Sophie the Pearl

IF:GARDEN

MEME

Bluerose tagged me for a meme, and though I have probably already done one for her, I love doing them -- it gets me to think about things other than the problems that keep arising in Life. Besides, it makes me feel good that she thinks enough of me to tag me again! She combined "Five Random or Weird Things About Me" with "Six Inconsequential Things About Me", and I think that's a good idea:

01. I have two boyfriends who are around 15 or so years younger than me. (Honest!)

02. I have a major fondness for objects that are metallic or transparent red.

03. I absolutely hate canned asparagus.

04. I don't like to wear anything but natural fibers.

05. I collect and create ornamental carrots -- I like the shape and color. I suppose Freud would say something about phallic symbols, but I'm not worried about that.

06. I have several different collections: sheep, wooden boxes, cobalt glass, buttons, fonts, pickle ornaments, pumpkins, baskets, hand-made charms (especially those that look like food), wool blankets, webpage bookmarks, and the list goes on...

07. I don't like French kissing.

08. I talk to my mother, who died 4 years ago.

09. I hate the white meat of chicken and turkey. It's drumsticks for me!

10. I love dogs, but I don't want to own one. I prefer to own cats.

11. I believe that all politicians become corrupt sooner or later.

I'll have to think about who to tag -- even though I seem to have less and less free time to do so these days -- even though I'm still not employed! That seems really odd to me!

Just to make this blog more interesting, I'll post an image from a movie that I've chosen for my next webcode project (we must write a multi-page movie review making sure all elements are contained within TABLES and everything links together properly).

IF: MULTIPLE

A Student Again

Yes! The man really had a mustache like that! He was a showman and loved to do daredevil stunts in his gliders and planes before cheering crowds. And he died the way most aviators want to die -- he crashed his plane. But he was also known for his ingenious man-lifting gliders that were used in WWI, as well as any number of special airplane models. Step aside, Orville and Wilbur!

This collage became an image map for my web development class, and I must say I wish I had known about this trick before I finished my website! I think I would have acquired fewer gray hairs and wrinkles! For those of you who don't know what an image map is, it's a way to make "hot spots" on your website more interesting. You designate certain areas of the image within your xhtml code, and link them to another page or another site. It's got me dreaming of creating a huge collage to use as an interactive gateway to a special website made exclusively to show the digital fun I have with Illustration Friday.

Meanwhile, visit my new online portfolio -- Rarebit Visual Arts -- which I hope will get me a few job interviews as a designer. Something has to work, 'else I will have to move back to Illinois and pitch my reenacting tent in my ex-husband's yard. A broken and disappointed failure in the graphic design community of Pittsburgh. Maybe I'm meant to find a job in Enland and live in a little vine-covered cottage with a kitchen garden at my back door. Sigh...

ORANGE

I just love a mass of the same color — it excites me very much. I also like a mass of the same subject matter done in different ways — a reverse of the color mosaic. Yes! That will be my next mosaic!





1. Orange bento 9-29-06, 2. California Oranges on the Vine in San Diego, California, 3. Seville Orange Marmalade, 2006, 4. Orange as any orange on a tree, 5. Orange Explosion, 6. Orange thrift, 7. Red and Orange Butterfly on a yellow flower - France - July 2006, 8. L'orange du canal du Midi, 9. Orange Spring Mound, Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, 10. Orange ~ Up......, 11. Orange Crush, 12. orange glow, 13. Which one is Oranger?, 14. Orange Glory, 15. Orange Dunes, 16. orange and lemon drops, 17. Turning Orange, 18. lunch and dinner : pumpkin and orange soup, 19. China Fun Orange Chicken, 20. The Power of Orange, 21. see these eyes so orange, 22. Orange-Dragonfly, 23. Orange shadows, 24. felt orange slice, 25. ello n orange 4 MAY

IF: BLANKET

More Hearts

These are some of my newest Heart Stuffies. these are about 4"x4" and come in a set of three. I like them the best of all the stuffies I've made, though nobody so far "hearts" them in my shop. I like them because I love variety that meets in the same place! See the red button on the blue print heart? It's from my stash of many, many red buttons, most of which are one of a kind (I just learned that people use OOAK for this term), and eventually I will be mounting my faves of the collection onto foam core board covered with linen. No two buttons alike! I already have 2 collections like that: antique jet buttons, and antique Victorian metal filigree buttons. Both sets are mounted on the foam core board with antique linen napkins as a background. I need to get them framed, because they really get quite dusty otherwise. But all in good time!

