# Hobbies... Everyone Needs One! So What's Your Favorite?



## hiraeth2018

Playhouse about 8' square plus a 3 ft railing on top with play area... I hired a handyman to help me build it but I designed it and painted it. My granddaughter loves it and that made me very happy. My only regret is that I didn't have enough "know how" to build it myself at the time (working on that)... 

I would love to see some pictures of what keeps you busy and out of trouble since retiring!


----------



## Falcon

Stay'n   alive......Stay'in  alive!


----------



## jujube

I'm impressed, hiraeth!  I'm hard put to drive a nail in straight.


----------



## Ruth n Jersey

That is absolutely beautiful and I love the dandelion. I love woodworking also and my son does high end cabinetry for a living. With his help I've been able to do several projects. Mostly restoring items that I find here and there. Some he thinks should be thrown out. I find that even more of a challenge. 
My newest hobby is sewing which I will start again right after the holidays.
I like to paint and rip the house apart 
I read,love to try new recipes and in the summer gardening. 
Maybe you can come over and help me build a new shed by my garden.


----------



## ClassicRockr

Target shooting at local range. Taking our boat out. And, without a doubt, photography.


----------



## hiraeth2018

Ruth n Jersey said:


> That is absolutely beautiful and I love the dandelion. I love woodworking also and my son does high end cabinetry for a living. With his help I've been able to do several projects. Mostly restoring items that I find here and there. Some he thinks should be thrown out. I find that even more of a challenge.
> My newest hobby is sewing which I will start again right after the holidays.
> I like to paint and rip the house apart
> I read,love to try new recipes and in the summer gardening.
> Maybe you can come over and help me build a new shed by my garden.



Ruth n Jersey, I was great giving direction (men love that ya know) my stature is on the small side so I have learned I have limitations when it comes to lifting heavy wood and pounding anything hard enough to make it stick. I know just enough to be dangerous. My husband who has passed was great at woodworking and I learned a lot from him. He always called me the "finisher".... some people have a better eye for it I guess. Next summer's project will be a greenhouse. I bought 16 antique windows from our town's historic museum group as they were replacing their original windows and figured I could use them "creatively". Now to find someone who will suffer me gladly again.


----------



## Keesha

What a beautiful playhouse. Well done. 
Im into woodworking,  woodcarving , painting,  music, ( play saxophone & sing ) gardening , baking , and ocassionslly sewing. My hobbies rotate cause I can’t do them all. 
I built myself a greenhouse last year 

Carving with gemstone inlay


Woodvarving projects 

Rocking Dog Ornament 


Watercolour painting 

Woodvarving ( lathe and carving done together) 


I have so many hobbies I get overwhelmed at times but most times I’ve got excess energy to burn so NEED hobbies


----------



## hiraeth2018

Keesha, you are very talented... I could use some advise on the greenhouse building...


----------



## Keesha

Thank you. Ask away.


----------



## Gary O'

hiraeth2018 said:


> I would love to see some pictures of what keeps you busy and out of trouble since retiring!


Wood butchering
Mostly cabins (Webster likes to call cabins 'crude huts'....I can't argue)




























Extremely amateur photography (thank you, Nikon, for giving me the ability I don't have) 



















and writing
of which involves any thing from fractured prose, to skewed posters























this all keeps me outa trouble (my lady's kitchen)






I've written some serious things, but try to stay away from it
(too much everywhere already, no need to for me to add to that pile)

but

here's one now

A few years ago a lad from Scotland, I’d gotten to know, asked me how my Dad was doing as I’d shared with him my Dad’s failings in what turned out to be his final year.
Maybe some of you folks can identify with what I wrote him.
In any event, I feel compelled to put it here, and probably in my next book.

You see, my Dad was my hero.
Oh, I wasn’t his favorite, but that didn’t matter.
For many years he was God to me, could do no wrong, I hid my wrongs from him.
Sure, as I grew, I saw his faults, but, heh, they were few.
And mine became less as I used him as a life model.

Here’s what I Emailed;


He’s a gamer, Shaun.
Days ago he was on his death bed.
Chemo and infection was taking him down…..quick. 
He’s on the rebound.
To where……. I have no idea.

