Club High Castle

I’m trudging through a nasty cold right now, but the rest of this month has been fabulous. Disclaimer for the Babylon 5 fan art: Babylon 5 (c) J. Michael Straczynski. I did not create that universe, and nor do I own it. Remember this? I completed the digital version! Full/Large version “End Game” – based off of a Babylon 5/Psi Corps RP I was a part of. “Dream the Stars” – A watercolor painting I did just for fun Preview I’m always striving to improve my skills, so here is the sketch version of something that I will digitalize in October. Books read 8/3 – I finally completed All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque. It was an emotional book. There were instances where I had to put it down for weeks at a time. It was an excellent book, five stars. A warning: it is a heartbreaking read.

Oh my! August was such a hot month! I’ve been taking strides to get rid of the unwanted sort of busy, so for the month of August, I have had plenty of time to do what I enjoy most! What is old is new I wanted to clean up my old digital art technique; I used this month to play around with it. The three samples below show my progression as the month went on, and I am absolutely thrilled with how the third one came out! I first drew the pictures on paper, snapped pictures of them, and then uploaded them onto my computer. I did the “digitalizing” in photoshop. You can view full, larger versions of these on my DA account (I’ve included the links). Since they are all Babylon 5 related, I’ll just put the disclaimer here: Babylon 5 (c) J. Michael Straczynski. I did not create that universe, and nor do I own it. Full/Large version “Walking in the Park” – Based off of a short fanfic I wrote Remember this sketch in my previous post? Full version “Prelude” – Prelude to the disappeara...

I am losing the War Against Busyism ; it is such an unfortunate truth, but that doesn’t mean I was idle while waiting in the trenches. I was able to scribble out a few things for the month of July. A patriotic prelude to my new avatar Pencil drawings are such fun! I have plans to make a digital version of this ink sketch. I’m a Fighter Pilot – The image I created my avatar out of. It’s too wide to post on here, so here’s the link! 7/3 books read. Thank FSM for lunch breaks.

This month flew by. It went so fast, that I almost missed it! I’m happy to report that I’ve been able to keep up with my New Years Resolutions so far. This month sported 2 projects, both of which were posted: Is Winter Over Yet? A Very Bester Surprise I’ve been doing overtime for the past week, and I am wiped out! I will be doing it next week, and here’s to crossing my fingers that they don’t extend it after that! I don’t know what I will do about art projects if they do–Art projects…sanity…relaxation… I spent the bulk of this Saturday (oh, my precious, darling Saturday!) at the hospital getting stitches. This weekend sure slipped through my fingers! I’m fine though, so that’s what matters I suppose. Books read: 1/3 — I’m still working on The Watchers Out of Time. Books of short stories take me a while to read. I’m going to pick a novel for my third book; I hate that this one is taking me this lo...

Here is that promised lengthy post about the miniature Bester plush I finished last weekend! “A Very Bester Surprise” 13.5 cm tall || 12 hours || sewing project Yes, he really took 12 hours to create! This was my first attempt at creating a plush, and it was all hand sewn. I even created the pattern from scratch (this is included in that 12 hours). I started out three weeks ago, spending about 2 hours each night after work on him that first week. The following week was freezing (in my opinion), and I didn’t spend as much time on him. I’m not one for cold temperatures. Even if I’m in layers with heat, I tend to not move, want to move, or do anything! It’s just how I roll. Where was I? Ah, yes; that second week wasn’t very productive, but the following weekend was a warm one, and in that 2 day span, I finished him in record time! I had to make a stop at the local craft store for some fabric glue because I had to get the hair just right. What I h...

How to Make a Miniature Plush Doll By MLC 2011 | Doll Pattern | Optional Coat Pattern | If you decide to use and post the pattern, please credit me, thank you! Using the Pattern ***The pattern is marked with measurements to make it scalable*** Print the pattern Click the link, “Doll Pattern” Right click, “save as” and follow the prompts Print from a photograph/picture program Cut the pieces out Pin them to fabric (for the ones that need 2 pieces, fold the fabric over before pinning it in place) Leave ½ cm of fabric around the pattern edges (or more depending on how thick you want the limbs and torso) Limbs Leave a lot of space at the top of the pattern (as shown) when you make the initial cuts Fold in half (over the dotted lines in the patterns) Sew along the bottom and edge, leaving the top open *optional* you may cut it so that the bottoms are rounded The limbs should look like small tubes: stuff them ...

Last weekend was extremely cold, and this weekend was absolutely perfect! The weather is busy trying to make up its mind, I suppose. I took advantage of the wonderful temperatures! I got a lot done and finished something I’ve been working on for a couple of weeks. Here is a preview of my miniature Bester plushie! (I plan to do a longer post about him later on this month). That’s my cell phone with him to give you a baseline as to how small he is. We started our first garden today! It’s small because we are just starting out. I’m hoping I have some of that green thumb my father and grandmother have. They are masters of growing things and always have awesome gardens. The plants without flowers are various peppers and one strawberry plant (I have no idea if strawberries will grow in this climate, but they are too delicious not to find out).