http://search.deviantart.com/?q=by:Faithful-Jewel&section=today deviantART RSS for by:Faithful-Jewel en-us Copyright 2009, deviantART.com Wed, 25 Nov 2009 02:29:20 PST deviantART.com http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://s.deviantart.com/minish/widgets/apple-touch-icon-precomposed.png http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/27632305/ http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/27632305/ Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:26:49 PDT
But to get to 50k I have a feeling I'll need an incentive. Anyone got any ideas? It's my birthday early December anyway, so item rewards for myself are a bit useless, so I need something else.

Ideas win virtual lollipops.

]]> ~Faithful-Jewel http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/27132500/ http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/27132500/ Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:13:47 PDT [link]

I mean look at it. It's adorable. You want to pick it up and cuddle it.

So how the fudgemuffin does it turn into this:

[link]

(That gives me nightmares... *sobs*)

]]> ~Faithful-Jewel http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/26934058/ http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/26934058/ Mon, 31 Aug 2009 10:59:24 PDT

I also found, more importantly, some old Harry Potter fan fiction (written when I was about 12) and a couple of drafts of my original idea for a story, which I later realised was possibly utter rubbish...

But, it's all NaNo material, so it's presently sitting on my desk giving me evil looks because it consists of about 5 high quality notebooks with only a few pages used up. Faith needs to seriously use a notebook and keep using it... Yes, a book can give you evil looks, before you say anything.

I am presently practising my colouring techniques. So I got a kid's colouring book of animals from Sainsbury's and dutifully got out my pencils... turns out blue doesn't show up on scanners too well. I need to remember that for later use (I knew there was something about blue pencil, but I thought they had to be *special* blue pencil. Obviously not!) as it could prove useful in lineart. A couple of alerts will be those colouring practices, and I'm gonna set up a category soon of a sort of "practice" section; they're too good for me to scrap (bite me, I don't like putting things in scraps) but they shouldn't really be in my main section.

Also, why am I tempted to get premium membership? I doubt I'd use it, but I'm tempted nonetheless.

The red dragon is called Rodney. Thanks go to Doc Rossim for the name, I'll throw something his way later even if he doesn't want it

Angels and Demons OST; never seen the film, nor read the book, I just like that sort of church adventure music... imagine Indiana Jones swinging over an altar and you get my mentality (taking his hat off, of course; gotta show respect, even if you are attacking bad guys in a holy building). Sometimes I wonder what my music shows about me... then I go doodle a bit.

I can't think of anything else to ramble about now, but I'm sure other things will come to me later. Sorry for the excessive reading; you love it really.

<3

]]> ~Faithful-Jewel http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/26849963/ http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/26849963/ Thu, 27 Aug 2009 04:30:33 PDT
And seen as someone, naming no names, is about as responsive as a dead duck, I've given up on even attempting LT3 any more. But I'm utter rubbish at coming up with ideas that last longer than 15k written words...

So this is an open call. Anyone fancy colaborating on a comic sort of thing with me? Writing the plot/script, sharing the writing task, both drawing different chapters or whatver... your choice.

I hate sitting here doing nothing when I want to be creative. An idea for more of a "gritty" comic would be ideal, but I just need to do something XD

*Is much better at short stories than long plots*

]]> ~Faithful-Jewel http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/26777588/ http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/26777588/ Sun, 23 Aug 2009 14:55:35 PDT
Name this dragon!

[link]

(Tell me how to embed pictures? )

He's about 3 foot tall, red... that's Dennis with him, the little blue one.

If you suggest a name and I choose it, I'll give you a prize of some sort. It all depends on what you want (my soul and sanity are off limits).

Name away!

]]> ~Faithful-Jewel http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/26610076/ http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/26610076/ Sat, 15 Aug 2009 13:41:57 PDT
Anyway, yes. I have also done something very very stupid.

As in really stupid.

I challenged last year's word champion, who achieved over 130k (that's 80k over what's required to "win" NaNo) to a word war... to 200k words.

That's 4 NaNos...

4!

We'll both be juggling A levels, (well technically mine is AS, but I'm doing two coursework heavy subjects so stuff it) and we're both slightly insane... there's someone else doing 200k too, so I'm essentially racing her too.

But, I only have one story plan. I am utter, utter rubbish at planning. This story plan is about a Cat... called Mouse... if you're religious, pretend I never wrote it, as it's a tongue in cheek thing about tainted people's souls (as a cat).

To make up the rest of the word count (as that is going to be my 50k+ novel thing) I'm going to write short stories. I am in my element with short stories... at 5k per story, I will need approximately 30 story ideas.

30... hence I need your help.

*Anything* random I can do a short story on. Really, anything. Just name it, and I'll try and write it. At some point I'm going to do a little FanFiction for Mister Tim over there, plus try and make my old story ideas into something more than just notes... oh and maybe do last year's NaNo as a short story.

