I was going to say, Happy New Year, but I get the feeling that’s how I start all my posts (what with only blogging about once a year…). So I’m shaking it up! Look after yer lums, people, and make sure they reek, for a lang time.
I’m sorta kinda just back from holiday. Not really, it’s been at least two weeks, but that’s what it feels like. I gave this TFF-X anthology away for Christmas. It’s got me in it, an interview of sorts. The pics don’t really work in the paperback, sadly, I’m assuming the kindle version is better. Or just revisit their original home, and take the opportunity to read a lovely story whilst you’re at it.
Some more games have appeared since I last posted, and some have even gone to new homes. Yay!
You can see more of them on flickr!
Approximately 380 years ago, a friend stupidly decided to lend me a copy of this book. Initially I carefully avoided reminding him of that fact, because I didn’t want him to ask for it back. Then I carefully avoided reminding him of that fact because I temporarily misplaced it. Eventually, though, it reappeared and it turned out he was fine with me keeping it for the time being.
I love this book an awful lot. And over the years, I’ve hatched (and dismissed) many plans of recreating some of the games in it. This summer I spent some time thinking about it properly, and folks, hold onto your pants, coz this thing is happening fo’realz.
For quite a while, what held me back was the board. Well, and the playing pieces, but mostly the board. I liked the idea of a nice wooden thing, but frankly, woodworking isn’t my thing. Much as I’d like it to be. Now that I’ve arrived at my grand idea, I can’t work out why felt hadn’t occurred to me earlier.
The first game I completed is a bengali game called Baghbandi. In this two tigers try to kill twenty goats, whilst the goats try to block the tigers from being able to move. I made it as a combined test run and housewarming present, and I’m quite pleased with how it turned out.
The felt I used is actual real natural coloured wool felt, rather than the synthetic crap I usually use, and the lines are stitched-on embroidery floss. Also, I discovered fairly recently that you can sand and varnish cured fimo (who knew? More importantly, who can be arsed?) (Me, these days, actually), so my goats and tigers are not very goat- or tiger-shaped, but shiny.
I’ve got loads more games earmarked for production. The one I’m currently working on is Hneftafl, a Viking strategy game. It’s quite large and I’ve got superfancy embroidery planned for the edges, so watch this space.
That’s a horse. No really.
I’m having a lot of fun just arsing about with stuff for this project at the moment. One game requires horses, so I made a somewhat kack-handed attempt at whittling. Also, nettle string! A couple of years ago I already played about with making nettle thread, but kinda failed. But nettle string is easy! It’s quite tough, so it may not work the way I want it to, but it may well make an appearance in the embroidery.
In May I cleverly conned Madeleine of Knot Unknot into letting me be her minion at the Edinburgh Mini Maker Faire. We resuscitated part of Attack of the Knitted Tentacle, which we did together back in 2010.
She set up a knitting machine and we had a Knitting Wheel of Fortune for people to spin to determine what to knit. It was great!
Randomly, some dinosaurs also ended up being in attendance.
Earlier this year, Edinburgh World Heritage Trust commissioned me to illustrate some more graveyard maps. This time round is was for the five graveyards situated in the World Heritage Site; Calton Old, Calton New, Canongate, Greyfriars and St Cuthberts.
Also, as we’d already done Canongate last year, this time round we made a more family-friendly version for this one, with games ‘n’ everything!
Fancy giving it a go? You can download all of them as .pdfs from HERE, and print versions are also available from each of the kirks and EWHT.
This is a rock dove. William McGillivray (buried in New Calton) trained one to follow him to school when he was a kid.
If you’re wondering what I’m doing all day (as surely you must), I’m working on some maps of the Canongate – something for you to look out for at Doors Open Day this year! Here’s a sneak preview of the Parliament for ya.
Whoa, maybe I should do more blogging. I had a moment of panic there when I realised wordpress has gone all funny since I last was here… Anyways, onwards and upwards.
So, here’s the news: As a direct result of entertaining myself in January by taking part in that #animaldoodleaday thing, my very first competition is finally happening! Exciting, non?
It’s been suggested that I should have some of the images printed up as postcards, so here’s the deal: Help me decide which one to print, and maybe you’ll win one. All you need to do is, go to my Facebook page (go ahead and like it if you don’t already!), then have a look at all my pics and SHARE the one you’d most like to see as a postcard.
On 16 February, I’ll count up all the shares, and get the most popular one (or two) done in postcard form. Then I’ll draw ten lucky winners out of all the people who shared and send them a postcard, easy!
You can share more than one, of course, I’ll put your name in the hat once for each pic you share. You can also get all your friends to play, and if you win, I’ll send you a postcard, no matter which corner of the world you’re currently hiding in. (They’ll be blank and in an envelope, so you can post them on if you want).
Facebook hater? Well, go ahead and have a good moan at me, maybe I’ll be more non-FB friendly next time… Or wait, I suppose you could have a look at Flickr, and tweet me the one you like best, or something. I don’t know, make something up! I’ll try and not forget anyone when it comes to counting up the names!
Also, wenn Ihr ne Postkarte gewinnen wollt, dann müsst Ihr mir erstmal beim Aussuchen helfen. Also, kuckt Euch erstmal auf meiner Facebook-Seite alle meine Bilder an. Sucht Euch das aus, was Ihr am liebsten als Postkarte sehen wollen würdet und TEILT es.
Am 16. Februar, zähl ich dann die ganzen Teilungen und das am öftesten (??) geteilte Bild wird gedruckt! Unter allen, die geteilt haben, verlose ich dann 10 Postkarten.
Ihr könnt natürlich mehr als ein Bild teilen, wenn Ihr das wollt, Euer Name wird dann einmal für jede Teilung in die Verlosung gedingst. Ihr könnt auch all Euren Freunden sagen, daß sie mitmachen sollen, und wenn Ihr gewinnt, kriegt Ihr ne Postkarte geschickt, egal wo in der Welt Ihr Euch rumtreibt. (Wobei ich für lokale Postvermittlungsunternehmen keine Verantwortung übernehmen kann…) Die Postkarten kommen unbeschrieben und in nem Umschlag, auf daß Ihr sie weiterschicken könnt, wenn’s Euch reißt.
Nicht auf Facebook? Dann kuckt Euch den ganzen Scheiß auf Flickr an, und zwitschert* mir!
Na dann, viel Spaß und ich drück Euch die Daumen!
Added some Mini Scotsmen to the trolls, which then….
appeared in the Craft Reactor Summer Exhibition.
Finished that book cover… It’s now on Amazon!
Then I hatched a chicken!
…as well as random doodling.
Then finally went into Christmas Market Mode, dusting of ye olde Gocco in the process.
Next up: The Bruntsfield Makers Market on Saturday, 16 November 2013.