Bookbinding, tablet weaving and mask making

Many thanks to K for showing me how to make a book!  I am very pleased how it turned out, although in hindsight I would have used the flour paste glue for the cover instead of the fabric glue as I think it would have stuck better! However, several days under a heavy weight seems to have sorted out the last few blisters which hadn't stuck down quite right!

My first codex

All four codices

Sewing the codex

The finished binding

The finished article!

The endpaper

On display

Thanks also to Jo for showing me tablet weaving & mask making...  all problems with these parts of the challenge are entirely down to pilot error!

The mask was going fine until I cut the eye holes... too big :(  I am going to try to remedy it with judicious use of decoration, but we'll have to see how that goes.  Here's a few pictures from the process, before it went wrong!

The base mask.

Shaping the decorative cogs

  

Cogs fixed to the mask, all painted & pretty!

As for Tablet weaving - I think that's one for you Jo!  I tried, and the first little piece I made was OK...

Once I got going, all was well!

 Then I tried something a little more complex, with a border either side.  I had a lot of trouble with the S & Z threaded cards next to each other getting caught up together, and forgetting which way I was turning the cards to make the pattern!

Not so good....

I tried another variant, tubular weaving, which worked OK, but still not spectacularly well. 

Tubular!

Remembering what Jo had said about tablet weaving needing more cords to make it worthwhile, otherwise I might as well be doing finger-braiding, I figured I would look up finger-braiding too... and I tried that as well. Once I realised how it was supposed to be done, it was fine, but I don't think I'll make a habit of it!

A simple finger braid

Finally, I decided to try out normal weaving, since Jo had loaned me a loom to do the tablet weaving on... the sides kept pulling in and I just don't think I have the patience for this kind of thing!

Nope!

Two deliberate, one accidental and a couple of random extras!

My list is rapidly filling up, which is good, as the time is rapidly dwindling.  I do get a certain nice buzz when I tell people about my Challenge & they say "Oh you must have a couple of years for that!" and are then surprised when I say I have a month left for it!!

Two things off the list are the 4-handed massage at the Hana Beauty Clinic in Whitley Bay, and visiting the Victoria Tunnel underneath Newcastle.

I enjoyed the massage; the sheer luxury of having two pairs of hands massaging me in synchronisation was fantastic.  Unfortunately, having slept badly the night before, my restless leg syndrome got the better of me, and I spent half the time trying to get comfortable, which rather spoiled the relaxation aspect of it... :(


The tour of the Victoria Tunnel was fantastic, and I intend to book another tour again as soon as I can arrange it.  Dave, one of the tour guides, was brilliant (the other David was good too, but Dave was fabulous!)

We had a tour of part of the Ouseburn Valley first - this is a boat outside the Seven Stories Children's Workshop

The history of the tunnel is fascinating: there is a good history of it here.  It was originally built in the Victorian era (c.1840) and was in use as a coal-waggonway for some time.  It was closed after about 18 years, and re-opened in WWII as an air-raid-shelter.  In the mean-time, it was briefly used in the 1920's as a mushroom farm.  Now it is open for the tours, run by the Ouseburn Trust. 

A handprint left from the manufacture of the bricks!

My phone can't cope with low light levels... this is the best I could manage of the tunnel itself!

I am very taken with the Tunnel, and I'm thinking of becoming a volunteer guide, if time allows once I start my Counselling course later this month!

The accidental one is a bit of a cheat really, but I'm going to count it anyway!  The front garden is colourful!  I had removed this when I realised that it was not really something I wanted to do for myself, but rather it was something which somebody else thought I should do ;)  However, having planted some wildflower seeds and a couple of plants a few years ago, suddenly this year, I have colour!

