tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24601823064403784092024-03-14T00:09:07.261-07:00Jewelry Tutorial2Roseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957719461544457006noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460182306440378409.post-67429193806818788292016-01-31T13:56:00.001-08:002016-01-31T13:56:58.842-08:00Its Magic. Really!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Almost all artists keep sketchbooks. They are often
day-by-day chronicles of the artist’s thoughts and inspirations. They are also
the place where the artist works through the various concept, design and
fabrication issues associated with the process of taking an abstract idea and
making it into a concrete object.<br />
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Frequently, the process of making hides from the viewer of
the finished object. And “process” is the very essence of the expression, “art
makes the difficult seem easy.” We prefer “Art is Magic”, but we may be biased.
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Behind the process is years of study and practice developing
skills with tools and materials. The effect is that everything falls magically
into place as if nature intended it that way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Trust us when we say, making something almost NEVER happens like that.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So, how does it happen?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
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A recently completed necklace commissions will provide a
quick overview of our processes. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Our process starts with sketches. These can be one-offs to
help solidify the idea or a series of concept and engineering sketches to work
out the composition and mechanical issues.</div>
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Once we are clear about what we want to make, we assess the
materials and methods, and who will perform each task.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A staging table is set up to hold components
that are complete.</div>
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The manufacture and sub-assembly of parts often incorporate
a considerable range of techniques and materials. <o:p></o:p></div>
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As we work out joining and how the various parts will hang
and interact, fittings are made for each component. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The process continues as shapes, colors, textures are
compared and fitted as the piece begins to take shape.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The project called for a custom display case to house the
piece. Once the piece progresses to a point where we can determine precise
physical dimensions, we begin constructing the case. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In this instance, we wanted to create a stylized forest
floor as an environment for the piece. This aspect of the project required
considerable trial and error. We spent time exploring and photographing details
of local forest floors, including collecting a variety of leaves to be used as
models later in the process. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Research complete, the next step was a series of technical
exercises to express the environments we had seen. We selected polymer for its
creative flexibility as the best-suited medium for the job. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The next step is when all the parts come together, and final
assembly and fit takes place. The fitting includes the piece itself, but also
the piece within its environment. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The final step is photography of the finished item.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As you can see above, we are also documenting
the entire process as it happens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While
process photography is often fast and informal, final photography requires much
more time and careful attention to complete. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The finished piece in its custom case. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The project took two people ten weeks to complete start to
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The materials incorporated in the piece include:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Acrylic paint<o:p></o:p></div>
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Bonksia Pod<o:p></o:p></div>
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Brass<o:p></o:p></div>
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Colored pencil<o:p></o:p></div>
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Copper<o:p></o:p></div>
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Glass<o:p></o:p></div>
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Gold<o:p></o:p></div>
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Gold leaf<o:p></o:p></div>
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Neoprene<o:p></o:p></div>
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Nickel<o:p></o:p></div>
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Oil Paint<o:p></o:p></div>
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Pearls<o:p></o:p></div>
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Polymer Clay<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sterling Silver<o:p></o:p></div>
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Tagua Nut<o:p></o:p></div>
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Various kinds of Wood<o:p></o:p></div>
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Various pigments and dies<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Take a peek at the sketch books of some of our Etsymetal friends:<br />
<span style="background-color: #e1ebf2; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Cynthia Del Giudice: </span><a class="postlink" href="http://cynthiadelgiudice.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: #e1ebf2; border-bottom-color: rgb(93, 143, 189); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #5d8fbd; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; unicode-bidi: embed;">http://cynthiadelgiudice.blogspot.com</a><br style="background-color: #e1ebf2; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: #e1ebf2; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Beth Cyr: </span><a class="postlink" href="http://bethcyr.com/blog" style="background-color: #e1ebf2; border-bottom-color: rgb(93, 143, 189); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #5d8fbd; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; unicode-bidi: embed;">http://BethCyr.com/blog</a><br style="background-color: #e1ebf2; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: #e1ebf2; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Amuckdesign </span><a class="postlink" href="http://amuckdesign.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: #e1ebf2; border-bottom-color: rgb(93, 143, 189); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #5d8fbd; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; unicode-bidi: embed;">http://amuckdesign.blogspot.com</a></div>
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2Roseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957719461544457006noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460182306440378409.post-90403997823048975612016-01-04T07:01:00.000-08:002016-01-04T07:04:27.131-08:00The FUTURE!!!! W-h-a-t-e-v-e-r.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nP0pgI9iwbE/VomapNem5dI/AAAAAAAAAjo/3ZfuJMqM-Hk/s1600/Dog%2BStaredown.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="123" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nP0pgI9iwbE/VomapNem5dI/AAAAAAAAAjo/3ZfuJMqM-Hk/s320/Dog%2BStaredown.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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Welcome to the first Blog Carnival of the year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a completely unexpected twist of dramatic
artifice, this month’s theme asks “What are you planning for 2016”!?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Previous year’s plans included world domination and loosing
weight. Both proved elusive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>World
weight loss may actually be more achievable <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">AND</i>
with less involvement on our part, so that’s on the list. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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We’re traveling this year, and avoiding death as part of the
experience is in our plans. This starts with researching which airlines have
the lowest embolism ratings for seating conditions. Getting there is no longer
half the fun, its half the risk. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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There will be shows and exhibitions this year too. Lots and
lots of shows and exhibitions, each of which will charge us $49 for the
privilege of being told that our work is inadequate. <o:p></o:p></div>
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On second thought, our plans have changed. We’re starting
lots and lots of shows and exhibitions this year. They will be fantastic! They
will make America Great Again™. Send us $49. to enter. No need to wait on pins
and needles for a decision – your work is inadequate. But thank you for the
$49.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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We’re starting a new web site for selling real handmade
craft for 2016. It will feature great work by talented craftspeople who are
passionate about what they do. We plan to be out of business in nine months. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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As much as we’ve been avoiding any plans for a colonoscopy,
it looks like this year our number’s up. The last time we did this we though it
would be cute to make it a “couple” activity. In retrospect, matching t-shirts
proclaiming “We had a colonoscopy with Dr. Feldstein” would have been a better
idea.<o:p></o:p></div>
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If you have not had the pleasure of a colonoscopy before,
they want you to clean house before the event. To facilitate this we were both
issued bottles of prescription strength laxatives in preparation for our movie
debut in the morning. Arriving home we cheerfully downed the contents of both
bottles like New Year’s eve champagne, albeit the worst champagne, like, ever. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Within 30 minutes it became dreadfully
apparent that we only have one bathroom in our house. What ensued was a
situation probably not dissimilar to passengers on the Titanic trying to get onto
the only lifeboat. There are going to be winners and losers.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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My dog, Bob, is very sensitive to my moods and actions. As I
squatted in the back yard, Bob approached and squatted too, sensing that this
was a bonding opportunity. What started as a shared experience quickly turned competitive,
accompanied by growling and other noises meant to distract the opponent. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This all seemed normal enough until the
neighbor’s ball came flying over the fence – followed by the neighbors. They
looked a me, at Bob, back at me, and in that moment the inadequacy of saying,
“its not what it looks like” was apparent. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What did cross my mind was, what explanation might
one offer in this moment that will diminish the odds of being arrested. The
neighbors were not waiting around to find out. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Thankfully, the neighbors have not mentioned the incident
since, but then, they don’t speak much to me at all these days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">For our part, we’re not planning
on doing couples colonoscopies again anytime soon.</span><!--EndFragment-->
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><br /></span>
Meanwhile our Etsymetal teammates are making plans of their own. See what they have to say:<br />
<b>Andrea Ring</b>: http://amuckdesign.blogspot.com<br />
<b>Victoria Takahashi</b>/Experimetal: http://vtakahashi.blogspot.com<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
2Roseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957719461544457006noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460182306440378409.post-71111304617007587112015-11-30T07:10:00.000-08:002015-11-30T07:10:00.298-08:0047 amazing secrets for putting the ass in aspirational<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">in·spi·ra·tion·al</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "myriad arabic"; font-size: 14.0pt;">ˌ</span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">inspə</span><span style="font-family: "myriad arabic"; font-size: 14.0pt;">ˈ</span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">rāSH(ə)n(ə)l/<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">adjective<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>providing or showing creative or spiritual
inspiration.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">"the team's
inspirational captain."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">On a fairly regular basis,
every artist gets asked, “what was your inspiration for doing THAT”. The
expected answer is typically some lofty, noble, family friendly, gushy, tree
hugging, bodhisattva-like connect the cosmic dots epiphany of universal Truth.
Most artists will confess that it works exactly like that – except when it
doesn’t, which is most of the time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">But, because people want to
know these things, this month’s Blog Carnival goes poking about underneath our
intellectual rocks to see what crawls out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Technically, the theme is “What inspires you and how has it influenced
your work”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just remember, you started
this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">But we digress. Where were
we….? Oh yes, lofty, noble, blah, blah, blah. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">For us “inspiration” is a
game of imaginomic roulette. The wheel never stops. The dots keep flooding in.
Layers of connections and associations build. The problem is not turning it on.
The problem is turning off the tsunami of ideas, associations and inspiration
long enough actually to get some work done. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">We find that inspiration
comes just as much from negative as positive. Things that invoke our darker
emotions are just as likely to motivate us toward creation as kittens and long
walks on the beach at sunset (something we never do).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Case in point was a visit to
an art exhibition a few years ago that featured some pieces taking obligatory
swipes at the Catholic Church. Our favorite being the practical and irreverent,
“Our Lady of Guadalupe” waffle Iron. But then there was a piece like this:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JC8kClu7s6I/VljHeBjetwI/AAAAAAAAAi8/WB6ZibM5HrY/s1600/Gun%2BCross.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JC8kClu7s6I/VljHeBjetwI/AAAAAAAAAi8/WB6ZibM5HrY/s320/Gun%2BCross.png" width="226" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">What struck us was the
wholesale unoriginality of the piece. Another guns cum crucifix “statement”
almost identical to the three dozen or more that we have seen in art
exhibitions over the last four decades. How did this find its way into a
contemporary art exhibition?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Never mind
that the Crusades were, like, so last millennium. It was the apparent absence
of knowledge of art history on the part of the artist AND curator of the
exhibition. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Our connect-the-dots brains
immediately jumped into hyperdrive like some cosmic pinball machine. Catholic
church…art history…artists protesting institution of church…church greatest
patron of the arts in history…artists biting the hand that has traditionally
fed them…what does the opposite look like?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Now, none of that may make
any sense to you at all, and you may not agree with any of it. That’s OK. You
get to connect the dots any way you like – or not at all. It's art – we don’t
need no stinking rules. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">For us, the dots lead to
creating a piece that addressed the idea of “faith” or belief.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The result of all that looks like this:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_CZNSIf1w6E/VljHjF2JY_I/AAAAAAAAAjE/1slU6dW5sj0/s1600/Article%2Bof%2BFaith.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_CZNSIf1w6E/VljHjF2JY_I/AAAAAAAAAjE/1slU6dW5sj0/s320/Article%2Bof%2BFaith.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Article of Faith, 2Roses, Sterling Silver, Rutile, Paper, Brass</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">We chose the iconography of
birth over death.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">The design draws
deeply on traditional references from Catholic ritual objects.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">It has never been a goal to produce art with
religious or spiritual intent. This is simply where the path led us - cause and
effect. But that was so, like, 15 minutes ago. There have been a thousand other
inspirations in the meantime.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">See what inspires our
Etsymetal teammates.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
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<span style="background-color: #e1ebf2; font-family: "lucida grande" , "trebuchet ms" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Victoria Takahashi: </span><a class="postlink" href="http://vtakahashi.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: #e1ebf2; border-bottom-color: rgb(93, 143, 189); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #5d8fbd; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; unicode-bidi: embed;">http://vtakahashi.blogspot.com/</a><br />
<span style="background-color: #e1ebf2; font-family: "lucida grande" , "trebuchet ms" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Cynthia Del Giudice: </span><a class="postlink" href="http://cynthiadelgiudice.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: #e1ebf2; border-bottom-color: rgb(93, 143, 189); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #5d8fbd; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; unicode-bidi: embed;">http://cynthiadelgiudice.blogspot.com/</a><br />
<span style="background-color: #e1ebf2; font-family: "lucida grande" , "trebuchet ms" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Gracebourne Design: </span><a class="postlink" href="http://gracebourne.blogspot.ca/" style="background-color: #e1ebf2; border-bottom-color: rgb(93, 143, 189); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #5d8fbd; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; unicode-bidi: embed;">http://gracebourne.blogspot.ca/</a><br />
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2Roseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957719461544457006noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460182306440378409.post-16857324296698657912015-11-02T22:36:00.000-08:002015-11-02T22:36:04.869-08:00A Peek Into Our Drawers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This month’s Blog Carnival theme is the ever-interesting
“Studio Tour”. Peeking into each other’s studios is as close to hard-core porn
for artists as it gets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve shown our
studio several times on these pages, so this time around we’re going to dive in
a little deeper and show you some of the nooks and crannies. We didn’t know you
were coming over so we didn’t clean anything up (as if we would). Showing large
pics of the studio rooms often generate questions like<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“what’s that thing in the corner’, or<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“what’s in all those drawers”. We’ll get to
that in a minute. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Not discussed very often is the investment artists have made
in the tools and equipment for their studios. Jewelry artists, in particular,
get questioned all the time about the cost of the items they make. Part of the
answer is that there is usually a small fortune in specialized tools used to
make that little gem you are holding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4DTsl_-yULY/VjbBLYyFDaI/AAAAAAAAAhE/KEYLrJrcEmQ/s1600/Bench%2BTools.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4DTsl_-yULY/VjbBLYyFDaI/AAAAAAAAAhE/KEYLrJrcEmQ/s320/Bench%2BTools.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bench Tools</td></tr>
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Speaking of which, here is a corner of one of our
fabrication benches. This photo shows a small selection of the pliers, cutters
and other specialized tools used for up close and personal work. Many of the
tools shown here have been modified in one way or another to suit our personal
working preferences. Customizing tools is common practice among jewelers and
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Tool storage is a major consideration in every studio. As a
result, we have made pegboard into a religion. It covers every square inch of
practicable studio surface. Anything that can be hung on a peg is.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cOS2Cr8q0Ag/VjbBQHL7KeI/AAAAAAAAAiA/becaUpNfrLY/s1600/Peg%2BBoard%2B01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="261" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cOS2Cr8q0Ag/VjbBQHL7KeI/AAAAAAAAAiA/becaUpNfrLY/s320/Peg%2BBoard%2B01.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peg Boards</td></tr>
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The Holy Grail in a studio is bench space. The goal is to
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Larger floor equipment poses a challenge related to power
supply, ventilation and safety issues, such as this metal cutting band saw. For
our metalsmith friends, this is wood band saw that has been re-geared for metal
cutting. It has some other pimped out features that make it a metal cutting
workhorse. We’ll do a future blog post on how to make one of your own.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sometimes the challenge is simply floor space for the
equipment and workspace around it for practical use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This stake set and wire rack are good
examples.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aYetbLPYFOc/VjbBSZw-WKI/AAAAAAAAAig/NwZZXMz6zWs/s1600/Stake%2Bset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aYetbLPYFOc/VjbBSZw-WKI/AAAAAAAAAig/NwZZXMz6zWs/s320/Stake%2Bset.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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Now, what’s in all those drawers? A lot.
