Nice place to work

In the past year, I had a nice place to work.  I worked with old books and I was able to go to a secluded place.  I had access to places not accessible to the common people.  Now, it time to go elsewhere.  I will miss the desk I was working on sometimes:

Well, it is a bit hard to work there with all that stuff right now.  I had other tasks lately so, I wasn't there much.  I also had a nice view to the exterior from there, even if it doesn't show.  I have to turn back to see it:

It is appeasing to see some greenery and some trees.  Of course, seeing part of a roof is a bit less interesting.  I just hope to work in a nice setting for my next tasked job.

Nice original windows

I seems to like the unusual.  I go to a place where there are the above windows.  They are more decorative than anything else.  No function, it seems.  Just a separation in the corridor.  I would like to have this kind of arched window in a home.  Of course, I am sure there is a price for this big one.  I don't know if I have seen smaller ones, like for doors.  If I did, it sure wasn't making any impact on me.

I may have expensive taste.  Or I may be attracted to the not much seens.  I wonder if it was into fashion when this building was built.  That type of window have a few examplar on that floor.  I guess it can repeat on other floors.  It is one of the reason I like to go there.  It is not often seen elsewhere.  Or I just don't go to the right places to see those.

I wonder if it is hard to install.  I would like to see how it is install too.   I guess it must be hard to see that kind of thing done.  There must be very few of those window sold, I guess.  This is an old buiding but it is a nice one.  It had a certain charm to the interior of this building.

Thinking about teachers.

I have encountered a lot of teachers as I took various classes.  Be it school or crafting classes.  Not all teachers are suited to be teachers.  Some seems to be more likeable or they deliver their knowledge easily.  What made me think about it?  This video on cartomany and playing cards: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVwBukF7VyA  It is a first part of a serie.  A teacher is not always the one in front of a class, in school.  There are other part where there are teachers. 

I like taking class, especially crafting class.  I like doing that because I feel I learn more with another human being.  I can ask question, see how a craft is done in front of me and I can learn how to amend for error I have done.  It is not always the case when learning from a book.  In books, there are the bare essential.  Books are great for information and recipies.  It just don't explain errors done by the human being reading the book.  Books have limits.  They can't answer question too.

To be a good teacher is not given to everybody, I think.  It is not easy to be a teacher.  I am not an expert on the qualities needed to be a good teacher.  For sure, knowledge on a topic is not always equate with being a good teachers.  Another thing I learned: Being rigid (like explaining always in the same way or similar terms) in giving the class material is not helping students learn.  The last thing that I remarked: non formal class like crafting class, teachers seems to be more at ease and they seems to be good teachers.  Maybe there is no stress with non formal classes.  Maybe it may due to craft being artistic to begin with, so no big theories.  My guesses are as good as anyone else for that matter.

Work have it's own perks!

What I like in working in a university level library?  I have access to places where the users don't.  I also like when I find some remote little dark places that are not much visited.  Like this one:

It is the first room.  Not much here.  It is a great place to dispose of some excess material.  See the orange door?  Well, there is another room behind that door:

See, I am not a liar.  There is more, it is a fairly large room.  Here is a good look at it:

 It is a great place for storage.  Always good to know.  I know place that are over crowded.  I like the whole floor of this place.

I am planning the best I can!

I have the image of Scotty, from the original Star Trek serie, saying: «I am doing my best, captain!» with his nice scottish accent.  In the end, he prove that he is the ultimate miracle worker by doing the needed repairs just in time for the critical moment.   So, even in the most chaotic moment, Scotty seems to be able to get organized, work under pressure and get the job done.  He makes all seems so easy to do.  Despite hard conditions,  he do what needed to be done.  It look really easy.

Well, I don't know how Scotty get his zen attitude while being on the Enterprise.  My life comes into period.  The period I am right now is : I get the impression that even if I do the best at planning my suff, everything goes on as I did not expect them to happen.  There is a monkey wrench that goes into the well oil planning.  So, I had to ajust and makes some change.  I just hate to take the phone and change an appointement to make room for another.

I find this kind of events very un-creative.  Having to reorganize my schedule is not always easy.  I have some periods for certain things like work, chores, appointements, time for crafting, etc...  So, if I had to change that, if things doesn't work out as expected, as I do those changes, something have to give up.  Usually the crafting time take the hit.  Not always easy to take other times to replace that time.  By chance, I have my evening free.  It is where I can work creating various things.  It is usually where I am the most effective, creative wise.

I just hope it is just a period among others.  Let's see if life can offer me other things than some curve ball.  I would like to be able to sit down and have a few moments to create.  It is good for my mind.  I am also happy when I can show my result here.  Beam me up Scotty, I need some of your techno wizardry!

Fantasy Barrettes

I have done 3 barrettes with fimo.  I called them fantasy barrettes because I doubt they will be wearable.

I did them mainly for fun.    Been some time since I did some.  I think it is nice to do some fantasy pieces once in a while.  It prove that I can make something unexected even if it is not always wearable.

I did repair some barrettes that I had done in the past.  I should do more barrettes.  Not all like those above.  I think more with hezagonal bolts.  I like doing them.  In the end, I had created something and was able to concentrate on the act of creation.  No other thoughts except on how to place the various pieces on the barrette base.

My visit to the gem show

During the last week end, there was one of the local gem show.  I got there and done some purchase.

