Quotes (4)

76.      Why is ”abbreviation” such a long word?

77.      Warning: Dates in Calendar are closer than they appear.

78.      It doesn’t matter what temperature the room is; it’s always room-temperature.

79.      When your pet bird sees you reading the newspaper, does he wonder why you're

   just sitting there, staring at carpeting?

80.      What garlic is to food, insanity is to art.

81.      I thought about being born again, but my mother refused.

82.      I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once.

83.      Never forget that 2 + 2 = 5 for extremely large values of 2.

84.      If it weren’t for the last minute, nothing would get done.

85.      If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.

86.      Monday is an awful way to spend 1/7th of your life.

87.      A diplomat is a person who can tell you to go to hell in such a way that you actually

  look forward to the trip.

88.      We live in an age when pizza gets to your home before the police.

89.      Never put off until tomorrow what you can avoid altogether.

90.      Love at first sight is rather pointless without love at second sight, and third,

  and fourth...

91.      If money is the root of all evil, why do churches want it so badly?

92.      Want a taste of religion? Bite a minister...

93.      Beer: Helping white guys dance since 1862.

94.      When did I realize I was God?  Well, I was praying and I suddenly realized

  I was talking to myself.

95.      The only problem with mornings is that they happen too early in the day.

96.      Quote from the Boss: I didn't say it was your fault. I said I was going to blame it

  on you.

97.      When we talk to God it's called prayer. When God talks back it's called

  schizophrenia.

98.      And on the 8th day God said, OK Murphy, you take over.

99.      In the beginning, there was nothing. And God said, ”Let there be Light.” And

  there was still nothing, but you could see it.

100.   I’m a polyathiest-there are many gods I don’t believe in.

More Pink

I made that yesterday. I am still not satisfied, it is a bit too hot and clay gets really sticky. Of course I don't have time to put it in fridge when I want to do something :). (Oh, ok... honestly, that is just an excuse - in real I just don't have any good ideas what to do.)

I have so many beads already but I am just not in the mood for putting them together, and I don't like most of them... Guess I am just a little depressed lately. I wonder - how much ice cream will I have to eat to feel better???

Today's Work

I just had to play with clay today a little. Sitting at work is killing me, but I feel a bit better and it was not that bad. I just had to get up more often, that's it.

I don't like these canes too much, now I am sorry I didn't use some brighter color instead of that dark blue - but it looked quite well before I reduced the cane. Oh well, I will do better next time. Tomorrow, if Nina stays at the seaside with my parents. They left a week ago and unfortunately weather is not really good, so they will perhaps come home sooner than they planned.

And btw, today I discovered that we can resize pics here, during creating posts or editing them. I haven't noticed that before, and since I usually don't read instructions and tips and manuals and such things, there are some useful features I have no idea about, I guess. Maybe it is time I read about posting here :).

Sciatica

I can't do anything, I still have pain in my back and left leg. It got worse again few days ago. My doctor said I should get used to having pain; and that I should get used to taking pain killing pills. Well, my dear doctor, I don't want that! I am sure there is something that can be done about my problem. Which also is a problem of many of you out there. What do you do? How do you fight against it? My strategy:

1. Start exercising (Today! Maybe tomorrow... Or after tomorrow... Nah, I will try today, if I feel good enough later)
2. Lose weight (slowly... and it is about time! I still have to sign contract with my FB about this, it will be like competition - and of course I intend to win!)
3. Go to the therapy (I have just called to the medical center - waiting time: up to 6 months! They must be kidding!)
4. Go for a walk every day (starting today! And just for the record, I will not go for a walk when it is raining or snowing or when I have guests or I am somewhere or have work to do or,... yep, you are right, I don't like walks)
5. Sit less (tough one, but I will try - maybe I will have to stand in front of my computer now instead of sitting; I will think about re-modeling my desk!)
6. Lift things carefuly (I will do my best... I think it is about time I get myself a husband. Someone who will lift things and carry heavy bags and put socks on my feet when I am too sore to bend, and bring me a glass of water and things like that)
7. Make an appointment with chyropractor (next week, I think)

Ummmm... any other suggestions??? What can I do? What should I do? Thank you!

A Gift From Australia

Yesterday I received a package, sent from far away Australia. Here are some of the things I got. Well, Nina as well. She was so happy - and so was I!











I was very excited as I got texture sheet and shapelets I couldn't get here. And Sculpy III polymer clay, which I wanted to try. I just wonder if it is any different than Fimo. I will work with it this weekend, I hope. I had to try stamplet, shapelets and texture sheet... here is my first try on scrap clay; it's not baked yet, I will finish these figures after I bake them. I just love these curly patterns! Oh, and I also got a big plate with 9 face moulds for dolls. Picture of that will follow.