Evening Primrose

Montbretia

Now for the random ones!  I hadn't realised I could count this one until I was talking to someone about my new favourite cafe.  It is a place I'd been recommended by several people, and I'd been meaning to try it out for ages.  About three months ago, I did so.  The Settle Down Cafe is delightful.  The barista was friendly and immediately made me feel welcome, which is a lovely change from many chain-style coffee shops.  The coffee (a mocha, if I remember correctly) was delicious, as was the cake I had.  This led me to another of my 'I really must try this out' places, the Sugar Down Bakery.  As the names' similarity would suggest, these two are related.  The Sugar Down supplies all the cakes and so on for the Settle Down.  I can highly recommend both places, and I pop in to the Sugar Down as often as my waistline and conscience will let me ;)

On its penultimate day, I visited the Mariner 9 exhibition at the Spanish Dome in Whitely Bay.  More details can be found here. This was a very interesting installation, a gorgeously rendered vision of the debris of some of our visits to the Red Planet, including some potential future craft, once they have been abandoned.  Some are trying to 'phone home',  others still try to carry out their duties, while still others are rusted junk.  The atmosphere was enthralling, with weird eerie wind noises as dust storms scoured the surface, interspersed with the beeps and whirrings of the equipment.  I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Three more things done!

I did a money diet in July, but it wasn't overly successful, mainly due to a Gem & Mineral show held the first Saturday of my diet-month, which I spent a bit at, and an event later in the month which I needed some accessories for!  I did spend less than normal, but not less-enough.  I think this is something I need to do again as a separate thing when I can concentrate on it properly.


Last Thursday, I tried indoor climbing at the Byker Climbing Wall.  It was definitely an experience, and one I'm glad I've had; however, I don't think I would want to do it again!


To start with, the climbs (according to Jo, who's been trying to persuade me to try climbing for quite a while; she finally succeeded - thank you Jo!) were actually quite difficult, even the easy ones.  First time, I tried one, and got about three hand-holds up before I climbed back down, terrified!  NOPE! as they say on the internets.

However, Jo persuaded me to try another different climb, and I got further this time; almost to the top.  However, I still wasn't up to jumping down, even onto the crash mats... so it was climb-down time again.

The best I managed was on this climb - all the way to the top! (Although I was hanging on for dear life while Jo got the camera!)

I got up here, now how do I get down?!

Ohai!

After the first half-climb, my forearms seemed to have developed new muscles, just so they could go into spasm.  By the end of half-an-hour, my shoulders, thighs and calves were complaining as well.  So, all in all, I'm glad I did it, but I doubt I'll ever go climbing again; it's just not really for me!

The other thing I've done is learn to use a spinning wheel.  It's something I've always wanted to do, since I was a little girl, and today I got the chance (thanks K!)  Somehow it seems both rustic and romantic, I'm not sure quite why!

Hardly Sleeping Beauty ;) 
However, I did get to use the seat from the old Tyneside Cinema which K has!  Very comfy!

The Niddy-Noddy I used to wind the wool,
and the first (tiny!) skein of spun wool I've made!

I intend to do some more spinning, with the intention of making enough for Jo to show me how to make Tablet-weaving (she's been saying I should give it a try for ages, so I will - another new thing!), and make a piece of Tablet weave, so I'll update the list if I manage to do that.

Twenty-seven items down, thirteen to go!

Music!

I'd not expected to get all three 'new bands' in one fell swoop, but I have.  Thanks to the Humble Music Bundle, I've now listened to FOUR new bands:

They Might be Giants (rather odd!  but OK in their way! - we did have an album by them, but I don't recall listening to it);
OK Go, (again quite strange!);
Rather dramatic music from video games from Hitoshi Sakimoto;
and probably the most interesting, Christopher Tin's album Calling All Dawns.

(We already have some MC Frontalot, and Jonathan Coulton; it was thanks to these that we gave the others a chance!)

I still intend to keep looking for fresh music, but I consider my duty by my Challenge done!

List as at 24th July (2 Months to go!)

