Commissions! Resources!

Well, it looks like I might be able to make this work. New things, exciting for creative folk in the Ann Arbor area:
• Makerspaces! Bilal -- a guy whom I met during my unproductive (but fun) time on the Gargoyle magazine staff -- invited a bunch of people, including me, to a meeting a few Fridays back. It's basically a group where you come and make things, talk with other innovative types, share resources, et cetera. Sarms, another cool dude, gave me a tip about free mass paper cutting, so that's sped up my process with the journals. It is most excellent.

• Mini Maker Faire! I met a lot of most excellent people through the first Ann Arbor Mini Maker Faire. This took place last weekend, and I exhibited under the project name "Second Skins (Reworking Leather)", in conjunction with the A2 Hands-On Museum. Basically, they provided materials, and I gave out their fliers. I got kind of swarmed by little ones who wanted to make books and pouches -- sometimes the parents made more than the kids -- but I took away some great experience, for possible future shows, and met lots of awesome co-fabricators. Bob Stack also gave me (free!) a bunch of scrap copper from his gorgeous die-cut butterflies, which he was making for Faire-goers.

And COMMISSIONS! I have officially been commissioned -- twice! -- to make things for people. My camera's freaking out, or I'd have some pictures to back up my talk. The first one was a helix-weave (more on that later) necklace for my housemate John, to keep his keys on. The second, still in progress, is a journal... a SECRET journal, as yet, for certain reasons.

I need to finish the "making journals" thread. There have been exciting recent developments, involving me, a Staedtler Lumocolor pen, and truly hazardous concentrations of glee. (Also zeppelins.)