i'm building a house!

with habit for humanity that is

i've joined the "women build" and worked on day 1 and 2

the concrete foundation was poured and we set the sill plates and got half way done with laying the beams and posts on a perimeter wall foundation. work takes much longer than a typical build because none of us know all the shortcuts and tricks that an experienced builder would. so we learn by trial and error and figure out our own tricks.

what's all the hype about ipe

ok, i'll tell you

Ipe is a Brazilian hardwood, Tabebuia serratifoli, found throughout tropical america. It stands as one of the tallest trees in a rain forest. It is a hard wood, similar to Teak but much cheaper. It is such a hard wood that it will blunt cutting tools and has to be pre-drilled before nailing. It's heartwood is extremely resistant to attack from termites and decay fungi and highly fire resistant. The Forest Service recommends use for railroad ties, heavy construction and tool handles to name a few.

The recent attraction to Ipe has sprouted from it's natural resistance to rot and termites. The hardwood does not need to be treated with chemicals to withstand years of use; in fact it is extremely difficult to even treat. So many builders, architects, and officials claim Ipe to be the "green" choice, for it's lack of chemical treatment and it's natural ability to withstand decay. Even my beloved, Michelle Kaufman, uses it as a green choice.

So I'm here to remind everyone, there should be no hype about Ipe, no new exciting sustainable wood product with revolutionary properties. The tall tree shouldn't even have a market with the current climate changing realizations. But it does.

One reason is that some Ipe attainable has been harvested sustainably through the guidelines set forth from International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO). This may be rightfully minded but when the demand for Ipe is set and roads are cleared which in turn opens up new access for all other sorts of deforestation enterprises, such as cattle ranching, mining and agricultural plantations. It is estimated that 80% of hardwood coming out of the rain forests are illegally obtained!

I think we all know the basic losses associated with rain forest deforestation but basically the CO2 loving rain forests are being replaced with CO2 producing enterprises, at the current rate, deforestation will be the leading contributer of climate change in the next three years (http://www.alternet.org/environment/64562/).

So let's make a stand and end the fascination with Ipe.

little bear

i finished this bear yesterday, taking a total of about 8 hours
he's made of felted wool sweater and other thrifted fabric

i think i've figured out the head combo (shape, eyes, nose)

when making a toy with no pattern there is a lot of trial and error;
hopefully my next project will be much faster

miss soie

have you ever just browsed the "next blog"?
well, i think i just stumbled on an amazing artist
maybe because her art simultaneously reminds me of my sister, egon schiele, and noystoise's artwork

take a look ->
miss soie de porc

alice

alice baldwin recently relocated to portland from tempe, az to find her career in graphic design. maybe it's my obsession with maps but i love this slope design of hers. she has a great eye for design and it's been fun sharing our critiques with each other. and i'm not the only one who appreciates her design, she just landed a twelve-week internship with weiden + kennedy