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Jewelry, Craft, and Fashion in the NewsTexas man crafts pens from cow patties Dallas Morning News, TX One cow's excrement is one man's fine writing instrument. At least it is for John Lopez, 42, who began making his South Texas Cow Patty Pens six years ago with local, natural materials. He perfected the process through trial and error. The end result: flecks of brown suspended in a clear plastic, looking almost like wood from a distance. "I take my pen kits and feed 'em to the cows and then go out in the pasture and pick 'em up," Lopez joked, stroking his mustache from behind the desk at JS Shop, his lawnmower repair business in downtown Poteet. Cow patties may be Lopez's current specialty, but when he began the craft in 2000 he used wood, bone, deer antler and other materials to encase mail-ordered ballpoints. ... The resurgence of stone craft The Hindu, India The craft is under siege and needs an urgent infusion of fresh thought and energy. The Indian subcontinent has stones of all varieties, shapes and sizes. From expensive marble to cheap granite, the sheer abundance of this raw material is a compelling reason to revive its use. Unless we recognise and respect this, stone craft and skills will quietly pass into history. Stone today continues to be highly recommended for its durability and versatility across a broad range of products and architectural elements. Handcrafted stone products fall into three broad categories: products, architectural elements and sculpture. ... Ingenious Crafts Projects for a Stir-Crazy Day New York Times The wisecracks come ready-made. Martha Stewart goes to the slammer and brightens up the joint with potato-print chintzes and razor-wire wreaths. She relinquishes her freedom but gets the chance to teach her fellow inmates how to whittle jailhouse soap or crochet cozies for their shivs. Do horizontal stripes make a cell look bigger? Will taking up prison crafts make doing hard time a breeze? An issue of the magazine Recoil, the Onion of the Midwest, titled "Martha Stewart Big House Living" once asserted that the woman lampooned so often one would think she was beyond the reach of satire might bring to the American penal system "that warm touch of home and essence of finer living for which Living products are renowned."... Baby Clothing Business Benefits From Artisan Website Lincoln County News, ME Affiliation with Etsy allows artists and artisans to offer goods without having to manage computer servers and e-shopping software. Finding the nexus between 18th century New England cottage industry and 21st century modern technology, clothing designer Erin Wallace came before the Alna Planning Board to request a business designation last week Her young business is called Blue Bird Baby. Wallace, 24, slim and sandy-haired with smiling eyes and apple cheeks, has taken advantage of an Internet marketing community to find buyers for her hand-sewn embroidered children's clothing, tote bags and clutches. Called Etsy, the site's homepage subhead says it is "Your place to buy and sell all things handmade."... Artisan diversifies stock for four-season success MaineToday.com, ME Ann Perrino has spent the past six years building a strong hand-printed textiles business, selling her Ann Veronica handbags, totes and accessories online and in stores up and down the East Coast. But there's no getting around the fact that the bags, belts and shirts, with bright colors and nautical-themed patterns, are seasonal products. No one is likely to be much interested in a canvas beach bag in February, at least not in Maine. Perrino decided that if she was going to build the venture into a year-round business with steadier cash flow, she would have to sell other people's creations, not just her own. She also finds she likes helping new artisans get started in the business world. ... A timeless classic for decorating Philadelphia Inquirer, PA Whether you set out bowls of white shells or silvery costume jewelry, white will simplify both your decorating and your life. What the black dress is to fashion, white is to decorating. It makes whatever you own look better. The color white symbolizes peace, calm and sophistication. A color that symbolizes peace, calm and sophistication, white has influenced sites ranging from 16th-century Palladian villas to 1930s Hollywood movie sets. The reason is simple. "It invites in light, tranquillity and space," says British style maven Stephanie Hoppen, author of White on White: Creating Elegant Rooms With Shades of White (Cico, $20). Not only that, white is impervious to decorating trends. "It never goes in and out of fashion," says Hoppen, who has designed with white for years. "It is timelessly classic and stylish." White has another advantage that many people overlook: It's great camouflage. ... The information presented and opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of Jewelry-Making.com and/or its partners. |
