I have not forgotten about you! Oh no!

A few things craft-related have happened in the past week or two. Most notably, my guitar came in the mail. I got an acoustic Lyon by Washburn, which I’m told is a quality guitar for a beginner such as myself. Given the price I got it for, I’m not too concerned about the wisdom of such a purchase.

I doubt I’ll learn much from the instructional DVD that came with it, but I have every intention of seeking out guidance through the internet and (possibly) friends – though I won’t necessarily go so far as to take a class or hire an instructor. At least, I do not plan to do so.

On a different note, my mom found this book, which serves as a very in-depth guide to working with polymer clays. I’ve only worked with ceramics in the past, but judging from the material covered in the book, I think I could do quite a bit with polymer if I practice a bit. I thought about making Christmas gifts out of polymer clay for all my friends, something like Kuu’s frog figurines from Haibane Renmei, but it has occurred to me that I have neither the time nor the resources to undertake such a task right now. That is not to say I won’t do it – it just won’t be a Christmas thing.

Currently, I do not think that I will be able to begin any projects until January, as stated in my last post. Many of my resources, such as paint and thread and unfinished projects, are back at my apartment on campus, and I am back home for Winter break. I also have work most days, and whatever free time I have otherwise should be put toward applying for internships. So, this blog will be rather boring and dry until then – but hopefully it will not be nearly so once I start doing some projects.

“Race In” by Battles – a band apparently made popular lately through the video game LittleBigPlanet, though I found them through the webcomic Three Panel Soul, the co-author of which most likely heard about them the same way everyone else did -

(On a side note, LittleBigPlanet is part of the reason I want to take up crocheting. I’d like to make creatures such as the game’s quirky sack boy avatars.

So.

Thanks to the influence of my friend Jeremy and the openness of college life, I have recently taken an interest in exploring new things and learning new skills. My curiosity began with a trip to a local art store, where I purchased a bunch of clay and some paint supplies. It was my intention to make a clay creature with LED eyes operated by a switch mounted to the back of the creature’s head. While this creature still remains in a box in my apartment, half-painted and empty in the head, this endeavor brought back all the warm feelings I got from doing art projects back in elementary school. I wanted to do more things. I wanted to learn everything I could about anything that caught my interest.

Since then, I have added the following potential endeavors:

1. Sewing
2. Costume-making
3. Learning new languages
4. Playing the guitar
5. Crocheting

Unfortunately, I am limited by the resources and tools readily available in a college set in a rural outlet where the only major store is a Wal-Mart. I would like to work with wood and metals, but I do not have the resources nor the permission to house the necessary tools. So, such interests will have to wait.

On the positive side, I can easily obtain fabric and such for sewing, costume-making, and crocheting. I’ve already tested out basic sewing skills on small projects, such as fixing my roller blades and making a few small props for a Halloween costume. As far as learning new languages, I have the benefit of owning a Nintendo DS, a product which anyone would find handy for learning, given the multitude of “coaching” and “training” software that has been released for it. I currently have two such products: My French Coach and My Japanese Coach. While they are not nearly as useful as actual courses in those subjects or, moreso, actual interaction with people native to such regions, they are a cheap alternative for a poor college student with limited credit hours.

Recently, I purchased an acoustic guitar for about $50 from woot.com, for the purpose of learning to play the guitar. While owning a guitar is not equivalent to knowing how to use one, it is certainly an important first step. With any luck, I will find the motivation to try my hand at it. I’ve always been interested in music, whether listening or creating it, but I lack the necessary funds to purchase a saxophone, my favorite instrument to play. If I can overcome the initial learning stages of guitar-playing, though, perhaps I can find the same enjoyment in it as I did playing the saxophone in my high school jazz band.

So, having said all that, I hope that you will bear with me as I use this blog to detail my accomplishments and hardships as I take on various DIY projects and attempt to learn some interesting things outside a formal classroom setting.

If anyone has any suggestions for other projects to take on, feel free to leave a comment. I am always open to ideas. I’d like to make something of this blog, and in time I will include more media to go along with what I am doing. As it stands, though, I will not be able to accomplish much until January, when I return to college and my apartment, where most of my supplies and current projects are located.

Also, as in my first (meaningless) post, I’d like to end each entry with a song that I fancy. You might not have the same musical taste as I do, but I suppose it never hurts to try. The tune in the previous entry was “The Safer Parts of the City” by Company Man, and this entry’s tune is “22 in 2005″, also by Company Man and the source of this entry’s title.

… or not. How silly.