Looking or reading an interview

Interview is not my favorite thing in the world.  I only find it interesting when the subject is worth interest.  Like an artist who is original, not following sunny well known path.  I don't have anything about more pop artists.  I just feel they don't always bring profound thought about their arts.  It is rare that they talk about deeper experience.  The interviewers may also be to blame for those lightweight interview.  They don't always have the time to delve into heavier stuff.

When I find a real deal good interview, I jump at it.  There are some artists that more prone to give a good and challenging interviews.  It makes me feel that artists can goes in less traveled path.  For example there are two good interview of Diamanda Galas that I found:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0gc13WpR-w&index=136&list=WL

The second one comes in two parts.  It is mainly on one of her album:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Knudkmkknq0&index=130&list=WL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3L1V4j75mQ&index=988&list=WL

I prefer to go deeper into the soul, not just skip at the surface of the mind.  It is not being nose up.  It is more like being in a swamp and find a gemstone in the mud.  Not everybody have to go along the same road.  Divergence is not to be banished.  In an ideal world, each person would be able to go his/her own way, without being judged.

It is just sad that in our world, there is still coercion in this world.  Of course, there are deviance that are not acceptable even now.  Abuse in any way is not something I accept.  Of the other hand, I wish people would accept how certain people are: different.  For example: no to killing people, yes to people who express themselves with clothing.

Now, I think I have my fill for interesting interview for a while.

First sewing machine use.

I have use my brand new sewing machine for the first time.  I needed a little bit of help for installing the threads.  Sometimes, two heads are better than one.  Once it is figured out, it is pretty easy.  I didn't did much in my first use.  Just figuring things out.  I even learned how to change the needle.  Pretty easy too. 

Next time I will use it, I won't need any help.  I am already ready to be on my own.  I think I will be able to figure out the rest.  I find it reassuring.  It makes me feel I aren't that dumb.  I can use this sewing machine with ease.  It is more fun to handle than the one I used in high school.  I even figure out how to change the stitches.

I haven't try the embroidery side yet.  I don't have anything in mind for this yet.  Nothing concrete for now. I also want to gain a bit more experience too.  With the first use, I was pretty much able to do pretty much straight lines.  It is not perfect.  I just have to practice a little bit more to feel okay with this.  I think it was the first step, the first use that was the hardest.  I hope that with each use, I will get better and better.

Strip Cartoon

I like reading strip cartoon.  My taste goes to more classic ones (Gaston Lagaffe) to more modern ones (Yoko Tsuno, Les femmes en blanc, Pierre Tombal, le Scrameustache).   Of course, they are from Europe and I read them in French.  Many of them are there for a long time and I grew up with them.  Recently, I browse for possible new album.  I saw that Yoko Tsuno had been translated in English.  The order of the albums are not the same in French and in English.

I am thinking of looking for series in other languages.  I think that Gaston Lagaffe could provide some myths to the mythbuster.  They have tested the brown note.  Well, in Gaston Lagaffe, there is something similar.  In that strip cartoon, he have created a harp called the "gaffophone".  Strange things start to happen when he plays it.  For example, planes crashes, wallpaper fall and light bulb fall, really weird.  I know it is not possible to happen.   The mysthbusters have tested some myth that I knew wasn't possible in real life.  I just like see them going through the process of debunking a myth.  There are time where they do everything they can, even if it is a evident fail from the start.

Strip cartoon help me change my mind.  It is a great help to distance myself from some troublesome creative projects.  What I find amazing is how the authors comes with some word play.  Pierre Tombal and Les femmes en blanc does have a certain fun in that area, for their album titles.  Especially from Pierre Tombal.  There is often a title that takes words that sound alike.  It put at least 2 levels of interpretation when reading the title.  It is something that I like very much.  Would be great if I were able to do that when I write!

Museum expositions

I like to go to museum expositions.  A few years ago, I was attending special evening on temporary exhibition.  It was marking the beginning of the exposition.  There was an expose by some one who was liked to the exposition, usually where the pieces was coming from.  I miss that, sometimes.  I was going to those who where interesting me.  It was a local young museum, compared to the others who are older.

I was always refreshed by visits to museum.  It been a while that I have visited one.  There is one where I was almost always there.  There are a few other museum that I visited.  There is one or two where I want to return.  I am sure it had changed.  I just wonder if I would be able to return to those museums.  The way to go there is a bit vague.  A website search would be a good idea.  I also am in luck, there are many museums in the old town, not too far from each others.

