WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear

NEW BLOG

2011-05-21T20:04:00.000-07:00

Please visit our new blog at
http://www.wattoonline.com/news

Thanks!
Mary & Jon

Bee Happy

2011-03-06T08:46:00.000-08:00

It's almost Springtime. Bee Happy!
A wonderful collection of Etsy creations pulled together in this Etsy Treasury by ME!

Just click on the image and it will take you to the Etsy shop of that item where you can find out more about it.

Outlaws Are All Around!

2011-03-05T12:40:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Sherry Truitt of Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/sherrytruitt
for including our Outlaw Kitty Buckle in her Outlaw Treasury on Etsy.

To see any of the items, just click on the image and you will be taken directly to the Etsy shop where you find out more info about the shop and the pricing.

Hey Boy I'm Looking At You - Gifts for Him

2011-02-28T20:35:00.000-08:00

Check out these Etsy finds for him created by BreatheCouture
http://www.etsy.com/shop/BreatheCouture?ref=pr_shop_more

If you like something you see, just click on the pic and you'll be taken to the artist's Etsy shop where you can find out more about the item. Thanks for featuring our money clip! Only $15 on Etsy.

Rock it Out for him with Handmade Accessories under $100

2011-02-27T20:05:00.000-08:00

Check out this awesome Rockin accessories for him which will make him feel like a million bucks, but cost under $100. All are handmade by Etsian artisans.

If you see something you like, just click on the image and it will take you to the Etsy shop of the artists.

Enjoy!

Unique Springtime Accessories

2011-02-27T11:37:00.000-08:00

ETSY Treasury - Blooming Flower Garden

WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear is proud to have our spiral flower buckle ($35) featured in this colorful unique collection of handmade and vintage items in the "Blooming Flower Garden" treasury created by TheGreenAlien

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

See an item you like, just click on it an you will be taken to the Etsy shop where you can find out more information or purchase the item

Money Money Money

2011-02-21T08:24:00.000-08:00

Check out this cool collection of "valuable" items in this wonderful Etsy treasury called "a Treasury Treasury" created by dVINEart http://www.etsy.com/shop/dVINEart.

Just click on each item and it will take you to the artist who created it with more information on the item and how to purchase it.

Thanks for including our Dollar sign buckle $55.

Rebel Spirit No.62 Etsy Treasury

2011-02-19T10:27:00.000-08:00

Unleash your inner rebel... Who's ready to RIDE?

Created by EVADABEADA http://www.etsy.com/shop/EVADABEADA

To see more about each item, click on the picture and it will take you to the Etsy shop.
Thanks for including WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear's Iron Cross money clip!

Looks Hot with Combat Boots -A Ladies Take

2011-02-17T18:53:00.000-08:00

A military inspired but still stylish treasury created by Katandbear http://www.etsy.com/shop/katandbear on Etsy.

Just click on any image you like and you will be taken directly to that artist's Etsy site. Great unique presents for others or yourself!

Thanks to Katandbear for including WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear's iron cross moneyclip. Only $15

Everything Metal

2011-02-13T09:46:00.000-08:00

WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear was featured in this amazing Etsy Tresury full of wonderful metal creations. Just click on whatever image you like and it will take you directly to that artist's Etsy shop.

WATTO's lion buckle is all about courage, being king of your jungle and bravery to face every day's challenges.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/49461975/lion-buckle-distressed-metal-lion-belt $55

The book Leviathan

2011-02-12T18:18:00.000-08:00

Check out this unusual Etsy Treasury that WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear was featured in:
Inspired by the world of Leviathan

This treasury is based on the book "Leviathan" written by Thomas Hobbes first published in 1651. It was considered one of the most inluential literature pieces written about political thought. To find out more visit.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leviathan_(book)

WATTO's iron cross keychain can be found on Etsy. Only $15.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/58133539/metal-iron-cross-charm-on-gunmetal

Sick Puppies

2011-02-01T16:07:00.000-08:00

The Sick Puppies are an Australian rock band which labels itself post grunge alternative. Emma and Shimon began their journey into stardom way back in 1997 while still in highschool. They made their stake in 2006 with the song "Sll the Same" while still in Sydney. Mark ended up joining them once they moved to the states.

Members include hottie and lead vocal Shimon Moore, beautiful Emma Anzai on bass, and cool, but rockin Mark Goodwin.

To find out more about Sick Puppies visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sick_Puppies.

WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear is very grateful for the photos of the members thanks to Backstage Artist Lounge.Photos from Customminds.com

Mark Goodwin- drummer with WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear skull chain
http://www.etsy.com/listing/55884652/silver-metal-skull-pendant-on-gunmetal

Emma Anzai - bass player with WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear green clover keychain
http://www.etsy.com/listing/62320653/green-metal-shamrock-clover-charm-on

Shimon Moore and Christina Martin (Backstage Artist Lounge). Shimon wearing WATTO skull chain.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/55884652/silver-metal-skull-pendant-on-gunmetal

Check out their awesome video on You Tube : "Maybe"

Spiral Heart - a Symbol of Eternal Love

2011-01-23T14:53:00.000-08:00

REd heart buckle by WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear
http://www.etsy.com/listing/55891037/red-heart-spiral-buckle-red-heart-metal

We all know the most popular symbol for LOVE is the heart.
It is colored red to show the blood that runs through it and symbolizes passion and strong emotion.

Handmade Heart belt buckle
http://www.etsy.com/listing/54512171/heart-spiral-buckle-silver-heart-metal

The history of the shape is what I find particulariy interesting. Although it is a somewhat stylized representation of the actual human heart organ, it's origin is said to be a bit more unique than that explanation.

It has been noted that ancient peoples used the seed of the silphium plant as and herbal contraceptive. (.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_(symbol) ) The shape of the seed resembles and upside down heart. It can be viewed at http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub.aspx?P=IPM1023-9.

The spiral has been noted as a symbol of bringing order to chaos, eternity and brining order out of chaos.

So, when the spiral and heart are combined, the image now becomes a symbol for eternal love.

Valentine's Day is right around the corner! Whether you want to give your significant other, friend or yourself the gift of eternal love, you can find beautiful handmade metal spiral hearts on our Etsy site at http://www.wattoonline.etsy.com/.

Wishing you much love in your life!

mary & jon

Here's some shots with our stuff and celebrities!

Molly Quinn of Castle with WATTO blinged heart spiral buckle

Deborah Gibson (singer) with Jon Watson and Heart Spiral buckle
http://www.etsy.com/listing/54512171/heart-spiral-buckle-silver-heart-metal

Bridger Zadina Movie Surfers & Michelle Defraites Pregnancy Pact _2
with WATTO green clover keychain and spiral heart chain
http://www.etsy.com/listing/56051644/spiral-metal-heart-charm-on-gunmetal

Adren Frantz of Bold & Beautiful &Scott Bailey of Praying for Bobby with WATTO Heart & Clover Buckles
http://www.etsy.com/listing/54512171/heart-spiral-buckle-silver-heart-metal
http://www.etsy.com/listing/31155902/clover-buckledistressed-clover-metal

Molly Burnett_of_Days of our Lives
http://www.etsy.com/listing/54512171/heart-spiral-buckle-silver-heart-metal

Athlete Gene Kerr- Olympic Water Polo
http://www.etsy.com/listing/54512171/heart-spiral-buckle-silver-heart-metal

Sherri Saum of Gossip Girls
http://www.etsy.com/listing/54512171/heart-spiral-buckle-silver-heart-metal

Marisa Lauren of Greek & Kamen Rider
http://www.etsy.com/listing/56051963/red-metal-spiral-heart-charm-on-gunmetal

Kate Linder of The Young & the Restless
http://www.etsy.com/listing/56051644/spiral-metal-heart-charm-on-gunmetal

Motorcycle Heaven

2011-01-19T11:35:00.000-08:00

Check out this amazing BAD ASS treasury for all you bikers out there. curated by http://www.etsy.com/shop/SteelGreyArt

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d372ef67aed6d91d772cc11/two-wheels-hell-to-pay#4d3734f5ee5c8eef6d4a360c

Skull Mania

2011-01-17T21:56:00.000-08:00

Skulls are HOT!

Why? Because they have so many meanings to so many different people and cultures.

Though many people associate the skull with death and negative imagery, it actually has a wealth of meanings and symbolisms. The skull can symbolize motality, power & strength.

Jessie Mendia Photo by Steph Fowler
http://www.stephfowlerphotography.com/

Celtic Skulls

The Celtic culture has been said to view the skull as the house of the soul and the place of power. The view the skull as being a symbol of creation, divinity and time. To find out more about the skull and the relationship to the Celtic Culture visit http://www.whats-your-sign.com/celtic-skull-symbol-meanings.html.

