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.

Have I finished?

I’m working my way through a Digital Art Journaling class.  Or rather, I’ve just made a start and am trying to catch up with the flurry of prompts and video links, because as usual, there are so many things I want to do.

Oh yes, and I want to do them all. Now.  Of course.

But I’ve struggled with this journal page on the theme of “heart”.  I’m ok with the Photoshop techniques and enjoyed fiddling about with transparencies and so on.  I can’t tell you how exciting it was to get the font made of my handwriting, too!  My problem is that the workshop was based on a finished page and I just couldn’t bear to do anything vaguely like the teachers example.  So, although I tried to start off with a faded old map as a background, I couldn’t get it to work with what I wanted to do.  Not only that, but there were other elements in the layout as well, but I decided that they added nothing to the finished composition, so I took them out.

What did I learn in this class – apart from how difficult it is to call something “done”?

•  
  • I installed & used paint/mixed-media brushes in Photoshop – though I could do that already
  • Rotated & resized type – I had done this too
  • Created a clipping mask with a shape & outline – that was useful!
  • Used type as a clipping mask – I did that but erased it
  • Added a splat brush – Oh, there’s plenty of splatting!
  • Created a stroked border – I liked that so much I did it twice!

I also learned something I’ve always known, that it is worth stepping away from the canvas and coming back to it – or in the digital world, to save the file and open it in a different situation, ie put a photo an your blog!  The page in this post looks so much better than it did when I had my nose up against the Photoshop screen and I really think that yes, I can say with confidence that I’m done with Lesson One.

Lesson Two presents further challenges.  The theme is “home” and not only do I not want to follow the well trodden path set by the teacher’s example, I don’t do whimsy or spiritual.  Hmmm…watch this space!

Two of my friends are also working on the class – Take a look at Helen’s journal pages, and Dorothy’s too.