intscher

Blog Crazy

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 02:35:05 GMT

ckocher what have you started? You were the one who encouraged me to try a blog... now I am blogging & using facebook all over the place (I think I have 4 blogs & twitter & FB now!!). I spend way to much time on this - and your the one who gets the blame (or credit). Your very right I am having a good time... but sheesh!!

More tattoo

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 22:10:07 GMT

Well I made it through another session. This one was very cool since the artist drew directly on me for the design. He had done stencils for the main figures and then yesterday he filled in the space between by hand - then did the outline tattoo for the in between stuff - clouds, sun ray, rocks and the dragons tail mostly. My sister was there and took photos of the process for me.

This is what it looked like after I took the wrap off - a little blurred by extra ink in a few spots.

Under the cut...

ok so here is Maria photographing the scene.

Yes she has a mohawk.

Here is my artist Kaz (from NY Adorned - Brooklyn shop) drawing on me.

He is working to get the sun ray lines right.

And now let the real work begin.

I was really pleased with the design and am looking forward to my next session in two weeks - ack. It should take about four more - or another 8 to 12 hours. So far to this point is I think 13 hrs.

More tattoo...

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 21:01:39 GMT

Well Monday I got started on the second half of my back piece. I had wanted to do one side first to see how I felt about it all - and I guess I feel pretty good since I am now continuing the work across my back. The line work is done for the figures only - the part that he stenciled. Next time he will draw the rocks and clouds free hand and begin that outline. Then shading and color. Should take about another 10 hours I would think. I really like how the composition works together. The new characters represent my kids - the dragon is the eldest and the dancer is the younger.

I am pleased with the progress so far - here is what it looks like now:

FAWM - My musical month

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 17:01:56 GMT

FAWM is February Album Writing Month. This was my first try at FAWM and it was tons of fun. I really had not written a song before and it has been years since I played music... but I jumped in with both feet and completed 22 songs!! I got some really supportive comments - and I guess I am ready for non FAWM folks to hear some of my stuff - if your interested. Here it is... I did improve quite a bit as the month went on - the first few are quite shakey. Not bad for a non-musician I think.

Me on TV

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 13:19:51 GMT

I did a little TV spot last night - live on the local news to promote green building and my upcoming class on straw bale construction and eco friendly construction.

Here is a link to the spot. It will be available for a little while.

kimono crafts

Sat, 10 Jan 2009 22:23:15 GMT

Been doing some crafts in the cold winter months - its snowing pretty good so I did some kanzashi - a Japanese flower making thing to use as hair ornaments for myself and my girls when we dress in kimono... which we were going to do today and head out for a sushi diner - but thanks to snow that is canceled... oh well I guess I will make sushi at home tonight.

I have also been hand sewing some kimono shaped quilting blocks. Here is a photo of the blocks so far (the one on the left is in construction) as well as the kanzashi flowers... my first attempt - really fun - pretty tricky.

And here is a detail of the two better kanzashi. Do you recognize the fabric ninomit_arol ? I also sewed a barbie kimono with the fabric to match the flowers (from ninomit_arol -- thanks!)

Finished Tattoo

Sat, 03 Jan 2009 02:45:03 GMT

I welcomed 2009 with a finished tattoo. Yea.

With my artist Kaz at Brooklyn Adorned

Now I shall plan for the other side of my back piece... perhaps in a year.

Holiday kimono

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 03:22:03 GMT

I went out in kimono tonight - nice sushi diner at Kampai.
Here is my holiday photo.

I wish you all a lovely holiday!

Weird kids

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 12:24:49 GMT

I have very odd kids - but in a good way.

This morning my eldest ran downstairs before 7am to meditate with me.
Pretty weird for an 8 year old - but so cool. I am filled with glee.

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:54:48 GMT

Well I am back from NYC for part three - done on my tattoo. It was supposed to be the last sitting - but Kaz (Kazuhisa Matsumoto) wanted one more. After the tattoo appointment I had a chance to visit my siste (and her man)and crash at her place. Nice to avoid hotel prices in the city. We had a great diner at a very busy Italian restaurant and great conversation. I was really tired from the day so it was nice to have a relaxing evening. The next day I did some shopping then headed home on the bus (sitting oddly to one side). My back is a bit sore today - but not as much as when I had the shading done.

I thought I would share the results of part two. Here is the photo of the completed black and gray shading.

I don't have pictures of part three - but here is the artist Kaz and me after the session.

Work done at the Brooklyn Adorned shop.

Mini Orchid

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:04:04 GMT

My newest orchid... here it is - the full size Dendrobium Monoliforme Var. Shiraaya (from Japan). It will have small white flowers.

It is from J& L Orchids.
I got it at the local Orchid society meeting over the weekend.
There was a fantastic presentation on Miniature Orchids - I was smitten!

Orchid love

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:32:25 GMT

Ok - I love Orchids... you can not like orchids, people always fall in love and get a bit obsessed with orchids.

Mostly I like Oncidium, Dendrobium and lately Vanda type - but at a recent meeting of our local orchid society I was seduced by the Pahiopedilum (lady's slipper). I just could not resist the sherbert colored beauty (last photo). It has more flowers coming.

