November Challenge: Niels Bohr

The subject of the Mad Scientists of Etsy November Challenge was Danish physicist Niels Bohr (1885-1962). Bohr is an obvious choice - the Nobel laureate not only was one of the central figures of 20th century quantum mechanics, inventor of Bohr model of the atom (moreorless how we now conceive of atomic structure), godfather of the Copenhagen interpretation, he was known for his generousity, open-mindedness, and clear ethics (which cannot convincingly be said of all of his contemporaries). He advocated sharing knowledge and the peaceful use of nuclear energy. He was also known for taking long walks and thinking out-loud. Sadly, he was also notoriously crytic in his pronouncements. I often wondered about what Mrs. Bohr thought, faced with his incessant rambling on the interpretation of quantum mechanics. Check out some of the great handmade items he inspired!

Niels Bohr pendant by HappyFallout








Niels Bohr Blockprint by minouette








Blue and White Lampwork Bracelet (Atomic Blue) by EarthDogStudio







Wall Clock with Stars and Posies by marcympc

October Bats

You can check out all the Mad Scientists of Etsy October challenge items (Bats!) in this treasury or on the new tab on our Facebook Fanpage.

The Mad Scientists made some amazing batty items:

Little Brown Bat (Myotis lucifugus) and Bat brooch - Honduran White Bat by CreturFetur

Embroidered Bat Brooch in Neutral by whatnomints







The Bat Linocut by minouette







The Bat Scarf in Turquoise by buffalonerdproject






Necklace-Pendant- Sterling Silver Bat on Copper Background by ScrapMetal





ACEO - Bats by jerise







Dark of the Moon GIFT TAGS - set of 4 in celery green and Going Batty GIFT TAGS - set of 4 in orange by PaperUlixis

NASA & Etsy Space Craft Contest!

All you mad scientists (& enthusiasts) are in for a treat. The Storque announced a contest and partnership with NASA!
"Etsy is partnering with NASA to host an exciting contest.

After 50 momentous years and over 130 missions to the cosmos, NASA's Space Shuttle Program will draw to a close in 2011 as it reaches its long-term goal of completing the International Space Station. To honor the program and celebrate its many accomplishments, we're calling for designs inspired by NASA, its programs and the wonders of space exploration. Invigorate your inner maker with all that is known (and unknown) about our universe.

So get on board! There are three categories under which to enter your design(s):

* 2D Original Art (painting, drawing, hand-pulled print, mixed media or flat collage)
* 2D Art Reproduction (photographic or computer-generated print)
* 3D Art (any size or material — this includes anything not 2D, wearable art and soft sculpture are acceptable)

With the whole cosmos for inspiration, the contest prizes are beyond stellar:

* Grand Prize Winner (1): The Grand Prize winner will receive a $500 Etsy shopping spree and an all-expenses-paid trip with a guest to attend the shuttle launch at Kennedy Space Center in Cocoa, Florida in February as NASA's VIP guests. Includes a VIP tour.
* Best in Category Winners (3*): Best in Category winners will receive $250 and swag from Etsy and NASA.
*Please note: the Grand Prize winner will be taken out of the running for Best in Category.
* Winning designs (or photographs of designs) may even be flown up into space on the shuttle!"

"The deadline to enter is November 2, 2010. For information on how to enter, judging criteria, official Rules and Regulations, etc., go to the NASA Space Craft Contest site. We apologize in advance that the contest is limited to United States residents only, 18 years and older."

Click on the images for a direct link to NASA's image archive, a great source of inspiration for this contest, and well, generally, when contemplating our cosmos and human acheivement.

Best of luck to all entrants!

Profile of a Mad Scientist: nikhajewelry

The Mad Scientists of Etsy present the seventh Mad Scientist Profile. Who are these people who both love science and love to create? What does science mean to them? How do they make the things they do? Well, we're going to tell you!

As part of our on-going series, Ana from ScienceKitty interviewed Nirajan of Nikha Jewelry.

