XBox Games for Hippies

Anyone who has ever owned or played an XBox is aware of the plethora of violent titles to satisfy the murderous ambitions of teens and adults alike. I have no problem with this. Sometimes zombies just have to have their heads blown off in a very graphic, ugly way. But as I watched my daughter in an old West showdown with a filthy w-monger of pre- or even post-goldrush days (not sure of the exact setting), I was thinking, what kind of game would I like to play to feel relaxed. I'm the type of player who shrieks loudly when being attacked by rabid baby aliens, so playing when people are trying to sleep (my husband in my household) or online is a bad idea. To make my experience one less of nerve tension than edutainment, I've come up with a solution: games for hippies. Okay, really it's for those who love metaphysics, but today's metaphysicist is yesterday's hippy.

Reiki Quest-To heal those in need, you have to learn from a master which reiki skills will produce the desired result. The more people healed, and the more thorough the healing, the higher the karma points.

Tarot, Numerology, Devination Games Package-here you will learn how to apply tarot and numerology to accurately predict your "client's" future. Gain credits for astral projection by accurately assuming the future for each person who comes into your gypsy tent.

Chakra/Meditation/Yoga Challenge-Kick sacred ass by contorting into kundalini pretzels while maintaining focus on the breath. Careful! One slip of focus could send you into unconsciousness and ruin your chances at enlightenment! Remember, sucker, you chose this journey. Now master it while remembering that the journey is just as powerful as the end result.

Seance Master-Learn to summon the spirits for numerous reasons-solve mysteries of sudden deaths, comfort the family and lovers left behind, help the souls slip into the other side to peace. Collect sacred ruins, a crystal ball, and other important tools. Upgrade as you hone your skills, but be careful of the lure of demons and witch burners on your path to helping the living and their departed.

I'm telling you, there are so many game markets that haven't yet been tapped into! Maybe next time we can discover great pet titles (other than the goofy looking animal one for Kinnect).

Finishing a bracelet and other components

Double Bracelet with Swarovskis

Well, I finally sanded and buffed the gold bracelet I was experimenting on. Everything, really, is one big experiment. My addiction to novelty means I'll likely rarely make the same thing twice, even if it were possible.

After all the sanding and buffing, I tossed some flat-back Swarovski 4mms on the bracelet. I probably should have measured and been a perfectionist about it, but after finding that my non-variable speed Dremel took a little chunk out of the end, I lost enthusiasm. Well, maybe no one can tell, but I know it's imperfect. Thus begins my journey to the land of homemade imperfections. Still, it's not crap, even if the picture insists otherwise.

When I made this bracelet, shaping it around a soda (okay, beer) can, it had this cool space in between. But like bangs the day after the salon 'do, it decided to do its own thing. Still, it'll look good while in action because it's not the clump it looks in the picture. Plus, it's way more flexible than I would have imagined. Have I told you again how much I love polymer clay?

Mosaic Pill Art or

Adventures in Wasting a lot of Time

Now for those weird, funky hamster poops I've been rolling from monochrome lumps: I finally got them into bead form and although (again), they are not perfect by any means, I find them fun and endearing. Not fun, as in something your five-year-old made that you wear because you're so proud...well, maybe just like that, only it was made by my inner-five-year-old, if you will pardon a real 90's pop psych throwback. These photographed even worse than the bracelet, but oh well. I think with the right complementary components, they'll fare well.

Controlled, Street Legal Psychedelics

I finally cut into my rainbow cane and goofed around with the cutters I made. I had a lot of fun, as you can tell, and decided I'd reserve the heart for a pendant while condemning the teardrop shapes to bracelet status. Winter, unless you way 90 pounds and wear very tight sweaters, is not a fun time for bracelets.

Believe it or not, I fussed a long time over these and have yet to commit to piercing them for purpose of stringing, but at least the raw clay designs are done. Now I can sit back and confidently fret over my kids or my husband dropping something on my designs. I could move them to a safe location, but that would take the fun out of life's uncertainties and make it too bland and safe. Ok, I take that back. I'm putting them in the fire safe.

And here comes Mr. Rogers meeting Jerry Springer: my reflections on the day's "work."

First, let me advise you to take caution while using tools for crafting. That *&$%#@ing bendable blade is every bit as *&#@!ing life-threatening as the package warning screams. Don't be an idiot while cleaning the sucker or you're going to waste a lot of time sitting in triage at the local ER. Lucky for me I now have a mokume gane thumb without the deductable.

Second, Sculpey gloss and 2-part resin are the most amazing substances in the universe. If you plan on having children soon or are pregnant, do be careful because they do cause birth defects (for once I'm not teasing), but they create the most incredible results on even mediocre offerings to the gods of crafting.

Well, off to duties of the more mundane: making tacos for dinner and procrastinating against paper grading.

Frantic Creativity

The downside to creative endeavors is the rapidity with which ideas and crafts will take over life! I have too many ideas and not enough hours to actually bring them to fruition expediently. So for now, I have a bunch of projects in the works...and stupidly enough, thinking up even more stuff to do!

Here's a pic of one: all these teeny-tiny, hand-rolled spheres in these different tones took up more time than imaginable. First, the clay had to be mixed to the monochromatic tones of green (with exception of ecru). Then after all that (and believe me, hand mixing takes some time), I had to make snakes and pinch off tiny pieces. It was only after I had done all the mixing that I realized something: trying to make uniform pills out of this is rather improbable, especially for a neophyte like me. Oh well, I'm not giving up. I'll figure out how to make it work for the pill beads I want to make.

Adaptability

I can't believe how incredible polymer clay is. It can be used in so many ways, including creating tools! Here are some cutters I made out of clay. They're cured and sanded, ready for the next big project!

Yet another project is one I had to figure out from a book. While they showed the picture of these beautiful rainbow spirals and blocks, there were no instructions for it. So I stared at them for a long time to figure out how to make the canes for them. Now with the canes done, and the cutters above, I'm nearly ready to make the beads.

<-Rainbow block

Rainbow Jellyroll Cane ->

I know the jellyroll doesn't look like much there, but it'll be really cool once it's cut and applied to the heart shape I intend to make. But before all this, there are pieces to sand, pieces to glaze, and a bracelet I promised a friend in return for a great book in the craft! Well, maybe tomorrow if Black Friday doesn't wipe me out!

Celtic Knots

Often, I'm not too excited by the block-patterns of a lot of celtic knots, but after finding a great book at the local library, I found several designs I loved. This one I saw on a stained-glass door and decided to make a pendant out of it with polymer clay. What a pain! But after hours of carving, sanding, baking, and carving some more, I finally got it about the way I wanted it. Not perfect, but I love it because it's my first carving.

Ah, Vacation...Perfect Time to Craft

Bread: The Substance of Life

This week was a haven of fresh-baked carbs: soft pretzels, French milk rolls, olive bread, Swiss Braid (pic on the right)...really yummy! The Swiss Braid went so fast it barely had time to cool!