Here are some successes this year.

July - Dendrobium.

August - Oncidium.

November - Pahiopedilum

I have another Oncidium "in spike" (sending up a flower stalk). Should be blooming in December... Yea.

Tattoo - part two

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 03:03:59 GMT

Just got back from NYC - part two of my (half) back piece is done - the shading in b & w - mostly rock forms.
Yes it hurts - but it is looking really great.

Photo of Kaz working on my piece:

www.nyadorned.com/home.htm

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 16:21:31 GMT

Ok - so this past weekend I went "Brain Tanning"
(no not opening your skull and sitting under a sun lamp) - it is tanning a hide by using the brains of the animal...

So it starts with taking the flesh of the animal off of the hide.

.

Then you string the hide on a frame and let it dry out - here is our group: Katie, Bill, Tony, Brianna & me.

Then you take the hair off and scrape the other side. After that it gets soaked in a brain smoothie soup (yummy). The hide is then wrung out and staked - where you keep the skin moving by pushing on it until it drys.

After that it gets smoked. And here is the finished hide - a lovely buckskin in a light golden color.

It is very soft flexible and washable - amazing process really. I enjoy learning primitive stills - not that I will need to use them - but to understand - and it was cool. It was really hard work and a bit disgusting - especially for a vegetarian - but I went outside my comfort zone and did it. Yea.

So that is my weird weekend.
And I really like saying "Brain Tanning" .
.

A walk in the woods

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 11:09:16 GMT

It was a beautiful weekend - we went out to a place called 'Wolf Crest' a large and lovely property owned by a friend who also teaches us wilderness skills. We showed my parents, my sister & her man around the place. Walked in the wonderfully colored woods and had an awesome day. Since my sister is now living in NYC it was a real treat for them to be in "Nature".

My parents are visiting from Canada - and will be going home in a few days - so it was really nice for me to have a relaxed (non-working) day out with them. They were treated to a few cool demonstrations including primitive fire making (with a bow drill) as well as herb tea (picked fresh - two kinds: mint & spice bush). We visited our shelter - an emergency sleeping shelter for one that we made in the summer (and my husband actually slept in one night). As always the girls had a great time - they are very comfortable at 'Wolf Crest' and play run all over.

The weather was so fantastic - the best day of fall (and I love fall)!

My sister (left) and her man - looking back & me - with Dad behind.

Me

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 12:37:38 GMT

picture meme

1. Take a picture of yourself right now.
2. Don't change your clothes, don't fix your hair... just take a picture.
3. Post that picture with NO editing (except resizing if they are HUGE).
4. Post these instructions with your picture.

Morning, in my office (at home). Reading email & surfing.

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 21:35:55 GMT

Sometimes I feel so sad.

Tattoo

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 02:29:45 GMT

Ok - here it is:

The story: The emergence of Amaterasu O-kami (the Japanese sun goddess) from the cave. It is a great story - look it up. Some of you may know why this may be significant to me.

The artwork by Kaz (Kazuhisa Matsumoto of New York Adorned), and the completed out-line work (4 Sept.2008):

- -

Thoughts? Remember - this is a work in progress, I have two more sessions.

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 21:33:52 GMT

Oh yea - did I mention that I took a flint-knapping workshop (as in making stone tools)...
So in case of apocalypse - we are ready, come on over (friends only please).

Tattoo week

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 18:21:37 GMT

It has been a week focused on tattoos... first I went with kandinart72 to get her first tattoo - a lovely spiral galaxy on her arm. Very cool. Then it was my turn. I got the outline done (the first of three sessions) on a partial back piece. The art by Kaz (Kazuhisa Matsumoto of New York Adorned) is stunning. It was an excellent (and productive) trip to the city and visiting my sister and her man was a bonus. I will post the progress pictures as soon as I get some nice photos.

Fun

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 02:42:40 GMT

Another day of having fun - Japanese style - we all dressed up in our summer kimono (yukata) and had a great sushi diner. We celebrated my youngest girl being promoted to yellow belt and my husband to blue belt in karate. Yes we are a little Japan crazy. Oh well - better than just crazy (ok we are a bit of that as well).

Don't you just dig the hello kitty yukata on my little girl - she is seriously into hello kitty!
Thanks to kyotokimono for that yukata!

Today

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:18:18 GMT

Today is 08 - 08 - 08
Too cool! Have a great day!

Too much stress... not enough fun.

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 21:55:26 GMT

Well - I should not have taken it on, but I did. The strays of clients who have been done wrong by their now fired architects and engineers. They come in a desperate state and hope I can fix it.

Sometimes I say yes (do I have a superhero streak?) FEMA is kicking me out of the trailer I was given from the flood that destroyed my house and they give me 3 months to get another house to live in. Ok - you are in a pinch - yes, and I will give you a discounted rate. Not your fault.

