tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162977852024-03-15T21:19:52.235+00:00Caro's LinesBlogging along on my journey to wherever it is I'm goingCarolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635758748108011584noreply@blogger.comBlogger477125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16297785.post-63649877140905414042024-03-15T21:19:00.001+00:002024-03-15T21:19:07.465+00:00NightCafe AI art <p> I spend a lot of time on <a href="https://nightcafe.art/u/CarosLines" target="_blank">NightCafe </a>these days making art using AI.</p><p>There are Daily Challenges which the first three of these images came from: <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtn2Zz_BbfzCoaHJzNeKC09Nj94Y0d-YP8lqiFrDRHUAGclc1dCZdzwZxLVSfBIxWLe7xWaa1mlvoeNh0mCCCUTVFT_SUV63NkoDEghNaSSuofYeHP0UamE3VuRbSXXEvrPbjArWzQNXwWmbvqH1FXqbBlDuQ27R9xjL5FBsugZbCbu_68Q3hv/s1024/37mn0IUyhZcNPtMP39VC--1--v5qy7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtn2Zz_BbfzCoaHJzNeKC09Nj94Y0d-YP8lqiFrDRHUAGclc1dCZdzwZxLVSfBIxWLe7xWaa1mlvoeNh0mCCCUTVFT_SUV63NkoDEghNaSSuofYeHP0UamE3VuRbSXXEvrPbjArWzQNXwWmbvqH1FXqbBlDuQ27R9xjL5FBsugZbCbu_68Q3hv/s320/37mn0IUyhZcNPtMP39VC--1--v5qy7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8LxnbBDuMA8wrDcmPegQ0pT3koCgDHr64-Ww34RwEf3C2pMMykAcEjer52gmhuQgXCvoIpRb7SfNdlqDf2DykYoPNGVZNv4q9RYkbPKFUM6aIZf58DAr1vNWxrlhp1ki6KvH8rtuG1QYm7dgn3dxNm50L_SKG9Opl-CZK7ft7vHsit_wwv8mM/s1024/08ssAGLxEnvbweu0sAxv--1--gqce8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8LxnbBDuMA8wrDcmPegQ0pT3koCgDHr64-Ww34RwEf3C2pMMykAcEjer52gmhuQgXCvoIpRb7SfNdlqDf2DykYoPNGVZNv4q9RYkbPKFUM6aIZf58DAr1vNWxrlhp1ki6KvH8rtuG1QYm7dgn3dxNm50L_SKG9Opl-CZK7ft7vHsit_wwv8mM/s320/08ssAGLxEnvbweu0sAxv--1--gqce8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_1HorUtzaqQ_TNU7nytAzLkWO1ZONmSi6N5lbhGKn_Gr-Xgsh_5jzG0BcVY7AOKLuyWm7wr9B7Q1L5p3vosTlXZ7Hs9hms3_mlTa-Q8BHUXYYOZlu-FYKK3Gsw1nuqzlzlZ-E8sQVpkKu1qYDqJjkAc5xfbgibYjECP8ChHpGe6fmS-evRDAA/s1024/nCwJKOlZ3bhLGW5inENH--1--c5phq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_1HorUtzaqQ_TNU7nytAzLkWO1ZONmSi6N5lbhGKn_Gr-Xgsh_5jzG0BcVY7AOKLuyWm7wr9B7Q1L5p3vosTlXZ7Hs9hms3_mlTa-Q8BHUXYYOZlu-FYKK3Gsw1nuqzlzlZ-E8sQVpkKu1qYDqJjkAc5xfbgibYjECP8ChHpGe6fmS-evRDAA/s320/nCwJKOlZ3bhLGW5inENH--1--c5phq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>This underwater horsey one was prompted in Welsh by using Google Translate to translate the prompt from a previous image into Welsh.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDmVOD5BTGGb7EgyOVURoBKEyDAL-AM0_X6LqcJWallx_gUNnPxNDYbCL8Ehzwm-1d9WK_Dx0R1LXziAYDi_U-7UjsXXStcVOz32UCX2rad5nfqa79ZAAdjLUkf9KGrhBDLndiKOmRauZHC_TtY3rMzYZnHiKKXnQOunBXwODVodTgQgpcznPV/s1024/3Z8iAOyP88FKxCx8XY2R--1--sg48x.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDmVOD5BTGGb7EgyOVURoBKEyDAL-AM0_X6LqcJWallx_gUNnPxNDYbCL8Ehzwm-1d9WK_Dx0R1LXziAYDi_U-7UjsXXStcVOz32UCX2rad5nfqa79ZAAdjLUkf9KGrhBDLndiKOmRauZHC_TtY3rMzYZnHiKKXnQOunBXwODVodTgQgpcznPV/s320/3Z8iAOyP88FKxCx8XY2R--1--sg48x.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>This was the original:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeWK85Mv5MMtLi-Js-BR9l4owGLW-4siXlotJpBi3bhEz2-6sWWljgCsF5arL1tgt6bSl8_yH3jzUDspDMKuHqr8W3Aywyz6zeUHAP_R2-PA-hqsRgUTTTap8-FCP1HTA78Jhjg1IjBWTaf-LI-NunA6X4Y7Tg6Gi-HrYltlMP2aiSZdpII7Fu/s1024/sDBgIZASPw5c7fWXADo9--1--vg4fg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeWK85Mv5MMtLi-Js-BR9l4owGLW-4siXlotJpBi3bhEz2-6sWWljgCsF5arL1tgt6bSl8_yH3jzUDspDMKuHqr8W3Aywyz6zeUHAP_R2-PA-hqsRgUTTTap8-FCP1HTA78Jhjg1IjBWTaf-LI-NunA6X4Y7Tg6Gi-HrYltlMP2aiSZdpII7Fu/s320/sDBgIZASPw5c7fWXADo9--1--vg4fg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>There are lots of games to play and it is a very sociable place to be.</p><p>If you'd like to see more of my work use <a href="https://nightcafe.art/u/CarosLines" target="_blank">this link</a>.<br /></p><p><br /></p>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635758748108011584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16297785.post-51895846503747206922017-01-23T10:28:00.002+00:002017-01-26T14:36:53.410+00:00<h2>
Sunday Postcard - Circles & Other Challenges</h2>
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Hello dear blog - long time, no see...<br />
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Over the last two years or so I've been mostly working in art journals and keeping what I've done private. Now it feels like time to come out of my shell once more and share a little...<br />
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In the last week I've made my first ever YouTube videos - these first three are all in response to challenges set by others.<br />
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Pick-a-Stick Challenge - January 2017 #PASC0117</h3>
The idea of the challenge is that each month 10 sticks are pulled from a bunch - each includes a suggestion for how to work on an art journal page. There is also a wild card which one can choose to use instead of any one of the other sticks.<br />
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If you would like to join in there is a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/PickAStickchallenge/" target="_blank">FaceBook group</a> set up to host the challenge. <br />
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My <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2AfQ46y7r4" target="_blank">video is here</a>.<br />
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<b>Mission Inspiration - January 2017</b></h3>
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Similarly a challenge with specified steps, though this time also a suggested colour palette and some words to suggest a theme.<br />
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The <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/missioninspiration/" target="_blank">FaceBook group</a> is here.<br />
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My <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYQSvyTA_qc" target="_blank">video response is here</a>. <br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1gg96PmSRBs/WIXUv-89ttI/AAAAAAAABYk/GXe5kRn6_wE5eqQyeyo3ex9o9bAZsweSACLcB/s1600/SecretMailBirdCollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1gg96PmSRBs/WIXUv-89ttI/AAAAAAAABYk/GXe5kRn6_wE5eqQyeyo3ex9o9bAZsweSACLcB/s320/SecretMailBirdCollage.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Sunday Postcard Art</h3>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">The third video is an experiment in time lapse using the app Lapse It. This challenge is set via a blog - <a href="https://sundaypostcardart.wordpress.com/2017/01/21/circles-2/" target="_blank">Sunday Postcard Art</a>. It was set by one of the YouTubers I've been following recently - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq3fG9TX-Uo" target="_blank">Jopke</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">My <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_d7-7fUy6Es" target="_blank">video (all 21 seconds of it) is here</a>. </span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5z7Urovi0p0/WIXW1qS4x4I/AAAAAAAABY0/G2226WAv2kw-H-EuNS5noH8zN2wB0GKNACLcB/s1600/CirclesPostcard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5z7Urovi0p0/WIXW1qS4x4I/AAAAAAAABY0/G2226WAv2kw-H-EuNS5noH8zN2wB0GKNACLcB/s320/CirclesPostcard.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I used a couple of sheets of watercolour paper that I had previously painted to doodle on - one of which did indeed have doodles on. I cut circles out of both then added swapped them around.<br />
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Most of my journalling is done using watercolours and collage. I buy all my watercolours from Jacksons so I'm glad to see they have an <a href="https://www.jacksonsart.com/special-offers?___store=jacksonsart_en&acc=67c6a1e7ce56d3d6fa748ab6d9af3fd7" target="_blank">offer</a> on at the moment! (Only until 7 Feb 2017).<br />
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If you have never shopped with them before you can also take advantage of an additional 10% off whatever you buy by going via this link: <a href="https://www.jacksonsart.com/?___store=jacksonsart_en&acc=67c6a1e7ce56d3d6fa748ab6d9af3fd7" target="_blank">First Time Shopper</a>.<br />
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Please let me know if this works for you!<br />
<a href="https://www.jacksonsart.com/?acc=67c6a1e7ce56d3d6fa748ab6d9af3fd7&___store=jacksonsart_en&bannerid=1" target="_blank"><img class="img-responsive qsmlgvxfdcdguhovrzit dwbciftazkdlymbngpgm" height="600" src="https://www.jacksonsart.com/affiliates/banner/image/id/1/account_id/49/store_id/1/" title="Affiliate Banner 1" width="160" /></a>
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Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635758748108011584noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16297785.post-45936692506557278792015-04-19T19:45:00.004+01:002016-08-11T12:37:15.367+01:00Blowing bubblesI've been blowing bubbles with <a href="https://www.jacksonsart.com/jacksons-indian-ink-300ml-black?___store=jacksonsart_en&acc=67c6a1e7ce56d3d6fa748ab6d9af3fd7" target="_blank">Jackson's Indian Ink</a> on paper and encaustic: <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bntUFtlkl5E/VTP3lO2W11I/AAAAAAAABSA/zoudGolBTvI/s1600/DSCN0387.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bntUFtlkl5E/VTP3lO2W11I/AAAAAAAABSA/zoudGolBTvI/s1600/DSCN0387.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s8elRpsnkNU/VTP3k-QM9QI/AAAAAAAABR8/m7WbSYuICH8/s1600/DSCN0388.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s8elRpsnkNU/VTP3k-QM9QI/AAAAAAAABR8/m7WbSYuICH8/s1600/DSCN0388.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I would never have tried this with previous indian inks as they are relatively expensive - the <a href="https://www.jacksonsart.com/jacksons-indian-ink-300ml-black?___store=jacksonsart_en&acc=67c6a1e7ce56d3d6fa748ab6d9af3fd7" target="_blank">Jackson's Indian Ink</a> is however very economical and comes in a large bottle making it easy to play with. Though its success did lead me to try some of my more expensive ones too... <br />
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The key to getting good bubbles is to use a decent detergent - the only one that I've found that does work available here in the UK is the original form of Fairy Liquid. You will also need to add water and ink. Experimenting with the quantities is part of the fun - start off with minimal water and add more if you think you need it.<br />
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Use a straw to blow the bubbles and make sure you only ever put the non-inky end in your mouth! I put a little piece of masking tape on mine with an arrow to show which way was up.<br />
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I tried several different ways of working with the bubbles - the best was putting them into a very shallow tray and blowing the bubbles big enough that they were over the edge of the container and I could "print" them onto paper without touching the edges of the dish.<br />
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Update 10 August 2016: Please note that the link to the ink will take you to Jackson's where you can buy this ink and in the process donate a few pence to me too!<br />
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If you have never shopped at <a href="https://www.jacksonsart.com/?___store=jacksonsart_en&acc=67c6a1e7ce56d3d6fa748ab6d9af3fd7" target="_blank">Jackson's get a 10% first order discount using this link</a>.<br />
<br />Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635758748108011584noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16297785.post-71876499224311349942015-01-17T12:38:00.000+00:002015-01-17T13:10:11.844+00:00Year of the SparkHello! <br />
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My 2012-2014 were spent selling, renting and finally buying a house (with a separate studio - yippee!)... during all this upheaval my poor blog lay fallow... now for some art on line again!<br />
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2015 is the <a href="http://www.carlasonheim.com/yearofthespark/" target="_blank">Year of the Spark</a> - being lead/taught by Carla Sonheim and Lynn Whipple... just what I need to get me back to posting.The class is very active on FB but I will be posting my longer contributions here...<br />
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I took an Art of Silliness class with Carla in 2011 - the only blog post I have to show for that is <a href="http://caroslines.blogspot.co.uk/2011_10_01_archive.html" target="">here</a>.<br />
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Carla's first lesson this year should have been easy for someone who'd previously drawn along with her... however for some reason my left hand absolutely insisted on drawing at the same time as my right hand...<br />
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I have a big pad that I often sit with on my lap and doodle in when Jim has the TV on... previous pages have been covered quite happily using just my right hand to draw, for instance this was a pre-Christmas page, whilst I was working on our Christmas Card - see my only <a href="http://caroslines.blogspot.co.uk/2014_12_01_archive.html">blog post</a> from last year for the final Christmas Cracker Card.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l4cMWVXCqvk/VLpMXCAmgdI/AAAAAAAABQI/VLHNhQ6sXwU/s1600/page.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Christmas Doodles" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l4cMWVXCqvk/VLpMXCAmgdI/AAAAAAAABQI/VLHNhQ6sXwU/s1600/page.jpg" height="242" title="Christmas Doodles" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pre-Christmas - drawings using right hand</td></tr>
