Friday Fun

I enjoy when people create playlists for books, movies, or characters. I had to create one for a summer reading assignment in high school (of course the teacher informed us he just wanted the free music...)

I did this recently for the characters in the MS I am currently working on. It started because I was listening to music (on Pandora) while working on the MS. Suddenly, a song came on that described the male's POV (point of view) on his eventual romantic relationship with the female protag.

It was crushing, emotional, and so lovely, I wrote down the song name and artist. The feels I get for my characters when that song plays is too much sometimes.

But it gave me something I needed. I had been struggling with character voice and feelings, but finding a song I feel represents that character helps me understand them a little better.

I definitely recommend trying it. It at least helps when you're overcome with feels about a book, TV show, or anything.

Feels can kill.

So here's the song I'm talking about:

 



Confession: I'm a wordsmith and I struggle with words.

Friday Fun

My rabbit did this too.

Happy Friday!

For Better or For Worse

Friday Fun

I apologize now for the swearing in the comic (and the gesture. Nothing else is inappropriate on that page). I don't usually post these things, but sometimes you need to know why you're frustrated with your work:

once-again-spite-conquers-all comic by 3DMatt (link goes out to the post's page on Tumblr).

Have a wonderful weekend, and don't let evil space wizards hold you back.

Friday Fun

Here is some interesting trivia: Disney has been recycling the same animation footage for years.

Ok, it's not really news, but it is interesting, especially when someone puts the scenes next to each other.

There are also clips of the filler animation where there may be a funny image hidden in the changing emotion of a character's face. It's so split second that the human eye can't catch it. I don't remember where I saw it, but it was interesting.

Have a wonderful weekend and maybe watch a movie or two.

Friday Fun

One of my earlier memories is when I was at my Grandma's house and I asked her if she could staple papers together for me so I could write a book.

I'm pretty sure that book was about a unicorn, as was most of my tales when I was younger. I wrote a novella to go with my first MS and it has a unicorn in it too. I guess not a lot changes.

In honor of Mother's day and my family indulging in my "books" I "wrote" when I was younger, here is a fantastic book binding tutorial, for books of all sizes.

James Darrow Bookbinding Tutorial - Deviantart.

Go and create my friends!

Friday Fun

A bit of nostalgia from my younger years:

Something cheerful and fun for the first of May.

(I also wanted to make a .gif of part of an episode, but really shouldn't be doing such things at work).

Friday Fun

I was going to look for another comic to post today, but I have another idea, more like a challenge. Ok, another prompt, but this one works for art as well.

Some background: In my eyes, I am a far better artist than writer - confidence I've gained from years of working on my art. Years ago, I found myself struggling to create my own characters. I was always drawing other people's characters, maybe in new clothes or different situations, but it was always someone else's characters.

So, I thought of a challenge - a challenge I have yet to truly accomplish in all its rules.

The challenge: Go to your iTunes (on shuffle), YouTube, Pandora, or turn on the radio. The first song (or to mix it up, the fifth song) you hear, take it and create something with it. Use it as inspiration for your character, or to create a character. The song can create a new scene for your character, it can define your character's attire or attitude.

This really expands into any medium used to express yourself. Sew an outfit, create a hairstyle, throw a new pot, paint a scene, write the actions. Use the song to stir your imagination and emotions and let it guide you to create something new.

Two of my characters in my first MS, actually five of them now that I think of it, grew from this challenge. Most of the characters in my first MS were just OCs (original characters) that I created so I could wholly own the rights to the art (you know, no permission needed for using someone else's creation). But as their designs grew, so did their demands to have a whole world to unite them.

Just another thing to think about if you are suffering from creativity block.

If you want a song, here is the one that reminded me of this and inspired this post (NOTE: I haven't watched the video, but it shouldn't be inappropriate): Rodney Atkins: If You're Going Through Hell (Keep on Going)

Friday Fun

Ever since I can remember, I loved miniatures. My family enjoys telling stories of how I would walk around the house all day with Polly Pockets in my hand (well, more of a fist).

So, in honor of miniatures, dolls, and all things young and toys, here are some links to interesting craft sites with printables and tutorials:

myfroggystuff.blogspot.com - doll accessories and prints - yours for the making.

gabbidisney.tumblr.com - Monster High, Ever After High doll crafts. Plus some lovely drawings made by gabbidisney.

For something more advanced: wasting-gold-paper.blogspot.com - creating your own flocked animal with clay.

There are so many wonderful craft sites out there with amazing freebies and tutorials! You just have to know what you want.

Friday Fun

In the spirit of exercising the mind and procrastination (not that I'm encouraging procrastination), I thought I would share two online games that seem to lean more towards enhancing the mind, or "enhancing" eyesight.

The first one I came across this morning called Kukukube. The goal of the game is to see just how perceptive your eyesight is in regards to color. Squares of the same color appear on the board, but one is a shade off from the others! You need to find the different square to move on to the next puzzle.

It starts off pretty easy, but then gets to the point you begin to question if the game is tricking you. I played it once, so far, and got a score of 33.

Click here to play Kukukube!

The other one is the 2048 game. The goal of the game is to get your numbered tiles to "2048". You start off with two squares, each with the number 2 on them. Using the arrow keys (or directional swiping on tablets and smartphones), you slide the squares into each other. Combining the two "2"s will get you one tile with a 4 on it.

To get to 2048 you need to continue combining the numbered squares. However, the only way the numbered squares can combine is with a square of the same number (16 can only combine with 16). Each move you make generates another square, usually with the number "2" or "4" on it.

Warning: It's pretty addicting. And you may learn to quickly double numbers up to 2048.

