…Actually, I can’t tell you about the diabolical sense of humor part, yet…my intended victim might happen to read my blog, after all. But I can tell you it’s completely diabolical, and I’ll be able to tell you about it after New Year’s at the latest. Meanwhile, I’m having huge amounts of fun plotting. 🙂 I will admit that it involves sculpture…
…which brought me to this really cool shop in San Francisco this evening. I was looking for mold-making supplies, and boy did I come to the right place. Shelves and shelves and racks and racks of mold-making supplies. If you EVER want bronzing powders, powdered pigments, 50+ types of glitter, and so on, in bulk, I can tell you exactly where to go. I was utterly fascinated (and also very excited)–one of the things I love about doing weirdly esoteric projects is that you get to meet so many mavens–people who know everything about a particular art or craft. This guy knew molding and casting like you wouldn’t believe.
At any rate, in about half an hour of chatting with the owner I got a very cool introduction to the theory of molding/casting, and some inkling of the different materials involved in creating molds. Didn’t get as much time as I would have liked–had to go visit someone else–but got some fundamental underpinnings and some really interesting ideas. For example, he pointed out one silicone mold-making material that would be great for casting chocolates…now I just have to think what I’d like to reproduce in chocolates. I think it’d be fun to mold my own uniquely shaped chocolates for Xmas (to go with all the candy)–just need to think of a good “signature”. Maybe I’ll make chocolate spindles next xmas–that *would* be funny. LOL
The two really interesting things there, though, was this weird jellylike stuff. Heat it up to about 375 degrees, pour it over something, let it harden, and presto! you have this very flexible mold of whatever you poured it over. Better yet, once you’ve cast as many objects as you like, re-melt the mold and you can use it over and over again. The only catch is that it has to be able to survive 375 degrees, so you can’t use, say, chocolate, or humans. I just couldn’t keep myself from poking at it–it felt…odd, kind of like those silicone pads they put into bra cups sometimes.
The other really cool stuff was this heat-formed plastic that they use for making armatures (structural underlayers of sculpture). You take a sheet of it, dip it into hot water (160 degrees or so) until soft, then form it into shape. When it cools down, it hardens into that shape. If you don’t like it, heat it up and work it again–it’s reusable!
I think that’s a pretty cool thing–less messy and easier to work than plaster bandages or other sculptural options. I got some to play around with. But it has inspired me to start thinking about interesting things to mold/craft/create with resin and plaster. Sculpture! That sounds like fun. (But I’m not going there…too busy with work, and should be writing the book if not working.)
Anyway, I’m preparing to do more work tomorrow on my Nefarious Project…damn, it’s a real pity I can’t write about it. It’s a great (and really very funny) story. But it’ll be just as funny (hopefully even more funny) in a few weeks.
Meanwhile, Isis has taken a turn for the worse–I tried feeding her yesterday, and she refused her third rat (!). Then she spent the entire night wheezing and sniffling–I woke up 5 times listening to her. I called the vet as soon as they opened, got her in, and they took another culture from her throat. Once they know what the “bug” is, I’m afraid it’s another round of antibiotics…the vet said 30 days. Oy vey! 30 days in a row I have to find someone to help me shoot up my snake. Not to mention shelling out $15 per injection (that’s $450, plus vet fees, plus lab culture fees, plus ??). It’s a good thing I’m so fond of Isis or she might wind up as boot leather.
(Just kidding. I am very, very, very fond of Isis, and anyone who wanted to make her into boot leather would have to go through me (and every one of my sharp pointy objects) first. She really is a sweetie.)
Isis, needless to say, was NOT happy about any of this, and tried to bite the vet. Can’t say as I blame her, poor girl, although I’m glad she didn’t actually get him. 30 days of injections. I wish I could just inject myself instead. (Not least becuase it would involve much less muss and fuss. LOL) I just hope she comes out OK at the end of it. I think she will.
Along those lines, I bought a new gadget for her cage yesterday. I had been humidifying her cage by running a steam humidifier in the room night and day, but since I don’t enjoy life in 80% humidity, I was looking for other ways to keep her cage warm and steamy. Skipping the four or five other ingenious ideas that didn’t work, I finally wound up with an ultrasonic fogger for aquariums. I have no idea how the gadget works, but it’s pretty cool–turn it on and you immediately get small jets of water and curling wisps of white mist pouring mysteriously over the side of the basin. I have no idea if it will be successful at humidifying her cage–I rather suspect not, it’s too small–but it *loooks* really cool. This weekend I’m going to try redesigning it to see if I can get it to be better at humidifying things.
Late, tired, going to bed–hoping Isis comes out OK and that my Nefarious Project works out well. 🙂
Tien