I visited him last weekend while he was staying at the rehab center (nursing home).
Didn’t readily recognize him.
No hair
Tiny head
Sunken eyes
Chair stickin’ half way outta the room, lookin’ out into the hall.
He looks like wunna those children with an aging disease.
He really lit up when he saw me.
I immediately felt real bad for not coming sooner.
He got up and scooted his chair back into the room, shuffling, pushing.
He invited me to sit.
There was only one extra chair
I think it had a piece of shit on it.
He had some sorta string of dried drool and blood comin’ from his lower lip, ending at his chin.
It made me sick to my stomach to look at him.
My Dad
My finicky Dad
The guy that remained well scrubbed, no matter what he did.
The guy with the weakest of stomachs.
The guy that just couldn’t eat if he thought the cook hadn’t washed his hands.
There he was……..disgusting 
and so very happy to see me.
 I wanted to stay and leave at the same time.
We went on a conversation loop.
He has about ten minutes of thought processing, then it starts all over again.
I grabbed his attention by saying I was thinking about going to church.
He did a feeble punch into the air, and displayed a flash of his tenacious old self, gritting his teeth and smiling with delight.
His old eyes lit up again, then welled, spilling tears as he told me how happy that made him.
Now I was disgusted with myself.
 I wanted to cry along with him. I just can’t. It’s not in me.
I hadn’t lied.
I do think about it.
I think about conversation with rabid religionaires, and know why none of it is for me.
It was a visit of diverse emotions.
 The nurse’s aide came in.
He questioningly introduced me as his cousin.
Well, in twenty minutes I’d completely muddled what’s left of his blithering mind.
I gave him a slight hug and left him with the aide.
Driving home my thoughts were fixed on him.
What he is
What he once was
What I am
What I’m going to become
I recalled him and his cousin, his brother he never had, and how they talked about their aged parents
There is no fairness
There is just fact
Inescapable inevitable fact
It made me realize my own fallibility
I really don’t want to see him again
I will though
As long as I can make him happy, whether it’s a veiled lie, or just being there, I will see him, hug him, chat with him.
He has earned that…at the very least.
He’s a withered dying old man.
Cancer will take him.
I don’t think I have the guts for this, and what’s next, deteriorating visits
What have we done to think it good to keep my hero existing in his filth with confounded thoughts for as long as medically possible……

The Aleuts know what to do
The long walk and the bonk on the bean.
It’s much more heroic……respectful. 

Thanks for asking, kid.

Enjoy thy youth


----------



## Gary O'

Keesha said:


> Im into woodworking,  woodcarving , painting,  music, ( play saxophone & sing ) gardening , baking , and ocassionslly sewing. My hobbies rotate cause I can’t do them all.
> 
> I have so many hobbies I get overwhelmed at times but most times I’ve got excess energy to burn so NEED hobbies



Keesh, yer stuff is soooo very cool


----------



## hiraeth2018

Gary O', you live in a world full of color and creativity... good work.


----------



## Ronni

Keesha, you are so talented!  

Gary O, that broke my heart.


----------



## Gary O'

Ronni said:


> Gary O, that broke my heart.


Certainly don't mean to break it, just use a little corner of its perspective


----------



## Ronni

Gary O' said:


> Certainly don't mean to break it, just use a little corner of its perspective



I get that and I'm not blaming you for anything  :love_heart: 

Still, what you wrote was so poignant, so real.  I cared for my mother during the last stages of her life.  She was bedridden, on oxygen, but I struggled valiantly to make her comfortable, to give her a decent life during her last years....until I just couldn't anymore.  I had several small children at home, and she required 24/7 care.  Once she became incontinent that, along with the dementia and generalized malaise, just became too much for me to deal with alone.  She ended up for the last three months of her life in a care facility.  I visited her every day, but it wasn't the best facility and I felt so guilty and bad and my emotions mirrored many that you wrote about.  

Stirred some stuff up is all.


----------



## Gary O'

Ronni said:


> ....my emotions mirrored many that you wrote about.


that is always my hope


----------



## RadishRose

Hiraeth, that playhouse is wonderful!  She's a lucky girl.


----------



## hiraeth2018

RadishRose said:


> Hiraeth, that playhouse is wonderful!  She's a lucky girl.



RadishRose, thank you.


----------



## moviequeen1

hiraeth,thanks for sharing with us the awesome playhouse.
My favorite hobbies are going to the movies,reading,walking my close friend's dog whenever I get the chance Sue


----------



## Nihil

I have a ton of hobbies. Mortality salience is an incredible motivator. I've been designing papercraft since 4. Here are some of my designs.


----------



## Nihil

There's so much nice stuff in this thread. It's nice to have found people who understand hobbies.


----------



## Nihil

I've been practicing magic since 5. Here's a pic I grabbed off Pinterest of my 1st kit.




Here's young me entertaining the locals.




Here's a fun and easy trick.


----------



## Keesha

Very cool paper crafts.


----------



## Nihil

Thank you.


----------



## Keesha

Nihil said:


> Thank you.



Is it like putting together coloured cardboard or is there some paper mache involved?

When I was a kid I was really into making paper flowers. At my father’s work party I got a paper flower maker kit and it was the most fun thing ever next to ‘A barrel of Monkeys.’:love_heart:


----------



## Nihil

Keesha said:


> Is it like putting together coloured cardboard or is there some paper mache involved?



When I was a kid, I would draw the pattern on paper and then cut it out and fold it. I still do that, but I also use a computer. I print the result onto cardstock and use white glue.

You can download the Mystery Tower for free at RPGNow.



Keesha said:


> When I was a kid I was really into making paper flowers. At my father’s work party I got a paper flower maker kit and it was the most fun thing ever next to ‘A barrel of Monkeys.’:love_heart:



I had a big paper flower that I didn't make. It's in the upper  left.


