Just because! I took this picture on a hike at Wallace Falls on Christmas Day. I love it! Do you?
Category: Nature and Culture
Happiness is an inside job.
A Collection of ‘Red HerRings’
A Little Word Play
Red herrings: I quite like words, I like word play even more.
This is a re-visitation of an old project – in fact it was the project I set myself for my final year at university.
The source of my inspiration is the dictionary. I have been through my copy with a fine toothed comb and collected all the words I can find with the word ‘ring’ in it somewhere. Firing, remebering, enduring and hard-of-hearing are a few examples. I’m working on fabricating a range of words into rings to be worn. Check back for updates and to see how I have interpenetrated the words I choose.
Here are some that I have already created;
Tiring Remembering Heartstrings Hard-of-hearing Enduring Firing Entering/Injuring
Thailand Beaches
Thailand Beaches:
Sunset – Koh Chang, Thailand
Stormy Bangkok
Last night a big thunder and lightning storm blew out the power in my apartment, I attempted to take some pictures of the lightning and captured some of it. I love a good thunder storm, even if the power is out for hours!
Oh The Places You’ll Go!
I was shown this magical film yesterday. I’ve watched it 3 times already. ‘Oh The Places You’ll Go’ at Burning Man. Based on the last Dr Seuss book on the ups and downs of life.
Tree #3
I love this artist’s work, it’s so simple but stunning. Because trees are natures art!
F L U X
A journey into art and science. video and sound design by Candas Sisman
Commissioned by Plato Art Space (Plato collage of higher education)
‘Deadly Tree’
This dramatic photograph in Switzerland this month by James Forsyth.
Snow Ice Cream Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1 gallon snow
Directions
- In a large bowl, combine evaporated milk, eggs, vanilla and sugar until smooth. Gradually stir in snow until mixture reaches desired consistency. Eat at once.
Falling Snow
“Falling Snow”
Author Unknown
See the pretty snowflakes,
Falling from the sky;
On the wall and housetops,
Soft and thick they lie.
On the window ledges,
On the branches bare;
Now how fast they gather,
Filling all the air.
Look into the garden,
Where the grass was green;
Covered by the snowflakes,
Not a blade is seen.
Now the bare black bushes,
All look soft and white,
Every twig is laden,
What a pretty sight!
Gravity
This is awesome.
by Filip Piskorzynski
Valentines’ Around the World
Valentines’ Day is becoming more popular across the globe, but do you know how it is celebrated in other countries?
I spent a few years in Korea and that is where I first heard of the different days for men and women to give and receive gifts. It is now customary in Korea that the 14th day of every month has some kind of significance although most people only celebrate three of them. On Valentines’ Day (Feb 14th) Korean women give gifts, mainly chocolate, to men. The following month (March 14th) it is ‘White Day’ and this is when men are expected to reciprocate and give gifts to the women. Next is April 14th ‘Black Day’, this is the day when groups of single people (mostly women) get together and eat black noodles (a Korean/Chinese dish called jajangmyun) and complain about being single!
The Japanese were the first to come up with the Valentines + White Day custom but they don’t have the other days for every month like the Koreans do.
In Finland the day focuses much less on lovers and more on friends, it wouldn’t be strange to give your friends a gift to remind them you care.
Last year in Malaysia authorities were desperately trying to stop any Valentines’ Day celebrations in the largely Muslim county, with officials worrying that it encouraged immoral behavior. Police carried out raids on hotels looking for unmarried couples sharing rooms, the BBC reported over 80 arrests were made on Feb 14th 2011.
In India, despite being the home of the Karmasutra, celebrating is largely frowned upon. Public displays of affection are considered taboo and so Valentines’ Day is too.
So how do you celebrate where you are? Do you celebrate at all?
Adrenaline
EnteRing, InjuRing & RecoveRing.
Narrative Jewelry Chapter 1: EnteRing (entering) / InjuRing (injuring)
This ring has two names, because they both fit the story for this tongue in cheek creation. Mounted on the silver band is a very non-precious stone, in fact it was a part of the road up until the point that my boyfriend launched himself onto it from the seat of his motorbike. At this point the stone entered and injured his arm (and stayed there for longer than advisable).
The silver band has a scratched/damaged look – much like the motorbike did after said incident.
Enter
vb
1. to come or go into (a particular place) he entered the room,
Injure
vb (-juring, -jured)
1. to hurt physically or mentally,
2. to do wrong to (a person), esp. by an injustice, the injured party,
3. to damage, an opportunity to injure your reputation…*
Narrative Jewelry Chapter 2: RecoveRing (recovering)
As I mentioned above, the stone lingered, resulting in a minor hospital visit and a short course of antibiotics. Hence: recovering. And he is fine by the way!
Recover
vb
1. (of a person) to regain health, spirits, or composure,
2. to regain a former and better condition…*
See other Red HerRings;
Tiring Remembering Heartstrings Hard-of-hearing Enduring Firing
*Collins English Dictionary – Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Spinning Threads into Gold
I recently visited an exhibition at the Bangkok Arts and Culture center which I really enjoyed. The artist, Surasi Kusolwong, had collected a large amount of threads and strips of material to cover an area of the gallery floor. The threads were piled up and guests were welcome to remove their shoes and enter the soft and inviting exhibit.