Done:
1   Thames river cruise (18th April 2012)
2   Visit Stonehenge (17th April 2012)
3   See the Northern Lights (2nd March 2012)

4   Visit Thackray museum in Leeds (12th November 2011)

5   Have a Belly dancing lesson (8th January 2012)
6   Do a day of Falconry (24th April 2012)
7   Handbell ringing (16th December 2011)

8   1:1 Barre class (3rd November 2011)
9   Hold a tarantula(!) (25 February12)
10 Try at least 5 new foods (Finished March 2012)*
11 Do something completely spontaneous (Shoeshine) (26th October 2011)
12 Rode the Brighton Wheel (26th October 2011)
13 Visit Mother Shipton's Cave (5th June)
14 Visited parts of Yorkshire Sculpture Park I hadn't been to before. (4th June)
15 Tried Lavender & Lemon Scones (5th June)
16 Visit Lindisfarne (7th June 2012)
17 Go to the Hoppings (26th June 2012)
18 Thai Food (11th June 2012)
19 Read at least 3 classics** (20th July 2012)

20 Make a corset (K.) (Finished 3rd July 2012)
21 Hold a tortoise! (6th July 2012)
22 Wear more colours, at least half the time! (Steampunk colours, admittedly!) (ongoing!)
23 Visit the Lit & Phil (23rd July 2012)


Definite:

24 Visit the Tynemouth Toy Museum
25 Edinburgh: Spend a night in the Library room at the Witchery, take a tour of St Mary's Close (Edinburgh under-city) and visit Jekyll & Hyde pub!
26 Tour the Victoria Tunnels (Newcastle)
27 Make a leather masquerade mask (Jo)
28 Have a 4-hand massage
29 Rock climbing (indoor!)
30 Learn to use a Spinning Wheel (K.)
31 Money-diet for a month (July?)
32 Watch at least 5 'must-see' classic films****
33 Try at least 3 new (possibly SteamPunk) bands***
34 Return to my ideal weight (8st7lbs ish)
35 Break myself of the habit of picking at my skin

The following are money/opportunity dependent.

36 Horse-ride along a beach, in the surf :)
37 Take a course in Bookbinding & bind a book. (If course is running in Sept.)
38 Take a Millinery course & make a hat
39 Have a Capoeira lesson
40 Take a Fan Dancing class

41 Box Brownie photography (Jo)
42 Make Ginger Beer
43 Make a Dragon sculpture, since it is Chinese Year of the Dragon!



*Bilberries (what blueberries aspire to being!)
  Figs (nice)
  Turkish sweets (too sweet!)
  Samphire (too salty)
  Kiwi Berries (just like a mini kiwi fruit)
  Dragon Fruit (like a cross between a melon & a kiwi fruit)
  Avocado (not overly keen!)
  Lychee (nice but odd texture)

**Old - Beowulf
   Classic - Frankenstein
   Modern - Brave New World, Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

*** Vernian Process, Abney Park, TMWWNBBFN etc.

**** Suggestions Welcome!

A couple of things off the list!

I've finished Beowulf (in a prose version; I might read a poetry version as well, but I'm in the middle of reading Metro 2033 now, which is very gripping, so it won't be for a while yet!)

I also finally made it to the Lit & Phil in Town yesterday.  It's been a moveable feast as it were, because it doesn't have to be done on any particular day; but yesterday, I thought 'sod it' and went in anyway, even though I had other things to be done in the day; they could wait!

The Lit & Phil

I couldn't resist getting a photo of this lovely spiral staircase.

I spent a while in there reading a copy of Scientific American that was lying on a table.  I would have spent longer (I found a couple of books on Victoriana) but I really did have to do 'real life' things like shopping for milk and so on!

So, as a couple of people have asked me lately how far through my Challenge I am, I think I'm probably due another updated list.  Next post!

But first... a pic of my lovely new made-by-me-and-K corset!

Some random things and an idea or two.

