AT FIRST IT sounded obvious that the better of California College of Arts and Crafts' two current exhibits was going to be Shirley Tse's "Shelf Life," a room-size installation made out of plastic packing materials. The gallery brochure describes how visitors can climb around and explore its varied textures and terrain, both transforming and being contained by the plastic-coated packaging. And while it was definitely fun to play on for a while (remember to take off your shoes and watch your head), in the end the description probably promises more cleverness and complexity than any work could deliver. Downstairs is a different story. "In the Making," a group show devoted to experimental practices in arts and crafts, features objects by artists as diverse as architect Frank Gehry and fashion designer Yeohlee Teng. The real hidden treasure, pretty much undiscussed in the brochure, is something called the zgodlocator/mobile II, an electronic invention by Herwig Weiser with software engineer Albert Bleckmann and audio programmer F.X. Randomiz. It's presented in a case like dual DJ turntables, with the left circle full of ground-up computer hardware and the right circle full of gloppy black "ferrofluid." As we turned the knobs on the case, electromagnets interacted with the materials and translated their movements into audio, which was broadcast over the sound system. There was definitely a random element to how it worked, reminiscent of Raymond Scott's Electronium, but it also had a predictable, systematic aspect. With enough twiddling, we figured out that certain knob positions produced repeatable effects – that you could actually "play" the thing in the traditional instrumental sense. So where can I sign up to buy one? Tues. and Fri., 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Wed., Thurs., and Sat., 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Logan Galleries, 1111 Eighth St., S.F. (415) 551-9210. (Lindsey Westbrook)