I love Nirajan’s wire-wrapped pieces. It is difficult to restrain myself from buying her Mystic Quartz Amethyst and Opal necklace. In addition to making absolutely gorgeous jewelry, Nirajan is studying to be a Geologist. She just got back from Geology summer camp a few days ago.



Your wire-wrapped pieces are beautiful - how long does it take you to make one of your necklaces?

Thanks! It takes about an hour to do a simple gemstone chain, about an hour to do a netted bezel cabochon, and up to 3 days to do the really fancy wire wrapped designs!

Where/when do you make your creations?

I’m located in Santa Fe, NM. I make jewelry when I get a chance in between school and being a mom, usually on weekends. I have a little corner of the house with my jewelry “bench” and all my supplies. Always need more space though!

What area of science have you studied? Do you work/play in science now?

I’m studying to become a geologist. I also have a small research job on campus that allows me to do some work in my field while I study. I’m especially interested in volcanology and fault mechanics. I’m also a life-long rock hound and love going to neat places to hunt for minerals and interesting rocks!

How does you scientific background effect your creations?

Oh, it does! I have some pieces that I made that were directly inspired by geology – I make an erupting volcano wire wrapped necklace, earthquake focal mechanism pendants, ripple mark bracelets and have ideas for TONS of other jewelry ideas directly from geology/science! Now if I only had the time to make them all! I call my geology inspired creations “GeoJewelz”.

To which Etsy Teams do you belong?

I belong to Mad Scientists of Etsy (of course!) and JET, the Jewelry on Etsy Team.

Please tell us about the items in your Etsy shop.

Right now I have mostly wire wrapped items in my shop, but I also make sterling silver hand stamped and personalized designs, strung pieces, knotted pearl strands, and some simple metal worked pieces. I have the equipment to cut my own cabochons, but just need the time to do it! I learned to make jewelry by teaching myself mostly, although I have taken a silversmithing class (hollowware out of metal) metalsmithing (to learn basic soldering etc) and one ArtClay class, years ago! I am also learning to facet gemstones with the New Mexico Faceters Guild, which is fantastic! I have also learned some techniques and skills from on line tutorials and from magazines and books. My creative process usually starts with me making sketches in a book I keep by my bed…then, when I FINALLY have some time for making jewelry, I sit down and take out gemstones and beads that I think look nice together. Often, the rest just sort of happens, if I’m lucky!

Tell us two (or more) other interesting things about you.


Hmmm. Well, I’m not sure if this is that interesting, but I used to be a diesel truck mechanic in the US Army. So I work on my own vehicles now and then and help my boyfriend with his FedEx truck when he needs it! I’m also the mom of a wonderful 9 year old girl who is the light of my life and is the inspiration for me to go back to school to study geology – how can I encourage her to follow her dreams if I’ve never done it myself??

How did you get involved with Etsy?

A friend had told me about Etsy back in 2007. I didn’t have a good camera at the time, and really just let my lack of pictures stop me from going forward with an Etsy shop. I’ve been making jewelry since 1999, and finally got around to learning how to use my camera to get decent pictures and then just went for it!

What is your biggest challenge related to your Etsy shop?

Definitely not having enough time to create all the jewelry I have in my mind! I would have at least 400 items on Etsy if ONLY I had the time to create all my ideas!! I would love to create items and list them daily, I think this would be very beneficial for promoting my work and getting my shop noticed, but alas, I do not have the time to devote to it at the moment! I would also like to have more time for participating in my teams, promoting other shops and making treasuries. Maybe some day!

What is your favorite item in your shop?


My current favorite piece is this necklace of chalcopyrite and smoky quartz. I love the colors, they go with everything! The design just popped out one day and was a joy to make. The stones are heavy and earthy and gorgeous!
If this one doesn’t sell, maybe I’ll keep it for myself!

What advice do you have for other folks selling or buying on Etsy?

Take good pictures, write interesting and accurate descriptions, DON’T compare your shop to others and get discouraged, just find your niche and make it work for you. Still working on all this myself!

