4 posts tagged “books”
Robert Genn sent out a newsletter today and within it he mentions Professor Jim Horne of the Loughborough Sleep Research Center in England and his opinions on larks and owls, ( aka early birds and night owls).... you can read it here: http://clicks.robertgenn.com/larks-owls.php
Within it he says "It seems that larks have an advantage in concentration and inventiveness"
I tend to disagree with this generalized statement, because the outcome really depends on when you test the owls. Testing the creativity of an owl at 8am is sorta like testing the creativity of a lark at 3am... they probably are not at their top performance, ya know?
If you are at all interested in how the brain functions, you really need to read John Medina's book:
Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School
There is a podcast interview with him here to give you an idea of his ideas on things.
Pay attention to the 41:00 mark where the discussion covers owls and larks, and sleep cycles.
The Brain Science Podcast is a great site. The host, Dr. Ginger Campbell, covers tons of topics about the brain, in layman language.
Anyway the article got me to thinking about how I function. I think I have always been a owl, I function better than most on 4-5 hours sleep obtained between 2 and 9pm, my 'pay the bills' job is in health care, where night shift workers who function well on an owl sleep schedule are cherished. Artistically I always get my best ideas and do my best work creatively between 2am and 6am, (the ideas wake me if I am sleeping) my second best function time is between 11am and 1pm. When I try to flip schedules on my days off by trying to sleep at night, I am largely dysfunctional.
I am worthless mentally if I try to sleep at night and then try to get up and function at 8 or 9am. We are wired how we are wired... if an owl functions poorly while trying to function contrary to their natural sleep cycle, it is because they are at a disadvantage.... no different really than trying to get a lark to be fully functional at 3am, that wouldn't work well either.
One of the best advantages to working at night either for employment or artistically is the reduced number of distractions. Thought processes are not interrupted by life, because life is sleeping. The phone doesn't ring, no one asks where their socks are, or if I can drive them somewhere, I don't have to stop what I am doing to cook meals, or to do laundry, I have no appointments to get to... and the quiet solitude of the night is glorious. I get more done in less time, and no one is awake making demands on me that imply I need to justify my time for artistic endeavors. It is a slice of life uninterrupted. Larks never get that. I feel sorry for them.
The colors, sounds, and impressions of the night are different than those of the daytime, everyone who has an ounce of artistic talent in them should explore them artistically sometime.... the world is a different place at night... and the dawning of a new day, as it seeps into the world starting around 430am... is amazing to watch, and even more amazing to feel, because it is a time of day where everything comes together and allows you to feel the day....and how could that fail to produce great art?
The one disadvantage to working nights? People, who do not understand that working nights and
sleeping days is normal for me....and when they call to chat at 5pm, they are disrupting my natural sleep schedule. It always makes me want to call them at 3am to chat....
I got some really great bargains by buying used, what I bought is listed below,(if you are interested in any of them, you can click the name of the book to get to it on amazon):
Hardanger Embroidery
Doodle Stitching: Fresh & Fun Embroidery for Beginners
Time to Quilt: Fun Quilts and Retreat Ideas for 1 or 101 (That Patchwork Place)
The Art of Bead Embroidery: Techniques, Designs & Inspirations
Wearable Art: Innovations (A Studio/Penguin book)
All this for $53.03, I think I did good. Of course it barely dents my wish list, but it did take it down by a page. Yay!
Vi and I took a ride yesterday, in route home we were driving down Powell and passed an "exotic dancer" place, the sign out front said "free prime rib dinner" and that caught Vi's eye. Vi was questioning how they could give away prime rib dinners, so I suggested maybe the cover charge included the cost of it. She started laughing, uncontrollably... and without blinking she said, "oh Andee, that is just silly why would anyone going into a place like that want anything covered?" We laughed all the way to her house... she amuses me no end. The things she comes up with just slay me....
I pulled a great one on Keegan on my birthday... he was bugging me to go shopping, I was too tired and he would not let up so I held a small flashlight to his ear and he asked me what I was doing.... I said "Look at that! The light goes right through your head and out the other side, obviously your head is empty and that is why you will not listen to me". He called me a liar, grabbed the flashlight and held it to his own ear, but tilted his head to see if the light indeed came out the other side and showed up on his little cookstove his uncle Pat bought him to play chef on... when he saw no light he proclaimed me a naughty grandmother. Straight faced I told him his head was not tilted enough for him to see the light coming through but I had seen it.... ( I figure any time I can get him to act dumb twice in a row is more fun for me so I stuck to my story). Of course he tried it again but this time a car was going by outside at just the right time, and the headlights reflected on his stove as he was doing it... his eyes got REALLY big and he ran to his mom crying because his brain was missing...... I am a MEAN GRANDMA. Karina lectured me accordingly... I gotta say it was my best gift of the day though.
