Saturday 5 February 2011

Day 223-224- A Lotus Pond


I Built A Pond Today 
                                                  ----- by Sans!

I built a pond today.
 I dug a hole, the water flowed
I built a pond today.

Lotuses bloomed today.
 I planted some seeds and spread some leaves
and lotuses bloomed today.

Magic fills my day.
When the pond starts singing and the flowers dancing
And two butterflies come to play.


And so it was that I spent a big satisfying part of today building my lotus pond. It started well enough and I enjoyed some Zen moments. Then troubles brewed and with bubbles too and I nearly lost my cool.   Shall I tell you  what happened?  

Come, walk with me, the evening breeze is warm and gentle and  the pond is a good place to rest our feet. And now, let me tell you what happened...



It all began with these pods I gathered from the park  behind my house. I knew then  that I wanted to build a rustic and natural pond for my tribal house. 


As you can see, I often gather interesting specimens from the park. These I did not  know what to do  with until yesterday when I thought the small  husks would make nice lotus leaves



So I painted bits I found a suitable lotus leaves green. There's something about green I don't quite get because my shade is often a bit off.  No different this time. 

In any case, it got too dark for me to continue....


..so I picked the flowers for the lotuses


chose the pod for the pond
put them all on my dining table 
and
went back to stitching my brand new rug. 
The next day,


I woke up bright and early, eager to work on my pond BUT not before I finished replying to all my comments * you guys always come first *wink .  

Z   E  N 
I started with  bashing the pink peonies. I removed the outer petals , gave them yellow centers using sponge and converted the peonies into bright perky lotuses. I then wrapped the bottom of the flowers with dried moss and glued them into position in the pond. The leaves and the floating lotus would have to wait till I add water. 

  
T R O U B L E D  B U B B L E S


The picture on top shows my 2nd attempt at water. I used UHU glue which l thought looked great if you wanted a clear effect. My 1st attempt was the Araldite epoxy glue mix. See the picture on the left. It shows the murky effect of the glue. I decided I preferred the UHU and squeezed the glue generously into the pond.

While the UHU was still wet, I placed the leaves and the floating lotus into position.



Trouble soon runneth over when these bubbles started forming. I am not sure why but it could be due to the porous nature of the pod or it could just be the glue. But even with a healthy eco life, there could not be so much bubble in a pond. So I decided I would have to wait till the UHU dry and then apply the epoxy mix again. 



While we wait for the glue to dry, let me take this opportunity to wish all of you GONG XI FA CAI! The Chinese New Year greeting card says "FU" or prosperity in Mandarin and fluttering around the word and in the card are about 20 odd butterflies waiting to come alive. 

This is what I spent most of my time doing. I now know I dislike cutting butterflies immensely.  

But even after 20 of them were brought to life, the UHU in the pond did not dry completely. The real impatient me surfaced and I decided to mix the epoxy glue in anyway. The result was not pretty. No picture but imagine creamy snot like gooey gook.  

Last resort, 


P A I N T ! 


All's well that ends well often when I use my paint. This time, it was green with a dash of dark brown . The water in my pond is now a natural muddy green, as it should be. I had wanted the clear water because I wanted my pond to be pretty instead of natural.


I am glad I didn't get what I wanted. 

101 comments:

BiWuBär said...

Oh my - where to start??? Great post, great poem, great pond, great showing of how you achieved your results... So what's left to say? Great job! ;O)

Greetings
Birgit

by Sonya said...

I can believe to my eyes!
Fantastic!You have made a great job!
The butterfly are so perfect and all seem so realistic!
I have not words!
Love
Sonya

Virginia isabel said...

que flores mas bonitas. me encantan.
besujis!!!

Ana Anselmo said...

Sans, before i read all the post, I was convinced that the pond was real!!!!!I can´t believe, i love it!!!!
I am also very happy you did like our Arraiolos rugs, my mother make real ones....i did a miniature one, inspired on their design but very simple, just the border. If you come to Lisbon i will show you everything, we can even visit Arraiolos, it is a beautiful little town.
I am now going to put new pics in my blog
Love from Lisbon
Ana

Flora said...

I was so focused on the lines of your poem that I have not noticed that the flowers are "fake ".
In reality, they are a wonderful tribute to nature, that must feel very loved and celebrated by you :-)
Beautuful butterflies

Dark Squirrel Victoria said...

