Mentos & Diet Coke revisited

The newest Mentos & Diet Coke experiment from eepybird (the Las Vegas fountain guys) came out this afternoon. Our family rates it Way Cool times four. Go see it.

ATC 40 - Page 9

Cards 1..7 are from a friend from my Scottish group. She is exactly one day younger than I am. In her mid-30s, she started belly dancing lessons and really enjoys them. Recently she started lessons in Indian dance, even though many in the class are half or a quarter of her age. She talks to the moms, she says.

She made me three cards to keep and four cards that I can decorate and pass along. A round-robin card.

Card 8 is from my best friend from school, Reve. Thangai is Tamil for little sister and Akka is Tamil for big sister.
On the back of the card, she gave a Krypto:

{1, 3, 7, 11, 12}
{2}

Use all five upper numbers once and only once, in any order, to achieve the answer of the bottom number. If you solve it, leave the answer in the comments.

Card 9 is from Reve's mom, who I call Periamma, which means Aunt Who Is Older Than My Mother.

ATC 40 - Page 8

Cards 1, 2, 3 are from Kim of Relaxed Homeskool. I asked her if she wanted to participate and she did. And they liked it. Hooray. Card two is quite dark. It says "Don't stop blogging" and has a magnifying glass over some of the letters.

Card 4 is from the organist at our church. Now in her seventies, she started playing at church when she was sixteen.

Card 5 is from Gonzo. It is me in my summer hat.

Cards 6 and 9 are from a couple at church who passed 40 a while back.

Cards 7 and 8 are from a friend and his young family. We met in 1994 when I was volunteering at his high school to teach the Pascal programming language. He was the first person to know me only by my married name and not by my maiden name. CHG knew his dad through ham radio. My friend eventually also earned his ham radio ticket, but his dad was less successful at the juggling CHG, me, and his son all do. At my party, I got to meet his wife and their 4mo daughter. My friend looked at my blog and admired my Crow Head, so he drew a card with an MST3K theme. His wife "flew" their daughter over the rubber stamp and ink pad trays and she chose whichever pieces the wee lass grabbed at. It was a team effort from the ladies.

ATC 40 - Page 7

Cards 1, 2, 3 are from the wife and son of the artist on Page 1, Card 4. At the festival, the wife took an art cards from me and a blank card and said that she had an idea but that she would have to do it at home. The quilt block and the fabrics on Card 1 represent my home state. Card 2 is by the son and Card 3 is by the wife during my party, using my supplies.

Cards 4, 5, 6 are from Kiti, a long-time friend who lived across the street during my childhood and who dated Goof for a time. All three were crafted on site and have some secret meanings tucked away. During our visit, she quizzed me on old story punchlines and I remembered every one.
"Can I have his hat?"
"Twenty-two and a half."
"The key bye."
"That Zappa serenade"

Cards 7 and 8 were crafted by her husband, Buni. He was involved with the local theatre group I used to volunteer for and now he teaches at a college. He had his light template with him and drew a little mini light plot that one would use when hanging and focusing theatre lights. WARNING: LESSON AHEAD.

• The large letters mark areas on the stage floor.
• The number on the top is the light is the number of the circuit the light is plugged into.
  
• Each light shape represents a different style of light. Fresnel (fruh-NELL) or Leko (LEE-koh)?
• The line running through the lights represents the pipe or batten. A real light plot would have many battens. The number and type of lights on a batten determines how many counterweights are needed to balance the pipe on the fly lines above the stage.
  
• The number inside is the number on the light board that will control that light.
  
• The letters in front of the light describe which area(s) the light should cover, or a specific area such as door or desk.
• The "R" and number in front of the area describes the color of gel that should be placed in front of the light. R is for Rosco, a gel manufacturer. Scroll down on this page to see the range of colors. Giggle at color 02. When mixing colors of light, amber is made with red and green. This gel is amber that has no parent colors, hence...

Card 8 is just a good life lesson from a longtime theatre draftsman.

Card 9 is from CHG. Count the zeroes for the secret message.

ATC 40 - Page 6

Cards 1..7 are from some of CHG's Scottish-descent relatives. Card 3 is from CHG's aunt, listing Celtic bands that she likes. Card 6 is from CHG's uncle, showing scenes of Scottish culture. CHG's aunt takes care of her daughter's three children. The trio made cards 1 and 2 for their parents and cards 4, 5, and 7 for themselves.

When Pounce and Lady J wed in August of 2005, young Card 7 Artist was feeling a bit fussy. He didn't want to do what his mama asked of him. Just as the minister asked "Who gives Lady J to this man, Pounce?" Card 7 Artist boldly told his mama, "NO, NO, NO!" much to the amusement of the congregation. A coincidence we will tell often.

