News Blog Archives

June 12, 2007

Squeeeeeeeeeeee!

My key is here! My key is here! My key is here!

Rollande dropped it off last night in the mailbox and we found it when we got home. Isn't it purty?

This is an example of the "non-special-edition" keys. Each will come in a black, recycled-paper box with a 18" length of sterling silver Italian-made chain. The special editions will come in a fancy wooden box, and will feature a short length of baby-fine sterling silver chain; those are intended for display purposes only. We're projecting that the special editions will run $50 and the unlimited series will be $35, not including shipping. As soon as we have a few of each in stock, I'll open them up for sales through the Vögelein Online Store.

YAAAAAAY!

June 2, 2007

Keys! Progress!

Hey, kids! Wanna see the keys?

Master key, cleaned, but still still in its sprues
Nine keys, on their tree of wax
Nine keys, cast and in their sprues
Nine rough keys, still unfinished
(Photos courtesy of David MacMillan, sculpting and silver casting by Rollande Krandall)

Wow, I am so incredibly geeked about the prospect of seeing these finalized. David and Rollande are two of my dearest friends, and early and ardent supporters of the book. So much so that they gave me significant seed money to print the first issue, and refused to allow me to pay them back. The cover of issue 4, an oil painting, was my repayment -- and it still hangs in David's office. When they moved, he said it was one of the first things he brought with him.

So many little points in our three lives have been synchronous. It's another one of those blessed things in my life ... for example, when I was broke and unemployed, I'd drive out to their house in Ferndale, and we'd carpool down to the DIA to see the exhibits. Once, while we were there on a Friday night, we saw a live glass-beadmaking demonstration. Little did we know that Rollande would soon find a serious hobby in bead creation.

Beadmaking led to a class in silversmithing, and as a lark, Rollande said that she'd like to try her hand at making the key. Several classes, untold headaches, a six-hundred mile relocation, casting-tool acquisition and a scratch-built shop later, here we are. Rollande's dedication to the project (not to mention her sheer tenacity) has been nothing short of amazing.

On Rollande's suggestion, we're going to be making a limited run of 50 "Special Edition" keys, that will come on a little six-inch loop of special-ordered .5mm (you read that right) sterling silver chain, and rest in a special wooden box with a bronze-cast half-key on the lid (as opposed to the two-sided, three dimensional silver key itself). These will be essentially as close to a perfect reproduction of Vogelein's key as she can get.

Concurrent with the special edition, we'll also be selling the keys with only a jump-ring, for wearing as actual jewelry. Wear it as a necklace, as a bracelet, or buy two and make earrings; your choice.

I'll let everyone know as soon as I have them in my hands; there should be at least nine special editions up for grabs within the next couple of weeks. YAHOO!

June 1, 2007

Steampunk Magazine

The second edition of the lovely new publication, SteamPunk Magazine has a short but very positive review of the first Vögelein book, and I'm told that issue #3 will feature a review of the new book. Margaret Killjoy, one of the editors and author of both reviews, has the lead pull-quote on the back of Old Ghosts, so you know it must be good.

I think a significant portion of the people who read this blog would dig the living heck out of SteamPunk, so y'all go check it out, kay? Both issues are free online or $3 for a print version.