It just came out a couple of months ago. I'm very much looking forward to it, she's a fantastic translator and I think I might actually prefer the Iliad to the Odyssey in some ways.
That’s not that weird; nobody prefers the Odyssey the the Iliad.
I have met a lot of people who do.
The Iliad has a reputation, in my experience, of being more dry descriptions of war, while the Odyssey is the fun adventure book. I think both of those descriptions are inaccurate, to be clear, but I think especially with people who had to read them in seventh grade and haven't sought them out again, those are a prevailing belief. The Odyssey has a bunch of fun stuff that people remember, while the Iliad is defined more by its extremely sad core.
It just came out a couple of months ago. I'm very much looking forward to it, she's a fantastic translator and I think I might actually prefer the Iliad to the Odyssey in some ways.
That’s not that weird; nobody prefers the Odyssey the the Iliad.
I have met a lot of people who do.
The Iliad has a reputation, in my experience, of being more dry descriptions of war, while the Odyssey is the fun adventure book. I think both of those descriptions are inaccurate, to be clear, but I think especially with people who had to read them in seventh grade and haven't sought them out again, those are a prevailing belief. The Odyssey has a bunch of fun stuff that people remember, while the Iliad is defined more by its extremely sad core.
I think that was intended as a pun rather than an actual statement considering Odysseus's name of choice
I have received a package! I haven't ordered anything lately, so I can guess what this is:
Tidings from the Dark One!
Thank you very much @The Lovely Bastard! I really don't know why I slept on these for so long, I've heard nothing but good things and I'm looking forward to getting into 'em.
I’m terribly sorry for the delay in posting, between work and travel things have been crazy. I also wanted the post to be at least somewhat cool but that too had delays associated. At any rate…
I was gifted!!! And not just any gift, but a super cool Polaroid Camera! I’ve been doing a lot of photography lately and having this adds an awesome nostalgia factor to stuff! I wanted to post immediately but it comes with only a little film, and it took a bit to buy some more. But now that I’ve done so… behold!
Okay, I a little bit was waiting to give my santee @Elvenshae their gift before posting pictures of mine, but I'm also just a huge slacker. I'm sorry santa, but here's my gift get post:
My santa went crazy and got me a new hobby!
First order of business when a package arrives is to assemble a crack team of package investigators (gratuitous picture of pets):
Seems mostly all clear:
Nothing of note for the pigs, so they grumpily move on to eating hay and we find a silicone mold! Neat!
Checking this big box, and it's a vacuum chamber!
It's all starting to make sense:
Not pictured is a box of micah powder in some kick ass colors! Looking forward to diving into them. Also some resin, which is handy because I didn't have much on hand, and it was super old and the lid had fused together.
Here's my first attempt. Which if you've ever tried anything new, your first attempt is awful. Things will go wrong:
Really sells the need for the vacuum chamber/pump. It's a bit smoky, so I'll need to use it at the makerspace, or wait till the weather warms up and use it outside, but clearly this shows the need for it:
Thanks so much Santa @Handkor I'm actually pretty excited about this. My wife works at the library and the library runs a D&D group, and I'd like to try and make a library themed dice set (using the library logo colors) to give to the organizers along with a dice box with the library logo lasered on top. I'm sure I'll play around with doing other stuff as well.
Also the vacuum chamber is perfect for the CNC hobby as well. I've had some wood fall apart on me in projects and I can use the vacuum chamber to stablize some wood and be less scared of ruining something. Seriously I didn't work on a project for like 4 months because I was so frustrated that a portion of spalted (partially rotted) wood had fallen apart on me at the last steps of a project.
C-C-C-Cross Post
A mysterious package arrives!
For the second year in a row my package inspector is asleep on the job, so I am forced to open them with no assurance of safety
This is fine right? Nothing ominous here.
It was fine! It was in fact gifts!
The Final Fantasy 7 Piano Collection music book. Some really good arrangements in this one. Things To Make And Do In The 4th Dimension by Matt Parker. A book I've had on my list for a while ever since I found his youtube channel.
And Pokemon Mystery Dungeon. I do love me a Mystery Dungeon.
(The cards on the game and the math book were swapped and I spent longer than was strictly necessary trying to figure out the secret code tying Growlithe to math before checking to see if the other ones went together.)
