Tuesday tidbits

in which our plucky heroine has a few better days...

which probably started with improved sleep, indeed, I forgot to set my alarm Monday night, and instead of waking at 4 am, or when the sunrise hit the bedroom window, I barely woke up in time for a shower before my morning zoom meeting with my pal Leslie. She got to see me with my hair not quite dry, and before my breakfast or my morning walkies!

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~ so small! ~

... this shows the difference in size between the Beatrix Potter book kit received last week, and my other miniature books... Largest is the size of the books in the "My Miniature Library/My Fairytale Library" kits, the middle size is my handprinted "F is for Fun" linocut book, and the very small unfinished book on the right is "Peter Rabbit". Ruler in the background for size indication; the little clothespin is just under 1" long

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The marmalade I started yesterday, is now cooling in 6 pint jars on the countertop. The beetroot did the job, and the color is a nice rich red-orange. I managed to get the temperature just about right, too. I prefer a slightly looser set preserve, so that the strips of peel are still really tender, so somewhere between 218°F and 219°F is just right.

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I don't know if attempting a Summer Solstice miniature swap was a good idea or not. There was some interest, but more folks are dropping out, probably since this time of year, with gardening and eventing and all that, is filled with much more to do than time to do it. There are only 4 people "left standing", but hopefully it will still be fun for everyone. I am going to sort through my collections for additional minatures, since I want to distribute an assortment of items, not multiples of the same thing (which is a difficulty with few participants)

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	tiny angora print	computer zone lamp	persimmon prunings
2	5th God bag	blog template	forsythia prunings
3	scroll calligraphy	grey turtleneck collar	yard waste bin
4	Pelican scroll	indigo bunny art	recycle bin
5	grey rose brooch	taxes done	front plum pruning
6	3 pyramid bags	redone bag ties	x
7	blood orange marmalade	kitchen soapdish	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. putting up waterbath preserves has become such a part of my skill set such that it isn't stressful, just something to do of an evening. Plus, marmalade!
2. The dwarf lilac is about to bloom, just in time for May 1st
3. better sleep is invaluable.

Time of Isolation - Day 1395

Monday musings -

in which our plucky heroine started the day with a vile infestation of brain weasels, and is in need extra anti-weasel serum. Fortunately the day seemed to provide some, and I also kept determinedly shoving my brain in the opposite direction, doing my best to pay attention to the good in the now, rather than the litany of everything I have done poorly or not at all.

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>

The .5 mm carving gouge that was ordered on the 18th, from a tool supply company in Japan is out for delivery to arrived at Acorn Cottage today! It really is half the size of the smallest gouge I had up until now, and has a lovely wooden handle. This will make adding finer details to my miniature linocut blocks possible. Was this an small extravagence... why yes it was, but it is a tool that will be used often to create artworks

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It may be a simple fix, but I improved the kitchen soap holder* by adding a raised internal grid of ½" galvanised hardware cloth. Bar soap, which tends to slip down into the upper compartment in a most annoying and hard to grasp way, will be both easier to grasp and stay drier, and thereby last longer.  While this fix won't be "permanent", since I have quite a quantity of scrap hardware cloth it will be easy to make a new one when rust takes its eventual toll...

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In order to not waste the last of the blood oranges, I'm turning them into a batch of marmalade. They were disappointingly not very red inside, though they still tasted wonderful. Then my eye fell on the leftover beetroot in the fridge... hmmm...

It was an experiment, to simmer it in the pan for better color. Now I have some deeper orange proto marmalade (and a half beet that is infused with orange, which will be very nice indeed sliced onto a green salad with some goat cheese tomorrow)

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Yay me! I went to GrossOut, because the fridge was out of veggies, and they are the best place to get the big box of mixed baby organic greens, and and instead of also buying a pint of ice cream, I bought a tomato start. (they had organic veggie starts, and to my surprise I saw they had "Juliet", which is one of my very favorites (they are like half size Roma tomatoes)

Now all I need to do is manage to keep it alive and safe from squirrels. I'm glad I didn't put it outside right away. After I came indoors and was putting things away and prepping the greens for cooking, I heard a strange pinging noise... it wasn't a surprise roof leak, but rather it was the sound of hail hitting the lid of my milk delivery box!

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	tiny angora print	computer zone lamp	persimmon prunings
2	5th God bag	blog template	forsythia prunings
3	scroll calligraphy	grey turtleneck collar	yard waste bin
4	Pelican scroll	indigo bunny art	recycle bin
5	grey rose brooch	taxes done	front plum pruning
6	3 pyramid bags	redone bag ties	x
7	x	kitchen soapdish	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. the Beatrix Potter miniature book kit arrived. It is really tiny, does indeed have content on the interior pages, as well as covers, and the instructions for assembly are good. I do wish that the print resolution was a higher DPI, as everything is just a bit more fuzzy than I would prefer, but for the price and given the scale, I will call it good.
2. the world is full of all kinds of colorful things, and I have eyes to see them with. I may be old and creaky, but I can still ride my bicycle safely around the neighborhood and to the grocery store
3. I needed some more Peltex for the brim on the Cathy Hat Project, and instead of needing to take a big chunk out of my day to shop, I was able to just walk a few blocks up to The Sewlarium... Truly I am wealthy in access to resources to have an art store and a little fabric storefront I can walk to!