Your pond looks beautiful Sans! And that is life, sometimes things workout different than planed. i love all the little butterflies. The reward of patience.

Victoria

Ara said...

How beautiful it is Sans!! Worth the many tries! YOu have such patience! I would have thrown something across the room at the second try lol! Love the result though! Very Peaceful looking! hugs, ara

CWPoppets said...

Hi Sans,
don't want to spoil you enjoying your pond. Just a warning about UHU. I do love that stuff. I've used it for fabric and applying hair to animals. But it tends to get yellow after a couple of years.

The Old Maid said...

I can only say what the others already said, Sans! Love your pond and the sounds of running water and the birds. Was it really only a glue for the water effect? If so, I am going to look for the uhu starting on Monday ;D
I am trying to add a bit of music to my blog but seems to me it is not that easy to do so...;)

Sans! said...

And Great Response, Birgit! tee hee

Why am I not surprised that Flutterby's alter ego was my first visitor today :).

Hiyee there :) I hope you know I made the butterflies and typed the word "flutter" with your dear bear in mind :).

Thank you, Birgit, you are amazing yourself with that incredible floor and the standing broom :)!

Sans! said...

Wow, thanks for the warning , Christine! So UHU turns yellow huh? Your comment really helps so it's not spoiling my enjoyment :).

Anyhoo, I think my post may have been a tad confusing because I am NOT recommending UHU. In fact, my experiment with UHU failed because bubbles formed and then it never dried . I was thinking maybe it would end up like the school glue I used to create water in my artists' workshop which is that the glue evaporated the next day.

Sans! said...

This brings me to your question Ewa :):). But first, let me thank you for your compliments.

Ok, I have corrected my post to add that my 1st experiment was with Araldite epoxy. I gave a link to the exact type I used.

These are the steps I took but they are not recommended:

Step 1 : I mixed the araldite as per instructions and then applied to the pond . It dried in 5 minutes so I could only apply it to a small part before the mix became too hard. Didn't like the results because it was a creamy and murky .

Step 2 : I then tried UHU. Like the ordinary school glue, they look very good and clear at first. But then the bubbles formed. Some part of it evaporated and the rest just took forever to dry.

Step 3: I then mixed more of the Araldite glue and spread it on top of the UHU glue. I knew I was not going to like the effect but I thought murky (not clear) water was actually what I should go for if I want a more realistic feel. (see the video on my virtual IPOD)

Step 4: I mixed 2 acrylic paint, green and dark brown to create muddy green and painted the dried epoxy mix surface of the pond and got a more realistic effect.

Step 5: The final step is to apply clear gloss acrylic varnish- 3 coats- to the painted surface and the water effect is completed.

Butterflies are optional . :)

Ewa, many of my friends use inexpensive glue to create water effect. It is not easy to find liquid resin here and we do not have water effect in a jar they sell at craft shop in the US or UK.

I will let you know when I find one suitable for clear water effect. I will also let you know i my method last :).

It's 1am here and I am sleepy :). Tomorrow I will tell you step by step how you can add music to your blog :).

Norma Soulet (AZArtist) said...

Sans,
What a wonderful pond you created!The poem is great too.
Hugs

onbeingaminimum said...

Beautifully written and beautifully made as usual. Even your mistakes turn out gorgeous! Love the lotus flowers!

malu2 said...

Sans,gracías por tu visita y comentarío,me gusta tener noticias tuyas.
Me gusta mucho el estanque que has hecho,yo tambíen tengo uno de verdad,
con peces y unos nenufares preciosos,
es maravilloso oir el agua correr.
Deseo que al leer estas palabras estes mucho mejor de salud desde España muchos besos.

Daydreamer said...

Sans! You are fearless! And Inspired! Those butterflies are WONDERFUL! And they came from a Greeting Card! I agree with the others.... I thought your lotus pond was the REAL THING! You have made a MAGNIFICENT little pond! And your poem was enchanting... and you tell us all just HOW you did it all...! You are a Champion Basher AND Blogger!
I LOVE your soundtrack for this post.... I will keep it playing for a while... it is so nice with the snowy frozen world outside here! :) :) :)

Lize said...

What a perfect blend between poetry and art! Pretty lotus flowers you 'picked' Sans, and the fairies are very happy, dancing around your creation chanting the poem.