Looks cool, huh? Thanks so much for everything, Stu! You really are a sweet guy!

Summer Work

Hello!

It has been a while since my last post. After being on sick leave for two weeks because of my back and leg, I went to work for few days and then my vacation started. My back is better now and not sore any more, but leg is still not completely fine. And I just remembered that I forgot to take massage machine at my parents house today!! How silly! Oh well, I will be going there every day next week anyway as they will take care of Nina while I am at work, so I can get it then.

As usually (at least in last few years) we spent vacation on Croatian coast. Unfortunately, I couldn't go scuba diving because of my back. And I wanted to go under water so much! I was snorkling, of course, I don't usually go to the sea without my mask and fins, but that is just not the same. I will have to wait until next vacation. Nina is diving really good as well and goes quite deep - I can't wait she is old enough to go to scuba diving course. If she wanted, but she is a little mermaid and I am sure she will like it.

Few last days at the coast were cloudy and rainy, and it is the same here... but it's good to be back home anyway. Except unpacking, of course, that is the bad part of it!!

I had all the things for work there, but at first it was too hot to work and later I was just too lazy, I guess, so I didn't do as much as I planned. Here is a part of what I have been doing there (I gave few things away before I was able to take pics).

New Frame

I was not feeling really well in last two weeks or so. In fact, it was really bad with my back and leg - sciatica! I guess I am really getting old, having troubles like that. Yeah yeah, I know, I sit too much and don't exercise enough; but lately I really seem to be alergic to all kind of exercises. After almost not being able to walk, I will more seriously consider making few changes in my life. Guess I became too lazy. Anyway, I am feeling better now and will go back to work after tomorrow. Most of all I am looking forward to being able to create again, which was lately kind of impossible.

I have made this frame before I ended up in bed for quite few days. It is plain wooden frame, covered with a layer of scrap clay and then decorated with all kind of clay in different shapes. On the first two pics you can clearly see the spots that were left on wood from fresh clay - never place polymer clay on wood which should remain clean! And on the first photo is also shown a nice mess that I have on my table every time I work; to be honest, it is left like that sometimes when I finish working, too.

I was really pleased with the final result. I think the frame turned out really good, as well as the picture I put in, which I decorated with different tools in Photoshop. And beside few smaller things that is all I have done in last 2 or 3 weeks. How sad!

New Cane

Another quite hot day, although temperatures were supposed to drop a bit. I haven't noticed that; only one afternoon was better as far as temperatures are concerned, but we had hailstorm with strong wind which broke up few trees in front of our building and made a lot more damage all over - in some places hailstones were as big as tennis balls! I was at work at that time and luckily I've missed hailstorm for few minutes... it would be bad to be in the car with huge ice balls falling from the sky! I experienced that once, few years ago when Nina and I were going from our vacation at the seaside. It caught as on the highway, and although hailstones were smaller, as big as marbles, sound was horrible! Nina was crying and I hardly calmed her down. The traffic stopped and what surprised me most was that I saw few people going out of their cars, holding blankets and sleeping bags over cars! How stupid is that??? Ice falling on their heads and they were protecting their cars. I rather pay full insurance and keep myself in safe place when something like that happens!

Anyway, new cane. As I said, it was rather hot, clay really gets sticky and it's really hard to keep a nice form. Some of the pieces were little distorted, but I think the final cane looks prety well. I was not in the mood to make a new cane for central part, so I used the cane I made the other day. I think I have enough of flower canes for now, it's time to figure out something else. And make beads from all the canes I have at the moment, I plan to put them together to make final pieces when I am on vacation. 3 more weeks to go... I can't wait!

Making Canes

I am often asked how polymer canes are made. There are many useful sites on internet with very detailed instructions. You can find many instructions, tips and tricks at Polymer Clay Central. Some time ago I made some instructions for my friends as well. It's not in English, but pictures might be helpful - flower cane, my mokume gane pot (which was partly presented here few posts back) and natasha bead.

Here are the latest canes I made - I made few pics while making each one to show how they were put together. There is also a shot of few pendants I made of scrap clay. We have terribly hot weather these days and it's not really appropriate time to work with clay... clay is too sticky, although I have it in fridge, and patterns can very easily deform. Not to mention that it is almost impossible to make nice cuts of canes for making beads. I guess I will have to find something else to do now... maybe posting here more often!