After searching many years for the perfect sketchbook, I finally gave up on the commercial brands and decided to make my own. For weeks I stayed up all night tearing paper, threading needles, poking holes in mat boards, and utilizing all kinds of gadgets, until finally I created the sketchbook I had been searching for. Here are the steps I used to make my favorite sketchbook.

 

1) Measure out and tear (using the side of a ruler) a full sheet (22" x 30") of Arches watercolor paper into eight, 7.5" x 11" sheets (a full sheet is actually 22.5 inches wide so the individual pieces will be 11.25" long including the deckle edge). Make sure the paper's front side is up (watermark is readable on front side). Repeat until 4 full sheets have been torn into a total of 32, 7.5" x 11" sheets.

 

2) Organize torn sheets so all the deckled edges are together on the right side.

 

3) Cut two mat boards 7.75" x 11.75".

 

4) Wrap 2" wide, book binding cloth tape lengthwise around the left side of each cut mat board, with approximately 1" on top and 1" on the bottom. This will give the binding more support.

 

5) Sandwich the stack of paper in between the two mat boards with the deckled edges facing away from the taped ends. Take the book to FedEx Office (or any other office supply store that has binding), and have it spiral bound along the taped side. I had FedEx Office spiral bind my sketchbooks but it's also possible to buy a spiral binding machine. Zutter's Bind-It-all and We R Memory Keeper's The Cinch*** are two products I’ve heard good things about and both have YouTube video demonstrations.

 

6) Once your book is bound, use an awl to punch two holes into the back side of the mat board. (It’s a good idea to put a couple of layers of cardboard behind the mat before making the holds so as not to poke a hole through anything else.) Using approximately 21" of elastic, push each end up through the holes and pull tight until the elastic is snug around the sketchbook. Overlap the two elastic ends and stitch them together with sturdy thread.

 

7) Finished!

 

***UPDATE***

I recently purchased "the Cinch" for binding books. The tool works quite well and easily punches through mat board. I purchased the 1" plastic spirals (it's the only size they make) and found them too large. So I ordered the metal binders sizes (3/4" and 1") and they seem to work pretty well (I prefer the 3/4"). Ultimately, I like the binding better from FedEx Office but it's not worth the hassle for me to drive and wait hours for my order to be completed. I think the Cinch will be my sketchbook binder of choice!

 

****

IMPRESSIONS OF WINE COUNTRY

****

I am proud to announce the publication of my new book, Impressions of Wine Country. In this book, I talk with a number of winemakers and grape growers to uncover the artistry of viticulture and viniculture in this unique area of the world. It is both a story of how wine is grown and crafted from the vine to the glass and a picture book containing over 170 of my watercolors (drawn mostly on location). Travel with me as I explore the seasons of the vineyard in Northern California.

 

Available on Amazon: www.amazon.com/Impressions-Wine-Country-Richard-Sheppard/...

The 400mm f/2.8 is simply incredible. From quite some distance, this lens recorded what type of spark plug is in that engine - easily readable in full resolution

 

Karting at Road America, Fall Vintage weekend September 2015

I must admit that I had ulterior motives when I approached Wayne, my 166th stranger, for a portrait. Sure, I thought he had a cool urban vibe and I knew that his hair would add interest to any portrait, but my desires went beyond style. Let me explain.

 

My last stranger outing was about a month ago. During that time it seemed that I was having problems with my Nikon’s autofocus feature. The problem is best illustrated in the portrait of my 161st Stranger, Devin ( www.flickr.com/photos/chriscamino/23921005261/in/photostr... ). For this shot, although my focal point was definitely on his left eye, the focus on his eye was unmistakably soft. However, the focus on his sideburns (farther back from his eyes) was perfectly sharp. Someone suggested that I check my lens/camera calibration in order to determine if my lens was ‘back focusing’.

 

I turned to my camera manual as well as browsed a few web sites to figure out how to check calibration as this was uncharted territory for me. The method I ended up using is as follows: Firstly, I mounted my camera on a tripod to eliminate motion blur. Then, about ten feet away I placed a household measuring stick that had bold marks and numbers along its length. I set up the stick at a 45 degree angle going away from my camera…essentially giving me a way to measure my depth of field. Using my portrait lens opened to a wide aperture, I then focused on a specific point on the measuring stick and captured the image. Sure enough, the point on which I focused was barely readable in the resulting image, but the numbers 2 – 3 inches behind my focal point were tack sharp. My camera/lens was back focusing! Recalibrating a lens is accomplished via one of the camera’s menu functions. It wasn’t difficult to do, but it required a little bit of trial and error by testing the DOF on the measuring stick multiple time. I finally got the depth of field where I thought it was correct. Two things concerned me. Firstly, I essentially had to max out the allowable calibration to get my lens to focus at the proper point. Therefore it just wasn’t just a little bit off….it was totally out of whack. Secondly, I checked my other two go-to lenses (you need to calibrate each lens separately) and it turned out that they required the same degree of calibration. It seems the issue is inherent to my camera (as opposed to an individual lens). A friend suggested that he had had similar issues with his Nikon D600, and suggested I might want to send my camera back to Nikon to be checked out. I am tempted to take his advice, but before incurring the cost and inconvenience of such a move, I figured I would see if this calibration exercise would suffice to solve my problem.

 

So this brings me to my encounter with Wayne. This was my first stranger outing since I had recalibrated my lens, so I was a little nervous not knowing if my adjustments had done the trick or if they had entirely botched up my autofocus I liked the opportunity that Wayne presented to me. Not only was he a fine looking stranger, but all his hair, both on his face and head, represented a plethora of detail in which to gauge my lens DOF. Wayne’s portrait was to act as the ultimate living test for my lens calibration.

 

Wayne readily agreed to the portrait. I posed him in front of a statue/monolith that was mirrored, and the blue tone in the BG is the muted reflection of the late afternoon sky. I was shooting slightly below Wayne as he was standing on a small mound. Wayne’s girlfriend was assisting with a reflector left of frame. My focal point was directly on his left eye.

 

I am pleased with the final result, not only with the focus but especially with the portrait Wayne and I were able to produce together. Regarding the focal point, his left eye is reasonably in focus. Zooming in tight on his eye, his eyelashes are sharp and I can make out a fine blood vessel in the white of his eye. I think the detail in the iris could be a little clearer, but that may be too critical as his eyes are dark. I may have calibrated a little too far and there might be a slight ‘front focus’ occurring now, but overall I am happy with the sharpness and my recalibration efforts.

 

I do not know how my camera could have been knocked out of calibration. I did have the sensor ‘professionally’ cleaned in December, so I am suspiscious that whatever happened might have occurred then (the timing seems right). I am by no means a wizard when it comes to the inner workings of my camera, so if any of you techies out there have something to add or think I am missing the mark, please feel free to elaborate. I wanted to write this piece as a service to inform my fellow amateur stranger photographers (that shoot with a dslr camera) that if your focus is not all that you think it should be, maybe it would be worthwhile to check your lens calibration.

 

Check out the rest of the stranger street portraits in my project at Paco's 100 Strangers Project and find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page.