Time of Isolation - Day 1394

* I think the soap holder is originally intended to hold kitchen sponges, but since I don't use sponges for washing dishes, it has a different calling to hold a bar of hand soap instead

The Quintarian Project

in which our plucky heroine begins a new 100 day challenge...

not a stitch book this time, but rather a set of 5 of the pyramid pouches that I've been so very charmed with recently, inspired by the World of The Five Gods novels and novellas, written by Lois McMaster Bujold. Once again I will be limiting myself to using materials I have on hand, various fabric scraps and other crafty bits, maybe some beads or charms, certainly buttons, and whatever techniques feel like they will add meaning...

~ well begun ~

I'm starting with the Mother of Summer. Her color is green, obviously, and I didn't have much in the way of green scraps. I could have used some forest green as the backing, but since in the book, that is a color of mourning, I went in the other direction. To me the scattered patches evoke a sunny field of wildflowers; the backing fabric is from a much loved and worn out bandana from OCF years ago, and the squares combine floral cotton bits leftover from sewing masks in 2020, some tiny fragments of the tie-dye shirt my friend Aeolus made, and silk from a sample book. 

I'll be working at least 15 minutes each day until August 3rd. The timeline allows me twenty days to complete each one; if I finish before then, maybe creating a container to hold them.

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"I think that... when I die, I can breathe back the breath that made me live. I can give back to the world all that I didn't do. All that I might have been and couldn't be. All the choices I didn't make. All the things I lost and spent and wasted. I can give them back to the world. To the lives that haven't been lived yet. That will be my gift back to the world that gave me the life I did live, the love I loved, the breath I breathed.”

~ Ursula LeGuin
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Today I made good progress on my idea to get access to the Kaiser dental clinic, which is close enough to Acorn Cottage that I can walk, or ride my bike. First, I went there to find out if they were accepting new patients, and if they took folks who were on OHP. Yes to those, but I have the wrong dental plan, as they only accept Kaiser Dental, and they do not accept people paying out of pocket either.

So, I decided to ride my bike to the Office of Aging and Disability to talk to them about changing my dental plan. That was a pretty long ride, but I figured it was better than the two buses I would have needed. I was able to talk to someone there, but their office only gets folks signed up for Medicare or Medicaid or both, and doesn't handle anything past that point, as that is the bailiwick of  "HealthShareOregon", a different organization entirely. So I called them...

That office was shut down for the day for some kind of employee training? or some such, so I took a look at their website, which then referred me to calling my medical plan instead. Which I did, and talked to Moira, who was very personable and wanted to help. But unfortunately the medical plan is not able to change any of the other two plans that are part of my OHP access. At this point it was just about 5pm, so tomorrow morning bright and early I will be calling the HealthShare office, to beg ask if I can change just my dental plan. I am sure it would be more acceptable were I to change to all Kaiser, but I have been using Providence for my medical care for years, since before I had OHP, and the office of my primary care doctor is about two miles away, so an easy bike ride. My goal is to have my various care teams be easier for me to access ie closer to home, so I am not dependent on cadgeing rides or taking multiple buses to get there. We shall see what ensues tomorrow...

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	tiny angora print	computer zone lamp	persimmon prunings
2	5th God bag	blog template	forsythia prunings
3	scroll calligraphy	grey turtleneck collar	yard waste bin
4	Pelican scroll	indigo bunny art	recycle bin
5	grey rose brooch	taxes done	front plum pruning
6	pyramid pouch	redone bag ties	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. I am brave and mighty, tackling the dread bureaucracy on the phone and in person.
2. I made a tasty salad for dinner, and used up some of the veggies before they needed to be sent to the compost bin
3. I didn't let the rain keep me from going out and riding my bike.

Time of Isolation - Day 1390

a regular solid

in which our plucky heroine is moving rather slowly today...

I spent some time this evening continuing to paint in the textured background patterning on the scroll for Raven, until I realised that I had zoned out almost asleep and plonked the paintbrush in the wrong spot. Fortunately it was an easy repair, a careful dab with clear water, and pat with a paper towel, then do it again, et voila, the plain background layer was restored. But I took that as a clue that I was too tired to paint, which also means too tired to use sharp objects either. Not too tired to push pixels around though...

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a pyramidical shaped pouch, a bit bigger than the palm of my hand... that opens by sliding a portion along a cord attached to one of the other corners. I love it so much! (this one is holding my little sewing clips used instead of pins...) I've immediately started on a second one, and suspect that some friends will be getting yet more of these as holiday gifts.

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Haptic and Hue podcast, episode #49:
"The Forgotten Medieval Craft of Cloth Staining"...

This episode uncovers the secrets of the 14th century cloth stainers which lie in a pocket-sized book, transcribed more than six hundred years ago, by monks at Gloucester Cathedral. The little book contains 30 recipes for preparing cloth and special water-based colours to permanently paint and block print wool and linen. Haptic & Hue took a trip to Gloucester Cathedral to explore the lost world of medieval textiles.

