New Alternative Wedding Bouquet Pics :)

Meet Breanna...

Very recently married, & I got to create bouquets & bouts for her wedding :)

Such a cute pic!

The bridal bouquet was powder-coated to match her colors: I think this is the very first colored bouquet I shipped out: in the sunlight it sparkles with champagne metal flake: so pretty :)

We even did a matching bout. for the groom :)

I love Breanna's funky style; especially the fingerless gloves & tattoos.

Looks like is was a fun celebration; I'm glad I got to be a part of it in a small way.

Thanks for sharing the pics & congrats!

 

All photos by Sooz White.

Amber

Adventures in Event Planning

Right before the holidays, I got a call from an engineering firm asking if I would consider coordinating decor & entertainment at their annual party.  I said sure, sounds like fun :)

Well, after weeks of planning & booking & making new stuffs, the party was a great success :)

--sorry about the bad quality; phone pic--

There were nearly 400 guests, 40 tables, fire dancers, stilt walkers, photo-booth, fortune tellers, temp. tattoo artists & circus performers :)

The tree centerpieces looked amazing; I even gave one away as a door prize & have orders for a few purchases :) 

We also had quite a few huge vases filled with feathers, masks, & glittery trinkets spread around the room--so much fun :)  

We spent nearly the whole day setting up & decorating; it was a lot of fun, but exhausting: if I ever decide to do this again, will definitely hire some help for moving stuff in & tearing down.  I didn't take anything huge, but we did cart in a bunch of giant vases to go around the room, along with centerpieces for 40 tables & accessory decor too.  Whew; makes me tired just thinking about it, lol :)

If you are interested in owning one (or more) of these cute trees: let me know, I have 9 available & can offer special blog pricing of $100 (I'll even throw in 3 glass candle holders).

Email me at refinerii@yahoo.com to discuss details.

Cheers!

Amber

Greenwich made Lighthouse

The picture below has been kindly sent by a reader from South Africa
This plaque is at Cape Point Lighthouse, South Africa. Picture taken January 2013 - note the tower made at Victoria Foundry - which was on Deptford Creek in the Norway Street area.
Thanks to Hew Prendergast for sending it

Cute metal trees :)

I just wanted to share the first pics of the new aluminum trees--so cute!

We just got them polished up tonight, & I couldn't wait to test out the glass candle holders: that hang off the branches perfectly!   This little grove of trees will make it's debut at the Boise Centre this weekend for a corporate event that I'm helping coordinate.  A lucky winner will get to go home with one :)

Each tree will be a table centerpiece & will have 3-4 of the hanging glass candle holders :)

I love the way the aluminum reflects the candle light: so pretty!  I think these would look amazing in the garden too--I'm hoping to build some larger versions soon to be available on my etsy shop.  

I'm also creating other centerpieces: for over 40 tables! OMG: my little shop & apartment is full of glitter, feathers, masks, & other party stuffs.  Event planning is not something I had ever thought I would get into, but when this company contacted me, I couldn't help but say yes : )  I got to build some pieces that have been on the back-burner for awhile now, & work with some of the amazing performers & artists from Carnevale 2012, along with some new faces.  It should be quite the party: looking forward to seeing everything come together.  More pics to come...

Amber

New Trophies-Show & Tell :)

Just finished up some new trophies; they will ship out tomorrow :)

They were commissioned by a web & software development company: these are their Innovation award: being presented to a team that just got a patent for something really high-tech (I'm not very high tech, so have no idea)     2 will be shipped to Seattle & the other 4 are going all the way to Bulgaria :)

 

I'm loving how they turned out; a bit different, but I think they look pretty cool!

Just wanted to share :)

Amber

Welding & Fabrication Pics

On Friday, the Framed Network crew came to my little shop for an interview & sneak peek into the fabrication process.  I will be making custom trophies for the first ever F-Awards: homering the very best of the best photographers from all over the world :)

 They are putting together a little video for promotion, so I got to be a movie star for the day...

These are a few snaps taken in my shop :)

Welding looks so cool in photos, yes? ; )

Thanks so much to (queen) Nena Earl for the pics & for getting me involved in the project.

