Earth Day with Chris Cole

In honor of Monday being Earth Day we're mentioning an artist who adds some awesomeness to the world - he reuses and makes beauty - he makes mechanical animals from salvaged scrap metal parts (we can see fasteners all through his animals) - Chris Cole.  So not only are they beautiful but they move - they come to life!

Below are some photos from his website - Chris Cole Designs. Be sure to check out the website so you can also see videos of the creatures moving. Watching them move sort of has a calming effect. They are, as I said, beautiful but they also have a deep peacefulness to them when they move.

The Condor vulture

Claude the fish

The Subaru fish

Wilson the penguin's wings actually flap.

Also 1800recycling.com has a great article about him by Caz Davidson that talks about how the artist is intersecting nature and industry and what motivates him. It's worth reading.

Good Reads #5 - The History of American Nuts & Bolts

Here is a book that everyone who sells fasteners should have...and try to read.

The History of the Bolt and Nut Industry of America by W. R.Wilbur

There are some amazing illustrations and photos in this book.

For it's history and thoroughness, this book is amazing.  I admittedly haven't read all of it because, unlike the History of the Screwdriver and Screw, it is not an easy read.  But I have gone back to it over the years, and I'll read pieces here and there, and I always put it down having learned something. 

For example, it explains how standardizing the nut and bolt industry came about, and I think that's quite interesting.

Good Reads #4: Haiku for You on the Bolt Versus the Screw

And now a poem in honor of National Poetry Month, in the form of Haiku...

In bolt versus screw

The only difference is

The means to secure

BOOM! We rocked it! Both elegant and informative - man o man, do I love me some Haiku.

In case you need more information on the differences between a bolt and a screw, click the link below here for a great little explanation (and also our inspiration for today):

SCREW VS BOLT

Anyone else want to write one? Come on!

Or anyone want to read more Haiku, try this:

  The Haiku Anthology by Cor van den Heuvel

If you would like to write a haiku - post it!

Good Reads #3 - This One's for the Children

The kids need to read too, right?

How Toys Work: Screws, Nuts and Bolts by Sian Smith

Here is exactly what the Amazon review says:  Each book in this series focuses on a type of simple mechanism and examines how it is used to make different toys work. This book examines screws, nuts, and bolts, and uses simple language and labeled photographs to explain the scientific principles behind their use.

Sounds good to me. I'm going to have to get this one too...I love reading.

Good Reads #2 - another turner!

Today a fun nonfiction book
(I swear it is possible.)

One Good Turn: A Natural History of the Screwdriver and the Screw by Witold Rybczynski

The New York Times asked the author of this book (because of his extensive background) to write about the most important tool of the millennium and, according to the review on Amazon, this book is what he wrote about: the engaging portrait of the tool that changed civilization - the screw and screwdriver!

OF COURSE IT IS!

This is my kind of book - full of history, trivia and unassuming heroes that changed the world with a little idea.  I've already bought it. 

Good Reads #1 - We're turning pages & screws!

This is National Libraries Week (April 14-20) & remember all of April is National Poetry Month

So let's mentions some good page-turners:

Starting with the classics:

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

Has anyone read this?

According to Wikipedia it's a ghost story novella (that could be good) although I have no idea how that will tie in with the turning of a screw...hmmm.  Anyways, this is a classic; this book was written over 100 years ago, published in 1898, and Colin Firth was in the movie (he's a sure sign of a classic.)

Hopefully I will have read it by October - that way I can post my review as a scary October entry.

Happy Birthday Marc!

Today we are wishing fashion icon Marc Jacobs a happy birthday.  In our humble opinion, he makes the best fastener jewelry. Take a look!

Hex shaped bracelets

Slice of a bolt

Hex nut ring

A lot of hex nuts on a bracelet

Hex nut necklace

The wrap around bracelet.


You can find them at his Marc's Website, Bloomingdale's, Nordstrom and Shopbop.

He wasn't the first to do it, and he won't be the last, but he is our favorite so

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MISTER JACOBS!

And here's a little poetry for April:

Roses are red

Violets are blue

Fasteners & gold

make me drool...

(It sort of rhymes.)

Trash, Books & Poetry

April is a busy month - Earth Day, National Library Week, National Poetry Month - so we going to focus on two things all month long:

Reading & Recycling

To start things off we found a lady that makes stuff out of recycled nuts & washers!

Her name is Tammy Roy and she made all of these.

According to Inhabitat.com  "The Wisconsin mother of three and former graphic designer traded-in working with fonts and ink samples to pick up a welding torch and make these bowls out of found hardware. She heads to industrial dumpsters and scrapyards to find discarded metal materials to use for the bowls and from the finished product, we see that she was successful."

Then the writer of the above quote, Mike Foran, said the funniest thing - just don't try to eat cereal out of them unless you want to lose all of your milk - hahaaha! 

My niece would be thrilled with this one - her favorite thing (watermelon) would fit perfectly in it.

I would call this one my "Banana & Avocado" Bowl

Even tea lights and coasters - I love them!

And they are for sale right now at the Sawbridge Studios Website. 

Lastly in honor of poetry month - here's a limerick for you to read:

She found the nuts out in the trash

She filled her bag up in a dash

With her welding tool

She made things super cool

And they're up for sale but I don't have the cash.

Nice work Tammy Roy! I'm going to buy 1 one day.