Feature Artist Moore Taste

I've always loved making things, as a child my grandfather taught me to embroider, my great aunt taught me crochet and my mum taught me to knit on needles and on a knitting machine.

Over the years I've probably tried just about every craft ever invented (a bit of an exaggeration but you get my drift!!) but my love of metalworking really started in 1975, when I took a metalworking class at school. I absolutely loved it but at that time metalworking was not encouraged as a career and certainly not as a career for a 'girl'.

So having taken the responsible decision to take a job with a local bank my memories of my love for metalworking started to fade.

In 2005, I started making amulet bags, moved on to beaded jewellery, wire wrapping and chainmaille, lampworking (really not good at lampworking!!!) and fusing glass pendants.

Then miraculously after 25 yrs working in Finance and IT, I took up the torch again and the passion came flooding back. Since then I have hardly put it down. I love the way metal takes on a life of its own when it is bent, hammered and heated.

Although I am a SAHM of 2 very small children I always find time for my metalwork and love to try new techniques whenever I can.

Question: RightStart, Singapore, or Math Mammoth?

I was asked this kind of curriculum question recently, and I thought I'd post it here too in case there are others who will get helped...

I am torn between using Right Start, Singapore, or Math Mammoth with my daughter who is just starting her schooling journey. Do you have any insight to share that might help?

Yes. If you are torn, try Singapore with Math Mammoth (if you can afford both). I've heard from people who use both and say they go well together, because Singapore is somewhat lacking in practice exercises.

There are lots of folks who use two curricula for math. You would basically use one of them as your "spine" that you go by, and then for each topic, check the corresponding lesson in the other, if it has good explanations or problems. You wouldn't do all problems in both.

Then, if you like RightStart, buy their math games book (but not the whole curriculum), which allows you to incorporate their games into your math lessons here and there.

Question: RightStart, Singapore, or Math Mammoth?

I was asked this kind of curriculum question recently, and I thought I'd post it here too in case there are others who will get helped...

I am torn between using Right Start, Singapore, or Math Mammoth with my daughter who is just starting her schooling journey. Do you have any insight to share that might help?

Yes. If you are torn, try Singapore with Math Mammoth (if you can afford both). I've heard from people who use both and say they go well together, because Singapore is somewhat lacking in practice exercises.

There are lots of folks who use two curricula for math. You would basically use one of them as your "spine" that you go by, and then for each topic, check the corresponding lesson in the other, if it has good explanations or problems. You wouldn't do all problems in both.

Then, if you like RightStart, buy their math games book (but not the whole curriculum), which allows you to incorporate their games into your math lessons here and there.

Loveless: Agatsuma Soubi 02

Beloved’s Fighter, Agatsuma Soubi, is a 20 year old art student who used to attend Shichisei Gakuen, a school for fighters. Ritsuka’s brother, Seimei’s true name is Beloved, as Ritsuka’s is Loveless. Under Seimei’s orders, Soubi became Ritsuka’s fighter, despite it being considered taboo. Eventually, Soubi abandoned the name altogether and operated under the name Loveless.

Wow… this cosplayer looks like he/she jumped out of the Loveless anime or manga. Really love the hair and how it was styled. I think this cosplayer is a girl though, but that doesn’t matter much since Soubi looks like a girl..?

Technorati tags: nanao, research, loveless, agatsuma, soubi, shichisei, gakuen, art, student, manga, anime, cosplay, cosplayer, ritsuka, aoyagi, seimei, beloved

Gyakuten Saiban 4: Lamiroir

Warning: This review has a lot of spoilers for Gyakuten Saiban 4 (Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney). You have been warned!

A famous singer from Borginia, Lamiroir has a little secret. She has no idea who she really is, and she’s pretending to be “normal” when she’s really… blind. Her assistant and pianist, Machi Tobaye stays close to her and pretends to be the one who is blind in order to avert suspicions from himself. It is later reveled in the series that Lamiroir is actually Arumajiki Yumi (Thalassa Gramarye in the English version), the only daughter of Arumajiki Tensai (Magnifi Gramarye) and the mother of Odoroki Housuke (Apollo Justice) and Naruhodo Minuki (Trucy Wright).

Beautiful eyes… I wonder what she looks like without the mask?