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Here are a couple from my big book drawing with both hands - actually the bit that made me laugh most as I did this was attempting to write the date at the top - IT was a bit hit and miss... and yes that's the clue to why I carried on and in fact let both hands draw together for hours on end - it made me laugh!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Md3uwe-4Pr4/VLpWi3WxtBI/AAAAAAAABQk/pc2HSPFFMoM/s1600/animals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Animals drawn side-by-side simultaneously with left and right hand" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Md3uwe-4Pr4/VLpWi3WxtBI/AAAAAAAABQk/pc2HSPFFMoM/s1600/animals.jpg" height="240" title="Animals" width="320" /></a>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bwBWX9Bx6i8/VLpWqFOmD6I/AAAAAAAABRI/rijKtJ-FhUs/s1600/vases%2Bof%2Bflowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=" Vases of flowers drawn side-by-side simultaneously with left and right hand" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bwBWX9Bx6i8/VLpWqFOmD6I/AAAAAAAABRI/rijKtJ-FhUs/s1600/vases%2Bof%2Bflowers.jpg" height="270" title="Vases of flowers" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ViZaaCuIPr0/VLpWpc2Bc_I/AAAAAAAABRE/AjH2VWeOgOw/s1600/rock-art-white%2Bon%2Bblack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Rock art white on black drawn with left hand whilst drawing..." border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ViZaaCuIPr0/VLpWpc2Bc_I/AAAAAAAABRE/AjH2VWeOgOw/s1600/rock-art-white%2Bon%2Bblack.jpg" height="320" title="Rock Art" width="251" /></a>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kCmBHmtrHRo/VLpWmLywSSI/AAAAAAAABQ8/Rp-lr7WUdJA/s1600/rock-art-black%2Bon%2Bwhite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Rock art drawn in black pen on white paper with right hand" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kCmBHmtrHRo/VLpWmLywSSI/AAAAAAAABQ8/Rp-lr7WUdJA/s1600/rock-art-black%2Bon%2Bwhite.jpg" height="320" title="Mirror of Rock Art" width="219" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k4bWB5dBA50/VLpWjr25yxI/AAAAAAAABQs/Ja7_zMfypjI/s1600/colour%2Banimal%2Bform.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Using colour to re-interpret one of the figures drawn previously" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k4bWB5dBA50/VLpWjr25yxI/AAAAAAAABQs/Ja7_zMfypjI/s1600/colour%2Banimal%2Bform.jpg" height="272" title="Torus / Taurus" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635758748108011584noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16297785.post-86663742844483097402014-12-13T09:58:00.000+00:002015-01-17T11:58:56.376+00:00Crackers For Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7Ud6HCrpLfU/VIwYhHJAnjI/AAAAAAAABNw/oJEZG2AKizA/s1600/Cutting%2Bout%2Bdiamongs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7Ud6HCrpLfU/VIwYhHJAnjI/AAAAAAAABNw/oJEZG2AKizA/s1600/Cutting%2Bout%2Bdiamongs.jpg" height="241" width="320" /></a></div>
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One of the things I associate most with Christmas Dinner is the pulling of crackers - after they've been snapped comes the random assignment of funny little gifts - the donning of paper hats that don't quite fit and of course the reading out of bad jokes.<br />
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I love the fact that the gifts are random but the quality of the gifts in bought crackers is never very good so if you want to do something about that the best solution is to make your own crackers.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_NCS9t4UEwg/VIwX7higgWI/AAAAAAAABNo/DjrzzQAaA3A/s1600/Snap%2C%2BCracker%2Band%2BPop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_NCS9t4UEwg/VIwX7higgWI/AAAAAAAABNo/DjrzzQAaA3A/s1600/Snap%2C%2BCracker%2Band%2BPop.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Next stage is to undo them, pop the snap into the cracker along with paper hat (not shown), joke and gift. Reform and tie with ribbons.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-newsEPfQTUQ/VIwXz7-4GAI/AAAAAAAABNg/CBHz7HfUxaI/s1600/Beribboned.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-newsEPfQTUQ/VIwXz7-4GAI/AAAAAAAABNg/CBHz7HfUxaI/s1600/Beribboned.jpg" height="145" width="320" /></a></div>
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I followed the instructions <a href="http://crafts.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-make-your-own-gorgeous-christmas-crackers--craft-15811">here</a>. <br />
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The traditional way to pull the crackers goes like this:<br />
<ol>
<li>Stand or sit in a circle.Everyone has one cracker.</li>
<li>Hold the cracker in your right hand - you may want to hold onto the snap just to make sure it cracks.</li>
<li>Cross your arms and with your left hand hold on tight to your neighbours cracker.</li>
<li>One, two, three - Crack! Everyone pulls their crackers together.</li>
<li>Anyone left holding more than one body of cracker - maybe still containing bits hands that to someone without one.</li>
<li>Scrabble around on the floor looking for gifts that fell out during the crack.</li>
<li>Put on your paper hat.</li>
<li>Take it in turns to read out the jokes.</li>
<li>Play with the gifts - or wear them - swap them - or carefully hide amongst the paper rubbish...</li>
</ol>
<br />
Update: This was my final version - I used it as a Christmas card that could be made into a cracker:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IHQIIW-u_BM/VLpOZiHMGII/AAAAAAAABQU/h6MJLe5kxxs/s1600/cracker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IHQIIW-u_BM/VLpOZiHMGII/AAAAAAAABQU/h6MJLe5kxxs/s1600/cracker.jpg" height="233" width="320" /></a></div>
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<ol>
</ol>
Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635758748108011584noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16297785.post-89202291815952895212012-01-12T16:01:00.000+00:002016-08-11T13:51:22.892+01:00R&F Encaustics Arrive!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9QZ1XYdFSho/Tw7-VZX4-8I/AAAAAAAABJM/Lu5iGoga_Qw/s1600/fun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9QZ1XYdFSho/Tw7-VZX4-8I/AAAAAAAABJM/Lu5iGoga_Qw/s320/fun.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
This morning I saw a bright red van promising "the most fun kids can have" and as I was taking a photo of it I happened to also get a yellow house and a blue car in the picture too... three primaries converging... it felt like a good start to the day that I was expecting my encaustic paints to arrive!<br />
<br />
When I got home a delivery van was just leaving... but that turned out to have been bringing Teasel's next 5 month supply of kibble!<br />
<br />
I had to wait a little longer for my parcel....<br />
<br />
I'd been taking ages to decide on what to order or indeed whether to order at all... but a few things helped me make up my mind...<br />
<ul>
<li>I discovered that the current prices on the R&F website were, when changed into £s, now much the same as the current prices from <a href="https://www.jacksonsart.com/brands/r-f?___store=jacksonsart_en&acc=67c6a1e7ce56d3d6fa748ab6d9af3fd7">Jacksons</a>.... that I would also be likely to be charged 20% Import VAT, plus postage, plus maybe another £10 to the carrier for the pleasure of having them collect customs duty from me!(Thanks Ros for warning me about that £10).<br />
</li>
<li>From Jacksons Facebook <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jacksons-Art-Supplies/105909818642">page</a> I knew that their prices were very likely to be going up as soon as their new catalogue comes out soon...<br />
</li>
<li>And finally in my fantasy ordering at one point I accidentally put in two of one colour and got a message that they didn't have enough in stock to meet the whole order... whereas with just the one it had been okay... when it said "low stock" it really meant it... </li>
</ul>
I also discovered that when Jacksons show "special offers just for you" under the shopping basket they can indeed be bargains... the only one that interested me was for some angled Hakes... I got three for the price I've paid before for one!<br />
<br />
I also ordered a couple of <a href="https://www.jacksonsart.com/r-f-pigment-sticks?___store=jacksonsart_en&acc=67c6a1e7ce56d3d6fa748ab6d9af3fd7">R&F pigment sticks</a> to see what they are like - here are the Hakes and few of my new goodies:<br />
<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hRXi1fhczVw/Tw7-WveEbXI/AAAAAAAABJU/b9AACzAkT20/s1600/jacksons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hRXi1fhczVw/Tw7-WveEbXI/AAAAAAAABJU/b9AACzAkT20/s320/jacksons.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635758748108011584noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16297785.post-69261036618511720942012-01-08T15:10:00.002+00:002012-01-08T15:17:59.267+00:00Avoid Alizarin Crimson!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HQZnGntMqAY/TwmawO8-5CI/AAAAAAAABJE/VkspT8_GjKc/s1600/roses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">.<img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HQZnGntMqAY/TwmawO8-5CI/AAAAAAAABJE/VkspT8_GjKc/s320/roses.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Over time we expect a rose to fade... we do not expect the same from our paintings!<br />
<br />
In my <a href="http://caroslines.blogspot.com/2012/01/how-to-see-colour-and-paint-it.html">previous post</a> I gave two examples of colour palettes: one from Arthur Stern (for oil paints) and the other from Michael Wilcox (for watercolours)... both were focussed on choosing paints that will mix well... both palettes included Alizarin Crimson.... however, on a little further investigation, it turns out that this is really a pigment to avoid, especially in colour mixes!<br />
<br />
I was looking at the R&F encaustics information about individual colours and here is what it says about <a href="http://www.rfpaints.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=rf_flypage_encaustic_color.tpl&product_id=282&category_id=39&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=79">Alizarin Crimson</a>: "Not sufficiently light-fast in tints."<br />
<br />
This rang an overdue alarm bell for me!<br />
<br />
I looked at Winsor &Newton's information about their Artist's Quality oil colours and found <a href="http://www.winsornewton.com/products/oil-colours/artists-oil-colour/#CB11">this</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">Of the 120 colours in the range, 119 are now classed as 'permanent for artists' use' [AA or A ratings from Winsor & Newton] which aids in the longevity of paintings. Although Alizarin Crimson is only given a "B" rating ( moderately durable), it has been part of Artists' Oil Colour for over 130 years and is still considered a key colour by many contemporary artists. </blockquote>But knowing myself and how long its taken me to get around to reading the boring stuff about permanence etc I don't think that artists are expecting any "Artists' Oil Colour" to fade... so the fact that so many consider it a key colour is only through ignorance of its properties....<br />
<br />
Before Christmas I bought several Artist's Quality oil colours from several different manufacturers to make homemade encaustic paints... I was looking at the data sheets to check on opacity and translucency which is something I think matters a lot in encaustics. Somehow one of the paints I bought, Carmine Deep (an expensive one too!) has turned out to be non-permanent... my excuse is that as it was from Sennelier the data sheet was in French... but the real reason was that I did not expect a series 3 oil paint from a reputable paint manufacturer to be unsuitable for use in art!<br />
<br />
I'm even more shocked that Micahel Wilcox recommended Alizarin Crimson in Blue and Yellow Don't make Green (1989 edition)... though it looks as though more <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blue-Yellow-Dont-Make-Green/dp/0967962870/">recent editions</a> avoid it... I now have his later book "The Artist's Guide to Selecting Colours" (1997) bought direct from his website - <a href="http://schoolofcolour.com/">The School of Colour</a> - (thanks to <a href="http://tuatarasnest.blogspot.com/">Sue</a> for telling me about this website). In this book he has clearly done his research on permanence and not just mixing.... he says Alizarin Crimson PR 83:1 "has failed all lightfast testing in all media"... in particular it fades when used thinly or when mixed with white....<br />
<br />
Okay so R&F alerted me to this, what do the other encaustic paint manufacturers say?<br />
<br />
Enkaustikos do not give a plain English warning... to find out the truth you need to look at their <a href="http://encausticpaints.com/OurProducts/WaxPaints/HotCakes/15flozHotCakes/tabid/469/Default.aspx">codes</a>: "<span class="Normal" id="dnn_ctr932_ViewHTMLArchive_ViewHTMLArchive_lblContent"><span class="Normal" id="dnn_ctr745_ViewHTMLArchive_ViewHTMLArchive_lblContent"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Alizarin Crimson</b></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b></b><span id="dnn_ctr1292_ProductPage_grdProducts_ctl02_lblDescription"><span id="dnn_ctr1292_ProductPage_grdProducts_ctl02_lblDescription"> Pigment Color Index name PR83 - III"</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
So that III is the clue... I = Excellent lightfastedness, II = Good and III = Poor.... who really wants to buy a colour, no matter how beautiful if in a few years time its going to fade? Especially if it is beautiful!<br />
<br />
And its the only paint they have marked as being a III.... <br />
<br />
<br />
The major <a href="http://www.encaustic.com/products/waxblock/waxblock.html">UK encaustic paint maker</a> does not give the pigment numbers though there are pigment names... They use a different scale of lightfastness... and I'm pleased to say they are not offering anything called Alizarin Crimson at all. <br />
<br />
The lightfastness scale they use has 5 = excellent, 4 = very good, 3 = good and they say they do not offer anything with a worse lightfastness than 3... also after a quick look the ones only rated 3 are neons + pastel cream... <br />
<br />
But there is a general warning that adding whites to colours may make them prone to fading... which, as it is given as a general warning, apparently applies to all their colours... and therefore makes them all useless to me.<br />
<br />