Okay, I a little bit was waiting to give my santee @Elvenshae their gift before posting pictures of mine, but I'm also just a huge slacker. I'm sorry santa, but here's my gift get post:
My santa went crazy and got me a new hobby!
...snip...
Thanks so much Santa @Handkor I'm actually pretty excited about this. My wife works at the library and the library runs a D&D group, and I'd like to try and make a library themed dice set (using the library logo colors) to give to the organizers along with a dice box with the library logo lasered on top. I'm sure I'll play around with doing other stuff as well.
Also the vacuum chamber is perfect for the CNC hobby as well. I've had some wood fall apart on me in projects and I can use the vacuum chamber to stablize some wood and be less scared of ruining something. Seriously I didn't work on a project for like 4 months because I was so frustrated that a portion of spalted (partially rotted) wood had fallen apart on me at the last steps of a project.
I had no idea what to get you this year and decided to risk going big for something that can be combined with your woodworking hobbies. The dice mold was just a little extra added to have something to do right away with the chamber. I did forget to add disposable cups for resin mixing to the order though.
Many, many thanks to Radiation for what I am told are merely the first bits of a much, much cooler present to come, once some scheduling problems on my end are worked out. Y'all will just have to wait to see how cool it is.
These are both games that I was, like, a hair's breadth from just grabbing during the sale.
"merely the first bits of a much, much cooler present to come"
And were they!
Okay, first off, I've only made it a little ways into the game because I haven't had nearly as much gaming time recently for Reasons (TM), but Midnight Suns is fantastic. A+ game.
Anyway, on Saturday, after carefully arranging child care, the remainder of my present "arrived"!
@Radiation had invited me to join him at a class at a local glass art school, where we got to learn how to make what are called "coral bowls." So, he'd noted that I made stained glass stuff, and thought this, since it was stained glass adjacent, would be fun thing to try. Basically, fused glass is where you take pieces of stained glass, lay them out in a nice pattern, and then heat them up so that they melt into each other; then you let them cool. Once they're cool, you put them back in a kiln, on top of a (usually plaster of some kind) form and heat them up just a little bit so they get soft and reshape themselves to match what they're resting on. Then, pop them off, and you've got a crazy piece of glass art! I guess a standard coral bowl looks something like:
The first fusing is where a lot of the fun in this kind of art happens, because sometimes the glass pieces just melt together and kind of blend colors, and sometimes they layer, and sometimes in the heat they undergo weird reactions and you get completely different colors. It depends on the temperatures, the glass you picked, how long it's in the kiln - so until you've used specific pieces before in the same way, you'll never be quite sure what you're going to end up with. As our instructor, who was a hoot, said, "It's not trial and error; it's trial and surprise!"
Anyway, we had several hours, all the scrap glass we could get our hands on, our choice of plaster forms, and half a kiln sheet to just do whatever we wanted to.
Ridiculously awesome class - good vibes from all and sundry. There were ... 7? ... students, and we all did very, very different things - with, funnily enough, most of the students putting a lot of time and effort into their first layout, and then, with the remaining minutes of the class, just kinda throwing something else together. And everyone had very, very different approaches to what they wanted to make. I started with ...
... and I ended up making two, as well. My "pre-fused glass layout" looks a little something like:
First piece (if it turns out at all like I expected ... ) is ...
... a riverbed / aquarium, with little abstract fishies swimming in the currents; this one'll be for my wife. It's square, and the form I picked is a wavy plate. My second piece ...
... was just a riff on some fiery colors (with a cranberry-ish pink base that was just too pretty to pass up) in a more standard bowl shape.
I have to go back to the shop in a couple of weeks to pick them up and see how they turned out. I. Cannot. Wait.
But that's not all!
@Radiation is also a woodsmith of no small skill and, as he posted above, he's got a resin-casting pressure pot, too, and he used those skills to make me ...
A weighted companion cube from one of my favorite games, complete with bottle opener!
And in the other wooden box ...
Homemade dice in my favorite color, one of the firstfruits of his new toy! I think they'll turn out to work just fine.
Thank you so, so much @Radiation - that was one amazing Secret Santaing, and I can't wait to see how everyone's pieces turn out. Merry Christmas!
