:discomedusa:

ban blood diamonds from zimbabwe!

i wanted to take a moment today to promote the latest Avaaz.org petition to ban Zimbabwe blood diamonds. 

'Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe has sent his brutal army to seize control of his country's diamond fields. 200 civilians have been murdered and profits from our wedding rings are used to fuel violent political conflict.

Official diamond regulators meeting in Namibia this week will decide whether to suspend Zimbabwe and stop Mugabe selling his blood diamonds on the world market.'

etsymetal blog carnival- unusual custom requests

many thanks to the lovely andes cruz for coordinating the etsymetal blog carnival (a thematic monthly blog entry) november's theme: your most unusual custom jewelry request.  i wasn't planning to play, as i can't really think of anything extremely unusual....i do get many requests for expanded earwear that are beyond my capabilities or would be astronomically expensive to create...but as for things i have actually made...

the largest, most interesting plugs that i have made as custom orders have been 1" diameter.

sadly, by the time i finished the 1" silver matrix plugs, my customer had stretched to 1.5", which is a substantial amount more material & weight.  i am hoping that she will be happy with a pair of wood plugs with silver inserts- a collaboration between myself & aesthetics body modification (love them!)

as for the 1" pair, they are on display/consignment at five & diamond, 510 valencia st, san francisco

please check out the other november blog carnival participants

(there are only 2 this month, it won't take much time!):

Bijougirl - http://www.amandaconley.blogspot.com

Andes Cruz- http://andescruz.wordpress.com/

xoxo

fifty years of exploration

i simply love looking at this map of the past 50 years of space travel!

this smaller version barely does it justice- check out the original national geographic image by sean mcnaughton here.

would someone please let me know if there is a (licensed) poster available?

 

the path less pedaled

since july 30, fellow etsymetal member laura crawford (tangerinetreehouse) & her partner have been 'on an open-ended bicycle tour around the US

(and, hopefully, the world!)'   how inspiring!

they are blogging about their adventures and the stories of 'folks who have made a go at living a "life less ordinary"' 

laura has packed a bare-bones metalsmithing kit & continues to make & sell work in her etsy shop!

(you can also sponder a day for $40, or donate any amount you like.)

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!

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(!)

 

heifer intl.

as i finish up my (very last minute) holiday shopping, i turn to heifer international in order to donate livestock to struggling third world families in the name of my grandmothers and in-laws.  

i've been meaning to do this for the past many years, but somehow i always get caught up in making something or buying trinkets...  

i think these gifts will be very well received- twice over!- and i can print out a card and be done with it!

there are many similar programs i've seen advertised, but i especially like that heifer intl has no specific religious affiliation.  

my mother first introduced me to this organization, telling me about a regular project she organized with her students, raising money for reading books.  you can sign up to start your own heifer team here!

my mother, dr. k.a. black, is a professor at SUNY oneonta, and the co-author of 'a comprehensive guide to reader's theater' (with many more works to come, especially now that she finally has her long-awaited home office-library-writing room!)

pdx boutiques

 the crafty wonderland super colossal holiday sale was really fun-  it's too bad that the weather put such a damper on things!  it was great to see some of my favorite portland crafters: luckylooloo, rubygirl, studio acorn, urbana, scrumptious suds, loot, salmon st. studio, curlygirlglass,and more- with a huge thank you to cathy and torie, as always!

i bought lovely gifts from steel toe studio (above)and coqu usagiuma maho (below).

 i was planning to do one last holiday sale- the 2nd annual winter solstice sale at PSU (which was cancelled).  

looks like i'll be making a circuit of boutiques around town to buy my last minutes gifts! (i.e. all of them)

i'm hoping to find the time to visit some of my favorite shops around town, for gifts, covetous window shopping, and general retail-appreciation:  redux, seaplane, olio united, pistils nursery, pin me apparel, ella's boutique, robot piercing, gilt,  foundation garments, chapter four,  powells books, mirador, andy & bax,  grasshopper, thinker toys, switch, and more...

looking forward to exploring the city a bit!  i've been spending too much (yet not enough!) time at my bench!  

portland natural history museum

a natural history museum in portland,OR ?! yes, please!  

the proposed museum will combine science and art to create exhibits about environmental preservation and ecology, focusing on oregon's dramatic biological and geological diversity.

the oregon natural history coalition is working on making their grand vision a reality....they will need a lot of help! if you are as excited as i am about this project, check out the onhc website& join the coalition!

tonight is their first fundraiser: 

 Cafe Reese, 1037 NW 23rd Ave. on Monday, October 27th from 6-9pm.

• Silent auction
• 50/50 Raffle
• Free appetizers
• 20% of beer and wine proceeds will support our mission to create a Natural History Museum in Portland. 

  

anathem

oh, joy!  a new neal stephenson novel!

'Philosophy! Theology! Global catastrophe! Adventure!

Neal Stephenson's "Anathem" pulls off what most writers would never dare attempt -- it is simultaneously a philosophical argument and a ripping good yarn.'

review by Andrew Leonard on salon.com.

also for your persual:
the official site & a reading on longnow.org

(books ordered through this link to amazon.com kick back a percentage of the profits to the long now foundation-

'established in 01996* to develop the Clock and Library  projects, as well as to become the seed of a very long term cultural institution. The Long Now Foundation hopes to provide counterpoint to today's "faster/cheaper" mind set and promote "slower/better" thinking. We hope to creatively foster responsibility in the framework of the next 10,000 years.')

my copy is in the mail!  i can hardly wait!

thanks for the tip, rebecca!