My corset is finished!  Many thanks to K for her invaluable knowledge, and willingness to teach me!  There will be pictures after Thursday when I will hopefully wear it out for the first time :D

I've started Beowulf, which is a lot easier to read than I was expecting (I'm reading a prose translation first and then I might try a poetry version if I feel like it.)

I'm hardly wearing black at all these days, so I think I can safely say that I've changed my style to a somewhat more Steampunk one, so I'm going to cross that one off my list when I next update it.

I didn't get to the Lit & Phil or the Toy Museum last week, but they're still on the calendar for sometime soon, so I will definitely visit them.

One of the things I have been intending to do is a 'money diet'.  On Wednesday, it became more urgent, when I checked my bank account & realised that I was in the redder-than-red :(  So I've been doing some sums, with the help of a couple of very useful websites, and starting on Monday, I'll be tightening the purse strings considerably.  Apart from bus-fares and any necessary food shopping, I'm going to try to spend no money next week, no coffees in town, no random clothes shopping (not even Charity Shops!) no nothin'.  I'll see how it goes...

I held a tortoise for the first time today... pretty random, but I guess it counts!

Don't worry, I put her back down right after I'd taken the pictures!

Michelle trying to make a break for it on my lap

Smile for the camera!

New Updated List

Done:
1   Thames river cruise (18th April 2012)
2   Visit Stonehenge (17th April 2012)
3   See the Northern Lights (2nd March 2012)

4   Visit Thackray museum in Leeds (12th November 2011)

5   Have a Belly dancing lesson (8th January 2012)
6   Do a day of Falconry (24th April 2012)
7   Handbell ringing (16th December 2011)

8   1:1 Barre class (3rd November 2011)
9   Hold a tarantula(!) (25 February12)
10 Try at least 5 new foods (Finished March 2012)*
11 Do something completely spontaneous (Shoeshine) (26th October 2011)
12 Rode the Brighton Wheel (26th October 2011)
13 Visit Mother Shipton's Cave (5th June)
14 Visited parts of Yorkshire Sculpture Park I hadn't been to before. (4th June)
15 Tried Lavender & Lemon Scones (5th June)
16 Visit Lindisfarne (7th June 2012)
17 Go to the Hoppings (26th June 2012)
18 Thai Food (11th June 2012)

In Progress:
19 Read at least 3 classics**
20 Make a corset (K.) (Nearly Finished!)
21 Wear more colours, at least half the time! (Steampunk colours, admittedly!)


Definite:
22 Visit the Lit & Phil
23 Visit the Tynemouth Toy Museum
24 Edinburgh: Spend a night in the Library room at the Witchery, take a tour of St Mary's Close (Edinburgh under-city) and visit Jekyll & Hyde pub!
25 Tour the Victoria Tunnels (Newcastle)
26 Make a leather masquerade mask (Jo)
27 Have a 4-hand massage
28 Horse-ride along a beach, in the surf :)
29 Rock climbing (indoor!)
30 Take a course in Bookbinding & bind a book. (If course is running in Sept.)

31 Learn to use a Spinning Wheel (K.)
32 Money-diet for a month (July?)
33 Watch at least 5 'must-see' classic films****
34 Try at least 3 new (possibly SteamPunk) bands***
35 Return to my ideal weight (8st7lbs ish)
36 Break myself of the habit of picking at my skin

The following are money/opportunity dependent.

37 Take a Millinery course & make a hat
38 Have a Capoeira lesson
39 Take a Fan Dancing class

40 Box Brownie photography (J)
41 Make Ginger Beer
42 Make a Dragon sculpture, since it is Chinese Year of the Dragon!



*Bilberries (what blueberries aspire to being!)
  Figs (nice)
  Turkish sweets (too sweet!)
  Samphire (too salty)
  Kiwi Berries (just like a mini kiwi fruit)
  Dragon Fruit (like a cross between a melon & a kiwi fruit)
  Avocado (not overly keen!)
  Lychee (nice but odd texture)

**Old - Beowulf
   Classic - Frankenstein
   Modern - Brave New World, Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

*** Vernian Process, Abney Park, TMWWNBBFN etc.

**** Suggestions Welcome!

A couple of other things

I've tried Thai food for the first time properly, and it was lovely :D  (I had Thai food once before, but I couldn't really eat much as I was hungover, and couldn't appreciate it!) This time I had vegetarian Phad-Thai in a kind of omlette at At Bangkok Cafe in Newcastle.  We were there celebrating a friend's birthday, and I'd definitely go back again.

