How To Make Fake Blood For All Hallows' Eve.

With Halloween fast approaching I thought this would be a good time to share some recipe's for blood...
The brand that I have been using is Grimas, they make two different shades, film blood ‘A’ and film blood ‘B’. 'B' is the darker of the two and is the most popular and sells out before the big night.

The most frequently ask question I get asked are;

Q.

Which one looks more realistic blood.

A.

And that would be film blood 'B' as it is black red, while film blood A is bright red, (or as we call it hammer horror film blood)

Most professional-quality fake blood uses toxic compounds like antifreeze. Since you're likely to use your blood at parties or haunted houses, and such gatherings are often magnets for children (and children + antifreeze = bad). So, we'll start with the non-toxic variety of fake blood. It may not be the choice of indie horror film directors, but it'll get the job done for Halloween.
Here's the recipes.

Recipe One: Corn Syrup Blood

• White corn syrup
• Red food colouring
• Water
• Blue or green food colouring
• Arrowroot powder or Corn Starch

Start with about 1 tablespoon of Arrowroot powder or Corn Starch in a large bowl. Either one of these will do, though Arrowroot powder is better for avoiding lumps. Now add about a cup of White Corn Syrup and mix it up with the powder. The results will be rather thick, so once you have it mixed, start thinning it down with water until you get something close to the consistency of blood -- about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water should do the trick.
Now that you have a base, it's time to add the dye. Start with the red and add a few drops at a time, mixing thoroughly until you have a nice red color. But of course, real blood isn't bright red. That's where the blue and green dye comes in. Add a couple of drops of either colour until it looks more like actual blood.
Once it looks like blood, set your mixture aside and let it thicken a bit before applying it to your costume. If you're looking for something a bit more edible, add a few drops of peppermint extract. Mmmm -- minty blood!
CAUTION: This mixture will stain your clothes and might temporarily discolour your skin as well.

It won't leach lead into your skin or do anything else truly frightening, but you definitely don't want to let this fake blood near your mouth, eyes, nose or any other orifices.

Recipe Two: Blood Of Hair Gel

• Water-soluble hair gel. (alcohol-free)
• Water-soluble personal lubricant
• Red food colouring or liquid dye
• Blue or green food colouring or liquid dye

Pour alcohol-free, water-soluble hair gel in a bowl. We're going to add some other liquids so you only need to use about three-quarters of what you want the total amount of blood to be. Now add some water-soluble personal lubricant (Astroglide works well here). You want the lubricant to thin the hair gel down so that it's just slightly thicker than water -- start with a small amount and add more if you need it.
Now it's time to colour the mixture. As with the non-toxic version, start with red dye and then add blue or green to shift the color to something more bloodlike. Chocolate syrup can also be used to create a bit more maroon color.
The advantage of this blood is that it's not sticky and, if you experiment a little bit, you'll find that flinging it around creates very realistic splatters.
But, as with the other variety, use caution since this mixture will stain just about everything it touches.

Recipe Three: Kitchen Cupboard Blood 

• Flower
• Syrup
• Red food colouring
• Blue food colouring

Mix 5ml of flower and 20ml syrup in mixing bowl
Add one cap of red food colouring
Dab (very small amount) of blue food coloring and mix in
Put in container for use on set

RUMOUR: add washing up liquid/powder makes the fake blood wash out of clothes (not tested, only use on old clothes first)
Try different colours by varying amount of blue food colouring
Thick blood by adding chocolate sauce
Thinner blood by adding water

Recipe Four: Homemade Fake Blood

• 1 c. Karo Syrup
• 1 Tbsp Water
• 2 Tbsp Red Food Coloring
• 1 tsp Yellow Food Coloring

Mix together in a mixing bowl and you're done. Try adding blue or yellow for a different shade.

Recipe Five: Chocolate Fake Blood

• 1/2 c. Warm Water
• 4 Tbsp Corn Syrup
• 1 Tbsp Powdered Cocoa
• 1 tsp Red Food Colouring

Mix the water and cocoa together and then add the rest of the ingredients. Let the concoction sit for awhile and skim the bubbles off of the top. Add a couple of drops of yellow food colouring if you're not satisfied.