 

Ever since I met you no vacancy 🎶

 

This past summer I used oil pastels to create a scene depicting what I envisioned when I heard this OneRepublic single. Ever since then, I wanted to recreate this drawing as a Lego scene. However, I quickly realized how hard it would be to make a readable neon sign in minifig scale and eventually scrapped the idea...until last night. While listening to this song again, I found the inspiration I needed and reworked my vision for this build. This was unlike anything I've done before since the entire build is actually facing towards the sky. This was done so that the pieces making up the words can remain unattached to anything (ultimately simplifying the build). I really like how this came out and hope you enjoy this different type of build ✌️

 

You can see the original drawing and how I created this build on my Instagram @_elitetc_

I don't exactly know how this shot went so mad, so completely wrong - yet it retains a fascination of its own to me.

This is a New Lomochrome Purple 400 film that I started shooting inside a Cosina CX-2, then moved to an Olympus TRIP once the Cosina proved to be unable to advance the film after 7 or 8 shots (this has happened before with a roll of a different make and era, so I'll assume the camera needs repairing - sob).

After reshooting the first frames and all the rest of the roll on the Olympus, I brought the roll to the lab, to later realise the first troubled shots were missing from the prints. I then checked the film and scanned it with my Plustek machine... just to find out these images are a total mess. Only this one shot shows a readable image, though completely f*cked and with a grain as big as popcorns.

I am posting this because I like it in its uncompromisingly weird, flawed, twisted way.

.

Camera: Cosina CX-2 + Olympus TRIP35

Film: New #Lomochrome Purple 400

See more at my LomoHome: bit.ly/ADGlomo

This was inspired by many things but mainly this photo. It didn't turn out at all like i was expecting though and i think it ended up being inspired by this one too.

 

In any case, i still don't know about it. I think i only uploaded it because Michelle told me to. I've been doing that a lot lately.

 

View On Black <--- if you want to try to read any of it.

 

The Blog.

Portugal, Lisboa, Belem, Avenida de Brasilia, Electricity museum, Condensors hall, school children, teachers (slightly cut from all sides).

 

The Meseu da Electricidade is one of the most striking technology museums we ever visited. It´s the giant Tejo power station, built in 1908 by the CRGE (Companhias Ruinidas de Gas e Electricidade) as the 'Estacão Eléctrica Central Tejo' and also kown as ‘Central da Junqueira’ power station. The facility was expanded and modernized in different steps. The last step was taken in 1951. It´s kinda ironic that due to the new national power grid policy and the prime role hydro-electric power generation in it, the Tejo station then already had the status of reserve station, mainly kept on stand-by.

 

The power station was coal fired and employed towering Babcock & Wilcox high pressure boilers. It could provide the whole of Lisbon with electricity and was decommissioned and mothballed in 1972. It´s max output was 65 MW. In comparison a modern metropolitan coal/biomass fired power station outputs up to 1500 MW.

 

There's by the way a lively debate about these kind of modern coal fired plants because the relatively high amount of NOx, SOx and CO2 in their combustion fumes. There's a drive to phase them out and rely on gas fuelled ones or, preferably, ones that use wind and other sustainable energy sources instead. So in a way Portugal, like for instance Norway (although Norway skipped the coal phase), was ahead of the game..

 

Anyway, after a while it was decided that the old mothballed Tejo power station should be turned into a museum. And the result was spectacular. The vintage technology is very well preserved and made readable via didactic cut-opens and access areas. And some dioramic scenes to enhance storytelling /realism and a permanent exposition about the world of energy and the generation of it were added The museum opened in 1990 and was renovated and modernized from 2001-2006. It´s now the most popular Portuguese museum..

 

This post depicts the bottom level of the condenser hall and the stairs to the area where the actual electric current generation takes place: the hall of the turbo alternators.

On the stairs is a group of schoolchildren that we encountered at various places in the museum. Their disciplined behaviour and being spellbound by the presentations of the educational staff of the museum was remarkable.

Click on the photo twice for spine readable size.

 

Spine readable size.

Some browsers have automatic image sizing.

After clicking the link you may have to click on the photo to see the original size.

 

This eagle is Haliaeetus leucocephalus - which is Greek for Sea eagle white head.

It is number 2 from the digital colouring book: INTRICATE INK Sketches 2.

A Book of 25 Animal Drawings by Tim Jeffs.

 

The white-tailed eagle reintroduced to Scotland in 1975 is considered a close cousin of the bald eagle and occupies the same ecological niche, but in Eurasia.

 

A very readable guide to Bald Eagles here:

www.animalfactguide.com/animal-facts/bald-eagle/

 

"Uncommon Valor was a Common Virtue", reads the inscription at the base of the US Marines Memorial, aka Iwo Jima Memorial, in Arlington, VA.

 

The early twilight skies were showing promise for a colorful sunrise, so I headed to this spot to set up and wait. Immediately adjacent to thousands of headstones lining the rolling hills of Arlington National Cemetery, this brilliantly rendered statue and flag provide a readable silhouette at first light.

 

It was truly my great honor to capture a photograph of such a worthy American symbol honoring our brave men and women of the armed forces, including the USMC.

 

Lens is the FA 150mm f/2.8 on the 645Z. I only had room this trip to travel with 3 focal lengths(35mm, 90mm, 150mm), and a flimsy travel tripod, so I found myself making composition decisions based on the lens, instead of my usual pre-visualization process.

 

Click through to see more symbols of our great nation.

 

Thanks for looking.

it's small, but readable.

if you can't, view a larger size.

 

i'm quite passionate about this.

For a photographer its normal to have parts of the equipment on the desk, perfect for the Macro Monday theme, Desk or on m my desk.

37424 in full RHTT livery at York. 37558 is under the grime somewhere and the nameplate is barely readable! nice to catch it in the sun mind.

Regional trains - the only ones to actually stop in Liechtenstein; long-distance trains simply run through - on the Feldkirch - Buchs line are rather scarce: there are nine trains per day in each direction on weekdays, all but one (a Buchs-to-Feldkirch lunchtime working) concentrated in the morning and evening rush hours. That means that the first train to start in Buchs for the evening rush hour (train R 5721) has to be conveyed as ECS from Austria. That is this train (it clearly says "Leerfahrt" on the front), composed of an unidentified Talent type EMU of class 4024 in the new CityJet livery. Unfortunately, with that new livery, the EMU ID is hardly readable from any distance greater than a few meters, so I don't know which one this is. Schaanwald, 07-05-2019.

So, as much I was thinking UWS was gunna send Amreps here, I was wrong! I guess, being UWS's fleet, esp for resi trucks are CNG. They had to go with gently used, and new diesel trucks. Being that CNG is not the most readable fuel. Being there is only two fuel stations in the Albuquerque area for public or privet commercial use. Ether way, very cool truck! First Autocar Xpeditor McNeilus Autoreachs in UWS colors I have ever saw. This normal a typical AW or WM combo, so neat to see it in UWS colors!