I think museum can be a good source of inspiration.  I often felt inspired, not directly but in a unexpected way.  I should return to those visit, it had always been good on myself.  I just miss the time where I visited museums more often.

Soap Making and feeling like a mad scientist

Creative people have a lot of ways to express themselves.  A part of them like to makes stuff from scratches.  Those DIY people (Do It Yourself) are really independent on some level.  They seems able to furnish a whole apartment with almost nothing.  They seems to master many crafting arts.

I can reclaim a small part of this trend.  I am not as crafty as many DIYers   I am not a jack of all trade in the world of crafting.  I only have a few chords to my bow.  One of those cord is soap making.

I am not an experienced soap maker.  I still have a lot more knowledge and experience to acquire.  I just started to make soap from scratch.  I do have a few trick in my hand.  I have much more experience with soap bases.  It is the door that many soap maker takes at their beginning.

What I like in soap making are the essential oils.  I put many of those oils in my soap.  I like to read and learn about their properties.  I have a soft spot on mixing them to obtain maximum result.  I like to make blends.  For example, I had developed one for eczema and one antiseptic.  My blends have a specific purpose.  I also have specific people in mind when I develop a new blend.

I often give my soap to family members as Christmas or birthday gifts.  Homemade gifts are always well received.  It is what I have experienced.  I think often about how a mad scientist I can be while doing soap.  There are a sense of experimentation that put me in that state of mind.  It gives me a sense of power.  People around me don’t know the making of this art.  They are just receiving the pretty end of the process.  The rest have an aura of secrecy.  This is why I end up thinking of being a mad scientist.    I mix and have fun.  I am happy when a blend turn out the way I wanted.

I have a few other area of expertise when it comes down to being crafty and creative.   I enjoy each part in it own way.  The soap making is where I can express the mad scientist in me because I do lot of experimentation.   It is one aspect of soap making that I like.

There are times where I feel lost...

There are times where I feel a bit lost.  I have a certain organization in my disorganization.  So, when I search of something, I know where to look.  No problem as long I keep myself organize in my stuff.  The problem arise when someone else think: "oh, it is in the way.  I will put it in some boxes. I will give her that service".  The other person have good intention but I end up searching for everything.  All my point of reference is lost.  I end up asking the person who did the boxing to help me find what I am searching on.

Now, I have found all the material for advancing in my pillow project.  I have two pillow I want to finish.  I have the knitted cover.  I have the zippers.  I have yarn to close the sides.  I have my sewing machine to sew the zippers on the cover.  The problem is I am searching for my crochet hook.  I have a general idea of where it is.  I haven't found it yet.  More searching will be needed to find it.  In the meanwhile, I am a bit frustrated.  I feel that I shouldn't have that kind of stupid delay.  I have everything else ready.  I am ready to move on and finish this project for good.  I have to deal with a delay now.  I won't die, for sure.  It is just that it would have been nice to have a project crossed from my to do list.

I guess I better let it known to organize my own mess myself.  My mind work on its own.  I know how it work. No one else knows how it work  Even if my stuff look disorganized to others, I know how it is ordered.  There is also some advantage for my creativity too.  Of course, I am not as disorganized as some on some tv shows.  I keep a degree of disorganization limited to my creation stuff.

Resin and a project I found.

 I am following Mark Montano on twitter.  He isn't the only crafty person that I follow.  I follow a bunch of people, magazines and other crafty related stuff.  Usually, I look at their projects.  I do look more for the inspirations.  My mind start to spin to get inspiration for other projects that have no link with the original material.

A few days ago, I saw this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SR0BMXC1EU
It is showing how to do heart shaped rings with glitter and small bottom.  I just love the idea.  I knew it was a possibility to do rings or door knob, thing like that.  But this video triggered something.  It is a rare time where I want to try the project.  Not totally as they show.  I don't have tiny heart shaped molds.  Only big ones and it is for soap making.  I do have mold for resin.  I can used a few of them for the project. I just don't have the pieces for the rings itself.  I will have to go on a shopping trip to the hardware store, I guess.  I have to see if it's there.

I think I will have some fum putting my own spin on this project.  I think it will be a project for myself.  I will have to adapt the project to make more suitable for gift and I think I know how to do it easily.  I don't want to impose my personal style to others.  I know I have comment on my "hardware style jewelry" and it isn't coming from my relative.  So, I have to tweak this if I decide to do some gifts.