THE HOPPINGS!

I've lived here for 20 years, and never been.  And I'm never likely to go again!

All I can say of it is that there are a lot of fortune tellers with the surname Lee, and that the Hoppings itself stinks. Literally. Of manure. And other less savoury things. I spent a lot of time afterwards trying to get the mud, and the smell, out of my boots. Dammit I should have remembered my wellies!

However, here's a nice picture I took of it a couple of days before I went. 

The Hoppings, as seen from the flats up on Westgate Road

I've got a couple of other ideas for things to do for the Challenge; visit the Lit & Phil, which I hope to do tomorrow, and visit the Toy Museum in Tynemouth, as a friend has told me it is worth a look.  I might try to do that on Saturday, as well as a trip to the Market :)


Righty-ho, time to update the list itself!

The Holy Island of Lindisfarne

At last I've visited Lindisfarne.  Mum wanted to visit, and I haven't been, despite living in the North East for over 20 years, so I thought it was about time I rectified the situation.

View of the Castle from the Priory

View of part of the Priory through another part of the Priory

View of the Gertrude Jekyll Garden from the Castle

View of sheep and the Castle from the Garden

Distant Sheep Stand on the Horizon

Mother Shipton's Cave

Another place that Mum wanted to visit was Mother Shipton's Cave & the Petrifying Well.


We had a lovely day, although it would have probably been better if we'd known in advance that all of the attractions were at the far end of the Beech Walk, as Mum wasn't really up to the long walk.

The Petrifying Well

The Wishing Well

I loved seeing the waterfall of the mineral rich water, as well as the 'Wishing Well', although the Cave itself seemed to be a trifle over-touristy for my liking.  I bought a few trinkets in the gift shop, before we went for tea at the Lavender Room in "Ye Oldest Chymists Shoppe In England" where I had Lavender & Lemon Scones (I kid you not!) which were lovely :)

See, Lemon & Lavender Scones :D

Especially for Liz!
They had a Print Tray with things in from when the shop had been a Chemists, and the proprietor let me take some photos of it; here's the best one :D

A lovely display.

Yorkshire Sculpture Park

I haven't been keeping up with what I've done; I seem to have been so busy lately, but I can't quite work out where the time has gone!

I've done several new things since my last post, some of them were on the list, some weren't, so the list will get an(other!) overhaul in a while, so I can keep track of how I'm doing.

Anyway, NEW THINGS!

While Mum and Leah & James were up visiting us, we did a variety of things, including a visit to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park; a treat for Leah, who has wanted to visit it for a long time.

Leah & I went exploring & discovered some areas of the Park that I had never been to before, so for the sake of the numbers on my Challenge, I'm including it here ;)
 

I don't think this was a deliberate sculpture ;) 

A shot through a crook in a tree branch

The Source

The view across the lake

Books for solitary Bees to build their nests

A nice view

The shell grotto; a lovely peaceful place

View from within the grotto

A rabbit near one of the sculptures

Updated list

One of the things I've learned so far in this Challenge is that some of the things on my list were over- ambitious.  I have had to be a bit more realistic of what I can do, mostly due to financial constraints.  Also, a realisation I have had, not just in terms of my Challenge & Blog, but in other aspects of my life, is that just because I can do something, it does not mean that I have to do it.  This applies mostly to all the ideas I have for making things; Steampunk creations, jewellery, clothing, whatever.

