Saturday snippets

in which our plucky heroine makes a tiny difference...

At least in Tansu Terrace, where construction continues apace. I have been quite surprised at how useful paper in it's various forms is, for making small sturdy structures and accessories, particularly paper that is often discarded, such as corrugated cardboard, or the pulpy paper that egg cartons are made from...

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time in the tinyworld:

progress on Caer Cardboard...once all the edges were covered in papertape and completely dry, white gesso is being a primer coat inside and outside the house. I'm loving how it looks a lot like whitewash, which looks nice enough to let me have plenty of time to decide on how I'd like to paint it...

The conservatory (a tabletop faux greenhouse from IKEA*) fits nicely next to the house. I'm making a laminated cardboard floor for it that will have egg carton paving stones and provide a space for my miniature plants, the picnic table, and other "garden" objects like the rabbit hutch.

Caer Cardboard, and the Aster Cottage kit I've not yet started, both have really small rooms, so the extra living space of the conservatory will be welcome.

*SENAPSKÅL

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Today the backing plate for the current medallion commision showed up, so it is time to get back to work in the studio. I've been letting myself have the indulgence of time in the tinyworld, which is the only space where I feel any respite. Still, promises made must needs be promises met, and though it feels odd to be making regalia for people and events that I will not see, in truth even in the before times, that was often the case.

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There is a zippered tiny case attached to the leash, that holds the dog pickup bags when out walking the little dog. Today, the slider slid right off the end of the zipper, much to my dismay. Once I got home again, it was rather a challenge to get the slider back in place. Then I was able to stitch the seam that held the whole thing together again, and also added some reinforcement stitches as a sort of auxiliary zipper stop. A stitch in time would have saved more than nine, had I even noticed that the end stitching was loose, I'm just glad I didn't lose the slider entirely!

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	tiny Euphorbia	jacket snaps added	yard waste bin
2	tiny moth orchid	moar wood chips in planter	recycle bin
3	Countess scroll	weight closer for back door	tax forms mailed
4	Laurel enamel	tiny drawer handles	broken tree parts
5	sunflower enamel	tiny trowel handle	CrankyTooth
6	tiny cutting board	Nandina revived	yard waste bin
7	tiny serrated knife	bag zipper mended	recycle bin
8	mini MOPPE	x	-
9	x	x	-
10	x	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitude -  My old Keen workshoes, which are nicely cushioned and seem to be giving my feet relief from the pain of suddenly doubled walking. I've gone from an average of about 2 miles a day to between 4 and 5.

Time of Isolation - Day 775

Silver lining

in which our plucky heroine remains baffled...

I have no clue what the little dog that is a temporary denizen here is trying to tell me. He whines and cries a LOT. I have tried extra walkies, I have tried dog treats, I have made sure he has food, and fresh water. I have tried playing toss the dog toy with him. After returning from an extensive walk, the same behavior again almost immediately. He tried digging at the edge of the front door, but doesn't want to then go for a walk, so I have had to block off that area with heavy 5 gallon buckets, as the carpet there is already damaged. The only silver lining is that I am getting much more steps in my daily walking. 

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time in the tinyworld:

mini MOPPE chest of drawers, not quite finished, just over an inch wide... since my tinyfolks will have a craft/workshop space, I figure that they will need ways to keep their supplies organised. The craft sticks and coffee stir sticks require being very selective in order to find pieces that are comparatively flat rather than warped or twisted, so the process of selecting mini-lumber is akin to going to the big box stores for full size lumber (instead of a dedicated but therefore more spendy actual lumberyard), but combined with some careful sanding works well enough.

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~ creativity challenge ~

Starting to plan the back wall of the downstairs room in Caer Cardboard, and considering a central hearth, wide mantel, many shelves, and some additional windows, in the Craftsman style, as well as the two bookcases already built. They've been primed with black gesso, but will probably either get painted a color, or with a faux wood grain decorative paint treatment...

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	tiny Euphorbia	jacket snaps added	yard waste bin
2	tiny moth orchid	moar wood chips in planter	recycle bin
3	Countess scroll	weight closer for back door	tax forms mailed
4	Laurel enamel	tiny drawer handles	broken tree parts
5	sunflower enamel	tiny trowel handle	CrankyTooth
6	tiny cutting board	Nandina revived	yard waste bin
7	tiny serrated knife	x	recycle bin
8	mini MOPPE	x	-
9	x	x	-
10	x	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitude - the craft store was willing to let me return the extra package of craft sticks, which I promptly exchanged credit against some orange paint, and a medium jar of gesso. I am eager to make more progress on Caer Cardboard (hence the gesso), and hope to also create some tiny crates of oranges from whole allspice and some more of the stir sticks. Now that (I think) I have cracked the technique for miniature graphics, I can make wee little fruit crate labels!

