Nov. 25th the Echo Salon in Grand Rapids threw the NEST party.  Brandi Jo Rinehart, the owner, commissioned Jevon Dismuke to paint a mural in time for the party.  I got to help out with the imagery and execution.  Stencils have found a small home in my heart.  I never thought I’d say that.

BOOTLEG RUNNERS…CHICAGO STYLE

FRONT

BACK

TOON TONE TOMMY…

PROTECTING HIS NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS.

AN OLD SKOOL HOME LAND SECURITY.

Old Skool & who’s your Daddy cool?

A SPORTING SHIRT TO WEAR!

THE NEW URBAN RATS…CHECK IT OUT!

CULTURE SHOCK AT IT’S FINEST, RAT RODDERS, ROCKABILLY FANS, AND HOT RODDERS A RODANT IS RUNNING FREE AMOUNG YOU!

URBAN RATS IS UNLEASHING SOME NEW ON THE BEAT T-SHIRT DESIGNS FOR SALE.

CAN YOU HANDLE THE IDEA OF HAVING YOUR OWN SHIRTS DESIGNED BY AN ARTIST FOR YOUR SHOP OR CLUB? I WILL DESIGN YOUR SHIRTS FOR A FEE YOU CAN SEND THE ARTWORK TO YOUR OWN PRINTER OR WE CAN HAVE THEM DONE FOR YOU.

URBAN RATS WAS A CONCEPT DREAMED UP BY ME A CLUB OF CULTURE SHOCK. NEW DESIGNS TO BRING OUT THE CITY BEAST IN US ALL.

ALL DESIGNS ARE DESIGNED BY ME “G” IF YOU WANT TO CONTACT ME ABOUT ORDERING A SHIRT OR HAVING DESIGNS MADE FOR YOUR SHOP CALL 303-905-5790.

I ALSO DO CUSTOM LASER ENGRAVING OF THE DESIGNS ON MAGLITES, KNIVES, AND MIRRORS. CHECK OUT MY OTHER WEB SITE AT WWW.AWARDMIRRORS.COM TO SEE THE THINGS I DO WITH THE LASER.

T-SHIRT DESIGN

LOGO DESIGN

Should there be a trend that never goes out of fashion, it would be the passion for long skirt.  It’s one of the classics in clothing style that never dies.

Every now and then, fashion industry introduces an in-thing on wardrobe.  Vintage, retro, and rockabilly styles took most part of 1950s; Victorian and hippy clothes in 1960s; punks in 1970s; hip hops in 1980s and 1990s; and in 2000s, anything goes with a touch of futuristic and techno designs.

But no matter how these styles flooded every one’s closet, for women, the fervor for long skirt never fades.  In fashion runways, fashion designers and trend aficionados never miss those modish long skirts.  With all the styles and designs introduced, long skirts had overcome the tests of time over the passed centuries.  Women from all walks of life wore them in their own choice of fabrics and cuts, simply non-decorated or embroidered with sequins, beads, and laces.

Looking at different perspectives, women have implicit and obvious reasons for having long skirts their passion.

As apparel, long skirt is the most modest today.  Almost all types of clothing one can see in most women nowadays reveal delicate parts of the body, enticing something unethical and immoral thoughts and acts.  With long skirt, a woman can keep secret what must be kept in secret.

At present, long skirts are considered trendsetters.  But for people who have worn them first, they are for protection.  They wore them very long and loose-fitting.  It was not in 19th and 20th centuries only that long skirts were introduced.  Even women in the ancient times such as the Israelites, wore long skirts mainly for protection and obedience to a commandment given to them – not to wear clothing that are of men.

Long skirt is more than a fashion material.  It plays a vital role in gender identification.  Because its creation was primarily intended for women, it gives everybody an impression that someone wearing a long skirt is a woman.  Long skirts accentuate a woman’s femininity and help to easily distinguish a female from a male.

Women’s passion for long skirt is beyond fashion.  As long as a woman exists, there will be a trend for long skirts.

new to my etsy shop… alfred, bernard and charlotte. just click on the link in my blogroll to visit my shop at any time or hit the link below to see them now. my cute little animal characters!

my etsy shop

I almost forget to mention this one. Aside from the last six webpage concepts I created, I was asked to produce a seventh. To give this project a challenge, it had to be pushed in less than twenty-four hours. This wasn’t too difficult a challenge but I do appreciate when I have at least a forty-eight hour window.