And to you I wish a very bonny year of the bunny! This is possibly the BEST time to be in Singapore... street parades, dragon dances and festivities. And a super laser and water fountain show on Sentosa.

I also wish you happiness, prosperity and a long life.

Lize said...

PS You and I are on the same 'planet' you know (and I am not referring to EARTH!) Somehow we managed to be thinking the same thing again. I have been planning a water feature too.. but man made, with lotus flowers.. weird huh? I was procrastinating, but it turned out well as I can now learn from you!!

Josje said...

It is absolutely beautiful Sans! And yep, I too had to check several times to make sure it was 12th scale.

bastrota said...

That's a great tutorial, Sans.

I would like to sit at your lovely little lotus pond and see and smell the flowers, feel the cold, fresh water with my feet and follow the butterflies with my eyes and my thoughts...

Hugs and greetings
Marion

rosanna said...

WOW, nothing to add. I do love it. And you are a genius!!!

Drora's minimundo said...

Love it!

Papillon Bleu said...

Sans, you are really REALLY funny! I love to read your posts because they are full of positivism and creativity!
I can tell indeed that you are feeling better. So pleased!
Your pond is fabulous. Sometimes the greatest things come out of mistakes.
;-)
And happy new year to you!!!!
Is it the butterfly year? If so...wow! I am desperate for a sign that says my time has finally arrived!

Papillon Bleu said...

Silly me...there is no butterfly in the chinese signs...

Susi said...

Ohhh, me ha enamorado , son delicadas y deliciosas, muy bonitas,muchas felicidades y muchos besos.

Lataina said...

What a lovely poem to go along with such a beautiful pond. =)

cockerina said...

Sans dear, as always, you have delighted us with images, music, poetry ... now also include an explanation on how to make ... you are brilliant! I love your blog! and I love your pond!
thanks!
I see that you're better, right? good Chinese New Year, I wish that every good can come of this, for you and your family!
kisses, Caterina

Kathy said...

I've seen your flowers they are so beautiful!

Glenda said...

Serenity - after the hard work!!
It's simply beautiful! :D

Sans! said...

Sonya , THANK YOU :) I am so glad you visited again:).

About the butterflies, I just read a tutorial somewhere about making them but I cheated and skipped many steps. All I did was cut them out from the Chinese New Year card I showed because they are nicely to scale :). After you cut it , fold them in the center and open them again so that they look like they are perched on something. Then colour the edges and give it tiny paper antennae :). A difficult task to do to scale so mine look like moustache :). But isn't it wonderful butterflies look exactly like their cartoon version? So easy to make them realistic :).

Sans! said...

Aww Sonya , been trying to find where I read the butterfly tut. Thought it was in About.com or the latest AIM . It's not and I am running late!!!

Meeting Cindy to look for supplies :):).

Will try again when I am back :).

Sans! said...

Hola Virginia:)

Compré las flores de un mercado de Bangkok:).Me encantan estas flores también! Son tan versátiles. Sólo por hacer pequeños cambios, las peonías se puede convertir en flores de loto! :)

Sans! said...

I have just found the tutorial for making a 1:12 butterfly It is in the Feb 2011 issue of CDHM iMag . The link is http://cdhm.org/imag/0211-13/tutorial0211.php for those of you who are interested :)

Sans! said...

Ana , thank you. "Realistic" is quite the ultimate compliment for me :). You can't imagine how happy that makes me feel.

But I think I My leaves can definitely be better. I have defied conventional wisdom and my own :) and used husks for leaves. They are thick and has a rough surface which after painting does not have the texture of leaves. My green is also a bit off.

Ana, you make me want to go to Lisbon in a big way. I think I will. What's your schedule like next year ;p ? I want to bring home a lovely piece of Ariaolo rug and see what your mum made :).

Sans! said...

Thank you so much Flora :). A tribute to nature ..wow, I only wish I have done a worthier job! .

I know this is going to sound precious, but building this pond was a pretty spiritual experience as it all started with me being inspired by nature and her abundant supply of wonderful materials.

The poetry , my favourite one of my own, not that I have written any before this, haha, came almost quite naturally as I was taking pictures of the pond in my backyard. I guess I was in turn inspired by my pond..teehee!

Sans! said...

