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Much of a muchness
Things that make you go 'hmm'…
I’m so excited!!
Posted by on February 3, 2008
I am so excited by this book as it has set my imagination whirling…. Let me explain. This book is covered with a linen bookcloth which can be used in an inkjet printer. It comes in sheets which are roughly A4 size or roughly A3 size. The print on this book is a photograph I took in the summer of marguerites in my garden. It took me a while to get the printer set up to take these sheets. They are paper backed and as they are not quite a standard A3 size (they measure 11″ x 17″) they have to be treated as a custom size but once it’s set up, it’s easy. Half the problems came from the fact I was having to get used to my new Canon PIXMA Pro 9500 A3+ printer. This was my test print. I was quite prepared to bin this as I thought I would have to make some adjustments but it came out beautifully. It actually looks sort of faded – like an antique fabric which I really like. I am now trawling through my photographs for ones which will make good book covers and my mind is racing with thoughts of future photographic projects…..landscapes, flowers – people! The ultimate personalization!
Well, here it is finally. The new hairdo! I have had about 6″ cut off my hair and it is now a bob rather than droopy spaniel ears :) To distract you from me, I am sitting in front of my fish clock, a ceramic Gothic-surreal-call it what you will masterpiece which is so fragile, that after three or four house moves, half the pointy bits are held on with superglue but I still like it! And it tells the time perfectly. News Flash! I just went downstairs to see who made this clock and picked it up – and one of the spirals on the top fell off and broke in half. Marvellous. Anyway, it is made by J. Callaghan in 1997 and that’s as much as I can tell you about it.
To continue my makeover I bought new glasses (or spectacles as my optician calls them) It’s really difficult to buy glasses. I still have this hang up about ‘Men don’t make passes at girls who wear glasses’ and I grew up watching those films where the hero, after unsuccessfully wooing the beautiful unattainable one, finally notices his secretary, the plain bespectacled heroine (usually played by a gorgeous actress wearing glasses with a frump hairdo) You’ve all seen the scene where he removes her glasses, lets her hair down and says wonderingly ‘Why, Miss Smith! You are beautiful!’ This is a trend I’ve also seen in present day teen flicks and soaps. Take one gorgeous actress, tie her hair up and make her wear horrid glasses. Ugly duckling becomes swan by styling her hair and wearing contacts. ‘Now, Voyager’, ‘She’s All That’, Ugly Betty anyone?
So I eventually chose some groovy Prada specs which I hope send out the right message when I’m wearing them. I don’t have a photograph of me in specs so you will just have to imagine those. I do rather like them them though, they are dark green and very smart but I don’t want to have any ‘Miss Smith’ moments, I want to look fab all the time :-)
Much of a muchness 
Hi Diane, funny how things coincide! I’ve been to the hairdresser’s just on thursday but I think I have cut away even more than you, about two palms widths … now this is really cold in the neck, I tell you! Wrapping scarfs around me all the time. But way more manageable for my upcoming holiday in warm and spring-like La Palma — taking off on friday!! Can you tell I’m looking forward to this?? Have a nice sunday, and BTW, you look gorgeous on that picture! Now Valentine’s Day can come, you’ll just be charming wrapping everyone around your little finger, as a german saying goes :-)
Diane I think you look fab – your hair looks great (not that I know what it was like before). A lovely smile and a twinkle in those eyes!
Your book cover is also great – as usual.
Where do you buy the base books from? What do you do with them all and how many do you make a day?
I have spent the morning claying and am just waiting for the oven to get to temperature. At long last my mojo has returned…..thought it hadn’t made it into 2008 at one point.
Astrid – I wasn’t very brave but I like it so may go even shorter next time! Cold neck or not!
Have a great holiday! I envy you warm sunshine, cold and windy here in the UK.
Thanks for the V Day wishes – let’s hope so!!
Lunes – I usually make all the insides. I occasionally buy ready made text blocks – if I need lined paper or want a diary or an address book but usually, I cut the paper and stitch them together myself. As for what I do with them, at the moment I stack them in a big box! I am intending to start selling them soon. I try to make one a day. So I have over a hundred so far…..
Glad you got your mojo back it’s sad when it goes awol, isn’t it?
I really like your new book. The colors and flower print look great.
I found it amusing that you described your old hair as “droopy spaniel ears”! I haven’t seen the before photos but I know what you are describing.
I’ve found that many men actually find glasses sexy on a woman. As long as you have a nice pair of sleek glasses and not 1980s big grandma style. I actually get hit on about the same whether or not I’m wearing my glasses. Btw, I have a nice lil’ black artsy style glasses I wear.
Keep up the good work! :)
Jessica
jmculver.com
jmculvergallery.wordpress.com
Nice shot of you.
Cool clock too.
I also love the Geena Davis icons at the bottom. ;)
Earth girls are easy. Or are they hard?
Jessica – I hope you are right as I am finding I am having to wear my glasses more and more these days! The joys of getting older….
Love your work too and voted for you over at ‘Clash of the Artists’ :-)
Mark – I couldn’t possibly comment. Except to say I always think of Geena Davis as a brunette…
Yay for Prada. I would sport my Prada’s even more proudly if I didn’t think I looked like a nerd in glasses!
Like the new do!
No wonder your excited – it looks great. I have no problem imagine you in glasses and of course I would make passes at a girl like you!
Wishing you a great week ahead ;-)
Your new “do” looks great!
I had my hair styled and highlighted a little over a week ago. I love it. I’m not going to put my photo up on my blog though.
