Not long!

In answer to the question of “I wonder how long the next page will take me?”

I went to the dentist this morning to begin the final stage of replacing the tooth I broke last year and though I’d set aside the morning for that, I was there just five minutes, for an Xray to check that all is well to proceed.  So, with an unexpected morning to myself and just a couple of work related issues to resolve, I worked my way through lesson three.

Family.

I wasn’t too sure about that.  Well, of course I could make a page about our family but somehow, I don’t feel comfortable being overly sentimental about such things in the open…anyway, I dived in.

There we are – three stars!

What did I learn from this page?

• I installed & used handwriting stamps as texture, though I later replaced it with some of my own writing, using my own font
• Made flowers stars from imported shapes & charcoal outlines
• Extracted a floral motif to add texture to a background – yes it really is there on layer 4 or 5 of twenty odd layers!
• Created the look of image transfers for photos
• Created a custom dotted brush and very nice it is too!
• Used text paper over a sticky tape and then deleted it from this page because it didn’t seem to fit
• Drew a triangular border with the Polygonal Lasso tool and deleted that as well.
• I added the pin and the “family” word because they were there and I could.

I looked at the finished page and the script brush background texture and thought that it would be better if it actually meant something to the subject of the page.  So, I went back into the depths of my archives and found the framework for the old “I am from…” poem.  Remember that one?  It works beautifully and I’ve used it several times, following the framework to write the story of both parents and myself.  With the help of my hero, I cobbled something together for our family – we are from… and so on.  I then saved it in my own handwriting font and imported it into a layer of the page.  It’s not all legible, nor is it meant to be – but I know it’s there and I am happier with the page knowing that the whole thing has a relevance to us.

So that’s Lesson 3 complete and I’m very nearly up to date.  How impressive is that?!

I see the next lesson is on the theme of “desire” and “goals”.  With an OFSTED inspection in the offing at work, that might be a bit too close to home!

Updates

My apologies for updating the last blog post way after it had been published – I wanted to record the techniques learned for my own benefit and thought it was better kept together than posted in a separate entry altogether.

Anyway, it’s probably time for an update on another of Santa’s really useful gifts, the True-Cut Rotary Blade sharpener which I’ve finally put through its paces.

It works brilliantly!

I have several rotary cutters of different sizes and guess what, I can never remember which one needs the new blade, or once I get to the shop selling the replacement blades, which size to buy!  Yes, I know, I could have written down the size on my shopping list but to be truthful, these are not things I find myself buying very often and actually, the place I usually remember I need a new blade is somewhere like the NEC or wherever.  Not necessarily the place to take a shopping list!  As a result, I’m often the one who is cutting fabric with a less than sharp blade, muttering about how I must get hold of a new one “next time I’m in town”.

Anyway, enough about my lack of focus – sweep the cutter through the guide twenty times and bingo, sharp blade. Simple as that.  I love it!

Thank you, Father Christmas x

Sweet Home

Well, at last I feel I’m done with the second project from my Digital Art journaling class.  What’s funny is that it’s unintentionally rather similar to how Day One’s project should have looked.  If you recall, I rejected that style as not really something I wanted to do – but here we are, a few days later and somehow that style (and palette) seems to have sunk into my subconscious and I have created something uncannily similar.

I found my palette using Kuler, the Adobe palette generator, and liked this one, called “Sonic Threshold”.  Looking at the finished page, I see that the paper I used for the house roof does shine out rather – but I’ve left it there as the grit in the wheel, the small surprise which just removes that over-contrived matchy-matchy look.

What did I learn?

• I extracted text from a scanned page to use as an overlay and then covered it over with other stuff so I might as well not have bothered!
• I created a polkadot pattern which was really useful
• I created a shape using the Polygonal Lasso tool and used it as a clipping mask
• I created a journal strip and masked it with paper, though I then took the paper away and simply filled it with a colour from my palette
• I created inked edges around my page but later realised I did it in a totally different way from the one taught!
• I created a filled outline font but I chose not to use it on this layout

In addition to the techniques taught in the class, I discovered how to import a photograph as a layer, to edit it and use the blending modes to incorporate it into the page, getting rid of straight edges and suchlike.  I’m not sure whether that’s something I should have known how to do already, or if it really was a new discovery.  Either way, I felt pretty pleased with myself!

So, on to project three.  I wonder how long that will take me?!

Harbinger of Spring

I’ve written here about our dear friend Tra and her marvellous playing.  With a new CD about to released and two more to follow, here’s a sample of what’s to come.

Gorgeous!

Drained…

We heard the CBSO last night in Symphony Hall.

Having got up at the crack of dawn to drive to Chester to research (and order) fittings for our wardrobes, we drove home via Birmingham.  We’d booked ages ago for this particular concert – Richard Strauss and Rachmaninov – and looked forward to hearing some terrific music played live in our favourite concert hall. It was recorded live for Radio 3, so if you’re quick, you might be able to hear it too.  It’s also widely reviewed here and here

We were not disappointed!

What made the evening more special was the preconcert talk by Stephen Johnson, who spoke so eloquently about Strauss and the relationship of his work to Nietzsche – in particular, about Also Sprach Zarathustra, of course.  To hear him rattle off bits of Nietzsche with ease, referring only briefly to notes whilst making it sound so interesting, was pretty impressive!  We usually find that the pre-concert talk enlightens our listening, but last night it was a model of its kind and made the performance so much more enjoyable.  Sadly, the Radio 3 programme presented by Stephen Johnson is lo longer available – I’d really like to hear what he had to say once again, having listened through the piece with shivers down my spine.  Not only were there times when the whole audience was sitting absolutely still and silent to hear the smallest of quivering sounds but there were also plenty of those awe-inspiring moments when Symphony Hall seemed to be completely full of the most wonderful music that made us all sit up and draw breath.

The interesting thing was that neither of the Strauss pieces end on a “high”, so though the applause was resounding, there wasn’t the same obviously rapturous reaction from the audience as one might have expected.  What was noticeable though, was the fact that the audience remained seated for several curtain calls and Andris Nelsons’ acknowledgement of the various soloists and sections of the orchestra.  Having watched the audience in Boston jump to their feet in a standing ovation but then scuttle out the door before the applause has even begun to abate, it’s good to watch a more respectful audience respond to a great evening of music. In particular, it’s fun to enjoy what has already become a small tradition between Andris and the orchestra – he begs them to stand and take another bow whilst they sit firm, insisting that it is he who should accept the applause and acclaim.  Only after several of these small interactions does the leader of the orchestra finally give the nod and the orchestra rise to their feet and give in to their conductor’s request.

Such is the warmth and excitement with the CBSO right now – we feel particularly fortunate to be able to listen to such terrific music, if not quite on our doorstep, then certainly just a short way down the road.