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Jun. 30th, 2004 04:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jadegirlLJ is still being cranky at me, so I'm not sure if this will even post, or post 32 times.
Mail-love from![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
firinel today, a lovely, meaty letter full of things to think about. We were just talking about you yesterday, Fin - remembering that Picasso quote you told us about, and musing about the varied value judgements placed on art and artists, and the need for art integrated into day to day life.
I keep thinking about William Morris, and his failed experiment. Frightened by the Industrial Revolution, and seemingly seeing quite clearly where it would lead (when we used to watch the Food Network, I could never understand why so many commercials were for pre-prepared foods) he began employing artisans and craftspeople to create household objects by hand, integrating the ideas of beauty and usability, while maintaining a respect for the skills needed to make such things. The problem was that if he was to pay his employees a living wage, it drove the prices of his goods up so much that only the rich - the new captains of industry - could afford them. One of the last talks he gave bemoans this as the great failure of his life.
I remember a day at the Sterling renfaire, looking over some beautiful jewlery, natural motifs done in copper and brass. Sir was buying me a dragonfly bracelet, and I overheard a husband and wife - she was admiring a necklace in a stylized grapevine, and his was muttering about the prices, and said "We could get something at Wal-Mart for half of that." I was stunned. That sort of thinking is just Linear A to me.
In other news, one of Sir's birthday gifts to me was a collection of bath stuff from Medieval, Inc.. It's quite lovely, with beautiful scents and wonderful packaging. I've seen those products in some pretty popular fashion magazines, too, so it's fairly sucessful. What really struck me, is that there's not a damn thing in her line I don't know how to make myself. (However, I'm perfectly happy getting such things as gifts. I'm a great baker, too, but that doesn't stop me from going into every pastry shop I see. How else will I get ideas?) It's going to take some time, since things are still pretty unstable for us financially, but when things finally do settle out, I'm going to move full speed ahead with the bath-shop. First I'll need to buy my bases in bulk - hazelnut oil and such things are pretty expensive, but make for the best products. (Hazelnut oil is good for oily skin, in facial washes and body lotions) Once I have a good supply of bases, I'll make up 'dummy stock', the basic washes, lotions, and creams, all just waiting for scenting, that way when an order comes in I can just add the scent and send it on its way, without leaving the entire formulation till the last moment. If Medieval can do it, why can't I?
Since my birthday just passed, I'm swimming in yarn. I'm finishing up the tank top from the cover of the latest Vogue Knitting, and then I'll be starting Elizabeth I, in a gorgeous sienna-colored silk/wool. However Hush-hush is just screaming "You know you want me!", and the yarn for that is quite cheap. It's perfect for me - I have a very flapper-girl body type, otherwise known as "flat as a board". :) There's also a lace camisole in the works, and a new dice-bag for Sir, knit in a pattern called 'dragon skin', and, and, and....My hands are still giving me trouble, but Bob says it sound degenerative, so I'm just doing what I can, and dealing with the pain.
I'm chattering. I'll stop now.:)
Mail-love from
firinel today, a lovely, meaty letter full of things to think about. We were just talking about you yesterday, Fin - remembering that Picasso quote you told us about, and musing about the varied value judgements placed on art and artists, and the need for art integrated into day to day life.I keep thinking about William Morris, and his failed experiment. Frightened by the Industrial Revolution, and seemingly seeing quite clearly where it would lead (when we used to watch the Food Network, I could never understand why so many commercials were for pre-prepared foods) he began employing artisans and craftspeople to create household objects by hand, integrating the ideas of beauty and usability, while maintaining a respect for the skills needed to make such things. The problem was that if he was to pay his employees a living wage, it drove the prices of his goods up so much that only the rich - the new captains of industry - could afford them. One of the last talks he gave bemoans this as the great failure of his life.
I remember a day at the Sterling renfaire, looking over some beautiful jewlery, natural motifs done in copper and brass. Sir was buying me a dragonfly bracelet, and I overheard a husband and wife - she was admiring a necklace in a stylized grapevine, and his was muttering about the prices, and said "We could get something at Wal-Mart for half of that." I was stunned. That sort of thinking is just Linear A to me.
In other news, one of Sir's birthday gifts to me was a collection of bath stuff from Medieval, Inc.. It's quite lovely, with beautiful scents and wonderful packaging. I've seen those products in some pretty popular fashion magazines, too, so it's fairly sucessful. What really struck me, is that there's not a damn thing in her line I don't know how to make myself. (However, I'm perfectly happy getting such things as gifts. I'm a great baker, too, but that doesn't stop me from going into every pastry shop I see. How else will I get ideas?) It's going to take some time, since things are still pretty unstable for us financially, but when things finally do settle out, I'm going to move full speed ahead with the bath-shop. First I'll need to buy my bases in bulk - hazelnut oil and such things are pretty expensive, but make for the best products. (Hazelnut oil is good for oily skin, in facial washes and body lotions) Once I have a good supply of bases, I'll make up 'dummy stock', the basic washes, lotions, and creams, all just waiting for scenting, that way when an order comes in I can just add the scent and send it on its way, without leaving the entire formulation till the last moment. If Medieval can do it, why can't I?
Since my birthday just passed, I'm swimming in yarn. I'm finishing up the tank top from the cover of the latest Vogue Knitting, and then I'll be starting Elizabeth I, in a gorgeous sienna-colored silk/wool. However Hush-hush is just screaming "You know you want me!", and the yarn for that is quite cheap. It's perfect for me - I have a very flapper-girl body type, otherwise known as "flat as a board". :) There's also a lace camisole in the works, and a new dice-bag for Sir, knit in a pattern called 'dragon skin', and, and, and....My hands are still giving me trouble, but Bob says it sound degenerative, so I'm just doing what I can, and dealing with the pain.
I'm chattering. I'll stop now.:)
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no subject
Date: 2004-07-01 01:04 pm (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2004-07-01 01:37 pm (UTC)A student once asked me if the handmade silver Celtic-style bracelet Ian gave me was from Argos, a catalog shop. *sigh* Yes, Argos sells Celtic-looking bracelets. But mine is handmade, solid silver and a lot nicer than what they sell. Oh well.
The Elizabeth sweater looks lovely!!! The other is nice also, but I really like the first one. I wonder if maybe I could hire you? :)
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Date: 2004-07-01 01:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-01 04:52 pm (UTC)I'm glad you got such wonderful birthday presents! I'm sorry about the pain, though.. =/
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Date: 2004-07-01 05:07 pm (UTC)You really need to get the ball rolling on this bath-soap project. Gogogirl!
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From:no subject
Date: 2004-07-01 10:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-02 06:35 am (UTC)I've bought a lot of cups, bowls, etc. from a friend who is a very talented potter/ceramicist; everytime we serve tea in one of her mugs as opposed to a mass produced one I feel like it's a small victory.
But she basically went out of business because shops couldn't sell her stuff cheaply enough to sell and still meet her expenses; people would come to her sales and try to bargain her down when she was not making much profit to begin with.
She and her husband just moved to his farm in W. Virginia -- perhaps the lower cost of living will make it possible, again.