----------



## Keesha

Nihil said:


> When I was a kid, I would draw the pattern on paper and then cut it out and fold it. I still do that, but I also use a computer. I print the result onto cardstock and use white glue.
> 
> You can download the Mystery Tower for free at RPGNow.
> 
> 
> 
> I had a big paper flower that I didn't make. It's in the upper  left.
> 
> View attachment 62614


Wow! That is very clever and creative. 
Look at all your combined materials. 
Thats pretty good. I really appreciate other people’s unique talents and how they express them, yours included. 
With new technology it’s taken some hobbies to a whole new level. Very cool.


----------



## Nihil

Keesha said:


> With new technology it’s taken some hobbies to a whole new level. Very cool.



This was my 1st organized music studio. I used layering.



Now, I just use a laptop.


----------



## Keesha

Nihil said:


> This was my 1st organized music studio. I used layering.
> 
> View attachment 62615
> 
> Now, I just use a laptop.


Oddly enough that’s exactly where I was going next. 
Thats an impressive 1st studio. You are not only very creative, you think outside the box and jump in with both feet.
Im also very musical and have a Roland keyboard, amplifier, microphone , plus 2 saxophones. A studio in the past is far different than something today. Now with the right software, any musician can create their own music recordings with layering. 
Band in a Box , Garage Band and many other software applications are making dreams come true for some people.
Did you play in a band or record any of your music?


----------



## Nihil

Keesha said:


> Did you play in a band or record any of your music?



I've fronted a few bands playing my music. Years ago, I threw about 40 cassettes of my music into a city dump. I wanted to move on. I still write and record to this day. I'm horrible about finishing songs. I think it's because I long for a band. I compose in many styles. Here's a 10 year old rock song. Some guy I don't know heard it online and made a video for it.






Recently, I've been composing mediation music and playing ukulele standards.


----------



## Keesha

You jump in with both feet and throw the baby out with the bath water. 
You have some crazy talent and I bet if you put effort into it you could get a band going. 
It’s been a while since I played in a band but treeguy from this forum plays guitar(s) and has his own band. Lord Elpus has either 11 or 12 guitars and used to play in a band. He’s a member here to. 
If you have a yearning for it then throw all that passion into production and follow through until you get what you want. The formula is failproof if you truly follow through. 

Did you create all the instrumentals as well as vocals ? You can actually sing quite well. 
Don’t give up on your talent!
Don’t give up on your dreams!
And most of all ......
Don’t give up on yourself! 

You CAN do this!


----------



## Nihil

Keesha said:


> You have some crazy talent and I bet if you put effort into it you could get a band going.



I've tried. I've found that people are hateful and dishonest.



Keesha said:


> Did you create all the instrumentals as well as vocals ?



I compose and record every note. I play the drums on my controller keyboard.



Keesha said:


> You can actually sing quite well.



Thank you.



Keesha said:


> Don’t give up on your talent!
> Don’t give up on your dreams!
> And most of all ......
> Don’t give up on yourself!
> 
> You CAN do this!



My GF is excited about my ukulele playing. She even started singing harmony. She rarely sang before. I've been working out a variety show for the parties that pop up downtown.


----------



## Keesha

That’s fabulous. Maybe she will become part of the act. Either way it shows how supportive she is. That’s great. 
My brother started off on the ukulele , then added banjo and eventually added a rickenbacker bass guitar. 
Ukulele is a really unique instrument. 

Unfortunately many people are deceptive but there are honest loyal musicians in the world. 
At the beginning of this month my brother ( different one ) invited me to a Jazz Club in downtown Toronto to listen to a band. This band was started in 1880. My brother once played in it and a fellow music classmate who I considered a friend was there playing the trumpet. He’s been in this same band since 1979. Yes it’s jazz but this group has been together for decades. 

Music brings people together. Effort keeps them together. 

This was a very  memorable evening which I enjoyed immensely.


----------



## Nihil

Keesha said:


> Yes it’s jazz



lol I like jazz, even the weird stuff. I played jazz guitar in a college sponsored band. My GF has played sax in a few jazz bands. She even gets payed sometimes. She only plays if she has a gig. I recently came across a book of guitar and sax duets. Hopefully I can get her playing with me.


----------



## Keesha

Nihil said:


> lol I like jazz, even the weird stuff. I played jazz guitar in a college sponsored band. My GF has played sax in a few jazz bands. She even gets payed sometimes. She only plays if she has a gig. I recently came across a book of guitar and sax duets. Hopefully I can get her playing with me.



Shut up!! See I KNEW there was something. 
Wow. That’s awesome. Tell your GF that I’ve played saxophone since 1973 off and on. More off than on. 
My alto saxophone is a vintage SML that was purchased the same year but is a 1953 model. I’ve recently had it cleaned up and purchased a new case for it. Here it is 

I played in a few bands also and we got paid for it. I also did some vocals and I truly love to sing. 
Just before Christmas I purchased a soprano saxophone. It’s a Yamaha and I love it. I’m just going to practice after I type this post. Here it is. 

