Almost Back To the Playground

Hey lovers.

I have to start counting how many times I say "I should be sleeping but..."

...but school starts in 2 days and I know I won't be able to go to sleep unless I write all this out.

Good lord, it's cold. I can't wait to go back to school with the heat. Except I know Meg likes to keep the window open so haha.



I made the above headbands and Allison and I both made a nautical bracelet.




Allison made these headbands, that ring, the rose pin, and the bow hairpin.

I made a red hairpin but I didn't feel like it was that big of a deal to take a picture. I loved all the stuff we made, they're pretty legit. We got our inspiration from Anthropologie and my incessant insistance that "I could soooo make that." :) It was so fun! We spent all day baking delicious Boston Creme Sexy Lo-Fat Vegan Cupcakes. My gosh, vegan pudding is the most delicious thing I've ever had in my life. I was addicted.

I have found my new favorite photographer.

Sarah Michelle Gellar

My favorite- Kristin Bell

That would be Randall Slavin. I can almost pick out his style from anywhere. I haven't seen all of his work or done too much research haha but I absolutely fell in love with this portrait:

I don't know who it is but it might be someone famous- he does a LOT of portraits of famous people. There's this distinctive flawless glow to every one of his pictures and everything looks completely natural, as if its all flowing. I always feel like there's a stream of flowing air or something.


So anyways- school. I can't wait to get back, I miss my social life! I hardly saw anyone this break as much as I'd have liked to and I miss Sam. I got really lazy this break and hardly felt like going out anyway. Will is up in New York right now... I wonder how he's doing? He wants me and Sam to come up mid-February but that's going to be extremely difficult for me to do. I want to, SO bad because I was pretty upset I didn't get to go last week. But I have to work and I have classes that will be difficult to miss. Plus I already put all that money I had saved for the failed NY trip last week into the California savings. It'll be hard to take it back out.

I can't wait to start all my classes. I absolutely love the classes I'm taking this semester. Last semester was almost purely gen eds and it was killing me (not to mention my GPA). This semester is all art! And I'm taking another Jewelry class, a Materials class (which I can't wait to see what it'll be like!), Painting I with my absolute most favorite professor EVER, Paul Jeanes, a digital concepts class and a couple of art history classes that I'm sure will be alright.

I've got work tomorrow. I have to be up in 6 hours and I still have to take a shower. And I have a lot to get done tomorrow to pack back up for Towson on Sunday. Which means I should go now, and I probably won't be back until Monday night to update about how sweet this semester will be. :) I love my major.

+Love+

It was just
One of those nights
Just one of those fabulous flights
A trip to the moon
A gust in the wind
Just one of those things
"Just One Of Those Things" sung by Nellie McKay or John Pizzarelli
(can't decide which one I like better!)

Quickie.

Hey lovers.

I've found that I need to revise my travel list.

1. California for 2 weeks with Sam & Will C. (?)
2. New York with Sam for 5 days
3. Chicago with Will M.?
4. Australia/New Zealand for a semester (spring 2011)
5. Italy with mom and Christine in a couple of years
6. Cancun in 2 years?

A bit more realistic, I guess. Iceland was silly hah at least for now.

Will C. is leaving for New York in a couple of days. It blows that he's not coming back to Towson this semester but he's following his dream. He's doing something with film production. He might be coming back, or going to California but I think he's more likely to come back to Towson. I hope so. Sam and I might convince him to come to California with us this summer too.

We all talked about plans for the three of us hooking up in California when we graduate :) Sam and I will be doing the CGI for Will's movies. hahah

I finished my shirt. :)

It was as plain white wifebeater before but I added all that stuff for a military touch because I really love that right now hah.



+Love+

There'll be no bad dreams
When you're lying next to me
I don't care about the rules
We only answer to ourselves
"Fall Awake" - The Ditty Bops

New Projects.

Hey lovers.

I'm working on a couple of new projects.

Since yesterday, I've drawn up measurements in my sketchbook. And below each one is a picture of what I used as my references. The measurements and pieces, I figured out myself.

You can click them to look at them larger.


And of course I have to credit YellowGoat for the whole thing. I mean I've seen stuff like this before, but I never really thought about putting it together until I saw these, because the pictures were close enough for me to figure it out.