Skulls and Tattoos

Skulls are everywhere in the tattoo community. Everyone has their own reason for adorning themselves with a skull. Here are just a few: overcoming death, symbol of past life, and a declaration of triumph. To learn more about skulls and tattoo designs visit. http://ezinearticles.com/?Skull-Tattoo---The-Real-Meaning-Behind-Its-Symbol&id=2575954

Mystical Meanings

According to Craig Hamilton-Parker of the book "Hidden Meaning of Dreams" gypsies viewed skulls as representing wisdom from their ancestors. http://www.dreamsleep.net/skull-dream-interpretation.html

Dia de los Muertos

Day of the Dead or Dia de los Muertos is a 3000 year old hispanic holiday where family friends gather to pray and honor freinds and family who have passed on. The spirits of ancestors are called upon to live among the living. Since the skull represent death and life, it is a major symbol for the holiday. Find out more at http://www.hispanic-culture-online.com/day-of-the-dead-mexico.html

Celebs with WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear Skulls

Adam Cagley with WATTO Trple skull buckle
http://www.etsy.com/listing/40410646/skull-buckletriple-skull-distressed

Ben Kasica of Skillet with WATTO Single Skull buckle
http://www.etsy.com/listing/54513378/skull-buckle-gold-single-skull-metal

Aranda Band Member with WATTO Twin skull buckle
http://www.etsy.com/listing/31101908/skull-buckle-gold-twin-skulls-gold-metal

Davis Leduke billy boy on poison with WATTO Triple Skull Buckle
http://www.etsy.com/listing/61195341/skull-buckle-triple-red-metal-skull-belt

Hugo Ferreira of the band Tantric with WATTO Twin Skull Buckle
http://www.etsy.com/listing/31101908/skull-buckle-gold-twin-skulls-gold-metal

Jesse Hasek -vocals of the band 10 years with WATTO Single Skull Buckle
http://www.etsy.com/listing/40410552/skull-buckle-distressedsingle-skull

Julia Ling of ChucK with WATTO Triple Skull Buckle
http://www.etsy.com/listing/54636948/skull-buckle-coppertriple-skull-copper

Kara Taily of The Hard Times of RJ Berger with WATTO Twin Skull buckle
http://www.etsy.com/listing/31109981/skull-buckle-pinktwin-skull-pink-metal

Leigh Kakaty of the band PopEvil with WATTO Single Skull Buckle
http://www.etsy.com/listing/40410552/skull-buckle-distressedsingle-skull

Mark Goodwin drummer for the band Sick Puppies with WATTO skull chain
http://www.etsy.com/listing/55884652/silver-metal-skull-pendant-on-gunmetal

Ppaul Phillips of Puddle of Mudd with WATTO Twin Skull Buckle
http://www.etsy.com/listing/26010675/skull-buckle-redtwin-skull-red-metal

Actress Sally Kirkland with WATTO Single Skull Buckle
http://www.etsy.com/listing/55006484/skull-buckle-red-single-skull-red-metal

WWE The Miz with WATTO Twin Skull Buckle
http://www.etsy.com/listing/55002812/skull-buckle-coppertwin-skull-copper

Musician X2 with WATTO Single Skull Buckle
http://www.etsy.com/listing/40410552/skull-buckle-distressedsingle-skull

BArry Kerch of the band Shinedown with WATTO skull chain and lion belt buckle
http://www.etsy.com/listing/55884652/silver-metal-skull-pendant-on-gunmetal

John Cooper of the band Skillet with WATTO skull chain
http://www.etsy.com/listing/55884652/silver-metal-skull-pendant-on-gunmetal

Gregory Michael of the TV show Greek with WATTO Skull chain
http://www.etsy.com/listing/55884652/silver-metal-skull-pendant-on-gunmetal

Sasha Cohen Olympic Ice Skater with WATTO skull chain
http://www.etsy.com/listing/55884652/silver-metal-skull-pendant-on-gunmetal

Stephen Glickman of the TV show Big Time with WATTO skull chain
http://www.etsy.com/listing/55884652/silver-metal-skull-pendant-on-gunmetal

Tammin Sursok of Pretty Little Liars & The Young and the Restless with WATTO Skull Chain
http://www.etsy.com/listing/55884652/silver-metal-skull-pendant-on-gunmetal

bandmember of Richy Nix with WATTO skull keychain
http://www.etsy.com/listing/60385408/metal-skull-charm-on-gunmetal

Alexis Neirs of Pretty Wild with WATTO skull keychain
http://www.etsy.com/listing/60385408/metal-skull-charm-on-gunmetal

The Cross-A Symbol For All Times

2011-01-04T20:28:00.000-08:00

http://www.etsy.com/listing/56742720/metal-cross-charm-on-gunmetal-keychain

The cross symbol dates back to the stone age and has been seen etched into caves dating back to the earliest of civilizations.

During the Bronze Age (3300-1200BCE) the cross was used on vessels and thought to to symbolize consecrations especially in regards to burial (1).

It's most common association is with Christianity. For those with religious beliefs, as it reminds Christians of Christ's sacrifice to take away the sins of the world.

It has also become a pop culture symbol that is unrelated to any religious belief.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/58927936/gothic-cross-metal-belt-buckle

The cross has been used in many modern depictions including organizations such as "The Red Cross" which uses it as a logo, the medical industry which uses it as a symbol of first aid and many nations using the cross as emblems on their flags.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/65015810/handmade-rose-jeweled-metal-cross-charm

http://www.etsy.com/listing/65016122/handmade-bluegreen-jeweled-metal-cross?ref=v1_other_1

http://www.etsy.com/listing/60541623/metal-cross-charm-on-gunmetal-chain

Whether you hold your faith close to your heart, or just like the cross symbol, our handmade metal crosses will be sure to meet your needs. Everyone is unique since each one is individually ground by Jon WATTO Watson to give it it's unique finish. It's then powdercoated for protection. We have crosses in buckles, chains, keychains and necklaces. Please visit our Etsy site for more information on our cross designs. http://www.wattoonline.etsy.com/

(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross

http://www.etsy.com/listing/65121135/handmade-jeweled-metal-cross-charm-on

http://www.etsy.com/listing/55859986/red-metal-gothic-cross-pendant-with

http://www.etsy.com/listing/51920711/metal-gothic-cross-pendant-with-gunmetal

Celebrities with WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear Crosses

Amy Nicoletto of LA Ink

Beverley Mitchell of "Snowmen" and "7th Heaven"

Cassie Scerbo of "Make it or Break It" , "Bring it On" & "Bleachers"

Johnathon Sadowski of "Friday the 13th"

Debby Ryan of "The Suite Life on Deck" "16 Wishes" & "What If"

Jeff Timmons of the band 98 degress

Jessica Hall of "E" & "Kendra"

Joey of the band "A New Revolution"

Member of the band Rob Zombie

Fivel Stewart & Boo Boo Stewart of Twilight

Jackson Rathbone of "The Twilight Saga"

Dani Thorne of "General Hospital"

Austin Robert Butler of "Life Unexpected"

Chelsea Hobbs of "Make it or Break It"

Katie Cleary of "Chuck" and "Deal or No Deal"

Phoebe Price Actress/ Model

Kevin Scorbo of "Soul Surfer"

Vanessa Chester of "Jurrasic Park 2"

Ronnie Marmo of "General Hospital"

Robbie Jones of "One Tree Hill"

Rick DeJesus of the band Adelitas Way

Marisa Lauren of "Greek"

New Fleur-de-llis Dangle Earrings

2011-01-02T14:30:00.000-08:00

Check out our new earrings just posted on Etsy

Handmade metal fleur-de-lis metal earrings. One with Swarovski crystals and one without. Read my earlier blog about the meaning of fleur-de-lis.

handmade metal fleur de lis earrings with Swarovski crystals

The Truth Behind the Fleur-de-lis

2010-12-17T17:26:00.000-08:00

Although many would argue the fact that the fleur-de-lis was created by the New Orleans "Saints," the truth of the matter is that it is one of the oldest symbols in history.

What it Means

The fleur-de-lis is a beautiful and popular symbol worn by both men and women.Derived from the French word for fleur "flower" and lis "lily," it is a stylized version of the actual lily flower. It has been used throughout time in all cultures and time periods.

Heraldry

This symbol has been used in heraldry over the centuries on many Europen coat of arms and featured in the Crown Jewels of England and Scotland. However, it is mainly associated with the French monarchy and has been used on Frnech postage stamps though it has never become an official symbol of the French republic.

The continued association with France carried over in North America were the symbol was associated with areas settled by the French such as St. Louis, Louisville, Louisiana and Quebec.

One theory is that the 3 leaves of the fleur-de-lis represent the three mideival classes: the workers, fighters and prayers.

Religious Affiliation
The fleur-d-lis has also been seen as a symbol of purity and chastity as well as female virtue and spirituality. The Virgin Mary was often depicted holding a lily and the fleur-de-lis was seen as a decorative element in the image either in a sceptre or within the ornamentation somewher in the painting.

Similar to the Irish Shamrock, the French fleur-de-lis depicted the Holy Trinity with the three petals and the band on the bottom symbolizing the Virgin Mary.

Architecture
You will often find the fleur-de-lis symbol at the top of iron fence posts. It is a symbol of defense warding off intruders. It has also been used as patterns on tile work, and as finials and the point on gables.

Scouting
The fleur-de-lis has also been the symbol for scouting thanks to Sir Robert Baden-Powell who adopted it from the reonnaissance specialists who wore it as an arm badge in the British Army.

The Stars and WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear Fleur-de-lis accessories
The stars show off their WATTO DMW accessories!