Sigh... I'd love to be able to buy the local colours... but I don't want to spend money on any paints to which I cannot add white... I may not want to add it all the time but sometimes I do!<br />
<br />
<br />
And what about making my own encaustic paint directly with pigments?<br />
<br />
I now understand a tiny bit more about paint making... enough to know that paint makers do rather more than just throw in some pigment and stir it around a bit... which is all I'd be able to do.... whether that matters when the medium is encaustic I don't know...Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635758748108011584noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16297785.post-54596033455628747052012-01-04T18:32:00.002+00:002016-11-18T06:38:47.390+00:00How to see Colour and Paint it<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x2rp6VLszIg/TwRU7i9Q1lI/AAAAAAAABIw/JCZMoNyqbb4/s1600/IMG_3140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x2rp6VLszIg/TwRU7i9Q1lI/AAAAAAAABIw/JCZMoNyqbb4/s320/IMG_3140.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I'm wondering about what colours to buy for encaustic painting... indeed I'm beginning to worry that I may have to make my own colours using pigments...<br />
<br />
Sometime in the 80s I got Arthur Stern's "<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Colour-Paint-Arthur-Stern/dp/0823024695">How to see Color and paint it</a>" (<strike>now sadly out of print</strike> Update: It was <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Color-Paint-Arthur-Stern/dp/1626540632/">republished</a> in 2015 with a different cover but same content - still only available in print so far as I know). I worked through many of the exercises at the time... but I don't seem to have kept any of the still lives (in oil) that I painted... the greatest tool in the book was what he called a spot screen - to make one cut out a 2" x 4" piece of neutral grey card - I use the backs of old sketchbooks - and punch a small round hole centrally about 1" from one one end:<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_KiyGvdfv-4/TwRNTr3tbNI/AAAAAAAABIk/B2w3U9vaq8Q/s1600/viewfinder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_KiyGvdfv-4/TwRNTr3tbNI/AAAAAAAABIk/B2w3U9vaq8Q/s320/viewfinder.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spot Screen held at arm's length</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
You use it to observe what a colour really is rather than what it appears to be when seen in context.<br />
<br />
To do this hold the spot screen at arms length, close one eye and half-close the other - look through the hole in the spot screen at the colour area you want to match - name it - he uses a system based on the colour wheel and one that I've used ever since - red, red-orange, orange, yellow-orange, yellow, etc...., its luminosity that is light, medium or dark, and its saturation e.g. bright, middling, dull... then of course if one is painting one mixes a colour to match what one has observed... but what is so illuminating is that one looks at something one would say was obviously red, then when looking through the spot screen it turns out to be a shade of blue!<br />
<br />
Which is all a lovely diversion from what I'm really looking for today... I want a palette of colours that I know how to use and that will give me the whole range of colours I've been used to paint in... which is why I originally got this book off the shelf...<br />
<br />
Stern's oil colour palette suggestion is:<br />
<ul>
<li>Alizarin crimson (see warning below)</li>
<li>Cadmium red light</li>
<li>Cadmium orange</li>
<li>Cadmium yellow pale</li>
<li>Phthalocyanine green</li>
<li>Phthalocyanine blue</li>
<li>Ultramarine blue</li>
<li>Titanium white</li>
</ul>
For me now there is a huge over-reliance here on cadmium... I would prefer to avoid <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadmium_poisoning">cadmium</a>... I may end up with a little in my palette but really its a substance that I'd prefer not to be a consumer of... in any sense...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-beKsNbzgPVY/TwRbgxliHJI/AAAAAAAABI8/ibXChRBbX8k/s1600/IMG_3149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-beKsNbzgPVY/TwRbgxliHJI/AAAAAAAABI8/ibXChRBbX8k/s320/IMG_3149.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Another book with a similar take on the mixing of colours is Michael Wilcox's "<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blue-Yellow-Dont-Make-Green/dp/0004124553">Blue and Yellow don't make Green</a>"... though it doesn't have that great spot finder tool in it... it does go into great detail about how colours work... he also covers transparency and permanence which are important aspects of pigments though in his examples he uses a lot of cadmiums too... his principle however is to have a warm and cool version of red, blue and yellow which is what I've always aimed to have since doing Stern's exercises. <br />
<br />
BTW the pedant in me has always wanted to change Wilcox's title to "Violet-Blue mixed with Orange-Red doesn't make bright pure Green".... though I realise that lacks a certain punch!<br />
<br />
Wilcox's suggested palette is:<br />
<ul>
<li>Orange-biased red - Cadmuim red</li>
<li>Violet-biased red - Alizarin Crimson (see warning below)</li>
<li>Green-biased blue - Cerulean Blue</li>
<li>Violet-biased blue - French Ultramarine</li>
<li>Orange-biased yellow - Cadmium yellow pale</li>
<li>Green-biased yellow - Lemon yellow (Arylide yellow preferred, otherwise he suggests cadmium or barium).</li>
</ul>
He specifically excludes the strong staining colours... so now I'm wondering if in fact one of the things I might benefit from is strong staining pigments... you see the problem is that colour mixing is not the only consideration... pigments have all sorts of other attributes apart from colour.... of course how they mix with other colours matters but also how transparent / opaque are they? How permanent? Good for staining? Glazing? and so on... no wonder I end up wanting the whole shop!<br />
<br />
Doing a virtual shop from<a href="http://www.rfpaints.com/"> R&F</a> for encaustic paints: <br />
<ul>
<li>Orange-biased red - unfortunately the most obvious choice is <a href="http://www.rfpaints.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=rf_flypage_encaustic_color.tpl&product_id=330&category_id=39&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=79">Cadmium Red Medium</a>, though an orange-red that looks worth playing with instead is <a href="http://www.rfpaints.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=rf_flypage_encaustic_color.tpl&product_id=240&category_id=38&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=79">Alizarin-orange</a>, if one could cope without the sheer redness of the cadmium... also worth a look is <a href="http://www.rfpaints.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=rf_flypage_encaustic_color.tpl&product_id=318&category_id=39&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=79">Rose Madder.</a>.. which is the one I like the look of most but there is a warning about it not being light fast in tints...so not suitable as the only orange-biased red in one's palette...</li>
<li>Violet-biased red - <a href="http://www.rfpaints.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=rf_flypage_encaustic_color.tpl&product_id=315&category_id=39&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=79">Quinacridone Red</a>... </li>
<li>Green-biased blue - <a href="http://www.rfpaints.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=rf_flypage_encaustic_color.tpl&product_id=225&category_id=42&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=79">Phthalo Blue</a>... </li>
<li> Violet-biased blue - <a href="http://www.rfpaints.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=rf_flypage_encaustic_color.tpl&product_id=237&category_id=42&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=79">Ultramarine Blue</a></li>
<li>Orange-biased yellow - hard to avoid the <a href="http://www.rfpaints.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=rf_flypage_encaustic_color.tpl&product_id=303&category_id=17&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=79">Cadmium Yellow medium</a> here... though <a href="http://www.rfpaints.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=rf_flypage_encaustic_color.tpl&product_id=255&category_id=17&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=79">Indian Yellow </a>(quite orange looking) might be worth using</li>
<li>Green-biased yellow - <a href="http://www.rfpaints.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=rf_flypage_encaustic_color.tpl&product_id=384&category_id=17&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=79">Cobalt Yellow</a></li>
</ul>
I don't seem to be much closer to choosing which encaustic paints to buy...<br />
<br />
I would like to know which pigments people have had most success using to make their own, <a href="http://judywise.blogspot.com/">Judy</a> demonstrated using Titanium White for instance... anyone have any other really good choices for home made paints?<br />
<br />
Update: Warning about Alizarin Crimson - see next post - <a href="http://caroslines.blogspot.com/2012/01/avoid-alizarin-crimson.html">Avoid Alizarin Crimson!</a> <br />
<ul></ul>
Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635758748108011584noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16297785.post-18810442328363311622012-01-01T12:00:00.004+00:002016-08-11T13:43:40.449+01:00Encaustics in the UK<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tClQmXMmzgE/Tv8bEriioPI/AAAAAAAABF4/PIWAR_TLxbQ/s1600/ammonite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tClQmXMmzgE/Tv8bEriioPI/AAAAAAAABF4/PIWAR_TLxbQ/s400/ammonite.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ammonite (detail) in encaustic by Caroline</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In 2011 I began to paint in encaustic. I took <a href="http://judywise.blogspot.com/">Judy Wise</a>'s on-line class in Hot Wax, which ran for four weeks. There were new videos every weekday and a round-up of questions and answers on Saturdays. It was marvellously inspiring to see the new video each day and to wonder about experimenting with all the techniques. Quite a few of the techniques relied on materials that I prefer not to use, on personal health grounds, but it was good to see them in use anyway and gave me other ideas for how to work with wax.<br />
<br />
Indeed one of the reasons I wanted to work in encaustic was that I hoped I'd be able to cope with them better than acrylics to which I seem to have developed an intolerance... and although Judy suggested using oil paints with the wax there was no need for turps or other solvents.... heat is the wax's solvent.<br />
<br />
Judy and many of the participants are based in the US. This meant that I, and the few of us from the UK on the course, had to source our materials ourselves. I'll update this post (updated Aug 2016) with any new UK suppliers I find. (There were people from all over so we were not the only ones having to do our own sourcing - it was part of the fun!).<br />
<br />
<hr />
Update Aug 2016: Its become difficult to get good beeswax. It is possible to buy R&F encaustic medium ready made from <a href="https://www.jacksonsart.com/studio/mediums/to-use-with/encaustic?___store=jacksonsart_en&acc=67c6a1e7ce56d3d6fa748ab6d9af3fd7">Jackson's</a>.<br />
<hr />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YGv2X0-h0eY/Tv8bLLWZDAI/AAAAAAAABGI/qD4Gt9B2WOA/s1600/double_boiler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YGv2X0-h0eY/Tv8bLLWZDAI/AAAAAAAABGI/qD4Gt9B2WOA/s320/double_boiler.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making medium</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x0rcwrYFmF4/Tv8bhPHyfPI/AAAAAAAABHA/TmaFg2XUYHU/s1600/medium.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x0rcwrYFmF4/Tv8bhPHyfPI/AAAAAAAABHA/TmaFg2XUYHU/s320/medium.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Medium cooling</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
To start off one needs to make medium. Encaustic medium is generally made from a mixture of beeswax and damar resin (also known as damar gum... but NOT the same as damar varnish).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0s_oft9i2Zs/Tv8rYDHRNpI/AAAAAAAABH0/2AuVvKg4yxM/s320/beeswax.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beeswax</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>
<br />
Suppliers of beeswax who have confirmed that their beeswax is filtered rather than chemically bleached (I have not been able to confirm with this one remaining supplier - Aug 2016) <br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.summernaturals.co.uk/">Summer Naturals</a> - in <a href="http://www.summernaturals.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=80&products_id=453">500g bags</a></li>
</ul>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hyzI-ufv4lY/Tv8bPTyO9GI/AAAAAAAABGQ/GIbIKfflNQs/s1600/gum+damar.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hyzI-ufv4lY/Tv8bPTyO9GI/AAAAAAAABGQ/GIbIKfflNQs/s320/gum+damar.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Damar Resin or Gum</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Suppliers of Damar Gum:<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.cornelissen.com/gum-damar.html">L.Cornellissen & Son</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lawrence.co.uk/acatalog/index.html">Lawrence Artist Materials</a> - they supplied the ones in the photo above </li>
<li><a href="http://www.baldwins.co.uk/">Baldwins</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.jacksonsart.com/search/?q=damar%2Bresin&___store=jacksonsart_en&acc=67c6a1e7ce56d3d6fa748ab6d9af3fd7" target="_blank">Jackson's</a> supply Cornelissen's and Robersons Gum Damar</li>
</ul>
To make medium one needs a heat source. I used a double boiler on a separate mini hob... <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002OM7OMO"><span id="btAsinTitle">Lloytron E833wh Table Top Mini Hob</span></a><span id="btAsinTitle">.... I started out using a saucepan directly on the hob but now I use</span><span id="btAsinTitle"> a double boiler - its safer... but slower! </span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5-S14RFWHmQ/Tv8bICJWriI/AAAAAAAABGA/TZGHfeL-gkU/s1600/book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5-S14RFWHmQ/Tv8bICJWriI/AAAAAAAABGA/TZGHfeL-gkU/s320/book.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span id="btAsinTitle"><br />