Sometimes no, no, no, well ok yes (you wore me down) to the church committee doing a big addition. The first architect took too long and designed something so ridiculous that it could not be build and was 150% more than they wanted to spend and they didn't like the design and they didn't feel confident that they could finish the project in time for permits, zoning meetings and construction to start in three months. Can I help them? (Really, your asking a new architect to do the whole project from scratch in 2 months and you feel confident with that? really?) This one seemed like a huge liability issue - like I was going to get sued by the first architect. They begged pleaded and cried in my office three times. Yes I took it on - went on a mania and did it - really pulled it out. Now it is built and they love it - in budget, on time and what they wanted. Hmmn - yes superhero (well my firm is called "Secret Base Design" so it is either hero or evil genius - I prefer evil). But it takes from me to work this way.

And sometimes no "I ripped a whole in my double wide and my daughter is bringing her new baby home and we need a new room" (true real call)... oh you mean the one that you were building without plans on the weekend so code enforcement wouldn't catch you - but somehow they did and now you are calling me on a Sunday and you need plans drawn up right now! Double wide... hmmn = not paying me much & scoff law - no thank you very much... "sorry Sir we have a four month waiting list".

This recent sometimes yes was a couple of guys who had their engineer tell them (after working on it - sort of - for 4 months) that he was not qualified to finish their project. Now they are two or three months behind schedule and need to start construction before the weather gets bad. They wanted to build an ice cream shop & pizza take out place. Now I love to design restaurants - but they can be very difficult - kitchen layouts must really work and they are pretty technical. But I have done two pizza places before so this is pretty familiar territory for me - lucky for them since they didn't know about the pizza side. They knew the ice cream so they helped me with that. Well after being hired on Tuesday night - the finished permit set of drawings was in the code office Friday morning at 8:30 AM. Ok that blew my mind - it is the fastest full job I have ever done. I am insane - I really hammered through it and bumped other important projects... that are now on critical!

I miss my kids. I miss my husband. I miss Karate class. I miss reading, sleeping, and doing something other than sitting in my chair.

Why do I do this... crazy work all the time. Then get super lazy and just don't do a damn thing.
I just really hate the professionals who do this to clients - I want to make it up to them... to redeem Architects.

I really do not get on well with other architects - perhaps that is obvious.

Fire Making Saga

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 02:08:31 GMT

On Saturday we took a class on primitive fire making and cordage making. We carved our own fire kit and proceeded to try them out. After watching the demonstration - which was amazing and listening to the instructor telling us all that we could do this and would by the end of the day. I proceeded in full confidence full of excitement. This was going to be an experience. Much was made of how sacred fire is to our lives and that we would certainly appreciate it more if we could create it using the old ways. We were using the bow drill method (a fancy way of rubbing two sticks together - yes).

As class went on my energy changed. At first I was given a really knotted piece of wood to carve into a very cylindrical shape - ummmn - for someone with extremely limited knife and carving skills that was near impossible. One of the assistants came by and was horrified that I had been working on this super icky piece and gave me a new one. So I carved a second spindle - already getting discouraged. I am way behind the group now. Then on forward - creating the fire board and hand hold - again - all the pieces of wood I was given to shape were knotty - but I made it work ok. We burned in the set (but right from the start I think my hand hold was not deep enough - as I would experience later). The first one in the class got fire before I even had my set done. I think they were a survival rescue guy and had done it before - ok - no worries. Then everyone else got it - and some were on their second and third tries. They even tried the next technique of the hand drill.

I was really holding class back as they were all waiting for me. My frustration was getting intense and I was working as hard as I could. I skipped eating and drinking I just felt like I couldn't stop - I couldn't have everyone waiting. Finally the instructor said we should go on. Many times I was near tears about my failure and frustration. I am a very goal oriented and successful gal - this sort of failure just really conquers my emotions and I was spiraling down.

We went outside and learned to make cordage from plants, bark, roots and other natural fibers. That was really cool and I got the hang of that pretty well. I liked doing that part and it helped me perk up a bit. After the class ended - I stayed back and went down to the bow drill set and tried and tried and tried. I was trembling and spent - yet kept going. The instructor said he hurt just watching me. I just had to have this and I couldn't!! Everyone else made it just fine. As the other students were leaving - they were very encouraging to me..."you'll get it", "keep at it you can do it". All well meaning I know. I apologized for holding back the class - and no-one seemed to mind. But to me the comments felt like daggers... condescending, you poor pathetic hopeless creature. I know that is my perception.

On the drive back I cry.

Next day I buy my own knife and cord.

The day after that - I start practicing at home. Gather a tinder bundle, build a tee-pee structure and set to work. Three hours later - stiff and sore - nothing, not even close. Eat diner - after trying to fix some things on my kit I try again for another hour. Nothing. I am desperate to make fire.

I will keep you posted on my progress to master this ancient life giving art. I have great respect for our ancestors who survived with these skills as second nature. I want to know how that feels.

Garden progress

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 14:52:23 GMT

Along with trying to eat better - I have a big garden now. The plants are taking off like crazy. We are harvesting the early stuff - radishes, lettuce, cilantro, early mibuna (Japanese greens) and Japanese spinach. Here is a photo of our first garden salad... supplemented with some wild things - dandelion leaves and daisy petals.