Recipe Six: Simple Fake Blood

• Clear Corn Syrup
• Red Food Colouring
• Milk - Optional

However much fake blood is how much corn syrup you'll need. Pour it into a bowl and mix in some red food colouring. Add some blue if you like. Adding a small amount of milk will make the blood appear darker and thicker.

Recipe Seven: Realistic Recipe

• 2/3 c. Corn Syrup
• 1/3 c. Warm Water
• 5 Tbsp Corn Starch
• 4 tsp red food colouring
• 1 Tbsp Powdered Cocoa
• 2 drops of green or yellow food colouring

Mix the corn starch with the water in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the corn syrup. Add the food colouring slowly, checking for colour.

Recipe Eight: Gravy Blood
This is fairly new and I haven't had chance to test it properly but its looks GREAT!

• Gravy Granules
• Red Food Colouring
• HOT Water

The directions are EASY, all you do is make the gravy up as you would normally but if you feel like it, you can make it a bit thicker, then add the red food colouring. It's up to you how much you add but too much will stain as it will not have been diluted enough.

Recipe Nine: Cheap 'N' Easy Blood
This is good for spidering:

• Plain Flour
• Water
• Red Food Colouring
• 1 tsp. of Coffee

Boil the water on the stove, then sieve in the flour, making sure you get ALL of the lumps out. The quantity of ingredients aren't important, it just depends on how much you want. Once you have the flour mixed nicely into the water it should look nice and thick. Next, add the red food coloring.
You will notice that it's a ghastly, bright red colour but don't worry this is why we add the coffee. It is important that when you add the coffee to make sure the mixture is hot, otherwise it wont dissolve, but up until adding the coffee can be done in a ordinary mixing jug or pan.

My Notes: UpComing Posts

With an empty purse, little under a week till pay day and a few days off, it is all about writing, blogging, drawing, and creating. (May be a little window shopping on the internet.)
Having tied up my desk and I have sitting beside me my note books, Traveler's notebooks and sketchbooks siting beside me waiting to be filled, and content typed up.
It has been a while scene I had the mental energy to really writing anything. It has been as thought someone had put a sack over my head and rapped me in chains and put me in a box. But over the past week I have had an inspiration wave and energy, writing notes when ever I can, in cafe’s, on the bus, train. If I don't have a notebook to hand then I turn to my phone, My poor little Nokia phone I don't think has every been used so much, as it can only hold 30 notes the saved text's are quite high.
I have lists of future posts and projects to do and write about. I am just hoping that this enlightened energy lasts.

• Film reviews: I started with one at the beginning of this year with 'The Only Lovers Left Alive'. I have notes on more films, and after my last post on '100 Films By Female Directors', and with some of the ones I have already seen that have been directed by a woman now seams like know better time to writer about them.
• Closed doors: This is a short store that I have been writing. It tells the store of a glamorise relationship between an English actor and his University sweet heart. yet all the glamor dose not hide all the cracks. I have been working on this scene the end of last year Its not going to be a lengthy piece. around about the length of 'Diary of depression'. Planing to post the first draft at the start new year.
• Diary of depression: I am currently on the next draft working through changing and improving.
• Notebook of a girl: This is a continuing series of posts, which I have to admit I am not 100% sure were it is go to go. It is some what of a evolving peace that is mostly inspired by things that I see, Written through a fictional girl, who’s own life is still some what of a mystery to myself. This is more of an spontaneous series of posts to be honest.
• Bonnie: Ever scene I was a teenager I have always been interesting in Bonnie and Clyde and wanted to write a fictional story loosely based on these two character. Which I have now started to draft out. I think that I will be posting it along the same way that I have with Notebook of a girl. as a series.
• 50 blog posts ideas for when you have writers blog: I have read a lot of these lists over the past few months over Bloglovin’. All of which are very samey. ‘whats in your bag’ ‘shear your blog tips’ I have saved 10 lists and I am planing to create my own with a little of my originality (I hope).
• EarthBound: Another little short story, This has a little religious them to it, well an angelic theme. This was inspired by my Drama Monologue 'Lucifer’s Prayer'.
• Alone again: On the back Burner short story. I go back to it every now and then. Its a fair ground romance that I started in 2012
• Bethany: This is another on the back burner story. this one I stared in 2012. A vampire story with out to much lovey dovey romance. I not a fan of that with horrors or vampire stories.
• In depth post on; Closed doors, EarthBound, Alone again and Bethany: I’ll show you my note books with research and the drafts, and the random little sketch’s that I do when I get the idea of how I want something to look, It helps me to visualise and describe what I want.
• Scripts: These are form when I was in college studying Drama they go form witch’s, war poetry, classic children's stories, to some very weird and disturbing themes. This may take a little longer to type and publish as all I have left are some my notes. I will do the same as I did for 'Mad Hatters Last Tea Party' and change little bits and add some up to date references. 
• The occurrence of hating people: To be a slightly comical series of posts. I started drafting this out at the start of the year, but as of yet I have no stared to type it up.
• How I'm using my planers?: This will be an follow up at the end of the year, beginning of 2016 on my Filofax and Traveler's notebooks. A n up date on the posts which I have done 'My Traveler's NoteBooks' and 'My Filofax's'.

