Bling Bling without the bling bling use

I found some what I consider some bling.  It is crystal like big rhinestones.  Here what they look like:

Two look like crystal, quartz like.  The other one have coloured one.  I bought them not for bling bling use.  I want to work with colours and transparency.  I will have to look how exactly I can use them.  I have others that I can use with strand,  Those have hole.  I will have to look who to use all of them.

For sure, I don't want to use them as purely bling bling jewelry.  I am not in for shock value.  I just want to bring highlights to those pieces.  No big jewelry.  What I like with those components: I can do what I like with them.  I also have find a glue that I can use with them.  I will be able to try both on the same project.

Everything must come to an end

Just watched the last episode of Crash Course Mythology (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmpDK-8ib2Y).  It was on words and idioms related to Greek mythology.  It was way too short for my taste.  I like that video and it's content.  I am in the same line of thought as the host.  I would had like to know if there was other idioms related to mythology, not just the Greek one.  Okay, there was already a lot with the Greek myths.

My intention now that this serie had ended?  I am tempted to look the serie again, as a rerun and to takes notes.  Espcially for the last episode.  There is an interest in mythology in the last few years.  I find that there isn't much quality products that introduce mythology to the world.  there had been a lot of video, book, strip cartoon (http://olympiansrule.com/), tv show (Hercules and Zena, even if it not totally 100% up to the original stories).  There is a lot of myths and I think they can be exploited more.  Most of them started on oral tradition and each storyteller put his own spin to it.

I just wonder how myths could be if they where updated to our world?  Would be an interesting twist.  Would be fun to write about that.  Modern setting, modern situation.  Zeus would be at ease with his multiple affairs, for sure.  There been something done along the way with Norse mythology on a tv show named The Almighty Johnsons (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Almighty_Johnsons)
Well, it was a start, even if they didn't had all their powers.
Now, I am waiting for the Greek myth version, only with it's own drama...

Fountain pens

I started to write with a fountain pen when I was a teenager.  At the time, I received one with recharge.  There is an adaptation period to get used to a fountain pen.  It is worth the wait.  I grew up quite rapidly to the fountain pen way of writing.  I find the act of writing with a fountain pen quite relaxing.  The writing is also quite nice and sharp with the fountain pen.  Well, my writing seems to improve with the fountain pen.  It may be my own impression.  fore sure, I must be more conscinous of my writing with a fountain pen.  I can't put too harshly iwth a fountain pen.  I am more aware of the pen on the paper.

The downside of fountain pen are their elegance.  Can be good for a businessman to have a elegant fountain pen (like in here: https://www.amazon.ca/JINHAO-250-Fountain-Pieces-Colors/dp/B00D6CJFBE/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1516593115&sr=8-14&keywords=fountain+pen)  It would be nice to have more casual fountain pen.  Or having a more whimsical side.  I like choice and variety.  It may be my own problem with this.

Well, with time, I had been on and off writing with writing pen.  It won't stop me to keep the same thoughts on fountain pens.  I like writing with those pens.  I may stop using them for a time but I always return to them to write with.  I am always been grateful for the first writing pen I recieved so long ago.  It was a discovery and a good one.  I won't be able to stop liking writing with fountain pens.

Motif or imprint

A while ago, around 5 years ago, I took a silver clay class. Well, it was a workshop lasting for a day.  It was nice to learn more about silver clays. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_clay and it look like this, in the package: http://www.metalclays.com/art-clay-silver-950).

We had some plastic pieces that had some imprint.  We used it to transfer the imprint on the piece of clay.  It give a nice pattern on the silver clay.  I liked doing that.  The teacher said that she find the plastic pieces with the pattern in dollar stores.  Since then, I was on the look out for those when going into dollar stores.  Never found them.  Well, now, I found two pieces that could fit the bill.  It is different from those I had in the workship.  I do hope to find other pieces like that that will have different pattern.  For now, It is more geometrical:

It is a start.  It will be fun to experiment with the next time I will work with metal clay.  I didn't used this material much since the workshop.  I think it was once since then.  It is time to try metal clay again.  In any way, it will not be wasted.  I can use it for fimo for sure.  For resin, I am not sure.if it would work.  Maybe in very small amount.