So, as much I was thinking UWS was gunna send Amreps here, I was wrong! I guess, being UWS's fleet, esp for resi trucks are CNG. They had to go with gently used, and new diesel trucks. Being that CNG is not the most readable fuel. Being there is only two fuel stations in the Albuquerque area for public or privet commercial use. Ether way, very cool truck! First Autocar Xpeditor McNeilus Autoreachs in UWS colors I have ever saw. This normal a typical AW or WM combo, so neat to see it in UWS colors!

The Baptistery of Castiglione Olona is a building in the complex of the Collegiate Church of Santi Stefano e Lorenzo, famous for housing a remarkable cycle of frescoes by Masolino da Panicale (Stories of St John the Baptist, 1435).

The 'baptistery' room probably originated as an aristocratic chapel inside the dismantled castle of Castiglione Olona. At the time of Cardinal Branda Castiglione it was renovated and decorated by the famous cycle by Masolino, who had already worked for the cardinal in Rome, in the basilica of San Clemente of which he had been titular.

Masolino's fresco cycle, a work of his maturity, dated 1435, unfolds on the walls and vaults. The episodes from the life of John the Baptist unfold along the walls with a strong interpenetration of the painted architecture with the real one and, in some cases, an attempt to overcome the very barrier of the end of the wall by linking adjoining scenes with illusionistic effects. Important is the use of Brunelleschian perspective, here applied for the first time in Lombardy, also linked to chromatic and material refinements (such as the use of metal foil in haloes and armouring), which make Masolino a transitional artist between the languages of the Late Gothic and the Renaissance in the strict sense.

The state of preservation of the cycle is uneven: while the right and back walls are well readable, the left and part of the central wall are damaged, as they are more exposed to moisture and weather.

On the vault are the four evangelists around a depiction of the Mystical Lamb in the keystone. The stories of John the Baptist begin on the right counter façade with the Announcement to Zachariah, set in a central plan building and next to an extraordinary view of Rome above the entrance door, followed by the Visitation (barely legible). Continuing on the left wall is the Nativity of John the Baptist, almost completely lost, and the Imposition of the Name, set under an archway that forms a 'perspective telescope', capable of dramatically expanding the physical space of the chapel.

On the archway are the four Doctors of the Church, seated at their scholarly chairs, and two Prophets.

Salome and other bystanders at Herod's Banquet.

In the scarsella, seamless between the walls, the Preaching of the Baptist, the Baptism of Christ (centre) and the Capture and Imprisonment of the Baptist are depicted. In the vault God the Father among angels, a scene connected to the Baptism below, in an overall depiction of the Trinity. Next on the partition wall is the Beheading of the Baptist, and above, on the arch, two angels with scrolls (one almost illegible). Finally, on the right-hand wall is Herod's Banquet, perhaps the best known scene of the entire cycle, which also includes the handing over of the head to Herodias (right) and the burial of the Baptist (in the background). Especially in the latter scene, several bystanders in elegant contemporary dress appear, probably Cardinal Branda and other dignitaries of the place, following an expedient already used in the Brancacci Chapel.

  

Hey everyone! Jack here, and this time I’m happy to present a digital rendering of my next model! This is My F4U-1D Corsair MOC, designed by me over at stud.io and rendered with their rendering software. I’ll go into more of the details of the model and history once I have photographed it “in the brick”, so to speak, but for now I just wanted to share with you all a glimpse into a new frontier for me that I’ve wanted to break into for a while: digital LEGO. Not only is it typically more cost effective for me in the sense that I can compare/contrast various designs and techniques without purchasing upfront parts, but it also allows me to familiarize myself with an aspect of LEGO I have previously not often been concerned with: instructions.

“Now hold on, Jack, why would instructions be of any use to you? You built the darn thing, didn’t you?” Well, yes, I have. But they aren’t for me -- they are for the public! See, this post also serves as a bit of an announcement for a small instructions selling business I intend to start. I plan to make the instructions affordable but reasonable in price, and make them very detailed but readable -- as is, of course, ideal. These instructions shall be digitally designed and delivered, and will include a digital parts list that is uploadable to the site of Bricklink.com. It will auto-order your parts into your cart there, ready for checkout. I’ll of course provide estimate ranges for the models themselves calculated on a daily basis for anyone interested in my instructions/parts lists.

Honestly, this is something I’ve been reluctant to do as I never personally wanted to turn my LEGO hobby/passion into a business for others. Plus, I have no idea how successful I’ll be. Even so, the way I see it is that I can try it for a while and if it doesn’t pan out in any way shape or form adequate enough for its shut-down, I can stop without any dire consequences. Wish me luck on that front I suppose, then. For now, I’d like to thank you guys so much for your time -- appreciate you all and I hope you all have a great day!

 

Week 43:52 Abandoned (October 21st - October 27th)

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This cemetery in town is full of many soldiers who died during the American Revolution. It is maintained, but new bodies are no longer interred here. These dead souls, most from more than 300 years ago, have their corporal remains buried and abandoned to the elements and whatever else may come their way. Only a few of the stones are readable, so even their names are no longer known.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two photos processed and layered in Photoshop

Photos taken at the Jonathan Trumbull Cemetery in Lebanon, Connecticut.

I can't decide if I like the pole dominating the right half of the photograph or if it's distracting and darkens the image to much. Mostly I am just happy the cross walk button came out in focus and readable. No easy feat shooting in B mode in the darkness of morning trying to guess the three feet focusing distance.

After escaping from the fury of the Variable Oystercatchers, and finding a convenient log to sit on while I contemplated what to do next, I noticed a Tern with an unusually coloured beak that was within "shooting" range...

 

This was where a large Lens really came into it's own!

 

It was only when I got home and reviewed what I'd photographed that I noticed the bird had Bands on both legs; one Band is especially readable. (And yes: I have been in touch with the New Zealand Bird Banding Desk at the Department of Conservation!).

 

Hoiwever...

 

This is definitely NOT a Common Tern as first thought...!!!

 

New Zealand Bird Banding staff have confirmed it is a Caspian Tern which was banded on the Bell Island shell-bank in the Waimea Inlet near Nelson!

 

However, my thanks to Minicooperd, Ethan A. Winning, Hamish L, BITH*, and birdsaspoetry and anyone else whom I've missed for correctly identifying the bird as a Caspian Tern. Your help is much appreciated!

 

And whilst it’s not as unusual as it might have been, this bird is still a “First” for me, so I’m happy to have it on record as a Lifer…!

 

And for those who are interested, nzbirdsonline.org.nz/species/caspian-tern provides some background reading on the Caspian Tern...!

  

Continue to keep well everyone, and a big "Thank You" for taking the time and the trouble to leave a Comment...! It's always nice to hear from you, and your comments are always greatly appreciated...!

Flickr appears to wants to make a touch/tablet optimized site. That is fine, do that in the the flickr Apps, don't force that on everyone. What they have done to commenting reduces the ability to interact with your contacts in favor of near full screen images and short superficial commenting. If the new version of Flickr is even similar to the current beta, Ipernity is going to become a lot more popular. I guess I need to remember my login info. Add me as a contact over there just in case. I don't want to leave flickr, but may be forced to.

