NEW HOLIDAY SHOWS JUST ADDED:
Holiday Bazaar Fundraiser for Firehouse 8
Saturday, November 26, 2011,
10 am - 8 pm
1648 Pacific Ave.
San Francisco, CA
(more info)
DNA Storefront Pop-Up Shop
Saturdays, December 10 and 17th, 2011
12 am - 5 pm
1767 Waller (at Stanyan),
San Francisco, CA
(more info)
Bizaar Bazaar
Saturday & Sunday, December 3rd and 4th, 2011
11 am - 5 pm
Concourse Exhibition Center,
San Francisco, CA
(more info)
I'd like to honor the many fabulous gallery and shop owners that I work with. Each is has an ability to transmute their ideas and philosophies into a physical environment. Compass Rose Design fits into each one in a unique way.
This week, I'd like to honor one of the North Bay shops I work with: the Pin-Up Hair Emporium and Unique Boutique, in San Rafael, California.
I love combination shops - my favorite was in West Virginia - a combination Hair Salon/Movie Rental/Knitting Shop/New Age Book Store. While you can't rent a movie at the Pin-Up Hair Emporium and Unique Boutique, you can get a haircut and color and several beauty treatments, appreciate local artists and you shop for housewares, beauty products and accessories! Here are a few shots I took while getting my hair done last week.
The Shop is dedicated to Becky's Grandmother, who had her own shop in Denmark. (this photo is from the shop's Facebook Page.)
Becky is amazing - her collection of vintage and local is nothing but luscious. Get a haircut or beauty treatment and shop from her collection of handmade and vintage for the discriminating treasure hunter.
When you enter the shop, you are greeted by this most deeeeelightful succulent bathtub extravaganza - a feast for the eyes before you treat yourself.
Above, painted vintage records create the perfect space and color palette in what used to be a bagel shop in San Rafael, California.
Grab a cup of tea while you browse and enjoy either a current edition of Paris Vogue or a vintage beauty magazine.
Compass Rose Design Jewelry fits right into Becky's luscious vision of vintage love, with lace and antique ceramics lining the shelves.
A selection of vintage and new handmade housewares for gift shopping - the perfect multi-tasking environment!
An awesome mural never hurts!
Lovingly constructed from floor to ceiling, this true House of Beauty is sure to delight!! Find out more about the Pin-Up Hair Emporium & Unique Boutique services.
Or you can shop now at the Compass Rose Design Direct shop
10% off my direct Compass Rose Design shop w/ RCRD10
Visit the Compass Rose Design website for upcoming events and discounts
Find Compass Rose Design on Facebook
In Steampunk news, there is a recently revived effort to construct Charles Babbage's steam computer. For those who don't know Charles Babbage, he was a Victorian mathematician, inventor, philosopher and otherwise foresighted brainy guy. He essentially conceived of the first computer in a steam-powered age - and is a central inspiration of the steampunk and cyberpunk movement, including authors William Gibson and Bruce Sterling.
In 1991, the London Science Museum made a replica of his Difference Engine No. 2, complete with 8,000 mechanical moving parts. Really rather impressive that he conceived of computing machines well over a century before the technology existed to execute the ideas.
Now, the team at the Science Museum is assembling the Analytical Engine, a rather massive garage-sized computing machine that Babbage designed but never constructed.
It will probably take the team years to construct the thing, but it will be interesting to watch the progress unfold. I love that Babbage was so far ahead of his time, the implications of which for the clever party concerned, are that your brain will be halved and displayed in perpetuity at two London museums, each of which are privileged with half of the previously vital organ. You can read a bit more at the Computer History Museum.
In other news...
Several weeks ago, I participated in a north bay event with a group of etsy artists from Marin Handmade. We were tucked in a leafy courtyard behind Art Works Downtown, in San Rafael. The collection of wares was wide and wonderful from purses and bags to jewelry to greeting cards and carved gourds.
I love the textile creations of Robin Stelling Designs - on etsy at www.creativebeadz.etsy.com
Kaelen Van Cura of Kaelen Rose Paper Works - on etsy at www.kaelenrose.etsy.com. Her cards are nothing short of cleverness and delight - unsurprising from a woman fabulous enough to wear a turquoise teal length wedding gown with a red petticoat!!!! Read the interview from Marin Handmade here.
Heather Graef, of G Studio on etsy at www.gstudiostyle.etsy.com had a great selection of bags and ipod cozies made with a really awesome selection of sturdy fabrics - definitely designed for daily use!! Read the interview from Marin Handmade here.
The ceramic work of Forest Lesch Middelton of FLM Ceramics, was spectacular. He's on etsy at www.FLMceramics.etsy.com. Forest invented a printmaking technique for pottery using designs inspired by 15th and 16th century Turkish designs as well as Afgani rug patterns. Read the interview from Marin Handmade here.
I was featured in a recent blog by an interior designer contributor at Designs by Studio M in Tampa, Florida.
They did some eye-catching whatnot with my photos:
Speaking of blog features, a Turkish customer bought a ring from my Compass Rose Design shop and was so thrilled, she blogged about it. Though I cannot understand it, the online translation made for some good laughs. What an honor!
