holiday

A Case of Holiday Madness

The activity level at Bad Feather HQ during the month of December can best be described as elfin. Handmade activity was at an all-time high, as we all abandoned our computers and dedicated all resources to making, baking and packing for the holidays.

Some time ago we decided buttons would be the perfect holiday goody and so, this Fall we set to work designing buttons and buttons and buttons until we selected the 20 best (the 2009 holiday edition, if you will). During the first week of December, while Brad and Heather headed to Miami for a dose of art and sun (did we mention we brought back a hambone and mustache cream as souvenirs?), the ladies of Bad Feather held down the fort and made a mound of nearly a thousand buttons.

The second week of December we decided it was time to explore our stop-motion curiosity, because of course a video is the perfect way to send a holiday message to the world. We created a quick storyboard and began cutting and taping a forest worth of paper feather trees. For the next two weeks we slowly crafted our set, including an ice skating pond and airplane. In retrospect, the hours of photographing and editing that followed were nothing…

And then there was the question of what to give to our friends and family? Cookies of course! One week before Christmas we all headed home to our respective kitchens with many pounds of sugar, butter and all those ingredients that make the word a better place. We returned the next morning each with dozens of dozens of cookies, of which we ate quite a few.

And so we packed, we labeled and we mailed. We battled the local post office which twice returned our button packages (the second time on Christmas Eve!). We designed, we edited, we emailed and eventually we all headed off (just a bit exhausted) to our respective holiday activities. Perhaps we took on too much, but it sure was fun. Thanks to all who have since sent us thanks and compliments – we hope you ate your cookies, are proudly wearing some very bad buttons, and that all enjoyed our holiday video experiment. Happy New Year!

Have you heard 2010 is the year of the Bad Feather?

Feeling Generous?

The holidays are a time for giving (and let’s not forget tax season is nearly upon us). We thought we’d bring a few of the great non-profits we work with to your attention, should you be feeling that generous itch:

The Poetry Project fosters and inspires the reading and writing of contemporary poetry through its live programming, workshops, publications, website and special events. You can make a donation and with your help the Project will continue to be central to a thriving community and will be here for generations of poets and artists to come..

Hot Bread Kitchen is more than a bakery. It’s a non-profit social enterprise that enhances the future for immigrant women and preserves baking traditions. There’s still time to order one of their tasty holiday gift boxes. You can also make a donation to support the future of Hot Bread Kitchen.

Radius Books is a non-profit publishing company based in Santa Fe that encourages, promotes, and publishes books of artistic and cultural value for a wide audience. Consider joining the membership program, which provides the critical financial foundation that makes Radius Books a vital promoter of the visual arts. You can also make a charitable donation.