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	tiny angora print	computer zone lamp	persimmon prunings
2	5th God bag	blog template	forsythia prunings
3	scroll calligraphy	grey turtleneck collar	yard waste bin
4	Pelican scroll	indigo bunny art	recycle bin
5	grey rose brooch	taxes done	front plum pruning
6	pyramid pouch	redone bag ties	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. the black tulip bloomed this year after all! I found it, partially obscured by tall grass, when I mowed part of the front yard on Monday afternoon....
2. my miniature Beatrix Potter books kit is in Oregon, if not yet here, and my carving gouge from Japan is in the customs office in NYC, which seems rather the long way round to get to the PNW, but whatever...
3. I absolutely adore the little regular solid pyramidical pouch. It makes me smile, and is satisfying to hold in my hand. I am grateful for the artist that shared the tutorial online.

Time of Isolation - Day 1389

unexpected sharp pokey tools

in which our plucky heroine had a package in the mailbox...

all full of treats from Sewing Nomads pal Teresa: some fabric, and assortment of sample swatches, and a packet assortment of 100 John James hand sewing needles (this is a lifetime supply) "The Needle Collection for the Professional"! John James sewing needles are the very best I have ever used; I am sorely tempted to rehome all my "lesser" sewing needles...

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~ adding texture ~

My scribal project for Raven progress report... the entire background of the piece is inspired by, and hopefully evokes, the elaborate Scythian steppe nomad felted textiles. While it was challenging enough to figure out how to draw the complex repeat motifs, once there was a base coat of color in place, I found that the best way to then create a "soft" texture was to stipple the surface with tiny dots in a slightly different shade of the same color. The photo above shows some of the motifs have been textured and some are still "flat color"

This is not at all a quick technique, but it does really work, and the recipient is most pleased. (I've been sharing the process photos with her, since tis not a surprise.) The photo below is the whole scroll, which is 9 x 12 inches

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Triangle pouch progress report... all done save making a braided cord to fasten it with. I've already cut out a second one from a scrap of some fun maneki-neko fabric. These would make great gifts, and are a perfect way to use up smallish fabric scraps, or even patchwork or english paper piecing (can you tell I have been listening to Kate at The Last Homely House yet again). The pouch is just the right size to hold things like the Clover sewing clips used instead of pins, or would work for a coin purse, or, knitting stitch markers, or a travel sewing kit, or...

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	tiny angora print	computer zone lamp	persimmon prunings
2	5th God bag	blog template	forsythia prunings
3	scroll calligraphy	grey turtleneck collar	yard waste bin
4	Pelican scroll	indigo bunny art	recycle bin
5	grey rose brooch	taxes done	front plum pruning
6	x	redone bag ties	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. The weather was dry, not too hot, and finally my back is calmed down enough that I could face the shaggy yard... So tired now. I used the string trimmer aka weed whacker to start hacking back the grassy parts of my yard. Have done about ⅙ or less of what is needed. My forearms are jello. I wish I had a gardener friend to trade with.
2. my pal Teresa sent me an envelope full of treats, including a collected assorted set of 100 high quality sewing needles
3. I am, in fact, smarter than average

Time of Isolation - Day 1387

Sunday snippets

in which our plucky heroine has a pretty good weekend...

A great number of the everyday/weekend maintenance chores happened, and some small progress on the elective projects. I started back on the Jambe scroll for Raven, now that the Pelican scroll has been completed, and with some steady effort, that one should be done in a week or two of occasional evenings. Plus I sent some photos of it to her, and she is pleased with the effect.

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When I took apart the former unused pinboard, the back was covered with very nice grey wool felt. Which immediately inspired me to make a second rose brooch for my grey hat. I've used that pattern several times, substituting felt leaves and a pin back or safety pin stitched in place, rather than a hair clip.

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Saturday, instead of my intended time with the string trimmer, I ended up doing some unexpected pruning. When I looked in the front yard, there was a massive branch of the ornamental plum tree bent down atop the wee grove of figs. Not broken, just arcing down almost to the ground?!? So, our fearless plucky heroine took loppers in hand and gradually cut off as many of the small branches as were within reach, attached to the large branch. As might be expected, each cut reduced the weight at the end, and it slowly sprang back upwards a bit at a time, til I could reach it no more. The removed "branchlets" were cut into small enough pieces to fit in the greenwaste bin.

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"water flowing underground" seems to be the name of the triangle pouch I started making today. I wanted to try out the appealing and curious design which has showed up in various places online, particularly since bookhou posted a youTube tutorial, which makes it much more accessible. Some small scraps leftover from my Moody Blues coverlet (seen below) combined with the memory of the 100 day stitch book project gave me the idea of strewing some brown print squares atop the piece of pale blue batik base... hence the name/title.

the moody blues coverlet
note the brown accents...
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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	tiny angora print	computer zone lamp	persimmon prunings
2	5th God bag	blog template	forsythia prunings
3	scroll calligraphy	grey turtleneck collar	yard waste bin
4	Pelican scroll	indigo bunny art	recycle bin
5	grey rose brooch	taxes done	front plum pruning
6	x	redone bag ties	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. Two unexpected visitors to Crafternoon - Vestia, and Daegmar! I was so happy to see their beloved faces. And there was some deeper chat than usual, for obvious reasons
2. for the tasks within my skillset, I mostly have the tools. I love tools. Some of my earliest memories involve using tools.
3. the internet is full of instructional videos and tutorials

Time of Isolation - Day 1386

faster than a speeding paintbrush

in which our plucky heroine sets a new land speed record...