Victoria, maybe that's why I thrive on mistakes. Serendipity is almost 2nd nature to me now :)

Much as I hated cutting, I do like these butterflies. I am saving them for my mum's garden, the one I wanted to build for a year already :):). By the way, I went out to buy new blades today because of these butterflies :). I think bristle from a paint brush should make better antennae.

Sans! said...

Ara, you must be kidding me? :):) Patient?? I don't think so....

I think if I were patient, I would have tested the glue on a separate pod. You did notice that I have many spare ones? If I were patient, I would not have tried things for the 1st time on the actual piece? I didn't even wait for the glue to dry :)! I just wanted to finish everything yesterday :).

Cindy just reminded me that I bought a varnish mixture that could make water but it will take 72 hours to set. Huh, 72 hours? No wonder I didn't remember. I will be drowning in the pond by then, from frustration! A pond with many finger prints because of my constant testing! :)

Sans! said...

O yes, Ewa, how to put music on your blog.

1. Go to http://www.mixpod.com/

2. Sign up and then login

3. Go to Create Playlist (the bar just below the header that says "mixpod")

4. Go to the bar after the words "Create A Playlist". 1st step- Add Music- Here you choose your songs by keying in the title etc . Just use the search buttons.

5. Then at step 2, you Customise Go to edit skin (below the black screen on right column) , pick only those skins with a video ability. The rest can't be used.I used MyPod Slim. They are perfect for the right column. Edit colours. And setting. But the last one is not crucial. Yes, colours are more important than settings ;p

6. Step 3 : Save Playlist. They will have a pop up window to say click here if you need the code. Click and pick Blogger (left column) copy the code (top window)

7. Go back to your blog . Go to "design" and "add gadget" . Choose "HTML/Java Code" Then paste the code. Save and the view blog.

You should have music after this.

Email me if you are still having problems.:)

Sans! said...

Norma S, thank you . Really nice of you to like my poetry:). Funny thing is I don't even like poetry except the really simple ones that rhymes :):). And if I can remember them by heart, then they are great poetry in my book :):). So yes, these great poetry have to be super easy to read:).

Sans! said...

Thank you so much Janice :).

You know, I wish we have met :). And now that I have read your travelogue, I wish it even more :).

Unknown said...

holy crap! this is more amazing than i imagined when you told me earlier today...:O AHH!!!! btw the bubbling i think is due to the heat given out by the glue. but nevermind! it definitely gives it a more realistic edge! you can even imagine there are fish burping beneath the surface of the water! :P :P :P!

The Old Maid said...

Thanks a milion, my dear Friend! Both for the UHU advice and the music - I made my list of songs but still they are much too loud when I put them on the blog - your music is not so loud and nice for my "delicate" ears;) Any advice how to make it silenter for good? Love loads

JDayMinis said...

Sans, What an inspiration you are...Zen and a beautiful pond, I always know you make everything with such love too. You did a wonderful job and it is always so good that you tell us what worked well for you. The butterflies look great, your music goes perfectly with it as well!! Wishing you many more Zen moments in your future. We are going out tonight to enjoy Chinese New Years, eating and dancing with our dancing friends, always such fabulous food and fun. I hope you have had time for Chinese New Years too. *Jean

Eva said...

Hapy new Chinese year!! :)
I was thinking that your pond with the gorgeous lotuses is perfect for a fairy world :) :)
Love this flowers, they put colour into the water in such a delicate way. They have something magical
You are very smart paint them and the result is a great work as always in you.
Hope you feel recovered..have a great week dearie.

contar said...

es un estanque maravilloso, muy romántico, las flores de loto son una de mis preferidas
un abrazo

pond is a wonderful, very romantic, the lotus flowers are one of my favorites
a hug

Sans! said...

Ewa, I have gone to your blog to test if your music is indeed too loud but I see you have not uploaded your "Ipod". :)

I guess this is where you go to settings. There is a volume control which you can adjust, maybe permanently. I say maybe because I hardly use it :). Volume control is usually at the listener's end, if they think your music is too loud, they just lower the volume at their end. Or turn it to mute. I know of people who does not visit my blog often because they don't like the music interfering or some of them who come by immediately turn my Ipod to "off". Some of us listen to our own music when we are surfing so I understand perfectly.

