Mad Scientists of Etsy

Science Tattoos!

2011-11-20T03:23:00.001-05:00

Scientists getting inked. I don't have any tattoos (yet), but I think all of these are awesome. However, when it comes to tattoos, I am a sucker for simple line art (colors fade and get weird). This one is probably my favorite:

From the article: "Lauren Caldwell’s tribute to Giovanni de’ Dondi’s 1364 Il Tractatus Astarii, the first famous Astrarium, which is a mechanical planetarium that mimics the paths of the stars and planets. In other words, it's an astronomical clock. Archimedes used a primitive model, but the first real working astrarium clock is credited to de Dondi. The backpiece here is the Mercury Wheelwork."

Are any of you inked? What science concept do you lends itself to the best tattoos?

Item of the day: The Curie

2011-03-08T09:19:00.000-05:00

Did you know that the MSOE team has our very own milliner (hat maker)? Of course, manonofhollywood's cloches are my favourite - I especially like the shape of this brim:

Take a peak at her profile to find out more!

Item of the day: White-Crowned Sparrow

2011-03-06T08:54:00.000-05:00

The MSOE team has some amazing printers - and sparrowpress is one of them. I love this little guy:

Find out more on Marissa's blog!

Item of the day: Harmonious

2011-03-04T08:55:00.000-05:00

I love these funky salt & pepper shakers by MSOE member CNJceramics:

Follow the CNJceramics blog for more!

Item of the day: Small Cup of Water

2011-03-02T07:52:00.001-05:00

Check out the clever crocheted molecules by MSOE member Primandplush! I really like this small cup of water:

How cute! What a great gift for a chemist (or their kids)!

Find out more on the Primandplush blog.

Item of the day: Happy Sheep

2011-03-01T09:27:00.000-05:00

The MSOE February challenge was Keith Campbell, a biologist who helped clone the first sheep, Dolly. There are some really great entries - but this bright spring yellow apron by buffalonerdproject is one of my favourites!

How cute are those sheep?

Item of the day: Soap for Men

2011-02-28T08:12:00.000-05:00

MSOE member soap has a shop filled with - you guessed it - handmade bath & body products. I'm really tempted to trying out some of the man-friendly scents, like this woodsy buckland:

You can read more about soap's success story on the Etsy blog!

Item of the day: Walden Pond

2011-02-26T09:28:00.000-05:00

MSOE member sweettweelab has a shop filled with paper goodies - I'm particularly fond of these paper & ephemera packs:

Follow along on the sweettweelab blog.

Item of the day: Copper Bookmark

2011-02-25T09:12:00.000-05:00

MSOE member anandi has a shop filled with lovely hand-stamped metal jewelry & ID tags. You can also find bookmarks & bookplates - these copper ones are my favourite:

Follow along on anandi's facebook!

Item of the day: Psyche

2011-02-24T09:58:00.000-05:00

MSOE member jvdarcy is known for her bizarre & fantastical drawings - this one of Psyche is just my style:

You can find out more on jvdarcy's facebook page.

Item of the day: Canada Goose

2011-02-23T07:47:00.000-05:00

If you're in need of a hand-carved stamp, check out MSOE member jackbear. His birds, like this Canada goose, are particularly amazing:

You can see more on jackbear's blog.

Item of the day: Tea Button Set

2011-02-21T08:45:00.000-05:00

If you need a smile, head on over to MSOE member scientificculture: the cuteness that is the wide-set-eye-smile will be too hard to resist! I particularly love the tea set:

But there are lots of sets to choose from, including some labware ones.

You will also not want to miss the scientificculture blog for a daily dose of crafty goodness!

Item of the day: Waffle Infinity Scarf

2011-02-20T08:34:00.000-05:00

What first catches your eye in the shop of MSOE member velonoir is the stunning photography. I particularly love the bike series. But if you keep browsing, you'll find some real gems, including this amazing crocheted scarf:

Follow the velonoir blog to keep up with this talented team member!

Item of the day: Plush Stomach

2011-02-19T08:19:00.000-05:00

If you're looking for some nerdy plush (because you have to start them young) or one-eyed monsters, look no further than MSOE team member FurWillFly. I really like this orange stomach:

But isn't the whole set of innards adorable?

Be sure to check out the FurWillFly blog for more, including a Project 365 with a plush scientist that's sure to make you smile.

Item of the day: Embroidered Cell

2011-02-18T08:06:00.000-05:00

This embroidered cell by MSOE team member AlphaRabbitOnline is too cool:

And if you're handy, you can pick up a kit to make your own (with glow-in-the-dark thread)!

Follow AlphaRabbitOnline on facebook.

Particle Physics Treasury!

2011-02-17T18:25:00.002-05:00

Check out this treasury featuring January Particle Physics challenge items!

Item of the day: Paillettes

2011-02-17T09:28:00.000-05:00

If you're looking for some unique stamped silver jewelry, look no further than MSOE team member PangaeaDesigns. Of course, she has a whole bunch of gorgeous pieces, this necklace being my favourite:

I love all the little discs, some smooth, some textured. There are matching earrings too.

Item of the day: Rabbit Moon

2011-02-16T09:21:00.001-05:00

I have quite the collection of MSOE team member Jerise's papercut ACEOs - I think they're just stunning. My favourite in her shop at the moment is this bunny in celebration of the Chinese New Year:

Hop on over to Jerise's website & blog to learn more.

Item of the day: Shampoo Bar

2011-02-15T16:04:00.000-05:00

MSOE team member GetLathered has a range of bath & body products, but specializes in solid shampoo & conditioner bars. This Nor'Easter sounds like a perfect scent to share with the men:

I'm thinking of ordering the pair in vanille de framboise - I'd like to try them out.

Find out more on the GetLathered blog or facebook page.

Item of the day: Dopamine Love

2011-02-14T14:51:00.002-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

Treat your valentine to some nerdy love, compliments of MSOE team member molecularmuse:

The classic silver molecules by molecularmuse are sure to garner lots of attention year round! What's your favourite molecule? I'm partial to this thebromine (chocolate) one.

Find out more on her blog or facebook!

Item of the day: Mobius Cowl

2011-02-13T08:53:00.000-05:00

Today's item of the day is something I've coveted ever since iWunder, an MSOE & MMG team member, first listed it. This cowl features handspun art yarn (by kittygrrlz) in the most gorgeous colourway:

Item of the day: Limoges Dish

2011-02-12T15:18:00.000-05:00

One of the MSOE team's newer members, ravensrealm has a shop where you can find a little bit of everything. Personally, I really love this vintage Limoges candy dish:

Item of the day: Ira

2011-02-11T17:25:00.001-05:00

Today's MSOE member, imagiro, has such a cute shop! The illustrations are adorable - of course this nerdy bunny is my favourite though!