Finished with the Pelican scroll project! Had I worked on this straight through, it would have taken me several days, as it is, it is done in just a week! I am much happier with it, or at least with parts of it, than I was on Tuesday when I submitted it for feedback.

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~ euphorbia euphoria ~

This one is on the next block, adjacent to the sidewalk... my own euphorbia seems to have greatly died back over the winter, but there are still plenty of them in the neighborhood.

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In the "order self some treats" department, on Wednesday I ordered a .5mm carving gouge from Japan.When it arrives it will be a most useful addition to my linocut tools, for my tinyprints, and hence the hand printed art books I've been making in miniature format. While I can do most of my carving with the 1mm Flexcut gouge, sometimes there are fine lines or details that I just can't manage...

And on a much lesser but also just for fun level, I ordered from Etsy a kit to make 14 miniature Beatrix Potter books, all with printed pages as well as printed covers. The sort of easy but absorbing small projects that are a quick dopamine hit. I plan on giving at least half of them to Kestrel, for her dollies and their library.

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I enjoy a vast array of different* creative activities, all of which involve supplies, tools, and equipment. Aside from the enameling and metalwork that are my vocation, what else is in active rotation varies. What a help it would be if I returned to storing most of the various needful "stuff" in labeled containers, instead of randomly distributed around Acorn Cottage, as the effect of the last four years has been. This may seem obvious to some, but one look around my workroom and it will be apparent this is not what happens here! That had been my intention when I moved here twenty years ago, and when I built the workroom shelves, and the repeated times I reorganised things into boxes.

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	tiny angora print	computer zone lamp	persimmon prunings
2	5th God bag	blog template	forsythia prunings
3	scroll calligraphy	grey turtleneck collar	yard waste bin
4	Pelican scroll	indigo bunny art	recycle bin
5	-	taxes done	-
6	x	redone bag ties	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -

1. yesterday, in the pile of free things sitting under Karla's little free library, there was a nice square metal picture frame almost exactly the size I need. Now I can reframe the print that has been sitting in a plastic frame that lost it's glass, and put it back up on the wall with its friends...

2. Glerups - going on their fifth year and still in good shape. I have vivid memories of that shopping trip I took to a shop over on Hawthorne, back in March 2020, when I thought "oh, this virus thing may have me indoors more than in the past, having some comfortable house slippers might be a treat."

(with some extra gratitude to Sidrea for her pre-pandammit information about how to not get blindsided by what was about to arrive, and to various online bloggers for mentioning Glerups. It might seem odd including bedroom slippers as a prep for pandammit, but anything that has made staying isolated a bit more bearable is invaluable.)

3. the little individual pill holders from Muji, that I'd intended as less ugly med storage but which were too small for that task, are perfect for holding individual colors of gouache paint, with their snap to seal lids keeping the paint from drying out quite as quickly...

Time of Isolation - Day 1384

* sewing, knitting, tablet weaving, book arts, block printing, leathercraft, miniatures, metalwork, vitreous enameling, scribal arts, doll and toy making,...

wishful Wednesday

in which our plucky heroine dreams of a less limited future...

because someday, if we are fortunate, science will find ways for us to once again coexist in comparative safety. Because someday, if I am fortunate enough to live that long. Hey, a girl can dream, right?

But in the meantime, I will continue to make art and artifacts, and mend and repair what of the world around me I can manage to. Hey, a girl can't sit and do nothing, right?

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~ humans are amazing ~

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Woke up with a very sore left eye... This happens sometimes; I wonder if my eyes do not fully close when I am sleeping? Usually I just put in some eye lubricating drops and it eases off fairly quickly. Today it took about two hours to stop hurting, long enough that I was considering a visit to the doc-in-a-box. It has finally stopped hurting so much, about three hours later.

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This is some good/hopeful/potential/eventual news about a new way to prevent viral infection. I hope it will end up working as well in human people as it does in mice!

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	tiny angora print	computer zone lamp	persimmon prunings
2	5th God bag	blog template	forsythia prunings
3	scroll calligraphy	grey turtleneck collar	yard waste bin
4	-	indigo bunny art	recycle bin
5	-	taxes done	-
6	x	redone bag ties	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. Little Sister found me another online shop that still has some of my favorite hand cream (discontinued by manufacturer alas) and I plan on ordering some today. This is the only thing I have found, after many years of searching, that keeps the skin on my hands in good condition. Having backstock in the linen cupboard here at home is better than backstock in some store!
2. there are still scientists thinking well and doing science to take good care of human peoples. This gives me hope that I may not need to spend the entire remainder of my life inside my house...
3. after a lot of eye lube and an afternoon nap, my left eye doesn't hurt any more. Will try adding the drops prior to bedtime to see if that improves the situation. I am suspecting excessive pollen is the culprit.

Time of Isolation - Day 1382

Tuesday tidbits

in which our plucky heroine can catch her breath...

