@mmrogers , I’m late to this conversation but agree with everyone here that your design for the iPhone case is stunning-- and, as a student of Japanese esthetics, wanted to add that your elegant use of negative space is what really makes the arabesque pop for me.
I also like how the “star” circle echoes the circles of the cameras. It creates a very pleasing harmony.
And like @Ziacat, I hope you will show us the finished product!
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Thank you @chamekke. Interesting that you mention Japanese aesthetics. My mother was a flight nurse stationed in Okinawa, and an absolute nut for Japanese culture and art. The home I grew up in was full of Japanese, Korean, and Chinese art, and furniture. From screens to paintings, ceramics, lamps, cloisonné, and intricately hand carved teakwood furniture, to ivory carvings
I do think it really had an effect on my personal sense of aesthetics in a very positive way, and tends to come out in my artwork and sense of design.
@Ziacat, will definitely post photos when I get it made 
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That explains a lot. What a wonderful design.
I also really love Japanese culture and language. Have learnt Japanese, and will go to Japan for my second time in around 11 months. So different, so amazing.
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There really is something sublime about Japanese art, and learning Japanese is an amazing accomplishment, @gt75 . Your English is impeccable, and I imagine your Japanese is as well. Along with being a polyglot, accomplished classical vocalist, and Native American jewelry enthusiast and collector, what are some of your other passions?
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What a great idea, Mike!
It would be a seriously high class phone case!
I’m also crazy for Asian art and furniture.
After searching for years, I’m finally the proud owner of several authentic Japanese block prints and a Chinese wedding cabinet, to compliment my other Asian furniture.
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This is one of the remaining pieces from my mother’s living room furniture. A bar carved from teakwood. My sister has the matching ornately carved desk. Every piece we had, including nesting tables and coffee tables was hand carved teakwood with the same level of detail.
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Waaay off topic here!
@mmrogers that teak cabinet is stunning!
Here is my Chinese Wedding Cabinet. I found it at a thrift store, of all places.
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Yes, I have some passions. Thanks for your positive words.
One goal is 10 languages. DE, EN, IT, FR well enough, ES, PT, JP, RU more or less okay to communicate - that’s my status.
And by next year I want to have seen 100 countries. Have about 80 so far, now I will add more in the Caribbean (8+), Africa (5+) and SE-Asia (5+). Let’s see.
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Lovely, lovely cabinet, Stracci! You’re clearly a thrifting wizard!
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Wow! Just wow! 10 languages. Amazing!
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That’s sooo good. Always wanted an authentic Japanese cupboard but have no space left for it. Here in Germany living is really expensive, I’m happy to own a 94m² apartment (around 1,000 square feet).
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It’s been a while, but I remember well. Living space is expensive, and space is usually limited. I used to rent flats in suburban areas outside of the metropolitan area for affordability. I was very lucky when I started out working in Germany, and was invited to rent a room in a friends top floor apartment in old town Heidelberg, surrounded by good restaurants and cozy pubs, with a fantastic view of the castle. Wonderful experience!
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Very beautiful but full of tourists. A must-see.
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Wow. As someone who has seen so many countries, do you have a top 5 or 10…with an emphasis on natural beauty? I’m not a big city girl. I’m presently in the Caribbean…St Thomas. I’ve been to St Lucia (beautiful), Turks & Caicos…great for snorkeling, Aruba, & St. Martin. Hubby is still not used to driving on the other side of the road. I saw my life flash before me tonight. I see from another thread that you have Banff on your list. Have you traveled there yet? That is on my wish list. My son crossed the country, stopping at many National Parks and that was his favorite place.
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Banff was AWESOME. But it’s crazy expensive now (we were there in the early 2000’s), and Jasper had horrible fires last fall. But, bonus, you can drive on the correct side of the road there 
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Looking forward to St Lucia and Banff & Jasper. Never been there.
Have some favorites wrt nature. Galapagos is out of this world and doubtlessly the best ever seen. After that, I would name New Zealand, Iceland, Nepal/Bhutan and China. And the US can be proud about natural beauty, too.
And wrt driving … on the right side is the right side, for sure 
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My last piece of Chinese furniture. A late Ming Dynasty Zitan tea table. Purchased in the early 1990s from Dot Voorhees of Lodi, NY. She was an 88 year old dealer that purchased oriental items directly from the old missionaries to China. Someone had nailed to top to the base. I’m in the slow process of restoring it, hence the little bag of wood attached to the leg.
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For anyone wondering about the costs involved in making something like this, I just priced the materials, which are going to run around $400 including inbound shipping, tax, and all consumables used in fabrication and finishing. Add to that 16.5 hours professional design time for the concept drawing at a discounted rate of $60 an hour (add $990). Add another 16.5 - 20 hours minimum to that total to lay out, precisely fabricate the case, cut the design to completion, and hand finish to presentation quality, and you begin to get an idea of the professional time and expense involved in making a single piece.
All things considered, it’s also a great illustration of the absolute bargains out there currently in the resale market for Native American jewelry.
We are in a very interesting epoch from a value perspective, in that many items on the resale market in Native American Jewelry, and higher end American Craft jewelry are still selling at levels which reflect 1/3 to 1/5 of current materials values, and 1/3 to 1/4 of current labor values.
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You really shouldn’t do that to yourself Mike. Calculating the actual cost of our labor can be depressing (and mostly aggravating) especially when people whine about the price of what we are offering. And you are quoting a pre-COVID hourly rate. Based on post COVID greed, you need to triple that $60 per hour.
But hey, if people can afford a $1600 phone and $80K trucks, then you should have no problem getting $4K for something hand made with precious metals. 
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No doubt. My husband works at a factory that makes those crazy expensive trucks. Every time I see somebody driving one I say, “thank you for helping to pay my bills.” Although we drive little Chevy Cruzes 
@mmrogers, I often think of what you said when I’m wearing my stuff that I bought years ago; that, if new, much of it would cost me a whole lot more $ today.
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