I use a Mac where the sound system is lousy. So my volume is always at max. Both in the settings and my own control. A safe bet is to pick songs which are not so loud . Like the sound of this pond is softer than most of the other songs I picked. You can hear it at mypod.com. I don't know if you remember my thunder sound. That one was quite loud and scare a few people :)!

The Old Maid said...

I remember that I lovded it ;D Well, I will try again ;) Thanks a million Dear!:D

Sans! said...

Pleasure's mine, Ewa :).

Sans! said...

Malu, tiene un estanque en su jardín? Y usted tiene peces y nenúfares? ! Ahora estoy verde de envidia!

Tengo siempre, siempre quiso un estanque. Pero yo soy demasiado perezoso para hacerlo yo mismo. Es muy caro para conseguir a alguien para hacerlo. Nosotros, los chinos creen que es un buen feng shui para tener agua en nuestra casa. Tiene mucho sentido porque el sonido del agua es calma. :):)

Yo creo que por eso me gusta hacer este estanque tanto:). Es como la construcción de mi estanque sueño. :)

besos y abrazos desde Singapur

Sans! said...

Betsy, I am foolish (although I like fearless very much :) ) but luck was on my side...wooohoooo!

I think it helps that I am the anti-thesis of a perfectionist :). So I see mistakes as opportunities to create a flawed look which often makes for better realism. haha! That's why I seldom throw away my stuff! :). The ugly ones can always be hidden under the better ones .

I think it helps that I took the pictures in a my backyard with the plants and the stones :). It's an easy way to make the pond look realistic ;p! I thought the darn leaves were a dead giveaway. (Hey, a dead giveaway!!! You people doing the spooky theme should organise one of these! :) )

Sans! said...

Thank you Lize. I wish you 新年快樂, 龍馬精神, 精靈活潑, 萬事如意 :). AND 心想事成, 生意興隆 ! (translation available at http://www.chinese-lessons.com/cantonese/culture1NewYears.htm )

And have you been here recently? I won't forgive you if you were and you didn't pop in to say hi :). AND surely you are not serious about the laser light show in Sentosa ? :) Do you really like it? *snicker :):). Ok, maybe I am just sick of Sentosa. It's too Disneyland for me . As you can tell, I am the lotus ponds type and it is clear that you are too! How else can we both be dreaming of lotus flowers at the same time?

And Lize, we mustn't deny our destiny any longer! We must acknowledge that we are the WONDER TWINS!

WONDER TWIN POWER, ACTIVATE ! Now lets go save the world !

By the way, when we are in the wonder twin mode, your name is Ah Lian and I am Ah Huay :). Together it means lian huay or lotus in Hokkien :).

*wink at Cindy

Sans! said...

OMG Malu, I just saw that you have a pic of a water lily pond for your profile!!! Is that your pond??? I WANT!

Sans! said...

Thank you Josje :):).

Lotus flower blooms big. Some can be as big as a basketball! For height, they range between 2 ft to 8 ft. I remember when I was in Sri Lanka, some of these flowers came up to my waist even when their roots were way down there and the pond was lower than ground level.

My flower measures 7/8" and the tallest bulb is less than 1" above water. So I guess mine is on the small side , scale wise.

I have just "installed" the pond and I am surprised at how "small" it looks :).

Sans! said...

Oh Marion, this is hardly a tutorial :):). I can't give tutorials because I don't repeat my work enough to become a master :). Just sharing my process and jotting my mistakes down. Not that I won't make them again.

Like darn, why in the world didn't I spray paint the leaves!! See? I have been spray painting all my work as a base but I forgot to do it for the leaves. Yes, I am beating a dead horse. Beat! Beat! Beat! :)

Ok..Calm....I hope I didn't scare you away from my pond. :). I have just put some lotus incense oil on the flowers and they smell heavenly. So sit here and don't go away.

Sans! said...

Hey Rosanna :):). How has your Monday been? You must still be at work. I was supposed to but I think I over-exerted myself a wee bit yesterday so I decided to stay home and go only tomorrow :). The luxury of being "unwell" :):). Woohoo :)

Ouch...pins and needles and I don't mean my rug...let me walk around for abit...

Sans! said...

Muahhhhhsss! Drora! :)

Sans! said...

Pat baby, every year is a butterfly year :) Especially during Spring. And how can I make butterflies without thinking of you? I even picked a blue one to perch on the pond :).

