:discomedusa:

vela creations

another great link from treehugger.com

vela creations 'is an in-depth resource for off grid living.' 

their website includes a blog about their life and sustainable homestead projects, (free) plans to make your own Chispito wind generator out of scrap and readily available materials, and a store selling off grid/ homesteading reference books.

as i am slowly working towards creating a homestead of my own, i find  vela creations work to be extremely inspiring!

their amazon shop is a great resource- in my home, we joke (but not really!) that we have all this post apocalyptic survival information bookmarked, but it will be inaccessible should we ever need it in a pinch!

freedom rainbow

 

this cute little bug caused a lot of trouble around my house when i wrapped it up as a present for my son's friend.  i have since ordered another one for him, plus a couple of extras for whomever.

made with love from recycled sweaters by FreedomRainbow in portland, oregon.

i've loved communicating with this charismatic etsy seller-  so very enthusiastic and conscientious, with a great selection of seriously huggable fuzzy friends

(each doll is 'reiki attuned. if you need some reiki for a specific reason, let <her>know ...and she will add extra sparkle rainbow magic for you!')

highly recommended!

yogi tea- green tea with kombucha

this past week, i cleaned my studio (a rare and challenging event!) and unpacked more from my recent move. 
i found many goodies, such as errant pieces of my personal jewelry collection, cassette tapes from back in the day,  sewing supplies, beads, and a single bag of yogi tea, specifically green tea and kombucha.
for months, i've been exclusively drinking red rose earl grey tea. from now on, i really need to get a keep as supply of this green tea with kombucha instead- I had forgotten how simply delicious it is...
and how health-promoting!

from the yogi website:
'Yogi’s special formula of kombucha with organic green tea is designed to support your immune system, fight fatigue and detoxify your body. Spearmint naturally aids digestion, and plum and lemongrass combine to create a fragrant tea with a light, fruity flavor.* Once the steeping process has released the benefits of these ingredients, you are ready to enjoy a delicious, delightful and soothing cup of tea—one that is naturally rich in antioxidants and other health boosters.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.'

additional links: more about the benefits of green tea (camellia sinensis) and kombucha (which is fascinating, and i know it's really good for you, but i still can't stomach except in this delicious tea)

i also like recycling yogi tea boxes into sleeves for shipping earrings that are too big for my regular boxes(!)

 

zerkahloostrah

 how thrilling- i emailled peter a link to something i like and it came in the mail a week later!

and i do love them! these toebiter tabi slippers from zerkahloostrah are made from recycled sweaters and have great detail.

(they also fit perfectly within my rainboots & it's getting to be that time of year...)

daphne also specializes in handmade bags...and shoes!  shoe  samples and custom orders are available in her etsy shop.

thanks, daphne!

radical jewelry makeover

if you live in the bay area,  check out the third radical jewelry makeover (creating new hotness from old busted junk!)

''Radical Jewelry Makeover is many things. It is a traveling community mining and recycling project and a creative art and education project, teaching makers how to produce contemporary, innovative jewelry from recycled sources and proudly placing responsible jewelry in the hands of the consumers. The overall project is meant to raise awareness of the connection between mining and metalsmithing as well as showcase innovative making.'

this  ingenious project was designed by Ethical Metalsmiths co-founder Christina Miller and Susie Ganch,  metalsmith.

the crucible joins in the fun (offering a free RJM class for students who have previously taken a jewelry class at the studio), as well as the metal arts guild and a host of other schools and studios.  the final pieces will be displayed and sold at velvet da vinci.