Do check out this sweet shop - you won't be disappointed! You can see their facebook page here too.

Item of the day: Theobromine Suncatcher

2011-02-10T07:38:00.001-05:00

The glass artwork by MSOE member Quingawaga is sure to catch both your eye & the sun! Featuring the molecular structure of recognizable chemicals - like this theobromine one (a molecule found in chocolate) - they make a perfect nerdy gift!

Find out more about this amazing glass artist on her website.

Item of the day: You're my Base Pair

2011-02-09T08:40:00.000-05:00

MSOE member TwoHungryBlackbirds has a shop full of handmade goodies (I really like these felt ornaments) but I particularly like this Valentine's day card:

It says "you're my base pair" inside - how perfectly nerdy is that?

Make sure to stop by her blog for more!

Item of the day: Crescent Necklace

2011-02-08T09:14:00.000-05:00

MSOE team member ScrapMetal can always be counted on for some fantastically unique statement pieces. This silver necklace is my favourite:

This saucer necklace is also pretty amazing:

For more stunning metalwork, stop by her shop. You can also find out more about this great science teacher on her blog.

Item of the day: Iolite Flower

2011-02-07T15:31:00.000-05:00

If you're looking for chain maille, check out MSOE team member 21stCenturyMaille. This iolite bracelet is absolutely stunning:

Item of the day: Drawer Necklace

2011-02-06T16:06:00.000-05:00

Our MSOE team member ScienceKitty upcycles cool vintages finds into fabulous statement pieces. My favourite is this drawer backplate necklace:

ScienceKitty also transforms pipette tips & Eppendorf tubes (science lab ware) into funky jewelry - I really like these Eppendorf flower earrings:

You can find out more about this great team member on her facebook page.

Item of the day: Ceramic Heart

2011-02-05T11:25:00.001-05:00

Today's MSOE shop is that of our dedicated leader (& former captain) bijoutery. I love this ceramic heart necklace - the turquoise beads compliment the copper, leather & brown ceramic beautifully. Wouldn't this be a perfectly earthy Valentine's gift?

Make sure to browse through bijoutery's shop, pendant shop & blog for more!

Item of the day: Math Jewelry

2011-02-04T07:58:00.001-05:00

This MSOE member, Kokoba, makes some really cute beaded math jewelry. What could be more perfect for Valentine's Day than this gorgeous combination of pink, white & red celebrating Euler's number?

Hop on over to Kokoba for more beaded wonders & her blog to find out more.

Item of the day: Atomic Earrings

2011-02-03T07:09:00.001-05:00

These little atomic earrings by MSOE team member NorthStarJewelry were created for our January 2011 challenge: particle physics. They were immediately added to my favourites - they're just so sweet!

Do check out NorthStarJewelry - the shop is filled with amazing metalwork! You can also find out more on their website.

Item of the day: Mercator the Map Maker

2011-02-02T09:06:00.000-05:00

The Mad Scientist I want to feature today, minouette, is one of our most dedicated members (& updater of this blog). And you should see the amazing linocuts in this shop - simply breathtaking! The famous scientists, like Mercator the map maker, are my favourites.

Head on over to minouette's shop & let me know your favourite print! You can also check out her blog here.

January Challenge: Particle Physics

2011-02-01T11:04:00.002-05:00

In the Mad Scientists of Etsy's January Challenge we tackled the entire field of particle physics! We covered everything from Planck's constant, to the Higgs Boson, to atomic structure, to cosmic rays, to the discovery of mesons, to quarks - in a wide variety of media.

Check out all the wonderful variations on this dynamic field of study:

Physics Jewelry - Planck's Bracelet by kokoba

Atomic Earrings by NorthStarJewelry

Cloud Chamber II - The Screenprint by minouette

Artful Particle Collisions --Tree Rings and Traces (series 2) by AlphaRabbitOnline

Higgs Boson - Mad Scientists Team Challenge - Soft toy sculpture by FurWillFly

Up and atom nerd apron by buffalonerdproject

Papercut Art - Hideki Yukawa (1907-1981) - first Japanese Nobel Prize winner and discoverer of mesons by jerise

Item of the day: Hamsa Bracelet

2011-02-01T09:40:00.004-05:00

Hi! This is Amanda from Ulixis Crafts. I have an item of the day on my blog each day & decided to feature some of my fellow Mad Scientists of Etsy (MSOEers) so that my readers can get to know my team a bit better. We really are an interesting group - you'll be amazed at the variety of work a bunch of scientists can do! I'll be copying these daily features over here so that everyone can fully appreciate the MSOE talent.

First up is anjalicreations with this gorgeous braided bracelet.

I feel as though this bracelet was made for me: it features my birthstone (peridot) & favourite colour of the moment (grey), the tree of life (a famous Klimt painting, my favourite artist) & a Hamsa charm (which is an ancient charm agains the evil eye but reminds me of yoga for some reason)... it would be a great reminder to me to keep up with my practice.

Head on over to anjalicreations for more lovely charm bracelets & Judaica. You can also find her blog here.

December Challenge: Tiny Beaked Toad

2011-01-31T17:49:00.013-05:00

(image credit: Conservation International via Science News who write, "Scientists discovered a new beaked toad (genus Rhinella), while on an amphibian expedition in Colombia. The toad’s coloration camouflages it on the leaves of the forest floor, where it lays eggs that hatch directly into toadlets, no tadpole stage required.")

In December, the Mad Scientists of Etsy celebrated this newly discovered tadpole-less beaked toad! Check out these hand-made challenge entries:

Tiny Beaked Toad Blank Card by TwoHungryBlackbirds

Tiny Beaked Toad Humorous Original Drawing ACEO Scientific Discovery by jvdarcy

Mr. Burns Toad, a.k.a. Tiny Beaked Toad by Cretur Fetur

beaked Toads2 by marycympc

Happy New Year from MSOE!

2011-01-04T13:18:00.001-05:00

Some geekery in team member AlphaRabbitOnline's treasury, to welcome 2011!

November Challenge: Niels Bohr

2010-12-09T13:10:00.010-05:00

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

2010-11-08T14:14:00.012-05:00

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!

2010-10-12T17:27:00.005-04:00

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

2010-07-12T16:42:00.014-04:00

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

2010-06-18T13:56:00.016-04:00

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

2010-06-16T18:31:00.011-04:00

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!

2010-04-23T22:19:00.004-04:00

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

2010-04-19T15:10:00.017-04:00

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

2010-04-16T12:42:00.016-04:00

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

Ada Lovelace and Henrietta Swan Leavitt, of computers and stars

2010-03-25T09:06:00.001-04:00

Originally posted by bijoutery.