What crafting skill(s) do you wish you had or hope to learn someday? Do you have any future plans for your Etsy store?

I would like to learn lapidary arts, stone setting and cutting as well as pmc/artclay work. I have ideas for wedding jewelry, prom jewelry, men’s jewelry, religious jewelry, music related jewelry, science jewelry, chain mail jewelry, copper and silver mixed jewelry, birthstone jewelry etc. etc. Someday, these may be shop sections if I ever get to create all the items I would like to!

If you could have any items from another Etsy shop what would it be and why?


Well that is a tough question! I have a huge appreciation for the wide variety of art being created and sold on Etsy. Etsy is an amazing community of artisans and I’m always delighted at how creative and talented people are. For practical purposes, I guess some of the gorgeous beads, stamping tools and other jewelry related items from my favorite supply shops would be good for my store! But there are gorgeous summery clothes, jewelry, lingerie, art, bath and beauty products, hats, children’s toys etc. that I would love to indulge in if only I had the money! I also love the recycled/repurposed/found object items people create. I try to buy handmade presents for people when possible (If I’m not creating them myself, of course!) and love supporting other Etsians!

Profile of a Mad Scientist: whatnomints

The Mad Scientists of Etsy present the sixth Mad Scientist Profile. Who are these people who both love science and love to create? What does science mean to them? How do they make the things they do? Well, we're going to tell you!

As part of our continuing series, Kate from scientific culture interviewed Sasha from what. nomints? She is quite the interesting lady who crafts up great sciency felt goodies in her home in Lambertville, NJ. She graduated with a degree in Biochemisty and is currently working on medical research. Sasha is an ideal MSOE team member with her quirky sense of humour, fantastic crafting skill, and enthusiasm for chemisty!


How did you get into crafting and what inspired the plunge into selling on Etsy?

I have always been a crafter at heart and would often find myself painting random pictures from magazines or from photos I had taken. During school, when all of my classmates groaned and sighed at the assignment of a visual project, I secretly celebrated and couldn't wait to get myself to a craft store and begin working. Three of my favorite, and most memorable, projects are all science-related: DNA made from styrofoam balls and paint, the human brain sculpted entirely from foam clay, and a large plant cell complete with gel candle wax cytoplasm and modeling clay organelles. Needless to say, I grew up crafting and Etsy is a great way to share my love of this hobby (and science) with others. The "plunge" into selling all started when I couldn't find any stockings I liked for my boyfriend, Jim, and I this past Christmas. Fed up with searching, I purchased a couple yards of fabric and made my own - they came out great! This let to the purchase of more fabric, more stitching and more brainstorming, and the rest is history!

What tickles your fancy in the world of science? Any all time favourite topics or courses?

I LOVE organic chemistry! Everyone warned me about how horrible/ difficult/ impossible it was and to only expect failure, but as soon as I successfully completed my first mechanism, I was hooked! Every exam and problem was just like a puzzle to me and I actually thought they were fun to do. I ended up tutoring for organic chemistry courses when I was an undergrad too, which was a great experience.
I also highly enjoy titrations. I know it's just thought of as a basic chemistry thing, but I always get such satisfaction when I titrate to the perfect light pink endpoint (when using phenolphthalein of course)!



What is your artistic process? What inspired each of your pieces and how do you incorporate science into your work?

The process of creating a piece often comes from being inspired by something I encounter throughout the day. For instance, the first item I made and listed was one of my Tufted Bird ornaments. I was surfing Google and came across a funny picture of a bluebird staring straight into the camera while its picture was being taken. It made me laugh because the bird looked annoyed and had a funny facial expression. It got me to thinking that most birds are portrayed or drawn in profile, so I decided to do something different and make a Tufted Bird looking right at you with some unruly hair for a bit of attitude (to be honest, Jim came up with the idea for the tuft of hair, so I must give credit where credit is due)! Most of my geeky items are inspired by the work I do in the lab, molecules I learned about in class or food-related chemicals we eat and drink. As mentioned before, I am a huge fan of organic chemistry and the molecular structures I embroider on my items reflect that.

