I'm sick...

I mean, really. Not just the normal being crazy sick, but having some sort of flu. Yeah, yeah, swine flu, perhaps. I told my husband that if I get trouble with my breathing (more than normally), he'll just call the ambulance and I'm hooked in a respirator within half an hour. I won't die of this.
But - energy level is down to toes, I'm aching all over the body and bored because I don't have the energy to do anything - not even read or watch the telly...

But I have been thinking of Christmas and all the things I'd like to do until then. It's also the last day of August, which means that all the September projects will be starting this week... and I didn't do anything for the Battlestar Galactica project... *blush*

I also found a Notebook Daily Diary, they were selling them 60% off, because - 2/3 of the year is already gone. But it's a nice, sturdy leatherbound book with a LOT of pages (way over 365), and I plan on making it into a brag book, Goddess devotional book and quote/citation book. I plan on collecting in all my favorite quotes, all my favorite Goddess images and all the things I like about myself, my dreams, wishes and favorites. :-) It will be wonderful :-)

Then I'm thinking about the "December Daily". They say about making art journals that one could prepare it beforehand, and not leave the pages for the day of journaling, so that the pages have time to dry and so on, which is sometimes needed. One could make several pages for different feelings and then choose the page that best fits for the current mood and write the journal there. An art journal doesn't need to be in perfect order... Also, one could have several journals at the same time.
So - it would be nice to have Christmas Books with inspiration, thoughts and documentation of that year...

Now THAT's some SERIOUS Christmas Spirit!

I want some of that!

http://picasaweb.google.com/kerstgek1/FotoHester#

The fun starts at photo #250... My first reaction was OMG!!! This person is MAD as march hare! Or reindeer, perhaps... she removes EVERY PIECE OF NON-CHRISTMAS DECORATION and fills every possible place, from ceiling to floors, with Christmas! Then I thought, now... that's actually very Christmassy... I get happy by watching the photos :-) If I start now, I can crochet a couple of hundred meters red lace to decorate the book shelves with, make tomtehats to all animals, angels and familyphotos, and knit Christmas sweaters to everyone (except that hubby needs a Chanukkah sweater)... and then I need to make korknisser and Danish kravlenisser, and... what will I invent for the ceiling? I could be knitting meters of potato chip scarf and use that as decoration... If I used green fun fur, it should look a bit like evergreen garlands? Oh, and then I need to crochet some snowflakes... I could be making some poinsettias and tape them on the wall in a pattern, so it will look a bit like Christmas wallpaper... Hmm...

It is that time of the year again...

It's only 120 days till Christmas... I just made a list of my family... mom, dad, siblings, nieces and nephews, husband, the special cousin, my godsons... all together 23 people. Of whom 19 are over 15... that means, no quick socks and hats. On the other hand, it doesn't take more than two days to knit a pair of socks, so if I start now and knit without interruptions, I'll make 60 pairs of socks... If I take Saturdays off, I'll knit (120 shared by 7 is... er... 7 times 7 is 49, 2 times 7 is 14, that's 98 days, then 20, that's 3, 14 plus 3 is 17... 17 weeks... 17 weeks until Christmas... 3 pairs a week, that's 51 pairs of socks... two pairs for every one...) and if I take breaks and do other things as well... er... I better start immediately!
17 weeks... that means I don't have even a week to make a present for each and every one. Oh... Oops! I did it again! *sheepish smile*
Uh. It doesn't matter. I don't take a week to knit/make something wonderful, amazing and great :-D

But, it would be nice to make a couple of tams, maybe some knitted gloves for my sister to go with the tam I made to her last year.
I would like to make a couple of lacy wool shawls for the women in the family. But we are 11 and I do take a little more time than a week to finish a shawl... I think.
I really like knitting scarves and hats, but I don't know anyone who would use them.
I wonder if anyone would wear a cowl...
Bookmarks... everyone reads books, no-one uses bookmarks. *sigh*

I really don't know what people would like, so I'll just assume they'll love what ever they get, and if not, who cares, and do what ever I want :-D They are a very good bunch, appreciative and caring, so I think I'm fairly safe with this :-D

I apologize... I still think some people overreact and create problems where there are none. Nevertheless, I have now met the clueless idiots, and I have to admit they are very aggravating. I think I would have got a little upset if these people were screaming at me to mind my own business and not take away their precious hobby... When in fact all I do IS to mind my own business, as the non-NPO that provides their hobby is taking my income, because THEY are clueless and steal artwork online...

