ArtiphyTheHeart

Lining Up My Ducks

I first used a computer in the early 80s.  The first one I owned was a Timex Sinclair.  The first computer language I learned was BASIC.  I've been online continuously (read: daily) since the early 90s.  I'm equally Mac and PC savvy, and I evolve with the updates.  I'm no stranger to social media and can carry on conversations about most of it before it hits the public airwaves, although I am picky about what I use personally because I'm not out to collect widgets;  I want what works for me.  I like keeping my knowledge complex, but my experiences simple.

So where did I miss the boat on feed readers?

Yesterday I started using Google Reader to organize my online reading and news.  I spent the afternoon creating and refining subscriptions and making files to house sites I visit daily, weekly, etc.  I took a break long enough to grab my moleskine and put my ducks in a row.

Then I went back to the reader to catch up on what I've been missing by haphazardly cruising online without a navigator.   What a time saver!  

Now I'm off to broom my internet files and bookmarks.  I've accumulated a lot of trivia and it's time to bin everything that isn't useful.  In the process, I've reacquainted myself with some great websites that had gotten lost amongst the rubble.  Big, clean, deep, breaths of fresh air!

Vacant

Have you ever had a really bad dream about someone, and no matter how hard you try to shake it, some of that feeling lingers on after you wake?  No problem if you can avoid the person for awhile, but when that's not possible, remaining as neutral as possible is usually my solution.  Invisible works, and sometimes, so does vacant.  

Today's page was built with J.O.Y. in mind, using Crayola's "aquamarine" crayon color as inspiration.

I made the book for this series of pages.  It's just a plain, brown wrapper with a cowboy tape spine.  I'd been toying with the idea of how a plain, brown wrapper would be really appropriate for a paperback journal, so I whipped up the prototype for this book and fell in love with it!  It was made after the unique construction which is being taught at J.O.Y.  Up to now my bindings have been fairly complex.  Even the simple ones I've made were complicated compared to this one, and I've designed quite a few of those myself.  But never in a million years would I have thought this one up on my own!   So far I've made three more, each for a separate series of pages, and I'm not stopping when those are finished.  I have a new project on the horizon which will use aspects of this binding combined with some uniquely cut pages.

A couple of years ago, I was given a Cricut Expressions machine.  A really stellar gift!  At the time, I needed it to cut some custom stencils I designed, and also to cut some images I'd be using in relief on pages in a hand bound book I was making.  I added SCAL software so that I could import my own vector drawings as .svg files, and then let the machine do the cutting.  It was a huge success.  The software was easy to learn and versatile enough to convert my drawings, and I was able to get around the limitations of the machine by tweaking my drawings a bit, and by making some of the extra fine cuts with an Xacto knife afterward.  Except for some stencils I've cut here and there, I pretty much forgot about it after that.  

Now I'm almost ready to start a new book project, so the Expressions is back on the work surface and  hooked up to my laptop.  I'll tell you more about that project as it unfolds, but in the meantime, I thought it would be good to re-familiarize myself with cutting from the software.  I chose a font, adjusted the height and kerning, and made the cut for today's page.  I had it in mind to letter the negative of "Vacant" in brown and paint it with opaque acrylics, but it was so much easier just to cut it out of brown paper.  Sometimes the easy way is best way.   At least it was this time, because I doubt that I would have thought to use the positive letters along the left edge if I'd done the negative lettering by hand.  Don't let anyone tell you that using dies or cutting with a machine is not artistic.  We learned to cut with a jigsaw in art school.  This is just smaller scale and uses software.  Most of today's professional  jigsaws are computer driven, so what's the difference?  It's what you do with the stuff you cut that counts, so create till you drop!

"Computers" or. . .

. . ."How I Spent My Summer Vacation"...

The Introduction

...What do you do when you're a frustrated artist, at least half of your work is digital (someday I'll have to blog those pics), and you've had on-going computer issues since April?  Well, if you're me, you put everything else aside and quilt a cover for your Macbook!  I'll tell you all about this, but first I must do some gratuitous venting.  Sorry.  Bear with me, please, it's therapeutic...I think...at least for me....and there are some great pics at the end of this post......

Part One--The Plague

First, the PC that runs Photoshop fell victim to an ugly piece of malware which tanked everything but my files, and would have also stolen my identity if I hadn't outsmarted it and disabled the laptop's wifi. The virus (which actually is a package of multiple viruses that rename themselves constantly) didn't like that I did this, so it crashed necessary things like my printer, Wacom tablet and mouse, and then corrupted the device that installs the drivers.  

To shorten a long story, I kissed my Macbook, who (yes, it's a who, not a what), being loyal and virus-free, would lead me back to the promised land of artwork.  But first, I would have to call Adobe for a X-platform Photoshop upgrade, or buy new software for the Mac.  Upgrade, here I come...

Part Two--The Software

Adobe said, "Sure, but first you must remove all components from your PC, destroy the software you have now, and sign our legal document attesting to the destruction of the software--in blood--yada, yada yada.., and fax it to us."  So I did.  After a week of hearing nothing, I contacted Adobe who said my fax had "gone missing". They need a new blood-soaked document.  So, as suggested, I emailed it as an attachment to the address they gave me.  After a week of hearing nothing, I contacted Adobe who said my email had "gone missing, would I send another blood-soaked document, please, this time, through the support portal."  OK, I can do that, and I did.  Hooray!  They got it.  But now, I have to wait--maybe 4-6 weeks--for the department that reviews and authenticates such documents to--you guessed it--review and authenticate it.  I'm waiting...........and waiting...........still waiting........

Part Three--The Mac

There is a reason that Macs are silver and/or white.  It's because they are heavenly bodies.  My Macbook has sat beside me, even without Photoshop, and consoled me through all the on-going issues with PC hell and hackers.  So I thought, "You protect and enshrine heavenly things, don't you?"   Well, there are some awsome-er than life cases and covers for Macbooks, many very artistic, and all quite expensive.  I figured that while I waited for my software, I could easily design something stunning and functional for my little white apple, and whip it up in a heart-beat.

Part Four--The Cover

This is what it looks like when it's open.  Detail pics of the front closure and sides are below.

When I'm stressed, crocheting unwinds me.  I quilted the top-bottom-flap portions of my cover and crocheted the sides.  Partly for therapy, partly for function.  The sides act as vents if the book is still warm when it's put away. 

Epilogue

I've been spending more time lately with obligatory artwork than with the things I'm inspired to do.  At some point, I'm going to have to draw the line, especially since I'm not a weekend crafter who does this for a hobby.  With that said, soul-searching is in the works to get me back to my chosen work, which is mixed-media, journal pages, hand-bound books, digital artwork, assemblages, and daily blogging!  In the meantime, I've been off-and-on without internet service, as have 10% of the subscribers in the valley, due to a screw-up by !@# cable compay.  So please bear with me.  I promise to return.......

Right now I am:

Out the door to the library

Reading back issues of "Wired" magazine

Watching nightly marathons of NCIS

Setting up my Facebook (connect to me as a friend!)

Glad my kids get a summer break so we can enjoy more time together!

Have a great day, everyone!  I've missed you all!