Speak Your Mind 180 #896-900

QUESTIONS

1. What do you think about writing stores?

2. How old do you think your Math teacher is?

3. Are you a good cook?

4. Where does your mother work

5. What hair color is most common in your family?

ANSWERS By: Austin Smith

1. I think it’s great, I love to do it, and I am an author, so it makes sense.

2. I don’t go to school currently.

3. No, I am very bad at food things.

4. At the jewelry shop she owns.

5. I would say brown.

Thoughts on InCoWriMo

InCoWriMo (international Correspondence Writing Month) just ended (February {written in early March}) and I was participating. I just wanted to say a few things about it.

I really enjoyed the process of writing letters and finding friends and family members who would be willing to read them and possibly reply. I worked on my handwriting to make everything look nice (because I’ll just say it: this was all really an excuse for me to use my pens and practice penmanship with some great things happening because of it). I sent letters to family members, far-away friends, and even interesting acquaintances. It was all rather exciting, but I still got to sit in my chair.

I will admit that I didn’t finish. I was struck by a string of migraines in the middle of the month that decimated my output of everything, including letters. I only got two-thirds of the way done. But it was a very rewarding two-thirds.

I haven’t received many letters back at this point, but I hope to. I have been writing letters for some time to various people and really enjoy getting letters back.

I just thought I should share, for any pen lovers out there, or people who want to write to people but don’t get around to it, there is this wonderful month put on by the people over at fpgeeks.com and incowrimo.com. You should definitely try it out next year. I know I will.

Review – Layflat Dot Grid Composition

Sometimes lines don’t look right on drawings and grids are too intrusive. Dots can be easier to draw around and can give the general guidance that is necessary. If you want the added bonus of having a book that lays flat on your table or lap you might want to try out the Layflat Sketchbook Dot Grid Composition notebook.

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The cover has a static looking black and white style and and a black spine. There is a space to write a name and subject as well. The cover is very thin cardboard, the inside being plain white with a plastic coating on the outside. It is rather thin, and has a problem with the pointy corners getting dinged up easily. The spine does lay flat with a little prodding, though not as flat as a saddle-stitched binding, but flatter than any other types of composition books, and most other note books.

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The pages are thin as well, white with tiny grey dots at regular intervals. There are quite a few of the dots on a single page, though I don’t know how many. The paper shows through with almost every ink, though it does take a heavy amount to bleed through. Even a few fountain pens work. The corners get dinged up like the cover, and the individual pages are a lot easier to damage. The grid they form is easier to write with than many others and is fairly straight. Though many of the pages are not printed the same, so the dots are inconsistent. Each dot is made of several small dots so they are un-intrusive.

Overall it’s a good notebook for designs and sketches requiring general guidance. It doesn’t work well with larger fountain or brush pens, or heavier liquid ink pens. It can get dinged up easily, but it does lay flat. In the end it is a cheap and nice notebook. Though it has faults, it is reliable and of good quality. It’s good for students or casual designers.

Speak Your Mind 130 #646-650

QUESTIONS

1. Does it bother you to read things written with colored ink?

2. Do you make popcorn very often?

3. Can you think of something you would like to see a T.V. show about?

4. Do you like to go to family reunions?

5. Do you think sports should be played in school?

ANSWERS By: Austin Smith

1. Only if it’s very hard to read.

2. No, not really, I should make it more often.

3. Not that isn’t already on air or was.

4. Not, really, I prefer my family in smaller servings/

5. Only if they don’t make me play any of them.