Time of Isolation - Day 774

stitch and restitch

in which our plucky heroine does some minor or at least miniature, surgery...

Today had an assortment of stitchery projects. I was asked last week to use my sewing machine to add a decorative patch to the center front of a hoodie, and today I felt coherent enough to return to work that involved scissors and needle and thread. It turned out that the patch was a beautiful design from Cada Johnson, whose textile works and clothing I had seen years ago at OCF under the name of Hartware. It was a real treat to see her artwork again. I had often regretted not acquiring one of her beautiful garments back in the day, so it is encouraging that she is still creating things for folks to embellish theirselves and their surroundings.

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time in the tinyworld:

Nandina, who has had a most traumatic time of it, turned up in the clean laundry basket today. Indeed, there had been some irreparable damage done to her structural integrity, and I determined that the best option would be to re-create her, as best I could, from the original materials. (fortunately I still have some scraps of the excellent brown/white shot linen fabric that is just right for her complexion). Since Nandina was the first of the tinyfolk that wanted to live here in what is turning out to be a whole little neighborhood "Tansu Terrace", I had to do what I could to bring her back to life. Her original lower legs were still in good shape, so I reused them as part of her revival.

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Well that was adrenaline I certainly didn't want! Someone on the street was going into their house, with a large unknown dog Not On A Leash, and when they closed the door behind themselves, they didn't notice that their dog was not inside with them. I was walking little Wellington, and the dog saw us across the street and came stalking over... while I hollered for them to come back outside and get their dog, W got so excited? that he pulled right out of his collar and began running wildly down the street. I was terrified that W would simply run away, or get lost, or that a car would come careening down the street, or who knows what. Fortunately he ran into my front yard, and was willing to be coaxed into the house. He seems none the worse, but I am still trying to calm my anxiety.

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	tiny Euphorbia	jacket snaps added	yard waste bin
2	tiny moth orchid	moar wood chips in planter	recycle bin
3	Countess scroll	weight closer for back door	tax forms mailed
4	Laurel enamel	tiny drawer handles	broken tree parts
5	sunflower enamel	tiny trowel handle	CrankyTooth
6	tiny cutting board	Nandina revived	yard waste bin
7	tiny serrated knife	x	recycle bin
8	x	x	-
9	x	x	-
10	x	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitude - all's well that ends well

Time of Isolation - Day 772

Monday miscellany

in which our plucky heroine begins dogsitting..

Last night N dropped off their little dog Wellington, to spend the next tenday or so here in my care. He is quite charming and friendly, and this will be his second visit here at Acorn Cottage.

The missing papertape and the missing craft sticks were both found. The papertape was hiding behind the still to be figured out LED light strings, both of which were jumbled in the back of Caer Cardboard, sitting atop my tansu chest. The craft sticks were hiding underneath a huge pile of "papers to be sorted". In both cases I have less than no idea how they ended up there... The current challenge is that now Nandina herself has gone missing! I have looked in my pockets, and my daypack, and all around the house. I thought she was sitting on "Vignette Promontory" next to the front door, but neither Almandine or Kenya noticed her leaving.

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time in the tinyworld:

The only completed miniature so far this week has been a tiny serrated knife, made from a bit of the metal edge from a box of parchment paper, cut to shape and making use of the serrations. I sandwiched it between two little fragments cut from stir stick wood, and once the glue dried it is sturdy enough. Probably making another one or two kitchen knives of different shapes would be good.

Earlier this morning, after Wellington walkies, I rode my bike over to the copy store with another few pages of miniature book arts pages to have color-copied. I found a free download of the Ryder-Waite Tarot cards, and thought, why not? In addition, I had put together a page of covers for faux-books using the dust jacket website, and wanted another copy of the beautiful bird books, since I lost one of the two I put together this past weekend. (hmmm I suspect that wherever that went, is also where Nandina has run off to) I think I have the settings down for making successful tiny book graphics, so my next step will be to create some of my own content, which will be even more challenging.