Lately I have been working on a few webpage concepts for the Radioactive Energy Drink. I have created a set of six designs over the past three-and-a-half weeks. Each set was designed in Photoshop with a final copy as both JPG and PNG files. I did not find anything task too difficult while designing these concepts. I take that back; I did have a compression issue. I am not able to compress the raw PSD file small enough to send via email. However, the JPG and PNG files were sent with ease. Now it is a matter of waiting for client approval.

The good people at Artbeads allowed me to pick out some Swarovski components to try out free of charge. I decided that one of the items I wanted to try were these Swarovski Filligree Flowers as I had not seen this type of component up close & personal before. When it arrived, it certainly lived up to the standards I have come to expect from Swarovski: solid design and the crystals sparkle beautifully.

At first I didn’t know what to do with it. The flower itself has a very vintage feel, so it is unlike my usual modern funky design. It has such an elegant yet bold factor on its own: paring it with stones and beads just made it feel very busy and over done. I realized that this component on it’s own would make a very nice piece: like a nice brooch or earrings…then it hit me. I immediately had to purchase more from Artbeads, because these would make the perfect hairpins!

I usually shy away from making this type of jewelry because there doesn’t seem to be any challenge design wise. Glue the component onto a hair pin. Okaaay…now what? Seems very uninspired for someone who wants to inspire & be inspired.

But when the order arrived from Artbeads with my extra Swarovski flowers I knew I made the right decision. I can totally see these as hair adornment: perfect for a bridal party, the prom or any formal event – or even just to jazz up your hair any day of the week.

And remember when I said this would be not very challenging? I was left scratching my head when trying to decide what glue to use. I have just about every kind of glue you could imagine for jewelry making or crafting. I decided the best glue for this would be Zap-A-Gap: it’s like Super Glue, but also waterproof & will adhere to any surface, even oily ones, and dries clear. Seemed pretty fool proof.

Only it was slightly tricky. I had to find just the right pressure to hold the component onto the hair pin and keep it really straight so that it would adhere evenly. I did not want to use a clamp or tool for this in case it damaged the Swarovski component. So it was a little tense & frustrating to start out trying to decide how much pressure and for how long to hold…and not glue my fingers to it!

But once experimenting with one the other three worked up quite quickly.

I was excited with the results. The glue cured for 24 hours and this is one solid unit.

I decided an elegant pair of earrings to go with these were in order. I simply paired them with 8mm freshwater pearls, antique gold culinary grade lead free pewter bead caps and gold filled ear hooks….

Remember that original component Artbeads sent me that inspired this whole project? Well, I made a ring out of it, glued onto an adjustable filigree ring base:

I am really impressed with how this project turned out (and am now totally hooked on Swarovski flowers!!) and will definitely be offering this on a by request basis on my website. Stay tuned!

JoJo Designs 9-Piece Baby Designer Crib Bedding Set – Pink Dragonfly Dreams Review

Check Price Now!

JoJo Designs 9-Piece Baby Designer Crib Bedding Set – Pink Dragonfly Dreams Feature

• 9-piece set includes: one comforter, one bumper, one fitted sheet, one skirt, two window valances, one diaper stacker, one toy bag and one throw pillow
• Made with light pink, cream, white and yellow, 100% cotton fabrics
• Additional matching accessories are available

JoJo Designs 9-Piece Baby Designer Crib Bedding Set – Pink Dragonfly Dreams Overview

“Dragonfly Dreams Complete 9 pc. Deluxe Crib Bedding Set has all that your little bundle of joy will need. Delicate Embroidered dragonflies flutter around this beautiful and exquisite set. Made with Light Pink with Cream, White and Yellow accents, this set is truly stunning. Soft White Chenille borders the set to add that extra special touch. This set is made of 100% cotton and will fit all cribs and toddler beds.”

JoJo Designs 9-Piece Baby Designer Crib Bedding Set – Pink Dragonfly Dreams Specifications

JoJo Designs PINKDragonflyDreams-9

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Nov 27, 2009 15:25:07

32inch lcd hdtv

This is what Phill & Mike think I should do, because they are jokers.  Seriously speaking though, I am considering getting a tattoo.  It’s something I have always wanted to do, but it’s also something I have been somewhat reluctant to do because in the past, I’ve had ideas for designs and then changed my mind for a variety of reasons – I think that it is something that you really have to think through carefully.  Is it going to hold its meaning through the years? Is it in a place where you can hide it when necessary (e.g. job interview, angry grandparent)?  Is it personal and unique, or something that every Tom Dick and Chavvy has? Will the colours fade and the tattoo look tacky in time? These are all primary considerations for me – the pain doesn’t bother me at all (I have a high pain threshold, and I have had multiple injections in the roof of my mouth – WITH A NEEDLE before you get any ideas! – so I am not really afraid of needles nor pain. I can stand it).