 

Be sure to vote for and comment on the flickr beta forum:

yahoo.uservoice.com/forums/230781-flickr-photo-page-beta

 

I am sure new flickr will still look terrible, but with enough feedback it may still be usable for people who want to have meaningful discussion with our contacts. Flickr is listening to the minor issues posted on that forum, but they seem convinced new flickr will be black and all user interaction will be on the side of the screen. It doesn't take much time to vote, commenting isn't required. But please do something to show flickr this is a bad idea. This protest alone won't show them they are going in the wrong direction. Voting on the issues might.

 

Hardly anyone liked the last change, but this change will make that look like nothing. If flickr goes through with this Enhanced Photo Experience, there will be nothing left of the service we love. Flickr beta is not a photo service I want to be part of. Its likely that a huge portion of flickr's users don't care about commenting and real user interaction, but those of us who do are what keep flickr active. Without us, flickr will be nothing but a photo storage site. Every other site is pushing the social aspect and flickr is removing it.

 

Instead of perfecting the design of their sites with small improvements over time, Yahoo likes to completely change designs frequently. Yahoo Mail changes about every 6 months and upsets and confuses users ever time and always introduces new bugs. Even Yahoo employees prefer not to use Yahoo webmail. Every Yahoo mail user I know complains about the frequent changes. Yahoo needs to understand we don't want a constantly changing flickr. Improvements are necessary too keep up with competitors, but change for the sake of change is not. If we wanted that much change, we would be using the competitors instead of flickr.

 

The end of Pro users accounts was certainly done to bring them more ad revenue, but those of us who paid were some of the most active users. We create the content and viewer traffic they hope to make money on. Community interaction is what drives many of us to continue posting new work. Stuffing all the user interaction into the corner of the screen will discourage interaction. Kill the community and this will just be a place to dump your memory card when it gets full. Most people could never fill up 1 terabyte of space.

 

A few of the problems with New Experience Flickr:

Pressing enter submits comments and creating new lines requires Shift+Enter.

New lines (paragraphs) are not displayed in comments.

Comment area to type or read is tiny (twitter like).

Comments don't display images anymore.

Comments are displayed in reverse order (newest at the top).

Only the most recent few comments are displayed.

Long comments must be clicked on to read the whole thing.

Only short description is visible until clicking for more.

Hashtags #allruntogether instead of just normal readable tags (trying to be trendy).

It is hard to see who has favorited your photo.

You can't see group invitations anymore.

Admins can't do group invites anymore.

The add to groups popup only lets you scroll through the groups (no search).

Following instead of Contacts (more copying the trendy young sites).

The huge photos and heavy javascript are bad for slow connections.

From LittleTHINGSInterest on Etsy.

So I had the fortune to take a 2 week vacation from the world where I was on sandy white beaches, swimming in clear water with big fishes. I used the time, not as an escape, but as a reflection. I did a number of drawings at the flaming pink sunrise, as a meditation. It turned out to be a body of work at the end of the vacation, where I reflected on (one of the things), relationships. Paying gratitude to friends. This one is a homage/reflection with Brett Amory. I will be displaying these in an upcoming show, and they are gifts to those that they reflect gratitude towards. This one's for you Brett. Thank you. (I will post the writing in a readable format at my blog, akirabeard.com/blog if interested to read what the words display in the pieces.

Buried deep in the Traveler's Monument is this sign. Over the years, with people adding rocks, the plaque is all but covered. People keep it dug out so it's still readable.

 

I should have removed that white rock and darnit!, I missed that quarter!

 

Traveler's Monument

Mojave Road, Mojave National Preserve

A young couple looking carefree stroll along Birmingham's Moor Street Queensway as if it were a country lane. On the road it is wall to wall frustration as drivers are stuck in heavy traffic. The scene, obviously photographed from the top of a bus, was taken around 1985, it shows A & B registered cars of the period as well as West Midlands Travel MCW, KJW 319W number 2319 with the rear panel cleaned, Leyand/MCW SDA 509S number 6509. Also in Peter's shot is another Fleetline and a sparking clean MCW both of which are not quite readable. The road layout has been changed today with the level being dropped to eliminate the pedestrian subways, crossing is now by means of pedestrian controlled traffic lights and a broad central reservation provides refuge between the two carriageways.

Peter Shoesmith.

Copyright Geoff Dowling & John Whitehouse

Neolithic Site of Çatalhöyük

Two hills form the 37 ha site on the Southern Anatolian Plateau. The taller eastern mound contains eighteen levels of Neolithic occupation between 7400 bc and 6200 bc, including wall paintings, reliefs, sculptures and other symbolic and artistic features. Together they testify to the evolution of social organization and cultural practices as humans adapted to a sedentary life. The western mound shows the evolution of cultural practices in the Chalcolithic period, from 6200 bc to 5200 bc. Çatalhöyük provides important evidence of the transition from settled villages to urban agglomeration, which was maintained in the same location for over 2,000 years. It features a unique streetless settlement of houses clustered back to back with roof access into the buildings.

English FrenchSpanishJapaneseDutch

 

The vast archaeological site of Çatalhöyük comprises two tells rising up to 20 meters above the Konya plain on the Southern Anatolian Plateau. Excavations of the Eastern tell have revealed 18 levels of Neolithic occupation dating from 7,400-6,200 BC that have provided unique evidence of the evolution of prehistoric social organisation and cultural practices, illuminating the early adaptation of humans to sedentary life and agriculture. The Western tell excavations primarily revealed Chalcolithic occupation levels from 6,200-5,200 BC, which reflect the continuation of the cultural practices evident in the earlier Eastern mound.

Çatalhöyük is a very rare example of a well-preserved Neolithic settlement and has been considered one of the key sites for understanding human Prehistory for some decades. The site is exceptional for its substantial size and great longevity of the settlement, its distinctive layout of back-to-back houses with roof access, the presence of a large assemblage of features including wall paintings and reliefs representing the symbolic world of the inhabitants. On the basis of the extensively documented research at the site, the above features make it the most significant human settlement documenting early settled agricultural life of a Neolithic community.

Criterion (iii): Çatalhöyük provides a unique testimony to a moment of the Neolithic, in which the first agrarian settlements were established in central Anatolia and developed over centuries from villages to urban centres, largely based on egalitarian principles. The early principles of these settlements have been well preserved through the abandonment of the site for several millennia. These principles can be read in the urban plan, architectural structures, wall paintings and burial evidence. The stratigraphy of up to 18 settlement layers provides an exceptional testimony to the gradual development, re-shaping and expansion of the settlement.

Criterion (iv): The house clusters of Çatalhöyük, characterized by their streetless neighbourhoods, dwellings with roof access, and house types representing a highly circumscribed distribution of activity areas and features according to a clear spatial order aligned on cardinal directions, form an outstanding settlement type of the Neolithic period. The comparable sizes of the dwellings throughout the city illustrate an early type of urban layout based on community and egalitarian ideals.

Integrity

The excavated remains of the prehistoric settlement spanning 2,000 years are preserved in situ in good condition, and are completely included in the property boundaries. The two archaeological mounds rise from the surrounding plain and constitute a distinctive landscape feature which has preserved its visual integrity. Shelters constructed above the two main excavation areas protect the archaeological structures from direct effects of the climate and thereby reduce the immediate dangers of rainfall and erosion.

