Quiet for a good reason

First there was finals - then I dove right into getting The Envoy ready for print! Which I'm happy to say is DONE. Just waiting for the proof to arrive. Here is the Print cover I did. Just to give you a little tease.

Santa person, myth or belief?

I read an article today about tell/don't tell Kid's the "truth" about Santa Clause today. And it got me thinking.

We tell kids in December to be good or Santa won't come - so they usually are wanting that horde of presents on the 25th of December. But by December 27th Santa is old news and they don't think oh this will effect next years Christmas. Guess what? They're right. How many of you can tell me what your kids did last year on December 27th? Not many. 365 days is a long time.

Ask most kids under the age of 5 and they'll tell you Santa is a person. Ask kids over 10 that same question and most will say myth. Ask me at 48 and I'll tell you belief.

Why is Santa a belief for me? Have you ever had a moment, anytime of the year except the period from Thanksgiving Day to New Years Day, where you went - It feels like Christmas? Maybe not, but most of us have - I've heard people say - this is better than Christmas - a LOT! So for me, Santa is a belief that we will be rewarded for some random act of kindness we did with no expectation of getting recognition or reward for it.

After working 12 years in the retail business, I can tell you I have the "Christmas Spirit" of a dead reindeer - namely NONE. It comes from every single Christmas I worked in Retail - invariably someone screamed in my face on Christmas eve - "You're ruining my Christmas!"First few years it didn't bother me after about the 6th or 7th, listening to carols about the Joy of Christmas, Peace on Earth, Goodwill towards men - then watching how people acted... Killed my "Christmas Spirit". I also saw first hand how commercial the whole shebang was.

Before the retail experience, there were many years I was BROKE at Christmas and just had enough to pay the bills, not buy presents for the people I loved. I hated then and hate now - someone insisting I buy a present to show I care about someone in December. What if I want to get a gift in October that says I care about you/you're important to me? What do I hear - "Oh you should have waited till Christmas to give that."

That is why Santa is a belief to me. He lives in my heart throughout the year. When I can help someone, I do. When I want to buy a gift for someone just to say I care, I do. Then sometimes when things are at their darkest for me - someone sends me something out of the blue just to show they care about me.

And isn't that what Santa is really about? Showing you care? So, why wait till December because retailers, card makers and wrapping paper manufacturers tell us we should? Hmmm? No REAL reason that I can think of - other than we've become so indoctrinated to giving gifts on Christmas - we've forgotten the REAL reason you give a gift - to show someone you care.

So, I keep Santa close all year - cause I don't want to forget that lesson.

What I do at School

This is gonna take 2 post - but here is the first - my typography final project - 12 pages and 100+ hours worth of work. - and YES, I designed every title and layout in the thing. JUST checked - made a 92 on it!

A Little Help Please!

Survey: Please visit the three sites listed and the type pages listed. Return the completed survey to sts90@jaguar1.usouthal.edu or delilahkstephans@gmail.com (seems there are some issues with the south email) by Saturday December 3, 2011 at midnight.

Thank you!

Sites:

www.museituppublishing.com

www.lyricalpress.com

www.thewildrosepress.com

Please visit on or more of the following on each site:

Homepage

Bookstore Main Page

Book Page

Author Page

Please answer the following questions:

1. On a scale of 1-10 how easy is MuseitUp Publishing's site to navigate?

2. On a scale of 1-10 how easy is Lyrical Press's site to navigate?

3. On a scale of 1-10 how easy is The Wild Rose Press' site to navigate?

4. Which site did you find easier to navigate and why?

5. Which site did you find the hardest to navigate and why?

6. Which site did you find had just the right amount of information on each of the pages?

7. Which site did you find had too much information on each page?

8. Which site did you feel had the best color scheme and why?

9. Which site did you feel had the worst color scheme and why?

10. Which site would you be more likely to buy a book from and why?

11. Which site would you be least likely to buy a book from and why?

12. Which site did you prefer the Author's Page on and why?

13. Which site did you prefer a Book Page on and why?

14. Two of the sites begin on the homepage of the bookstore and one on a general web page, which approach did you prefer and why?

15. Which site did you feel had the best graphics - not including covers?

16. Which site did you feel had the worst graphics - not including covers?

17. Please give a 1-5 sentence opinion on each site:

- MuseitUp Publishing

- Lyrical Press

- The Wild Rose Press

18. Which site was easiest to find contact information on?

19. Which site was hardest to find contact information on?

20. Do you purchase eBooks?

It's Thanksgiving Goodbyes.

Yeah I know it's 9PM. But, it was really hard to find something to be thankful for this year. - My Collie I'd had for 12 years died, Professor scared the Crap out of me Tuesday, my favorite professor left the college - (he wouldn't play their stupid reindeer games), and Wednesday I was awoken to the neighbor knocking on the door saying one of my dogs was out. Went out - luckily found the one the neighbor had seen - then realized my old man was missing.

My old man was Willoglen Demons Begone or Damian. He was a show dog, but always prefered the life of a couch potato. Oh, he'd show for you if you asked - because he wanted to please you but not because he enjoyed it. I've got 2 of his sons and two of his daughters here. One I got back from the show person I swapped her to, because she was downsizing. That little girl went third at the Sheltie Nationals as a puppy in a class of over 100!

Well I went looking for the breeder's phone number - Damian is microchipped, so they'd call her. No luck. But I did find that he has a granddaughter that is a champion, and several great grandchildren that are pointed or about to start their show career. So my old boy is still their contributing to the breed I love, even if it's time for me to leave it. Shelties are barkers and my nerves just can't take it anymore. But I'm thankful that he is left a legacy on the breed. Cause every one of those grandkids and great grandkids have his beautiful head! This is Damian in his prime.

What I'm doing this weekend.

So it's Thanksgiving weekend - which I think means to professors - OH they have plenty of time to work on stuff for me. I worked on Conceptual today - here's the progress.

The Base image:

Better explain the project is to draw a temporary object or idea - I chose life. This is the Well of Souls - and this is where I left it Monday at the end of class. I finished up the stones and moved on to the next page, which is ink wash on Mylar. Death.

The third part - While the wash on Death was drying I put the second sheet of mylar on it and did another ink wash. Clotho - the spinner of the threads of life. I really like how she's coming out of the well.

Here is where I left it for the day. I'll work on it more tomorrow - thinking of adding another sheet of mylar and putting a background on it but not sure, so stopped and will let it percolate in the brain over night.

Tiger Picture

Still working on this entry