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~ creativity challenge ~

I've begun learning a new calligraphic hand - "Roman Rustic" ... calligraphy will never be a strong point of mine, but I want to eventually have a modest assortment of useful hands so as to be able to do scrolls in various styles and time periods

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	tiny Euphorbia	jacket snaps added	yard waste bin
2	tiny moth orchid	moar wood chips in planter	recycle bin
3	Countess scroll	weight closer for back door	tax forms mailed
4	Laurel enamel	tiny drawer handles	broken tree parts
5	sunflower enamel	tiny trowel handle	CrankyTooth
6	tiny cutting board	x	yard waste bin
7	tiny serrated knife	x	recycle bin
8	x	x	-
9	x	x	-
10	x	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitude - I am never bored.

Time of Isolation - Day 771

weekend wanderings and wonderings

in which our plucky heroine is feeling rather flat...

... and in response, dives further into the miniature reality where there is more delight and less travail and troubles. I feel grateful to have discovered that this kind of activity is renewing for me, at least right now. I cannot help wondering if I am being peculiarly self-protective, by not simply returning to the externally social life, filled with unmasked restaurant eating and event going that I see so many of my peers returning to, despite the actual statistics of the pandemic. I cannot help but fear that I will never feel like it is okay again. This is not my phobic attempt to stave off inevitable decline and death, but what I see as a realistic response to the situation. I don't know how to answer those in my circles who ask me, a little peremptorily, when I will rejoin the larger world. 

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time in the tinyworld:

This weekend I made some more tiny books, most of them using images that were downloaded for the covers, and blank interiors. I also printed out two books ("Beautiful Birds volumes 1 and 2), that one of my Tiny Rag Doll Nation friends sent me as a pdf, which have lovely and colorful illustrated pages. So there are a bit more to put on the bookshelf.

This last week I finally worked on creating Kenya Ogidni, (Nandina's mom)... I'm pretty happy with how her face turned out, and with the new method of attaching yarn hair.

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~ creativity challenge ~

Stopped in today at local art store to get some papertape, since I couldn't find the roll I know I have somewhere, and in their free box were small offcuts of soft printing plates. I want to try using some for block printing tinyworld textiles, either for soft furnishings, or even for clothing. Why do I want papertape, you may wonder... well the redoutbable and renowned Ann Wood presented it to the world on her blog as her new secret ingredient in making cardboard houses! Since I have been struggling to figure out how best to move forward on Caer Cardboard, I think this will be ideal for filling in the many corrugated gaps in the layered laminations that are visible on the edges all over the house. Then I can finally get it painted, start decorating, and finding places for various small furniture bits and bobs.

I also have the IKEA faux greenhouse, SENAPSKÅL which will be an "outdoor space" between Caer Cardboard and the Tudor cottage. I intend to make an egg carton cardboard stone flagged floor, to bring it all up to level with the house floors, and the whole "neighborhood" is actually going to live atop the tansu (箪笥) chest in my closet. Hmmm... perhaps I should call their street "Tansu Terrace"

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	tiny Euphorbia	jacket snaps added	yard waste bin
2	tiny moth orchid	moar wood chips in planter	recycle bin
3	Countess scroll	weight closer for back door	tax forms mailed
4	Laurel enamel	tiny drawer handles	broken tree parts
5	sunflower enamel	tiny trowel handle	CrankyTooth
6	tiny cutting board	x	yard waste bin
7	x	x	recycle bin
8	x	x	-
9	x	x	-
10	x	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitude - Friday I found out that, fortunately, the peculiar mole on my arm turned out to be benign. This was a big relief.

Time of Isolation - Day 770

a carrousel ride

in which our plucky heroine spins round in circles...

Years and decades ago, I lived in an apartment in Allston, with a whole slew of other young people, including my biker friend Danny, who had two dogs, Maxwell and Wingfoot (½shepherd/½doberman). They were pretty goofy, and fond of gettting all wound up and spinning in circles, to which we would declaim "spin, spin, Max Max sugar smacks; maximum dog minimum brains"!

This morning I started in on the second day of trying to sort out an erroneous pharmacy bill (that arrived here on Tuesday for a transaction in January). I basically spent almost four hours today either on hold, or re-explaining the problem, or giving my identifying information to robots so I could be re-routed to the next department. (this after spending hours yesterday doing the same thing) I phoned five different offices and spoke to seven different departments, and have been sent "round the circle" of offices more than just one time. It was rather like a Firesign Theater routine, only less funny. I have my fingers crossed that the final one I talked with is actually able to sort out the problem and get the payment covered, as it should be and always has been in the past.

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time in the tinyworld:

Along with the assorted solid wood slabs the aunties brought, I was given a scrap of multi-wood lamination, which I recut and reglued twice to create this wee 1" square cutting board. It turned out the sort of thing one would buy from a crafty woodworker at a street fair in the Before Time, and a good start on kitchen tools for the tinyworld.

