Sketch Fest recap and musings...

Sketch Fest this weekend was a blast! http://www.ellenmilliongraphics.com/sketchfest/sketchfestwall.php?date=23

I did more programming than I did sketching, but I did finish five pieces - I still need to scan the last one. The new prompts page was zoomy, as promised, and I added icons to improve how the page 'scans' when you're looking at it. http://www.ellenmilliongraphics.com/sketchfest/sketchfestprompters.php

I also had some thoughts about tagging/claiming/uploading that I'd love some user input on:

It would simplify things for me, if I made it so that uploading ended with the Sketch Fest. BUT, I could allow registered artists to upload work that they had claimed during the fest itself. The claim would gain some additional meaning - an artist would be already finished* with the piece, or very sure they were going to be, before the end of Sketch Fest. Tagging would allow the artist to express interest in a prompt and make it easy for them to find later, but NOT allow them to upload work to that prompt once Sketch Fest had ended. (This, actually, is open for discussion - I could allow uploading to tags just as easily as claims...) Commenting would still be available while Sketch Fest was running, just as it is now...

This is a definite perk for registered artists, but truth is, I haven't seen an unregistered artist upload anything after Sketch Fest ended for a while, and it would save me a step in running things, plus prevent the occasional sad artist who has a broken scanner or can't get their art up while things are still open.

Updated list of improvements to make:

Prevent multiple tags/claims by same artist

Prevent duplicate comments on artwork

Option to sort prompts without grouping (framework is in place)

Image class stuff

Image borders on inspired page.

Quote marks, strip the slashes: email alerts, artistpage claims, next/previous thumbnails, probably some other places.

Make a way to cancel/delete claims and tags

Update prompt page (it's pretty blah right now)

multiple sales option-thingy

Potentially change the way after-Sketch Fest-uploading is handled.

Not all of this will happen soon, of course. I've worked ahead of my funded time, and will continue to do a little more, but I've got some other projects that need tackling first...

Also, check out this awesome feedback from a user at Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Sketchfest

That seriously made my day. :)

Alright, this post is long enough. I'll do my daily stuff in another entry later...




*Where finished, of course, does not indicate 'actually finished', necessarily.

Mondaily with plans and factory update...

I never did get around to making any 2012 goals, did I! (Aside from 'having and not breaking baby.')

I do have a bunch of things I need to get done before Elsa gets here:

Taxes!! (started)

SE site

JH site

WS site

Dryer outlet

Paint bathroom floor

Finish bathroom. (UGH. Because I am so not up to dealing with sheetrock now!)

Finish Skycats picture

Kaz art trade

Big print order

Little print orders

4 abstracts (holy heck, I still haven't done those? Where is my BRAIN?)

Torn World stories: Finish Rails? (unlikely, actually - there's a lot of story left there...), Finish Meetings storyline (equally unlikely). But some progress would be awesome.

After Elsa's here, of course, all bets are off. I intend to enjoy that time and keep stress out of it as much as possible. Pleeeeeaaaaaase don't come early, Elsa-guppy... I've got a lot left to do!

Today's goals: tax progress, SE site progress (started!), scan last SF piece, print (10) prints, paint something, eat, shower and rest.

In factory news, I went to yoga on Saturday. It was a substitute teacher (one I quite liked!), and those folks who showed up went around and gave names and weeks. One gal was due tomorrow, then me (36 weeks), then a whole lot of folks in the 20-31 weeks area. Given the noises of disbelief and the straight up comments on the topic, I apparently do not look 36 weeks. I certainly feel huge and ready to burst, but looking around, I was a similar size to some of the gals 6 weeks behind me. And these are mostly pretty fit, athletic women. Maybe there's something funky about my build - my OB is saying she would guess a 6.5 lb baby, which is only half a lb less than average, and she's been really pleased with my weight gain and shape in general.

I am also suspicious Elsa 'dropped' this weekend - she was already head-down, and it's about the right time (2-4 weeks before due date is average for a first time mom, though it sounds like it varies pretty wildly...), and my belly is a little less shelf-like than it was. I have to pee a lot more than I did earlier, and the pelvic pressure when walking is a lot less comfortable than it was (pretty agonizing at times, actually... I'm happy to do sitting-things). I'm less short of breath (yay!), and the heartburn isn't quite as burny (YAY!) - but I've also been taking Zantac the last three nights, so it's tough to know what's helping the most there.

She continues to be a serious squirmer, and woke me up several times last night. I'm not appreciating the heels in the kidneys or the elbows in the bladder. I do like that I never have to wonder what she's up to...

I dropped in on my gaming group yesterday afternoon and picked up the stroller they pooled together for me. WHAT a stroller! It is a Jeep brand, with big beefy wheels and good brakes and some really sweet features. It's big enough to accommodate a pretty big toddler, and ought to handle our trails pretty well. I was so touched.

In Norway news, he's sulking in his cone of shame right now, because I caught him licking his foot. He had been *very* good, and was going bandage-less inside, because I think the bandage was bothering him more than the wound. I'm hoping that an hour or so of cone of shame, immediately following a scold for being caught red-handed with the licking, will remind him how to behave. The wound itself is looking remarkably good. Norway LOVES his antibiotics... or at least the fact that they're rolled in peanut butter... he snuffles them right down and asks for more.

Velcro does little on these cold days but sleep in front of the fire and eventually overheat so that she has to lay out on the rug away from the fire.

To work now!

Crowdfunding awards!

Rose and Bay is open for nominations. These awards are for crowdfunded projects, such as Sketch Fest (already nominated). To qualify, the project cannot have won the award the previous year, and must offer at least a little free content to the general public, with audience participation of some stripe, and funding of some nature.

Two of my projects are eligible in the 'Other' category: EMG-Zine and Torn World (Torn World may also be eligible for fiction, I'm not exactly sure...).

If you've got projects you'd like to offer as possibilities for nomination, in any category, feel free to link them in the comments.

For more information and links to each category: http://crowdfunding.livejournal.com/383770.html

Writer's Block: Happy New Year of the Dragon!

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I am a fire dragon, which fits me rather well. My daughter will be a water dragon, so there... er... may be steam? http://www.chinavoc.com/zodiac/dragon/five.asp