Glass!

Now it is time for me to talk about something I actually know about: Flameworking.
Glassblowing is usually though of as a large setup. You have the furnace, glory hole, oven. Its thought of a big brawny men with a hugle glob of glass working and blowing and creating. But I'm here to talk to you about another type of glass-working. Flameworking or lampworing is the art of using a torch to work glass rods and tubes and melt them, using different tools and techniques to work them.
Now in this technique is what is used to make different scientific apparatus along with different glass artworks like glass beads and models.

See, I can still find cute animals to decorate my posts....
they're just made of glass...
Source

Now usually I would take the time to show you how to make things, but today I'm going to tell you how I started flameworking, and why I love it so, and maybe, you'll decide to try it too.
The truth is I was stressed, I wanted to try working on something or taking a class that would allow me to relax. As you already know I love to create and make things and I had always been interested in making things out of glass, so I looked for a class in my university. Alas, they had no such thing, but they did have a glassblower. A few emails, days and maps of the department basement later I was learning the basics of glass.

Now chemical glassblowing is different from artistic. For one thing the most commonly used glass is borosilicate, the type of flame and heat used to work borosilicate is different that that of artistic. I learned boro first. Now borosilicate is better for science, it withstands the shock or rapid temperature changes that characterize some reactions. Soft glass is usually used for artistic glassblowing. It needs to be heated slowly and has a tendency to crack when put into too hot a flame, the reason it is used for artistic glass though, is that it has beautiful bright colours that you just cant achieve with borosilicate. I was taught to put special glasses to protect my eyes, hot to use the torch, turn it on, control the different types of flames and work the glass.

This is what my desk usuallly looks like...
Source 

I started with simple pendants. I was taught how to melt a rod into a blob "It all starts with a blob" I was told. At the time I didn't realize how true this was. At first I went to have fun, look at how the glass melted; it was shiny and beautiful, it would melt and flow, glowing bright under my glasses. I wanted to see what I could do. At first it was just trying random things within the little I knew, but the more I went down there the more I became curious as to what the glassblower next to me was doing.  I began to ask and learn, first artistic, then scientific. Nothing specific, it was always how to make a seal, a flower, a giraffe. Slowly my curiosity evolved into something more, I began to look at the books my teacher had, I began to learn techniques, not so that I could try one thing, but with the purpose of putting them together, or making something more. After about a year of going in every chance I got I began to learn how to fix things. She had  so many things that were useless and broken. They were gifts of sorts, as labs moved out we were given their old glassware.

It was then that I began to realize that this was more than a hobby for me. As i learned how to fix simple cracks I learned to admire what my teacher did in a new light. I watched her fix things with this flow and ease that escaped me every time I tried to do the same. I began to practice fervently, trying to learn what I could, gathering the courage to ask her if I could help around the shop. I had jokingly suggested it before, but it wasn't until a series of events made my working there a possibility that I began to really work.
Now I am thinking about studying this as a profession. Of changing everything I had once thought to do because this art has enthralled me beyond my wildest imagination.

Painting for fun :D

Painting is one of my favorite pastimes. To take paint and create (which you already know I love doing) is seriously fun; but it can also be very intimidating. SO how do you go about making a nice painting?

Well as anything practice is the key but there are certain steps that you can follow to get better at your work.
Well the first step is really choosing what to draw.  If you start with a drawing you'll get a good idea of what works and what doesn't. Be sure to use the drawing to not only get the shapes of things, but to define lights and darks. you can do it black and white, or colour, whatever you decide make sure you deveop your concept. You don't have to have everything laid out perfectly, but define the parameters of what you want. Here is an example drawing of a painting i recently started. Its coloured and defines what I want. I just had a concept and ran with it.

The second step for me is drawing on the canvas and choosing a colour palette.  The palette for my painting will be based mostly on the colour blue so i painted the base in blue. Basically draw what you can in a really liquified state. I guess here we need to talk about materials, I paint with oil and watercolour mostly, but acrylic is a good option as well. With oil use paint thinner (turpentine, mineral spirits, ect.) to water down your paint, both acrylic and watercolor can be watered down by water (duh!). But this watered down version gives you an idea of what you need while still giving you the freedom to fix things that look weird with thichker coats of paint later.


Now we can start with thicker coats of paint. The more paint you add, remember, the harder it is to change later. But really the most unforgivable medium of the three is watercolour which is difficult to handle. once the paper absorbs something, its nearly impossible to fix, so that planning stage is very important for watercolor. This painting that you are looking at is in oil, which is most forgiving. the paint takes days to try so you have a chance to clean it off.