After my friend and I had rolled around for a while we went to read the artists description of the piece and discovered that there were six gold chains hidden somewhere in the mass of threads, and if you found one it was yours. Suddenly my whole perspective had changed (maybe I was sitting on one?!). As it turned out, I wasn’t sitting on one, or I couldn’t see it if I was and it was much more entertaining to watch others discover the concept and start digging. One woman was methodically working from one side to the other leaving discarded mounds behind her, and others had found a space for an afternoon nap.
On the day I visited there were 3 out of 6 gold chains left in the installation, I wonder if they will all be found before the end of the exhibition. I hope that Mrs Methodical finds one if only for her tenacity!
Casting Ingots
Batch Produced Silver ‘Molecule’ Cufflinks
I’ve recently applied to have some of the work I sell online certified as handmade through the website I sell on, and I thought I would share some of my batch production images here. I’d say these cufflinks are my best sellers so I often make mini batches to have on hand at busy times. And to be honest I love seeing all the matching pairs and sets lined up in unison!
Firing
I’m itching to get a new workshop set up, but until then I have been playing about on my computer with some images. This is a new addition to my ‘Red HerRing’ collection. Meet FiRing. This very short animation (15seconds!) is made from a sequence of fast fire, still photographs using my camera firing cord, and a hefty chunk of time for this not so tech savvy silversmith!
FiRing from Emily Alice on Vimeo.
Withering
Nature did most of the work for me on this ring. Made from sterling silver, a tulip and a little time. Just conceptual really but it fits the description.
with·er
/?w?ð?r/
–verb (used without object)
1.
to shrivel; fade; decay: The grapes had withered on the vine.
2.
to lose the freshness of youth, as from age (often fol. by away ).
–verb (used with object)
3.
to make flaccid, shrunken, or dry, as from loss of moisture; cause to lose freshness, bloom, vigor, etc.: The drought withered the buds.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2011.
Hard-of-hearing
This silver ring is a handmade miniature ear trumpet mounted on a silver band.
Hard-of-hearing
-adj
a) deaf or partly deaf
b) ( as collective noun; preceded by the ): the hard of hearing
Collins English Dictionary – Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Remembering
RemembeRing. This square ring is made from silver with magnets set inside the boxed top. Interchangeable steel faces have different messages for the wearer.
Remember /r??m?mb?/verb
1 [with object] have in or be able to bring to one’s mind an awareness of (someone or something from the past)
2 [with infinitive] do something that one has undertaken to do or that is necessary or advisable:did you remember to post the letters?
Copyright © 2010 Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.
Enduring
Each side of this ring is enduring the other. With an equal number of nails pushed through and pressing against the top and bottom of the ring it really is a test of endurance. The two ring parts are made from sterling silver and the nails are made from copper. In this image I left the nails with an oxidized finish. I like the balance of the clean white silver, and the rusty looking nails that must be endured.
enduring [?n?dj??r??]
adj
1. permanent; lasting
2. having forbearance; long-suffering
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
Heartstrings
Heartstrings is a unusually shaped ring, with red strings running through the center. The heart shaped case is made from sterling silver and riveted together, the strings are made from a firm but elastic silicon cord.
heart·string (härtstrng)
n.
1. heartstrings The deepest feelings or affections: a tug at the heartstrings.
2. One of the nerves or tendons formerly believed to brace and sustain the heart.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Tiring
Tiring is simply a tire/tyre for your finger. Made from sterling silver with a blackened finish.
tire 1 (tr)
v. tired, tir·ing, tires
v.intr.
1. To grow weary.
2. To grow bored or impatient.
v.tr.
1. To diminish the strength or energy of; fatigue.
2. To exhaust the interest or patience of; bore.
tire 2 (tr)
n.
1. A covering for a wheel, usually made of rubber reinforced with cords of nylon, fiberglass, or other material and filled with compressed air.
2. A hoop of metal or rubber fitted around a wheel.
tire 3 (tr) Archaic
tr.v. tired, tir·ing, tires
To adorn or attire.
n.
1. Attire.
2. A headband or headdress.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Jewelry Observer
Thank you to the Jewelry Observer for featuring my work!
Dopamine Jewelry
For me the most exciting things about dopamine are the feelings of desire, the anticipation and the rewards. I wanted to make a piece of jewelery that reflected some of these things. I wanted the jewelery to have some extravagance to it because I feel that dopamine is a special neurotransmitter. I decided that this molecule in my jewelry would be a 3D structure so it had some weight and some added intricacy. The finished pieces are given a high polish to reflect the sense of desire, like a magpie I often find myself drawn to shiny metal so it seemed an appropriate finish.
The first necklace I made I think of as a dopamine rush with many small pieces of ‘silver dopamine’ linked together. This was probably one of the most time consuming pieces I have worked on and I was certainly anticipating seeing the finished result. The rest of the dopamine collection is inspired by this necklace.
