Author: callibeth

Posted on

Happy ABC Flag Book


I’m so enamored of these little alphabet paintings I did summer before last. I’ve been scanning them in, altering the scans, deciding not to alter them after all, trying them out in my website design class, and playing with them in books. Here’s a flag book in progress. I had to tell myself this was just a very, very rough prototype so I wouldn’t spend all my time getting perfect accordion folds — a particular obsession of mine, and nearly totally useless in building models.

I imagine that the finished book — if I ever finish it — won’t look much like this. But it’s a start.

As always, click on the image for a close look.

Posted on

Mystery Matchbox Book


It’s been more than 10 years since I participated in my first Internet book swap, and this book is one of the first swap books I ever received. I had some idea that the colophon was a folded piece of paper in one of the matchbox drawers, but if that’s the case, the colophon has disappeared.

So, anybody recognize this? Circa 1996 or so.

The matchboxes were covered and then seem to be glued together in a log-cabin-quilt sort of pattern, and the base and top and book cover are, I believe, paper-covered foamcore. The paper is not lightweight, and the covering of the matchboxes with that paper made it a much sturdier structure than would have been the case if the matchboxes were left uncovered. I’ve always liked this book. My one critique of it is that the accordion text paper could be a little heavier … maybe. It’s got great little drawer pulls, which were originally rectangular beads before they became drawer pulls. It’s a great little book.

Posted on

FSU Web Certification Course


So the course I’m taking is an online one offered by Florida State University. There are 5 core classes in the course: Web Architecture, XHTML, CSS, Photoshop, and your choice of FrontPage (blechhh) or Dreamweaver (my choice). At the end of each class, we complete and “turn in” (a.k.a. upload) our homework.

I’ve done the classes in the order I listed them … sort of. I got to the end of Web Architecture and the final assignment didn’t seem do-able without learning some of the stuff in the other classes first. So I moved on to XHTML. I nearly finished it, but the the last 40 pages of the 260+ page Flash course was covering more and more esoteric tags, and I stopped about 25 pages shy of the end, my left brain fried. Then I moved on to CSS, which I’ve finished completely, and now I’m better than 3/4 of the way through the Photoshop class. When I finish that one, I’ll go back and do the end of XHTML. And then Dreamweaver!

Web Architecture took awhile, mostly because it was the first class, I think. And it seems as though I’ve been picking up speed as I’ve moved through the course. CSS was a 2-day endeavor, and Photoshop will take 3 days.

After the 5 classes are complete, the student proposes a project, which is reviewed by the faculty committee, modified, and, upon approval, carried out. I’m looking forward to it. In the meanwhile, I’m enjoying the classes.

Posted on

Checking in


I haven’t been blogging much of late, and I’m going to have a hectic weekend, so I thought I’d just check in now while I’ve got the chance.

Two weeks ago I started a webmaster certification training program, and I’ve been having a blast. It’s an online endeavor consisting of 5 classes and a final project. So far I’ve gotten through the web architecture class, most of the XHTML 1.1 class, and about a quarter of the CSS class. Still to go are Dreamweaver and Photoshop classes. I’ve stumbled my way through Dreamweaver and Photoshop for awhile, so I don’t expect to have a whole lot of trouble with those classes, and I’m looking forward to positioning the bits and pieces I’ve culled into a coherent body of knowledge.

I love the right-brain “how-does-this-look” activity combined with the left-brain “how-can-I-make-it-look-like-this” work. Although the end of the XHTML class — a module-by-module discussion of every tag in XHTML1.1 — had my left brain fried for a little while. And even though I can’t imagine using the disapproved-of server-side image maps, for instance, still I dutifully slogged through every tag. A weekend off could be a good thing.

I’ve got an alphabet of painted letters that I’ve been playing around with digitally — both manually and virtually (ha ha) — and including in my homework exercises. It’s been fun. The final project is obvious: I’ll be redesigning my website. I can’t wait!

Posted on

Concertina Cabaret revisited



Even though it’s been a month since I photographed all the pieces of the model I was making for Michael Jacobs’ structure, Concertina Cabaret, in Books Unbound … I did actually make the book that same day. I’m only just now getting around to photographing the model.

I used mostly Canson Mi-Tientes, sheets from the Fabriano Artistico artist’s journal (a nice book — the larger one — to have around for small pieces of good colored paper) and a few scrapbook paper scraps.

Posted on

More on Neot Kedumim

In the last post, I couldn’t figure out how to post the other two images from Picasa. Such is the technology learning curve — much like the rainbow whose elusive pot of gold is ever just out of reach.

Anyway, the visually luscious tools of wheat production I was talking about in the last post: this threshing bag, I think it was called, and the grinding stone which required people or animals to push in a circle.
I’ve cropped the men pushing the pole out of the left side of the photo.

Posted on

Gum acacia and dried pomegranate


In 2004, we visited Neot Kedumim, a “Biblical Landscape Reserve”. The stated purpose of Neot Kedumim is to “re-create the physical setting of the Bible in all its depth and detail. ” It was a very interesting place, not just growing the plants and products of Biblical Israel but often also showing how they were processed. Visitors could participate in demonstrations which showed, for instance, each of the steps in which wheat growing in the field was harvested, threshed, and ground into flour. The tools were often visually luscious.

There a scribe was demonstrating how some of the materials produced were used to write scrolls. We each got a shot at writing with the homemade ink and reed pens on an interesting but unsized piece of paper. (Of course, our poor efforts couldn’t compete with the scribe’s samples, which he neglected to explain were written on real parchment using a quill, but what are you going to do? Showmanship, eh?) This photo shows the part of his table which features gum acacia and dried pomegranates most prominently. Posted by Picasa

Posted on

Contributions


It’s kind of nice to send off a couple of pieces as contributions. These two went today to an auction in support of the Southern Springs Holistic Learning Center. I’m looking forward to the performance “Rumi, the Moving River” on October 19. Coleman Barks (!) will be reciting Rumi poetry in concert with dancers and musicians. Posted by Picasa