This is the place to make changes, start adding the colors and change everything. Try to work in layers. The things you want to be in the background work on first. and the build on it. Those things that you want the person to focus on most work on them in detail. Pull things forward by working on them, when you look at something you naturally take in the detail of what is in front of you first, the more you focus on an object the more the objects in the background become fuzzy, use this to your advantage. Now, you can also make big changes and move things. Remember that the paint can cover itself. If you work with acrylic wait for it to dry to cover things. If its oil use the thinner to remove paint or paint over what you have., but remember oil will mix with itself, if it is still wet.

This is what I have so far, but mind you I'm not done. You can spend as much time as you want on a painting, until you think is done or you grow tired of it (I have done that, just leave it for a while, then pick it up again).
I hope this helps! I don't know how useful it really is, but these are the steps that I use to paint things.

Mario blanket!!

Hey!  remember that post where I talked about the Mario blanket i was working on? We behold!  it is almost done!! BWAHAHAHAHA!!!

YESSSSSSS

Its still missing a few things, it gets a tunnel in the second lvl and it gets a grey trim around it  with a grey backing as well... but that takes a sewing machine, which i lack.. but when I can, I will!

Random hiatus

But only for a while.

Since I'm home I don't have internet regularly so my post will be few and spread apart, but I'll post when I can.

FLYING AWAY!!!

Take off your shoes, put them and your jacket and your wallet in a bin. The computer goes in it's own bin, the bag goes alone, the guitar goes all alone (poor dearie). Walk through.... BEEP BEEP BEEP

Yup, airports the most gloriously hated places in the world. Sure, they get you to your destination, but every year it gets worse and worse! And alas, today I am in one... right now, sitting here.... all I can hope is that the plane ride will be quiet and warm enough to sleep and that my flight doesn't get delayed again. BU since I love lists so much I have a list of things to entertain you at airports! (and planes).




NUMBER ONE:
Bring technology! we live in a highly technological age, most airports have free wifi and mostly everything can connect to wifi so bring your computer, iPod, iPad, tablet or wifi enabled teddy bear and enjoy the gloriously time consuming power of the internet. Do things like read blogs (like mine!) or write a blog post, or stumble, or see how many clicks it takes to get from sardines to Hitler on Wikipedia(which is surprisingly entertaining).


TWO:
Listen to music!
Remember that technology you had earlier? yeah, remember that it can play music too. You can sit there listening to the soothing sounds of death metal while the world passes you by. BUT make sure you are still able to listen to the airline announcements, that is the only way you can be sure that you get on when you need to.

 THREE:
Reading!
Remember what that is? you know, from a  book? My suggestion is bring something light, something that doesn't require too much focus or is too heavy. You need to be able to listen and watch what is going on around you, something too engrossing could prove terrible (like this one time, when i was the last one to get on the plane because the book i was reading was so good).

FOUR:
Knitting or amigurumi, see i used to sew on planes, but then they decided that needles weren't safe and whatnot so now bring a plastic knitting needle and sit down calmly, you've got time, limited space and nothing else to do.

I would give you more but alas, its time to get onto the plane, byes!

Food and Finals

Forgive me for not updating regularly, Finals have me all tied up :O

So today Im going to share a dinner recipe with you, a full meal consisting of a simple onion soup, tortellini in a creamy alfredo sauce, salad with a mango dressing, and flan for dessert!
I have to say, I love food, it makes me happy to cook and to eat. I am constantly trying to find new recipes to try and make! Sometimes though, all I want is to have people over and relax with a nice meal, so I have some tried and tested recipes that make everything easier and tastier.

So here goes, first the onion soup! 
I usually try to start the soup a while before everything else, that way i can keep it boiling and happy while everything else is cooking. This recipe serves about 4-6 people depending on how much they eat.
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons Butter
2 whole onions (chopped)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 clove of garlic (completely crushed)
1/8 cup Cilantro (chopped)
1/8 cup Parsley (chopped, but with some of it whole for decoration later)
one sprig of thyme (optional)
Parmesan cheese
2 cans of beef broth  (approx 28 oz.)

Ok so this is really easy, take the(medium sized to rather large) pot that you are going to be using and take the butter and the chopped onions. Put it on high and let the butter melt into the pot and start to sizzle a bit, add the onions and let them become glossy and golden brown. then add the balsamic vinegar. stir that together for a about half a minute, letting the flavors mix, then add the garlic, then the  cilantro and parsley (as much or as little as you desire, I usually add very little, but that's because I don't like it that much). Now add the beef broth and the thyme, add an extra cup of water, put it at a medium heat and biol for about 10 minutes. After that lower the heat and let it simmer for another 20 to 30 minutes. That's it!  When you are going to serve serve with toasted bread on the side (for dipping) and sprinkle some cheese on top, and a few parsley leaves for decoration and serve!