Here's a VERY GOOD article on copyright explaining the 9 common myths (which I, as a witch, think is a wrong word... misconceptions, perhaps?)

Myth #1: It's okay to use anything that doesn't have a copyright notice
Myth #2: It's okay to use anything that's online, because if it's online, it's in the public domain and up for grabs
Myth #3: It's okay to use anything as long as I'm not making any money off it.
Myth #4: It's okay for a non-profit organization to use anything
Myth #5: It's okay to use anything as long as I give credit
Myth #6: It's okay to use anything as long as I include the creator's copyright notice
Myth #7: It's okay to use anything as long as I take it down when the copyright holder objects
Myth #8: It's okay to use something if I can't find the copyright holder
Myth #9: It's okay to use something if I asked for permission and didn't get a response

NO, IT'S NOT OK. IT'S A COPYRIGHT VIOLATION AND THE NON-NPO..S.H.O.U.L.D..GET.LEGAL.CONSEQUENCES THAT MIGHT CAUSE THEM TO SHUT THE SITE DOWN.

So, if you just LOVE Polyvore and it's the ONLY PLACE where you can create and you'll just DIE if the evil artists manage to KILL the site, YOU BETTER NOT CLIP OR USE ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT SURE OF.

Oh, my...

Polyvore is really addictive... Now I visited Ravelry and noticed that I have missed another SOS and my own private Sock Summit as well.

This year's SKA is going to be really good... on the other hand, just because a designer is not very well known, doesn't mean she isn't good :-) That's the way all begin, isn't it?

I brought some new yarn from Finland with me, some undyed 1-ply wool to knit shawls with, some really thick wool to knit something to be felted... or perhaps some shower things to my hubby... wool is really nice as back scrubber or soap cover, as it's a bit scratchy. :-) And it felts :-D

I really would like to get back to my artisan life :-) I have a new little book to be "altered" - it's a moleskin diary for this year, so 370 pages in leather covers :-) I have planned on filling it with pretty pictures and my favorite quotes, poems and such.

I participated in a swap and my swap pal is really lovely, but the post have lost my package! I hate swaps!

I have been thinking of organizing an OWOH but with breast cancer theme - all pink and to be able to participate, one must give something to breast cancer. Now, there's no way to check if the people have actually donated anything to breast cancer, but, hey, would anyone lie about that? After all, it's a question of putting a pocketful of coins in a collection bank somewhere or buying a bag of pink and white M&Ms. One doesn't need to donate hundreds of dollars, pounds or euros to be qualified... Would there be anyone interested? I wonder whom to contact about this... Hmmm...

Funny :->

The sarcastic old fox I am is amused...

An 18 years old girl has uploaded tons of photos from fashion magazines and labeled them "Don't Steal". She has NOT taken ANY of the photos herself and she does NOT have the permission from the fashion magazines nor the photographers nor the models to use the photos at Polyvore or even on her blog. So, she has stolen them herself. I just assume she has labeled them thus so that others would not use the same photos in their sets...

She also has this on her profile page:
**Support the campaign "BE ORIGINAL" DONT COPY sets or … ideas of other members**

Girl... if you put together an outfit which I think is otherwise great, but the shoes you have chosen are not good, or in fact, only the jacket and belt look good, I think it's my duty to put together an outfit that uses the parts of your set that actually do work together. But, sure, you're 18, so you believe to be infallible, perfect and that there is no way anyone can improve your work, or that you could have made a wrong choice or decision.
I am also always happy to see the slight alterations to my sets, sometimes they work better and we are all winners.