Card 8 is from the teacher who did attend my party, known as Short. We had three math teachers in our school system who all had the same last name. Short as at junior high, and the other two were known as Teacher Upstairs and Teacher Downstairs, much like a Tomie de Paola book. Short is my favorite teacher. I had her for seventh and ninth grade math. She is the one who taught me Krypto and the Cyclic Math Card Game and the Math in Your Head game that I never kept up with.

She is drawing for me what I drew for her. In ninth grade, my first period class was a runner for the attendance office. I had to take the mimeographed purple list of the day's absent kids to all of the teachers. On Short's copy, I would draw pictures.

When one is adding equations, and one equation has a term such as 4x^2 (four ecks squared) and the other equation didn't have any x^2 term, one was advised to write a 0x^2 (zero ecks squared) as a place holder, much like 405 has a place holder in the tens slot to keep it from looking like 45.

Mathy-artsy me saw 0x as an ox, and drew an ox. Thus, 0x^2 must be an ox that is drawn square and 0x^3 must be an ox that is drawn cubed. And Short remembers this, 26 years later. Cool.

She also said that she considered drawing her signature self-portrait of Mean Person, but didn't, and that a card from the elusive Maynard was lost. I suspect he spilled lemonade on it.

On the back of the card, she gave me a Krypto to solve.

{5, 27, 9, 12, 3}
{4}

Use all five upper numbers once and only once, in any order, to achieve the answer of the bottom number. If you solve it, leave the answer in the comments.
Typically, we keep the numbers between 1 and 20, inclusive. I mentioned that she went out of bounds with 27. Every other Krypto fan who saw her car noticed and commented about that as well. In this case, it can help to make a cool roundabout way to get to 4, involving sine.

Card 9 is from my mom. She likes cows so much she once drove a van that was painted white with black splotched. She likes stickers. She likes me. I'm glad that we get along so well.

ATC 40 - Page 5

Cards 1..5 are from a homeschooling family. Card 1 is from the mom. She punched the cat shape, then backed the card with purple construction paper.

Card 2 is from Son Number 2, who was in my MathCounts class for three years. Last year, we joked about pumpkins and pi and then the family carved a set of foam pumpkins for the Math Team teachers with a Pi letter carved out.

Card 3 is from Son Number 3, who was in my class for just one year. He made cake and Neapolitan ice cream for me on the card.

Card 4 is from Son Number 1, who I also had in class for only one year. This card suits him well. He produced a video promo for the homeschool Honor Society that had a spy theme to it.

Card 5 is from Son Number 4, who would have been in my Math Olympiads class this year, but isn't. I was also fond of drawing rainbow concentric outlines around shapes when I was in junior high. Our band folders featured a profile silhouette of a band in the bleachers and there were just too many cool shapes for me not to play with them.

Card 6 is from my junior high social studies teacher. My mom thinks he's cute. For my high school graduation, he gave me two pairs of nifty socks.

An aside:

I teased my mom before my birthday party. When I graduated from high school and mom hosted the typical graduation open house, at our house, she specifically asked me not to invite any of my teachers. Teachers made her nervous. She felt judged. Like they were going to grade her on decor or dust? I honored her wishes, though.

It disappointed me, because I have always like teachers as people. It took me quite a while to understand the term "brown-nosing" because I never expected to benefit by a grade for being friendly with my teachers. Maybe because my grades were good enough anyway. Sure, I liked the attention from them and the virtual pat on the head, but mostly I just liked talking with my teachers. I thought that someday I could be one. (Look at me now.)

So I teased Mom, telling her that I invited a lot of teachers to my birthday party. Ha. Ha. Ha. Only one was able to attend, but many have sent cards.

Card 7 is from someone who first knew CHG and then became my friend, too. While visiting another church once, I saw a note on the bulletin board from her, asking for crafting playdates. So I called her, we set up a time, she had dinner with the family and we made some cards. It's fun to play with someone else's supplies. New ideas can spark. She makes her own line of greeting cards, decorated with flower petals in a smearing wavy way. This card is on watercolor paper and cut with deckle scissors.

Cards 8 and 9 are from a musician friend from both my summer and Local College bands, and from her 21mo son, whom my mom babysits once in a while.

ATC 40 - Page 4

Slots 1, 2, 3 are all from the lady who taught the Altered Book classes that I have taken. Slot 1 is the actual card. Slot 2 is the envelope that held the ATC, with the template found here. Slot 3 holds two stickers for labeling the backs of ATCs that she sent along for me to use. She used one herself, too.

Slots 4, 5, 6 are from a former homeschooling family. Daughter, Mom, Daughter. The Mom wrote on the back, Thank you for always bridging the gap" and says that this is the Duluth Ariel Bridge.