</span><br />
<span id="btAsinTitle">There are several tutorials on how to make encaustic medium on the web for instance <a href="http://www.wetcanvas.com/Articles2/36273/731/">Andrew Gott's Making Encaustic Medium</a>, <a href="http://rickgreenart.com/Making%20Medium.html">Rick Green's Making Wax Medium</a>, as well as recipes from books. Lissa Rankin's book <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Encaustic-Art-Lissa-Rankin/dp/0823099288">Encaustic Art</a> has a recipe based on 10 lbs of beeswax that takes more than a day to melt.... I've been making either 1 lb or 500 g of beeswax based batches and these have taken more like an hour.... </span><br />
<br />
<span id="btAsinTitle">I used silicone moulds of various sorts to shape the wax. I found that some things sold as silicone moulds could not stand the heat and others were just too thin. My preferred moulds at this time are:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span id="btAsinTitle">Kitchen Craft Colourworks Silicone Cupcake Cases, <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kitchen-Craft-Colourworks-Silicone-Cupcake/dp/B003SZNVFK">pack of 12</a> (bought from amazon.co.uk)</span></li>
<li><span id="btAsinTitle"><a href="http://store.kitchenscookshop.co.uk/cool-cook-mini-loaf-moulds-4-cup.html">Cool Cook Mini Loaf Moulds 4 cup</a> (bought from my local Kitchens shop)</span></li>
</ul>
<span id="btAsinTitle">One of the frustrations for the beginner is that everyone says that the amount of damar to beeswax is variable... for instance there is a great <a href="http://www.jimtalt.com/Pages/wax_and_resin_ratio_mix_chart.htm">chart</a> giving the ratios by weight and by volume.... though as I prefer to work in grams I made my own chart for the same ratios - if you click on it you should get a more readable version:</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fmXOGiF0VEo/Tv81MeAKSmI/AAAAAAAABIA/8v-rJv3Cgoo/s1600/ratios.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="123" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fmXOGiF0VEo/Tv81MeAKSmI/AAAAAAAABIA/8v-rJv3Cgoo/s320/ratios.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span id="btAsinTitle"><br />
</span><br />
<span id="btAsinTitle">Mostly I've used 8:1 as that seems to be a fairly standard starting point. If you need your medium to be harder you might go for 9:2 or even 4:1... whereas if you are working thinly on paper you might not add any damar at all... </span><br />
<span id="btAsinTitle"><br />
</span><br />
Another problem I have had is in filtering the medium. The damar tends to contain a lot of twiggy, dirty bits that need removing. Lots of different suggestions for filtering are out there but I've not found any entirely successful.... Judy recommends using paper paint filters but I've not been able to find any... my coffee filters didn't work.... the jelly bag melted when I accidentally touched it with the saucepan.... the local make-your-own-beer shop's muslins are too coarse and let lots of bits through.... the sieves I've used are also too coarse.... etc!<br />
<br />
At least the bits settle on the bottom so one can <a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-Encaustic-Medium/step8/Clean-Up-the-Encaustic-Medium/">clean up the</a> pieces of medium once its set. <br />
<br />
One of the hardest things to source was a suitable hot palette. Originally I got an <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Andrew-James-Electric-Teppanyaki-Table/dp/B003USP2WA">Andrew James Teppanyaki Grill</a>:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5F0y9WjuSU0/Tv8684VUQ_I/AAAAAAAABIM/KejEHddfBp0/s1600/teppanyaki.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5F0y9WjuSU0/Tv8684VUQ_I/AAAAAAAABIM/KejEHddfBp0/s320/teppanyaki.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Note the silver foil shielding the thermostatic "self-controller". My first thermostat failed after less than 6 weeks. They replaced it but said that as my use was "non-standard" they would not replace this one if it too failed. This was cramping my style as I was worried about it breaking... <br />
<br />
So I have now splurged on a vastly more expensive hot palette - the <a href="http://www.encaustic.com/products/hotplate/hotplate.html">A2+ Encaustic Hotplate</a> from <a href="http://encaustic.com/">encaustic.com</a>. This is a German made catering warming plate that is meant to be good at maintaining constant, relatively low temperatures compared to the Teppankai grill which was made to cook things on. If you are in Germany <a href="http://www.zikul.com/elektropoint24/k-chenkleinger-te-warmhalteplatten/rommelsbacher-wpr-405-e-warmhalteplatte-edelstahl-gastro/0810460034.html">this is the same model</a>, though not specifically sold for encaustics....<br />
<br />
I have an anodised aluminium tray on top of the hotplate so that I can see what colours I'm using.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E3AUZfR04OQ/Tv8bQWU5SnI/AAAAAAAABGY/HKjgOeM4Qkg/s1600/hotplate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E3AUZfR04OQ/Tv8bQWU5SnI/AAAAAAAABGY/HKjgOeM4Qkg/s320/hotplate.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Of course if I don't need an especially large hot palette then a frying pan on top of the mini hob is good too.<br />
<br />
I usually melt the wax on the grill before keeping it warm on the palette. <br />
<br />
In this country if you mention encaustic to someone, if they've heard of it at all, they will imagine you mean painting with an iron. Sometime ago I got a <a href="http://www.greatart.co.uk/INTRODUCTORY-ENCAUSTIC-SET-hobby-creative-paints.htm">kit</a> with an iron and some sticks of encaustic paint and the strange shiny card that is recommended to use with it:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KMWNSNMmma0/Tv8bUckOtgI/AAAAAAAABGg/82yBsdtOSjE/s1600/iron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KMWNSNMmma0/Tv8bUckOtgI/AAAAAAAABGg/82yBsdtOSjE/s320/iron.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I find the iron uncomfortable to hold for long and I do not like the card so its not surprising that I have not taken to this style... though the paints smell lovely.... you can see my efforts on <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/6393824645/in/photostream">my Flickr stream here</a>... I do know that many people love painting this way... its just not for me... the iron doubles as a tiny hot palette if one just wants to mix a little colour...<br />
<br />
Colour... oh yes colour.... in the Hot Wax class Judy showed us how to mix medium with oil colours to make encaustic paints. Here is a colour wheel I did this way:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HeANfOVhxuk/Tv8azyyCEpI/AAAAAAAABE4/6im7XxiJg58/s1600/spectrum.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HeANfOVhxuk/Tv8azyyCEpI/AAAAAAAABE4/6im7XxiJg58/s320/spectrum.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I started off with a cheap set of oil paints (which I used for the above wheel) and since then have bought some more expensive highly pigmented good quality oil paints, especially ones with good transparency. In class we just added the oil paints to the medium (whilst it was melted) but quite a few people advise soaking out the linseed oil beforehand on paper towels (or other absorbent material). </div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
There is a very big difference between using homemade colours and the ready-made ones. I only began to really appreciate this when I attempted to do some monotype prints (having watched Paula Rowlands wonderful <a href="http://www.rolandworkshops.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=70&Itemid=109">DVD</a>). My homemade paints, although they looked strongly coloured were full of medium and made the paper very wet and not very colourful whilst the bought sticks made very strong marks that transferred well to the paper:</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vYek-FuEZlY/Tv8bmHlCoCI/AAAAAAAABHg/mrP0PNJFRWA/s1600/monotype.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vYek-FuEZlY/Tv8bmHlCoCI/AAAAAAAABHg/mrP0PNJFRWA/s320/monotype.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Encaustic paints available in the UK - the best are made in the US: <br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.rfpaints.com/">R&F</a> - 80 are available in the UK from <a href="https://www.jacksonsart.com/search/?q=encaustic&___store=jacksonsart_en&acc=67c6a1e7ce56d3d6fa748ab6d9af3fd7">Jacksons</a>. R&F do ship to the UK but then there will be the possibility of customs duty to pay.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.encausticpaints.com/">Hot Cakes</a> made by Enkaustikos - some of their colours are currently available in the UK on <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Enkaustikos&x=0&y=0">amazon.co.uk</a>... though with a high shipping cost so they may be being shipped from the US... if you are prepared to order from the US another source is the <a href="http://www.fineartstore.com/">FineArtStor. </a></li>
</ul>
<br />
Brushes... Its important to use non-synthetic bristles to avoid them melthing in the hot paint! Many people use cheap bristle brushes from hardware stores but I found some brushes I like a lot more:<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nRp5oo_3wWM/Tv8a0ynMkYI/AAAAAAAABFQ/EEhFB_TxWY8/s1600/brushes.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nRp5oo_3wWM/Tv8a0ynMkYI/AAAAAAAABFQ/EEhFB_TxWY8/s320/brushes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The big wide ones are <a href="https://www.jacksonsart.com/search/?q=hake&___store=jacksonsart_en&acc=67c6a1e7ce56d3d6fa748ab6d9af3fd7" target="_blank">Hakes</a> and the others are white and black <a href="https://www.jacksonsart.com/search/?q=goat&___store=jacksonsart_en&acc=67c6a1e7ce56d3d6fa748ab6d9af3fd7" target="_blank">goat's hair brushes</a> from Daler-Rowney mops. My local art shops had the Daler-Rowney mops on offer so I stocked up after finding I liked them. When full of wax they simply let the colours glide on - here is the underpainting I made using them before covering it up to carve out the ammonite shown at the top.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yS84NlXcabg/Tv8a1rDO7kI/AAAAAAAABFg/kA-lhlarCGc/s1600/colour.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yS84NlXcabg/Tv8a1rDO7kI/AAAAAAAABFg/kA-lhlarCGc/s320/colour.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Smaller brushes are useful when painting detail. Pick what you fancy but remember to use natural bristles.<br />
<br />
Here are two version of mistletoe that I painted for Christmas. I did my drawing on the computer so was able to print out multiple copies. The first I attached to a thick piece of ply, the second I mounted, once finished, behind a hole cut from a canvas so that it was supported but let the light through.<br />
<br />
In painting both of them I used encaustic as a resist for watercolour. The first one I then added pastels and more wax. The second one I left to show the translucency of the paper where it had been waxed. I was especially delighted that my green-gold paint was such a good mistletoe colour.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CWL2N25Hv-w/Tv8bjg7lX2I/AAAAAAAABHQ/N8IRAmr9oR4/s1600/mistletoe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CWL2N25Hv-w/Tv8bjg7lX2I/AAAAAAAABHQ/N8IRAmr9oR4/s320/mistletoe.jpg" width="292" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mistletoe mounted on plywood</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lDjbrAr93oE/Tv8bkxMCOhI/AAAAAAAABHY/X8SDs8-dMy0/s1600/mistletoe2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lDjbrAr93oE/Tv8bkxMCOhI/AAAAAAAABHY/X8SDs8-dMy0/s320/mistletoe2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mistletoe on paper mounted to let light through</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
Depending on how one applies the encaustic to the support one may need to fuse the most recent layer to the ones below. I started out using an embossing heat gun... this was slow and noisy. After a week I got a gas blow torch from my local B&Q. It is great to use for fusing but I was slightly reacting to the gas... so back to an electric heat gun.... this time in the form of an old paint stripping heat gun:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x1uQTlRuHm4/Tv8bqd-hELI/AAAAAAAABHo/byTskpHbQLs/s1600/torch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x1uQTlRuHm4/Tv8bqd-hELI/AAAAAAAABHo/byTskpHbQLs/s320/torch.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gas blow torch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ry_uMZRy33c/TwBLK4bvhrI/AAAAAAAABIY/c7l3bgwdQcc/s1600/electric_heat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ry_uMZRy33c/TwBLK4bvhrI/AAAAAAAABIY/c7l3bgwdQcc/s320/electric_heat.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Electric hot air guns</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bkxsKJDFi1k/Tv8a2lexPpI/AAAAAAAABFo/8XJneG6GgvQ/s1600/dotted_lines.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div>
I actually now use all three of these at different times. If applying the wax with an <a href="http://www.encaustic.com/products/iron/iron.html">iron</a> it may already be sufficiently fused... unless one uses it in my favourite way which is to melt the wax from a height and drip it! Then it needs further fusing... Similarly if one is using a <a href="http://www.encaustic.com/products/stylus/stylus.html">heated stylus</a> the wax should be fused as you go... but that's another tool I've not really got on with. My mother-in-law whilst here before Christmas much preferred it to all the other ways of working with wax we tried during her stay - she is used to using a dip pen and she loved this way of working.<br />
<br />