Also, artists have been stealing each others compositions for centuries. That's the way non-geniuses learn the composition. You might be a genius and I might be a genius, but 99% of the world is not. You might not like seeing art by anyone else but geniuses, but I do.
I think creativity in all its forms is a wonderful thing that should be encouraged and not limited. I think the idea of "copyright" has been taken too far, and support "copyleft" thinking.

I also think it's great to be inspired by others. I think it's great I'm not alone in this world, but there are others who design clothes, for example, so that I don't need to learn to how to make shoes - handbags, hats, belts and clothes I already know how to do, and sometimes it feels like a great idea to learn how to make shoes as well, so that I could design my own outfits all together - but the thing is that even the most celebrated and original and creative designers get influenced and inspired by others...

EACH AND EVERY DESIGNER WORKING TODAY IS A DESIGNER BECAUSE THEY COPIED ANOTHER DESIGNER'S WORK AT SOME POINT OF THEIR LIFE.

It might have been as simple as sewing clothes to dolls or drawing outfits to paperdolls, or dressing up to a popular fashion trend when teenager, but they did copy.
So do you. You have not composed the photos you use, you have not designed the clothes you use in your composition - not one single belt, piece of jewelry or scarf in your sets is your design. It's all someone else's work YOU stole. Why do you appreciate YOUR work higher than the work of Ralph Lauren, Donna Karan, Domenico Dolce or Stephano Gabbana? Why do you protect YOUR copyright like a tigress, when it is build on stolen rights? You are a hypocrite, dear 18 years old.

Then, the third thing - copying IS a form of compliment. Sure, it would be nice, if the copier also gave credit, but - I'm sure you get enough fame as it is already, and as there is no damage to you, your economy, your reputation or your images, I think you're ridiculous.

Use what talents you possess:
The woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best.
-Henry Van Dyke

More on Polyvore

So I have been there for three weeks... and I don't seem to be able to do anything else.

Well, there was the summer vacation and 10 days in Finland, fancy dress party with the theme "Arabian nights" or in Finnish "1000 and 1 Nights" - the stories in the book are not all Arabian, you know. Aladdin, for example, was Chinese. We were very Turkish, Persian, Arabic anyway. I spent the first week in sewing clothes :-> Photos? Sure... when I get my camera back. Perhaps there'll be a CD with everyone's photos... I hope.

But back to Polyvore. I've been there actively for 15 days and managed to create 133 sets... that's almost 10 sets a day. I sit by my laptop almost the whole day and do nothing but create personas and combine clothes into outfits. I have been horribly neglecting Ravelry and all my obligations and duties, the only thing I do is to go shopping for food, as quickly as I possibly can; meeting my doctors; making me a cup of tea every now and then; walking the dog - also as quickly as I can - and going to the toilet. I neglect my tv shows, my books, my knitting, my 100 things in 1001 days, my email, my groups... basically, my life. I don't like that at all, but... I'm addicted to Polyvore. *sigh*
As with any addiction, I refuse to acknowledge that it is a problem and that I'm paying for my time in Polyvore with everything else in my life... Not worth it, that's for sure.

Then the peeves... every time one gets involved in something, one starts peeving about things.

There are these teenagers who are so horribly childish and stupid... and the worst part of it is, that I know they'll never grow out of it! They are exactly the same in 30 years and in 50 years. I know, because I have met their older versions.

There are the aspiring writers who make grammar errors in their writing - and English is supposed to be their mothertongue! I mean, I'm Finnish and I would NEVER make such mistakes. (I make my own, wrong articles, prepositions and word order, and my vocabulary is not as big as it should be, but this is a foreign language to me! When I was 17, my Finnish was impeccable! I think I have the right to expect that of any 17 years old who wants to be a writer.