Technorati tags: nanao, research, gyakuten saiban, ace attorney, apollo justice, gyakuten saiban 4, borginia, lamiroir, blind, machi tobaye, arumajiki, yumi, thalassa, gramarye, tenasi, magnifi, odoroki, housuke, apollo, justice, naruhodo, minuki, wright, trucy, cosplay, cosplayer

Ouran High School Host Club: Otori Kyouya and Suo Tamaki

The Vice President and the President of the Host Club, before the host club ever came to be. This was way back when Tamaki was asking Kyouya about the sights in Japan, since it was Tamaki’s first time to Japan at the time. He lived in France all of his life. And Kyouya, being asked by his father to be friendly towards Tamaki, toured Tamaki around Japan, putting up with his selfish ways.

I very casual cosplay compared to the first one. It’s nice to see Kyouya so relaxed. He’s always so tense in the anime. Nice shot too! Good choice of location and time of day.

Technorati tags: nanao, research, ouran host club, ouran high school, host club, host, ouran, ootori, otori, kyouya, suoh, suo, tamaki, japan, france, cosplay, cosplayer, anime, manga

Card Captor Sakura: Yue

The second guardian of the Clow Cards, Yue is the judge who determines whether or not the new master Cerberus chooses is worthy to be his master. Just as Cerberus is the Guardian of the Sun, Yue is known as the Guardian of the Moon, and controls the wind and water. He exists as a human in the form of Tsukishiro Yukito, a close friend of Kinomoto Sakura’s brother Touya.

Alright, alright, obviously he’s missing his wings, but I still find this cosplay to be very impressive. A nice touch with the Clow Cards, really.

Technorati tags: nanao, research, card captor sakura, yue, kinomoto, sakura, yukito, tsukishiro, touya, clow, reed, clow reed, angel, guardian, sun, moon, cerberus, keroberus, judgement, master, clow cards, cosplay, cosplayer, wings, ccs

The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi: Suzumiya Haruhi 02

Suzumiya Haruhi in her cheerleading outfit. I think I like this better than the first one. I can’t remember if she did have a cheerleading episode anymore… It’s been a while since I saw this series.

I’ve heard there a second season of The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi. I wonder if they’re going to juggle the episodes again like they did the first season? I guess we’ll find out soon enough.

Technorati tags: nanao, research, the melancholy of suzumiya haruhi, suzumiya, haruhi, haruhism, cheerleading, cheerleader, first, second, season

Catering for kids – brisStyle goodies for babes and children

Who doesn’t love spoiling the special little people in our lives? Now you can do it in style with these lovely brisStyle creations.


Carousel Rose PONY ART
By Twinkle Star Art
$19
One quality 8 x 8 inch art print – perfect for your little girl's room, or baby's nursery. If you would like the hair colour to match the little girl you'll be giving this to, please request a HAIR COLOUR with your purchase.




Miss Magenta Monkey Little Jelly
By Jellygnite
$16
She’s stylish, this little monkey and has such a sweet heart! These ‘little jellies’ are soft little ‘babies’ with floppy limbs and sweet faces. They are the perfect size for little hands and cuddles and their floppy legs are great for babies to grab / suck on! They also make lovely companions for grown-ups!




Red Robin - Cranberry Baby Booties
By Pedrosprout
$25
These booties are made from Kunin Ecospun felt, a high quality polyester fiber made from 100% certified recycled plastic bottles (red felt made from 50% Ecospun, 50% acrylic). They are fully lined with no exposed seams and have a velcro strap to help them stay on.




Jumper Dress, Florentine
By Hot Fudge
$45
Here’s something that will look absolutely adorable on your little girl. The contrast piping at the neckline, armholes and bodice is hand-made and to top it off, the dress is fully lined with red and white check fabric. The shoulder ends are reinforced with Vylene for extra strength, and the four buttons contrast beautifully with the red top.




Stroller or Pram Purse - Candy Stripe
By Pram Purse
$20
My own design - The "Pram Purse" is here! The "Pram Purse" is a unique product that allows you to walk your pram with all your essential items at your fingertips. Simply button it onto any type of pram with the secure denim strap and you are ready to go.




Toddler Batik Kimono Wrap Top
By Ogekko
$25
This little kimono-style top is made from a very colourful batik fabric. The base colour is a soft pink and it has deep pink and purple overlaid on it and turquoise highlights. The top is bound around all edges with turquoise cotton and ties on the inside (with mauve ribbon for comfort) and on the outside.