We could easily fill several blog posts on just the drawers. Here are
three at random.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_TodxJwlWPI/VjbBLAfs8tI/AAAAAAAAAhA/TxpfuuQcLdE/s1600/Drawer%2Bdapping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="288" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_TodxJwlWPI/VjbBLAfs8tI/AAAAAAAAAhA/TxpfuuQcLdE/s320/Drawer%2Bdapping.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: left;">Dapping, Swaging, Punching</span></td></tr>
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We hope you’ve enjoyed a closer look at our studio. Now if
you’ll excuse us were going to go nose around in the studios of a few of our
Etsymetal friends. </div>
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<span class="s1">- Laura jane Bouton </span><span class="s2"><a href="http://laurajanebouton.blogspot.it/">http://laurajanebouton.blogspot.it/</a></span></div>
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<span class="s1">- Andrea Ring </span><span class="s2"><a href="http://www.amuckdesign.blogspot.com/">http://www.amuckdesign.blogspot.com/</a></span></div>
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<span class="s1">- Fenton Design </span><span class="s2"><a href="http://www.fentondesign.ca/whats-happening">http://www.fentondesign.ca/whats-happening</a></span></div>
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<span class="s1">- Beth Cyr </span><span class="s2"><a href="http://bethcyr.com/blog">http://BethCyr.com/blog</a></span></div>
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2Roseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957719461544457006noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460182306440378409.post-65009252977943007732015-08-03T02:00:00.000-07:002015-08-03T07:37:22.062-07:00How Has Your Work Evolved<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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We have been asked, "how has your work evolved", many times throughout our careers. Despite our previous tome on politically correct artistic influence, the real answer is that all artists are guided on a daily basis by a wide variety of internal and external influences. This rarely results in a straight linear path in the evolution of the creative output. </div>
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This question of "evolution" is often confused with the artist's refinement of a particular technique. </div>
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The resulting answer usually amounts to, "I started painting squares and circles and I wasn't too good at it. Now I paint squares and circles with great precision."</div>
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In our case the "technique" is experimentation, collaboration and hybridization. </div>
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Here's the executive summary for those of you who are in a hurry: A long time ago we started experimenting and collaborating and creating work with a hybrid of materials and techniques. We weren't to good at it. Now we're much better at it. </div>
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We’ve been making jewelry as part of the output of our
design studio since 1972. It was a very small part in those days. In 1989, we
decided to focus the studio much more on jewelry. This shift was a reaction to
the then growing art jewelry movement. All of a sudden jewelry design became
the creative Wild West. Traditional concepts of jewelry and adornment were
being challenged. Bold experimentation with materials and techniques was
expected. This environment suited us just fine. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We came to this new movement well armed with over a decade
of formal art training and a broad experience with a wide range of materials
from the studio’s industrial design practice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The studio was also heavily involved with the mining, gem and mineral
trade at the time. A significant part of our output was lapidary work with an
emphasis on commesso (intarsia) techniques. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LMytUNUNwSM/Vb5nyAQ1WWI/AAAAAAAAAds/TGt9JnRSlqE/s1600/1989.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LMytUNUNwSM/Vb5nyAQ1WWI/AAAAAAAAAds/TGt9JnRSlqE/s320/1989.JPG" width="206" /></a></div>
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This jelly fish design was typical of the type of work the
studio was producing in the late 1980s. We often worked with plant and sea life
forms using a fair amount of custom cut gem material. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In tandem with the more experimental work, the studio still
produced a regular stream of more conventional products such as this ring with
custom cut tourmalines. This was mainly an acknowledgment that we wanted to keep eating. During this period, we were also mining almost all of
the gem and mineral material used in our work <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1UGQZKKAcDo/Vb5omYw_hCI/AAAAAAAAAfM/O1nXV5Vt1Xg/s1600/1992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1UGQZKKAcDo/Vb5omYw_hCI/AAAAAAAAAfM/O1nXV5Vt1Xg/s320/1992.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
By the early 1990s, we had developed a purist aesthetic that
relied almost exclusively on stone with little to no metal. This approach won
considerable critical acclaim but proved to be too advanced for the public
taste. Many people simply did not understand why there was no silver or gold in
the pieces. <o:p></o:p></div>
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This reaction led us reluctantly back to using more metals.
To satisfy ourselves we decided to play more with unconventional compositions
and materials. During this period, we made considerable strides in mixing
metals, plastic, wood, stone and resin into the designs.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R9yAWxXEp78/Vb5nyBgcEeI/AAAAAAAAAdw/MWoaVQygGTs/s1600/1996.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="284" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R9yAWxXEp78/Vb5nyBgcEeI/AAAAAAAAAdw/MWoaVQygGTs/s320/1996.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
The experimentation we were doing with materials also
exposed us to a growing list of metal specific techniques. By the mid-1990s, we
had expanded our metal repertoire far beyond using a single metal. During this
period, we produced a considerable body of work using everything from marriage
metal, keum bo, mokume game and Damascus. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LmWUy5KJBSM/Vb5nyxnqYSI/AAAAAAAAAd4/tBrWgqsIBFI/s1600/1998.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LmWUy5KJBSM/Vb5nyxnqYSI/AAAAAAAAAd4/tBrWgqsIBFI/s320/1998.JPG" width="212" /></a></div>
By 1998, our reputation for working with a wide variety of
odd materials was well known. Because of this, we were approached by the
Mitsubishi Corporation to develop jewelry applications for a new
laboratory-grown opal product that they were introducing to the US market. This
ring is one of the promotional prototypes produced for that program. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ABr0OMEi5CA/Vb5n1lBkhwI/AAAAAAAAAeU/bqzAZ2tFPc4/s1600/2001%2Bspecies_brooch.tif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ABr0OMEi5CA/Vb5n1lBkhwI/AAAAAAAAAeU/bqzAZ2tFPc4/s320/2001%2Bspecies_brooch.tif" width="232" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A1KppKurcQE/Vb5n1_IEyxI/AAAAAAAAAeY/cDo-du_l1zI/s1600/2003.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A1KppKurcQE/Vb5n1_IEyxI/AAAAAAAAAeY/cDo-du_l1zI/s320/2003.tif" width="212" /></a></div>
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During the early 2000’s the studio output was both
flamboyant and restrained. These dual paths served both our creative needs and
the demands of the marketplace.<o:p></o:p></div>
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By mid-decade, we had arrived at a middle ground and were
producing lines that featured a highly eclectic blend of materials in a
somewhat standardized context such as this bracelet. The form of the bracelet
allowed us to mix a highly varied range of materials into each segment.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eBplNYnsOeA/Vb5n2RXeo4I/AAAAAAAAAeg/4xRKS536e3g/s1600/2007%2B2Roses_Art%2Bof%2Bthe%2BMartini_a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eBplNYnsOeA/Vb5n2RXeo4I/AAAAAAAAAeg/4xRKS536e3g/s320/2007%2B2Roses_Art%2Bof%2Bthe%2BMartini_a.jpg" width="253" /></a></div>
Throughout this period of focusing on jewelry, we continued
to produce small sculptures and functional objects. These objects, such as this
martini glass, exhibited a considerable overlap of the jewelry and metal
working techniques we had been developing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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At this time, we were also very interested in using
completely non-jewelry related industrial materials in our work. Electronic and
computer components featured prominently in our work from this period. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wERyWPbMq88/Vb5n3zpZqhI/AAAAAAAAAe4/CTelANnmIDI/s1600/2009%2BKanjhili.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wERyWPbMq88/Vb5n3zpZqhI/AAAAAAAAAe4/CTelANnmIDI/s320/2009%2BKanjhili.JPG" width="212" /></a></div>
It was during this period of working with industrial
materials that we discovered polymer clay. This material proved to a
transformative intersection in our work. Early polymer work used the material
as a counterpoint in traditional compositions. <o:p></o:p></div>
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As we progressed, the work became bolder, and the polymer
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4iRAElLYOV0/Vb5oqMHmZUI/AAAAAAAAAfU/oU9THxeODmc/s1600/2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4iRAElLYOV0/Vb5oqMHmZUI/AAAAAAAAAfU/oU9THxeODmc/s320/2013.jpg" width="212" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hNgj8TAA_Mg/Vb5oqZvEyXI/AAAAAAAAAfY/EV4nQHCw_2g/s1600/2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hNgj8TAA_Mg/Vb5oqZvEyXI/AAAAAAAAAfY/EV4nQHCw_2g/s320/2014.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
In parallel to polymer clay, we are also currently
re-examining ancient metal working techniques, specifically from Asia and the
Middle East.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These ancient techniques
are being melded with modern technologies and materials such as micro pulse arc
welding and polymer clay to create a hybrid style.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
###</div>
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Blog Carnival is a monthly exercise by the members of the Association of International Metalsmiths.</span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Volunteer members post their own perspectives on a common theme, giving the reader a view into the minds and lives of how artists from around the world relate to the same topic. </i></span><br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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2Roseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957719461544457006noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460182306440378409.post-58357661620969603652015-07-05T20:17:00.000-07:002015-07-05T20:17:32.854-07:00The politically correct guide to artistic influence.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Welcome to another installment of Blog Carnival, where an
International group of artists gangs up on a singular idea for your amusement
and edification. This month we probe the depths of artistic influence. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Many of our creative compadres will muse about Nature and
long walks on the beach, and all myriad other things that influence their
art.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We, on the other hand, create in a
vacuum. We are influenced by Nothing. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Thus, we never assimilate an idea from another artist,
living or dead. We are wholly original and create totally new forms, concepts,
colors and designs that have never been seen on planet earth before. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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We are deaf, dumb and blind to history, other cultures and
other avenues of artistic expression. We never employ any creative element or
idea that is from another peoples or place. Even though we have traveled the
world, we see nothing, retain nothing, employ nothing. </div>
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<br /></div>
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We are like sieves, our lives flowing freely through us,
while we are aware of only the correct and appropriate experiences to our race,
color, creed, religious and sexual preference. We fully respect that others of
our race, color creed, religious and sexual experiences could have had similar
experience before us, and thus have a prior claim on artistic influence. We
have purged all memory of our lives from our art.</div>
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<br /></div>
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We don’t “borrow” from nature. After all, this is just
another form of theft. We refuse to perpetuate the exploitation of nature for
the arts. Nor do we unconsciously steal ideas from other forms of creative
expression such as music, writing, vegan cooking or reality TV. Our art is
honestly created from nothing.</div>
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<br /></div>
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We have undergone extensive formal training in the arts.
