now, is that as clear as mud, or what? There are many books out on the market that deal with setting up craft inventories that explain this whole process much better than I can! One excellent book, I can't remember the exact title, but it's something like "The Business of Craft" by Scott, is excellent. He was the founder of The Craft's Report, and excellent, excellent craft magazine. By the way, they frequently address these sorts of questions in the magazine, and have a terrific archive of past issues. Check out their website at http://www.thecraftsreport.com Sylvia Landman has several good craft books out also that address these types of questions, check out her site at Sylvia's Studio http://users.rcn.com/sylvias-studio and then there's Barbara Brabec's website at http://www.crafter.com/brabec/ Hope this helps a bit! The Wicker Woman/Cathryn Peters/Zumbro Falls, Minnesota Wicker restoration specialist, basketmaker, teacher, author. http://www.wickerwoman.com/ http://wickerwoman.listbot.com/ Free Newsletter Wickrwoman@aol.com %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Weavers Words V. 31.97 Date: Sun, 6 Feb 2000 09:22:55 EST From: Wickrwoman@aol.com To: davidc@iei.net, mjhooper@mitchell.main.nc.us Mary Hooper, In answer to your question about displaying your baskets at the library, I wouldn't hesitate at all to ask them if you could change the display, nor worry about asking them to extend it. The library is there doing a public service and most of them welcome free displays. Sure, you are getting free advertising, and I would encourage you to play that up in any way you can, but by your offer of the baskets, it's also helping them fill a void in the display case! I have displayed at public libraries many times and can give you a couple of pointers that might be helpful. First of all, most libraries have a schedule set up for what and when they will display items and have specific times for set up and tear down, so double check with the person that schedules, you don't want to be late, or too early. Make sure you have signs made that clearly state who you are and how you can be contacted and what exactly it is that you are promoting. Do you just make baskets as a hobby and want to show them off, or are you in business and have them for sale, or teach and want to show what type of classes you offer, or what? Then, you need to be your own best promoter, go to the person in charge of the display and ask if they have written up a Public Service Announcement (PSA) for this display, if not, would they object to you doing so? Either way, make sure your article, telling who, what, when and where, ends up in all the local newspapers and on the community service announcements on all the radio stations that have that service! There is no cost for a PSA, if they announce happenings that are free and open to the public. Also contact your basket guild and any others around that you can think of or belong to, and write up a blurb to go into their next newsletter issue. Guild newsletter editors are clamoring for stuff to put in each issue and more than willing to promote the happenings in the basketry world. Hope this info helps you and others to promote this wonderful basketweaving world! The Wicker Woman/Cathryn Peters/Zumbro Falls, Minnesota Wicker restoration specialist, basketmaker, teacher, author. http://www.wickerwoman.com/ http://wickerwoman.listbot.com/ Free Newsletter Wickrwoman@aol.com %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Swap basket rcieved Date: Sun, 6 Feb 2000 08:44:04 -0800 (PST) From: Carol Miller To: davidc@iei.net Hello everyone, I have received a beautiful willow potato or garden basket, in the shape of a melon basket from Rae Hunter. I absolutely love it. As soon as I am done showing it off to all my friends it will be put to good use! Thank you Rae, Carol %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Re: "Weavers Words" V. 3 I. 97 Date: Sun, 6 Feb 2000 12:35:33 EST From: PBWEAVE@aol.com To: davidc@iei.net Thanks David for the web site tips. They are not easy to build for the amateur. Peggy B. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: saving info Date: Sun, 6 Feb 2000 12:56:03 -0500 From: "joline" To: Kay - I just read your tip for saving info we get from WW. I have tried to do this before and didn't know how. I had gotten as far as selecting the info and selecting copy, but didn't know where to paste it. I have a little computer knowledge, but not as much as I'd like. Thanks again. Joline from Maine where the wind is blowing agale today! %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Note for Weavers Words Date: Sun, 6 Feb 2000 13:12:23 -0600 From: "Anita Evans" To: David, I'm not sure how to comment to Weavers Words...I guess I've been a "lurker" since signing up...I do thoroughly enjoy Weavers Words and add my Thanks to all the others... I am intrigued by the various ways that Retayne is being used...some use it in the dye and some in the rinse. I have always used it in the rinse. I've had very good luck using it this way. I dye my reed and rinse it briefly and then put the wet, dyed reed in a rinse containing a few ounces of Retayne. I soak it for 5-10 minutes in the rinse water and then hang it to dry. I generally dye in the back yard and I just use the hose to fill my rinse bucket so the rinse water is cold. I've not had any problem with bleeding from the dyed reed. Anita Evans/Omaha, NE %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: SWAP BASKET & Tax Date: Sun, 6 Feb 2000 15:41:34 -0600 From: "Crystal Drenner" To: Some one is the southern part of Georgia will be expecting something early in the week; it will be a breath of spring for you, since you have has a cold winter. TAXES When I used to file taxes for my basket business {now just a hobby in my spare time}. Everything had to be counted. Supplies, completed baskets, etc. I hope this helps. Crystal In Northwest Indiana %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Willow Date: Sun, 06 Feb 2000 16:35:22 -0800 From: Bob Kleppick To: "davidc@iei.net" Does anyone have an address of a nursery that sells basket willow? Hope your all enjoying the winter. We have been snowed in for three weeks here in the back woods of Wild Wonderful West Virginia. Bye, Bob Kleppick BC Arts & Crafts %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: WW Post Date: Sun, 6 Feb 2000 20:47:00 -0500 From: "Sarah Watts" To: I just had to let everyone know what a great time I had at the Atlanta Basketmakers' Gathering 2000! I came away with three beautiful baskets, I put faces to some WW names, and I found some ladies nearby to weave with! I made my very first Nantucket, and I think that I am helplessly hooked. It was a great class, and I'm soooooo pleased with my new basket! I also made the Four Twills tray woven on a pretty wooden base, and I had my first experience with naturals. Birch bark is wonderful to weave with! The little lidded tea basket I made with it is too cute! All in all, I think the ladies who organized this convention did a great job - much kudos to them! They fed us good food, gave out nice door prizes, and held a remarkable raffle. It was my first convention, and even though I was intimidated at first, it is definitely an experience that I want to repeat. Many thanks to them and to Weaver's Words for bringing it to my attention! Sarah Watts No longer a lone weaver here in Savannah, GA! %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Basket Making Proposition Date: Sun, 6 Feb 2000 21:55:59 -0600 From: "Robert Haygens" To: Hello fellow weavers, Just wanted to put the word out to see what type of feedback or interest that I might have in this subject. I've been approached about the possibility of making 1500 baskets by September of this year (yep, your read it correctly!) and I can by no means make that many in 3 years much less 6 months. I don't know if I'll get the order but if I do, I'll at least have a plan in action. Was wondering if any of you weavers would be interested in being paid to weave some baskets. I would provide the material (Oak & Reed), pay for the shipping to and from your place & pay you per basket that you weave. All you would have to do is weave a round double spoke bottom basket 13"w at the bottom and 13" H and 20"wide at the top. If you are interested and desire more information, please e-mail Robert Haygens at haygens@alaweb.com Thank you %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Re: "Weavers Words" V. 3 I. 98 Date: Sun, 6 Feb 2000 22:17:50 -0600 From: Roberta R Comstock To: davidc@iei.net "Weavers Words" Vol. 3 Iss. 98 Helen (Schwartz) - Excellent advice about coordinating the library display extension or rebooking. Thanks! Tony Stubblefield - Our term (Bob's & mine) for your computer problems, which always seem to come at inopportune times, is 'The Perversiy of Inanimate Objects'. Glad