Okay, I a little bit was waiting to give my santee @Elvenshae their gift before posting pictures of mine, but I'm also just a huge slacker. I'm sorry santa, but here's my gift get post:
My santa went crazy and got me a new hobby!
...snip...
Thanks so much Santa @Handkor I'm actually pretty excited about this. My wife works at the library and the library runs a D&D group, and I'd like to try and make a library themed dice set (using the library logo colors) to give to the organizers along with a dice box with the library logo lasered on top. I'm sure I'll play around with doing other stuff as well.
Also the vacuum chamber is perfect for the CNC hobby as well. I've had some wood fall apart on me in projects and I can use the vacuum chamber to stablize some wood and be less scared of ruining something. Seriously I didn't work on a project for like 4 months because I was so frustrated that a portion of spalted (partially rotted) wood had fallen apart on me at the last steps of a project.
I had no idea what to get you this year and decided to risk going big for something that can be combined with your woodworking hobbies. The dice mold was just a little extra added to have something to do right away with the chamber. I did forget to add disposable cups for resin mixing to the order though.
I've seen some people use some silicone cup things that seem resusable, so I'll try and snag some of those. This was actually totally perfect. Super thanks!
Thank you so, so much Radiation - that was one amazing Secret Santaing, and I can't wait to see how everyone's pieces turn out. Merry Christmas!
I'm glad you dug the class! It was super cool and I had a blast as well. If you want to do another class there, I'd certainly be interested. I may also have to pester you about some glass stuff down the road.
I think I'll be picking up my projects on Saturday, weather and wife permitting. Hopefully we get sent some pictures on the results, because other students stuff looked pretty neat.
International USPS shipping has the final piece of the puzzle in the country that it is supposed to be in, but tracking lacks details.
Soon, Satanee, soon.
Hm that's funny, that sounds an awful like like the situation I'm currentl- WAIT A MINUTE
A while back I got a couple of items direct from Amazon from an as-yet-unidentified prince of darkness. A very very nice pizza wheel and pizza peel!
I got a propane countertop pizza oven late last year and these are a MASSIVE upgrade from what I was using before. Here is a shot of the new peel making light work of a pie
I then got a notice from an imp that another package was making it's way over to me. At this point I must give a huge shout out to Australia Post... What's the opposite of above and beyond? Below and insufficient? This package took four days to get from North Carolina to Sydney, then ten days to get from Sydney to Brisbane...
Anyway, inside was a lovely note from @DrZiplock ! One of my all-time favourite dudes! He remembered correctly that I am a fan of Firefly and got me signed photos of Kailey and Book!
Holy shit!!
Blackhawk1313Demon Hunter for HireTime RiftRegistered Userregular
This post is a tad overdue but travel and weather has done its very best to delay and/or try to kill me so my apologies. That said I was gifted not one but two most excellent and useful items!
First we have:
A totally kickass weekender duffel bag, which I can happily report not only worked great for our trip to New York this Christmas, but also held up to TSA’s and luggage folks tender love and care at both JFK and Newark Airports! If that’s not an endorsement of a good piece of luggage then what is?
Second we have:
A new McDermott Pool Glove! I run through gloves like socks, it’s crazy. Well made ones last me a lot longer though and this one is built that way. And I can say thank you @QuickSnap no better than to:
Use it to punch my ticket back to regionals again. Successfully did so winning matches 5-2, 5-0, and 5-1 so my revenge tour is on for this fall to improve upon my third place finish and make it to Vegas. Thank you!
International USPS shipping has the final piece of the puzzle in the country that it is supposed to be in, but tracking lacks details.
Soon, Satanee, soon.
Hm that's funny, that sounds an awful like like the situation I'm currentl- WAIT A MINUTE
A while back I got a couple of items direct from Amazon from an as-yet-unidentified prince of darkness. A very very nice pizza wheel and pizza peel!
I got a propane countertop pizza oven late last year and these are a MASSIVE upgrade from what I was using before. Here is a shot of the new peel making light work of a pie
I then got a notice from an imp that another package was making it's way over to me. At this point I must give a huge shout out to Australia Post... What's the opposite of above and beyond? Below and insufficient? This package took four days to get from North Carolina to Sydney, then ten days to get from Sydney to Brisbane...
