One of my goals when working through the 64 Arts, beyond exploring some new skill-sets, was to encourage (in myself as well as others) little bits of daily creativity that feed our souls. I truly believe that doing something creative–and that covers a whole host of possibilities–can improve our outlook and our emotional health, with can only help our physical health as well. (That’s what the whole “better living through creativity” tagline is all about, after all.)

While I think my project tutorials do that to an extent, the Arboriculture art got me thinking beyond the basics. Not everyone has a yard they can tend a tree in or even a porch or balcony that gets enough sun, so what other ways can tree inspire us creatively.

Exploring our Roots

Have you ever done a family tree? Maybe as a school assignment long ago or maybe you got bitten by the genealogy bug and spent some time on a site like Ancestry.com or trolling city archives. If you’ve never explored your family’s history, maybe this would be a good time to look into it, find out some stories from the generations that we still have around and then dig a little deeper. Maybe you have someone famous (or infamous!) in your lineage, or maybe you come from salt-of-the-earth hard-workers. Either way, knowing where you come from may help explain some of who you are, today.

Putting Down New Roots

A song I found for one of my old podcasts (man, I really want to get back to making those!) was called “Twisted Family Ties” and boy, oh boy, do I know all about those! Sometimes the people we’re born to make it hard to love them. Sometimes it’s just plain implausible and you might have to–for your own safety or sanity–distance yourself or completed cut ties. In this instance, why not create an imaginary family tree of the family you were “supposed” to be born into. Remember that a person’s flaws are just as important part of their character as the good things. Draw pictures or make collages of your new family portraits and give them interesting backstories.

Reach Out to the Forest

With us living in a very global society, it’s not uncommon to feel closer to someone 3,000 miles away than you do your own kin. Ages ago sociologists started to refer to these created family groups as tribes (urban or otherwise). They may not be part of your family tree (real or imagined), but they are part of your forest. Reach out a branch and write a letter (yes, a real, honest to goodness, paper and pen(cil), put a stamp on it letter) to someone you haven’t talked to in a while. Or maybe to your best friend who you talk to every day–I don’t think they’d be any less thrilled to find something other than junk mails and bills in their mailbox, do you? And if you’re feeling a bit more of a lone cactus in the dessert vibe, why not reach out and make a new friend by joining a penpal group. (International Geek Girl Pen Pals Club comes highly recommended, by the way. I’m thinking of signing up for the next round, myself).

So, there you have it. Your creative mission, should you choose to accept it, is to use one of the prompts above and act on it. Add a little creativity into your life and enrich it in some way. Then, come back and share what you did–you never know what might spark an idea in another person.

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41 Arboriculture, the Care of Trees
For the house or garden

(and for those who are paying attention and think we skipped 40, we didn’t–I just forgot to mention it was being combined with #38, I’ve since fixed that)

Folks, I might have it going on with the crafty things, but I pretty much suck at growing things. Black thumb of Calcutta level of death and destruction to houseplants and herb gardens. Seriously, I’ve killed Rosemary. Three times! And those of you who garden know just how bad you have to be to do that.

Still, I have a hunch that if I put my mind to it (and, by that, I mean my obsessive streak that has me researching anything and everything to do with a subject  to the exclusion of a lot else) I could manage not to kill everything green within a half-mile radius. But since I don’t have that much space in my head to spare at the moment, hows about I start with just one thing for now?

Last fall, while chatting with our new neighbors about the very prolific lemon tree that came along with the home they’d purchased they mentioned we’d soon have to start trading lemons for bananas.

Well I’ll be! We actually had bananas on our tree! (and, yes, I first shared this over on Nibbles back in October)

See, I thought I’d read (or maybe heard on NPR or some such) that banana trees in the US didn’t do so hot and couldn’t be pollinated. Guess I was very wrong, huh?

So that was late-September or so and I took to watching the bananas to see when they’d be ready to harvest. A few quick searches hadn’t yielded much info on North Florida banana-growing, but I did find that once the bananas filled out and lightened in color a bit, they could be brought in and let ripen in a warmish, dry place. Like the garage (didn’t want to bring them inside in case of bugs) or some such.

