So Many Ideas!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And a bit of time to do them.

I started working on my to do list for projects tonight when I got home. It's long. But I'm totally stoked.

I took a drive to the coast today while Justin was working. Pi and I drove through Sebastapol. I had hoped to get apples so I could test my pie crust as an apple pie. While they grow apples in Sebastapol, it's not quite Apple Hill. There aren't a ton of farm stands. There isn't a lot of variety. I stopped at one place and they only had one variety of apples. ONE!

We continued on and went to Duncan Mills to get coffee and over to Blind Beach. I was happy to see that the "pews" from our wedding were still sort of there!

The last row of our "pews" was still in place. One "pew" has been partially buried. 

I wasn't going to to today, but Justin really encouraged me to do it. And it was awesome. The weather was great. Pi and I walked on the beach and just sat for a while. It gave me some time to disconnect (no phones/internet/etc) out there and to actually talk with people as Pi played with their dogs.

I have a billiondy ideas going through my head right now and started a new to do list. (each component of my to do list has to do lists, but hey, I don't want to lose the good ideas!)

I'm pretty stoked about Thanksgiving. We're getting together with Justin's family the weekend before and my family on thanksgiving. I'm in charge of pie and biscuits. I'm making my super delicious pumpkin pie and sweet potato biscuits. It's kind of cool that my family is trying new things for Thanksgiving this year (it's a gluten free Thanksgiving for the most part). 

One thing I'm going to test this week for sure is trying a real food version of my mom's cranberry salad. The version we've been making forever uses Jell-O but in an attempt to ditch the artificial colors and flavors, I'm going to rework it with raspberry juice and gelatin. I'm really excited because it is one of the best parts of the holidays that we started making the year we had an "Amish" Thanksgiving with the Gauthier family when I was a kid. 

Insert something witty here......

I decided to change things up a bit today and add some gold into the mix.

Had class tonight and missed out on company bowling night. Booo. And for what? So I could sit in a lecture about how to use the computer and do research at the library.

I guess sometimes I forget that people aren't necessarily willing to "figure it out" themselves (I forget this at work as well). Apparently curiosity is not natural and most people need step by step instruction for everything. Personally, I would rather just be let go with something and figure it out. The way someone tells me how to do something may not be the most efficient way.

I guess my desire to "figure it out" helps me in the workplace as well. I have to look at photos of products that I have never touched and answer some insane questions some of the time. I also have to figure out how to explain assembly instructions over the phone for products I've never seen. I'd like to think I'm pretty good at it.

I've got to provide MMR vaccination records to SFSU. Really?! I can only assume I had the MMR vaccination in Placerville somewhere, so I will have to ask my mom.

I'm working on some ideas and will have some cool projects coming up. I'll share them as I get them together.

Making things for fun..... and profit?

I'm continuing my Day of the Dead project. I have some great ideas and I am going to try a few new materials added into the mix.

One of which is wire. I'm using a Thing-a-Ma-JIG to do a bit of wire design. I really like the effect, but it is not going to work completely with the current layout (I only have copper wire on hand and it wasn't really creating enough contrast to be visible.

But it allowed me to see how it would work and inspired me to try something different.

Up next PLA. We'll see how that works out!

The paper stack I'm using for this project is ridiculously cute:

It's 70% post consumer recycled material (which we here at LaserGnomes love) and features some cute animals (I'm not one for some of the super cutesy or way girly stuff that a lot of scrapbookers are using but I love a cute owl, bear or skunk). 

I'm also using cardboard scrap that I have laying about for these projects as well. I'm sure I have some great found objects I could add to the mix. 

My problem is finding a good source for shadowbox frames at the moment. I found some amazingly cute paper at Oriental Trading Post's site, but no wholesale frames. The search continues. 

I still haven't received a response from Craftwell regarding M0rt's problems after sending video. I should run another test and use their preselected shapes from the SD card that came with it. I'll try that this week and see if I have the same results. They're always super responsive with canned answers but now that I challenged them with video, I haven't heard a peep. 