I have been much inspired by the dolls and dollhouses of the very talented Claire Louise Milne who is active on Instagram and on Etsy (@TinyHandmadeDolls) and been most  particularly charmed by her little kitchen vignettes here and here (Not sure which kitchen gadgets and tools will be next in my queue, but possibly some knives to go along with cutting board?)
The other tinyworld project currently in process  has been making a start on creating Nandina's mom Kenya. I've stitched her body together, and the "Granny Square's Hair" tutorial worked well as a more tidy way to apply a base layer of hair, with two soft buns to give her a slightly more contemporary look. I will be taking more "portrait" photos once I have added her facial features

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~ creativity challenge ~

I continue my attempts to digitally shrink book covers and graphics to a suitable size and resolution for making 1:12 miniature books and wall art. Yesterday I found a website "Facsimile Dust Jackets" which has an odd assortment, in various genres, of exactly what their name describes, though nothing after 1976. I have downloaded some of the jpgs in order to experiment and perhaps be able to add some more faux books to my tinyworld shelves. It is fairly easy to find images of front covers of books, but quite difficult to find spine or back covers.

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	tiny Euphorbia	jacket snaps added	yard waste bin
2	tiny moth orchid	moar wood chips in planter	recycle bin
3	Countess scroll	weight closer for back door	tax forms mailed
4	Laurel enamel	tiny drawer handles	broken tree parts
5	sunflower enamel	tiny trowel handle	CrankyTooth
6	tiny cutting board	x	yard waste bin
7	x	x	recycle bin
8	x	x	-
9	x	x	-
10	x	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitude - I managed to get outside between the rain today and refill the yard waste bin with more of the broken tree parts

Time of Isolation - Day 768

slow Wednesday

in which our plucky heroine begins to recover...

Still feeling right puny today, which isn't surprising. Last night I couldn't get warm, even with double blankets, and kept waking up. The pain meds I was prescribed are completely wimpy, which didn't help. A single 200mg capsule of ibuprofen does about as much. I have cooked some very soft spinach rice bake, and a kasha and greens bake as well. The next two weeks or more will be eating soft foods, which I have experience enough to create things that are tasty but do not require chewing. Rest and recovery is my current plan.

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time in the tinyworld:

Sequoia has decided that the rubber chicken makes a really good dog toy...

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~ creativity challenge ~

I really would like to make some more very little books for the tinyworld, though I still have not quite figured out how to make digital things be the right size and resolution. (While there are various digital downloads to purchase, I've not seen much that includes actual book pages, but rather mostly just covers intended to have faux book innards added, such a a chunk of cardboard or foamcore) Perhaps it would be better, for now, instead, to create my own miniature bindings in various styles, and add my own tiny text and illustrations. It would not be as fast, but could create more variety of books on the shelves. Wondering if any of my miniature loving friends would be interested in a binding-along?

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	tiny Euphorbia	jacket snaps added	yard waste bin
2	tiny moth orchid	moar wood chips in planter	recycle bin
3	Countess scroll	weight closer for back door	tax forms mailed
4	Laurel enamel	tiny drawer handles	broken tree parts
5	sunflower enamel	tiny trowel handle	CrankyTooth
6	x	x	-
7	x	x	-
8	x	x	-
9	x	x	-
10	x	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitude - the life I have right now allows me to take time away from working in order to heal, and allows me time to rest when rest is necessary. Not everyone gets to have that, and indeed in my younger days I did not have that either.

Time of Isolation - Day 766

clean up on aisle 19

in which our plucky heroine has a terrible tooth Tuesday...

CrankyTooth (#19, the tooth was getting extracted in two weeks) developed a very swollen distal gumline Sunday afternoon, and when I phoned the dentist office on Monday, gave me an appointment the next morning (today, which was as soon as they could fit me in) Well, Dr Moon looked in my mouth, confirmed that it was badly infected, prescribed antibiotics, and then offered me a chance to get the tooth extracted today instead of in two weeks, since there was a cancellation with the oral surgeon. So unexpectedly, I bade farewell to CrankyTooth. According to the what the surgeon saw inside my jaw, removing the tooth and all the associated infection was really a good idea! Now I need to heal, as best I can.

My dear friend Poni ended up not only driving me to the dentist early this morning, but we spent the day together, going to the pharmacy to get medication, stopping to eat takeout Thai food for lunch, going back to the dentist office for the extraction, going to another pharmacy for more medication and finally she dropped me off at home so I could unwind and she could return to her own house. I have the best friends!

