Wizard People, Dear Reader

So, I was recently introduced to this awesome phenomenon called "Wizard People, Dear Reader". It is an alternate soundtrack to the first Harry Potter movie. It is presented as though it is being read (like a book on tape) while the movie plays silently along with it. Kind of like how one might play the Dark Side of the Moon along with the Wizard of Oz. Brad Neely, who came up with this idea, has apparently never read the books, but loosely follows the storyline of the movie, changing characters names and embellishing the plot with his own details. It is truly amazing.

Here are some good quotes from the movie, although like most quotes they are better in their original context

Look! A Turkish Massage Owl! And look! It's a bat! Sweet Mustache! Willikers!
This is when Harry first goes to Diagon Alley.

The look into each other's eyes, like two serpents on a honeymoon, Professor Snake, astonished that she has an admirer, and Mouthoil, astonished that he likes women.
In his version, Neely presents Snape (Snake) as an ugly woman. Draco Malfoy is Mouthoil. This scene takes place during the first potions class

Now, the most hideous boy in the world has the ball. He has a lumber pile in his mouth that he is calling teeth, and he is a mean S.O.B.
This is a description of one of the boys on the Slytherin quidditch team

"Say, Ron, you look tired, have you ever been tested for diseases?"
"At least I'm not a hideous fucker."
"Are you going home for Christmas? I'm going home. My family's got money."
"No, we’re staying here. We’re going to find out who that fucking Nick Flannel is, and rule the fucking school. So run home and open your presents. I hope you get a new pillow to cry into."
This is a dialogue between Ron and Hermione right before Christmas break. No one likes Hermione and she is known as "Harmony the Wretch" and often made fun of for being ugly and pathetic.

But lo-ho-ho, dear readers. It is a cloak, a cloak indeed! A cloak with a cloaking device!
This is when Harry gets his invisibility cloak

Dazzler is a man who obviously has never heard the laugh of a lover, never heard the phrase, "You are fine," from a doctor.
This is a description of Filch (Dazzler).

Breaking News

Well the brass and the copper do look nice after tumbling about in the tumbler. In fact, they look so nice that if they were a song by Reba they would be "Fancy"...I may just have been poor white trash but Fancy was my name...great song.

A Glimpse Into My Way Too Exciting Life

It's Friday night and I'm hanging out at home by myself (with the dogs) watching Man Vs. Wild and polishing metal in my new tumbler. I must say the tumbler is giving the silver a very nice shine. I just put in some brass and copper. It should be done soon because the Man Vs. Wild episode is almost done (it's acting as my timer, about 40 min.) I hope the brass and copper look as good as the silver. I hope you all are having a more exciting evening.

Enamel Work

Here is only a sample of the enamel work that I did while I was at Touchstone. These are some of my favorite pieces that I did. All of these took multiple torchings...some were only 3 others up to 10 torchings. I sifted the enamel as well as used techniques called wet packing and painted on pigment.

I like the way this picture looks. Fun fact: that is a postcard that Caitlin sent to me from Namibia (Hey Girl!). It gives this picture exotic flair.

Forge Work

Here are some pictures of the forged pieces I did at Touchstone. The copper pieces were forged from 6 gauge round wire and the silver bracelet was forged from 8 gauge round wire. This piece is about 4" long

The top view of the fork, about 4" long

The side view of the fork...I totally used my blacksmithing skills on these pieces. I stole the design elements from the blacksmiths as well.

The first piece I forged at Touchstone, it is an example of both kinds of hammer blows. Both elongating the metal and widening the metal.

A bracelet made of sterling silver. There's a hook on the left side and you can't see it too good in this picture but there's a leaf on the right side of the bracelet. This started out as a 3" piece of wire and I believe the final length is 6"

Dusting Off the Cobwebs

Hello? Is there anybody out there...Just nod if you can hear me...is there anyone at all?
I know it's been awhile since I've been on this thing, but I'm back now from Amish country and plan to keep this thing updated regularly. I just got done with my week of enameling. I made over 30 pieces of enameled goodness. That's a lot to do in one week seeing as how the other students made about 5 pieces. Just saying, they call me quick hands for a reason. Some of my pieces are better than others, but I think they are all successful in their own way. I still need to post pictures of my forged projects and I will also be posting some pictures of the better enameled pieces. That was on my mental to do list and hasn't quite gotten done yet. I did get my screen printing station set up in my work area today. I can check that off my For-Real-To-Do-List. Check.
Well, I just thought I'd let y'all know I was alive and living in Dayton.