Ada Lovelace (1815-1852), was the first person to write a computer program (calculating Bernoulli numbers) for the Analytical Engine. She wrote about the potential uses of computers and software, even though they had not been invented yet. Ada Lovelace Day is celebrated on the 24th of March by bloggers to promote the achievements of women in science and technology.

The story of Ada Lovelace reminded me of Henrietta Swan Leavitt (1868 - 1921). Soon after she finished her bachelor's degree, she was employed at the Harvard College Observatory as a "human computer" of sorts. This was not an unheard of thing for the time, as women in science were often relegated to the "menial" tasks. Specifically her job was to examine the photographic plates taken by the telescope, and measure and catalog the brightness of the stars.

Henrietta Swan Leavitt (1868 - 1921)

While studying the photographic plates, she noticed that some of the brighter variable stars (stars whose apparent brightness as seen from Earth changes over time) appeared to have longer periods. With further study, she confirmed that there was a relationship between the luminosity and period of these stars (called Cepheid variables) and published her findings in the Annals of the Astronomical Observatory of Harvard College. This information proved to be a key for astronomers to be able to measure distances across the universe - this research proved particularly important for Edwin Hubble's work.

Cepheid variables in galaxy M100

Eventually she was made head of stellar photometry, and continued her work off and on while battling illness, until her death in 1921. She was almost nominated for a Nobel Prize in Physics for her work, but unfortunately died before she could be (the Nobel is not awarded posthumously). The asteroid 5383 Leavitt and the crater Leavitt on the Moon are named in her honor.

If you would like to learn more about Henrietta Swan Leavitt, you may be interested in the book, Miss Leavitt's Stars: The Untold Story of the Woman Who Discovered How to Measure the Universe

For more info about Ada Lovelace Day, and to read more blog posts celebrating women in science and technology, head over to Ada Lovelace Day homepage

References and photos from:

http://findingada.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henrietta_Swan_Leavitt

http://hubblesite.org

Happy Ada Lovelace Day – Wearable Electronics Edition by Polymath

2010-03-24T17:41:00.004-04:00

Originally posted by Polymath

Ada Lovelace Day was established last year as an international day of blogging to celebrate the achievements of women in technology and science. If you’re not already familiar with Lady Ada, it’s worth learning more… The daughter of Lord Byron, she worked with Charles Babbage on his analytical engine and wrote the world’s first computer program.

In honor of Lady Ada, I’d like to highlight a handful of the women who inspire me in the world of wearable electronics and soft circuitry.

Leah Buechley

Director of the High-Low Tech research group at the MIT Media Lab, Leah developed the Lilypad Arduino – the microcontroller boards I’ve been using in my own wearable electronics experimentation. It’s a dream of mine to someday be involved with her lab – they come up with incredible, innovative, and beautiful things there!

LED Bracelet - Leah Buechley, 2005

Hannah Perner-Wilson

One of the graduate research assistants in Leah Buechley’s lab, Hannah has developed some incredible resources for others interested in wearable electronics, including the reference site HOW TO GET WHAT YOU WANT (with Mika Satomi) and a bunch of Instructables.

Knit & Crocheted Sensors - Hannah Perner-Wilson, 2009

Diana Eng

You may recognize Diana’s name from her stint on Project Runway a couple of years ago. She’s still going strong with wearable technology - most recently authoring Fashion Geek and creating Fairytale Fashion, a collection with electronics and shape-changing garments which integrated feedback from the public through her website during the design process. For extra geek points, she also covers ham radio for Make magazine!

Twinkle Dress and EL Wire Dress - Diana Eng, 2010

Syuzi Pakhchyan

Syuzi wrote Fashioning Technology, the first book that I picked up on the subject of soft circuitry, and runs a community by the same name. Syuzi is great about encouraging more people to experiment in the field – the Fashioning Tech community is very welcoming, and she regularly shares the projects that members blog about there.

ePuppets - Syuzi Pakhchyan, 2008

Alison Lewis

Alison is the founder of SWITCH and author of SwitchCraft. She also teaches at the Parsons School of Design, and brings a more high-fashion perspective to her work. I was incredibly flattered when she recently featured my Skirt Full of Stars on SWITCH.

Rodarte-style Lighted Heels - Alison Lewis, 2010

Becky Stern

Becky may have done more to spread the word of DIY soft circuitry than anyone else. As Associate Editor at MAKE and CRAFT, she frequently shares wearable tech projects and has produced a couple of CRAFT videos about wearables. She also teaches soft circuit workshops (I had to miss the one at Urban Craft Uprising in Seattle last summer because I didn’t have anyone else working my booth), and sells soft circuit starter kits through her company, Sternlab.

Lilypad Embroidery - Becky Stern, 2008

Lynne Bruning

‘Textile Enchantress’ Lynne makes absolutely stunning garments that frequently involve things like electronics or UV-reactive materials. She has also generously shared quite a few instructables of soft circuitry techniques. I’m particularly fascinated by the work she’s been doing using smart fashion to assist impaired individuals – like this sonar garment for the visually impaired.

Bats Have Feelings Too - Lynne Bruning, 2009

Angela Sheehan

Creator of the blog Soft Circuit Saturdays, Angela is another maker who has been diving deeply into wearable electronics. I love seeing what another dedicated explorer who is not a professional in the field comes up with!

Temperature Sensing Cup Sleeve - Angela Sheehan, 2009

Interested in seeing more posts honoring women in science and tech? Check out the list of posts over at Finding Ada, or follow the #ald10 tag on twitter.

In celebration of Ada Lovelace by AliciaMae

2010-03-24T13:31:00.002-04:00

Originally posted by AliciaMae
Today is Ada Lovelace day. In honor of her achievements as a woman in technology, a global blogging event is celebrating women in science and technology (2nd annual). I am participating as part of The Mad Scientists of Etsy (MSOE).

Whenever the occasion to write a biography or a description of a scientist arises, I am always drawn to the life of Marie Curie. The daughter of a school teacher, she was one of those rare women in the late 1800s - educated and literate. She worked to pay her sister's way through school as her sister had helped her, she took a backseat to her husband Pierre Curie's scientific endeavors until his death, and she raised another Nobel winning woman scientist, Irene Joliet-Curie. Her intelligence and abilities became known after her husband's tragic death, proof that she was his partner and not his assistant. I always marveled at the pictures of early 20th century scientific meetings, Madame Curie sitting at the table among men like Einstein, reading or writing all the while, a stark contrast.

Marie Curie discovered radium and polonium, provided the mobile radiography (X-ray) units for the front during WWI, and died from the radiation produced by her discoveries. She gave her life to investigative endeavors (Her papers and notes from her laboratory are purported to still be too radioactive to be handled).

Though known for chemistry, Marie Curie proceeded her late husband as a Professer of Physics at the Sorbonne in France, a world famous institution at the time - the first woman to do so. She was also the Director of the Curie Laboratory at the University of Paris in the second decade of the 20th century, as well as founding the Radium Institute in collaboration with the Polish government and an award from President Hoover of the United States.