Authenticity

The archaeological remains of Çatalhöyük have retained authenticity in material, substance, location and setting.Over forty years of well-documented research and excavation at the site bear testimony to the site’s readability as an early Neolithic settlement and thereby its authenticity. The site and excavations are well preserved. The physical mass and scale of the mounds have not much altered since the site was first discovered in 1958.

Protection and management requirements

The property is protected at the highest level as an ancient monument under the Turkish Directorate General of Monuments by Law 2863/1983 on the Protection of Cultural and Natural Heritage amended in 1987 and 2004. It was registered as a conservation site on the national inventory of 1981 by the Superior Council for Immovable Antiquities and Monuments. According to these instruments, local authorities are also responsible for the property’s protection.

The management of the site is supervised by the Çatalhöyük Coordination and Supervision Council (CSC), an Advisory Board and a Management Plan team. A site manager has been formally appointed and a Management Plan team including experts from the excavation team in Çatalhöyük and the departments related to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism has also been established. On the basis of the experience gained with a previous management plan drafted in 2004, the new management plan to be adopted shall contain specific sections on visitor management, access, education, risk preparedness and involvement of the local community and is announced to be finalized in late 2012.The provision of regular financial and human resources, as well as a dedicated archive for documentation of excavation and conservation activities are key to the management system.

News rss (2)

 

Be sure to check my whole first page, I've uploaded more than you've probably seen.

Thinking about the temporariness of everything.

I was around when this building was built and now it’s no more. Gives me a pause to reflect on just about everything.

One of the reasons I went back to film I think is because unless the negatives burn up in a fire they will be around for someone, some time in the future to look at and wonder about who, what, and where these photos were taken. I have a collection of old family photos going back to the turn of the last century and although I cannot identify all of the cast characters I do recognize places and some of my ancestors. Not to be morbid but this is maybe a way to acknowledge to future generations that I was here.

I will be posting some of these in the future as a special feature.

The other reason I switched back to film is that doesn’t need to be triple backed up and stored on devices that will not be readable in 10 years.. typically floppy discs, and Zip drives and CD’s . Film will not eat up staggering amounts electricity over time to hang out in or on the cloud. I know there is an environmental offset because of manufacturing of the plastic film and the chemicals. Everything we do has an impact I guess.

Anyway these are just my thoughts

.

Nikon F3

Micro Nikkor 55 mm f2.8

Kodak Tri x

This sign was not readable. It was on the mountain Brocken and i have no clue what it said, because it was frozen.

With the death of Pope Francis recently we were all reminded that he took his inspiration from the saint of Assisi. It could be argued that no one in the past 2000 years has so embodied the lifestyle that Jesus taught as Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, better known to the world as Francis of Assisi.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_of_Assisi

 

There have been many books written about this extraordinary young man, who left a life of secure riches to live with poor lepers, and inspire the founding of an order which exists to this day, The Franciscans.

 

The Francis Prayer is not found anywhere in the extent writings of Francis, though the spirit of every word is clearly Franciscan. It is one that millions of Christians pray every day in a desire to live more like Christ.

 

Some great literary figures have written about Francis of Assisi: Nikos Kazantzakis wrote a lovely little biography in which Francis appears like an Italian Zorba the Greek. G.K. Chesterton penned a concise and very readable biography, Saint Francis of Assisi (1923). Julien Green's God's Fool: The Life and Times of Francis of Assisi (1983) is superb. The Latin American Franciscan theologian, Leonardo Boff has written a book directly inspired by the Francis prayer: The Prayer of St Francis (2001). And a little gem of a book is Lawrence S. Cunningham's, Francis of Assisi: Performing the Gospel Life (2004), in which he argues that Francis was a literalist who attempted to live the Jesus gospel in full.

 

In any case, who can argue against the power of these prayerful words? As the late Swiss theologian Hans Küng (1928-2021) argued, there is no other way to world peace. And it is a positive sign that Pope Leo XIV has begun his papacy with peace as his central theme.

 

Lord, make ME an instrument of your peace. We must take personal responsibility for peace in OUR world.

 

Observation:

Just looking at the smaller number of views The Francis Prayer has received, it is a sad reflection of our modern secular society. Anyone who cannot see the universal relevance of these words (even if not religious) is unfortunately a culturally - and certainly spiritually - deprived person. I'll just leave it at that in a world gone mad. When our superheroes are cartoon figures and our political leaders utterly bankrupt of genuine human empathy, isn't it time we mined the rich traditions of faith for the true gems of humanity?

 

For St Francis of Assisi, following Jesus was too important to be merely religious.

a production floor inside an abandoned "salami" and "sausages" produciton plant

 

----------------------

for a quick guide on how to create panoramas, have a look to my simple tutorial here:

focusonpast.wordpress.com/2015/02/21/come-creare-un-panor...

 

the page is in Italian (I will create a page in English soon) but is roughly readable by using Google Translate

Hoogerheide

my soul

readable view

 

left side inspired by flickr.com/photos/flying_fin/2206385474/

right side inspired by www.flickr.com/photos/jaimebley/2204784064/

 

thanks larry and jaime...

*English*

A role play sim with much needed nature. They have a calendar with events that goes along with the views: readings and storytellings of long ago around a campfire.

 

I got one for you, as I'm sitting in this beautiful chair surrounded with nature and its sounds. It is a contemporary one, in this link longreads.com/2015/02/14/the-house-made-of-sugar/ about a short story named “The House Made of Sugar” of the writer Silvina Ocampo, read this review:

 

“The House Made of Sugar”, is a story about a woman named Cristina who is too superstitious to live in a house that had been previously occupied. Her husband deceives her and when they move into their dream home based upon his lie, strange and worrisome things start to happen that suggest Cristina’s fears were warranted.

 

Newly translated into English by Daniel Balderston, with a preface by Borges, Ocampo’s stories are unsettling and off-kilter, revelatory and readable. Novelist Helen Oyeyemi writes in the collection’s introduction, ‘Love is as fearsome in an Ocampo story as it is in Wuthering Heights; emotion has a way of sealing us into a charmed circle that makes us incomprehensible to everyone who stands outside it.'

 

I hope you can pick a place in SL, sit comfortably, and start this amazing read.

 

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°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

 

*Español*

Un sim con muy necesaria naturaleza. Tienen un calendario con eventos que acompaña estas las vistas: lecturas y relatos de antaño alrededor de una fogata.

 

Yo les tengo uno, pero es contemporaneo, de la escritora argetnina Silvina Ocampo, que tantas historias cortas tiene, las cuales nos llevan a mundos increíbles.

Esta historia corta se llama "La casa de azúcar".

Es una historia sobre una mujer llamada Cristina que es demasiado supersticiosa para vivir en una casa que antes había estado ocupada por otras personas. Su esposo la engaña y cuando se mudan a la casa de sus sueños basándose en su mentira, comienzan a suceder cosas extrañas y preocupantes que sugieren que los temores de Cristina estaban justificados.