More progress pic coming soon!

Hope everyone is having a nice relaxing weekend & staying warm :)

Amber

Chill'n with Gold Chicken...

This morning, while waiting for the film crew to arrive for my interview with the Framed Network... 

 The little Gold Chicken came in to visit: she thinks she owns the house; prances in every time the door is open ; ) But, she just likes to hang out; settles down next to me & takes a nap---it's so cold out right now, that I can't help but let her stay in for a bit to warm up...

Cute, eh??   She is a heritage bantam breed: lays little eggs about 1/2 the size of normal chicken egg.  

& she is less than 1/2 the size of a normal chicken; so cute!  At the moment, I have 2 bantams; the other is grey--not quite as social as Gold Chicken (ya--I'm not very good with chicken names...black chicken, grey chicken, red chicken, Mr. Rooster, etc..)

I'm hoping to add a few more bantams to the flock this spring---I love the little eggs & they are less destructive in the garden.  At the moment, I have 2 banties & 5 "normal" sized chickens including the rooster. Plus, 2 ducks & 3 cats :)  I love having the organic eggs--I keep the chicken eggs & sell the duck eggs: hoping to add a few lady ducks in the spring too. 

 The duck eggs are great for baking & some people really love the flavor plus those who are allergic to chicken eggs often can substitute duck eggs instead;  but I prefer the chicken eggs. At the moment, the duck eggs pay for feed for everyone, so it's a great trade-off;  & the ducks are a crack-up to watch roam the property looking for bugs & slugs & they are hardier than chickens; her laying has not slowed a bit during the cold weather :)  Hoping to add 3 Runner-hens this spring, plus at least 2 more bantam chickens: the duck eggs would continue to pay for feed for everyone & with a few more chickens, I would have enough to share with visitors, neighbors, etc :)

It's quite the little farm we have here, but I love it!

Looking forward to spring...

Amber

New Steel Trees

Today, I received a whole grove of pretty steel trees :)

These are actually garden stakes; each tree is 3 feet tall, made from 10 gauge reclaimed steel.

The design actually came from a public art proposal I did about 2 years ago; the project never went anywhere, but I loved the look of these curly, art-nouveau inspired trees.  So, I decided to turn them into garden stakes to start with; also working on some wall panels that will feature a whole grove of different trees in contrasting metals, & some centerpieces for an event--trees in polished aluminum.

Anyway, the garden stakes are available on my Etsy shop;

http://www.etsy.com/shop/REFINERII

Enter the coupon code: Tree23 to receive free shipping (US only)

Amber

Meetings and stuff in the post

First of all. Please remember the next GIHS meeting -

22^ndJanuary      English Heritage's Mark Stevenson on SHARP  (an association of European Arsenals) and English Heritage’s new archaeology assessment for Greenwich

as ever this is at Age Exchange's Old Bakehouse, off Bennett Park. 7.30.


In the post today is the Lewisham Local History Society newsletter with their new programme for 2013. 
They lead with the sad news of the death of their Chairman, Paul Newing - known to many in south east London for his involvement in many local causes beyond local history had also been a Labour councillor in Lewisham

Their next meeting is of particular interest - about Blackheath based Burndept - which became one of the largest wireless makers in the world.  The talk is by David Shaw  and is on 25th January - at the Methodist Church Hall, Albion Way, SE13  7.45  - parking available, and all visitors welcomed - along with donations.

Other meetings of LLHS of particular interest to Greenwich industrial historians are

29th November - Julian Watson on The Changing Face of Greenwich
13th December - Alex Windscheffel on Gladstone - our MP, the PM.

they also have
22nd February - John Beasley on the history of Southwark
22nd March - their AGM and John King on Grove Park in the Great War
26th April - Gordon Dennington on My Post War Years in Lewisham
24th May - Rudie Daley - Memories of a Mayor of Lambeth from Jamaica
28th June - Steve Grindlay - A Healthy Mind in a Healthy Body. Victorian Philanthropy Forest Hill
26th July - Alan Payne - Monsters in our Midst.  4 locals who became Hollywood Horrors
27th September - Jennie Howells - The Road to the Abbey - Bermondsey Street
25th October - Ben Honeybone - A History of Hither Green