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	tiny Euphorbia	jacket snaps added	yard waste bin
2	tiny moth orchid	moar wood chips in planter	recycle bin
3	Countess scroll	weight closer for back door	tax forms mailed
4	Laurel enamel	tiny drawer handles	broken tree parts
5	sunflower enamel	tiny trowel handle	CrankyTooth
6	x	x	-
7	x	x	-
8	x	x	-
9	x	x	-
10	x	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitude - dentistry has improved in the last 50 years

Time of Isolation - Day 765

Monday musings and miscellany

in which our plucky heroine has a damp day...

So, the good part being that the minor sewing job I was asked about this afternoon turned out to be for something I could in fact easily do: sewing a layered decorative panel to the front of a hoody. (I'm always happy when I can actually help, and don't need to turn folks away to say, an upholstery shop, or someone who specialises in wedding dresses...)  Said decorative panel seemed somewhat familiar from my OCF days. Turned out that J, who asked about my sewing help, and lives only a few blocks away, had seen the artwork at the Fair the one year that artist (Cada Johnson, from Cottage Grove) was there, and then found more of her artwork on Etsy. I am sorely tempted to acquire one or two of the decorative patches myself, since the artist isn't making clothing any more, just patches and prayer flags. 

Really glad I was able to get out for some walking this weekend, since today is pretty much pouring down rain. There are different flowers blooming week by week, despite our recent unseasonable snowfall. A parking strip magnolia had branches that were low enough that I was able to see into the heart of the flower:

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time in the tinyworld:

Found the chocolate brown cotton fabric, so started sewing on a new tiny rag doll, this one is intended to be Nandina's mother, Kenya Ogidni, who will be coming to live with Nandina and Almandine in the tinyworld. Hopefully in another few days there will be a grand reunion.  Early on in the saga of my small friends, mention was made of Kenya, who was very active in her hippie days in the Black Power movement, and has passed her activist ways on to her (late in life) daughter Nandina.

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	tiny Euphorbia	jacket snaps added	yard waste bin
2	tiny moth orchid	moar wood chips in planter	recycle bin
3	Countess scroll	weight closer for back door	tax forms mailed
4	Laurel enamel	tiny drawer handles	broken tree parts
5	sunflower enamel	tiny trowel handle	-
6	x	x	-
7	x	x	-
8	x	x	-
9	x	x	-
10	x	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitude - I found my missing pair of eyeglasses. I had hooked them over the top bar on my workbench, where they somehow blended in with the tools and the assorted wire bits to become invisible for a week.

Time of Isolation - Day 764

Sunday snippets

in which our plucky heroine enjoys a visitation...

Today was excellent. Despite setting the alarm for an early morning family zoom meeting that had actually been rescheduled to next week. So I had a few extra morning hours to do chores, and got the dishes washed and laundry moved around before it was time for my crafternoon/brunch zoom.

After that weekly pleasant online social time, there were actual live human visitors here this afternoon! B & K showed up, after kindly picking up some things for me from Ikea while on their way. We stayed outside and masked, and after the exchange of various gifty objects* and things to be transfered between here and there, K spent hours with loppers and bow saw cutting apart the downed tree parts.

The largest bits, and much of the long straight branches were loaded into their car to go back to OlyWA, pretty much all the stuff that was too big for me to easily cut into chunks. The smaller branchlets and twiggy parts she piled and stacked up all together, which will allow me access to most of the front yard again. I was truly amazed at how much she accomplished, I had thought that she might cut off a piece or two for her woodworking, not that she would clear the space so that I can rake and mow! (The third broken branch is still unsafe to access from the ground and needs professional help)

Eventually it was too dark for yardwork, so we ordered our favorite sushi takeout, and had dinner on the front porch, bundled up in cardigans and hats, and well separated, because you cannot eat with masks on. They enjoyed the results of my meringue experiment. This visit was about as close to the hospitality of the Before Times, with conversation and conviviality. I was really sorry to see them off on their way home, but so very very glad to have had the chance of visiting time.

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time in the tinyworld:

a new notebook, a miniature trowel, and a watering can

A few minor bits are all I managed to add this weekend. I am most pleased with the spiral bound notebook, inspired by a pen that ran out of ink, from which I salvaged the retractable spring. A piece of notebook paper with extra lines added with a blue micron pen, the covers cut from a manila envelope, and the whole of them cut to size with holes drilled to thread the spring coil through...

