Tuesday, April 12, 2016

SCENERY CLASS and Complaints about Blogspot and Live Writer

I AM BEYOND complaining. Live Writer will not allow me to publish anything – it says I don’t have a blogger account, yet, obviously, I do. But, Live Writer will allow me to control the size and placement of my pictures and writing… blogger currently will not. So I needed to publish some pictures for my class on Scenery Making, both for the ones who were present and for those who were not – well, for our records at the Station, too… My frustration knows no bounds!

Anyway, I wanted the class members (ESCC) to have not only a record of a different method of making a type of scenery, but also to note how quickly it can be done and what materials were being used. I realize the post leaves out a lot, but I am not going to worry about that. But the last post would not let me add anymore text after I finished posting the 4th picture. It would only let me add a text box with blue print and I could not remove the underline. Go figure!

I know some of you have complained that I don’t post much anymore, but Blogger has become almost impossible to use. It was sooooo much easier before they “improved” it. As I have often said, Progress often ain’t. So I try to line things up on Live Writer which refuses to publish anything, but I then seem to be able to copy it and paste it over into blogger. It still isn’t perfect, but it is MORE do-able.

So the next post is of some of the class members learning one technique of how to make a waterfall (in a desert landscape) with Tony Picardi teaching using one type of materials and the last picture (and previous post) is also a waterfall – but much shorter version- and a collection pool and dam modeled after the one built by my godson in the Poconos. The Mod Podge had not dried – it has been very wet and rainy here, so after it is dry and I can finish the water area, I will post the final image… For now, the poor area is white but will eventually be transparent.

It was fun to note that Picardi and I use totally different methods to create scenery, and it was fun to be able to contrast them and the time it took to accomplish the different methods, permanence of the materials, drying times, etc. Anyway, this post goes with the previous 2 and I welcome any questions about how to make the scenery you will find at the Train Station or on any of our portable units. See the pictures from the St Patty’s Day Parade, the Heritage Celebration, or Ker Place that precede this post.

If you are in the area, feel free to stop by any Saturday morning from 9 ‘til noon. We are almost always there. Come look at the scenery or play with the trains. Bring your young ‘uns!

2 comments:

Ginnie said...

How do you really feel, Possum??? Ha, ha. I loved all the pictures in the preceding blog. You do really good work and your students are so privileged to have you as a teacher.

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

You are so right that Blogger is often a real pain and although I no longer use Live Writer it was at times a bit easier. A shame that is was only a Microsoft Windows product and now no longer supported, and never available for a Mac, which I am now using. Inserting photos is always a big problem and often I too am ready to give up when trying to do a post as I only compose them within Blogger now. And, like you, I keep trying.
The updates on what happening at the station have been interesting and it's great to see such involvement and community interest.