Sunday, March 04, 2007

stuff and things

Doug went to Hawaii for work on Tuesday morning, leaving me in charge. God help us. But all the cats and chickens are still alive.I also put the final coat of varnish over the stain on my HitchHiker. I have been converted to the use of steel wool. It really makes a good difference if the varnish is fully hardened.

On Wednesday, there was a power failure in Greater Concord. First the lights and computers went at work, and then the phones. I left to go to the archaeology lab, where I was supposed to Photoshop. There were no lights there, either. I left and drove around Concord to see if any of the gas stations were open, which they were not. Nor could I shop. So I went home, where there was enough electricity to get fuel for my car, and read a bunch of Ursula K. LeGuin.
I put the first shots of metallic leafing on the wheel. It is messy, wasteful, frustrating, and way cool. I made a stencil out of quilting template plastic (an expensive purchase; the sheet of plastic wasn't bad, but quilting store was a dangerous place and the sashiko book rather ran up the bill). An Exacto knife is better than a razor blade for cutting curves (I got one yesterday, in case I do something like this again) and Mona Lisa Sizing is too runny to use with a stencil. Get the sizing pen.
Sensible people might have chosen paint or waxes, but it is a lot of fun playing with the leaf, even if by the time I finish decorating it I will have paid nearly as much in materials for Making Fabulous as I did for the wheel itself. (Can I include the sashiko kit, as a sort of collateral damage?). I must say the wheel was a more atractive idea to embellish than the nice flat wooden things in Michael's, but I might want to do a box or something because the gold leaf is so much fun.

It snowed more than somewhat on Friday. They said we would get 7", and I got about 10. It was prettier than any pictures of mine, but here's a record shot or two:

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

This was Saturday morning, after a very light dusting had fallen and clung to the trees, after Paul the contractor had plowed the drive. A tractor/frontloader is not the tool of choice, he tells me.

Yesterday I visited my parents in Boston and the Dick Blick store near Kenmore Square. they do not carry the same leaf supplies as Michael's, but it's a sufficiently evil place even without carrying wool. My parents gave me lunch at Legal Seafood (I highly recommend the garlic shrimp with rice, off the celiac menu) and polenta at home. They are still trying to pare down their possessions after moving from a good-sized house to a one and a half-bedroom apartment I guess 18 months ago now. I have been wondering in my own house if I should have an estate sale while I am still alive, since I have too much stuff. Not that that stops me getting more.

Today I need to clean the kitty litter boxes before Doug comes back, and shovel the steps to Doug's entry. And maybe wash a dish or so, people get so fussy when they have been living in a hotel and I am running out of space to wash brushes.

2 comments:

Sara said...

Isn't that leaf stuff fun? I started with a few picture frames, then went on to *everything that is not nailed down*.

Norma said...

I nearly lost a finger recently with an X-Acto knife. I kind of swore them off after that....

Sounds like you are having fun, and that is the most important thing.