Cool Stuff: Mysterious Stone from Mt. Vesuvius

What is it? I have no idea. It's some kind of silicon stone(i think), but other than that I have no clue! My brother brought it back for me from Italy, claiming it came from Mount Vesuvius. Did it?

Why is it cool? Look how freakin' sparkly it is! I mean, uh, it's aesthetic properties are quite pleasing. And if it did come from Mt. Vesuvius, then that's awesome. But if it isn't, that's still cool.

Where can I get one? I have no idea. I've seen stones like this one around, in museum shops where minerals are exhibited, but i can't for the life of me remember what they are called! Does anybody know?

Patrick Veillet

allow me to distract you, for a moment, with something that has nothing to do with class, nothing to do with school, just something to blow your mind.
these are the works of French designer Patrick Veillet, who has a cool (if slightly annoying) website. Unfortunateley, that website is all in french, but if you poke around you can find samples of his sketches and his work. He works in some kind of resin (called "resin de vinyle" in french) for his wearable sculptures. Haven't found anything about his process yet, though.

See for yourself at http://www.patrickveillet.com/main.html

Reserch for Blood Diamond project: Prosthetic arms

Jan, here's another one for your collection! Stumbling around i found Giho Lee's super-cool Prosthetic Arm Projects, which is a series of little wire thingys that help people that only have hooks for hands with everyday tasks, like using an I-Phone or a keyboard mouse.
the annoying thing is, most of the pictures i could find of prosthetics were of more modern, which have actual hands. these seem more common now in developed countries (showing how behind some of these countries are).

i looked around and found all sorts of cool stuff though...here are some highlights!

source:http://www.switched.com/tag/prosthetic (all sorts of stories about futuristic prosthetics)
look at the design of that arm! it looks like something from sci'fi. future, here we come!
a "sustainable" prostetic arm, as shown at "Compost-modern" and fetured on the blog "Core77"
(Jan, tottally blogroll these people. even if their presentation video put me to sleep, I know they will make you happy.)

finally! it's not a good picture (and it's probably on this blog illegally) but that's the model i'm looking for. i'll edit the design of my pendant to reflect it a bit more.

here's a simple illustration of the arm and how it works- from a site about child amputees.

Cool Stuff: Sleeping Cat Netsuke

What is it? It's a Netsuke, a button-like thing that people in ancient Japan wore on their obi, or belt. Because kimono don't have pockets, they would have little bags or boxes that they would hang on these cute little "buttons". Some of them are very elaborate, some even pornographic (don't know where you would wear those, but whatever floats your boat.) Real netsuke are made of fancy wood or ivory, but this one is a replica made of plastic.

Why is it cool? Look at it! it's a big, round kitty! With a bow! I love things about cats, especially Japanese cats. This kitty is a japanese bobtail, which is kind of a symbol of Japan. This is extra-cool because it is a really good reproduction- it shows the skill of the artist who origionally carved it. He even put on darling paw-pads and his little curly tail!

Where did you get that? I found this cutie at the gift shop at the Walters Art Gallery in Baltimore. While you're there, go to the Asian Arts gallery to see real, antique netsuke, not to mention the gorgeous laquered boxes that once hung from them. If you're in Baltimore and you like ancient Japanese culture (or even if you're just an Otaku) it's a must see!

This just in! I Googled "Lacma" and "Netsuke" and found something incredible- the Los Angeles County Museam of Art's online Gallery! They have all sorts of great stuff to look at, with a huge collection of netsuke and prints. And, in the "Urban life in the Edo Period" collection, i found the origional version of this darling little netsuke.(don't tell the folks at the Museam website I posted that image...)

"Prana Spindle"

"Prana Spindle"
blown glass ornament, brass bells, lampwork glass bead, crystal beads, glass beads.

A rare double-topic! One of the coolest things I found I made into jewelry. I got the ornament i used as a pendant at Rennfest. That particular vendor focuses on Faerie dust pendants and wands, and this ornament is filled with golden glitter.
I envision Prana, or Chi, as beautiful sparkling gold dust. I probably got this image from the "His Dark Materials" series, where the mysterious magic that fills the air (but nobody can see) is golden dust. This is like a reliquary, life force itself trapped within a bottle like a genie.

Cool Stuff: Hope Pocket Heart

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune--without the words,
And never stops at all

What is it? A pewter heart, probably made in a mold, made out of the letters of the word "Hope".

Why is it cool? this tiny heart is part me and part Thomas Mann. There was no interaction, of course and the only thing i really did was add a plastic feather bead. I added the feather because it reminded me of a certain poem. I know i've written it down somewhere...

Where did you get it? The American Craft Council show. This is a "Pocket Heart", one of the little dewdads that Mann sells for cheap. Five for Fifteen bucks, baby!

Can I get one? Yep. here's a link to Mann's Catalog online! You'll find the Pocket Hearts in the Miscelanious section. Unfortunateley, you cant pick which ones you get- you have to wait for a show to pick through the little tray for about fifteen minutes (sorry Mom.)

Cool Stuff: Arthur Hash's Pink Chainsaw pin

What is it? This pin is made from laser-cut pink plastic. Arthur Hash is famous for making simple silhouettes of dangerous objects out of pink plastic.

Why is it cool? I could say something about feminine empowerment here, but come on, it's a pink chainsaw. How awesome is that walking contradiction? And i so do love a walking contradiction.

Where did you get it? At the American Craft Council show in Baltimore. It' s a great time, with some fun stuff. Hash was on lunch break, but his lady friend was happy to chat with me.

Can I get one? Sure! Arthur Hash has a shop right here on Etsy, but it doesn't have much. You just have to wait for the next Craft Council Show. In the meantime check out his homepage Here. It might crash your computer, though.


Extra opinion: Arthur Hash actually came to talk at my college. I found his playful attitude to art refreshing- he's made jewelry out of coffee stains, bubbles, and the omnipresent silhouettes (he was out of the pink machine guns :( ) It was a nice break from the way to serious people that were in my sculpture class that particular semester.

Cool Stuff: Glass Vessel Pendant

What is it?: a pretty pink glass vase that has a leaf-like handle. This makes it look like the world's cutest pitcher plant.

Why is it cool? well, it's only sort of cool- it looks nice, but I'm afraid to wear it-it might break! So it just hangs with my necklace collection where i can bask in it's cuteness.

Where did you get it? I got this at a stall at the Maryland Renaissance Festival- one of the three craft festivals i have to go to (the Holy Trinity is Rennfest in the fall, Faeriefest in the spring, and now Artscape in the summer) and yes, i do dress up.

Can I get one? i think so. I can't remember what the name of the exact vendor was, and there are a lot of glassblowers on the Rennfest site and not all of them have websites. Just go to Rennfest! You WILL find something you like!

Cool stuff: Butterfly Reversible Pendant

What is it?: it's a darling little silver and aluminum pendant. Custom colored just for me!

What's so cool about it?: it's reversible and made out of recycled aluminum. Reverible, you say?
BEHOLD!

Now it's a Red Butterfly pendant!

Where did you get that?!: This was made by mannmadedesigns (yes, all one word, all lower case) i found their stall at Artscape, and had to have one. The sweet artist, Jimmy Mann, asked if i wanted custom colors. You know me (or maybe you don't.) I can never decide on a color. So, i picked my two colors and ten minutes later i had my custom pendant- he stamped my custom peice of recycled aluminum while I waited.

Where can I get one!!!: Right here, on mannmadedesigns Etsy page:
http://www.mannmadedesigns.com/

hope you like the new feature!