SANE Meeting Notes & Homework!

SANEsters,

I have been lax in getting new meeting messages out, so here it is in time to actually be useful:

[drumb role] The next SANE meeting is Tuesday, 10 February 2015. [creche of symbols]

Okay, a quick summary of the last meeting: Pam A. had a buncha stuff ready to make cards/cut-outs/etc., but instead we sat around and gossiped, then reviewed the material Mary brought that had to do with Betsey's third book for FInn: Finn Corners the Silver Futures Market. (I kid). We chatted briefly about possible scenarios in which we, as SANE, might illustrate the text Betsey wrote, and print a version for posterior (or for Finn). As almost always, thanks to Pam for hosting, and coming up with a task to keep us busy while we're thrashing.

Mary brought the two other books Betsey has written and illustrated for Finn:

1) Duckie's Dark Day (3.5" x 5", spreads folded and stitched): Duckie stars, and is used as a towel, then cleaned, then rescued by Finn.

2) Time for Bed (6" x 6" spiral-bound): Finn decides to sleep in his doorway, [B & Mack?] give examples of how using his imagination can help the bed again become a welcome option.

Book 3's real title is "Duckie Takes a Ride,"

[zip file/files & explanations removed]

Okay, you ask... Now what? We're probably  creating separate pages, and will bind them as single pages (rather than trying to illustrate an already bound volume).

We discussed many options, and these are the ones I remember:

1. Pre-designed: as a group, we sit down, lay out what text appears on what page, plan out each illustration & farm out illustration duties
2. Exquisite Corpse: plan a bit up front, keep sending pages around for people to keep working on, until eventually, it's done
3. Non-narrative: We all produce illustrations on our own, either illustrating events from the book, or just  images related to the characters, and later decide which to add & where, when assembling a book.
4. Head/Torso/Feet flip book: We create a selection of heads, torsos and legs/feet that the reader can flip through, and mix & match. Another set of pages contain the narrative (in order), and the reader can illustrate his/her own story.
5. Taxi flip book. The entire book is in the shape of a taxicab, with a variety of illustration/page/pull-out options available. Examples: flip through drivers at the front windshield; passengers if the door pulled out; open the trunk; open the hood; etc.

Other options?

So one thing we can do at thie 10 Feb meeting is come up with a real plan of a tack [sic] based upon the above.

-------

On another note (<-- nbsp="" span="" style="font-family: Helvetica;">this is a pun!!), Duncan's album finally dropped, and it's available many places: iTunes Store ($9.99),

 amazon.com ($8.99), CDBaby ($9.99, includes two videos) and duncanjohnsonmusic.com (maybe you can't download here, but you can hear here). Flip thinks that Duncan will get the most $ from downloads at CDBaby. Somewhere I saw something about two videos if you download the album, but I can't find it any more and wonder whether the drugs finally kicked in. But anyway, here are some links. Go Duncan!!

YouTube videos:

The Song About the Movie That I Am Desperately Trying to Cast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4qEG9DUQYg

Believing in Fiction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zX1IDUR4RRQ

Catch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8ZdJFIBheo

LobsterClamsterMania Recap, September plans

SANEsters,

The predicted evil weather failed to materialize on LCMania day, so attendees were treated to a lovely event. Not terribly hot, not overly sunny, a slight breeze, pleasant company, delightful food, wicked good clamsters & lobsters, and the very comfortable seaside setting we have come to know and love. A good all was had by time. Thank you to Bestey & Michael for making your snazzy house available to us for the 15th straight year! Yay!

We're launching the umpteenth season of SANE in September: we're issuing a Request For Proposals for what to do in September, and when to do it. Please submit all suggestions in singlicate emails (that's triplicate minus two) to this email address (reply all, if you dare). Suggested meeting dates, if we're sticking with Tuesdays, would be the 16th, 23rd and 30th (the 2nd is post-Laborious Day, and the 9th is in the midst of school start-up, or so I hear). So tell me/us when you can/can't make it, suggest possible new/repeat projects, and suggest possible topics of conversation, because we are always such awkward conversationalists...

Hey, I know -- let's get the gang together and put on a show!

Okay, maybe not. What do you wanna do?? When do you wanna do it?? Let me/us know!

-R

Re: LobsterClamsterClearster Mania 2014 - Whether Update

Thanks for the weather update!  We will see you there, and so glad you will NOT be sacrificing one of those cupcakes!

