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!

Transforming a doll Part 1

Start with the idea, sketch, muse.

Pull out the old doll. If she needs some TLC, so much the better.

Plan the outfit…

Next up- prepping the doll… Stay tuned!

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

 

 

 

#operationsockmonkey does craft fairs! Shop local and handmade and support @woollybananas

I want to acknowledge the extraordinary work of Operation Sock Monkey founder and lead operative Lindsey Hodgson. Truly my HERO! Where would we all be without her incredible vision and hard work? OMG. So many of us are operatives and happy sock monkey makers/therapists thanks to HER! And despite being a busy mom and professional woman, she takes time to man craft fairs and make sock monkey kits and manage OSM to help the cause expand and keep going. We are TRULY INDEBTED to this extraordinary woman. [APPLAUSE] Photo by Keith Lynn Staff

 You can support OPERATION SOCK MONKEY online or at:

Announcing our 2nd Holiday craft sale , Strathcona Winter Craft Fair. This is the 3rd year we’re participating, always a great event, stop by and stock up on crafty goods, locally made!

I LOVE PREPPING PRODUCT!  So relaxing and heartwarming.  Here are some of my latest:

And thank you to Lynn Gosnell (Auntie Lynn), Lenore Kane and friends for adding to the cornucopia!

On behalf of Operation Sock Monkey, huge thank you to Lenore Kane, Keith Lynn Staff and friends for the sock monkey additions for this year’s craft fairs! Love from Lindsey Hodgson and Kat! PS. And THANK YOU to all our OSM Operatives like Diana Brugos and partners around the globe!

2015 will be a very special OSM year filled with GLOBAL events, that’s for sure! Yay, sock monkeys! Keep sewing!

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“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:

Latest craft: Elizabeth I Sock Monkey. Sale benefits @woollybananas handbook development.

Now for sale on my ETSY site!

Sale benefits Operation Sock Monkey Handbook development!

“All my possessions for a moment of time.”
― Elizabeth I

Huge thank you to Lindsay Ross for donating supplies.  SO INSPIRING!

Next dress is a Frida Kahlo Tehuana Huipli and skirt:

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

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: