Weekend Build: Work Bench

It has been a long while since the dust has been flying with a home project. Our current residence has been missing a work table in the garage so spent a couple bucks at the local hardware mega store and picked up some wood and screws. Ruff sketched some plans on a scrap piece of paper and went to town building an 8'(2.4m) long 2.5'(76.2 cm) wide 43"(109.22 cm) high work table. Shot a few pics throughout the build.

finished table in it's new home up against the back wall.

Of course no project would be complete with out some kind of R/Co. logo stencil action...

Well we are now heading towards the tail end of this here work week. Time to start making plans for the coming weekend....
Need to finish setting up the work space so can really roll up the sleeves and get to building things. Like more of those wallets folks have been asking for...

"Keep 'em Flying"
Cheers,
'MrRay'

On The Road: Hong Kong

With my hire date of June 1st for the new 9-5 down in SoCal, I got a late start on the development of the first season. It is this reason that I am crazily trying to put together all the styles, fabrics, trims, fits, graphics and everything else involved with building a clothing line and I have basically crammed 3 or more months of development time into 5 weeks. Because of this situation  I  recently had the opportunity to go on a long voyage west of here, so far in fact that it became the 'Far East' and did it all alone. No boss. No development team. No one. Plus it was over the 4th of July holiday and who wants to spend time away for work over an extended weekend?....

While waiting for my air voiage to begin from LAX to Taipei, connecting to Hong Kong, I had some time to kill so I messed around with my phone camera. Here is the first of a few posts about my recent development trip to HK.

Class separation. The "haves" and the "have not so much."

Somthing to Think About...

Made it through another full work week! As I was taking a brake from the 9-5 I decided to do a little cruzing around and check in on blogs and sites I have not visited for a while. I found a post done by my good buddy Mr.BDP that is spot on! So like any good blogger, I am re-posting it on my site for all to enjoy....

These are some insightful and thought-provoking lessons from Wieden+Kennedy’s Executive Creative Director, John C Jay:

10 Lessons for young designers.
(or any age for that matter)

1: Be authentic. The most powerful asset you have is your individuality, what makes you unique. It’s time to stop listening to others on what you should do.
2: Work harder than anyone else and you will always benefit from the effort.
3: Get off the computer and connect with real people and culture. Life is visceral.
4: Constantly improve your craft. Make things with your hands. Innovation in thinking is not enough.
5: Travel as much as you can. It is a humbling and inspiring experience to learn just how much you don’t know.
6: Being original is still king, especially in this tech-driven, group-grope world.
7: Try not to work for stupid people or you’ll soon become one of them.
8: Instinct and intuition are all-powerful. Learn to trust them.
9: The Golden Rule actually works. Do good.
10: If all else fails, No. 2 is the greatest competitive advantage of any career.

Now to go do some #3 & #4 during the weekend.
Have a good one!

Cheers,
'MrRay'

Inspiration: 1930's Japanese Wood Block Prints

Before I moved our family back south I really started to get into print making, even was set up to take a few classes at the local community art center. Funny how many things were available to the community up in the Evergreen state, in the Great Pacific Northwest, that I can not find here in SoCal. That is another story...
I am really interested in relief printing (block printing, lino cuts, etc.) Recently I stumbled upon a wonderful site that shares "100 Views of New Tokyo," 1928–1932, a subscription series by 8 Artists. 
It is really quite a wonderful web page. I really like how detailed some of them are and how simplistic others are. Here are a few of my favorites.

I recently picked up a few really good books from Amazon that show techniques for print making / woodcuts / wood etching.
Here is the list of goods picked up.

The Woodcut Artist's Handbook 

Japanese Woodblock Printing. Highly recommend this one if you like Japanese style woodcuts.

Print Workshop: Hand-Printing Techniques and Truly Original Projects

Angie Lewin: Plants and Places  This one is work form an amazing print maker out of England, Angie Lewin. More on her later.

Well time to go finish setting up my new shop space in the garage in SoCal.
So I can actually mess around with doing some prints myself. I am getting antsy to be getting back to building goods.


What are you stoked on right now?


"Keep 'em Flying"
Cheers,
'Mr.Ray'

Support Handmade and Vintage.

As I was making my rounds on the 'ol inter-web I decided to check up on what my wife's cousin has been up to on his recent ETSY shop. Kid has gone mad crazy!Like 122 items for sale crazy. And that is only what he has posted....
He has always shopped thrift and vintage, something his mom installed in him at a young age. Well now he is passing on his goods and discoveries to anyone who is willing to sign up for a paypal account.