Along with these I also have some random other posts of creative writing.  I have been looking back over my post the last day and I have found that some have drifted off of the original concept for this blog. Even though at first it was not that clear to me when I started but as time went on it be came where I could post my writing, (weather good or not) For me I was and still is an out let. Over the past year I have found myself posting revues and trip posts. My art has its own place at 'My Theory Of The Crows BlogSpot', along with my photos. Then there is my Visual Merchandising blog, 'Visual Merchandising 101', Which holds my online Portfolio, CV and all my visual merchandising notes. Both of which have been a little slow, I'm hoping now that I can once more be more creative and productive with all them.

100 Great Movies By Female Directors: By Little White Lies.

Why I Have (almost) Stopped Buying Glossy Magazines.

I think every girl enjoys a glossy magazine, weather it be a fashion mag, interior design or a "reality" magazine such as OK or Hello. They are there for a quick read, to entertain, to follow trends or gossip there is is one out there for every one.

I have always enjoyed going out and picking up the new edition of my favourite, 

such as ELLE, GLAMOUR  and he recently lost COMPANY magazine. But I have been finding they are very samey. And the content extremely low as a large percentage of it is ads, and photo shots. I would be buying them on the way in to work and by my afternoon brake I would be giving them to the media team for there mode boards and scrap books. 

(A few years a go I would be keeping them for my own boards and scrap books for styling.)

In the past year I have found myself buying magazines like Skin Deep, Empire and more recently Little White Lies. 

These Have less adds and more words to reads, and will last me a week rather them a few hours.

Little White Lies 

TRUTH & MOVIES

This is a 100 page magazine with hardly any Ads' - in July/August I counted 6 pages of ads, and they were film related. - Each month has a theme, May/Jun was Tomorrowland were they went through the history of Disney land and the new film release Tomorrowland. the half is fild with film reviewers old and new, mainstream, independent and world.

and the photography is minimal it is largely drawing art, which I adore, even the paper is a great choose, it like a heave smooth cartridge paper. it feels like your reading a book them a magazine.

Now to  July/August edition, this has to be one of my favourites. 

"THE 50 BEST FEMALE FILM DIRECTOR WORKING TODAY (& WHY WE LOVE THEM)"

Theres 40 odd pages listing the 50 female directors with a short bio'.

It ends with a list of 

"100 GREAT MOVIES by FEMALE DIRECTORS"

I makes such a change from reading "what pants and bra set you should be wearing this season" and "your fat if your not a size 8"

Yes it dose seam a little like Empire Magazine, but even that can be a little to mainstream sometimes.

Yes it is £6 but I find it worth it. Its a monthly book and live most magazines and books you can always pass them around for all to read. If your someone that likes to keep magazines, these would not look out of place in a bookcase.

 

Looking down the list there is already a good hand full or two that I can cross off, films i've each with out realising that they were directed by a woman. 

Using their "100" list I have picked out 30 of them which I want to see, also in the list are the ones I have also seen. 

