tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36906304840190282212024-03-05T06:44:53.140-08:00Ceri's Adventures in Stop-MotionI make monsters.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690630484019028221.post-77009941183798846622011-01-18T20:08:00.000-08:002011-01-18T20:29:21.565-08:00Woolly Logic T-Shirts<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv-LlqKmUmr4y7unMtcV4teNJI6fGDVVWCY0-SAVziKPAx7VDOAczl9NYpUz52fEWHQqon0VV9_9hAtoEXBWKAAGrffuoy3EWM8PkCwEKLf12_PmLYrTPkxizH0VRtnvYNUZFrt224FOEO/s1600/skelecopy.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv-LlqKmUmr4y7unMtcV4teNJI6fGDVVWCY0-SAVziKPAx7VDOAczl9NYpUz52fEWHQqon0VV9_9hAtoEXBWKAAGrffuoy3EWM8PkCwEKLf12_PmLYrTPkxizH0VRtnvYNUZFrt224FOEO/s400/skelecopy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563748981179817554" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLPqLvg6l2d-sl7apFnAjGv4QgAu0NoGB5Yr_n0MlMKNVOHJh-1bSZntfK_ZqIKROoAb1ipU3_eVleEDn3eUjfrbfPbdHOC3jw_jDb0dkgVNJV0wrbhreGLWhuxUzDZGWwUXK4uwsRCc0n/s1600/robocopy.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLPqLvg6l2d-sl7apFnAjGv4QgAu0NoGB5Yr_n0MlMKNVOHJh-1bSZntfK_ZqIKROoAb1ipU3_eVleEDn3eUjfrbfPbdHOC3jw_jDb0dkgVNJV0wrbhreGLWhuxUzDZGWwUXK4uwsRCc0n/s400/robocopy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563748978604789858" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Last week I did a couple of digital doodles in the style of printed circuit boards, posted them on facebook and it turned out that people liked them enough to want them printed on t-shirts.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;">If you too want a PCB robot or skeleton emblazoned across your chest, then you can buy one in my </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.spreadshirt.com/">Spreadshirt</a><span style="font-family:arial;"> shop, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Woolly Logic</span> here:</span> <div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://woollylogic.spreadshirt.co.uk/">http://woollylogic.spreadshirt.co.uk/</a><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690630484019028221.post-12206099607042301322010-12-15T16:05:00.000-08:002010-12-15T16:16:50.636-08:00Walter Gloom<span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span> Head over to the <a href="http://waltergloom.blogspot.com/">Walter Gloom blog</a> or to <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30223082@N04/sets/72157624110679515/with/5261220791/">my flickr album</a> to see more photos my newest puppet, Walter Gloom. Puppet designed by James Geard.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3DAYNhOfaN-WEnKQkvHEik4jU5vPWhPoF1ooOTJQBphOvEN9l1no00f_REBfqIBwdknwhrJdKJA0DRYhpmxrRrEqRJHAxpF9yhk65h6DfnVON0ymwDSTx1ZwPMqyfTLJEaBvqA3d4kS6z/s1600/walt2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 220px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3DAYNhOfaN-WEnKQkvHEik4jU5vPWhPoF1ooOTJQBphOvEN9l1no00f_REBfqIBwdknwhrJdKJA0DRYhpmxrRrEqRJHAxpF9yhk65h6DfnVON0ymwDSTx1ZwPMqyfTLJEaBvqA3d4kS6z/s400/walt2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551066284500004482" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690630484019028221.post-84180829229924346392010-06-09T16:06:00.000-07:002010-06-09T16:08:54.133-07:00Check out Edna!My new puppet:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30223082@N04/4684182852/" title="edna5 by everyday adventurer, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/4684182852_b54d96d844.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="edna5" /></a><br /><br />Full details and more photos on the Watler Gloom blog:<br /><br /><a href="http://waltergloom.blogspot.com/2010/06/unveiling-edna.html">http://waltergloom.blogspot.com/2010/06/unveiling-edna.html</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690630484019028221.post-60378610264680334382010-04-06T15:42:00.000-07:002010-04-06T16:20:13.922-07:00Long Overdue News Update<span style="font-family: arial;">Again I have been absent from blogging for far too long - sorry about that. This is just a brief update of noteworthy things that have happened since my last post. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">First up, the music video for Smile by <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/TheLeano">The Leano</a> was released in January and I went to the launch night in London which was a lot of fun and involved a variety of great live music. </span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">If you haven't seen the video, here it is:</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBuRbw-lIqI">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBuRbw-lIqI</a><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Loads of animators from around the world worked on it, including <a href="http://donmation.blogspot.com/">Don Carlson</a> and <a href="http://mikeletendre.blogspot.com/">Mike LeTendre</a></span>. <span style="font-family: arial;">The singing spotty alien blobs section is mine. I think the whole thing was a fantastic project and I love the end result. All profits from the album sales are going to a charity helping displaced kids in Sri Lanka, so it's for a good cause too.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Most people reading this blog will have already seen the finished international stop-motion co-op film 'First Time Parents', but for anyone who hasn't:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRfb7TrpGak">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRfb7TrpGak</a><br /><br />I am so impressed by it! Even though people from all over the world worked on it without having ever meeting each other, the whole thing is very coherent. All the puppets and props that <a href="http://emmyymme.blogspot.com/">Emily Baxter</a> and I made for it fit in perfectly with <a href="http://castlegardener.wordpress.com/">John Hankins' </a>sets and props, and the whole film has a very friendly atmosphere to it. John's animation is amazing as always, and the music is brilliant.<br />I am rather in love with this animation and the woolly family it features. Emily's Mommy monster is quite obviously a soulmate for the Daddy puppet I made and I am very glad they found each other.<br /><br />I am still working on making things for <a href="http://waltergloom.blogspot.com/">Walter Gloom</a> and I intend to update that blog very soon with puppet building photos. Until then...<br /><br /><br /><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690630484019028221.post-42763558546207672372009-10-22T12:20:00.000-07:002009-10-22T12:24:59.443-07:00Things are happening at the Walter Gloom blog...Puppet building has started for <a href="http://waltergloom.blogspot.com/">Walter Gloom</a>, and there are photos up on the <a href="http://waltergloom.blogspot.com/2009/10/puppet-heads.html">Walter Gloom</a> blog. Go on, have a look, you know you want to!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690630484019028221.post-11277441968698610842009-10-04T16:44:00.000-07:002009-10-04T17:08:06.543-07:00New studio!Sorry about my long absence from blogging folks - it has been due in part to the mammoth task of moving house. Daz and I have one Hell of a lot of stuff (mainly comics, books, DVDs and art equipment) which all had to be moved the 100 yards to the new house by hand, mainly by myself as Daz has been working down south for the last few months. I now have a new studio (yes, another spare bedroom) which is not only much bigger than my old studio, but also has the advantage that it doesn't double as Daz's junk room like my old studio did.<br /><br />Here are a few photos of my new studio space:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieuiOW94yYDOnXJQI_xDKykQ1A-f3nsPIBYWFrnUw7MnQ_UmBKOCGFAaanBP3CqD-SAMRtAops4dOrhl2ORdNyZ7e_ahyck2tUcBqVrIGHSpSPysjG0y6T7M-BAr6YMAxdN6KSfekYYtS5/s1600-h/workdesk.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieuiOW94yYDOnXJQI_xDKykQ1A-f3nsPIBYWFrnUw7MnQ_UmBKOCGFAaanBP3CqD-SAMRtAops4dOrhl2ORdNyZ7e_ahyck2tUcBqVrIGHSpSPysjG0y6T7M-BAr6YMAxdN6KSfekYYtS5/s400/workdesk.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388898294413312658" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgQo2NQYDHALfvpmn-X8QnPpQ7LQTi6TobQiZBYQIZU-RVmd_hIgUAymBqzeMNZnMSiF-TBDHf3iZTAvDc_EMZb_dkBm_XIhNk4PQHCI2MnG2vt5iSH9R3QK2xA5mBP0tVLAYzM6OXp6v/s1600-h/desk2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgQo2NQYDHALfvpmn-X8QnPpQ7LQTi6TobQiZBYQIZU-RVmd_hIgUAymBqzeMNZnMSiF-TBDHf3iZTAvDc_EMZb_dkBm_XIhNk4PQHCI2MnG2vt5iSH9R3QK2xA5mBP0tVLAYzM6OXp6v/s400/desk2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388898299625253922" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpLzXOuwbk-AWijuYiiZhZ1uu3v4-f8RcnYpDQ09Bwj5makBBKw53z0E6_X-25_aco6Dyoj0BySKtbRAjp3nIB0QnG7SQFM0h1iMle8Se-9zYHpb9KDXQN8mwKHTnnAQxPB-Ihq7h-mOcA/s1600-h/shelving.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpLzXOuwbk-AWijuYiiZhZ1uu3v4-f8RcnYpDQ09Bwj5makBBKw53z0E6_X-25_aco6Dyoj0BySKtbRAjp3nIB0QnG7SQFM0h1iMle8Se-9zYHpb9KDXQN8mwKHTnnAQxPB-Ihq7h-mOcA/s400/shelving.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388898304634257586" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv6sPWLgyNZ9nCdliAZqZcKwNQxf-y44liJVmYc-eruYi4LaRfMt2-dv5fmKIaYfJjzWiVFhdevsi4-u6jEst6EDdxTKmmeEkwIHaqQ6Y2Gp6l75YjXMytC1efg7nzXXXdGgYCiJH1ypnN/s1600-h/chair.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv6sPWLgyNZ9nCdliAZqZcKwNQxf-y44liJVmYc-eruYi4LaRfMt2-dv5fmKIaYfJjzWiVFhdevsi4-u6jEst6EDdxTKmmeEkwIHaqQ6Y2Gp6l75YjXMytC1efg7nzXXXdGgYCiJH1ypnN/s400/chair.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388898315046602962" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8s0Fx_DCZJDLln-YPRrTNZczmlct9oWJk03PxYo-kiMqlo-eCzTQ0AwyRH9q0g0Ip4M5X5IgOfYPWlxzn8ftWAuC8HcT1cewpTY9BV7EH0-uPNXyYPizaUMI06tMfqXGK7QsY-t3Du58P/s1600-h/me.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8s0Fx_DCZJDLln-YPRrTNZczmlct9oWJk03PxYo-kiMqlo-eCzTQ0AwyRH9q0g0Ip4M5X5IgOfYPWlxzn8ftWAuC8HcT1cewpTY9BV7EH0-uPNXyYPizaUMI06tMfqXGK7QsY-t3Du58P/s400/me.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388898318759453202" border="0" /></a><br />'Monday to Friday' has been put on hold for the moment, and I have started work on the puppets for the <a href="http://waltergloom.blogspot.com/">Walter Gloom</a> film that I am working on with writer/director James Geard. I will be posting images of the process I have used to make the puppet heads for the film over at the <a href="http://waltergloom.blogspot.com/">Walter Gloom blog</a> in the next few days. Now I have to be off again, the heads need another coat of latex...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690630484019028221.post-50369621820448285812009-07-13T16:43:00.000-07:002009-07-13T17:21:12.991-07:00Two woolly monsters emigrate to Hawaii...<span style="font-family:arial;">Here are some photos of the two woolly monster puppets I made to send to John Hankins (<a href="http://castlegardener.wordpress.com/">castlegardener</a>) as part of the international animation co-op. They are provisionally called 'Dad' and 'Toddler'. I'm afraid the lighting and focus in the photos is not great - I took them in a hurry under yellowish a light with no flash. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />The Dad is a little smaller than my usual puppets, and is about 10 inches tall, the Toddler is tiny, just over 4 inches tall, and had to be made using miniature crochet with a 1mm hook.</span><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4UKIVW7FJ6-VR-_6hR2h0SeJOvykCx2TVGtDUGqza5VDwwGBzeMYRqUs7RJL91nQNI_0Zl3hoGnxn-inR6O7zcvMyYN29FS3NlSOATwkclwK26z3-__46axv7XYgUM_TQi6CR2ZKpFRzJ/s1600-h/P1000518.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358102156585742290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 396px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4UKIVW7FJ6-VR-_6hR2h0SeJOvykCx2TVGtDUGqza5VDwwGBzeMYRqUs7RJL91nQNI_0Zl3hoGnxn-inR6O7zcvMyYN29FS3NlSOATwkclwK26z3-__46axv7XYgUM_TQi6CR2ZKpFRzJ/s400/P1000518.JPG" border="0" /></a> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358102162640714706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 313px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYLTEPCL-ykgzLW41axePfBcBpkn9PCtXRUHrCrnLRnI6QrZnzJAbjmwZxv_a6GUb7lOGY9gSEAggsRUpaR0s_MAU0ACqgGMBYpN_I8kaikoQFOf8qo1A5HdBRgoZYb4I30axd7LIN4fAI/s400/P1000513.JPG" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358102169955786802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 297px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnvIq6zuQAOTor___N-E6JgPQw87rhaEM6zS2Lrbng1sgZJGuMQ4asL2HwJm7L9-kZcNt1Qc6Um65sJyb7ht5Pfr5Qrju-04Sl2CyRrhZxKQ5qPsW-zs8Smv1_KW_PdyDFxLaHKupdth6w/s400/P1000515.