My favourite supports so far are the cradled plywood boards that Jim has been making for me. I also buy thicker pieces of plywood form my local hardware shop when they are in their remnant section... as I'm now interested in monotyping I'll have to expand my paper collection... but that is something for this year!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HeANfOVhxuk/Tv8azyyCEpI/AAAAAAAABE4/6im7XxiJg58/s1600/spectrum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gHRAGMwBbAI/Tv8a0ednpuI/AAAAAAAABFE/OwLhfo9aUQk/s1600/boards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gHRAGMwBbAI/Tv8a0ednpuI/AAAAAAAABFE/OwLhfo9aUQk/s320/boards.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cradled plywood boards made by Jim</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bkxsKJDFi1k/Tv8a2lexPpI/AAAAAAAABFo/8XJneG6GgvQ/s1600/dotted_lines.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bkxsKJDFi1k/Tv8a2lexPpI/AAAAAAAABFo/8XJneG6GgvQ/s320/dotted_lines.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Encaustic Abstract on cradled board</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nRp5oo_3wWM/Tv8a0ynMkYI/AAAAAAAABFQ/EEhFB_TxWY8/s1600/brushes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a><br />
Update 2016: Since moving and Jim not yet having a workshop set up I've been buying panels from <a href="https://www.jacksonsart.com/surface/boards-panels/plywood-panels?___store=jacksonsart_en&acc=67c6a1e7ce56d3d6fa748ab6d9af3fd7">Jacksons</a>.<br />
<br />
Incidentally if you are a new customer <a href="https://www.jacksonsart.com/?___store=jacksonsart_en&acc=67c6a1e7ce56d3d6fa748ab6d9af3fd7">Jacksons</a> will give you a 10% discount!Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635758748108011584noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16297785.post-44610246645904507522011-10-23T13:41:00.000+01:002011-10-23T13:41:24.726+01:00One year on...<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/6268149667/" title="Wax before scraping back... by Caro's Lines, on Flickr"><img alt="Wax before scraping back..." height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6176/6268149667_5dfd30a0a8.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />
<br />
I am currently playing with encaustics - I'm taking <a href="http://www.canby.com/judywise/announcepage.html">Judy Wise's on-line course </a>and making a huge mess in the basement!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/6271916811/" title="Encaustic medium by Caro's Lines, on Flickr"><img alt="Encaustic medium" height="240" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6233/6271916811_2683979625_m.jpg" width="240" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/6268675612/" title="Wax "Lollies" by Caro's Lines, on Flickr"><img alt="Wax "Lollies"" height="240" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6218/6268675612_9f4e489f7a_m.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
I finished my 365 of photos related to dream images in September:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/6182260748/" title="365 Dream Photos by Caro's Lines, on Flickr"><img alt="365 Dream Photos" height="445" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6165/6182260748_4bb0660b3b_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
You can see all the images in this <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/sets/72157625018626784/with/6182260748/">Flickr set</a>.<br />
<br />
Then released from that - which was a wonderful project but did consume a lot of time - I bought an IR filter to use with my iPhone:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/6238826452/" title="Real and Fake IR by Caro's Lines, on Flickr"><img alt="Real and Fake IR" height="240" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6103/6238826452_46e4227c31_m.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
And played with Carla Sonheim and her Silly drawing class:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/6208666918/" title="Play with the Lines + Colour by Caro's Lines, on Flickr"><img alt="Play with the Lines + Colour" height="240" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6019/6208666918_ffc0ae4ba8_m.jpg" width="240" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/6208151087/" title="Play with Lines by Caro's Lines, on Flickr"><img alt="Play with Lines" height="240" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6034/6208151087_78cee3e40e_m.jpg" width="240" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/6244222684/" title="Silly Abstract by Caro's Lines, on Flickr"><img alt="Silly Abstract" height="240" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6111/6244222684_a215d88e35_m.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
And clearly I've not been blogging!<br />
<br />
:)Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635758748108011584noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16297785.post-2819115554056972462010-10-23T10:47:00.000+01:002010-10-23T10:47:28.871+01:00Sky Weavings<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/5107151236/" title="Weavings so far by Caro's Lines, on Flickr"><img alt="Weavings so far" height="500" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1148/5107151236_77959594ce.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/5106553751/" title="Feathers too by Caro's Lines, on Flickr"><img alt="Feathers too" height="500" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1174/5106553751_55570db7b6.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/5106553951/" title="Sparkly Pom Poms by Caro's Lines, on Flickr"><img alt="Sparkly Pom Poms" height="500" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1396/5106553951_6467985bcd.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/5107151912/" title="Sparkle! by Caro's Lines, on Flickr"><img alt="Sparkle!" height="500" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1077/5107151912_4135022ac0.jpg" width="500" /> </a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">It was buying a "Kids kits" Christmas decoration pack that got me going all sparkly.... ;)</div>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635758748108011584noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16297785.post-61754413503525238232010-10-13T17:43:00.001+01:002010-12-27T14:44:18.956+00:00A brush with the law<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/5078143944/" title="#21 Brush with the law by Caro's Lines, on Flickr"><img alt="#21 Brush with the law" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4031/5078143944_e512d35810.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />
Last night's dreaming involved Jim handing me a new paint brush. The strange dream part of this was that as he handed it to me he was clearly dressed as a policeman, which is not a normal part of his wardrobe... I was planning on taking a photo simply involving him handing me a brush... then as I came home from the shops I noticed that there was a police car in the street... the police man was very obliging and, after checking that the brush wasn't stolen, allowed me to take the above photo.<br />
<br />
When I woke up from the dream I thought it was a great way of being given permission, by my dream self, to paint.... it was Jim who pointed out the pun.... and that it was "a brush with the law".<br />
<br />
I have been thinking about doing some finger painting... which, rather than brushes, would involve recording my finger prints. :)<br />
<br />
Following on from recent dreams about the Dalai Lama and blue-breasted buddhas I thought the least I could do was call in at a fairly recently opened Buddhist shop near me. The man who cleans our windows is also a sculptor and told me I should go in and see his Krishna sculpture.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/5078294848/" title="Krishna by Caro's Lines, on Flickr"><img alt="Krishna" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4026/5078294848_1d891b813e.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />
Whilst there I photographed their Namkhas and discovered that in November they are having a Namkha-making day... I might go along.<br />
<br />
I didn't know it was called sky weaving until I looked it up on their <a href="http://aroevents.org/index.php?option=com_aroevents&task=viewevent&id=1027">website</a> - the woman in the shop had simply referred to them as Namkha - but the idea of sky weaving seems to have got itself into the reflection:<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/5077699883/" title="Sky Weaving by Caro's Lines, on Flickr"><img alt="Sky Weaving" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4039/5077699883_97fc1d8052.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635758748108011584noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16297785.post-73145889703435748712010-10-12T13:59:00.002+01:002010-10-12T14:07:28.052+01:00Lucky Leaves<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/5071289003/" title="Lucky Leaves by Caro's Lines, on Flickr"><img alt="Lucky Leaves" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4087/5071289003_9d9ccae85a.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Lucky Leaves </div><br />
Yesterday as I was taking leave of Kim two leaves fell on me. I mentioned that as children we'd often attempted to catch falling leaves in the Autumn since in our school it was said that each one brought a month of good luck.<br />
<br />
We'd been discussing schools and she'd mentioned being C of E but having gone to a Roman Catholic school. Whereas I'd been unbaptised and gone to a C of E primary school. In my case this meant I was excluded from opening the advent calendar doors or being entered into the end of term draw for the Christmas tree though I still had to sing hymns, say my prayers and attend RE lessons etc.<br />
<br />
I've been re-reading old detective stories recently. Yesterday I read the last of the Dorothy L Sayers that I have (though I'm missing some) and decided to read an Antonia Fraser instead... not quite so old fashioned but still firmly 20th century. This one wasn't with the others so I got it out with the idea that I might read it or might not, but would at least file it with the others.<br />
<br />
Last night I only got as far as being reminded that Jemima Shore, Antonia Fraser's fictional detective, was described as having been, like Kim, C of E but taught by nuns in a convent. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/5074581333/" title="Quiet As A Nun by Caro's Lines, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/5074581333_8e825d53a7.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="Quiet As A Nun" /></a><br />
Quiet As A Nun by Antonia Fraser</div><br />
<br />
This afternoon I picked the book up again and got to this description of Jemima's return to visit her old school:<br />
<blockquote><br />
...It was autumn. In the sunshine the convent grounds were immaculate. It was the season in which I first arrived at Blessed Eleanor's as a day-girl. I walked with my mother from my parents' leaf-strewn autumnal garden, which had a kind of rich self-made compost under-foot throughout this season, through to gardens where evidently no leaf was permitted to rest for very long before being tidied away.<br />
<br />
"The nuns must catch the leaves before they fall," said my mother jokingly, to leaven the slightly tense atmosphere of a new school. She paused and gulped.<br />
<br />
"My God, look at that." We both stopped and observed a nun - young? old? who could tell? - carefully catching a leaf long before it fluttered to the ground. She put it carefully away in a pocket, or anywhere somewhere in the recesses of her black habit.<br />
<br />
"Catching leaves is lucky." My mother was quick to seize on an occasion for optimism....</blockquote><br />
And so should I... :)Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635758748108011584noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16297785.post-1515351552344222322010-10-11T15:32:00.001+01:002011-10-23T13:55:01.970+01:00Photographing Dreams<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zYzMB1syWck/TLMWJkOJbqI/AAAAAAAABDQ/HgXdVhZemcw/s1600/365.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zYzMB1syWck/TLMWJkOJbqI/AAAAAAAABDQ/HgXdVhZemcw/s320/365.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Poor neglected blog!<br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Today seems to be a day for catching up with old friends.... so I thought I'd continue the trend on here too.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">My most recent project on flickr is a 365 one - attempting to taking daily photos sparked by dreams, preferably from the night before, using Hipstamatic on an iPhone.<br />
<br />
Last night I dreamt I was looking at graphs of happiness in a canteen. When I talked to Jim about this he produced a recent New Scientist which had just those sort of graphs in them... so I decided to take it to my local cafe as the nearest thing I could find to a canteen...<br />
<br />
On the way I stopped in the Amnesty book shop. And bumped into someone I hadn't seen for a year. She was also aiming at Coffee #1 so we went there together. (Hello Kim if you are reading this!).<br />
<br />
</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/5071005533/" title="#19 Photo Graph by Caro's Lines, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4125/5071005533_198f235921.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="#19 Photo Graph"></a>></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">#19 Photo Graph<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;"> Today I also got some rainbow shoe laces:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/5071237177/" title="Rainbow Laces by Caro's Lines, on Flickr"><img alt="Rainbow Laces" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4086/5071237177_786be4209e.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />
This was spurred on by a dream in which the Dalai Lama appeared and told me I needed new shoe laces. The ones in the dream were rainbow ones. I had to photograph some <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/5059607522/in/set-72157625018626784/">far less colourful ones</a> for the 365 project but now I've got pretty ones!<br />