 

Así que aquí les dejo el link para que la lean www.ceciliamaugeri.com.ar/la-casa-de-azucar-de-silvina-oc... encuentren un lugar adecuado en la grid, siéntense, pónganse cómodos, y lean esta historia tan atrapante. Espero la disfruten.

 

Y no se olviden de pasar por mi canal de youtube Luciérnaga Second Life donde hablo de SL, exploro, guío, búsquedas del tesoro, cosas gratis, tutoriales y más.. www.youtube.com/channel/UCvSGCFli_m3BcO1APLxLKJQ?view_as=...

 

★Mi blog

★Mi Canal de Youtube

★Mi Página de Facebook

*Working Towards a Better World

 

I have been thinking long and hard about why our present day psyche has changed so drastically and have come to the conclusion that we are bringing up our children to focus on the ego, rather than the community. It seems to me that we put too much emphasis on material things and not enough on the spiritual or the whole. Yes, we need to teach our children to succeed and do their best but not at any cost without caring about others. We seem to encourage greed rather than sharing, perhaps we need to concentrate more on cherishing each other, our climate and the environment. When we work as a team we produce more through the sharing of ideas and creativity.

 

We need to coexist better, be more understanding, less critical, more open, less closed. Together we can achieve a great deal more than alone.

 

I have chosen the colours black and green because of their meaning found on the Color Pro: Color Meaning website:

www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-meaning.html

 

"Green

 

Green is the color of nature. It symbolizes growth, harmony, freshness, and fertility. Green has strong emotional correspondence with safety. Dark green is also commonly associated with money.

 

Green

"Green has great healing power. It is the most restful color for the human eye; it can improve vision. Green suggests stability and endurance. Sometimes green denotes lack of experience; for example, a 'greenhorn' is a novice. In heraldry, green indicates growth and hope. Green, as opposed to red, means safety; it is the color of free passage in road traffic.

 

Use green to indicate safety when advertising drugs and medical products. Green is directly related to nature, so you can use it to promote 'green' products. Dull, darker green is commonly associated with money, the financial world, banking, and Wall Street.

 

Dark green is associated with ambition, greed, and jealousy.

Yellow-green can indicate sickness, cowardice, discord, and jealousy.

Aqua is associated with emotional healing and protection.

Olive green is the traditional color of peace".

 

Black

"Black is associated with power, elegance, formality, death, evil, and mystery.

 

Black is a mysterious color associated with fear and the unknown (black holes). It usually has a negative connotation (blacklist, black humor, 'black death'). Black denotes strength and authority; it is considered to be a very formal, elegant, and prestigious color (black tie, black Mercedes). In heraldry, black is the symbol of grief".

 

Black gives the feeling of perspective and depth, but a black background diminishes readability. A black suit or dress can make you look thinner. When designing for a gallery of art or photography, you can use a black or gray background to make the other colors stand out. Black contrasts well with bright colors. Combined with red or orange – other very powerful colors – black gives a very aggressive color scheme.

 

Interestingly I have followed a few articles written by the New York Times columnist, David Brooks, who has written recently 3 interesting articles about this subject, On April 7th he wrote an article entitled

"What Candidates Need",

www.nytimes.com/2015/04/07/opinion/david-brooks-what-cand...

 

then on April 11th he wrote an article entitled

"The Moral Bucket List"

www.nytimes.com/2015/04/12/opinion/sunday/david-brooks-th...

  

and finally today he wrote an article entitled

"When Cultures Shift"

www.nytimes.com/2015/04/17/opinion/david-brooks-when-cult...

I find that David addresses many of my concerns quite well in these articles so decided to share them with you.

 

Thank you for your kind visit. Have a wonderful and beautiful day! xo❤️

Perforations in this 1969 film leader (Agfa Isopan ISS) may be for a pre-DX film ID system or for automated processing, according to the internet speculations I've found.

 

Processing note: This camera needs noise reduction and I used DXO prime. Adox CMS 20 film simulation (DXO FilmPack) gave the high contrast BW product.

Shape and paperweight comparison for various companies' eyes.

 

Click 'all sizes' for readable version.

I've had to flip this Black and White shot from the Old Royal Naval College so that the writing on the London 2012 sign was readable but as the College comprises of two sets of symmetrical buildings in theory this shot could have been taken across the courtyard.

 

More of my favourite London shots here : www.flickr.com/photos/darrellg/sets/72157622246523079

 

Published in the Photographers Guide to London : www.amazon.co.uk/Photographers-Guide-London-Ellen-Bowness...

next to tthe railroad tracks in leeuwarden city.

Varanasi, India, 1988. Taken on a Nikon FE2 and 24mm Nikkor 2.8 lens

 

Varanasi, India, 1988. Taken on a Nikon FE2 and 24mm Nikkor 2.8 lens.

 

More pictures and letters home here

analogtravel.co.nz/blogs/asia/from-nepal-to-varanasi

 

In 1988, when I was eighteen years old I set off from New Zealand to Asia on an adventure. Accompanying me was my high school friend David. We were inspired by Tintin comics and National Geographic magazines. Although we had never actually been overseas before, we wanted begin our travels somewhere more exotic than the usual teenage Kiwi destinations. Our plans were vague - first Nepal, then India - then, after that, as far as our meagre holiday savings would take us. Once on the road, I wrote detailed and mostly illegible aerogrammes home, which my father kindly typed up to make readable for the rest of the family.

Wickham Place is the London home of Lord and Lady Southgate, their children and staff. Located in fashionable Belgravia it is a fine Georgian terrace house.

 

Today we are in the day nursery where we are celebrating the Southgate’s daughter, Sarah’s, birthday. As instructed by Lady Southgate, the children, Piers and Sarah, have been taken for a special trip to St. James’ Park to feed the swans and other waterfowl that live on Duck Island on St. James’ Park Lake by Nanny Tessa. Whilst they are away, the Southgate’s cook, Mrs. Bradley, and her scullery maid Agnes set the nursery table with the china and tablecloth especially reserved for special occasions, Nanny Tessa’s beloved floral teapot, a vase of fresh flowers from the Wickham Place garden, a jug of milk, a jug of freshly squeezed orange juice, some beautiful floral cupcakes and a strawberry Victoria sponge cake made by Mrs. Bradley and Agnes.

 

Bursting into the nursery, Piers and Sarah stop in their tracks, their mouths and eyes agog at the beautiful table setting.

 

“Oh Piers, look!” gasps Sarah. “Isn’t it wonderful! Do you suppose it’s for me?”

 

“Well of course it’s for you,” Piers scoffs with the knowledge that the year and a half of gives him. “Who else would it be for?”

 

“Happy birthday Sarah!” Lady Southgate exclaims with pure joy, slipping out from her hiding place through the door of the adjoining night nursery where Nanny Tessa and the children sleep.

 

“Mamma!” Sarah gasps.

 

Forgetting all the protocol that is usually associated with a visit from their parents, Sarah and Piers rush from Nanny Tessa’s side into their mother’s open arms, as the lady bends down and envelops her in a warm embrace. They lavish each other in kisses and laugh wholeheartedly.