Also received
Charlton Parks Reminiscence Project's new booklet
This is a wonderful little booklet full of interesting comments and interview material on the Charlton Parks.   Also see www.charltonparks.co.uk

Carol Kenna is coming to tell GIHS about the project at our meeting on 14th May


Also received

Industrial Archaeology Review.  This is the journal of the national Association for Industrial archaeology. And this is Vol.34  No.1. May 2012.
It includes articles on 'An introduction to the Archaeology of the Glass Industry. The Monuments Protection Programme' by David Crossley and 'Three and a half centuries of Bottle Manufacture'.  by David Dungworth.  Needless to say you can look in vain at these articles for any mention of Charlton - largest glass works in Europe in the 1960s.  To be a little bit fair to David Crossley he is talking about the development of the glass industry and concentrates on the remains of early sites - and he does mention some early inner London sites. To be honest though I was involved several years ago in asking him down to London and showing him some sites, and impressing on him the importance of some of the remains in the Charlton Pits. 
David Dungworth's article also concentrates on development issues in bottle making and thus is not interested in Charlton

 On 19th February the GIHS meeting is about Johnson and Jorgenson, bottle makers of Charlton.

 

Please come along

My Sign-another Show & Tell

This is my sign :)

 

I realized that I never did give it a proper introduction here on the blog.  It was made just in time for it's big debut at Art in the Park, then was seen at Carnvele & now adorns the front of my little work-shop :)

It's about 5 feet wide, & not so easy to carry around, but I love it!

The shapes are taken from this year's collection of pieces & re-worked into a new design: love the contrast of aluminum & copper...  And I'm looking forward to the steel aging a bit this winter in the weather: I would love to see a bit more of a rusty patina :) 

 The whole thing is held together with nuts & bolts: I do have an obsession for hardware, lol  : )

I'm thinking about adding some tiny led lights to illuminate everything at night...but that's another 5 minute project for another day. 

For now, I love seeing it as I drive up to the shop & walking past it every morning--it inspires me to get in the shop & create more : )

This year is starting off good; busy already!  I am helping coordinate a huge company party & doing most of the decor for the event, & working on a few new trophy orders, plus lots of other stuff in the works.

Stay tuned for a sneak peek of the party centerpieces I'm making--polished aluminum trees, with hanging glass candle-holders----so much fun!

Happy Monday : )

Amber

Industrial education - Harveys in 1952

Harvey's - were a large metal working firm who used to be in the Woolwich Road in Charlton - roughly where the fire station is. 

We were given a whole pile of their works magazines and they are very worth looking at for what it was like in the 1950s! 

So June 1952 and there is a report of the Annual Prize Distribution - this is prizes to the works apprentices and the whole thing was handled like a proper educational awards ceremony.

First Mr. Eatwell - Managing Director - thanked everyone and said the firm had 18 apprentice draughtsmen, and 58 craft apprentices and 19 young men 'who would be considered for indentures in due course.  He referred to the Works Welding School, and the Sheet Metal Class - with thanks to Mr. Johnson, foreman of the Zinc Shop.

Second - Sir Frederick Handley Page, no less, aircraft magnate. He said how Harvey's products were used in his aircraft --- and 'half and more of the people graduating from universities had only a knowledge of cultural subjects.... they were at a disadvantage with the apprentice who started in a workshop at a much earlier age'.
Sir Frederick also revealed that he had as a young man worked in Charlton for Johnson and Phillips (did he?? do we know any more about this??)

He then presented the Apprentice of the Year Award to Mr. Russell of the Heavy Tank Drawing Office.  He had been apprenticed since 1945 and got his indentures in 1951 - interrupted by a year on National Service   He got a wristwatch as well as the shield.

They then had some light refreshments - and students got their prizes, mostly things like useful slide rules, and text books.