So with that all said, I’ll unveil what I’m thinking off.  At the top of my right collarbone / shoulder, about an inch high (maybe less, but about that – so fairly discreet), I want an A. Because that is the first letter of my name.  Simple, personal (I am unlikely to change my name) and effective!  But not just an ordinary A! I toy about with various ways of writing my name during moments of boredom, and a few years ago I found a way of writing the ‘A’ that I like:

Ok, so you need to imagine this with the lines being straight as opposed to wiggly and uneven, and it would just be the solid black in the middle without the feathered edges, but you get the idea.  I think it looks edgy without trying too hard, and it is personal and unique without being outlandish or silly.  Simple, but effective – in other words.  On top my shoulder, its somewhere I can keep it hidden from people (and easily show-offable), but it’s not in your typical lower back / upper back / bicep region which could be passé / common.  I am quite excited – although it’s still only a plan I have and I haven’t made any kind of appointment, I know exactly where I would go to get it done, who to speak to (friends have recommended me), and Mike says that he’s up for going with me.  So it may well happen! Plus, since it’s just in black and not too big, it shouldn’t be too expensive.  I like this plan.

I just hope that a) when my mother / grandmother eventually sees it (which I know ultimately will happen), they won’t freak out too much; b) they will respect my right to choose to do what I want with my body.  I won’t feel guilty about getting it done, but I will feel sad about hurting their feelings, so I just hope that they will be mature enough to not let their feelings get hurt c) I don’t think it can be confused with anything stupid that I have somehow overlooked.  So it’s all systems go!  What do you think?

Do I have any occasion to wear this outfit? No. Is sheer chiffon overlaid with velvet the most practical choice for winter warmth? No.  Is gray one of “my” colors? No. Do I love the material? Yes. Did I buy the material? Of course. I picked up the Silk Velvet Burnout Isadora Grey from Fabric.com . I got 4 yds (45″) at $14.98/yd (-20%) because I’m not entirely sure what I’m going to make with it.

I’m considering making sheer tunic to wear over over a pair of flowing silk pajama bottom pants or a straight fitted skirt. I tentatively selected B4856 as a potential tunic because  like how the smooth front means I don’t have any buttons to disrupt the flow of the material. I would make the neck facing in a charmeuse/satin (or even a duponi) in an understated charcoal gray. I’d also make the coordinating bottom (skirt or pajama pants) and a camisole in the same shade/material.

If I wanted a less blocky shape, I could make a skirt & blouse set. I could use the velvet burnout as an overlay on a straight skirt and then make V8194 blouse (using the velvet burnout for the sleeves & neck ruffle). I’m not sure what I’d use for the peplum because I think the two layers of the velvet burnout (one from the peplum and one on the skirt) could be too much.

Now I’ve got to improve my social life so I have somewhere to wear this outfit….

When it comes to interactive websites, flash templates have great many advantages over the conventional html templates; however, there are also a few disadvantages. This article is a brief analysis of using flash websites for your online businesses. A website for your online business with a flash header will be attractive and instantly appeal to the viewers and to some extent reveal the intention of your website. Unlike other static headers, you can make your website more attractive and informative using flash headers.

If you are planning to use full flash web templates for your websites, then the following are the advantages you will enjoy through your flash websites. You can create an interactive website and present your products or services in a very attractive manner to the potential customers that visit your website. There’s no doubt that pictures and sounds together create a better effect on the visitors than reading long and boring essays in a conventional html website. Flash website by itself is a powerful attraction that lures visitors to revert for a better view!

There is no limit for the creativity that you can exhibit through your flash website. It is a well known fact that flash websites are the ones that retain customers for a longer time than any other websites. Since video information can be embedded in the flash, it requires comparatively low space and expends lower bandwidths. You will not need the cumbersome plug-ins as required for conventional websites.

