Sarasera

So Don and I purchased a high quality, American made, 40 Watt laser cutter. I’ve had it about a month now.

Back in March, a week or so before the iPad came put I picked up the most boring domain name I have owed so far – iPadLaserEngraving.com. I added minimal content since I didn’t even have the laser yet. Apparently Google likes it when your domain name is the same as a search term. The site received 1000 visits from google searches in April. I’ve now engraved 6 iPads and expect 8 more soon, not counting Don’s. It turns out that corporate orders are the easiest, they already have their artwork, their logo.

For the iPad focus I want to create an “artist series” of engravings. This would be helpful for individuals who want an engraving but don’t know quite what.

The laser is such an amazing thing. There is so much variety that I’m overwhelemed sometimes. Since I already have Slides In A Flash I think focusing on engraving photographs makes sense. A photo can be engraved on wood, stone, tile, sometimes glass. A friend of mine suggested wood cutting boards, and someone else I know does granite coasters and placemats. Shipping an order of stone is a big expense though so I definitely need to find out who has what locally.

I’d like to coordinate with wedding photographers directly and let them offer tiles as part of their print packages. To get fancier, I can add text or border frames. Some people use watercolor pencils and add some color. If they’re sealed then they can be used outside.

Along the kitchen line, Corian, the countertop stuff, can be engraved And cut on the laser. It can’t cut stone/tile/glass so that’s a nice plus. And after engraving, things can be filled with paint to add color.

It seems like kitchen designers would be good to partner with. Or architectural work in general. Just so many options. One guy locally has a laser that he uses to make cardboard animals. About six people have asked me now if I know him. I wonder if he knows how locally-famous he is.  (and I only just now realized how globally famous his creations are, wow.)

My next personal project is to make some really cool laser-cut business cards. But even here I’m not sure what material or design to focus on. I have an acrylic card that punches out to become a spirograph. Then there is a papercut card that’s made up of gears that really move. I also have some thin veneer that could be an awesome wooden business card, and want to order aluminum cards and make some of those too. See what I mean about focusing?

Edited to add pictures and Lots more photos here!

Here’s a medley of views and music from a gig the saxophone ensemble had at the Scottsville Farmer’s Market on May 1. We’ve been playing together for well over two years now and our two year anniversary for our first performance is coming up next month. Check us out on Facebook to follow the latest news and events. http://www.facebook.com/saxcase

YouTube Link
Songs played: Sesame Street, It Don’t Mean A Thing (slow ballad start), When I’m 64, Amparito Roca (Spanish March), Diversions In Denim Movement 2 Idlewood, Diversion Mvmt 1 Excursion, Salvatore, Three Shades of Blues. (think I got them all!)

One of my favorite places ever to ski and to visit is a tiny town in the Southwest corner of Colorado called Telluride.

I’ve been there four times over the last five years staying around a week each time.  The town is small but very nice to walk around with many places to visit.  You don’t need a car once you are there because you can walk right to the ski lifts.  The gondola offers free transportation to the more modern and built up side of the mountain called Mountain Village.

The skiing is a fabulous mix of miles of beginner runs that take half an hour to make it all the way down and tons of lovely expert terrain with enough steeps and trees and bumps to wear anyone out.  Then there is the Hike-To terrain, and even back country access and heli-skiing right from Telluride… things I’m only dreaming about since in my brief visits I’ve never run out of in bounds terrain.

Last year I skied with a local who showed me some cool ‘between the lines on the map’ glades. This year I went into the woods by myself and didn’t have a very good time of it not coming out where I expected and taking much longer to find my way back to where I was meeting Don.  Thankfully I ended up in territory I saw last year with my guide and knew where I was then. It’s always nice to be shown around by a local who calls a new resort their home.

Someday I’d like to get out to experience skiing something like this:  Touring in Telluride