1. Chilly Scenes of Winter: Jone Micklin Sliver -1979
2. The Hitch-Hiker: Ida Lupion - 1953
3. Falling leaves: Alice Guy-Blache - 1912
4. India Song; Margeritte Duras - 1975
5. Strang Days: Kathryn Bigelow -1996
6. dogfight: Nancy Savoca -1991
7. Vagabond: Agnes Varda -1985
8. Big: Penny Marshall -1988
9. Wayne's World: Penelope Spheeris -1992
10. Fire: Deepa Metha -1996
11. The Apple: Smaira Mathmalbaf -1998
12. Faithless: Liv Ullmann -2000
13. American Psycho: Mary Harron -2000
14. Me And Every One We Know: Miranda July -2001
15. Lost in Translation: Sofia Coppola -2003
16. I For India: Sandhya Suri -2005
17. Bright Star: Jane Campion -2009
18. XXY: Lucia Puenzo -2007
19. Treeless Mountain: So Yong Kim -2008
20. Archipelago: Joanna Hogg -2010
21. Every one else: Maren Ade -2009
22. Stories We Tell: Sarah Polley -2012
23. Dreams Of A Life: Carol Sciamma -2011
24. Appropriate Behaviour: Desiree Akhavan -2014
25. Wadjda: Haifaa al-Mansour -2012
26. Dusty Stacks of Mom: The Poster Project: Jodie Mack -2014
27. Winters Bone: Deborah Granick -2010
28. Rocks In My Pockets: Signe Baumane -2014
29. Babadook: Jennifer Kent -2014
30. The headless Woman: Lucrecia Martal -2008

P.S...

Back when I was in high school with my love of drama, films and special effect, I must have watched hundreds of behind scenes footage and how they done it special fetchers, from CGI, animated puppets. I had it in my head that I wanted to direct and act. 

But as time went on following that path got lost. 

If I hand It would have to horror and things along the lines of Donnie Darko.

Empty Pages

Trying to understand why there is nothing in this land that can make me understand that this book within my hand has nothing within its skin but the pages stitched within and nothing written within on the pages stitched within the black moleskine that sits within my hand upon my skin beneath my gaze and steering at the page contain-plating where to start steering at this empty page.

This empty page for empty thoughts upon the pages of the book with printed lines reminding me of empty thoughts and empty minds with no avail searching for inspiration to capture a sole and imagination with the pen within my hand upon the wordless pages your meant to read yet all I find is Shakespearian words in modern times with no meaning is all that comes to mind.

While I steer at the pages empty lines distractions come to fill my mind with horror stories and romantic lines to thrill and make you cry with a heroes tale and a villains smile upon these pages you will find all the tales from with in my mind yet all I that seams to come to mind is all the emptiness from within my mind

Looking back to open pages at wordless lines and blank pages contain-plating and unsure how to scribe random words and untold lies of horror ties and romantic lines yet all seams to come to mind   are random words and pretty lies to capture soles and make you cry is all that seams to come to mind.

Upon these page is my empty mind

©sarah jane patel

DIY Make Up

Yes I know that it is half way through festival season, (My timing dose kind of suck). I found this recipe (article) in company magazine back in 2012. (Such a sham that it is another lost in time.) This can work of any occasion, weather it be summer festivals, partys, new year, halloween. When every you need a last minuet/DIY face pant.
But before we start please, please please, remember to do a skin test with any product first. on the soft part of the inside of you arm, behind your ear and neck.

You will need:

• 1 tbsp of cornflour  (available in your local supermarket in the baking aisle)
• 1 ½ tsp thick cold cream (try classic Ponds or Nivea)
• ½ tsp of cold water
• Natural food colouring or odds and ends of old eye shadows and blushers, (Keeping those favourite eye shadows that tuned to dust and lumps after that night club incident involving them being dropped in to the sink.)
• A small 30ml container
• A small mixing bowl and spoon
• Make-up brushes and sponges

How to make:

1. Add the cornflour and cream to the bowl and stir together until completely combined.
2. Next stir in the water- the mixture should start to thin out.
3. Now add the food colouring drop  by drop until you get the desired colour and vibrancy. You can blend in crushed up loose powders from old eye shadows and blushers for extra pigment to make the paints brighter. If the mixture is too thick add I a drop or two of water and stir to combine. The consistency of the finished paint should be thick but pourable and glossy.
4. Finally pour the paint in to containers and store it in a cool, dark place when not in use.

Neon Face paint

Been out on the hunt for neon face paint and all you can find are small tubes. keep an eye out for neon hair gel's. You can mix these with a thick cold cream,  it make's in go feather and sit on your skin better.