Next Comes the tortellini!  This is one of my favorite quick recipes, just because it fill you up and takes minimal effort, which is great if you are tired.
Ingredients!
sauce:
1 cup (1/2 pint, 8 oz.) of heavy cream
1/4 cup ( half a stick) of butter
2/3 cup (6 oz) of parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic (crushed and/or pureed)
1 tablespoon of parsley (dry flakes or freshly cut)
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1/2 cup of cut carrots (optional)
1/3 cup of peas (optional)
 1/3 cup of finely chopped onions
1/3 cup of corn(optional)
about 5 strips of bacon, cut into strips
1lb (16 ounces) of chicken brest, chopped into squares or small strips 
1 teaspoon of salt)

Pasta:
hah! like I'm going to make you make your own pasta! just buy a pack of pre-made tortellini in the store. 

ok so obviously the hard thing here will be the sauce. The pasta itself is quite simple. We are going to start with the chicken, bacon and vegetables. In a large pan take bacon strips and turn the pan at a high heat. Now depending on how you like your bacon ( crispy or soft) you should keep it moving and let it cook all over, becoming brown and as crispy as you want it (multiple taste tests are necessary you know).
Once the bacon is done to your liking (you may remove some of the bacon grease but make sure to leave some for the veggies and chicken) you will add the onions and sauté them, this is also the time to add all of those optional vegetables! They will  become softer and glossy, once this has happened, add the chicken. Put the heat on high and add the garlic and the pepper.
lower the heat to a medium and add 1/2 a cup of water and the salt, leave it simmering and get ready to start the rest of the sauce.
Now in a medium saucepan add the heavy cream and the butter, let the butter melt into the cream at medium heat, stirring it constantly (this is a good time to get the pasta boiling). Stir the cheese in slowly, sprinkling it in as you stir it. the cheese will melt into the cream and create a thick sauce. Once you have incorporated all on the cheese, go check on the chicken.  The little water in the chicken should have reduced a bit, now add the creamy sauce to it and stir it together in the pan, letting it mix the broth that has formed, put this at a medium heat, stir it  for about two minutes, then lower it and let simmer while you strain the pasta. Serve the pasta and pour the sauce on top add some cheese and parsley on top, for show, and serve to your guests!

Next we have the salad. Now, I personally dont like salads... but so many people do I've had to learn how to make them... not that I mind. This salad has a mango dressing, its a sweet contrast to the flavorful food we already have, but it adds a nice contrast and goes well with the meal.

Ingredients:
Now, the salad you can make on your own, choose whatever salad you like most. I usually go with avocado, which I'm told goes very well with this.
2 Mangoes (remove the skin and take the bits of mango off the pit dice this as finely as you possibly can)
1/8 cup of white vinegar
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of honey
1 teaspoon of lime zest
1 tablespoon of lime juice
1 tablespoon of orange juice
1 tablespoon of finely chopped cilantro (or dry cilantro)
1 teaspoon of finely chopped mint leaves (optional)


Now, what we are going to do here is take the mint, mango and cilantro into a medium sized bowl and mix it together, make sure everything is finely chopped. if you want you can use a food processor, but don't let it become too pulverized. Then add all of the liquid and the lime zest. Use the orange you have left over for the salad itself, and the lime for garnish. 

Finally there is dessert!
First I was wondering what to make for dessert.. but i decided on something simple (not flan, though you can expect that recipe soon).  So in this case Ice cream and brownies  is the meal of the day, along with some chocolate syrup. 

Now the day of, night before make simple brownies. You can either make the out of a box or use an online recipe (I like This one {link!})
then when you want to serve, serve them hot (or warm them in the microwave)  and put a scoop of ice cream on top. Add some chocolate syrup and you are ready to go!



Well, that's it. A complete meal that's tasty and simple to do. It may seem a lot of work, but I think that is mostly because its a lot of food. In any case I can assure you that everything here takes less than 40 minutes to prepare and serve (mind you its a lot of food) So enjoy! Also, post any recipes that you like down in the comments... I always like trying new things!

Disproven! this is tasty, good for you and pretty easy!

