Fat Positive Gifts and Cards - from Vintage Postcards

It's hard to find art and products that show illustrations or images of women who aren't thin. I've written about this before and how I think it's really important to seek out fat positive body images and display them in your space. I decided this year to add to the small amount of offerings of fat positive images and since I am no artist, I decided to use my collection of vintage fat postcards.

I've been collecting fat comic postcards from the 1900's to the 1950's for many years now. There are many that are negative (most of these I don't buy), but also there are many that I see as positive. Postcards with sexy fat ladies with pin-up looks or smiling happy fat folks with positive messages. Did they mean them positively? I choose to think that they did. Usually the fat people are happy and sexy and the people around them seem to enjoy their company. These all seem to point to a positive message.  And you know, even if the artists who drew these images were trying to be negative, I don't care -  I am claiming them with pride as fat positive messages from the past! I refuse to think that vintage postcards that talk about the virtues of having more of a large lady to love was meant as anything other than the truth.

I've created a small line of cards and gifts using these vintage images. You can get greeting cards, magnets or prints (matted or unmatted) in the shop now. You also have the option of choosing which cards or print you want.  I hope you enjoy this collection of vintage fat images and that they can give your day a little lift.

July is International Zine Month

Happy International Zine Month! What, you didn't get me a card? Ok, well, you still have time to make one and send it off.

International Zine Month is a new thing for 2009 and it is official. I have referred to July as Zine Season for the last several years. Anyone who is used to getting ready for the Portland Zine Symposium (or any annual zine event) is probably familiar with zine season.

July is International Zine Month also because of the 24-hour Zine Thing Challenge that happens every July. There are also a lot of other events taking place all over. Here is a listing of events. Also there is always a large list of zine events on We Make Zines, too.

Nicole Introvert of Click Clack Distro organized a zine to correlate with International Zine Month. It is called Entry Point and it is a compilation zine of 17 zinesters stories of how they got involved in zines. I have contributed a page. here is a peak of it:




I am going to include a free copy of this zine in every order from PonyBoy Press from now till July 31st. You can also pick one up at the Portland Zine Symposium.

I just finished reading it today and I really enjoyed it. Here are two quotes from it that I really liked:

This is one of the strongest lessons I have learned from zines: scatter your joy widely, and remember that it is your joy. Creation. Nerdy fuckin' creation. Nothing, then something.
(john, spurzine@gmail.com)

I asked "Why do you keep saying 'zine'?" Her reply was, "Because magazines are for maggots!"
(nicole introvert, click clack distro)

PonyBoy Press Giveaway!

Hello Everyone,

It is a Friday early evening and all is quiet in internet land. I just decided that this would be a good time to do my very first giveaway!

What you will win is this lovely Project Planner Journal. These planning journals give you a space to draw your idea and a space to write about it. Very handy and a good way to keep up on all your crafty and decor ideas.


In order to win this handmade (bound with embroidery thread and gocco printed) Make Something Project Planner, all you have to do is leave a comment here and tell me about a project that has been on your to do list for a while. You don't need to divulge any trade secrets, just a general idea of a project you have been meaning to do for a while. My personal list keeps growing and growing!

The winner will be picked at random next Saturday, Feb 28th. You have till Friday, Feb 27th, at midnight to enter. Feel free to pass on the giveaway by letting your friends know.

Yay, I am excited about this. Looking forward to hearing your comments.

{edit: If you are leaving an anonymous message, please make sure to leave your name and email address}

Free Shipping Deal at The Cedar Chest

I just decided to do a free shipping deal for The Cedar Chest! I believe this is the first time I have done that. Sale goes through 12/12. See the shop introduction for more info.

Etsy Buy Handmade thecedarchest

I made something!

Today I got the chance to do make some more project planners. I have been wanting to do some for a while, but wanted to do try a gocco cover instead. Here is a link to the style of ones I did before. I will probably do some of those again at some point.


So, now there are Make Something Project Planners in the shop! These have pages for drawing your idea at the top and writing about it on the bottom. I love mine. There are library pockets in the front and back for swatches, images or whatever.


I also made some 5 x 7 prints, too. These are a great little item for people's inspiration board or work room. They are all done on recycled manila folders. Both make great gifts.


I am pretty happy with how they turned out. I like the idea of people thinking of "make some thing" as not just crafts, too.

New Pillowcases

Hello. I did a little printing of some pillowcases last weekend and they are now in the shop. I think they look better in real life than in the pics. I took these on a dark and stormy night and I have to say my pillows are not the most photogenic. At any rate, I hope you can see the cuteness that is these pillowcases.


If you want to get one for a friend (or yourself!) mention this post and I will include a zine of my house fictions. Perfect bedtime reading for these pillowcases.

These pillowcases are all vintage and can be washed and dried in the machine.

some things i forgot to mention...

I have been adding more stock to The Cedar Chest. Expect some more really great vintage postcard books soon.

Etsy Buy Handmade thecedarchest

Also, a little while ago I started the Fat Activist Network. I have seen We Make Zines (also a network I started) really flourish in the few months it has been in existence. We now have 556 members and people are really using it. I could see how this would be a really great resource for fat activism. So, one afternoon over brunch Carrie and I discussed it and I went home and signed us up.

The Fat Activist Network is a place for all people who are fighting for Fat Rights to come together. We can use the place to connect and network and plan. If you are a size equality activist, please join us there.




