[Nfb-krafters-korner] Intro and Questions

Tue Jul 13 12:00:00 UTC 2010

La;
The site is in this e-mail, just as I said.  I wonder why it would not work?
I will check it out today.

Terry

-----Original Message-----
From: slery [mailto:slerythema at insightbb.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, July 13, 2010 12:40 AM
To: 'List for blind crafters and artists'
Subject: Re: [Nfb-krafters-korner] Intro and Questions

Our classes are all taught by blind instructors and are held over the telephone. Classes are recorded and the participants (you must attend the
class) receive a copy of the recording to review as often as they like.

Cindy S.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nfb-krafters-korner-bounces at nfbnet.org
> [mailto:nfb-krafters-korner-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Eleni 
> Vamvakari
> Sent: Monday, July 12, 2010 8:13 PM
> To: List for blind crafters and artists
> Subject: Re: [Nfb-krafters-korner] Intro and Questions
> 
> 
> I will definitely do this as I'd love to learn but don't wish to 
> clutter the list with topics that have already been discussed.  I know 
> this list has a phone conference but I'm assuming that the classes are 
> in person.  If so, are any in or near New Jersey?
> 
> Thanks,
> Eleni
> 
> On 7/12/10, slery <slerythema at insightbb.com> wrote:
> > Eleni,
> >
> > Please check out our website (www.KraftersKorner.org) for a list of 
> > the classes that have been taught previously and that will
> be coming
> > up. We have had a coil basket weaving class in the past and
> Joyce, our
> > President, has taught one or more soap making classes.
> >
> > You also might want to check the archives for this list since there 
> > have been several messages regarding how a blind person
> would measure
> > essential oils.
> >
> > Joyce is currently on vacation this week but feel free to email her 
> > directly with questions regarding the soap making.
> >
> > Cindy Sheets, Webmistress
> > NFB Krafters Division
> >
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: nfb-krafters-korner-bounces at nfbnet.org
> >> [mailto:nfb-krafters-korner-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Eleni 
> >> Vamvakari
> >> Sent: Monday, July 12, 2010 5:58 PM
> >> Cc: nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org
> >> Subject: [Nfb-krafters-korner] Intro and Questions
> >>
> >>
> >> Hi there,
> >>
> >>   I apologise in advance for the rambling but I feel this
> will help
> >> to explain my situation a bit better.  From here on in,
> I'll keep my
> >> posts short.  Anyway, my birth name is Tiffany, but I intend on 
> >> changing legally to Eleni, so that's what I'll be using
> here.  Some
> >> of you may know me from The Zone, from Facebook or from
> other places. 
> >> I've been totally blind since I was two-months-old.  I'm
> 26 and from
> >> New Jersey.  I'm a college graduate with a BA in sociology and a 
> >> certificate to teach ESL, which was earned after graduation.
> >> While most people feel that I should take a job in an academic, 
> >> scholarly or prestegius setting, I'm finding it difficult to locate 
> >> even ordinary work that doesn't require experience, vision, degrees 
> >> that I don't possess or that pays enough/is close enough as far as 
> >> travel to interest me, let alone that I'd actually enjoy doing.  
> >> I'm not into the whole telemarketing thing either, though I've 
> >> tried it.
> >>
> >>   But I love working with my hands and making things.  I am very 
> >> interested in starting my own business in crafts ranging
> from basket
> >> weaving, to soap-making, to broom/brush making and possibly chair 
> >> caning, once I learn and feel comfortable doing these
> things.  I have
> >> a friend who's visually-impaired, with enough sight to
> read regular
> >> print but not to drive. Now I've got her interested in
> some of this
> >> as well (plus jewellery-making, which is her own contribution) and 
> >> she wants to be my business partner.  The broom-making looks and 
> >> sounds easy enough, But the equipment and supplies are extremely 
> >> expensive. So I've decided to start out with the baskets and soap, 
> >> since the supplies are cheap and easily available online.  I found 
> >> several resources for learning how to weave baskets, but unless I 
> >> learn with a teacher or touch the type of pattern that I'm supposed 
> >> to be weaving, I really can't use them.  Several are videos but 
> >> they're of no use to me since I can't see them.  I've been looking 
> >> around for schools for the blind that teach these skills, but none 
> >> seem to exist in America today that have any of these courses.
> >> Perkins does but said they could only help me if an agency financed 
> >> me, which, of course, none will, since I've already gone to 
> >> college.  This is really frustrating, since these were all 
> >> so-called blind trades at one time.  To top things off, many blind 
> >> people insist that I shouldn't do these things as a career because 
> >> of my background.  I e-mailed a basketry guild, and though they 
> >> were very nice, they really couldn't really help me from a blind 
> >> perspective.  But I'll probably join them so that I can take their 
> >> classes.  But I'd still like to meet some blind weavers, 
> >> particularly totally blind ones, so that I can learn about any 
> >> adaptations that we may need (especially with regard to measuring 
> >> and holding the basket straight), types of weaving that are good 
> >> for beginners (I've heard coiling mentioned alot), books that would 
> >> be most useful to us etc.
> >>
> >>   My friend and I bought two beginner basket weaving kits and a 
> >> soap-making kit.  I'd already decided to go with melt and
> pour soap
> >> and to stay away from lye, since it can be very dangerous and she 
> >> agreed.  She made the first moulds, just to see how it was
> done.  I'd
> >> already made soap once or twice at The Diamond Spring
> Lodge, a place
> >> for the blind here in New Jersey, so knew what to expect.  In the 
> >> second batch, I helped her.  It was really easy and enjoyable.  We 
> >> used some essential oils that she brought with her and even 
> >> experimented with the bottom of a disposable cup as a mould.
> >> Everything came out wonderfully.  But I'm still trying to figure 
> >> how I would do this on my own.  That is, how would I insure that 
> >> the glycerine was properly melted, that the colour blocks (or food 
> >> coloring if I went all natural) blended properly into the soap, and 
> >> how I would measure the oil so that I didn't put too much in each 
> >> batch.  So again, are there any blind soap-makers here who could 
> >> help me?  As a sidenote, she wove the first basket on her own, 
> >> again, to get a feel for it.  We still haven't done the second one, 
> >> where I'll hopefully be doing most of the work.  But when we do, 
> >> i'll let you know how it turns out.
> >>
> >>   Neither of us have ever had our own businesses and
> though I know a
> >> few people who are in crafts, this is not their full-time
> job.  Can
> >> anyone give us an idea of how much we could make and which of the 
> >> crafts that we've chosen, if any, are in high demand?
> >>
> >> With appreciation,
> >> Eleni
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> Nfb-krafters-korner mailing list Nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org
> >> 
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> > et.org/slerythema%40insightbb.com
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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>

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