All About Brass!

My foray into designing with brass

For the most part I've stayed within the confines of designing jewelry with precious metals and semi-precious gemstones, and while they make for beautiful creations, I've had an itch to move into other mediums. Having used a bit of copper, I already knew what a big difference the rich, warm hues of alternative metals can make. Recently, I ran across some focals that gave me the perfect opportunity to work with brass!

** Secret Garden - Book Locket Pendant with Aquamarine and Pearl http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24043882

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Fiori - Venetian Glass Earrings, clad in 24kt Gold Foil

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24355467

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Antiquity - Lampwork & African Turquois

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Lilacs - Softest shade of dusty mauve in frosted glass melons and Czech glass edged with a beautiful patina
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24211002

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An amazing electroformed lampwork focal. Both brass and copper chain were used to show it off to it's best advantage.

Earth Day Top Ten List

Recycle

10 Things You Can Do to Help Save the Earth

­­Going green is easier than you think. There are little things you can do every day to help reduce greenhouse gases and make a less harmful impact on the environment. Taking care of the Earth is not just a responsibility -- it's a privilege.

Please choose at least one and begin saving our Earth today!

1.­ Pay attention to how you use water. The little things can make a big difference. Every time you turn off the water while you're brushing your teeth, you're doing something good. Got a leaky toilet? You might be wasting 200 gallons of water a day [Source: EPA]. Try drinking tap water instead of bottled water, so you aren't wasting all that packaging as well. Wash your clothes in cold water when you can.

2. Leave your car at home. If you can stay off the road just two days a week, you'll reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 1,590 pounds per year [Source: EPA]. Combine your errands -- hit the post office, grocery store and shoe repair place in one trip. It will save you gas and time.

3. Walk or ride your bike to work, school and anywhere you can. You can reduce greenhouse gases while burning some calories and improving your health. If you can't walk or bike, use mass transit or carpool. Every car not on the road makes a difference.

4. Recycle.You can help reduce pollution just by putting that soda can in a different bin. If you're trying to choose between two products, pick the one with the least packaging. If an office building of 7,000 workers recycled all of its office paper waste for a year, it would be the equivalent of taking almost 400 cars off the road [Source: EPA].

5. Compost. Think about how much trash you make in a year. Reducing the amount of solid waste you produce in a year means taking up less space in landfills, so your tax dollars can work somewhere else. Plus, compost makes a great natural fertilizer. Composting is easier than you think.

Earth Day Flag

Save the Earth - Energy and Driving Tips

6. Change your light bulbs. Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) last 10 times longer than a standard bulb and use at least two-thirds less energy. If you're shopping for new appliances or even home electronics, look for ENERGY STAR products, which have met EPA and U.S. Department of Energy guidelines for energy efficiency. In 2006, the ENERGY STAR program saved energy equivalent to taking 25 million cars off the road and saved Americans $14 billion in utility costs [Source: ENERGY STAR].

7. Make your home more energy efficient (and save money). Clean your air filters so your system doesn't have to work overtime. Get a programmable thermostat so you aren't wasting energy when you aren't home. When you go to bed, reduce the thermostat setting -- you won't miss those extra degrees of heat or air conditioning while you're asleep.

8. Maintain your car. Underinflated tires decrease fuel economy by up to three percent and lead to increased pollution and higher greenhouse gas emissions [Source: EPA]. Underinflation also increases tire wear, so it will save you money in the long run if you're good about checking your tire pressure.

9. Drive smarter. Slow down -- driving 60 miles per hour instead of 70 mph on the highway will save you up 4 miles per gallon. [Source: Consumer Guide Automotive]. Accelerating and braking too hard can actually reduce your fuel economy, so take it easy on the brakes and gas pedal.

10. Turn off lights when you're not in the room and unplug appliances when you're not using them. It only takes a second to be environmentally conscious.

Earth Day Symbol

EARTH DAY IS APRIL 22!