On Saturday, August 2, 2014 9:02 AM, Richard Blewett <RLBlewett@comcast.net> wrote:

SANEsters,
The weather gurus at Channel 5 claim that after 0.4 inches of rain in Glockster, the skies will clear by 1:00 and the rest of the day will be post-storm glorious. Okay, so maybe they didn't use the word glorious, but the rain was expected to wend its wet way eastward, to give the little fishies some unsalty water for a change.
Therefore, the LobsterClamsterFester 2014 will proceed apace, and ascheduled, and all of us will be happy we came. The travel northwards might be a little discouraging, but there is a cloudy (tho rainless) kind of light at the end of the travel tunnel. And there will be lobsters and clamsters and all the assorted accountrements. Plus SANEsters.
Looking forward to seeing y'alls.
R

LobsterClamsterClearster Mania 2014 - Whether Update

SANEsters,
The weather gurus at Channel 5 claim that after 0.4 inches of rain in Glockster, the skies will clear by 1:00 and the rest of the day will be post-storm glorious. Okay, so maybe they didn't use the word glorious, but the rain was expected to wend its wet way eastward, to give the little fishies some unsalty water for a change.
Therefore, the LobsterClamsterFester 2014 will proceed apace, and ascheduled, and all of us will be happy we came. The travel northwards might be a little discouraging, but there is a cloudy (tho rainless) kind of light at the end of the travel tunnel. And there will be lobsters and clamsters and all the assorted accountrements. Plus SANEsters.
Looking forward to seeing y'alls.
R

SANE LobsterClamsterMania 2014

SANEsters,

Betsey's brief stint in the slammer to the contrary notwithstanding (rumors that she drew a gun on the state trooper who pulled her over for doing 110 in a 45 zone is apparently "unfounded"), there's no stopping the LobsterClamsterMania train. So, drop the RR crossing bars and let's ride this loco locomotive to Gloucester, baby!

This glorious, fun-filled event is scheduled for Saturday, 2 August 2014, and we really don't want to plan for a rain date, so please pray for good weather. The event, as usual, will be held in rocky Gloucester, MA, just yards away from Ipswich Bay in one direction, and Rockport in the other. Historically, we ask people to arrive at noon, and clams will be ready around 2:00 and lobs around 2:30. I think. Maybe. The timing may be adjusted, to taste. But the date, hey, that's firm.

We'll start with a brief survey: Please send me (so I can tally up the results and forward them to the hostess with the mostest) answers to the following:

1) How many in your party will be attending? (If zero, alas, you can go straight to #5... We'll miss you!)
2) How many lobsters will your party want to enjoy? Please note new sub-questions for #2:
2a) How many 1.25-pound lobsters (smaller, less expensive – as usual, we are reimbusing BW for these)
2b) How many 1.50-pound lobsters (larger, a tad more expensive)
(The overall response to 2a and 2b may influence the final order in as-yet-undetermined ways.)
3) How many servings of clams would your party like to enjoy?
4) What else would you like to bring to this shindig? The usual? Something more exotic? Less exotic?
Extra credit question:
5) If you were U.S. president, what would you want to accomplish during your last term?

Again, please send your answers to me (just hit "Reply" (not "Reply All" pls) and I'll give Betsey a compiled list.

Thank you, and hope to see you soon. Like Saturday, 2 August, in Gloucester, for example.

R

Thah Best LobstahClamstahFest of 2014 (Sat., 2 Aug.)

Mary came prequipped with tiny blank books to get us started at our June meet-em-up, and Betsey had a passel of tiny stamps. We had a good turnout, and cranked out a lot of teeny books... probably a whole inch of shelf space! All in all, a satisfying project that many of us were handily able to complete.

Plans for the LobstahClamstahFest are in motion: the tentative (barring monsoon, earthquake, meteorite, supernova, etc.) is Saturday, 2 August, with a please-Crom-don't-let-it-rain date of Sunday 3 August. The sched is the usual: arrive noon, happytizers and drinks, clamstahs 2ish, followed hard upon by lobstahs, a luxurious swim, and then desserts. Pleasant conversation throughout, then eventual, tearful departure.

Everybody who attends must bring exactly what they have brought for the last 37.4 years, without exception (unless you'd like to bring something different for a change). Ponder this in your stomach of stomachs.