to hear that the Mo Convention book is ok. It will undoubtedly be worth the wait. Today (Sun, Feb 6) I taught my Looping Sampler Basket Pouch at the Woven Circle Guild meeting. I was delighted with the turnout of 14 students. Three hours was not really long enough to finish the project, which I normally consider a 6-hour class, but everyone made good progress and was well started on the side wall by the end of the meeting. I agreed to help anyone who has problems with the finishing if they bring the basket to a future meeting. I can see I need to make up some more looping tools (toothbrush handle with brush cut off & tapered to a point, like a fat needle) and assemble some more kits in the most popular color combinations. A smaller looped basket that Can be finished in 3 hours may also be a good idea. Two of the friends I recruited played hostess for me, serving little heart shaped sandwiches, carrots with dip, seedcake, and assorted hot drinks (tea, cocoa, instant cider). And a good time seems to have been had by all. Oh, yes, one more thing -- My swap basket will be going out via priority mail on Tuesday, but should reach the Far Far Northwest before Valentine's Day. I was thinking the deadline was a full month after the partners were assigned. Ooops! I must admit that once I realized I was running late, I stalled a bit more to add some finishing touches and get good pictures taken. Didn't want to rush it out before it seemed right. I apologize to Dolores & my partner for the delay. Bert Comstock, Independence, MO %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Atlanta convention Date: Mon, 7 Feb 2000 06:50:06 -0500 From: "eskbaskets(Elizabeth S. Kourkounakis)" To: "david collins" Hello everyone from Betty Kourkounakis in snowy NE Ohio! Just returned from Atlanta, where the guilds there did another superb job with their convention. This was my second year teaching there- what a nice bunch of people, and the food alone is worth the trip!!! I spent some time talking to Beverly Seegert on Saturday. For those of you who don't know her, she is a basketmaker from Blissfield, Michigan who publishes a really cool basket maker's magazine called Black Creek Country News. I've been subscribing to her magazine for a couple years now. She always includes patterns, profiles of various basketmakers, tips on dyeing, gathering naturals, etc- just a wealth of information. If you want to check out her website, the address is: www.flash.net/~jonbouy/blackcreek.html. Her email add. is bseege@tc3net.com . You will be able to get a taste of the magazine on the website, and there is subscription information as well. So long for now, until some of us meet again at the NCBA convention in March. -Betty %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Basket Swap Date: Mon, 7 Feb 2000 08:14:57 EST From: JulieD1000@aol.com To: davidc@iei.net I would like to send a big thank you to Cindy Dunham for the wonderful casserole basket sent to me in the basket swap. I found that I have given so many baskets to friends and family that I never have my own to tote to a gathering. The basket she sent is a perfect size and has handles for carrying. Thanks so much, Cindy! Julie Dziewisz in Watertown, NY %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Re: "Weavers Words" V. 3 I. 98 Date: Mon, 7 Feb 2000 10:25:34 EST From: SUSANRDGRS@aol.com To: davidc@iei.net Hi to all - Joanne in Hawaii...... It is Ritz Periwinkle powdered dye. If you can't find it let me know. I tried to email you -- but it bounced back as unknown (rr.hawaii.com) Hope all is well with you. Did Lois get her material? David did my message get trough about mini-overlay stencils? Suzi O. Rodgers West Bath Maine %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Baskets for food Date: Mon, 7 Feb 2000 10:25:46 -0500 From: "Angie Wagner" To: "David" Hi all. Re: are baskets safe for foodstuffs? - I believe that they are - with a cloth or napkin between the food and the basket. The reed is treated with methyl bromide (an insecticide) before in enters the US. This is the same chemical that all produce is treated with before it is allowed into the US and it is regulated by the EPA. The reed has no more residue than grapes. You wash the grapes before you eat them and you "wash" reed in water before you weave with it. Any basket gets dirty as it sits around, I would be more worried about the dirt getting on my food then any chemical residue that