Proudly, our many instructors and mentors have had absolutely no influence
whatsoever on us. We have never explored any of their ideas or followed along
any of the paths they have been on. Nor have we shared with others what was
taught to us. </div>
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<br /></div>
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We take the high road and remain pure unto ourselves. We’re
creators, not haters.</div>
</div>
2Roseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957719461544457006noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460182306440378409.post-57787241050776025792015-05-31T14:40:00.000-07:002015-05-31T14:40:13.785-07:00Favorite Things<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This month’s <i><b>Blog Carnival</b></i>** is “Favorite Things”. The actual
mandate was only to show photos of some of your favorite things. Which
immediately put us in touch with our very most favorite thing – breaking the
rules. </div>
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<br /></div>
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As we were scurrying about on this assignment trying to
determine “favorite” things, it turns out that our favorite “things” aren’t
things at all. It’s the meaning and memory attached to the things and what they
represent in terms the intersection of our lives and the lives of others.</div>
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Everything we surround ourselves with has a story behind it.
The banalest objects often represent a deeply felt moment in time. It is these
moments that define us as people; the “things” are just the footprints of the
journey we are on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Come by for coffee
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Cookie Jar</div>
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Belonged to Corliss’ mother. Corliss’ nickname as a child
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Cow Jumping Over the Moon</div>
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The first thing I did to modify our house when we bought it
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attitude toward life in general.</div>
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Frog Soap Dish</div>
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A birthday gift from Corliss. All couples have pet names and
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Brass Die</div>
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This is a custom die that was used to make a commemorative
bookmarking the completion of the Pertamina Oil Refinery in Jakarta Indonesia,
at the time the largest refinery in Indonesia. The die was presented to us as a
special gift and acknowledgment of the work we did on the project. </div>
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Hawksbill Sea Turtle</div>
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This is a natural history specimen that we were given in
payment for work done for a very old and prominent California family. The
family is a member of a very select group referred to as “pioneers” families.
These were early settlers to the territory during the time California was owned
by the King of Spain. This specimen was collected by a family member circa 1840
prior to the American Civil War. </div>
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Micro-Deburring Tool</div>
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This list would not be complete without at least one tool,
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</span>It works like a champ for deburring small jewelry sized holes, and I use
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L’Art Statue</div>
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I love the stylized naiveté of this piece. It serves as a
reminder of how far our perspective on art and its intent has shifted in the
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Pan Flute</div>
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I approach our entire house as one big art project that I
have been working on for the last 33 years. It is a reaction to the often
sterile interiors I encounter in modern architecture and a conscious attempt to
encrust the entire interior surface of the house with art and decoration. In
this case, the space under the kitchen sink. The project will never be
finished.
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Sharky</div>
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A trifecta of meaning - a gift from Corliss, an allusion to
yet another inside joke, and an acknowledgment of a remark we have heard from
visitors to our home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Looks like a
cross between the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Addam’s Family house.”
Yep.</div>
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Balinese Wood Carving</div>
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A masterwork of Balinese wood carving acquired from a
prominent California collector who needed to “clear some space”. These folks
were only slightly ahead of us on the way to encrusting the entire interior
surface of their home and were quite happy to help us out with our
project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Cast Iron Skillet</div>
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Passed to Corliss from her grandmother, it has been in
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** Blog Carnival is a collective ongoing project of EtsyMetal Team, an international group of metalsmiths and jewelry designers. Each month, members share their perspective on a common topic, giving you the reader a comparative view into the creative mind.</div>
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2Roseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957719461544457006noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460182306440378409.post-32681362545872070022015-03-02T22:28:00.000-08:002015-03-02T22:28:26.492-08:00The Brass Ring<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This
month’s Blog Carnival is “My Jewelry Box”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Show us what you have in your personal jewelry box along with the
stories or meanings it has to you!</span>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After
traveling the world and collecting jewelry for over 50 years, we’ve got some
good jewelry and great stories to go with it. So off we go to the jewelry
“box”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to find a few interesting<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>tales. We had never looked at our cache of
jewelry in this way before. Before long we were completely lost in a dense
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In
the middle of all this reverie, Corliss slid a large brass object out from the
bottom of one of the boxes. “What’s this,” she asked, not recognizing the
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I
made that when I was ten years old,” I replied.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“How cute” Corliss gushed, “your first piece of jewelry!” Well,….not
exactly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At
age 10 I was living on the streets of Toledo, Ohio fending for myself. Derelict
adults, homeless kids, street hustlers, criminals and worse were the norm in my
world. You learn to be very wary of everyone. Despite any measure of bravado,
the sense of your vulnerability is never far off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The “ring” was, in fact, a weapon. It was a
ten-year-old’s notion of brass knuckles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I imagined that when attacked, it might provide me some advantage. It
wasn’t long before I had a chance to test that theory out. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There
were very distinct and separate black and white areas of town back then. White
or black, wandering into the wrong part of town could get you killed by virtue
of being the wrong color. Every day I had to pass through the wrong part of
town to get to the downtown area where I supported myself by engaging in petty
crime. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
had developed a relatively secret habi-trail of alleys, backyards, easements
and other navigable paths to move undetected through one area to the next.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was substantial comfort in the
anonymity and aloneness of it all. Then I ran into Gavin. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In
truth, we ran into each other coming around the corner of a downtown
alley.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember how fast we sized each
other up at that moment. What a professor would explain to me years later as a
“fight or flight” reaction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All I
thought was “Black kid, my size, attacking, punch”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hit him square in the face, and he went
down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To my surprise, he stayed down. He
was severely stunned. A few seconds later I felt the pain in my hand.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
looked at my hand and realized I had been wearing the brass ring. It felt like
my finger was broken. I sat down on the pavement next to the black kid who,
judging by the look on his face was just as terrified of me as I was of
him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I’m John, do you wanna fight some
more or be friends?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I’m Gavin,” he
said, “let's be friends.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This
encounter was the first either of us had ever had with anyone of another race.
We became fast friends over that summer, each of us happy not to be alone on
the streets. Both of us knew that we could never tell anyone about our
friendship. That made it all the better. It was just for us. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
2Roseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957719461544457006noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460182306440378409.post-60205609442985735232015-02-01T10:04:00.000-08:002015-02-01T10:04:28.910-08:00An eye on the future, a foot in the past<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NVe9INUaOT4/VM5p7NEVLbI/AAAAAAAAAZM/TULJFgjOjUs/s1600/Marriage%2Bof%2Barnolfini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NVe9INUaOT4/VM5p7NEVLbI/AAAAAAAAAZM/TULJFgjOjUs/s1600/Marriage%2Bof%2Barnolfini.jpg" height="400" width="290" /></a></div>
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This month’s Blog Carnival** topic is “<b>industry changes in
the time that you have been in business</b>”.</div>
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That covers a lot of time and territory in our case, over 50
years, half a century, to be more precise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The short answer to the question is “everything has changed and nothing
has changed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How we make things has
changed, why we make things, not so much. What this really means is that
technology changes, people don’t. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Its comforting to have a nice tidy view of the universe like
this, but in the studio, where we live, this can all get really messy fast. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Example: We employ some of the most cutting edge technology
available to the jewelry industry for design and manufacturing. We also invest
considerable time, energy and money studying and practicing ancient
jewelry/metalworking techniques. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We appreciate the latest technology for the relative speed
and ease it brings. We also appreciate the skill and understanding that comes
from practicing ancient techniques. </div>
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It is not lost on us in our 21<sup>st</sup> century studio,
that texts from the 17<sup>th</sup>, 18<sup>th</sup> & 19<sup>th</sup>
centuries contain a wealth of useful knowledge on tools, techniques and
materials.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This even extends to studio
business practices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, we have the
Internet, but who, how and why people buy art really has not changed much. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Back in the studio this all translates to a mash-up of ideas
and methods, a hybrid of the old and new. The one thing that never changes is
that everything is always changing. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
** Blog Carnival is a project of EtsyMetal Team, an
international group of artists, who share perspectives on common topics</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
2Roseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957719461544457006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460182306440378409.post-3726274943860068942015-01-04T18:44:00.000-08:002015-01-04T23:08:24.997-08:00Uncle Chet Makes A Bomb<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mcxWgRX0We8/VKn6Rd5OruI/AAAAAAAAAY8/eBOHNN5rBVg/s1600/25565481_M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mcxWgRX0We8/VKn6Rd5OruI/AAAAAAAAAY8/eBOHNN5rBVg/s1600/25565481_M.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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I don’t know how it is at your house, but around here New
Year’s is the symbolic season of change when everyone in the family entertains
good intentions for the coming 12 months. “Don’t worry”, we tell ourselves. It
will all be over soon and we can get back to whatever we were doing
before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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New Year’s resolutions seem like such an inconvenience. Here
we are, happily skipping through snow at Christmas time, eating like pigs,
wallowing in gifts….having a good time! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
BAM! - New Years!! THIS SHIT HAS GOT TO STOP!!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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In atonement we will then go on an obligatory purge of gruel
and sewer water for 3 or 4 days in the expectation that our bodies will shed
30 pounds just to end the 3-4 days of torture. It never ends well. </div>
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Now we do things differently. </div>
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Instead of looking in the mirror and thinking about all the
major life changing things we’re GONNA’ do in the next 10 days, we look at the
cumulative behavior of our immediate family over the last year and make a list of
all the stuff we’re NOT gonna’ do. Not accomplishing most of the items on the
list is made infinitely easier by the exemplary results achieved by family members
who have gone before us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Even so, forearmed with best intentions and a list of things
to avoid doing, we still manage to discover new and even stupider things to do.
It’s a growing list, this New Years thing – a work in progress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Around this time of year we get an unaccustomed and
unnatural urge to clean the studio. We looked back, took stock, and tried to
recall why we had accumulated 234 pair of old shoes over the last 18 months.