But then things too a turn for the weird. We had an usually cold spell in mid-to-late October (for our Halloween party it didn’t even get into the 50s!) and then a freak heat wave in January.

Still, we took in a hand or two of bananas in November, I think, to see what would happen. Not much, as it turns out, since that cold snap stunted the bananas growth (I found out later that if temperatures drop below 30F the bananas will stall). That said, we sort of forgot about the bunch we’d brought in and left it hanging in the garage well after we’d written them off.

Bananas!

Apparently that heat wave in January that coincided with our outdoor engagement shoot was just what 2 of our bitty bananas needed to ripen! How nice that Mother Nature gave us one apiece to try. They were delicious, too, and makes me more determined to make sure this year’s crop (if we get one) yields even more.

We’ve got quite a copse of trees in our side yard so even though we had 5 flower this year (and they only flower once in their life), we stand a good chance of some of the newer shoots producing some fruit. If so, I plan to watch the weather a bit more carefully than before and make sure we bring in any likely bunches sooner rather than later. Maybe even bring them inside if it gets that cold.

Maybe even string them up in the shower of our spare bathroom!

How are you with growing things? Trees especially?

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The rule I learned long ago was simple not to mix gold and silver jewelry; pretty much no ifs, ands, or buts. These days, though, especially with the current popularity of metallics in fashion, gold and silver and other metals are getting cozy together. The trick, as I see it, to successfully mix metals is to wear at least one piece that includes both metals you might be wearing separately. This takes a hodge-podge of shiny designs and makes it into a definite fashion statement.

Another thing to keep in mind is the finish of the metals. If you look at some of the pieces in my Polyvore collage, above, you see that the statement pieces are either all shiny or all “antiqued” or duller and so they look like a planned set. So if you’ve got a heavily antiqued silver bracelet and a high-shine gold necklace, those two pieces might not fit together as well as ones that match to overall look of each.

Even though I got rid of most of my yellow-gold jewelry a few years ago when I decided for once and for all that I liked the look (and cost!) of silver better, I do have some gold-tone costume pieces that occasionally work with an outfit. If it’s just a single necklace I won’t worry too much about mixing my metals, but it wouldn’t hurt to have some mixed-metal pieces in my collection to round things out.

Of course, not all metal is merely silver or gold in composition or color…

image via ConsumerCrafts.com

As I was brainstorming post ideas, I couldn’t help but assign myself a task that fulfills one of my long-time craft to-dos: a chain maille bracelet. I’d hoped to be able to find some of the awesome multi-colored aluminum jump rings that I’ve seen made into very nice pieces at craft shows, but our local store was light on the options. Instead I opted for copper rings in copper and black and picked up a book while I was there on Basic & Advanced Chain Maille (affiliate links–my book is a combo of the two that I linked to) and had some fun making this bracelet.

The instructions for the Japanese 12-in-2 weave comes from the Advanced section, but I really didn’t find it all that hard, to be honest, so don’t be discouraged by that. You can find a lot of weave patterns online, though, and this one is no exception: (12-in-2 instructions via JewleryMakingDaily.com) All I used to put them together was a pair of needlenose pliers and this nifty ring-looking thing called a Jump Ring Opener (affiliate link).

I have a bad habit of ruining my nails whenever I do wire work and I’m happy to report that this little $2 gadget saved my manicure. I slipped it on my right index finger and it made opening and closing the jump rings so much simpler with the needlenose pliers in my left hand. Jump rings are finicky, you see–you can’t just pull them apart, you have to twist them open and then twist them back closed to keep their round shape and their strength. You can do it with two pairs of pliers, but the opener makes it oddles easier. I also found out that if I pressed slighting in as I twisted the rings closed, it narrowed the gap at the break, lessening the likelihood of the rings snagging on clothes or letting their brothers loose.

It’s one of those things you just have to play with to see what I mean.

The bracelet took 6 of the 12-in-2 “flowers” and less than 2 hours to put together, less than 100 larger rings and just over 150 of the smaller (I had to open the second bag but didn’t make much of a dent in it; and I lost some rings when I dropped them and they rolled under furniture–work over something soft and grabby). It’s not very heavy (copper is fairly light, after all, though the aluminum would be like a feather) and makes a pleasant jingly sound when I spin it around my wrist. Which I’ve been doing a lot while I write this post–I’m enjoying my new bracelet.

