Studio Happenings

Like us on Facebook

2012-08-22T19:47:00.004-06:00

Photo engraving is our specialty on a variety of materials from fabric to rock.
Trophies, awards and plaques available.
Many customized gifts and specialty items.
Fine Art Studio
Wildflower Tech Creations LLC
https://www.facebook.com/wildflowertech

Wildflower Tech Creations, LLC Business Review in Grand Junction, CO

2012-04-05T18:23:00.001-06:00

BBB Accreditation

A BBB Accredited business since 02/09/2006.

BBB has determined that this business meets BBB accreditation standards, which include a commitment to make a good faith effort to resolve any consumer complaints. BBB Accredited Businesses pay a fee for accreditation review/monitoring and for support of BBB services to the public.

BBB accreditation does not mean that the business's products or services have been evaluated or endorsed by BBB, or that BBB has made a determination as to the business's product quality or competency in performing services.

Wildflower Tech Creations, LLC Business Review in Grand Junction, CO

updated phone number

2012-01-24T13:15:00.000-07:00

Revamping

2012-01-16T18:52:00.001-07:00

It is hard to believe it has been a year and a half since our last post but is much of the reason behind this entry. The studio is getting back into production and all of the blogs, sites, and social pages are being upgraded, linked and cross linked.

We have been doing a lot with the Wildflower Tech Creations and will be rolling out the tools and materials to get started on some fine arts as well.

Of particular importance is assisting in establishing an open studio for veterans suffering from the invisible wounds of war. We are closely linked with Operation Revamp, Inc - a non-profit whose mission is exactly this.

RGB #002395 • Pantone Reflex Blue • RGB Chart & Multi Tool • Color • PerBang.dk

2010-06-11T09:24:00.000-06:00

Great color chart in CYMK and RGB

RGB #002395 • Pantone Reflex Blue • RGB Chart & Multi Tool • Color • PerBang.dk

Ford Foundation Grants to Aid Art Spaces and Housing - NYTimes.com

2010-04-06T23:14:00.002-06:00

As part of an effort to increase the impact of its giving, the Ford Foundation is to announce a plan on Monday to dedicate $100 million to the development of arts spaces nationwide over the next decade. The plan is by far the largest commitment the foundation has ever made to the construction, maintenance and enhancement of arts facilities.

The plan, called the Supporting Diverse Art Spaces Initiative, is one of several large financing projects that have resulted from a strategic overhaul of the foundation’s operations since its president, Luis A. Ubiñas, took over in 2008. He has moved the foundation in the direction of bundling its hundreds of millions of dollars in grants — which have traditionally varied widely in their focus — into large programs oriented toward specific issues. Other recent commitments include $80 million to bolster public programs for the unemployed and underpaid, $100 million for secondary education in seven cities and $50 million to help cities buy foreclosed properties.

In addition to helping arts groups build new spaces and renovate and expand old ones, the latest initiative aims to encourage the construction of affordable housing for artists in or around some of these spaces and to spur economic development in their surrounding areas. Mr. Ubiñas said that during his travels around the country he had been astonished when he would visit an arts organization and find that “all around it have developed whole neighborhoods — of artists and their families, of businesses that cater to them, of diverse people who want to live in a thriving community.”

Even before its announcement the Ford Foundation had awarded a first grant under the initiative to a Minneapolis nonprofit group that builds mixed-use developments centered on moderately priced housing for artists. That group, Artspace Projects, has received more than $1 million toward, among other things, transforming an abandoned public school in East Harlem into such a development, in partnership with El Barrio’s Operation Fightback, a New York community organization.
The project is to include 72 units of housing for artists and their families and a large space that can be used for art exhibitions, cultural events, conferences and gatherings of community groups.

Ford Foundation Grants to Aid Art Spaces and Housing - NYTimes.com

National Endowment for The Arts

2010-04-06T23:11:00.001-06:00

The National Endowment for the Arts is the nation's largest and most important arts organization. While a major source of money for arts groups around the country, it has historically been something of a sleepy bureaucracy, still best known to some for the culture wars of the 1990s.
Rocco Landesman, the colorful theatrical producer and race-track aficionado who brought hits like ''Big River,'' ''Angels in America'' and ''The Producers'' to Broadway, has been nominated as the next chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, the White House said on May 12, 2009.
Since the 1990s the agency has been trying to rebuild its image on Capitol Hill, along with its budget. The current allocation stands at $145 million, and though President Obama has requested $161 million for 2010, that is still short of its high of $176 million in 1992.
Mr. Landesman, who would fill the post vacated by Dana Gioia, is expected to lobby hard for more arts money. But he is not famous for his skills as an administrator or diplomat. Rather, he is known for his energy, intellect and irreverent -- and occasionally sharp-elbowed -- candor.

