bi-polar christmas

18th December 2009

I felt compelled to make some kind of
reference to christmas

this week.

Part of me wanted to go punk,

and part of me wanted to
reflect what christmas can be,

and the bigger part of me
just doesn't have the time
to think about it!

so this weeks rushed specials are two!

I love the thought of someone

wearing this round the dinner table,

bon bons, christmas hats, christmas music.....

An original 'I hate xmas'  badge

made from recycled timber

3cmX2.5cm

weighs nothng

otherwise

3  hand made badges

longest 4cm X1cm

going to be interesting to see 
which special goes first!!

cheers neil

REVENGE?

Friday 11th of December

With all the talk of turkeys and hams

and animals and fowl on the christmas table,

maybe this is the revenge of the powerless?

Maybe hitchcocks movie' the birds'  has left deep scars?

Maybe when birds start talking it's time to take a holiday?

Most likely  this is just a good badge that i had

and thought to throw it up for the friday sepcial.

Made from recycled timber

Original kinetic badge combo

first in first served.

One only

Australia and Costa Rica only

SOLD

BIT POETIC, BIT PRACTICAL, BIT SEXY

Friday 4th of December

This week's special is dedicated to

and inspired by my eldest son.

It is his suggestion

to make something with

 a soy sauce fish.

Recently he travelled

through the middle east and

eastern europe wearing

an empty fish to

 great acclaim and comment.

They tell me now that in a lot of

places you have to pay

for these little fish with

your sushi or nori rolls.

Well why pay and why not recycle?

Fill it up at home, look good and save 10cents.

And of course

it's not just limited to soy sauce.

A little nip of whisky or vodka.

Or a short short black!

Functional

Funky

Fun

First in first served once only special

Recycled soy fish with original soy,

original recycled timber pendant hanging together on

an antique bronze chain with matching clasp.

SOLD TO THE FASTEST CLICK

I'm dangerous but fun

Friday  27th November 2009

This twin set can be worn together

or seperately depending on how you feel.

I'm dangerous, but fun.

Original badges made from recycled timber,

4.5cm length

weigh nothing

pack a punch

friday special $12 incls. postage.

paypal only

australia only

first in best dressed.

GONE!

cheers neil

LISTENING

Friday 20.11.09

A couple of hours late this friday.

Too busy thinking about ice cream in this 37 degree day.

These original ear ear rings.

antique bronze ear ring fitting.

double sided!

left and right!

have ears in the back of your head

ear extensions.

I'm pretty excited about this weeks special.

Prompted by Melbourne's freak heat wave
last week-end,and the endless stream
of costumers wandering past my Rose St.
stall with ice creams
I've decided to get proactive this week.

I'll keep you posted on the results,
but meantime grab yourself this special

$12 for two badges and postage.
I know it's nuts.
I think the heat has affected me,
but i've got to share the joy.

GONE I'M AFRAID!
Someone's going to enjoy the fruits of their badges.

cheers neil

UNIQUE PENCIL BADGE

Friday 06.11.09

This is a truly unique old world item.

It's a one off pencil badge.

The pencil is a Derwent Cumberland  No. 19 .

White!

It still has the original owners initials KC

penned onto the end of the pencil.

It measures 8cm long so has plenty of life left in it yet.

 

PENCIL BADGES

are beautiful and functional.

ta Neil

ps. got a bunch of small old pencils that you thought were useless kicking around?

want to trade them for some 

unique hand assembled pencil badges?

Of course you do.

email me now.

FRIDAY CUP SPECIAL

Friday 30th of October 2009

I'ts been tricky trying to fish

something from the

collection that  might be Melbourne Cup related,

but I think this piece might just be it.

Because.....

1. the greyhounds chase bunny replicas

around the track. this is a bunny replica

and you can wear

it to the track.

2. bunnies run very fast like some horses

3. It's a white rabbit, the symbol of fantasy

and dream like experience.

Sounds like gambling on the cup to me.

I know it's a stretch but the pendant is a nice one.

This baby is paint on recycled timber

with an 46cm. antique bronze chain and clasp.

measures 3.5 X 2.5cm

weights next to nothing

FRIDAY SUPER SPECIAL

THE UNOFFICIAL YEAR OF THE GOAT

I feel like I've been on my own with this thought for a while,
but now it has clearly caught up.

On the same day and from two
independent sources we received these gifts.

Beautiful and totally aura of the goat driven.


My theory is that with the world going into a state of
fatigue on all fronts, people are unconsciously reaching for symbols
that will strengthen them for the struggle.


and what better animal to choose than the goat?

Something so hardy it can live in the harshest of temperatures,
capable of  frolicking on the side of vertical mountains,
and  totally happy in Nunawading.