Marie Curie has two Nobel prizes to her name (the first scientist to achieve this, let alone a woman) - sharing one in Physics with her husband in 1903 and being the sole holder of the 1911 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

The Radium Institute has become the Maria Sklodowska-Curie Institute of Oncology in Warsaw, Poland, a leading research and treatment center. So her legacy of discovery lives on.

Marie Curie (Maria Sklodowska-Curie) 1867-1934 and beyond

For more pictures and award listings, see those uploaded to her Wikipedia entry

Ada Lovelace Day 2010 Profile: Ursula Franklin

2010-03-24T13:29:00.001-04:00

Originally posted by minouette.

[...]Today, in Ada's name, people around the world are blogging about women in science and technology, whose accomplishments have all too often gone unrecognized or unacknowledged.

So I thought I'd tell you about of one my heroes, Ursula Franklin. I've heard her speak on more than one occasion and had the honour meeting Franklin. When I was an undergraduate in physics there were a grand total of zero female physics professors at this University, but Ursula Franklin was trained as a physicist and was working in metallurgy and material science, and had U of T's highest rank, a full University Professor, the first woman named to that post. Further she was not only a strong, fearless, advocate for women in science, but one of the more impressive individuals I've ever met. Her influence as a roll model of women in physics and engineering here cannot be overstated. I thought she was an apt choice to profile as beyond the importance and depth of her own scientific and technological output, she has been an influential writer on the politics and social impact of technology itself.

Franklin was born in Munich in 1921 and survived being interned by the Nazis. She received her PhD in physics from the Technical University of Berlin in 1948 and immigrated to Canada, where after a post-doc at U of T, she joined the faculty. She pioneered archeometry - the use of modern materials analysis in archeology, dating prehistoric artifacts made of metals and ceramics. Her science was always engaged with societal concerns. During the 60s she advocated for the atmospheric nuclear test ban treaty, citing her studies of strontium-90 radioactive fallout found in children's teeth. During the 70s she was part of the Science Council of Canada investigation of how we could better conserve resources and protect nature. She began to develop her ideas about complexities of modern technological society.

She consistently has stood up for her beliefs in peace and social justice. As a member of the Voice of Women (now called Canadian Voice of Women for Peace), she tried to persuade Parliament to disengage Canada from supplying any weapons to the US during the Vietnam war, to shift funding from weapons research to preventative medicin, to withdraw from NATO and disarm. She later fought to allow conscientious objectors to redirect part of their income taxes from military uses to peaceful purposes (though the Supreme Court declined to hear the associated case). She joined other retired female faculty in a class action law suit against the University of Toronto for claiming it had been unjustly enriched by paying women faculty less than comparably qualified men. The University settled in 2002 and acknowledged that there had been gender barriers and pay discrimination.

As an applied scientist, her writtings on technology benefit from the insight of an insider, but her priorities are justice and peace and she critiques and analyses technology in this light. She does not view technology as neutral; it is a comprehensive system that includes methods, procedures, organization, "and most of all, a mindset". It can be work-related or control-related, holistic and prescriptive. Franklin argues that the dominance of prescriptive technologies in modern society discourages critical thinking and promotes "a culture of compliance". She has investigated the relationship between technology and power. She has investigated how we interact with communication technologies and advocated for the right to silence.

Many of her articles and speeches on pacifism, feminism, technology and teaching are collected in The Ursula Franklin Reader (2006). Franklin is one of many respected scholars and thinkers to have delivered a series of Massey Lectures, in 1989. Hers were gathered and published as The Real World of Technology. She has been recognized for her work in many ways, including receiving the Order of Canada, Governor General's Award in Commemoration of the Persons Case for promoting the equality of girls and women in Canada and the Pearson Medal of Peace for her work in advancing human rights. Locals may know the Ursula Franklin Academy, a Toronto high school, named in her honour. I think this University, city, country and in fact, society at large are a better place because Ursula Franklin is a part of it. So, though she has received this recognition, I think she should be a household name, so that's why she's my choice for Ada Lovelace Day 2010.

{this post includes material from the surprisingly well-documented wikipedia entry on Ursula Franklin}

Ada Lovelace Day by Ulixis

2010-03-24T13:22:00.004-04:00

Originally posted by Ulixis

Today is Ada Lovelace day!

WHO? Ada Lovelace is considered to be the world's first computer programmer - she wrote software for Charles Babbage's analytical machine, the first "computer." Unfortunately, the analytical machine was never completed, but her programs would still have worked. In fact, she was one of the first to see computers as more than just adding machines - envisioning that computers could even compose elaborate pieces of music one day.

So what? WHY does that give Ada a whole day to herself? Well... have you ever heard of Ada Lovelace? What about Henrietta Leavitt? Rosalind Franklin?

Probably not.

These women were all scientist & made major contributions to their fields (see above & below) - but did they get any recognition? Does anyone ever learn about them, except in passing reference to their male colleagues? Of course not, they were women!

So today is a day for recognizing women in science: a field where we're often ignored or unacknowledged - where a women's contribution is often attributed to her male colleagues' ideas - or a man's "interpretation" of her work is deemed most important.

We're important too, darn it!

Thankfully, "political correctness" is all the rage now - and gender equality falls within those boundaries. Of course, this doesn't necessarily mean women are getting paid the same amount as a man for doing the same job ... but it's getting better. Let's continue the positive trend - spread the word! Today is Ada Lovelace day!

Rosalind Franklin: her x-ray crystallography photographs were what clued Watson & Crick in that DNA was a double-stranded helix. They probably would never have figured out DNA's structure without it.

Henrietta Swan Leavitt: her work on the relationship between periodicity and luminosity of stars forever changed our view of the universe. Her variables allowed Edwin Hubble to measure distances in the universe & discover that other galaxies existed outside of ours (the Milky Way).

All 3 of these women died of cancer (and blood-letting in at least Ada's case) before their work was recognized.

Ada Lovelace Day 2010 MSOE Blog Mash-up

2010-03-24T13:13:00.005-04:00

Today is the second annual international day of blogging to celebrate the achievements of women in technology and science, Ada Lovelace Day 2010 (ALD10). I'm sure you'll all recall, Ada, brilliant proto-software engineer, daughter of absentee father, the mad, bad, and dangerous to know, Lord Byron, she was able to describe and conceptualize software for Charles Babbage's computing engine, before the concepts of software, hardware, or even Babbage's own machine existed! She foresaw that computers would be useful for more than mere number-crunching. For this she is rightly recognized as visionary - at least by those of us who know who she was. She figured out how to compute Bernouilli numbers with a Babbage analytical engine. Tragically, she died at only 36. Today, in Ada's name, people around the world are blogging about women in science and technology, whose accomplishments have all too often gone unrecognized or unacknowledged.

