Monday night, jonesing for cake

[cleolinda]

I forgot to mention the other day--that interest in scrapbooking stayed with me shamefully and then sturmclan, who actually designs digital scrapbooking elements, got hold of me (hee). I'm broke, so I'm only interested in what I can make--digitally--with what I have (Photoshop 6.0, a folder full of random backgrounds, tons of pop culture media images). But we started talking, and she and I are both interested in topics and layouts that move away from the cookie-cutter One Photo and a Lot of Frippery style that you see all over the place. sturmclan in particular is interested in getting people to incorporate journaling into their layouts, so, you know, people will actually have any idea what the page is about ten years from now. Since I already journal so much, I'm interested in tying layouts into existing entries or interests, maybe pulling a few quotes, and putting thumbnails into my Cleoland wiki. Example: I made a wiki page for Cloverfield, listing major entries I wrote on the subject, outside links, and then a thumbnail of the scrapbook page I made for it (shut up!) with a quote pulled from my writeup. So it works side-by-side with the LJ entry (and the wiki entry) itself. But I think it'd also be fun to scrapbook poems or short fiction as well--like the "Bell Donner" story I posted on Halloween.

(Note: My layouts tend to be extremely geometrical, since I don't know how to do fancy things in Photoshop. I mean, I know how to tilt things, but... haven't really thought of anything interesting to do with that yet. I tend to approach it as you would a literal scrapbook: here's a stack of things I want to paste into it, so what's the most appealing way to do so? I'd like to branch out, obviously, but... I'm just saying, be prepared. Geometrical. Kind of how it is at the moment.)

Actually, this wasn't even the first scrapbook page I ever did. The night or so after I first mentioned the Biggest Scrapbooking Scandal of 2007 Omg, I started fooling around with something else.

The wiki entry will provide credit and context for future viewings, obviously.

Geeky collector news:

New blends at BPAL, including Diary of a Lovestruck Teenage Cannibal (which sounds right up my alley, scent-wise) and I Married a Vampire from Planet X. Awesome.

padawansguide informs me that Tonner Dolls 1) has new Elizabeth Swann dolls up (the gowns are completely underwhelming, but Pirate Elizabeth? Actually pretty good), 2) has new Golden Compass dolls up (winter coat!! PAN! PAAAAAAAN!), 3) is making Narnia dolls (*FLAIL*), 4) has new Harry Potter dolls, including a Cho Chang doll, a Voldemort in MC Hammer pants, and a Snape doll on the way (uh). Also, new GWTW dolls, including another "lost costume."

From caitiedid: A CLOVERFIELD MONSTER FIGURE WHAT? WHAT?

* 70 points of articulation and incredible life-like detail
* Authentic sound
* 14” tall
* 10 parasites
* Two interchangeable heads
* Statue of Liberty head accessory

Okay, FYI, I don't have $99 to drop on that, and I'm not sure I could sleep in the same house room with it, but... that is kind of awesome. And--come September, when it ships--we'll finally have a full 360 degree view of it!

MOAR CLOVARFEEELD:

wendyzski explains more about her parasite anti-coagulant go-boom theory; Cloverfield Graphic Novel + Last Shot Of Movie = Wink, Wink (with blurry screencap of Coney Island); Cloverfield Ending Video: What Fell From The Sky?; Cloverfield's Manhattan Geography; The Hater: Things You Shouldn't Think About During Cloverfield; "Lost" vs "Cloverfield"; Jamie and Teddy #11 - Finale? ("It goes out the best way possible: with Jamie coked up on sea nectar and gratuitous boob shots"); several people sent me this link, but here's the most recent: a bootleg of the Cloverfield End-Credits Monster Opera, brought to you by a guy who couldn't get his friend to shut up ("This is going on the internet!"); the cover of "Lily's" party mix souvenir CD; Reeves Runs Merrily Through Cloverfield ("Anyone else think it looked like the Cave Troll from 'Lord of the Rings'?" THANK YOU!). My favorite part:

Reeves: Did you see the thing in the last shot? In the final shot there's a little something, and I don't wanna say what it is. The final shot before the titles. The stuff at Coney Island, there's a little something there and I don't want to give it away 'cause the fun is sort of to find it, but I will say this: there's a funny thing, you look at the shot and until you see it you don't see it and you really don't see it and obviously you don't 'cause none of you have seen it, but once you see it you'll never stop seeing it.