National Endowment for The Arts News - The New York Times

Regrouping and reopening

2009-11-27T13:58:00.001-07:00

Since the move to Grand Junction in 2007, Wildflower has been very low key and has quietly, and infrequently, operated in the background. Blue Star Mothers commitments and activities have taken the forefront and very little has been done as far as laser engraving and artwork production.

We are shaking off the dust and airing out the studio and will be back in production full scale this month. At this time we are also planning a move into a stand alone location and out of the garage and home office.

Additionally we are redoing the main website at www.wildflowertech.com as an online store with shopping cart features.

You can follow us on facebook -- check the fan box on the right for a link.

9 Tips for Breaking into Photojournalism

2009-02-24T14:54:00.002-07:00

"If you wanted to break into a new industry, who would you ask? Somebody who knows all about it, right?
Well, that’s why we got Jason Geil ( whose photos have been published in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Rolling Stone Magazine) to give us some real-world tips about how to get started in professional photojournalism.
If you already make loads of money as a professional photographer, this article isn’t for you (although we still love you)."

Photojojo » 9 Tips for Breaking into Photojournalism:

Installation Exhibition

2008-11-18T20:09:00.001-07:00

In the Gallery in Ft St John, British Columbia
Exhibition

Epilog Laser: 'Light' Woodworking

2008-09-23T15:33:00.002-06:00

By Michael Dresdner
"“There are just some things only a laser will do,” explained Mike Dean when I asked him why a small shop or hobby woodworker would need a laser. “It’s the perfect tool for massively expanding your woodworking options. You can customize in ways you could only dream about before, and it is as easy as printing to a computer printer. If you can print, you can laser. It’s unbelievably easy to use.”

Mike, along with his two partners, Steve Garnier and John Doran, owns Epilog Laser, a company taking firm aim at the woodworking market. Although large shops and specialized manufacturers have been using lasers to cut wood for some time, Epilog is working to put that technology within our grasp."

Woodworker's Journal eZine:

Ceramics Classes

2008-02-20T12:30:00.003-07:00

All of my knowledge and experience with clay seems to have no bearing on whether I can operate a wheel or not.

I started classes in January and signed up for the wheel throwing since it is something I have never done. It might go down in history as something I have never done. I am struggling but I will admit I am gaining a little in each class.

My plans on making use of the stido access have been thwarted by other committments and family health issues but I do manage to at least make the weekly classes. Maybe tomorrow I can shape my leather hard cup from last week into something recognizable.

Epilog News

2007-12-09T14:59:00.000-07:00

Last spring I had a major problem with the laser and had Jim ready to load it on the uHaul and take it back to Golden. Eventually I managed to talk to a tech who thought he might know the problem and he walked me through the process of cleaning the encoder strip. It worked.
I was called the next day by the regular tech and he said I shouldprobably not have done that myself and that its a rare scenario. I disagreed and suggested it find its way into the manual as a maintenance item. I was told that if it did I would know and -- well I am pleased to report that it has now been added to the tech notes on the website -- and there is even an instructional video.
Please note that the directions are for ALL models and it is now recommended that this procedure be carried out once a month.

I guess I should not be surprised that the new drivers address the tickle problem that resulted in extended wait times if the laser wasn't used daily. This was another 'isolated' problem with my machine.

I built a computer

2007-12-07T04:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I built the computer -- then I built the cabinet -- and, well... just kept going. Now if I could get it to talk to the laser life would be good.

Getting the Shop in Shop shape

2007-11-27T23:56:00.000-07:00

A tour of the garage -- starting in the southwest corner

the laser area

storage area (a girl can never have too many clamps)

wood working area and benches

the southeast corner

and last but not least -- the view into the house through the open door

Through Red Mountain Pass

2007-09-01T13:54:00.000-06:00

I believe this was just coming out of Ouray heading south (might have been above Ridgeway)but what inspired the photo was the way the trees in the foreground mimicked the distant mountains.

My 15 Minutes of Fame

2007-08-29T22:38:00.000-06:00

At the End of the Desert...: My 15 Minutes of Fame

Box Building

2007-08-14T08:08:00.001-06:00

With the help of some of our recent house guests we finished off a large box order this week.

These are our standard photo boxes with personalization.

Artist Creates Giant Rendition of Purple Heart Medal

2007-08-08T13:48:00.000-06:00

"Field artist Roger Baker mowed this representation of a modern Purple Heart Medal into a field in Orange County, N.Y. Photo by Anthony M. Puopolo, used by permission

Artist Creates Giant Rendition of Purple Heart Medal
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8, 2007 – When Gen. George Washington created the Purple Heart Medal in 1872, he probably never envisioned it would be so huge. Literally.

Artist Roger Baker mowed a 1,000-foot long rendition of the medal, covering 850,000 square feet, into a field at Thomas Bull Memorial Park in Hamtonburgh, N.Y., near the town where the first awards were presented to Revolutionary War soldiers. Baker said his creation is a “gift of art” to the American public.