Today, the Mad Scientists of Etsy, many of whom are women in science and technology, is hosting our own ALD10 Blog Mash-up. We'll be posting on this topic all day and collating results here. You can find links to individual MSOE blog posts below:

Ada Lovelace Day: Rosalind Franklin & Henrietta Swan Leavitt by Ulixis
Ada Lovelace Day 2010 Profile: Ursula Franklin by minouette
In celebration of Ada Lovelace: Marie Curie by AliciaMae
Happy Ada Lovelace Day – Wearable Electronics Edition by Polymath
Ada Lovelace and Henrietta Swan Leavitt, of computers and stars by bijoutery

There's nothing to get your feather's ruffled about!

2010-03-08T08:58:00.003-05:00

Especially not with these entries for the MSOE February challenge theme - feathers!

This month's theme was inspired by the identification of colour of some feathers on dinosaurs and early birds for the first time. The researchers found melanosomes in fossilized feathers, which are "color-bearing organelles buried within the structure of feathers and hair in modern birds and mammals, giving black, grey, and rufous tones such as orange and brown". They also found phaeomelanosomes, which result in rufous and brown colours. By finding these, for the first time we know what some of the colors of dinosaurs were!
Read more about it on Science Daily!

This inspired some wonderful and creative items by our team!

Sweettweelab - Otus the Screech Owl 1950s Ephemera Book Page
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=40987433

Minouette - Block Printed Feather Brooch
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=41204667

CreturFetur - Playful Kea
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=41384838

iWunder - Luxury art yarn moebius cowl
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=27132410

Ulixis - Feathers CARD SET
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=41693565

Jackbear - Penguin Hand Carved Rubber Stamp
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=31541788

AliciaMae - Decorative or small masquerade black feather mask
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=6922225

Scientificculture - Felt Feather Brooch
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=41568743

Tyarkoni - Heart No. 7, Hand Drawn Feathers, Frameable Art Card
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=37919541

Don't forget to vote for your favorite entry on our poll!
Check back next month for our March challenge theme - entomology!

Profile of a Mad Scientist: Ulixis

2010-03-03T16:41:00.010-05:00

The Mad Scientists of Etsy present the second 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, Cretur Fetur interviews Ulixis, followed by the 'Lightening Round'!

Cretur Fetur: You have three successful, often-updated shops, AND are pursuing a Master's in Medical Science. How do you balance it all?

Ulixis: Well, honestly, I don't think I do. Heh… or at least not all of the time (take my neglected sewing shop for example). All I do is try to make a little time for everything each day. I always set aside at least an hour at night to blog & craft, but during the day I'm at work. When I do sit down for a photoshoot, I take pictures of a lot of items all at once - that way I have a bunch of photos & can list new pieces regularly. But most of all, I don’t let it stress me out. I just keep a to-do list in my agenda & make sure I finish everything that NEEDS to be done. Everything else can be worked on slowly, whenever I have time.

Cretur Fetur: How does your affinity for science affect/influence the subjects in your art?

Ulixis: I often gravitate towards themes reflected in nature. I have a huge stash of beads in the shape of flowers, melons, leaves, waves, even beehives. Likewise, floral & foliage patterns on fabric & paper are my favourite. When it comes to making ACEOs & original collages, I’m inspired by nature just as much as mythology, another interest of mine. The MSOE challenges are another way I like to explore merging science & art.

Cretur Fetur: How does your scientific background affect your craft technique?

Ulixis: Attention to detail is an important skill I refined during my undergrad (it’s on my résumé heheh). I find this very useful in beading, wirework, sewing, collages AND notebook making. But I also learned how to improvise & work out solutions to problems – so when I “mess up” I don’t worry about it. I just turn it around & try to see how to improve on the situation. Oddly, dissection is a scientific technique that I’ve applied to paper work. I recently picked up a good, sharp knife for paper cutting, having refined my technique beforehand with a scalpel. But I still turn back to my scissors often since I also use those (in miniature) in dissection. I try to remind myself to rip the paper too – sometimes this is the best way to remove unwanted tissue.

Cretur Fetur: What do you plan to do with your degree?

Ulixis: Oh man, everyone always asks this one. I'm really still not sure at this point, but I'm aiming for professor right now. Still, you never know where your path may take you. Whatever the case, my next step is PhD - I just have to decide on a question.

Cretur Fetur: Tell me a little about your research. What is it you do in the lab on a typical day?

Ulixis: For my Master's research, I'm looking into the link between obesity and asthma. Many obese individuals develop asthma & I'm trying to see if there's a cellular basis for this. So in the lab I work with airway muscle and fat cells - I grow both of these in flasks & use the cells in my experiments. Picture me in a lab coat with gloves on working in a biological safety cabinet (basically a sterile chamber - you have to reach over a vent to work inside, a window covering the front upper half - the vent shoots air upward, keeping the sterile environment inside).

There are 3 different experiments that I run - ones looking at muscle growth, muscle migration & muscle contractility. Right now, I'm having difficulties with the growth experiments... I can't get the cells to grow in the culture plates before I start the experiment. Not sure why... yet. I've found that the fat serum (basically anything the fat cells are producing) increases migration of the muscle cells. To test contractility, I dissect muscle strips from bovine trachea & hang these in small baths. The fat serum seems to relax the muscle contraction.

Besides working on my Master's work, I also have class on Thursdays (a smooth muscle course) & TA a pharmacology lab course on Wednesdays (well, I do from Sept - Jan). For TAing, I teach 3rd year undergraduate students a radioligand binding experiment. Basically, we use a radioactive compound that binds to a certain receptor in prepared membranes - we then test how other compounds can remove the radioactive one from the receptor (by measuring the change in radioactivity in the membranes).

Lightning Round

*Question*	Cretur Fetur	Ulixis
Which do you prefer: Astronomy or astrology?	Astronomy	Astronomy
Over land, by sea or by air?	By air	Over land
Acute or obtuse?	Acute	Obtuse
Qualitative or quantitative?	Qualitative	Quantitative
Big picture or tiny detail?	Hmm, this is a tough one. It depends.. but I'll go for details.	Tiny detail
Name your favourite: Palindrome?	Dábale arroz a la zorra el abad.	Kayak
Prime number	3	7
Animal?	Spotted hyena	Zebra
Plant?	Cape sundew	Maple tree
Scientific technique?	Observation	Fluorescence

Ulixis has two other shops: Paper Ulixis and Sew Ulixis. Check out her blog, photo stream, follow ulixis on twitter and check out her website here.

All images curtesy of Ulixis, Paper Ulixis, Sew Ulixis or Ulixis Crafts.