CS: It's the thing dropping in the water, right?

Reeves: Ahh, you saw it.

Back to Cassie Edwards: A Quick-n-Dirty Primer on Plagiarism, Copyright and Fair Use, and Citations in a Fictional Work; Anonymous Musings: Fans Shouldn’t Criticize Writers? How come?

More linkspam:

'Gen. Butt Naked' says he caused 20,000 deaths. Absolutely true story on CNN. Not kidding.

Fake Bhutto Boy Ruins Facebook for French Reporters.

From MySpace to YourSpace; The New MySpace Will Have An Alibi-Service, or, Don't Post Pictures of Yourself in a Fairy Costume When You Said You Were Home Sick.

"Study: Internet Not Dumbing Down Kids, Who Were Stupid Anyway."

Hundreds of Layoffs Expected at Yahoo.

Joel Johnson puts AT&T on the spot over copyright spying plan.

Dr. Phil not apologizing for Spears fiasco.

U2 on seeing 3-D selves: 'Kind of horrific.'

Once You Go Bot, You Never Go Back.

Man quits eating to understand wife's anorexia.

Pregnancy Problems Tied to Caffeine.

Honestly, all of us are liars. That's totally deep, CNN.

Tiger urine, other reasons to miss work.

Katie Holmes is a Fraud?; Katie Holmes' 'Mad Money' Flops.

Christopher Paolini’s Fall Release Given the Harry Potter Midnight Release Party Treatment.

Lohan, Murphy lead Razzie worst-of noms; Who got 'snubbed' by the Razzies? I don't know who got snubbed, but I think it's totally unfair that Orlando Bloom got one for POTC3, given that that was some of his best acting in the whole series. Come on, lumping him in there with Norbit ? That shit is cold, y'all.

Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty, Stardust Among GLAAD Award Nominees.

Strike likely to overshadow Oscar nominees; An Awards-Hungry Nation Hopes For The Best On Oscar Nominations Eve. That's right! Tomorrow's Tuesday! (Sorry, I'm all messed up from so many people having the day off for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.)

‘Blood,’ ‘Enchanted’ scores booted from Oscars?

Could the strike be over in two weeks?

Sundance Q&A: Emily Blunt, who is "playing a crime-scene cleaning lady (and Amy Adams' sister!) in 'Sunshine Cleaning.'"

New Prince Caspian Photos Online.

Bond 22 to Film in Bregenz, Austria.

Story Details for Bale & Depp's 'Public Enemies.'

Oliver Stone Casts Josh Brolin in Biopic About George W. Bush. Wow... I. Huh. The badness of this idea leaves me... yeah.

Ken Watanabe joins "Cirque du Freak."

Behind-the Scenes Video and Photos of The X-Files Sequel.

The new Capt. Kirk speaks!

New "21" Poster.

'Diary of the Dead' poster ("Why so many explosions? Zombies don't blow things up").

Ryan Gosling Will Be the New Jack Ryan?

Paul Dano To Reunite With Brian Cox For ‘The Good Heart.’

Lots of Casting Updates on Gus Van Sant's biopic epic "Milk."

William Hurt Talks About 'Iron Man,' 'Hulk' Crossover.

Free Jumper comic preview.

trailer_spot: Star Trek, Defiance, What Happens in Vegas, Bottle Shock, Sleepwalking.

10,000 B.C. Site Launched with New Extended Clip. And once again, we have the point where my taste and my mother's taste in movies diverge.

Comments

[particle-person.livejournal.com]

Heee, I love your scrapbook...scrappage...scrappydoooo...whatever you call that. It's the Nora comment that really makes the composition. By the way, I suspect the "Layers" menu in PS, if you're not already using it, would be a good feature to look into for scrapbooking.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, I use shitloads of layers. In fact, I usually use more layers than actually show up in the final product, and I have to weed them out before I do the final save, to make the file less cumbersome.

(Actually, I felt like the ferret was what really made it.)