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">Both puppets have aluminium armature wire and epoxy putty armatures which I wrapped with polyfibre wadding stuck in place with Copydex latex glue (one of the most versatile mediums in the world). The skins are made of hand crocheted yarn, acrylic and wool/acrylic blend in the case of the Dad puppet, and very fine angora/lambswool blend for the Toddler. The armature for the father had to be completed in stages after certain parts of the woolly skin had been sewn into place, otherwise the hands would have been too big to pass through the 'sleeves' of the skin.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;">The mouths are felt replacements, and other details are made using buttons and fluffy pom-poms. As usual I used french knitting (done on a circular four-pin bobbin) for Dad's fingers, which are threaded over latex and wool wrapped wire fingers.</span></div></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690630484019028221.post-83745750667052889562009-05-30T10:00:00.000-07:002009-05-30T18:01:26.038-07:00The wonders of London<span style="font-family:arial;">I am temporarily back from London after a longer than planned stay, but I'm going back on Monday for a few more days. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Daz's</span> company is re-tiling a pool down there, so he's renting a very nice 3-bedroom flat for him and the other guys down in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Kilburn</span>, a few miles from the city centre, which I get to stay in for free - <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">woohoo</span>! Usually I can only afford to stay in the cheapest 'hotel' in London, a very grim place in Earls Court which became the inspiration for my <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxssww2rXtY">'Grey Heights Guesthouse'</a> animation. It's unlikely that I'll be able to afford to spend so much time in London again, so I'm making the most of it whilst I can.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I travelled out to Woking on Thursday to meet up with director James Geard and talk about our collaboration, </span><a href="http://waltergloom.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;">Walter Gloom</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">. He had some fantastic sketches and ideas and has put together a great storyboard for me to work from. To see some of his drawings and follow his pre-production work, check out the </span><a href="http://waltergloom.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;">Walter Gloom blog</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The rest of this post is mainly going to be me enthusing about London, no stop motion I'm afraid...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I love living in the North-West, but I have to admit that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">every time</span> I go down to London I fall in love with the place a little more. I have no interest in the nightlife or shopping - I avoid both of these things like the plague, unless it's shopping for books or comics of course! The main things I love about London are the excellent art <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">galleries</span> and museums, the architecture and the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">public</span> transport system (yup, I'm a real geek). London now comes a very close second to Vienna, Austria which is my favourite city in the world (for very similar reasons).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Visiting the </span><a href="http://www.britishmuseum.org/"><span style="font-family:arial;">British Museum</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> is my version of a religious pilgrimage. My entire purpose in life is Art, and the British Museum is a cathedral to the entire history of human cultural expression throughout the world (the </span><a href="http://www.vam.ac.uk/"><span style="font-family:arial;">V&A</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> is similar, only with more emphasis on the history of design rather than history in general, and mainly focusing on the last 1000 years or so). I spent two full days in the British Museum, and now I have finally, after 5 visits in 3 years, managed to see everything in the permanent displays (yes it really is that big).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">My favourite bits of the British Museum are </span><a href="http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/galleries/americas/room_27_mexico.aspx"><span style="font-family:arial;">Mexico</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">, the </span><a href="http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/galleries/asia/room_33_asia.aspx"><span style="font-family:arial;">Asia</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> section (China, India, Japan etc.), </span><a href="http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/galleries/africa/room_25_africa.aspx"><span style="font-family:arial;">Africa</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> and the </span><a href="http://www.britishmuseum.org/the_museum/news_and_press_releases/statements/the_lewis_chessmen.aspx"><span style="font-family:arial;">Lewis Chessmen</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">. I'm also a sucker for anything featuring </span><a href="http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/themes/writing/historic_writing.aspx"><span style="font-family:arial;">ancient methods of writing</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">. I could quite happily pitch a tent in the central court of the British Museum and live there permanently!</span><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341749865024099730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 340px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcXCiMJOtEngfp8LgbHxrD_PQutuB3PM2Gg2Un2Y73k4-KjguXnFAKi-mkz29lcZst0HlaQn7jhqrdlJnJDyhnW5CAHqWtCcmHRrg9nIv4m5DyyZw8kV_CD_PvoVozKkUeXjSjhauBuf9Q/s400/skull.jpg" border="0" /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341749862801717234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 310px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIuBgqfLuTlCCEFpCbg-zQcekr3RlTyQNLfrntOQ5L-TVOssZFQTtKiKzVf5OfF6kbNthqOzSBn08PJX-oB-j0SlchGhhBv4xy7TWDyg8GP59ZGnDYC4nQs98x5_fNHL-3YCXwsWE6-ut_/s400/mexico+stuff+copy.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341749868470739042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 381px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK6kFI4CIOAWq1Vfe17uQ9f9LzQ4l6S-BNh9iD8FMQmsbYQkFPXZRyZj0OMaJPCKHx371dGEDeV1I7HeAuEn6vWmKD3jWQ-DJBeDsm_pH0kyP0PTpr8ipEMsRAUM0xyNr7kJrhtPSBIhYQ/s400/cuniform.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span> <div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">As for the </span><a href="http://www.vam.ac.uk/"><span style="font-family:arial;">V&A</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">, my favourite bits are the </span><a href="http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/1342_islamic_middle_east/"><span style="font-family:arial;">Islamic Middle East</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> and </span><a href="http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/asia/south_asia_gallery/index.html"><span style="font-family:arial;">South Asia</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">, among many others.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The other great thing about both museums is the amazing bookshops. </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">And then of course there is also the </span><a href="http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/"><span style="font-family:arial;">National Gallery</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">, </span><a href="http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/"><span style="font-family:arial;">Tate Britain</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">, </span><a href="http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/"><span style="font-family:arial;">Tate Modern</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">, </span><a href="http://www.wellcomecollection.org/"><span style="font-family:arial;">The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Wellcome</span> Collection</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">, </span><a href="http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/"><span style="font-family:arial;">The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Saatchi</span> Gallery</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">, </span><a href="http://www.npg.org.uk/"><span style="font-family:arial;">The National Portrait Gallery</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">, </span><a href="http://www.nhm.ac.uk/"><span style="font-family:arial;">The Natural History Museum</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">, </span><a href="http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/"><span style="font-family:arial;">The Science Museum</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">, and many many other galleries and museums to be inspired by.</span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Along with my passion for looking at pretty much anything that's in a glass case, on a plinth or hanging on wall with a little information tag beside it, I also love the London Underground. There are several reasons for this. The <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/travel/downloads/tube_map.html">tube map</a> is a work of design genius and all those interconnected coloured lines and dots fuel my autistic side (I like trying to work out the most efficient route between two stations by time, distance, number of connections and which route is most aesthetically pleasing on the map... ). I also like the efficiency and convenience of it all (anyone reading this in London is shaking their head now). Even with the staff strikes, signal failures, people jumping under trains and security alerts, it is still much quicker and easier to get around than in the Bolton/<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Salford</span>/Manchester area, where nothing interconnects properly, you have to wait ages between each bus/train and everything is run by different companies that require <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">separate</span> day tickets so it ends up costing a fortune.</span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Despite the wonders of London, there is no way I could survive living there. Apart from the fact that even renting a tiny bedsit costs more than twice as much as renting a good sized two bedroom house in Bolton, I'd probably die of over-stimulation (if such a thing is possible). London has the same effect on me as large quantities of sugar and brightly coloured cartoons have on small children (or the effect that the London <a href="http://forbiddenplanet.com/fp">Forbidden Planet </a>megastore and <a href="http://www.orbitalcomics.com/">Orbital Comics</a> shop have on Daz). Most importantly though, the tap-water down there is horrible lime-scaley stuff that forms a skin on top of your tea and makes it taste funny, and I could never live in a city where you can't make a good cup of tea...</span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Anyway, enough of my London related ramblings, by next weekend I should have two new woolly monster puppets to post about. Whilst in London I've also been doing some drawings for a little comic/artist-book type thing I want to put together and print a short run of, but I'll post more about that if and when I eventually finish it, so I can try to sell you all a copy!</span></div><div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690630484019028221.post-6662603015611364102009-05-18T16:47:00.000-07:002009-05-19T08:58:06.906-07:00More random props...