DIY Block Printed Christmas Wrapping Paper.

As the trend towards artisanal wrapping paper continues Mike Is Bored presents: Printing your own wrapping paper.

Block print DIY Wrapping paper- Thanks for the photo Rubidium Wu

Needed is:
Linoleum Cutter
Linoleum Blocks
Soft Rubber Brayer (AKA that roller thingy)
Graph Paper.
Paint of some sort.
Other paper to print on (TBD)

Well I guess we can start out with how to make any wallpaper pattern in case trees are not your thing.

1) The stately square without which wallpaper is but the fevered dream of a madman. 6x6 in this case. Easy to see how we can line them buggers up to make a consistent pattern. If you don't understand how to do that you can look at your trusty graph paper for an example. 

2) Now to modify the square. Any square in the graph paper can be slid to the opposite side and they will still lock up just fine. 

3) Ah. Looks like a tree already. 

4) draft of the final image is done on paper. 

5) GOOOLDEN RINGS!.... or a cut out of the pattern to trace on to the linoleum sheet.  

6) after tracing on the pattern on to the linoleum I cut it out with a box cutter. 

7) cut away all the parts of the linoleum that are not the tree using a Linoleum Cutter 

8) Roll on your ink and stamp away. 

9) I added decorations to the trees using nail polish. 

10) after making the original I had the photo printed as an engineering print at staples.

Please keep in mind that most people on your gift list might prefer squid or octopus wrapping paper.

cat that looks like hitler

This blog officially joins the internet today as I add a photo of a cat.

I know there is a whole webpage dedicated to the subject (that I heard about on a TED talk) but I was so excited to see this guy and had to share here.

Things to draw when you are bored

From the class room (the best drawing ideas have been invented when drawing while bored in class) to an airplane here are the things that I (and my brother) like to draw when bored.

 1. From chuck does art, and making as much sense as any other, can I recommend drawing a running banana with a broken arm.

2. Draw patterns that make good wallpaper. Tutorial to come.

3. Draw in 3D. Tutorial to come.

4. take an 8x10" piece of graph paper and fill every single box with a different pattern. Photo to come when I find my 5th grade notebook.

 -this post in progress send me your suggestions!-

 If you are bored enough to be reading this you should check out all my things to do when you are bored RIGHT NOW.

Experimenting again with backgrounds. This one from Mondrian: Flowers. ... And will not be using this. It makes the blog look like someones myspace page.

Modify a sodastream to make use 20oz bottles and to carbonate milk

WARNING: DO NOT DO THIS. IT DID NOT WORK AND WAS SOMEWHAT DANGEROUS. IT ALSO VOIDS WARRANTEES, MAKES BABIES CRYS AND OTHER BAD THINGS. For actual useful posts about sodastream please check out my sodastream recipes. I know we all want to carbonate whiskey, milk, coffee, wine, fruit juice and all other sorts of crazy things with the sodastream. I am also interested in carbonating smaller volumes like 2, 12, 16 and 20oz bottles. However we are sternly warned not to do this. This post documents my(so far failed) attempt to find a work around.
1)I cut 5/16" Outer Diameter (OD) vinyl tubing to about two feet in length
2)I drilled a 1/4" hole in the top of a small soda bottle
3)I pushed the tubing through the slightly smaller hole to get a tight seal.
4)I slid the tube around the soda stream
5)after filling the bottle with water and screwing on the cap I pumped two times causing the tube to detach from the sodastream the bottle to tip over and somehow dump about 1/2 of its contents without having its cap come off.
6) photo to come

Octopus Squid and Cuttlefish: Cephalopod Videos On the Web. Free and otherwise.

Post in progress. Please suggest more videos!
NOVA: Cuttlefish - Kings of Camouflage not on netflix instant but available as dvd
The clear winner. Interesting with more then amazing footage. Discussion of the amazing flambouyant cuttlefish, squid mating, mechanism of color change.

Free to amazon prime members:
Scary Squid, Octopuses, And Other Cephalopods
a very quick survey of all the cephalopods.

Netflix Instant:
colossal squid/squid invasion- Leads with the almost unwatchable Colossal Squid with dull CGI and a frozen squid the second episode, squid invasion, all about Humboldt squid is just spectacular

TED (free):
David Gallo: underwater astonishments 
quick video with camouflage tricks, half and half squid coloration, fighting squid

Hooked By Octopus
mostly a video about conservation but still with some good footage

Does the Dioscorea caudex grow faster underground

I have read this many places online and did a small test using 4 seeds of Dioscorea Elephantis. After 4 months there was a clear difference between the underground and above ground seeds with the buried caudex being larger and much lighter in color.

To better test this assertion that I have read on many webpages I am germinated 24 seeds of Dioscoreaceae Meixcana. I have not sorted out the complete plan but once I know how many germinate I will attempt to grow 4 to a 4" pot and randomize two per pot to being covered completely v. 50%. I will then follow caudex width, length, estimated volume as well as number of leaves and survival every 6 months. I don't believe I have all the info I need to do formal power calculations but I am certain that this number could detect the effect if it is as impressive as my experience with D. elephantis. If no effect is appreciated in this size that would be more then enough info to guide the treatment of these plants by fellow amatures. Suggestions?