Illinois Senate Seats For Sale!

Newsflash: More Illinois Senate seats are for sale!

Silver and 14k gold chairs are being sold by Peoria, Ill., jeweler Brad Pettet, owner of Pettet Jewelry Designs. Pettet crafted three-quarter-inch replicas to make light of an otherwise serious situation—Gov. Rod Blagojevich being accused of trying to sell the vacant Senate seat of President-elect Barack Obama.

“The whole point of this is to have a little bit of fun,” Pettet said, referring to the governor’s scandal. “People say they are embarrassed to be from Illinois. I’m not embarrassed. It’s Chicago politics. You ought to be used to it by now.”

Pettet is selling the charms in three forms: sterling silver for $35 each, 14-karat gold for $175 and in platinum, which will go at market prices.

Brad Pettet displays a sterling silver charm shaped like a US Senate seat. Photo by Ron Johnson, Journal Star

Great job of drawing you in with a twist on a current event! LOL!

Today's Daily Jewel came from a brief announcement in the JCK Style 360 Blog - check out all the blogs offered by JCK at:http://www.jckonline.com/blog/1940000194.html

New Student Craft Zine Weeks Submissions!

Taking Flight: Inspiration And Techniques To Give Your Creative Spirit Wings (Paperback)by Kelly Rae Roberts (book is in no way associated with NSCZ)

For Immediate release

The National Student Craft Zine welcomes submissions from student artists and writers.

The National Student Craft Zine cultivates critical dialogue among students engaged in formal craft training throughout the United States. Featuring diverse work and writing from fresh voices, the Zine reflects ideas and trends in the field while providing students with a platform for professional development.

The National Student Craft Zine (NSCZ) welcomes submissions for its inaugural issue from student artists and writers actively engaged in making or writing about craft. Owning Craft, this issue's open-ended theme, could be interpreted in a number ways. From collecting objects to students standing up and owning the field, this theme invites dialogue about who owns craft.

Do materials, processes, and techniques own craft by way of tradition?

Do modernist craft artists of the Post-War Twentieth Century have more clout in determining craft's identity?

Do the patrons of craft objects and makers own the craft world financially? Or does the next generation of craft artists own the field as their destiny?

All of these issues are worth exploring, very much on the pulse of the craft world.

The NSCZ is accepting submissions for the following: feature essays, historical essays, artist profiles, new manifestos, and in-print galleries.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: MARCH 1, 2009.

All submissions should be submitted electronically to:NSCZine@gmail.com.

Please specify the nature of the submission (artist profile, feature essay, historical essay, new manifesto, galleries) inthe subject heading.

Questions may be directed to NSCZine@gmail.com.

For full prospectus, submission guidelines, and more information visit http://nsczine.blogspot.com/.