The True Story of
Just Say Gnome!
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 Gnome Molds in Development. Yes, I can be a slob sometimes.
Well it wasn’t exactly that dramatic. It took a while to get the first gnome sculpted – using Sculptey™ oven bake clay. I badly burned the nearly-completed first attempt and had to start over - at least once. And then the challenges of mold-making were even more frustrating. I talked a little to local sculptors about what molding material I should use – latex or silicone, RTV or catalyzing, etc. Some materials I tried fell apart, or took too long to ‘cure’, or stuck to themselves. And the worst was just too toxic: even though I tried to protect myself from the fumes with a good respirator mask I didn’t have the mask sealed properly and inhaled enough fumes that I couldn’t really think right for a couple days.
Eventually a combination of a two-part silicone rubber formula and regular silicone caulking (usually used for sealing bathrooms and kitchens) was settled on and worked okay. At first I tried casting the gnomes in a plaster material –but soon realized that cement was the way to go for outdoor durability. – but there’s more information about the whole casting process [ here ]. |
 Chomsky Gnome with Clay 'Tray' - for pouring the mold rubber into |
 OM Gnome with layer of silicon mold rubber - I'm Melting! |
Noam, Oms, Little Green Men, Aliens, Ninja & Pirates Gnomes, and others –
EARLY VERSION OF AN 'OM GNOME'
But despite the difficulties in the early gnome-making process a fun phenomena started along the way: as I told friends about what I was working on they would often suggest other innovative new garden gnome names and ideas – and of course I started to think of more of my own too. Soon projects like the ‘Alien Garden Gnome’, the Green Man Gnome, and even a Pirate Gnome were in the works. But probably the most clever idea was from my former housemate Molly who said, ‘What about a ‘Garden Om’, like a meditating gnome?’ After creating a couple of gnomes around that idea – it’s turned out to be one of the most popular Just Say Gnome! designs – maybe even the most popular gnome design in all of history! But it’s probably too early to say for sure about that. Of course lots of other silly and clever Gnome ideas have come up since then - and you can see many of them [ here!] - link not yet active
 Alien and Greenman Gnome in duct-tape transport container |
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PIRATE GNOME - IN DEVELOPMENT
Some of these gnome ideas are in development – and some may never be – and many of the earliest ideas still haven’t made it into a physical 3-D gnome form yet. Now that the business is getting a bit more Sirius and national – we’ll just have to see what happens. Whatever gnomes get made – or at least get illustrated - I hope that you like them – or at least that they make you laugh a little.
The Gnome ‘Factory’ / ’Birthing Room’ - Laundry Room Days
GNOMES TAKING OVER THE FLOOR!
Just Say Gnome! gnome production started off in a small laundry / tool room in the basement of my former residence – where housemates kindly didn’t complain much at all though they often had to maneuver around several little pointy-hatted dudes just to clean their clothes.
But now gnome production has moved to a much more comfortable ‘birthing room’ occupying half of a whole 2-car garage – which admittedly still isn’t a lot of space – but it works for now – and the gnomes seem happy enough. And the plan is to put up some movie posters soon –and maybe add some ceramic squirrels and other creatures and fake plants to the room too – to make it seem like a more natural habitat for the gnomes to be born into.
But now gnome production has moved to a much more comfortable ‘birthing room’ occupying half of a whole 2-car garage – which admittedly still isn’t a lot of space – but it works for now – and the gnomes seem happy enough. And the plan is to put up some movie posters soon –and maybe add some ceramic squirrels and other creatures and fake plants to the room too – to make it seem like a more natural habitat for the gnomes to be born into.
As of this writing the gnome shipping department is still in development but should be up and running soon. Right now two-part silicon molds are being used to cast gnomes in cement but other methods and materials are being researched for future gnome development and production.
From Laundry-Basket Marketing to InterGnational Empire!
Curiously, back in the ‘early days’ when Just Say Gnome! gnomes were still being made in a laundry room the best available container for carrying and displaying them to local stores was – appropriately enough – a laundry basket. Hawthorne street in Southeast Portland – near the sculptor’s home at the time – was the natural first area to try to market the gnomes. So peeking out of this laundry basket the early gnomes were introduced to the World - from head shops and gothic fashion stores – to international import stores, metaphysical-new age shops, and Powell’s Home and Garden store. Overall it was really surprising how receptive many stores were to the gnomes - some stores even bought gnomes that day. Later attempts at local gnome sales often didn’t go very well at all, but over time it became clear that many people liked these new varieties of gnomes and that there really could be a national market for them.
- Story to be continued .... ! stayed tuned.
- Story to be continued .... ! stayed tuned.