Made With Molecules newsletter - Spring 2011

[raven hanna]

Dear MWM friends and fans,

I'm a bit shocked to discover that it has been about six months since
my last update. Life in Hawai'i has kept me busy. I'm learning to tend
banana trees, play ukulele, and identify the reef fishes and other
creatures. Perhaps missing my days of growing bacteria cultures, I'm
enjoying the experience of herding microbes in jars of kimshee. I'm
also attempting to recreate passable Ethiopian food, a favorite that
is sadly lacking on the island.

Living in Hawai'i is amazing. We live in the Hawai'i of rain and
jungles, farmlands and raw lava. Between the birds during the day and
the coqui frogs at night, it is never quiet here. We live a mere 17
miles from the 100 ft lava fountains that formed in March, an awe-
inspiring reminder that the Earth is still a dynamic planet. I often
find unexpected pleasure in looking up - the clouds assume amazing and
strange shapes, created by the island. I recently heard that the
Hawai'ians, known for being keen observers of nature for navigation
purposes, also were able to predict weather from cloud form and color.
I'd like to learn more about that.

So, while I have been a bit distracted, of course I'm still thinking
about molecules - and often tropical molecules like plumeria
fragrance, hibiscus, vanillin, and I wonder what is active in the said-
to-be-healing plants of neem and noni. What are your favorite
tropical molecules?


In this Newsletter:

1. MWM goes solar
2. Upcoming events
3. Upcoming closure
4. Raising Prices
5. Blogging for Mad Art Lab
6. New stuff in the pipeline


1. MWM goes solar

My big news is that MWM is now solar-powered, and it feels great!
We've now been homesteading off-grid in Hawaii for 2 months and so far
so good. Our solar power system is up and running and so far we have
been able to collect all our energy needs from the sun without any
back-up generator. Yay! Of course, my little hand torch still requires
gas canisters, but all else MWM is solar.


2. Upcoming events

May 14 - Ka'u Coffee Festival, Pahala, Big Island
For my first Big Island event, I'll be sharing a booth with my new
friends and expert artisans/crafters Cheryl Murakami of Double Brush
(http://www.doublebrush.com/) and Tanya Kearns of Manilla Extract
(http://www.manilaextract.com). In keeping with the theme of the
festival, I'll be bringing lots of caffeine jewelry, of course.
http://www.kaucoffeefest.com/

May 21-22 - Maker Faire, San Mateo, CA
I'll have a table showing my stuff, but I won't be selling at the
table this year. As always the Maker Faire promises to be a world's
faire for the DIY crowd. Come for both days, and you still won't see
everything. I highly recommend it, if you are in/near the area.
http://makerfaire.com/bayarea/2011/

May 29 - SkeptiCal, Berkeley, CA
I am honored to be invited to participate on a panel about science and
skeptical art. I'll also have a table with part of my jewelry
collection for sale. I'll also have some Science Tarot decks.
http://www.skepticalcon.org/

I hope anyone coming to these events will stop by, introduce
themselves and say "hi!" (Or bring me some chocolate to keep my energy
up!)


3. Upcoming closure

Due to my California trip, orders placed from May 17 to May 30 will be
sent the first week of April. Please plan around that.


4. Raising Prices

So far I've been able to absorb the ever increasing costs of silver.
I'm proud of not having raised the prices on most of my jewelry since
I started in 2005. Unfortunately, I'm forced to raise my prices within
the next month. I wanted to give my newsletter subscribers a heads-up:
if you have had your eye on something, you may want to order soon. Of
course, if/when the price of silver goes down, I will be so happy to
lower my prices again!


5. Blogging for Mad Art Lab

I am excited to be a blogger for Mad Art Lab! I will be posting as
series of articles about science-inspired art. You can find it here:
http://madartlab.com


6. New stuff in the pipeline

I'm delighted to announce that Tammy Stellanova and I are teaming up
on a necklace design. More news on that later, but in the meantime,
check out Tammy's natural history inspired jewelry here:
http://www.stellanovajewelry.com


I hope you all are enjoying the how amazing nature is wherever you
live!

.raven..

Raven Hanna, PhD
Made With Molecules | Art In Science | San Francisco
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