[particle-person.livejournal.com]

In fact, I usually use more layers than actually show up in the final product, and I have to weed them out before I do the final save

That's...that's deep. Respect.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Well, I had a ton of pictures for the Cloverfield layout that I was moving around, trying to get the balance right. I have only the most perfunctory design knowledge, gained from a seminar I took in high school while working on the high school lit mag. (The Rule of Thirds thing looks extremely helpful, btw.)

[particle-person.livejournal.com]

I was joking, not mocking you. Sometimes technical vocabulary (e.g. "layers") just stops looking real to me, and I start to laugh. I think it's a side effect of being in a very very very technical profession -- I'm up to my ears in jargon on a daily basis, and when I think about how it would sound to someone else, it cracks me up.

Rule of Thirds is probably one of the most useful basic design rules because it's so easy to apply. The principle is that people tend to scan an image along diagonals, especially from top left to bottom right, so composing in a way that takes account of that quirk makes a composition more effective.

While I'm here: More rules of composition (http://www.picturecorrect.com/photographytips/composition.htm). Googling "Rules of composition" will also get you plenty of helpful links.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

No, I knew what you meant. I just thought it was funny that I was sitting there spending all this time on a scrapbook layout.

[particle-person.livejournal.com]

Heh. Changing the subject: Go hook ursulav on BPAL. Now's your chance.

http://ursulav.livejournal.com/723254.html
http://ursulav.livejournal.com/723487.html

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Hee, I saw. I think "Perfume: The Gathering" seems to have filled her in. I think everyone's got her covered, but if no one has any Shub, I think I still have some I could send her.

[particle-person.livejournal.com]

I'm very much with her on the excellence of their copy. I love reading the descriptions more than the scents themselves, I think.

[sturmclan.livejournal.com]

Oh, girl. You have no idea. There are people who spend DAYS agonizing over the perfect composition for their layouts. Even digitally. And paper scrappers? Actually will set it up & walk away for a day and come back and move something an inch to the left and walk away and come back tomorrow and exchange this brad for a different one - forEVER before they commit to anything and paste it down.

It's INSANE. That's why digi is better. Do it. Save it. You hate it? Go back & switch it around. Takes 10 seconds.

[particle-person.livejournal.com]

You know, I actually missed the ferret until you pointed it out, even though it's right in the middle. (Actually, I think that may be the problem. There's an old rule of composition in photography called the Rule of Thirds (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_thirds) that says you never put anything important right in the middle of the picture.)

[sturmclan.livejournal.com]

Are you merging the layers before you save?? Layers->Merge Visible when you're all finished. Then save as a JPG. Makes it much smaller than saving as a PSD.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Hmm, hadn't thought of that. I had to save Cloverfield as a jpg (500 k) because the png was just so huge (1 mb) and they're on a free PB account--merging might help out with that, and I can revert and save unmerged afterwards. I like to keep the layers separate in case I need to go back and fiddle. Sadly, I worked on Cloverfield for, like, a week--a few minutes here and there.

[spectralbovine.livejournal.com]

That Matt Reeves interview is terribly amusing. "Ah, you saw it." Hee!

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

He sounds so disappointed!

[spectralbovine.livejournal.com]

"It's this totally awesome thing! It's so supersneaky only one in every hundred people will even noti—ah, fuck."

[wendyzski.livejournal.com]

The BEST "new" online thing ...sometime over the weekend, on Hud's MySpace page, his height is now listed as 2'6"! *snort*

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's horrible. (Hee!) Who did that? I mean... obviously "Hud" isn't around anymore to do it himself.

[wendyzski.livejournal.com]

Also, parts of my theory are holding up, but people claim to have seen her abdomen expand (I thought she was lower down because she was struggling) and that is what blew out. I'm not sure I can make it through another theatre showing (I didn't get sick but I did get a woozy seasick kind of headache), but if this is the case I don't have a theory for that.

The body that is wheeled past them as they go into HQ clearly has most of the middle missing - I originally linked that to what happened to Hud (got his middle scooped out?) but given other comments (and the MySpace height thing) maybe this is actually a link to Marlena's fate, and I can't figure out HOW that could happen. I still don't buy the Alienesque tummy-buster because if something got out, Mr BadAss Army Dude would have been shouting orders and shooting instead of taking Our Heroes into the hallway to give them the evac info.

