Changing Stuff

Pentominoes - 6 x 10

2012-01-11T10:17:00.001+01:00

The next rectangle 6 x 10 units using all the pieces: 3min 37s
Completed on my 'summer desk'

Grapes - Fetal Grapes

2012-01-10T17:00:00.003+01:00

I took an immature grape of the vine and cut it - like the bright greens I got in this photo. I ate it - still very bitter and lemon-sour but 'almost kind of like a grape' with a thick skin.

Grapes - Close up

2012-01-03T13:43:00.002+01:00

My grapes ahve been growing merrily through the season - here an odd abstract close up:

Pentominoes 5 x 12

2011-12-13T13:57:00.003+01:00

Having completed the 12 pieces I head for more difficult territory - the rectangular puzzles using all the pieces.

Here the 5 x 12 completed in 17m 26s.

Grapes - Abstract

2011-12-07T16:27:00.001+01:00

A close up showing the grapes, currently about the size of your baby finger nail and hard to the touch.

Pentominoes - Y

2011-12-06T13:49:00.001+01:00

The final piece - Y shaped - completed in 43s!

Grapes - Protograpes

2011-12-02T08:30:00.001+01:00

A new subject for me - some proto-grapes that will grow and probably be eaten by birds and insects.

Pentagon - X Piece

2011-11-02T12:43:00.001+01:00

Traditionally the hardest piece to do, this time it took me 4 minutes 36 seconds ( anew record for me by 30+ minutes)

Pentominoes - P

2011-10-26T09:49:00.003+02:00

The P Piece - 3.15s

This one turns out to be quite difficult because the rules state 9 of the OTHER pieces and the small P peice is generally very useful.

Pentominoes - T

2011-10-24T13:02:00.003+02:00

The T piece - a records 52 seconds.

Pentominoes - I

2011-10-14T10:50:00.002+02:00

The simple I piece is perhaps the most difficult of this set, my time 9m40s.

Aloe - Final Fruits

2011-10-12T10:44:00.002+02:00

A final aloe picture - long after all the flowers on the spike are gone the lucky pollinated few form fruit.

Pentominoes - S

2011-09-22T11:36:00.003+02:00

The S Piece 2 min 2 seconds.

Pentominoes - U

2011-09-09T10:25:00.002+02:00

The U (supposed to be a hard one!): 3m 58s

Pentomino - V

2011-09-07T10:11:00.000+02:00

The V piece : 42s!

Pentominoes - L

2011-09-01T11:10:00.001+02:00

The L piece, a fairly hard one, 8minutes 26 seconds.

Aloe - Tipping Over

2011-08-29T14:22:00.000+02:00

All the flowers have opened, just the last few on the tip fading away.

Pentominoes - W

2011-08-26T10:02:00.000+02:00

The W Piece - 6 Minutes 46 s

Aloe - Flare / Flair

2011-08-22T15:33:00.000+02:00

Rather liked this over-exposed colourful shot

Aloe - The Fallen

2011-08-16T10:40:00.000+02:00

As each tiny flower falls off the spike they gather in the leaves below:

Pentominoes - Z

2011-08-15T10:50:00.000+02:00

The Z piece - 2.20s

Pentominoes - F

2011-08-12T12:24:00.001+02:00

Here the piece that is generally labelled F completed at three times its size. This is supposed to be an easy one, it took me 3min 31s.

Pentominoes - First look

2011-08-11T11:07:00.000+02:00

Since I first discovered the Pentominoes when I was about 14 years old I have been fascinated by them. I have made at least ten sets for various people from various materials over the years but this one has always been my favourite since I made it in about 1999.

The set is every possible 2d arrangement of five squares giving the 12 pieces below: They have many strange and varied 2d and 3d properties but I thought I would re-polish my skills exploring this one: The shape of every piece can be made triple it's size from nine of the OTHER pieces.

So expect the some B+W photos of my chaotic desk with each of the twelve pieces and the time it took me to solve them (difficulties vary greatly from piece to piece).

Aloe - The Tip

2011-08-08T16:41:00.000+02:00

The brightest part of the flower spike - the very tip.

Minx - New close Ups 1

2011-08-03T15:38:00.000+02:00

Since my new camera and H's beautiful lens I've been getting much more close up detail in pictures, thus a set of new super close ups of Minx this month.

Aloe - Openings

2011-08-01T14:27:00.000+02:00

A close up shot of the lowest flowers on the spike - just beginning to open.

Settlers - Red Rules Board

2011-07-25T14:05:00.000+02:00

The graphics for the Oriental box lid.

