Oregon | The Alchemists Vessel

Good Morning,

We’re back! After a lovely week in San Francisco, California, and a great drive across Nevada and through Oregon, The Alchemist is refreshed and ready for work!

I arrived in time for a couple of neat things, although I did not attend due to schedule and other obligations. The Golden Gate Bridge had its 75th Anniversary. Did you know that the color of the bridge is primer? That’s right, that distinct orange color is primer! It takes about two years to paint the bridge from San Francisco to the Waldo Tunnel (“Rainbow Tunnel” for the locals) and they start all over again. The bridge is constantly being painted. Happy Birthday to a fabulous icon of The City. (Don’t call it “Frisco”.)

The Gold Dust Lounge, one of San Fransisco’s oldest establishments (1933-2012), had to close its doors at the original location on Powell Street, downtown, a friend and I had the pleasure of stopping in on the last day for a drink. We even got T-shirts! Never fear they are opening a new location. Locals be on the look out for it in the North Beach neighborhood, (I think).

If you are in The City, downtown, around 6th and Market, check out Tu Lan’s. A tiny hole in the wall Vietnamese restaurant. Delicious food, and if you have never had a Vietnamese Coffee, go there just for that! Yummy!

There isn’t anything new in the shop, I have been busy filling out orders and organizing some of the new things I purchased on my trip.

ANNOUNCEMENT: The Alchemists Vessel is pleased to announce that we are now “Mobile”. Now accepting SQUARE as a payment option! Slide your card and sign on the Android screen and you are on your way! Simple, safe and secure, quick, easy and convenient! Your receipt can even be e-mailed to you!

The schedule is jammed to the gills with new things to make, classes to teach (and those projects to create), the Northwest Motorfest Auto Show is coming up July 14th and 15th, 2012, and inventory is required for that, and I still have my own classes and examinations to take as well. Whew!

Well be back tomorrow with some cool ideas for Summer.

Thank you for stopping by and having a read. The Alchemists Vessel would like to wish you a pleasant work week.

Happy Friday. The weekend is here and we should all breathe deeply, take a moment and relax, work week is over and we have earned it.

Sitting here trying to think of something to promote is never easy. I have no idea half the time what to write, what readers may find interesting, entertaining, useful or worthwhile.

Instead of promoting something on the net and posting links, I thought I would take a minute to look outside and see if something out there wasn’t interesting. You know what? Outside is amazing!

So today I am promoting “outside”. Funny that I would be doing such a thing on a blog, that I want people to read and comment on, and here I am suggesting that you turn off the box and go do something out of doors!

Many of you have seen this picture as it is posted on my wall and the Facebook‘s profile cover photo, but this is outside! Beautiful, delicate, colorful, wonderful, awesome and inspiring.

Material in this lovely pink, would make a fabulous skirt or dress. The yellow is bright and sunny, a nice contrast to the pink. Green, yellows, and pinks are simple, fresh, colors for any Spring or Summer wardrobe.I get a lot of my inspiration from outside, and most of the materials I use come from outside. Gemstones and precious metals are taken from the ground, and many are left in their natural state, shaping and polishing is all that has been done to them.

Amethysts and Rubies come in crystalline materials that are created in specific conditions to grow in geodes or other formations.

Amethyst in a geode.

Rubies in their natural state, prior to cutting and polishing. They appear to range from pink to a reddish-purple color. Some seem to have milky white striations across the surface of the natural stone.

Idaho is the “Gem State”, the Official Stone of Idaho is Garnet.

Garnet is also a crystalline gem. It comes in many colors from yellow to red, red being the most popular for jewelry.

Many states have official stones, Oregon’s is Rhodonite. A gorgeous pink stone that looks somewhat like marble.

For designers of all types, nature is an essential part of the process. Shapes, colors, forms, textures, even the numbers of leaves or petals on a tree or plant can play an important part in the creation of jewelry, fashion, architecture, and art.

The outside world is an amazing place, full of adventure and inspiration. City or Rural area, there are parks, rivers, wildlife (even if they are pigeons), take sometime this weekend to rediscover the backyard, the playground down the street, the Zoo, your local Open Space or Walking Trail. The Great Outdoors awaits!

Now, go outside and play!

Thank you for stopping by and having a look. The Alchemists Vessel would like to wish you a wonderful weekend and in hope that the weather allows for outdoor fun and games!