<br />
I like to take my dreams as literally as possible :) <br />
<br />
<br />
</div></div>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635758748108011584noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16297785.post-33175630889483851242010-03-22T17:12:00.002+00:002010-03-22T17:27:58.201+00:00Attempting to manipulate translucent polymer clay<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/4454875820/" title="1 First one by Caro's Lines, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4033/4454875820_3055197a4b.jpg" alt="1 First one" height="500" width="500" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/4454096457/" title="2 Light through first one by Caro's Lines, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4012/4454096457_012744af45.jpg" alt="2 Light through first one" height="500" width="500" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/4454876608/" title="3 Second one by Caro's Lines, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4014/4454876608_81e1f0b75b.jpg" alt="3 Second one" height="233" width="500" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/4454097241/" title="4 Light through second one by Caro's Lines, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4067/4454097241_ea22e1c3e6.jpg" alt="4 Light through second one" height="500" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Over the last two days I've been struggling with some translucent polymer clay (Cernit) it was VERY soft, even after spending the night in the fridge... it made it impossible to use as I'd planned in thin slices... so I had to adapt what I was doing... these two are the results.<br /><br />I wish I hadn't put the opaque blue dots in the second one - they don't really work... I think it worked better in the swirled first one which also had standard white in so not so translucent anyway... I might chop the blue bit off or drill them out... not yet decided.<br /><br />These are also the first pieces that I've attempted to sand and polish.<br /></div></div>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635758748108011584noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16297785.post-19853178078603792082010-03-21T19:07:00.001+00:002010-03-21T19:09:04.048+00:00Experimenting continues<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/4450937127/" title="Polymer clay tortoises or turtles... by Caro's Lines, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2792/4450937127_32499b457d.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="Polymer clay tortoises or turtles..." /></a></div><br /><br />Yesterday, being the spring equinox, I wanted to make a tortoise that was coming out of hibernation - that's the big one above. Jim has named him Vern.Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635758748108011584noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16297785.post-67876017679448067862010-03-18T10:07:00.004+00:002010-03-18T11:03:02.082+00:00Craft Mark<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/4336878909/" title="Wren by Caro's Lines, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4016/4336878909_bf195cd0dc.jpg" alt="Wren" height="500" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">At the beginning of February I drew this wren - it was my first attempt at designing a maker's mark. I'd like it as a sort of signature on handmade jewellery.<br /><br />Handmade jewellery you cry?<br /><br />Well you probably don't as I'm sure any of my past readers have long since gone... but anyway... I know its a long time since I blogged anything let alone anything vaguely artistic or crafty and I don't think I ever showed any jewellery... even though in the last few years I have strung together the odd necklace, like this one:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/4443049370/" title="Charm necklace by Caro's Lines, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4009/4443049370_b9ef5ac12f.jpg" alt="Charm necklace" height="500" width="500" /></a><br /></div><br />In the much dimmer past I used to do quite a lot of beadwork... from very simple strings to weaving with beads:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/4442271917/" title="Orange beads by Caro's Lines, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4012/4442271917_8b4bb909e3.jpg" alt="Orange beads" height="500" width="500" /></a><br /></div><br />(I can't find anything that I wove... it was rather a long time ago)<br /><br />But something I have never done is work in polymer clay.... and that's what I was just starting to want do at the beginning of February.<br /><br />These are my first ever polymer clay beads:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/4443049580/" title="Tiger Beads by Caro's Lines, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2789/4443049580_702fb94959.jpg" alt="Tiger Beads" height="500" width="500" /></a><br /></div><br />I made them on the first day of the year of the tiger so I'm calling them tiger beads.<br /><br />They are a very minor variation on a bead from <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1596680970/ref=nosim?tag=caroline0fb">Ancient Modern Polymer Clay and Wire Jewelry by Ronna Sarvas Weltman</a> - a book that I've found very encouraging.<br /><br />I purposely added in a very thin layer of the orange clay into the spiral cane (jelly roll) and I didn't know not to use the very distorted end bits - which was lucky as that bead is my favourite and most tigerish of them all!<br /><br />These beads were made using Cernit (from <a href="http://www.ejrbeads.co.uk/">EJR Beads</a>), over balled up aluminium foil.<br /><br />Since then I've mostly been reading and learning more....<br /></div></div>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635758748108011584noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16297785.post-79409394479097049622009-11-12T12:56:00.009+00:002009-11-14T08:33:16.673+00:00FarmVille... don't pay real money for "beta" games...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zYzMB1syWck/SvwGgECm0OI/AAAAAAAABB8/AnI1sMpNZp0/s1600-h/farmville.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 368px; height: 325px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zYzMB1syWck/SvwGgECm0OI/AAAAAAAABB8/AnI1sMpNZp0/s400/farmville.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403200800848007394" border="0" /></a><br />Its a week since I've been able to access my farm on FarmVille. Zynga's support has been very unhelpful - only suggesting that I turn everything on and off again. When the problem I have is rather more universal than that.<br /><br />Firstly, Jim, who has been farming alongside me can easily load his farm on my computer, using my software.<br /><br />Secondly, none of my neighbours are able to access my farm either. Jim is fed up with the way FarmVille sends him off to "help" on my farm but won't load it. None of my other neighbours have been able to get in either. The nearest anyone has got was this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zYzMB1syWck/SvwHce3zlcI/AAAAAAAABCE/puh-O-luts0/s1600-h/farm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zYzMB1syWck/SvwHce3zlcI/AAAAAAAABCE/puh-O-luts0/s400/farm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403201838842615234" border="0" /></a>She left a note on the empty space that used to be my farm but when she returned the note had gone too.<br /><br />What most people see is this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zYzMB1syWck/SvwLLSzzTtI/AAAAAAAABCM/1y3qF-yo2WY/s1600-h/loadingfarm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 212px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zYzMB1syWck/SvwLLSzzTtI/AAAAAAAABCM/1y3qF-yo2WY/s400/loadingfarm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403205941593329362" border="0" /></a>Some of them have complained that it then hangs and they have to leave farmville and come back in again, others haven't had that problem.<br /><br />What I see is this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zYzMB1syWck/SvwMSsxN4QI/AAAAAAAABCU/SCryzBQBY20/s1600-h/blankness.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 334px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zYzMB1syWck/SvwMSsxN4QI/AAAAAAAABCU/SCryzBQBY20/s400/blankness.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403207168332521730" border="0" /></a>There are other people in the same situation. And we have something in common.<br /><br />We had all thoroughly overstuffed our dairies.<br /><br />There a was a bug that made it possible to put in more than the notional limit of 20. I thought it hilarious to put in lots of alien cows as well as a full compliment of the normal ones:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zYzMB1syWck/SvwNS_ObawI/AAAAAAAABCc/aijOo8Q4pAo/s1600-h/dairy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 339px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zYzMB1syWck/SvwNS_ObawI/AAAAAAAABCc/aijOo8Q4pAo/s400/dairy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403208272798509826" border="0" /></a><br />Jim had been more restrained, he'd only put in one or two more and the day that I was unable to load my farm his slightly over-filled dairy was showing just the 20 it ought to have, not the 21 or 22 he'd had the evening before.<br /><br />Zynga had clearly "fixed the dairy bug" but in doing so had made some people's farms unloadable. Mine included.<br /><br />One of the replies I got was:<br /><blockquote>"Please be informed that we do not ban any players for gaming bugs. All the issues you specified may just happen because of the loading problems so kindly follow the steps below"</blockquote><br />And then they proceeded to tell me, yet again, to disconnect from farmville completely, log out of facebook, clear my browser's cache, quit the browser, restart the computer, etc.<br /><br />They also suggested downloading the latest flash player - I looked I already had the most up-to-date version - but for the sake of completeness I did it any way.<br /><br />At no point had it occurred to me, before they said this, that I might be banned... as a programmer I'm aware that fixing bugs often has side-effects that are in effect new bugs... I still think its more a technical issue than a political one.<br /><br />But there was one strange thing.<br /><br />One of the other people with an over-full dairy had put a post up much like this one on the Zynga forums. I'd replied and said I had the same problem. Several others did too. I was watching the thread so when I got an email saying there was an update I went looking for it. The whole thread had been removed. This does not seem like a technical issue, but more like a political one... I've been unable to find any official reference to this being a "known problem".<br /><br />I'm now regretting that I spent real money on this game - it is possible to play it for free - but if you want any of the pretty things, like the flying saucer at the top, you pay using farm vouchers - you only get a few of these slowly through game play. I was happy, at the time, to pay real money to Zynga as I know how expensive such games are to develop. Now I'm less so because I cannot play with my toys even though I paid for them.<br /><br />I have asked for any of these:<br /><br />1. My farm as it was, presumably with dairies reduced down to 20 cows each, and playable.<br />2. A new, empty farm, credited with the FVs I'd purchased.<br />3. My money back.<br /><br />They have not replied to this.<br /><br />Here is one last shot of my farm as it was for Halloween:<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zYzMB1syWck/SvwUg6TMQdI/AAAAAAAABCk/YCtmt5lEltM/s1600-h/halloween.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 331px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zYzMB1syWck/SvwUg6TMQdI/AAAAAAAABCk/YCtmt5lEltM/s400/halloween.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403216208575873490" border="0" /></a><br />Update: Zynga finally fixed it. My farm was dead but I am able to play again. However the support did not contact me to tell me it was fixed - one really does have to attempt to get in to find out...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs095.snc3/16244_1077206310334_1831530821_162724_4875404_n.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs095.snc3/16244_1077206310334_1831530821_162724_4875404_n.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635758748108011584noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16297785.post-16045919654748757262009-11-09T19:52:00.002+00:002009-11-09T20:37:14.580+00:00Cleaning up...<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/4089969423/" title="Faceted St Andrews by Caro's Lines, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2701/4089969423_f10de5b7e9.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Faceted St Andrews" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">On Saturday, <a href="http://creativelaundry.blogspot.com/">Ellen</a>, <a href="http://creativelaundry.blogspot.com/2009/11/cleaning-day.html">blogged</a> about cleaning by including a clip from Withnail and I.<br /><br />At the time it made me realise that we really could do with a purge ourselves - we've not got to the wonderfully graphic stage illustrated there but really we would do with cleaner carpets. But the vacuum is on the blink and in any case we need something stronger...<br /><br />Did you ever have a school teacher who'd respond to your protests about the quality of your art equipment with<br /><br />"A poor workman always blames his tools"<br /><br />well today I had what seemed like a moment of enlightenment, I realised that the answer was because<br /><br />"A good workman would never have consented to use those tools in the first place"<br /><br />And so, following on from that I went virtual shopping for carpet cleaners...<br /><br />And its with such fantastic leaps of logic that I turned feeling guilty about the carpets into the need to buy a new usable carpet cleaner... or two...