Our Environment: It's a Living Thing

TAKE THIS ENVIRONMENTAL QUIZ TO TEST YOUR 'EQ'

1) The greatest danger facing most endangered species is...A) Hunting B) Capture for the pet trade C) Disease D) Habitat loss

2) Which of the following is not listed as an endangered species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act?
A) Hawaiian monk seal B) Cheetah C) Bald eagle D) Blue whale

3) The Bronx Zoo once had a picture frame covered by cloth. It was labelled 'The most dangerous species in the world'. If you removed the cover, you saw a ...A) great white shark B) mountain lion C) virus D) mirror

4) Which of the following substances is not biodegradable?A) Paper B) Food refuse C) Styrofoam D) Sawdust

5) What environmental problem is the result of chemical reactions in the atmosphere that involve sulfur?A) Deforestation B) Smog C) Holes in the ozone layer D) Acid rain

6) What chemicals have been banned in most of the world because of their role in destroying the ozone layer?A) hlorofluorocarbons B) Peroxides C) DDT D) Metal oxides

7) Who wrote 'Silent Spring', the first book documenting many of the problems caused by pesticides?A) Henry David Thoreau B) Rachel Carson C) Jaques Cousteau D) Aldo Leopold

8) Which of the following is not a renewable resource?A) Gold B) Fish C) Timber D) Wild mushrooms

9) Which of the following practices produces the most organic water pollution?A) Recreational boating B) Humans bathing in the water C) Paper mills D) Intensive livestock farming

10) 'Ecology' comes from two Greek words meaning...A) Natural life Study of the world B) Study of the house C) Nature study D) Natural life

See answers below -

green energy

1. The greatest danger facing most endangered species is...
The correct answer was Habitat loss
Throughout the world, humans are burning, bulldozing, polluting and building on habitat.
(86% of players have answered correctly)

2. Which of the following is not listed as an endangered species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act?
The correct answer was Bald Eagle
The bald eagle's population has recovered well, and the species was delisted in 1999.
(25% of players have answered correctly)

3. The Bronx Zoo once had a picture frame covered by cloth. It was labelled 'The most dangerous species in the world'. If you removed the cover, you saw...
The correct answer was mirrorShowing the most dangerous species...humans.
(83% of players have answered correctly)

4. Which of the following substances is not biodegradable?
The correct answer was Styrofoam
Bacteria cannot break down styrofoam.
(90% of players have answered correctly)
5. What environmental problem is the result of chemical reactions in the atmosphere that involve sulfur? Your Answer:
The correct answer was acid rainAcid rain can turn lakes into sterile water where nothing can live.
(78% of players have answered correctly)

6. What chemicals have been banned in most of the world because of their role in destroying the ozone layer?
The correct answer was Chlorofluorocarbons
CFCs are they are also known, were once widely used in aerosol propellants.
(84% of players have answered correctly)

7. Who wrote 'Silent Spring', the first book documenting many of the problems caused by pesticides?
The correct answer was Rachel CarsonCarson, who write in the 60s, was one of the founders of the modern environmental movement.
(49% of players have answered correctly)

8. Which of the following is not a renewable resource?
The correct answer was GoldRenewable resources are naturally replenished in a reasonable amount of time, nonrenewable ones are not.
(80% of players have answered correctly)

9. Which of the following practices produces the most organic water pollution?
The correct answer was Intensive livestock farmingMillions of gallons of manure and other animal wastes contaminate our waters yearly.
(49% of players have answered correctly)

10. 'Ecology' comes from two Greek words meaning... )
The correct answer was Study of the house
It is a word of fairly recent coinage.
(15% of players have answered correctly)

Save the Rainforest

Earth Day: April 22

Environment Quiz:

What's Your Environmental Footprint?

Going "Green" is red-hot these days, but are you really in the know? How big is the human footprint we stamp on the planet, with the little steps we take every day?

1) Is going vegetarian better for the Earth? Meat-eaters who switch to a plant-based diet saveA) A few animals' lives, but not much else
B) Over one hectare of land per ton of food
C) Over 10 hectares of land per ton of food

2) Newer technologies are often better. Buying a brand new, gas-powered car
A) Is less energy efficient than keeping an old car well maintained
B) Is as efficient as driving a hybrid
C) Is more efficient than driving an old car, even if it's an SUV

3) If every American replaced one incandescent light bulb with a fluorescentA) Homes would be much less energy efficient
B) It would be like taking 1,000 cars off the road for one year
C) It would be like taking 1 million cars off the road for one year

4) Everyone needs to get around. The least environmentally-friendly way to travel isA) By car, especially with two or fewer passengers
B) By train, especially slow, multiple-stop trips
C) By air, especially short-haul flights

5) Two passengers flying New York to London return are responsible forA) The emission of 3 tons of carbon dioxide
B) The emission of 20 tons of carbon dioxide
C) The emission of 100 tons of carbon dioxide