Surely it was a spectacularly brilliant artistic epiphany at the time. Our deep
meditation on the meaning of 234 pair of shoes was interrupted by a phone call
from Uncle Chet. He was in the throws of a not dissimilar dilemma. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Having caught the New Year’s bug going around, Uncle Chet
had determined that he too had good intentions, and must divest himself of the myriad
objects and treasures that had found their way to his garage/vault. This was
colossal!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Uncle Chet considers it a
mortal sin to throw anything away. His preferred disposal method is to transfer
his unwanted stuff to someone else’s garage. This keeps balance in Uncle Chet’s
universe and ensures that if he eventually remembers why he accumulated the
stuff in the first place, he knows where to come get it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Uncle Chet was wondering if we could use a
half-gallon of “yellow liquid.”</div>
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<br /></div>
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This prompted one of those hurried discussions with one hand
over the phone receiver you have between you and your spouse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Its Chet…want some yellow liquid?!...Dunno,
whatisit?…. Who knows? Muriatic acid?, chlorine?, urine!........ its <i>Chet</i>!.... OK, I’ll find a use for…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>NO!!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
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Back on the phone this all came out as, “Uh…Uncle Chet we
already have a big bottle of yellow liquid, we’re going to have to pass.” Chet
replied we were the last call to a long list of family members who were all remarkably
well stocked with yellow liquid at the moment. </div>
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This is when it occurred to Uncle Chet that he could at
least save some of the containers. He would just fill all the partial contents
into as few containers as possible. </div>
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This seemed to be going well until he got to the yellow
liquid. </div>
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<br /></div>
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According to the police report, Uncle Chet, added “blue
liquid to a half gallon of yellow liquid. Suspect then noticed the mixture becoming
warm, and then quickly getting hot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
mixture then began to bubble and smoke.” </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At this point Uncle Chet allegedly ran out of the garage
with arms waving and screaming for everyone to evacuate the house. This did not strike anyone as particularly odd...its <i>Chet</i>. So, everyone
assembled on the front yard as instructed, just in time to watch the garage
explode in a huge fireball. This piqued the curiosity of the neighbors who joined
us on the front lawn and wanted to know if someone was filming a movie and if
any celebrities might be hanging around. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Everyone, including the town’s police and fire department, seemed
quite disappointed to learn that celebrities were nowhere to be seen, and it
was just Uncle Chet blowing up the garage. No one was injured, no celebrities
were sited and nobody knows what the yellow or blue liquids were. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Uncle Chet got a stern talking-to from the town authorities
and then released to the custody of Aunt Robin. Chet had asked to be remanded
to county jail for a few days but the authorities weren’t feeling lenient. </div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">We
have since added “Don’t mix blue and yellow liquids” to our New Year’s
resolution list. Note to selves: If blue and yellow liquids ARE mixed, invite
some celebrities over first, just to be safe. Lesson learned. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: xx-small; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Disclaimer: This is our January blog entry for EtsyMetal Blog Carnival, where various artists post their experiences on a shared topic. Unfortunately the characters and events depicted in this post are all true and no one's name has been changed since there are no innocent parties. </span>
</div>
2Roseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957719461544457006noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460182306440378409.post-54236433611798409482014-10-05T11:49:00.000-07:002014-11-03T16:09:22.994-08:00NEVER ask an artist this one question.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dFsZMe6M2Yk/VDGR1VTPsnI/AAAAAAAAAXc/BMW6e6p0pdg/s1600/Confused.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dFsZMe6M2Yk/VDGR1VTPsnI/AAAAAAAAAXc/BMW6e6p0pdg/s1600/Confused.jpg" height="200" width="320" /></a></div>
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Its Blog Carnival time again that international festival of intensely personal nonsense and babel brought to you by EtsyMetal. <br />
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As artists, we travel around the U.S. and the world a lot. We get to meet many interesting people, many of whom are also interested in what we do. We are sincerely grateful for and appreciate people's interest in our work, particularly when said interest is not instigated by police or tax officials. <br />
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Over the many years we have been doing this we have noticed that one question gets asked more often than any other. Oddly enough, the question is almost never asked by other artists. The question: "What is your favorite piece."<br />
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Asking this of an artist will often elicit a blank stare accompanied by muted stammering as the artist tries to process the unfathomability of the request. If the artist also inserts a finger into any orifice of their body (nose, ear, mouth etc.) while stammering, this is a sign that you have thrust a substantially large stick into the spokes of the artist's mental processing. It is probably best to back away quietly at this point. <br />
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Non-artists often find the artists response to this question equally unfathomable. It's a simple enough question. Except that artists don't think this way. At All. The disconnect is one of perspective and relationship. For example, any artist can tell you which is their favorite piece produced by another artist. They can tell you this because their perspective is external to the object and simply based on personal preference of aesthetics. There are no other considerations or relationship with the object. <br />
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Now switch places with the artist who made the object. The relationship and perspective changes radically and is no longer dependent on aesthetics at all. Intention and execution are often the standards of measure. You can see this at work with many artists by complimenting them on a piece. Many will respond to a compliment by pointing out where they failed with intention or execution. <br />
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The other big disconnect is picking a point in time. For example, many artists will say that their "favorite" piece is "the one I just finished." This comment is far less connected to the aesthetic preferences of the artist as it is about the process of giving birth to a creative expression. For an artist to point to a single item and say, THAT ONE is my "favorite" is to stop time and completely deny their journey as an artist. The foundations of that journey are evolution and discovery. The criteria for intention and execution constantly change. Thus, many artists will express that items they were satisfied with or found acceptable at one stage of their journey are no longer so because their perspective has shifted with experience. <br />
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So, if you must know, "what our favorite piece is?" It's the one you want to buy.</div>
2Roseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957719461544457006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460182306440378409.post-80678719543713671062014-08-04T08:09:00.000-07:002015-08-02T12:16:41.120-07:00How to put 10 lbs. of shit in a 5 lb. box<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Welcome to another installment of Blog Carnival, the ongoing international blatherings of the artists of EtsyMetal, of which we are one (well two actually, if you want to get all technical like). Every month we pick a topic and each of who so chooses writes about it from their unique and often unfathomable perspective. <br />
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You, the reader, are thusly treated to a real time comparison of how one artist’s dysfunction stacks up against another’s on the same point of reference. This is our gift to students of psychology and snoopy people everywhere. You know who you are. Enjoy. <br />
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This month we are supposed to be writing about tools, a subject that all metalsmiths are obsessed with. We have “tool envy”. We look at “tool porn”. We compare our tools to the tools of others. And we fuck with our tools incessantly, changing them, modifying, making them bend to our will. We can’t help ourselves. Just know that the fastest way to seduce a metalsmith is invite her up to your room to look at your tools. <br />
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While we all like to talk about our tools, we don’t talk so much about the dirty little secret we all live with. Namely, where do you put all those tools. Yes, we are all trying to fit 10lbs of shit into a 5lb box. As much as we all like tools, studio space and storage is the Holy Grail. <br />
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For our own part, we have literally built “floor to ceiling” shelves and storage into every square inch of our 4 room studio space. This has not even come close to providing adequate storage, so we built 3 additional outbuildings – and immediately filled those up too. Stick around for the super-nova sale that happens after we kick it. We’re pretty sure we actually DO have the arc of the covenant in there somewhere. Maybe Jimmy Hoffa too. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ikQcmisN8Yw/U91qEX_mykI/AAAAAAAAAVU/7zkMf89mSUA/s1600/+02+Corliss+Bench+02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ikQcmisN8Yw/U91qEX_mykI/AAAAAAAAAVU/7zkMf89mSUA/s1600/+02+Corliss+Bench+02.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jIc4DhQXLNM/U91qAOG-IkI/AAAAAAAAAVM/w0f881o978I/s1600/+01+John%27s+Bench+04.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jIc4DhQXLNM/U91qAOG-IkI/AAAAAAAAAVM/w0f881o978I/s1600/+01+John's+Bench+04.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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Here are two photos showing our individual benches. Take your best guess at which one belongs to Pig Pen and Ms. Lucy.<br />
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The arrangements have evolved over the years to put the tools we use constantly within arm’s reach.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8iERWiNLZSc/U91rQh0jzUI/AAAAAAAAAVc/8o4ATIofgVw/s1600/03+Under+bench+Storage+shelf+01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8iERWiNLZSc/U91rQh0jzUI/AAAAAAAAAVc/8o4ATIofgVw/s1600/03+Under+bench+Storage+shelf+01.JPG" width="320" /></a> <br />
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The area under each bench is also lined with shelves and drawers that pull out to provide easy access and additional work surface.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wELL7bNaG7M/U91rY1Yl52I/AAAAAAAAAVs/dG5Zs3XaSd4/s1600/04+Bits+and+Bur+rack+01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wELL7bNaG7M/U91rY1Yl52I/AAAAAAAAAVs/dG5Zs3XaSd4/s1600/04+Bits+and+Bur+rack+01.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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We are big on using every square inch of space to compactly store the small tools we use frequently. Such as this modular system for keeping the various flex shaft bits hands.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SLvfwEL6dNI/U91rSnvghrI/AAAAAAAAAVk/IwU1skpjhCs/s1600/05+Lazy+Susan+tray+01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SLvfwEL6dNI/U91rSnvghrI/AAAAAAAAAVk/IwU1skpjhCs/s1600/05+Lazy+Susan+tray+01.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
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Revolving trays tucked into dead corners can store a boat-load stuff. Specially if you pimp them out like ours. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zfswAdXm7es/U91rfZx7BlI/AAAAAAAAAV0/8bcTjii68Ek/s1600/06+Wire+Storage+01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zfswAdXm7es/U91rfZx7BlI/AAAAAAAAAV0/8bcTjii68Ek/s1600/06+Wire+Storage+01.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Peg board is simply the most important discovery for artists since the invention of the automatic coffee maker and margaritas. I would line my refrigerator with this stuff if Corliss would let me. One of the many things we are using peg board for is to store our wire stock. We picked up this remarkably efficient trick many, many years ago on a visit to another artist’s studio. See the pattern here? <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pX8KEBinKbk/U91rj0qEDBI/AAAAAAAAAV8/fADESeUW8tU/s1600/07+Sheet+storage+01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pX8KEBinKbk/U91rj0qEDBI/AAAAAAAAAV8/fADESeUW8tU/s1600/07+Sheet+storage+01.JPG" width="240" /></a> <br />
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Sheet gets stored in an open filing system and smaller pieces migrate to sorted bins in the drawers.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T5NNE3Gc1M8/U91rs5yzVAI/AAAAAAAAAWE/0rtrT39EsyY/s1600/08+Tool+rack+01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T5NNE3Gc1M8/U91rs5yzVAI/AAAAAAAAAWE/0rtrT39EsyY/s1600/08+Tool+rack+01.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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Any wall surface that does not contain selves is lined with peg board. This one is over a bench and contains frequently used tools. We have found that stacking the peg boards is far more efficient than having one tool per hook which in our case would require a building approximately the size of Hong Kong International Airport. And, its not for sale. We asked.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zrSFiTOQuQc/U91r5VRzNLI/AAAAAAAAAWU/IVge335gH1w/s1600/10+Machining+area+01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zrSFiTOQuQc/U91r5VRzNLI/AAAAAAAAAWU/IVge335gH1w/s1600/10+Machining+area+01.JPG" width="320" /></a>As you might imagine the daily workings of a studio creates a powerful swirling tornado of tools, materials and project in varying degrees of progress. This lends itself to an environment of barely controlled chaos. Considering the context, the word “controlled” is itself a variable term, open to a wide range of interpretation. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iTrcMcMRilE/U91r0_fIG3I/AAAAAAAAAWM/oLiY2DbBsSo/s1600/09+Mini+band+saw+and+draw+bench.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iTrcMcMRilE/U91r0_fIG3I/AAAAAAAAAWM/oLiY2DbBsSo/s1600/09+Mini+band+saw+and+draw+bench.JPG" width="320" /></a> By way of example here are two views of our “mini machine room”. The room itself is most definitely a work in progress, much akin to attempting maintenance on the car while you are driving it. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Patina</b></span> <span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">is a thin layer that forms on
the surface of stone, </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"></span></span><span style="text-decoration: none;">copper</span>,
<span style="text-decoration: none;">bronze</span>
and similar metals (tarnish <span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">produced by oxidation or
other chemical processes);<sup> </sup>a sheen on wooden furniture </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"></span></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" title="Furniture"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"></span></a></span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">produced by age, wear, and
polishing; or any such acquired change of a surface through age and exposure.
Patinas can provide a protective covering to materials that would otherwise be
damaged by corrosion or weathering. They may also be aesthetically appealing.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This
month’s Blog Carnival topic is “patinas”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While the original intent of the assignment was no doubt the common
practice of applying patinas to metal, patination also refers to the
accumulated changes in surface texture and colour that result from normal use
of an object such as a coin over time.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course all of this can be said of people
too. That part about<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“may also be
aesthetically appealing”, is where things get really interesting where people
are concerned. </span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oSyYykE6D3g/U7l0Ktb6XUI/AAAAAAAAAU0/ITxeNodRJLc/s1600/BILLY-GIBBY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oSyYykE6D3g/U7l0Ktb6XUI/AAAAAAAAAU0/ITxeNodRJLc/s1600/BILLY-GIBBY.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For
instance, Billy Gibby here, who tattooed the web address of several porn sites
on his face as part of a breakthrough idea to become a human billboard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t get us wrong, we love the art of tatau,
particularly as practiced by indigenous cultures the world over. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And far be for us to dredge up that old saw
“but what will it look like when you get old?!!” 50 years from now we’re all
going to look like shit and people will still be watching porn. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nA_73AqmCe8/U7l0KgSn11I/AAAAAAAAAUs/1PaVUPQy0bY/s1600/dalai_lama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nA_73AqmCe8/U7l0KgSn11I/AAAAAAAAAUs/1PaVUPQy0bY/s1600/dalai_lama.jpg" height="193" width="200" /></a><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
patina people exhibit over the years often goes far below the surface, and the
accumulated age, wear, texture and polishing exhibits itself in so many strange
and beautiful ways – or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the
worst cases, we just end up scared and damaged from years of abuse, frequently
self-inflicted. In the best of cases we acquire a glowing inner light and perspective
enhanced by accumulated experience and knowledge.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LLgG6ujCmaI/U7l0Kh7oezI/AAAAAAAAAUw/jImQLEFeBSA/s1600/Manson-March-2009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LLgG6ujCmaI/U7l0Kh7oezI/AAAAAAAAAUw/jImQLEFeBSA/s1600/Manson-March-2009.jpg" height="200" width="191" /></a><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And
then there’s Charlie Manson who, in a supreme twist of irony, looks like
someone’s grandpa, except …what’s that on your grandpa’s forehead!?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </span></div>
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<i><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Patina.</span></i>
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2Roseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957719461544457006noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460182306440378409.post-74249447450416613872014-03-30T22:55:00.000-07:002014-03-30T22:55:30.948-07:00Art Versus Craft<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yKoFdslYBRs/UzkCf23wGLI/AAAAAAAAAUc/DUleohTMzH0/s1600/battle_poitiers1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yKoFdslYBRs/UzkCf23wGLI/AAAAAAAAAUc/DUleohTMzH0/s1600/battle_poitiers1.jpg" height="269" width="320" /></a></div>
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This month's Blog Carnival Topic is "<b>Art or Craft</b>, to which we reply...</div>
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There once was a kingdom that had two villages. All the
subjects of the realm lived in one village or the other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Much ado was made by the inhabitants of each
village that they alone were the favorites of the Gods, and thus obviously
superior to the inhabitants of the other village. These frequent declarations
led to constant warfare and skirmishes between the two villages. </div>
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Despite generations of warfare, neither side was ever able
to win a decisive victory in their claim to superiority over the other. This
did nothing to dampen the fervor and tenacity to which each side proclaimed its
virtue over the other. </div>
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Now, as it happened, this warfare between the villages was
carried out in full view of all the other kingdoms in the land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather than taking sides, the inhabitants of
the other kingdoms were confused and frightened because both villages seemed
completely the same to them. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What are