Anyway, inside was a lovely note from @DrZiplock ! One of my all-time favourite dudes! He remembered correctly that I am a fan of Firefly and got me signed photos of Kailey and Book!
Holy shit!!
This is awesome, thank you, Zip ❤️
I cackled madly when your name came to me via Imp for this year's exchange, brother.
That pizza looks dope as fuck and I'm glad that the things are being put to delicious use. The pictures are fun because it was such a random memory of you mentioning it once and many moons ago I met both Ron and Jewel which is why I had their signatures - it was at a meet and greet afterparty at NYCC that the autograph company and Marvel were hosting, weirdly. Anyway - I can think of no better human to hold onto that little piece of the 'Verse.
#pipeCocky Stride, Musky odoursPope of Chili TownRegistered Userregular
I like them a lot!
I've been planning on getting into making custom frames and this seems like a great excuse! Maybe a nice shadow box with these flanking a model of Serenity or something like that...
Also, did you get the artwork I sent?
The round stickers aren't on sale anymore, but GLITTER ONES ARE!
I like them a lot!
I've been planning on getting into making custom frames and this seems like a great excuse! Maybe a nice shadow box with these flanking a model of Serenity or something like that...
Also, did you get the artwork I sent?
The round stickers aren't on sale anymore, but GLITTER ONES ARE!
I did!! It's been chaotic here the last few weeks - but the event that they were needed for was last weekend and I can't tell you how well they went over. I'm going to drop one in the mail for you as a memento.
I'll respond via email so everyone else can be curious/envious of our conversation.
This post is a tad overdue but travel and weather has done its very best to delay and/or try to kill me so my apologies. That said I was gifted not one but two most excellent and useful items!
First we have:
A totally kickass weekender duffel bag, which I can happily report not only worked great for our trip to New York this Christmas, but also held up to TSA’s and luggage folks tender love and care at both JFK and Newark Airports! If that’s not an endorsement of a good piece of luggage then what is?
Second we have:
A new McDermott Pool Glove! I run through gloves like socks, it’s crazy. Well made ones last me a lot longer though and this one is built that way. And I can say thank you @QuickSnap no better than to:
Use it to punch my ticket back to regionals again. Successfully did so winning matches 5-2, 5-0, and 5-1 so my revenge tour is on for this fall to improve upon my third place finish and make it to Vegas. Thank you!
Fuck yeah dude, that's awesome! You got one more thing coming, it should be there some time in the next two-ish weeks. Kick ass at regionals!
As for my Satan, I have been trying for three days to upload photographic proof of Satan's blessings to me, but imgur is being a shit about uploads for some reason. That said, I shall happily inform everyone of the awesome little gifts I recived.
A new leather wrapped flask, with a Nordic wolf emblazoned on it which is perfect vessel to hold the bottle of Finnish rye whisky my older brother got me for Christmas. Yays!
I also received a package that was very clearly marked Do Not Bend, which was very much bent. Thankfully not too egregiously, and I know have a black and gold-leaf Fenris print that I am currently waiting on a frame so I can hang it up. Looks awesome!
Lastly I received two large and ornate enamel pins; one of Hati catching the Moon, and one of Slepnir, Odin's eight-legged steed. These are super cool, and I really appreciate them. Though in none of the gifts was I ever given any indication as to just whom has sent them. And so I am left wondering after my satanic benefactor.
In any case, I am extremely grateful to Satan, and all of these gifts shall make fine additions to my collection of prints and trinkets and totems. ^_^
And if you’re posting from a phone, after you select the picture to include look at the bottom right and click Options, and choose something less than Full Size. (At least that’s how it is on iPhone, pretty sure Android has a similar thing to change the resolution)
This post is a tad overdue but travel and weather has done its very best to delay and/or try to kill me so my apologies. That said I was gifted not one but two most excellent and useful items!
First we have:
A totally kickass weekender duffel bag, which I can happily report not only worked great for our trip to New York this Christmas, but also held up to TSA’s and luggage folks tender love and care at both JFK and Newark Airports! If that’s not an endorsement of a good piece of luggage then what is?
