inspired_mind

I have been wanting to draw again, but am unsure where to start. All the tools I use for coloring are all over the place. My scanner is long dead and my phone camera is getting a bit old to reliably scan my sketches. I suppose I could use the new printer/scanner combo my parents got, but last time I tried it was iffy to use. It has some auto detect what kind of item you are trying to scan (document, picture etc). I could use the manual mode, but it has so many bloody options I don't even know what they are used for. Then there is the line cleanup, as I move my hand all over the paper, resulting in grey background instead of white. Had a lovely tutorial for it, but not a clue where I left it. I have yet to find a proper replacement tutorial. Le argh.

Aside from that, I also want to do some non-digital crafting. Got a wood burner pen half a year ago and I think it would be really neat to make my own custom coasters! Need to get some cork sheets for that tho. Seems to be cheaper and easier than wood? Could also try painting/inking said coasters. So many options!

How obvious is it I got too much time atm, due to 1 day and 2 hours left on my internship? =P

~*~Maru~*~

Busy busy busy! Ever since I started working on Thursdays, I just can't seem to find enough time to spend on all my hobbies. It's nice to have that extra bit of money for my upcoming studies in September (still haven't decided what exactly, but narrowed it down a bit), but so little time left to spend gaming, watching my fave series/movies and being creative. Not to mention the chores that need to be done as well...

To Read
Guardians of Childhood Trilogy - William Joyce
Artemis Fowl - Eoin Colfer
Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

I really got way too much to read and am way too restless as well to sit down and read atm, due to the constant interrupts. As a result I tend to end up reading fanfics instead. Guess I should simply turn off the pc earlier and schedule some reading time in the evening or something =P

To Watch
Dragons: Riders of Berk (8/13)
Person of Interest (0/TBA)
Various movies for the 2nd time

Currently watching Les Miserables for the 2nd time while typing this post. I may have been a naughty Maru and downloaded it because I couldn't wait for the Bluray and because it's a bloody 1,5 hour trip to one of the few cinemas that actually shows it. I have seen it first in the cinema tho and I loved it! Whom would have thought that Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe could sing like that? I may have teared up a couple of times, especially in the end. Kudos also to Anne Hathaway with her lovely performance of I Dreamed a Dream and Sacha Baron Cohen for his part as Thénardier. I never expected him to perform so nicely in more recent movies, especially after playing in such lame ones like Borat and Brüno. I loved his role as the Station Inspector in Hugo and now he does it again. Also, poor Éponine, I felt so bad for her. I could on and on about it, might make a separate entry on Les Mis in the future.

As for Person of Interest, downloading the first season to see if it's any good (no Bluray/Dvd out yet here), the story sounds interesting and people seem to be quite positive about it, so who knows. I really should watch more of Eureka and finally start watching Once Upon a Time as well...I need more time!

To Create
Doodles for cosplay, got some ideas floating around
Practicing again with my Wacom tablet (now that I actually got space for the drivers on my pc)
Cooking, I would love to find some more healthy versions of my fave foodstuffs.

Yush! The muse has poked me with ideas after a Skype session with aien_hime about cosplay ideas. Should really fix those voice input issues on my pc so I don't need to use the tablet to voice chat. I got the drivers working now, but seems the mike plug at the front of my pc is broken, so need to find a different one at the back, which is terrible to find in the semi-dark -_-

And yep, cooking. I love certain foodstuffs, such as paëlla, but the ones we eat tend to be full of E number/food additives. It would be such an improvement if I could create a similar version with more natural ingredients, spices of my own choice. Sadly so far the recipes we (me and mom) have tried just don't have the same lovely taste as the original one. But we'll keep trying!

Meanwhile, I have spend 1,5 hours typing this entry, so I better call it a day now. I'll try to update faster next time, but no promises =P

~*~Maru~*~

Been browsing deviantART and the MLP Arena forum the past hour or so, checking out the neat customs people make. I wish I could make such lovely creations. This actually made me realise that this new interest might be the excellent moment to try something new, seeing as my inspiration to draw something is still close to non-existent, same for creating banners and avatars in Photoshop. There are a couple of things I have been wanting to try:

Plushies
Ever since I saw this amazing custom plushie of a moonkin, I wanted to learn how to make my own moonkin plushie. Sadly, the creator of the original plushie never provided any patterns on how to make it, so I eventually lost interest. Now that everyone is making these MLP plushies, my interest in plushiemaking has been renewed. I have some minor sewing experience, from making tiny bags for my minerals and fixing clothes at one of my summer jobs, so I know I ain't a complete hopeless case when it comes to sewing. The downside is that I will likely need a sewing machine of my own. Getting the required materials shouldn't be an issue, seeing as we got a lovely market on Fri/Sat and various stores that sell materials as well.

Pony Customs
Another thing I have been wanting to try for a while, but this one requires so much more knowledge, compared to sewing. Sculpting, dying, working with fake hair, being able to disassemble a pony without destroying it completely. The idea of disassembling a pony...the poor thing! Getting materials for this would likely require various online purchases (ponies and fake hair especially), which will be troublesome due to lack of creditcard. Still, I would love to give this a try someday.

So yeah, time to do some more research. It's a bit saddening to leave drawing behind, but there is just no inspiration at the moment. Maybe trying something new will renew my inspiration for drawing again?

~*~Maru~*~