I LOVE books.... if the house was burning down and I had to pick between saving my computer and saving my books, the computer would lose... and my family had better be prepared to get themselves out. I got several Amazon gift certificates this last year from various people.... Ramie and Brian, my pal Sherry , and my brother all kept feeding my habit in 2007. This is is a list of my favorites out of the books I have bought or been given in the last 2 years, if you need a gift for someone artsy that is hard to buy from, these are all great resource/inspiration/instruction books to feed to a creative mind. Tomorrow I will post my wish list because one can never have too many books...
Laurel Burch I love her art, she showed me the joy of bold color....may she RIP:
Laurel Burch Quilts: Kindred Creatures
Fantastic Felines
Susanna Oroyan ( Doll Maker)I have all her books, love her dollmaking and her death this year was a horrible loss to the dollmaking world:
Finishing the Figure: Doll Costuming, Embellishments, Accessories
Designing the Doll: From Concept to Construction
Anatomy of a Doll: The Fabric Sculptor's Handbook
Fantastic Figures: Ideas and Techniques Using the New Clays
Art, Quilting, and Misc. books:
Art Quilt Workbook: Exercises & Techniques to Ignite Your Creativity
Art Doll Adventures: Exploring Projects and Processes through Cultural Traditions
Creative Embellishments: For Paper, Jewelry, Fabric and More
Mixed Media Mosaics: Techniques & Projects Using Polymer Clay Tiles, Beads & Other Embellishments
The Altered Object: Techniques, Projects, Inspiration
Fabric Art Workshop: Exploring Techniques & Materials for Fabric Artists and Quilters
Creative Stamping With Mixed Media Techniques
Paper, Metal & Stitch: Creating Surfaces with Color and Texture
The Surface Designer's Handbook: Dyeing, Printing, Painting, and Creating Resists on Fabric
Rolling Homes: Handmade Houses on Wheels
Thread Magic: The Enchanted World of Ellen Anne Eddy
Dyes & Paints: A Hands-On Guide to Coloring Fabric
Beading on Fabric: Encyclopedia of Bead Stitch Techniques
Creative Quilts: Inspiration, Texture & Stitch
Creative Quilting: The Journal Quilt Project
Design Essentials: The Quilters Guide
Quilt Your Favorite Photos: Shoot It, Sketch It, Stitch It
Portrait Quilts: Painted Faces You Can Do
The Arts and Crafts Computer: Using Your Computer as an Artist's Tool
Handmade Tiles: Designing * Making * Decorating (A Lark Ceramics Book)
Simple Screenprinting: Basic Techniques & Creative Projects
I am clearing stuff out and listing everything within this post on-going until the job is done. As things sell, I will remove them and replace them with more, so bookmark this post of you are into Books, VHS movies, fabric, craft supplies, and great deals on misc stuff. I figure the process will take at least through May, ( I have a LOT of stuff to get rid of). Every item that can be shipped will be posted here first for a week before being posted on Ebay, that way I can offer better prices because there are no fees. I will take payment if you want something by postal money order or paypal. I'll be shipping on Mondays and Thursdays. Shipping to be based on weight and your zip, no added charges. I am happy to combine shipping to save you money. Come back to this post often and make my stuff your stuff ;)
Owners Manual Here.
Average retail price is $45.99--- It's new and still in the box so $30.00? or make me an offer. Local pickup available if you live near Portland Oregon, shipping paid by buyer to their zip based on weight and preferred carrier.
Local pickup: $3.00 each or 4 for $10.00.
Along Came Polly Fatal Attraction
Ace Ventura Heart Condition
Article 99 Hiding Out
Before and After Home Alone
Bullets On Broadway Honey I Shrunk The Kids
Cloak and Dagger HoneyMoon
Coupe DeVille Housekeeping
Crazy Moon I'm Not Rappaport
Dominic and Eugene Impulse
Dust In Country
Eleni Life Stinks
Empire Of The Sun Mean Girls
Evolution Mystic River
Fast Forward STORM OF THE CENTURY Stephen King 2 tape set
Next batch will be added as soon as I can get to them around working... I am out of steam and didn't get it done before I got an emergency call to hurry to work this morning.
--------------------------------------------------------
I am pricing all the books at a price that is under the lowest price on a used book search online, if you think the price is still too high, make me an offer:
Unless noted, I take care of my books, (most are in like new condition, or have very marginal shelf wear).
