Compass Rose Design Jewelry Blog: Father of Steampunk, Marin Handmade Art Walk, Blog Features

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