Profile of a Mad Scientist: Cretur Fetur

2010-03-03T11:36:00.017-05:00

The Mad Scientists of Etsy are launching a new feature today: 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, etsy seller Ulixis interviews Cretur Fetur.

Ulixis: What's your science field of choice? Why?

Cretur Fetur: In a very general sense, zoology. Being a little more specific, I'd go for mammalogy and ethology. All my life I've been absolutely fascinated by animals, especially animal behavior. When I was very little, I decided I would be a veterinarian, but quickly backpedaled when I was informed I would have to do a lot of dissection for that. I've always been squeamish when it comes to that sort of thing. Later I heard about ethology, and I pursued that for a while, reading books by Konrad Lorenz and Jane Goodall and stuff on the internet (ah, the young days of the internet), but I abandoned it midway through high school to pursue art instead. I think part of my reasoning for it may have been that I thought art would pay better. HAH!

Ulixis: What was the last thing you learned that you thought was particularly interesting?

Cretur Fetur: There's this jellyfish, Turritopsis dohrnii, that can reset its cells to a younger state. If it's in danger of starvation, or damaged, or feeling old, it'll just age itself backwards all the way back into a polyp colony, the first stage of a jellyfish's life. That colony can then become hundreds of jellyfish genetically identical to the original one. Crazy.

Ulixis: How do you incorporate science into your crafting?

Cretur Fetur: I read about animals pretty often, and I have a particular affinity for animals that not everyone has heard of, or not many people know much about. So what I've done with Cretur Fetur is pick one of these animals per month and put them in the spotlight. I research them as extensively as my resources allow, write everything down, sketch the animal from as many angles as possible to familiarize myself with its shape, then make it into a wool sculpture. I think the sculptural part of the process gives the animal a presence and an approachability that a flat drawing would not accomplish by itself. At the same time, a drawing can show detail and accuracy in a way that my wool sculpting skills can't yet, so I also include a card with a watercolor drawing of the animal, with key parts of my research (by "key" I mean "most exciting") written on the back. So none of the data is wasted, hooray!

Ulixis: What inspires you most when you sit down to create?

Cretur Fetur: I get inspired from two fronts: one is the natural world and how insane and amazing it is, and the other is art and how insane and amazing it is. There's a couple of artists that work with wool whose art I enjoy particularly: Stephanie Metz and Masako Onodera. What I am doing right now is more craft than conceptually robust art, but I'm still getting a kick out of directly translating something from nature into something manmade. I plan to explore the medium more thoroughly soon, and hopefully make bigger, more abstract things. Eventually. Right now I just wanna make a quoll, and find out why grackles congregate in the evenings.

Check out her etsy shop at Cretur Fetur, read about her creative process on her blog here and follow CuriousCreturer on twitter.

Next up: Check the blog soon for the next in this series, when
Cretur Fetur interviews Ulixis - with a bonus 'Lightening Round'

All felted animal photos curtesy of Cretur Fetur. Turritopsis dohrnii photographs via National Geographic, by Stefano Piraino (inset) and Maria Pia Miglietta. Tiger quoll image via wikipedia.

Ada Lovelace Day 2010

2010-02-24T12:43:00.004-05:00

This is a detail of a lino block print by minouette of Countess, Lady Ada Lovelace (1815-1852), who published the first computer program. She worked together with Charles Babbage, the inventor of the Difference Engine and the Analytical Engine (the first - analogue! - computers), correcting his notes on how to calculate Bernoulli Numbers with the Analytical Engine. More importantly, she (a great communicator, daughter of mad, bad and dangerous to know poet Lord Byron) was able to understand and explain the workings of the analytical engine and the potential of computing machines. Her comments seem visionary to the modern reader. Babbage called her the Enchantress of Numbers and the Princess of Parallelograms.

One month from today, on March 24, 2010, the second anual international day of blogging to celebrate the achievements of women in technology and science, Ada Lovelace 2010 (ALD10).

Women’s contributions often go unacknowledged, their innovations seldom mentioned, their faces rarely recognised. We want you to tell the world about these unsung heroines, whatever they do. It doesn’t matter how new or old your blog is, what gender you are, what language you blog in, or what you normally blog about – everyone is invited. Just sign the pledge ... and publish your blog post any time on Wednesday 24th March 2010.

We here at the Mad Scientists of Etsy - many of whom are women in science or technology (or both) are hosting our own Ada Lovelace Day mashup! I hereby pledge to blog to draw attention to the achievements of women in technology and science on March 24th. Further, I will link to my team mates ALD10 posts and we will cross-post all our various entries here, on the Mad Scientists of Etsy Blog. Last year's event was a great success (my own post from 2009 is here) and this year, I'm looking forward to learning about other female innovators and heroines of my fellow Mad Scientists.

So, please get involved!
1. Go sign the pledge.
2. Comment here or convo minouette if you plan to participate in the MSOE ALD10 Mashup.
3. Blog on March 24th, 2010.

Even Mad Scientists Need A Little Love...

2010-02-03T18:53:00.004-05:00

A bumper crop of entries for the 'Mad Scientists' Valentine' challenge! Featuring items with a science theme, or any Valentine's Day gift a mad scientist would love :)

clairepayne - Lavender Heart Sachets
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=38529196

minouette - Thinking of You Valentine IV Card
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=38380178

buffalonerdproject - Shiga toxin sweetheart half apron
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=38896464

molecularmuse - Dopamine Heart & Pearl Valentine's Day Necklace
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=38985622

jvdarcy - Hand Drawn Valentine's Day Cards
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=39285974
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=39295988

tyarkoni - Valentine, Hand Drawn Honeycomb, Art Card
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=37991643

iWunder - Hot Pink Glam Cowl
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=36942844

jackbear - Tell Tale Heart ACEO - Alternative Valentine
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=39698292

CNJceramics - Red Love Birds
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=39747708

bijoutery - Brown Ceramic Heart Necklace
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=39830821

scientificculture - Love Robot Coffee Sleeve
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=39675846

maidstonejewelry - Valentine's heart pendent
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=39152176
- Heartlinks
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=38689816
- Heart diamond ring
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=38689163

janssendesigns - Valentines Day puppy love wreath
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=39378788

Vote for your fav entry in our blog poll!

Find more great items by the team on Etsy, just by searching for 'msoe team'!

Geek is Beautiful, Amazing, Fun, and just plan Cool!

2010-01-27T22:43:00.011-05:00

So what is a geek? I suppose we all have a preconception what that is, but defining it, well, may be a bit harder... Odd? Weird? Uncool? Pocket protectors and bow ties? Braces and telling pi jokes?