they fighting about, they thought, the people in those two villages must all be
crazy. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And so, the people of the other
kingdoms stayed away from the two villages, not wanting to get dragged into the
fighting. </div>
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So caught up in the fighting were the people of the two villages
that they didn’t notice that no one was minding the crops, and the people of
both villages were starving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or that the
people of the other kingdoms no longer came to trade at their village markets
and fairs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To make matters worse, the
generations of warfare had left some villagers so confused that they no longer
could tell which village they belonged to. </div>
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It was if they were all the same. </div>
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Of course, this could never be. For the wise men of each
village had <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">prophesied,</span> in tongues no less, the certainty of their
differences. More sacrifices were needed, said the wise men, so that we may
prove once and for all throughout the realm, which village is indeed the best. </div>
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And so the villagers continued to fight and starve and
sacrifice their children in a battle that no one outside the villages cared
about and those in each village no longer understood.</div>
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2Roseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957719461544457006noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460182306440378409.post-47835350365294319612014-03-02T21:40:00.002-08:002014-03-02T21:40:55.536-08:00How does your ethnicity impact your art<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br /><br /> <br /><br /><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2460182306440378409"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2460182306440378409"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2460182306440378409"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2460182306440378409"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2460182306440378409"></a>This months Blog Carnival asks “What’s your ethnicity” and how has it impacted your artwork. Easy, we thought! Then again, what exactly does “ethnicity” mean? We looked it up. Turns out it covers a lot of ground.<br /><br />Ethnicity or ethnic group is defined as social group of people who identify with each other based on common ancestral, social, cultural, or national experience. <br /><br />Membership of an ethnic group tends to be associated with shared cultural heritage, ancestry, history, homeland, language (dialect), or ideology, and with symbolic systems such as religion, mythology and ritual, cuisine, dressing style, physical appearance, etc.<br /><br />Larger ethnic groups will tend to form smaller sub-ethnic groups (historically also known as tribes), which over time may become separate ethnic groups themselves through the process of ethnogenesis.<br /><br />Not so easy after all. Particularly if we are trying to draw meaning or particular influence on a lifetime of art work.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-buTcK3fnito/UxQRH3a1nxI/AAAAAAAAAUA/qxJrkD37Og4/s1600/The+ancestors.jpg"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-buTcK3fnito/UxQRH3a1nxI/AAAAAAAAAUA/qxJrkD37Og4/s1600/The+ancestors.jpg" width="400" /></a><br /><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Ancestors</b></span><br />John come from a very long line of seafarers. Norwegian Vikings as the parents pointedly reminded us as children. This was the way of the father and grandfather and great grandfather, etc., and was certainly the path proscribed for John from an early age. <br /><br />Travel, looting and pillaging certainly had its appeal for a while, but participation in other groups of artists and intellectuals offered perspectives on life paths that were considerably different – and safer.<br /><br />Corliss’ parents also had plans for her life. She was being groomed to take over the family floral business. Under the tutelage of her father, Corliss developed a strong creative voice as a designer. <br /><br />Then John happened. <br /><br />This had pretty much the same effect on the family plans as any standard Viking invasion. The odd twist of fate being that Corliss’ family tree stems from Germany, Ireland and France. An ancestral appreciation for drinking and brawling set the basis for an instant love match with John. <br />Oh yeah, and there was this art thing we shared too. <br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vycj6Mqfo8I/UxQRGzwKcCI/AAAAAAAAATw/TnHmb6quOWQ/s1600/Hippies.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vycj6Mqfo8I/UxQRGzwKcCI/AAAAAAAAATw/TnHmb6quOWQ/s1600/Hippies.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Cultural Experience</span></b><br />Hippies. Joining this tribe was a game-changer for both of us. By now all the parents were getting the idea that John & Corliss were straying from the chosen paths. This was a period of intense political activity made more intense by a massive quantities of sex drugs and rock&roll. As it turns out sex, drugs and rock&roll are just fine with everyone. Put politics into the mix and things can get violent quickly. Extensive travel during this period offered perspectives on other life paths that were considerably different – and safer.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NoureI_eHec/UxQRHXSBQMI/AAAAAAAAAT0/i1psXX5y9DA/s1600/Military.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NoureI_eHec/UxQRHXSBQMI/AAAAAAAAAT0/i1psXX5y9DA/s1600/Military.jpg" /></a> <br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2460182306440378409" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2460182306440378409" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2460182306440378409" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2460182306440378409" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2460182306440378409" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">National Experience</span></b><br />Duty called. Military service sort of summed up John’s life experience to date. It had it all. Travel, politics, looting, sex, drugs, rock&roll, and violence on government sanctioned scale that cannot be imagined until it is experienced. Being part of an invading army is a transcendent experience. Whatever ideas John had that there were any rules for anything, pretty much evaporated during this period. Moral ambivalence turned out to be just what the military was looking for however, and special assignments followed. Corliss became part of the military lifestyle in wartime – which is to say bat shit crazy became the new normal. By this time it was abundantly clear that just about any other path would be considerably safer than the one we were on. <br /> <br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-91EAvFn-svY/UxQRG34SwLI/AAAAAAAAAT4/5k3H0t46hjE/s1600/Catholic.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-91EAvFn-svY/UxQRG34SwLI/AAAAAAAAAT4/5k3H0t46hjE/s1600/Catholic.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2460182306440378409"> </a> <b><span style="font-size: large;">Religion, Mythology and Ritual</span></b><br />Catholicism and the Mob. Both John and Corliss were raised Catholic- old school Catholic. In John’s case the parents were mobbed up AND staunch Catholic. Two groups that share a lot of similarities in an many odd ways. The kinder softer church was still half a century away, and corporal punishment was accepted, encouraged. The mob never did make the transition. <br /><br />Both the mob and the church were a big part of growing up and each organization had a very dense mythology and ritual. Sometimes they overlapped. This all seemed like the natural order of things growing up, even if it led to some truly bizarre nuggets of parental advice and guidance. Strange and beautiful advice it turned out, that provided a perspective on how to survive in an unsafe world. God works in mysterious ways.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hNPUiX5qmck/UxQRiq0KOPI/AAAAAAAAAUE/mVbEIfnkxFQ/s1600/Tribe.jpg"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hNPUiX5qmck/UxQRiq0KOPI/AAAAAAAAAUE/mVbEIfnkxFQ/s1600/Tribe.jpg" width="400" /></a> <br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Tribe</span></b><br />Art - Our tribe through all of the above. Art embraces everything, expresses everything. Art has been a shield and a weapon, sometimes both at the same time. Art is our way of seeing, our way of doing and our way of being. Everything we have ever been and want to be comes out in the art. It has always been safest path – even when it’s not. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q7hnh9X22jY/UpwSvAd1SFI/AAAAAAAAATU/u-m6v01Frkg/s1600/MoonshineStill01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q7hnh9X22jY/UpwSvAd1SFI/AAAAAAAAATU/u-m6v01Frkg/s320/MoonshineStill01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This
month’s Blog Carnival burning question is: What do you do to celebrate the
holidays? Which holidays do you celebrate? What foods do you make? What special
holiday jewelry do you make?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Glad
you asked. We asked Santa’s elves once how <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">they</i>
celebrate Christmas. They replied in a chorus of tiny voices, “How the fuck do
you think we celebrate Christmas!? We Work!!” Elves are a little edgy that way.
</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And
so goes our own steady descent into Christmas Elfdom. The madness starts each year
in September when the Christmas buying season starts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is when the stores buy that all stuff
they will use to hype you into a month long frenzy that would make a hungry
shark blush. Of course, we’ve been toiling steadily throughout the summer to support
the madness and frenzy. We’re team players. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
madness typically continues all the way through the holiday season, and
crescendos on Christmas eve. Each year and every year for the last 20 years we
have had a stranger knock upon our door on Christmas Eve. Usually around 8pm.
Always a man. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He’s
terrified, this man. “I need a Christmas gift”, he blurts out. “You’ve come to
the right place” we discretely reply, while checking the street up and down,
“come in quickly”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We always wonder how
these hapless souls find their way to our doorstep, but we’ve learned not to ask any
questions. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cash and goods quickly change
hands and they vanish into the night, off to bestow thoughtful gifts to
beloveds none the wiser.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So goes our
Christmas Elfdom tradition. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It
wasn’t always this way. As children we had different holiday traditions. Like
going to Grandma’s house. Grandma ran a gambling parlor in her rural Indiana
kitchen and also had a booming fruitcake business on the side. Gram and Gramps
we’re also moonshiners, and at Christmas time you got a fruitcake with a gallon
of shine. Gram had a secret recipe for the fruitcakes and they were awfully
popular at Christmas parties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A
few days before Christmas all the Uncles and Cousins would gather at Grams to
deliver fruitcakes. This was always done after dark and would take all night
until the last cake was delivered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was also the occasion for Gramps to make his traditional Fuckyouuppo holiday
punch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gramp's Fuckyouuppo punch was much
like Gram's fruitcakes. Nobody new exactly what was in it, but you sure
recognized the effect once you had some. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Delivery
parties were always occasions to test the products to ensure quality. It was the consensus that it was “mighty good shit”, which I believe is the very
tippy top highest accolade awarded by Good Housekeeping or Journal of American Moonshine or something. Once
adequately fortified with shine and fruitcake Uncles and Cousins roared off in
their hot rod sleds like so many sotted Santas to deliver gifts till the
wee hours of the morning. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">We come from a long line of Christmas Elves. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">*Note: 2Roses makes jewelry. While many people testify to the stunning and intoxicating effects of our jewelry it is not a substitute for a good martini. We do not make moonshine, so don't ask. Not even on Christmas eve. </span>
</div>
2Roseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957719461544457006noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460182306440378409.post-43207569005852377532013-10-06T13:06:00.000-07:002013-10-06T13:06:29.996-07:00True Confessions. What artists really do when you’re not looking!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h6656dlQqUU/UlHBNmshjpI/AAAAAAAAATE/6VzQcg8CTTw/s1600/Crazy+Artist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h6656dlQqUU/UlHBNmshjpI/AAAAAAAAATE/6VzQcg8CTTw/s320/Crazy+Artist.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
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Welcome to Blog Carnival, where you, the reader, gets to
wander around inside the brains of an international collective of artists.
Please watch your step, its slippery in here. </div>
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Each month a random selection from over 300 artists around
the world give their perspective on a common theme related to living life as an
artist. If you have ever wondered what it is like to live life as an artist, or
been curious how the creative life compares in different parts of the
world…read on. </div>
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This month we’re talking about “Favorite things to do in the
studio”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ll assume for a moment that
sex and drugs is probably not what they had in mind when they brought this up. So,
moving on, what <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">DO</i> we really, really,
like to do in the studio?</div>
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<br /></div>
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Many people, particularly non-artists types (you know who
you are), look at the creative life and think of it as unfettered playtime. "You
sit around and make shit up"…and they are right…sometimes. Most of the time
however it is nothing like that at all. Its deadlines, and pressure to come up
with designs that meet specific, often multiple objectives related to concept,
style, production methodology and salability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Surprise! Artists think about such things in addition to engaging in the
hard work of creating stuff that your kid could probably make better.</div>
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<br /></div>
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But all that silly romantic business stuff is likely not
what drew us all to being artists. We confess, it’s the fun of sitting around
and making shit up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You discover truth
in doing this. Truth about yourself, truth about your work, truth about the
world you and your work exist in. It is a magical process, and we don’t know of
a single artist who gets to engage in this activity of pure creation as much as
they would like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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Of course, we are talking about that aspect of creation that
is unfettered and independent from all worldly concerns. Which leads to a
related human experience of being completely absorbed and focused on a single
task. We don’t mean, “intently paying attention to what you are doing”, we mean
<i>time stops and the external world fades completely away</i> focus. The artist literally
gets lost in the work. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">THIS</i> is what
artists really like to do in the studio. It is certainly what we like to do in
the studio, and it is a luxury when we can give ourselves permission to do
this. Did we mention that artists tend to be a very disciplined lot, despite
our disheveled public image.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Not coincidentally, psychologists have studied the common
traits of truly happy people. Ten things that happy people have in common is
the ability and practice of singular focus on a task to the exclusion of all
distractions whether they be internal or external. Does all this mean that
artists are happier?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who knows? Ask
one…or click on the links to see what other artists have to say. </div>
</div>
2Roseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957719461544457006noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460182306440378409.post-71350502181813093202013-07-28T13:06:00.002-07:002013-07-29T08:14:36.050-07:00Woe be the path of the polymath<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xBtvZONK6h8/UfV4XEj1NhI/AAAAAAAAASw/Xw1_EZ0e3F0/s1600/2Roses+Polymaths.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xBtvZONK6h8/UfV4XEj1NhI/AAAAAAAAASw/Xw1_EZ0e3F0/s320/2Roses+Polymaths.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Welcome to another installment of Blog Carnival, where an
international selection of artists provides their perspective on a common
theme. This month it is <i><b>“Businesses you have started”</b></i>. For artists this is a
distinct and separate question from “Businesses you have finished”. As all
artists know, a work is never finished - it’s only abandoned.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Artistic discipline (or lack thereof) aside, the real point
of all this is that artists tend to be polymaths. That is a ten-dollar word
meaning a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different
subject areas. Artists probably aren’t born polymaths, but become such in a
life-long quest to make a living while hopefully staying as close to their art
as possible. In plain English this all means that artists do a lot of things to
get by. This often results in a rather curious effect, when charted out, of the
artist’s career bearing a strong resemblance to the path of a pin-ball. Artists
will often remark that the effect in real life feels very much the same.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We
like to look at artistic economics in geological terms: many little streams
come together to make a mighty river. This perspective has generally worked out
well over the years, but occasionally results with us ending up a creek without
a paddle. We passed through distinct phases on our way to fame and fortune;
“Empire Building Mode”, “Get Rich Quick Scheme of the Week” and “Black Market </span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Über</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">-Lord”
are just a few that come to mind. </span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">The odd part is that we have started, operated and sold so
many businesses over the last 30 years that we are now by definition serial
entrepreneurs. Here’s a peek at some of the businesses that got us here…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>One Hit Wonder Bong Factory.</b></span></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">This was many years ago during our ceramics period. This
seemed like a natural extension of our manufacturing capabilities. Based on our
extra-curricular activities at the time we also had a built-in distribution
network. The world needed more artistically designed bongs and there was a
distinct moneyed niche that was willing to buy something unique. The business
prospered, but the product R&D proved to be a real impediment to
efficiency. We eventually sold the business to our partner when we became
interested in other media.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The King of the Bar Nude. </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Small town USA, particularly throughout the mid-west, is
generously populated with old bars and saloons. Many of these places are
left-overs from the late 1800’s or early 1900’s. They haven’t changed much
since the day they were built, which either adds to their charm or designation
as a “shit-hole” bar depending on your point of view. We are hopeless
romantics, so we thought these places quite charming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were actually doing research for a book,
“Guide to America’s Shit Hole Bars” when we began to notice that more than a
few of these places had old paintings of nudes hanging over the bar. More often
than not, these painting had degenerated into state of very poor condition. Sitting,
drinking, thinking at one of these bars, it occurred to us that WE paint nudes
and were totally capable of reproducing historical styles (thank you old school
art training). This had opportunity written all over it. We approached the bar
owner about either repairing or replacing his bar nude. Bingo - Our first sale!