I can always do short story series, if the need appears.

But I need ideas... ideas ideas ideas.

Help me? I'll gift you the story afterwards (and dedicate it to you for the idea).

]]> ~Faithful-Jewel http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/26524746/ http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/26524746/ Tue, 11 Aug 2009 10:40:50 PDT My name is Xxxxx and i have a record label releasing organic electronic
music like latino house music etc.
I saw a red flower you have made in your portfolio that i really love. So
i wonder if its possible to use it as a cover for a release in the future?
*footer etc*"

The one in question is this: [link]

Whenever someone says something that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, I bend over backwards for them... remember that when you want a favour.

I said he could use it anyway Might as well, nothing I gain/lose from it!

(Oh and my Neopets account was unfrozen. Wootles for that!)

<3

]]> ~Faithful-Jewel http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/26079358/ http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/26079358/ Tue, 21 Jul 2009 03:32:49 PDT
I'll try and upload some pictures I took in Alaska later on. Small problem is my Mum and I both took pictures, so most I can point out as mine, but some I'm unsure of. The ones I'm unsure of will probably have "Either taken by Faith, or Faith's Mum" in the description. Either way, it'll be uploaded XD She doesn't have Deviant Art anyway.

They won't be breathtaking, but some I quite like for their aesthetic value so humour me

<3

]]> ~Faithful-Jewel http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/26047163/ http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/26047163/ Sun, 19 Jul 2009 15:11:03 PDT
They're a bit expensive compared to other laptops, due to their size, but I'd love to have one for when I go to college again and if I wander off to Kent in two years I can either buy a better one by then or just keep that for social reasons, then use the supplied computer rooms (24/7 access!) for work and such. They're also wide screen, but I have no choice it seems in this matter.

And I finally signed up for this list making website I found thanks to Firefox. Hopefully now I can prioritise things a bit better, as I seem to be lacking in my organisational skills as of late... I blame the cat.

]]> ~Faithful-Jewel http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/25962471/ http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/25962471/ Wed, 15 Jul 2009 11:30:58 PDT
Quick summary as I'm presently at 36 hours since I last slept (!):

I went to Seattle, stayed overnight, caught an NCL Cruise Ship heading for Alaska.
Spent a day on the ship, then a day in Juneau, a day in Skagway, at this point I fell ill so I have no idea which came first out of Ketchikan or Glacier Bay (essentially a day at sea) and by the time I'd recovered, we'd docked in Victoria but I didn't feel up for leaving the ship.
Then back to Seattle, two more nights there, then flight back.

Rawr.

Don't ask why I was ill. I kept feeling really really faint and wasn't hungry (not good when I need to control my blood sugar levels) and when you suffer from vertigo/bad balance DO NOT go up the Space Needle. The walls are at a diagonal so I kept feeling like I was falling over, then the vertigo kicked in and I had to sit down with my eyes closed looking at clouds (when I accidentally opened my eyes, see).

All in all, twas good. Except I now need lots of time on my own; I hate being around other people for so long.

<3

]]> ~Faithful-Jewel http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/25718438/ http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/25718438/ Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:09:30 PDT
I will chat to you all when I get back.

Keep well

<3

]]> ~Faithful-Jewel http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/25435732/ http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/25435732/ Sat, 20 Jun 2009 13:46:48 PDT
B... what will I do? Hmm... just have to wait and find out.

Stay tuned.

<3

* - Don't ask how I injured my shoulder doing accounts. As one person suggested, it was fighting them off with a ring binder, I think. In all actuality it's just using a calculator 8 hours straight because I misread a bank statement and the stationery store Staples are idiots.

]]> ~Faithful-Jewel http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/25237108/ http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/25237108/ Wed, 10 Jun 2009 13:59:49 PDT
Every week I'll make a Speed Draw video, of me sketching something. But each week I need something to focus on... so I'm going to do the Alphabet.

And this series will be Animals! A is for Antelope, and as you may see to the left I have just drawn an Oryx. It's an Antelope, live with it.

The important bit:

I was wondering if anyone else wants to do this with me? Any medium, any subject... literally, anything. You can do it every week, or every other week, or whenever the hell you feel like it. As long as it's the same letter for the week, you can do whatever you want.

Until Wednesday next week it'll be A. Drop me a line if you want to have a shot at doing an image along these lines and I'll be sure to watch you with interest.

<3

]]> ~Faithful-Jewel http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/25216163/ http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/25216163/ Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:17:26 PDT [link] ) about not having any ideas for a new website design/name for my portfolio. Well, I've overcome the name bit and I'm sure the design will follow later.