 

Unlike most of her British friends, Lady Southgate has a different idea about parenting and doesn’t like to remain the cool and distant figure most Edwardian children view their parents as. She finds any excuse she can to visit the nursery and enjoys spending time with her children when she can, taking an active interest in their lives. Nanny Tessa, a seasoned nanny, does not entirely approve of Lady Southgate’s rather unorthodox approach to parenting, and if Lady Southgate’s husband knew, he wouldn’t approve either. Both come from the majority that like the status quo who believe that children should only be seen for one hour every evening under strict supervision of their nanny in the drawing room just before bedtime.

 

“Let me look at you!” Lady Southgate exclaims, resting back on her haunches placing a hand on each child’s cheek as she takes in their happy smiles and sparking eyes. “Why Sarah, I do think your hair is looking particularly beautiful today with that lovely pale blue bow.” She turns to her son. “And Piers, I’m sure you’ve grown a full inch since last I saw you!”

 

“Oh, I have Mamma!” Piers leans back and stands proudly to attention. “Look!” He places his right hand flatly across his head as if indicating an invisible measurement.

 

“Ahem!” Nanny Tessa bristles, looking down her nose in distain at the vulgar show of emotion. “Children! That’s no way to greet your Mamma.”

 

The children’s faces both fall a little as they turn to their Nanny, who loves them very much, but is quite strict about good manners and proper behaviour.

 

“Oh nonsense, Nanny!” Lady Southgate chides her quickly. “This isn’t the drawing room before bedtime, is it children?” The children smile and shake their heads. “No! So, I think we can allow ourselves a little informality on this occasion,” She smiles. “Especially as it is Sarah’s birthday.” She reaches behind her and withdraws a present wrapped in magenta wrapping paper that she has kept hidden from view.

 

“Oh Mamma!” Sarah gasps. “Thank you very much!” She kisses her mother delicately on the cheek and accepts the gift held out to her with a sudden awkward shyness.

 

“But,” Lady Southgate adds seriously. “This must be out little secret. All of our secret.” She looks sharply at the nanny, who quickly looks away attempting avoid her gaze and thus become complicit in this secret. “So, when you come down this evening and tell your Pappa how much you enjoyed your birthday tea and the presents we have given you, you must pretend that I haven’t been here and tell me just the same as you tell him. Alright?”

 

“Yes Mamma!” Sarah says dourly.

 

“Alright Mamma.” Piers promises seriously.

 

“Good!” Lady Southgate sighs, rising awkwardly to her feet, brushing out the crumples in her French blue serge fitted skirt front.

 

“Now children,” Nanny Tessa says matter-of-factly. “Give me your coats and hats and then you may take your places at the table.”

 

The children gladly obey, relinquishing their outer clothes to Nanny and hurrying to the table where their mother is already seated. Sarah takes the seat of honour between her mother and her brother, whilst Piers sits with Nanny Tessa seated to his left.

 

“Cook has been busy,” Lady Southgate exclaims. “Just look at those pretty floral cupcakes!”

 

“And a strawberry Victoria Sponge, Sarah,” Nanny Tessa says as she joins them. “Your favourite! What a lucky girl you are.” She smiles beatifically.

 

Sarah blushes and falls silent as she takes in the beautiful cupcakes, each topped with cream icing, sugar sprinkles and a marzipan flower, and the splendid pink iced birthday cake dusted with icing sugar and decorated with whipped cream and fresh strawberries.

 

“Will you be mother*, Nanny Tessa?” Lady Southgate asks. “And I’ll hand out the cupcakes.”

 

“Of course, Lady Southgate,” Nanny Tessa replies obsequiously. She takes up her teapot and pours tea for her mistress first, and herself. “And what would you like to drink, Sarah?”

 

“May I have orange juice, please Nanny?” she asks politely.

 

“You may, Sarah.” Nanny gifts her charge with a beaming smile as she fills her glass with orange liquid from the jug.

 

“What lovely manners you have, Sarah.” Lady Southgate acknowledges, also smiling at her dark haired daughter.

 

“May I have milk please Nanny?” Piers pipes up.

 

“You may Piers,” the older woman replies. “But not before I ask you.”

 

Rebuked, Piers sinks a little lower in his seat.

 

“Now,” Nanny Tessa turns to Piers. “What would you like to drink, Piers?”

 

“May I have milk please, Nanny?”

 

“You may young man, because now you have been asked.” She fills his glass with creamy white milk bought fresh from the milk float in the square outside Wickham Place by Agnes just this morning. “It is always polite to wait until you are asked, before you share what you would like to eat or drink.”

 

“Yes, Nanny Tessa.” Piers answers.

 

“Well Sarah,” Lady Southgate asks. “Aren’t you going to open your gift?”

 

“Oh yes!” Sarah says excitedly, having quite forgotten that she was holding her gift tightly to her chest.

 

She carefully pulls at the wrapping, but even her gentle tugs cannot stop the paper from being torn, and once it starts, she quickly forgets about being delicate and ladylike. Both Lady Southgate and Nanny Tessa chuckle and exchange indulging glances with one another as the little girl loses all self-consciousness and enjoys the playful child-like moment of abandoned delight at unwrapping her gifts. Within the pink paper she finds a copy of ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ by L. Frank Baum, and ‘The Wonderful Game of Oz’ boxed boardgame. She squeals with delight, carefully places both presents on the table where Piers can see them too and throws her arms around her mother’s neck.

 

“Oh thank you Mamma!” she gasps, showering her with kisses.

 

“And your Pappa,” Nanny Tessa adds.

 

“You’re welcome, darling!” Lady Southgate replies. “You can thank both of us properly when you come down to the drawing room this evening.”

 

“Yes, Mamma.”

 

“I take it you like your presents then, Sarah?”

 

“Oh yes Mamma! They are wonderful!”

 

“We can start reading the first chapter at bedtime tonight, Milady.” Nanny Tessa says.

 

“And perhaps we might all play the board game after tea?” Piers asks hopefully.

 

“Oh, what a good idea, Piers!” Sarah says. “May we Mamma? May we Nanny Tessa?”

 

“I don’t see why not.” Nanny Tessa says.

 

“I can only stay for a little while though, children,” Lady Southgate adds. “I must go soon and change. Your Pappa will be home before we know it, and I must be there to greet him.” The children both look downcast. “Now! Now! No glum faces. It’s Sarah’s birthday! Let’s eat these cupcakes, and then we will sing happy birthday to Sarah and have a slice of birthday cake before we play the game.”

 

The children and their Nanny all smile and everyone at the table takes up their dainty floral cupcake and starts eating it.

 

*The meaning of the very British term “shall I be mother” is “shall I pour the tea?”

 

You might be surprised to learn that this rather delicious birthday nursery tea is not exactly what it seems. It is in fact made up of 1:12 size artisan miniatures from my large collection, including a couple of items that I have had since my childhood.