The small hand trowel, (initially made from some pie tin foil and a toothpick) needed a somewhat larger handle. So I removed the toothpick, and substituted a piece of a very worn out paintbrush, with part of the ferrule making the join, and the very dilapidated wooden brush handle piece a convincingly worn garden trowel handle.The small watering can was a gift. It was originally a charm, with a loop at the top of the handle, which I cut off and smoothed over. It is a little too small for an outdoor garden, but rather just right for watering miniature house plants

the improved miniature trowel
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Saturday, (yesterday) I spent almost three hours today lopping off branchlets from the two huge broken tree pieces on the ground in my front yard. Now my yard waste bin is full to the brim. That is, best estimate, somewhere between a fifth and a quarter of what is small enough for me to handle. Doesn't include the larger parts of the branches, OR the third, equally huge, chunk that is still hanging from one of the trees. But it is noticeable progress, however incremental. ...

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I am afraid that my CrankyTooth TM may be developing an abscess. My distal gum next to #19 is becoming puffy and sore, in a way it hasn't previously. Time to call the dentist tomorrow morning. I have an appointment at the beginning of May for the extraction, but not sure what this new problem will require...

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	tiny Euphorbia	jacket snaps added	yard waste bin
2	tiny moth orchid	moar wood chips in planter	recycle bin
3	Countess scroll	weight closer for back door	tax forms mailed
4	Laurel enamel	tiny drawer handles	broken tree parts
5	sunflower enamel	tiny trowel handle	-
6	x	x	-
7	x	x	-
8	x	x	-
9	x	x	-
10	x	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitude - I have the best of friends.

* there were assorted gifty bits: some vintage books for collage pictures, a bundle of fairly thin hardwood scraps from a woodworker they know, a small replica of one of the Ikea blue tote bags, and perhaps best of all, a little bag with ten Maneki Neko beads, all in blue and white porcelain and barely more than a centimeter tall!

Time of Isolation - Day 763

Sources of Error and other Friday fragments

in which our plucky heroine tries experimental baking...

I attempted to make meringues. My meringue cookies were a failure, alas. Unless you like something that has a crisp outer surface and a soft sticky interior. Which I do not. They are alarmingly sweet, and delightfully rose flavored. I suspect I would have liked them more when I was younger. I am going to try making the recipe again, but on a day that is NOT raining, making smaller meringue tidbits, using caster (fine grain/baking) sugar instead of granulated, and instead of the "put in oven and turn off and leave overnight", just a regular bake at a low temperature. So many variables and sources of error...

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time in the tinyworld:

I might have figured out how to get tiny book graphics to print clearly, as opposed to so badly pixilated as to be almost illegible... It seems to involve turning off some of the automatic re-sampling before changing the resolution from 72 dpi to 300 dpi. I saved a page from the activities page on Harriet Muncaster's website, and was able to have the copy store print it our for me, and turn it into two tiny books. If I can remember how to do it again, I would be able to get some of the other free online tinybook content printed out as well, which would be a treat.

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	tiny Euphorbia	jacket snaps added	yard waste bin
2	tiny moth orchid	moar wood chips in planter	recycle bin
3	Countess scroll	weight closer for back door	tax forms mailed
4	Laurel enamel	tiny drawer handles	-
5	sunflower enamel	-	-
6	x	x	-
7	x	x	-
8	x	x	-
9	x	x	-
10	x	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitude - I was able to finish my taxes, ride to the copy store, ride home again to eat lunch, ride to the post office to mail all the tax forms, and still get home while it was daylight and not raining.

Time of Isolation - Day 761

the bitter and the sweet

in which our plucky heroine tries something new...

I am almost done doing my taxes. Still need to do a fair copy of all the pages, make a note of which pages need how many xeroxes to send in with which forms, and, of course, ride my bike to the copy store and then to the post office tomorrow to mail everything in. This year the various Oregon forms were rather astoundingly poorly written and confusing, unlike in all previous years. Or perhaps it was in not having the instructions neatly written out on a paper pamphlet to set down next to the forms and the calculator. I suspect that I am dating myself, and than no thoroughly modern person even bothers with paper forms any more. C'est la vie.

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time in the tinyworld:

The small drawers at the base of the bookcases needed handles. Rather than the expedient of simply gluing beads to the drawer fronts, I decided to use the eye portion of hook-and-eye sewing notions. A bit of effort with small pliers reshaped the eye to something more closely resembling a drawer handle (and not incidentally something that I could manage to grasp).

In order to attach them to the wooden drawer front, eschucheon pins would stand in for tiny bolts. After measuring the pin stems with a wire gauge, and marking where they needed to be located, I chose a matching drill bit to create the holes. The escutcheon pins were trimmed to the same length as the drawer fronts were thick, and a bit of Tacky Glue encouraged the whole thing to become firmly attached. The drawers now embody my aesthetic that combines a modicum of realism with a generous helping of diminutive and whimsical "use what you have"...