This led to a five year run and hundreds of bar nudes. We eventually burned out
and just stopped taking orders. Never did finish the book. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Gingerbread Taj Mahal.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">One of our artistic hallmarks is embracing a wide spectrum
of media. For many, many years we were into playing with our food. Not content
to build mountains out of mashed potatoes ala Close Encounters of the Third
Kind, we took food sculpture to a whole new level. It was an instant success,
and on an international level we had not experienced before. The recognition,
money and offers came pouring in. Frankly, we were not prepared.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">This eventually became a pivotal experience in our careers
and our lives. Prior to this, we had a vague idea of what “fame and fortune”
meant and an illusion of what the lifestyle would be like. It was all that, and
a whole lot more. Unfortunately, that “more” part was stuff we really didn’t
like. In fact, we hated it. As the saying goes, “be careful what you ask for,
you may just get it”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were doing
television, traveling with royalty, making more money than we had ever thought
possible and were utterly miserable. How can this be you ask? Another saying
goes, God says, “You can have anything you want in this life, all you have to
do is pay for it.” Meaning everything comes with a cost – to your metal
stability, health, personal relationships etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sometimes knowing what you want is defined by knowing what you don’t
want. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Over the years there have been many, many more businesses
that we have started and run. All have been more or less successful. We have
made money, but more important, we have learned. We have learned to be
comfortable with who we are, and we have learned that the best things in life
aren’t things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">We currently own four businesses that operate
internationally and constantly fight the urge to make it an even five. We have
learned that entrepreneurialism is addictive. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
</div>
2Roseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957719461544457006noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460182306440378409.post-47364031994901671002013-03-03T10:06:00.000-08:002013-03-03T10:06:07.438-08:00How can you be in two places at once if you're not anywere at all<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Where do you live?</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dNYYU3dHaKo/UTOKtUVMsFI/AAAAAAAAARY/7ipSnbxSY-w/s1600/Big+Cactus+Arizona+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dNYYU3dHaKo/UTOKtUVMsFI/AAAAAAAAARY/7ipSnbxSY-w/s320/Big+Cactus+Arizona+2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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-</style>Welcome to another installment of Blog Carnival** a monthly
project of the notorious international art cabal EtsyMetal. This month’s
subject is “Where do YOU live?”, or, from our perspective, “where do you
LIVE?”. </div>
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For some artists location is important, and granted some
places are much nicer than others. But when it comes down to it, art happens
where ever you are because, well, you’re an artist and you don’t store that at
some location. So, to answer the question, we live on the corner of <b>What If Street</b>
and <b>Why Not Avenue</b>. We have lived here for a very, very long time. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BvASplNM85E/UTOKtsG_WtI/AAAAAAAAARg/vYlcEXv9sQU/s1600/Corliss+at+LACMA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BvASplNM85E/UTOKtsG_WtI/AAAAAAAAARg/vYlcEXv9sQU/s200/Corliss+at+LACMA.jpg" width="136" /></a>It’s an interesting neighborhood filled with creative types
and we are comfortable here. We’re way off the beaten track, outside the
comfort zone, and navigating our neighborhood can be disorienting but full of
fun surprises. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bYchonWef1w/UTOKwzU4fVI/AAAAAAAAAR4/6YCx6e5p28c/s1600/Corliss+in+Pittsburg.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bYchonWef1w/UTOKwzU4fVI/AAAAAAAAAR4/6YCx6e5p28c/s320/Corliss+in+Pittsburg.JPG" width="320" /></a>Which is exactly why living on the corner of What If Street
and Why Not Avenue is so interesting. We like surprises, and are willing
to park our car in unknown places just to see what happens. We’re quite used to
things going “wrong”. We’ve learned from the folks living on Why Not Avenue
that maybe it’s our <i>expectations</i> that are “wrong”, and that <i>things</i> are really
OK. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Either way something gets trashed,
“things” or “expectations”.</div>
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We have to sort our trash in this neighborhood and we have a
special bin for Expectations and Preconceived notions. These get thrown out
about once a week, but we also recycle these things. It’s a bad habit.
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The result of all this is not so much a paradigm shift as a
paradigm merry-go-round. Our perceptions, expectations and preconceived notions
are always shifting, being tested and resetting. Meanwhile “things” are flying
off the merry-go-round at an alarming rate. </div>
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“What kind of things?” you ask. </div>
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Things like this:</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8WCVMLK53D4/UTOKuaPV0vI/AAAAAAAAARo/jW3hkjZkuiU/s1600/Disco+Chicken+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8WCVMLK53D4/UTOKuaPV0vI/AAAAAAAAARo/jW3hkjZkuiU/s200/Disco+Chicken+small.jpg" width="140" /></a> </div>
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Disco Chicken . Mixed media. This piece is the result of a
game artists play called Exquisite Corpse. To play,one artists starts a work
and then passes it on to another artist to add something. The piece is passed
among each player the last in line being the one who “finishes” the piece. Disco
Chicken was the result of three artists. We were the last in line, having
received the silver square and the branching pendants.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l9YC5ZXExME/UTOKw-YmJgI/AAAAAAAAARw/tJ2kiRc_f-I/s1600/Front+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l9YC5ZXExME/UTOKw-YmJgI/AAAAAAAAARw/tJ2kiRc_f-I/s200/Front+01.jpg" width="138" /></a> </div>
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Sylph on the move. We have been exploring the concept of alien
life forms and how they might manifest themselves. This images is also an
exploration of how we depict these pieces. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IkVKDiz7LEU/UTOKysQKA2I/AAAAAAAAASM/LqOQlrl85VQ/s1600/Sylph+Arabia+lores.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IkVKDiz7LEU/UTOKysQKA2I/AAAAAAAAASM/LqOQlrl85VQ/s200/Sylph+Arabia+lores.jpg" width="200" /></a> </div>
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Sylph Arabia. This is one of many recent pieces where we are
using our artistic voice in a conscious effort to counterbalance the mindless
demonizing of all thing Arabic and Middle Eastern in western culture. We are
doing this by incorporating Middle Eastern design elements into our work to
demonstrate the sophisticated and sensitive nature of these ancient cultures.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cdpslRVAdtQ/UTOKyW7ECoI/AAAAAAAAASA/r0_Aqi-qOow/s1600/Slinking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cdpslRVAdtQ/UTOKyW7ECoI/AAAAAAAAASA/r0_Aqi-qOow/s200/Slinking.jpg" width="139" /></a> </div>
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Slinking. This is a purely experimental piece that is the
result of working with our friend and fellow artist Jillian Moore <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.jillianmoore.net/">http://www.jillianmoore.net/</a></span>.
We are now beginning to develop our own voice (this isn’t it) using the
techniques that we learned from Jillian</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Eax4hrdtzY8/UTOKyWS9MII/AAAAAAAAASE/s2vs_sCLNak/s1600/Rose+Home.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Eax4hrdtzY8/UTOKyWS9MII/AAAAAAAAASE/s2vs_sCLNak/s200/Rose+Home.jpg" width="148" /></a></div>
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Lastly, for all you who don’t like metaphore and are
thinking “just cut the artsy-fartsy crap and show us where you live”…Here ya
go, Rancho 2Roses in LaLa Land.</div>
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••Blog Carnival is the mind-meld of Etsymetal an International group of artists who write each month on a common topic. In doing so we demonstrate how we each interpret the same subject from our own realities.</div>
</div>
2Roseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957719461544457006noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460182306440378409.post-46014578725828173882013-02-02T10:23:00.001-08:002013-02-03T22:34:12.534-08:00Jewelry Photography Secret Weapons<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This month’s Blog Carnival** is about <b>jewelry photography</b>. </div>
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It is a necessary part of this trade that once an item is made it has to be
documented for a variety of purposes eg, inventory, sales promotion, exhibition
and a portfolio record of the artist’s work. Very few craftspeople can afford
to hire a professional photographer to take pictures of all the things they
make, so most of us become more or less proficient at taking our own photos.
Many of us do our own photography for the full range of purposes that images
are needed for, and supplement our efforts with professionally done images for
more important publicity work such as a magazine cover. </div>
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As anyone who has set out to do jewelry photography has
learned, information on the specific subject is scant, scattered and hard to
come by. Which means that the vast majority of us learn by trial and error –
and by talking amongst ourselves, when others are willing to share their hard
earned knowledge. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These discussions are
usually kicked off with…”how did you get that effect”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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95% of jewelry photography is about controlling the
lighting. That said, we have several secret weapons (tools really) that we find
indispensible to the task. First and foremost among these tools are light
diffusers. Theses soften the light and reduce or eliminate harsh reflections on
shiny surfaces. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0xCtopc0afw/UQ1YRbvPbyI/AAAAAAAAAQs/M3srd7ooW4E/s1600/Softbox+lighting+unit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0xCtopc0afw/UQ1YRbvPbyI/AAAAAAAAAQs/M3srd7ooW4E/s320/Softbox+lighting+unit.jpg" width="183" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soft Box lighting unit</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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We use<b> “soft box” lighting units</b> that have a diffuser built
in, however we frequently supplement this with additional diffusing units for
additional control or to achieve a particular effect. Diffusing units can be
constructed of anything that is translucent. We typically use lightweight white
plastic film, which can be obtained from most art supply or photography stores.
The sheeting can be cut easily with scissors to make any shape or size needed.
We often make a specific diffuser shape from coat hanger wire and tape the
plastic material to it. It’s a cheap, fast and highly effective solution. This
photo shows two rectangle diffuser panels made from coat hangers. Thin milk
plexiglass or other types of plastic that will stand up on their own are also
very useful and we have an entire armada of such shapes and panels in our
studio. </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fU5dv7wsYbI/UQ1YYGYOdpI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/QOqss5HrSwU/s1600/Diffuser+panels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fU5dv7wsYbI/UQ1YYGYOdpI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/QOqss5HrSwU/s320/Diffuser+panels.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Diffuser Panels</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>Reflectors</b> and light scrims are the other secret weapons
that we use extensively. The most common type of reflector we use is common
matt board, black on one side and white on the other. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The matt board is easily cut to any size and
shape to instantly suite the task at hand. Reflectors are positioned opposite
light sources to bounce light or color back into specific areas of the object,
such as the underside of a curved surface.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We wrap the reflector board in tin foil if brighter reflections are
needed. The black surface is used when you need to eliminate a bright
reflection. We also have a good array of various colored boards to have better
control over the color tone of the reflection. </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TZwlvfgQo6I/UQ1YYgaOnNI/AAAAAAAAARE/8EYv9mzt-f4/s1600/Various+reflectors+and+scrims.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TZwlvfgQo6I/UQ1YYgaOnNI/AAAAAAAAARE/8EYv9mzt-f4/s320/Various+reflectors+and+scrims.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reflectors and Scrims</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>Scrims</b> are shapes, usually cut from matt board or foam core,
that help restrict, form or shape the light source. They are very useful when
you need an extra spot of light on just one small area, or you want the light
to be restricted to a specific area on the object or shooting stage. Scrims are
positioned between the light source and the object. The distances between the
three will determine how “hard” or “soft” the lighting effect will be. </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S1cXweHpIck/UQ1YXkFeolI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/FLZKMEm3EnE/s1600/Boom+extension+for+the+tripod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="184" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S1cXweHpIck/UQ1YXkFeolI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/FLZKMEm3EnE/s320/Boom+extension+for+the+tripod.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tripod Boom Attachment</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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One of our guilty studio pleasures is the <b>boom attachment
for the tripod</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got by for years
without one, but doing jewelry photography with one is so-o-o-o-o much easier.