Instead of FJ-Designs I'm switching to XS Ideas. By around December this year everything will have been thrown over, but until then, you can still get me on my FJ-Designs email and such.

I've posted the logo idea I've done and a bit of constructive criticism (or your own ideas if you don't mind me running away with them) would be very very welcome, so thanks in advance. I was going to say something else and I've forgotten it.

Never mind.

]]> ~Faithful-Jewel http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/25200307/ http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/25200307/ Mon, 08 Jun 2009 15:13:13 PDT
When I think stuff, whether it be on computer or by hand, I concentrate too much. This causes me to set my jaw. Which causes a tension in my ear drum. One of those "I can feel/hear this tension" sort of things.

And it drives me nuts. Putting something in my mouth doesn't work, I'm sure I've tried chewing gum in the past (but I will try again)... I'm a sketch artist, but this is driving me nuts because, despite the fact I don't often stray into that area, I do occasionally have to draw cartoons and such which require a solid ink outline.

Suggestions on how to stop this would be very welcome. Other than to loosen up in terms of my concentration... >.<

]]> ~Faithful-Jewel http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/25164228/ http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/25164228/ Sat, 06 Jun 2009 15:34:51 PDT
But I'm looking at some of the web designs around here thinking "How the hell would you make that?". I wonder if some of those who actually do the web designs here (using Photoshop on its own, most of the time; so just concept work in actuality) ever sit there and try to make them work. One page in Photoshop is not a website. It's an idea, that can perhaps be developed and moulded into a website.

Unless you have drop dead excellent website designers (I nod my hat to some people on my watch list) it's practically impossible to replicate a Photoshop design into an actual website. Some things won't be possible. Others will have to be tweaked until they work, which may not suit the original designer's idea.

Also, where are the annotations? I enjoy looking at websites, I love looking at how they work (I was doing research on Soft Play centres at work, clicked the link on who made the website for them, had a look at their portfolio and one of their sites triggered an idea for my portfolio site... a while ago, admittedly) and trying to replicate the effect so I can use it in future. But without annotations, notes on what a button does when you roll over it, if there will be dynamic menus or static and other rubbish that makes me sound intelligent in front of my boss, it's just a pretty picture you did to make yourself feel you can make a website.

I am not a good website designer, so I'm not inserting my status as that. I just do what I do from both the designer point of view and the person who has to make it. What you see is what you get programmes can mostly (note the mostly) do what you design on Photoshop, but not always. And in the end they end up quite image heavy (I speak from experience in that one).

So, why don't people start from the basics of what they can do, then fill in the frills and snazzy images later? Do a basic bones of a website, with blocks for where text will go, a big red cross for images and something that explains that when you hover over it with your cursor it turns into a Dancing Lemming. Yes, put in a pretty background, it's not hard to replicate that in a website at least. Include a logo that'll be on the page somewhere, give it a couple of page titles.

I doubt I will ever wholly be on the end of developer of websites; I'm a designer at heart and a developer out of sitting there going "Damn, I need someone to do this for me... ah, stuff it, I'll do it myself". And because of that I make things easy for myself in terms of writing the website stuff out. I only know CSS and HTML; I borrow Javascript from internet resources, along with the occasional snazzy CSS piece. This means my websites are basic. Basic as a piece of bread on a stick. But with a few bits of code combined, often borrowed mixed with my own, that piece of bread can become a piece of toast. Then some interesting image elements, nothing massive, a couple of kB in PNG format is the jam, or butter, your preference.

And in the end, simplistic, quick to load, easy to navigate websites (when pulled off well) are most people's favourite. You don't want to sit there for 5 minutes waiting for a website to load, just to get lost immediately in the atrocious menu structure. I am looking at you, designer of the Battle Storm original website.

I advocate looking at website designs done on Photoshop without the designer knowing at least a little bit about make the website itself.

I need a drink...

(EDIT: The basis for this is I have no idea what to do about my portfolio. I want a name change and a design change, but I've hit a brick wall. Help is needed, hint hint!)

]]> ~Faithful-Jewel http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/25126889/ http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/25126889/ Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:37:54 PDT
My desk is now tidy, the graphics tablet that took up a lot of space is hiding behind my monitors and everything else is also pretty tidy. Not clean, as such, as I still need to do that, but at least I can move without breaking my neck on a rogue sock army on the floor.

I have glowing light bulbs in bricks. Did I mention that? I'll get some pictures for my webcam image...

<3 whomever is reading this.

]]> ~Faithful-Jewel http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/25105251/ http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/25105251/ Wed, 03 Jun 2009 11:05:02 PDT
So, my online portfolio. [link] . You lot know why it's called that (Faithful Jewel = FJ) but no-one else does. As a result, I'm thinking of changing the domain when it comes up for renewal. And I'm asking you lot if you have any ideas.