It can and will eat anything and is always randy.

Man has likened the goat to the devil because subliminally we
recognize in the goat one hell of a force of nature.

It can't be a coincidence that G.F.C  also stands for

Goats Fetta Cheese!

So this weeks special is the
global goat pendant.

As ever made on recycled timber with a goat laid over
a fragment of a page from an old atlas.
Finished with a 46cm. antique bronze chain and clasps.
The piece measures 2.5 cm square
and stinks of goat essence.


Similiar pieces by the barnyard available at the
rose st. market on week-ends or  email  me  for availabilities,
possibilities and pricings.

ta
neil

FRIDAY'S WEB SPECIAL no.3

Friday 16.10.09

This week's web special is a follow on from the
Tour de France commemorative badges I made as
a reminder that it's only a year till
it's on again.
sigh....

We don't own a televsion
so I borrow the small second
TV from the in-laws and
it always surprises me how emotionally
involved I get each year.

This honey coloured pendant piece will look beautiful flying
down a summer street, flapping on sun kissed skin.

Someone just has to tell the Melbourne weather to start kissing!

The piece is 5.0cm X 2.5cm made from recycled timber
and importantly weighs next to nothing.
The antique bronze chain
is about 46cm long and is finished off with a
nice matching clasp.

total cost $10 with postage!

OOPLA THE BIKE IS OFF TO PARKVILLE

oh and as always there is a wide range of something like it
available week-ends at the Rose St. Market.

oh and this might be a place to show it off
melbourne bicycle film festival

WEB SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Okay.
I've been thinking about things.

This is the new deal.

The 
WEB SPECIAL 
will be 
released 
at
MIDDAY ON FRIDAY.

Again one only.
Again first in first served.

Ta.

FRIDAY'S WEB SPECIAL

October 9, 2009

Each Friday I'm going to post up a
WEB SPECIAL
of one of the works I'm currently making and selling.

There's only going to be one on-line,
and it will really be first in first served.
Only available to folk in Australia.


One or two clicks and it's yours.

This Fridays special is a
Hero Pigeon Brooch
manufactured from recycled timber.
The pigeon measures 2.5 cm square.

Cost including postage anywhere within Australia
is $10!
Paypal only.

SORRY FOLKS!
IT'S GONE AGAIN.


OFF TO CLIFTON HILL MELBOURNE THIS TIME.


NEXT FRIDAY ANOTHER SPECIAL!


regards neil

Interventionist guide

October 9, 2009

I'm involved in the 
Interventionist Guide,
a major installation
and mini public art festival
that is currently happening in Melbourne.


If you take a radio or device that picks up FM radio
you can listen to a short 15 minute
interactive soundtrack I've created
entitled:  'How to be in Subways'


It's part of an ongoing series of sound works
dedicated to how to be in public,
for the benefit of you, others and the world.

Go to it!

HOW GOOD IS THIS?!
You can also
download the sound track to your music machine
here and follow it at your own pace.

The exhibition and surrounding events are a
brilliant and rare event and very with while visiting.

Some pictures from opening night

DONKEY LOVE PENDANT SPECIAL

I've been making  pendants for a while

and thought I'd throw up a real web special.

First in first served!

46cm fine antique brass chain with

matching clasp and these two pieces .

The donkey piece measures 2.5cm square.

Both pieces are very light and made from recycled timber.

15 dollars plus postage ($1)

Only posted within Australia

OMG how quick was that!

sorry folks it's already sold within half an hour of posting.

truly!

it's going to brisbane.

I'm encouraged into thinking

I might make this a regular practice.

Stay tuned, or plugged or wired.

whatever.

Meantimes,

but,

don't be disheartened,

if you're in Melbourne you can still pay the full price

for such things at the Rose St. Market

on week-ends, and there is even a number

of my works for sale on the Rose Street

Electronic Market.

NEW SUITES OF BADGES

Encouraged by the continued popularity of my

‘ SWINE FLU REPELLENT’ TM badges

(rumoured to have been endorsed by the

Country Womans Association!)

and the Tour de France commemorative bike badges,

I’ve decided in this second half of 09 to release

themed and topical suites of badges.

The first in the series will be for the

forthcoming festive occasion,

Fathers Day.

Father's Day is a tough occasion to buy for and

I'm hoping I've moved toward providing a solution.

The full suite consists of 16 badges that

should cover most gift angles and

leave a few over for further use.**

The badges are for sale as ever week-ends at the Rose St Artists Market in Fitzroy Melbourne

** naturally the badges can be used out of season, and i would encourage the user to find as many uses and excuses for displaying them.

CLOCKS

Such great news that Rose St. Market is now open on Sundays.