If you need to provide a lot of images, videos, and interactive stuff to your customers the flash websites are the best options. Professionals and business, such as photographers, interior decorators, furniture stores, carpet businesses, and the like that involve extensive showcasing of their artistic products and services will find flash websites to be the better option.

There are websites that offer full flash templates at cheap rates. Especially the membership websites that offer unlimited template downloads for a small membership fee is a safe deal when it comes to experimenting with different web technologies. If you have a membership with these websites then getting fascinating flash templates extremely cheap. With a variety of pre-made full flash templates available in the market; you can create your great looking flash website in a jiffy without any flaws.

As mentioned earlier, in spite of great advantages, looks and interactive features, flash websites do have a few flaws that make a serious online entrepreneur to think twice before opting for flash templates for the online business. The major problem in flash websites is that search engines find it difficult to access the information since flash is a compiled file. Although search engine optimization is feasible with the little amount of text you could place in a flash template, the results are quite often not so encouraging as those obtained in a html website. However, experts have a solution for this problem, for example, dividing the site into two parts using flash for interactive purposes and html for informational purposes. Other techniques include integration of flash in html templates or placing the required amount of text with appropriate keywords and phrases in the meta tags.

One other minor flaw in flash websites is the loading time it requires. Especially when the internet connection is limited as in the third world countries, the loading time of a flash website would annoy the visitors. However, in developed countries, where there are high speed internet connections, loading time is not a great concern. If you need high quality flash templates you need to locate a vendor that has good experience in creating flash templates and also see to that the service provider has a good customer care service.

I have struggled in formulating the narrative swarming in hybrid ecosystem as a participatory design experiment. It can be it is not yet simple enough for the intended book , but i feel i cannot cut away much more too. It is hard to present visual data in the papers, but i feel some of the evidence needs to be presented too.

Pata_Designexperiment_book

ABSTRACT
This paper describes a participatory design experiment that is influenced by the swarming activity. The paper introduces a new approach to writing narratives in virtual learning communities of the social Web 2.0 and contrasts it with traditional storytelling approaches. In the participatory design experiment we developed a hybrid virtual storytelling playground that augments the real world – a hybrid ecosystem of narratives. It consists of social software tools freely available in the Web, such as microblogs, social repositories of images, and blogs, the real locations in the city, and the storytellers who leave their digital contents. The results of writing narratives as a swarm in a hybrid ecosystem are presented. In our experiment, instead of bending old novel formats into the hybrid ecosystem, the evidences of new evolving narrative formats of this hybrid space were explored.

FUNNY HOT ROD T-SHIRT DESIGNS

BOOTLEG RUNNERS…..

NEW DESIGN FOR A T-SHIRT….

On www.sorbzworld.com, there are a few links on the top. So I made buttons to put there instead. Here they are:

We end our foray into empirical internet studies with the following research question: Does over-eager reference to inexplicable youth trends result in inexplicable web traffic among those participating in inexplicable activities? The world may never know…

This month’s WIRED magazine features a hand-wringing article about growing pains at Twitter, allegedly a company worth millions (or is it billions?) on the basis of a service that reportedly allows its users to post 140 character messages (we’ve already exceeded that limit in this post) to people who are said to sign up to receive them. Legend has it that over 1 million people have “subscribed” to the 140 character musings of Kelso, from That 70s Show, apparently while I have been watching reruns of That 70s Show.

It is said, in an effort to realize some revenue from this  concept, the masterminds behind Twitter have been making what sound like minor (but admittedly difficult to parse) changes to the service that have upset its users, allowing the author for WIRED to enter into arcane explications of various (said to be extremely intelligent) persons’ use of @ and # (I think…) and their extreme significance to what is supposed to be a lot of people (whom I have never met).

Prompted (out of a strange form of curiosity) to read the article by a friend for whom Twitter is avowedly a large part of social life, I was relieved by the following:

It [Twitter] rocketed into the mainstream without really knowing what its service was. … Though the company held a discussion earlier this year called “What Do We Want to Be When We Grow Up?” the mission statement is still a work in progress. “If there are three sentences I’d use to describe Twitter,” Stone says, “one of them would be ‘I don’t know.’”

That makes me feel better because the people who use Twitter claim to know what it is, but I don’t understand it and neither do the guys who made it up, according to the article (which sheds no light on what it is either). But I sense a certain kind of magic here, and today’s experimental efforts are designed to wield it fiercely for the benefit of crix crax crux.

Twitter! I beseech you! #! @! GROW my PRESENCE!