Anyone?

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Well, I can confirm that she started swelling/expanding below the shoulders--you can actually watch it happen in one of the trailers. I really do think she exploded on her own, though, no chestbursters. Because, like you said, they would have reacted differently, and--shit, if they were going to go there with it, wouldn't they let us hear some chestburster shrieking and show some silhouettes gunning it down? I mean, that would have been creepy as hell, particularly since we'd never actually see it. No, I got the feeling she just popped like a balloon.

[sigma7.livejournal.com]

Concurred. Though every time I think about it I think about your simile -- her chest opening like a book -- and that's just brilliant.

Oh, I do so want the Cloverfield overture sans babbling brook background. I'm sure it's a matter of time before someone extracts a workable version from a bootleg another source, but yeah, it's brilliant. Giacchino's work with The Incredibles really sparkled, too.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

iTunes! Can't they at least just put it on iTunes and get an official version out into the file-sharing mix?

[sigma7.livejournal.com]

Some frenetic Googling (http://theknightshift.blogspot.com/2008/01/source-sez-michael-giacchino-planning.html) suggests that Giacchino wants it released "very soon," and iTunes would be the logical method. MOAR FAST PLZ. (Or "is it can be roar teim nao plz?")

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

YAY!

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Did you see the link in the first paragraph to an earlier entry? At the bottom of that, there's a link to a NEW sketch of the monster. And... seriously, do any of these drawings have anything in common?

[sigma7.livejournal.com]

Since I have the artistic skills of a sheltered mollusk, I can't be overly critical (http://s87.photobucket.com/albums/k145/zannyzaitzev/?action=view&current=cloverfield.jpg), but yeah, this sketch is by far my fav'rit.

And in happy-morning-what-stock-market-crash news, YAY for Ratatouille (Firefox spell check suggests "Facilitatory" and "Illegitimate" -- hey!) (nom nom) noms. It has the distinction of being the easiest winner to pick (Sicko a close second).

[nekoyaksa.livejournal.com]

I re-watched bits of the movie before it was pulled from youtube, and in the mall scene as the soldiers are wheeling the stomach-burst dead guy past you hear "we've got another bite here" being said calmly.

Shortly after, Marlena's definitely expanding in the gut region:

[nekoyaksa.livejournal.com]

Grr. Internet's being wonky - the rest of my comment was that I also agree that blood/guts was the only thing coming out of her. It does *not* look like a 'stomach burster' alien situation.

[padparadscha.livejournal.com]

No, when they wheel the the John Hurt wannabe away they comment "Yeah, we've got another bite here" very clearly--and for me, it was just another nail in the coffin for what I knew was coming. It was part of my discussion on how very much toast we all knew she was the moment she got bitten (http://padparadscha.livejournal.com/205529.html).

I still like your explanation, though. I think it could still work.

[sea-of-tethys.livejournal.com]

Could you haemmorhage into your abdominal cavity enough to make it explode?

[wendyzski.livejournal.com]

Not enough to cause the kind of explosive expansion seen there. (I got a press kit off E-Bay and have gone thru the sequence frame by frame).

It was a good theory, and parts of it may still hold up, but I'm at a loss for a complete explanation

[spectralbovine.livejournal.com]

HA HA HA HA HA.

[pride4u2.livejournal.com]

The U2 story made me giggle. Poor Edge, he's always getting picked on. Larry, too.

As for Inheritance Book 3...call me crazy, but I can't wait. I actually enjoyed the first two, mostly. They weren't great, but honestly, a book has to be really, really bad in order for me not to finish it.

[lapsus-calami.livejournal.com]

Eeeeee Prince Caspian.

Is Greg Grunberg in Cloverfield?

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Nope. I remember reading that he wouldn't be, and sure enough, I didn't see him either.

[ericadawn16.livejournal.com]

I totally didn't see him. The only person I recognized was Guy, aka Brian Klugman, from Felicity and I think I'm probably the only Guy fan on the planet. Why wasn't he in the other seasons??