High school math after algebra, geometry, and consumer math?

Question:

"I am a homeschooling mom, with two children still at home. We use Switched On Schoolhouse almost exclusively. My son will be a senior this fall. He took Algebra 1 and geometry but was against taking trig. I had him take Consumer Math this year and I am trying to find him something for his senior year. He is not leaning towards college, but perhaps a tech school. ANY advice you can give will be greatly appreciated! Thanks!"

Well, if you don't want to do trig or algebra 2, consider the book Mathematics, a Human Endeavor: A Textbook for Those Who Think They Don't Like the Subject.

This book by Harold Jacobs covers a wide range of mathematical topics, aiming to show students how interesting math can be. The topics include for example number tricks, inductive reasoning, deductive reasoning, number sequences, functions and their graphs, large numbers and logarithms, polygons and symmetry, mathematical curves, probability, and topology.

Jacobs always gives you problems where you have to investigate and find out patterns. He aims to minimize the usage of formulas, shows all kinds of interesting ideas and tricks, and thus lets the student fall in love with mathematics.

More info:

Harold Jacobs Mathematics Human Endeavor Curriculum

Review by TOS

Review of Harold Jacobs books by Susan Richman.

Mathematics, a Human Endeavor at Amazon.

High school math after algebra, geometry, and consumer math?

Question:

"I am a homeschooling mom, with two children still at home. We use Switched On Schoolhouse almost exclusively. My son will be a senior this fall. He took Algebra 1 and geometry but was against taking trig. I had him take Consumer Math this year and I am trying to find him something for his senior year. He is not leaning towards college, but perhaps a tech school. ANY advice you can give will be greatly appreciated! Thanks!"

Well, if you don't want to do trig or algebra 2, consider the book Mathematics, a Human Endeavor: A Textbook for Those Who Think They Don't Like the Subject.

This book by Harold Jacobs covers a wide range of mathematical topics, aiming to show students how interesting math can be. The topics include for example number tricks, inductive reasoning, deductive reasoning, number sequences, functions and their graphs, large numbers and logarithms, polygons and symmetry, mathematical curves, probability, and topology.

Jacobs always gives you problems where you have to investigate and find out patterns. He aims to minimize the usage of formulas, shows all kinds of interesting ideas and tricks, and thus lets the student fall in love with mathematics.

More info:

Harold Jacobs Mathematics Human Endeavor Curriculum

Review by TOS

Review of Harold Jacobs books by Susan Richman.

Mathematics, a Human Endeavor at Amazon.

Spirited Away: Ogino Chihiro (Sen) and Nigihayama Kohaku Nushi (Haku)

A young girl is taken away from the real world and finds herself in the entrance of the Spirit World. Chihiro must find a way out before she forgets who she is completely and becomes trapped in the Spirit World.

She meets a young boy named Haku who helps her and keeps her from loosing herself to the Spirit World. He is actually the Spirit of the river known as Kohaku, and Chiharu helped him remember his real name and past, freeing him from Yubaba’s curse.

Adorable isn’t it? Also, I would like to let everyone know that I have a 2nd blog on cosplay, that focuses of awesome cosplayers from the West. Just as an experiment. 8)

Technorati tags: nanao, research, spirited away, ogino, chihiro, sen, nigihayama, kohaku, nushi, haku, spirit world, yubaba, curse, cosplay, cosplayers, east, west

Officially Yummy

Unfortunately I wasn't able to attend the latest BrisStyle meeting but Robyn said that I could use and abuse her own blog entry in order to keep everyone here up todate.

New members Jo and Sharon were welcomed to their first meeting by Helen, Bec, Ali, Amanda, Georgia, Robyn and our founder Esther. Other members sadly could not make our meeting, due to prior commitments or illness in the family.

The group gathered at a large coffee shop opposite the site of our planned Christmas market in busy upmarket Hamilton. It was a warm and friendly gathering and of course, Show and Tell was high on the agenda. Apparently Jo's baby items were delightful as were her colourful mini tissue cozies (Prampurse Etsy shop), Sharon's stunning jewellery beautiful jewellery was seen in real life for the first time.

