December Challenge: Tiny Beaked Toad

(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!

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

November Challenge: Niels Bohr

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

Niels Bohr pendant by HappyFallout








Niels Bohr Blockprint by minouette








Blue and White Lampwork Bracelet (Atomic Blue) by EarthDogStudio







Wall Clock with Stars and Posies by marcympc

October Bats

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

The Mad Scientists made some amazing batty items:

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

Embroidered Bat Brooch in Neutral by whatnomints







The Bat Linocut by minouette







The Bat Scarf in Turquoise by buffalonerdproject






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





ACEO - Bats by jerise







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

NASA & Etsy Space Craft Contest!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Best of luck to all entrants!

Profile of a Mad Scientist: nikhajewelry

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

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

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



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

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

Where/when do you make your creations?

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

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

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

How does you scientific background effect your creations?

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

To which Etsy Teams do you belong?

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

Please tell us about the items in your Etsy shop.

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

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


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

How did you get involved with Etsy?

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

What is your biggest challenge related to your Etsy shop?

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

What is your favorite item in your shop?


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

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

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

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

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

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


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

Profile of a Mad Scientist: whatnomints

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

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


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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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