Distress Inks from Ranger were designed to be used to create faux affects such as paper aging. Tim Holtz gives directions about some ways to use them. This site also discusses Adirondack pads and other Ranger products.
Gmail, Archiving, and Spam (aka UCE)
Despite having long thought web mail a necessary evil, I am beginning to enjoy using Gmail, the recently introduced web mail application from Google. Although I am not interested in it for my “personal” email, I have been routing most of my email discussions lists there. It is nice to know that I can search for information that I once read via email, rather than having to use the limited search facilities provided by yahoogroups, for example.
I’ve also been interested in the way that Gmail filters Spam. If something spam-like ends up in the Inbox, I can mark it and click on a “Report spam” button. (Did Google get a special dispensation from Hormel? Or has Hormel decided to stop fighting this battle?) When I check the spam folder, I find not only those things that I have marked, but an accurate filtering of spam items I never saw in my inbox, including mail that discusses spam. Drive-by spammers are not unusual on some of the art discussion lists which I frequent, and one spam will frequently lead to five posts condemning it, which seems rather pointless.
Stamp Expo in Colorado Springs
In August, Stamp Expo will be having their first rubber stamp convention in Colorado Springs. This seems a little odd, since they are having another one in Ft Collins the following weekend. It has been several years since I went to the Ft Collins convention, so the Stamp Expo should look like a new convention to me.
Rainbow
I saw this rainbow yesterday from a house that sits high above Colorado Springs. The owners of the house generously host the monthly meetings of the Inkslingers, the rubber stamp club to which I belong. The members take turns giving demos and workshops: last night, we worked on fabric stamping a canvas tote.
Gmail
For the past few days, I have been using Gmail. I now have a few invitations.
I think this is a very smart type of viral marketing by the gmail group. What better way to get people to start using your product than restricting initial invitations? Then everyone in the initial group invites their friends, and it becomes cool, and people check it out rather than saying “oh just another webmail application.”
Cute Chicks
For a long time, my horse trainer has wanted to get some pet chickens. Five days ago, she finally did so. Sunny, Cassie, and Martha belong to the breeds Buff Orpington, Rhode Island Red, and Plymouth Rock respectively. Until they get a little larger, they are living in a brooder in my friend’s garage. However, when she has assistance to guard against hawks, cats and other hazards, they get to scratch in the backyard. They apparently grow while you watch.
Rain
We are getting more rain today. You know you have been in a long drought when you keep hearing people in the store say something like “It’s been raining for days…isn’t it great!”
PHP Help
PHP Help provides scripts and tutorials for those interested in learning PHP.
The Address Book
I have been working on setting up an address list for my husband’s family using a PHP program called The Address Book. Jack is the oldest of twelve children, and helps to maintain a website for the family. Currently, I have the application hosted on my local server while we enter the data required for siblings, cousins, and the offspring thereof. After we get it populated, my husband’s hope is that people will then maintain their own data. I don’t think this is very likely, but at least we will have made it available.
Another rainy day
It looks as though we will be having more rain today. Since we are still in drought conditions, this is a good thing, but I expect to start growing moss at any moment.