Slots 7, 8, 9 are from our minister's wife and her two grandsons. Grandson (4yo), Grandmother, Grandson (6yo). The Grandmother was reluctant to take a card, not knowing what to do, telling me that she was not an artist. I suggested that her older grandson could help her. As he was standing nearby, he overheard and eagerly agreed to help her. He also took cards for his brother, mom, and dad.

ATC 40 - Page 3

Card 1 is from my first grade teacher. It portrays a trio of in-jokes from third, second, and first grades.

• In third grade, we saw her on the steps in front of school, with her *boyfriend* and he called her *Barbie doll* GASP!
• In second grade, we saw her with a magazine from the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) and we kept asking her what an Uck-Lah was.
• In first grade, we had to read along with the guy ion the tape recorder. He lengthened the vowel in "bulb" to "buuuhlb" The others in my reading group all thought sounded silly.

I laughed so hard at the card that only she could have given and she did. Hooray for Miss E.

Card 2 is from my dad, including three notes in bass clef spelling out DAD.

Card 3 came from serendipity (what a great word). This card about the Grinch, just the right size, was found as a book marker in a Pokemon book that Gonzo had checked out from the library.

Card 4 shares a favorite verse from neighbors across from my parents (next door to Kiti's old house) [Zephaniah 3:17].

Card 5 is again from Ganoush, describing my basement crafting area (which spills out to the rest of the basement).

Card 6 is from another April Mom and Cards 7 and 8 are from her daughters. Card 7 is completely laminated in clear 1/2" tape at varied angles. Great texture.

Card 9 is from the mother of my 1988 prom date. She just became a grandmother in September as Mr. 1988 and his wife had a daughter. This artist also apologized for her lack of talent. I sure don't see the lack.

ATC 40 - Page 2

Card 1 is from Ganoush again. She found a "40% OFF" line in a Sunday ad and declared that she "knew what to do with it."

Card 2 is from my Aunt "Maria", wife of my dad's younger brother "Georg" who died a couple of years ago. Aunt Maria wrote that she isn't an artist. I was getting a lot of comments like that. But obviously, she knows how to have fun with a four-color pen.

Card 3 is from Ganoush again.

Card 4 is from a friend in band. She attended Local College when I went away to My College. When I graduated and moved back, Local College's band was small and I was asked to sit in. This friend has also just graduated and stuck around to help out the trombone section. We are both still playing with Local College. My dad played with them for few years, and CHG also joined, when I told him that not only could he borrow a tuba, but he could start playing again...

Card 5 is from a homeschool mom. The article is about how sisters gave birth on the same day, resulting in this mom and her cousin. I did not know this about her until I received the card.

Card 6 is from the daughter of Card 5. She is in my homeschool Math Olympiads class this year.

Cards 7, 8, 9 are from an April Mom. We have stuck with our on-line, international pre-pregnancy group and still talk about our youngsters (and everything else), ten years later.

ATC 40 - Page 1

[1 2 3]
[4 5 6]
[7 8 9]
Numbering will always be top to bottom, left to right.
The cards are in plastic sleeves.
There will be a bit of a tilt to avoid flash reflection.
As always, clicking on a photo will show a larger view.

Ganoush made my first card. While I was crafting, I explained about the trading idea, so she made one for me as I worked on backgrounds.

A contrabass clarinet player made the second card, demonstrating Huygen's principle. I looked it up on Google and decided not to pursue it.

The third card was made during the Scottish event. A young friend sat with me during my shift at the schoolhouse. He was eager to make a trade and started drawing on site. He used my watercolor pencils and the blender brush, which he enjoyed using. He told me that he used to make pottery and would take pieces to art fairs to trade with other vendors.

The fourth card is a dragon, Welsh, perhaps? Also drawn on site at the fest, by a piper friend.

Card Five is from one of the homeschool teachers. She has done projects for on-street sculpture decoration and guides cancer patients through art therapy. She loved the ATC idea and was eager to take part. The other teachers were curious and open to the idea, but haven't yet returned a card.

Card Six if from my aunt and uncle, my dad's older brother. He has been a rock hound and a tatter for much more than forty years. When we would visit, he would always have his rock tumbler going in the garage. He would make jewelry from the rocks. Someone asked if his tatting was needles or shuttles. I don't know, but I'll find out. My uncle is in poor health and is under hospice care. Goof, he may not make it to Thanksgiving.

They gave us a matted doily for our wedding. Having another small piece, especially under these circumstances, is a treasure.

Cards Seven, Eight, Nine are from a friend at BigCo, where I worked for eleven years before my layoff in 2001. That was when she started an interest in rubber stamping and now she is quite the card artist.