This year is Bunny year. I love bunnies! I am a snake :) so bunnies are my favourite food! Yummmies :). What year are you born in or do you know what animal you are?

Sans! said...

Patricia, although butterfly is not one of the animals in our zodiac sign, they are significant in our culture.

2 butterflies flying together symbolises undying love. It originated from a folklore called the butterfly lovers. Due to parental objection, the lovers could not unite so they committed suicide. They then reincarnated as butterflies and are now living happily ever after in my pond :).

In the 50s and 60s , Singapore had a very famous girl gang called the Red Butterfly Gang. They were real ladies and did not do mean things like housebreaking or robberies. They just got into fights and were mischievous and "wild" :). Gang members wear a tattoo of a red butterfly on their back :).

If you start a Blue Butterfly gang, I will join !

Sans! said...

Susiiiiiiiiiiiiiii, realmente me hizo sonreír:):) Besos butterflying su manera, mi querido:):)

abrazossssss

Sans! said...

Lataina, thank you for liking my poem!! :):) Now can you do me a favour? Can you close your eyes and see if you can still remember it? :):):) ;p

You have a great Monday, my dear. Mine is 1/2 an hour away from being over :). Time for beddy bed :)

Kim said...

Beautiful pond Sans!! Sometimes I learn the best things from projects that did not go as planned. I love the water more murky and earthy- reminds me of when we went to my uncle's cabin at the lake in the summers and you couldn't see down very far into the water because of all the plants under the water. I used to imagine the lives the fish and frogs lived together above and beneath the lily pads :)

Lize said...

As I am now in possession of the
energy of a horse and a dragon...

TWIN POWER TO THE RESCUE!

PS No sadly, I have not been in your neck of the woods lately! And yes, I was mightily impressed by the laser show! ... and you have to know that I come from a country with a history of only 300 years and NOT a lot of culture; where you have an abundance!

One day, I'll tell you about my experiences with that 'NUMBER-which-cannot-be-named...' I am still fighting that dragon!

So, are you planning a laser show for the pond? (^o^ = me: very excited look on face)

Patty said...

Sana,It came out so wonderful!!! I love that you have the base made out of a pod! And I really love that plate that the pods are on!!! Is is porcelain??? Beautiful!!

miniaturista said...

Han quedado unas flores fantásticas, además la flor de Loto,que es especial, a pesar de que toda la naturaleza tiene encnanto, esta flor significa mucho para mí.
Un abrazo
Maite

malu2 said...

Sans, La foto de mi avatar,no es de mi estanque,pero me gustan los nenufares,tanto,que la escogi entre otras.Besos.

contar said...

Es usted muy amable en sus comentario en mi blog, se lo agradezco, pues es una de las personas que desde un principio e admirado, usted hace unos trabajos maravillosos.
en cuanto a su pregunta sobre mis alfombras impresas, le diré, que la tela es de una servilleta de algodón usada, y el cartucho de la impresora es el normal que esta trae.
un abrazo

You are very kind in his comment on my blog, I appreciate it, it is one of those who from the beginning and admired, you do a wonderful job.
regarding your question about my carpets printed, I will say that the fabric is a cotton towel used, and the printer cartridge is normal that this brings.
a hug

Sans! said...

Caterina, thank you ! Kisses from afar, skirting through the flowers, flying across the pond and muah! Landed on your cheek :). Another one! For the other cheek :):).

I am feeling superb and the year of the bunny will be a fabulous one for me. I was told that the focus of 2011 for the Snake will be to make sure she is doing something she likes, something that allows her to express her creativity and talents and something that she excels at. (Err..what could that be?)
Financially, things are looking much brighter for the Snake and with planning and saving, this will be an excellent year. ($$$$..ding ding!)

If you want to check what the year has in store for the animal in you, you can check it at http://www.moonslipper.com/chinese.html. I must warn you, it's probably not very accurate because it says :

"Intelligent and highly intuitive are two of the Snake’s many fine qualities. He makes an amusing and romantic friend with a definite flirtatious streak. When challenged or criticized he can be a sore loser. The Snake is very lucky with money and is fond of the odd bet or two. He is quick-witted and enjoys reading, music and occasionally the paranormal side of life."

Sore loser??! BAH! Odd bet?? I hate gambling! Paranormal? I am deathly afraid of ghosts!

Sans! said...

