Kuriosities

Part one – image prep:

Choose images. I chose the following four stamps to begin with – one for each of the band member’s themes (oh, and an Alice one too!). The images then have to be photoshopped to eliminate colour and turn them into black and white line drawings. I then have to inverse the white and black parts , as the black parts will act as a resist to the acid that I will be soaking the copper in, and the white bits will be eaten away.

After I have the images ready, I print them on transparency film with the laser printer. Next, I heat up the iron and iron them onto a piece of 22ga copper. (I forgot to take pics of this stage!) You have to cover ALL copper that you do not want eaten by the acid with tape or indelible marker.

This Alice image is a scrap actually, as it transfered all smudgy – the one I actually have used is sharp. I will just scrub the toner off the copper and re-use it.

 Part Two – acid!

Stick them in a container of Ferric Chloride acid for a couple of hours, checking often to make sure that you have the right depth of etching. The acid does all the work here, . (This is being done by a professional, so do not attempt at home kiddies, acid is dangerous, and I’m a bit over confidant, ie. stupid, to not have gloves on).

When the acid had eaten away the depth of metal you want you take them out, soak up the acid in paper towels and then rinse well.

 

After that I polish the metal with tripoli using my flexshaft, then clean them in the ultrasonic machine.

 

I am overwhelmed with exhaustion and soon headed for the shower and then off to beds. It was an unrestful weekend to be sure. A cold wind blew in, soaked in rain and sleet. What spring is this? Where are the warm breezes and sprinklings of rain. Not this year.

I am tired straight down to my bones from chasing ponies in the dead of night, who became tricksy and burst through fences on Friday . The 2 am wake up call of thundering hooves shaking the house like a tornado passing too close. So up and at ‘em! Throw on the jammy pants and muck-a-luck boots! and fingers crossed to keep the rolling eye ponies from the road and back into their proper place! We played cowgirl(boy) in the cold cold night, and rounded them back up – and lucky- not a car in sight throughout. An adventure for sure – but the theft of sleep has me edgy and cranky and hopped up on caffeine trying to keep going. I want my bed.

Then Saturday the rain came in, and with it Lyrical’s shivers and shudders. Out at 1 am in the inky slushy rain night, fingers benumbed with buckles to blanket the poor sodden girlie. I tried to take her into the barn, but was greeted by Monsieur Skunk upon opening the door, and we politely backed right back out again. No need for confrontation there, non, non, non, we will gladly leave you to your midnight wanderings and gatherings of eggs, yes indeedy. But the rain and cold woke me up, and sleep elluded me into well into morning,,<yawn>

But also happy. Mothers day brought so many kisses and cuddles (with 4, there are many to be had!). A clay brooch made by little boy hands, a jar of chocolates painted by even smaller hands, lovely cards, and pampering. And a purple iPod bought by G for my trip to Toronto, so I can listen on the plane, and now packed full with Brendan Benson, Raconteurs, White Stripes, Iggy Pop, and Greenhornes, Howlin Wolf and John Lee Hooker, Decemberists and New Pornographers, et all…too many to mention them all, but lovely!

  Dinner parties with friends with yummy food and even better company (fettucini alfredo, bruschetta, wine, grilled shrimp, mango and avocado salad, apple pie and ice cream…mmmm)…

I am buried (again!)  under a stack of orders so tall I can no longer see the sky (except for a mocking hint of blue that tells me it was sunny outside today, but not sunny for me in this cubby hole studio).

I am down 7.5 lbs from simply cutting out bad food.  Shedding that winter weight like a snake from its skin. I want to shed 4 more, but we will see how that goes. In the meantime, apples and oatmeal, carrots and salads and soup. Molly ma gog and Lyrical will also help I’m sure.

 Life is good. But I need a nap…

zzzzzzzzz

rough draft – May 5, 2008, by K.

Bemused (i am naught )

Lou,
tell me where to find it
that cool ocean pebble with
which to stop up the pit of my heart
that same round stone to plug and
still the rushing tidal roar

i flow unruly over these red hills
there is no rhythm, no calming cadence
no ba dump ba dump to metre
my journey onwards, i spill forth
in great rushing surges, a mess
of passions and unmeasured pause

    there is no sense in this.

teach me, lou
i want to learn how to do it
the steady venturing forth,
the aloof precision of marching
my veins, arteries, a map of  tidy lines.

i want manifestos, odes, adorations!
i want nothing.

i want to be the pounding of the surf
you sink yourself into.  

========================= 

I am in a foul mood, and there is no rhyme or reason to me, or it, today. I am one minute angry, and the next spilling over with sorrow. I am grieving, but there is no one to grieve. I am lonely, and yet I am full of loathing for company.

My heart is sore. I am rubbed raw, and tender. I want to be rocked to sleep.I want soothing.

I want.