I might try to solder it all together at home with the torch we have but I don't know if that'll work because it's such a big torch, and I don't know if the air pressure would blow away my pieces.

Another thing I've started is more of a decorative piece, I guess. I had a picture of what I saw at Urban Outfitters that inspired me but I think it's on Cecilia's memory card... I hope she didn't delete it.

Anyways:


It wasn't originally supposed to be broken but one day I was stupidly kneeling on the shadow box and broke it. I put almost all the pieces together but I had trouble with two corners so I took some pieces out and ended up liking it better anyway. I'm going to line the inside with the pattern and attach mini lights to the corners to highlight the center piece, which I have yet to decide.

And this is something I saw at Anthropolgie that I really liked and want to replicate.

I'm so ADD about projects. I keep jumping from one to another, but I guess it's good haha I haven a lot of things I have always wanted to do and now I'm doing it because I'm so bored at home. I have a bunch of other jewelry ideas that I'm really loving from Blind Spot Jewelry. I've just been studying his photos on Flickr because he's fantastic about details.

I can't wait to finish it all! And I've found a tip for a finish on metals other than silver, so I can wear it with it tarnishing.

Sweeeeeeeeet.

+Love+

P.S. I've finally put together my new 365 Photo project. Check it:
http://catherinephung365.blogspot.com/


Sunday morning rain is falling
Steal some covers share some skin
Clouds are shrouding us in moments unforgettable
You twist to fit the mold that I am in
But things just get so crazy living life gets hard to do
And I would gladly hit the road get up and go if I knew
That someday it would bring me back to you
"Sunday Morning" - Maroon 5

Break Update.

Hey lovers.

Well, here we go. I haven't updated since before break- in fact I'm positive it was the week before finals. Finals week was hell. I had so much to do and study all at once. I hardly slept, if you even call that sleeping- I pulled all-nighters almost every single night for 7 days, except for 2 when I slept 4 hours. I'm surprised I lived. haha I spent all my time studying, doing projects, and hanging with Will and Sam. Especially Will since he's going to NYU next semester instead of Towson. :(

Anyways, here's what's what. I did a lot of work for Christmas to make presents (because it's cheaper and more meaningful :) ) and because I've been bored out of my mind since the semester ended.

Well Sam actually drew this. It was his Drawing II final. And this is the final product. I thought it was such a clever idea.



This is the ring I made for Meg for Christmas... I got so pissed off because I made it too small haha. I was soooo upset, I was about to cut it and add more silver but I didn't have time. She didn't care though so I guess I'll just leave it be.

I painted this for Michael for Christmas. It was one of the only two things I've ever painted in my life, and I ended up REALLY liking this. I think I'm gonna like painting... I hope... haha. We'll see. It looked so much better in person. I really liked the texture the canvas gave it though. I just used regular acrylic paints I had lying around from when I used to be into arts and crafts in middle school. The only things I would change would be to make the moon outline in the middle larger and more subtle, and on the right side, I would have blended the skyline into the orange more gradually as it went from right to left.

I painted this for Michael too. I dunno, I didn't really love it. It was just something I wanted to try. I figured it kinda fit him though. The only thing I didn't like was the color choices. I was low on colors though, and I had to mix some of them. The colors ended up being a bit more muted than I liked.

Annnnd I just painted the girls name banners for our rooms when we get back to Scarborough.



I started this the week before finals but never finished it for obvious reasons. Then I finished it the first week of break and bought a bunch of saw blades- $2.50 for 114. Yay! I love Ebay.

And this here is something I made following My Mama Made It's directions. I LOVE this woman. I can't remember how I found this page- one night I was just looking for ideas for new projects and BAM I found her directions here. I didn't really love the fabrics I chose so I'm probably gonna try different fabrics and colors. I don't like the lace fabric I used but I did like the silky pink one, so I wanna try to find off-white colors to match it.

Anyways, she has a FANTASTIC fashion sense and I'm dying to try all of these things she has in her tutorials section on the side. I'm definitely gonna try to do as many of them as I can while I'm on break- it'd be awesome to come back with a new handmade wardrobe and new handmade accessories. Ahhh thank goodness for finding her haha

Also since I really want this ADORABLE wool cape that I'm dying to get so looky HERE!!!!!!