Kaylee Stroh of Highschool Musical with WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear gold fleur on chain
http://www.etsy.com/listing/55957239/coppery-gold-metal-fleur-de-lis-charm-on

Shantell VanSanteen of "One Tree Hill" with WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear fleur-de-lis charm on chain
http://www.etsy.com/listing/55957239/coppery-gold-metal-fleur-de-lis-charm-on

Actress TAnia Gunadi with WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear silver fleur-de-lis charm on chain
http://www.etsy.com/listing/55961493/silver-fleur-de-lis-charm-on-gunmetal

Stacey Oristano of "Friday Night Lights" with WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear purple charm on chain
http://www.etsy.com/listing/55968137/purple-metal-fleur-de-lis-pendant-on

Ryan McCombs of the band "Drowning Poo" with WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear silver fleur-de-lis charm on chain
http://www.etsy.com/listing/55961493/silver-fleur-de-lis-charm-on-gunmetal

Harvey Guillen of "Huge" with WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear silver fleur-e-lis charm on chain
http://www.etsy.com/listing/55961493/silver-fleur-de-lis-charm-on-gunmetal

Isabelle Fuhrman of "the Orphan" with WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear Copper fleur-de-lis belt buckle
http://www.etsy.com/listing/49930069/fleur-de-lissmall-copper-fleur-metal

Piggy D of the band "Rob Zombie" with WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear fleur-e-lis distressed metal belt buckle
http://www.etsy.com/listing/55006561/fleur-de-lis-bucklelarge-silver-fleur

Sameer Bhattacharya & Ames Culpepper of the band Flyleaf with WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear iron cross and fleur-de-lis belt buckle http://www.etsy.com/listing/61971098/fleur-de-lis-bucklesmall-silver-fleur

Sam Trammell of "True Blood" with WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear distressed metal fleur-de-lis belt buckle
http://www.etsy.com/listing/61971098/fleur-de-lis-bucklesmall-silver-fleur

Morgan of the band "Sevendust" wiath WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear gold fleur-de-lis charm on chain
http://www.etsy.com/listing/55957239/coppery-gold-metal-fleur-de-lis-charm-on

If you would like to read further about the fleur-de-lis visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fleur-de-lis.
All information was adopted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fleur-de-lis.

The Story behind the Shamrock & the 4 leaf Clover

2010-11-17T19:37:00.000-08:00

Nov 16, 2010

Are a Shamrock and a 4-leaf Clover the same thing? Well after much research I’m still confused. Some say a shamrock is a 3-leaf clover. Some say a 4-leaf clover could be considered a shamrock with 4 leaves. In any case a shamrock is a clover, but for most Irish, the 3-leaf clover is considered the shamrock and the 4-leaf clover is NOT considered a shamrock, but is considered LUCKY because it is rare.

WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear Green Shamrock Belt Buckle

WATTO was told by many of our customers that we needed to add a 3-leaf clover to our handmade belt buckle and accessory line as we only had a 4-leaf clover (that we were then calling a shamrock). We’ve now added both the 3-leaf (Shamrock) and the 4-leaf Clover to our line to satisfy everyone! (see end of blog for details.)

There are so many reasons why the shamrock is linked to Ireland. Although the harp is the official symbol of Ireland, the shamrock is still the most recognized symbol of Ireland. Here are a few reasons why.

Symbolism

Shamrock is derived from the Irish word “seamrog” meaning “summer plant” or “little clover” and was said to be a symbol of life.

WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear Silver Charm Moneyclip

“Be in Clover”

Live a life of prosperity and ease and “Be in Clover.” This is the most common saying associated with the Shamrock.

WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear
Handmade Distressed Shamrock Belt Buckle

The Druids
One of the first to be linked to the Shamrock were The Druids. They were and indigenous people of Ireland and their Celtic religion held the number three a mystical number. The three petals that formed a triad led the Druids to hold this little gem as sacred.

Shanon Larkin of Godsmack
with WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear
green Shamrock Charm with Gunmetal Chain

St. Patrick

Way back in Ireland around the 5th century or so, St. Patrick was going about his business spreading the word of Christianity. Now it's always easier to show things with an image and particularly in those days when people were a little less educated and needed simple stories or visuals to understand things. And let’s face it; religion can be a little complex.

So, St. Patrick spied a 3-leaf clover and said to himself, “Ahha, this little lovely creation can help me explain the meaning of the Holy Trinity.” Therefore, he went on to show the people how each leaf symbolized one aspect of the Holy Trinity- The Father, The Son and The Holy Ghost. Three separate leaves, but one stem. It was also said to symbolize the three theological virtues in Corinthians 13:13- Faith, Hope and Love.

Perttuu Kivilaakso of Apocalyptica
with WATTO Disitnctive Metal Wear
silver Shamrock charm on gunmetal chain

Ireland Rebels

Who would have known this little green plant had so much power. In the 19th century the shamrock was seen as a sign of rebellion against the English. If caught wearing the symbol, it was rumored that an Irish man could be hung. Since then it has been used as a symbol in Irish pubs to show the warmth and welcoming of the establishment.

WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear
silver shamrock charm with gunmetal keychain

Leprechauns

If you are going out hunting for gold, make sure to take a Shamrock with you. Apparently it has magical powers against the Leprechauns who guard the gold, and will turn to trickery or magic if you capture them to find the gold’s whereabouts. Only the Shamrock can undo the spell.

Emma Anzai of Sick Puppies
with WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear
green shamrock charm with gunmetal keychain

Why is the 4-leaf Clover considered Lucky?
Well, the 4-leaf clover is still the rare one, and so finding one in a clover patch would be considered lucky. Remember looking for those as kids and making clover necklaces? Or, maybe we only did that in the Midwest.

The four petals stand for: HOPE, FAITH, LOVE, and the 4th petal for LUCK!

WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear Green 4-Leaf Clover Belt Buckle

WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear now has Shamrock designs in:
Handmade belt buckles ($55):

Handmade Charms on Money Clip ($15):

silver http://www.etsy.com/listing/62066367/metal-shamrock-moneyclip
green colors

Handmade Charms on gunmetal chains ($30):

Handmade Charms on Key chains ($15):

WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear now has 4-leaf Clover designs in:

Handmade belt buckles ($55):

distressed metal http://www.etsy.com/listing/31155902/clover-buckledistressed-clover-metaland green http://www.wattoonline.com/4-Leaf%20Clover-123CVR.html

Charms for chains, key chains and money clips available upon request.

Esty Handmade Division Team Blog

2010-11-15T09:00:00.000-08:00

It's time for our monthly talk about blog with our Etsy group team "Handmade Division".

This month's topic is IF THERE WERE A MASTER ARTIST YOU COULD STUDY UNDER, WHO WOULD THEY BE.

I'm writing this one for both Jon and myself since we are both artists (though my artistery has been limited lately to running the business).

JON:
Jon would love to study under an artist and cartoonist named "Big Daddy" Ed Roth. Jon has a passion for motorcycles and custom-anything-that moves. Ed was a custom car builder who influenced the hot-rod movement of the 1960's.

Although best known for his wacky character Rat Fink, Ed also was a huge influence on the hot rod movement turning these vehicles into works of functional art.

You can see his creations at http://www.ratfink.com/.

MARY:
As I wrote in my previous blog, I went to college for graphic design and painting. My favorites always have been and always will be post-impressionist painter Paul Cézanne who bridged the gap between 19th century Impressionism and 20th century Cubism. Although Matisse holds a high second to Cézanne for me. I'm drawn to their both painterly styles and graphic breakdowns of objects and forms. You can see more of the history of this great master and view some of his works at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_C%C3%A9zanne.

Another painter with whom I'd love to study with for technique is John Singer Sargent. Although I guess he is considered under the movement of Realism, I still consider his Impressionism influence to be what I love the most. His rich juicy use of paint and his exquiste drawing ability wow me. I do not myself choose to or want to paint in this manner, but I would like to have the knowledge and skill level to do so in order to translate it into my own style. I also love how he captures the romantism in every painting he does. They look mysterious yet beautiful. You can find out more info on him or read about his works at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Singer_Sargent

Please visit our other team members to see who their favorite mentor would be:
Andes Cruz: http://andescruz.wordpress.com/

Nancy Dale: http://nedbeads.blogpost.com/
Tosca Teran: http://nanopod.wordpress.com/
Rickson Jewellery: www.Ricksonart.blogspot.com
Beth Cyr: http://bCyrJewelry.blogspot.com
Lisa Hopkins Design: http://lisahopkinsdesign.blogspot.com
Sand Fibers: http://sandfibers.blogspot.com
Purified: http://purifiedart.blogspot.com
Emily Watson http://nocoloratall.tumblr.com/
Thomasin Durgin: http://metalriot.blogspot.com
Pink Crow Studio: http://pinkcrowstudio.typepad.com/

History of the Belt Buckle

2010-10-18T18:18:00.000-07:00

• Belt Buckles date back to the 2nd & 3rd century where the Xiongnu, semi nomadic Chinese people, wore extravagantly decorated buckles over their tunics. This showed a mark of status. Not dissimilar to the reasons consumers wear designer labeled accessories today.

• Germanic invaders introduced animal

and combat motifs on their buckles.

• During the 7th century the designs focused more on gold interlacing patterns.

• Around the 1600s, the British Maritime sailors were faced with brutal weather. Their clothes became waterlogged and the current eyelet and string lacings did not hold up in the harsh weather. Thus, the belt buckle was brought back into existence.

• During the Puritan times, the button had been developed, but not yet perfected. The Puritans saw the button as sinful and so promoted the popularity of the belt and buckle.

• Before the 1920’s the buckle was worn mainly by men in the military as decorative wear, but as waistlines were lowered in the 20’s they were worn by the everday man as a functional item to hold their pants up.

The Cowboys actually wore buckles they found from the military. It wasn’t until the Western films were made that the stylists at that time felt a more decorative buckle was needed to spruce up the cowboy’s appearance and hence the Western buckle was born and is still popular today.