Monday was mostly out of the house... a bike ride to the post office saw my assorted tax forms mailed, then a long transit trip downtown to deal with the arts tax paperwork. Their website is no easier to understand than the form itself, but the pleasant folks in the office were very helpful, and there was only two other people with questions on line there, surprisingly for the day taxes were due. By the time I finally made it home, I was exhausted, though, and needed a lie down.

Later, after cooking dinner, I dealt with Mt Washmore and Mt Dishmore, and the house was partially returned to a calmer more functional state of being.

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Today I saw this very small bright blue flower underneath the Candytuft growing all along the retaining wall at the end of the block. According to the internets, it is called Lithodora. I rather love it, and maybe some could come live at my house sometime in the future? That blue makes me happy!

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The dining table is still a hot mess very cluttered, as my scribal gear has rather taken it over; there are paint tubes hither and thither, and the new wee containers I got from Muji, (originally intended as travel pill containers) that are working well to hold my dabs of gouache paints and keep them from drying out so quickly. There are books I looked at, and rough sketches, and, and under all that are the envelopes with my copies of tax paperwork.

This week I will be tidying it all, the taxes can go into the file storage zone, and most of the scribal kit can go back into the wooden tote box. I am going to leave the slant board on the table, as I still have quite a lot of painting left to do on the Pelican scroll. Which I am feeling rather better about today than I was yesterday.

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Today I saw online that there are some people who make miniature plants using embroidery! Most of the miniature plants I have seen are either polymer clay, or paper (like the kits I made a few years ago). I think it would be fun to try that kind of embroidery, at least once. There are quite a few online tutorials; it is called "stumpwork" and dates back to the 17th C.

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	tiny angora print	computer zone lamp	persimmon prunings
2	5th God bag	blog template	forsythia prunings
3	scroll calligraphy	grey turtleneck collar	yard waste bin
4	-	indigo bunny art	recycle bin
5	-	taxes done	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. I think I fixed my FB feed, by signing up for a mini things group that is very very active. I still don't see most of what my friends post (of course I wasn't seeing them before this change either), but rather than seeing 75% useless adverts all the time, I now see maybe 70% posts about dioramas and dollhouse miniatures, with a smattering of adverts. Much less stressful!
2. After much online encouragement, I decided to send in my information and images of the unfinished scroll for feedback. Why the change? Because even though there are things I wish I'd done differently, I can be an example of how Laurels can try new things, can do things in a less than perfect way, and can still move forward. After all, I keep a bin of all my failed enamels to show students, to prove how many tries it takes to get even one finished piece to be pleased with... And I am not a scribal Laurel; this will always be an art form I have fewer years of experience with.
3. Bill stopped by here to pick up the tiny heraldic enamels, while he was on his way to do other errands here in town, so I got to have a short social visit, and see the current Eduardo project he is working on, and also the amazing iron spindle whorl inlaid with cherry blossoms in silver and gold. I wish I had remembered to ask for a hug before he left...

Time of Isolation - Day 1381

some weekend whatnots

in which our plucky heroine does her best...

This weekend has been the 6th Annual An Tir backlog Scribal challenge, which I chose to participate in (as I mentioned in Friday's post). So. I'm not done, but I didn't expect to be. I have never finished in the 48 hours in any of these, and likely never will, and am totally okay with that. There will be continued work on the project, and eventually, once it is done, there will be a whole photo essay up here to view...

I'm fairly pleased with what I have done so far, considering it is a new direction for me. I still very much love the Gothic art style, and probably always will, but I also want to continue to challenge myself. The most successful new thing I did on this piece was to use The Odda Stone as a source for a calligraphic hand. Why? Because I didn't want to try and learn an uncial hand overnight, and the latin style hand, carved in stone, was similar (but not identical) to the Roman Rustic I had learned a while ago, and of an appropriate time period for the scroll.

My take-away from this weekend is that I will attempt to complete between six to eight new scrolls over the course of a year, which is a reasonable amount of scribal activity. This will allow me to make good on my promised backlog scrolls for friends, and allow me to continue to be a part of the SCA even though I must remain socially isolated for my own safety

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~ beautiful quinceling ~

The quince blossoms are opening up, a sure sign of springtime!

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I got distracted by the rabbit holes inherent in design planning on Friday night, and forgot I'd left the blood orange marmalade on the lowest simmer burner. It didn't burn, perzactly, but by the time I woke up Saturday, it went way beyond dark caramel color. The orange peel shreds turned black, as did the syrupy liquid. I am sad at the waste of energy, time, and food.

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	tiny angora print	computer zone lamp	persimmon prunings
2	5th God bag	blog template	forsythia prunings
3	-	grey turtleneck collar	yard waste bin
4	-	indigo bunny art	recycle bin
5	-	taxes done	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. I'm not going to send in my scribal project for feedback, which relieves some of my time pressure. I will send it in to be signed sealed and delivered to the recipient, as that is the part that is the most important aspect of the activity. I'd rather focus on getting it done and mailed off rather than hassle with yet another Google Docs interface.
2. Salad Semi-Nicoise was pretty darn tasty, even if without either olives or tomato. My HB eggs turned out perfect. Might need to get some more green beans, that last batch were great!
3. I need to figure out WordPad, which is as far as I can figure out the word processing program on my laptop. Never a dull moment here at Acorn Cottage

Time of Isolation - Day 1379

Friday folderol

in which our plucky heroine is getting things done...