If you were granted three craft-related wishes what would they be and why?

1. Always knowing the length of string I will need when I do a particular stitch, I always unravel too much or too little so I'm either left with an awkward length or I am praying that somehow an extra inch or two will magically appear so I can finish without cutting another piece.
2. More room in my tiny apartment for a desk I can work at. Our living room/kitchen/dining room combo (yes, it's all in one room) is always scattered with random bits of floss and pieces of felt and product tags. It's a wonder how I haven't pricked myself with a misplaced needle lying in wait between the couch cushions ...
3. More hours in a day to create/promote/prepare/relax/work/exercise: sigh:: because we all know that 24 is never enough!

And finally, I’m dying to know – how did your etsy user name come about?

My shop name has sort of been a joke in my family for years and it all began when my family and I went out to dinner. When we were finished I promptly got up and immediately went searching the area around the hostess for the after-dinner mints. To my dismay, I discovered that there were none and exclaimed incredulously, "What! No mints!?" It was apparently amusing to have such a small child make this declaration and we still laugh about it to this day! I thought this quote would make the perfect shop title because it is not only fun and unique, but it is also a constant reminder to me to be lighthearted in everything I do.

You can check out Sasha's etsy shop, the what. no mints? blog and the what. no mints? flickr stream for more great items. Sasha is also part of the group of etsians collaborating to Help The Gulf Coast.

Profile of a Mad Scientist: scientificculture

The Mad Scientists of Etsy present the fifth Mad Scientist Profile. Who are these people who both love science and love to create? What does science mean to them? How do they make the things they do? Well, we're going to tell you!

The image shows the set of finger puppets Kate from scientific culture made for MSOE's december challenge "Louis Pasteur". The set includes pasteur accompanied by a nice rabies-free cat with pasteurized milk as well as a culture of happy little culture of anthrax he made a vaccine further supporting his findings on germ theory.

As part of our continuing series, Sasha from whatnomints interviewed Kate from scientific culture. Kate builds all of her creations in her home in Kamloops, British Columbia (Canada), where she graduated with a degree in cellular, molecular, microbial biology. She has spent a while working lab jobs studying water microbiology and wildlife genetics and plans on heading back to school next year for Education so she can spread her science geeky excitement into the fragile minds of youth! She loves to spread her excitement through cute science crafts and blogging and has been creating as long as she can remember.

Why did you decide to start selling your awesome geeky goodies and how does your interaction with science inspire your work?

During my undergrad I took every possible opportunity to work some crafty fun into projects and presentations, whether it was a plush cross sectioned pseudomonas for microbiology, or subtly placed strong bad bacteriophage during a lambda life cycle for regulation of gene expression! It’s fun to express your passion for geeky science in new ways and I found that my classmates all got a kick out of my antics. This soon turned into crafting plush microbes for friends’ birthdays and eventually the cross over into Etsy selling.

My favorite items in your shop involve your cute anthropomorphic drawings. How did you come up with the idea for these and how do you create them?

My first anthropomorphic character I created was the ciliated bacillus I have as my avatar. He originated as a superhero character (with cape) that saved the day (with his fantastic array of microbial enzymes) in a cartoon I did for industrial microbiology. I liked him so much I decided more science items need to be spiced up with adorable wide set eye smiles! Voila! The cute science formula was born:



As for their creation, I’m pretty low tech. I draw out my characters with sharpies, scan them, and colour them using photoshop and a keen colour sense.

Did you experience an "a-ha moment" that made you realize that you wanted to be a scientist?

I’ve always been enthralled by how amazing the world is and science is a great tool for figuring out how each thing on our planet works! I think the closest thing I had to a “rest of my life” realization was how exciting Grade 11 Biology was! I quickly fell for every phylum (especially echinodermata) and loved memorizing every interesting tidbit of information. Once I hit University, I discovered a greater love for cellular, molecular, and microbial biology. I figure after this many years of science dedication there’s no turning back…

Do you have a favorite scientific instrument/procedure/chemical? Why? (You only have to pick one.)