Most people seem to like this heart best:

I can't say I don't blame them, because the fabric is beautiful, but in my heart of hearts I like the 40s country kitchen look the best! If I had to choose.

This heart has been sold -- along with two others, all within 2 days of each other! I'm pleased and happy! I got them out in the mail today (Friday, February 29), and am glad that I was able to make a few souls happy!

Not much activity going on in my shop. I haven't sold anything, but I DO seem to get a lot of looks. It makes me think I should lower my prices, but that part of the selling plan is still quite a mystery to me! If I price them too low, do I send a subliminal message that I don't think they're good enough? And if I price them too high, am I overrating my talents? Not good questions for a Hard Core Gemini! I've seen other fabric hearts on Etsy that had much less time spent on them, and were still priced very much like mine, according to their size. They were cute, and had a very primitive, country look, but I put a lot of time into each heart -- making sure the colors harmonize and contrast, which means comparing not only fabrics, but ribbons and buttons, too! I have 2 types of paper flowers: those that are all pastel, and those have some bright colors added. This information goes into each creation, too. When I do the three hearts of a set, I must then make the 3 hearts harmonize/contrast.

"Harmony and contrast: all beauty is made of these two things!" This is a paraphrased quote from the movie "Vatel", who was the real-life steward for the Prince de Conde in France during the reign of Louis XIV (14th). It stars Girard Depardieu, and it's one of my favorite movies! I watch it about once every 2-3 months. GD is one of my favorite actors, and has been in a lot of films that I really have enjoyed watching, especially Jean de Florette.

This is a rambling post. I'm trying to avoid cutting out the lining to my new wool jacket for the 18th century. It's my least favorite part. Don't know why.

Bye...

Scorpion Cake!!

No, I didn't make this cake! But if I had, I would really think twice before eating it!

I just visited a website that has all these amazing cakes that are 100% edible! Nothing left behind! This is my favorite because it is so beautiful, but it was sure hard to choose. All cakes are made by Zhanna, bakery in St. Petersburg, Russia.

I got the link from the Craftzine blog, who got it from the website Wise Pig (check it out - Wesley Warner has some really neat web design!) I don't know where Wise Pig got the link, but it's all Eye Candy, to me. Makes me wish there were such a bakery in Pittsburgh, but I'll bet I couldn't afford one of the cakes, anyway!

It's Not Easy

I've been re-creating my entire website, not that it's that big. But I'm not an html wizard, and it's been 18 months since I built my original site. I'm having to learn all over again, and there aren't going to be that many fancy tricks. I feel good just to get it to open up properly. So, here's a shot of the home page. How do you like it?

I actually like it a lot better than the Blue Otter site, but not because of the name. I just like the colors more, and I'm happier with the overall design. The subsequent pages have a narrower banner at the top, but the strip of design at the bottom is the same. I've also made the navigation buttons the same on each page. I still have to add a navigation strip at the bottom of the page -- you know, where each page is separated with a vertical line. It's always good to have a front door and a back door!

I've been so wrapped up in the website -- but also vegging out on the Internet -- that I haven't gotten anything else done. It's an escape mechanism for job-hunting. What if I make my website all beautiful and working perfectly, and I still don't get a job? That reminds me -- I have to find a copywriter to help me with my cover letters. Apparently I suck at writing!  :o(  Anyone know of such an animal who doesn't charge an arm and a leg?

Another Sophie Pearl!

While I was "not working", I Googled "Sophie the Pearl", and instead of being first on the list, another Sophie Pearl showed up!  Her name is Katie LaBourgeois of San Clemente, California. She makes some very pretty, very feminine dresses (and other things), though I am not the right shape or age to wear any of them! They are still soooo pretty!

Check out her website, and see what there is to make you smile! Read her biography, which is a very joyous story about how her dream came true!