 

I wanted to create this tableau to celebrate the birthday of one of my favourite children’s books, ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ by L. Frank Baum, which was first published on the 17th of May 1900 by George M. Hill Company, New York. I was read it as a child, and then read it, and all the thirteen subsequent L. Frank Baum Oz books when I was twelve. I still have the books to this day, and whilst they fell out of favour and were very hard to get hold of for many years, I am pleased to say that all the Baum Oz books have now been re-published in individual and omnibus form, which has enabled me to introduce the delight of Oz and all the wonderful people and creatures who inhabit the magical land surrounded by a deadly desert to my godchildren.

 

Fun things to look for in this tableau include:

 

The edition of ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ on the table features the original American edition cover with the Cowardly Lion wearing the green spectacles everyone entering the Emerald City had to wear. An artisan miniature made by Little Things of Interest in Ohio, this book can be opened and features readable text in an abridged version of the story, and also copies of the original W.W. Denslow illustrations. Based on whimsical stories he told his children, Lyman Frank Baum’s book is known as the first American faerie tale. Following the adventures of Kansas girl Dorothy Gale and her friends the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion across the Land of Oz, ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ was just the first of fourteen Oz books written by L. Frank Baum. Originally published somewhat reluctantly, the book is now one of the best-known stories in American literature and has been widely translated into any number of languages. It led not only to further books but to successful Broadway shows, silent films and of course the MGM movie musical, ‘The Wizard of Oz’.

 

‘The Wonderful Game of Oz’ on the table is a 1:12 artisan miniature made by Little Things Dollhouse Miniatures in Lancashire. ‘The Wonderful Game of Oz’ was just one of the many pieces of promotional merchandise that was produced after the great success of the Oz books. Based on the L. Frank Baum book and characters, the game board and pieces are based on the John. R. Neil book illustrations. John. R. Neil illustrated all the Oz books except ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ which was illustrated by W. W. Denslow. In the game, you make your way through Oz, from Munchkinland to the Emarald City. Published by Parker Brothers in Salem Massachusetts in 1921, I hope you will forgive me for putting it in this story, which is set around 1910, and will indulge me as I celebrate everything Oz in this tableau.

 

The divine little cupcakes, each with a flower on the top, has been made in England by hand from clay by former chef turned miniature artisan, Frances Knight. Her work is incredibly detailed and realistic, and she says that she draws her inspiration from her years as a chef and her imagination. Each cupcake is only five millimetres in diameter and eight millimetres in height! The strawberry birthday cake has also been made from polymer clay and is very realistic and was made by Karen Ladybug miniatures in England.

 

Nanny Tessa’s floral teapot I acquired from a specialist high street tea shop when I was a teenager. I have five of them and each one is a different shape and has a different design. I love them, and what I also love is that over time they have developed their own crazing in the glaze, which I think adds a nice touch of authenticity.

 

The jug and glass of orange juice, the jug and glass of milk and the glass vase of flowers all came from Beautifully Handmade Miniatures in Kettering. All the pieces are made from very fine glass and are hand blown, so each one is unique.

 

The porcelain tea set, which has two matching cups and saucers, a milk jug and sugar bowl, were part of a job lot of over one hundred pieces of 1:12 chinaware I bought from a seller on E-Bay. The pieces are remarkably dainty and the patterns on them are so pretty. The floral plates are part of a larger dinner set I acquired through a miniature stockist on E-Bay.

 

The tablecloth has been crocheted by hand and is actually a small doily that I picked up in an antique market. I imagine it is around one hundred years old. When I bought it, it was badly stained, but some bleach and lemon juice quickly righted this and brought it back to its original gleaming white. I loved it for its delicate weave.

 

The table itself is a Jacobean style round drop leaf table of dark stained oak which I have had since I was seven. The dainty little chairs are carved from fruitwood and were part of a lot I bought at auction many years ago.

 

In the background you can catch glimpses of the Wickham Place nursery which is papered with William Morris’ ‘Willow Bough’ pattern. In Nanny’s chair by the fire sits a big teddy bear, which is one of just a number of small 1:12 size teddy bears that I have in my collection. The ewer set in blue and white Delftware I also acquired from a specialist high street miniatures shop when I was a teenager.

Junk style sightseeing boat "Aqua Luna" (張保仔, "Cheung Po Tsai") with the HKCEC in the background. Despite her "old" or "vintage" appearance, "Aqua Luna" was launched in 2006 and thus only 3 years old at the time the photo was taken.

Side remark - there are many flickr photos that do show Aqua Luna - but even if the name on the bow is clearly readable, many do wrongly identify her as Duk Ling (Hong Kong's other - and real old - junk)

 

Shot from Central Pier No. 9.

 

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

A great British seaside treat complete with traditional block lettering through the tube so at one end the words are readable and at the other they are backwards!

 

Made from felt and stuffed with polyfil. Completely hand sewn and stuffed.

An industrial corner in Dampremy, sealed off by a half-wall and a faded "private property" sign. The buildings behind it are in clear view. An industrial corner in Dampremy is fenced off by a half-wall and a worn "private property" sign. Behind it, the buildings are visibly deteriorating, with broken windows, rusted fixtures, and peeling paint. The faded lettering on the old workshop façade is hardly readable anymore. This scene is typical of parts of Charleroi, an area once defined by industry, now marked by rust, concrete, and gradual decay.

Here is a new set of LEGO ideas and techniques, made with LDD

I'm sure you'll find a use to this idea

I tried to make the explanation readable thanks to the colors as if we had a tutorial

 

Do not forget to watch the album with all the right techniques on your right =>

 

Find all my creations on Flickr group « News LEGO Techniques ».

This Flickr group includes:

 

- Ideas for new LEGO pieces

- Techniques for assembling bricks

- Tutorials for making accessories, objects, etc.

 

we’re encouraging each others’ efforts at making custom Missy and Thirteen. and i sent her like maybe 2 MtM bodies?

 

she sent me AN ENTIRE HAND MADE OFFICIAL THIRTEEN OUTFIT and stim-jars (the photo does not do them justice, they are SO COOL) and bandes-dessinées (actually readable if i could see that small haha … but the dolls can!)

 

…and one of my favourite anime characters (Chi sweet home cat) as just one of the extras! <3 <3

Edited by Jeff Wilson, www.flickr.com/photos/jawilson85/ .

 

Music by Löhstana David featuring the songs "Demain je change de vie" and "La rupture." www.jamendo.com/en/album/92133

 

View the readable version on Vimeo. This is why Flickr needs longer videos! vimeo.com/28990706

 

Since there are so many questions... Pacdog lost parts of 5 fingers in an accident. We decided he deserved some cheering up. He's the guy holding the "completely unsuspecting" sign.

You know, the story wouldn't be complete without the second half. This is the re-do of the wall after they had asked me to make it look more traditional. They were really appreciative when all was said and done because they thought the other version was too hard to read and was dark. I tried to make this one pop a lot harder so I added some brighter colors. The white always helps make things pop. I also added a Hot yellow force-field around the piece too. The letters got changed up a little bit as well but that was to just make it a little more legible. It always amazes me when people hire on a graffiti writer and then ask for you to make it readable. I always have to ask them, readable like a sign or just more simplified. The answer is always, "I don't know? You know...... readable." I just say "Sure, I can do that." and move on. Work time!