Friday, September 15, 2017

Is there a way to send mix tapes to people in this modern age?

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Isogashi or Wasoreru? Both?

I just found out that the kanji for busyness and forgetting combines the symbols for "heart" and "to die." So being busy or not having memories is your heart dying? Kind of profound... That makes me think of all the Japanese dramas I've watched where everybody is always talking about making memories...or the sadness of not having memories... I need to move on to Josei manga and abandon the shoujo...

Saturday, January 21, 2017

Nadia - My Friend

This is simply a shout-out to my friend Nadia. She's my hero and has taught me so much...about architecture, professionalism, life... I'm so grateful that I've met her and and that she's been there for me. She's the sister I've always wanted. I may be M.I.A. sometimes, but she's never too far from my thoughts. I'm wishing her all the happiness and love the world has to offer. Nadia, if you ever feel a breeze and a little warmth hit you from our Florida sun, know that I'm thinking of you, giving you all the positive energy this perpetually down-in-the-dumps Eeyore can muster.

P.S. Tedious tasks seem to be good for the heartbroken. I'm making a tiny paper chain for an equally tiny Christmas tree. Stay tuned...

P.P.S. I love paper.

Saturday, June 11, 2016

A Sad Post...but maybe still interesting...

Hello Interwebs,

I want to say I am back after a long hiatus, but I don't know if I am... This is an interesting predicament I am going to share with everyone out there...

The boyfriend I referenced so many times in my blog and I broke up two years ago. We had been together for a long time, so the change in my life was drastic. Basically, I've been grieving since... Ridiculous, I know... 

One of the strange side effects of this life change is that I cannot make miniatures. This hobby has always been mine. I've loved little things since I was a toddler. I've been making miniatures since I was a kid. He and I were both makers, so he would make things and I would help. I would make things, and he would help. Many, many times I would want to make something, but couldn't figure out how to get the precise result I was looking for, and he would have a solution or help me make a jig or do a test... Maybe this connected him too much to my hobby and I can't separate it now...? I really don't know. Another theory is that I'm punishing myself somehow by not allowing myself to do something I love. I don't know why this has happened, but this is my situation now.

I still love miniatures. I actually live in a one-bedroom apartment now. I sleep in the living room and have made the bedroom my studio. I have not used it for two years. I have lots of supplies, a couple of unfinished dollhouses, and a beautiful display case full of the treasures I've collected and made for over 30 years. I pin miniatures constantly on Pinterest. I've even bought miniatures and supplies over the past two years, but I can't seem to get over this block. I do a lot of standing and looking at my miniatures or my stock of supplies... You'd think I could just force myself...just sit down and make a damn flower...but I can't.

I hope this block goes away some time. I am optimistic that it will, but for now, I am stuck in the same place. If any of you out there have dealt with something similar or have some ideas, please share. I'm looking for answers. I am looking for solutions. I am looking for a making buddie. Any help you amazing people out there can provide would be greatly appreciated.

I hope this wasn't too much of a downer...

L.


Saturday, April 6, 2013

Shapeways, and I'm not talking about undergarments...


Remember this?



I got irritated with the system kitchen sink I have been working on. I want smooth! I want chamfers! I want real stainless steel! The wood and gesso were just not cutting it. I found Shapeways!


This:
Shapeways 3D Printing!

Not this:








I modeled my sink in Vectorworks (a modeling/drafting program), converted the file to a .stl file, upload to http://www.shapeways.com/, and placed an order. It took a few weeks, which is almost longer than I could stand, but I got my model last Friday. Can you say super-excited?!
Lookitlookitlookit!









This is my new sink in the counter:




I still need to settle on my drain cconfiguration, but I don't feel stuck anymore! The faucet (I've got something in mind for this one...), the cook top, and the broiler are the major tasks that remain. This is the Japanese System Kitchen in its current state of completion:










Sunday, March 31, 2013

I have a dollhouse!!!

2013 so far:
Friend from Japan and Alex's little sister visited.
New company merger
Flu
Allergies (Florida's the worst for this...)
Now, the parents are coming....

But, I have a job, so these are definitely not complaints. It has just been really busy.

I have been fitting in some time for minis, but just no time for blogging about them. I will attempt to catch up.

Home Depot sold a Real Good Toys dollhouse kit during the Christmas season. I heard about this through the CAMP Yahoo group. Somebody posted a tip about a coupon, so the thing ended up being something like $50. I've bought some Houseworks components, so the cost will increase some. However, the quality of the construction is so good, that it's negligible. 

Here's my inspiration house:
 
By Union Studio Architecture & Community Design in Providence, RI



Here's my house in it's current state of completion:


 
I added some attic windows which I have yet to build. I'm going to do a stained wood porch floor. I cut an additional hole in the third floor for a stair to the attic. (I hate how the stairs in dollhouses are so unrealistic... These won't exactly be working stairs, but at least it will appear to have a path to the attic.) I'm going to do brackets for the porch posts like the inspiration house. I'm also going to rebuild the porch rail with square balusters, and I want to add the vents on the crawl space under the building. I'm trying to figure out the lighting right now.

Having a dollhouse has always been a dream of mine. I currently have 4 kits - 2 in progress - so the dream has never been fulfilled. I'm not getting too crazy with a redesign of the RGT house so my dream may become a reality. I've been super happy since I did the first bit of construction. It may not look like much now, but I had to share.