I think I might try to start making jewelry and selling it. I mean at first I thought people were just being nice about the stuff I've made by saying they like it but Jodi and all the people I work with have told me I should really have a sale, and Jodi really really wants me to do it.

Haha I LOVE her, she's this spunky fashionable mother of 3 who is Sicilian and has a Columbian/Italian husband who is just the nicest guy ever, and I want her to adopt me hahaa. Anyways, she tells it straight all the time; just watch her at my work. So I know I can trust what she says. Maybe I'll think about it, and put some stuff on Etsy. I found out about that through My Mama Made It. It's all gotten me so excited about working on all of these projects. I'm waiting for a few more things to come in from Ebay, and I have some refining to do on things I'm working on.

Well, shower time. And then I'm gonna get to working on my photo blog. I've always wanted to do this every year but I ALWAYS forget to start it New Year's day. So here we go.

+Love+


oh let’s get rich and buy our parents homes in the South of France
let's get rich and give everybody nice sweaters
and teach them how to dance
let's get rich and build our house on a mountain
making everybody look like ants
from way up there you and I, you and I
"You and I" - Ingrid Michaelson

LOVE this song. It makes me so happy :)
And I LOVE Savanna's cover!!

My fav picture of me and Kels on Christmas :) You can't see it clearly but I'm wearing my favorite tights with the floral design!

Study Break; Update, Yeah?

Hey lovers.

AHH I should be studying but I'm so burnt out. Quickie.




That's the bracelet I made in the beginning of the semester. I wanna do one more thing and cut more pieces off so it's not like a rectangle with shapes cut out. I might do that in the next few days after the worst finals are over.

Drawing on Illustrator. Imagine cutting this out of a 60mm x 10mm piece of flimsy silver. I broke it in a couple of places but no one could tell after I soldered it.

These are the Rhino renderings that Christine helped me do haha. Beauuuutiful.

This is the actual ring after it was all done.

Annnnd everything I made. the Green Lantern ring was for Sam. I'm gonna try to hammer out an ichthys ring for Meg for Christmas this week. It shouldn't be that hard at all.

Sam's sculpture out of paper towels and glue.

I'm currently working a montage-y type music video. I really wanted to finish it in a week but I think I'm taking on too many projects especially with how much I have to be studying.

GSHJKFDSJKD

The best holiday is coming up.

+Love+

With all this fever in my mind
I could drown in your kerosene eyes
You're just a riddle in the sky
Oh where do my bluebird fly.
"Where Do My Bluebird Fly"- The Tallest Man On Earth

Too Long.

Hey lovers.

Ehh. Not the greatest night. Anyways, I've been all too busy to update this in the past couple of weeks.

So I got my Ponoko project:


Honestly, it sucked hah I don't like it. The hanging pieces are too far apart, a tiny piece snapped, and I forgot to make one of the hanging pieces longer.

I wish I could redo it but it was so expensive.

Spot Sam's Green Lantern symbol? :) And my anchors, and Kelsey's name, and my bird?

And as for my tea infuser? SO difficult. I made a cone which was apparently, the hardest shape to make, and I don't think anyone could appreciate that until they do it themselves hah. The tip had to be hammered together to be soldered but that was really difficult because it was so tiny so the seam was hard to get together at the tip.

But here it is. Unsoldered. Except you can't tell.



I had a different idea in mind... I wanted the bottom to be a dome, and I wanted the cone to be skinnier, taller, and generally more sleek but in the interest of time, I'm glad I didn't do it because that would have been next to impossible. A wide cone was hard enough.

Oh well. I had my experience and learned things. I still have to figure out HOW that bottom is gonna be tension fitted to the lid. GSHFdjkgh

In other news, I woke up this morning to an absolutely gorgeous sunrise, made 3 dozen cookies and about a hundred or whatever candies for the women I work with.


This was definitely a learning process too, to say the least. Good lord, it took me hours! I was working on it from 5 to almost 10. But I LOVED it, I really missed working in my kitchen, my mom can definitely tell you that.

I hope tomorrow's morning is as beautiful as today's was. :) It really got me up and around this morning. I made coffee.

Bed time. I have lots to do tomorrow. I gotta do my Rhino design of my ring, clean up my room (which would be the upstairs living room and kitchen hahah), and try to clean up my real room before break.