I certainly won’t be making a chain maille bikini anytime soon (or ever!) but it’s nice to finally try out a skill I’ve been putting off for a while.

Have you learned anything new lately?

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39 Mixing and Polishing Metals

Coming so close on the heels of stones and gems, we might automatically think of jewelry but this could also be applied to the other metals in our life: cookware, flatware, servingware–certainly on the polishing side of things, right?

Today let’s look at some basic tips for cleaning and polishing various metals we might find around our homes, offices, and persons.

Shimmer & Shine by scrapsoflife on Polyvore

Copper, unless sealed, will tarnish easily and loose that warm tone that looks so at home in a kitchen. While there are chemical cleaners out there that will do the trick, why not go the more natural route and get a little bit of an arm workout in at the same time? Two birds, one stone! The cut side of a lemon sprinkled with Kosher salt or baking soda used as a scrubbie will take of light tarnish and give your copper pots and bowls a great shine. If something stronger is needed, mix together 1 Tbsp salt and 1 cup of white vinegar and rub this on with a soft, lint-free cloth (a flour-sack towel, for instance). You may go through a couple of towels if the tarnish is thick.

Whether you’ve got brass doorknobs or buttons to contend with, either is likely to tarnish easily the more it is handled. I remember back in marching band, before the festival performances and competitions the tuba players would be rubbing down their instruments in Brasso and I don’t think I’ll ever forget the smell of it. Ick! Soap and water will clean solid brass pieces just fine, but brass plating might take a little more effort. Vinegar and salt (1 Tbsp each per cup of hot water), those do-it-all wonders, will also work on brass plating. Regular wiping with a jewelers cloth can also keep tarnish at bay.

Stainless steel is something I’m sure we all have in our kitchens in some form or fashion, but how many times has that super-sturdy material ended up discolored or marred, despite what we’ve heard? Even those stainless steel is a bit of a workhorse material, it can still be damaged by mishandling. If you put it through the dishwasher or leave it on the drainboard to air dry, water-spots might hang around, and the minerals in our water can actually mar the surface and open it up to corrosion. If the item needs a deeper cleaning than just warm water can handle, make sure the detergent you’re using is mild.

Finally, silver (plated or otherwise) is the dream and bane of hostessing far and near. I love bringing out my pieces of silver for a big party but I hate having to polish them. Of course, if I would store them properly they wouldn’t tarnish as much, so I suppose it’s my own fault, yes? I promise that when I get my grandmother’s silver I will dutifully keep it wrapped in the cloth bags that keep the air away from it’s pretty finish, but the silver serving ware I currently have I’ll just have to keep cleaning. While I will use Wright’s Silver Cream (affiliate link) if I’m in a hurry–I find it easy to use and fairly fume-free–last time I tried the old foil and baking soda trick and it actually worked quite well. I still had to buff it a lot more than that linked video shows, but my set was really tarnished.

I know we’re a little past the usual spring cleaning time and silver might seem a little out of place at your Memorial Day Barbecue, but I think it’s worth taking the time to shine things up and actually use the “good” dishes and all. Every day is special in it’s own way, why not reinforce that the next time you set the table? Whipping eggs but hate to use that pretty copper bowl you got as a gift? It will do you more good in use than collecting dust, to my mind.

Until next time!

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Some of my beach glass collection.

Case in point: Sea Glass

What starts off as glass bottles, plates, or other glassware and ends up in the oceans or bays gets tossed and tumbled by waves and sand and a worked on by the salty waters to wash up on shores as beautifully frosted bits and pieces, ready to fuel creative daydreams.

Sea (or beach) glass is getting tougher to find in many areas–and that’s not necessarily a bad thing as it means there’s less littering going on–but in the scarcity some folks have stepped up to manufacture imitation beach glass for crafters. You can also achieve a similar look by using a frosting or etching medium on whatever glass you like, and even spray paints are out now that will do the trick in a pinch.

If a recent trip through both Crate & Barrel and West Elm is any indication, those frosted blues and greens are going to seen a lot this summer. If you’re not interested in a room makeover, how about adding something new to your jewelry wardrobe instead?