There are the horrible RPGs... with unbelievable characters and settings, that are NOT supposed to be fantasy or alternative reality... I know it's easier to skip all the troublesome props like relatives, friends, former schoolmates and servants and make a closed, miniature society, but why would a 17 years old American girl marry her American 17 years old boyfriend in the school chapel in England with only her schoolmates present? Why aren't the kids' parents protesting? I would not allow my 17 years old child, girl or boy, marry, and as far as I know, 17 years olds need the parents' permission to do any such things. But - hey, the kids are having fun with their RPG, and all kinds of creativity is creativity and in such a good thing... but on the other hand... creating such romantic illusions as some sort of ideal of life... what good will come of that? They say people now-a-days aren't prepared to take life as it is. Marriage is supposed to be happily-ever-after and these romantic geese will move back to mommy the first time their beloved, only love, mr Right gets annoyed and says something stupid - that is, the first time they argue. In my mind, arguments are a natural part of ANY relationship, be it marriage, friendship or family... but not so with these bunnies. But, never mind.

Another thing that peeves me in Polyvore, is that people have difficulties in understanding concepts and instructions.
"Only 5 items or less" is interpreted to mean "only 5 items of clothing - you can use limitless amount of jewelry, accessories, backgrounds, words and what ever in the set." And the "only 5" is just words... if it's 6 or 7 or 15, it doesn't really matter.
"Steampunk"...

"I usually think of Steampunk as 19th century earth but with anachronistic technology, or rather, modern devices created with 19th century technology. Usually steam-powered, hence steampunk. It is what would have happened if the Industrial Revolution went wild... ...I tend to believe that the punk is derived from the rebellious, swashbuckling element of the genre. Adventure. Defiance. Many stories of the genre defy established social mores, religious dogma, and government philosophies. Punk also embodies the do-it-yourself anthem of the Steampunk culture."
-- MadBrew

well... I interpret it quite loosely, as I am illustrating an entire world, not just the part of the mechanics and adventurers. I have always been... different. So, when Fantasy genre usually is about adventurers, the heros and heroines who all are princes and princesses in disguise and David against Goliat fights where Good always wins and everything is Black or White - I want to write fantasy about the people who stay at home when the boy next door goes on to his adventure to become the King Who Saved The World, and the servants in the castles and the people behind the scenes. So, my interpretation of steampunk is about the sisters of the girl geniuses and their small lives, the town people, the mothers of the adventurers... what the temporary novels would be about in this alternative and fantastical reality. Sure, I'm Medievalist, I love the Victorian time, would love long skirts and corsets and frills and the life of Little Women with the modern comfort, like plumbing, automobiles, cell phones and computers. I love clockwork and mechanical toys and all that. But, I am not an engineer, a pilot, an adventurer, an explorer or a long lost heiress to a magical kingdom. I'm just a nobody, living with my cats in my English cottage wanting to be left alone. So - my interpretation of steampunk is more like... "let's add a couple of gearwheels in the background" sort of... but my outfits would fit in the steampunk world. Now, some people have the "let's add a couple of gearwheels in the background" interpretation, but the outfits... the contemporary celebrities are NOT wearing outfits that would fit steampunk world! So, make a contemporary, fashionable interpretation of Pride and Prejudice, but DO NOT CALL IT VICTORIAN!
And if the group is called "elaborate backgrounds" HAVE ELABORATE BACKGROUNDS! It is NOT an elaborate background when you have used 50 objects scattered on the background. It is NOT an elaborate background, when you take a photo of your celebrity idol and decorate it with stars, flowers and butterflies.
Also, taking a photo of your idol or a pretty artwork and add a little sparkle, so that the original artwork or photo is almost unchanged IS NOT ART. Now, some people participate in competitions with this kind of things... and WIN... I think that's offensive to the whole community, and even though the originator of the set shouldn't be punished for being unimaginative and stupid, the judges of the competition should know better and remove the set from the competition the second they see it, in stead of REWARDING AND ENCOURAGING such behavior...

*sigh*

Anyway... THIS is what I waste my time doing! How stupid can a woman get? :-D