Taxes paperwork and copies are done, money orders acquired and ready to be mailed out on Monday. Yay me!

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~ flora ~

When I lived at Mud Bay, the wild variety of these grew along the roadside... here at Acorn Cottage they grow here and there in neighbors yards. I love them either way...

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This weekend is the Sixth 48hr An Tir Backlog Scroll Competition. As I have finished my taxes, I am going ahead with participation in this challenge. I never actually finish a scroll in 48 hours, because I must needs take care of myself and the needs of the body for food, rest, cleaning, and movement. But I am excited to be trying a different period and style than my former (and still favorite) Book of Hours/Gothic period. I have two goals for this challenge, always... to stretch my skills and learn new things, and to have fun. In addition, this time I am hoping to jump start my participating in SCA scribal activity again. My recipient "wants to be surprised", and my hope is that they will be happy with my efforts when they eventually receive the finished artwork...

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Today was warm, warm enough that I went out for my bike ride without my canvas coat, though still in multiple layers. This weekend I really need to start putting in some time with the string trimmer, the lawn is becoming scary shaggy!

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	tiny angora print	computer zone lamp	persimmon prunings
2	5th God bag	blog template	forsythia prunings
3	-	grey turtleneck collar	-
4	-	indigo bunny art	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. Taxes paperwork and copies are done, money orders acquired and ready to be mailed out on Monday. Yay me!
2. New Seasons had pint punnets of organic strawberries on sale for ½ price! I forsee some strawberry rhubarb sauce put up in jars soon...
3. walked over 3 miles today.

Time of Isolation - Day 1377

wishful Wednesday - somatic delight

in which our plucky heroine dreams...

In the most decadent of imaginary worlds, I have access to a hot tub, maybe even in my own yard. Or maybe in that very imaginary world, every neighborhood has a bathhouse?... Unfortunately, actual full body immersion in warmth and no gravity remains forever only  a dream, since the tub here rests directly on the concrete foundation slab, and hence does not hold heat for any more than such a minimal amount of time that by the time the tub is full, it isn't warm any more...

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~ bunny in a hot tub ~

A number of years ago, Karen gave me a number of pieces of Japanese indigo textiles with assorted motifs, and this one with the "bathing bunny" seemed just the right thing to decorate the door to the little room of necessity here at Acorn Cottage. I finally made time to finish and embellish it; rather than just being pinned to the door, it now has a neat narrow binding all around the edges, (with two small loops at the upper corners) made from some of the leftover fabric from my sashiko kit. I also decided to fill the background with some "+" stitches with some of the variegated teal dyed thread, no particular reason other than I liked the additional texture and color.

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spent about an hour in the evening after dinner, cutting away dead branches and twigs from the persimmon, and pruning up the forsythia. I read that forsythia is best pruned just after flowering, which would be this week; Though it has a rather weeping growth pattern, I am hoping that with attention, it will droop a bit less all the way down to the parking strip, so I can more easily trim the shaggy grass, but still have plenty of beautiful golden flowers in the springtime. (so I thinned it out a bit, and trimmed off the very lowest of the branches)

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	tiny angora print	computer zone lamp	persimmon prunings
2	5th God bag	blog template	forsythia prunings
3	-	grey turtleneck collar	-
4	-	indigo bunny art	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. I have WOLF-Garten loppers, and Felco hand pruners, which made spending time today cutting back the persimmon and the forsythia less trouble than had I lesser tools.
2. this morning there were a few bees in the rosemary bush!
3. I did a fair job of video visit with Mom today; I think my idea of showing her the weeks cut flowers is my best idea in a long time...

Time of Isolation - Day 1375

a few springtime flowers and other bits

in which our plucky heroine girds her loins...

Despite that arithmetic is not my jam, my intention is to have all the assorted taxes paperwork completed by the end of the day on Thursday. Though it isn't actually due, and won't be mailed out, until Monday.

Why Thursday?... because this weekend is the Sixth 48hr An Tir Backlog Scroll Competition. I am hoping to use that impetus to give a bit of a jump start to getting back into spending some time every week on scribal arts.

Why scribal arts? Because when I spend time doing that, I stretch my creativity, I find it to be the best sort of meditative recreation, and because it is a way for me to have some connection to the SCA despite being safely socially isolated. While it was more fun when I could attend in person scribal social nights in the Before Times, folks still appreciate having handmade wall art inspired by the manuscripts and artifacts of the past

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~ plum blossoms ~

The plum thicket in the yard is still covered in these splendid white blossoms. A cursory look at the apple tree shows there are unopened flower buds just turning pink at the tips, same for the quinceling. Fingers crossed for a good fruit crop this year.

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This morning a loud buzzing in the front yard, turned out to my delight, to be not one but two bumblebees! And there was also an unexpected bright red tulip in the garden bed. It is odd how things show up in the yard from time to time I surely did not plant! I know I once planted a lovely dark near black tulip, which bloomed once and never showed up again. I never planted the pink violets which carpet a lot of the front garden bed, and the blue wood hyacinths were here when I arrived, but where did the one white variant in the parking strip come from? and so forth...