<span style="font-family:arial;">Just some more assorted props I've made for the international stop-motion co-op project. The measurements on the set-square are in inches. </span><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;">Here is some tiny crocheted stuff. The blanket, pillow and cushion were made with a 1mm hook, the doily in the second photo was made with a 0.6mm hook. They took nearly as long to make as they would have done if they were full size because they contain almost the same number of stitches!</span></div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337317483050582242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 255px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn3QH70CN4ESKUTh4n42IrCNjGC_nX03AcY2AaA6ToVBDdhbO_ga2H1qFwYF30i2xAwYy2AoU1YsqQ5XnDCrp3gYSjIYBTzhmoQnTBWD_bT_CFfqLkdMPypdPSoZyqKDrsYI0ICkM5EExv/s320/blanket+and+pillow.jpg" border="0" /></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337317484095298434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 298px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGOmnKG4I-eISqJ1_tkqj4zgny_QfIua0wel-W4ol8kMcCiDegJ5j4X3HWP2wEKiVT9u1xwDfvDpVL86ovSroIVoWtw4w7Jz5AtacOEBGESMnwYSkenxva-Wxs1_Z-0MDKp7-R5vxmBCRh/s320/cushions+and+doily.jpg" border="0" /></div><div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">Here are a couple of rather contemporary looking stools I made. The seat cushions are hand crocheted and the bases are just frosted glass jars turned upside down:</span><br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhumaj7sn2ecG0VEFf6yyyJTuFRQnXV66PvtE842Y-J2NvS24v5yWU29MWEYDWFKyT65pa_LNxcIXAC7Gp68o9GM1YvHWcHoDaV1aMMLw2OLfFMGjBZQcDHoPsPKFlLSN32BOksChflZQLL/s1600-h/stools+2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337317491610649010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 233px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhumaj7sn2ecG0VEFf6yyyJTuFRQnXV66PvtE842Y-J2NvS24v5yWU29MWEYDWFKyT65pa_LNxcIXAC7Gp68o9GM1YvHWcHoDaV1aMMLw2OLfFMGjBZQcDHoPsPKFlLSN32BOksChflZQLL/s320/stools+2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE7rf8kJlfLpnmgIS_EG8u6uN2lRhDkT_Ek1YqvbhYIDjiHd53sJMIfweL3t67dE65D2u35JLvYC_8Xhcr_QPfAr0hzcOGUzd9CZILN71b3_sMoh8hRAJbERFVskArmQyokhgbHqmiQres/s1600-h/stools+1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337317484887844178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 191px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE7rf8kJlfLpnmgIS_EG8u6uN2lRhDkT_Ek1YqvbhYIDjiHd53sJMIfweL3t67dE65D2u35JLvYC_8Xhcr_QPfAr0hzcOGUzd9CZILN71b3_sMoh8hRAJbERFVskArmQyokhgbHqmiQres/s320/stools+1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Here is a tea-set. It's a bit too small for the scale of the rest of the set, so maybe it's an espresso set. I just used a 'Disney fairies' doll's china tea-set from the pound-shop, peeled off the fairy stickers and drew flowers on with Sharpie markers. I sealed the surface using an acrylic based varnish:</span><br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337317495523159538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 314px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF-16-oZ7_3oNBcptOxLScIq2qPpZqi1TXcQCHer8ETZbbuk-ITMgqX-eJ046vwB_gPZiWnDMCF38Tmimwf3DFv6_JtgSJrQlRx6n60eNhu3Ku8RCc72lGssSWe83dIdGOAthy8QEO1u1p/s320/tea+set.jpg" border="0" /> </div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;">I also made a bowl of 'monster fruits' using a little glass sauce-dish and an assortment of glass and wooden beads with green neoprene stalks:<br /></span><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337322311767978674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 222px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUt8oyAbIAW5pNxpMYLSl0ITUcLk5luNtQoCZptwjif6gxCDchZxyw7t2t4YDhX-atHflmTd8RA72o_RiQX-YsoOQGsRVBGoSU1w2ZvRkhslTlYR0AzXD_0AL1brMhxi5-clxzn4Us-jEh/s320/fruit+bowl.jpg" border="0" /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I'm off to London on Wednesday for 6 days, for a marathon of museum and art gallery visiting, and also to meet up with James Geard, director of 'Walter Gloom', to talk about film stuff. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">I won't have any internet access, so I apologise in advance for not replying to any emails for a while.<br /></span><br /><div></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690630484019028221.post-42446446925707709902009-04-26T14:57:00.000-07:002009-04-28T07:26:42.911-07:00Masquerade<span style="font-family:arial;">Ok, so this isn't in any way stop-motion related, but it is linked to costume-making of the full-scale variety.... sort of.</span><br /><div><div><div><div><div><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">On Saturday night Daz and I went to a 'Masquerade Ball' for our friend Caroline's 20th birthday party at the Dog and Partridge, our favourite pub and the main hangout for Bolton's alternative musicians and arty types. It was a thoroughly fun night, with great live bands and a DJ outdoors. It was all a bit surreal, seeing the usually scruffy clientelle dressed up in suits, ball gowns and elaborate masks, and far too much alcohol was consumed by all (although that's nothing unusual on a Saturday night in Bolton).</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;">Anyway, I got a bit carried away making my mask over the last few weeks. Whereas most people are happy with sequins and feathers, I decided I wanted to be a robot with working LEDs and circuits...</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;">I put together one shop-bought blank moulded mask,</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> the lenses from my old pair of prescription glasses, some epoxy putty, lots of PVA glue, acrylic based metallic model paints (Games Workshop), one 9V battery, two ultra-bright blue LEDs, red and black 7 strand equipment wire, one and a half packs of 5 minute epoxy resin, a few metres of silver plated copper jewellery wire, blue glass beads, aluminium wire, heat shrink tubing, lead free solder, brass rings, some small springs, a selection of sizes and types of copper, brass and stainless washers, assorted types of resistor, some solenoids taken from the inside of an old Xbox 360 console, nuts, bolts, heavy duty elastic, copydex, cushion foam, grey satin ribbon and some other bits and bobs, and made this:</span> </div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329508500068080338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 350px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixbhgukgHm3MvzM1BQ0noYvoxfOIb-ZzZOKboTArSpc0idzzMUMVGW5TSpDzWdRL-68DRxLYI9ZZkQfr6H56ha-BDsNLt3VtVp_Ez_w8kWXoxW3rZu9Z6JPYxEHCsS8FAa0XT417VTA_mN/s400/mask+3.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329508504907493634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 342px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfEcPc744ql0Vmgz74vhnnnmIf-ONQudVuXGIJ6_noiI4H7rSThgwTBuv-VwaC2035gqTN4ogrhS3MdDXuWQA0xid1c5QEODW28BQaO0Om0aCFgQUUX2CZBGYMd0IPBNEyQmqy5zGVI-im/s400/mask+2.jpg" border="0" /></span><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;">It has prescription lenses so that, in theory, I'd be able to see (they actually kept fogging up, and the peripheral vision was terrible). </span><span style="font-family:arial;">I even wore some very geeky earrings that I made out of electronics components a while ago, to complete the look.</span></div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329509243931098546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijx7JNuHXGeBGar9SGl3zpLy9kaWhx2tt6T7bUWT_5KUCU1DgVmWW5TQp2GIZpNcvL493_-6TR2yw-kzZ1XREJkQlUJjTaV1nVT0MDjsdvxApE-3BMpvyuW3k1lU-uMjs6am47QkWty4Rf/s400/ceri+mask.jpg" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329519817404393794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAonS8wJhnaP8I1AAo0PTRu936kJOBQlA-3689Vn9nYsdkbTcFqvXOTDaYhHkgnb_cJOgWRlGq1i_49Wx2G2JMl9Z1iCSYDLNJ9PbM2C-HF5K8cx4IkJdZbR0DF1X3GbxVASecX8ni5Lcn/s320/ceri.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:0;"></span><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329140643314617346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlP60fH_j9OxpRS2IpnDU_Aig2PfrSyy_zZwnqDHgs72Rcn-xUJC5gdZ-iF7wt9uo4NVKhZLHk1ANXuP7-olT4q-LgJ8R8lB37FKZFTUiNkTOIYqGulhEaaYrAdX_VMWBYKSABenRIqftL/s400/masquerade.jpg" border="0" /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">This is me and Daz (my fiance and muse - the original inspiration for all the woolly monsters) at the party. As you can see, looking smart is not in our nature - I personally think that wearing a military trenchcoat over a ball gown is a good look! Daz made his mask with prescription lenses too, and a spiral of tiny brass watch cogs round one eye and some swirly black iridescent fibres on the other side. Apparently it was inspired by the nature of time and entropy... I think. Here's photo of Daz looking like a very camp evil hypnotist, which gives a better view of his mask.</span></div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329514738376061586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDaPkgFXB_MElVffdK8-nmiNiKr-H739pzmoBGMqLkcU4MyYjYRAzbP-RtakVR9-I-4A0pUA8UXz0Xw1rHOlTani8PrtRFIsqs1GAnsQliHMgL-9Mdf4oHOrWoHhErPywQF0GOZyjWG-j6/s400/daz+mask.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">This photo was taken pretty late, when we were all pretty sloshed. I'm on the far left, with Daz clinging to me (probably for stability). Caz, the birthday girl and Wolve (her partner and one of our closest friends) are at the back in the middle, stood on the stage:</span> </div><div> </div><div></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329139097189417474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFU-CnlADElj6WnpbBqXYohDstqad7f5ddlSORqTRKfPNBwbBTJ44ybjuTPAw_vXkIrtzF-iaEzTvqGweEn0B-yBXBsITY7Zo03-TosHPBCwdXF0FLOkk73T9dBNhU7E0aF3TBTFe2y869/s400/masks.jpg" border="0" /><br />So, ummmm, yeah, sorry, not in any way stop-motion related...</span><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690630484019028221.post-64848243875977435152009-04-12T01:25:00.000-07:002009-04-11T17:29:14.861-07:00Props, cheap LEDs and fuzzy boobs!<span style="font-family:arial;">I just thought I'd post some photos of various props I've made over the last few weeks. Most of them are for the international animation co-operative set up by </span><a href="http://castlegardener.wordpress.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;">John Hankins</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> (castlegardener).</span><br /><div><div><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">The first few are some wooden toys made from wooden bits and bobs I had in my hoard of useful junk:</span> </div><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321629179199776594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 360px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhW79Vo5XJh8kT3Q0DfCLhtjSbs1_SKgpZjce8DznoxsSiB4_ItNFKPnooe0gWNAXun1gbYsLciY8F0b8CtrB5YJF85DND8QuGFZ8plPX5c4hV0FsN-NIT2gU0tLHLZ1TyXmO3UKpmZHGF/s400/abacus.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321629191233276194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 326px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlftu6zkdyts3A5ZWPURN-P9m_V5oM39srm-W3ws1Gd3Um4v-q9AIc0fHucHz1759CEFcSP4blV88bFEquLtvjU5TW47Iscfx9ZsGHumjIsaG7Tm9mWafphGHkJaDCDz2ck5b6-dIUMSVI/s400/fish.