What followed was a long list of the top three students in each category - all City and Guilds, Royal Society of Arts and National Certificate craft classes.  They had studied on day release at Woolwich Poly, or SE London Tech.      The only exception being a cost accountancy student who got a brief case as a prize for passing his three part exam in Factory Organisation

Note that these are all men

The Women's Page is at the back - including a recipe for Daffodil Biscuits, which I am happy to share.

Show & Tell---new trophy

 

The very first trophy of 2013--made for the Utah Valley Home Builders Association.  This is the 3rd (maybe even 4th) trophy I have made from them; they present one every year to the president of the association as a thank-you for a year of service to the organization.

This one is made up of a steel I-beam section, misc recyled hardware, & nails that are wired together for a nail-gun :)  The acrylic plaque adds the finishing touch; thanks to Ray at Rogue Design Syndicate.

Trophies have become a big part of my biz this last year & I'm thrilled: they are fun to make & I love being able to create something unique & special for keepsakes :)

In the works right now--a perpetual trophy for an ultimate Frisbee league, the Framed Awards, & designs for Fusion 2013.  Oh; & something grande for Carnevale, as well ; )

So far, 2013 is staring off busy & full of new opportunities; I'm hoping its a good sign of the year to come...

 Amber

New Address

New Address

Refinerii.net will now by my little corner of the internet. 

Why the change?  Well, a few months back I made a big ooops: I thought my domain hosting was set to auto-renew, but it wasn't...  I got some emails right before it happened & was busy & didn't bother to open them, thinking it was just promotional stuff, as usual.  Well: within an hour of my .com expiring, someone in Japan had scooped it up & had a site up already---it's blue with a bird photo & a bunch of Japanese characters.   Since then, I have been getting a ton of emails in Japanese--I assume these are offers to buy back my domain at an inflated price. 

And, I owned refinerii.org, .net, .biz, etc... A few of them, I let go, because I didn't want to continue to pay for them.  Funny thing; as soon as they started expiring, I got a bunch of offers to sell them back to me; from anywhere between $500-$2000.  AND: some were offers for the domains that I did renew; I got a couple emails stating that someone had bought out the .org & .net: which I had renewed already: & they tried to "sell" them back to me.

Lesson learned: stay on top of your domains & internet stuffs... Fortunately, I had not invested a bunch of money in SEOs, etc: so I can start over without too much harm.  But it is annoying that the traffic I did build up over the last few years at .com will go to some site in Japanese that probably isn't even real.

New year, new beginnings... :)

Lots of new changes coming in 2013; this is just the beginning.

Cheers!  To new adventures, new projects, & new beginnings!

Amber

 

Carnevale 2013

Mark your calendars!  June 15th this year--plans are already underway :)

All the magic, performances, fire, & more, along with gourmet treats & specialty drinks.

Be sure to like the Carnevale Facebook page for the latest updates on performers, menu, plans & more:

Carnevale on Facebook

Amber

Cesspool emptying equipment made in Greenwich

Thank you to Brian for drawing our attention to an article in Vintage Spririt -   this is by Ron Henderson and appeared in their May 2012 edition.  It is on the romantic subject of cesspool emptiers.

The article starts by explaining the need to empty cesspools before the days of main drainage - and how Greenwich based Merryweathers were on of the first to recognise that this process 'could be mechanised and improved'.

Early on a tank was mounted on a horse drawn cart - air would be withdrawn from it with a pump and the contents of the cesspool would then be removed into the tank.  Initially the pump was hand powered but Merryweathers a 'power pump driven by steam or in later years by a light single cylinder petrol or paraffin motor'.    However 'a more advanced method of making an air vacuum was by means of high pressure steam supplied by one of Merryweather's light water tube boilers'  . 

An early local authority to adopt this apparatus was Rochester who took three 500 gallon cylinder vans and three hand pumps in 1897 - and they later became one of the first to take on steam pumps because of the difficulties with Rochester cesspools. 

Merryweather also supplied deodourising equipment - air pumped from the tank passed through portable stove or disinfecting chamber to limit the smell.  Steam pumps did not need this as such air was passed through the firebox of the boiler to cut down the smell.   This process meant that cesspools could be emptied in the day time - in London, by law, they could only be emptied after midnight when the process was carried out by gangs of men with buckets.