<br /><br />Incidentally what really struck me about the clip was how young Richard E Grant was then... so I've just looked it up on <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094336/">IMDb</a> and found it was released in 1987... I suspect we all looked a bit younger then<br /><br /><br /></div></div>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635758748108011584noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16297785.post-68679895142576107012009-11-08T06:34:00.015+00:002009-11-08T20:48:39.951+00:00FishVille<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zYzMB1syWck/SvZmoJCZBaI/AAAAAAAABAU/ImHgwzquwSY/s1600-h/tank2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 246px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zYzMB1syWck/SvZmoJCZBaI/AAAAAAAABAU/ImHgwzquwSY/s400/tank2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401617642884236706" border="0" /></a><br />If you read my previous post you might be expecting me to completely break down and post about FarmVille - but instead I bring you FishVille!<br /><br />After writing that post, Jim got our connection to the web back up so I could publish it - unfortunately I was then unable to get into my farm and haven't been able to since - I'd thought it hilarious when I'd got 27 green alien cows into a dairy that was only meant to be able to take a maximum of 20 cows in total.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zYzMB1syWck/SvZnaOeedNI/AAAAAAAABAc/au-YpunJ6dA/s1600-h/dairy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 339px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zYzMB1syWck/SvZnaOeedNI/AAAAAAAABAc/au-YpunJ6dA/s400/dairy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401618503337669842" border="0" /></a><br />From browsing the web it appears that they have fixed the bug that allowed this to happen but that those of us who had seriously overdone the stuffing have not been able to load our farms since. Whilst searching for more help on the issue than was coming from the makers of the game (Zynga) I discovered that they had just launched a new game on facebook - FishVille.<br /><br />So rather than sulk too much longer I thought I'd play with fishes instead. And it is very relaxing - just like watching a fish tank - well almost.<br /><br />I didn't take any really early screen shots - but here is one when I'd got to level 3 and my first neighbour had joined me:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zYzMB1syWck/SvZmnnMc9OI/AAAAAAAAA_8/QHCLhVQMj08/s1600-h/fishville.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 319px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zYzMB1syWck/SvZmnnMc9OI/AAAAAAAAA_8/QHCLhVQMj08/s400/fishville.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401617633799632098" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The idea is to buy fish eggs and feed the hatchlings enough that they reach maturity when they can be sold - in fact they can be sold as soon as they stop being babies - but for some fish that in itself takes a day - for others it takes as little as 3 minutes. - you get more for them if you keep them growing and sell them as full grown adults - provided you can keep them alive!<br /><br />They let you know when they are hungry like this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zYzMB1syWck/SvZp0PCjZsI/AAAAAAAABAk/PYWe0SEtet8/s1600-h/hungryfish.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 334px; height: 341px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zYzMB1syWck/SvZp0PCjZsI/AAAAAAAABAk/PYWe0SEtet8/s400/hungryfish.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401621149188843202" border="0" /></a><br />But they start clamouring for food like this well before they actually need feeding... I did notice one neighbour had a fish with a red bubble asking for food - presumably it was really hungry. If you don't feed them in time they die and you have to clear up the dead fish.<br /><br />Neighbours I hear you ask?<br /><br />Well that's a concept from FarmVille and being fairly closely modelled on FarmVille, FishVille also has neighbours. People who are your friends on facebook and playing the same game can become your neighbours.<br /><br />You can visit each others tanks which is fun in itself also your neighbours (or rather neighbors as its an American-written game) can send you gifts to decorate your tank:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zYzMB1syWck/SvZt3RTVtAI/AAAAAAAABAs/HSInSjX67nM/s1600-h/gifts.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 384px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zYzMB1syWck/SvZt3RTVtAI/AAAAAAAABAs/HSInSjX67nM/s400/gifts.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401625599382238210" border="0" /></a><br />What you are able to send increases as you go up levels.<br /><br />The variety of fish eggs you are able to buy also increases with levels:<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zYzMB1syWck/SvZwogLjawI/AAAAAAAABBM/UXQYBBvdYRA/s1600-h/fishbuy1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 135px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zYzMB1syWck/SvZwogLjawI/AAAAAAAABBM/UXQYBBvdYRA/s200/fishbuy1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401628644212960002" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zYzMB1syWck/SvZwovja1iI/AAAAAAAABBU/UkxcbFyMwIY/s1600-h/fishbuy2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 130px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zYzMB1syWck/SvZwovja1iI/AAAAAAAABBU/UkxcbFyMwIY/s200/fishbuy2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401628648339592738" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zYzMB1syWck/SvZwo36fxjI/AAAAAAAABBc/E5lIiSkRFV4/s1600-h/fishbuy3.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 132px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zYzMB1syWck/SvZwo36fxjI/AAAAAAAABBc/E5lIiSkRFV4/s200/fishbuy3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401628650583868978" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><br />My goal yesterday was to get to level 8 so I could buy the clown fish. I managed that (just) and got up to saleable clownfish overnight:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zYzMB1syWck/SvZmnw0xWwI/AAAAAAAABAE/FVo_0pHq_6I/s1600-h/clowns.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 210px; height: 216px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zYzMB1syWck/SvZmnw0xWwI/AAAAAAAABAE/FVo_0pHq_6I/s400/clowns.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401617636384660226" border="0" /></a><br />The image at the top of this posting was how my tank looked when I started to write. Now after writing all of this the fish have grown:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zYzMB1syWck/SvZybrgpkPI/AAAAAAAABBs/XyyGAajjGRg/s1600-h/redfish.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 247px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zYzMB1syWck/SvZybrgpkPI/AAAAAAAABBs/XyyGAajjGRg/s400/redfish.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401630622939189490" border="0" /></a><br />Oh oh... no matter how intriguing I've made this sound I must also tell you that the screen is now saying:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zYzMB1syWck/SvZ0N5WjG3I/AAAAAAAABB0/AwLWZxZ1EpM/s1600-h/down.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 115px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zYzMB1syWck/SvZ0N5WjG3I/AAAAAAAABB0/AwLWZxZ1EpM/s400/down.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401632585160006514" border="0" /></a>Update: I was suspicious from the wording of the above notice that the issue might be political rather than technical and it appears that facebook has pulled the plug on the fish tanks because of advertising violations. At least that's what they are saying at <a href="http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/08/zyngas-fishville-swims-with-the-fishes-for-ad-violations/">techcrunch</a>.Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635758748108011584noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16297785.post-30527042650791821272009-11-06T08:41:00.003+00:002009-11-06T09:08:29.144+00:00Poor neglected blog!<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/4080136392/" title="Summer / Autumn by Caro's Lines, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3482/4080136392_31ac449149.jpg" alt="Summer / Autumn" width="500" height="500" /></a><br /></div><br />So... I'm going to attempt at least one posting a week for a while - see if I can rekindle the blogging habit / rabbit / hobbit (choices from my spell checker - you decide).<br /><br />I'm not sure how long it is since I've blogged - the internet is currently down (thanks to an "upgrade" that Jim installed a couple of days ago.... it requires him to have woken up before I can actually post this). Certainly not since (or not much) since I started to play FarmVille on facebook - I couldn't see the point of facebook a year ago and now I'm spending far too much time on it playing this sim-type farming game - and if you are not playing FarmVille you won't want to add me on facebook... I'll try not to mention it again in this post...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/4079347147/" title="Ammonite pendent by Caro's Lines, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2464/4079347147_aa72233102.jpg" alt="Ammonite pendent" width="500" height="479" /></a><br /></div><br />Summer here was not very summery... lots of rain and only a few days of heat. I don't like the heat but I'm not that keen on rain either! We mostly spent summer in Bristol and enjoyed it despite the weather. The main casualty of the weather was my photography - hardly anything to show for it.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/4080141596/" title="Westonbirt festival of wood by Caro's Lines, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3026/4080141596_bbaaed5ba6.jpg" alt="Westonbirt festival of wood" width="500" height="427" /></a><br /></div><br />We went to Westonbirt Arboretum's Festival of Wood in August.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/4080141924/" title="Active carving by Caro's Lines, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2472/4080141924_754d4c7386.jpg" alt="Active carving" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /></div><br />Jim's mother and her friend Ted were on a coach tour that meant they were in Cheltenham for the day. We popped up there and took them for an airing on Cleeve Hill. They were glad to get away from yet another day of potential shopping!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/4080107862/" title="Cleeve Hill by Caro's Lines, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2449/4080107862_7698afe86c.jpg" alt="Cleeve Hill" width="500" height="500" /></a><br /></div><br />Autumn has been much better for weather, except the week we took on holiday - we seemed to pick the wettest week for that! But again it was fun and as we were on holiday I took photos anyway.<br /><br />For my birthday (though not actually on it) we went to see the Autumn colour at Wesonbirt.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/4079348427/" title="Autumn Colour by Caro's Lines, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2709/4079348427_93f2ec2e45.jpg" alt="Autumn Colour" width="500" height="500" /></a><br /></div><br />Our week up in the Yorkshire Dales was a prelude to a surprise 70th birthday party for one of Jim's aunts. She was indeed very surprised but also delighted that so many people turned up for her. We then spent a couple of days with Jim's mother before making our way back home... and to more FarmVille! (??? words before I gave way... ;-)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/4079382555/" title="Prawn Cocktail! by Caro's Lines, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2696/4079382555_41229f45fe.jpg" alt="Prawn Cocktail!" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /></div><br />Whilst in the Dales we visited some caves - ones with a guided tour, there was a lot of stooping but no crawling through water ;-) - there were lots of fantastic stalagmites / stalemates (my spell checker again!) amd stalagtites (no guesses for that one...) - hard to photograph but wonderful to see. The guide even extinguished the lights briefly for us all to see the caves by candlelight as the Victorians would have seen them when exploring them. And then he blew out the candle so we had utter darkness too.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/4080110532/" title="In a cave by Caro's Lines, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3483/4080110532_0bbd63be70.jpg" alt="In a cave" width="500" height="500" /></a><br /></div><br />Jim had discovered the existence of a small turf labyrinth only 20 minutes from his mother's house - despite the nearness it wasn't a place she or he had been before - so we explored it whilst visiting her.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/4080111010/" title="Labyrinth by Caro's Lines, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2725/4080111010_fb834cbf6a.jpg" alt="Labyrinth" width="500" height="500" /></a><br /></div><br />One of the advantages of taking a dog on a long journey is its an excuse to look for interesting places to stop where one can let her out to have a bit of a run. We'd stopped at this place before but not discovered the topiary before!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/4079351409/" title="Topiary by Caro's Lines, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2551/4079351409_1fe04e3f37.jpg" alt="Topiary" width="500" height="500" /></a><br /></div><br />See all the photos from the mosaic in this flickr slideshow:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><object width="400" height="300"> <param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fcaroslines%2Fsets%2F72157622620634571%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fcaroslines%2Fsets%2F72157622620634571%2F&set_id=72157622620634571&jump_to="></param> <param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649"></param> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fcaroslines%2Fsets%2F72157622620634571%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fcaroslines%2Fsets%2F72157622620634571%2F&set_id=72157622620634571&jump_to=" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><br /></div>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635758748108011584noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16297785.post-27866304416120422612009-09-04T09:21:00.005+01:002009-09-04T13:11:40.507+01:00Ilustration Friday - Magnify<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zYzMB1syWck/SqD8TtTy2sI/AAAAAAAAA_c/PAVpZuOt8jY/s1600-h/magnify.