My most favourite scientific procedure would have to be the Southern Blot. It is so amazing when you can team up microbiology and genetics into a huge plasmid fragment puzzle! It honestly baffles my mind how anyone came up with such complicated methods that seem so obvious and simple once you understand them. Plus figuring out DNA fragment placement from a bunch of gel electrophoresis bands is the epitome of cool.

What is the most interesting development in modern science you have come across recently? (Doesn't necessarily have to be well-known or chemistry-related.)

I’m not entirely sure about recent, but I think the most interesting molecular biology breakthrough is PCR (polymerase chain reaction). Talk about revolutionizing what is capable in the world of biology! And as a bonus it’s the same age as me! Every experiment I dabbled into has led me to thanking to wonders of PCR and even employed me in a population genetics lab! Hooray for PCR! In fact, I need to make a few anthropomorphic thermocyclers for my next button set…

Check out Kate's etsy shop scienticculture, her blog, her fan page on facebook, her flickr set and follow her on twitter.

Happy Earth Day from the MSOE Team!

While most places will be holding Earth Day celebrations this weekend (though technically Earth Day is April 22nd), we thought we'd share some eco-friendly tips from the team, as well as some eco-friendly items!

* Use felted dryer balls to aggitate in the clothes dryer to speed up drying; this uses less energy, and you can avoid fabric softener!
* Use a door snake to avoid drafts!
* Dress warmly during cold weather, instead of turning up the heat!
* Make sure your home is well insulated - this helps not only during winter months, but summer as well!
* Use alternative transportation such as walking, biking, or public transit.
* Carpooling is another great way to save money as well as lower your carbon footprint - many cities now have websites set up where carpoolers can find one another to set up car sharing!
* Buy local, especially food. If everyone ate at least one meal a week using only locally sourced food, we'd save thousands of gallons of oil a year!
* Use a surge protector/power bar for appliances, it not only provides surge protection in case of lightening, but you can easily switch off everything when you go out, to avoid the power eaten even in idle state.
* Use tote bags when shopping, and recycle those plastic bags (most grocery stores have recycling bins you can drop them off in!)
* There are many alternatives to commercially available household cleaners, such as vinegar and borax, that are eco-friendly. Check out new lines of eco-friendly commercial cleaners that are becoming more available.

And check out these great handmade, eco-friendly team items in our Earth Day treasury on Etsy!



You can visit the treasury, click and comment at
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4bd10692521d8eef77a99f38/earth-day-every-day

Happy Earth Day! And remember to celebrate it year round!

Profile of a Mad Scientist: buffalonerdproject

The Mad Scientists of Etsy present the fourth Mad Scientist Profile. Who are these people who both love science and love to create? What does science mean to them? How do they make the things they do? Well, we're going to tell you!

As part of our continuing series, Julie D'Arcy interviewed Lisa Hufnagel, a microbiologist who spends her spare time sewing quirky, upcycled, science-related clothing and accessories. Her shop, Buffalo Nerd Project, is where her love of science meets her urge to create.

Tell me about your chosen field of science. Why that one over other branches of science?

My chosen field of science is biology. My interests within the field are vast; my original interest in biology was sparked by prions (specifically bovine spongiform encephalopathy). I have never actually worked with prions but they remain my first biological love. I earned my Master’s Degree working with bacteriophages, and I followed that with some time spent in a genetics lab doing microarrays. I finally ended up in my current lab, a microbiology lab, where I am working on a project that fascinates me. I love biology because it's very hands-on and more concrete for me than some of the other sciences.

Is there a second favorite in science, something you found really interesting but didn’t want to do it for a living?

I am in love with the idea of physics, but I notoriously suck at it. I suffered through Physics 101 and 102, failed at reading "The Elegant Universe" and probably couldn't find my way out of a frictionless hole (I mean, that would be tough, right?), but I am absolutely fascinated by everything about physics and people that understand it.

