Totem Pendant

—by Ben Delaney Follow along for the story behind this unique artcraft concept, glimpses into the workshop, vignettes from the curation adventures, and whatever else.

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I haven't disappeared! Sometimes life doesn't go exactly as we plan/hope and side-projects get slowed down. I've learned to allow that to happen and remember that rushing is a quick recipe for frustration. If something is worth doing it is worth doing in the right timing. All that to say... I should be getting my act together and getting some stuff online soon. Stay tuned. 😉 #totempendant #handmade #pendant #necklaces #northwest #jewelry #stones http://ift.tt/2bnWVnd

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Parts and pieces. It's been a quiet week while I let down from the run-up to last weekend's Bazaar. Starting to get organized again. http://ift.tt/28VlqaW

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#terrainbazaar #bazaarspokane #bazaar2016 #totempendant http://ift.tt/264NFis

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It was a massive amount of work to get this bird off the ground and Bazaar was the catalyst. I'm very grateful for the opportunity to be involved and truly appreciate all of you who came out today to visit the booth and share this with me. I loved seeing the childlike delight in SO MANY peoples' eyes when they "got it". It may sound cliché, but honestly, that really did make it all worthwhile in so many ways. I'm glad to know there are people out there who can join me in finding a little delight in this tiny slice of elemental magic. I look forward to showing you the website in the coming weeks. But that work will be waiting for a while. I'll be resting and enjoying the sun this week. Hope you enjoy a lovely Sunday, friends. (Will post a few more shots of the booth.....) http://ift.tt/1UpSr1t

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Rain or shine, I will be launching this project one way or the other this Saturday at Terrain Bazaar in downtown Spokane. If you're in the area come on down and check it out! I haven't been posting as many pictures lately because I've been very busy getting everything ready. I'll be taking some new shots of finished pieces tomorrow though so stay tuned. Hope to see you there. :) #bazaarspokane #terrainbazaar #terrainbazaar2016 #handmade #art #craft #pnw #pacificnorthwest #washington #spokane http://ift.tt/1ZUXtV3

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Improvising a fix. 💪🏽 http://ift.tt/1Upc6zT

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The jig that took hours to build (long story), wrecked by a random knot in the maple that made the router jump. 😞 Making things is hard. http://ift.tt/1Ud8sb2

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Make your own magic. http://ift.tt/1rec5mq

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When you are a kid you dream up crazy stuff all the time. It's natural. I talk to Myles a lot, and the world of his imagination is absolutely fluid. Anything goes. And it struck me just now that many of us somehow start to lose this fluidity the older we get. Imaginative play becomes an almost physical weight. The force of Western culture makes it this way by forcing us into roles we didn't ask for and requirements we don't want to meet. And yet. That fluidity is just as available. Waiting. Right there. Under the surface. Under our fear of what others think. Under the laziness. And that's because it's really a mode, not a quantity. You don't lose it. You just stopped Doing it at some point. Stopped scratching on paper and making shapes mean things and telling stories to yourself and dreaming up interesting little worlds. . . . . Learn from the kids. Fluid is more fun. Wide Open and Curious makes for better moments. We make our own magic. http://ift.tt/28mqcbe

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Heading back to the Washington coast for Collection 03. The contrast in shape and color between regions is amazing. The Montana mountain stones (see previous post) were mostly variations of green and red and came in lots of wild, rugged, mostly flat irregular shapes. These Pacific coast beach stones are very hard and smooth—almost marble-like—by comparison. The palette is mostly dark blue, black, and ivory. Many have speckled patterns and random veins of muted green and white twisting through them like multi-colored playdough that's been rolled together. They take twice as long to drill and polish, and are generally more challenging to work with, but the results are stunning. . . #totempendant #handmade #stone #stonejewelry #workinprogress #necklace #oneofakind #pacificnorthwest #pnw #washington #color #colorways http://ift.tt/1ZdB595

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I love the colorways of these mountain river stones. Such lovely subtlety. Pretty much done with the (quite large) collection from Montana (ended up being about 60 pieces in that group). Still working out a few details, but very happy with how they are turning out. #totempendant #handmade #stone #stonejewelry #pendant #necklace #intheworkshop #artcraft #oneofakind #pacificnorthwest #pnw #montana #color #colorways http://ift.tt/25B7UUV

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“Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius, and it is better to be absolutely ridiculus than absolutely boring.” —Marilyn Monroe

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This one is a beauty. Almost translucent. Reminds me of those photos of the Martian landscape from a thousand miles up. And 6 stages of polishing made it incredibly smooth and soft to the touch. Come see it and many more. June 18th. Downtown Spokane. Bazaar. . . @terrainspokane #bazaarSpokane #terrainbazaar #pacificnorthwest #oneofakind #artcraft #handmade #totempendant http://ift.tt/1X6KC4L