It was fun getting all those stones.  Of course, there is the usual quartz, obsidians (I include the few snowflakes obsidian here), malachite and lapis lazuli.  A new first purchase: a saphir on the last photo just beside the malachite, above the rutil quartz and in diagonal of the heart shaped lapis lazuli.

I also bought 3 necklaces.  I always buy a few of them where I go to the gems show, be it in the April one or the November one:

In order from left to right: silver obsidian, ruby zoicite and a quartz.

I am not really into it but there are beauty boxes

I am not really into beauty pruducts.  But I decided to give a try to a beauty box delivery service.  I took the one from Medusa Makeup.  I had purchased a few procucts of them in the past and I was curious about what they were offering in their beauty box.  So, I received their April box.  Since last month, their boxes are really cool!  What I like the most is the drawings on the box.  It gives a little personal touch, even if it is pirnted.  The pattern is nice:

 The silk paper's colour is good.  Gonna keep it:

 Here the card with the content of the box.  It spoil a little bit the surprise but I like those cards anyway.  So, I am sure that I have everything right just under the card:

 This is the content of the box.  Lipstick is great.  I don't put that often but it is a good pick me up for some really bad day.  What I like with the Medusa makeup lipstick: they stick very well to the lips and they have various interesting colours.  Not always match on me but I like to have a different choice of lipstick colour.  I know this lipstick will match me.  It is their Lipstick Rosé but I find it more beige.  I know it will suit me.  I had another of their lipstain with a similar colour and I loved it!

The choise of colours for eyeshadows is interesting too.  The colour of eyeshadow in this box is called Tropical Matte Eyeshadow.  I would call it Ananas matte personally but ananas and tropical are on the same line of thought.  Enjoy the content:

 This is an up close view of the Cotton Candy Lip Scrub.  I will definitively use it.  I am all for lip cre and I am happy to try some lip scrub.  It been a while since I wanted to use that.  I am sure I will have fun trying this one.  I know some people who will like the colour:

I also have a product from last month box that I didn't used yet.  I wanted to wait for my birthday to use it:

It is another scrub but for the face.  I find that putting Hawaiian on the packaging put an exotic touch.  Well, it is marketing the product.  I will see if it will be up to the title.  It will be a first tor the face too,.  So, no expectation.  Just the fun thinking I will make another experimentation.  This is where my mad scientist side comes up excited and wild!

Some new projects

It was time to make some jewelry.  I should do that a bit more often.  I have a good stash of materials.
I made an combo earring/necklace:

I was also into necklace making:

And earring too.  Don't think it should go with the neckace above:

Just realized that I had also made an bracelet.  It was a fun one to make that bracelet.  What I like is the pointy beads.
I also made a pair of earring with some agathe arrowhead.  I didn't wanted to use them as two necklaces.  I thought it would be original to do the earrings:

Some novelty, most recent purchase

I made a few purchases.  Not much but there is a few toots that look promissing.
I buy items to make earrings (the frowers) and an necklace with a quartz (I already have another too but I like it):

I found some tools, well, molds that will be great to use with fimo (and other similar product).  Just hope it will be the push I needed to do some.  I am long overdue to do some fimo:

There is no ancient cooking gods!

I just got an illuminationL there is no ancient cooking gods.   Not to my knowledge.  There are modern cooking gods: Nigella Lawson, Martha Stewart, Gordon Ramsay, Jaimie Oliver, Kristopher Kimball, etc...  They are on the small sceen, showing recipies, getting in various mood and being far from perfect all the time.  They are on a piedestal for better and worst but mainly for their cooking expertise.

There is no counterpart in ancient time.  No gods, no goddesses are seen in the act of cooking.  No myth where we see Hephaistus roasting a piece of meat in the fire of his forge.  Demeter is the godess of agriculture and cereals but not of meal preparation.  Hestia is the goddess of domestic life but we don't see her very often in myths.  She is barely seen in scarce myth.  She lives on Mount Olympus but no mention of her activities.  There is some sacrifice made by various heroes and that's all.  There is a purpose to these sacrifice.

So, this phenomenon of the cooking god is a modern one.  I guess that cooking may not be an important facet of life in ancient time.  Getting the food was important but not the aspect of consuming or ingesting it.  Would be nice to see Hephaistos cooking a chicken kebab in his forge.  Indirectly,, I would see him as a god of BBQ.  There would be also Hestia who would deserve a sauce in her name.  She would be perfect to prepare condiment or sauce.  She would be the master of secret ingredients.  Demeter would be great in producing the produce for cooking.  A perfect combination between Demeter, Hephaistos and Hestia would result in an interesting cooking show.

New purchases

I go for a quick shopping to the craft store.  I didn't bought much but It was interesting.   I guess I will be able to indulge in making earring:

For the arrowhead, well, I do have a soft spot for them.  I couldn't resist them being in special.  I also bought some prismacolor pencils and it is quite a change in packaging:

I guess I should get used to it.  On the other hand, I find it cool being able to see the pencils.
I also bought a container to put my essential oils:

Project cross-stitch owl

I finally finished my owl in cross -stich.  It really took a good amount of time.  Here what it look after a session of work:

After that, I pushed a little bit farther:

Then , complete it:

It look decent.  Not perfect but decent.  Can be compared with my first attempt:

The colours are brighter on my second attempt.  It look sharper too.  Still need some tweating or a bit more practice.  I have a last kit, so it will be a last attempt at the owl.