Tuesday, December 30, 2008

NP: Kitchens of Distinction - Breathing Fear

Well, I finally gave in and got an ipod recently and I've neglected my videogame stuff in favor of meticulously uploading albums and looking for podcasts. I considered writing a post gushing about how great ipods and podcasts are, but I'm not sure the internet needs more pollution about nearly decade old technology.

That said, I'm not sure where this blog is going. It was originally intended to just be advertising for my currently defunct etsy store until I realized there's no reason to come to a blog just to see updates on an etsy store, since you can just go to that etsy store. I turned it into a "personal blog" to give people content you can't find on etsy.

I'm not some one who is into self expression for the sake of self expression, so personal blogs are a hard sell for me. I always liked personal zines, but those take a lot of time, effort, and money so it weeds out a lot of the people who put less effort into their public diaries than they would a fart. Back in the day, a few skims through livejournal and I concluded personal blogs were something to be avoided.

But about 5 years ago, I stumbled across a teenaged girl's blog that detailed her to day to day life. On its face, it was mundane stuff - she had an asshole ex and an afterschool job and she spent her spare time reading and cutting herself - but it was well written and hit all the right notes. It was just angsty enough to emphasize, but not so angsty it delved into self pity. It was arty enough to be interesting, but never dwindled into pretense. Smart but not pedantic, introspective but not naval-gazing, and so on and so on. I felt a bit like I was reading the blog of a Daniel Clowes heroine.

Then she got a new boyfriend and spent most of her time blogging about how awesome he was, and I lost interest. But it did leave me with the impression that personal blogs can be awesome. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to write about my day to day life because I'm not sure I have the skill nor the inclination to make it as interesting as the teenaged girl did, but I am going to make it a resolution (oh, let's make it a New Year's resolution, simply since the timing is convenient) to try to pollute the internet a little more.

So expect personal-style posts about tv shows, movies, books, poker and so forth. I'm not sure what it will accomplish, if anything, but I'd like to give it a go. Of course I'll keep updating on the video game crafts since any glance at my stat counter instantly reveals that's why people visit this thing, and I'm not one to deny people what they want.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

NP: Sonic Youth - Incinerate

I finished the second Metroid I was working on:




And some works in progress shots:










Hopefully this is looking more like Pelle and less like the beginning of a Jackson Pollock painting.

















The going is, uh, slow on little Domingo. He's a little boring to work on.































Another Dragon Quest monster. I was thinking of creating at least three of these (the already completed Godbird + WIP Face Tree + ????) using primary color backgrounds. Maybe if I have the stamina I'll make a full ROYBGIV series.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

NP: The Only Ones - Some One Who Cares

I'm a fan/user of the website 43 Things - the idea is to put together a list of up to 43 goals and then publicly document your progress. You can choose from already created goals, make up your own, whatever.

Most of my goals have been sitting on my list for a year or more with little to no progress made. Occasionally, I delete a few either because I decide they're stupid (Beat all the Zelda Games) or because they're not going to happen in the foreseeable future (Eat at In-N-Out Burger...yeah, I reach for the stars). And some of the ones I have accomplished, I haven't so much "accomplished" and instead just did once or twice so I could check it off and list something else. Did I go letterboxing once? Sure. Did I go letterboxing twice? Nuh-uh.

But even though my list is mostly stagnant, I still get a kick going through other people's goals and entries, and I occasionally stumble across a potentially valuable resource regarding lock picking or juggling. So when I saw that 43 Things was coming out with a book called Dream It, List It, Do It, I went to Barnes and Noble and bought it.

Now for some reason or another, I thought the book would focus on a handful of goals and include personal stories or resources - something along the lines of Get a Hobby or You Can Do It!, only broader in scope than the former and hopefully not as lame as the latter. And because it was holiday season and I hate crowds, I didn't bother to even crack it open to look at it first, for fear I'd waste precious seconds around noisy strangers.

But it's not a journalistic look at goal-pursuing nor a conglomerate of resources. It's mostly just one long list of goals, with the occasional anonymous personal paragraph about, say, dancing in the rain or a resource sidebar about, say, changing your name lazily inserted in intervals. And what's most infuriating about the book is the empty boxes next to each item, as if this book is actually going to function as 4,000 things to do before I die checklist. I'm sure I'll be checking off "Start a non-toxic housecleaning company" or "Become Aquaman" any day now.

I'll give 43 Things a pass for trying for the quick buck, because they're an expansive social networking site that keeps their advertising revenue to the ubiquitous but innocuous google ads and because I was too big of a dolt to skim the fat little book beforehand, but really, I feel burned.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

NP: Brian Eno - True Wheel

I finally finished it:



I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out, and I've already got plans for my next big Dragon Quest-related project.

Monday, December 15, 2008

NP: Portishead - Half Day Closing (Live)

Well, my resolution to lessen my focus on the needlework is officially done for now. I spent the day sick in bed and instead of reading or drawing or any of the other million of things I could have done, I opted to put some dvds on and stitch.

So practical productivity for today was nil. Videogame needlework productivity for today was off the charts...well as off the charts as these time consuming projects can be.

Here's some updates:



Domingo from the original Shining Force game was some magical squid thing that hatched from an egg. When you start him off, he's horrifically weak, but if you give him a little time and attention, he turns into a killing machine.





























The standard Ramia update. I am still plug-plug-plugging away at it while trying to keep my eyes from rolling to the back of my head.























Well, this probably looks like some random squiggle at the moment, but it's really just the start of Pelle, a centaur with a giant chin, also from the original Shining Force game.

















And another metroid I am working on per a request. The metroid is finished, I just need to do to the background.













Also, thanks to benjibot for pointing out that the Phoenix Wright needlepoint by rgcainmd is posted on the Sprite Stitch forums.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

NP: Mission UK - Severina

I thought I had left the giant chicken in a rental car I had after a minor car accident (not my fault) put my own car in the shop. But I found it, floating around my closet, and got back to work on it. And here's where it stands:




I'll estimate that I've got about 20-30 hours of background stitching left before it's finished. That's a lot of boredom ahead. I may start in with a few other needlepoint projects to keep me sane.

Because I'm moving in less than a month, I'm mostly in limbo. I don't want to start any long term projects or finish any bulky ones that will just contribute to the pain in the ass that is moving. That means my perler bead Megaman will probably lie in pieces for at least a month longer.

Here's a few ideas I may or may not carry out after I move:

- A complete series of The Shining Force in my usual framed needlepoint

- Topiary

- Video Game Quilts

- Needlework Pillows (I finally found a place that carries tapestry wool)

- Automata

Tuesday, December 09, 2008

NP: Siouxsie and the Banshees - This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us

So I decided I will be shutting down my etsy store sometime tomorrow, probably during the afternoon after I get off work (I want to get some recent orders sent first). I'll make the metroid and Zero needlework that two people requested and then that's that for the time being. Other than that, I've got to start focusing on getting ready to move to Wisconsin and my christmas shopping.

Also, check out benjibot of Sorrytown, USA did using my tutorial. Awesome.

Some one over at Pixelgasm also used it to make a fantastic Phoenix Wright needlepoint, but unfortunately Pixelgasm moved recently and a lot of the posts were lost and they've yet to repost it. But it was awesome. Trust me.

Monday, December 01, 2008

NP: Joy Division - Warsaw

So it turns out, if I'm not doing video game fancraft, then I just don't have a whole lot to blog about. Luckily, I've gotten a few requests from people through etsy that I need to start working on (so much for the resolution to not do any more needlework for a while...once I thought I was out, they pull me back in), so I should have new pictures soon.