 

• check out the RJM blog for information on past, present, & future events!

jessi taylor

hello. my name is jessi. i'm a ringaholic.

the other day, while i was oggling jessi taylor's work at redux, i resolved to finally write this post!

i met jessi last summer at a craft fair & was immediately taken with her designs, craftsmanship, creepy doll display, and general way of being....
knowing knew she could do well on etsy, i urged her to open a shop &join etsymetal.
about a week ago, jessi celebrated her one year etsy anniversay ('etsyversary') with more than 250 sales!

yay, jessi!!!

both her website and etsy shop have tons of great photos of her work, plus fantastically whimsical  and compelling descriptions.
like me, jessi is 'a bit obsessed with post-apocalyptic scenarios.... and not in small part because post-apocalyptic styling is HOT.' 

oh, how i love the 'battlestar ring!' (above right- that's battlestar galactica for the uninitiated!)
she also makes a fierce eyeball ring (below left) and has brought us the mangle (man-bangle, below right)

yep, i'm a fan!
(now if only i could get a photo of the fabulous gauged omega hoops i saw at last year's craftywonderland....forget a photo- i need the real deal, jessi! xoxo)

pdx etsy tea time

as a portland-based etsy seller, i am a member of the pdx etsy street team.
(which, btw, is having their final summer show at the psu park blocks/farmer's market this saurday, august 9- see website for details.  i will not be vending at this event, for lack of time, money, and energy- but there will be dozens of other friendly and talented  crafty vendors, along with yummy food and produce, and live music)

one of the many benefits of being a part of this very active street team is pdx etsy tea time every thursday.
enjoying a day without babysitters and enticed by the promise of other toddlers, i finally made it to one last week!
hosted by autumn of autumn comfort candles (all natural hand poured candles in hand cut recycled glass bottles) with a photography tutorial by leah pellegrini (glass mobiles and other fun), it was the perfect way to spend the afternoon! 
thank you ladies!

i was inspired to make my own ghetto-style light box from tissue paper and a cardboard box....it's such an improvement over holding some filters in my teeth, the camera in one hand, and a light in the other...!

still working on mastering the subtleties of photographing jewelry, but i'm very happy with the light quality!
(shown here reflecting off of a most deliciously satisfying pair of 10g sterling silver earrings.)

swizzlet

living in portland is great because it is a destination city!
this past week,  i hung out with nina dinoff, a fellow etsymetal member visiting from NYC.

nina's lovely silver and gold jewelry is inspired by modernism, embracing pure form and simplicity.  

her other line, swizzlet, is made from making molds of vintage swizzle sticks, cocktail picks, & findings and casting them in metal. ....so fun!  (i am now the happy owner of one such seahorse cuff bracelet! (below)

(thank you, nina! xoxo)

nina's visit was also a great excuse to go out with the other portland etsymetal ladies!

(i always enjoy hanging out with rubygirl, my new friend catherinechandler, and i finally got to meet TreAnelli!)

looking forward to Experimetal's visit soon...

...who's next?!

PET project

i keep coming back to these photos on the website of sculptor miwa koizuni

especially to the PET project ('making something from nothing...'),
an increasing collection of marine organisms crafted from plastic bottles.

i am always excited to see artists successfully using trash (or any creative use of our industrial nutrients.)

i think it's really upsetting that so much is wasted; we worry about running out, but we don't think much about what we throw out!

(also on miwa's site: make a kite from shopping bags- it really flies!  instructions here)

opportunity for artists:

lark books seeks images of original work to feature in the gallery of Fantastic Plastic by David and Robin Edgar. (info here) to be released in Fall 2009.

'Fantastic Plastic will capture the artistry of recycled plastic. From fun and funky to elegant and thought provoking, all sculptural forms will be considered and all types of plastic innovation will be welcomed.'

team davey/booth

my sweetie finally bought his tig welder! 

(granted we'll need many more tools to fully enjoy it....)
hooray, more tools!!

thus dawns the age of collaboration and a more serious studio! it's about time!

here is one of his first jewelry designs, a stainless steel ring to go with my 'annelid' series.

shown with one of my new ring designs, compound eye ring, fabricated from an up-cycled clip on earring (limited edition of 4, two remaining), for the etsymetal insect challenge.

modeled by the fabulous alaraca, an important new friend i met as an etsy customer half a continent away

thank you, sandra, for all of your support!  xoxo

stay tuned for more stainless steel jewelry, furniture, and accessories!