Describe your creative process. How do you come up with some of those ideas you have?

I'm one of those people that buys fabric with no preconceived notion of what it will be and then builds around what I have. I do the same thing when I cook. I don't usually know where my ideas come from, it's like one minute they're not there and whoops, there's an idea. Sometimes I think they come from my weird sense of humor.

What’s your favorite thing that you’ve ever created?

One year for Halloween I made a dinosaur suit out of a pair of coveralls and some felt. I absolutely loved how it came out, and it had the added bonus of not being the typical "scantily-clad-girl" Halloween costume (although the number of people tugging on my tail got a little annoying after awhile). The dino suit was also a semi-finalist in Etsy's Halloween costume contest one year, so that was pretty sweet.

How does your art affect your science?

I have been known to communicate with my labmates through cartoons. I once did experiments for a postdoc who was always away from his desk when I came to discuss my latest results, so I would draw some ridiculous picture, like me wearing a mouse suit or something, with text hinting at what I had achieved that day. I kind of miss communicating via cartoons.

If you could create any project you wanted, regardless of complexity, abstractness, cost of raw materials, or even total lack of usefulness, what would it be?

I think I would buy a beautiful old house in Buffalo and completely renovate it to my tastes. Either that or I would create some kind of huge Chihuly-inspired chandelier that would most certainly hang ceiling to floor in my apartment (but would look amazing in my beautiful old house once it was renovated).

Lightning Round!

Question	buffalonerdproject	jvdarcy
Google, Wikipedia, or YouTube?	Google	Totally Wikipedia
Science, or Nature?	Nature	Science
Virus or bacteria?	bacteria	Bacteria
Igneous, metamorphic or sedimentary (rock, that is)?	sedimentary/igneous tie	Metamophic
Flannel or poplin?	flannel	Flannel
Love or money?	LOVE	Love
Favorite:
Flavor?	chocolate	Maple
Color?	green, grey and blue	Teal blue
Abstract concept?	Hope, and also π (pi)	1/∞
Dimension?	Fourth (Dimensional Transition, the song by MGMT)	Second

Check out Lisa's Buffalo Nerd Project on Etsy!

Profile of a Mad Scientist: jvdarcy

The Mad Scientists of Etsy present the third the Mad Scientist Profile. Who are these people who both love science and love to create? What does science mean to them? How do they make the things they do? Well, we're going to tell you!

Today, buffalonerdproject interviews jvdarcy

buffalonerdproject: Recently I had the pleasure of interviewing team member and fellow science nerd Julie D'Arcy. In addition to having a Biochemistry Ph.D. from Wake Forest University, she also creates lovely drawings for her shop. When her art is not keeping her busy, she has her family (husband, three teenagers, and three dogs) to keep her moving as well as other activities (player agent for the local Little League Baseball organization, part-time editor/proofreader). In the midst of all this bustle, Julie took some time to answer questions about her art and her science.

How did you get involved in science? What field of science are you most interested in?

jvdarcy: When I entered High School, I was pretty much ready to drop out and get a job as soon as I was old enough because I had no interest and seemingly no aptitude for school. Then my very first class in my freshman year, Earth Science, changed all that. I had a really great teacher who made me want to learn and got me interested in science. A couple years later, I had a really great Chemistry teacher, and that was all she wrote. I decided that Chemistry was my science. Once I got to college and started looking at grad schools, I decided that biochemistry research looked at the coolest stuff and most of the other branches of chemistry looked really boring and had way too much math for my taste.

buffalonerdproject: How did you get involved in the arts?

jvdarcy: My Mom is an artist, my Dad is a self-proclaimed 'failed cartoonist' (who became a writer instead) my brother is a great photographer (who can draw, too), so it's really in my blood. I've always had a vivid imagination, have always drawn, painted, done lots of other creative stuff. Everyone else seemed to get to that age where they decided they couldn't draw, but I never did. I kind of put the artist side of me on the back burner for a while in college, but by graduate school, that side of me came back and wanted out with an angry vengeance. I took some adult community classes in all sorts of things, like life drawing, jewelry making, watercolor, and really went through a metamorphosis, where I finally decided that I was really pretty talented and should probably give this art thing the respect it was due.