Kathy (weelittlewest)!!! Thank you so much for visiting :):). You don't know how much your compliment means to me :):)

Sans! said...

Glenda :):):). Serenity :):)

I knew I'd hit the right note with this background sound. :):)

Sans! said...

Cindy, I came home on Sunday after our shopping and immediately, I tried sanding off the leaves :):). Of course it was impossible so I chiseled the paint off . Repainted and they are now slightly better :) but not much.

No fish can make that much bubble ...they can only be made by me :). hehe

And did you like my lian huay joke? :):) or even caught it? Do you even read replies?? ;p

Sans! said...

Jean D, it's so great to see you back again :):) or have I told you that already?

It's so interesting for me to hear how others celebrate CNY. So you guys go dancing after dinner? :) Wow! The closest we got to dancing this year was the performance the kids had to give when they present the oranges to their parents with auspicious greetings. It's a tradition with my family. We do a little skit, everyone laughs, pay our respects , get the red packets and that's how we start the New Year. With loads of laughter. This year, the kids dressed up as bunnies with socks and underwear :). Tee hee SuZ was the costumier :) maybe I will show you what I mean :).

Piikko said...

Thank you Sans, I'd love to come walk with you. I can already feel how the evening breeze is warm and gentle. And after walk we're resting our feet by the beautiful lotus pond. -Thanks for takeing me around:D
piikko

Sans! said...

Eva, I love the idea :):) . A fairy world in my pond. But a bigger one :)with a few pods.

You know, I played with it the whole of yesterday :) and you are right about the lotuses and how they brightened the surrounding. I really love them. And I do put incense oil on them so that they smell beautiful, just like the real ones.

I hope you will be here to see it again in my next post. :). I have installed it in the house and the truth is , I haven't done anything I want to share with as much as what I have just done. Thank god for this community, at least I know you guys will see it and share my experience, thrills and love. My family and everyone else is so busy. It's not easy asking them "Hey, you want to see my garden with the pond?" LOL!

Just waiting to see if Fai will help me with the photographs . He's still not back from Ipoh. If not, I will just use my half past 6 (half bake) camera!

Sans! said...

Estimado Contar, muchas gracias. Espero que esta laguna un buen lugar de descanso para mis muñecas, yo y mis amigos:).

Creo lotos son mis flores favoritas, así:) Sobre todo los azules que veo en Sri Lanka. En realidad no son azules, pero púrpura, pero que están llamados lotos azules:).

Sans! said...

Kim, muddy green has to be my top choice for pond water colour now :). It just makes it so much more real :). The reason why I wanted it clear at first was so that I could see the base of the pod. I love this pod, it is so beautiful and earthy (if I may use your choice of words) and I bet, it looks just like the bottom of a pond.

I have been thinking about frogs and fishes a lot today as I was playing with my pond (again!!) and thinking how nice if I have a frog and some fishes in the pond.

There's been so much rain that my housemate had spotted cobras in thie=hemon

Sans! said...

I mean, in the garden....was sleepy just now. :)

Unknown said...

test test so angry! i replied twice and both times error!!! >:[

Unknown said...

ok now it seems to be working. ya i read replies, but i don't subscribe so i have to check in and scan for my name to see if you've replied XD i am ah ling!! not ah lian ah huay!!! :P

do fish fart?

Sans! said...

Lize, your country is already 300 years old ? Wow! Mine on the other hand is only as old as me! Barely turned 21!

Ok, one of the above sentences is not true :).

You think twins can be born one year apart? Maybe wonder twins :) :).

And you know what? Just for you,twin, I will plan not only the most spectacular laser show on my pond, I will commission Universal to build a Jurassic Park Water Ride. Yes, just for you.

||;( <---twitchy worried look.

hmm, how about we do that on YOUR pond?

Sans! said...

Hey Cindy, it just happened to me too!! Just wrote a reply and then it said link broken! Bah!!! No I will have to re-write again! :(

Think we are both online at the same time :).

Sans! said...

Patty, thank you!

That plate is a Iznik ceramic plate from Turkey . I hand carried about a dozen of them home when I was in Istanbul in the late 90s. I use them for some special dinners occasionally but I could never really eat in peace when I did..haha!

They were inexpensive but they are one of a kind and hand painted and I treat them like treasure :). I am proud to say all but one still look as good as new :):). So I recommend these plates, any day!

