This past weekend while I was at the Syracuse Nationals auto show, my digital camera chewed through my extended-life rechargeable batteries. More than once I found myself without enough energy to get that last, important shot. The recharger I used took 3 hours to recharge them as well, so if I hadn’t have had eight of the batteries I would have been poop outta luck.
But a new idea for rechargable batteries might change all that. Need some power? Just shake your battery and it recharges itself! Or at least that is the concept behind the ShakEnergy from Mintpass.
By Amiel Blajchman •
March 27, 2009
Russia’s Security Council has authorized the creation of an Arctic special forces military to be deployed by the year 2020 to protect their interests in the Far North as new sources of natural resources become more available due to the decrease in ice cover.
By Lucille Chi •
February 11, 2009
1. Sculpture: Look at this inspiring upcycled artistic re-creation of metal made by artist LadybugCircus on etsy for an interesting wall hanging, clock, or hook.
2. Furniture and Lighting: A light fixture made out of an old shredder, or cheese grater looks cool. Perhaps you are into the steampunk look or modern, recycled metal for cabinets, sliding doors, cabinets on wheels and storage containers all look slick…
By Sonya •
January 18, 2009
More than ever, homeowners are making and using green cleaning products at home.
So, what’s your favorite green cleaning recipe? The Clean Calgary Association’s Green Cleaning Guide For Businesses and Individuals by Lindsay Luhnau serves up green cleaning recipes galore.
First, it lists key DIY green cleaner ingredients: white vinegar, washing soda, castile soap, baking soda, Borax, olive oil, water, lemon juice and elbow grease. Here are a few of the guide’s green cleaner recipes:
The media has a new indie jewelry favorite - Ashley Hilton. Featured in press outlets around the world in just the past 6 months, Ashley’s creations embody a seamless mix of eco-appreciation and modern style.
“I try to reflect both the human and natural environment in my work by using symbols and materials that have meaning to me and represent where I come from. From street signs to native trees, my jewelery has always been a pretty literal representation of my surroundings,” he says.
Along with the natural theme of his creations, Ashley uses small scale mined metals from his home base in New Zealand. “I found that most of the gold from my suppliers in New Zealand is mined or recycled here and in Australia. Both these countries have a relatively good track record with regards to mining practices but the idea of using a local resource and streamlining the path of the metal from the ground to the customer really appealed to me,” he says.
It was my pleasure to chat with Ashley recently about his education of the art of make jewelry, sustainable metal mining, creative inspirations and more. Read on for our full conversation and all its “hand made” details.
What first got you interested in making jewelry? When did you decide to turn it into a career?
I was at a loose end really. I’d spent a few years traveling and working overseas as a chef and knew that that lifestyle wasn’t for me anymore. I did a weekend jewelery course and loved it, It just made perfect sense to me so I bought some tools and started experimenting. Originally I never thought it would be a career. It was never really a conscious decision, it just grew and grew until in about 3 years It was all I did.
Have you even gotten flack for being a straight guy in the jewelry biz?
