Irony of "Hand-Carved"

In preparing to put up my display at the "Crafter's Den" of the Antique Mall, I want to communicate to customers that my stuff is brand new -- not used, not "pre-owned," not an antique. I also wanted to communicate that that each-and-every piece is "hand-crafted" -- not mechanically reproduced by the hundreds or thousands. (Yes, I use my laser to help with mold-making/templates, but truly the design concepts are mine, I lovingly "shape" the clay original with my own 2 hands, paint every nook-and-cranny, and frame it myself.)

My husband pointed out the irony in the above wood "tag" sign -- that I used Adobe Illustrator to design and my laser to carve the lettering even though I'm saying "hand-crafted" for the rest of my stuff. Well, technically it's true.

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The Eagle Has Landed....

I finished framing my most "masculine" Harley-Davidson-esque design to date. Red, blue, silver, and gold. (I know, I know... I mixed silver and gold...a decorator's no-no). Anywhoo, I learned the hard way that I need to take photos without the glass, before sealing up the frame, to avoid glare. This was my first time using my new V-groover to cut a white line in the matte board. I had no idea what to call this piece... I ended up with "The Likes of Liberty -- Forget Not Freedom." I had wanted to include a quote by Abraham Lincoln ("If you deny freedom to others, you don't deserve it for yourself") but, in the end, just want the detail of the design to speak for itself.