A few months ago I got an e-mail from someone in the Netherlands asking me for more info about the Emotions Can Be Dangerous Line. Next thing I know, I’m in the very sleek, very chic Linda Magazine. It’s a women’s fashion mag based in the Netherlands that’s all about high style, hot fashion and great design. The issue my tiny write-up appears in also happens to be about women who pay for escorts! Thanks to this link, I just found out that Linda Magazine gave male escorts to some of their subscribers as part of the promotion for this particular issue. Whoa!

Once again I’ve let my blogging duties fall by the way side. Sorry! I’ve been busy with lots of stuff though and I’ll prove it by blogging about the stuff I’ve been working on. I’ll start by telling you about my new products: two different lines of coasters. I’ve been working on these for MONTHS and MONTHS and I’ve finally perfect the recipe for laser cut bamboo coasters. The coasters are made from 1/4″ thick caramel colored bamboo. Each one is laser cut/etched by yours truly. One of the good things about the coasters is that bamboo grows in water, that means when these lovely things get wet, they don’t even warp – they just dry. And, oh yes I mustn’t forget that my friend, Karen Martinez of imisutoo, did a super fine job of giving me an assist on package design. Speaking of packaging, all coasters come in a tin that fits 4 coasters perfectly. You can use the tin to keep the coasters in or remove the coasters and use the tin for storing other goodies. Check it all out here…


The Adinkra Coasters are based on a a symbol language from West Africa called the Adinkra. These symbols represent words of wisdom, advice and life lessons. Traditionally they are seen on fabric, as wood block prints and on pottery. More recently they are becoming as ubiquitous as chinese characters in America and can often be seen as tattoos and even as parts of corporate logos. I’ve chosen about 25 symbols to work with for now and each pack of coasters comes with 4 different symbols, and a sheet explaining what each of the 25 different symbols mean. While they’re completely durable and useable as coasters these can also be viewed as works of art.


Above are pictures of my new East/West Coasters. Like the Adinkra coasters they are sold in sets of 4 and are made from laser cut bamboo. Instead of being rooted in tradition, however, these coasters are a full on tongue-in-cheek, play on words assault. Instead of using the term East Coaster or West Coaster to identify someone from that particular region, those terms are used to identify these literal coasters. As such, they are designed to look like compasses that always face East or West.

Look for these coasters online at: http://sharif.etsy.com and http://mastersofnone.org as well as at stores listed under the retail section of the masters of none website this month! Also, tune in to WHYY’s Friday Arts at 8:30pm TONIGHT to see me talk about where/how I make these! If you miss it, you can catch it online later here: http://www.whyy.org/tv12/fridayarts/index.html

So, I was walking down South Street the other day with my friend David when I saw a bunch of Phillies and other sports gear in the window. I said “my ‘ills‘ should live here.” He said “yeah, they should…go tell them.” So I did. Now there are “ills” for sale at CheesesteakTees at 5th & South! Hooray! I’m sort of on a probation period there – if my things sell well, they’ll order more, so go buy it!

A few months ago my neighbor told me about a cool new shop opening in South Philly. I checked it out and found a super cool shop owner in Elissa Kara @ Nice Things Handmade. Located at 1731 East Passyunk Ave, Nice Things is a boutique that is part art gallery and part retail store. Every 2nd Saturday she has openings akin to First Friday openings that happen all around Philly. It’s a fun shop with lots of cool stuff. If you don’t believe me, then read all about it yourself in the current Grid Magazine.

Last Saturday I dropped off some of my stuff @ Nice Things and hung out with Elissa and the artist featured in this month’s show – Cory Robinson. Above is a pic of just some of the great stuff he makes. I loooooveee the painting of the antelope featured here. It’s a great show, go see it but keep your hands off the antelope painting unless you’re buying it as a late birthday present for me!

Wow. It’s been forever since I blogged people. Did you miss me? …hello, is this thing on? Uhh..so I got busy writing a business plan – yeah another one – for a competition. At the same time, I was working on some new and exciting projects/products for you all. Needless to say, that required a lot of my time and next thing I know…it’s been, what? Six weeks or more since I posted something. Anyway, I’ll back fill you all on stuff in the next couple weeks. For now check out what I brought back with me…..more ills and a video to prove it.

Subscribe to the MON YouTube channel to see more upcoming videos too!
http://www.youtube.com/user/themastersofnone
Oh…and while you’re at it, become a fan of MON on Facebook!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Masters-of-None
..I’ll have lots more stuff coming to both places soon.
If you just want the ill though, get it here: http://sharif.etsy.com

A lot of people, who shall remain nameless, don’t seem to give New Jersey a lot of respect. I guess that’s what happens when you’re the strip of land keeping Philadelphia from New York. …Anyway! I’m happy to announce that I’m doing my part, along with the lovely ladies Emma and Evonne over at Gallery Aferro and Art Shop, to make New Jersey more awesome. No, not by signing some kind of petition, but by offering the Emotions Can Be Dangerous line of jewelry through Art Shop – the retail store inside of Gallery Aferro.

I’ll admit that my role here is small. Having visited Gallery Aferro in Newark, NJ over the weekend it’s clear that Emma and Evonne are doing most of the work. They have a super sweet space in the middle of lots of action where they showcase some serious talent. On top of having gallery exhibitions, they show films and even have a limited number of studios open to qualified artists.

I would say “if you’re in the area, check it out” but I think what I’ll say is: “Go to Newark and check out the gallery.” Emma and Evonne are great, the space is really great AND they carry awesome things like ECBD jewelry – how can they go wrong with that? Right?

So let me start by saying that out of the two figures pictured here, I don’t know which is more creepy! Is it the guy who invented the robotic sex toy (let’s all pretend to be surprised that he’s from New Jersey (sorry NJ friends but let’s be real, you know where you’re from and you know how I feel about that)) or the robot itself! Who in the hell wants this thing looking at them…let alone in an “intimate” setting? Am I alone here?

It looks like a freeze frame of countless women who have appeared on Jerry Springer’s stage…can’t you see that thing throwing a shoe and yelling at it’s husband for sleeping with it’s sister – seriously!

This kind of seems like the beginning of what every sci-fi movie starring Will Smith, Tom Cruise, Bruce Willis and Linda Hamilton warned us about, doesn’t it? Clearly, I’m not a fan and when the robots rise up against us, I think they’ll probably come after me first. I guess I better continue tweeting, recording video and doing internet searches from my smart phone while I still can.

So…I’m in my office stressing out about trying to write a new business plan, where to find 5mm thick bamboo, better packaging for this thing, that thing, taking jewelry to Jersey in a couple days and on and on…then I stood up, glanced out the window and saw this on the building across the street:

…thanks!

Saturday, February 13, 2010 come hang out with me and She-she-rara (of Girlyfied Gear) at VIX Emporium in West Philly. We’ll be doing a show called “Cards, Scarves & Emotional Scars.” I’ll give you one guess as to who threw that title out there. Hmmm…okay so maybe I need to reexamine my emotions on….emotions. If you think I do, come see me work out my issues as I (hopefully) make a new line cards (this is where the cards come in) on the spot at VIX on Saturday February, 13th!

For her part, Sheshe (a.k.a Shera Simon) will be doing some on the spot sewing of her latest and greatest collection of Girlyfied Gear (this is where the scarves come in). Check out the Valentine’s Project she has going on right now!

Overall we’re sort of thinking Shera will be on the pro-Valentine’s and I’ll be on the anti-Valentine’s (I wonder why?) Do you lean more to one side than the other? Well, show up and choose a team!