PINECONE

ROBOT

STARS

CLAW

In the last few weeks I have been working on my new Dragon Claw Ring at silver smithing school. The Dragon Claw Ring snakes around your finger and it isn't closed it is fully adjustable.

I wasn't sure how it'd feel to wear but it has turned out really well - it's very dramatic but feels like the weight is in the right place.

The Claw Ring is getting cast right now. I kinda miss wearing it.

GUN

	New at Corky: Beretta Gun sterling silver studs. Our model is wearing the guns facing out, as it would be pretty intense imagery for her to have guns facing in toward her head.
	Beretta has been owned by the same family for some five hundred years. The Beretta company was established in 1526, when gunsmith Maestro Bartolomeo Beretta of Gardone Val Trompia (Lombardy, Italy) was paid 296 ducats for 185 arquebus barrels by the Arsenal of Venice.
.	Sterling silver Beretta studs. Available from Corky Saint Clair. $120AUD

MUSIC

We are busily planning our contribution to the First Ever Melbourne Music Week.

Music plays a huge part of our business. Over the years we have received many compliments for top tracks we have played for our customers. There are tracks that pretty much guarantee safe, fun times in the shop.

Time is Tight by Booker T + the MGs

Rap Snitch Knishes by MF Doom

Candy Sprinkles by Rafter

Little Dreamer by Future Islands

Sloop John B by the Beach Boys

Come on! Feel Illinoise! by Sufjan Stevens.

Sometimes, however, you just have to play music to amuse yourself. Whenever, my sales assistants leave the shop I like to play over the top tracks such as the soundtrack to TRON or t.A.T.u tracks (in Russian). I find this creates psychological space which is very calming.

On Getting Mix CDs

Getting a mix CD-R is such a personal gift. Sometimes it can feel overwhelming to think the person who made it for you chose all those tracks for you. And of course making a mix cd for someone is an even bigger deal. I gave a mix CD to someone once, who instead of saying 'thank you', said 'I've heard most of these songs'.  It wasn't just tracks that got burnt that day.

More poignantly, I recently received a mix CD from someone that I can't listen to. I just carry it around in my anorak pocket like some tragic amulet. Maybe I'll make some who works for me listen to it and tell what they felt, what is on there.

MIX CD-R HIERARCHY OF DRAMA

	LEVEL OF DRAMA
Mix CD-R	6
Mix CD-R with track listing	8
Mix CD-R with track listing and hand made cover art	9
Email with MEGAUPLOAD or similar media file sharing URL of uploaded album	2
USB stick with data music dump	4
CD-R with songs written for you	10

For the exhibition I am planning a very dramatic headpiece inspired by CEO's 'white magic'. Get ready for some witchy crystal beauty.

DOGHOUSE

It's very fashionable right now to have tiny floral arrangements scattered around your immediate environment. A lot of people are following that chemist/industrial chic vibe with that but I think it's cuter to use more random finds such as this dog house vase.

Vintage doghouse vase $60.
Available from Corky Saint Clair

GRIFFIN

The Griffin is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle.  As the lion was traditionally considered the king of the beasts and the eagle was the king of the birds, the griffin was thought to be an especially powerful and majestic creature. The griffin was also thought of as king of the creatures. Griffins are known for guarding treasure and priceless possessions.
What treasures could you carry in your own private sterling silver griffin carry all pendant?
I  recently attended the Merri Creek Fight Club. It was very intense, gruelling and slightly homoerotic. Afterwards my hands and head hurt so I was glad I had these provisions in my Griffin Carry All. Of course I took care to remove the necklace while fighting as it is dangerous to wrestle while wearing heavy chains. You might get strangled, cut or garrotted. It is also important to consider your jewellery might get damaged. You wouldn't want  to break anything as beautiful as this Griffin necklace.
Sterling silver matchstick carrier pendant on an 80cm Italian sterling silver box chain. $190AUD available from Corky Saint Clair.

SQUIRREL

Have you ever wondered what your totem animal is?

A totem animal is an important symbolic object used by a person to get in touch with the specific qualities found within that animal. These traits might be qualities which you need, connect with, or feel a deep affinity toward.

Your spirit animal guide will instruct and protect you as you learn how to navigate through your spiritual and physical life.

Anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss suggested that animal totems are chosen arbitrarily for the sole purpose of making the physical world a comprehensive and coherent classificatory system. 

Here are some useful questions you can use to locate your spirit animal.

When you go to the park, forest, or zoo what animal are you most interested in seeing?

When you are using tumblr or flickr what animal images do you download and cross post?

When you listen to music and there is an animal reference in the lyrics, which animal references make you sigh the most?

When spying hipsters around the city, which of their animal tattoos are you most drawn to?

Which animal do you find most frightening or intriguing?

Have you ever been bitten or attacked by an animal? If so what animal was it?

Is there a recurring animal in your dreams or do you have one you have never forgotten?

In the summer of 2000 I undertook a vision quest,  during which time it was revealed to me that my totem animal was infact a squirrel. Squirrels are one of the smartest animals on the planet, they store things away for the future and they are extra cute.

My flat is covered in squirrel figurines.

Squirrel remote control console.
Bone China Squirrel Lamp with little holes cut out of the acorn to let light out.   Available from Corky Saint Clair. $120AUD for the base.

LION

CLEMATIS

RAT

This little guy came to live at Corky Saint Clair during the Great Flood of 2010.  He was scared and he was cold; he wanted somewhere safe to live so we found him this little glass sewer pipe.

Those first few floods really changed our lives. The first one was insane.

The second was the worst. 

By the time the third hit I was like 'whatever' and just got to cleaning up and raising all the electricals off the ground.

Solid silver sewer rat available from Corky Saint Clair $100AUD. Comes in shiny or matte.

BLACK LIGHT

Some things seem dark on the surface.
...but have a natural light inside them.
These dark crystals have colours that shift
refusing to remain static
knowing that 'stasis is death'
Our new collection of rough hewn crystal and sterling silver rings entitlted BLACK LIGHT has finally arrived from California. They are even more beautiful than we had anticipated.
Black Light on your finger - summoning every power you ever needed.

WINNERS

We received hundreds of entries for our CORKY SAINT CLAIR photo competition.

How amazing is this couple's effort? How could they not win? 

Thank you to everyone who entered.

EIGHT

Thanks  to everyone who came to our Eighth birthday party. The Kent Street Cocktails were a hit. Less successful were the "assault whistles" that we handed out as gifts. They were pretty but I don't think they are going to save anyone's life.