Lose Glitters

A party is not a party with out a little bit of glitter. same little trick here, mix it with a thick cold cream. 

note: The more cream you mix the glitter with the thiner the coverage.

The less cream the glitter is mixed with the thicker the glitter coverage will be.
Another quick one is to use Vaseline. Wipe a little on your fingers, then dip in to the lose glitter, then paint where you want. . 

NoteBook Of A Girl. Entry #7

Standing and waiting, for what seams like hours, o collect a fix to to get me through the day, or maybe even the week. “Coffee with an extra shot please” As I wait my turn for it to be made, or grown the speed its happening this monday morning. It could be flying in fresh from Brazil. 

The chatty laughter of a group of girls at a table with more energy then the whole queue put together. Sat at two tables now pulled together discussing boys, clubs and how much money has given them this month. bitching about friends that are not with them in the coffee shop, with endless energy or maybe just hyped up on coffee.
After what seams like hours I’m handed my paper cup with plastic top full of the most legal drug that there is. Coffee.
Standing out outside  the shop, one handedly pulling the right strap of my back pack on to my shoulder. The first warm sip on spring day. The biter, sweet taste, making my taste buds tingle and my brain sigh with the relief the taste  and knowledge that this will pick me up. Another sip before heading off down the back streets for an early mid dad start on a fine spring day. Blue sky’s with no clouds making it almost seam like mid summer.
Lying sky’s making us think that it is warmer then it is. Making those girls wear summer dress, making them regret it an hour after leaving their warm homes.
Early rising tourists heading out to sight see. suits on their break grabbing their next caffein fix. Shop workers hurrying, trying not to be late, smartly dressed with trainers and a bag for he gym after their shift and before monday night drinks.

The uneven  road beneath my feet of the brick cobble stones, making me slightly stager making me feel like I am a little drunk. But all I am doing is avoiding tripping on the uneven brick cobble road and missing the dog shit.
Theatre land, the Westend. Dog shit? We are in the middle of theatre land, I can tell you the last time I saw a dog, but you can guarantee first thing in the morning their it is. Waiting to be found.
Reminds me of the time  we found a human poo, sitting in the door way of the stage door, everyone daring each other to clear it up. one of the guys  deciding that pocking it with a stick was a good idea. treating it like one of the road kill pigeons that we see along the uneven brick cobble road.

As I get closer to the door of the theatres back stage trades mans entrance, out steps one of the cast, lighting his cigaret and taking a deep breath.
My heart almost feels as though it stops with the thought and memories of the Saturday night before last drinks at the White Hart, followed by a lock in. Flirting, charing dancing, drink after drink followed by shorts of flaming Sambuca. Dizzy head and coordination lost. Stepping out in to the early morning cool air, waking me up and making me feel a little more drunk but a little more clear headed, with wondering hands and hungry lips. We called a cap and headed to bed.
Track suit bottoms and long sleeve white top, he stands looking at his phone, reading messages or emails or the paper. I wonder. Reaching the door there are smiles and hellos as we great each other on a mid day  monday morning, trying to act normal so no one suspects a walk of shame this Monday morn’. 
With greetings saids we depart on the stair. I watch him head up to his dressing room. I cant help but steer and think back two nights, of wondering hands and hungry lips.
Heading down two stories to beneath he stage where waiting are some of the crew crew room brewed coffee and tea. dressed in blue jeans and white t-shirts, how different we all look when we are not in black.
Already hot in our own little hell beneath the heavenly stage of magic.
With another coffee drunk and hand full of chocolate toped biscuits we head up to the surface.
standing in the wings waiting for them to begin. 
Dimmed low light casting long shadows of moving figures. Laughter and spoken words as they began.

Standing in the shadows watching every move, losing to each word waiting for my que to nove set and props. The sudden soft gently touch of hand placed on my waist, just as the director calls out to those moving and speaking on stage. We part ways as he walks in o the light, casting low shadows  of frozen cast, patiently listing to their directions, I watch him walk in to the low lit light I cant help but steer and think back two nights, of wondering hands and hungry lips.

© Sarah Jane Patel

ParkLand Walk, London.

With some time off and the summer (hopefully on its way) Decided to go along the Parkland walk, which runs from Finsbruy Park to HighGate, then if you walk through the ajoining Hiahgate woods you come out at Alexarder palace, Such a beautafull and pieceful walk.

