"In Siberia, Shopping Malls Are Sprouting All Over"

New York Times article

Starting Your Own Business Tips

Good Tips from the NY Times on Starting your Own business:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/26/business/smallbusiness/26hunt.html

Stay at Home Giants

The Stay-at-Home-Giants

MADE CH[IN]A

  I am constantly scanning my environment for objects to transform and explore in my studio.  I have been using latex balloons to create jewelry. Above is a brooch made of a balloon stretched over a silver form.  Where balloons come from is something I have not considered in the past.  As I buy bags of the latex beauties I can't help but wonder about how they came to exist.  There is a great video of latex balloon production on you-tube.

Joe Segal - Textile Designer - Lace Factory Visit

*LACE*

I visited this amazing lace factory, Leavers Lace Company in West Greenwich, RI. They manufacture nylon lace used in lingerie and trim. The lace is made with Leaver lace looms, which are nearly 100 years old.

The lace manufacturing process begins with artwork of a pattern. After the artwork is purchased, a designer for the lace company drafts a grid pattern that can be translated into lace. The pattern is then translated again inot a punchcard pattern. Each row of lace uses a different punchcard to determine the pattern. Each card is linked to another and the ends are looped. There are hundreds of punchcards used in just one pattern!

Learn more about lace! This site is great: http://www.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/books/rv_ll_01.pdf

Scene's from China's Industrial Revolution

Letter from China: The Great Leap: Scenes from China's Industrial Revolution, by Bill McKibben, Harper's Magazine (December 2005)