Bead loom

 There is various bead looms on the market.  I learn how it work with this one:
http://www.amazon.ca/Beadalon-Jewel-Bead-Loom/dp/B00M8OZAD8/ref=sr_1_215?ie=UTF8&qid=1410619889&sr=8-215&keywords=bead+looms
It was a class at the craft store, the one that is neared of my home.. I remember, when I was a teenager.  At the time, I didn't knew about bead looms.  It wasn't available where I lived (in the deep deep wood).  So, I was wondering how it was made. I thought it was made on machine or something on industrial level.  I had a nice piece at the time.  I didn't wanted to destroy it to see how it was made.  No close examination either.  I was curious but not hungrily curious.

Now, I am a bit more knowledgeable.   I know how it can be done.  I also have everything to do it.  I have given some projects I had to two people.  I know there is some videos on the internet on how it is done.  How to get started on various kind of looms.  I think I am ready to try on other looms.  To see which one I like the best.  Maybe I will end up liking each one for a specific type of projects.  I possess another loom that I want to try.  It is also very portable and light.  I think it will be great for narrow projects. 

Now that I know how it work (in essence), it will be easy to adapt myself to the loom.  With some big holidays coming, I may end up doing a project on it.  I just want to have an different project to do on a loom, to vary the gifts I give.

Thinking about fabrics...

I am reading about sewing.  I am amazed to see all we can do with fabrics.  I learned it could be on walls and used in upholstery.  I am a bit curious about upholstery.  I think I may investigate that more.  I know someone who studied furniture finish in a school.  Last time I saw her, she was employed in the place she did her internship.  I don't know if she know more about upholstery.  I know she worked on wood and wood finishes.  I may ask her question next time I see her.

It is quite recent that I saw some brief moments where people where doing upholstery.  I always wondered how they where doing it, even if I didn't knew the word for it.  I didn't thought they would tack fabrics on the structure of the furniture.  Makes sense after seeing it.  I wonder if it is easy to do.  Sometimes, doing it makes all the difference.  It may look easy seeing it but be another matter doing it.

I wonder if there is a place where we could go and be able to try that kind of thing.  A kind of museum.  It could house various area of artisanship.  I would love to be able to try various thing before seeing if it appeal to me.  I would see if it is worth investing money.  I remember when I tried lapidary.  I was wondering what it was.  I also try to do some.  In the end, I wasn't really interested.  It takes a lot of patience.  It also takes abilities.  I was more interested in the people who took the workshop than the material itself.  I don't know if it was the responsible of the workshop had something to do in my dislike.  By chance, that workshop was a short one.  It is a rare time where I wasn't trilled of learning a new technique.  The good thing I get from this: it had refine what I liked, didn't liked and what interested me.  I am interested in stones but not in shaping them.

Some creative people, Magic Realist Press.

 Here is the Baba Store:
http://baba-store.com/
I love their products.  They are the same people who are behind of Magic Realist Press.  They have a lot of interesting products.  I have a soft spot for their tarot.  Their latest publication is the Alice Tarot.  I love the box.  It is really creative.  It open up like a small jewelry box.  It is also sturdy.  What I like the most is their cards.  It is really amazing what they can do, on the visual side.  It must have taken them a lot of time to end up with so much beautiful picture.

They have a channel on youtube.  Here is a few videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bsdxciL9Oc (love the ending image)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJFZ0Blf320 (my favorite)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGIsi6mGTMA (love the music, lot of atmosphere)
In those last two videos, we can see two previous and gorgeous tarot deck they made.  The first is the Tarot of Prague (out of print but oh a so beautiful collage!).  The second one is the Bohemian Gothic tarot (this one is my favorite, even if their other tarot are as stunning).  The Bohemian Gothic is also out of print, both editions.  I think they have a good reputation and  makes beautiful fast selling decks.

I like to encourage small presses.  Magic Realistic Press is one that deserve all applause.  Until now, always been happy to buy their deck.  I am really pleased with the deck I got from them.  I didn't expected to like so much their latest (the Alice tarot) until I got it in my hand.  I haven't used it yet but I will sure study it in the near future...

Bookbinding

 I just saw this clip on youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1VjQeGJmB4

It is very short, 1 minute 15 seconds.  The person don't say much.  But I do love the binding.  I just wish she would enter in the detail of the Coptic stitch,  I would like to know which eyelet she used, the same with the cord.  The cover is nice, even if she put some emphasis on it.  I was more interested in the binding than the cover.

I was in luck because I found two video on the Coptic stitch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue52htX3j0k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2FRKbQI2kY
It is always a good thing to have suggested videos on the right side.  I wouldn't not have found those two videos.