Soon will come the time where we count noses and lobstahs and estimate clamstahs and sign up for the same-old-thing-to-bring, but that time is not yet now. Now is the knowing, and the fullness of the knowing, and the anticipation of the fullness. And putting in the screens and window air conditioners.

SANE Meeting Tues 25 Feb 2014

If you're looking for a project, we'll have something for you to do! Design your own suit of cards!

I'll have paper with playing card-sized blanks on which to draw/stamp/collage your own suite, from (Ace) to (King).

What do I need to do? I hear you ask? Simple, I say, looking around to see where your voice came from. This is it:

First you have to come up with a suit: it could be spades, hearts, clubs or diamonds. Or it could be any handy symbol: swords, cups, wands or coins, (from Tarot) characters (crack), bamboo, circles. (from Mah Jongg), or any handy, easily reproducible symbol: shells, paws, squares, fingerprints, shoes, toilets, daisies, light bulbs, etc.

When you're picking a suit, keep in mind that you'll have to reproduce it many times: on 13 cards, you'll use this symbol in it's normal size 55 times on the cards 1-10, and 6 times on the "face" cards, and maybe at a much larger size on the "ace." Then there are smaller versions of the same symbol on the indices (upper left/bottom right corners) another 26 times. So you'll want a quick & dirty way to reproduce this symbols in several sizes: a rubber stamp (or two, or three) might help. Print a bunch and cut & paste 'em. Pick a symbol you can draw and color easily.

Then pick a color. Black or red, purple or puce, and bring a crayon/stamp pad/Sharpie of that color.

Hmm, then you'll have to figure out the images on the face cards: For the suit of claws, the K/Q/J could be a lion, tiger and cheetah. The Coins suit could feature an Eisenhower dollar, a quarter and a dime. The toilet suit could feature a king on a toilet, a queen wearing a toilet on her head, and a jack with his head stuck in a toilet. Ya dig?

So, for our project, you'll have a chance to create your own suit -- I'll generate a pattern for the backs, and we can reproduce these on card stock (I may have a way to do this), cut them neatly, and we'll have as many suits as SANEsters, and when you play cards next, you can pick the four suits you like best to play with.

The Joker? The SANE logo, with a Jack-in-the-Box might work... But if you're not up to creating a whole suit, then maybe you'll be happy making a joker...

Remember about parking -- two cars in my driveway, and Milly has two parking permits, so we should be set.

I'll attach a .pdf of the "card blank" that is just "cut lines" at the edges of a piece of paper, marking out 9 possible cards, if you want to practice or plan a computery version of your suit.

R

SANE Winter Solstice Eating & Socializing Opportunity

We had an instructive meeting, molding paper clay into kiwi slices, dice, fingertips, canolis, etc., and trying to figure out what exactly it smelled like -- what could paper clay be made of, anyway? Cellulose, certainly, but perhaps some spackle and spit, too. We also learned that once you tear off a hunk of pc, the outside edges start to dry in a nanosec, so only bite off as much as you can chaw. Also, a little goes a long way.

We picked a time & date for the SANE Winter Solstice Eating & Socializing Opportunity 2013 (WinSolEatSocOpp13):
That date: Sunday, 15 December 2013 (parking is less restricted on Sundays -- woo hoo!)
That time: 5:00pm until whenever (it's a school night) (Pats game (at Miami) starts at 1pm, so it should be over)
That place: Mary & Phil's (didn't have a parenthetical for this line)

That menu (so far):
Mary: Lasagna, chairs & tables, plates, utensils, etc.
Richard: Salad
Betsey: Pie
Leslie: Lemon squares
Pam A: Bread & app
others: TBD

As always, SigOths are invited, so when planning your food items, expect as many as 18 peoples.

Reception for rekindling a Yankee Swap was lukewarm, so there are no plans as yet for same.

Mark your calendars now!!

SANE Bread-Off Results

Okay, I forgot the collected collection of cologne- and coffee-challenged addled minds:

SANE 10/22/2013

Six-Word Stories

Fudgy the Whale is Cookiepuss inverted.

For sale: baby shoes, never worn. (E. Hemingway)

Buzzards puke, eat bread, and fly. (M.v. Nertz)

Ah, you must be the breadwinner.

Stash a dead possum in your bosom.

Dead possum in bosom. Got clothespin?