We had dinner with Justin's mom and Mark tonight at Lulu, which is fantastic. I think I really love the place because of their open flame rotisserie and pizza oven. It makes it so homey. And the food is delicious. Seriously. Had the prime rib and brussels sprouts. SO GOOD. 

My MIL gave me a book, I Just Like to Make Things by Lilla Rogers. 

It's got some good advice about making things and making a profit as well as some good ideas for stimulating creativity and setting goals. 

When it comes down to it, is there anyone that doesn't like to make things?  It doesn't matter if it's art, craft, food, etc., I think most people have the desire to "make" something, even if they don't act on it. 

Photo time!

I worked on a photo project today (I bought 2 photo collage frames on super discount at Blick for like $11 each. They were clearance and the cashier still applied a 40% off coupon). Scissors and the xacto knife are hell on my arm. I wasn't even using either for very long, but now I'm in pain. 

I was going through photos looking for stuff to print and place in the frames. Really though, I think I spent more time reading today. I went to the bookstore. God I miss bookstores. (and coffee houses. Not a flipping starbucks or peet's. Actual coffee houses.)

I also had a moment of thinking to myself that I hate music. I never thought those thoughts would enter my mind, but between all of the noise coming from all sides of me at all times, I think I hate bass. I almost think the relentless beat that sounds the same for hours on end is what has driven me to listen to short, fast and loud punk songs again. 3 minutes tops. on to the next. (oh and probably Jess's Joey Ramona Quimby costume on New Girl). When I listen to music while working it is largely bass free but then I'm faced with the constant ripping noise of packing tape. I've recorded audio because no one seems to realize how annoying that sound is. 

Here are some of the photos I'm going to use. (and a few that I'm not going to use - but I like them anyway. 

The very olden times. 2007

I swear I haven't been slacking off!

I haven't been the best about the blog for the last few days  but we've been busy!

Saturday we did some experimental metal casting. I haven't had a ton of time to model anything (my modeling skillz are lacking anyhow) and the stuff I have modeled is too large for the current casting set up.

Tiny Lazard heads were printed and cast in silver! Behold!

I then stayed home and diligently worked all day yesterday. I drowned more ants in my plot (though all this talk about casting sort of makes me want to cast an aluminium ant hill.

I tested out Ebay Now for myself yesterday. In less time than it would take for me to walk to target, get stuff (and get distracted by other stuff) and walk home, my paper goods were delivered to the house. Seriously like 37 minutes from order to delivery. I made lunch and ate it and watched part of Parenthood.

But then I got down to business.

I plan to photograph the final product with my actual camera, not my phone. I swear. Frames are on the way.

I have to say that M0rt was giving me some troubles though. Not sure if it was the paper type (heavy cardstock with glitter and slick surfaces) or what, but he was stabbing the paper instead of gently cutting it. Then there were software issues. As in love as I was with Makes the Cut 3 on Saturday, Sunday was a whole different experience. It kept losing communication with M0rt about 1/3 of the way into a cut. I wasn't having  that issue with eCraftshop Pro but there are some things I am not a huge fan of with that software as well.

I took to doing some of the cutting by hands (for the rolled rosettes in #2) but it's nice when M0rt is working smoothly to work while he does the cutting.

Fungus!

One of my favorite subjects to photograph is fungus.  I am content to wander for hours looking for even the tiniest of mushroom to photograph.

I will lay in the dirt on the forest floor to get a good shot.  I'm not sure why I love photographing fungi so much.  Perhaps it was my love of the SMURFS as little girl.

I think part of it may also lay in my LOVE of macro photography.  When I was using my Sony V3, my macro lens was my all time favorite.  (I really need to figure out why that camera isn't working properly, I love it).

Now that I have a waterproof Panasonic Lumix TS3, I can go out when it is raining, snowing or otherwise really wet to take pictures.  It's awesome.

Here are some of the most recent, though I have many more to share!