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321629185305053906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 293px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDneTjXYA5gkXkaSoKSRHR7rpOYlqSTXuoBGJUKY614nJwvDo5AhW1DVgGs8cuPYLQiJKXcGy2JmcKR5EAv3oDgMSqoK3SVZVgadBGwYBqXZrYDjp1Lk2Fxz-NZpfmNaqBkDwBfkUYcdE0/s400/toy.jpg" border="0" /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">And this is my idea of what a Bubo (Clash of the Titans) bean-bag toy would look like. He's made of painted polymer clay: </span><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321630721620899922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 289px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSymooe0vjZpqD1ufFMiLvpLlOfSqvIVLpetWaVtL-vX25TwG76MXk2pqDHcf_AP3kAFX1_SCOGT9A7I69CcQyf41wvLN8VMk_wh12ugh4UFQ13S8DZmk-BJbh5yjaY81nqavb3zIc1_cc/s320/bubo.jpg" border="0" /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321630725248399986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 299px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBtjk0lX_mCop5H-k2ceyzqCNNT6NEob6t_duXsq8ot4sMNYXEUYOER_1Z8cysT9knD-jeJ4QEuAvzXRyeF3D3ng3HEGBs1yriHkeXMPPX74vn3HzQCmE9t3UXhcWPKZh_TW0mF9AOUlh4/s320/bubo+2.jpg" border="0" /> </span><span style="font-family:Arial;">And here's another silly stop-motion reference. Two plates with sheep on (ok, so I didn't 'make' them, I just drew on two plain doll's plates with Sharpie markers, then varnished them):</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323589648005579314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 153px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd2EdMQSiu0SpIEni2eI5FM1KSMru9LB76G2zZineGcXfjohVWpr7aAUVcjb7LlJanRqvZF9PhbVXqkXCuHZyAkMVVMzBaY_qQd0sc_ipvOs18b1gxL54F8eyD9KAi1ti8aIxa61ro7Z5l/s320/sheep+plates.jpg" border="0" /><br />The other things I've been working on are some working table-lamps. I got an bargain on some ultra-bright LEDs in a variety of colours from a website called </span><a href="http://www.phenoptix.co.uk/"><span style="font-family:arial;">http://www.phenoptix.co.uk/</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> who even sell blue and white LEDs for less than 14p each! That's ridiculously cheap, especially for those colours... I remember back when I was doing AS-level electronics in the late 90s, blue LEDs cost about £3 each and white LEDs hadn't even been invented... ahhhh, so long ago... </span></p><div><span style="font-family:arial;">The website also sells great value resistors, which you need to prevent the LEDs being destroyed by the 9V circuits I wire them into. Great service too - if you need LEDs, I highly recommend them (they ship internationally too). The LEDs are really powerful (especially the white ones) and give a narrow 20 degree beam of light. They are so bright that I think I could probably use them as small spot-lights for lighting areas of my sets, which is great because they run for ages on a 9V circuit, they come in loads of colours, they don't flicker and they don't heat up!<br /><br />Anyway, I used yellow LEDs in these two table lamps, to be placed in a sunny yellow coloured set. The lamps are made from glass beads and hollow wooden bases all glued together with epoxy. I soldered a 3mm yellow LED with a resistor into a circuit with a PP3 clip for a 9V battery, then covered all the exposed wires with heat-shrink tubing, with more heat-shrink over the top of that to turn the two seperate wires into one cable going from the lamp (the batteries will be hidden, obviously). I glued the LED into the bottom of the hole through the centre of the lamp, and put a 'plug' of tin foil fixed with epoxy into the hole at the top of the lamp to act as a reflector bouncing light back into the lamp.<br /></span></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323580221613509762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 112px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9wZ9_XTj3bkW2pUanuGghcDNglpJLK9dkgXhGpgWk9V_DNuH7PrFsrDib6jKdh4Bzf0mDsUfZUmZNXVaBQRoqkkRdorzaCajc0RRILZ3QFtmCGczeI1rJrSJnhIjlcMpitgRn8H9QPzk1/s200/yellow+lamps+off.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323580640753942162" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 94px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPh0ACyFWh1Bgs3eOvy6xipy4NxVq9Lb1kac0sYzqbV3ltT7WO6w_1ngfm12K4GxmZxYGxuV19Jf7YQePIh34UlY-0KK1LBpCvrB3yRO8lKlAREvXBECPDhzzOduC9jxxYa6fQQAkVoubq/s200/yellow+lamps.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323580229095787234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 107px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Gfafx-_7F-ZQmHqv3rBHZ7_2VlG0bdb0pShFis0zgIe80LzzCjaEb5w8_jDR04mu3Y4dYRtIj15a0U2dKOFk-elTjWIBWU3INiNYqxIGibxJ5133teQvACsEB2cBFLhgsC1aOiXCYLhX/s200/yellow+lamps+dark.jpg" border="0" /><br />I also made this lamp, to go in a set with a blue colour scheme, using a 3mm white LED. Most white LEDs give off a blue tinged light, and this one looks extra blue because of the blue glass in the lamp. It gives out about 3 times as much light as the yellow lamps, so I hope it won't be too overpowering!</span><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323581349187294706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 161px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHjcogB2D69hvoeKs3oA0YtvPuluFGquGR3DrNsE6wym0BPgPwOfIX8pEgwVioh_MVblZL2LpkO121wBmN5yoRZRdDB68SZ8EBIsA6ZwhyphenhyphencpoR7Me8vNOqa1phnQUy3x9i6rjCCvalm0_9/s200/blue+lamp.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323581356157347938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 112px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8qNeegBukbAnZwVXGArW-HnkC2r9hl3eYECxw6UodDwjnSprxH5bmscxvAgCHB6ianH5REFt8f1i29hQ4jGx8q2ObCviqzKv4lYkee0isnSYJCtZ_l5LPFh2u5370X9dbeNWglDOm0tV1/s200/blue+lamp+on.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323581361664858290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 112px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6bKuJykpoJ4YVlaZIGJwRAR8taMx4zGnA7gClBzVSH9-1LLv9VxCtX9sTAZfEQhtURkT8T5-qS_1m3yhIsfvHid_LhpZIpRX3xWC7UaCg2m5981TJAkWS3FNr3XepStspegRj0VS_4Exh/s200/blue+lamp+dark.jpg" border="0" /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Oh, and one last completely unrelated picture:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323583594969763906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 226px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdGpPuV_6sjAycZZ6cNm0xqAtZtMEAnblSdSNLYOuMj80dm_f65JGlsW2u5SknXKmLbKuMmlyJsYLeH1NhKhs1PUqKdHYq9KMDnJnQBaaTexPHZ5097jiTBg0K-p-nYNM9TUGj0mbiA0uV/s320/pinup+copy.jpg" border="0" /><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">Yup, that's what woolly alien glamour model looks like, just in case you ever wondered...</span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">It's for the cover of a magazine prop in 'Monday to Friday'.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">If it arouses you (and you aren't a woolly alien yourself) you should probably be concerned!</span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690630484019028221.post-20190628272676616582009-03-21T11:48:00.000-07:002009-03-21T15:06:38.420-07:00My other project - Walter GloomI've just started a new shared blog with writer/director/art director James Geard, which will document the production of a short film we are working on together - working title 'Walter Gloom'. At the moment James is working on the storyboards and designs, and I'll be starting work on the final sets and puppets in June when I've finished 'Monday to Friday'.<br /><div><div><div><div><div><br /></div><div>The blog is here: <a href="http://waltergloom.blogspot.com/">http://waltergloom.blogspot.com/</a></div><div><br /></div><div>This project is completely different to my usual animations, and will give me a great opportunity to work with human puppets and also give me the experience of making someone elses ideas and designs come to life. To give you a taster, here is one of James' original character designs for Walter, the main character in the film:</div><div><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315760582407362690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 241px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUuqGt-MAZFpUppNKXqnzSEnGLLpHMCVxjeiGxJNE2Dgc6trjWH9i1MuZbq8q3lFL5Y5mSlazH4kQ_7k9c5OfOBFF6WYberngJbOwvDJDKCWxF2xfmVoO_Hza6bwOmO96u6ClWOzPrNAd_/s400/walter+edit.jpg" border="0" /> And here is a photo of a prototype head I made for the puppet, to experiment with building up an old wrinkly face using liquid latex over a Fimo polymer clay head. I am currently experimenting with making replacement mouths and eyebrows for the puppet using Sculpey Bake & Bend clay, but to see more about that and more designs you'll have to follow the <a href="http://waltergloom.blogspot.com/">Walter Gloom blog!</a></div></div><div></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315763789906925682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 148px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi8qHFrEbdXNwRw2GpElrIzw3npbJf0-RqJGLWIx4Vk76Qx9Pta3k6mDIhMpBqHmxuOvYVPl21ServJe_rjG8QoEtNpEpQOcUHgU6MBdT61ijmn0IcobYuySV_IYT_S9v5YeAoswjK9Z4z/s400/walter+head.jpg" border="0" /></div><div></div><div>Daz and I have just come back from London where I met up with James to discuss the film. We also visited as many museums and galleries as was humanly possible in the time we had, so we are now feeling exhausted but very content. I think if I lived closer to London I'd spend practically every day in the British Museum....<br /><br /><div>Unfortunately we ran out of time before we got to the Natural History Museum, so next time we go down I've promised Daz that the dinosaurs will take priority!</div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690630484019028221.post-50069727141455191032009-03-16T19:31:00.000-07:002009-03-16T20:50:34.631-07:00Finally, some alien industral set photos!<span style="font-family:arial;">At last, here they are, some photos of my woolly monsters in their finished alien technology set, ready to animate! The photos were taken using my new FZ50 and you can click on them to see the BIG versions on flickr:</span><br /><br /><a title="wide shot by everyday adventurer, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30223082@N04/3361923826/"><img height="281" alt="wide shot" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3604/3361923826_d7451c14a3.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><a title="wide shot by everyday adventurer, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30223082@N04/3361923826/"></a><a title="monsters 1 by everyday adventurer, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30223082@N04/3361072017/"><img height="375" alt="monsters 1" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3461/3361072017_ae4be972ec.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><a title="monsters 3 by everyday adventurer, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30223082@N04/3361914372/"></a><a title="monsters 3 by everyday adventurer, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30223082@N04/3361914372/"><img height="375" alt="monsters 3" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3590/3361914372_857a0253dd.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><a title="green monster by everyday adventurer, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30223082@N04/3361050627/"><img height="375" alt="green monster" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3429/3361050627_3acccfc1ec.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><a title="jungle monsters by everyday adventurer, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30223082@N04/3361878482/"><img height="281" alt="jungle monsters" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3596/3361878482_efc2aa23a6.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">It's probably best not to ask what the heck is going on in the last photo!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690630484019028221.post-62703797971884802792009-03-07T07:07:00.000-08:002009-03-07T17:18:06.255-08:00A year of stop-motion and a new camera to celebrate!<span style="font-family:arial;">I have been adventuring in the art form that is stop-motion animation for about a year now, so I've just treated myself to a factory refurbished Panasonic Lumix FZ50! Oooooh, shiny....</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I can't shoot any animation with it at the moment because I'm waiting for an AV capture card for my laptop to turn up, but I am going to use it to take some photos of my industrial set and puppets later on. I'm also waiting for a full set of lens filters to turn up for it, so I can have some fun experimenting with those.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Twelve months ago, I'd been obsessively researching stop-motion 12 hours a day for a couple of weeks. I'd signed up to SMA, I'd ordered a webcam, but I hadn't yet pushed a puppet (that happened for the first time on the 17th March). </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Anyway, I don't think it is an understatement to say that stop-motion has changed my life (sounds rather melodramatic, but it's true). </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">If you'd have told me 2 years ago that in 2009 I'd be alive, happy and relatively stable, I would never have believed you. I wouldn't have been able to even imagine that I could make a stop-motion animation. The idea of me actually thinking about a 'career' of any kind would have been laughable. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Anyway, what I'm trying to say, in a long-winded and inept way is thankyou to everyone w</span><span style="font-family:Arial;">ho has encouraged me, given me advice and helped me build my confidence over the last year:</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Everyone on SMA and everyone who has commented on my blog or my youtube channel - thankyou so much. Seriously, without all of you I'd have never even got started, let alone had the confidence and motivation to keep on animating. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Thanks to my partner Daz and my parents who have encouraged me and supported me completely during my stop-motion adventure.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Thanks also to Dr. Pradip Patel for teaching me that the only way I was going to learn to cope with the world was to accept my difficulties and focus on my strengths, and also for telling me that my brain isn't broken, it's unique.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">When I started this adventure, I set myself a target of being able to produce professional standard stop-motion animation within a year. I never expected to reach the target, it was just something to aim for and keep me focused. 'Professional' does cover a wide spectrum, and I still have many years of work before I reach the standards of Nick Hilligoss and Ron Cole, but if we define 'professional' as whether people are willing to pay me to animate, then I have succeeded in my mission!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Thanks again everyone :)</span><br /><br /><p><span style="font-family:Arial;">EDIT: Thankyou also to my late grandmother Edna who left me the money with which I bought my new camera. She never got to see any of my animations, but I think she would approve. Thanks Grandma!</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690630484019028221.post-59020824207519775232009-02-18T23:35:00.000-08:002009-02-19T00:30:13.610-08:00Treasure!<span style="font-family:arial;">I have recently accumulated some interesting bits of 'treasure' (please note that my idea of treasure differs greatly from most people's). </span><div><div><div><div><div><div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;">First up - things I have been given. Daz, my main contributor of unusual junk has excelled himself recently. My favourite objects are the transparent electronic switch thingies (at least I think that's what they are - they came from an old 'plant room control board' apparently...</span><span style="font-family:arial;">) at the top left - perfect for monster technology! He has also brought home some little lightbulbs, the insides of an Xbox 360 (not pictured) and some kind of dial and switch arrangement (from the same plant room I think). I can't imagine many women get so excited by being given salvaged building site junk!</span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">I also just rediscovered a jug full of crystal dangly things (removed from a hideous lamp) which my Mum kindly brought me from my late grandparents' house a few months ago, along with some vintage buttons.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304411282914917298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 330px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_wVvag_Rtib_ERlnfd84iYLdXgYUey9DXX0pOOD3YRo2r1lfXcdAU3UHX7b1YbZ42RvMKqR1j2xqqgfz4vtnKA70FdZKKor2TCveQcMQeogWipG3RXDUwFu60ELQoFb5L6J6J0y6dyic/s400/stuff.jpg" border="0" /></span></div></div></div></div></div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304411292108076338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 304px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivHiKK9rBqgHYLIvtKrYtBjwyGnm4NkHsSd8M8CKfURgSz2d1HIU5AlTVsdY9hHU_uXCr2TyPlpKlxlyMIP803kDR8Zr8cokgx6e5XOREFUuqJExnklj-Fxm3pE9xYJ-7mDTM3q9586geo/s400/dial.jpg" border="0" /></div><div> </div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">I have also had a number of great pound shop finds recently. I'd been looking for something that I could turn into speakers for the alarm system in my technological set for ages, when I came across some fridge magnets with a black wire mesh front. I think the square ones or the round ones will work great with the stylized retro-industrial feel of the set. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span> </div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304411292737735282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 284px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNe1aWcR-6fd0wMI1hpnYiYzhH7yO7eoMOZ1HoIyW4vGL3p0XhQ01eWtFdSKgp_l5PijhWiMmVA0bvofbBuYdXzNjuV63B1l1gUMRB4SmxLmxgGaLD7727GWzO89asQfIF2mwlrFp7sAs6/s400/magnets.jpg" border="0" /></div><div> </div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">I also managed to pick up a huge haul of iridescent semi-transparent glass beads from the pound shop, which I'm sure will come in useful for something. The necklaces are about 4ft long, so that's a heck of a lot of beads! There are so many that I can't get the lid onto the big plastic tub I put them in.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304411299175877458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 166px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNKHANCpWLth59SZO1sw-20hlL-c8nscZfnUeeavvLNgjEawz-kAjpfR66QFFa9mZMpsu6B1IOlTvJvJN1zJF7uwfgnERwsn2ij2Jcs8VnkLnuVbxNNYMlpiHPFMbDQdoQrK6jjUN7WdkF/s400/beads.jpg" border="0" /></div><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304413098108952498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 301px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 273px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5J7LRIRygIjVxASUiljJkhgzDYH2bKLQTUW5f8qe_h35s_XxcoMbMCtoM3ipPhq3KpD91Z3-E5DeI4Q-VsPxdpJLXPAAojygcDf18J_g7PzWU1p17gEVJ52LXFS7SJMd4kA6J8hzgMrhI/s400/bead+tub.jpg" border="0" /></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">I also made another trip to <a href="http://www.fairfieldyarns.co.uk/">Fairfield Yarns</a> and got some wool/angora blend 2ply yarn for miniature crocheting in lilac, a burgundy purple colour and dark turquoise. I also got some lovely speckled pure wool DK yarn in blue and dark navy.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">Getting the new yarns allowed me to finish off my mini-blanket too. I think I will give it to the samurai puppet that John Hankins made me when I finally get round to doing the animation with it that I've been planning for ages.</span></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304413097312954930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 338px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTiK5qtW5ZS6qDAv69_eNaU3pWuihMkp6qrD60u93p7ta9Wuxp1ArjOEsTdZ0rQNC-hlmCyNpciXUmDEabasNdSDzwAUdyP0ESFh1llqTASHK2IIvCXJr-Z_8zi4u0rwSjGjiOwWzPkArA/s400/yarn.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304413095609241666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 359px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgufHBuHIi2gsfbExSeIRNKkXEAhk6TRS62s0A7nxfvkbRdrpJKy0XleGFgHRbHBeVNh5WbJvaXTlTxK4QbtJAwQcHq_ANVNU7M7GWsEzRiuFQMcilwJWkdHPqCNEuYDSwtfuXFQwGlUOJ9/s400/blanket.jpg" border="0" /></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">Coming soon:</span> <span style="font-family:arial;">The long </span><span style="font-family:arial;">delayed photos of my completed alien technology set and lots and lots of house-plant props... </span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690630484019028221.post-39289205775297895402009-02-15T16:13:00.000-08:002009-02-15T17:10:36.711-08:00Phyllis Pamplemousse<span style="font-family:arial;">I can now reveal my most recent woolly monster toy, as it is now safely with its new owner </span><a href="http://apocalypseknits.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;">Helen Gibbons</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> (aka Shine). Helen is a incredibly talented fibre-artist and was a fellow 'intellectual rebel' when we were at high school together ('intellectual rebel' sounds better than trying to explain the chaos that was TEKAYL... eh Helen!). I made her a monster in exchange for a fantastic pair of hand-knitted socks she made for me, which are currently keeping my feet toasty warm. </span><div><div><div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">Her special monster requests were:</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">Fierceness</span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">Colours you can see from space</span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">Lots of legs/tentacles</span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">Lots of eyes</span></div><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">The result is the very toothy, seven-legged monster, Phyllis Pamplemousse:</span><br /><br /></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303183095262610402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 342px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFQYa8RqT4YPsG_qmRWn2tOj2bQz09BGmdVdNhJpuZbfTVuL85CohUt_DPLBj0Ut0ZiWBtMe6jEgMYiW-QJYK1SzkO5syDMJOGlNzaJ9vv59MURYKrNnSOLwEbSt4Mh-5H6OrdZJzno9r7/s400/phyl+2.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJNEIaTxYHxzQF4JZlCWNTzcvfQ9hDRWrLS37eUZHhxkCPlfOx94z2-J30p1aj1azMPEQ07Zk12Z9eWGYx_RMlJG8VxCwy6uEFXpDiN-qca-MF7v9JdeYnUQU2eVKPIj-KrM7FvRJwcTa/s1600-h/phyllis.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303183102826389826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJNEIaTxYHxzQF4JZlCWNTzcvfQ9hDRWrLS37eUZHhxkCPlfOx94z2-J30p1aj1azMPEQ07Zk12Z9eWGYx_RMlJG8VxCwy6uEFXpDiN-qca-MF7v9JdeYnUQU2eVKPIj-KrM7FvRJwcTa/s400/phyllis.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1UMf6iEIGVwA6O4Wx7NM7zL_sTFjn2SAI9R43ddzdqrxkGyA0iSjfylaBNZelQIjpljw4GoKbjfjSHE4i-JwsfPz2AOPBm5LU8wVXCV8lhxbXACNhYyWLrFshsYh9lRfD6DzYIP9wn7tV/s1600-h/phyl+6.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303183102225883186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1UMf6iEIGVwA6O4Wx7NM7zL_sTFjn2SAI9R43ddzdqrxkGyA0iSjfylaBNZelQIjpljw4GoKbjfjSHE4i-JwsfPz2AOPBm5LU8wVXCV8lhxbXACNhYyWLrFshsYh9lRfD6DzYIP9wn7tV/s400/phyl+6.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN6FCT8TMuEyu866ZKoLzcgxPC9q7O0OQ7xZjnZYlzNxuaYrhX38xcGGUlPGipUWKUOyq9Y-zBiReEqelMPboAlwnTvipPQGVpS6x8RcTvdJn6xcHvqV2I6T1A13UU4K3RnFudB9IEqj-K/s1600-h/phyl+4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303183101231543282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 370px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN6FCT8TMuEyu866ZKoLzcgxPC9q7O0OQ7xZjnZYlzNxuaYrhX38xcGGUlPGipUWKUOyq9Y-zBiReEqelMPboAlwnTvipPQGVpS6x8RcTvdJn6xcHvqV2I6T1A13UU4K3RnFudB9IEqj-K/s400/phyl+4.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Phyllis is pretty big (I forgot to measure her before I put her in the post, but I'd guess she's about 14" diameter) and her main body is made of crimson acrylic doubleknit yarn crocheted together with bright scarlet mohair to make a thick fuzzy fabric. The rest of her is made of acrylic doubleknit in dark purple, light violet, a golden yellow colour and black. The eye buttons are just a selection of buttons I already had in my button boxes, but finding the perfect buttons for teeth was a bigger challenge! </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;">I knew I needed some big toothy looking toggles for optimum fierceness and set about trying to find some of those shark-tooth shaped toggles that you used to find on duffle coats, only to find that they must be the most out of fashion buttons in the world. After trips to Bury, Chorley and Bolton markets, numerous habedashery shops and lots of internet button suppliers, I could only find some ugly dark grey ones - not toothy at all. In the end, ebay came to my rescue and I found some flat bottomed white toggles that were even more perfect for Phyllis than the shark-tooth ones I had originally imagined!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Here is Phyllis' story:</span></div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303194595819292690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 222px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLaIsdMEPaTB4m_GQw0G5mfR9jbu5jFO5nmmfz9Nu5SKmJGtBV13b6z3-BpwqgpldXY4i0IdHcaNpBoLJJQUyv1_9YCVlGcxvJbe90_ueX8P4ve9ZCWMV9hUzEQokyuaFmSSThD0M4ijQT/s400/label+1.