80 hand-sewn sock monkey kits! Sheesh!

Custom order for West Pointe Grey Academy. Actually a delightful project that included plenty of Netflix and coffee!

Local to global. Intergenerational craftivism with Operation Sock Monkey @woollybananas

Last Sunday I had the pleasure of working with “my gang” at Rideau Manor again! 5 seniors participated in an Operation Sock Monkey (OSM) workshop and prepped a bunch of sock monkeys in celebration of Clowns Without Borders South Africa!

Special custom order: Jack Skellington- socks, cashmere, felt #recycledcrafts

Start by sketching

Find what you need!

 

Fait accompli! Socks, cashmere, felt. #recycledcrafts #nightmarebeforechristmas

 

 

 

“She is sent to help you dance…” Operation Sock Monkey afternoon at Rideau Manor.

Yesterday, residents at Rideau Manor in Burnaby BC, participated in an Operation Sock Monkey (OSM) workshop!  I had pre-prepped many sock birds for the residents to decorate (and to keep one each!).  During the workshop, I talked about OSM and we decorated monkeys and birds. It was an afternoon of smiles and laughter!

We talked about the Operation Sock Monkey Handbook and had a raffle at the end of the workshop.  This lovely resident won the “Canada Ambassador” and loved decorating her sock bird.

Many of the residents are visually impaired yet loved creating through the sense of touch.

Thanks to Brent for arranging the opportunity and to Parmida for doing video capture for upcoming video! And thank you to the participants for being part of the cause.  And to all the local OSM operatives who made the sock monkeys!

Lindsey , OSM founder, picked up the batch of birds and monkeys today to add to this week’s shipment to Clowns Without Borders South Africa!  The sock creatures will be a part of the continued development of the  Sinovuyo Caring Families project in Cape Town, South Africa.

Rideau residents sent along some lovely notes with the sock monkeys and birds for Lindsey to include in the shipment:

Update on the Operation Sock Monkey Handbook!

CLICK ON LINK TO GO TO CAMPAIGN PAGE:

The Operation Sock Monkey Handbook INDIEGOGO CAMPAIGN!

Thank you for your support so far!  I took a hiatus from the campaign for about 10 days to finish up some projects and jobs and do some family stuff!  Now I am ready to focus fully on my writing and illustration projects which includes this OSM handbook!

Next week I will be doing a media push.  An interview with a magazine in Cape Town re: craftivism is in the works.  And an interview with SFU radio is scheduled for end of August.

Intern Freja and her friend Bug are loaded up with supplies and will be creating unique and wonderful sock monkeys for OSM.

Clowns Without Borders South Africa need sock monkeys for Fall activities so it’s time to make product!  I will be conducting workshops soon.

Operatives around North America are busy sewing.  If you’d like to donate a sock monkey, drop me an email at kthorsen@shaw.ca or check out OSM’s site for more info: Operation Sock Monkey.

Structure for pilot projects at local secondary schools is in place:

SESSION 1 Executive Summary Introduction to Katarina Introduction to the project Process and structure of a business plan

SESSION 2 Company overview What do you stand for? Why? Vision boards, mindmaps Mission/Vision/Mantra

SESSION 3 Competitive analysis Where do you and your business fit in?

SESSION 4 Marketing plan Social media Connecting with customers

SESSION 5 The financial plan Income and expenses Color by numbers

SESSION 6 Management and personnel plan Building a team Creating a support network Building online store and SEO

SESSION 7 Action plan Goals Strategies Action steps Outreach

SESSION 8 The operational plan Maintain momentum Social media network Resume building Documentation

SESSION 9 BUSINESS PLAN Create group business plan Prep for presentation Finalize product and photos Finalize website

SESSION 10 EXHIBIT/UNVEILING Exhibit of business plan and product Group presentation

Each session includes:

Journaling, mind-mapping, drawing, product (sock monkey) making, business plan development, debriefing, independent and group work.

Over the next month, I will be sharing sample writing and illustrations for the handbook here in updates section!

Have a beautiful day,

Love Kat

I am partnering with @woollybananas to create an Operation Sock Monkey handbook!

My personal mission is to awaken creative expression through local and global art initiatives. 

One initiative partners me with Operation Sock Monkey to create a life skills and entrepreneurship handbook. Our goal is to implement local pilot projects in the Fall and to bring the work to New York City and San Francisco youth programs in Spring 2015 and then to South Africa September 2015.

Stay tuned for phase 1 fundraising! 

 

Presale on my ETSY site: embroidered drawing- Dead Bird Series 2 of 4- Heron

Original art by Katarina Thorsen

New series: Dead Birds

Drawing 2 of 4: Heron

China marker study of dead heron (found in Stanley Park, Vancouver), color added by senior residents at Rideau Manor, Burnaby (during interactive art afternoon) then embroidered on card stock.
18×24″ on newsprint in china marker
Currently being embroidered

Free shipping in Canada and USA.

Now available for presale on my ETSY site:

YOUR PURCHASE SUPPORTS SOCK MONKEY THERAPY WITH AT-RISK YOUTH and life skills entrepreneurship development.

Presale on my ETSY site: embroidered drawing- Dead Bird Series 1 of 4

Now available for pre-sale on ETSY:

Original art by Katarina Thorsen
New series. Drawing 1 of 4
China marker studies of dead birds, then embroidered on card stock.
18×24″ on newsprint in china marker
Currently being embroidered

$195.00 USD

Free shipping in Canada and USA.

YOUR PURCHASE SUPPORTS SOCK MONKEY THERAPY WITH AT-RISK YOUTH and life skills entrepreneurship development.

For I dance
And drink & sing:
Till some blind hand
Shall brush my wing.

If thought is life
And strength & breath:
And the want
Of thought is death…
― William Blake, Songs of Innocence and of Experience

Dead birds are a recurring image in my graphic novel:

This adorable sock monkey was made by “Morgan” and proceeds go towards lifeskills development.

This adorable sock monkey was made by “Morgan” and is approximately 16″ tall.

You can purchase it on Poststreet’s ETSY shop!

FREE SHIPPING IN CANADA and USA!

As part of my ACT LOCALLY, DEVELOP GLOBALLY sock monkey therapy, I am making available a selection of sock monkeys (made by youth and community members) to support my new SOCK MONKEY LIFE SKILLS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT!

POST STREET sock creations are individually made and hand-sewn.

ALL ORDERS COME WITH AN ORIGINAL DRAWING BY KATARINA THORSEN!

For more info go to: http://katthorsen.com/donate-bypoststreet-art-house-curriculum-development-series-1-phase-1/

– Katarina Thorsen

CRAFT BLOG https://poststreet.wordpress.com/
YOUTH ARTISAN BLOG http://klasssockmonkey.wordpress.com/
ART BLOG http://katthorsen.com

Multum in Parvo: a lot of dog in a small space! 24 hour SOCK PUG SALE!

UNTIL MIDNIGHT MAY 28!  PURCHASE ON ETSY!

The proceeds of any sock pug sales goes toward the development of my Sock Monkey Life Skills Entrepreneurship Program Development Phase 1!

ORDER YOUR SOCK PUG AT:

To purchase for pickup (no shipping), go to:

PAYPAL SOCK PUG