The art work was unveiled Aug. 5, two days before the medal’s 75th anniversary. The park is in the same county as The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, near where the medal was initially established."

DefenseLink News Article: Artist Creates Giant Rendition of Purple Heart Medal:

New Item -- Forest Clock

2007-07-27T10:27:00.001-06:00

16 x 20 inch walnut plaque with assorted engraved wood veneers. Clock.

How to Write an Autobiography

2007-07-26T14:53:00.000-06:00

"Whether you've enjoyed a life well-lived or suffered through a life of hardships and mistakes, you probably have an interesting tale to tell. Writing an autobiography is an ideal way to capture the stories of your life and the times you’ve lived in, and unless you're famous, an autobiography or memoirs may be the only way those stories get preserved intact. If you are famous, an autobiography may be the only way to tell your side of the story and defend your legacy against those infamous 'unauthorized biographies.' Regardless of your situation, there's no time like the present to start writing about your past."
More...How to Write an Autobiography - wikiHow:

Project photos on webshots

2007-07-22T16:52:00.000-06:00

Uploading photos of projects on webshots

My Creations

Google Buys Feedburner for $100 Million: Expect more Monetization Options

2007-05-24T12:37:00.000-06:00

Google Buys Feedburner for $100 Million: Expect more Monetization Options: "According to TechCrunch, Google has just acquired Feedburner, a web feed management company for $100 million. This was previously a rumor but now has been confirmed by Michael Arrington, who says that the deal mostly involves upfront cash payment by Google.
Interesting news for publishers currently running Feedburner’s advertising program because it’s likely that Google might integrate its Adsense contextual ad network with Feedburner.
Feedburner has a large inventory of publishers currently using their services and it would make sense for Google to tap these current users instead of relaunching or promoting Adsense for Feeds, Google’s RSS advertising program which has been in a perpetual closed beta since 2005.
Current Adsense publishers will also have the option of experimenting with feed based monetization. The integration with Adsense might also result in a lower barrier of entry (subscription level) for publishers.
Not to mention that Google will finally be stepping head-on into the RSS advertising industry by allowing it’s Adwords advertisers to purchase feed-based ad campaigns through Feedburner’s current setup.
It’ll be very interesting to see what changes are made in the near future."

New Priority Mail Packaging

2007-05-03T18:48:00.001-06:00

MAIL INTERNATIONALLY, DOMESTICALLY WITH ONE PACKAGE

New design eliminates confusion, adds convenience for Postal Service customers

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Shipping just became a lot easier for U.S. Postal Service customers. For the first time since 1995, the Postal Service's familiar and trusted products for shipping domestically and internationally will have a new look.

With a focus on convenience, the Postal Service has redesigned all Priority Mail and Express Mail packages and envelopes, including the popular Flat Rate boxes and envelopes. Mailers can use the same Priority Mail and Express Mail packaging whether they are shipping within the United States or to another country, beginning May 14.

The design has a fresher, crisper look. The Postal Service logo is prominent alongside international symbols for use by foreign posts. The new design has ample space for required forms, labels and Intelligent Mail® barcodes. The new packaging is expected to begin arriving in Post Offices across the country this week. All packaging also is available online at USPS.com.

Nick Barranca stressed that the Postal Service will continue to accept all existing international and domestic Priority Mail and Express Mail packaging. Barranca is vice president of product development for the Postal Service. "Customers should continue to use what they have in stock without worry," Barranca said. "We promise the same quality, dependable service no matter which packaging is used."

Express Mail and Priority Mail packages and envelopes remain available free of charge — as does package pickup. Customers can take advantage of the personal convenience and service of having packages picked up at no extra charge at their home, saving a trip to the Post Office. Unlike other shipping companies, there is no fee for the service. Carrier Pickup is available for packages being sent by Express Mail or Priority Mail — domestic or international. There is no limit to the number of packages that can be picked up. Packages must include postage and be ready for shipment before the letter carrier arrives.

Print professional shipping labels and pay for postage using any major credit card with Click-N-Ship at USPS.com. Calculate and compare postage and purchase insurance without leaving the comfort of home. The Postal Service has taken additional steps to adding convenience for international mailers, simplifying the eight main International Mail products into four: Global Express Guaranteed, Express Mail International, Priority Mail International and First-Class Mail International.

"Across town or across the world, the Postal Service is reaching out to make shipping easier for its customers," Barranca said.

Unfinished?

2007-05-03T10:49:00.000-06:00

Its been over a month since I've even viewed this blog, let alone posted. It seemed kind of humorous to read the description mentioning unfinished projects. Currently -- this blog is one of those. My current sculpture project is a huge one -- a little over an acre of high desert ground. Its starting to respond to my persistance though and I'm winning on the landscaping challenges.