I don't want this semester to end, it's been all too wonderful. I've met so many great people and gotten close to so many friends. I don't want to lose touch with people I've met just because we're not in class together anymore. Well, I'm definitely gonna try to hang on. Some people are too wonderful and intriguing to let slip away. :)

+Love+

I'll make you mixtape that's a blueprint of my soul
It may sound grand but babe it's all you need to know
I'll make you a mixtape that will charm you into bed
It details everything that's running 'round my head

Fondling record and play
Without you it's records night and day
This ain't no disc of MP3's
This one's handmade, fashioned lovingly

Plant the rhythm in your bones
You're the only angel in headphones
My love can paint a million tones
From Nine Inch Nails to Louis Armstrong
So resurrect your stereo And the swathes of melodies will flow
Thelonious, Maurizio
I tell you babe it will make my heart glow
-Mixtape, Jamie Cullum

He writes some of the most amazing lyrics I've ever heard/I'll ever hear. This is probably one of my favorites by him.

Weekend-ing

Hey lovers.

I went with the second one, and here it is, along with the band ring:

:) I was proud of the way it turned out. I was nervous it would get messed up but it turned out great! The sweat joint could have been better but when I make Sam's Green Lantern ring, it'll be better.

It was a great weekend. I started working in the studio on Friday night to finish the rings and about that- I LOVE working in the studio! It's so relaxing and therapeutic. I wish I had a dark room to work in at home- that's what it reminded me of. I mean there was a lot of noise going on but it was just all about the work. I loved it. It was oddly soothing. Hah.

And then we played Sardines all over the CFA until 2AM and it made me realize how much I loved that building. I found places I never knew were there before, and now I wanna have a photo shoot with Sam late at night in some of the rooms. Especially the ballet-style room.

I also found this. It was just randomly posted on some door frame on the second floor down the hall from the art history lecture room. I dunno, just though it was interesting.

And then I went ice skating Saturday night, and went adventuring with Kels today and found a marina. It was so relaxing- another beautiful day! :)

I love sunny days.

I spent the rest of the day studying and working on my sketches and maquettes for Jewelry. I'll probably put up pictures once I do my metal maquette.

This is another one of my favorites from Javier Pacheco.

Give Me The Hand To Feel

You have GOT to click on it and see it larger- the highlights in the hand are absolutely amazing.

I'm sleeeeeeeepy.

+Love+

Which One??

Hey lovers.

Opinions needed!!! WHICH ONE!?

This one,

or this one?
I'll probably file down the silver plate smaller to be more rounded.

+Love+

Plans, Plans.

Hey lovers.

It was beautiful today!!! I woke up later than usual because my one class was canceled. I slept in for the first time in weeks, and stayed asleep the whole time. I woke up at about 11:30 and gosh it was a gorgeous day, I couldn't stop smiliny!!!

First things first. I got bored/I was desperately procrastinating last night during my art history paper writing, so I made this.


I splurged. Guess how much it all cost me though. 45 buckaroos. I'd like to say it's damn good for a dress, shirt, skirt, cardigan, and suspenders. Lace suspenders, at that! I've ALWAYS wanted suspenders, and I'm in this weird thing where I'm in love with plaid. I was also obsessed with gingham button down shirts but never got one. :(

So, since about a month ago when I ran into something new, I had this sort of epiphany. Basically, something was telling me that I was wasting my life, that I needed to make bigger and better plans for myself because there are so many things that I need to experience. It was a combination of things. I was always hearing stories from my customers at work, telling me about all their travels and lives that seemed to leak from movies. I was always hearing about what Christine had done, about her travels and work. I was always staring at photos of beautiful things and places, and the final brick hit me in the face almost exactly one month ago.

Since then, my head has been collecting a number of things.

I had been the worst art student ever. I felt guilty that I was getting all these great teachers and classes that Sam envied me for, and I wasn't taking advantage of it. I started seeing all of these great things someone I knew was doing and fell completely and utterly in love with these ideals... and I decided it was time. She was doing everything she loved and she was happy, she was living that life of the artist and I guess being able to see it more up close and personal made me snap.

So I took much more care in my projects. I spent so many hours outside of class working on projects (and admittedly neglected some gen. ed. studies that I shouldn't have) and really worked on everything. And for the first time in... ever... I genuinely loved art history. At least the periods I was studying.