Rawr~

Stress and How to Deal~

I have strange way of dealing with stress.. everybody does. Everyone gets stressed and everyone finds a way to deal. I'm going to go over different ways of relieving stress, why because finals are coming and I'm going a bit crazy.

So what are ways that you can relax focus properly on your finals?  how can you relieve al of the stress of work, school, home life, and anything else you might be freaked about?

1) Exercise:
   Exercising seems like something a bit difficult to do, especially when you are swamped with work. In reality it truly is, you come home tired, you wake up early, all you want to do is relax. Why bother?
First of all, it gives you energy. Wake up and do a small exercise routine, jog, stretch lift weights, whatever. After a few days on the routine it will be easier to wake up, and you'll look good. Also, it reduces the levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that makes you fat.. literally, it stores body fat and makes it harder to lose weight.
It also helps you fight depression. Exercise will release endorphins, which act as a natural pain reliever and an antidepressant.  It also increases levels of serotonin in the body, which is a neurotransmitter that helps deal with anxiety, stress, and makes you feel generally happy. Exercise also helps regulate your sleep schedule, making it easier to fall asleep at night and get the rest you need to feel better.

It also makes you look sexy. 

2) Music
Music is a big stress reliever and an interesting tool that is available to all. Music has been proven to help reduce anxiety levels and help people focus. Softer music is generally used to reduce stress.
Take some instrumental music and lay down for fifteen minutes, breathing and letting the music take you away. Focus on the music and forget everything else. This exercise should help you relax your body enough to continue properly with your day. This is a good technique t use when you want to relax during the day, it only take five minutes and can help you keep stress down as you go along.  then there is music to help you focus on the task at hand.
This is a far more individual process. While instrumental music is generally relaxing the music that helps you focus can be varied. Everything from Heavy metal to smooth jazz can help you focus, you just have to find what you  prefer. Personally I use a writing program called Omm Writer which plays soothing music and removes all distractions from the screen, but whatever works for you is best.


3) People and Pets:

Take a night off to play with your dogs or kitties and relax with your friends! This is incredibly simple. Just enjoy the company of those that you love, whether they be human or animal. Cuddle, play, watch a movie, eat, whatever it takes, just have fun.

4) Yoga and meditation:
Meditation is a powerful tool. It is defined as a practice in which the practitioner trains his or her mind or self-induces a mode of consciousness in order to realize some benefit. In other words its training yourself to be able to leave the present situation and place yourself in another space. It helps you look at your situation from a space which is not affected by your surroundings. There are different meditation techniques that can help you do this, but the easiest to start with is simply learning to use breathing to induce a meditative state.

Yoga is another tool that is useful and quite common. There are many places (that are probably close by) that can teach you yoga, and once you know you can practice at home. You can relax and meditate using yoga and it is a powerful tool to train the body and mind.



5) Artistic expression:

Painting, drawing, sewing, writing, cooking, the creative process in general is quite wonderful AND relaxing.  To take something basic like paint, ingredients for a meal, charcoal, or anything, and work it and transform it into something you are proud of is a therapeutic process. there are two kinds of artistic processes that are good for relaxation. The ones that are mentally consuming, things like painting and drawing, which require all of your attention and focus. And things that are more repetitive and require less direct attention like knitting, amigurumi or sewing. these are more repetitive activities that let you focus on other things while you work or immerse yourself in the process. Art is an important tool for expression and stress relief, so go ahead, pick up a hobby.



GAH look at all this! Its so long! This, for me, is stress relief. I usually write about things that affect me, this way i can release some of my stress..  so why not make your own blog?

Death and Happiness.

Osama Bin Laden has been killed. I dont even know what to follow that sentence with... Should i be happy?  Should I be relieved? What now? What should I feel?
This is the question, the very important question, for many. But in the end I feel one thing: Relief.
But why? Why does a mans death bring me a sense of relief? 9/11 was an attack that affected many, the World Trade Center was just that, the WORLD Trade Center. That's why the attack was so bad, so many people were affected, people everywhere were shocked and appalled. SO what does his death accomplish?
Closure. All those people, hurt and affected. The dead, the ones who lost family, this news is for them. Sure it gives people a reason to be happy, it gives people a sense that this war is not for nothing, that maybe there will be some sort of correlation between the two, that less will die now. This is what I keep hearing, Facebook, Twitter, people are filled with hope. But in the end, this is a win for those who lost family, for those who needed an ending to that story. After everything that happened this is a book that can be closed, a reason to move on.
So lets celebrate, but not because a man died last night, but because people have gotten a reason to move on and a sense of closure to a tragedy that affected many.