Friday, June 29, 2007

WTF FACTOR FRIDAY! #13!

Yup time for a long overdue WTF FACTOR FRIDAY post ;)

This week has been taken from an old 1990's British children's TV programme...
It is a genuine program... honest... I remember watching it!

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=c_1QyOQDx6w

Unfortunately I couldn't embed the video, but please check it out... it's a genuine WTF FACTOR FRIDAY entry!

So until next time
ttfn

Nic
x

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Funny things people say....

I was in Spar yesterday and overheard something that made me chuckle....

Three people were talking about a recent divorce...

Female one: "Yeah well after two years, he finally signed the bloody papers... he wouldn't sign 'em, you know!"

Female two: "Och! That's terrible! Did you get one of those thingies... annledment? No, thats not it.."

Male one: "Annulee-ment?"

Female two: "Yeah, thats it an annulee-ment?"

Female one: "No, was married for too long for that innit, I couldn't get an annulment, I had to get on a whatcha-me-call-it"

Female two: "Ah! I know what you mean! Approachable differences?"

Male one: "Nah... it's not called that!"

Female two: "Tut, ooh whats it called Amicable differences?"

Female one: "Its something like that, yeah"

Female two: "... I'm sure it's amicable differences..."

Male one: "...er...."

Female one: "Maybe it is... I dunno, it doesn't sound right... close though..."

Me popping out from behind the isle: "I think you mean irreconcilable differences"

Female two: "THAT'S IT! THAT'S IT! Irr... Irroc... go on say it again..."

Me: "Irreconcilable differences"

Female two: "Ah! Yeh, irreconcilable differences! THANK YOU! See look at her and her long words... you a student?"

Me: "Yes"

Female two: "See all those students! I knew she was a student! Didn't I say she was a student?!"

Male one: *nods* "yeh"


I left the store....


"Amicable differences" Surely thats not even possible?? Made me laugh anyways...

So until next time
ttfn

Nic

X

Sunday, June 24, 2007

Band of the Week Sunday!

New blog segment on a sunday! Band of the Week!

To kick off this brand new segment.... a band that have become a bit addictive, a bit more rocky than my indie/folky sentimentality but nevertheless a fab band. I introduce to you (Although you probably all know of them anyway heh)The View



Check them out!

MySpace

We'll see if this sticks... worth shot anyways ;)

Oh and a big shout out to all those who were lucky enough to go to 'ole Glastonbury this week end... You lucky fiends! I suppose TV and a comfy dry sofa will have to do I guess... Still not quite the same... heh

So until next time!
ttfn!

Nic
x

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Crafty craft!

Its been AGES since I've posted anything on a crafty nature... I think its about time I lived up to the blogs name and dished out some crafts!

I've been recently commissioned for two projects recently (paid too, even better!) one to make a fanart bag based on the character Yuki from Fruits Basket anime and the second was to make three keyrings of 3D beaded animals, two cats and one tortoise.

Neither project is fully complete. The first is delayed by the fact that I don't own my own sewing machine and I've had to rely on my mum's who lives about an hour and half drive away :/ Since she's making some new curtains at the moment, I've unfortunately been unable to liberate the sewing machine for the cause. Hopefully I'll have it next week or so...

I'm aiming to get this from an ebay listing:



At the time of posting this, the listing was currently at £41... I'm hoping it will stay roughly at that so I can bid, much more and I'll be out of the running :( I REALLY want it!

But back on topic... The first project the bag has come along, albeit slowly, I did as much as I could on a short visit to parentals home but the bulk will have to wait until I get my paws on a sewing machine.

The main image patch was made using faux suede, its SO soft I think I'm going to have to make a trip back to the fabric shop and buy some more.

The inner lining with a small little pocket.

I'm fairly pleased with it. There were some little errors with the patch, but it has been awhile since I've used a sewing machine so fair play its a bit wiggly around the ears!

The second project was three 3D beaded keyrings, specifically two cats and a tortoise. Fortunately these can be made without specific equipment other than my hands!


I've added a couple of pics of some different views of the beaded tortoise. Made with copper wire 34gauge and glass seed beads.






The cats are under construction, just a bundle of wire and beads! I'll post some pictures later.