might be left after dyeing or processing. With a liner of some sort, serving food in a basket is fine. Angie in PA The Country Seat http://www.countryseat.com %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Re: "Weavers Words" V. 3 I. 98 Date: Mon, 7 Feb 2000 07:49:23 -0800 From: "Sherm" To: "David Collins" Ok I'm sure we all want to know, when's the next swap!! I can't take this anymore. Have to get involved. To Deb in Chicago, where've ya been lady!! %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Gourds Date: Mon, 07 Feb 2000 11:31:36 -0800 From: Kathleen Cox To: davidc@iei.net David, let me first thank you for the wonderful job you do for all of the basket weavers. I thoroughly enjoy all that participates and can't wait for the next one to come out. Marianne, the Gourd farm is run by A very wonderful person named Lena Braswell. She farms several acres of gourds. And it's always a delight to go visit. It is about one and one half to two hrs east of Atlanta Ga. or about twenty miles west of Augusta, Ga. off of Interstate 20. Turn south at Thompson, GA for nineteen miles on highway17 to Wrens. The town is having a gourd festival March 25. Would be a great time to go. You are right about the Gourd Museum close to Cleveland, GA. The other two towns near are Clarksville and Helen, Ga. in the edge of the North Georgia Mts. The Museum is in a Farm House and it to is well worth a trip to see. These can be found off highway441. Hope this will give you enough info. Let me say thanks to all my fellow guild members that did the work putting on the Gathering 2000 this weekend. It was A great convention with lots of wonderful teachers and lots of beautiful baskets made. Kathleen %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: It's Here-It's Here! Date: Mon, 7 Feb 2000 16:51:02 -0500 From: "Ingram" To: Hello Everyone! Good things come to those who wait....couldn't be truer today. I received THREE BASKETS from my swap partner, Pat Paul, from Kalamazoo! The first is a beautiful egg basket, with perfectly shaped "butts", and green leather and seagrass accents. It is gorgeous and is hanging on my basket tree in my craft room for inspiration. The second two baskets are miniatures of natural materials. One is cylindrical and plaited, the other is a rectangular one with a myriad of cool natural stuff in it! She also included some handmade gorgeous basket tags that I have already put to use. Thanks to Pat for such a great box of goodies!! Another thanks to Tony for so promptly answering an email for me. I will be putting your advice to work this weekend on staining with tea. It has to smell allot better than my sweetgum balls. On that subject--it's time to pick up the sweetgum balls now! My son only asks that I don't go near the country club where his high school golf team practices. Last year, I could be seen walking along the private drive to the club with a cardboard box, picking up sweetgum balls. His friends razzed him for that one! Take care everyone, happy weaving. I'm ready for the next swap!! Leigh in Laurinburg %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: working with leather Date: Mon, 07 Feb 2000 18:05:38 -0500 From: Alan Beebe To: davidc@iei.net A friend of mine in Spain saw an issue of your basketmaking newsletter, in which someone asked about making baskets with leather. She asked me to forward her recommendation for a book: LEATHER BRAIDING de Bruce Grant el ISBN-0-87033-039-X. It is a classic on working with leather, braiding, and making handles and baskets. I hope this helps. Alan Beebe %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: SWAP BASKET arrived!! Date: Mon, 7 Feb 2000 18:42:36 -0500 From: "Sarah Watts" To: Hi everyone! I just wanted to let ya'll know that my swap basket arrived today, and it is beautiful! Crystal Drenner from DeMotte, IN sent me a pretty wall basket called an iris basket. It is so called because there are three iris-shaped overlays on the front of it. She did a wonderful job - I am most impressed and very happy! She also sent some yummy vanilla lotion (my favorite scent!) and an adorable matching set of kitchen towel and potholder. Many thanks to her for the touch of spring she sent me. I have had a spectacular basket week :) Sarah Watts Savannah, GA %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% If for any you would ever like to cancel your subscription, simply send me a message with "unsubscribe" as your subject.