Now, I do have learned something new today.  I didn't knew about that stitch.  I ain't much familiar with needle work to begin with.
I even found how to make a book with sea shells:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mgg0lQP8Ytw

It gives me a few ideas on the subject.  It been a while that I have bound a notebook.  I have done it in my book repair class a few years ago.  It was the first project we have done in class, I think.  It made us understood how a book was made.  I haven't given much thought since.  Seeing those videos give me the little push to try my hand at it again.  There are printed document that I have that would need some binding.  I could do it myself.  It would be a very good excuse to use them to practice the Coptic stitch at the same occasion.

The Platinum Post

I am curious by nature.  I found a video, on YouTube on how Platinum is made:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X09zSQSUXDk

Here is six facts on Platinum:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFqsJprJFVc

Platinum VS White Gold:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImEEVD4nXuA
This one, I wish to have seen it sooner.  I do have a white gold ring with a diamond on it.  I had the dilemma between platinum and white gold.  I have been told it would be more economical to go with the white gold.  I didn't knew there was other consideration.  I knew, at the time, that platinum was more expansive than white gold.  Nothing more.

Platinum journey:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6fj5FfaeeA
It is a bit sugar and sweet.  I was wondering where it was mined, where it's origin.

I think I learned a few things with these videos.  I didn't knew it needed extra special experience to work with Platinum.  I worked a lot with silver, which is my favorite metal.  I thought that platinum was cool too, but more for stones that can't go on with silver.  I never got the chance to work with it in the few classes I took.  There was no ones who worked with platinum in the classes I had.  I thought it was mainly because it was expansive.  Now, I wonder if there was some who tried to work with it but got turned to other options.  I wonder if platinum is sold.  I know I had bought silver.  I never ask or probed for platinum.  I feel knowing more.  At the same time, there are a few things that have a wonder after taste, while I think back.  I may ask a few questions if I take a jewelry class, one where I will work on metal like platinum and silver.

Stongest materials

Recently, I was looking at a top ten of the strongest materials on earth on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Aprrlqd-TU
I find it very incredible.  There is the usual diamond.  I knew that,  It is one of the strongest gems known to us,  It can break if it hit on one of it's cleavage but it is an hard stone anyway.

I also found a video on the top ten rarest gemstone:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37rI_BWmOI4
Again, there are diamonds there.  Nothing to surprising that diamonds are on both. 

Here are the top ten most expensive gems of all time.   Pretty much as the above list.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4-fVLvACO8
With this list, I fell a bit of a repeat.

My point with these lists?  There are some of those gems and materials I would like to work with  Would be great, just for the experience of it.  Do I have enough experience to work with them?  For sure I haven't have enough experience.  I feel a bit of a starter in jewelry making.  There is so much to learn and practice.  I haven't have all the tools to makes fine jewelry.  I can dream about those nice gems.  I like rocks and gems.  I don't like all gems nor all rocks.  But there is many of them that I love.  I like obsidian and lapis lazuli.  Emerald and peridot too.  Sparkling opal and nice aquamarine.  I would like to work more with them, on a professional level.  I hope to attain my dreams one day...

Jewelry can be easy.

 Sometimes, when people think jewelry, they think about various gems in precious metals or just precious metals.
I found a project on craftsy:  http://www.craftsy.com/blog/2014/08/how-to-make-a-mala-bracelet/
It is beads in a bracelet.  It is dumb easy.  Not terribly expansive.  It makes me think of prayer beads, you know, each bead equals one prayer.  The fun with that kind of project is to choose the beads.  It can be gems beads or wood beads, as you wish.  Bone-like beads would put a nice tribal look to this piece.

It even can be a project for children. I remember, as a child, I loved stringing some colored drinking straw-cut piece on yarns.  Hours of fun.  I don't remember there was beads available to use.  At the time, I didn't thought to use beads.  I was having too much fun with the drinking straws to think about what I could used instead.  In a sense, it was a good thing.  Now, I return to that fun but on a more evolved level.  I still have the sense of wonder while testing beads and colors when doing necklaces.

I do like very much doing wire wrapping necklaces.  It is this kind of upgraded project that reconnected me with what I liked as a child doing stringing with straws and yarns.    While doing necklace, in a sense, it makes me connect with my grandpa.  He was the one who show me how to do the straw stringing.   In  a sense, I have a debt to him.  He show me something that I later discovered was an interest.