First - in Turkish
Then - an endearingly translated screenshot, declaring "There was no such thing as Steampunk," which is undoubtedly not what the title is saying.
WINTER SHOW SCHEDULE
Don't forget about my upcoming Holiday shows:
SF Thread Sunday, November 20, 2011,
11 am - 5 pm
Metreon Shopping Center,
San Francisco, CA
(more info)
Bizaar Bazaar
Saturday & Sunday, December 3rd and 4th, 2011
11 am - 5 pm
Concourse Exhibition Center,
San Francisco, CA
(more info)
Or you can shop now at the Compass Rose Design Direct shop
10% off my direct Compass Rose Design shop w/ RCRD10
Visit the Compass Rose Design website for upcoming events and discounts
Find Compass Rose Design on Facebook
I've finally gotten my holiday show schedule up on the Compass Rose Design Jewelry events page, just in time! I also celebrated my one year anniversary working with Modern Eden in North Beach, San Francisco!
There was a recent article "All That Authenticity May Be Getting Old" in the New York Times which essentially stated that handmade just another fad. Below is the photo and some of the supporting evidence presented in the article:
"Major retailers sell vintage or handmade objects, or produce items with that look. Clockwise from top left: artisan-made felt ornaments and a mass-produced mug adorned with an owl, the totem of the crafts movement, both from West Elm; vintage pickling jars sold by Pottery Barn; wooden tops made from reclaimed railroad ties and vintage toys from India, sold by CB2; the Versailles chair, linen pillow covers made to look like vintage grain sacks and reproduction machinery gears, all from Restoration Hardware. " (see full article)
F*$@ You New York Times. What is a fad is West Elm and giant entities like Pottery Barn either pretending to be artisans, or employing etsy artists or other crafter-makers to do huge scale production far beyond the realm of sensible scale. There is a parallel with small beer brewing - there are ways you can interact with your medium and craft in a way that is prevented by industrial processes and industrial scale. I would argue that Pottery Barn, in it's very nature is incapable of being authentic. Large scale operations reliant upon global production systems exist, but let's not pretend that making pillows out of "real" Turkish flour sacks is part of the handmade movement. In addition to patting ourselves on the back and celebrating handmade goods, the handmade movement is also born of old school craft of necessity. For me, becoming a full time artist and maker was born out of needing a job and finding something I was good at (and happen to love). Inherent in scale is a whole set of values about living wage and craftsmanship and quality of life and valuing human life and work that is at philosophical and physical odds with fulfilling orders for Pottery Barn. The point in handmade for me is to recognize and directly support craftsmanship and quality while minimizing middle men and human and environmental externalities born of exploitative production relationships. Who knew making necklaces would feel so philosophically important?
Certainly Urban Outfitters got called on making a design similar to an etsy artist, seen in the photo below from Regretsy.
But there is another layer, eloquently pointed out by Regretsy, that other artists are making state cutouts earlier, and let's be honest - this has been a design since the 1970s at least. I make typewriter key and pocket watch jewelry, which has been made since the 1960s at least. At least the chain stores use plastic fake typewriter keys and aluminum watch stamped molds, so authenticity of objects matters. a lot. It's an interesting thing to ponder. I'm pretty convinced that it works itself out.
The questions of authenticity and scale are on my mind as I think about goals for next year. The expected trajectory of business seems to be infinite and sustainable growth, whatever that means. As I near the capacity of my physical body and quickbooks ability to maintain the now 10 galleries in four states I work with!!!, questions of hiring people, expanding, sales reps arise. Several weeks ago while vending at Indie Mart, I met a fellow vendor who had been in business 10 years and had grown to 5 sales reps and 4 production assistants. Yes, she made more money, but she has scaled down to a scale of 1 for issues of quality of life, and she still makes a reasonable living. As a maker, and artist, an entrepreneur, this work of making real things at a sensible and sustainable scale has great meaning.
Can you tell I am reading Shopcraft as Soulcraft. The irony that the link is to a giant chain bookseller is not lost on me :)
I am proud to make things, and I am constantly amazed by the constant cleverness of all the gallery owners I work with. Each has an amazing ability to create a space that reflects their interests, passions and philosophies. We form a network of local entities that all make each other possible.
Yabette, Queen and Owner of Swankety Swank, in San Francisco, is a master of refurbishing furniture and truly artful recycling.
I always look forward to my sessions with her - we just did a big refreshment to the collection last week - go check out some of my latest designs, including pearls, finally!
Swankety Swank is also a great place to prepare yourself for the Edwardian Ball, should you need to adornments of the ruffled and feathered variety.
Need a corset?
Head to Dark Garden :)
Just two more shows left this year:
SF Thread Sunday, November 20, 2011,
11 am - 5 pm
Metreon Shopping Center,
San Francisco, CA
(more info)
Bizaar Bazaar
Saturday & Sunday, December 3rd and 4th, 2011
11 am - 5 pm
Concourse Exhibition Center,
San Francisco, CA
(more info)
Lots of new items at the Compass Rose Design Etsy shop - Check it out! www.etsy.compassrosedesign.com
10% off my direct Compass Rose Design shop w/ RCRD10
Visit the Compass Rose Design website for upcoming events and discounts
Find Compass Rose Design on Facebook
Bizaar Bazaar