[foresthouse.livejournal.com]

I love the scrapbook pages. I'd love to try it when I have a bit more time. Post more if you make them, plsthx! Shiny! :)

P.S. I had spice cake today. It was delicious. I am sorry we cannot teleport these things, or I would share.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

You may need to talk to sturmclan, then--she would be more than happy to pull you over to the dark side. She's been hugely encouraging just on the subject of what kind of things to do layouts of. Me, I just fired up PS6.0, set up a blank 12''x12'' document and went to town with what I had on my computer.

[foresthouse.livejournal.com]

I may just do that. I like the idea of the physical books, but then I also like the idea of FREE scrapbooking... Heh.

[entropy-and-me.livejournal.com]

I just wanted to say that I thought both of your scrapbook layouts were just gorgeous so far. Very refined and well-themed! I just got back from a big family trip to Walt Disney World, so I can definitely see this digital scrapbooking thing sinking its talons into me. (Of course, what I'm going to do with all my RL scrapbooking goodies I don't know...have multiple books I guess).

You may already know this, but LJ is a terrific source for Photoshop elements. An interests search for brushes, icons, gradients, textures, and patterns (among other keywords) will find you many lovely communities with new goodies to play with.

One quick question I had after your Cloverfield wiki, and by extension, Cleoland. How does one add ones location to your MapLoco?

[luindilwen.livejournal.com]

)the cover of "Lily's" party mix souvenir CD; (http://bp0.blogger.com/_YPCf8JFgUdI/R5I_TKPwofI/AAAAAAAACgE/vcQKcIRbOhg/s1600-h/flea-robspartymixcd.jpg)

Huzzah! Taste!

[princessjessia.livejournal.com]

Oh God, the digital enabling, look at all the lovely kits that site has. Must stick to freebies, must stick to freebies.

[alliemolloy.livejournal.com]

This digital scrapbooking thing reeaaaally appeals to the former yearbook editor in me!

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Seriously--I used to do layouts for school literary magazines, which is where anything I know comes from. I'm just really interested (as is sturmclan) in getting people who want to do it to scrapbook things they actually care about, instead of just kids and pets because they feel like that's what they're supposed to do.

[khaman.livejournal.com]

Want toy.

*bookmarks Hasbro.

[sturmclan.livejournal.com]

I AM TOTALLY HYPMOTIZING ALL Y'ALL WITH THE DIGISCRAPPING CRACK.....

Seriously, though, get the freebies & give it a shot. If you have ANY interest in it at all, you will be insanely hooked. And, think of it like this, you spend $5 on a kit THAT YOU CAN USE OVER & OVER & OVER & OVER & OVER..... It's the ultimate in green hobbying. It's sustainable and ultra-renewable.

And, then......there are the pretties (http://www.butternugsquash.com/PhotoPost/showphoto.php?photo=2956&limit=recent) you (http://www.butternugsquash.com/PhotoPost/showphoto.php?photo=2961&cat=recent&limit=recent) can (http://www.butternugsquash.com/PhotoPost/showphoto.php?photo=2861&ppuser=3) make (http://www.butternugsquash.com/PhotoPost/showphoto.php?photo=2729&ppuser=3).
The possibilities are endless. And so very, very shiny.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

From the Tonner site, re: the Will doll:

IMAGE FORTHCOMING WHEN WILL RETURNS FROM DAVY JONES' LOCKER.

Hee hee. See, even they don't know if he's back permanently at the end of the film, much less the viewers.

The Tonner dolls are beautiful but best in the photos, because they are so big they are CREEPY. They're not like one-foot-high Barbies; they're, like, one-and-a-half-times that, and it's scary looking at them. I had two of the Harry Potter dolls, bought from the web unseen and I had no idea they would make me feel like I had Devil Doll in the house. I sold them on eBay not having ever deboxed them.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Hee, I laughed at that too.

I only have one Tonner Doll, but it's an Ellowyne Wilde, kind of a Tonner offshoot (I think he sculpted it), and yeah, they are kind of big. But then, I collected Gene dolls for a long time, and the Tonners are only a little big bigger. And then I have some large Little Women Madame Alexanders (18", maybe?), so I guess I'm used to it.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I had the Madame Alexanders that, hmm, were they about a foot? Maybe 14 inches? Bigger in bulk than a Barbie but not much taller. The Tonners just make me squeamish up close, like they're going to ask to be breastfed or something.