I always had this big urge to *make* things, but did not have access to the necessary tools and materials. My parents would shower me with art materials, actually - but they were always art materials focused on activities involving little dirt and danger. Painting and glueing stuff together, mostly. What I wanted, though, was to be able to do things that involved real tools, and materials more substantial. I really enjoyed my once-a-year chance of using the woodworking workshop of a nearby kindergarten, for example. (They opened it for the public during their annual neighbourhood party.)

I wanted to make things that did not look like something made by a child, and things that would not fall apart when you tried to use them.

From today onwards, when I work on jewellery, I will listen to Star Wars audio books - until I run out of Star Wars audio books. When that event finally arrives, in a few years, I will switch to Doctor Who audio books, which should keep me a happy, geeky goldsmith for another five years or so.

:D

(((((beccatoria)))))

would be willing to pay 100 euros for a pair of earrings, I wonder?

Because I don't think I can make them much cheaper without limiting my hourly pay to a non-industrialised-country level.

News from the Real World:

- I have an internship, with a museum, starting in April (well, on the last day of March, actually). Unpaid, naturally, so I need a job in addition to that. Also, I'll probably need another internship later on, to provide experience in another important area or two.

- I have a... mini-mini-job, teaching "mini English" (no, seriously. It means I'm teaching an afterschool English class for primary-school-age kids.) So far, it's been a bit of a nightmare. Also, it doesn't even remotely pay my bills; it's not even enough for the rent. So I still need another job.

News from Hereabouts (i.e., the World of Fandom, Creativity, and the Internet):

- I have, in a feverish four or so days, built a small Knytt Stories level that has been pronounced "gorgeous" by two out of three beta testers. I am inordinately proud of it and think it is one of the most beautiful things I have created in my life. Will post a link when it's really done; it's still in the final stages of beta testing and fine tuning.

It's about the ghost, or the memory, of a city. It's kind of post-apocalyptic, in the gentlest possible way. Thematically it's inspired somewhat by Ursula LeGuin's Always Coming Home, and the odd, contemplative manga Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou (Yokohama Shopping Trip/Quiet Country Cafe) - more by the latter than the former, really, I think. Visually, it's kind of the illicit love child of two famous KS levels, Chezzy's Night SE and Quincent Cartographer's A Walk at Night, which can both be found here.

I'm still frighteningly creative, solving the accumulated plot problems of *years* in my fic like there's no tomorrow, and building three Knytt Stories levels in parallel (yesterday I created some sixty concept screens! In less than three hours! The high I got from that must have been as good as any you could get from illegal substances, I think. *g* Yes, no-holds-barred creativity is definitely addictive.)

Only problem is, technically I need to focus *completely* on my job search, because I really, really, *really* need some money... I just don't quite know how to do that. Find a job, that is. (Focus, too. Focusing is haaaaard.)

I *am* checking loads of sites every day and so on, but there's very little available in the lines of work that I could usefully do.

Oh, who am I kidding. Of course I know what I need to do (beside finding a couple of internships, that is): I need to start actually approaching companies and organisations and institutions that I'm interested in without waiting for ads.

I'm just frelling scared of that.

I had this idea about turning my love of individually decorating paper products into a (very) minor source of income today when looking for a small calender in various shops in the city. There were loads of really nice (and expensive) *big* calenders available - from the size of a standard paperback novel to the size of a small hardcover. There were barely any nice-looking *small* calenders, though. I was looking for one of these fairly narrow, thin ones that has a week on a page or double page. (I don't have enough appointments to keep track of to justify a larger calender; also, I'm broke; also, I like stuff that's no larger than it needs to be, especially if it's stuff I tend to carry around with me. I also sort of dislike calenders that are so fancy that at the end of the year you feel bad about throwing them away.)

So, I was wondering, why aren't there any nice, *pretty* calenders in that small format? Do only people who need big fat calenders have a sense of aesthetics? ;-)

What I did, finally, was to buy one of these narrow, thin, I dunno, "inside parts" that you put into one of these ugly fake leather sleeves you can buy. Like this: http://www.kalender-koch.at/product_info.php/info/p730_Einlage-Bi-Planning.html, without the plastic sleeve. And then I took ten minutes to decorate the hell out of its plain white cover. The result is a small, light calender that is nevertheless still big enough to note a couple or so appointments per day, and that's pretty enough in an unspectacular enough way to be able to be tossed out without much regret at the end of the year while still pleasing the eye in the meantime.

Okay, question time. If you use a calender, choose one of these statements:

1.) I would probably appreciate a small, unspectacularly pretty calender.
2.) I am not interested in small calenders; I need a big one.
3.) I use a small calender but I wouldn't pay extra to get a pretty one.

Don't worry, I'm not going to try to sell you stuff if you choose 1.) I'm just trying to find out if I'm a bit of a freak for liking small-but-pretty calenders, or if there may be something of a market for them. *g*

and anyone else who may be interested in playing Knytt Stories or getting started editing Knytt Stories levels: collected useful information!

Where to get the KS software:

http://nifflas.ni2.se/index.php?main=02Knytt_Stories&sub=03Download

This includes the game software, a couple of levels, and the editor. All of which is entirely free, btw.

Where to get additional levels:

Official levels:
http://nifflas.ni2.se/index.php?main=02Knytt_Stories&sub=04Get_More_Levels
The current level release forum:
http://nifflas.ni2.se/forum/index.php?board=39.0
The old level release forum:
http://nifflas.ni2.se/forum2/index.php?board=48.0
The archive:
http://www.knyttlevels.com/

Suggested strategy for finding levels from the old forum (in case of broken links etc.), and identifying interesting stuff in the humungous and badly organised archive:

Check level recommendations lists and also images in level preview threads and feedback postings in level release threads in the old forum. Then go to the archive and do a search for the author and level there.

"Gee, that's a lot of levels. Where do I start? Can you recommend some?"

Sure:

http://hmpf.livejournal.com/278771.html
http://hmpf.livejournal.com/285138.html

I'll probably rec some more, later. Most of the levels I particularly love are environmentals, btw, so they're not usually very challenging. I play the occasional challenge level, too, though, and plan to rec a few.

If you want to start editing:

Unofficial editor handbook:

http://nifflas.ni2.se/forum/index.php?topic=18.0

(Actually, the editor is so easy to use I just learned - nearly - everything entirely by trial and error. Never used the handbook.)

Editing support forum:

http://nifflas.ni2.se/forum/index.php?board=36.0

Tilesets:

Old forum: http://nifflas.ni2.se/forum2/index.php?board=58.0
Current 'Development Showcase' forum: http://nifflas.ni2.se/forum/index.php?board=26.0

Custom Objects:

http://nifflas.ni2.se/forum2/index.php?board=95.0 (See also the 'Development Showcase' forum linked under tilesets, above.)

Aaaaand... I think that's enough to get you started.