A push in the right direction

[clevermanka]

Allergies. Sigh. Once in a while I think about trying a low-histamine diet, but then I get depressed and overwhelmed because oh my god cut more things from my food options? UGH. The complete lack of results with 90 days on the auto-immune protocol diet doesn't encourage me to try another elimination diet anytime soon.

Also, this happened yesterday:


PT guy Tim gave me a fix that will alleviate a bit of the pressure on the shoulder in that pose, but it's still gonna be tender for a couple days. Typical.

For later reference: Pre-workout alignment exercises.

This evening I'm gonna break out my new serger knowledge and see if I can't re-fashion some of these thrift-store clothes that've been piling up in the sewing room. So excited! If I like the process and the results, I'm gonna open up an Etsy store for them. I did a lot of searches on Etsy and all the refashioned post-apocalyptic stuff is either costumey and so not really wearable for daily use (although gorgeous--and expensive) or just...shockingly amateur. This, for instance. Fucking brilliant idea. Terrible execution. I do like the D-ring strap shorts she's selling. But again, they don't look finished, somehow.

Speaking of finished, here's my self-insert fanart! It'll post on Tumblr tomorrow, but y'all get a sneak preview today. After looking at it for a while, I see a few places I'd like to add things. Maybe someday? But not now. Also, I need a better way to scan these babies. It's $10 a pop every time at FedEx/Kinko's and I think that's just fucking outrageous. If anyone local has access to something that will flat scan 14"x17" images, let me know.

Last night I made some food for a friend going through a rough time to save her and her husband the hassle of cooking for a few days. Caring for select individuals makes me feel good, and to be honest, cooking is probably the thing I'm best at (besides giving unflinching and often unwanted life advice). Making someone's life a little easier makes me feel necessary and appreciated, so win-win!

I have one more evening of solitude tonight while mckitterick wraps up his CSSF Summer activities. Hurray for getting one more night of puttering around the house with loud music and scented candles but also hurray for (starting tomorrow), getting laid on a regular basis again!

So despite getting not nearly enough sleep last night (ugh, 3am thunderstorms), and having a constant dull ache in my shoulder, I feel pretty good today. How's your day/weekend/life shaping up, friends?

Edited to add: HOLY SHIT MARRIAGE EQUALITY IN THE U.S.A.

Comments

[splix.livejournal.com]

I love the art, it's most excellent. You make a wonderful putti. [putta, I guess. :)]

Do you have any copiers at school that scan to email? Maybe another department?

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Thank you! It's been a long time since I arted and I can tell I'm out of practice. This piece doesn't have the textural depth of, say, A Second Chance (http://archiveofourown.org/works/2738756), which I did last year and had been doing lots of arting for holiday cards. I think I'm gonna make more practice pieces (like that Furiosa portrait I have nearly started and maybe a Hiddleston one) and if nobody wants them (free to a good home!), OH WELL. They can just hang out under my cutting table.

Alas, the copier at my office only goes to 11x17. There's an office upstairs that has ginormous copiers and printers, but they're super strict about only doing KU-related stuff. =(

[kazoogrrl.livejournal.com]

Maybe a maker space has a big scanner? Is this your local one?

http://www.lawrencecreates.com/

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Huh! I never even thought of that. Brilliant! I'll contact them, thanks!

[msmitti.livejournal.com]

SO happy that the serger lessons happened! I am jealous. I'd love to have better sewing skills (let alone serger ability), but it is just not something I've taken the time with. I'm still sitting on this 1950s ish dress that I want to make, but I'm scared to start because I don't want to screw it up.

Also, that DS piece is genius!

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Yeah, sewing really is (like art, like anything) all about practice, practice, practice. And a vintage dress is jumping into the deep end with no lifeguard. If you ever want to bring it up and work on it over a weekend, I'm willing to help with figuring out directions and such. I used to sew almost all my clothes exclusively from vintage patterns, so I have a general feel for figuring out the (usually horrible) directions.