I’ve been wearing glasses since I hit 40. I now wear them most of the time. I can’t see what I’m eating…kind of handy when my husband cooks ;-)
Ryan – I’m very fond of my glasses. I can now see. I hadn’t realized just how much of a blur everything was – until it stopped being blurry!
Renny – I’ve been going through my photos looking for ones that would make book covers – very inspiring!
You are very kind – as usual! You have a wonderful week too.
Plum – Thank you, it’s definitely an improvement! Doesn’t a successful new ‘do’ make you feel wonderful? As for the glasses, I used to only need them for reading but I find since I got my varifocals, I am wearing them, more and more. Mainly because if I take them off, I lose them :-)
I need new glasses. I think I’m going to try progressives…must be the American for vaifocals
By the way, how did you get that picture of me with the specs? :-D
WOW I love the new book and the new hairdo! I need to go get mine cut and styled, its just long & straight, and winter is beating my hair up.
The book you made wow, do you mean I can make a meaningful gift like this for christmas presents? Thanks, you have really inspired me! Blessings Diana Adams
http://www.Sewing-Notions.com
That’s a very full post…where to begin! I’m excited about that linen bookcloth…that sounds very cool!
As for the hair – love it. And the glasses ad…omg…it’s so true! LOL
Hello Diane
The only image I have of you is the one you use as your avatar. I don’t know how recent that photo is, but it is a good one. It has a fragile expression and a warm greeting exuding sincerity; though a little uncertain, it is full of hope.
However, this new look is much better. You have a wide grin that projects a lot of confidence and determination, and a wide eyed look that views the future with more certainty and deliberateness; like you know exactly what you want and how you’re going to get it. Also, you can see yourself enjoying the victory.
That’s how I see this photo. I know it will come true. –Durano, done!
The hairdo looks wonderful, the Prada specs sound delicious too – when are we going to see the pics?
Think I’m not too far off needing varifocals myself, how long did it take you to get used to them? I’ve heard some people take quite a few weeks.
Anyway this guy would certainly make passes at someone who looks like you wearing glasses, and I’m sure I’m not alone ;-)
Plum – :-D
Diana – Thank you so much. My hair was long and straggly – at least it feels like it has some shape now.
Drowsey – glad you are excited by the book cloth too! I am searching for good photographs to use for new books. watch this space!
Durano – that is such a lovely thing to say! Thank you so much, I hope what you see does come true. I am feeling more positive :-)
Smudge – I had some last year and couldn’t get on with them at all – they made me feel queasy but my new ones have a slightly different/better reading/distance area ratio (if you see what I mean) and I love them!
All these lovely compliments – I am blushing :-)
With hair and looks like this, you are telling me you are single? Nice try, I’m not buying ha! :))
Sad but true, I’m afraid, but open to offers…. :-)
Actually… i knew a girl whose sex appeal skyrocketed when she wore her specs. This was many, many years ago in case some one I answer to is reading.
I like the idea. How is the durability of it?
P.S. – if *I* were you, I’d cement this and get your website going before some one finds a way to mass produce these and sell them for much more than you’re willing to. Be the formidable force! It’s an excellent idea, and the perfect gift for gift snobs like me! so you’ll want to move on it before some one else does!
Jon – the inks in my printer are pigment inks which are exceptionally long lasting. It uses 10 seperate cartridges including two different blacks and a grey so monochrome prints are exceptional too.
You’ve got me worried now….must get cracking!
Oh I think it’s completely neat that you were able to use a photo that you had taken! I think the book is lovely….I especially love the polka dots inside…just neat!
Not sure if you’ll see this since it’s such a late comment, but 1) your marguerites photo is awesome and so fab on the book that you made, 2) your new ‘do is fantastic, and 3) the cartoons of men with glasses vs. woman with glasses are hilarious. The glasses thing is like the gray hair and wrinkles thing: why does society think men are smarter and/or sexier with those things, but that they detract from a woman’s beauty? Definitely not fair.
Jenny – Thanks! I rather liked the polka dots too! I think this idea has such potential – I’m working on some more and am going out to take photographs, the first nice day we get :)
Teresa – saw your comment – better late than never!
I love this book I must admit, the linen bookcloth texture is really nice too.
Hair ‘do’ is working out well – I can even manage it myself.I completely agree about the grey hair/wrinkles thing. I don’t know where you are from but here in the UK, women TV presenters are dumped when they start to age but the men can go on and just become ‘distinguished’. Same with actors and actresses. Not fair at all.
We should protest :-)
Alas, here in the US (the mid-west is where I currently reside), it’s the same too. Double standards for men and women. We really should protest!
Personally, I think women get more wonderful with age, and men just regress and have their second childhoods. Uh, don’t tell my dh I said that. ;)
Hi Diane,
Oh my what a lovely surprise this has been to sit and read with first cup of coffee.
I love all of the books. I am very impressed. But, I think this one is especially pretty. I do love flowers so.
And, I truly no waht you mean about new glasses. There are so many too choose from it makes for an entire day if you’re not careful.
Oh I don’t know how we’ve been missing each other. We have quite a few friends in common.
I simply want to comment on everything.
I too have really long hair. And it dives me nuts. but, whenever I do get it cut it never works out. Your new do looks great.
I find it hard to choose glasses as I need to wear my old glasses to see what I look like wearing the new glasses – if you see what I mean so I am constantly juggling. I need to take a friend with me when I go to get a friendly opinion!
I’ll probably end up growing my hair again as I like being able to tie it up when I play tennis but I am enjoying it shorter even though it is more work keeping it styled :-)
I shall definitely be returning to your blog and have added to all the usual places – technorati, Blogcatolog, fuelmyblog etc etc etc – there are so many places :-D