Aloe - First shot

2011-07-20T15:07:00.000+02:00

Restarting this series this spring oriented around the slow opening/ flowering and dying of a sprig of aloe flowers.

Settlers - Dark Towers Box Painted

2011-07-18T13:00:00.000+02:00

The dark tower's set box - looking creepy!

Minx - Up close and Fluffy

2011-07-18T12:57:00.000+02:00

New lens ad new camera - going back to some super close ups of my cat.

House DIY - Wall completed!

2011-06-20T13:25:00.000+02:00

This two day project finally completed 2 weeks later!

House DIY - Dramatic Filler

2011-06-14T16:52:00.000+02:00

Cleaned and filled the various cracks and holes in the wall - tomorrow orange paint...

House DIY - Driveway Wall

2011-06-07T11:23:00.001+02:00

Starting to repaint the wall alongside my driveway - first task clean it for the first time in about 20 years - this is one seriously dirty wall. Below you can see I have scrubbed up to the tap (and made the sign of Zorro with the scrubbing brush of fate)

Settlers - Dark Towers Box

2011-05-31T18:18:00.001+02:00

Starting to work on the last box...

Minx - Woken Up

2011-05-23T13:44:00.000+02:00

Recent cuteness (and great camera).

House DIY - The Door Finished

2011-05-16T17:26:00.002+02:00

With the gate pulled back our new view out the bedroom, it makes me happy!

Settlers - Watery box completed

2011-05-09T11:39:00.002+02:00

Finished the player box for the watery pieces this weekend:

Settlers - The Waterfall

2011-05-06T12:36:00.000+02:00

Another bit of the watery box in progress...

House DIY - Bricking

2011-05-03T16:38:00.002+02:00

Rebuilding the bedroom wall to fit the new door.

House DIY - Beams Unembedded

2011-04-20T14:25:00.002+02:00

Reseating these beam correctly as part of the work around here.

House DIY - Experts in the house

2011-04-19T09:18:00.000+02:00

Low key photo through my dressing room showing the builders taking out my bedroom walls.

Settlers - The Waterfront

2011-04-18T11:41:00.000+02:00

Just starting the box for the water-canal set.

House DIY - The pro's move in...

2011-04-13T13:00:00.001+02:00

Curt's Pro team moves in to rebuild my bedroom doors. A dramatic few days lie in wait next week...

Magnetix - Crown and Hanging

2011-04-12T18:06:00.000+02:00

My first blog post with my new SLR (now to read the manual on preset WB):

Settlers - Oriental box Completed

2011-04-06T15:38:00.001+02:00

Got this box done!

Settlers - New Box Loaded

2011-03-30T16:38:00.000+02:00

The new box being testing that all the gaps are okay and pieces say in:

Settlers - Oriental Box

2011-03-28T13:25:00.000+02:00

Just starting this box - red and black gloss paint to come.

Magnetix - Spikey Shadow

2011-03-25T15:56:00.000+01:00

Minx - Running Darkness

2011-03-23T13:30:00.001+01:00

A high tone / low tone photo of which I am quite proud:

Settlers - Celtic Player Box Filled

2011-03-04T11:40:00.000+01:00

Magnetix - Green Bowtish

2011-03-02T09:35:00.000+01:00

Minx - In State

2011-02-28T09:03:00.000+01:00

Minx - Hiding with Caution

2011-02-01T12:12:00.000+01:00

Innumerable gentleman with chainsaws are prowling her garden - Minx cowers deep in my pantry and looks baneful.

Magnetix - Tower Triptych

2011-01-28T14:43:00.000+01:00

Built this tower thing and took it three-ways.

House DIY - More Strippin'

2011-01-25T10:08:00.000+01:00

Naked chimney with interesting foreground!

Magnetix - 'shroom Things

2011-01-20T11:40:00.000+01:00

Weird little alien mushroom things....

House DIY - Inside Strip

2011-01-19T15:26:00.000+01:00

We stripped all the nasty damaged paint out of our lounge, internal refurbishment soonish.

Magnetix - Surreal Thing

2011-01-18T11:05:00.000+01:00

Made this rather surreal thing with my hands while my mind was programming - kinda liked it so I photographed it.

Mushrooms Close up- Day 9

2011-01-12T09:26:00.000+01:00

Close up photo of the shrooms before we picked them.

Mushrooms - Day 9

2011-01-10T08:44:00.000+01:00

By the next day they had become full oyster mushrooms ready for the picking....

Mushrooms - Day 8

2011-01-07T13:20:00.000+01:00

The very next day when we awake...

House DIY - Final Front Wall

2011-01-05T09:58:00.000+01:00

Basically completed here...