The first steam vacuum exhauster was supplied to Romford District Council in 1905 - the article gives a detailed description of the vehicle - and was a 'huge financial saving  for the council'.  A similar machine went to Eton District Council.

Merryweathers also developed a petrol propelled chassis and also supplied vehicles which could also be used for street watering and gully emptying.

The article is lavishly illustrated with photographs of Merryweather equipment - some of it clearly taken at their Greenwich High Road works.

- a pump designed to be horse drawn with a separate manually operated pump destined for Killiney and Ballbrack council - and taken outside Merryweather's Greenwich 'Fire Station'.

- the same pump preserved in the Dublin Transport Museum today

- a complete set of cesspool emptying plant being demonstrated - again at the Greenwich works

- Rochester Corporation equipment at work (assume this is in Rochester)

- a Merryweather light vertical water tube boiler with air injectors - this looks as thought it could be taken in Greenwich High Road

- four pictures of the Romford vehicle - one of which shows it in use

- the Eton vehicle

-  cesspool exhauster owned by CL Gare & Co.  - possibly taken in the Greenwich works.

Thanks Brian for this - more to follow - and  - Ron Henderson the author.  Ron - if you ever see this, please get in touch, GIHS are always looking for more info and for speakers.

News items part 1.

TALK OF THE THAMES – Winter 2012

Talk of the Thames is produced by the Thames Estuary Partnership – but although most of what it has in it is about the Thames below Gravesend, there are still some items of interest to Greenwich and Greenwich historians

-          Germaine Greer (yes, really) on about Bug Life and Thames Mud. Lots and lots of detail about little things that live in the water – and – she says that the famous Greenwich whitebait thrived on all the sewage in the river, and that now that the river is cleaner there is too little food for the fish!!!

-          An article about the 1953 North Sea Storm – the terrible floods.   This is all about Canvey Island – but it is such an important subject and, as the article reminds us, the Thames Barrier is saving us and ‘it is entirely due to this system that London is viable as a capital city’.  There are a number of commemorative events - a service in Chelmsford Cathedral on 31^stJanuary; lighting of beacons along the coast on 31^st January and 1^stFebruary, and Canvey Island Memorial Day on the 1^st February. Please remember that 58 people died on Canvey 60 years ago.

-          River crossings in East London – an article analysing the current suggestions including the proposed Silvertown Tunnel, a vehicle ferry at Gallions and junking the Woolwich Ferry. Or there again a bridge at Gallions.

-          The Super Sewer – Sustainable drainage – an article about the need for the Thames Tideway tunnel,

There is much much more in this edition of Talk of the Thames but I wanted to highlight one particular article which is about the project on ‘The Lenox – the first ship to be built in Deptford Dockyard for 150 years.     The article – which gives a lot of interesting detail on Deptford dockyard, is about the project running in Deptford to build a full side reproduction warship.    We would love the Lennox team to come and talk to Greenwich Industrial History Society about what they’re doing- so if one of them is reading this, please get in touch. www.buildthelenox.org

and www.thamesweb.com

LAMAS NEWSLETTER      - January 2013

This little news booklet describes London wide history meetings and carries some archaeological articles.  So – of Greenwich interest in this edition –
Enfield Archaeology Society meeting 18^th January. The New Look Cutty Sark by Jessica Lewis.  Jubilee Hall, Chase Side/Parsonage lane. 8 pm £1 each for visitors.

and – LAMAS Annual Conference of London Archaeologists. 16^thMarch at the Museum of London.   This includes an item on Recent Excavations at Convoys Wharf by Anthony Francis of MOLA.  Tickets £15 Jon Cotton, c/o Depot Archaeological Collections, Museum of London, 150 London Wall, EC2 5HN

and advert for ‘London Heritage Conference’  which will include an item on Convoys Wharf by Jon Wright of the Council for British Archaeology.  This will be on 28^th September, will cost £30 and booking forms will be available in May

