Gee How Quaint

Swiss invasion

Ah.  Fish and Chips.  Too bad you didn't see their expressions when the deep fried Mars Bar was being sampled.

This weekend we hosted two visitors from the country of cheese and chocolate, mountain resorts and big pristine lakes.  What did they make of our island country?  It rained, but other than that, most experiences were given an enthusiastic response.  

They were shown the sites of the city. We did the obligatory climb up Arthur's Seat and hiked our way up to the castle, too.  Grassmarket was visited as were many Princes Street shops.  The following day we drove into the hills and stopped at Callendar where the nation's favourite meal (or perhaps most known for meal) was eaten with great gusto, followed by upset tummies and immense sense of lethargy.

How did it come to pass that I met them in the first place?  My lovely friend Seraina and I met whilst we were living in Omaha ten years ago.  Ten?!  Has it been that long?  She had been flown over to work at a flourist's (as their European designer) and I was finishing my studies at uni.  We did spend this entire weekend reminiscing.  Remember when we flew kites in the countryside?  Remember those photos when we made many goofy poses with our water guns?  Remember when we drove to Ohio and Virginia and you forgot to look at the map and we went on a 2 hour detour?  It was all very silly and light hearted.  

Thanks Seraina for your visit.  And thank you for bringing along Dave.  He is LOVELY and BRILLIANT.  A good time was had by all.  Now maybe it is time for me to plan my trip to Switzerland...

I may be socially inept

Last night, my groovy little friend, code name Whoopdedoo, and I went to the first Social Boom event in Edinburgh.  How to describe it.  It's like a social networking event for people that make things, either through the medium of film, graphic design, photography, art, craft, whatever.  I would have liked to have met someone that created through the art of intrepretive dance, but said person was not be be seen. 

Drinks and dinner were had at Vittoria, and then my side kick and I (or possibly I am in the side kick in this scenario) trundled off to the gathering on Leith Walk.  I only talked to four people throughout the evening as a) I might be slightly deaf because I couldn't hear most of what was said to me, b) I might be a bit shy in these situations or c) honestly, I think the correct answer is that I am socially inept when it comes to networking.  I tend to take on the 'nod and smile' approach.  I did hammer one poor girl with a barrage of questions when she said she was 'into film.'  What does that mean??  In what way?  What aspect?  Subject matter?  How can I get excited about something that general or vague?  There were a few situations when someone said that they did x for a living and my knowledge of x is so embarrassingly lacking that I had no idea how to follow that up with the rapid-fire questioning approach. 

I realized that this scenerio is not a good scenario for our young friend Cassandra. I seem to do much better when stuck behind a table and giving a demonstration.  It's so much easier to talk to a group and to feel like I am entertaining them with something like the awesomeness that is a Gocco demonstration, or how to dry felt, or something that is very much tapping into my teaching ability. 

With that said, I do think that it was worth going to.  I met some lovely people.  Here's my shout out to Geordiemac, Douglas the photographer and of course the enabler of all this to happen, Gill McColl.

How to put LEDs in stuff

This is more for me than it is for you.  Last night I went to a friend's house to re-learn the magic of hooking up LEDs to an artwork.  Previously, I was given a delightful lesson on the theory but my brain could not link the theory with the actual doing bit, so I had to knock on the door and beg for more instruction.

For this project, I had already worked my usual Gocco and textile magic on a corner tenement.  Not a real one.  A tiny fake one.  I wanted the star in the sky to shine, hence, the need for an LED.

1.  Buy all the bits, which include a soldering iron, solder, battery holder, resistor, tiny switch and oh yeah, the LED.

2.  Perhaps before 1. look in to buying LEDS and batteries  and resistors that go together.  There are some calculations to work out, minor maths really, and if you want to know what they are then respond to the email and I will let you into the group of People That Know This Special Knowledge.  Or you can fetch yourself a Fashioning Technologies book or even look it up online.

2....again.  Make a little drawing of the circuit.  Once I become very clever at this, I will not need the drawing.  As I am just beginning, a drawing is necessary. 

3.  Tin everything.  To 'tin' means to heat up and add a bit of solder to the end bits of the switch, wire, resistor and LED.  I am specifically writing out this step as I am afraid I might forget to do this the next time I make an artwork with an LED.

4.  Attach red wire and black wire of battery pack to switch.  The red wire is attached to the middle uh, thingthatlookslikeaneyeonaneedle bit.  The black wire of the battery pack is then attached to the negative (flat side of light, short prong) leg of the LED.  

5.  Burn yourself or your work with the soldering iron.  Swear a bit to let out the aggro, then carry on working.

6.  Attach a little bit of extra wire (don't forget to twist the ends first!) to one end of the resistor.  Attach the other end of the wire to the switch.