This is only after sorting the first 2 crates of 23, more will be added to this post over the next weeks so bookmark this post and check back often
Shipping to be based on actual weight and your zip... your choice bookrate or flat rate priority:
Books - Sewing, Quilting and Fiber Art:
Designing in Stitching and Applique by Nancy Belfer (Paperback - 1977) $4.00
Creative Machine Stitching: Special Effects for Quilts & More by Patricia Nelson (Paperback - 2003) $12.50
Crazy Quilt Odyssey: Adventures in Victorian Needlework by Judith Montano (Paperback - 1991) Collectible $13.00
Quilter's Ultimate Visual Guide by ed. Ellen Pahl (Paperback - 2001) $12.50
Learning To Quilt -- A Beginner's Guide by Lori Smith and Leisure Arts (Paperback - 1990) $5.00
Teach Yourself to Quilt: Step-by-step Instructions (Leaflet 1179) by Patricia Eaton (Paperback - 1988) $2.50
Shadow Quilting With Majorie Puckett by Marjorie Puckett Like new- $4.00
Power Sewing: New Ways to Make Fine Clothes Fast by Sandra Betzina collectable OOP SOLD!
Tie-and-Dye as a Present-Day Craft by Anne Maile (Hardcover -1971) Rare collectable- dust cover torn, rest of book excellent- $15.00
Creative appliqué by Beryl Dean (Hardback 1970)- Odd little collectable book- impossible to find in a hardback - $4.50
Books - Art:
Painting and Drawing (Discovering Your Own Visual Language) by Anthony Toney 1978 OOP $5.00
Drawing: How to Draw - Drawing Fun for kids by Walter T. Foster (Soft Bound - 1998) $2.50 *one ink mark on front cover
Books - Crafty and Decor:
The Complete Book of Paint: A Comprehensive Guide to Paint Techniques for Walls, Floors, Furniture, Fabrics, and Metalwork (Paperback)by David Carter $10.00
Decorative Painting & Faux Finishes by Sharon Ross, Elise Kinkead, and Various (Paperback - 2004) $8.75
Singer Creative Gifts and Projects Step-by-Step by Singer (Hardcover - 1993) $5.50
Keepsake Transfer Collection (The Big Book Over 1,000 Designs) by Gerri Sorkin (Paperback - 1984) $3.00
Keepsake Transfer Collection II The Celebration Series by Gerri Sorkin (Paperback - 1991) HTF $4.50
Best Iron-On Transfers (Wearable Art Series) by Joni Prittie (Paperback - 1990) $3.00
The Creative Stencil Source Book: 200 Inspiring and Original Motifs by Patricia and Les Meehan (Paperback) $6.00
Sacred Space- Clearing & Enhancing The Energy Of Your Home SOLD!
Cookbooks:
Diet Watchers Cookbook by Barbara Gibbons $3.50
Better homes and gardens snacks and appetizers (Better homes and gardens books) (Hardcover - 1974) $2.50
McCall's Cooking School: Step-by-step Directions for Mistake-proof Recipes (Ring-bound - 1984) - hard to find $8.50
Wolfgang Puck Adventures in the Kitchen by Wolfgang Puck (Hardcover - 2004) $7.50
Jacques Pépin's Table: "Today's Gourmet" by Jacques Pepin (Paperback - 2003) $6.50
No time to cook cookbook: With recipes from some of America's busiest people (Spiral Binding - 1994) $4.00
The Complete Book of Pizza by Louise Love (Paperback - 1981)- OOP $3.50
In the Kitchen With Rosie "Oprah's Favorite Recipes" (Rosie Daley) by Rosie Daley (Hardcover - 1995) not gift quality, it has recipes glued inside the front cover, interior book okay- $2.50
Nut Lovers Cookbook (Paperback) by Shirl Carder 1984- like new/ OOP and very hard to find- $10.00
Eat More, Weigh Less: Dr. Dean Ornish (Paperback - 2000) $4.00
Books - Misc:
READER'S DIGEST MAGIC AND MEDICINE OF PLANTS (Hardcover) by Reader's Digest (Author) $7.50
Jeanne Rose's Herbal Body Book (Paperback) by Jeanne Rose (Author) $3.50
Desperation Entertaining! by Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross (Paperback - 2002) $3.50
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Book 3) (softcover) by J.K. Rowling (Author) 5.00
Valley Of The Horses pocket sized paperback Jean M. Auel $1.00
----------------------------------------------
Patterns: I have a ton of them, (women's, mens, children, retro, craft, home decor, plus sized women's) anyone interested? Most of them except the designer and wearable art ones would be $2.50 each including shipping. I can scan a bunch of them and post them this weekend if anyone is interested.