I also realised that some of the items on my list were things that I didn't really want to do; they were there because I thought I should do them; for instance, having colourful flowers in the garden.  I know that my Mum would like it if I had a nicer garden, but I'm simply not green fingered.  I tried to plant some things, but I don't think they're flourishing.  I have tried it, but since it wasn't really there for me, I have removed it.

Anyway, here is my re-arranged list, with items completed at the top, then remaining things below, so that I can see how far along my Challenge I am.


Done:
1   Thames river cruise (18th April 2012)
2   Visit Stonehenge (17th April 2012)
3   See the Northern Lights (2nd March 2012)

4   Visit Thackray museum in Leeds (12th November 2011)

5   Have a Belly dancing lesson (8th January 2012)
6   Do a day of Falconry (24th April 2012)
7   Handbell ringing (16th December 2011)

8   1:1 Barre class (3rd November 2011)
9   Hold a tarantula(!) (25/02/12)
10 Try at least 5 new foods (Finished March 2012)*
11 Do something completely spontaneous (26th October 2011)

In Progress:
12 Read at least 3 classics**
13 Make a corset (K.)
14 Wear more colours, at least half the time! (Steampunk colours, admittedly!)


Definite:
15 Edinburgh: Spend a night in the Library room at the Witchery, take a tour of St Mary's Close (Edinburgh under-city) and visit Jekyll & Hyde pub!
16 Tour the Victoria Tunnels (Newcastle)
17 Visit Lindisfarne (when Mum comes to visit me)
18 Make a leather masquerade mask (Jo)
19 Have a 4-hand massage
20 Horse-ride along a beach, in the surf :)
21 Rock climbing (indoor!)
22 Take a course in Bookbinding & bind a book. (applying for course starting Sept.)

23 Learn to use a Spinning Wheel (K.)
24 Money-diet for a month (July?)
25 Watch at least 5 'must-see' classic films****
26 Try at least 3 new (possibly SteamPunk) bands***
27 Return to my idea weight (8st7lbs ish)
28 Break myself of the habit of picking at my skin

The following are money/opportunity dependent.

29 Carriage Driving
30 Side-saddle riding
31 Hang-gliding or similar
32 Ride in a hot air balloon
33 Upholstery or Stained Glass making
34 Take a Millinery course & make a hat
35 Have a Capoeira lesson
36 Take a Fan Dancing class

37 Perform at a Burlesque show!
38 Box Brownie photography (J)
39 Make Ginger Beer
40 Make a Dragon sculpture, since it is Chinese Year of the Dragon!



*Bilberries (what blueberries aspire to being!)
  Figs (nice)
  Turkish sweets (too sweet!)
  Samphire (too salty)
  Kiwi Berries (just like a mini kiwi fruit)
  Dragon Fruit (like a cross between a melon & a kiwi fruit)
  Avocado (not overly keen!)
  Lychee (nice but odd texture)

**Old - Beowulf
   Classic - Frankenstein
   Modern - Brave New World, Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

*** Vernian Process, Abney Park, TMWWNBBFN etc.

**** ???? Suggestions welcome!

Falconry day

I had a lovely time at Falconry Days in Northumberland (http://falconrydays.com/index.php).  We got to meet a large selection of the birds, have some of them fly to our gloves, see some fly to the lure and generally had a lovely day.  Something I learned that I hadn't known was that when a bird sheds a feather either by moulting or if it pulls it out deliberately (I'm looking at you Kevin-the-Kestrel!), they are kept so that if a feather gets broken, it can be replaced!  This is called this "imping" (from implanting).

Marmo the Tawny Owl

Kevin the Kestrel (naughty lad, pulling a feather out!)

Prince the Peregrine Falcon

Spock the European Eagle Owl doing one of his tricks; flying to sit between us!

Teal the Gyr/Lanner in flight

Frazer the Harrier Hawk, taking in the view from above