thebasketmakerswife

May 18, 2012

Five Questions Friday: OWS

Q: What is the most enjoyable part of traveling to a workshop?
Eric: Uh… the lovely hotel rooms.
(editor’s note: I’m assuming this is sarcasm because where I’m sitting right now, it’s not too lovely.)

Q: If money was no object, which mode of transportation would you use to travel to a workshop?
Eric: Since Lynne does not like to fly, I would say driving an RV would be nice. Not a large one. Enough room for us, the dog and cargo storage in the back for all my supplies and tools. That way we can skip all those lovely hotel rooms.
(editor’s note: Yes, that would be nice.)

Q: What is your “current” favorite word?
Eric: “Off!” – I say it all the time to Chance trying to get on the couch. Ever since he stayed at your brother’s house and watched “Jolene” get on the couch. Their dog sure has lots of bad habits. I hope when we return home he doesn’t figure out how to open a door or jump up on the counters!

Q: Do you wish you worked at Facebook?
Eric: Hell Yeah! But I’d dump my shares real quick because I hate that new Timeline!

Q: What’s annoying you this week?
Eric: The Occupy Movement. One of my favorite hashtags on Twitter at the moment is #ThingsOWScan’tFind where people are writing some amusing stuff. One of those are: “Their way out of their mom’s basement.” by @badMessmer
(editor’s note: For “non-twitterers” that hashtag stands for “Things the Occupy Wall Street people Can’t Find.”)

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May 15, 2012

I Love Photoshop.

Many of you have emailed me to show more of my work. I’ve always had a hard time presenting what I do, but I’ll try and get better at this. Last week, I shared some of the packaging I did and how I was busy creating bilingual English/Chinese labels. So this week, I’ll let you in on what I enjoy most about my freelance work—using Adobe Photoshop. I love working in this program. (However, I dislike, immensely, having to upgrade it every year to keep up with my clients… it is so expensive for a starving artist like me!)

The image below is a rendering I needed to create. My client has a presentation at MTV in China and needs a photograph of the product. However, I recently created the labels (Friday) for this product and there is no time for printing the labels and then having a photo shoot. This happens a lot. So I was additionally hired to create an image of the product as well. And of course, from scratch. Well, not totally from scratch. The only image I was provided with was the plastic cap!

The image below is the rendering I created for my client’s product vials, a quick display box and superimpose the new labels and place them in the box—one of my most favorite things to do.

Below is a rendering of the full line of products. Again, all I had was the cap. (FYI – the product is a high proten drink or “shot.” And the container is already defined. If it was up to me, I’m not too keen on the “vial” feel. But I’m not the client, just a lowly designer.)

Happy Mother’s Day from Patches.

Several times a year, we change Chance’s name to Patches. Why? Because after shaving him and since I am not a professional groomer (or even a competent at-home one), he comes out looking like a patchwork quilt. I think he likes it since his personality changes a little—less neurotic and more goofy.

So while spending a Mother’s Day Weekend with my mom, I decided I would groom Chance while visiting. It usually takes two days and needs to be done in spurts. One, because his hair is coarse like fur and it takes awhile for the shaver to get through it all and it gets very hot quickly. And two, because his attention span is deficient, there’s only so much time before he has to acknowledge the birds in the yard.

This is Chance all furry before and then his alter-ego “Patches”, after.

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May 12, 2012

Now A Boring Old Married Woman.

A couple weeks ago, I received an invitation in the mail for a bachelorette party in honor of my cousin, Kerryn. I was surprised since I thought I was too old to ever go to a bachelorette party again!

The party was this evening. (Well, I should say “is” and not “was” because even though I’m already in bed writing this, my cousin and her large group of friends are probably whooping it up and riding the mechanical bull!) Since I was staying with my mother for a “Mother’s Day Weekend,” I convinced her to accompany me.

On our short drive to the party, my sister from Chicago called me and her response to us going to a bachelorette party was “Isn’t a bachelorette party for bachelorettes and not old married women like you two?” A sister always knows how to put things into perspective, don’t they?

After searching for a parking spot, we made our way through all the young people drinking in the outside patio, then upstairs to the party. We sat at the bar — my mom sipped her pinot grigio as I drank a tall glass of ice water and we both talked about how we’re the oldest people here!

Best Wishes to Kerryn and Congratulations to Paul on their upcoming wedding in Bermuda! Have a great time and a long, happy life together!

Image Source: Party

Five Questions Friday: Caddywompus

Q: Worst injury you have ever had?
Eric: I’ve been pretty lucky—no broken bones. I will tell you one story. At the old basket shop we had a Pneumatic drum sander that needed to be filled with air using a tire pump. One day I connected the pump to the machine and was distracted for about a half hour. When I came back I instantly turned the machine on. It spun the tire pump around and hit me square in the forehead. Lots of blood, stitches and some eye lashes that won’t grow in.
(editor’s note: You’re missing eyelashes? I need to go check that out.)

Q: If we go to a Red Sox game, will you wear a bag over your head too?
Eric: No! Because you couldn’t pay me enough to watch this bunch play. I don’t even want to watch them on tv. If I had to watch Biggest Loser or the Bigger Losers, I would pick Biggest Loser—it takes less time to watch them lose.
(editor’s note: Bag Man is a new Boston celebrity. And he’s from our town, Manchester, New Hampshire.)

Q: In some of your workshops, I have heard the word “caddywompus” used. What does that mean?
Eric: It usually means that someone is not happy.

Q: What was your biggest accomplishment today?
Eric: Answering Five Questions Friday
(editor’s note: He went grocery shopping today. So I think it was that.)

Q: What’s annoying you this week?
Eric: Red Sox aside? Finding the Toilet paper roll propped up on the holder. I think I am the only one in this house that actually knows how to put it on the holder.
(editor’s note: I don’t like that answer. I’m feeling caddywompus.)

image source: wcvb.com

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