Dental hygienist to Odie Colognie: "No!"

Odie Colognie to dental hygienist: "So?"

Dental hygienist to Odie Colognie: "Go!"

Molly to Odie Colognie: "Jumpin' Joe!"

She came across an old eleton.

He said, "No way, it stinks."

Gertrude Stein: Only good after brownies.

Patent leather shoes: see the world.

SANE dollhouse. Rooms for us all.

Tuesday, November 22. Paper clay!

SANE Bread-Off Results

SANEsters,

Many breads were baked, sliced and eaten. Pumpkin & cran preserves, and a yummo carmelized onion spread were, well, spread. The average calories consumed exceeded the adult daily requirement of carbs, I'm pretty sure. And not a klinker in the bunch. Perhaps we have been throwing our lives away with rubber stamps and graphic arts; we maybe shoulda been a baking cooperative. SANE Pain. Dough Nutz. Baker's Cousins. Staph of Life. The Carb Connection. I dunno, maybe just a pushcart in Faneuil Hall.

The sum total of Six-Word stories that we put together in the half-dozen moments when we weren't stuffing our faces are included here. Be sure to print these and frame them in gilt, by golly.

We did set a next meeting date: Tuesday, Nov 22, 2013. 7:00pm. Probably at Pam A's, and she'll obtain the paper clay. Bring rubber stamps & inks, and other paper clay-ey tools/supplies. More info as we get it.

Go Red Smocks!

SANE Meeting Tuesday, 22 October 2013

Just a note to alert all to an upcoming meeting. Thought I was unable to attend the last meeting, I was gratified to read summaries of the last meeting by cub reporters Milly van News and Bitsy Wordsmith, and both report that the 22 October meeting is slated to be a bread-off, inspired by the bread mastery of Mapela.

In addition to bringing bread (along with the add-on of your choice?) is a project planned? Not that I'm opposed to slicing/tearing, buttering, jamming and stuffing my face, perhaps there is something else we can do while somebody else has their hands on the loaf you have designs on.

SANE Meeting Tues, Sep 24, 2013

I got a much better response to the latest email, thank you all, so we have a date for the next meeting:

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Wahoo!

I appear to have lost a summer. If anyone finds one, please let me know, and I'll come pick it up.

Going through previous project suggestions, here are a few that stick out:

Resin cupcake paperweights: http://www.designsponge.com/2013/05/every-day-diy-mini-resin-paperweights.html#more-174525

Turn a book into sculpture by folding: http://www.clothpaperscissors.com/blogs/clothpaperscissorstoday/archive/2013/08/28/altered-books-ideas-for-your-next-party.aspx

Other project ideas, or wanna bring up one I've sadly neglected? Lemme know!

Or write to tell me whatchoo wanna doo. Doo wah, doo wah, a doo-doo wappadoo.

Fwd: project idea

I'd like to say this came while Betsey was recoverating, but no, this was from 7:39am, before she went all surg.

Begin forwarded message:

From: Betsey

Date: May 10, 2013 7:39:45 AM EDT

Hi.  Surfing to keep brain quiet.  Saw this:  http://www.designsponge.com/2013/05/every-day-diy-mini-resin-paperweights.html#more-174525

Just suggesting.
Betsey

SANE Meeting Tuesday 7 May!! Whaaa??

Okay, I'd worked well into Tuesday night and missed the last meeting, and didn't phone in, but the meeting-goers picked a new meeting date and I then never actually passed that along... I'm just falling asleep at the wheel, aren't I? I'm very sorry to have let my SANE responsibilities go, and hope I can make it up to y'alls.

The better-late-than-never news is: The next meeting is slated for this upcoming Tuesday, 7 May 2013!!

I don't know what we're doing or where we're doing it, but will consult the oracle (and email) for inspiration. Whaddya think, troops? Suggestions? Projects, Hosts?