buffalonerdproject: How does science affect your art?

jvdarcy: I think my scientific background helps give my artistic process some well needed structure, without it I'd never get any artwork done. Also, being a chemist, I'm fascinated by the molecular processes going on in certain media, how you can manipulate the chemistry of substances to create etchings, polymer clay sculpture, silverpoint drawings. Lately, I've been exploring the chemistry of metal point drawing (pure metal wire, usually silver or copper, used to draw on a gessoed surface) to see if there are some cool chemical techniques I can use to oxidize the metal in the drawing and add cool effects. No success just yet—mostly I've found lots of ways to not do it.

buffalonerdproject: What are your favorite procedures in both science and art?

jvdarcy: I've always liked microscopy, more as art than science, because it is often hard to quantify as real science. In grad school I got to work with a world class electron microscopy facility, where I learned a lot about both the science and the art. In art, I love to draw. It frustrates me that painters get so much credit for having used a brush and put their picture on canvas, where as a drawing, no matter how elaborate, often gets called a 'sketch'. My drawings are much less about lines and more about shades, shapes and creating depth. That tendency aside, I've been getting a real kick lately out of drawing in ink—lots of hatched lines and bold, black outlines.

buffalonerdproject: What was the title of your Ph.D. dissertation?

jvdarcy: *runs to the other room to brush the dust off it and read it* Ahem… "Use of an In Vitro Model to Investigate Two Mechanisms of the Thrombolytic Resistance of a Platelet-Rich Thrombus"

buffalonerdproject: What is your favorite thing that you've ever created?

jvdarcy: I guess if I had to name one thing as a favorite, it'd be this clock I made when I was in graduate school. It looked like the inside of an egg that had cracked in half, with a clock inside of it. I made a paper mache form on the inside of a round bowl, then sawed a pattern on the edges to make it look like half of an eggshell. On the inside, I painted the yolk, drilled a hole in the middle, curved some clock handles around in the shape of the inside, and (best part) dissolved Styrofoam in acetone (in the fume hood, of course) and made a long drip of egg white coming off of it. That last bit was, oddly, my graduate advisor's idea, and it worked perfectly and looked just like a big glop of raw egg white. I sold the clock to someone who asked me about it, only charged her $35 for it, and now I can't even find the pictures of it. I've thought of making another clock like it ever since. It was a good lesson in pricing—charge enough that it won't break your heart to see it go.


buffalonerdproject: Are you a nerd?

jvdarcy: Totally. Well, maybe. I used to be, I guess, but now cool people actually talk to me, I married the High School football star (not my High School, that guy was a douche, my football star is also brilliant and talented), I dress pretty nicely, some (like my husband) would even say I'm moderately hot! I still totally dig old episodes of the X-Files and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and I still think science is immensely cool, even if I'm only watching it on the Discovery Channel.

buffalonerdproject: If someone set you loose in a laboratory and said "use the stuff in here to make something crafty," what would you make and how? In addition to having access to lab gear, you can also use glue, tape, string, scissors, and feathers.

jvdarcy: After writing the answer to the question above and thinking about it, I guess I'd probably make another Egg Clock! There's definitely lots of useless paper, I'd have to find some starchy something from the chemicals rack to mix with the glue to make my mache glop, the egg yolk I could make out of yellow biohazard tape (I could cut around the red stuff), every lab has a clock that could be cannibalized in the name of art, and there's always one too many Styrofoam shipping boxes from that pack rat in the lab who just knows she'll need it one of these days. The feathers would add a nice touch, don't you think?

Check out Julie's Easily Distracted by Julie D'Arcy etsy shop, and her flickr photo stream. You can find her on Facebook or become a fan of her shop as well as follow her on twitter.
All images care of jvdarcy