Let there be light on Limits and Derivatives

This past Monday, I was called to substitute for the high school Math teacher at Balmoral Hall. I love going there because the girls are so interesting, and they are such great students. Unfortunately, I had three classes of Calculus during the day, and much of that work is stuff that I have LONG forgotten, including the Chain Rule, work on Sinusoidal Curves and and an assignment on Limits and Derivatives. Thankfully the day ended with some work I am much more familiar with, some regular Algebra and Problem Solving, so I felt a little more able to assist the girls with that aspect of work.

Upon recalling the assignments of that day, I actually made a realistic connection of the work to some pragmatic situations. Tomorrow I will be presenting a workshop to art teachers at the provincial Special Area Group Conferences. When I did this last year, I had prepared such a lengthy and detailed presentation, I realized that this year I will have to limit my projections due to a number of uncontrolled factors..time, lunch arrangements, etc. So, it will be a rather basic presentation of some fundamental techniques in polymer clay, making some rudimentary canes and utilizing those in some derivatives like the light switch cover and other items that we'll be working on.

Today I am up to here loading boxes with pasta machines, tools, clay that I've divided into twenty bags, handouts etc., and will be happy when this is done. I am looking forward to the atelier and am excited to present but ....gak...the preparation is a LOT of work. Sort of like teaching, lol.

So if any teachers in my province are reading this, I hope you have a wonderful day tomorrow and best wishes for an enlightening conference, no matter what event you will be attending.

Le coffret

J'ai nommé cette boite "Le Coffret Secret" parce que c'est possible à ouvrir. À l'interieure on peut mettre une petite chose, comme un clef, une photographie, ou quelque chose du choix. C'est fait de la pâte polymère en noir, or, et rouge foncé avec des détails uniques. C'est 7 centimetres par 5 cm. approximativement, et on peut suspendre sur le mur pour garder des scents, ou porter comme un bijou.

SVP, excusez le niveau de mon français, lol.

À la prochaine...

Finally Finished! Whew!

Only one is finished. The others...well it is a long story. I spent an inordinate amount of time looking for my cell phone today. Should have called in Maxwell Smart. He would have twigged me on to its location pronto! In the end I did find it...tried everything including calling myself from the land phone but couldn't hear it. Of course I couldn't, because it was in my workout shoes in the trunk of my car.
But at least I had time to finish her attire. And get the finishing touches of Mr. Beadman done, as well as a couple of coffrets.

Yum Yum nearly dun

The first of the cocoon dolls is nearly ready. Okay okay...I took poetic licence with the rhyme in the title. But she is nearly done.

Her fan is a piece of excellent Japanese paper that I have been saving for eons...don't go there in that closet! It attaches to her left hand little bracelet by a wire and I needed to take it off while I was doing her "makeup". Sadly, she doesn't appear that well made up, but she is a Geisha in disguise, so can't do much about the normal features. And I have her hair sticks ready to put in, but they angle obliquely and those did not rest well on the background fabric.

Photography isn't going well as the battery in the Camedia D-40 has died (again!) and I had to plug the sucker in to take this shot. Hopefully the battery will be replaced later today, and/or we'll find out if it's the rechargeable type.

Her sisters are still in limbo, not quite ready for publication. And the name Yum Yum is only temporary. She might still be Peep-Bo or Pitti-Sing, depending on which of the finished three little maids turns out to be most "bridely" oriented.

How many minutes until showtime?

Here, Yum, Pitti and Peep are wondering when they're going to get the rest of their makeup and costumes on for the big production. And they're worried about whether the hairsticks they've been planning to wear will actually fit in those chignons.
But these Geishas are very modest, and won't reveal their kimonos until every bit of detail is done.
Yum is desperately searching for her netsuke, and Pitti is determined to find her zori, and Peep needs to get her fan back from the repair shop...there was an electrical black out during last performance and hers wasn't working. Talk about sweating in that big wig!

Yum Yum and friends

A few people have asked where my coccoon dools have been, and I have replied that they're getting ready for a show. Actually, this is the first time I'm making the entire trio of Maids from School, and here they are, getting ready behind the screen. All you can see is their elaborate hairdos, which I had to scan as my camera is taking a time out for bad behaviour. Some one took a picture of me yesterday morning before I had combed my hair. Imagine if these geishas were photographed with unkempt hair...'twould be "Toco, Toco, Toco!"
I haven't decided who's who yet, but time will tell..."Three little maids from school are we, filled to the brim with girlish glee..."

Where in the fog are we?

I am posting this foggy picture on purpose. The fish here is not yet finished, and "somebody" left the camera in the cold, cold garage last night. I took the picture when the fog was still on the lens, and rather like the ethereal appearance of it. Sort of a preview not yet in focus.

The starfish is one I made using an old geometry lesson on making stars from a circle that I used to teach. Radiating symmetry left a bit askew and not "exact" as geometric proportions would have it. After all, it is a critter like Tina says.

a whole new meaning for fishsticks

Playtime for Fishies

A while back a friend of mine asked me to create some characters for her class to use as puppets. Of course, I had to draw them and left them with her.

Today, in one of my many "boxes" I found these fish sticks; I think they're supposed to be swizzle sticks, but I couldn't resist keeping them for other purposes. I think they would make great puppets for kids to use. I love their colour, and I think they could be the basis for some sitcom or SoapFishOpera, yet to be developed in my mind. Or maybe I will use them as inspiration for some new angelic-type fishes I'll create in clay. The ones I make now are anything but angelic. angler-type is more like it!

Speaking of things "angelic", I did make some angel ornaments earlier this morning, not the kind of stuff I usually do. They have feathers for wings. Hopefully I will finish them soon, as there is a sale coming up tomorrow, and the people always buy the decoration stuff first. I'll try to post them on here. If they turn out, maybe I'll use them to decorate packages for um...okay, I saw an ad for Christmas yesterday so I'll say it... Christmas presents. I shudder to think that some people already have their shopping done!