Many years ago, I traded a fellow creative some stuff I had that I didn’t need (I couldn’t even tell you what it was, it’s been so long) for a small box of sea glass. I’ve carried it with me through several moves, always wondering what I might do with it. I think I used a few pieces in my mosaic project a while back, but mostly I just like to run my hands through it and enjoy the frosted finish and water-worn edges.

“dry-fitting” my chosen piece of beach glass on my hand

Except this one particular piece of green sea glass that fits perfectly along the curve of my index finger. That piece I’ve always wanted to turn into a ring.

And today’s the day I do that. Wanna see how?

To make a similar ring you’ll need:

• Beach or Sea Glass
• Jewelry Wire
• Pliers and Wire Cutters
• Ring Mandrel (optional but useful)

The twisted beginnings of a wire-wrapped ring.

Start with 4 pieces of jewelry wire (I’m using 24G Sterling Silver round wire) about 9 inches long each and sort of weave them together, 2×2, in the center or as close as you can manage.

If you’re using flat or square wire, this might be a smidgen easier, but I’m using what I’ve got in the craft stash, so mine wanted to roll around a lot. To stop the rolling I twisted each pair of ends 1/4- to 1/2-inch or so (not much wider/taller than your beach glass) to lock everything into place and then gently pushed the centers down with my pliers to set them into place.

Centering the wire bundle is relative–you could offset it in any direction, as long as you’re comfortable with where the band will end up.

Fit the center of your wires to the center of your glass (more or less) and then fold the top and bottom “arms” over the top and bottom of your glass. If the arms out to each side are twisted beyond the edges of your glass, gently untwist them so that they separate right where the glass ends.

After you separate the top and bottom pairs and move them over to the sides, the back of your ring will look something like this.

To secure the glass in place, we’re going to take each wire from the top arm and pull it over to the opposite side, snugging it where the twists stop. Then do the same for the bottom. This really makes it look like some sort of spidery thing from the top, and from the underside of the glass your wires should be forming a diamond shape, locking the corners into the place.

The translucency of the glass makes the wires in the back visible, so try to keep things neat and tidy.

Twist the wires at each side together, 2 at a time and very close to the side of the glass, to secure each corner, then twist all 4 wires of each side together to the ends. It may not look perfect but, hey, neither does the tumbled glass, right? Go with the wonky, tilted, organic swoopy flow of things. Now you have a wrapped piece of beach glass with two twisty arms.

The mandrel makes it easier to snug things up, unlike your finger which could end up pinched!

Forming the twisted arms into the band is, I admit, one of the more fiddly bits of this process. Start by bending each arm around the finger you plan to wear it on to get the best fit possible. This is where having a ring mandrel comes in handy, by the way, as once you know the size you can use both hands to finish the ring rather than only one. Wrap the end of one arm around the beginning of the other, right where it meets the side of the glass, and crimp well with your pliers. Do the same with the other arm on the other side, trying not to twist the bands together for a gentler fit.

That’s how it’s supposed to go at least–it took me a couple of tries to get this one right but with patience I prevailed. When working with twisted metal wire you have to be careful  not to work the wire too much or it will break on you.

Once finished, slip it on and admire your handiwork!

I think I might just need to wear green tomorrow to have an excuse to wear my new piece of jewelry!

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Thanks for your patience while I finished up a rush design order and my posting got a bit spotty. I’ll be doing my best to catch us up to where I wanted to be over the next couple of weeks.

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This morning started with some very curious monkeys wondering what was in the pink polka-dot bag sitting next to my pillow.

Monkey see?

Inside was a very Star Trek-themed birthday assortment, including The Star Trek Craft Book with the most adorable Spock Monkey I’ve ever seen on the cover. (Okay, so it’s the only Spock Monkey I’ve ever seen, on the cover of a book or otherwise, but it’s still darn cute! Oh, dear, unintended sock pun!)

Phasers set to fun!

Of course, no birthday is quite complete without some sort of celebratory dessert, but with my recent shift to wheat-free, the usual avenues were out. Todd came up with the idea to do a gluten-free ice cream cake and I realized it really wouldn’t be too difficult to pull off.

