Enter the Dragon (fruit)

Not having spent any appreciable time vacationing or living in the tropics, we considered this quite the novelty when we heard that the local grocery store was selling dragon fruit.

This be the outside

This be the insides

Interestingly, it turns out these are fruit from a cactus rather than a tree. Also interesting how the outside pink skin peels off easily to reveal a pulpy seed-mass. The flesh was mild yet rather tasty - NOTHING like our adventure with the durian.  We all agreed we would have them again, preferably on location somewhere tropical and preferably not at $3.50 a pop.

We've saved a bit of the seeds with thoughts of sprouting them. It's unlikely we could grow a plant big enough to bear fruit as we live in a place that freezes and they do require multiple plants for cross-pollination by bats and moths.  However, it might make an interesting potted plant.

Mmmm, vitamin C and lots of fiber

Red Letter Day

I got my wider Parallel pen inked up today in prep for a new project. My narrower one is still soaking (after nearly losing a part down the sink.)

Apparently my camera only speaks "landscape" to Blogger. Bah!

Swamp: Illustration Friday

And you were worried about the alligators.

Life Imitating Art

This was the most fitting end I could see to this dreadfully uncomfortable set of earbuds. I made the same knot as I had sketched for my Earbuds cross stitch picture. I got the whole idea from tangled headphone cords in the first place, so maybe I should say it is "life imitating art which was imitating life."

I just need to get one of those ipod shuffles so the player is small enough to fit in the center hole. I started leaving a big enough hole, but the length of the cords dictated the final size.

Taste the Rainbow

Or rather, don't taste these rainbows. They'll taste nasty.

For recording thoughts chromatically. Thirteen is a lucky number.

These are 'ittle baby (4" long capped) fountain pens made by Pilot. The Petit 1 Model. I get mine at JetPens and I find I've accumulated a whole rainbow over time.  They are only a few dollars each and write surprisingly well. They are perfectly pocketable and I'm not going to cry if I lose one or a pen snitch steals it. You could buy cartridges to refill them, but I used bottled ink and a syringe for both economic reasons as well as mad-science mixing reasons.  (Although it's hard to credibly cite economic concerns after having bought so many of these little guys.)

So why show you these today? My new find from my Portland trip a week ago: Pilot Petit 3 pens! I've just inked it up. These are the same size and style, but have fude/brush tips instead of the fountain pen tip. Did I mention I love Uwajimaya's Japanese market there? Had to pick up a few of these. Here is a nice thorough review of these pens if you want to know the details of why these pens rock.

The lime pen is loaded with brown; the purple hasn't told me what color it wants to write yet.

Top these tips!

Double rainbow blogging today: here is one of cotton.  My Mum was cleaning out her stash boxes and found these threads that were set aside to make a stamped cross stitch quilt top.  I think the fabric parts were Goodwilled years ago, as the whole stamped cross stitching is so... so 70's. However, thread is thread and always a resource, but I think she's moved on past the DMC thing now that we've introduced her to such things as Gentle Art Sampler Threads, Gloriana, Vikki Clayton, I could go on...

So, awaiting my return from Nashville, was this pile of lovely cotton. I do still use DMC for certain projects. Like my recent Earbuds piece.  This is making me think I need a Dark Side of the Moon album now.

 

Also awaiting my return was a lovely box of books from my friend Sisu, who was also apparently trimming down the accumulations pile. I am a sucker for lovely graphics. I can't wait to dive into these for inspiration. Thanks so much, Sisu!