#⌜STARTERS –––– an addition to the compendium.⌝ | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

3hakisebooks · 6 years ago

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Ted’s Woodworking Review

Ted’s Woodworking isn’t just a comprehensive DIY guide to everything woodworking. It’s designed so that it can be used by absolutely everyone, regardless of skill or experience. Whether you’re an experienced woodworking or have never touched a hammer in your day, the plans are laid out so meticulously that you simply follow through the steps. Look at the items and tools needed to make the specific project you’re interested in, gather the items, and then start building as you work your way through the detailed instructions. It’s that easy – and that’s coming from someone who is in no way, shape or form a builder. Well, until I discovered this program, of course.

Now, going on the theme of this program being designed for everyone, the creator made sure that the way the content is accessed is just as easy and applicable to everyone. For example, you have three ways you can use the program.

The first is the digital form of the program which you receive as soon as you purchase. You simply download the content onto your desktop, laptop, smartphone or tablet and get started. This is great for anyone who is traveling to different areas or who doesn’t want to lug around a massive guidebook or wait or pay for shipping. You also receive:

Lifetime Access to Everything

Free Updates to All Plans

VIP Newsletter of Free Plans, Techniques, Guides, etc.

Free Monthly Bonuses

The second and third options are for anyone who isn’t fond or savvy with technology, despite only a couple of clicks being needed to download it. So, you can get the program on a single DVD for an extra $20 (with zero upgrades included), or you can pay $30 for a 2-DVD edition which comes with all of the upgrades, along with three extra woodworking bonus programs which are:

VIP Deluxe Edition

The Handy Dad Package

The Ultimate Woodworking Compendium

The choice is yours, and you certainly don’t need to pay anything extra to use Ted’s Woodworking. These are simply options available if you choose to change the way you follow through the instructions. It really comes down to preference and whether or not you want the additional updates.

Now, the coolest thing is that you receive a 60 Day Money Back Guarantee with the program. So, even if you’re convinced that you can’t build a thing despite having comprehensive guidelines to follow or are just unsure as to whether building is for you, this is a nice addition. However, once you see the money you can be saving with these easy DIY projects for absolutely everything, there’s no way you’ll be going back to paying for an expensive pro to do exactly what’s in this program.

About The Creator of Ted’s Woodworking Program

Ted’s Woodworking was created by Ted McGrath, is a certified master woodworker, trainer, member, and author of The Architectural Woodwork Institute (AWI). He spent 20 years putting together these detailed plans and now, they’re available for you to enjoy.

Quick Summary of Ted’s Woodworking Program

With over 16,000 woodworking plans, all of which are broken down with detailed, step-by-step instructions, pictures, and measurements, you can imagine how elaborate the program in. However, what might surprise you is that you do receive more than just DIY plans and there are many ways you can browse the projects available. Here’s a sneak peek at what’s included in each section of Ted’s Woodworking:

Main Woodworking Plans Part 1

Project Compilation 1

Project Compilation 2

Big Book of Woodworking Plans

Outdoor Furniture Plans

At the end of this section, you’ll find “Our Most Popular Collection” which highlights popular projects by separated them into different categories, such as:

Furniture Around the House

Crafts and Fun Items

The Outdoor Collection

Starter Projects

This makes it super easy to find the most common things people want to build.

Woodworking Plans Part 2

An A-Z list of Items to Make

Adirondack chairs, animals, barns, cabinets, carts, desks, doors, fences, etc.

Guides, Tips and Resources

Woodworking Tips

A Guide to Basic Woodworking

Woodworking Components and Tools

Important Woodworking Tools You Need

Tools for the Starting Woodworker

Basic Joinery

How to Start a Woodworking Business

Avoiding Woodworking Hazards

Log Homes Plan Book

View Woodworking Videos

Hundreds of Woodworking Videos

Conclusion

Ted’s Woodworking isn’t just the world’s largest collection of woodworking plans for every project imaginable. It’s a comprehensive guide that breaks down every woodworking DIY project to ensure that everyone, even the most inexperienced handymen and handywomen can start saving some money by building their own creations. Plus, when you build your own projects, they become significantly more valuable than what any professional could have created for you. And with the 60 Day Money Back Guarantee, why not give it a shot?

CLICK HERE TO GET STARTED RIGHT NOW!!!

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lady-dawnblood · 7 years ago

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Compendium of Blood Magic v.1

By Maliscia Dawnblood

Introduction

When deciding to pursue blood magic, there are many things to consider. Think about what has led you to draw upon the essence of life. Are you the descendants of blood mages, or perhaps you encountered a blood mage in your travels, and become enamored with the power they commanded? Lust for power and disregard for the convention are excellent driving forces behind a longing for the powers of blood magic. What are you attempting to accomplish? Do you respect the life force that you desire to command? Perhaps you feel drawn to blood magic more for its closeness to unadulterated life, or maybe you seek to become greater than life itself through forcible subversion.

Blood mages harness their vitality and manipulate it to their advantage, using it to cripple their enemies, strengthen themselves, and to cast spells. As a blood mage, you learn to control the life force within yourself and command it to your will.

Blood mages understand that life in itself is power and that this power manifests itself through the blood that courses through all living things. A blood mage should respect the power that comes with using their own vitality to cast spells.

Blood mage spells mostly deal with the manipulation of blood, their own or others, for the purposes of domination, protection, or offence. As part of their connection to the power of life, they are also naturally attuned to the minds and wills of living things such as animals and people, from which they have shared blood.