My brother plays trumpet and I asked him to bring it up to my parents house last Christmas so we could play some Christmas Carol Duets and it was heavenly. My parents were so surprised. I think they’d  forgotten that we played instruments. It was so touching. 

Anyway I played it at another Christmas family reunion and it went over so well that I’ve decided to have a summer backyard BBQ family reunion and create some live music for the guests. My brother is going to play his trumpet, my nephew will play bass guitar and I have a Roland keyboard , an amplifier and a microphone. My brother has an entire sound system and with the surrounding forest , the acoustics will be amazing. 

My hope, dream and goal is to record it for memento and to let the people here listen to it. I think it would be crazy fun. 
If you start a thread about recording music, I’d be most interested in participating. I don’t know enough about it to start a thread but you certainly do. It would be interesting , educational AND entertaining. 

Just sayin.’ :shrug:  ... lol 

And YES i would LOVE to hear your girlfriend play saxophone. 
Yes indeed! :yes:


----------



## Nihil

Nice alto.



Keesha said:


> If you start a thread about recording music, I’d be most interested in participating. I don’t know enough about it to start a thread but you certainly do.



Recording and mastering are my weak spots. People don't hesitate to let me know. When I play my music for people, it often makes them hostile toward me. I've been told they're just jealous. I've slowly figured out that there are a lot of jealous people in this world.


----------



## Keesha

Nihil said:


> Nice alto.
> 
> 
> 
> Recording and mastering are my weak spots. People don't hesitate to let me know. When I play my music for people, it often makes them hostile toward me. I've been told they're just jealous. I've slowly figured out that there are a lot of jealous people in this world.



Thanks! They might be jealous but usually people get in a good mood by music. I hope you don’t take offence to this but your style of music sounds a tad angry so perhaps your music is connecting people to their own anger. 
Have you considered a different style of music just to test it out?

There might very well be a lot of jealous people in the world but from my experience when you help create an atmosphere that contributes to their overall happiness, they’re generally grateful and in a good mood  :shrug:


----------



## Nihil

Keesha said:


> Have you considered a different style of music just to test it out?





Nihil said:


> I compose in many styles.



Tell me what you want to hear, and I'll dig something up.



Keesha said:


> There might very well be a lot of jealous people in the world but from my experience when you help create an atmosphere that contributes to their overall happiness, they’re generally grateful and in a good mood  :shrug:


----------



## Keesha

Now I’m confused. That’s a completely different style with a different singer. So you wrote this too but had someone else sing it?


----------



## Nihil

Keesha said:


> Now I’m confused. That’s a completely different style with a different singer. So you wrote this too but had someone else sing it?



The song is a poetic response to what you wrote. I'll find something to post to SoundCloud, if you tell me what style you want to hear.


----------



## Nihil

Keesha said:


> Now I’m confused. That’s a completely different style with a different singer. So you wrote this too but had someone else sing it?



Let me try this again. I am in no way affiliated with Natalie Merchant. Her song is about how progress is stymied by cash for conformity. You seemed to indicate that I would have a better reception if I conform. In no way am I trying to reward society for being complacent in their slavery, whilst enjoying the income of a master for doing so. This arrangement is why humanity is failing. There's no money in progress.

Also, I reiterated my request for a style to demonstrate that I do indeed write in different styles. However, the only country song I wrote was a joke and has been lost to the dump. So, try not to pick country.


----------



## Keesha

Keesha said:


> Thanks! They might be jealous but usually people get in a good mood by music. I hope you don’t take offence to this but your style of music sounds a tad angry so perhaps your music is connecting people to their own anger.
> Have you considered a different style of music just to test it out?





Nihil said:


> Let me try this again. I am in no way affiliated with Natalie Merchant. Her song is about how progress is stymied by cash for conformity. You seemed to indicate that I would have a better reception if I conform. In no way am I trying to reward society for being complacent in their slavery, whilst enjoying the income of a master for doing so. This arrangement is why humanity is failing. There's no money in progress.
> .



And in no way did I suggest you conform to society to make others happy. 
You stated that when you play your music it makes people angry and they have no problem letting you know. I suggested that it might be because your style in music is angry and you could be connecting people with their own anger but if that’s what you want to do , then you got the result you wanted. 

How about we go back to the fact that you are soooo good that people are merely just jealous of you.


----------



## Nihil

Keesha said:


> And in no way did I suggest you conform to society to make others happy.
> You stated that when you play your music it makes people angry and they have no problem letting you know. I suggested that it might be because your style in music is angry and you could be connecting people with their own anger but if that’s what you want to do , then you got the result you wanted.



With my lyrics. I try to elucidate the damage that people do to themselves and each other through the exchange of abuse. 



Keesha said:


> How about we go back to the fact that you are soooo good that people are merely just jealous of you.