Visit Fat Activist Network

sunshine

This weekend was very warm, sunny and dry. I spent a couple of hours today running around looking for black paper for the Current Resident zines. I never found it. I finally came home and ordered it online. When I came home the sunlight was hitting the garden so perfectly. They were so bright and beautiful. I don't think these photos I took really captured it.

In the background of this photo you can see the little bit of my geranium that is coming back.

I added a cute new print in my shop this morning. It is made from a vintage game card and vintage wallpaper. It comes in the oval black mat with backing.



Oh and by the way I added a poll to the side bar of my blog. Please chime in, won't you? I would appreciate it. Hope your weekend was grand.

zine broadside

Hello. A few days ago I added to my shop some zine broadsides. Broadsides were something that were especially popular in the 60's and early 70's. They combined poetry and art by presenting the poem as a piece of art, something you would hang on the wall, often they were illustrated and some were poster size.

I was copying one of my zines a while ago and thought how sad it was that people don't see it in color. That is when I thought to do it as a broadside. It took me almost a year to finally do it, but I did. Here it is.

It is from Imaginary Life #3, which is a zine of four little zines, one for each season.

SEPTEMBER SALE!

I just marked down some things in my shop for the first time! I am ready to get some things moved out and restock with new items. Stop by the shop to see what is on sale! 20-35% off! Sale goes till Sept 6th!

Maybe you can start your Christmas shopping early. I already have a couple presents squirreled away.

FIGURE 8 #5 - in the shop now!

Figure 8 #5 is a little different. It is a Rainy Day Activity Book!

Yep, coloring pages, puzzles, connect-the-dots. It is lots of fun. This issue focuses on self-love. Give your self some love and fun and get a copy.

will you be the 300th sale?

I am close to 300 sales on my PonyBoy Press shop on Etsy. In celebration of this milestone, whoever hits that number 300 will get a special gift in their order.

So, you know, have at it!

zine month

Yesterday I turned over the calender to August and looked at the days. Many of them are already marked off with plans, including the weekend of the 23rd when the zine symposium takes place. I looked at the little boxes and suddenly got very revved up to do a new issue of Figure 8 and get all my zines reprinted that need reprinting. We will see how much I get done, but I am glad the motivation kicked in. I was wondering where it was.

So far today I made a lot more gocco covers for Current Resident #2. That is what the picture above is of. I made them with my gocco printer and I sure love using it. I forget how gratifying it is.

Today I also added a three pack of Current Resident zines to the shop.

Well, better get back to work. I claimed this weekend my zine work weekend. I will see Steve, of course, and go to the Chunky Dunk, but other than that I will be working on the zines! Yay!

monday fives

I am very pleased with this recent picture I took. It is for a cute Oregon Souvenir I added to The Cedar Chest this weekend.

I think I will do this meme I saw on Creature Comforts today.

Ten years ago:
1. I had been back for a couple months from my visit to the Pacific Northwest and longing to be up there.
2. I was writing and recording lots of songs on my uke and guitar
3. Doing a radio show at Stanford U
4. Running a clothing store in Palo Alto
5. Spending too much money on records

Five things in today's "To Do" list:
1. Work on the new home page design for work
2. Figure out new products we are adding
3. Go grocery shopping for lunch stuff.
4. Do yoga
5. eat some more fruit

Snacks I enjoy:
1. berries and cherries
2. cheese and crackers
3. smoked salmon
4. sushi
5. cake

Things I would do if I were a millionaire:
1. Start an awesome easy listening radio station
2. Buy a big house on a Washington Island
3. Buy an old school and create a fat community center
4. Give money to some people.
5. Travel

Places I have lived:
1. Ventura, Ca
2. Sacramento, Ca
3. Oakland, Ca
4. Mountain View, Ca
5. Portland, Or

new things from The Cedar Chest

Etsy Buy Handmade thecedarchest

sale at ponyboy press

From Now till June 15th! All craft items (zines not included, sorry) get free shipping! If you order, just wait and I will send you an updated invoice. Come in for a visit!

free shipping sale!

In honor of my upcoming days off and the hours of beautiful empty time I imagine in front of me (and it never is quite like that, huh?) I am going to offer up a free shipping sale. My first sale ever!

Buy anything between tonight and Friday the 23rd and you will get free shipping from either shops - PonyBoy Press and The Cedar Chest! Just write "Yay Free Shipping!" in the comments and I will send you a corrected invoice with no shipping on it.

This is one of my favorite things in The Cedar Chest:




















Here is the first few things on my to do list for the upcoming five days:

• Bake some things
• clean up craft room (this is eternal. I should just get a list of memo pads printed up with this printed at the top of each page!)
• paint magazine holders
• finish current resident zine
• go to Ikea
• see some friends
• swim
• go to iprc and reading frenzy
• 
  

a view of my evening

I now have Imaginary Life #6 restocked in the shop.

I am going to go watch "About a Son" now.

New Magnet Sets

Tonight I spent a few good hours in the craft den making magnet sets and listening to a cd I haven't listened to in years and then writing about it.

I am going to try and do a regular music post on my other blog. I have a large music library and I haven't listened to most of it in a long time. I want to go through and listen to the stuff that I really loved at one time and revisit it, see if I still like it and share it with people. You can find them all through the tag My Music Lessons.

And, new French Vocab magnet sets are now in the shop.

I think it is time for a midnight snack.

Hope you have a good weekend!

Shop Update at The Cedar Chest

Etsy Buy Handmade thecedarchest