Yummy and safe for my tummy!

I started with a Betty Crocker gluten-free yellow cake mix baked in a false-bottom square pan (so I could easily remove the finished cake). Once it was cool enough, I split it in half and smooshed in a layer of Breyer’s Lactose-Free Vanilla ice cream, wrapped it up and stuck it in the freezer overnight to set up. Then I made a ganache of semi-sweet chocolate chips, lactose-free milk, vanilla, and a bit of coconut oil to help the ganache set up quickly. (Did you know chocolate + coconut oil is the magic formula to making your own magic shell-type ice cream topping?)

It was really tasty!

This birthday marked not only the end of a busy month but a busy year, overall. It’s been a very good year, no question, but this last month has been exceptionally packed. I’m looking forward to things normalizing for at least a month, but I know with the wedding coming up it’ll get more hectic as the year goes on.

Still, I’m going to do my best to enjoy a relaxing weekend before getting my back to the business as usual!

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And I say nuts to that!

I’m all for being yourself and doing your own thing your own way, but there are times to be in that box and out. Times to color outside the lines and times to color inside.

Crayons and coloring books were staples growing up. They were a cheap way for my single mother to supply us with hours of occupation. Plus, Mom really liked to color with us, though she didn’t have as much time for that when the boys were younger as she did when I was still an only child. Mom taught me about outlining the shape I was coloring so that it would be easier to keep my coloring inside the lines and look nice and pretty. Even though I’m well into my 30s I still love to bust out the big box of crayons and a fresh coloring book when the mood strikes and just have some simple, childhood fun.

It’s a great way to get in the creative mood without any pressure beyond filling in spaces.

And that’s where I think coloring books and crayons excel. Just like in writing where we learn the rules of grammar and syntax before choosing to strategically break them for literary effect, coloring inside the lines teaches us shapes and relationships and the nature of how things fit together. Lines, boxes, and boundaries give us safe spaces to create within when a blank page or open vista might be too daunting with the unlimited possibility of it all.

Exploring outside of those lines is nice and fun and wonderful when something different beckons, but having those lines to return to is truly a simple pleasure.

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This musing on the simple joys of a fresh box of crayons and new coloring book was prompted by a recent notice from Crayola:

To celebrate their 110th birthday, the 8 original crayons are throwing a birthday bash at the new fun-omenal Crayola Experience, the world’s only interactive Crayola family attraction. Right now, they’re out on a colorful adventure to spread the news, and you’re invited to join the fun!

How can you join in on the fun? You can FOLLOW the crayons on their adventure, LEARN more about each color and enter to WIN a trip for 4 to celebrate their birthday and the Grand Opening of the all new Crayola Experience this coming May, 2013!

Visit the Crayola Facebook page and click “enter now” for your chance to be first in line when the Crayola Experience reopens.

The new Crayola Experience features four floors of new interactive exhibits and one-of-a-kind attractions that will bring the magic of color and your child’s creativity to life! The winner will be among the first to experience the fun, along with a three- night, all-expenses paid stay. It’s an experience your kids will never forget – and neither will you!

Crayola is much more than crayons, of course, but it’s tough to think of the brand without the iconic box of brightly colored hues just waiting for fun. I was always partial to the blue shades–midnight blue, cornflower, and cadet blue. What was (is?) your favorite Crayola crayon color?

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But just so this isn’t a “nothing” update, I have been a busy little bee, lately. If you follow me on Facebook you might have seen this picture on Saturday:

At ALT*Con, Tallahassee, FL, 4-13-2013

That would be yours truly in a chef coat I altered to make into a Star Trek officers uniform–pretty snazzy, right? (Think Wrath of Khan era, not the recent reboot–though I’m looking forward to seeing Into Darkness, maybe even in the theater, at that!) I still have some trim to add to it (thin gold ribbon along the black, since I opted for a flag officer’s rank), but it did okay for a first time out. The insignia, comm badge, etc. are all made out of Sculpey. I have pictures to do a full project page on but I can’t decide if it would go best here, the cookbook site, or my main comics site. Decisions, decisions.