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	tiny angora print	computer zone lamp	-
2	5th God bag	blog template	-
3	-	grey turtleneck collar	-
4	-	indigo bunny art	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -  
1. I found a (very old) jar of salt pickled lemon in the back of the fridge... and just a bit of that chopped finely was a great flavor addition to the cheese sauce I made for the chicken/rice noodles/bok choy that was dinner.
2. I was able to scan and share some info from a long out of print but Very Useful book/pamphlet. Took a while for me to figure out/remember how to get the scanning function to work, but it did, eventually, and I was able to save the image as a PDF for ease in access. Three people wanted the information!
3. printed out more pages for tiny Gashleycrumb Tinies, since I recently thought of a few more folks that need a copy.

Time of Isolation - Day 1374

Arithmetical actions

in which our plucky heroine takes the bus downtown...

I was able to go downtown to the federal building (to the IRS offices) this morning, where all the assorted many forms I need were still available.  I miss the days when all the necessary forms and instructions were mailed directly to our address, or even the days when they were available at the library. I guess my age is showing. Having all the paperwork blanks on hand will make my arithmetical activity for the rest of the week a lot easier. I find looking instructions up in a hardcopy pamphlet eversomuch easier than using a screen.

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~ let there be light ~

Last week I made a structure to hold the LED light bar over my computer zone. This is one of the two corner brackets I modified to hold the wooden supports at a helpful angle above the keyboard and between the upper and lower monitors. I used "mechanical persuasion" (aka hammer and anvil) to bend the 90° steel corner hardware to a more felicitous angle 

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	tiny angora print	computer zone lamp	-
2	5th God bag	blog template	-
3	-	grey turtleneck collar	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -  
1. All my necessary forms and instruction pamphlets were available in the downtown IRS office.
2. I called Bolt Fabric Boutique, and in fact they do have wool blend felt squares again. I know what my "Taxes Completion Treat" is going to be!
3. Asparagus was on sale at the grocery store.

Time of Isolation - Day 1373

transmogrification and other Saturday snippets

in which our plucky heroine does various mending and fixit projects...

Today my handwork project added a turtleneck collar piece to my grey knit Alabama Chanin style top, as it has become apparent that if it is cool enough to make wearing long sleeves the thing to do, that a cozy neckline is also a good idea. My most worn out pair of long janes gave their leg fabric to be reused, which not only fit in with the various grey patterns and textures, but also suits the concept of this garment which was made from all salvaged materials in the first place!

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~ world of the five gods - 5th God bag ~

progress on my 5th God bag:  outer embroidery finished while on the bus Thursday... It took a bit of fussing to sort out how to transform this into a pouch of suitable size. I think I want to redo the drawcords, and use larger beads for the handholds, but other than that I am quite happy with how it turned out.

This will be replacing the leather coin purse I currently use to hold my blood sugar test kit parts on my nightstand, as that container is going to now replace my worn out beloved Totoro wallet (It was a gift, but sadly plastic doesn't last well)

Now I wonder, what if I made a set? series? of 5 bags... one for each of the gods from the World of the Five Gods.

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Yesterday I adjusted my blog post template to make it easier for me to use... also added in various symbols just to have them handy when I want to use them. I already did this for fractions, but now I have things like the degree symbol, and the does-not-equal symbol, things that I use just often enough that it will be nice to not have to look them up online

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~ this brought tears to my eyes... ~

Humans are amazing! ...folks sharing their artistry to do good and help others. Well worth a listen...

"Re-make of an '80's movie theme. Mark Knopfler wanted to do a cancer charity re-release of it, but then word got out and studio contributions started flowing in. Over 50 famous musicians sent cuts and they wove them together like a bird nest. I'm told this was the last thing Jeff Beck did before he died. Ringo and his son Zak are playing the drums. The names appear in this video as they come in, cuz there's no other way to sort them out."
~ Gryphon Black

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After our Sewing Nomads discussion online this morning, I was able to track down the instructions for how to make a "no-interfacing-storage-basket" from fabric, that is stiffened with cardboard inserts. Ruthie had been thinking about creating segmented drawer dividers, and while this is not exactly what she described, I suspect it could serve a similar function, if made to appropriate size and in multiples.

Reading the post took me back, to what for me was the heyday of creative blogs. It was always such a great delight to see what artists all over the world were willing and eager to share about what they were doing, what they were interested in, and what they were thinking about. It was much less formulaic than current social media.

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	tiny angora print	computer zone lamp	-
2	5th God bag	blog template	-
3	-	grey turtleneck collar	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes - 
1. I had the tools to chamfer and "unpolish" the horn toggles for my raincoat project. They arrived with a polished Very Shiny surface, and crisp sharp edges. With my perennial desire to create things that are pleasant to touch, they now have a softer pumice finish, and all the edges have been given a somewhat funky chamfer with file, sandpaper, and rotary abrasive.
2. Salad tonight was particularly tasty, if simple, being persian cucumbers cut into 1cm chunks, mixed with avocado cut into similar chunks, with chopped cilantro and green onion... If I had some fresh lime, I would have grated just a bit of lime peel. Although now that I think of it, a bit of preserved lemon chopped finely would also have been very good.
3. In the process of tracking down the fabric box tutorial, I also found this video, with instruction for a simple way to create striped fabric: using masking tape as a resist

Time of Isolation - Day 1371

with my little eye...

in which our plucky heroine breaks the day into two acts...