6) In the past century, the average global temperature of the Earth rose...A) About 5 degrees Fahrenheit
B) About 1 degree Fahrenheit
C) To a high in the 1980s, but has since dropped

7) Americans account for about 5 percent of the world's population andA) About 50 percent of the world's energy consumption
B) About 25 percent of the world's energy consumption
C) About 10 percent of the world's energy consumption

8) Water shortages are a new reality. At about 500,000 gallons per person per year, Americans consume approximately
A) Double the average in other developed nations
B) Double the average in Third World nations
C) The same as most Europeans

9) Landfills are spilling over, caused by an annual output of about
A) 100 pounds of garbage per person
B) 1,600 pounds of garbage per household
C) 1,600 pounds of garbage per person

10) Swapping a 10-year-old refrigerator for a newer, more efficient model savesA) Enough energy to light your home for 3 months
B) Enough energy heat your home for 6 months
C) Enough energy light and heat your home for one year

Coral Reef

Answers: B, A, C, C, A, B, B, A, C, A,

Environment Quiz: Test Your Nature Knowledge

Global warming is old news now, but how good is your knowledge of the environment itself?

1) What is the world's tallest mountain from base to peak?
A) Mauna Kea
B) Everest
C) K2

2) Ozone is made of...
A) an oxygen molecule stripped of 1 atom
B) an oxygen molecule stripped of 2 atoms
C) an oxygen molecule with an additional atom

3) What is the percentage of Earth's water that is freshwater?
A) 3 percent
B) 20 percent
C) 75 percent

4) Acid rain is made of all but which of the following...
A) CO2
B) SO2
C) NOx

5) Americans currently recycle what percentage of our waste, on average?
A) 16 percent
B) 32 percent
C) 64 percent

6) The global average temperature in the past 100 years has...
A) been steady
B) risen 1.3 degrees F
C) risen 3 degrees F

7) The biggest ice sheet in the world is in...
A) Greenland
B) West Antarctica
C) East Antarctica

8) How many states does the Appalachian Trail footpath go through?
A) 7
B) 10
C) 14

9) Which is NOT the longest river in the world?
A) The Nile
B) The Amazon
C) The Mississippi

10) The biggest volcanic eruption since 1800 was at...
A) Krakatau
B) Tambora
C) Vesuvius

Answers: A, C, A, A, B, B, C, C, C, B

If you scored a perfect 10, you deserve an honorary Nobel. If you got 7 or better, your middle name is green. Fewer than 7 right? You should get out more often.

COMING SOON: Earth Day is April 22

Earth Day, celebrated April 22, is a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment. It was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in in 1970 and is celebrated in many countries every year.

Rainforest Quiz

1) HOW BIG IS THE AMAZON RAINFOREST ?

A) SIZE OF CANADA B) SIZE OF CALIFORNIA C) HALF THE SIZE OF THE US D) TWICE THE SIZE OF TEXAS
2) HOW MANY SPECIES ARE LOST EACH YEAR ?
A) 1,000-5,000 B) 6,000-10,000 C) 10,000-20,000 D) OVER 20,000
3) HOW TALL DO TREES GROW IN THE RAINFOREST ?
A) 100' B) 150' C) 200' D) 25'
4) WHAT PERCENTAGE OF RAINFORESTS ARE IN SOUTH AMERICA ?
A) 10% B) 20% C) 30% D) 50%
5) WHAT PERCENT OF EARTH'S SURFACE IS COVERED BY RAINFORESTS ?
A) 6% B) 16% C) 26% D) 36%
6) WHICH PRODUCT MOSTLY CAUSES RAINFOREST DESTRUCTION ?
A) SYRUPS B) FRUITS/NUTS C) MAHOGANY/ PLYWOOD D) CRUDE OIL
7) WHAT IS THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN THE RAINFOREST ?
A) 5,000 B) 10,000 C) 30,000 D) 50,000
8) THE RAINFOREST ANT EATER CONSUMES HOW MANY ANTS PER DAY ?
A) 5,000 B) 10,000 C) 30,000 D) 50,000
9) WHERE DO NATIVE HUNTERS GET THE POISON FOR THEIR DARTS ?
A) PLANTS B) FROGS C) BIRDS D) MONKEYS
10) WHAT PRACTICES LEAD TO RAINFOREST DESTRUCTION ?
A) CARELESS LOGGING B) CLEARING FOR CATTLE RANCHERS C) OIL EXPLORATION D) ALL OF THE ABOVE



Answers: C, D, B, D, A, C, B, D, B, D