Spork Maestro

Recently, searched the Net for a combination fork 
and spoon eating utensil. 
Thought it might help my blind Mom eat more
comfortably.
Discovered the spork.
Familiar to kids and campers.
I wanted one that fit in with regular silverware.
Discovered the ETSY shop bosen / handcrafted
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Bosen

Mom's first Bosen made spork, photo ⓒ Bosen 2012, with permission

 Bosen, the shop proprietor and craftsperson, recycles

old worthy teaspoons of "good quality and with character",

painstakingly searched for in thrift stores and garage sales.

Then careful grinding, sanding and filing transforms them into

these useful and unique utensils. Often completing the

transformation by engraving a word like "NOURISH" or 

"Eat" on the stem. 

Bosen credits trying to eat penne pasta at lunch with 

a rounded spoon. Studying bronze casting at a foundry at

the time encouraged the thought of creating tines on the front

edge of the spoon. 

And it works magnificently! 

My Mom started raving immediately!

Amusingly, she was eating a penne pasta dish 

at the time.

I immediately sent for 2 more of Bosen's sporks for Mom.

Now I want some of my own.

These 2 Bosen sporks arrived yesterday, photos ⓒ Bosen 2012, with permission

When not "sporkifying" spoons, Bosen restores older steel 

bicycles and finds them new owners in the small town in

on the North shore of Monterey Bay in Central California

where Bosen lives. 

Bosen writes, "I am passionate about sustainable human 

powered transportation which means keeping every last 

bicycle out of landfills and scrap piles. I make a life of 

turning beat up, neglected old bicycles into smooth running, 

useful machines that will serve their owners for decades to come. 

I suggest you bring along your trusty unique Bosen spork 
for when you stop for lunch and/or dinner. Enjoy your meal.

Thanking its enigmatic, conscientious creator/ recycler.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Bosen

The Bead Of A Different Drummer

(click on images to enlarge)


I can hear them now. 

My future heirs, in my apartment

sorting and clearing what I've left behind.

"Do you realize how much she would have

left us if it wasn't for all these beads and books

and dolls and stuff?"

I can almost sympathize. 

I will have taken my adventures, stories, characters and moments of

serendipity traveling abroad and/or more locally with me.
And the beat goes on..  
Uh, or make that the bead goes on

The name of my favorite booth at last weekend's BeadFest

Philadelphia 2011. (actually in Oaks, PA- west of Valley Forge).

My equally bead obsessed cousin Janet came from NYC with

a group from FIT and met me there. 

Beaded beads at the bead goes on

another view/ the bead goes on booth at BeadFest 2011, Philadelphia

So much to see, touch and talk about while choosing.

Got to tell Diane Hawkey how much I love her wimsical beads.

And the visual feast at the bead goes on's booth of tempting treasures.

Hand painted beauties from Asia, the bead goes on

2 head beads/ the bead goes on

Huge apple green jade beads from Asia/ the bead goes on

Old Afghan coins / the bead goes on

2 huge Venetian blown glass beads with millefiori decoration/
the bead goes on

Diane Hawkey's delightful handmade ceramic  houses and mermaid

     Strand of pretty Chinese lampwork beads, carved bone kitties,
        Venetion blown glass and Diane Hawkey ceramics together in grande finale  :~)

the bead goes on      www.beadgoeson.com
Diane Hawkey        http://dianehawkey.blogspot.com/

Shop Talk

(click on images to enlarge)

Find my cat pins at http://www.etsy.com/shop/ciaocarolina

Getting my morning off to a delightful start.

Message from fellow Etsy.Com shop keeper ArtSings1946 
that she has included my little gray cat pin in her How We Love Our Kitties, Treasury. 
I am honored.

Some of ArtSings1946  charming folk art prints.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ArtSings1946?ga_search_query=ArtSings1946&ga_

search_type=seller_usernames

A Call To Arms (And Necks)

click on image to enlarge

Beading right along. Some new pieces 

at CiaoCarolina, myEtsy shop. 

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ciaocarolina

The jewel colors of these rectangular

carved Czech glass travertine beads

remind me of Egyptian scarabs which

inspired this bracelet. The links are

fashioned by hand from antiqued brass

wire which compliments the bronze

colored edges on the beads. Beads with

this mottling are called picasso beads.

                                     click on image to enlarge

This necklace is really a shapes and colors

sampler of 27 different Czech glass beads

from my collection. I've hand tied them on 

silk cord so each lovely bead can be appreciated 

separately as well as together with the others. Most

are also picasso beads. Some are clear, others 

translucent, all luscious. (OK, I'm a beadaholic). 

click on image to enlarge

These wonderful beads imitate African agate,

but are so lovely and rich as themselves. The

Czech bead masters make them so each differs

slightly from the next, just like stone beads.

From a distance they appear as earth colored.

Closer, the exquisite colored banding in the

glass is more apparent. The colors deepened

by their translucency.

Not finished yet. Many new ideas stirring behind

my beady eyes in my beady brain.

More soon. Bead patient ;-)

Eye....Uh Make That EAR....Candy

At last, Finished some new earrings and listed 
them on ETSY at my shop CiaoCarolina.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ciaocarolina

At the moment I am completely besotted by the 
delicious glass beads coming again from 
Czechoslovakia. Eye candy. Transparent 
watery colors, milky translucent gems and 
those reminiscent of vintage beads, before 
the world wars in Europe decimated the 
craftsman and their ancient craft.


Learn about Czech beads on Rings And Things blog
http://www.rings-things.com/blog/2009/05/28/featured-bead-czech-bohemian-glass-beads/

Earrings are just the beginning. Hope you will
stay tuned for other signs of progress. ;-)

Lend Me An Ear, Part II

Asked what are my favorite beads, I have to answer 
that I always love the beads I'm with. Lately, that 
means glass beads from Czechoslovakia. The colors, 

the shapes,the textures, So addictive yet fortunately, 

not fattening

Been making some new ear bobs from my small but
delectable personal stash. Czech window beads cut and
polished so you can see through the translucent colors.
Slightly off center mottled gold/bronze bordered
picasso beads. A sparkle of Swarovsky aurora borealis 
bicones. A fine dessert...... beads ala mode. Yum!

Available at my ETSY shop, CiaoCarolina  
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ciaocarolina
And more to come.

Lend An Ear

Beautiful Czech beads, a touch of Swarovsky sparkle and pearls.

Making some new pieces for my Etsy shop, CiaoCarolina.

Though these earrings are already spoken for, more pieces 

coming soon! 

Some Cookie!

 

                                                    © Bea Weidner 2009

My wonderfully talented friend and 
colleague, Bea Weidner (see my 
6/3/09 post) has just opened 
CookieFriends, her new Etsy shop. 
Bea has been making delightfully quirky 

edible cookies for years. People say,
"They are too wonderful to eat". 

Well now you can have your cookie 
on a greeting card to keep, send or both. 
Go to Etsy and see the rest of her wimsical 
cookie cards

http://www.etsy.com/shop/cookiefriends

I want two of each. One to keep and one to send.

 © Bea Weidner 2009

Nice Mice

These irresistible handknit and felted catnip 

filled adorable mice from Catitude Creations

on etsy.com are made by Nikki in Vermont.

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6391683

Ordered the bargain priced collection including 

2 mice, one fish and something simple yet clever 

called a "beat'em up".

TZ and Fred couldn't get the mailing bag open fast

enough. (If catnip were illegal, they could get a job 

sniffing bags at the airport).

Better than television, watching the catboys

rock and roll, kick, bite and lick.