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"Don’t be silent but make your art as an antidote to the poison out there. Fill up the spaces with your creativity, your joy, your beauty, your intelligence. Let’s do this thing."

- Shawna Lemay

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I am attempting an experiment: meringue cookies. I have been told that they are incredibly easy. And indeed they only have two basic ingredients: sugar, and eggwhites. We shall see. The recipe my sister sent me has you preheat the oven, and once the meringues are plopped down on their parchment paper cookie sheet, they are placed in the oven, the oven turned off and left closed overnight. Which is why they are called "Forgotten Cookies". I am a bit concerned since I only had normal granulated sugar, not fancy caster sugar, since I had to use an eggbeater (as there is no stand mixer here at Acorn Cottage), and since it is actually raining, and supposedly meringues are happier if the weather is dry. Oh, and I also used rosewater to flavor them instead of vanilla. Because I like it better. My intent is to eat one as dessert tomorrow, with some fruit topping, and to have a few to share with my visitors on Sunday. 

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	tiny Euphorbia	jacket snaps added	yard waste bin
2	tiny moth orchid	moar wood chips in planter	recycle bin
3	Countess scroll	weight closer for back door	-
4	Laurel enamel	tiny drawer handles	-
5	sunflower enamel	-	-
6	x	x	-
7	x	x	-
8	x	x	-
9	x	x	-
10	x	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitude - My friend Karen, who kept me video company all afternoon while I whinged and tore my hair out over the taxes. And my vintage eggbeater, which I got at a yard sale years ago, and which works really really well!

Time of Isolation - Day 760

wishful Wednesday

in which our plucky heroine plays catch up...

So, yesterday I took the bus to the dermatology clinic for a mole biopsy. The medical part was fairly minor, but the hours on the bus was exhausting, and I ended up taking a several hour nap when I got home. This played hob with my getting anything else done yesterday. I won't know for a few weeks what the pathology says, but the doctor said it was very likely benign, so I am doing my best not to worry.

I did get in just over 13K steps yesterday (more than twice my usual), for almost five miles of walking, fitted between the time on the bus, like the transfer to #19 when the next bus wouldn't be there for almost a half hour, and it was faster to walk the rest of the way. Doing what I can to increase my daily movement, which seems to have a direct correlation with my mental state. Fortunately there were whole sections of yesterday when it wasn't raining. I was wearing my new canvas chore jacket with a handknit wool pullover underneath, and was quite cozy.

mystery flowering tree (cherry?), seen on my way to the clinic...
obviously this neighborhood did not get the snow we did earlier
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Took a break from the arithmetic of doing taxes to drill holes in the back door surround, screw in eyebolts, and set the door up with a weight based self-closing mechanism. Not elegant, but ever so useful, and making do with what I have. Noticed that it would be a good idea to add another layer of weatherstripping, as there are huge gaps between the door and the frame.

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The front yard is still a huge mess of tree biomass. The hung torn branch is still hanging there in midair. I wish I knew someone with a chipper, as then at least the downed bits could be turned into mulch. Still, not much can be done right now. The yard waste bin is now full of cut up small branches, but it barely made a dent.

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	tiny Euphorbia	jacket snaps added	yard waste bin
2	tiny moth orchid	moar wood chips in planter	recycle bin
3	Countess scroll	weight closer for back door	-
4	Laurel enamel	-	-
5	sunflower enamel	-	-
6	x	x	-
7	x	x	-
8	x	x	-
9	x	x	-
10	x	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitude - I have a modest set of housefix tools and skills and am not afraid to attempt things, much less afraid than I was when I began this life as a householder. Yes, it still takes me ages to figure out how to do things, but I fret less about how long it takes. And while I didn't grow up being shown how to use power tools, I did have the good fortune of growing up with parents who did use tools to change the environs, whether it was my Dad building us kids a playhouse or a backyard patio, or my Mom making curtains and clothing, so I learned, at least, that it was possible.

Time of Isolation - Day 759

Snow day and other assorted miscellany

in which our plucky heroine plans indoor activity...

outside Acorn Cottage the weather is currently "wintery mix" which while it always sounds like some sort of party snack like Chex Mix, is instead a sloppy slushy swirl of rain and snow. Not my favorite for walking, and I will wait till later in the day to attempt a sanity stroll and thereby avoid slip-sliding away.