It opens it up to a whole new range of customers

who couldn't make the Saturday, and a whole new bunch of new traders.

Twice as much fun can't be a bad thing.

I've been selling variously made

clocks at the market for a while now.

I love it when people creatively further my works.
My original clock in the middle was added to by the purchaser
by two other pieces to create a long wall tryptych for a long thin space.

.

how nice.

Contemporary Jewellery

I've been doing quite a bit of reading and reflecting upon contemporary jewellery making recently.
As a result of some of this research I am pleased to release
my new range of badges this week.







The badges come separately or in these hand picked sets





Each badge is individually handcrafted from an original design.







As always they are available to peruse and purchase at the
Rose St. Artists Market on Saturdays.

Get them now while you still can!

???

I'm not sure if I'm supposed to put colloquial expressions
on my blog but this made me laugh and i just wanted to share it.

The more I look at it the more I laugh.

Such a pair of cuties!

International Language System

Bit by bit with the help of others, I've been growing
the international language system.
It's such a thrill when someone agrees to contribute their hand writing
and language into the collection.

These are some of the new ones from top left clockwise:
Polish, Indian, Irish, Romanian, Cantonese and Arabic.

If your native language is one you'd like to contribute come on
down to the Rose St. market on a Saturday.

Many thanks again to all the contributors so far.

hugh mcspeddon's light projections

The first taker on this phenomenal advertising opportunity.
Hugh Mcspeddon Light projection onto the face of the
Royal Exhibition Buildings, Melbourne.

For all your large and small scale building face lifts,
flick the switch now.

A rare and amazing opportunity now available!

For the month of March only I am
trialling my new advertising technology.

This prime web space on black with an elegant white border
and measuring 2cm X3cm will be available for free!


It's a first in first served basis.
Quick quick quick.

A GOOD NEWS STORY

An unsolicited testimonial!

"I recently traveled overseas. A bomb was detonated at the airport shortly before I arrived, there were violent clashes between Maoist cliques and I met many trekkers who had been held up, sometimes at gun point. I wasn't affected by any of that and I can't say with absolute certainty that it wasn't, in some measure, because of the 'Good Luck Personal Modern Traveling Talisman TM' I'd been given before I left. If it wasn't due to other, unrelated factors, thank you 'Good Luck Personal Modern Traveling Talisman TM' ! "




see more about the
Good Luck Personal Modern Traveling Talisman TM'

A very lucky 'lucky cat'

This ancient lucky cat has landed in my possession.
Sources suggest that it has spent a good deal of time submerged
in salt water, most likely the sea.
An accurate dating of its age is not possible.
The miracle is that it still functions, waving its arm to
passers by who drive and walk by our shop window.

This is indeed one lucky cat.
I'm hoping that it's going to rub off.

On Saturdays I'll carefully pack it up and take it down
with me to the Rose St. Market.

INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE SYSTEM

I've started up my ongoing collaborative international sign Esperanto system again.
Christmas was so busy i put it aside for a little while.

The system so far:


German, Serbian, Greek, Thai, Malay, Spanish, Korean, Swedish,
English, Chinese, Japanese, Norwegian (and French not included in picture)

My theory is that there are the ten beginning words that any desperate traveller needs.
We can argue about the ten I've chosen:

• 1. hello
• 2. good
• 3. yes
• 4. no
• 5. thank you
• 6. go away
• 7. please
• 8. shit
• 9. how much?
• 10 good bye

People have suggested 'beer' needs to be there, and maybe 'how are you?'
I think it doesn't really matter too much.

My mission is to teach everyone in the world these ten meanings and the associated numbers.
When this is achieved we should be able to communicate with anyone on the planet just signing these 10 numbers.

Imagine rolling up at passport control and holding up one for hello, an eight when you find out your passport's expired and 10 for good-bye as you leave the airport to go home.
Four two as they say/sign!

All of the templates have been created by native speakers that I've encountered at the Rose St. Market in Fitzroy. The deal is they translate for me and add themselves to the archive and I give them one of my hand made badges and a place in the international language hall of fame.

Check out the beautiful script from Thailand.





Big thanks to all who have participated so far.

If you're in the vicinity of Fitzroy on a Saturday and can contribute,
I'd be happy to see you.

THE YEAR OF THE GOAT

I've been working my way around to making larger pieces and finally something has arrived that I'm content with.
It's too big to be a postcard, maybe it's a placard?
It measures 41cmx41cm and it features a red goat.
I'm calling 2009 my year of the goat.
I'm not really sure what that means but please take from it what you will.

OMG

OMG it's hard to crank this writing up again when it's been a while.
Hard to shut the critical mind up,
and the big pressure of how to start this new year?
What about this?



A happy healthy loving and peaceful new year to all.