But not only that he has gone mental with making neckties and bowties and selling them at ridiculously cheep prices. 

So if you are in the need of a fine hand built bow tie or just looking for some good men's vintage items check out his shop QP Collections

"keep 'em Flying"

Cheers.

Back South.

 

That is right we are back in SoCal!!!

Sorry for such a long absence away from posting anything. Since January of this the 2011 I have been in talks with folks that finally recived an offer for an amazing opportunity that, unfortunately, brings us come back to SoCal. I am in charge of starting a new apparel division for a big company that is part of an even bigger company. But it is totally an awesome thing because it is focused on an older demographic (my age) and is Heritage based with some tech mixed in. Right up my alley! It has now been about a month since my family and I packed up our home in 'The Great Pacific Northwest' and dragged ourselves down to 'Surf City, USA', our new home. So as I continue to get settled into our new Home, new job and new location my postings and build of goods my be few and far between. But with a new home comes a new garage and I am slowly, but surely, working to get the new workspace all set up and really would like to get back to building goods by the end of July, for sure!

So till then keep doing what you love and making things that you are stoked on....

Cheers.

Motor Boat'n

Surfing, like most things these days, is followed by folks that are "doing their own thing"..... just like everybody else.... Well Mr. Brian Bent truly is doing his own thing!!! If you know anything about wave sliding then you know that a "kook box", or anything of the sort, is not something you see much of in museums let alone actually out in the waves being ridden.
A true example of going out finding what you love and just having a go with it for nothing else but personal stoke! Thanks to JJ for sharing with me about the gig with United 50. which reminds me, to see more of Mr.BB check out his little Sunday gathering, Hot Rod Church for Sinners.
"Cheers"

From the Book Shelf

The most recent visit to Kinokuniya picked up a few bike mags. So figured why not share some of the goods found inside....

Cheers.

Redcrow Neckwear.

As I have been sidetracked with life and everything else but updating this here blog over the last several months, I have failed to post up some neckwear goods that I built ages ago. So as per a request for some images, I figured why not share.

Gives a Smile

Shirt Weight Bow Tie with Button Neck Adjustment. Hand Distressed Bandanna Bow Tie with Button Neck Adjustment.

CXXVI I Phone Wallet: Work'n Together: Update

The phone wallets are in and available for purchase.

Check 'em out over at the CXXVI Clothing Co. web site.

I plan to do a little behind the scenes post on the making of these items in the next couple of days. Till then, I again want to thank the fine folks over at CXXVI for this opportunity! Now go over to their site and pick one up for yourself and tell your friends to do the same...

Cheers!

Somthin To Think About.

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do then by the ones that you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” 

Mark Twain

Work'n Together.

So a long long time ago via this here blog thing I received some nice complements by the good folks over at CXXVI Clothing Co. If you have never seen any of their goods you need to check 'em out! Good stuff if you ask me. The kids have their heads on straight for sure.

Well next thing you know I gots myself a little collaboration thing going with 'em and after a few back and forths via the 'ol email system and the US Postal Service the goods are almost ready to be had....

Image as seen on CXXVI Clothing Co blog.

 Check out their blog for the latest. And once the goods are up I will do a deeper post on the idea and all the work that went into make'n 'em.
Big thanks to Matt over at CXXVI!

About Face.

Well it is that time of year again... Time for some new eye enhancing spectacles!
The good thing about eye insurance is every year that you have it means your are eligible to get some new specs, under a certain price range.
The down side to this process is most optometrist only carry the latest in high fashion trend driven spectacles. But for those of you you out there who, like me, are not into having wimpy light weight eye wear with big flashy logoing and whatnot there is a place that has been around since 1865 and they continue to make the same specs they have been making for ages. Shuron Ltd. I have posted about them in the past and have been rocking the "Revelation"

frames for a few years now. Well I am in the mood for a little addition to my repertoire of face enhancing accessories. Now I got my eye on the spectacular looking "Sidewinders",

not as a replacement but an addition!
These cats over at Shuron have got a great set up in that you can "try before you buy".  They will send out as many frames as you would like and you get to try them on and send back the ones that you don't care for and keep the ones you like. I am sold.
Now if only the Revelation came with wider side pieces like the sidewinders, wouldn't that be something?......