The parkland work is a national trust walk that that runs the lengh of an old rainway line, which used to run between Finsbry park to Edgeware (which opened in 1872) The branch to Alexandra Palace followed in 1873 when the Peoples' Palace opened . Its such a beautiful walk, the nosie of trafic scilenced by the tress. 

Part the way along the walk you come across the remains of the station platform, the reminders of a world forgotten. A lonesome lamp post, (making you wonder if you have step for the craziness of London in to the quite of Narnia.

Griffitted old tunnels and brick walls with artist tags and bright colourful art work line the path. As ugly as some of it is, it brake's up the greenness of the world around. As much as it would be nice to see it cleaned off, done right this modern dislike could be made to fit in with its surroundings if it artists went with the location. Creating colourful images of flowers, fairytales and Alice In Wonderland. Modern art within the art of nature.

I also went armed with my Olympus Trip 35mm film camera, with 400 iso Black and white film, Still have to finish the film off thenI shear them on here and on my art blog, www.MyTheoryOfTheCrows.BlogSpot.com

A Lonesome Lamp Post

End of the trail at Highgate.

My Traveler's NoteBooks 2015

I recently posted on the Midori Traveler's Notebook resources face book group and the UK Midori Traveler's Notebook resources group a photo of my travellers notebooks that I have and what I am using them for. I was surprised with the response I got so I thought I would shear it in a blog post.

What Is A Midori Travellers Notebook, Or A Faux-dori?
It is a peace of leather that is stand by using vegetable dyes or leather dyes and paints, It has four holes punched into it and threaded with elastic allowing you to place saddle stitched or stapled books into it. Held closed with an elastic that is treaded through a hole either in the back and in the spine of the notebook, that then goes around the book.

What I Am Using?
I have always been a Filofax girl, Using them for the past 10, 15 years, but about a year ago through you tube and Pinterest I discovered The Midori Travellers Notebooks. I was intrigued weather it would work for me and how I would use it. 
After a hunt through Amazon I found a range by ZLYC which sell them as a set, with the standard size, (22cm by 26cm, when opened flat) a passport size (13.5cm by 21cm when flat) and a pen holder, as well as selling them individually.
As the set was the cheapest option at around £23 with free postage I went with the purchase and ordered the black set.
When it arrived I feel in love with it. The smell of the soft black leather with its orange elastic on both the standard and passport looked and still is beautiful.

Each one came with three book inserts. the standard came with two plan books and a calendar insert which has 26months (one month on two pages) and one credit card / zipper pocket insert.
In the passport size I got two grid book inserts and one calendar insert.

As It was my day off when I received them I decided to go to Paperchase and pick up things that I could use in them. I did not pick up much but I got a pack of three spotted covered lined A5 notebooks for £6 and a set of three Kraft lined notebooks for £5 (with white lined pages). Once home I set about cutting them down to size ( ).

After a week of using it  I found hiding in my bookcase three notebooks that I had brought from Paperchase about two years ago, which was their version of a travellers notebook, which are the exact size of the standard size notebook. They are now sitting in the pile ready to be used.

With the passport size I was really lucky to find that a small independent art shop near me had small plan saddle stitched sketchbooks for sale for only 85p, at that price I could not resist and picked up six of them, (since then I have pieced up another three of them as soon as they had them back in stock.

 

The Standard size one I have been using for my blog/location research.
and the passport size i have been using as a todo list/ bullet journal, shopping lists and sketching on the go.
I have found that Daler-Rowney A5 sketchbooks are a wonderful size to cut down to put in to the notebook. It has 20pages (40 sides).

After a month I decided to order another set, mainly only for use as a personal journal ad for my notes on tarot card readings (that I do). This time I ordered the dark red.
The red on this one is a very earthy deep red and is stunning. The standard one came with three lined notebooks and a credit card /zipper pocket insert, which meant I did not have to change out the books and I started to use it straight away. The passport size came with three grid inserts.