Play 2048 here!

There are even other versions of 2048. For the people who prefer images, some people have recreated the game to feature images of characters from games and TV shows.

I love games like these :)

Friday Fun

Is it Friday already? Goodness, where did the time go?

Well, today I'm talking about time savers or you know, life hacks. They aren't necessarily crafts, though it does take some pretty crafty people to discover the tricks.

I read a really good one on Pinterest a while ago, but I can't seem to find it. There's no loss though, because there are many other sites and lists of life hacks.

Here is a pretty good one of 16 Life Hacks (note, it goes out to buzzfeed.com).

The one I really needed was using a post-it to clean between the keys on a keyboard. When you start a job somewhere, they often give you a keyboard that is utterly disgusting and full of dust and crumbs. You can clean the top of the keys as much as you'd like, but unless you have a mini vacuum, the in betweens will stay dusty.

I also like the one about using a dustpan to fill a bucket that doesn't fit under the faucet.

Anyway, some of the life hacks there are pretty good. They don't list some of the easier/interesting ones.

Like:

You know the tab on a loaf of bread? The color of the twist tie/bread clip indicates the day of the week it was made.

They then said you can use that bread clip to fix a flip flop that has pulled through it's base (useful for Summer, eh?)

Another one, from when I was younger: when figuring out the difference between right and left, bend you middle, ring, and pinky finger, leaving your thumb and forefinger pointing. The one that makes an "L" properly is your Left hand, and the backwards "L" your right.

For you Downtan Abbey fans (and fancy luncheon goers) you can then use this to remember which fork is yours at a fancy dinner. Your fork (with four letters) goes on the left hand side (left also has four letters). Your knife (five letters) goes on your right hand side (right also has five letters).

Does anyone else have any good life hacks? I could use all the help I can get.

Friday Fun

Hey guys, life has gotten pretty hectic for me, and not in a good or fun way. Times like this I always get the desire to create something, anything.

Sure, writing is creating, but I'm talking about artisan crafts or cooking. I want to make something visual or tangible to get that instant gratification. I dabble in so many different mediums, I've lost count.

It's the first day of Spring, so I should do something in honor of that. Instead, I'll share with you my cheating and lazy person's guide to Nutella Stuffed Cookies.

They are delicious and terrible for you, which is probably why they're so good. You can search the internet and there are thousands of recipes for Nutella Stuffed Cookies, but they all mention making the dough from scratch.

I have two problems with that, 1) it's time consuming and I have a ton of other things I want to do and 2) I'm not a big baker/cooker. It's a rare urge I get - mainly because I loathe to do the dishes - so when I bake things, I like to find a simple way to do it.

I should note, I loved baking with my roommates. It was fun, we'd try new recipes, and we'd split the dish washing. Not to mention I wasn't alone in eating the creations. We'd make a Friday or Saturday night out of it, marathoning Criminal Minds or some other TV shows, and we'd make food. But I don't like baking or cooking for myself. I'm just that lazy sometimes.

So without further ado, the quick and easy Nutella Stuffed Cookies with estimations from someone who doesn't bake often:

Ingredients and necessities:

Nutella (or peanut butter or chocolate spread that Reese's or other companies have come out with)
Cookie Dough Roll (it can be sugar, chocolate chip, what have you). I used Pillsbury Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.
Flour
Spoon (one you normally eat off of)
Wax Paper
Cookie Tray/Pan
Freezer
Oven

1)The first step is to put wax paper on a tray or plate. It will be the place you put the Nutella/Peanut Butter.

2) Spoon out your spread into dollops/mounds, I'd say about tablespoon sized. Keep them spaced apart. You may have to use your finger or another spoon to get the Nutella onto the tray.

3) Once you have the desired amount, put it in the freezer. This was always a hard part in my apartment as we had a tiny freezer for five people.

4) Wait about a half-hour to forty-five minutes for your Nutella mounds to harden. It may take more or less time depending on how cold your freezer is and the circulation in there (things get frosty if you cram a ton of food in your freezer).

5) Prepare a cookie tray and open your cookie dough.

6) Put some flour on a working space or on a plate for your hands.

7) Once you're sure the Nutella mounds are hard enough to work with, remove them from the freezer.

8) Put flour on your hands.

9)Rip off (or cut) a piece of the cookie dough roll and make it semi-flat in your hand. It doesn't have to be perfect. If you're a Nutella lover, it will be perfect already.

10) Put a mound of Nutella in the center of the flattened cookie dough and roll the sides up around the cookie.

11) Roll the cookie dough/Nutella formation into a sphere. Remember this from grade school?

12) Repeat steps 8-11 as many times as necessary until you have a tray full of cookie balls. You may need to stick the Nutella mounds back into the freezer if they start to thaw. The flour helps the cookie dough from sticking to you, but not the Nutella.

13)  Turn your oven to the temperature dictated on the cookie dough wrapper. I don't know what cookie dough your using, so cooking times may be different.

14) Once up to temperature, put the cookies in for the time designated on the cookie dough wrapper.

15) Wait and drool over the smell coming from your oven.

16) Remove the cookies when the time is up (with an oven mitt, cause the tray will be hot).

17) Let the cookies cool off enough so you can enjoy them without burning yourself, and enjoy. You earned it.

And that my friends is the lazy person's recipe for Nutella Stuffed Cookies. (I should write a cookbook, right? The Lazy Person's Guide to Decent Food.)

Friday Fun

The inaugural Friday post needs to be dedicated to one of my favorite comics I saw in the newspaper years ago from For Better or For Worse:

I love rabbits, what can I say?