So all in all a much needed craft session has descended upon me! Its good really, as its taken my mind off the whole mess that is my course and work and all the mundane blah of being a poor student/ or most people really I guess (rent and bills anyone?!).

Fingers crossed for that sewing machine eh?

So until next time
ttfn!

Nic
x

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

"Conceptual Bullsh*t"

I've been told from an arty forum I frequent that I don't "get modern art" and that I attack certain artists simply because I "don't understand them and their feelings"

And so, after a heated debate on one forum... I open it to you blog readers/stalkers... ;)

I feel that I'm rather open to modern art actually... there are a good few artists that I like, Anthony Gormley for example (Before he went all popular and sold out) Richard Long's series of walks is very clever.... but.... in some cases is 'modern art'... art?


I HATE Damien Hurst... I'm not afraid to admit that, he's not an artist, he's a performer, there's a difference....

Its not just the fact that he doesn't actually lift a finger and do any of the work himself (He has a studio of hired help for that I mean duh! he might strain a finger if he paints a dot....) but the fact that he associates everything that "he" does with some big long winded conceptual bullsh*t about what the art means...
Bearing in mind he's been quoted to say: "I've stopped worrying about what art is. If it's in an art gallery on the wall or the floor, it's probably art." (*cough* d*ckhead *cough*)

To me art = A skillful application of media with some thought behind it.

His preserved shark and diamond encrusted skull MIGHT have an idea behind it (that's a stretch) but to me it just sounds like just another quick way to get attention without working hard at it or showing a skillful application (which in turn opens the door for others to forget about any technical skill and try to get a ride through the art world on ideas alone).

Its like the scrap book of ideas that all artists have, only instead of creating a "final piece" the scrap book pieces are on show instead...


Tracey Emin falls into that catergory too I feel....



This is apparently one of a series of paintings about her abortion in 1990
Now to me that seems to me that it really is a pre-final piece. If that...

Example:

A recent exhibition... four artists... one called Ian Jacob produces this for the theme "Alternative Pembrokeshire"



Called:
N 51° 44 • 954’
W 004° 53 • 996’
Study 1

(All of his paintings have coordinates, not just the exhibition ones... )

Now this artist is a retired marketing exec... what better than an artist who can spin?! He talks about the inner depths to his works. I don't quite see it myself, and I'm quite liberal minded (I would like to think anyway). If it was left as is, I would probably just say its a bit ugly art, but with the whole blah attached to it, its a little bit hard to swallow....

David Light on the other hand says that his art doesn't need explaining beyond the fact that he's trying to display a location. That you can look at the whole area of a location and not be limited to one specific view.

Beyond that? Thats entirely up to the viewer. Its their experiences and understandings that make the painting what it is for them.



David Light's new works can be seen on his blog. Ian Jacobs is available on West wales arts centre

(btw westwalesartscentre I quite like Sonya's works too... they're the mountains portrayed in feminised forms)

I'm all for new expression and new representation of art... but where's the cut off for what is art and what's just sketch book folly?

Another rant... I do seem to have these every so often don't I? hehe

So until next time
ttfn

Nic

x

New layout... *again!*

Yup got bored of the last one, thought it was time for something new... and made all by myself! Took me forever to get the kinks out and I still want to mess with the main body background as the pink is just a bit too pink for me!

The background flowers is not mine... It belongs to Anti-ivy... a website that has helped me to learn more about blogging templates and the nightmare of html code!

But all is well now I think, other than tweaking the main post background and some other little bits (Like getting Last.fm widget to fit properly) I'm hoping my boredom levels will remain abated with this layout...

So until next time
ttfn!
Nic

x

EDIT I've just been informed that the page length doesn't fit for firefox... anyone using Internet Explorer let me know if its the same, I'll have to fiddle about with it later... its fine on Camino.. Gurrrr...

Nic
x
EDIT 21st June
HAHA Scrap all that I said... in the end the template was driving me mad, bad bit of code on my part... so I abandoned it for a pre-made blogger template that I've customised. It still needs some tinkering but it'll do... it'll do... I said it would be the last change! Famous last words eh?!
Still using the same background so its not too much of an edit. Kinda...

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

A farewell to Monty... and making some sushi

So... once again I've neglected this poor blog... A big slap on the wrist for that I do apologise, I can't use uni work as an excuse as I currently have no assignments to do!