Unlike minis, I like my plate looking new and clean :):)

Sans! said...

Maite, el loto es la flor nacional de la India:) y es una flor simbólica importante en el budismo.

Crece en el lodo profundo, muy lejos del sol. Pero, tarde o temprano, el Lotus llega la luz y convertirse en la flor más hermosa.

También me encanta esta flor y todo lo que representa:).

Sans! said...

AAhhh, María Luisa (acabo de ver tu foto en el blog de Yolanda:)) Gracias por explicar! :)

Sans! said...

Thank you too Contar :). I will search for the fabric :).

And I see that your work just keeps getting better. And you work on so many different things. You are very versatile :) . I am always happy to see what you are working on.

Sans! said...

Piiko, you must come walk with me again :).

I really love that this is a good resting place, for my dolls, for me and maybe even for my friends here :).

Sans! said...

And Ah Ling,you have just asked a very interesting question! Do fish fart?

Actually according to the Ontario Science Centre whether or not fish fart, is an ongoing debate.

Some experts say that the digestive gasses of fish are consolidated with their food waste and expelled in gelatinous tubes which fish then eat.

But, fish have been known to emit bubbles due to an excess intake of air. For instance the sand tiger shark purposefully gulps air into its stomach at the surface then farts it out at the other end so it sinks to its desired depth.

So yes, fish not only farts but also eats its own fart :). Sometimes, it uses its fart as a weight belt when deep diving . :)

Unknown said...

tee hee i always learn so much when i come visit you ^ ^ those documentarians are delicate when they come to describing uhh bodily functions eh! cos i knew about the shark's ballast system via documentaries, but it was always rather clinical "control of air in the body", not lowbrow words like 'fart' or 'burp' XD

"Fascinating Shark Farts" has a certain ring to it....i'll bet that's a documentary any kid would be happy to watch :P

Sans! said...

Hehe, Ah Ling, it's Professor Google. Just type "Do fish fart" and my answer's the 1st result!

Margriet said...

Sans, the pond looks so beautiful...i like it that the water isn't clear, it's more natural this way! The flowers are stunning, wish I could smell them ;-)
Love the butterflies...they look great in the garden!

Sans! said...

Have you had your lunch , Margriet? :)

It's good to see you here and thank you for the compliment! :)

I just went and added more fragrant oil onto the lotuses and dare I say, they really smell heavenly ;p. The aromatic oil is Japanese and they say it is the fragrant of First Love :).

I changed the antennaes of the butterfly in my next post. They were made of paper in this post but the ones in the next were made with hair from my old paint brushes. They look more realistic now although you can't see very much with your naked eye :).

bastrota said...

I am still sitting at your lotus pond, Sans ;-)

It is a nice place for a break and for dreaming. You wrote, that the place is smelling heavingly?

Hmmmmmm, now I can realize it.

And I am still thinking that you wrote a tutorial ;-)

Hugs and
greetings from your lovely and heavingly smelling lotus pond
Marion

Sans! said...

*waving at Marion with a huge smile on my face from the porch of the tribal house.

Today, there's also the calming fragrance of sandalwood. It's around the pond. If you walk a little to the left side of the house just behind the pond, you will be able to breathe in the fresh pine air. :)

I must admit, I love hanging out here as well.

Jollie said...

I am speachless... Sooo beautiful!

Hugs, Jollie

Sans! said...

Thank you Jollie :):)

Pond Pumps said...

I would like to sit at your admirable little lotus pond and see and that appears to smell the flowers, feel the cold, beginning baptize with my anxiety and chase the collywobbles with my eyes and my thoughts...

Sans! said...

You know Pond Pumps :), in the past week, I meditated quite a lot and once with my feet in the cold Ganges water. It is really good for chasing the collywobbles in your stomach and the monkey chats from your mind :)

dalesdreams said...

I thought those pods were going to become canoes! ;)

Sans! said...

OMG Dale, you remembered!!!

harley said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
harley said...

It was like the walls were in the old days of separate property lines. I built it from the bottom to the top of a pool of water. It seemed really nice to see a semi circle of flat stones forming a small pond in the corner.



Pond Supplies

Sans! said...

Like you, Harley, I think ponds are pleasant and calming :).

Thank you for visiting!

Blog Widget by LinkWithin