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303194592174261682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 227px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkniYCCWX7RygHkvlpu-CwLQKak6KK96QCpRRlmlb7GD6UNK6JZTvSO1YNcL-_F-04gmY0D4SVle4Ef2UuvXrIokTt7YFFO6nvxVO2SFT334gRDH42OG9liDBn9pdYaYGksKeoF8dCVcMW/s400/label+2.jpg" border="0" /></div></div></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690630484019028221.post-58544782997351867862009-01-26T05:40:00.000-08:002009-01-26T06:44:10.067-08:00Smaller and smaller....<span style="font-family:arial;">Well I've managed it! I can now crochet with a 0.6mm hook (usually used for fine lace-making) and single thread wool yarn (more commonly used for weaving cloth). It's mainly my poor eyesight that makes it tricky, the actual action of crocheting is exactly the same as on a normal scale.</span><br /><br /><div><div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295602964943429730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 312px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPhkmaqOjLEm1cne2c34owG3ey2w9TWv_d7eBl2WUJ3GQUDqht2dH3K4t1t_A3I5RVIOo3UmJReMLU49C87n8Cv4zQUf_cJeGhjLqp-HSjMVn7SgMN7IZAYVU1mst75vfgfxyHoWaRgUfG/s320/DSCN1624.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZU4GemO-lg1ZDK33mmHQjX8G7mxtsHXOKFvkdOvzFYwSIWWvqTSU66Ycfcom4vd7gIuRdihrfOPQKMIh2dCWe7oombLGsVcXAaMHK0aeJMfVPYbpkoV9jQlXK391F8cJd4pGPltSbfqiU/s1600-h/DSCN1625.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295600444680563970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 182px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZU4GemO-lg1ZDK33mmHQjX8G7mxtsHXOKFvkdOvzFYwSIWWvqTSU66Ycfcom4vd7gIuRdihrfOPQKMIh2dCWe7oombLGsVcXAaMHK0aeJMfVPYbpkoV9jQlXK391F8cJd4pGPltSbfqiU/s320/DSCN1625.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I made a tiny woolly bobble hat! It is about 19mm in diameter (60mm circumference) and 15mm tall (not including bobble). I used double crochet stitch (that's single crochet if you're American) for most of it and treble crochet (double crochet if you are American) to give it a ridged edging. It is 38 stitches around at the widest point. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">The tip of my (slightly scarred) index finger is in the photos for scale.<br /></div></div></div></div></div></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295608072724178354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 117px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 85px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCSBPerhvEqqD_qQ3fYMRPDE9Xo9DaDAi2CDPZ3VdEVpIAzAyLNncOI-2mcPUTpFLumMCtBPg8mkEyDwZs3Pp-YR6pENpZm3ShiOWdlUblfiwCWQVPWpk2CxdXaVJ-FGyfYvIPU7SurBx8/s200/DSCN1622.JPG" border="0" /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">Here it is actual size (assuming you are viewing this the same size as I am).</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />I've worked out that if it is supposed to be an adult sized hat then it is between 1:10 and 1:9 scale. To be honest I think this is as small as I can go - once the stitches get smaller than 1mm square, my eyes can't cope anymore! </span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690630484019028221.post-81009412504178132152009-01-25T14:37:00.000-08:002009-01-25T16:05:21.268-08:00Yarn heaven and mini crocheting...<span style="font-family:arial;">Inspired by <a href="http://emmyymme.blogspot.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Emmyymme's</span></a> recent miniature knitting exploits (plus the fact that I just treated myself to a full range of 21 crochet hooks ranging from 0.6mm -10mm), I decided to have a go at some miniature crochet. The first thing I made was a mini blanket. I used 2ply woollen yarn and a 1mm crochet hook. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">So far it is about 13 cm square (about 5 inches) and I am going to finish it off by edging it in another shade of blue. I'm also going to make a mini 'granny square' patchwork blanket as soon as I get some more 2ply wool in different colours. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295374863963214674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMPrUwKh0PSlE3tpSmsexLYVZlg2_9B0nagDn-rShAMnnmZim5XFPgvMhsvkPt7xYLS7ac_gZSXEHw83U3zsmFHlRNlxRtdR5g9qq7QcqtnzZiE_84iip_LrxkSyXc9KHrF6ObkH_8raS1/s320/blanket.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295374871162923442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 249px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlJyjMXAvb0x3F0hx_y2SJCBIB-wDEh2IFjpVVhsOdRS8iIA6beosCx4Stk9GiD7qP_9sUGqJxPWePjsG6XDSkX3iIG-p4Zwwg7-G94wA_cCkxdQNbFTN5-9a2Nie_57X6ycYfLzr5kcZf/s320/blanket+close.jpg" border="0" /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Next, I decided to make a miniature crochet monster:</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295374847476300178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 213px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil6GhP-IMeeKIoUWQ46f2BkGwkZVnqTqHQHVFslreQMgtkUPDUi87Cprbl89Pm0SMRyQES3c6o9e71AuPRkeDzsGKEOgUFuKlPl5yOtphZb7LaO5lcXIpKNGaLOH5fgcs8ppkYyh5XbKdA/s320/axolotl+hand.jpg" border="0" /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295374858020938562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 309px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWARzKOiuQMWGE61F1hskv7bmEPRNevM7aBq_Z5w-P4g0ipRbVhj6hN9ySeNQJI-dF2RIqGAFEiB6LQ3vZ6WCqe87Jd1ouVJTmbuxwz5RM0rkXwS455eGwsmrXTQuTopiWmEl4K5R6oNRj/s320/axolotl.jpg" border="0" /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">She is 9cm / 3.5 inches tall (not including <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">tufty</span> bits) and her name is Delilah Axolotl (on account of her <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">tufty</span> 'gills' and the fact that axolotls are my new favourite creature after seeing one on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">QI</span> last night). </span><span style="font-family:Arial;">My usual woolly monster puppets are about 10-14 inches tall, so Delilah is small enough to be a doll for one of them.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">I have not tried crocheting with single ply yarn and a 0.6mm hook yet. To be honest I'm not sure whether it's really <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">necessary</span> to go that small for my purposes - I'm never likely to work at 1:12 scale or smaller!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I have also discovered possibly the most amazing discount yarn supplier in the world. For anyone who likes doing any kind of needlecraft or textile work and can feasibly travel to Heywood (near Bury/Bolton in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Lancashire</span>, northwest England) - it is essential that you visit this place!<br />The shop is only open to the public on Fridays 10am - 5pm (other times by arrangement).<br /><br /></span><a href="http://www.fairfieldyarns.co.uk/"><span style="font-family:arial;">http://www.fairfieldyarns.co.uk/</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />They have an old Co-operative store which has two rooms literally full, from floor to ceiling, of thousands and thousands of part-cones and balls of surplus yarn in every variety imaginable. Wool, cotton, linen, silk, synthetic, metallic, mohair, cashmere, alpaca all in every thickness and colour you could imagine. I'd estimate that most of the cones have 200g-1kg of yarn left on them, and you pay for them by weight. At least half of the yarns are priced as low as 99p/100g! </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">They have even supplied <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Cosgrove</span> Hall with yarn for mini-knitting of puppet costumes.</span><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4xQBCNnDhNcDj43ToPSlFKR5Fdowz8e5vbIYIhjGQPWz4hXndcd-1jHE6FeM_YAVUv8uGpyX-Ij-tVHzn4peLV5O778OApttZ5cISnpjatQdVqRaPvUJz9OFrGmemykLjOaU41739zIoQ/s1600-h/yarn.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295374876916268194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4xQBCNnDhNcDj43ToPSlFKR5Fdowz8e5vbIYIhjGQPWz4hXndcd-1jHE6FeM_YAVUv8uGpyX-Ij-tVHzn4peLV5O778OApttZ5cISnpjatQdVqRaPvUJz9OFrGmemykLjOaU41739zIoQ/s320/yarn.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">I bought a ball of black and a ball of white acrylic <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">doubleknit</span> (always handy), a cone of turquoise mohair (great for fuzzy monsters), a huge cone of burgundy pure wool <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">doubleknit</span> (or four-ply, it's hard to tell) and some periwinkle blue 2ply and single ply green wool for mini crocheting. The can of 7up is there for scale. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">I am going back again next Friday to get more colours!</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690630484019028221.post-84403659237395149712008-12-19T18:27:00.000-08:002008-12-19T19:11:50.063-08:00Bleurgh...<span style="font-family:arial;">I do not operate well in winter, hence my general lack of activity here recently.</span><span style="font-family:Arial;"> I should be working on 'Monday to Friday' but due to the season sapping every ounce of my motivation and energy... I'm not. I have mainly been crocheting woolly hats for baby Mya (my fiance Daz's niece) for the fast approaching Christmas-type celebrations, and sleeping.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">I am longing for spring and the usual period of manic excitement and hyperactivity it usually brings me, then I'll probably finish 'Monday to Friday' at lightening speed. In fact it was during my spring euphoria last year that I spontaneously decided that I was going to make stop-motion animations (despite knowing nothing about the process) which remarkably seems to have been one of my more successful ideas (much more successful than the farming invisible llamas and building multi-coloured yurts 'inspired idea' of 2006 anyway). Funny how things work out... </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Anyway, my applications for funding were turned down, not that I'm surprised. I put in the applications mainly for the experience of putting together a film proposal, knowing that I'd be up against lots of much more experienced animators.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Oh, and the big commission I mentioned in the previous post fell through, but the maketing agency have said they will consider me for future jobs. Still, it is very encouraging to know that a genuine London marketing agency (with clients like MTV) has even seen my work, let alone liked it enough to contact me! </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">So, er, yeah... rest of winter will be spent working v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y on 'Monday to Friday'.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">When that is finished, I have plans to make 'Loose Yarn', the film I applied for the funding for. I will have to make it on a much smaller budget than I would have done with the funding, but it will still be the most ambitious (and expensive!) thing I have ever attempted. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Oh well, roll on spring...</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"> </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690630484019028221.post-57708303107857618432008-11-11T15:03:00.000-08:002008-11-11T15:18:49.485-08:00Exciting times....<span style="font-family:arial;">There hasn't been much time for blog updating over the last few weeks... very very busy. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">For a start I've been working on a short film proposal for funding from the 4mations scheme (run by channel 4). Being my usual self, I got a bit carried away trying to get it perfect so I ended up not sleeping a great deal over the last few weeks. Anyway, now it's just a case of wait and see.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">On top of that, I may (fingers crossed) have a big commission (about 2 months worth of animating) but I can't really say much more about that at the moment... </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">'Monday to Friday' (the short I've been working on with the monsters in the factory) may have to be put on hold for quite a while!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">These truly are exciting times for me!