I merely stated that's what I've been told. I'm still trying to figure out why people react to me with anger and fear.



Keesha said:


> because your style in music is angry



I have stated from the beginning, and repeated myself several times, that I write in many styles. Now, again, what style would you like to hear?


----------



## Gary O'

Nihil said:


> With my lyrics. I try to elucidate the damage that people do to themselves and each other through the exchange of abuse.
> 
> 
> 
> I merely stated that's what I've been told. *I'm still trying to figure out why people react to me with anger and fear.
> *
> 
> 
> I have stated from the beginning, and repeated myself several times, that I write in many styles. Now, again, what style would you like to hear?



Nihil, I been dealing with stuff like that most my adult life

I’ll be listening intently to what someone is saying, picking up nuances, inflection, details (I got paid to do this, it became habit)

…….and they’ll stop talking, look nervously at me, telling me not to get mad 



Not sure why……











Anyway, my advice is play what you like, what you enjoy
Not what you think folks like

If it’s angry or raw, so be it……it’s you, your soul


----------



## Nihil

Gary O' said:


> Not sure why……



I'm told I have RBF. However, my online conversations often wind up with me being attacked. I find these situations very difficult to defuse. On those rare occasions I can calm someone down, I feel like I've tapped into a mutual reality.

I've had the best success with people over the phone. I used to do support. People would call in tearing into me, because they got me. At the end of the call, people would ask if I had an extension. That job got outsourced to a country where the help lived, partied, and reproduced in the call center. During the transition, I listened to them discuss customers. They hated Americans.

I wish people like you weren't so rare.


----------



## Keesha

Gary O' said:


> Anyway, my advice is play what you like, what you enjoy
> Not what you think folks like
> 
> If it’s angry or raw, so be it……it’s you, your soul


I totally agree with you. The ONLY reason I said what I did was because he said people got angry at him when he played and if that was a problem then maybe he could play a different style. He then lost me after that because I didn’t quite understand where he was going but I am all for becoming your unique authentic self . As long as you aren’t hurting others it doesn’t matter if they don’t like you. 

However joining a band and playing  for an audience is different than recording your own stuff which is what he said he wanted to do in a roundabout kind of way. This clearly  wouldn’t work if people didn’t like your music. That’s what I was talking about. We were talking about BANDs and other people.

Im very different and don’t always  fit in with main stream society. Music is one of my outlets and I wouldn’t change my style for anyone. I didn’t word what I wanted to express well but I’m going to pass on trying. :laugh:


----------



## Keesha

And Gary doesn’t scare me! :sentimental:


----------



## Nihil

Here's a 10 min mix of some dance music I composed about 10 years ago. I love to dance.

https://www.mixcloud.com/gentledissident/andys-club-house/

I wrote the music and did not use premade loops. I used freeware virtual synthesizers and effects. I even used a free editing program. A program like that is refereed to as a "host", because it hosts VST, virtual studio technology. Technically, my computer is the host. The program itself is a DAW, digital audio workstaion. Most of the voice samples came from a CD ROM I found in a bin for $1.


----------



## Gary O'

Keesha said:


> And Gary doesn’t scare me! :sentimental:



well, of course not

I'm here to protect you from wild animals






and, well, I'm cuddly


----------



## Nihil

Gary O' said:


> I'm here to protect you from wild animals



And deliver presents, Odin?


----------



## Gary O'

Nihil said:


> And deliver presents, Odin?



a bit further east

of the Oirat horde








no presents

just presence


----------



## RadishRose




----------



## Keesha

Gary O' said:


> well, of course not
> 
> I'm here to protect you from wild animals
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> and, well, I'm cuddly


Thats right! :yes: 
:lofl:


----------



## Keesha

RadishRose said:


>



Where do you find this stuff? :lofl:
Hahahaha. That’s the funniest Mona Lisa picture I’ve seen yet. 
I am definitely scooping it. 
Thanks.


----------



## Keesha

Gary O' said:


> a bit further east
> 
> of the Oirat horde
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> no presents
> 
> just presence



Wait! Wait ! Wait just a minute. 
We love that you are willing to serve and protect us BUT since you double up as AKA Santa then we expect gifts and YES I am totally hijacking this thread. :smug1:


----------



## Keesha

Nihil said:


> Here's a 10 min mix of some dance music I composed about 10 years ago. I love to dance.
> 
> https://www.mixcloud.com/gentledissident/andys-club-house/
> 
> I wrote the music and did not use premade loops. I used freeware virtual synthesizers and effects. I even used a free editing program. A program like that is refereed to as a "host", because it hosts VST, virtual studio technology. Technically, my computer is the host. The program itself is a DAW, digital audio workstaion. Most of the voice samples came from a CD ROM I found in a bin for $1.


While it’s not my everyday style of music, you certainly have a talent for this.
Have you ever approached film makers? I could easily imagine your work in a good movie.