Of course there are definitions out there. One of Wikipedia's definitions is that a geek is "a peculiar or otherwise odd person, especially one who is perceived to be overly obsessed with one or more things including those of intellectuality, electronics, etc". Sometimes its synonymous with nerd, dweeb, and other vernacular. Often times seen as something that is bad, that no one wants to be.

I suppose we embrace our geekiness more than some might. We enjoy talking shop, about our day in the lab, woes of funding, what cool new gadget we got. But we also talk about babies, what crazy things our pets have done lately, celebrate new art creations, reach out to one another on our bad days. And boy do we know how to have fun and laugh at ourselves!

We may be a bunch of science geeks, but we are so much more than that.

So yeah, we're a pretty cool team full of awesomeness :)

Find more great items from our team, geek and otherwise, on Etsy!

Sounds like it could be Science!

2010-01-16T19:23:00.007-05:00

This time we're featuring items from the last two month's of challenge themes: accoustics of sound, and Rene Descartes. Since minouette was our only entry for the Descartes theme, she's already won that challenge with her very cool entry!

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=35443831

But you can still vote for your fav 'accoustics of sound' entries by:

maidstonejewelry

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=36259227

jvdarcy

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=33902993

AliciaMae

Thanks for voting!

Its a Mad Scientist's Holiday!

2009-11-21T23:15:00.003-05:00

October's theme challenged team members to come up with holiday themed items ala 'mad science' style. There were many great entries for all the fall and winter holidays! Currently they are being featured in an Etsy treasury!

The treasury expires Tuesday morning so please go visit!

As always you get to vote for your favorite entry on our blog poll, so go vote after checking these fab entries out!

jackbear's Frankenstein ACEO
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=33046256

buffalonerdproject's Five Depression Era-inspired Science Nerd Ornaments
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=33337107

minouette's Natural History Ornaments
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=33439162

molecularmuse's ginger - zingerone molecule - holiday ornament
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=33564047

ScienceKitty's Pipette Tip Earrings
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34081328

janssendesigns' death tour Halloween recycled upcycled shirt
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=29299071

Biology and Math combine...

2009-10-05T21:21:00.004-04:00

...to create our "Annual Rings" and "Fractal Geometry" challenges!

Annual rings in trees often represent a tree's growth each year, and can often give clues to the enviromental conditions over the years. Fractals, in the most basic sense, can be thought of as a shape made up of smaller copies of the same shape (ie a triangle made of of other triangles), and these fractals can be found in every day life, espeically in nature.

So this time we have two different challenges to vote for! We have entries for the annual ring challenge from:

inalather

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=30412862

janssendesigns

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=29300253

pandphomemades

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=30156899

And our Fractal Geometry entries from:

pandphomemades

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23472064

minouette

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=31531306
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=31698594

Polymath

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=29126209

And be sure to check out our Etsy treasury, which will be up until Wednesday (Oct 7), featuring these and other great team items!
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=85856

Its Astronomical!

2009-08-03T22:14:00.002-04:00

The talent of the Mad Scientists of Etsy that is! In honor of the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing on the Moon, July's challenge was a mix of NASA/Apollo/space themes. So check out these great entries, then pick your favorite by voting on our poll!

AliciaMae

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=27834015

iWunder

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=27997644

minouette

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28009309

jackbear

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jackbearstamps/3762130335/

bijoutery

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28686467

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28685809

As always you can find these and previous challenge entries on Etsy by searching for "msoeteam challenge" as well as other great items by our team members by searching for "msoe team".

Easy as G C T A

2009-07-07T23:21:00.006-04:00

June's theme featured a famous scientist, and this month was Rosalind Franklin. While you may have heard of Watson and Crick, who identified the double helix structure of DNA, it was actually thanks to Rosalind Franklin whose x-ray crystallography data allowed them to make their discovery. However it took many years before the role of Rosalind was revealed, as Watson and Crick were rather reticient with this info. Although Watson and Crick received the Nobel in 1962 (in addition to Maurice Wilkins) for their work, sadly Rosalind had already past away from cancer and thus was not part of the award (the Nobel is never awarded posthumously). So several of our team members took on the challenge to interpret this theme and celebrate the life of a scientist whose groundbreaking work is often overlooked.

This month's entries include

molecularmuse

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=27062450

Ulixis

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=27126664

AliciaMae

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=27060984

janssendesigns

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=22802689

Please take the time while you're here to vote for your favorite entry on our poll!

Mmmm... tastes like chicken!

2009-06-07T23:01:00.007-04:00

Ok, so maybe none of the fab entries for the team's Ornithology challenge are edible, but they're still pretty tasty viewing :D

No treasury yet on Etsy (they're harder to nab more than ever!) so this time we're going with a bit of a different layout this month so you all still get a sneak peak of all the entries :)

UPDATE: Thanks to ginpins who nabbed us a twest treasury! Check it out!
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=56909

Be sure to vote for your favorite in our monthly poll here on our blog!

buffalonerdproject

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24535118

minouette

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24536997

deWiUK

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16452844

iWunder

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25222524

Ulixis

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25922243

ginpins

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25695365

DuhBe

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25768533

jackbear

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25793753
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25794068
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25793438

pandphomemades

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25776632

wildstrawberry

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24334828

And you can find more great team member items on Etsy by searching for "msoe team" and other challenge entries by searching for "msoeteam challenge"

Some ferocious entries for the Cretaceous challenge!

2009-05-04T18:08:00.008-04:00

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=56280

The challenge theme for April was the Cretaceous Period, which occurred about 145.5 to 65.5 million years ago. While many think of dinosaurs or the large meteorite impact around the end of the Cretaceous, quite a lot of other things happened during this time. The earliest known fossil of a flowering plant (Archaefructus liaoningensis) is from this time period; other flowers such as orchids also first occurred during the Cretaceous. Insects diversified greatly, and a sort of coevolution between flowering plants and insects such as bees is thought to have occurred.

We had quite the diversity of entries for the challenge as well!

Polymath - Diatom bowl
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24429268

NorthStarJewelry - Dinosaur Bone Necklace
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=54897

minouette - Euoplocephalus linocut
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23632674

gooseEatFox - Baby Dinosaur Purse
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23490266

AleciaV - Cretaceous Ocean ACEO
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24323312

jackbear - T-Rex Fail Stamp
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24392309

inalather - Sweet Honey Magnolia Granola Bar Soap
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24398421

Ulixis - Cretaceous Bees Brass Necklace
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24118142

pandphomemades - Ginkgo biloba Leaf Hand Embroidery
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23471109
and Ginkgo sp. Fossil Hand Embroidery
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23470315

iWunder - The Dude Scarf
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24253743

Some really fab entries this month - be sure to vote for your fav just by visiting on poll here on the team blog! And if you haven't yet, check out the team's treasury on Etsy, which will be up until Thursday afternoon!

On the Origin of Mad Scientists...

