Links I'm loving, Micropublishing and Tesla!

The first one, which you may have already heard of, it The Oatmeal's fund raiser for The Tesla Science Museum. It's a chance to be a part of history, and to help build a museum to remember Nikola Tesla, and his contributions to science. There has been a lot raised, but it's not just about buying the land. What goes over the amount raised for the land will help pay for getting the museum built.

The other one, you may not know about. Micropublishing! You know I'm a big supporter of micropublishing for Kindle, but I also like real books and "zines" that are micropublished. Micropublishing is independent authors, illustrators and very small publishing co-ops creating books, zines and chapbooks. These are all on a small scale and done more for love than money.

Growing up in a hippie household, my mom had lots of 8-32 page "chapbooks". These were laid out and Xeroxed, then folded in half and stapled, or sometimes they were just sheets of papers with a staple in the top corner. Some were political manifestos, others were collections of recipes or instructions on doing things. They were poetry collections and short stories. We have blogs and the internet for that now, but there is something wonderful about having paper versions to give people.

DIY publishing, full of creativity and ideas. It's a part of our culture that defies the mainstream to provide information, interests and thoughts. It's punk, it's hippie, it's all sorts of things.

These days, those self-published booklets are frequently called "zines", and the co-ops or people who distribute many types of them are called "distros". Distros get submissions from authors, and provide a central place to get zines on lots of subjects. Zines are generally printed on 8.5x11 inch paper that's folded in half and stapled in the middle. Some are copied from handwritten pages, or created using traditional methods to make a master and copy that. They are usually printed in black and white. Some of them have hand stamped or printed covers. The books made by the micro-publishers can be stitched, stapled or perfect-bound (paperback glue binding)

The biggest has split into 2 independent distros, it's the second that's my other "link I love".
Microcosm Distribution
They sell patches, buttons, stickers and teeshirts that are created in house, as well as a fantastic selection of zines and books.

I've ordered from the original company a few times, and trust them. So when the new company started, I had no hesitation about ordering from them. For DIY types, check out the DIY section. You can order superpacks which are collections on a theme. There is also a section for people who love to cook that includes some great vegan recipe collections.

It's punk, it's indie as heck, and it's a lot of fun. My whole family enjoys our zine collection. It's not for everyone. Some people will object to the politics or language.

I don't use explicit language very often, but it's not because I object to it. We have the Fix Sh*t Up sticker on a lot of things around the house, and  I'm beyond thrilled they are doing a sewing version of it.

Check them out, look around, if there is a specific DIY or cooking zine you want to know more about, ask me, I might have it and can tell you if it's a favorite or not. They are having a 50% off sale on a lot of things to promote the new distro.

A couple household quick tips

Recently, and I have no idea how, about half of the pierced holes on my shower curtain tore out. My husband just said "We need to replace the shower curtain." 

Instead, I grabbed a role of duct tape, the shower curtain and a 1/4 inch hole punch and covered each hole with a strip of duct tape folded over the top. Then I use the hole punch to punch holes in the duct tape to use for the rings for the shower curtain rod. It's not a permanent fix, but it looks okay, and it works.

If you are using a hole punch or even a craft punch with duct tape or other tape items, spray the punch with a little bit of cooking spray. It helps keep it from getting gummed up and the adhesive comes off easily if does get gummed up.

Another use for bicycle inner tubes? We keep a strip about 8 inches long, cut open and washed in the kitchen. It makes a great grip for opening jars. To make it super convenient, I put a grommet in one end, and thread a length of ball chain through it to hang it from a cabinet door. It's easy to find and works great.

If you have a habit of spending too much time focused on the computer or on detailed handwork, use a kitchen timer to remind yourself to take breaks, stretch, walk around and lift your eyes from the tight focus.

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Microcosm Publishing has split into two companies. The new company, Microcosm Distribution has a big 50% off sale happening. I'm a big fan of the Raleigh Briggs' illustrated guides. They have charming illustrations and a lot of information. If you're unfamiliar with zines, they are micro-published books and booklets.