Belly Dance Swap?!?

[Flareon]

I LOVE belly dancing.  Call it what you will, Oriental, Middle Eastern, but I do it and I dig it.  The music, the costume, the movements, this dance is such a sensual, beautiful, and empowering artform. 

I know there are several dancers at Craftsters and I think a swap would be so fun and exciting.  I personally devote myself to the Egyptian and Tribal styles (Sohaila, Jillina, and Rachel Brice are my inspirations), but any style from Turkish cabaret to Persian folk should and will be included. 

We can exchange things like:
mixed dance CDs
zill bags
costume accessories (beads, fringe, coins, Kuchi pendants, etc)
hip scarves
armlets/bracelets/anklets
bindiis
henna tattoos
incense
belly dance pins, buttons, bumper stickers
anything that inspires us to dance!

What do you all think? 

[jan_on_ice]

Thanks for letting me know about this. I would definately be interested! Although I'd probably need about a month or so between sign-ups and send-out dates, as I'm pretty busy with Uni.

[brie_lauren]

i love belly dancing and i love the henna scene but i wouldnt know what to make except for a hip scarf because i most do henna on people...that would be interestingthough

[Flareon]

Thanks for your interest. 

First, everyone will get plenty of time between sign up and send outs.  I just started my semester too, so I definitely understand the busy schedule. 

Second, we can make most of the stuff as mentioned above, like mixed dance cds, bags for zills, as well as t-shirts with sayings like, "person may shimmy for no apparent reason," jingly bracelets of bells and charms, tote bags to carry to our gigs and worshops, scrunchies embellished with coins or flowers, etc...

As for the henna, you can always paint things like a small vase, polymer clay beads, and the like with a henna/mehndi theme with regular paint.  I personally love the design on things as well as the body. 

Because we are swapping not a specific item, but things that have to do with a subculture and an artform, we would try to find out about our partners and what they would like.  For example, sequins may be appreciated by a caberet dancer, but not a tribal dancer.  Depending on the number of participants I will try to match up the dancers' compatibility if that's what they wish. 

[brie_lauren]

when would sinups start because i can do it after the 15th of the next month i think...i also am starting school so i would much appreciate a long period between sinups and sendouts...sounds fun though...


again when would signups be?

[Flareon]

Now this may be subject to change, but I was thinking sign-ups during the last week of September, and send outs by Nov. 1st.  How's that? 

[jan_on_ice]

That sounds pretty good to me.

[Diane B.]

There are a lot of things that could be done with polymer clay, but I just wanted to include some possible links for henna ideas:

http://polyclay.com/mhbeads.htm
Sarajane says she actually used cane slices for these hands/arms ...(the cane would be a reddish clay design, with flesh or ivory clay as the background color... raw slices of which would then be applied to the same-flesh-color raw arm).

But they could be done in various other ways too (on a body part, or just on flat clay, on a vessel or bead, etc.).

One way would be to draw on the baked clay with a dark reddish color ink
(see this page for which inks, etc. work with polymer:
http://www.glassattic.com/polymer/letters_inks.htm
... click on Inks for Writing...)

Or they could be stamped on raw or baked clay with reddish ink:
http://www.glassattic.com/polymer/stamping.htm

Or they could be "transfers" applied to clay (i.e., red lines in a color photocopy, or black lines in a b&w photocopy... or even magazine images of hennaed things (magazine paper works really easily for transfers).
http://www.glassattic.com/polymer/transfers.htm

Those are just a few anyway...

Have fun!

Diane B.
GlassAttic ...polymer clay "encyclopedia"
http://glassattic.com/polymer/contents.htm

[brie_lauren]

that sounds good, by then ill be able to do swaps...in the application things, there will be a section where our swap partner can write things they like or want right?

 im so excited!

[meg4568]

i dont bellydance, but i think it is soooo cool!!!

Maybe people like me could get a "how to" kit?