• Recent popularity in belt buckles was brought on by customization, gadgets and electronic devices that have been developed as well as the fashion influences of rock stars and celebrities. The rap and Hip-hop crowd is a huge influence in the belt buckle industry expecially “Iced out” or “blinged out” versions in which the buckle is adorned by gems and rhinestones.

All buckle images are designs of WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear.

Etsy Handmade Division Talk About Blog

2010-10-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

Here is our monthly Etsy Handmade Division Talk About Blog:

Tell us about yourself - how did you get to where you are now with your skills?

(If you want a shorter version- read our bio on the right hand column)

JON'S STORY

Jon Watson, grew up in the South, went into the army at 17 and then off to design school. For over 15 years he was a graphic designer and worked at many well established firms. I must say, not being biased or anything, but he was a kickass designer and very good illustrator to boot.

Here's some examples of his design work:

Jon's first love (I think maybe even a little more than me) is motorcycles. In fact when we met, we moved out West so he could go to motorcycle mechanic school, but he soon found that being a mechanic sucked the fun out of his passion, so he went back to graphic design.

After a few more years of bouncing from job to freelance to design firm, he got bored of sitting behind a computer. At the time I (Mary Spencer-Watson) had a very good job making a decent income, so I told him to shoot for his dreams. Do whatever he wished. He toyed with lots of different ideas including being a landscape designer.

Somehow he came across the idea of metal. He'd always enjoyed working with his hands and making things more than sitting still so it sounded like a good idea. We looked into classes for him to take at the local university. But, one day he came home and told me he found a metal show and asked if they needed an apprentice. Strange enough they did. The job paid less than $10 an hour, but it beat actually paying for shcool and he'd be learning first hand. We decided he'd go for it. He quit his job and was ready to start. The next day the guys called him back and told him he couldn't hire him. He was afraid he wouldn't be able to pay him. So, Jon worked for free for something like 6-9 months then got hired on and worked there for maybe 2 years. That was in 2005.

That's how he started in metal. He soon was making amazing scluptures and I knew he'd found his calling!In 2007 he bought his own equipment and we started a company called The Metal Gardener.

MARY'S STORY

I graduated with a degree in Graphic Design and Painting from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. I was recrutied out of school by Hallmark Cards in Kansas City to be a line manager for greeting cards. Interestingly enough, it was something I had wanted to do in highschool, then forgot about it. I only know this because we had to write a letter to ourselves at the beginning of our senior year, then we received it when we graduated. I completely forgot about it until years later after I had already left Hallmark I happened upon it. Strange, but true!

I was lucky, I got to travel all over the country and even to Europe to research since this was before the internet (am I dating myself). Even though I didn't do art myself, I worked with artists and photographers, writers and editors and people from marketing, accounting and many other business functions. It was the ultimate coorporate job complete with a cafeteria, great 401K and lots of people to learn from.

Once I hit 30 I ventured off to Atlanta to pursue a freelance career. In what I wasn't sure. I worked as a floral designe, graphic designer, prop artist and faux painter. That's when I met Jon.

We moved out to Arizona for his motorcycle schooling and I worked for Lisa Frank ( a little girl's stationery and craft company) as a craft artist. I got to make beaded jewelry, yarn, and other craft product for kids as well as write the instructions. I also worked with the photogrpaher to style the girls for photoshoots.

I left there and worked as a graphic designer for several years at a printer which was great because I learned a ton about prepress, and since it wasn't a design firm, I pretty much got to design as I wished without much direction. I worked on some fun pieces there.

I then worked for a puzzle company "MasterPieces Puzzle Company" for over 5 years. I was fortunate enough to start their board game division as a Product manager and worked with game developers all over the country. This was too fun since I held focus grops with kids to play the games and see if they liked them or not. Plus I went on several trips to China and learned to work with foreign vendors.

Finally I moved to a Michigan based company that had it's kid's craft and stationery divisions in Tucson called Colorbk. I was the Senior Product Manager. This job was more about costing and workign with our China office and far less creative than my other jobs had been, but it helped me learn more about profit margins and how much my lines were actually making. I worked there less than a year when the company abruptly shut it's Tucson office and I was laid off. This was in Nov of 08. I stuck around until Feb to help with their transition and it gave me time to consider my options.

I took this as the opportunity to do what I'd always dreamt of doing. Start my own business. I wasn't sure what it was going to be until Jon walked in one day with a metal buckle he had made. That was it, a handmade metal accessories line. We launched a full line of buckles at the Pool Tradeshow (affiliated with MAGIC one of the largest fashion tradeshows in the country in Las Vegas).

We're still working diligently to make a go of it. Every job we've had has given us the confidence and ability to begin our own thing. It's beeen such a great journey and we hope to continue learning and exploring. Jon and I couldn't be happier with how things have turned out!

Together we make a great team, and hope you enjoy watching our adventure as we expand our business and follow our dreams!

Please see the rest of my team and how they got started on their creative adventures:

Andes Cruz http://andescruz.wordpress.com/

Tess Norberg/ Nova Designs: http://www.nova-designs.blogspot.com/

Bill Martin/ Purified Art: http://purifiedart.blogspot.com/

Sand Fibers: http://sandfibers.blogspot.com/
Emily Watson/ Metal Emily: http://nocoloratall.tumblr.com/
Susan Moloney: http://susarto.blogspot.com/
Alice Istanbul: http://istanbuldesigns.blogspot.com/
Jewelry by Natsuko: http://jewelrybynatsuko.blogspot.com/
Tosca Teran/ Nanopod: http://nanopod.wordpress.com/
Bella-Bijou Jewellery: http://bellabijoujewellery.blogspot.com/
Beth Cyr: http://bcyrjewelry.blogspot.com/
Lisa Hopkins Design: http://lisahopkinsdesign.blogspot.com/
Metalriot/ Thomasin Durgin: http://metalriot.blogspot.com/
NEDbeads/ Nancy Dale: http://nedbeads.blogspot.com/
Tamra Gentry - http://www.jewelrydesignchronicles.com/
Rosy Revolver/ JJ Papke- http://rosyrevolver.blogspot.com/
Alisa Miller- http://alisamiller.blogspot.com/

Sponsor to City of Hope Bone Marrow Program

2010-10-12T22:19:00.000-07:00

2010 Shotgun Sporting Clays Invitational Benefiting City Of Hope Bone Marrow Donor Program

Sat Oct 9

El Monte, California

As some of you may or may not know Jon and I began with our parent company The Metal Gardener in 2007 where Jon does custom gates, lighting, sculpture etc. We were asked at one of our gifting suites to be a sponsor for the City of Hope Bone Marrow Program by director/actor(Minority Report, Criminal Minds, Nip/Tuck, 24) – Patrick Kilpatrick. We decided to donate on of Jon's beautiful sculptures seen here which will go up on the celebrity auction website.

The event was held at Triple B Shotgun Sporting Park in El Monte, California. Celebrities, members of the armed services, and recreational shooters attended teaming up to compete in a day of shooting clays.

The mood was festive with a patriotic/harvest theme.

The day included team shooting, breakfast buffet, lunch buffet, silent auction, live auction, awards, honors and happy hour.

Puppy that was in live auction. Was sold for $1000 + more for training. Purchased by Sandy Climan (Golden Global and British Academy-Award Winning Producer – The Aviator)

Asian American pop star Chelsea Emata sang the national anthem. Seen here with a bunch of Navy guys.

Special guest Joe Mantegna (Criminal Minds, The Godfather: Part III) was there.

Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters,The Secret Life of An American Teenager)sat down with us to have lunch. We'd met him before at several charity events. He's super humble and said he wears our crown buckle often.He was there to hang with his son who was down from school.

Scott Bailey, and Adrienne Frantz also ate at our table. We've met them before as well. Adrienne filled me in on what it was like to work on a soap opera ( the Bold and Beautiful). Sounds like a sweet setup for an actress. a couple weeks on a week off and if your part is small that day, you may only work a few hours. Easy to set your schedule and plan your wedding. She's engaged to Scott who was in Lifetime movie (Praying for Bobby)

Scott Bailey

Erik Estrada (Chips), came over and hung at our table and signed a ton of pics of when he was in his early 20's. He was such a character. His beautiful wife and kids were there as well. I believe he won one of the awards for shooting.

Then along came Roger Cross (agent curtis 24). He was too funny, cracking a bunch of jokes and bought a few pieces of art at the silent auction.

Phoebe Price

David Eigenberg Miranda’s husband in Sex and the City

Keith David (Platoon, The Thing)

Mark Christopher Lawrence (ChuckFrank Stallone

Carmen Perez

Ryan Merriman

D.B. Sweeny

Bruce Buffer

Scott Elrod

Stephanie Powers

You can find more pics as well as a special picture of Jon peeking through the crowd and just a hint of his sculpture in the background. http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/L3oQyr-PdP8/2010+Hollywood+Shotgun+Sporting+Clays+Invitational/mEXr9_0qvVXjon

Thanks for visiting

` Mary

Meet Up with the band ShineDown

2010-10-03T22:29:00.000-07:00

Arizona Fall Frenzy Music Festival

Sept 17th

We were fortunate enough to score some VIP tickets to see Shinedown along with Sevendust and the Cult in Tempe, AZ. It was a steamy 108 degrees as we made our way early to the concert. Once inside the gates we got to hang in the artist's tent facing the front of the stage complete with it's own bar and port o. Can't beat that!

After listening to the heavy metal of Sevendust we made our way to the trailers at the back of the park and waited patiently as Shinedown met with the radio winners to have their pics taken and autographs given.

One guy waited patiently outside the fence to see Shinedown, but security finally covered the fences and he was left to peer through the last empty spot. The drummer of Shinedown, Barry Kerch, spotted the guy and went over and gave him an autograph. Now that's a nice guy!

Finally it was our turn to meet up with Shinedown. We headed into the trailer and they all introduced themselves to us and thanked US for coming. Imagine. Well, we did come bearing gifts so I guess we were more than the normal fan. We brought along some buckles chains and armbands and let the guys go through them. Eric Bass already owned our horseshoe buckle. He said he'd worn it every day since he'd gotten it.

He decided he needed a few more. Here he and Zach Meyers are looking through the gear.

Lead singer Brent Smith came in and appologized for not being able to stay longer, but he had a freind in town that he hadn't seen in 7 years. Wow, I was impressed that he even stopped by to say hi let alone hang out. He took time out to take a pic with Jon.

Drummer Barry Kerch took off his beautifully made celtic buckle and put on our lion buckle and skull chain and said he wanted to wear it on stage that night.

Here he is on stage. Kinda hard to makeout, but our skull was hangin out on the screen a bunch. Unfortunately I don't have the camera or the know how to take a good pic, but you get the idea.

The crowds were out in droves and these guys though quiet and humble in person, really came to life on stage and put on such a great show. Brent works the audience all the way.

Here's to Shinedown! Rock on!!!

~Mary

To view more pics from the concert go to http://www.facebook.com/wattoonline

A Humble Moment in My Busy Day

2010-09-29T14:34:00.000-07:00

Today while driving home, I passed a man on a busy road with his hood up.

He was right near the intersection so cars were making their way around him as he frantically was checking his engine and whatever else is under the hood. (I'm an expert mechanic if you can't tell).

People were getting irritated because he was in the way. His car was a bit beat up and he looked frazzled. I thought to myself." Poor guy, you know you really should put your hazards on or you might get hit." I thought about yelling that out the window, but I was too far up the way and who was I to tell the guy what to do. I mean what could I do to help him. I know nothing about cars. I suppose I could have asked if he wanted to use my phone to call someone, but I figured he had a phone and besides he looked like he knew what he was doing .... kinda.

So, along comes this weathered old man, tanned from too much time in the sun, carrying his orange backpack. I assumed he was homeless from his dress and mannerisms.

He looked determined, with eyebrows furrowed as he beelined straight for the guy with car trouble. Surely he wasn't going to ask him for money, I though to myself. I was intrigued. This all happened while the light was red, mind you.

This beaten down man, removed his backpack and set it along side the road and asked the driver if it was car trouble. He immediately dug into the engine checking and searching for the problem.

The light turned green and as I rode off, I don't know if the man was able to help the driver or not, but the important thing is that he tried. As the rest of us rode along consumed with our jobs, our lives, our next meal, this man who appeared to have nothing, had more than all of us.

I wondered what his life had been like. How did he know how to fix a car and why was he now without a home.What a blessing he gave to me today and I am humbled.

Swingers Diner

2010-09-22T16:06:00.000-07:00

Diners & Coffee Shops, American (Traditional)
8020 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles CA90048 34.0760445 -118.3644986
(Btwn N Laurel Ave & N Edinburgh Ave)
Phone: (323) 653-5858

On our last trip to LA, Jon and I spent a lot of time at Swingers diner for our breakfast and dinners. It's a funky classic diner with great food and good prices. It's the kind of diner they make movies of, and in fact it is the favorite hot spot for many a celeb.

I highly reccommend their early bird special of eggs any way you like, sausage or bacon and French toast. The French toast is absolutely to die for. MMMM mmmmm I'm still remembering its melt in your mouth goodness. I also had the Mediterranian platter for dinner including scrumptious hummus.

Next time you're in LA check it out.

Here are some funky shots from the mosaic'd back wall to the cool lighting, to the hot cup of joe, we got a few pics of everything!

HOT New Band- Foxglove

2010-07-29T15:37:00.000-07:00

Hot new girlband called Foxglove just released their debut video "Better Days".

Bevin Hamilton and Lisa Donnelly are both from Kansas originally. They've known eachother for years and recently reconnected in 2009 to start their own band. We've had the pleasure of connecting with Bevin through Backstage Artist Lounge while she was dancing for Motley Crue.

Their opening night was at the Viper Room on Sunset Strip. Look for more to come from these gals! They are HOT!

You can check out their solo pages as well

www.myspace.com/bevinhamilton
www.myspace.com/lisadonnellymusic
http://www.lisadonnelly.com/

You can buy Lisa’s solo record: “We Had A Thing” on itunes!
or check them out on facebook
http://www.facebook.com/wattoonline#!/FOXXGLOVE

Here's Bevin performing wearing WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear horseshoe buckle. Can be purchased at
http://www.etsy.com/listing/31129138/sale-horseshoe-buckle-distressed-metal for $65 + shipping. On sale for $55 through Aug 14th.

The Hard Times of RJ Berger

2010-06-22T21:57:00.000-07:00

We had the pleasure of meeting the cast of the new MTV hit comedy The Hard Times of RJ Berger while at Platinum Publicity's Save the Seas charity event for the MTV Movie Awards.

Wow, what a great cast. They were absolutely charming! Kara Taitz (Lily) , Jareb Dauplaise (Miles), Jayson Blair (Max) and Adam Cagley (Kevin) all stopped by and chatted with us about their new show. At the time the show had not aired and they all had a great energy and excitement about them.

Kara is super bubbly and adorable at a mere 5' tall. She went to highschool for the performng arts in NY and has been in such hit shows playing Millicent in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and Fluffy on Wizards of Waverly Place.

Jareb has been seen in a slew of shows since 2002 and also appeared on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody as Wayne Wormser. He's also been seen in 2009/2010 movies as Tom in Cougar Hunting, Joel in My Name is Matt and Blotto in The Prankster. I think it's safe to say, Jareb will be sticking around as a funny man for many years. Jareb showed up to our table with his mom. TOO CUTE! so we had to gift her one of our new blinged out fleur de lis keychains soon to be up on www.wattoonline.etsy.com.

Jayson who plays the jerky hunk Max has been in well known shows such as CSI, Glee and Hot Hot Los Angeles. He's also playing Brandon Lewis in TV series Rizzoli & Isles.

Last, but certainly not least, Adam Cagley graced us with his presence and brought a fantastic energy with him. He loved our stuff and said he be sure to be seen wearing it about, so keep your eyes posted for pics. This young man graduated a year early (2008) and as class valedectorian! He's not only going to college, is an accomplished drummer, has been acting since age 11, but also has his own production company called Monkey Butt Productions. He's had parts in too many shows to mention and plays Reggie in 2010 The Wheeler Boys.

All information was obtained from www.imdb.com

Though this show is certainly not for everyone and I wouldn't want my teen to watch it (I don't have one, but I'm guessing this is how I'd feel), over 2 million viewers watched the premier and they already have over 85,000 on their facebook page. If you're in to dirty teen comedies, and have a good sense of humor than this show's for you. There were certainly some endearing moments where the cute nerdy RJ makes you remember your own high school insecurities and you'll find yourself rooting for the underdog.

Regardless of my personal taste in TV shows as I'm more the Food Network, HGTV crowd, I certainly wish these wonderful actors lots of success in their new show and careers! Rock on guys!-

Mary
Note: my opinions don't necessarily reflect my other half (Jon WATTO Watson)

Sam Trammell of True Blood in WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear Fleur De Lis Buckle

2010-06-16T21:59:00.000-07:00

Handmade Division Talk About Blog

2010-05-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

May 15th
Talk about Blog

Our Etsy team has changed their name to HANDMADE DIVISION. Please stop by and follow us on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/HandmadeDivision.

This month's topic is:

What item do you most treasure made by another artist?

(if there is one) If not, how about what would you *like* to have?

Well, it was just too hard to choose just one piece of art I treasure that I've obtained from others,

so I chose to focus on the newest pieces I've aquired. Of course I love and treasure all of the pieces

Jon makes and you can view his personal works at http://www.themetalgarden.com%20,/

but since he's part of WATTO, I'll focus on other's artwork.

By the way, my photography is not great so they don't do the actual depth of color

that all of these items truly have.

Andes Cruz
http://www.andescruzdesigns.com/
http://www.andescruz.etsy.com/
I fell in love with these rings as soon as I saw them and we did a trade
so I could get them as a Christmas present from Jon.
I don't usually wear them together, just did it for the picture.
You can see better pictures of these on her Etsy site.
I get so many compliments on them. LOVE THEM!

Liz Vaughn

http://www.lizvaughn.com/

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5693496

I've admired Liz's work for quite some time from afar.

Then I got to officially meet her at an art festival we both showed at.

It was like meeting a rock star for me. Now we've become friends.

I still can't afford her work, but did obtain

this great littlebusiness card holder that has a print of

one of her paintings. I treasure it!

Keiko Murekami

http://meowkami.com/

WOW! Keiko has a beautiful collection of paintings. When she showed me her book of pages of these little paintings I was blown away.It's only 6" x 6" but toally powerful! There is metalic paint too so it has a fantastic shimmer. Jon and I just LOVE it! Thanks Keiko. This is going in our asian inspired bedroom. I just need to get Jon to find the time to make a metal frame for it. I can't wait!

Moises Biton

http://homepage.mac.com/bitonart/

We were neighbors with Moises at the Tempe Art Festival. We made a trade for this amazing print of Johnny Depp. The color is so much better than the picture I took. His watercolors are full of detail and depth. We're proudly adding it to our wall of art!

Michael Lizotte

We know nothing about this young artist. Only that he is young and naturally talented. We purchased this at Solar Culture where anyone can hang their art. This piece was 11.5 x 6.5 and painted on the back of a printed poster. It was handcut with scissors and just taped to the wall.

It's done with acrylics, metallic gold paint and ball point pen. It will be added to our wall of art.

Thanks for sharing all of my recent treasures with me! And thanks to all the artists who created them!

Please note: Not all our members post their blogs at the same time of day; and~ we’re global. We try to get it all on in the morning, but if you happen to get to a blog, before the topic is posted, I do hope you’ll come back later. And likewise, you may not be reading this on the day it posts, therefor, you most likely will not link thru to the writer’s exact Talk About Blog post. For this purpose, Most of the team members will keep a Category for the Talk About blog – so you can search that. Also, we try to use tags on the blog – such as the date, words from the topic, and of course “Talk, About, Blog” etc. these too can help you search the writer’s blog for their Talk About blog posts.
HandMade Division Blog http://handmadedivision.wordpress.com/

Andes Cruz - http://andescruz.wordpress.com/
Jewelry by Natsuko - http://jewelrybynatsuko.blogspot.com/
Tosca - http://www.nanopod.wordpress.com/
Susan Moloney - http://susarto.blogspot.com/
WATTO- http://www.wattoonline.blogspot.com/
Ceeb Wassermann - http://mettledesignstudio.blogspot.com/
Beth Cyr - http://bcyrjewelry.blogspot.com/
Rickson- http://ricksonart.blogspot.com/
Tamra Gentry http://jewelrydesignchronicles.wordpress.com/
Purified Art - http://purifiedart.blogspot.com/
SandFibers - http://sandfibers.blogspot.com/
ArtJewel Designs - http://artjeweldesigns.blogspot.com/
kerin rose- http://kerinrose.blogspot.com/
Abhaya Fibers - http://abhayafibers.blogspot.com/

Buzzfest 2010

2010-05-12T21:44:00.000-07:00

WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear hooked up bandmembers of Buzzfest 2010

with WATTO buckles and chains. Bands included:

Metric

Switchfoot

Deftones

Seether

30 Seconds to Mars

Three Days Grace

Limp Bizkit

Second stage (in order of appearance):

Anchored

Crash Kings

Violent Soho

10 Years

Cage the Elephant

Sick Puppies

Flyleaf

We'll be posting images from Kid Rock Cruise concert soon!

Octopus Car Wash Car & Bike Show

2010-05-08T21:05:00.000-07:00

2011 W. Valencia

Tucson, AZ

12-3 pm

Local Car Wash Octopus, had a family fun day. Octopus is the largest car wash in Tucson with every kind of wash from simple to full on detail.

The festivities included DjMartinez blasting tunes from the 80's on. I found myself dancing around in my booth to the tunes I remembered from Highschool (oops did I just date myself?)LOL!

Our next door neighbor Mike McGee of McGees Catering (977-5743) served up $1 hotdogs + chips (though don't be fooled, he can cater anything from Italian to a gourmet hamburger).

The Red Bull car showed up to hand out free samples.

It was a teeny tiny little car with a HUGE RED BULL.

Jim Click came out with his racing cars.

And Hi Speed Customs showed off one of their cars. Check them out at

http://www.hispeedcustoms.com/

Parked right next to us was one of the beauties of the show! The owner

said he's been working on it for 20 years! SAWEEEEET!

He kept a little freind in the backseat. I had to do a double take when he first pulled up, but this puppy won't mess up this amazing car. Note the pasties on the front. LOL!

Check out this amazing truck.

A couple of the car's had custom paint and pinstriping. NICE!

There's me with one of the vendors whose supporting us by buying WATTO. It's Philip at Crystal Auto Glass Enterprises. Need your glass repaired or replaced. call him at 520-398-7659-

They're insurance approved!

Wanna see more car pics. Visit our Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/wattoonline

Thanks to Jack Frahm for inviting us to participate in this fun filled day! If you're in Tucson, check out this fabulous car wash and support local businesses!

McDowell Mountain Music Festival

2010-04-25T17:52:00.000-07:00

April 23-25, 2010
WATTO Distinctive Metal is Chillin out at McDowell Mountain Music Festival in North Scottsdale, AZ.

Wow, crazy event center. We're smack dab in the middle of a shopping center in front of The Compound Grill. They actually covered a huge parking lot with new grass so concert goers could lounge out in front of the stage! Then, they had awesome food. A little spicey, but great flavor and decent prices for a festival. Plus it was all made to order and I think I heard something about organic vegetables and meat without hormones. If your'e in the Scottsdale area, like a littel kick to your food check it out. The bathrooms are to die for. The coolest faucets ever and these new "green" hand dryers that are so fun to use! I know kinda weird I'm talking about the bathrooms, but they were so cool. I just had to mention them. They also have a ton of great beers. MMMM. I had some kind of raspberry beer that was very Yummy!

The lineup was great. Here are several of the bands that played: John Brown's Body (reggae), oubab Krewe (Dirty South), Ruthie Foster (nominated for a Grammy in 2009 for Best Contemporary blues Album), Robert Randolph & the Family Band (Gospel), Super Chikan (Blues), Hot Birds & the Chili Sauce (big band) and Grace Potter & the Nocturnals (Blues)

The event started out slow, but the crowds showed us their love! The favorite WATTO items were the peace signs, the spiral and the clover!

Thanks for your support Scottsdale!

Snow Leopard Network Monthly Blog- Topic: "Copying"

2010-04-15T07:13:00.000-07:00

WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear belongs to a fabulous network of artists that can all be found on Etsy. Each month there is a blog topic. Artists from the group give their views on the topic so check out their blogs (see addresses at end).

So, here are my thoughts on copying. This is a REALLY TOUGH subject. What is copying really? Is it using research from other artists, designers, or brands to become inspired for your own inspirations? Is it studying other brands/artist points of view so as you can better understand your own point of view? Is it adapting color palettes from other's works into your own?
Well, yes, some could say that is copying, on the other hand with a world of constant visual connections via internet, television, movies, print media and so on, what really is unique after all anymore?

Having worked at several large creative corporations, "copying" or "research" was a huge part of the corporate world. Of course we took precautions not to do something "identical" and certainly could not cross the lines of a "patented" idea. Coming from a fine arts background and strong ethics, I had a very hard time with this for a long time. Finally I realized everyone was copying everyone else and it was all part of "the game" when it came to product development. For fine artists of course this is much more difficult as you cannot "patent" a painting and though you can copyright it so that it is not copied exactly, I believe there are guidelines that if an item is changed by 30% it is not a copy. (Don’t quote me on that) So, it can still feel like an invasion if someone changes your design only 30%.

I don't like it. But, in reality, if you look backward in time and study the masters, weren't they in some manner "copying” from one another? Isn't that how movements such as Fauvism and Impressionism derived?

Also, haven't you had an idea before and thought, "Wow, this is so cool, so unique!" Only to see someone else has done it already? And, if your art is trendy at all as ours is, using pop culture icons, can someone say that we copied them or can we say someone copied us?
I guess what we all have to keep in mind is to be respectful of one another. Don't blatantly take someone's ideas and copy them exactly forming your whole line of products, series of works or branding to look so similar that it's hard to tell you apart. Don't we all want to have something that is unique? Sure, go ahead and be inspired, but then change it to fit what flows out of you naturally. And, if others try to copy you, you know who you are and what you are about and that will shine through more than those who are just copying for copying sake.

One last thing I learned in the corporate world (this is for those of you who have a brand or line of products), always stay one step ahead of the competition. There will always be people who will copy you, so continue to grow and change and develop and you'll continue to succeed. And, if someone does copy you, try to remind yourself that copying is flattery in the finest sense. Then you could always go after them with your lawyer!

ArtJewel designs- http://www.artjeweldesigns.blogspot.com/

Andes Cruz - http://andescruz.wordpress.com/

Jewelry by Natsuko - http://jewelrybynatsuko.blogspot.com/

Beth Cyr - http://bcyrjewelry.blogspot.com/

Tosca Teran - http://nanopod.wordpress.com/

Tamra Gentry - http://jewelrydesignchronicles.wordpress.com/

alisa miller - http://alisamiller.blogspot.com/

Thomasin Durgin - http://www.metalriot.blogspot.com/

Susan Moloney - http://susarto.blogspot.com/

Festivals, Shows and More Shows

2010-04-09T18:11:00.000-07:00

March 2010

We've been busy, busy, busy with 3 back to back shows in March.

Duane Ellsworth Extravaganza

Started out with the Duane Ellsworth Extravaganza. Unfortunately this was a complete bust since the artists were placed so far away from the events that we barely had an audience. I think maybe 10 people came into our booth. Bummer since we got up at 5 am to drive all the way to Phoenix.

On a positive note, it was a cool space. They put us in the stable.
Ok, so it was a little stinky, but check out our space.

There was a horse show and competition, and a car show though it was very small. Jon got a couple of great car pics:

One of our favorite fellow vendors PARIS MONTANA http://parismtjewelry.com/

had a super cool display in an old silver bullet trailer. (Our pic doesn't do it justice) She made vintage recycled jewelry and set up shop inside and outside of her trailor. Her display was ultra COOL!