Long, short, hopefully a bit more serious than my ideas (www.squirrelsaretakingovertheworld.com) but any ideas are very very welcome.

I'll also see about adding a few more deviations on here, and if not a few onto my portfolio will do.

And I've finally convinced those at work to let me hand write a website. This is the result so far, and it's constantly being tweaked: [link]

If anyone has any ideas about that too, I'd love to hear them. I've tested it in FF, IE (not 8; not compatible with our accounting software so we can't install it), Opera, Safari and Google Chrome. Any other browser results would be nice to hear about, especially if it makes it go completely insane.

There are a couple of other things I need to get to too, but I'll do that later. I've almost finished my Tigger rug! I got a hook-latch rug kit for Xmas years and years ago, and I finished it when I was off ill last year. So I bought a massive Tigger one to do. And now that's almost finished, I got a little round one with a cat in a basket on it. They're all cat/Tigger themed... weird... (I'm a bit sad really)

Oh and I discovered Hobbycraft. I practically fainted, but instead ran around like a lunatic going "WOOHOO!"; I love stationery, arts and crafts stuff and any organising methods. So I had to be dragged away from the complete aisle dedicated to storage boxes... *sobs*

...

Indeed.

]]> ~Faithful-Jewel http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/25069016/ http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/25069016/ Mon, 01 Jun 2009 12:21:52 PDT
That, Faith, is because IT IS THE F***ING DESKTOP SCREENSHOT!

*Headdesks*

I have been looking for the Featured Deviation Module for a while now. I found a forum thread about it when I first went looking, but I never read totally through it. Turns out if I had, I would've found out where I have my Desktop Screenshot is, in fact, the non-subscriber's Featured Deviation Module.

I hate you, brain. Get out of my head to make space for the guinea pigs.

]]> ~Faithful-Jewel http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/24888961/ http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/24888961/ Fri, 22 May 2009 11:13:13 PDT
It's driving me nuts.

In other news, I'll upload my graphic design work on my online portfolio, as it's not really art. I'll link once I'm done.

Oh and the Discworld Convention 2010 tickets are now on sale (It's held in Birmingham, UK) so go buy tickets! Now!

]]> ~Faithful-Jewel http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/24851289/ http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/24851289/ Wed, 20 May 2009 05:28:18 PDT
A lot of things have happened in the... wow, September '08? Long time. Most are complicated things, inevitably ending in me throwing up my arms and shouting something to the ceiling.

So, what am I doing back? I followed a link, and wanted to favourite the image... that's the only reason I actually reappeared. Before that moment, I had forgotten about Deviant Art (and everything with it, sorry to whom I watched) mostly due to not doing any new art "worthy" of being uploaded. Because I'm weird like that, I don't actually like uploading my work. I need to collate everything I've ever done and upload it, regardless of my own feelings of it. And as such, I'm going to clear out what I've got so far and reupload it all. Just to play havoc with everything. I'm awesome like that *cough*.

A thing mentioned just which I need to verify is this: if I watch you, I've probably just cleared the alerts. Nothing is meant by this, it's just... I'd rather not wade through 200 journal and deviant entries. If you have any jaw dropping things that you think I am important enough to know (please, hold your laughter back for the moment) then chuck me a message and I'll wander over. Apologies for that, but I'm just not in that frame of mind. And haven't been for ages. Meep?

La la la, just trying to remember what has happened that's relevant to you nutters. Uhh. This September I am restarting college and am going to study Art & Design, Graphic Design and Maths - the first two may result in some random uploads, the latter not so many. Unless I can turn "completing the square" into a piece of art. Possible, but unlikely.

Yeah, that's about as much as I can think of. Something else will click in my head that I may make a post about soon. But first of all, this website is going on my bookmarks toolbar. That way I'll check it every day.

Hope you're all well.

<3

- Faith

]]> ~Faithful-Jewel http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/20450161/ http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/20450161/ Fri, 12 Sep 2008 05:51:18 PDT
Or I should just tell people to go to my portfolio instead of this

Would save time and effort, right?

]]> ~Faithful-Jewel http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/15334587/ http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/15334587/ Fri, 02 Nov 2007 16:48:13 PDT
Hehe... forgive me?

]]> ~Faithful-Jewel http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/12991300/ http://Faithful-Jewel.deviantart.com/journal/12991300/ Thu, 17 May 2007 16:04:35 PDT
I probably won't use this often. It'll probably be like my FictionPress - there if and when I need it. I only really made this to shut my friend up!

I won't say much more as I need to go to sleep. My deviations are pretty normal stuff, but if you want a laugh I'd look at them - the ones that aren't meant to be funny seem to be the ones that get you smiling.

Enjoy your night, sleep well guys.

]]> ~Faithful-Jewel