----------



## Nihil

Keesha said:


> While it’s not my everyday style of music, you certainly have a talent for this.



Thank you. What style would you like to hear? 



Keesha said:


> Have you ever approached film makers? I could easily imagine your work in a good movie.



I'm not interested in that. I did help with special FX and mic placement on a straight to video film in college.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098014/

I used to be employed as a computer artist. I know how to use the free Blender and Unreal. I wouldn't mind bringing to screen an adventure game I have in my head. However, it gets boring and tedious working on big projects alone.

I'm a fan of interior design. A few days ago, I bought Home Design 3D on sale for $2.50. I can import textures and build the few objects the program is missing from primitives. I built a house, so I could decorate it.


----------



## Nihil

Here are some experiments I did to get me up to speed in Blender and Unreal. I gave the computer that could handle intensive graphics modeling to my daughter. These happened to be on my low res phone. I'd have to go through a bit to recover the high res pics.





I built the objects and designed the textures. The shag carpet is a texture utilizing a method called "parallax occlusion mapping". That makes it low cost, despite it appearing to be 3D.

Here's the photo I modeled Blinkey after. Yes, mine blinks.


----------



## RadishRose

Your interiors and furniture is like playing The Sims, which we were hooked on for several years, way back. I used a cheat code to get simoleans to buy more house decor!


----------



## Nihil

RadishRose said:


> Your interiors and furniture is like playing The Sims, which we were hooked on for several years, way back. I used a cheat code to get simoleans to buy more house decor!



I never played that. On the computer, I mostly play real world games against AI, because I don't have friends in the real world. I have an N64 with an expansion and the best games. I have an Atari Flashback 2, which is an actual re-creation of the 2600 and not an emulator. I have Jakks Pacific Atari Paddle. I also have an Intellivision Flashback, the 2 original Jakks Pacific Namco Arcades, a TV Game Space Invaders, and an Odyssey 2 with 8 great games.

Back in the day, I played a ton of pinball. I have a few emulations.


----------



## RadishRose

The only computer game I ever played was The Sims.


----------



## Nihil

I like to build print and play games. Here's a solitaire game by Jake Staines I customized the crud out of.





I like to house rule games. Here's my rewrite of the rules to this game.

https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/66677/dungeon-tin-unofficial-rules


----------



## Jandante

Beautiful posts in this thread.  Thankyou.
It's been music commitments that take up most of our time.  We got away camping/ kayaking for a few days at a time over past years  but after hubbies double pneumonia, and now 5 fractured ribs since Christmas, that has been on hold.
I've just discovered 5D Diamond work in the last week and look forward to completing a few projects, first one nearly done and more coming in the post soon.


----------



## Keesha

I’ve never played any computer games but my husband had x box for a few years he enjoyed. 
Ive had Band in a Box for years and also had some gardening software and interior design software that I never figured out how to use. Learning computer skills wasn’t a top priority but I wish I learned more than I did. 
Id like to get a Apple Mac Laptop and then Band in the Box. 


Five fractured ribs. Poor man. My husband fractured a few the summer before last. He slipped on our back deck. I’ve never heard him yelp out in pain like that before. I hope he heals up well. Good luck in your 5D diamond work. 

Nihil; your creativity is off the charts. 
Cool stuff.


----------



## Nihil

Keesha said:


> Nihil; your creativity is off the charts.
> Cool stuff.



Thank you.


----------



## Keesha

Nihil said:


> Thank you.


You’re welcome. 
I’m a romantic .
 I like ballads. :heart:


----------



## Nihil

Keesha said:


> You’re welcome.
> I’m a romantic .
> I like ballads. :heart:



https://soundcloud.com/androidlove/happy-yule/s-vsCJQ


----------



## Keesha

Nihil said:


> https://soundcloud.com/androidlove/happy-yule/s-vsCJQ



Thank you kindly. That is  lovely. :grin:


----------



## Nihil

Keesha said:


> Thank you kindly. That is  lovely. :grin:



You are welcome.


----------



## Nihil

I've designed a lot of paper airplanes. They just get crumpled up in boxes. Here's a glider in pretty good shape.



This guy inspires me to do something with my work.


----------



## Keesha

I’m a woodworker / carver but my husband trumps my work. He carves these beautiful songbirds. 
This is carved  from Tupelo wood and painted with acrylics. The legs are made from metal , eyes made from glass and like myself he usually gives his work away as gifts.


----------



## Pauline1954

Oh WOW!   fantastic wood work.


----------



## Pauline1954

Oh man oman talent runs in your life. &#55358;&#56599;&#55357;&#56832;❤


----------



## norman

Keesha said:


> I’m a woodworker / carver but my husband trumps my work. He carves these beautiful songbirds.
> This is carved  from Tupelo wood and painted with acrylics. The legs are made from metal , eyes made from glass and like myself he usually gives his work away as gifts.View attachment 63258
> View attachment 63259



These are very nice, you should be selling them...Ducks are the most collected, hope you try one..