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Also, if anyone is interested, I have a temporary website up (until I have the time to build a proper one), but it does have a gallery full of my woolly monster artist-toys:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"><a href="http://www.ceriwatling.co.uk/">www.ceriwatling.co.uk</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">You can also see a selection of my woolly creations on Flickr:</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30223082@N04/sets/72157608794258117/"><span style="font-family:arial;">http://www.flickr.com/photos/30223082@N04/sets/72157608794258117/</span></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690630484019028221.post-84744528968596985782008-10-22T14:54:00.000-07:002008-10-22T15:09:19.147-07:00I'm in the HAFFTube final 50!<span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://uk.youtube.com/HAFFTUBE">HAFFTube</a> is a web based competition being held as part of the Holland Animation Film Festival, where animators had to submit their youtube short films to be voted out by the public. I entered three, and now voting has ended and 'Grey Heights Guesthouse' is in the final top 50 (and is the shortest film in the running)! Woohoo!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">You can see it by going to the first page of 'Favourites' on the <a href="http://uk.youtube.com/HAFFTUBE">HAFFTube</a> site.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Now the 50 remaining animations will be judged by a panel made up of filmmakers selected for the main film festival. Keep your fingers crossed for me!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690630484019028221.post-29428828365915030462008-10-19T21:14:00.000-07:002008-10-19T21:31:21.882-07:00Bacup Film Festival<span style="font-family:arial;">Two of my 10 second long animations (the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Teleporter</span> one and the Grim Guesthouse one) are going to be shown at the <a href="http://www.bacupfilmfestival.co.uk/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Bacup</span> Film Festival</a>, one on the 24<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">th</span> and the other on the 25<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">th</span> of October. That means free film festival tickets for me and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Daz</span>! <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Thanks</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Steeeeeee</span>!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">In the unlikely event that anyone reading this blog is going to be in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Rossendale</span> area of East <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Lancashire</span> next weekend, come along to the <a href="http://www.horseandbamboo.org/home.htm">Horse and Bamboo Theatre </a>in Waterfoot on either night and see my 10 seconds of glory (and stay to watch lots of other interesting films of course).</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">The theatre it is being held at sounds really interesting, and has a big emphasis on puppetry and masks. I had never even heard of it before, but apparently it is quite famous.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690630484019028221.post-31273476329550430262008-10-01T15:51:00.000-07:002008-10-01T18:06:07.670-07:00Alien Technology - constructing my new set<span style="font-family:arial;">My industrial looking alien set is almost finished - just a few details to add, a few wires to tidy up, then glue everything down and it's done. I'll be posting some good photos of the finished set very soon. Until then, here are some photos of how it was made and how it looks so far. Sorry about the horrid shiny flash lighting in the photos, I will light the photos of the finished set properly, I promise!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The set is the workplace of the two monsters I posted a photo of a while back. I've indulged a lot of my obsessions with this set - electronics, 'alien' alphabets, technological looking stuff... </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">My main inspirations for the design of the set are the spaceship interiors you see in science fiction (Star Trek, 2001: A Space Odyssey etc.). I've always loved the fact that there are so many important looking buttons and dials and lights and screens, yet none of them actually do anything - they are just designed to look important by the set designer.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">The other visual influence on this project was 1950/60s machinery - the huge broken machines you find abandoned outside college metalwork departments, the disconnected 'mystery' boxes you find on the walls of school basements that once controlled heating systems that were removed decades ago... I think I just like machines which serve no purpose. Anyway, I've built one of my own.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOsUlv72lCmHwKbOr74DcieJjLGkScYrPclmDdiyV2SjCw000rgLRwpJ78hORton4HDAsyB8ODy7-H1XlSGpIuVcc_YDktPeCVOI4mPSezJOdzMVNBKNqG174UiaihjSWPmP9sfWT5-eFm/s1600-h/DSCN1448.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252329461746529314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOsUlv72lCmHwKbOr74DcieJjLGkScYrPclmDdiyV2SjCw000rgLRwpJ78hORton4HDAsyB8ODy7-H1XlSGpIuVcc_YDktPeCVOI4mPSezJOdzMVNBKNqG174UiaihjSWPmP9sfWT5-eFm/s320/DSCN1448.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Here is a photo of some, but not all, of the things I used to build this set (one or two things that I didn't use managed to sneak into this photo too). </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The materials I used included: a sheet of MDF, a sheet of foamboard, woodscrews, lots of metal washers of assorted sizes, upholstery nails, flat wooden shapes with holes drilled round the edges (from the Arnold Basketry Kit!), those plastic cap things for covering the heads of screws in silver and white, brass rings, brass panel pins, brass picture turns, paper-mache craft boxes, old bits of meccano, different coloured electricians tape, lots of PVA glue, acrylic paint, sandpaper, some tubes from a duplo set (like big lego), nyloc nuts, a fine point Sharpie marker, LEDs (light emitting diodes) of different sizes and colours, lots of resistors of different values, heatshrink tubing, insulated wire, lead free solder, aluminium wire and probably quite a few things I've forgotten.....</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">So, er, yeah, lots of random stuff. Most of the fixings are available from any good hardware store and the electronics components I ordered from Maplin.</span><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX4_YzWN1b8nG4owVXGNrA4FOawJiMiW4-65nL9kJMAMdu6C4ud-SgXccE63ihG0ULrLrdvb_WYDMiFbGPKBIZ3CLGT4JjKj2KyGhW9OEti1e5wyhQc0rB7uhJJk2GWfbps3EHEqhxsKb2/s1600-h/DSCN1449.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252329461567202018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX4_YzWN1b8nG4owVXGNrA4FOawJiMiW4-65nL9kJMAMdu6C4ud-SgXccE63ihG0ULrLrdvb_WYDMiFbGPKBIZ3CLGT4JjKj2KyGhW9OEti1e5wyhQc0rB7uhJJk2GWfbps3EHEqhxsKb2/s320/DSCN1449.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">This shows some of the bits and bobs arranged on the piece of MDF that will become the back wall of the set so I could get an idea of how things should look. I then glued down all the bits I wanted to be painted with the background colour, using PVA glue. I used upholstery nails to look like rivets, wooden shapes too look like metal panels and metal washers to add detail. I also drilled a line of holes across the board where a row of LEDs will be.</span></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252329466288554930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFXh3m-dpyIQCudIIYMRFfRFag6HV8sbngikquMEhWgYXEalu6D-bmIvp7ftMQW-7ylvKn-87B-rX4WMTwFQEYnAyFc5D-HLK7DFYbwSYd1Px9yvt4XPYM9YKu0ze1Ie62bT-chVk1nzSE/s320/DSCN1453.JPG" border="0" /> </p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">Once the glued was dry, I painted over the entire background with a specially mixed 'steel' colour. I mixed two small pots of Games Workshop 'Boltgun Metal' paint with a large amount of cheap white craft acrylic paint and a little black and blue acrylic. This made the paint slightly metallic looking. I applied it using a sponge to avoid brushmarks.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;">The strip at the top is made using black and red electricians tape over the row of holes for the LED. I added details using washers and some plastic tile-spacers that I had already painted black. Everything was coated in a layer of PVA glue to protect it and make it shiny like metal (as opposed to the matte wood it is actually made of).</span><br /></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252329466730678930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijh_eeTSrP83xVQgcwaxeU3WB0rSXbro1haxRyMDXu7mwGhIVCnWXB20-UdLtt4niVVjeYxrB7c6glTzqB4jAOBJ64iG6PmZ30-GZzERi3aT_DKXJt7ZbUEym_-wtp-KfC6NPmFkbe5iqF/s320/DSCN1518.JPG" border="0" /></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252329950562941074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5zUbZscFPFe__HaPm2tCIrhRt3FzPsxBtoZX16TJaNhZQD0dPM5wJu7JAjypaTL2ZOIaTkLNzhZJzzQ3-LUvTR4KDbS56csSpxh3lrmhU1zav81-ZeO0gyphhNPZMi070ugPJ19SPotOa/s320/DSCN1519.JPG" border="0" /></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">This is the floor of my set. I made it by sticking rectangular panels of sandpaper in a grid pattern with small gaps between them, onto a large piece of wood using PVA glue. I then painted the sandpaper with a mixture of PVA and grey acrylic. I used a darker grey acrylic to paint the 'grout' between the tiles, then before it dried I smudged it about with a sponge. I then used a large piece of bubble-wrap to print a spotty texture onto the tiles, first light grey paint, then dark grey - hopefully this texture will help to disguise tie-down holes. I then went over the grout again with a fine brush and a very dark grey paint.</span><br /><br /></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252328623557130002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlK6XnDBXTJK6aN7uspr3wHpePBgvkgx0lswPVxkCM-nk717kF6pyqoP7HcfoW5d1rxrseMAPg_rkkTMrkOUIKNr9r5WXnXMV-YiZWzzMwfhP0teaWsrTMV8Li5ESHKzww6zwD6vMD1oyc/s320/DSCN1530.JPG" border="0" /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">If you look to the left of the photo there is a little black box with wires coming out of it and LEDs on the front. I used lots and lots of these in this project. They are made from those tiny brown paper-mache gift boxes you can buy in craft stores. I painted boxes and lids with acrylic paint then PVA to strengthen them. Then I poked little holes in the boxes with a pin so I could push the 'legs' of LEDs through. I also sometimes pushed resistors through to decorate the boxes. Then I wired up the LEDs.</span><br /></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252328629505249026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrtb6WtZnuE4g_2eldmoEYbsi-6HW-1F2520XiZuCnk6BYJif7f1lCgpavhCZoexDXUQf-DZ7qvi4qQYd_Mqu5KNHfIJXsJPWzr1NwfmHhSgJyCfMmIA_ZASyFBCohdunj5t1dIqAspK2N/s320/DSCN1531.JPG" border="0" /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">This is what is inside the little boxes - messy but functional. I think made 12 of them in all. Some of the LEDs on the other side are not wired up - I cut the 'legs' of these LEDs and cover them in hot glue to hold them in place and insulate them (don't want to short out my circuits!). Then I solder the LEDs together in series with a resistor (the value of the resistor depends on the type and number of LEDs) being very careful not to burn a hole in the cardboard with the soldering iron. The wires are all colour coded so I know which terminal of the battery they need to go to. I will be running the LEDs in the set on three seperate 9V circuits. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">Obvious Warning: if you are going to mess with electronics never use mains electricity, you'll end up killing yourself and/or burning your house down, and don't leave your creation switched on unattended in case it catches fire!