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time in the tinyworld:

This last Sunday, after an intensive multiple day enameling project, I chose to take time off from work and just play. I've been saving these small sturdy boxes that my hand lotion is packaged in, and realised that they were an excellent size for tinyworld bookcases. There was much measuring and cutting of a scrap of davey board into suitable shelves, followed by careful use of Tacky Glue.

More fabrication made small drawers to fit the extra space. I was able to use a scrap of mini plywood leftover from refurbishing the bakers rack to make the drawer fronts (which still need handles). Not sure what color to paint the bookcases, so for now I will leave them as large scale black and white floral, and plan on choosing a color when I have built an actual room for them to live in! Also quite pleased to find out that there is now a LOT more room for at least a dozen or two additional tiny books and trinkets

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Woke up this morning to everything covered in inches of wet sticky snow. Not at all our usual mid April weather, and with all the trees beginning to leaf out or starting to flower, this isn't good. Large chunks of my big front yard "ornamental plum" trees are broken off and hanging, and I'm just grateful they didn't fall on my roof.

"The last time our area had this much snow on this date was in 1890. The last time we had measurable snow on this date (0.3") was in 1972. This is so unusual." - from a local friend

Pete from next door dragged two of the biggest tree chunks away from my front walkway, and there is one more large chunk still hanging off the other tree. (My small sideyard and backyard fruit trees, well pruned, are okay, though I don't know how this will affect pollination, our local bees, and fruit set, or if the buds and flowers will simply freeze and die)

This is what I saw looking out my front door today


a big chunk of tree, out of place


wet snow tore the tree apart


actually three large chunks of the tree were broken off

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Last week I did a spot of refurbishment on the miniature bakers rack I was gifted. As the "butcher block" counter was a bit smaller than the metal framework, I removed it and cut a fresh piece of wood to size. Painted the entire rack with black model enamel, I wanted matte paint but all the art store had was glossy. There are many gaps in the displays there, as I suppose supply chain issues are not just for grocery staple food. I also looked up online to check the hours of the little hobby store that is a few miles away, and found that their store had been closed for over a year now. I guess not enough customer base to keep their rent and costs covered.

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in preparation for my next scribal project, I am putting in some small amount of time every day working on learning Roman Rustic style of calligraphy. I will be making a Scythian inspired scroll, and as they had no writing (that we know of) my friend suggested Roman as at least a contemporary time period. Calligraphy is not my strong suit, so it will require a fair amount of practice to get an acceptable result. I did find an online tutorial that breaks the letters down into groups of similar structure, which will be helpful...

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TAXES, ugh! Time to spend a few days doing arithmetic and filling out paperwork. And then send off bootles of dosh. I love being self employed, except in mid April.

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It would be fun, I think, to carve some tiny erasers to blockprint a miniature faux Marimekko "Unikko" blue poppies fabric for use in the tinyworld.

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Yay me, I did the hard thing I have been avoiding for a week now, and called the dentist to schedule my extraction of CrankyTooth. Still unhappy of the necessity, and still scared about the procedure, but it needs to happen.

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This "exciting" weather has me thinking about wardrobe planning, though there will be no major sewing projects until my taxes and the current crop of peerage regalia project are completed. That said, it is all about summer and winter:  a few pairs of winter leggings would actually be welcome, and a new summer popover dress, because this cold snap will not last long. All of these I have fabric on hand to make up: dark grey lycra knit, and a navy and white printed lycra knit for new leggings, and the lovely "indigo tiger" rayon for the summer dress.

I am also thinking about replacing my venerable sunhats which would allow me to use some smaller fabric remnants, and maybe a pair of long desired washable bed socks, to allow me to use lotion on my poor feet which are as dry as the Sahara. It has also occurred to me that making trim bands as more decorative visible lower edge for the bottom edge of winter leggings would be an excellent handwork project, being both small enough, a simple shape, and a way to explore different techniques and motifs. 

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Tried using the 120 grit diamond hand file I acquired prior to pandemic for grinding down the enamel before flash firing... still a slow process, but much easier, since the file portion has a handle (unlike an alundum stone), and much less messy, since I don't end up with a dishpan full of alundum sludge.

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	tiny Euphorbia	jacket snaps added	-
2	tiny moth orchid	moar wood chips in planter	-
3	Countess scroll	-	-
4	Laurel enamel	-	-
5	sunflower enamel	-	-
6	x	x	-
7	x	x	-
8	x	x	-
9	x	x	-
10	x	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitude - This last weekend, my good neighbors filled up the big planter in the back yard with wood chips from their pile, so it is ready for me to begin adding garden soil.

Time of Isolation - Day 757