MY prototype idea for a high end Kickstarter reward didn’t work as I’d hoped so I get to work on some improvements.
I also need to make up a postage table with rtes and stuff for the Kickstarter. Getting close to having all my ducks in a row to get the project put together and submitted for approval.
A walk up the lochside helps clear the cobwebs and when I get back I put together a news release and some images to promote February’s Aberdeen and Edinburgh shows with my pal Trevor.
Once done, I send out to some key media contacts then make a list fo stuff I need to try and get done before we head off on holiday – the first since we met twenty years ago – tomorrow….
WE HAVE a bit of a long lie then get up in time for Dorothy coming to pick up the brass pendant I made for her.
She’s delighted with it and after a coffee and a blather heads off and we have breakfast.,
In the studio I do some work on album art and backers’ pin design so I can start putting together the Kickstarter project for the new album.
I also spend some time with designs for another exclusive high end backer reward. Before I know it the day has gone and I head back to the house to make dinner….
THERE’S a lot on today’s to-do list but we desperately need new tyres so I get up early and head into Glasgow..
A stop at the post office to re-post some posters sent to a venue in mid-December that were never picked up their end and returned to us then on to Costco.
Seems Costco doesn’t do ‘walk ups’ anymore and we need to order and make an appointment online. For next week. Fuck that. I go find ATS but no joy for same day service there. At least the staff are more pleasant the grumpy bastard at Costco.
Turns out there’s nowhere in Glasgow I can get same day tyres…and I’ve already lost a morning that I can ill afford. I pick up some shopping and go home.
Margaret makes some calls and ends up with a positive response from SMS in Stirling. The place is shut tomorrow (Saturday) but if I can get there before 4pm they can do the needful today. Yay!
I go to Stirling, get the tyres done and drop off some stuff for WIll and say hello to the grandkids in DOune omen the way home.
AFTER making some video clips live on YouTube – including the one of me attempting to ply some guitar riffs on Duncan’s performance of Rollin’ in my Sweet Baby’s Arms I get busy editing up the paddleboard clips from yesterday.
I get everything posted – including TikTok even though I’ve kinda backed off on as it seems to be getting banned in many countries. Glad I’ve not invested too much time or energy in it.
Then it’s time to do some music with the kids at the school in Balloch. The afternoon goes fine and I pick up some shopping on the way home.
Margaret’s finishing of Mikey’s accounts – I make dinner then mess with some artwork ideas for the forthcoming Still Friends album….
Lovely paddle to Port Bawn…a bit rough on the way back tho’…
I HAVE an online guitar student first thing then get my gear ready to go for a paddle.
It’s lovely day and I wanna try and get some drone stuff while I’m out. Although very calm in places the outward paddle to Port Awn is against he wind and some kind weird current – maybe water coming off th hills into the loch – or maybe a result of the two Tornados flying low up the loch earlier!
At Port Bawn – the far end of Inchcailloch I chat with some kayakers. When they paddle off I mess with the drone a little…being mindful that it doesn’t;’t like being over water. regardless I get some footage.
It’s nearly 3pm when I get home, showered and a late lunch..then I hit the studio and get some real work done.
Mikey rocks up late afternoon – Margaret’s trying to sort out his shitstorm of accounts and submit his tax return…I finish a batch of packaging stickers for Manson Glass then go back to the house to cook dinner. Beef, butternut squash and ancho chilli….
AN ONLINE guitar lesson first thing then I hit the office and start experimenting with the lasers for a new and faster way to produce packaging stickers for Manson Glass.
The gantry CO2 laser takes nearly an hour a sheet which is only 15 stickers. I say ‘sticker’ but they’re thin black/gold two later acrylic, so they’re pretty prestige and are used on the boxes for Manson paperweights.
The new laser machine is a flavour set up (both fibre and diode) and can engrave much, much faster than the gantry.
I run some tests to get a good engrave setting then see what I can do for cutting. The diode/fibre is not gonna be any use for cutting this specific material, so I decide to cut on the CO2 and engrave on the flavour. The galvo has a neat batch processing feature which makes the alignment and stuff a cinch.
Running both machines, though, I realise that my venting system is not all it should be and as well as extracting to the outside, it’s also pushing some air (including fumes and debris) into the other machines. I’m gonna need some manual dampers in the system!
Margaret needs to go to the village so I go along for the ride and walk back getting home in good time for my early evening guitar student arriving.
In the studio I ‘activate’ one of my videos from the garden concert on YouTube. I’d kept it private until the WIldcats had a chance to see it.
Back in the house I do some more work on the upcoming Kickstarter and album production plan…and suddenly it’s midnight!
Pretty pleased with this custom pendant…final version will have a clasp for attaching chain or leather…
STRAIGHT to the studio for an online guitar student after breakfast.
Next job is to make up and send out a questionnaire to the participants on the upcoming guitar workshop and also send them some basic info. I use Surveymonkey to gather the info to help me decide on content and structure.
After lunch I take a walk up the lochside then start some prep for tonight’s Wildcats’ livestream on Facebook.
Laura brings Violet for her guitar lesson and once they’re away I finish the custom brass pendant. I’m waiting on clasps to attach cord/chain/whatever as the wee jump rings I normally use are too lightweight for this.
MARTYN’S coming up this morning to go for a wander, so no long lie. That’s a good thing given the amount of time we’ve spent drinking coffee and doing emails in bed the last few days.
We have a good walk and catch up then I get busy finishing off the brass pendant for custom order.
It’s looking good and I message the customer to see if she wants anything engraved on the back or round the edge.
Duncan left a guitar cable here – not forgetfulness, but because I though it was mine then discovered it wasn’t. My bad, so I jump in the car and take it over to him.
We chat over coffee then I drive home and spend the rest of the day and evening editing more video and planning the next few days’ work.
ANOTHER lazy morning drinking coffee and catching up on emails and socials.
There’s still some tidying up to be done outside then I start work on design/artwork for a custom brass pendant.
Betty had asked me to pick some stuff up in Costco yesterday and it’s still in the car so I run along with it and help with some iPad stuff.
After finishing the artwork for the brass pendant I start processing it. It’s a lengthy process.
Then it’s into the studio to edit the video from yesterday’s garden concert. I sort all Duncan’s songs and send him the resulting video files.
I wanna try editing on the iPad so take the video files on SSD and start messing. Looks like Final Cut on the iPad Pro is gonna be a good tool.
Fast and flexible although not as feature-rich as the desktop version. iPad OS file management and the ability to edit I video directly from external media is a big advance in iPad functionality for me. Looks like it might be able to completely replace the cranky old laptop!
Duncan and I have a blast playing for the garden party guests…
UP EARLY and into Glasgow to get some shopping and supplies for this afternoon’s garden concert.
Costco dosen’t open ‘til 10am…but there’s other shopping to get a time’s tight so I hit the supermarket first.
When I get back Margaret’s got the stovies and soup underway. Duncan and Irene’s be here in half an hour so I get busy setting up the PA, lights and stuff in the garden.
We have just under an hour to finish setting up and get sound checked.
There’s the usual ghosts int he machine – the iPad controlling the PA goes down ten minutes before we start but I manage to get everything sorted in time.
The afternoon goes great and it’s good to have so many pals and neighbours round for this ‘thank you’ event.
Once everyone’s gone and we’ve got the majority of stuff tidied up we crash on the sofa for an hour…then dinner.