[msmitti.livejournal.com]

I might take you up on that! It isn't actually a vintage pattern, it just looks kind of 50s ish. The problem though is that I have a relatively big middle (I'm kind of straight up and down) and the cut of the dress nips in.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. You know, to be honest, if you don't have the figure (or are willing to wear the undergarments that give you the figure) for that era of clothes, you might be better off going with something that does. Like 20s or 30s or even 40s styles. Altering something to fit is possible, but it's never going to look like the picture of it unless you're wearing a waist-cincher and petticoat.

[chronovore.livejournal.com]

Awesome fan-art!

One option for digitizing your work would be to photograph it. Here are two hits from Thirty Seconds of Googling which may be helpful:
http://cuart.colorado.edu/resources/vrc/tips/photographing-2d/
http://muddycolors.blogspot.jp/2012/12/how-to-photograph-your-paintings.html

The main thing seems to be having a SLR camera, keeping the level camera at the same height as the piece's center, and very white lights hitting the work obliquely from opposite angles. It's ALMOST viola at that point, but the secret is you should probably get better results than the fluorescent tube lights of scanners AND since you're working with materials, it can better capture the nuance of depth.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

OooOOOOooo! Thank you for the links! I'm definitely going to try that with my next piece! Maybe stuology will be willing to break out her camera equipment and help me out.

[redheadfae.livejournal.com]

That's brilliant.

And I love your piece. And serger stuff.. YAY!

Boo for the shoulder.ooof. And that top is just hideous, plus I bet the shoestrings will bloodly well hurt.

I am on VACAY!! and although it sucks that we haven't gotten the boat and such out on the lake (another story, plus.. storms).. I'm happy because I just got FOUR beautiful dresses for the rest of summer. I may never put pants on again for summer.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Hurray for vacation! I hope you have a wonderful time in your new dresses!

[kazoogrrl.livejournal.com]

Nope on those clothes links. I like my embellishments to be more useful and/or integrated.

I'm feeling dragged out by the emotional highs and lows of the past week. Planning on cuddling our post-neuter-surgery-drunk-on-meds foster kitten and binge watching TV.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I like my embellishments to be more useful and/or integrated.

Different strokes for different folks!

[kazoogrrl.livejournal.com]

Was going to add, for me post apocalyptic involves a lot of repurposing. Not the same genre, but I'd love to turn the outfit from Kumiko the Treasure Hunter into an actual coat. It's a hotel comforter over a hoodie.

http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSUNNjNGrAabOzMi-q2Fmh3fhM-4HwynuhzcaJCPJJPGOgC7zb1

(Hope this works, I'm on my phone)

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Oh that looks SO COMFY! Mmmmmm.

[kazoogrrl.livejournal.com]

The movie poster stopped me in my tracks when I saw it. Good but heavy film

[1-rhiannon-1.livejournal.com]

Hooray for successful Serger lessons and super-cute fanart!! :D

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

It's a GOOD DAY.

[1-rhiannon-1.livejournal.com]

Yes it is! :D

[sherwood21.livejournal.com]

I feel like if she'd frayed out the edges on those shorts some more, they'd look better. As it is, they just look like cut-offs.

Good luck with the serger! I'm so glad you were able to get a good lesson with it!

ALSO ZOMG MARRIAGE EQUALITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

[write-out.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry to hear about your shoulder! I hope the exercises set you back to rights soon.

That art is fantastic! I saw you mention making cards in a comment above and it reminded me a couple of card exchanges I used to be a part of and how much fun it was to make my own cards.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

I like this style of art. It's the only type I've ever really doing. I used to be fairly good at drawing, but it didn't make me happy like collage. It's been 20 years, since my last drawing class, wow. I'm betting my skills are pretty atrophied by now! =D

Art cards are the best.

[hdsqrl.livejournal.com]

I love the self-insert!! :D And your expression in that piece is exactly the one I am used to seeing when we even mention dS. ;) PERFECT.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]