This is my new wallet. Paired down for my reductionist kick. The grey and white curled up on the front is Miss Mollybee, and with a Chickadee on his head is Dr. Waffles. My cats seriously have become one of my biggest inspirations.
Also, I have finally put together a personal website: http://coletteisabella.com I am really excited about it.
By request, here is the prototype for a phone-holder arm cuff. It’s bigger, and a little heavier, but it’s stayed on pretty well so far versus jumping. This one is specifically sized for my iPhone 4, and I put some cards in as well to test out the level of usage. So a little more testing, and an experimental wash, and then I might be able to turn this into a thing for people!
Arm Cuff
So here’s my thing lately: Utilitarianism and simplicity. I’ve been working on pairing down my things, and with this, I just paired down my purse! Most of what I carry anymore is cards, my phone and keys, so I just need to work on a pocket for those, and I’ll be set. I am crazy about lace-ups too, so this covers a few of my creative needs.
Also, I know the dandelion thing is kind of a cliche, but it was my mood, so that’s what came out. Now I just have to take it out for a test run, and see how it goes.
The latest pieces in my Everyday Psychotropics series. The Prozac decided to stereo itself out of existence, so I made Wellbutrin.
Citalopram is another SSRI, this is one of the many, many Antidepressants I’ve tried over the years. For me, I found that this molecule reduced my creative outlets, and so I opted for a new method. It’s like a two headed Serotonin, which is one of the neat things about this one, fairly simple in its structure, but has a real impact on brain function.
The second, unbroken molecule is Wellbutrin. Rather than an SSRI (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor) Which basically keeps more serotonin floating around between your neurons so it can signal more often before going back into storage, Wellbutrin works to bind dopamine, increasing the affects of norepinephrine, so it has something of a stimulant effect. It also affects the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (the receptor which, in part, makes cigarettes so addictive) So it is sometimes used as help to quit cigarettes. I think these chemical facts are awesome, but this is also one of the few antidepressants I do not have personal experience with. Apologies for the spelling error on the page.
I am taking a new direction this week. I am going to do a series. Each of these pieces will be for sale on my Etsy site, and they are going to be a celebration of psychotropic molecules. My focus for this series will be Antidepressants and AntiAnxiety Meds. Some may remember that a while ago I stopped taking Citalopram, and to commemorate the experience, I made a necklace of the molecule. For that, I wore it as a badge of experience, not in a negative way, but in my constant pursuit to a better understanding of myself, and a clearer mind, that was not the drug for me.
I recently started a new regimen, with Zoloft for my depression, and Clonazepam for my anxiety. I don’t know if these are right for me yet, but in a celebration of pursuit towards personal betterment, I want to make this series.
I will give a quick note that I am not encouraging or supporting any particular mental health regimen for anyone, just that you have one no matter who you are. I find these molecules beautiful, and the fact that we have them available to help with imbalances is a truly wonderful thing, and on the other side, the fact that we have to have so many because every brain is so different, and every person needs something particular to them is amazing too.
This is the first piece in the series, and I’ll post them as I finish each one. they’ll all be copper wire, and the bead colors will correspond uniformly to the atoms so each piece ties together. Let me now what you think!
Okay, I had to try painting it, and it was super fun. This is “Anatomy of a Beekeeper” in circular Galifreyan. Three years since my first post here! Okay. That’s my birthday post. Back to playing Fez and cuddling with my cats.
My parents came to visit for Christmas, and along with some wonderful gifts, they brought me one of my first jewelry pieces I ever made. The watch face here was attached to a ratty hemp band. I wore it all through high school, but I recognized in the watch face a need for a new life.
Sometimes I have to break from my science interpretation, to play with someone else’s. I have been a fan of Doctor Who since they showed the old series on PBS when I was tiny. My favorite was the 4th Doctor, scarf and Jelly Babies and all. His hair also reminded me of my mom’s. With the reboot, I have gotten to enjoy what seems like a whole new show, but with many aspects of the old show that kept me loving it.
So as the internet Rules show, if you want it, it’s on the internet. I used http://timeturners.wikidot.com/circular-gallifreyan to translate my name into circular Galifreyan, and now I have a silly new watch which has traveled through time (and space, from Colorado to Washington)
In other news, embroidery is crazy a lot harder than paint, but I like this look more than the flatness that would have come of paint.
I made this series out of a fairly obvious but lovely inspiration. In DNA, Guanine and Cytosine always go together and Adenine and Thymine always go together. I made the G-C pair for my sister in law and her girlfriend, who are one of the most beautiful couples I have met, and I made the A-T pair for myself and my derby wife who has stayed supportive of me through out a US wide separation.
The dots between the necklaces represents the Hydrogen bonds which hold together the two sides of DNA. I really liked making these pieces, I was never very attached to friendship heart necklaces, but I liked the theory. I like the variable number of bonds, and the science of it. Anyway, not feeling as poetic and articulate as I’d like, so I give you DNA partner/friendship necklaces.
This is an updated version of my DNA necklace made with my new technique and with further extensions out to the back bone. So for example, the top left has the phosphate connected to a deoxyribose sugar to Adenine. The chain represents the hydrogen bonds to Thymine and so on. This was more of a proof of concept than a finished product. I wore it under a jacket, and it kept getting bent, so I think it has to be worn with a clear neckline and likely short hair, as the number of connections are cumbersome. I like it though, it stands up well ultimately if not scrutinized by heavy cloth.
Christmas post!
Though I am very happily an atheist, I love love love Christmas. This year is the first year I have been out of my home state of Colorado, but my parents are coming up to Seattle, which has me just a little on Christmas overload. I made ornaments to adorn my rosemary tree, but most importantly I made a Santa hat for Mollybee Yoyodyne. For some reason, she loves wearing it. The rest of my Christmas projects are set to post after Christmas, as many of them would be spoiled for their recipients. :)