</span></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252346210903225218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMlAohxbt_a1B2ylcMpZvwU6WvcA4uzIgzAtOki54jVM33LF77Y28Bd-qLf-8zCvjUsqZXFujSe-NmI8zOaESCEIVDHxKEhLbpRGaaXR4NPq_W_cLefgnu59Z8HgG5qLXYmJp5c9MYU5-N/s320/DSCN1523.JPG" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252329955831307458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPAPm3VlWSgQpay1ScbxYGpGJDY8c4Qi9vMawe7HLnVKzZtG-ltYKkvnRFhyxQy0EoI1YElemjzf3jwQcdpZ8lcSbSuS0dE996ueJ1mC-RkeQTYyCFrlEQ0op50spVUQJ3bGPMANzZSlps/s320/DSCN1521.JPG" border="0" /></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">This is the front and back of the (almost) finished back panel of the set. Lots of LEDs, lots of buttons and lots and lots of wires... good job I quite enjoy soldering!</span></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252327729712352434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB8KoGhMTh0Z_m8eje_EJcFsD0S5MsgX0PREwcesWTEwqvmt33O_XvwMAwLnHiMoanBH-pbYIUT0Z9boEAHlwUo4PtwDz_1Z_vHjze19VTAvyO3uvvKaJ_If8t9wBssFqodqjrQ6gWLbt2/s400/DSCN1538.JPG" border="0" /></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTJvJmW0R_8XTwnI_8tH6yW-uSAIrlT-XwShc45qFqYlxMa84fSQIbgLGMsBrMh5KP5WGhEOk8wGHYpvGDN9uXZ7-bx8Flp8m4EVwoUdrjcIuZCXJdUISyBm9E8Uc-W3P3TPs8WZUdCSBp/s1600-h/DSCN1527.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252328619787042114" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTJvJmW0R_8XTwnI_8tH6yW-uSAIrlT-XwShc45qFqYlxMa84fSQIbgLGMsBrMh5KP5WGhEOk8wGHYpvGDN9uXZ7-bx8Flp8m4EVwoUdrjcIuZCXJdUISyBm9E8Uc-W3P3TPs8WZUdCSBp/s320/DSCN1527.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8yJlvGIl697zE5b2YshX1Pj5nn_nvTVYD8rybF2wMIvXyOFxUHKyPed9J6hDXT6NpVd2y0-GPmglBwjEca1iuNC-9ETfHn2Rm1qTLtJ9DWb2AtFSg_swxVHaVztAL0vSBKAhUiJL_Fpwm/s1600-h/DSCN1528.JPG"></a><span style="font-family:arial;">This is a front and back view of my console. It was made from a Christmas gift box and some upholstery nails. The buttons are all plastic screw-covers (with the backs snipped off) with symbols drawn on them with a fine marker, then covered in a thin layer of PVA to stop it rubbing off.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">The 'big red button' is a safety nose for stuffed-toys!</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXXCwWqjIHn01wfx37TGYUvQWMDLeg6Qyqr6HiMBpJtb7paf9DbJinVPiyorCoJT7ZXp1_QAiAq2heddQNUNCxx8xwy5hwAuVBBFmrDc-kBAJQtgBUf5819WwuxvqvOLlgL-QcanXU0Fd5/s1600-h/DSCN1525.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252328629129281762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXXCwWqjIHn01wfx37TGYUvQWMDLeg6Qyqr6HiMBpJtb7paf9DbJinVPiyorCoJT7ZXp1_QAiAq2heddQNUNCxx8xwy5hwAuVBBFmrDc-kBAJQtgBUf5819WwuxvqvOLlgL-QcanXU0Fd5/s320/DSCN1525.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">This is roughly how it will all fit together - at the moment things are still propped up instead of glued in place and there are still loose wires and a few details missing, but you get the idea.</span><br /><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvSQUuAXB-gNUnjlFsJrcH0cRvsMnxbOzu6af9JP1gK13FexYuCT7Pb_LbhGuyZGM511rjhAVkAlNgmgIrGSqKdEFggb5KxiF-9_nZQVCnX8MwDOpUZpL916sw3J7_DuhQ5LtUf28Yu6NV/s1600-h/DSCN1533.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252327724386431922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvSQUuAXB-gNUnjlFsJrcH0cRvsMnxbOzu6af9JP1gK13FexYuCT7Pb_LbhGuyZGM511rjhAVkAlNgmgIrGSqKdEFggb5KxiF-9_nZQVCnX8MwDOpUZpL916sw3J7_DuhQ5LtUf28Yu6NV/s400/DSCN1533.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVlSSFWDLqTgzPzYUY56lZRPSMfPGdZ6lqXDf9SgBq6UKrRnA2lRpAym7rljGmVOsktNvioXTbFnJhNnnYXLdhDDsWS45BuUKX1IFes9YWee3qFST4tHoK209prm7vdwjdB27jGy4xUnHA/s1600-h/DSCN1535.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252327726588927298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVlSSFWDLqTgzPzYUY56lZRPSMfPGdZ6lqXDf9SgBq6UKrRnA2lRpAym7rljGmVOsktNvioXTbFnJhNnnYXLdhDDsWS45BuUKX1IFes9YWee3qFST4tHoK209prm7vdwjdB27jGy4xUnHA/s400/DSCN1535.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD_hyphenhyphenHsD7kv1RBIVeYuQrzXpihxnOfFt1_X9xhFb3jDGXHuG-A1NXht_RnrFtHA2bOeP5-saMsWY82BRpQ4xwDFcT1Sowp0hXePxSt7EijcdruqgNPUaxmJarXkfWKz1sd8I2bf2MA9ka6/s1600-h/DSCN1537.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252327737260727954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD_hyphenhyphenHsD7kv1RBIVeYuQrzXpihxnOfFt1_X9xhFb3jDGXHuG-A1NXht_RnrFtHA2bOeP5-saMsWY82BRpQ4xwDFcT1Sowp0hXePxSt7EijcdruqgNPUaxmJarXkfWKz1sd8I2bf2MA9ka6/s400/DSCN1537.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">There will be photos of the finished set next time, along with close-ups of some of the details and descriptions of how I made them. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">Until next time, have fun. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">Oh, and if you haven't already seen it, watch Michel Gondry's 'The Science of Sleep' - cardboard stop-motion cities, celophane water, </span><span style="font-family:arial;">tin-foil time machines and huge hands - brilliant film in my opinion.</span> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690630484019028221.post-750242143102995272008-09-15T06:56:00.001-07:002008-09-15T07:36:38.924-07:00Castlegardener's Poetree and other updates<span style="font-family:arial;">Back again after another week of not being able to do much due to back pain...grrrrr. It means that the short I'm working on wasn't finished for the Bristol short film festival deadline and probably won't be finished for the Bacup film festival. Oh well, shit happens.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The short I'm working on is going to be the first of five episodes of a series, so I might pitch it as a pilot to <a href="http://www.4mations.tv/">4mations</a> and see if I can get some money to make the other four episodes. It's worth a try anyway!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Anyway, onto the most important news: A couple of weeks ago Castlegardener (aka John Hankins) finished working on a fantastic animation called 'Poe-Tree'. If you haven't already seen it, go and watch it now on his youtube channel: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIqoCLQZQIk">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIqoCLQZQIk</a></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">It's John's first lip-sync animation and I love it! The woolly ent puppet is one of my creations and I sent it to John in Hawaii along with lots of replacement mouths, so I think he felt obliged to do some lip-sync with it. The voice for the ent is Oregon based animator Don Carlson (Pram Maven). </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">What more could you want in an animation - a very dramatic poetry-reading tree, Edgar Allan Poe, a brilliant raven puppet and John's incredibly expressive animation!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">My woolly creations have also been popping up in other far-flung places recently... check out the bouncing finger puppets on Canadian animator Emmyymme's (Emily Baxter's) blog: <a href="http://emmyymme.blogspot.com/2008/08/manfrotto.html">http://emmyymme.blogspot.com/2008/08/manfrotto.html</a> </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">and Shelley Noble, who is working on her film 'Halfland' in California, has received the 'woolly glove fish' (or Doug to his friends) and the shoal of 'alphabafish' I made for her. There are a couple of test shots of them at the end of this post on her blog: </span><br /><a href="http://notesfromhalfland.blogspot.com/2008/08/aint-no-mountain-high-enough-and.html"><span style="font-family:arial;">http://notesfromhalfland.blogspot.com/2008/08/aint-no-mountain-high-enough-and.html</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">The monsters are taking over!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Next post: how to make a high-tech industrial alien looking set out of MDF, cardbord, junk, electronic components and stuff from the hardware store....</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"> </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690630484019028221.post-29740377884618462842008-08-20T07:33:00.000-07:002008-08-20T08:17:19.548-07:00Why you should never leave alcoholic beverages in your animation studio....<span style="font-family:arial;">Last month I planned to make an animation for the 'soundbite challenge' on </span><a href="http://www.stopmotionanimation.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;">http://www.stopmotionanimation.com/</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> (the online hub of all things stop-motion) where the aim was to make an animation to fit a 30 second piece of rock music. Unfortunately due to a whole host of events conspiring against me, I never got round to it. I did manage to set the puppets up for the shoot a few weeks ago, I just didn't have time to animate them. The intention was to animate all the monster puppets from my previous animations getting drunk and partying together. </span><br /><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Well, today I am putting all the puppets away and dismantling the set to build new one, so I thought I'd take a few photos of the drunken troublemakers before their booze was taken away and they were put way in a box for the forseeable future:</span></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLJ-3A0QtwGHDAp-Ih_Srr9A4oMvXwaXmvX1F1Xgr0IShk6kwtzEsh6aMTOqHsgFicBe44PnrIgNESA1eBuAZWKxQpyHuO6nqh1yTRTPZTYOmvHNeKROuBa6cNrKWWwCLZMgMLibBJ3GoN/s1600-h/DSCN1435.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236613496174811730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLJ-3A0QtwGHDAp-Ih_Srr9A4oMvXwaXmvX1F1Xgr0IShk6kwtzEsh6aMTOqHsgFicBe44PnrIgNESA1eBuAZWKxQpyHuO6nqh1yTRTPZTYOmvHNeKROuBa6cNrKWWwCLZMgMLibBJ3GoN/s400/DSCN1435.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5whzfwAzvHsa_Lb2lgx5kp8dZsJN0fn1IdPh09Or5gqBd9MJ5FxNTTtO4-rxFZ1AutCt0Hm0Cl9A2yZHfSmJmadfmpODdb6Xet8HLhFDXYLqZL_sBOp0Be3GKCe6WG3zk9znfh6dGoVYR/s1600-h/DSCN1439.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236613502205456594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5whzfwAzvHsa_Lb2lgx5kp8dZsJN0fn1IdPh09Or5gqBd9MJ5FxNTTtO4-rxFZ1AutCt0Hm0Cl9A2yZHfSmJmadfmpODdb6Xet8HLhFDXYLqZL_sBOp0Be3GKCe6WG3zk9znfh6dGoVYR/s400/DSCN1439.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGP2hDIVRYxPp_-aHkPl3kgZv8vQ3r9WBeC395LBkn5NcqoCTlK3qaUiVXxdfKAxMv-6ZAf0IWuvU3LkdaSk1TJ769fERAPCSaHRAMXbBj87iVSx2e-haNpWjBvvT6czSbBnGW8gr6038m/s1600-h/DSCN1441.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236613517646013906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGP2hDIVRYxPp_-aHkPl3kgZv8vQ3r9WBeC395LBkn5NcqoCTlK3qaUiVXxdfKAxMv-6ZAf0IWuvU3LkdaSk1TJ769fERAPCSaHRAMXbBj87iVSx2e-haNpWjBvvT6czSbBnGW8gr6038m/s400/DSCN1441.JPG" border="0" /></a> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236614447709711858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG4uRVlQbWo88GiQrNAnm3jkaEaCKuhTlYcv66Jgxh62USPxZlhvmswQx5NdYIAdZczkGs2xwLMtPnuRdancigE4UgOMH67jgJ_G5VBE6SIsoPDtRlgXtQprNfrFPgEeLU7hRtZN_pZuvf/s400/monsters+drunk.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236614450533617714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrrjx55vnc1ULLuaNRxkAVFeZfF3H1Wh1hlDCO1Oe4aFWysy_TQmQsKS0CeplEuY9RklTptUM8JJYtwHN8roBvuQASRwo6qLCk0cUlgFhYWSWTcTkog9XBFBpbKlmP5UDbzyts43Mou-CL/s400/DSCN1443.JPG" border="0" /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236614462882946130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4cpH4pg_MRDY_-90T24Dm07LIVu2tLG6nR0e_8t9RgwVyewGDAM_HeZAhk8QOvc82EYY9z1z03Y8T5h30L9KrinJUaIC6MIK_A8RekpzhDGgWYg-CeB9_G4kLGboMkz7hytv25_dw7Q_n/s400/DSCN1445.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;">I apologise for the rudeness of that woolly purple monster - I assure you I had nothing to do with it!</span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">The bottom photo is the box that the hungover monsters will call home for the next few months. I feel rather bad really, taking them out of their natural habitat whilst they were intoxicated and shutting them in a box without any asprin.</span></div><div> </div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">To anyone who is worrying about the quantity of hideous coloured liqueurs we own, please note that we may own them, but we don't actually drink them! All these bottles are all almost full, old and dusty (some are well past the 'best before' date) and were given to us over the years, probably by people who were desperate to get rid of them. People also keep buying Jack Daniels as gifts for Daz, despite the fact he hates the stuff... he just must look like a Jack Daniels drinker. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">Now on with building my new set... </span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7