I found a completely new appreciation for the works we were learning about and for everyone else's work around me. It feels great and I really feel like I've got that passion in my life again. And that passion that I envied every other artist for. I lost it for photography when I lost my high school dark room but even photography has picked up again a bit. Digital isn't as hands-on or fun as black and white but then again, they're both amazing in their own ways.

Anyways...

I've got so many plans. I'm going to California this summer with Sam to really explore our soon-to-be territory. For grad school and all that. But just to travel. Since I went back for the first time almost a year ago, I completely fell in love with travel. I love unfamiliar territory, as long as someone else is there to get lost with me. :P


That being said, there are so many other things I've started saving up for (or have budgeted to save for). I'm not blowing smoke when I say this, I'm going to visit these places.

1. California for 2 weeks with Sam
2. New York with Alex for 1 week
3. Chicago
4. Iceland?
5. London for a semester
6. Cancun in 2 years
7. Cross-country road trip next summer to CA?
8. Italy with mom and Christine in a couple of years
9. Australia/New Zealand eventually

I figure I should make it my goal to do these things within 6 years, except Australia might be much further off. Italy is in question too but my mom has always wanted to go.

Iceland is a new development. Christine G. told me that this girl has beautiful pictures of Iceland. I always had heard it was beautiful... but I saw these pictures and fell completely in love. I want to experience a hot spring!!

A cross-country trip is another thing in question. It's expensive as a mofo, especially if we take it as slow as I'd like to- visiting random places, eating in classic diners, etc... However, Christine G. mentioned a website that lists people who are open to letting cross-country explorers like us crash their couch for a night? Fantastic.

Cancun is a big trip that I'm hoping all of us will be able to take. My money situation might actually work out if I plan carefully. There's gonna be hella hostels to look up in all of these places. I can't wait though. For each place I go to, I'm going to make a goal list to check off and do every thing unique to each place. Museums, shows, and even parties ;)

I wanna be able to do this to my suitcase... cover it in travel stickers.


Money is the only issue. I need another job... how am I gonna do this with my schedule though? Classes keep me so busy, and working with my mom at her salon is exhausting enough. Sacrifices, sacrifices, yeah? Maybe I should get a seasonal job and just go completely nuts with it hah. I just have to make sure I have time for the studio (jewelry) and studying and all that grand stuff. I might just suck it up and work Fridays and Saturdays after the salon, and Sundays.

Time management. And coffee. Lots of it.

I mean I can't make my dreams come true without working ridiculously hard at it, yeah?

Aside from traveling, I want to try a lot of other things that I had never been interested in or just ignored.
1. Rock climbing 2. Sailing/Boating 3. Camping (I SUPPOSE haha now that it's not mosquito-y) 4. Day at the harbor (aquarium, port discovery, science center, dinner, shopping) 5. Day in Washington DC (soooo many things) 6. Jet skiing

It's just all very very costly.


And goals to do that I've had for a longer time? Some of these things are easier now that I've gotten older and gotten more privileges, or I will in a couple of years:
1. Costume party/masquerade party 2. Spontaneous road trip to Ocean City 3. Birthday party at a rented hall! 4. A legit red/white checkered blanket, wicker basket., juice and sandwiches picnic 5. A REALLY fantastic 3-course dinner party complete with suits and dresses ;)

We'll see how far I get with this.

I also want to pick up an accent haha. Scottish, Irish, or Australian.

Alright, I don't have any new work... I'm gonna work on my rings and stuff tomorrow, probably, or Thursday night so maybe by this Sunday I'll have something more. However here's a quick thing I decided to try out- a faux reflection.


I also found this person, Javier Pacheco on Abduzeedo with BEAUTIFUL illustrations- they're absolutely gorgeous!! This was my favorite:

Charbage

I can't get over how much I love his stuff. I think I especially liked this one because the nose ring is such a great detail. Definitely check out that Abduzeedo link, it goes to his feature. There are other pictures with amazing highlights that I can't get over. I'll probably post it next time- I think I gotta get to studying.

+Love+

I love the way they shine
I love the fantasy
I love to stare into eternity
Let my mind become a wave upon the sea
And then I race across the galaxy
Far away beyond reality
To a world where you care for me
-The Orion Experience