4th Ave. Street Fair

Next came the 4th Ave Street Fair in Tucson, AZ. It's a biannual show (Spring and Fall) and hundreds of thousands of people fill the streets of the eclectic 4th Ave strip in Tucson.

Here's a little glimpse of the show...

The crowds were amazing.

We'd look out from our booth to see solid walls of people walking by!

There was plenty of great food and lots of BEER!

We had a nice cold beer spilled across our display and on

our carpet and several drunk customers who knocked over parts of our display.

AH! All part of the fun!

One of our customers sports a buckle!

We redid our display ...

We added Chains with medallions!

And we added some bling with Swarovski Crystals!

And some rocker jewelry...

Check our website for all of our new items in the coming months!

We also showed at Tempe Mill Ave and had another terrific show.

Thanks to all of our customers for giving us such a successful March!

Solar Culture Art Opening

2010-03-06T16:02:00.000-08:00

Solar Culture
31 East Toole Avenue
Tucson, AZ 85701
(520) 884-0874
http://www.solarculture.org/solarculture/index.php

Feb 27,2010
Last weekend, Jon and I went with some friends to a gallery opening at Solar Culture. The gallery is located in a turn of the century Art Deco produce warehouse and is run by Steve and Kati who also live and create art there.

It is a really great non-profit venue which brings national and international artists together. Three times a year, artists gather to celebrate their art. Artists of all ages and skill sets are encouraged to display their art. The gallery is filled from floor to ceiling with some amazing talent.

Exhibitors bring massive amounts of food and drinks and musicians perform and the party begins!

Here are several videos to give you an idea. This show we were priveleged to see a wonderful band and belly dancer. Unfortunately I didn't get their name, but hope you enjoy !

Interview with Richard DeZinno

2010-03-05T18:02:00.000-08:00

At the art opening at Solar Culture in Tucson, AZ I interviewed good friend and excellent designer and photographer Richard DeZinno. Check out a few of his pieces and how he decides what to photograph! Thanks Richard!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvXjvTY0maE

POOL Tradeshow Feb 2010

2010-02-26T15:27:00.000-08:00

Vegas, NV

Once again time for the POOL Tradeshow in Vegas. OK, we were a little dissapointed since they moved the men's wear and SLATE (streetwear) to completely different venue. Not near as many guys came by our booth :( to buy on the spot, but we did get in some terrific new wholesale orders from retail and online stores (ck out http://www.fabgear.ca/main.html from Canada) and and we got to catch up with one of our favorite current stores (http://www.cboboutique.com/).

I also got to meet Christina Martin from http://www.backstageartistlounge.com/ who is our music promotions group where we've gifted bands such at Motley Crue and Alice in Chains. Christina knows all the celebs and is such a great gal. I don't know where she gets so much energy.

Madison Buyer swung by. They are the fashion industry's new marketing online tool to increase brand awareness to retailers, media, or consumers who may not be familiar with new fashion collections. They did a great interview for me. My first time on camera! Thanks ladies.

Check it out!

Thanks for stopping by!

Golden Globes

2010-01-19T12:36:00.001-08:00

WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear helped with Haiti survivors by donating buckles for gift bags worth 5K that are being auctioned off. See article and who attended the event. Also, see below to win your own bag.

Check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQEaRhhbhR0 to see the interview with Entertainment Tonight about Platinum Publicity helping out Haiti. Can you find WATTO in the background?

Click on the Golden Globes word above to read the article!

Or see article on the following sites:

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Melanie-Segals-Hollywood-Helping-Haiti-Lounge-Making-our-Globe-Golden-Golden-Globes-1103266.htm

http://hellodollface.com/
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_pwwi/is_201001/ai_n48650380/

WIN WIN WIN
Enter to win a swag bag from the Golden Globes with WATTO buckle included. Several online magazines are participating. Go to :

1. OK Magazine: http://www.okmagazine.com/2010/01/win-it-melanie-segals-celebrity-lounge-giftbag/ok_magazine_giveaway_golden_globes_melanie_segal/

2. My Style : http://www.mystyle.com/mystyle/detail/index.jsp?contentId=4613&sid=rss_mystyle_blog

3. Platinum Publicity: http://twitter.com/melaniesegal or http://twitter.com/PlatinumPublcty

4. Radar: http://www.radaronline.com/giveaways

Good luck and let us know if you win!
More Golden Globe pics and stuff to come!

Arts & Crafts Festivals #3

2010-01-02T20:00:00.000-08:00

Mesa Arts Center Holiday Art & Music Festival
Dec 12th & 13th 2009
Mesa, AZ
http://www.mesaartscenter.com/index.php/festivals/free-events/holiday-festival

It was a cold rainy weekend in Phoenix, Arizona. A rarity really. Of course it had to fall on Mesa Arts Center's Holiday Art & Music Festival.

Of all the festivals we've attended so far, I must say they did the most for the vendors. We had volunteers waiting for us as we pulled up, helping us to unload our car and cart all of our goods to our space. They brought us water throughout the day and frequently visited us to see if they could booth sit for us. Wow, was I impressed! Not to mention, a few of the volunteers bought some of our buckles. Can’t beat that!

There was fabulous entertainment! You’ll hear one of the local bands, Elixer, http://www.elixir-band.com on the video. There was great face painting for the kids and dogs (check out the little girl and doggie on our video) done by Snazzy Fun Face Painting (480) 890-8271, and some talented break-dancing done by Arizona Floor Assassins.

This show we focused our video more on the overall festival rather than specific artists. And, since Jon and I are both dog lovers, we got lots of doggie pics. There were some of the most unusually large dogs out, and some just plain loveable faces. Enjoy!

Arts & Crafts Festivals Series #2

2010-01-01T09:25:00.000-08:00

Oro Valley Festival of the Arts
Nov. 28th & 29th 2009
Oro Valley, Arizona

Ok, so this was my first attempt at using my new Flip Mino. I apologize to the artists I interviewed for the low res quality. I've also since learned to slow down. A few of the videos actually made me dizzy to watch them. LOL!

This was a "non-juried" show held at the Oro Valley Marketplace. The event was planned as a huge event with visit from Santa, music and food vendors. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had different ideas...

Friday, we set-up our booth in beautiful sun-shiny weather. Saturday, Jon decided to stay home and continue working on some custom projects as I ran the show. My family was in town for the holidays, so they agreed to stop by and give me some breaks. Saturday morning did not look as promising as far as the weather.

As I got closer to the event, the winds began to pick up drastically. I pulled up to my space to find a row of tents in various states of destruction. One tent had literally blown across the parking lot! I later found out that winds had reached 40 mph over night!!!

My tent was on its side even though we had 50 pound weights in each of the four corners. The tent had ripped leaving the ties to the weights unattached. A fellow artist helped me with my tent and soon I was back up, but several other artists in my row were not as fortunate with one artist's tent completely destroyed. They all packed up and went home, leaving me as the only artist in my row.

Sunday was windy and rainy, but I stuck it out. Needless to say, not the best show in the world, but the staff was kind enough to offer credit toward future shows.

Following, is a short video of the crazy weather, then some individual artist videos. Enjoy!!!

Note: the artist with the wonderful, funky paintings is Liz Vaughn
http://www.lizvaughn.com/

Quail Lane Studios
quaillane@quaillane.com
http://www.quaillane.com/

These Little Nothings
nadine@theselittlenothings.com
http://www.theselittlenothings.com/

Bloomin Belle Bows
juliemccormick1@yahoo.com
http://www.bloominbellebows.com/

Joe Fick Enterprises
metal & flagstone

Metal work

Arts & Crafts Festival Series #1

2009-12-30T16:00:00.000-08:00

The months of Nov. and Dec. kept us busy attending many festivals. We had the privelage of meeting many wonderful artists and crafters. I will be posting several general videos of the shows, and quite a few one on one videos with artists and crafters that we met. Hope you enjoy!

Rincon Mountain Presbyterian Church
Christmas Arts & Crafts Festival
Dec 4th & 5th, 2009

Tucson, AZ

WATTO's New Booth
http://www.wattoonline.com/

Mary Spencer's Mosaics

Terry Slonaker
Ceramic Artist
tlsculpture@hotmail.com

Gourds

Tucson Decorative Painter's Guild
http://tdpaintersguild.org/
tdpg-dysipos@comcast.net

Lagniappe Pottery
deniseanewman@yahoo.com

My Creative Mind Has No Limits
mycreativemind@msn.com
http://www.mycreativemind-hasnolimits.com/

Made by Dani
http://madebydani.com

Becki Bags
becki@beckibags.com

Bead a Blessing
http://www.etsy.com/shop/beadablessing

AZ Magnetic Jewelry
jennahrancour@yahoo.com
http://www.azmagneticjewelry.bravehost.com/

Amy's Jewelry & Gifts
http://wwwajewelgift.etsy.com
ajewelgift@hotmail.com

Acadienne
http://www.artfire.com/users/acadienne

Aranda's Chad Roper Wearing WATTO DMW's Signiture Buckle

2009-12-15T11:36:00.000-08:00

Smokin' hot Chad Roper sent us this awesome photo taken by Monica Stricker. He's wearing WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear's (DMW) signiture buckle- the Winged Skull. (retails for $85 on http://www.wattoonline.com.)

Chad was quoted as saying, "With the market flooded with cheap, gimmicky little nick-nacks, I've found it tough to find high quality apparel accessories that are unique in appearance and design. Thanks to the folks at Watto for providing for me a very nice addition to my wardrobe with their signature 'Winged Skull' buckle."