 

HISTORY AND SOCIAL ACTION DIARY

This is a Croydon based E newsletter which manages to merge local history and local politics in a very satisfactory manner.

it refers to the blog http://historyandsocialaction.blogspot.com(which includes articles about Croydon Tories and Croydon Libraries with talks on Samuel Coleridge Taylor  ‘No wonder the Tories in Croydon kept the local studies and archives out of the tender process’ . it also includes items from all over – Lambeth (of course) but about ‘Save Newcastle Libraries’ and so on.  There are links to all sorts of campaigns and newssheets and blogs and meetings (i.e. School for Revolutionaries in Chesterfield).  There is so much there I hardly know where to start – best thing is to get it and read it!
(Thanks for the copy, Sean)

DOCKLANDS HISTORY GROUP           
The group have produced their programme. They meet at the Museum of London Docklands, West India Quay, Hertsmere Road, E14 t 5.30 for 6.  If you haven’t been – they are a great and really friendly and knowledgeable group – and the room, in the depth of a Docks Warehouse is amazing.

Their programme includes

6^th February – talk by Gus Milne and Eliott Wragg on the Thames Discovery Programme – don’t know what they will say, but this programme has included work in Greenwich.
3 April = talk on ‘behind the jubilee flotilla’ by Martin Garside
7^th August – Greenwich walk led by – er – Mary Mills
6^th November – Society of East India Commanders by Tony Fuller
 

MYCENAE HOUSE LOCAL HISTORY GROUP

This is a group which grew out of an evening class and they operate as a class with a set programme of morning meetings and payment for meetings and so on.  http://mhlhg.blogspot.com/
They do have some very distinguished speakers – but also apparently a waiting list!!

 CROSSNESS ENGINES RECORD

I am always a bit nergvous about putting brief details from the Crossness newsletter – I mean – ALL of it is relevant.  But Winter 2012

-          article on the Fitting Shop tank and the duct under the garden
-          Nature watch  - butterflies and moths
-          News on progress - work on engine Victoria – work on the garden - Visitor numbers !!
-          News on loco Woolwich. she is now in  bits and those bits are being cleaned and she will be put together soon

Most interestingly they have some plans for a new rail pedestrian link – this would go from Plumstead Station down the Southern Outfall (which has probably been renamed by now).  Hope they have a look at the amazing Victorian Plumstead waste destructor on the way.

www.crossness.org.uk

 

 

 

 

 

 

2013 day 1

I'm looking forward to new adventures this year.  And a bit glad to close the book on 2012: there were lots of great things I got to be a part of & cool projects---RAW, an article in MaryJane's Farm Magazine,  Boise Fashion Week, a NASCAR trophy, being chosen for the Boise World Trade Center Memorial project, Carnevale 2012, the opening of Kleiner Park, and more.. But, there were a lot of mistakes & misses too: loosing refinerii.com, missed deadlines, costly miscommunications that lead to do-overs & wasted materials & time, wind turbine failures, last minute deliveries, & much more...

Last night, we celebrated the new year with a bonfire party at the Refinerii shop; we torched the Christmas trees, & enjoyed good company, food & drinks---it was a last minute throw-it-together thing, but I think it might just turn into a new tradition :)

It was the perfect end to the holiday madness & I must say: I had a much better time under the stars than fighting the crowds downtown. It was cold, but toasty warm next to the fire & nice & warm in the shop where we turned the work tables into the buffet/bar & everyone gathered around the shop stove :)

Already on the books for this year; planning/decor for a corporate event--not something I have ever even thought about, but the opportunity came up & I said yes :)  -- designing a trophy for an Ultimate Frisbee League -- fabrication & install of the WTC Memorial -- Carnevale 2013: June 15th this year: mark you calendars ; ) -- new designs, new ideas, etc

A few of my resolutions include:

 getting back into my routine of working out 

figure out how to get/stay organized

create something every day

get the chicken run fenced before the thundering horde can destroy all my plants this spring

check my phone messages more than once a week....

and a few others ; )

Hope your holidays were happy & best wishes for 2013!

Amber