2009-04-12T13:18:00.002-04:00

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=52120

This month's challenge was Darwin, to celebrate the year of Darwin! And since the voting for last month's favorite challenge was so successful, we're doing it again! So check out the poll here on the team's blog and vote for your favorite entry! The winner will receive not only bragging rights, but a right cool graphic to use too!

Here's all of our great entries for the Darwin challenge:

kwinkelerphotos - Darwin Award Honorable Mention Bumper Sticker
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=21243261

buffalonerdproject - Galapagos Finch Cat Toys
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=21869986

DuhBe - Darwin's Grandeur - embroidered boucle blazer
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=22251530

minouette - Darwin on Galapagos Lino Block Print
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=22461907

Arctida - Mirror Mirror on the wall - ACEO
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=22933368

jackbear - Evolve Stamp
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23105852

auntcindysattic - Giraffe Tracks Drag Around Quilt
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23117570

scientificculture - Charles Darwin Finger Puppets
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23064771

And don't forget to go check out our Etsy treasury and click and comment on all the wonderful items there!

Is that a FUNGUS in your pocket...

2009-03-05T20:23:00.006-05:00

We had a bumper crop of entries for the team's Feb "mycology" challenge! For those who aren't in the know, mycology is the study of fungus. We have mushrooms aplenty plus other great fugus inspired items!

And for the first time you (that's right, YOU) can vote for your favorite entry! The winner gets bragging rights as well as an awesome graphic to use! Check out the entries, then vote in our poll hosted on this blog.

Items can be viewed in the treasuries until late Sat/early Sunday on Etsy, in our Flickr pool, or click on the individual listings below!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=43855

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=44057

MSOE Team EXPOSED!!!

2009-02-23T23:32:00.003-05:00

The Mad Scientists of Etsy team was recently exposed as part of VickiDianeDesigns' "Artists of Etsy Exposed" treasuries! You can check out the treasury on Etsy until Thursday morning at
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=41570

And a pic for posterity - We're a rather good looking group aren't we :)

A big thanks to Vicki for making our team a part of her treasuries! And thanks to Alecia (Arctida) for helping to organize this!

August's Microbiology Challenge!

2008-09-09T00:55:00.005-04:00

We had a great selection of entries for August's Microbiology Challenge! This challenge was picked from a variety of science fields and microbiology was a hit! (And included some very interesting discussions on fungus! :D ) We had enough entries that they wouldn't all fit in just one treasury, so we nabbed a second one on Etsy and filled it with the remaining entries plus other great team items!

Entries for the Micro challenge included:
iWunder: Cyanobacteria, hand knit wool skinny scarf
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9711522

buttonbowerbird: Mouldy cupcake
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14009705

minouette: Radiolarians - Original lino block print
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14144432

Ulixis: Bacterial Notecards
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14195644

Olumna: ACEO card
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14227390

pandphomemades: Fantasies in Microbiology
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14211689

sweettweelab: Mixed Media Reflection on Microbiology
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14516917

buffalonerdproject: Phage Party Festive Apron
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14569944

thecuriousbiologist: The Anatomy of a Cell
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14576454

FurWillFly: Plush White and Red Blood Cells
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=13477666

Arctida: S. pneumoniae necklace
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14777210

soap: Gram of Neis Cocks Eye Soap
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8198695

EverettCole: Drop of Sea Water
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14792871

molecularmuse: Pinned microbes
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14787274

audelaine: When diatoms meet
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=12306724

You can find photos of the treasuries as well as other great team photos at our Flickr page too! For these and other great team items, you can search Etsy with the phrase "msoe team" or "msoeteam challenge" for items made for our various challenges :)

Platypus Challenge Treasury!

2008-08-03T14:29:00.004-04:00

Our team challenge for July was the Platypus - a great choice seeing as this creature could practically be our team mascot! Recent genome research showed that the platypus is a conglomeration of a variety of organisms, having genes from mammals, birds, even reptiles! I kind of like to think the MSOE is a similar conglomeration of scientists and artists :)

This month we have entries from:
Skydragons - Flatypus
FurWillFly - Purple Pete the Plush Platypus
pandphomemades - Platypus Cloth Tote
sweettweelab - Platypus Taxonomy Wire Sculpture
buffalonerdproject - Evolution of the Platypus Totebag
deWiUK - Platypus Genome Bracelet

Check out the platypus entries in our treasury as well as other great items from the team (it'll be up til 1am EST on Etsy)!

Scientists Love Art Too!

2008-07-11T00:17:00.000-04:00

So, just who are the Mad Scientists of Etsy? For that matter, you may be wondering what in the world Etsy is?

Etsy, http://www.etsy.com, in an online marketplace for handmade arts and crafts, art/craft supplies, and vintage items. Its not only a marketplace, but a great community too! The idea for the site is founded in a grassroots type of idea and movement, to promote hand made goods, rather than mass produced commercial items. Etsy is often mentioned in a variety of magazines, newspapers, and even the Martha Stewart show. Part of the Etsy community are 'teams'. Teams are groups of Etsy members, usually mostly sellers, who share a common interest - whether it be location, type of art/craft, or other interest. These teams then help to promote each other as well as the team, develop goals for the team, and have lots of fun!

The Mad Scientists of Etsy team was an idea brought about to unite scientists who were also artisans/crafters on Etsy. It was started up a few months ago, with a couple members and has since grown to almost 100 members! Scientists of all types are on the team, including geoscientists, biochemists, mathematicians, physiologists, primatologists, ecologists, and more! The team is even more diverse in the art and crafts everyone makes, from photographs to plushes to jewelry and glass work - with a number of items with science themes! To find team items you can use Etsy's search menu and type in "msoe team" to find team member's items.

One of the great things we have fun doing are monthly team challenges. We have a rotating list of themes, and vote on different ideas for the monthly challenges. Our very first one was called the 'Science as Art' challenge, as a way to showcase our individual interpretations of art. Last month we had our team challenge focus on a famous scientist, which was Leonardo Da Vinci and had some great entries! This month the challenge is 'platypus' (yes as in the duck billed variety) and there should be some very fun results! To find the items entered as team challenges, you can use Etsy's search menu and enter "msoeteam challenge" to bring them up.

We're finally to the place where the team is ready to grow an online presence, hence the start of a team blog, soon a website, and hopefully online advertising in the near future! On this blog there are plenty things to be featured here, such as team news and updates, results of team challenge entries, features and more! So please stop in regularly for a very lively and fun (dare I say even educational sometimes?) blog, and be sure to check out team members stores and blogs. Feedback or ideas are always welcome - feel free to leave a comment, we'd love to hear from you!

More info where to find us online:
Team Profile on Etsy: http://team.etsy.com/viewteam.php?id=265
Team Flickr Page: http://www.flickr.com/groups/msoe/