Gorby’s Little Craft Kits

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Can you pick me out  in photo? Craft Session at Camp Woodland, August 25, 1955. You can order the book “Downtown Community School” from Gateways Books & Tapes.

Kids had such a transformative experience working with adults in the Craft Classes at Camp Woodland and Downtown Community School under the direction of Norman Studer during the 1950s, and when families worked together on simple craft projects and craft shows, it was like a bunch of gluons had suddenly bonded the family members into a blended and harmonious unity, and that’s exactly what’s needed in this world of pain.

I’m designing an entire LINE of metal-embossing kits, and I’ll tell you why — the new EK cutter is a piece of crap, although it does admittedly do the job, but it does it with four massive crimps in the sides, which eventually will roll out with pressure and persistence, but the additional effort makes the thing too time-expensive for the marketplace.

So I decided to set up a craft supply “factory” where I either make or encourage and teach others to make little circular foil bits for sale to embossers everywhere.

We’re making embossings that can actually be used in jewelry mountings, because our sizes correspond to the mountings without modification. We’re among the very few who make embossings on round foil disks. Continue reading

Harry Nilsson’s Circus Family History???

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Harry Nilsson often spoke of his circus family background and revealed that the family name was once “Nelson” and had been recently changed to “Nilsson” — along with a long list of reasons why this had happened. In any case, if true, here is a long-lost rundown of some of Harry’s ancestral circus folks:

NELSON FAMILY CIRCUS

Arthur Nelson, of the Original Nelson Family, after closing the season with the John Robinson Circus, left for his home in Mt. Clemens, Mich. and after a four weeks’ vacation opened in vaudeville with his novelty wire act, The Three Nelson Sisters, comprised of Rosina, Hilda and Oneida Nelson. Mrs. Nelson and the rest of the family are at home in Mt. Clemens. Billboard, December 7, 1918, p. 26.

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As You Were

Undergoing a Process of Change brings about many unusual things, but the most unusual of all is also the thing that can trip you up and make you want to stop growing, and that’s this truth: People around you are dedicated to keeping you as you are. What that really means is that every change you want to make in your personality, your life-style, your environment and your work-life will be powerfully resisted by those who depend on you to always be the person they think you are. This tends to keep you stuck.

I can help you get unstuck. Read on.

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