Second we have:
A new McDermott Pool Glove! I run through gloves like socks, it’s crazy. Well made ones last me a lot longer though and this one is built that way. And I can say thank you @QuickSnap no better than to:
Use it to punch my ticket back to regionals again. Successfully did so winning matches 5-2, 5-0, and 5-1 so my revenge tour is on for this fall to improve upon my third place finish and make it to Vegas. Thank you!
Fuck yeah dude, that's awesome! You got one more thing coming, it should be there some time in the next two-ish weeks. Kick ass at regionals!
As for my Satan, I have been trying for three days to upload photographic proof of Satan's blessings to me, but imgur is being a shit about uploads for some reason. That said, I shall happily inform everyone of the awesome little gifts I recived.
A new leather wrapped flask, with a Nordic wolf emblazoned on it which is perfect vessel to hold the bottle of Finnish rye whisky my older brother got me for Christmas. Yays!
I also received a package that was very clearly marked Do Not Bend, which was very much bent. Thankfully not too egregiously, and I know have a black and gold-leaf Fenris print that I am currently waiting on a frame so I can hang it up. Looks awesome!
Lastly I received two large and ornate enamel pins; one of Hati catching the Moon, and one of Slepnir, Odin's eight-legged steed. These are super cool, and I really appreciate them. Though in none of the gifts was I ever given any indication as to just whom has sent them. And so I am left wondering after my satanic benefactor.
In any case, I am extremely grateful to Satan, and all of these gifts shall make fine additions to my collection of prints and trinkets and totems. ^_^
It was me! I did this!
I only had the option to add a message to my first of three deliveries, which made me think I would have the opportunity to add more sentences and then oops I simply did *not* in the other two
Blackhawk1313Demon Hunter for HireTime RiftRegistered Userregular
While I did make sure to handle my gifting duty to a small extent to make sure there were no deadline issues. I have been putting together what I hope is something memorable and I feel bad that I must stay cryptic at present, but can only apologize for the lengthy wait, and hope that it is truly ad worthwhile as I hope it to be.
I received something in the mail on Monday afternoon. (Sorry for the late report; I had no spoons left that evening and yesterday.)
It was something suspiciously jolly. As if it didn't come from the bowels of Hell itself.
I opened it and found a note.
As it turns out, it's not from Satan at all! It's from @Elvenshae , one of the Santas from jolly ol' G&T!
Here's the cylinder in question.
Acylindersayswhat?
DEEZ NUTS
I'm eating some as I write this, they really are crunchier than those in your average salted peanut jar.
More of the note
This would be the present on top, then?
Huh.
I'm going to try this as soon as I finish the iced tea I already have.
Moving on...
Because this package arrived only 30 minutes before I had to leave, once I got to this part, I decided to hurry it up and take one picture of the rest of the presents (minus one).
Oh!
I'm looking forward to reading through these!
Onto the next page, which started with this
A memoir? Of whomst?
Feynman! Indeed, I haven't read it yet.
After that, there was
Which turned out to be
From the White House!
(You live near DC, Elvenshae? IIRC, my dad partially grew up there on a boat-home on the shores of the Potomac.)
And then
Ho ho, now that I have winter tires on my bike, cycling is a year-round thing!
And the gift itself
I'm not sure I'm going to need them, but they'll sure help with being visible when it's dark, whether at 5 PM in January or 8 PM in August.
And finally
No way.
No.
Way.
Holy sweet Petey, this is amazing! I'm going to hang it on my wall somewhere.
Elaro on
Children's rights are human rights.
+14
Options
BroloBroseidonLord of the BroceanRegistered Userregular
I believe, with this last gift, that we have once again achieved Perfect Gifting! Congratulations all!
Posts
I have met a lot of people who do.
The Iliad has a reputation, in my experience, of being more dry descriptions of war, while the Odyssey is the fun adventure book. I think both of those descriptions are inaccurate, to be clear, but I think especially with people who had to read them in seventh grade and haven't sought them out again, those are a prevailing belief. The Odyssey has a bunch of fun stuff that people remember, while the Iliad is defined more by its extremely sad core.
I think that was intended as a pun rather than an actual statement considering Odysseus's name of choice
Tidings from the Dark One!
Thank you very much @The Lovely Bastard! I really don't know why I slept on these for so long, I've heard nothing but good things and I'm looking forward to getting into 'em.