6.  Attach the other end of the resistor to the positive end of the LED.

7.  Then go mwahahahahahahahaha! because you have made a circuit!

My favourite things

As a member of the Newcastle Craft Mafia, we were asked to list 6 of our favourite things.  This is my post from the Newcastle Craft Mafia Blog.

Whilst thinking of my most favourite things that I need in order to work well/stay sane/enjoy life, it took only a few seconds to come up with my list of six. What are the things I need in my life to make it interesting and exciting, to keep it creative and energetic and fun. What are the things I need around me for inspiration.

1. A dog named The Outlaw Josey Tails. This photo was taken just a couple weeks ago, when The Jose and I (along with husband, of course) clamboured up Arthur's Seat. You can see Edinburgh layed out in the background and Josey, for some reason, is listing to the left. How does this little wiggly dog keep me inspired in my work? As I work from home, I spend many many hours in the house going about my tasks. I find her presence comforting. She also lets me know when I need a break by waggling her tail, looking up pleadingly at me to let me know it's time for her Walkies.
2. My music. Listening to my playlist helps me to get into the 'zone' which is the place I need to be in order to get stuff done. My top choices are Grizzly Bear (the remixes), Aphex Twin, Phantogram, Caribou, Four Tet and Fleetwood Mac. (Which one of these things is not like the other?)
3. Art Board. In my home studio, I have three magnetic boards. One is dedicated to artwork that I find inspiring/interesting/I could stare at it for hours. Currently, I have images from the Yoshitomo Nara+Graf exhibition which I saw last year at the Baltic, and a photograph of an exhibition I just saw at the Fruitmarket Gallery in Edinburgh. Artworks by Cloud Commission and Marlarky also occupy this space.
4. My Gocco Printer! How could I leave this to number 4?! This is the machine that I use to create most of my artwork. It's versatile, tactile, a little bit quirky and temperamental. Possibly a lot like me.
5. Baking (even though I am awful at it). I bake when I am stumped. I bake when I complete an artwork that I feel has been a success. I bake when I am between projects. Baking time is my thinking time. Yesterday I made Chocolate and Guinness cupcakes to celebrate creating what I feel is my best artwork yet.
6. My husband. Even though he often doesn't 'get' me, this fiery creative female, I am thankful for his support. He has seen me at my worst and he has seen me at my best. I seem to leap from one extreme to the other, yet he is nice and steady. He helps keep me grounded, which can be a monumental task at the worst of times.

The awesomeness that is a Print Gocco demonstration.

Excuse me for a moment while I pry my eyelids apart so that I can see the world from these tired eyes.  My dog found it necessary to start her mewlings at 5am and I just have not been able to move through my day with the usual excitement and vigour. 

This evening I am giving a Gocco demo at Newcastle's Dorkbot meeting.  The write up about this event is ever so kind and can be found here along with tonight's meeting details at the Centre for Life. I will first demonstrate the usual use of the kit, with it's proper bulbs, screens, images.  I may then do a part photographic, part linear image demo.  And then to be really outrageous and cool, I will create another screen but this time, oh read on dear readers, this time...I may use...wait for it.....waaaaaaaaaaaaaaait for it....Versatex ink and NOT the standard Riso ink.  OMG!  I know.  I know.  I like to live on the edge and if this isn't the edge where sanity meets insanity, then I just do not know what is.

Hold on your to glasses, kids.  You won't know what hit you after you behold the awesomeness that is a Print Gocco demonstration.

Blitz Ballroom post mortem

Welcome to the Ghillie Dhu and the second Modern Mixer to be, er, mixing it modern at this venue.  Although, I would say that all but the bar staff were decked out in 1940's style digs.  And me, well as usual, I got it a bit wrong and looked more Grecian than 1940's but heck, I got my hair curled, nearly donned the red lippie, and had a wonderful time.

Perched next to me was the founder and creative force of Black Bird Alley, a delightful young mother that somehow was able to take her and her wares by bus to this event.  After she put the finishing touches on her display, we were all overwhelmed and impressed that she was able to carry it all on public transport.  We were sending good wishes and hopes with her that her journey back would not be met with having to sit by the unpleasant man that smells.  I am of the belief that every bus must carry one of these on most journeys.

Anyway, the evening was delightful, filled with Swing Dancing displays and lessons, a girlie dance troupe and something that I can only describe as the most discreet burlesque dance that I have ever seen.  Well done to the lady with the big feathers.  I didn't blush once.

The next event is scheduled for the 1st Sunday in June.  For more details go to Modern Mixers.

Tallyho!