It is good to shop!

It's been a while that I went shopping.  I didn't boy much but I made a few discovery.  I found some components that will do a nice neclace/earring paring:

I also found some molds that I will use for making fimo beads or resin:

It is always fun to find new molds.  Maybe it will incite me to do some fimo again.  I am due to do it.  I did not buy much but what I have found is a good find.

A question of taste

No taste buds is involved here.  I just think on how likes and dislike can impact creativity.  How can someone like an area and it is sure to colour what that person doing.  I do like making jewelry.  My like in jewelry making have an impact on my soap making.  I do have a few soap mold that are shaped like gems.  I do like making soap in those mold and put bright blue or bright red colour for thorse soaps.  The same goes for mythology.  My liking in mythology had inspired me in some of my writing.  I had put a ton of mythological references in a story.

It makes me realize that likes can be the sources of inspiration.  It can be seen in what can be done, as a result.  So, what push each of us in our own like and dislike?  It may sound a trivial area to explore.  I think it is important because likes and taste can be part of inspiration.  It is akin of talking.  To learn talking, toddlers need to have prerequisite.  It's include eyes contact and alternating turns to play.  Those two examples are part of the prerequisite for talking.  Because of that, I start to think that inspiration must have components that is the make up of inspiration.  Finally, inspiration can be like building blocks.  The sources like taste, comes together and form the inspiration.  Then, it flow to the mind and manifest itself.

Inspiration fascinate me.  Getting closer to it is like getting an illumination.  I can pinpoint more closely how it work.  Ultimately, I hope to pull the strings of inspiration and see what will come out of that.  It is to get closer to the source of inspiration and getting closer to the muse that murmur in my ear, the muse that put picture and scene in my mind.  I want to see the muses themselves, as a source of inspiraton.  In that way, I would better understand how I get inspired.  I want to understand and know more my creative self.

LIght and Darkness

LIght and shadow put a show in trees.  I find that attractive.  There is more.  There is an infinite way to blend light and shadow.  I still learn from that.  It is quite a challenge to capture what the eye can see when there is newby amateur photographer is debuting in the photo world.

I took this photo during the day:

I took the same photo at night, with the hose exterior's light on:

Here is another try a few second later with some lights from where I was:

Okay, I admit it, still learning and I forgot to remove the flash before taking the photo.  But It chanbe everyting, especially the mood.  It almost look stary.  I find amusing with the night time photo: the two light look like two eyes in the darkness.

I like making experience like that.  I like light and shadow.  Black and white photos could be for me.  I just have to gain more experience and not forget what I learned.

Some old toys

In the last few years, some old toys had made a comeback.  Since the first time they had made their debut, they had been forgotten before regaining popularity.  Think of Lite Bright, Slinky, Easy Bake, some board games like Oiuja, Monopoly and Operation, et c...

There are some that seems forgotten.  It would be nice to see some coming back.  I am thinking about these examples:

I don't mind if they are an updated version of those examples.  I don't know if it is already done.  I don't pass much time in the toys section of stores.  I didn't searched much either.  It is sure that I may had missed any updated versions.  I wonder how the newer version of those toys would look like today, expecially the castle.

The toys on the photos above had pretty well stool the test of a child play.  They had aged well too.  They are still good looking without much wear and tear.  It is not all toys that had this chance.

Thinking on projects

I am in a period where I want to try new projects.  I am ready to learn new techniques.  I want to see what I can do, see what is possible, discover a new ability.  I see it as getting a creative challenge.  It also can open new doors.  When the basis is there, I can get a step further and get more advanced.  I can see what is possible.  I would be ready to get classes again.  I always miss that part when I stop having them.  It had been nice to have a break in that area but I liked it very much attending classes.  I learn something new.  It was also nice to meet new people even if it was only for the class.  I don't know if I can find new places to get classes.  I would have to get more serious on finding that.

