SF0 / dancinglights / The Ukrainian Commemorative Spoon

15 + 90 points

The Ukrainian Commemorative Spoon by saille is planting praxis

February 5th, 2009 8:09 PM

INSTRUCTIONS: Create a souvenir from a country you have never been to.

In order to avoid worsening my winter cabin-fever melancholy, I decided to choose a country it would be completely impossible to visit. It would have to be a place that makes me happy in theory, yet one I would never want to experience. To this end, I spent an inordinate amount of time over the past week researching city-states and the history of a place that doesn't exist.

Behold the product of my snow-induced boredom and attempt to break myself out of seasonal sadness with silliness and the accomplishment of creation: an official licensed Ankh-Morpork souvenir cabbage mug from the city-state of Ankh-Morpork, independent entity or capitol of the Kingdom of Ankh or of the loosely united states of the Sto Plains, dependent on your timeline. Premier city of Terry Pratchett's anachronistic misfit fantasy setting of Discworld and quite likely my favourite place I'd never want to go.

***

I will admit I'm not really happy with this one in terms of execution. But the main purpose of doing it was to break out of a funk I've been in for a while, drag out the camera, and start something new no matter how small. In that, it succeeded, and that was far more important than points. Hopefully I will get to some awesome tasking next, or even some awesome not-tasking, and having a better time of it as spring comes.

***

- smaller

finished

thumbnail shot: move along, move along.

specially coated blank mug, with special markers.

and ruler for determining the final size of the graphic.

heart... or cabbage?

Cabbage being the overwhelming geographical feature of the Sto Plains and a fixture in the Ankh-Morporkian seal, I went with the cabbage.

forging authenticity

The stamp is a fantastic interpretation of the seal and coat of arms of Ankh-Morpork as described in various discworld supplements. I have shamelessly stolen it for my one-use non-profit needs.

tracing

pencil markings

marker, layer one

I'm sparing you several more shots of the layers in progress, here. The markers are crap.

mug with certificate of authenticity

I will admit to having carefully calculated the actual creation date to the equivalent in the Discworld calendar. Hooray internet. The certificate reads "This document certifies that this Ankh-Morpork souvenir cabbage mug was manufactured within the city-state of Ankh-Morpork and hand-painted by licensed members of the Potter's guild. Item number: 1. Date: 21 Offle 2009 AM. CMOT Dibbler, Merchant Venturer."

me. not really drinking out of it.

A confession: despite the sick depths of my caffeine addiction, I make terrible coffee. The only coffee that was left when I finished the mug was leftover sludge someone else had made the previous day, and reminiscent of the waters of the Ankh. Thus I am not actually drinking anything in this picture. It, too, is a clever forgery.