----------



## Keesha

Yes he’s a pretty talented man. He does sometimes sell the odd one and he’s done a duck. Let me find it.


----------



## Keesha

Heres the wood duck 

Baltimore Orieole 

Downy Woodpecker 

Hes been carving  since he was a little boy. He used to use the Ivory soap bar at his grandmothers house and made it into dogs and other animals and apparently she never once complained. It always kind of chokes me up when I think of it.,
Unfortnayeky these pictures don’t show the feather detail. He’s done some great kestrels too.


----------



## Pauline1954

Keesha said:


> View attachment 63853
> Heres the wood duck
> View attachment 63854
> Baltimore Orieole
> View attachment 63855
> Downy Woodpecker
> 
> Hes been carving  since he was a little boy. He used to use the Ivory soap bar at his grandmothers house and made it into dogs and other animals and apparently she never once complained. It always kind of chokes me up when I think of it.,
> Unfortnayeky these pictures don’t show the feather detail. He’s done some great kestrels too.




Wow thats gorgeous.  That takes a lot of whittling practice I would estimate. &#55357;&#56845;


----------



## Pauline1954

This is the potting bench I built 5 years ago. Since then its been destroyed by rain over,the years. So i dissembled it and burned it. But i kept my antique bird rack shown in the center. It actually matches close to the doors on my studio.


----------



## Keesha

Yes it takes him a while to finish one but he uses the bandsaw and strollsaw to shape them first. Then uses both small power tool , knives and a wood burning to create feather detail. The detail up close is quite remarkable. 

Hes is the only one who carves these. A lot of projects we do together but these ones he does all by himself. 
Ill tell him you liked them.


----------



## Keesha

I was just going to ask you to add something you made. 
Thats terrific. You do great work. 
Did you seal it after adding the colour?
Speaking of colour; that’s a gorgeous colour. 
Do you have your own tools?

Years ago before we moved to the country my husband and I took a woodworking course together. The first project we made together was a rocking horse for my brothers baby girl; my niece.

You must have posted at the same time as me


----------



## Snowbound

Needlepoint


----------



## Keesha

Oh that is lovely. Is it a chihuahua profile?
Do you have a chihuahua?


----------



## Snowbound

Keesha said:


> Oh that is lovely. Is it a chihuahua profile?
> Do you have a chihuahua?



Hi Keesha - Yes, that is the profile of my Chihuahua, Charlie.  I did a similar needlepoint of a Yorkie for a friend some time ago as well.


----------



## Keesha

Snowbound said:


> Hi Keesha - Yes, that is the profile of my Chihuahua, Charlie.  I did a similar needlepoint of a Yorkie for a friend some time ago as well.



Very cute. You are very good at it.


----------



## win231

Music.

https://www.facebook.com/tony.nathanson/videos/10210533045538448/

https://www.facebook.com/roja.horchata/videos/10155596757450202/


----------



## AnnieA

Keesha said:


> Yes it takes him a while to finish one but he uses the bandsaw and strollsaw to shape them first. Then uses both small power tool , knives and a wood burning to create feather detail. The detail up close is quite remarkable.
> 
> Hes is the only one who carves these. A lot of projects we do together but these ones he does all by himself.
> Ill tell him you liked them.



He is amazingly talented!


----------



## Snowbound

I recently started a new hobby, which, so far has been tremendous fun!  It's called Diamond Dotz, or Diamond Painting.  Here's my second project:






Now I'm working on something a bit larger for a friends great grand baby.


----------



## norman

Keesha said:


> I was just going to ask you to add something you made.
> Thats terrific. You do great work.
> Did you seal it after adding the colour?
> Speaking of colour; that’s a gorgeous colour.
> Do you have your own tools?
> 
> Years ago before we moved to the country my husband and I took a woodworking course together. The first project we made together was a rocking horse for my brothers baby girl; my niece.
> 
> You must have posted at the same time as me
> View attachment 63860



It would take the patience of Job to make this, plus talent.


----------



## Keesha

Pauline1954 said:


> Wow thats gorgeous.  That takes a lot of whittling practice I would estimate. ��


He has had much whittling practice. When he was a young boy he used to carve his grandmothers ivory soap bars into dogs and various things. She loved them. 


AnnieA said:


> He is amazingly talented!


He is very talented and mostly self taught. He used to whittle cartoon charactures and I convinced to try carving birds since we both loved them so much. His first cardinal he carved he gave to my mom for her birthday and she loved it. He now hates that bird because he can pick out all the mistakes he’s made. 


norman said:


> It would take the patience of Job to make this, plus talent.


This was the  first big item we made together and we gave it to my niece as a birthday gift.
He gives a lot of things he makes away. Last Christmas he gave some things away to family members that weren’t as well received as he would have liked but it’s more because they were too old to use them. I think it hurt his feelings some which I probably shouldn’t mention. nthego:
Thank you


----------



## Keesha

win231 said:


> Music.
> 
> https://www.facebook.com/tony.nathanson/videos/10210533045538448/
> 
> https://www.facebook.com/roja.horchata/videos/10155596757450202/


Unfortunately I couldn’t watch these but would have liked to. 