-R

SANE meeting Tuesday 9 April 2013

Yes, Pam A has once again offered to host us poor orphan kids, and Leslie has kindly sent out some info, and she and Betsey have prepared some cloth ?and paper prayer flags, and offered to bring cloth/paper markerss, and we have the makings of a meeting, by gum!
See you there Tuesday night 7ish, bring an idea or a prayer or an artistic temperament!
R

SANE Meeting April 9

Yipes,
It's time for our annual March meeting (in April), and once again I'm caught unawares!
I think the concensus was to make ?cloth prayer banners for LobsterChowderFest, but I don't know much more than that.
Anybody know more than that?
Any volunteers to host?
Anyone want to do my taxes?
R

Peg People Forever & "March" meeting date

Thanks to hostess Pam A, and all the SANEsters who brought peggy and/or people supplies; several colonies of pegfolk were born this night, and as the ranks of pegfolk grow to dominate the earth, may they have kind thoughts about us squishy types who gave them their start. Amen. Remember what they say about Weebles. Something to do with warbling, so keep them in a soundproof chamber. And who are "they," anyway?

We're on to March, and the planning of our March meeting, which will be on Tuesday, March 40th, aka April 9th. At this rate, we'll be eating Winter Solstice dinner at our August meeting!

What shall we do for a project on March 40th/April 9th?

1) Leslie has foundd a book about books, and what to do with them beside read them: http://www.amazon.com/Book-Art-Transform-Decorations-Stationary/dp/1908170921/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362700426&sr=8-1&keywords=Art+books+by+Claire+youngs

2) Previously proffered paper people: http://www.malinkoort.se/paperpeople.html

3) colored paper weaves: http://www.minieco.co.uk/geeky-weaves/

4) Jane Davies' postcard project: file:///Users/rlblewett/Documents/SANE/%20projects/%20%20possible%20new%20projects/LB%20-%20collage%20journeys.webarchive

5) screen/strainer faces: http://www.isaac.alg-a.org/Cement-bleak#IMG/jpg/DSC08037.jpg

Or any of the 874 other projects we've done once or twice already.

Or something new. What's your pleasure?

We have some time to finger this out!

SANE Meets yet again, Tues, Feb 26

SANEsters,

Well, for the umpteenth time SANE will set a new record for the most meetings ever in the history of the group. We'll need a place to meet, so expect another missal with location information 

On this record-setting occasion, we will be creating peggity people out of random miscellanous shapes of wood and glue, with a smidge of paint. A flurry of email activity in the recent week means that a passel of pegs & wooden shapey things were acquired after significant effort and thought and phone minutes were expended. Do we have glue? Paint? Dowels to use as centers? Small wooden clothing, hats, shoes, hobnail boots, jodhpurs, props (cell phones, lapel flowers, garters, spats, handkerchiefs, shoulder holsters, handguns, handcuffs, Zippo lighters, poker chips etc.)? Perhaps I'm overthinking this...

Bring fast-drying paints and a variety of smallish paintbrushes. Appliques? Stickers? Decals?

And remember, Weebles Wobble but They Don't Come Unglued.

-Richard

SANE Meeting: 29 Jan 2013 ??

I tried to discern a concensus (and got a nasty rug-burn), and propose our next meeting to be Jan 29, 2013, whereupon we will not only scrim but also shaw at piano keys and/or ivory piano-key veneer using pokey things and then ink them, at a place to be determined (Pam A's or elsewhere if the ink/residue is likely to be too messful). If this is not agreeable 2 youse, signify by writing back and proposing a counterproposal (and include a rose).

In the meanwhilst, in your copulous free time, please make up new month names, per our previous calendar, and I might rustle up the energy to put another calendar together. Until then, enJoin bANdits and gUArds to cRY* will not yet exist and we will wander aimlessly through 2013. Depending upon the number/quality/timeliness of responses received, I will offer choices up for a vote or just pick the outstanding suggestions myself or ignore it for another time.

Leslie proposes two other projects (for subsequent meetings):
1) Little people: inspired by Mary Mac's little wooden people, we could collect wood scraps and paste/paint us up a crowd.
2) Summarize life in just Six Words: see http://www.sixwordstories.net/category/subject/funny/
 This appears to be quite addictive.
  I can't stop stopping at six.
  I came, saw, conquered. 'Nuff said.

Or we could carve six-word valentines in piano-key ivory and send them to the veterans.
*a sad off-the-cuff serving suggestion

Dianne replies:
I will bring my keys. I'll get a more extensive list of possible supplies together in the next day or so. I will bring some keys still intact and I'll remove the ivory veneer from others in case anyone wants to make something jewelry like. The stems are rather narrow (don't know if these are standard sized keys or not). Anyhow, I think this could be cool.
I'll get back to everyone with supply list and whatever other info I think you may find helpful.