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zYzMB1syWck/SqD8TtTy2sI/AAAAAAAAA_c/PAVpZuOt8jY/s400/magnify.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377575370590706370" border="0" /></a><br />What would it look like if you could magnify people's thoughts?<br /><br />A rather late entry to <a href="http://www.illustrationfriday.com/">Illustration Friday</a> for last Friday.Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635758748108011584noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16297785.post-70385257677795050082009-08-20T10:52:00.002+01:002009-08-20T11:04:20.826+01:00The Book of the Beasts<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/3838753253/" title="The Book of the Beasts by Caro's Lines, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3485/3838753253_c29107ae56.jpg" alt="The Book of the Beasts" width="500" height="361" /></a><br /></div><br />This is the cover of a book I've just made, inspired by <a href="http://dispatchfromla.typepad.com/" rel="nofollow">Mary Ann Moss's</a> Stiched & Stencilled class. The class got me going though I went a way off from the suggestions - all part of the fun!<br /><br />I was intending to buy some canvas to make the cover, as suggested, but I hadn't got around to getting any and suddenly I NEEDED a cover so I used this purple foam stuff that I had around - previously I'd been using it for making colourful nonshiny backgrounds for photographing object on - I also used a couple of pieces of yellow foam inside the book.<br /><br />All the Celtic Knot type stencils came from a set I bought recently from a local art shop. The horse comes from a children's stencil set from the local toy shop.<br /><br />The wolfish animal is one I cut. In the book there is also a toad stencil that I rediscovered - I'd cut it around 8 years ago.<br /><br />I've sewn in or glued pieces of jigsaw in places. Some of them I attached before stencilling and others I used as masks then sewed them into other parts of the book later.<br /><br />I've also used a star cutter to make stencils and masks. The stars and the stencil have been added to the book too.<br /><br />I couldn't resist also using and then incorporating a chemistry set stencil.<br /><br />I didn't actually get around to using my sewing machine as I decided hand sewing suited this book best.<br /><br />You may be able to see inside the book here:<br /><br /><object width="400" height="300"> <param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fcaroslines%2Fsets%2F72157622091538850%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fcaroslines%2Fsets%2F72157622091538850%2F&set_id=72157622091538850&jump_to="> <param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fcaroslines%2Fsets%2F72157622091538850%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fcaroslines%2Fsets%2F72157622091538850%2F&set_id=72157622091538850&jump_to=" width="400" height="300"></embed></object>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635758748108011584noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16297785.post-29289569051969065432009-08-08T18:02:00.005+01:002009-08-08T18:30:11.353+01:00Book List<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zYzMB1syWck/Sn21ogCw83I/AAAAAAAAA7s/w129YKfvDxI/s1600-h/balloon.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 327px; height: 327px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zYzMB1syWck/Sn21ogCw83I/AAAAAAAAA7s/w129YKfvDxI/s400/balloon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367646038296425330" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Just to let you know I am still alive... I found an easy post to make:<br /><br />I reposted this entry after reading it on <a href="http://mixedmediamartyr.blogspot.com/">Mixed Media Martyr</a>'s blog<br /><br />The BBC says most people will only read 6 of these 100 Books.<br /><br />Instructions:Cut and Copy the list into your notes... then...<br /><br />1) Look at the list and put an 'x' after those you have read. (remove other persons X's)<br />2) Tally your total at the bottom.<br /><br />1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen X<br />2 The Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien X<br />3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte<br />4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling X<br />5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee<br />6 The Bible<br />7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte<br />8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell X<br />9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman X<br />10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens<br />11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott<br />12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy<br />13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller X<br />14 Complete Works of Shakespeare<br />15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier<br />16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien X<br />17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk<br />18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger<br />19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger X<br />20 Middlemarch - George Eliot X<br />21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell<br />22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald X<br />23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens<br />24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy<br />25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams X<br />26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh<br />27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky<br />28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck<br />29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll X<br />30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame X<br />31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy X<br />32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens X<br />33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis X<br />34 Emma - Jane Austen X<br />35 Persuasion - Jane Austen X<br />36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis X<br />37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini<br />38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres X<br />39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden X<br />40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne X<br />41 Animal Farm - George Orwell X<br />42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown<br />43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez<br />44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving<br />45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins X<br />46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery<br />47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy<br />48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood X<br />49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding X<br />50 Atonement - Ian McEwan<br />51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel<br />52 Dune - Frank Herbert X<br />53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons<br />54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen X<br />55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth<br />56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon<br />57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens<br />58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley X<br />59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon X<br />60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez<br />61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck<br />62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov<br />63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt<br />64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold<br />65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas<br />66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac<br />67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy<br />68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding X<br />69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie<br />70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville<br />71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens X<br />72 Dracula - Bram Stoker<br />73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett X<br />74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson X<br />75 Ulysses - James Joyce<br />76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath<br />77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome<br />78 Germinal - Emile Zola<br />79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray<br />80 Possession - AS Byatt<br />81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens<br />82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell<br />83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker<br />84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro X<br />85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert<br />86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry<br />87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White X<br />88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom<br />89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle X<br />90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton<br />91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad<br />92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery X<br />93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks<br />94 Watership Down - Richard Adams X<br />95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole<br />96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute<br />97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas<br />98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare<br />99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl<br />100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo<br /><br />Total 39 I think... there are some that I might have read but can't really remember reading e.g. Far From the Madding Crowd and Wuthering HEights - I think they were both texts at school but I've forgotten them so completely that I haven't counted them. Mind you some of the ones I know I've read I'm a bit hazy on too...<br /><br />And it looks to me as though reading the complete works of Shakespeare gives you both 14 and 98.... unfortunately the ones I have read aren't on there...<br /><br />The balloon in the sky was spotted over Bristol this morning...<br /><br />Hope you are all enjoying yourselves.Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635758748108011584noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16297785.post-20272512862735044882009-07-21T14:16:00.004+01:002009-07-21T15:12:03.452+01:00Yin-Yang, Light and the Moon<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/3741865075/" title="Yin-Yang + Turquoise Light by Caro's Lines, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2457/3741865075_1e65cc1074.jpg" alt="Yin-Yang + Turquoise Light" height="500" width="375" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br />I seem to have difficulty keeping my blog up-to-date in the summer... you can see from my archives that it is a repeating cycle... yet in the winter its much easier. So this may, or may not, be a post that will have to stand alone for a while... At least I've a few photos (mine and others) to decorate it with.<br /><br />To see all the coloured lights I caught with the yin-yang light catcher (in a friend's house) see this <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/sets/72157621634664641/show/">flickr slideshow</a><br /><br />Another photo I've taken recently is of the Paddington Bear statue at Paddington station:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caroslines/3742658310/" title="Paddington at Paddington by Caro's Lines, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3527/3742658310_27dcb036d9.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br /><br />In fact I took it last night... I managed to miss my train by just 2 minutes... luckily other people also seemed to have problems on the tube and I was allowed to use my ticket that was meant to be just for the 8pm train on the next one at 8.45.<br /><br />Tonight, or rather, early this morning there will be a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_eclipse_of_July_22,_2009">full eclipse</a> visible from the Pacific Ocean.<br /><br />Have you ever wondered what the moon looks like on its far side? Jim did and found this on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Far_side_of_the_Moon">wikipedia</a>:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/57/Cara-oculta-luna.jpg/585px-Cara-oculta-luna.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 585px; height: 600px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/57/Cara-oculta-luna.jpg/585px-Cara-oculta-luna.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Isn't it cratered and craggy! So different from the view we get (also from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_moon">wikipedia</a>):<br /></div></div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dd/Full_Moon_Luc_Viatour.jpg/594px-Full_Moon_Luc_Viatour.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 594px; height: 599px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dd/Full_Moon_Luc_Viatour.jpg/594px-Full_Moon_Luc_Viatour.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>If you are lucky enough to be able to see the eclipse either partially or totally I hope the clouds stay away for you.Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635758748108011584noreply@blogger.com7