Aranda band members including Chad Roper, Dameon Aranda, Gabe Aranda, and Mike Walker originated their rock band in Oaklahoma City. Their first record Aranda, was released on April 22, 2008. They recently toured on the Buzzfest Tour with headliner Alice in Chains.

Visit them at:
http://twitter.com/ArandaMusic
http://www.myspace.com/aranda

WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear Meets American Idols

2009-12-12T20:28:00.000-08:00

WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear Meets American Idols

Mesa AZ, Dec 12. 2009

Watto Distinctive Metal Wear showed at the Mesa Holiday Music and Arts Festival held at the fabulous Mesa Arts Center in downtown Mesa Arizona today Dec 12.

Although the weather left much to be desired, we had a very pleasant surprise! Who just happens to walk into our booth but American idols Michael Sarver and Alexis Grace of season 8, David Hernandez from season 7 and Gina Glocksen from season 6. Wanna know more about 'em? Visit the following links. And yes, they were as nice as they seem on the video. Please support their musical journey!
http://www.americanidol.com/contestants/season_8/michael_sarver/
http://www.americanidol.com/archive/contestants/season7/david_hernandez/
http://www.alexisgraceweb.com/
http://www.americanidol.com/archive/contestants/season6/gina_glocksen/

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Tus-Con 36

2009-11-16T21:42:00.000-08:00

The Best Little Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Convention in Arizona

Nov 6th, 7th & 8th
InnSuites Hotel Tucson, AZ

Visit their site at http://home.earthlink.net/~basfa/
Wow, never been to anything like this before and didn't know what to expect! The dealers were all put in a hotel meeting room so we didn't get to enjoy all of the activities, but I can assure you there were some interesting things going on.
Wish I could have attended the Ghost Hunting Techniques and Equipment discussion - could come in handy some day. You never know. The discussion on Star Trek: Heresy or new revolution wouldn't really be my thing, but apparently it was a lively banter. What I would have loved to hear was the talk on time travel. Where would you travel back or forward to? I think I'd like to visit Victorian times, but just for a day and only if I were a wealthy princess!
The guest speaker was Weston Ochse (http://www.westonochse.com/) who won the Bram Stoker Award which is equivalent to the Oscars, but for horror writers. I purchased his book Scarecrow Gods and got him to sign it! My first ever autographed book by an author.

Weston Ochse

Another really cool thing was meeting Noel Neil who was the second Lois Lane. She graciously agreed to take a pic with me. What a classy lady. Here's more info on her http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0624747/

Jon and I took a trip into the unknown and had our Tarot cards read by Lady Marretta. Watch out world! Looks like we're in for some good stuff comin' our way, so keep your eyes on WATT0!

Noel Neil and Mary

There was a small but fun costume contest. Check out some of the images. Sorry, they were moving around too fast for my amateur photographerness (is that a word?)

These were our neighbor dealers- they are true Renaissance folks

Bear the guy in the middle makes keltic armoty & forged items. You can reach him at

Scaramasax@aol.com

Button man

Author Todd VanHooser of The Barren 12 with his goddess groupies

Professor Chedwick Cornelius Atlerbury

Finally there were my neighbor vendors. I've included a few images, but check out the video of all of them.

Liz of Bad Moon Books & sis Jen

you can buy their books on ebay

My new author friend Richard R Draude

He's not only an author but a computer guru and helped me with my computer.

I bought his book The Adam Eradication and now I have 2 books signed by their authors.

This convention was probably not the best venue for us as it was more of a sci-fi gaming crowd, but we had a lot of fun. We're looking into doing the big Fangoria Horror convention in CA, Will keep you posted...

For a mini convention experience check out the slideshow below!

Kevin McLeod - Music- "Dark World" found on incompetech.com
Bad Moon Books liz@badmoonbooks.com- also found on ebay
Richard Draude- author of The Adam Eradication- rdraude@interplex-net.com
Silver Sea Jewelry- Elizabeth Mead- 330 N. 4th Ave Tucson, AZ 85705 520-624-9954
Bruce Davis-author of sci-fi e-books- http://www.akwbooks.com/
Lady Marretta- tarot readings- 602-354-8585
Bear- Scaramasax@aol.com - keltic armory, forge & the Fraisian Marketeers
Hadrosaur Productions- David Summers- publisher- http://www.hadrosaur.com/
Sherrie Holbrook- tupperware & vintage toys and trading cards- SherrieHolbrook@my2.tupperware.com
ProfessorChedwick Cornelius Atlerbury-Gary Hayes- graphic design - - valkyriearts@q.com
Astarte Imports & Gifts- Rhonda Staggs- astartenarghiles@myway.com
Massoglia Books- Marty & Alice Massoglia- used books- http://www.massogliabooks.com/
Ruth Bollerud- jewelry designer
Nora Rankin- head of dealer's room
T-shirt Dealer-Scott & Jane Dennis-Fo' Paws Productions http://www.fopaws.com/

Southwest Flair A-Fair

2009-11-16T21:04:00.000-08:00

Oct 30- Nov 1

Fine Art & Unique Crafts from over 170 Artisans
Benefiting Big Brothers Big Sister of Tucson

Friday was freezing! Started off at 32 degrees which is pretty darn cold for Tucson! But, as the day went on the weather turned beautiful. There were over 170 artisans and food vendors. Lots of great artwork.
Sat was much busier and the weather warmed up to the proper Tucson temperature. Our neighbor artists were so wonderful and gave us lots of tips for showing. We were considered the “newbies” so they all took care of us.

2009 Rips’s BAD Ride

2009-11-16T20:58:00.000-08:00

Oct 25, 2009

Pinal Fairgrounds Casa Grande, Arizona

The day started out cooooooooold, but ended up beautiful! We woke up EARLY (5am) and drove an hour and a half to get to the fairgrounds then set up.

The event benefited Diabetes which is an issue that affects so many adults and children in the US.
At about 9:30 the bikers came rollin’ in and the festivities began. Great music and a rockin’ bike show which Jon helped to judge. They also had all you can eat Mexican, burgers and Corona. AHHHHH a relaxing day in the sun with a full tummy and sold some buckles to boot!
Day ended early around 3 and we were back home and unpacked by 5. All in all a nice day for a great cause! Here’s a few pics.

See more on our Facebook page.
http://www.facebook.com/wattoonline#/album.php?aid=335444&id=191510025176

Bike show winners- Jon was a judge

Jon made the awards- sorry about the low res pic

biker doggie

Jon at WATTO booth

Steph's photos

2009-11-16T20:50:00.000-08:00

Some rockin' shots from our friend Steph of http://www.stephfowlerphotography.com/ wearing WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear buckles.

WATTO & Crue Fest NY 2009

2009-11-16T20:45:00.000-08:00

Sept 1 NY 2009

WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear recentely participated as a sponsor for the Crue Fest NY 2009 tour through our partnership with The Backstage Artist Lounge http://www.backstageartistlounge.com/

As quoted on their website “Created by Christina Martin, The Backstage Artist Lounge is a private lounge installed backstage at major music festivals where sponsors connect with talented bands for product sampling and relationship building opportunities. ”
They have all sorts of great pics of band members with different companies products. Check out their gallery section http://www.backstageartistlounge.com/backstageartistlounge-gallery.php

They are a terrific group to work with and got us some fabulous shots of WATTO buckles with Motley Crue, Godsmack, Drowning Pool, Theory of a Deadman and Charm City Devils. To see which band members chose which buckle, check out our facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=308124&id=191510025176&ref=mf.
The band members were so awesome to take such rockin photos with our product.

Bevin Hamilton,one of Motley Crue’s dancers loved the buckles and ordered several more from us. We are waiting for pics from her. She was quoted as saying, “What I love about WATTO buckles is that they have taken creative metal work and made them so each one is unique. They are so rock and roll and I can’t wait to wear one at my next gig!” She’s such a doll!

Crue Fest 2 was a big success for everyone. We look forward to sponsoring one of the shows of Crue Fest 3 in 2010.

Arts Fest La Encantada 2009

2009-11-16T19:31:00.000-08:00

Nov 7 & 8 2009

The Event was held at the lucious La Encantada Shopping venue at Skyline Dr & Campbell Ave in Tucson, AZ. (520) 615-2561. We were surrounded by beautiful architecture and landscaping and high end stores such as Coach, Bebe, Tiffany, Lucky Brand Jeans and Anthropologie to name a few. A great canvas for any artist to exhibit at.

We’re totally bored with talking only about us, so we’re going to try to highlight some of the artists and other vendors at the festivals we attend so you can feel like you were actually there. Plus, the other artists are just so cool they deserve a shout out!

Check out the slide show of the La Encantada show held on Nov 7th & 8th. The show included over 60 artists and craftsmen, plus entertainment.

WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear- Jon with display

Shining Two Stars

Roberta Lewis

http://www.robertalewisart.com/

Ron Nelson

Paper Casting

Coyote Country

coyotecountry.artfire.com

Designs by Vivian

Diane Hodiak

http://www.hodiak.com/

Su Zee Designs

http://www.suzeedesigns.com/

Jodi Bombardier

http://www.jewelsbyjules.artfire.com/

Something Schocking

Laurie Schock

http://www.somethingschocking.com/

Click here to see the video. Make sure to click on the red HQ button in the lower left for the highest res version or go to http://www.youtube.com/user/WATTODMW/

To see these in photo version visit our Facebook gallery at: http://www.facebook.com/wattoonline/