Settlers - Player Box Painted

2011-01-04T08:40:00.000+01:00

Mushrooms - Day 7

2011-01-03T08:20:00.000+01:00

One day later...

Mushrooms - Day 6

2010-12-29T08:38:00.001+01:00

No action for long days as we regularly misted them and then some little proto-mushrooms:

Settlers - Player Box Modelled

2010-12-28T08:28:00.000+01:00

A player box with neatly (?) modelled spots to hold each piece.

Mushrooms - Day 0

2010-12-27T08:20:00.000+01:00

We brought this box of DIY oyster mushrooms a few weeks back and just before Christmas decided to open and water it. The results (to be posted here over the next few days were surprising.

This is the box (with included mister) with it's substrate showing - soon mushrooms will despore....

Minx - Tail and eyes

2010-12-21T09:12:00.000+01:00

Flash shot of her tail and face...

House DIY - Numbering

2010-12-21T09:02:00.000+01:00

Masking tape and black gloss enamel to make a large number...

Magnetix - Christmas Tree

2010-12-17T10:47:00.000+01:00

Seeing that it's the time of year to honour the anniversary of an ancient execution of historic uncertainty:

House DIY - All Orange

2010-12-15T11:23:00.000+01:00

Orange on and shiny... just a green door and black number to go...

House DIY - The New Orange

2010-12-13T09:31:00.000+01:00

Started the repainting of the outside - some unfortunate ivy also became orange for Christmas.

House DIY - The Green Door

2010-12-10T10:08:00.000+01:00

The door has been badly primed (ran out of primer) and now an ugly pink which shoul dinspire us to further work.

House DIY - External Walls

2010-12-08T10:41:00.000+01:00

My recently stripped front property door, soon to be repainted along with the famous orange wall.

Magnetix - Hanging Spin

2010-12-06T11:41:00.000+01:00

Crown with hanging (spinning ) green square, unusual and kind of cool.

Minx - Blurry Sleepy

2010-11-29T11:11:00.001+01:00

Back from holiday and should be posting regularly again...

Magnetix - Cathedral

2010-11-02T14:18:00.000+01:00

Magnetix - Above

2010-10-26T13:56:00.000+02:00

Dark shot taken from directly above:

Magnetix - Ring Thing

2010-10-21T11:16:00.000+02:00

Suspended ring tower....

Minx - Weekend Lazy

2010-10-18T09:16:00.000+02:00

The return of summer makes for unconscious cuteness:

Magnetix - Bloomin'

2010-10-13T16:08:00.000+02:00

Minx - Close up B+W

2010-10-12T12:33:00.000+02:00

Low angle close up, cat astounded at my impertinence.

Magnetix - Chain Links

2010-10-05T16:00:00.000+02:00

Settlers - Player Box Lid (Inside)

2010-10-02T11:06:00.000+02:00

The other side of the the player guide with victory point summary:

Settlers - Player Box Lids

2010-09-28T21:44:00.000+02:00

Graphic for the lids of the player boxes. Think the meaning is clear enough?

Settlers - Player Boxes

2010-09-21T16:47:00.001+02:00

New small boxes - one for each player - this is my first test box.

House - All Done

2010-09-14T10:43:00.001+02:00

Finally painted our burglar bars to complete the front of our house.

Minx - Round fluff

2010-09-13T11:33:00.000+02:00

Almost abstract taken from above.

Magnetix - curves and angles

2010-09-07T12:42:00.000+02:00

Magnetix - Purely Straight

2010-09-02T16:20:00.000+02:00

Built this rather odd tower while not working.

Magnetix

2010-08-30T11:36:00.001+02:00

Was experimenting with tossed stuff and slow exposures for a Worth contest and got this interesting magnetix pic.

Magnetix - Curves and Shadows

2010-08-25T12:54:00.001+02:00

Pretty tall thing with shadows...

House - Lights

2010-08-23T16:11:00.000+02:00

New door and new light fittings.

Magnetix - Tower Thing

2010-08-18T14:28:00.000+02:00

Minx - Look out

2010-08-16T16:00:00.001+02:00

House - Red Door Self

2010-08-11T10:58:00.000+02:00

Shiny and Bright new Door

Magnetix - Dark Tower

2010-08-05T21:38:00.000+02:00

More with squares...

Magnetix - Squares Squared

2010-08-03T16:16:00.000+02:00

Sparkly cube

House - Red Door

2010-08-02T15:32:00.000+02:00

Red door - all taped and in painting progress....

House - Tastes like Summer

2010-07-28T12:06:00.001+02:00

Front walls got pumpkin paint...