Birthday Art Adventure

Well, the birthday art adventure didn't live up to my high hopes, but it was a wonderful 40th birthday. Two longtime friends (Reve and Kiti, my two bridesmaids!) were both in town from separate states for different events held in town that evening, so both were able to spend some time at the ATC open house. A few other in-town friends I thought couldn't be there arrived anyway. Others who said they would be there ended up missing it. C'est la vie. That's how an open house goes.

Today in the States is Columbus Day.
From Stan's Wikipedia entry:

Then there was this little exchange, as Freberg's Christopher Columbus is "discovered on beach here" by a Native American played by Marvin Miller. Being skeptical of the Natives' diet of corn and "other organically grown vegetables", Columbus wants to open "America's first Italian restaurant" and needs to cash a check to get started.

• Native: "You out of luck today. Banks closed."
• Columbus: "Oh? Why?"
• Native: "Columbus Day!"
• Columbus: "Oh, yeah." [pregnant pause] "We going out on that joke?"
• Native: "No, we do reprise of song. That help, but..."
• Columbus and Native together: "...not much, no!"

Well, not only are the banks closed today, there is not mail delivery. {Sigh} So no new ATCs today.

BUT! AND!

I have a delightful collection of art cards from before and during the party. One of my young Scout friends was so inspired by my supplies that he made ten ATCs in addition to the two he brought from home. His brother gave me five and three each from his sister and his mom.

My junior high math teacher "Short" stopped by and gave me a card reflected an in-joke, copying math drawings that I used to make for her 25 years ago.

Buni used to be my tech director at a local theatre. He had his lighting template with him (Doesn't everyone?) and made a little light plot for me.

CHG and Gonzo stopped by for a while during their Guy Time. I had a package in the mail from my One-Back ex-boyfriend. One-Back has been in a few bands in his Big City and he sent along six CDs from his performances and those of his buddies, plus a T-shirt from his current band (URL on request).

I got the cards from Relaxed Homeskool. Way cool. Kim, I'll answer you offline, but the answers are all about the same - I've already started doing that, being forty isn't what made the difference.

Kids were certainly more open and relaxed about making the art than most of the adults. Yet some adults were excited to give it a whirl, and others are starting to look into making more ATCs. One lady made a cool 3-D collage and scanned it. Another gave me some half-done cards for me to finish up. I've read of Round Robin cards on the web for some swaps.

The photos are of me with my cake and of all of the crafting supplies I provided.

Add to the Drawing ~ 3

Another picture to play with from Sage's Forums.

How odd, but whichever color I chose in MSPaint, the drawing appeared in a similar tone but only in shades of green. How did green hijack my palette?

ATC 40 Update

I am having such a great time with this project. I can make sheets of 10 at a time and have sent out about 450 cards, plus about 30 more of my own that I have kept for reference, different editions and such.

Making time to create refreshes me.

Ganoush has made five cards for me so far and says she might make forty, because I'll be forty. She knows she needs to make 35 more cards. She also noted today that after my birthday, both men in the house will be three years older than the woman closest to him in age.

I have received:

• a visual representation of Huygen's principle
• a small doily tatted by my Uncle, my dad's older brother. He is in failing health now.
• cards from former workmates
• cards from on-line friends I have never met
• a top ten list on why band concerts should not be outdoors
• a newspaper article that told me that a HS mom friend was born the same day as her cousin; sisters gave birth on the same day
• a card from one April Mom with a quote I associate with another April Mom:"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming: WOO HOO!!! What a ride!!!"
• A trio of in-jokes from my first grade teacher (Barbie doll / UCLA / bulb) - I laughed so hard at the card that only she could have given and she did. Hooray for Miss E.
• A card from my dad including three notes in bass clef spelling out DAD.
• A card about the Grinch, just the right size, found as a book marker in a Pokemon book from the library
• A favorite verse from neighbors across from my parents (next door to Kiti's old house) [Zephaniah 3:17]
• Altered Art from the lady who teaches the Altered Art classes I take

When I approach someone about the art swap (as opposed to having it just show up in their mail) I've had many people tell me that they can't draw. How sad. The words of Fulghum are not getting out. You shouldn't lose your artist or your dancer or your inventor as you grow older. If you are in this camp - do not fret.

I'm trying to spread the word that just having a small memento from someone I care about is a joy and a treasure. A verse in someone's handwriting is cool. A doodle is fun. I could start a collection of simple smiley faces - that would be cheery.

I expect that more cards will arrive in the days to come, and some will bring theirs or make theirs at my Art Experience. A couple families have said that theirs are in the mail. I'm already having a great birthday.