I had quite an early morning ophthalmology appointment today, which necessitates an even earlier wakeup time, and over an hour each way on public transit. I'd been messaged to be aware that eye dilation was scheduled, so my plan for the day was to basically do nothing that required focusing my eyes (dilation drops last basically a whole day, for me), which is to say basically do nothing at all until Friday...

Fortunately and unexpectedly they did not need to dilate my eyes for the exam! (note made in journal to expect that on the next visit instead).

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~ eye spy small flowers ~

April showers bring springtime flowers... picked in the front yard of Acorn Cottage today: plum blossoms, wood hyacinth, pink violets, grape hyacinth, fritillaria, and a few sprigs of salad burnet for greenery

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Spent rather a lot of time today making a structure to attach to the computer zone to hold the LED light bar... which as you may recall was acquired and kludged in place back in January. It just seemed like the right time to change out the C-clamps, hair elastics, yardstick, and clothespins for something a bit less wobbly.

I cut several pieces of narrow lumber to suitable lengths. Then needed to visit the hardware store since nothing I had worked for holding the attachment clips to the wood. A hammer and small anvil set on the stump in the workroom was just the right thing to modify 90° brackets to a much wider angle, so the lamp would not shine directly into my eyes. Diffusion of some sort may be needed to avoid glare on the screen(s) and increase comfort; the former kludged setup needed multiple layers of white paper clipped between the lamp in both directions...

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I have a known weakness for various sorts of Useful Pouches of Holding Things. Bookhou has provided a tutorial for yet another type of small container I want to try making...

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	tiny angora print	computer zone lamp	-
2	-	-	-
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes - 
1. the folks at the Eye Associates remembered my desire to mask, so they had the technican be masked already. And she also had a fresh N95 for me to transfer into for the part of the exam that requires my face to be pressed into the machinery, which is impossible with my P100. And I was very pleased with the good fit and comfort of that particular brand of N95, so I will be looking into getting some of those to have on hand, for similar occasions when my regular mask is unworkable
2. I may be slow, but I do get various things done, albeit in a somewhat fearless and somewhat desperate way. Or maybe I am not giving myself enough credit, as I am inclined to compare myself to some of my (male) friends who were encouraged to be tool users practically from birth, and who were raised by folks who were mighty handy themselves. I think I should be grateful for my ability to respect but not fear the various tools I do have access to, and that I can find ways to adapt my environment to my intentions.
3. Years ago, when I was living in Idahell, my pal C's son gave me a screwdriver kit, with a vast number of different types of bits. And somewhere over the years, I acquired a funky bit holder that looks rather like a a billiard ball and a racheting screwdriver had a love child... it isn't pretty, but compared to many tools it is a comfortable shape that doesn't cause wrist pain. These two items live in the immediate access shelf of one of the several tool zones here at Acorn Cottage, and not a month goes by that they are not in my hands for one thing or another...

Time of Isolation - Day 1369

tinyprint Tuesday

in which our plucky heroine needs more of a nap...

despite nowhere near enough sleep, I managed to get most of what I intended done today. The grocery order was dealt with. As was the remaining laundry, which has been washed, line dried, and is mostly already put away. I rode my bike, and late in the afternoon I took a walk before the sun went all the way down.

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~ 2nd of 11 ~

Sorted out the details on the Angora rabbit I started carving yesterday (ear tips are now more fluffy), and used wood glue to attach the ⅞" square lino to a small wooden cube to make it easier to handle while printing. After this second proof, I went back and thinned out the borders, and attempted (fingers crossed) to repair the little extra cut in the lower left corner. Next up for the series I am debating between the silkworm on a mulberry leaf, or the yak...

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I wish I had bought the Japanese .5mm gouge when I first saw it. Now it is out of stock, alas. I sent a message to the import company to ask if they will be getting any more of them in. That is half the width of the Flexcut mini gouge that is the smallest I currently have. Given the size of blocks I am carving, an even smaller gouge would be Very Helpful indeed!

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Today I spent some time sorting through taxes paperwork, in preparation for all the arithmetic to come. And had an idea of a way to make next year a bit easier, a better receipt catchment system... Tomorrow I will double up on my paperwork session, since Thursday is an eye appointment, and hence a day totally useless for anything else. My plan is to have all the assorted taxes done well before the 15th.

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	tiny angora print	-	-
2	-	-	-
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. another beautiful day, not too hot and not too cold
2. the organic blood oranges that came in my grocery order are a vivid red on the outside, which bodes well for their interior, and for the future marmalade.
3. I've been getting better at turning the weeks grocery order into either food that can be portioned and put in the freezer for multiple meals, and at remembering to do things like chop and freeze the green onions. The more things I cook or prep ahead, the better.
4. I was able to mend the tiny gouge in the border of the Angora rabbit block using a dab of wood glue and a fragment of linocut debris, cut with an exacto to just the size. Once the glue dried, I carefully and lightly sanded the surface with very small grit sandpaper. Now it prints without the annoying divot.

Time of Isolation - Day 1367