For Work.
Since 2005 I have always used Filofax’s and A5 notebooks and diaries for work, holding all notes, dates, contracts and everything else, but over the past year I have been using them less and less as I have been using sketchbooks - as my job has moved more in to the design side. 
After using my Travellers notebooks for personal and blog, I thought that I might give it a go ad use one for work. So with my eyes closed I pressed the buy button and ordered the ZYLC Dark Green set.
This arrived with two lined inserts, a diary insert and a credit card /zipper pocket insert, the Passport two lined and a diary. the green on this is very dark, 
Straight away I set about taking it apart and putting in the inserts that I had already had cut down and had began using before it had arrived.
I now have inside four inserts and the credit card / zipper insert, (five inserts in total).

*One which has my hyperdex and todo lists for the day in (this is for time tracking).

*One for all my brain storming.
*A sketchbook.
*And a home made insert with shop floor plans and contact details of the staff I work with.

I find using it great as I don’t have to carry my sketchbooks and note books too and from work, I can leave them at work and have one to take back and forth to jot things down she I’m out, on my way home or at home, as I don’t have a smart phone it is a great way for me to work.
I do kind of miss my Filofax but (hopefully) I will find a use of it 

I also have a black paten ZYLC standard size notebook which I am using as an art journal. The leather on this one is more smooth to the touch, unlike my other ones and is a little more stiffer, the only way I can describe it is it is like the leather on the Filofax original range.

This has become a bit of a new love affair they are a convenient size to carry around, and a fun size to use as a sketchbook, it makes a change from using A5.

Even though I am using one of the notebooks for my blog I am still using A5 note books for my short story’s.

I would defiantly recommend these notebooks for anyone that blogs, writes, draws. Is just a nice size to use and create within.

Links:

ZLYC Traverlers notebooks form amazon.co.uk 

Handmade Refillable Leather Travelers Journals Pencil Case Set of Three

Paperchase.co.uk

Kraft A5 slim plain exercise book - pack of 3

Kraft A5 slim ruled exercise books - pack of 3

A5 yellow arrow print stapled sketch book

Cowling and Wilcox

Daler-Rowney A5 sketchbook

Slanchogled arts and crafts

Girl of Venezia

Dressed in pink, lilac and gold, silk, cotton and lace.
Upon a bridge of ancient stone she stands.
With a china painted face of gold and cream, and stones like stars upon her brow.
Gazing at the river of water flowing silently below. As candles flicker and glow on steps  that lead down into the black turquoise logon night waters.
Light beams track through the air from open shutters, from a sulpha mist hanging in the air from the fireworks in San Marco square.
Music and song echo around the labyrinth of narrow streets lit only by shop lights, and iron ornate lanterns hanging on the cross roads of paths, and the white blue fairy lights draped between shops on tourist trap streets. 
With Bright blue eyes framed with black shadow paint, they watch the floating candles and flowers of red, yellow and orange  move slowly along their watery path leading out to sea.

On The Ponte di Rialto they do stand. Bauta, Columbina, Servetta Muta, Volto, Pantatlone, Arlecchion, Zanni, the Mask maker, Joker and the Doctor.
With strange ghosty movements and darting eyes.
Dressed all in Black, red and gold.
Hand in hand and arm in arm. 
In dancing movements they move towards the lapping waters of the grand canal. 
The echoing drum of the gondola as they kiss on the waves. 
the distant sound of gondoliers song can be heard. echoing along the waters path.
With laughter, the high tide they wade, like black ghosts. 
Their footsteps echo, as they move slowly along the stone roads, in search of the girl in pink, lilac and gold.

Through cold salty waters she treads. 
The bottom of her gowned turned darker shades of pink and lilac and heavy.
Throw the flooded streets she walks heading to San Marco square.
Flooded with candle light and lanterns hanging in across the square, 
Packed with masked faces and ball gowns, and capes, steering judging eyes from each face she sees.
Looking. Searching.
A cross the crowed square a glance of prying eyes behind Black red and gold, watching. plotting, hand in hand and arm in arm the steer at every move she makes.
A whisper in the ear of Columbina from Zanni, With his black red long nose. A tipped head in laughter from Columbina of secret unheard.
Un-easy and unsure the girl try’s slowly to move through the crowed. 
A white gloved hand reaches form the crowd and takes hold of hers startling her, she looks and sees the smiling eyes of piecing blue behind a mask of dark cream and gold. Dressed in dark pink, lilac and gold.

A loving hand guiding her away from the watchful eyes, of a haunting group in black, red and gold.

© sarah jane patel