How Many Hammer Blows to the Center of a Tootsie Pop

Hello there...it has been a while since I last updated this thing. About a week ago one might say. I have been busy this past week working on my forging and fold forming skillz. Mostly just my forging skillz though. I learned a lot and will post some photos of what I made. Starting out with bits of 6 gauge wire I made a knife, a fork, a spoon kind of thing, a little figure (looks like a cave drawing in 3D), and a bracelet. I made all these things using only two kinds of hammer blows. Using the cross peen you either hit perpendicular to the metal or parallel to the metal.

The rest of my Touchstone experience was pretty good as well. This place is by far the smallest and most rustic of the craft schools I've been to. There were about 30 students there. There are dorm like rooms but I stayed in a cabin that had no plumbing or heat or air conditioning, and very minimal electricity with extremely limited internet access (you have to go to the lodge for that sort of thing and I spent my time either in the studio or sleeping) and almost no cellular service. I was lucky on a few occasions, but if i did talk to you on the phone last week you can picture me standing out in the middle of a field wandering around it trying to get a good signal...I must have looked awesome. This is kind of getting me pumped up for Africa!

I actually kind of liked just being on my own, not being connected to anything...I didn't know anyone eithder and I was the youngest person there so I just sort of did my own thing.

OK, one week down one week to go.

1, 2, 3

How many craft schools can I go to in a summer...well, the answer so far is three. I've done nine weeks at John C. Campbell, six weeks at Arrowmont, and now two weeks at Touchstone in Pennsylvania. The weeks keep dwindling with each craft school I go to. This time, however, I will not be doing work/study. I will be attending just as normal student. Oh my goodness, just think, I will be able to stay all through class with out having to rush off to the kitchen to make lunch or dinner. Maybe I won't be so sleep deprived this time. On the other hand, I will be working in the studio and I do tend to stay up til un-godly hours when I'm working in the studio. Who knows, I guess we'll just have to wait and see how it all plays out. Once again I find myself talking about my sleep habits. Dang.
Well then, I will be taking two metals classes. The first week is fold forming with my friend John Cogswell from SUNY New Paltz and the second week I will be taking enameling.
I haven't really packed yet. I should get on that.

Epic

So there's this whole idea of the Bucket List...popularized by the film of the same name starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. Right, it's a list of things you want to do or achieve in your life time. I don't really like the name "Bucket List", I prefer to call it an Epic To Do List. I started writing one out recently. I had all of these ideas in my head and decided to put them on paper. It's mostly places I want to visit things I want to see. Like I want to see the Northern Lights at some point. Stuff like that. And it's not one of those things where I put something down that I've already done just so I can cross it off to feel accomplished. It's more like stuff I want to work towards, things that I am excited to do.

Famous People Keep Dying

I learned, from another blog, that today John Hughes died. You all probably learned this by reading an internet news source, the radio, the television...or just now from this blog. Well, I can't say I was a die hard fan. I've only seen few of his films, my favorite being Ferris Bueler's Day Off and the Breakfast Club was pretty alright. Mostly I know about John Hughes from all of the times he was mentioned in Kevin Smith movies, which are more my generation.

New Muzack

I recently got two new cds. One, a burned cd from a friend featuring Roger Miller's greatest hits. The other, a cd I purchased by the band The Casting Out. Both are really good and also total opposites in sound...I think there is some common ground in the lyrics department. Heartache knows no genre. But both band and musician sing about other stuff as well. I'm just saying.
Anyways, you may remember Roger Miller from such great hits as King of the Road, Do-Wacka-Do, England Swings, and the Disney version of Robin Hood (Oo-De-Lally). Although, my personal favorite is the song Chug-A-Lug
Chug-a-lug, chug-a-lug
Make you wanna holler hi-de-ho!
Burns your tummy don't ya know
Chug-a-lug, chug-a-lug
Grape wine in a mason jar, homemade and brought to school
By a friend of mine after class me and him and this other fool
Decide that we'll drink up what's left chug-a-lug so we helped ourselves
First time for everything, mmmmmmm...my ears still ring

Quality song right there.

A Magical Weekend

Here are some pictures of our adventures in Traverse City
The vineyards at Chateau Chantal...You can see both bays from the Chateau, but not in this picture, sorry.

Swings are so FUN and not nearly as dangerous as slides.

A beautiful day to be at a Mid-West beach
Colin learns that Michigan is parallel to the south of France

It's a lighthouse! They're all fun and exciting at first, but then you go up in it and it's not that great. Also, this picture documents the perfect place to have a wedding at this location. Just saying, it's a fun game I like to play. Where would the best place be to have a wedding at this historical location?