PICS COMING SHORTLY
Democrats Abroad! || Vote From Abroad
Chicory!
My daughter and I played some co-op today, it's been a lot of fun!
I also got a package delivered to my doorstep!
it's a rad marble run! It looks really cool, I'm gonna have to find a cool spot to build/display it!
Thank you so much, somewhat-mysterious benefactor!
I did not need to see that marble run.
My child absolutely has a birthday next month
Democrats Abroad! || Vote From Abroad
Need some stuff designed or printed? I can help with that.
can anybody who has NOT received a gift send me a PM
and similarly
if you have not SENT a gift, please PM me as well
I'm being used again.
I feel a dark force
@QuickSnap
Within your mailbox there are three wolves
*shudders*
Not used to that yet
Democrats Abroad! || Vote From Abroad
I was gifted!!! And not just any gift, but a super cool Polaroid Camera! I’ve been doing a lot of photography lately and having this adds an awesome nostalgia factor to stuff! I wanted to post immediately but it comes with only a little film, and it took a bit to buy some more. But now that I’ve done so… behold!
Thank you mystery Satan!
I have received two of them thus far. I shall await until the 3rd arrives to make a full post.
In the meantime, please enjoy this live performance of American Folk Duo Watchhouse, with their hit song "The Wolves". 🐺
My santa went crazy and got me a new hobby!
First order of business when a package arrives is to assemble a crack team of package investigators (gratuitous picture of pets):
Seems mostly all clear:
Nothing of note for the pigs, so they grumpily move on to eating hay and we find a silicone mold! Neat!
Checking this big box, and it's a vacuum chamber!
It's all starting to make sense:
Not pictured is a box of micah powder in some kick ass colors! Looking forward to diving into them. Also some resin, which is handy because I didn't have much on hand, and it was super old and the lid had fused together.
Here's my first attempt. Which if you've ever tried anything new, your first attempt is awful. Things will go wrong:
Really sells the need for the vacuum chamber/pump. It's a bit smoky, so I'll need to use it at the makerspace, or wait till the weather warms up and use it outside, but clearly this shows the need for it:
Thanks so much Santa @Handkor I'm actually pretty excited about this. My wife works at the library and the library runs a D&D group, and I'd like to try and make a library themed dice set (using the library logo colors) to give to the organizers along with a dice box with the library logo lasered on top. I'm sure I'll play around with doing other stuff as well.
Also the vacuum chamber is perfect for the CNC hobby as well. I've had some wood fall apart on me in projects and I can use the vacuum chamber to stablize some wood and be less scared of ruining something. Seriously I didn't work on a project for like 4 months because I was so frustrated that a portion of spalted (partially rotted) wood had fallen apart on me at the last steps of a project.
A mysterious package arrives!
For the second year in a row my package inspector is asleep on the job, so I am forced to open them with no assurance of safety
This is fine right? Nothing ominous here.
It was fine! It was in fact gifts!
The Final Fantasy 7 Piano Collection music book. Some really good arrangements in this one.
Things To Make And Do In The 4th Dimension by Matt Parker. A book I've had on my list for a while ever since I found his youtube channel.
And Pokemon Mystery Dungeon. I do love me a Mystery Dungeon.
(The cards on the game and the math book were swapped and I spent longer than was strictly necessary trying to figure out the secret code tying Growlithe to math before checking to see if the other ones went together.)
Thanks @Romanian My Escutcheon
I had no idea what to get you this year and decided to risk going big for something that can be combined with your woodworking hobbies. The dice mold was just a little extra added to have something to do right away with the chamber. I did forget to add disposable cups for resin mixing to the order though.
Soon, Satanee, soon.
This year, amazing, I'm up to 163. That's between this and Saints.
Busy year for Imp!
Democrats Abroad! || Vote From Abroad
When last we left our heroes ...
"merely the first bits of a much, much cooler present to come"
And were they!
Okay, first off, I've only made it a little ways into the game because I haven't had nearly as much gaming time recently for Reasons (TM), but Midnight Suns is fantastic. A+ game.
Anyway, on Saturday, after carefully arranging child care, the remainder of my present "arrived"!