The boom allows you to position the camera over a small piece rather than
shooting obliquely. It’s a small point, but can be a big deal when attempting
to get the right angle on a piece and for gaining more control over depth of
field issues related to macro lenses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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For more tips and tricks about jewelry photography, take a
look at some of the other Etsymetal Team artist’s blogs who have generously
shared what they have learned. </div>
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<br /></div>
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** Blog Carnival is a project of EtsyMetal Team, an
international group of jewelry makers, whereby various team members each write
about a common topic, giving readers a variety of perspectives.</div>
</div>
2Roseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957719461544457006noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460182306440378409.post-36251571791938325122013-01-05T19:05:00.000-08:002013-01-06T08:20:20.229-08:00How to keep a New Year's Resolution<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B3XxPawoTPc/UOjmiIEm_0I/AAAAAAAAAQY/50n1uIJZG-k/s1600/NewYear+Resolution.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B3XxPawoTPc/UOjmiIEm_0I/AAAAAAAAAQY/50n1uIJZG-k/s320/NewYear+Resolution.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We kick off the new year’s Blog Carnival** with that
perennial favorite seasonal topic: New Year’s Resolutions. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>Resolute:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b> </b> </span><i>marked by
firm determination</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yes, it’s that time of year again when the national sport
turns to vocalizing all the things that we don’t like about ourselves and
making proclamations that, by God, this time we are ABSOLUTELY going to change!
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This is distinctly different than the rest of the year when
everyone we are surrounded by tells us what they don’t like about us, and we
resolutely tell them to go fuck themselves.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Statistics show that about 50% of us love to engage in this
fantasy football of self-improvement. Those same statistics reveal that about
8% of us actually make good on our threats to change. The rest of us have
apparently told ourselves to go fuck ourselves. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oddly, for such a fiercely individualistic bunch that humans
are, our personal resolutions are suspiciously similar. Not wanting to fall out
of line with the individualistic herd, we have conformed our own resolutions
this year to be uniquely identical with the norm. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Forthwith, here are the top 8 new year’s resolutions that
you, we and everyone else on this planet makes, but doesn’t keep. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We, however, are resolute and have adjusted
the resolutions to guarantee success!</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<span style="color: #ffd966;"><b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1. Spend More Time with Family &
Friends</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We have spent the last 30 years actively
avoiding our relatives. Considering that they are not likely to change their
behaviors regardless of any resolutions on their part, we’re sticking with the
odds and staying in stealth mode.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Friends? Well…when they exclaim with amazement “when do you find time to
make all this wonderful stuff?” We reply, “when you’re not here.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<span style="color: #ffd966;"><b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2. Fit in Fitness</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Right. We’re in the studio – we ain’t coming out. <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We resolve to spend more time in the studio
instead of fooling ourselves that we’re going to the gym. We’re pretty certain
we can do this.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<span style="color: #ffd966;"><b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">3. Tame the Bulge</span></b></span><b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">60 percent of adult Americans are considered overweight or
obese. Don’t worry, in about 60 days you and the rest of us will forget all
about this, and we can all get back to enjoying ourselves.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<span style="color: #ffd966;"><b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">4. Quit Smoking</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We never started, so we are
resolutely and smugly patting ourselves on the back for this and all the other
things we didn’t do, like hacking up the noisy obnoxious neighbors with a
hatchet and stuffing them in the freezer. Although, the year is just getting
started…</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<span style="color: #ffd966;"><b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">5. Enjoy Life More</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Get out and try something new! Take up a new hobby!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We got this one covered – Trying new things IS our hobby. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Naked scuba diving – check.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Skeet shooting with heavy artillery – done it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Striding through the jungle on the
back of an elephant with diarrhea – yep!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This is a very long list – email
us if you want to compare notes. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<span style="color: #ffd966;"><b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">6. Quit Drinking</span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The odds
are better that you will start going to the gym more often. At least you can go
to the gym AND drink.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which means you
will feel better and be enjoying life more. As for us, we’re going to stay in
the studio and clean up the elephant poop. We’ll need a drink after that.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<span style="color: #ffd966;"><b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">7. Get Out of Debt</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Unless of course, it is something you really, really want or
deserve. Remember, the more useless and frivolous it is, the easier it is to
finance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just don’t ask <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">us</i> for the money.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<span style="color: #ffd966;"><b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">8. Learn Something New</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For example, learn what your friends and family really think
about you: </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-fareast-font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">you
are overweight </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-fareast-font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">b.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">you
drink too much</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-fareast-font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">c.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">when
are you going to pay back the money you borrowed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-fareast-font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">d.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">you
won’t keep your new year’s resolutions</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">in other words, pretty much the same thing you’re thinking
about them.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">HAPPY NEW YEAR! </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">** <i>Blog Carnival is a group binge activity of Etsymetal Team in which an international group of metal artists each resolves to write about a common topic, thus giving you, the reader, a world perspective on how the creative mind works - or doesn't.</i></span></div>
</div>
2Roseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957719461544457006noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460182306440378409.post-67680056877778123512012-09-30T12:14:00.000-07:002012-09-30T21:31:49.349-07:00Back to Old-School!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v7mEJJuB25w/UGiY5QxOb0I/AAAAAAAAAQA/-seAyeNhVeI/s1600/caveman+barter+system.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v7mEJJuB25w/UGiY5QxOb0I/AAAAAAAAAQA/-seAyeNhVeI/s320/caveman+barter+system.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This
month at the ole’ Blog Carnival** we’re talking about “Back to School”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Somewhere we look a wrong turn in the hallway
because…we never left school in the first place. It’s all learning all the time
at 2Roses’. It’s part and parcel of this modern life where constant and rapid
change is the norm. We suspect that all of you live in this world too – except
those of you who don’t.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Old
School” in many cases simply means a “tradition” of sorts. In our fast paced
world, this can be taken to mean last week’s traditions as opposed to what’s
happening NOW. Much grinding of the gears happens in that space, where old-world
tradition (more than two weeks ago) intersects with 21<sup>st</sup> century
sensibilities. Take our own particular brand of madness, handmade jewelry, for
example. “Handmade!?”, folks respond blankly when presented with this fact
along with the object. Scrolling text then appears across their forehead….”What
does that mean? ….People make stuff by hand?....Why?....Holy shit, how much?” </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But
wait, it gets better. We are not alone in our handmade-keeping-traditions-alive
romantic economically delusional pursuits. There are people engaged in making
armor, and flint knapped arrowheads and, we are quite certain if you look
around long enough, buggy whips. Now, we totally get armor and flint knapped
arrowheads. These are going to be big sellers when the apocalypse comes. But
buggy whips!? Seriously!!!?? </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Which
brings us to the point of going back to old-school. Just how old an old-school
are we talking about. After all, traditions can go back…as far back as…uhmm,
like the first Christmas or something. Anyway, the question is what happens
when your old-school traditions collide with my old-school traditions. Well,
first off… <i>you’re</i> wrong. I think we can all agree on that. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Or
maybe there is some sort of old-school tradition that the oldest tradition
wins. For example, here is how it works in real life: A friend makes handmade
jewelry. BAM! Right off the bat, she has about 10,000 years of old-school tradition
in the bank. Trump that!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In
walks a customer who wants a ring. Not just any ring. <b><i>This</i></b> ring: "I want
my ring to be made of ethically mined and fair traded traditional diamond
solitaire, recycled and sustainable gold and while it's being made, I don't want
any chemical or environmental toxins to be used or come in contact with the
process <i>AND</i> since I am not really a "consumer" I would like to pay
you with the organic fruits and vegetables I grow on my solar powered
farm." </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Whoa
– serious contender – barter is old-old school going back to before Dynotopia
and when Benjamin Franklin invented money. The request backed our friend up for
a moment and you could see scrolling text appear across her forehead.….”What
does that mean? ….People trade vegetables for diamonds & gold?....Why?....Holy
shit, that’s a lot of vegetables?” </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
customer ended up getting a tattoo instead, and that’s how you get learned in
old-school. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">**
Blog Carnival is a monthly feature of Etsy Metal Team in which members share
opinions and perspectives on a common topic which are different from ours …and
therefore wrong. </span></div>
</div>
2Roseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957719461544457006noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460182306440378409.post-90447299555719870502012-09-03T15:13:00.002-07:002012-09-03T15:13:48.719-07:00Teenage Dog Enema Nurse <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dqlUNqeVyMI/UEUrcoxkoEI/AAAAAAAAAPs/wVWCojZbxqA/s1600/Dog+Enema.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dqlUNqeVyMI/UEUrcoxkoEI/AAAAAAAAAPs/wVWCojZbxqA/s1600/Dog+Enema.jpg" /></a></div>
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This month’s Blog Carnival** is about “pets”, those
wonderful, cuddly, friends of the family that provide companionship and joy. No
doubt my fellow artisans will be extolling amazing tales of how a favorite pet
saved their life at one time, cooks dinner (and does the dishes), helps the
kids with trigonometry homework and still manages to provide endless
inspiration for boundless creative endeavors. All good stuff. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Growing up we had pets too, particularly dogs. I would watch
the exploits of Lassie on TV, but my dogs just never quite measured up. They
would mostly just bark at anyone who came near the house, and shit everywhere.
I was intimately familiar with this last part because it was my job to clean up
after the dogs. My parents believed in the sanctity of work. The dogs believed
in the sanctity of shitting – everywhere. These two parallel concepts were to
merge in the most horrible manner later in my life, when at age 15 I got an
after school job with the local veterinarian. </div>
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“Bob the Vet” was an affable man, who liked his job as much
as he liked his bourbon. The two went together pretty well judging by the
amount Bob drank on the job. But at 15 you’re not too judgmental of such
things, and besides Bob was a generous and sharing man. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Bob apparently recognized a deep untapped pool of veterinary
greatness underneath my teenage veneer of acne and brylcreme, and immediately
undertook to bestow upon me his vast knowledge of the medical arts. I was so
adept a student that after only a few hours of training I received my first
promotion. I was made the new Dog De-Worming Supervisor and put in charge of
the entire division. As luck would have it, Bob had an amazingly steady demand
for this service, and even though the entire de-worming division consisted of
me, I smelled opportunity.</div>
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For those of you who are not schooled in the medical arts,
de-worming a dog is mainly accomplished by administering an enema to said dog.
Now, the first thing you have to know about the process is that it is a
disgusting and messy affair. The second thing you gotta know is that the dogs
don’t like it much. It is a procedure that is greatly facilitated by bourbon
for the person administering the enema and the dog.</div>
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The art of the dog enema is all in knowing how to restrain
the dog throughout the experience. The technique is nothing less than
veterinary kung-fu that is handed down from master to apprentice -and I was
getting good at it. I quickly mastered Chihuahuas and Pomeranians. Beagles and
Cocker Spaniels were no match for me, nor Lab Retrievers. I was easily working
through everything breed Bob threw at me, until…the Rotweiler. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Confronting a really big dog as you contemplate the best way
to shove a hose up its ass is a sobering experience. At 121lbs the dog weighed
only slightly less than I did. What he lacked in weight he more than made up
for in bad attitude. We stood motionless for a few moments eyeing each other.