Also shown were Bec's latest bag made of the most wonderful fabric (Wheresbeckybean), Ali's eye-catching retro jewellery and so appealing "little jelly" soft toys, each with its own name (Jellygnite), Helen's beautiful retro button earrings (RubyredStudios), and Robyn's latest childrens dresses (HotFudge). Esther (GreenenvyDesigns) topped everyone, though, with her three page article in a just-published issue of an American beading magazine. She was also wearing her latest creation, an exquisite beaded necklace which had to be seen to be appreciated. Well done, Es.



Then it was down to the business of the nuts and bolts of working out the committee members, joining fee and basic rules.

Our big day, 13 December may seem so far away, but look how fast the first six months of the year have flown! In the coming months new members will join our group and it all augers well for our Christmas market.

Summer math and how to help students who are behind

Summer is here, so this time I want to feature two articles from my main site, touching on topics that might be close to heart for many at this time:

Keeping Your Math Skills Sharp Over The Summer

and

How to Help a Student Who is Behind in Math?

I hope these can be of help. Feel free to comment here at the blog.

Summer math and how to help students who are behind

Summer is here, so this time I want to feature two articles from my main site, touching on topics that might be close to heart for many at this time:

Keeping Your Math Skills Sharp Over The Summer

and

How to Help a Student Who is Behind in Math?

I hope these can be of help. Feel free to comment here at the blog.

Review of IXL - online math practice system

I've written a review of IXL.com (from "I excel"). It is an online math practice system - would be perfect for those of you who want your kids to have something for the summer months.

IXL has unlimited questions on hundreds of math topics and a comprehensive reporting system.

Their pricing is $9.95 per month for 1st child and only $2 for the next child.

Read my review here.

Review of IXL - online math practice system

I've written a review of IXL.com (from "I excel"). It is an online math practice system - would be perfect for those of you who want your kids to have something for the summer months.

IXL has unlimited questions on hundreds of math topics and a comprehensive reporting system.

Their pricing is $9.95 per month for 1st child and only $2 for the next child.

Read my review here.

Ruby a Go Go

“First I was afraid, I was petrified. Kept thinking I could never live without you by my side”. And then I discovered that the world had suddenly shifted and it was cool to be, dare I say - a hoarder.

If only I had looked up the definition of the word “hoard” before, I would have saved myself from years of therapy:

“A hidden fund or supply stored for future use; a cache”.

Visions of pirate ships and 60s uber cool secret agents came to mind. A cache eh? Well I’ll be darned! Now I was sure that it would be safe to share my family penchant for keeping all that is weird and wonderful from this world.


There was also a revolution at hand that gave me greater hope. Reduce, re-use and recycle - what joy, what rapture unforeseen! I was not alone in this kooky old world, in fact, I may even be 'en vogue'!


Now I find myself in a haven, surrounded by like minded crafters who love their collections, covet their caches like the crafty pirate queens that we all are. They have introduced me to a new therapy in the wonderful world of planet ‘blog’, a place where you can actually share all your collected treasures - big sigh!


So thanks Brisstylettes, I will be your little grasshopper as I take ruby red studios on its next adventure. Here are some pics that are all part of my new range soon to be launched in my etsy shop - enjoy.

x helen from rubyredstudios

Kingdom Hearts: Ven

I found another wonderful cosplay from Cosplay.com. Several people seem to like Kingdom Hearts a lot and there are a lot of great cosplays of the characters from the game.

This is apparently Saeru who’s cosplaying. The photographer, Elemental, was the one who shared it. Absolutely breath-taking, don’t you think?

Technorati Tags: nanao, research, cosplayer, cosplay, kingdom hearts, ven, saeru, elemental, game, online, photo, photography, breath-taking

Kingdom Hearts II: Naminé

Some things can be just too broken to fix. So I’ve decided to make a new blog entirely that’s dedicated to Cosplayers from the West… My Sanriotown Blog will be dedicated to the East, and this will be dedicated to the West. And as a first post, Naminé from Kingdom Hearts II by BeriiShirayuki from Germany. She’s a cosplay.com member and you can visit her page here.

As per curiosity sake, I’ll be posting a cluster map here, and a site counter to check how many people read this. Looking forward to meeting everyone here.

Technorati Tags: nanao, research, cosplay, cosplayer, naminé, namine, kingdom hearts, kingdom hearts 2, sanriotown, germany, beriishirayuki, east, west