There is a few questions that have poped up in my mind.  It is with the thingsw I know.  It would be good experiement to make.  One of those questions is: Can I make scented fimo beads?   It would be cool if it was possible.  In addition, it would be even more cool if it would stay scented for a very long time.  I also wonder if I could put paper with fimo.  Not just making a fimo piece and glueing a piece of paper on the fimo.  I guess I would had to put a protective layer on the piece of paper, to protect the paper from the wear and tear of use.  So, it could be fun to mix techniques and materials that I don't use often.  It would be a nice excuse to practice them.

My main problems is that most of the time, i get ideas that takes times.  They are often on a long period of time.  It is a bit challenging to sit down and makes them.  When I have started, I find it hard to stop.  If I have to stop and start later on, it is hard to do too.  Beside that, I want to work with some beads again.  I am tempted to mix beading on a loom with other more loose beads.  I wonder if beading on a loom can look good with wire wrapping.  Or beading on a loom with some fabric.  I still think what I can doo with the green fabric I still have left from my tries with the pin cushion.  I could use that fabric for some embroidery too.  I also toying with the idea  to make an bag with it.

Those ideas are keeping me busy.  Even if my hands doesn't always follow up what is in my mind, there is always new things poping up in my mind.

When Archaeology is useful

I just saw this video on Egyptian Bue:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2Bwmdl61Sw
It is about finding it's recipe and it's special properties.  Technical but finding the knowledge is quite interesting.  It prove that archaeology is not only for Indiana Jones fan.  It can have useful result.  It is what I like about archaeology.  It can be an useful sicence.  Finding forgotten objects or useful topics that still have relevance today, in our modern world.

It is like fashion.  Everything have a life cycle before getting out of fashion to better return to the forefront.  Archaeology is useful to discover lost knowledge or getting on the path of solving ancient misteries.  Not everything can be uncovered but archaeology can lead to, at least,  hypothesis.  It is fun to see that our modern technology can help find out some ancient knowledge from people supposely less advanced than us.  Our predecessors are not dumb.  They had a lot of spare time in their hands.  They probably were going by trial and errors.  They were putting the foundations of our technological world.

It is sure that we do not know every detail of the discovery of the Egyptian Blue.  The Ancient Egyptians were on something they didn't see all the potential.  It is were we pick up the find and put it a step farther.  This is creation, invention and exploring various paths can lead.  It can take time but it goes further on to it's conclusion.  This is the reasons that archaeology can be useful today.

Uncommon emotions

It may be strange but there are some times where there is something heppening to me.  My reaction?  I have an emotion that I don't have any name for.  Is it me?  For sure, I do not feel the basic and most common emotions like fear, angry, affraid, happy, etc...  When it happen, it is going on the weird, uncomfortable and uneasy side.  Why?  Did I miss something about emotions as a child?

I sometimes feel a bit alien toward my emotions, especially when I can't pinpoint.  It is a bit embarassing.  When a person write, it is important to put the right work on emotions.  It makes me wonder if there is enough words in various language for every emotion, be it common or uncommon.  How do I describe the eomtions that I have that I don't have the name?  How to find if the emotion have the correct word?  How can I communicate and describe the feeling?   What I can feel can be very primal,  i do feel them very strongly.  It seems to come from deep in my psyche, being triggered first a long time ago, in a time when I registered only the emotion, not the even.

It must be a personal mystery.  Something that I am unable to access easily.  It must be somthing deep inside me, probably in a time where I was unable to talk I guess.  I do not know if telepathy could solve that mystery.  I know for sure that I did not have any bad trauma.  I was well surrounded.  I do not know how I could have get those feelings.  Well, it is a good thing that I don't have those emotions quite often!

