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.'
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
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!
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.)
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.
(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!
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(!)
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).
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!
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.)
(is it weird to covet a publishing service?)
i am completely enamored of pinball publishing (here in portland), and look forward to getting some high-quality, eco-friendly promotional materials printed, using soy-based ink and recycled papers.
i met founders laura and austin whipple through our mutual midwife (the highly recommended ellie legare);
not only are they lovely and welcoming people- whom i really want to support!- their products are seriously impressive!
(one example being the first in their series of designer cards: hare illustration by brent wick- printed with gold and black ink on recycled chipboard stock...luscious!)
my parents' house is no longer for sale!
instead, i am moving back to it, with my little family!
my father attended a workshop at earthwood building school, then he and my mother spent the next 15+ years building and living in this special home.
my favorite new online activity: freerice.com
FreeRice has two goals:
- Provide English vocabulary to everyone for free.
- Help end world hunger by providing rice to hungry people for free.
sadly, my online scrabble friend, rebecca deans
(amazing jewelry coming to a webpage here),
and i have been too busy for our regular game.
in the interim- if i have any chance of ever besting her!- i'd best be sharpening my skills!
freerice is
a diverting and addictive vocabulary game.
with each correct answer, sponsors pay for 20 grains of rice to be donated to a hungry person.
freerice is the sister site of poverty.com