@Radiation had invited me to join him at a class at a local glass art school, where we got to learn how to make what are called "coral bowls." So, he'd noted that I made stained glass stuff, and thought this, since it was stained glass adjacent, would be fun thing to try. Basically, fused glass is where you take pieces of stained glass, lay them out in a nice pattern, and then heat them up so that they melt into each other; then you let them cool. Once they're cool, you put them back in a kiln, on top of a (usually plaster of some kind) form and heat them up just a little bit so they get soft and reshape themselves to match what they're resting on. Then, pop them off, and you've got a crazy piece of glass art! I guess a standard coral bowl looks something like:
The first fusing is where a lot of the fun in this kind of art happens, because sometimes the glass pieces just melt together and kind of blend colors, and sometimes they layer, and sometimes in the heat they undergo weird reactions and you get completely different colors. It depends on the temperatures, the glass you picked, how long it's in the kiln - so until you've used specific pieces before in the same way, you'll never be quite sure what you're going to end up with. As our instructor, who was a hoot, said, "It's not trial and error; it's trial and surprise!"
Anyway, we had several hours, all the scrap glass we could get our hands on, our choice of plaster forms, and half a kiln sheet to just do whatever we wanted to.
Ridiculously awesome class - good vibes from all and sundry. There were ... 7? ... students, and we all did very, very different things - with, funnily enough, most of the students putting a lot of time and effort into their first layout, and then, with the remaining minutes of the class, just kinda throwing something else together. And everyone had very, very different approaches to what they wanted to make. I started with ...
... and I ended up making two, as well. My "pre-fused glass layout" looks a little something like:
First piece (if it turns out at all like I expected ...
... a riverbed / aquarium, with little abstract fishies swimming in the currents; this one'll be for my wife. It's square, and the form I picked is a wavy plate. My second piece ...
... was just a riff on some fiery colors (with a cranberry-ish pink base that was just too pretty to pass up) in a more standard bowl shape.
I have to go back to the shop in a couple of weeks to pick them up and see how they turned out. I. Cannot. Wait.
But that's not all!
@Radiation is also a woodsmith of no small skill and, as he posted above, he's got a resin-casting pressure pot, too, and he used those skills to make me ...
A weighted companion cube from one of my favorite games, complete with bottle opener!
And in the other wooden box ...
Homemade dice in my favorite color, one of the firstfruits of his new toy! I think they'll turn out to work just fine.
Thank you so, so much @Radiation - that was one amazing Secret Santaing, and I can't wait to see how everyone's pieces turn out. Merry Christmas!
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
Democrats Abroad! || Vote From Abroad
I've seen some people use some silicone cup things that seem resusable, so I'll try and snag some of those. This was actually totally perfect. Super thanks!
I'm glad you dug the class! It was super cool and I had a blast as well. If you want to do another class there, I'd certainly be interested. I may also have to pester you about some glass stuff down the road.
I think I'll be picking up my projects on Saturday, weather and wife permitting. Hopefully we get sent some pictures on the results, because other students stuff looked pretty neat.
Also for anyone in the DC area this is the school: http://washingtonglassschool.com/school
Hm that's funny, that sounds an awful like like the situation I'm currentl- WAIT A MINUTE
A while back I got a couple of items direct from Amazon from an as-yet-unidentified prince of darkness. A very very nice pizza wheel and pizza peel!
I got a propane countertop pizza oven late last year and these are a MASSIVE upgrade from what I was using before. Here is a shot of the new peel making light work of a pie
I then got a notice from an imp that another package was making it's way over to me. At this point I must give a huge shout out to Australia Post... What's the opposite of above and beyond? Below and insufficient? This package took four days to get from North Carolina to Sydney, then ten days to get from Sydney to Brisbane...
Anyway, inside was a lovely note from @DrZiplock ! One of my all-time favourite dudes! He remembered correctly that I am a fan of Firefly and got me signed photos of Kailey and Book!
Holy shit!!
This is awesome, thank you, Zip ❤️
Need some stuff designed or printed? I can help with that.
First we have:
A totally kickass weekender duffel bag, which I can happily report not only worked great for our trip to New York this Christmas, but also held up to TSA’s and luggage folks tender love and care at both JFK and Newark Airports! If that’s not an endorsement of a good piece of luggage then what is?