My first introduction to Norman Rockwell

I remember how i first discovered Norman Rockwell.  I was browsing an annual book that was reviewing the year.  In the section of art, there it was:
https://www.google.ca/search?q=baby+sitter+norman+rockwell&dcr=0&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=P8SGJl3-b2eKeM%253A%252CB4czzlJv_DObFM%252C_&usg=__uQ9l5StZGkO8zGbcG4sW7nUqaas%3D&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiqoYaa9Z7YAhVG2SYKHaK7BKwQ9QEISTAI#imgrc=P8SGJl3-b2eKeM:
It is called The Babysitter.  I think there is another one but not sure. Well, I saw one similar with a boy and a carriage called Baseball or carriage (https://www.google.ca/search?q=baseball+or+carriage+norman+rockwell&dcr=0&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=hltYaHZc9b1c0M%253A%252C3m34HwHrHC86tM%252C_&usg=__Ny3MO9vKYuP2pTlTkE4-RKoYEag%3D&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiahLvE957YAhVGbSYKHRZ2CJcQ9QEIKzAA#imgrc=hltYaHZc9b1c0M:)
On that one, there is a boy pushing a carriage.  The boy crosse the path of two other boys going to play baseball.  I don't know why but I kind of mixed the two in my research for the Babysitter.

In fact, I wanted to have a printed copy of the Babysitter as soon as I first saw it.  It was kind of calling me.  I bought a lot of book with paintings of Norman Rockwell.  I was not successful.  This one seems to be harder to come by and I do not know why.  Finally, this year, I had my calendar for the year and this famous Babysitter is in for the month of March (norman rockwell calendar 2018).  Very happy!

While knowing more about Norman Rockwell, I found out a few others interesting painting he had done.  The serie on Willie Gillis is pretty interesting.  I like the concept and the drawings too!
https://www.google.ca/search?q=witllie+gillies+norman+rockwell+images&dcr=0&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjqntzD-Z7YAhUFNiYKHV7KCC0QsAQIKg&biw=1280&bih=870  I think that Norman Rockwell had nade many powerful paintings in his career.

2017 and review

I am not the type to makes new year resolution.  But I like to look back at the past year around this time of year.  I found a video or two about archaeological find.  Here is one:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVsHnKZBRa4  I did not knew about the temple of Artemis that had been found in 2017.  The finds are pretty much unknown to me.  I guess that when it comes too much specialized, it does not makes headline new.  I am a fan of archaeology, so I guess it is something that would interest me more than sport.  It is hard to please everyone when it comes to the news.  Here is another one on discoveries of the year 2017: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVsHnKZBRa4&t=3s  I wonder if there are entries that are the same in the two videos.  Or it is me dreaming while listening to the videos.

On a more personal level, I learned a lot this year.  I learned that I do not know everything.  There are area where I thought I knew much but there was still a few more things to learn.  I also learned that there are people who are knowledgeable and they can be of assistance.  I just had to talk to them to be helped and have hints on how to do things.  I just wished I had the presence of thoughts to talk to them earlier.  I also wonder if ther are people who could gives the guidance with right information right away.  This year, it was not new that I felt a bit on my own.  Well, I should get over that part and get over with it.

I do not want to makes any resolutions.  I have more hopes and wants.  I hope to be better equiped in dealing with events.  I want to be able to have the right word in the right situation and right away.  I hope to have learned from my experiences of 2017 amd mpt repeat them into 2018.  I also know that if there is a snag, I have a few people I would talk with and have good advices.  Well, I really hope about the last one and have really good and accurate advice.  What will stay the same: creation, inspiration, creativity and working with my hands.

Janus

Janus is a Roman deity.  No Greek equivalent for Janus.  So, Janus is a typical Roman god.  An interesting one too.  He is usually represented with 2 faces.  He is the god of doors, gates and boundaries and the month January is name after him.  He have to do with everything that can be a limit, boundary and line.  I guess he could be the god of a country borders too.

He is not a well known god but he is an interesting one.  The Ancient Greek does not have an equilvalent.  Ancient Greek only have the herms that are put into fields, to put the limits to them.  The herms are from Hermes, adding to Hermes long list of to do list.  Hermes is a Jack of all trade type of god but he is terribly busy.  Janus have the leasure to be a bit more causial and concentrating on doors, windows, borders offices, fences, city limits and all the like.

Ancient Roman have their own gods.  They just liked to borrow other pantheons and incorporate them into rheir Roman one.  Janus had the merit to remain without equivalent.  Ancient Romans should had kept a few more deities like that.  They sure have original concepts.
There is an article on Encyclopedia Mythica on Janus: http://www.pantheon.org/articles/j/janus.html