So what have I been doing with this valuable time?

Well since the last blog one of my dear pets has died. Monty had unfortunately passed away after the vet found a growth on his liver and it seemed to be too unfair to put him through what would have been a very painful existence purely for the sole selfish reason that we couldn't let go... so the best course was to let him be put to sleep peacefully.



He was perfectly happy and healthy the day before, but apparently knicked the growth while playing which led to internal bleeding, the vet said he wasn't in any pain just slight discomfort... he was 13 afterall, a fairly old age for a Scottie... Monty you will be missed dreadfully but you lived as you wanted, grumpy and doing exactly what you wanted to do!

We had him cremated in the end.... it was a bit expensive but we wanted to bury him in the garden and the cost didn't really matter in the scheme of things. We were going to plant an Azelea but when it came down to it (I took a week of work to go home for a bit and say goodbye) we couldn't do it, so he remains where he was most happy, on the window sill of the living room looking out at the holiday makers. :) Until we're ready I think he's staying there....



On a lighter note... After coercing Bec to try sushi (which she discovered she actually quite likes) we thought it was time to take it to the next level... and try and push our student culinary skills and make some sushi from scratch!



Seaweed and rolling mat to start.....



Me doing some layering.... Sticky rice really lives up to its name!!



Rolling...



Finished? Not quite....



Starting to look more like sushi...



Now THAT looks like sushi!



Wo tanoshinde kudasai!!

It was very nice, although I think we made a bit too much for the both of us, especially since we made miso chicken noodle soup to start and made a bit too much of that too! Oops!

WTF FACTOR FRIDAY has been put on hold... until I find some nice WTF videos and sites and since this blog seems to suffer from sporadic posting other than WTF entries I thought I would leave it be for awhile and see what my actual posting rates is :D Don't worry though its not vanishing, just less frequent!

So until next time
ttfn

Nic
x

Tuesday, June 5, 2007

Sick...

Having said that I was alive last post, I think I may have spoke to soon! I've caught the boyfriends man flu.... granted its just a cold but its ruined my free weekend dammit!

I'll have to kill the boyfriend for spreading his boy germs... urgh! ^_^

Luckily I have a very very nice friend who works at my employer who has swapped shifts with me... phew.

Since I've not really done anything but be ill I've very little to say in this post... so I'll take my sniffles with me and draw this to a close.

So until next time..
ttfn!

Nic

Saturday, June 2, 2007

Random Update

Yes I am still alive!

Just been a bit MIA from the blogsphere due to REAL LIFE commitments...
After months and months... and MONTHS of trying to sort out my MA course I think I'm finally sorted out... hurrah! So I should be free soon to procrastinate without worrying about my course being screwed up. As soon as I know more I'll go into more detail, for now mum's the word ;)

This absence has also meant that I've missed a couple of WTF FACTOR FRIDAY's.... I will try and make that up but instead of doing extra ones, I'll just carry on as normal, it seems the best way.

I've become slightly addicted to mashups at the moment... For those that don't know, a "mashup" is defined as:

Mashup (music), a musical genre of songs that consist entirely of parts of other songs


So I have this example (Introduced to me by Bec... thanks Bec) to share by Lenlow:

powered by ODEO

People either love it or hate it... I'm from the former section :D Actually Lenlow's stuff is pretty nifty... have a gander here

I've noticed the past couple of posts seem to be very music related and very little crafting seems to be going on! I'll try to cure this immediately, as soon as my course is definately confirmed as being sorted I can relax and procrastinate surrounded by all my craft materials... joy!

Yesterday was the cocktail night! Hurrah! Had a couple of cosmopolitans, and a martini or two... while playing the Sex & the City drinking game (Not a huge fan of the show, but I'll watch it). For some rules have a look here

Bec bought a brilliant bar accessories:

YUM! Appletini anyone? :P Fun times!

Oh and since I seem to be so obsessed with music at the moment, I thought I would embed this too... (Might as well :P) Its Ameno by ERA but the Techno remix... I LOVE it but I can't seem to find this particular remix, if anyone knows where I could find it I'll buy you a pint!




I'm still in two minds about which blog player is better... I know there's a fair few out there, I've narrowed my choices but I still can't decide so I open it out to you: imeem or odeo?

So until next time!
Ttfn!

Nic