Second we have:
A new McDermott Pool Glove! I run through gloves like socks, it’s crazy. Well made ones last me a lot longer though and this one is built that way. And I can say thank you @QuickSnap no better than to:
Use it to punch my ticket back to regionals again. Successfully did so winning matches 5-2, 5-0, and 5-1 so my revenge tour is on for this fall to improve upon my third place finish and make it to Vegas. Thank you!
I cackled madly when your name came to me via Imp for this year's exchange, brother.
That pizza looks dope as fuck and I'm glad that the things are being put to delicious use. The pictures are fun because it was such a random memory of you mentioning it once and many moons ago I met both Ron and Jewel which is why I had their signatures - it was at a meet and greet afterparty at NYCC that the autograph company and Marvel were hosting, weirdly. Anyway - I can think of no better human to hold onto that little piece of the 'Verse.
xoxo
I've been planning on getting into making custom frames and this seems like a great excuse! Maybe a nice shadow box with these flanking a model of Serenity or something like that...
Also, did you get the artwork I sent?
The round stickers aren't on sale anymore, but GLITTER ONES ARE!
Need some stuff designed or printed? I can help with that.
I did!! It's been chaotic here the last few weeks - but the event that they were needed for was last weekend and I can't tell you how well they went over. I'm going to drop one in the mail for you as a memento.
I'll respond via email so everyone else can be curious/envious of our conversation.
Fuck yeah dude, that's awesome! You got one more thing coming, it should be there some time in the next two-ish weeks. Kick ass at regionals!
As for my Satan, I have been trying for three days to upload photographic proof of Satan's blessings to me, but imgur is being a shit about uploads for some reason. That said, I shall happily inform everyone of the awesome little gifts I recived.
A new leather wrapped flask, with a Nordic wolf emblazoned on it which is perfect vessel to hold the bottle of Finnish rye whisky my older brother got me for Christmas. Yays!
I also received a package that was very clearly marked Do Not Bend, which was very much bent. Thankfully not too egregiously, and I know have a black and gold-leaf Fenris print that I am currently waiting on a frame so I can hang it up. Looks awesome!
Lastly I received two large and ornate enamel pins; one of Hati catching the Moon, and one of Slepnir, Odin's eight-legged steed. These are super cool, and I really appreciate them. Though in none of the gifts was I ever given any indication as to just whom has sent them. And so I am left wondering after my satanic benefactor.
In any case, I am extremely grateful to Satan, and all of these gifts shall make fine additions to my collection of prints and trinkets and totems. ^_^
It was me! I did this!
I only had the option to add a message to my first of three deliveries, which made me think I would have the opportunity to add more sentences and then oops I simply did *not* in the other two
Merry January!!
3DS Friend Code: 0216-0898-6512
Switch Friend Code: SW-7437-1538-7786
I have been handed part of a note for you
This imp is complete and totally not responsible for anything contained within.
Just the messenger etc etc
Democrats Abroad! || Vote From Abroad
It was something suspiciously jolly. As if it didn't come from the bowels of Hell itself.
I opened it and found a note.
As it turns out, it's not from Satan at all! It's from @Elvenshae , one of the Santas from jolly ol' G&T!
Here's the cylinder in question.
Acylindersayswhat?
I'm eating some as I write this, they really are crunchier than those in your average salted peanut jar.
More of the note
This would be the present on top, then?
Huh.
I'm going to try this as soon as I finish the iced tea I already have.
Moving on...
Because this package arrived only 30 minutes before I had to leave, once I got to this part, I decided to hurry it up and take one picture of the rest of the presents (minus one).
Oh!
I'm looking forward to reading through these!
Onto the next page, which started with this
A memoir? Of whomst?
Feynman! Indeed, I haven't read it yet.
After that, there was
Which turned out to be
From the White House!
(You live near DC, Elvenshae? IIRC, my dad partially grew up there on a boat-home on the shores of the Potomac.)
And then
Ho ho, now that I have winter tires on my bike, cycling is a year-round thing!
And the gift itself
I'm not sure I'm going to need them, but they'll sure help with being visible when it's dark, whether at 5 PM in January or 8 PM in August.
And finally
No way.
No.
Way.
Holy sweet Petey, this is amazing! I'm going to hang it on my wall somewhere.