Snowbound said:


> I recently started a new hobby, which, so far has been tremendous fun!  It's called Diamond Dotz, or Diamond Painting.  Here's my second project:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Now I'm working on something a bit larger for a friends great grand baby.


This is very pretty. You must have excellent dexterity.


----------



## Snowbound

Keesha said:


> Unfortunately I couldn’t watch these but would have liked to.
> 
> 
> This is very pretty. You must have excellent dexterity.



Thank you.  I lighted magnifying glass helps!


----------



## Seeker

Keesha said:


> View attachment 63853
> Heres the wood duck
> View attachment 63854
> Baltimore Orieole
> View attachment 63855
> Downy Woodpecker
> 
> Hes been carving  since he was a little boy. He used to use the Ivory soap bar at his grandmothers house and made it into dogs and other animals and apparently she never once complained. It always kind of chokes me up when I think of it.,
> Unfortnayeky these pictures don’t show the feather detail. He’s done some great kestrels too.



Those are outstanding....


----------



## Keesha

Snowbound said:


> Thank you.  I lighted magnifying glass helps!


Oh yes. I have one of those which I need to use for certain crafts. This isl my floor model. It’s hreat for trimming split ends as well. :laugh:





Seeker said:


> Those are outstanding....


I will tell him you said so.


----------



## Tommy

Win - FYI, your link leads to a facebook page that is apparently only accessible to people with facebook accounts.


----------



## Keesha

Tommy said:


> Win - FYI, your link leads to a facebook page that is apparently only accessible to people with facebook accounts.


I ran into the same problem


----------



## twinkles

crocheting  and running a knitting machine and needle point---my daughter gave me another knitting machine for mothers day-now to find a place to put it


----------



## hollydolly

My hobby is photography... I take pictures of everything!!! Not in the same  class as our resident forum  pro photographer  ''OY'' but I love taking them anyway....


----------



## win231

Tommy said:


> Win - FYI, your link leads to a facebook page that is apparently only accessible to people with facebook accounts.



Sorry, I don't know how to show it here.


----------



## Babs

Being a School Librarian most of my life I grew up reading and being around books so my biggest hobby is reading. I also enjoy doing word finds.


----------



## Cindi Rose Bliss

Genealogy is the hobby I do the most. But I also crochet and cross stitch, and make collages and altered books. I also collect dolls.


----------



## AZ Jim

hollydolly said:


> My hobby is photography... I take pictures of everything!!! Not in the same  class as our resident forum  pro photographer  ''OY'' but I love taking them anyway....


I've always enjoyed your pics Holly.  The telephone booth libraries was great.  Maybe you should re-post them for our new members?


----------



## AZ Jim

win231 said:


> Sorry, I don't know how to show it here.


Go get it...send it to your desktop and post it from there...


----------



## Falcon

Back then, for several  years  I was a medical/surgical  photographer.  I had a studio  in a
major  hospital.  To the general  population,  my pictures  were  NOT      very  pretty.


----------



## win231

AZ Jim said:


> Go get it...send it to your desktop and post it from there...



It's trying to put the whole facebook page in the post instead of just the video.  Still trying


----------



## norman

Having once been in the newspaper business, I enjoy looking for misspelled words in our newspaper.


----------



## win231

Won't show on screen.  Oh well....


----------



## Falcon

I used to make  clocks;  mostly  wall clocks.  I'd buy the  "works"  &  the hard woods.  I'd  give them away  as presents  to relatives and close friends.  Haven't  made any  in many years;  got too old  for that.


----------



## Capt Lightning

I've been trying my hand at some furniture making.  This is mainly because we couldn't find exactly what we wanted , or the size we wanted, of the colour we wanted etc...

This is a display cabinet I finished recently.  I bought an ugly cabinet from a charity shop and salvaged the glass from the doors and shelves, and the mirror from the back.  The cabinet is made mostly from American white oak, though the drawers are softwood with ply bottoms.

 

The bookcase has a core of 'chipboard' with an oak veneer and oak framing.  It is the same height as the display cabinet.


----------



## Cindi Rose Bliss

Capt Lightning said:


> I've been trying my hand at some furniture making.  This is mainly because we couldn't find exactly what we wanted , or the size we wanted, of the colour we wanted etc...
> 
> This is a display cabinet I finished recently.  I bought an ugly cabinet from a charity shop and salvaged the glass from the doors and shelves, and the mirror from the back.  The cabinet is made mostly from American white oak, though the drawers are softwood with ply bottoms.
> 
> View attachment 65496
> 
> The bookcase has a core of 'chipboard' with an oak veneer and oak framing.  It is the same height as the display cabinet.
> 
> View attachment 65497



These are beautiful!!


----------



## Pauline1954

Painting and I love to make little old discarded items look pretty again.


----------