The rotweiler growling, looking at me, the hose in my hand, my throat. Me
looking at the rotweiler and estimating the distance between me the dog and the
door. </div>
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They tell you in the military that in times of high stress
your training kicks in and you act instinctively without thinking. And that is
exactly what happened next. In hindsight thinking about it would have been a
better move. Instead I made my best enema ninja move, restrained the rotwieler
and inserted the hose in one deft motion. This clearly caught the dog by
surprise and he just stood there for a few moments trying to figure out what
just happened. </div>
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<br /></div>
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I thought things were going pretty well until the rotweiler
decided he’d had enough of being violated with a garden hose and broke free,
jumping out of the tub and knocking me to the floor in the process. Lying there
on my back I watched an upside-down rotweiler looking ever so much like a water
balloon let loose. Only slightly less amusing was the sudden realization that
this massive snarling animal propelled by a high pressure stream of fluid,
worms and shit was charging at me. </div>
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<br /></div>
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That’s when I discovered I could fly – and scream very
loudly.<span> </span>Sitting atop a stainless
steel cabinet my incessant screams eventually aroused Bob’s curiosity<span> </span></div>
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enough for him to come see what the noise was about. Bob was
pretty nonplussed about the incident. The dog had been successfully de-wormed
(billable) and as the supervisor of the department Bob reminded me that it was
my responsibility to clean up. And that is why to this day I remain a steadfast
cat person.</div>
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<br /></div>
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**Blog Carnival is the brainchild of EtsyMetal Team whereby a random selection of international artists share wildly inappropriate and embarrassing personal information for your curiosity and gratification. </div>
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<br /></div>
</div>
2Roseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957719461544457006noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460182306440378409.post-62715634508963576432012-08-05T09:02:00.002-07:002012-08-06T06:56:47.325-07:00We sense something odd<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Describe
your 5 senses. Which are your favorites and least favorites?<br />
</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gdegVUWvPyk/UB6WBBUeXcI/AAAAAAAAAPY/6ZaDfhMy3Gc/s1600/five+senses.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gdegVUWvPyk/UB6WBBUeXcI/AAAAAAAAAPY/6ZaDfhMy3Gc/s200/five+senses.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"></span></span></div>
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This month’s Blog Carnival** topic is the five senses. You
know, sense of sight, sound, smell, touch and taste. This got us thinking about
which or our senses most drive our work. On reflection, to our surprise, the
“big 5” didn’t even make the list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sense of wonder</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sense of humor</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sense of Responsibility</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sense of place</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sense of Security</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sense of Community</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sense of equilibrium</b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sense of Purpose</b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sense of Outrage</b></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sense
of entitlement</span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sense
of shame</span></div>
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Sense of Motion</div>
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Sense of Horror</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Common Sense</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hv7qbVtMBJI/UB6ULWW2DnI/AAAAAAAAAPI/8tOFgoxJMB0/s1600/Ochid+Sylph+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hv7qbVtMBJI/UB6ULWW2DnI/AAAAAAAAAPI/8tOFgoxJMB0/s320/Ochid+Sylph+.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>
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A <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">sense of perpetual
wonder</b> – at the world we live in – is what makes us anxious to jump out of
bed in the morning. Each day is an adventure that brings both good and bad, all
of which pulls, pushes and transforms the work that gets filtered through our
experience and perceptions of the of the world around us. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xqOwN-r0gM8/UB6UHpFB9KI/AAAAAAAAAO4/qvbNJOcAsaw/s1600/Dali%27s+Pencil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xqOwN-r0gM8/UB6UHpFB9KI/AAAAAAAAAO4/qvbNJOcAsaw/s320/Dali%27s+Pencil.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div>
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These experiences inevitably stimulate other senses which
bubble to the surface of our work in many strange ways. Sometimes they manifest
themselves as conscious statements, as when our <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">sense of humor</b> </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v3fSaGjMKNM/UB6UKZEhFJI/AAAAAAAAAPA/6QBNlkgGN2c/s1600/Heavy-Handed+Allegory+Ring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v3fSaGjMKNM/UB6UKZEhFJI/AAAAAAAAAPA/6QBNlkgGN2c/s320/Heavy-Handed+Allegory+Ring.jpg" width="205" /></a> </div>
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or <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">sense of outrage</b>
is triggered.
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<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"></span></div>
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Other times, we find ideas creeping into the work because of
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We have a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">sense of
responsibility </b>to the people around us, coupled with a strong <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">sense of purpose</b> in what we are doing.
This has in no small part contributed to a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">sense
of equilibrium</b> and a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">sense of
security</b> in ourselves, each other, and our work. </div>
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** Blog Carnival is the random zeitgeist of EtsyMetal, a loose cabal of international creative conspirators dedicated to overthrowing the global lack of imagination.</div>
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2Roseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957719461544457006noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460182306440378409.post-18101912928867897962012-05-07T06:58:00.000-07:002012-05-07T06:58:54.851-07:00CONFESSIONS OF A TOOL JUNKIE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This month’s Blog Carnival** topic will undoubtedly be a
treasure trove of hidden gems for the metalsmiths in the audience. The subject
is “tools you have made yourself”, and the objects made with those tools. We
are squealing with glee right now. FYI for our non-metalsmith readers, most
metalsmiths, especially us, are unrepentant tool junkies. Very rarely will you
encounter a metalsmith who admits to having enough tools. When visiting each other’s studios metalsmiths
will always want to look over the tools, and specially the little things each
of us does to modify a tool for a special purpose. Almost all of us make
tricked out tools for ourselves.</div>
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We make tools for the sheer joy and fun of it and suspect
that making jewelry is simply an excuse to engage in tool making. In fact, we
are writing this blog post as fast as we can because what we really want to do
is visit all the other Blog Carnival artists to see what tool tricks we will
discover. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HYZ7yvOm3mw/T6YLaUAQnDI/AAAAAAAAAMU/8zxBQUadIMw/s1600/06++2Roses+Jumpring+tool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="165" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HYZ7yvOm3mw/T6YLaUAQnDI/AAAAAAAAAMU/8zxBQUadIMw/s200/06++2Roses+Jumpring+tool.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BpkKETJ8-Vk/T6YLpOakIAI/AAAAAAAAAMc/Dut6pFpq5vw/s1600/06++2Roses+Nylon+dapping+block.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BpkKETJ8-Vk/T6YLpOakIAI/AAAAAAAAAMc/Dut6pFpq5vw/s200/06++2Roses+Nylon+dapping+block.jpg" width="200" /></a> </div>
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The first item is a jump ring cutter. Everyone has to cut
jump rings sooner or later. We actually have many types of jump ring cutters
and will grab the one best suited for the volume and size of rings we need.
This one is for medium sizes and small quantities. The second item is a nylon dapping block. We
made this to form domes in metal that had texture or other processes applied to
it. The nylon is relatively gentle and will not “iron out” the texture or pattern
on the metal like a metal dapping block will. We have made a lot of these
blocks in various sizes, usually to suit a specific project as needed. We also make nylon or wood dapping punches to
go with the blocks. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-noPoWMRZ1Y8/T6YL1c99ngI/AAAAAAAAAMk/ph0Pa78cyRU/s1600/06+2Roses+IXL+Necklace+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-noPoWMRZ1Y8/T6YL1c99ngI/AAAAAAAAAMk/ph0Pa78cyRU/s200/06+2Roses+IXL+Necklace+.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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This chain mail necklace was made using the jump ring cutter
and nylon dapping block.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9i-X2JPavDg/T6YMZEQTxFI/AAAAAAAAAM0/bip_ThtcG18/s1600/08+2Roses++Micro+Deburring+tool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9i-X2JPavDg/T6YMZEQTxFI/AAAAAAAAAM0/bip_ThtcG18/s200/08+2Roses++Micro+Deburring+tool.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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This is a micro deburring tool that is made from old exacto
blades. It is one of the most useful little tools on our bench and we use it
all the time. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-798yMuZiNAs/T6YM3LJ8_hI/AAAAAAAAANE/Mf7cvI1lVeQ/s1600/09++2Roses+Nylon+Mandrels.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-798yMuZiNAs/T6YM3LJ8_hI/AAAAAAAAANE/Mf7cvI1lVeQ/s200/09++2Roses+Nylon+Mandrels.JPG" width="178" /></a></div>
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These are nylon and delrin mandrel for making quick work of
trueing up or shaping cones of varying sizes and shapes. These are made on a
lathe from rod stock and we have dozens of them in different sizes and shapes.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ebXmLga3SbE/T6YNCK3C4eI/AAAAAAAAANM/L5ioUJ_3WIQ/s1600/09+2Roses+Sassan+Earrings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ebXmLga3SbE/T6YNCK3C4eI/AAAAAAAAANM/L5ioUJ_3WIQ/s200/09+2Roses+Sassan+Earrings.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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These earrings were made using the deburring tool and a cone
mandrel.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DBrvrYe_W9c/T6YMElyOz9I/AAAAAAAAAMs/6xi1YlXMV3k/s1600/08+2Roses++Corrugator.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="165" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DBrvrYe_W9c/T6YMElyOz9I/AAAAAAAAAMs/6xi1YlXMV3k/s200/08+2Roses++Corrugator.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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A friend of ours, Trish McAleer, literally wrote the book on
metal corrugation. In the early days there was no corrugation equipment other
than expensive Italian rolling mills. Everyone used these cheap little tube wringers,
which are still likely the most used tool for the job. The problems were getting sufficient pressure
on the metal and then turning the little handle when you did. We modified ours
with a screw to exert mechanical force on the rollers and a handle that
provided considerably more leverage for turning. This will do a respectable job
on 24 gauge metal. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jBbVaYiVoGo/T6YNP6AmzhI/AAAAAAAAANU/vb9kvHno7Bw/s1600/08+2Roses+PostJohnCarpenter+Earrings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jBbVaYiVoGo/T6YNP6AmzhI/AAAAAAAAANU/vb9kvHno7Bw/s200/08+2Roses+PostJohnCarpenter+Earrings.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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PostJohnCarpenter Apocalyptic Earrings made with the metal
corrugator</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bxGwGNIaNKk/T6YNrU0OCTI/AAAAAAAAANk/ucxKftV7s74/s1600/02+2Roses+Big+Bruno+Mandrel.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bxGwGNIaNKk/T6YNrU0OCTI/AAAAAAAAANk/ucxKftV7s74/s200/02+2Roses+Big+Bruno+Mandrel.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dUzcOSSJ7nk/T6YNcnHNo8I/AAAAAAAAANc/zYBOCzKyWus/s1600/03+2Roses+Bracelet+mandrel.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dUzcOSSJ7nk/T6YNcnHNo8I/AAAAAAAAANc/zYBOCzKyWus/s200/03+2Roses+Bracelet+mandrel.JPG" width="155" /></a> </div>
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We have lots and lots of these wooden forming mandrels in a
wide range of sizes. We make them on a band saw or lathe, often to fit a
specific project. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mo91SdcTDo0/T6YO1GdugLI/AAAAAAAAANs/8rpdrMJQ7q4/s1600/02+2Roses+Summer+Garden+Bracelet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mo91SdcTDo0/T6YO1GdugLI/AAAAAAAAANs/8rpdrMJQ7q4/s200/02+2Roses+Summer+Garden+Bracelet.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aEwWTv4rvno/T6YPbozBv9I/AAAAAAAAAN8/BJhizp_T4Qg/s1600/03+2Roses+Andromeda+Bracelets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aEwWTv4rvno/T6YPbozBv9I/AAAAAAAAAN8/BJhizp_T4Qg/s200/03+2Roses+Andromeda+Bracelets.jpg" width="161" /></a></div>
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A couple of bracelets that were made using the wood
mandrels. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xw8txhhxECE/T6YPwrDXvvI/AAAAAAAAAOE/cJI0kCmK4sI/s1600/07+2Roses++Customized+bur.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="115" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xw8txhhxECE/T6YPwrDXvvI/AAAAAAAAAOE/cJI0kCmK4sI/s200/07+2Roses++Customized+bur.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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This is a carving bur made from a 45° heart bur that had
become dull. These can be reshaped by grinding the top off the bur leaving only
a portion of the lower section below the girdle.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t9qRUDfkL8s/T6YP_cZQJhI/AAAAAAAAAOM/FEQDyjekYII/s1600/07+2Roses++Micro+cutting+vise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t9qRUDfkL8s/T6YP_cZQJhI/AAAAAAAAAOM/FEQDyjekYII/s200/07+2Roses++Micro+cutting+vise.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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This is a micro-clamp for working on small or delicate
parts. It is an extremely versatile tool and we use it all the time for holding
small parts while sawing or doing other operations. One of the nice things about this jig is that
is very easily modified to do a lot of different jobs. We have made lots of
extra parts and configurations for the base plate over the years. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aVTmPmwfnHo/T6YQMHjZj9I/AAAAAAAAAOU/DgBk5AUZohk/s1600/07+2Roses+Kathryn%27sPendant+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aVTmPmwfnHo/T6YQMHjZj9I/AAAAAAAAAOU/DgBk5AUZohk/s200/07+2Roses+Kathryn%27sPendant+.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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This carved and pierced bone pendant was made using the
carving bur and micro clamp.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9TUuiF6X9m8/T6YQYO2d5fI/AAAAAAAAAOc/GVAUbkxLtok/s1600/04++2Roses+Knapping+tools.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="118" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9TUuiF6X9m8/T6YQYO2d5fI/AAAAAAAAAOc/GVAUbkxLtok/s200/04++2Roses+Knapping+tools.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Technically this isn’t for metalworking, but we’re throwing it
in just for fun. This is our flint-knapping tool kit. It consists of a deer
antler heavy hammer, a copper small hammer, a copper compression tool, a
leather hand protector and safety glasses. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8TvqsuYFhO0/T6YQimxG-ZI/AAAAAAAAAOk/iI4hpyEpvn4/s1600/04+2Roses++knaped+knife.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="104" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8TvqsuYFhO0/T6YQimxG-ZI/AAAAAAAAAOk/iI4hpyEpvn4/s200/04+2Roses++knaped+knife.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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A pretty crude knapped knife. We need to do a lot more
practicing, but by the time the next ice age rolls around we should be in a
position to clean up. </div>
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We could go on and on with tools, but we need to get over to
the other Blog Carnival sites to see what cool things we can learn from those
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** Blog Carnival is a collaborative blog experiment by the artists of EtsyMetal, an International collective or metal artists. Each month, various members write on the same subject, giving readers a perspective on how artists in different areas of the world approach themes common to our lives.</div>
</div>2Roseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957719461544457006noreply@blogger.com5