Oh, well, enough for now, I’ve got to get back to work! (Full details once everything is all said and done–it’s not nice to announce projects before your client does, you know?)

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My most recent project for Gauche Alchemy went up yesterday and I couldn’t be more tickled by it.

I meant to call them Ephemer-Eggs–for the awesome ephemera-packed mixed media color kits that Gauche Alchemy carries (psst! the store has reopened!), but it’s such a mouthful that apparently even my fingers could get it straight so I kept typing different versions, like the title Epher-Eggs! At least that version is easier to say and it still works as a combo of Jennifer and ephemera.

You can see more details of how the project came together but the funniest thing is that I started this project last year when I first got my Alchemist kit, but then I got caught up in everything going on that my poor little egg dioramas sat empty for several months. By then we were so far removed from Easter that the plastic eggs wouldn’t be around anymore, so I let it go until it was Easter again and finally finished it up a few weeks ago.

Here are some shots of the individual eggs. I really love the monkey eraser and gold “naughty” brad that came in the It’s All Gravy Baby Brown Mixed Media Kit but I was surprised that the egg I was most pleased with was the one from the Black Out Mixed Media Kit with it’s skull & crossbones charm, grey petals and black beads. Go figure!

Whether you use eggs or an old muffin tin or just pieces of paper, I can see this as great art therapy for yourself or even maybe a color exercise for kids to help with. All I know is I had great fun putting them together and highlighting each of the amazing color kits.

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Obviously this isn’t our usual 64 Arts post, today: we’re switching places this week and the next stones & gems post will be this Thursday. Which is good since I need a bit more time to finish up the project for it anyway!

Happy Crafting!

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I have to say that this group of women are some of the best I’ve had the opportunity to meet and work with for quite some time. The products they carry are fantastic for mixed media work and general craftiness, and I’m honored to be continuing on as an Alchemist. To find our how you go about becoming an Alchemist yourself, read on!

 * # * # *

At Gauche Alchemy, our goal is to support and encourage creative thought and expression by providing materials that help artists of all types and skill levels think differently about their creative pursuits. We endeavor to be the “jumping-off point” for your next great idea! We are all about upcycling, as well as digging up the best manufactured products we can find. We are all about being inclusive rather than exclusive.

And now is your chance to get in on all of the fun, snark, and gauche awesomeness we pride ourselves on. We are on the hunt for a few new faces to add to our team of Alchemists.

“What does an Alchemist do??” I’m glad you asked!

“Alchemists” are more than just “oooh lookie what I made” and “here’s how I did it.” Our Alchemists are teachers, crafters, artists, and enablers. We share our knowledge as well as our projects. We are here to inspire. After all, we are regular schmoes too.

“What kind of workload is required of me?”

As an Alchemist, you will be required to submit 2 projects per month. One project is for the newsletter and one is for the blog. Occasionally, we may have special events such as swaps in which additional projects will be asked of you.

“Projects” include actual finished projects, technique tutorials, and anything related to what we do. These posts can be about your craft space, what inspires you, how to bust a rut and so on. Like we said, we are more than just a “creative team” who shows off pretty schtuff.

“Now how about the whole quid-pro-quo thing? What do I get in return?”

As an Alchemist, you will receive an Alchemist “kit” that is looooooaaaaaaded with Gauche goodness. You will also receive a discount to the Gauche Alchemy store. There are other perks you receive but those will be discussed with you should you make the team.

“How long is my term?”

An Alchemist term is 12 months with the possibility of being invited to extend.

“Now where do I sign up?”

To apply, send the following to GaucheAlchemistCall@gmail.com by midnight Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday, April 30th with the phrase “2013 DT Call” in the subject line. This call is open to international aspiring alchemists too!

All aspiring alchemists please send us:

3 recent samples of your fabulous work (do not need to use Gauche Alchemy products but would love it if you did.)

Name:
Location:
Your blog address:
Are you currently on any other design teams? (Previous DT experience is not required)
Your favorite type of project to create:
Which products in our shop inspire you the most?
Why do YOU want to work for Gauche Alchemy?

* # * # *

I do hope you’ll consider sending in your application! I, of course, have  nothing to do with the selections, but it’s worth the try just the same.

What are you waiting for?!

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