Music to build by...

So I've been out back makin lamps these days. Weirdly, I've also listened strictly to one album during the entire process of each lamp. During lamp one, I listened to Mudhoney's Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge album, and it's SO good. Saw them a few months back and they are just as good now as they were in 1991, if not better. I MAY have over rocked that lamp, as when it arrived at the house of its new owner, it had an eight inch crack along one side. I had to remake er... which I did by listening to the same album at a lower decimel... should get there fine this time.



As if going back to 1991 wasn't digging into the archives deep enough, for lamp two I backed it up another 20 years and listened to Pink Floyd's Meddle over and over. Sometimes I got creeped out in the middle of the 23 minute long song Echoes, which is what they were going for I'm assuming. I love that San Tropez song though... So sue me. I didn't hear back from the person who bought this lamp... MIGHT be because it snuck up on her and attacked her whilst she slept.



I'm more than halfway done with the bamboo veneer lamp I'm entering into that M+D+F exhibition, and I brought it back to current day with that two man band I blathered about seeing/loving to slobbery bits during SXSW- The Black Diamond Heavies, and their first album, Every Damn Time. The only time I couldn't hit "play agane" was when Claire was sleeping, and I had the baby monitor on, so I got to listen to her flop around and wah sometimes. I'm assuming this will result with exhibit goers rocking their pants off, pulling them back up and pooping in them.

Deck o Cards

I feel like one of those types that will get married in two weeks, still doesn't have the place picked out, but has the fancy napkins ready to go. Though I haven't finished making the actual lamp for this M+D+F thing, I have hand cut several chunks of scrap veneer into exact bidness card measurements, and stamped em with this quick design I whipped up (thanks to deanna who found the perfect branch). Maybe no one will pick a card up at the exhibit and I can veneer my walls with these doodads.

Baldy's Wild Ride

Why would I pick this filing cabinet up downtown for 10 bucks, squeeze it into the back seat of the Honda Civic (with side door open), dodge the cops by taking back roads and alleyways til I got it back to home base?

So it could look like this here someday. Saw this gem at Big Red Sun, and thought, "maybe I could do that.... eventually." I'd like to think eventually soon, but... Anyhoo, 10 bucks beats the 600 smakkas I'd pay at Big Red Sun, and maybe we'll paint ours yellow. Some. Day.

This Just In...

Says Vickie from Design Within Reach regarding my lamp submission in their M+D+F Exhibition:

Hi Chad,
Thank you for your recent submission. Our jurors have selected your entry to be on display during our event on 05/03/09. We will be setting up for the event on Saturday 05/02, 6-7pm. Please let me know if you will be able to participate.

Kind regards, Vickie

Looks like I suckered em in... Gonna have to look pro... like get some business cards and hair plugs or something? Something. I should at least make the lamp I guess. RSVP to see me win Best in Show on May 3rd! I asked Julie to be my handler. Least there will probably be some drinks or something.

Etsy and the Woody Stuff Therein

I've been dorkin about these days on etsy, and looking at what other people, with better skills, do with wood. I often run around town picking up other peeps wood scraps, and think, "What can I do with these tiny pieces of real nice wood?" The couple over at Amischievousmarriage make these cool little fruit pedestals. Fun!



I once followed this thread on Apartment Therapy called "Story of a Table" which documented a custom made table built from reclaimed wood by the Lorimer Workshop. These days, they also have an etsy shop, and I saw this cool bench which seems so simple/radical it's blowin my mindhole.



I'd seen the focuslineart etsy site a long time ago, but for some reason, didn't realize they also do their tree ring art thang on hunks o tree! This is another thing I've done... collect little logs that I plan to cut up and do something cool with. I went down that road once, and forgot to read the name of the road when I turned on it... Thisiscrap Rd. Focuslineart obviously didn't live in the neighborhood.

The Black Elm Woodworking dood is perhaps my current fave. This SEWARD Coffee table is boss. Makes me go, "Oh, this is what professionals do with wood." I always read about people who grew up with their carpenter dads making furniture and that sorta thing. I grew up with my dad fixing up a 68 Camaro with 20,000 original miles, and still don't change my own oil... however, if he built our house or something, maybe I'd be at this level now... I'm just behind the curve, that's all. This is no dad slam. Please see how he built my patio.

This and That

Probably one of the swankiest craigslist postings I've seen in a long time. It's a Vintage Mid Century Telefunken Delmonico Korting Stereo. Half of the cabinet is mirrored, padded bar, and the other side is stereo and record player. Rad rad rad.

In lamp news, I've sent one out and have another one in the works. Here is a pic of the two different veneers for the two different lamps after being all vacuum pressed and all. They look pretty good. Also just sent in my application for that M+D+F exhibition the day before it's due. I'm heavy on the slack these days which I chalk up to dealing with a baby who is hungry/needs entertainment/is crabby and needs a nap/is puking on me/has a wet diap/you name it. She did go to the UPS Store with me though, and mail off Lamp One. She also flirted with the cute lady in line behind me. Babies are pretty cool.

What I did for Spring Break...

As a design departure, let's take a trip around Baldy's SXSW day show acts taken in... well, at least the ones he took a couple pictures of, that is.



For the most part, I'm a rock dood. I like rock and roll and bands with doods performing it. Might sound like a sexist? Maybe, but then there's Palomar. They are the cutest girls bringing the best pop ever, IMHO (Nicki had to tell me what that meant.) The pop is hard and fast and good. Downside was the lead singer had laryngitis, so there sets were a wee bit short/not EXACTLY up to snuff, but the first time I saw them this year, I had a free giant burrito and free dos xx's, so I'm not one to complain. Divya got to hang out with them, and gave insider's scoop to me about them. I could go on and on, but lettuce continue.

This girl is cute, and couldn't stop hitting on me whilst watching Palomar, so I took her to the next show.

We headed over to Breakaway Records to watch the Cynics play in the parking lot. The guitar player for the Cynics also owns Get Hip Records, and distributes some of my record label stuff, so I did ultra light shmoozing there... actually Julie did most of it for me. They were great, and have been doing it for who knows... 20 years? Probably longer... anyway, they had it down.



My fave act of the year was the Black Diamond Heavies. Two guys- one on the organ and one on drums. They are the best/loudest/gravel-iest rockandrollingist two guys I see play. I saw em twice actually- once at a bike shop (more free beer), and once again at Breakaway Records. Julie got to see them for the first time and recognized their badassness first hand. Everytime I see them, there's a line of people looking to buy stuff from them afterwards. I didn't take this pic, but the singer/organist was shirtless like this... and greasy. No- greezy...

Also got to see Jack O and the Tearjerkers play... FINALLY. Been trying to get to see them for a while now... especially since Jack O is Jack Oblivian of the Oblivians, AND plays in South Filthy on one Licorice Tree Records (toot toot). Anyway, Walter Daniels (also in South Filthy) is a local dood seen here playing harmonica (harp, if you rock) and is an all around super nice guy with way wicked skills, as seen in a short clip I shot below.

Anyhoo, another great time at South by Southwest... and ALL FREE. Day shows are the way to go. Back to designland soon.