A blood mage recognizes that manipulating their life essence can be a dangerous and auspicious endeavor. If they abuse their power and ignore the limitations of their own bodies, they could easily destroy themselves. This risk, however, is not without its own rewards.

As the name suggests, blood mages use blood to perform their rituals. All blood is different, and the correct combinations are required to perform certain tasks.

Blood magic can be used to teleport via bloodstone teleporters, scry for information, and resurrect the dead.��In addition to true resurrection, it can also be used to create undead as seen with the followers of G'huun in Nazmir.

Chapter 1 - Becoming a Blood Mage

Blood Mages are unique in that they do not have a spell book, but rather they ritualistically scar themselves with a Blood Rune, which they can then draw upon to power their spells.

When choosing to become a Blood Mage, a ritual is performed to scar the flesh of the user with a Blood Rune that will allow them to draw upon Blood Magic. The rune is burned into the flesh by an experienced Blood Mage, who then offers some of their own blood to empower the rune. This is a very painful ritual for the new Blood Mage, and drains a significant amount of the experienced mages power. The mages are bonded during this process. (See Chapter 7 - Blood Pact for more information on the bond)

Both Blood Mages will need to spend several days recovering from the ritual. The new Blood Mage will need several days of rest while their rune heals and infuses their body with power. The experienced Blood Mage will need to regenerate the power lost when shared to the knew mage, they will be incredibly vulnerable during the regeneration process. I go more into detail about Blood Regeneration in Chapter 4.

Chapter 2 - Blood Siphon

For blood magic to work, you will need to learn how to siphon blood from living creatures. This can be dangerous, and I recommend you start with docile and slow moving creatures, such as pigs or cows. For younger apprentices perhaps a stray cat would be a good starter. I also recommend not slaughtering peoples farm/work animals or pets. On Azeroth, it is shunned by many as a dark and forgotten art.

When draining blood from a creature it will do one of two things. It will either try to run away, or attack you. You need to take this into consideration before you attempt to siphon. Subduing the creature is the best way to acquire blood without hassle.

The drained life energy will manifest into verdant spheres. This powerful artifact appears to be a sphere of red magical fire that hovers around the owner. The orb siphons a portion of the blood essence of every creature siphoned by its owner. The Mage draws on the essence of these creatures for its own powers.

Some spells, such as Blood Illusion and Blood Manifestation require the blood essence to be infused into objects.

The Blood essence within the verdant spheres can be extracted and kept in vials for later use. Please remember to mark your vials.

Chapter 3 - Blood Illusion

The art of borrowing the appearance of another creature/humanoid through Blood.

Blood is drained from the target and then infused into a talisman that the user wears to take on the image of the target. The talisman must be worn at all times to keep the image, and it must be recharged daily.

The target must remain alive for the Illusion to work, and will be but a shell of their former selves, drained, but still able to complete basic tasks.

Chapter 4 - Blood Infusions

Blood Armor

A verdant sphere is expelled to create a shield around the Mage, protecting them from harm for a brief period of time.

Blood Regeneration

A verdant sphere is expunged travelling through the Mages’ body regenerating their health over time. This spell is often done when the Mage is resting, as it takes several hours and requires limited movement on the part of the Mage.

Blood Resurrection

Requires multiple spheres and takes 3 fulls days for the person to be resurrected. The Blood Mage’s energy is drained during the process, and requires them to rest for a full 72 hours afterwards to regain their energy. It is only used in dire circumstances as other magi have better spells for reviving a person than Blood Resurrection. It cannot be cast on oneself.

Chapter 5 - Blood Manifestation

Manifesting creatures through the use of blood magic.

This spell requires a lot of siphoned blood and can be rather time consuming to prepare, however once done, it is a rather quick attack.

You will need to acquire something to host the magic, gems are quite common. Personally I use figurines shaped like the animals whom blood I am using. This can be a bit expensive way of doing it, but we all have our own personal touches, don’t we?

When preparing this spell, I will venture out and take many samples from many of the same creature, for example: The Duskwood Spider. Once I have as much as I feel I need, I return to my chambers to perform the spell.

The blood is taken from the spheres and infused into the crystal figurines (or gems). During battle, when the figurines/gems are broken, several manifestations of the creature are created and attack the target. They do not last long and are not the most powerful creatures, but they are great for a distraction, and have even been used to scare away unwanted snoops.

Chapter 6 - Bloodstones

Scrying and Teleportation

Bloodstones must first be infused in order to be of any use. For scrying one must acquire the blood of the person/creature they wish to scry. For this reason it is good to keep a supply of blood from people you may have need of in the future.

Teleportation is a much longer process and must be considered long before setting out on a task which may require it. Bloodstones must be erected at the locations you wish to use for teleportation. You must attune your own blood with the stone in order to use it for teleportation.

Teleportation via Bloodstones is not the most efficient way to travel, as they are quite often destroyed out of fear. Once again, I must reiterate. Blood magic is a shunned art form, and you put yourself at risk anytime you use it.

Chapter 7 - Blood Pact

Creating a Pact with Creatures/People

A blood pact is often done with people/animals that you care for and are close too. The blood pact will allow you to speak from long distances through your mind, and to feel what the other person/animal is feeling.

It is a good way to bind more powerful creatures to your will. But beware, for when the creature/person is killed, you will feel as if you yourself is being killed, and it is a pain unlike any other.

You must be completely serious when forming a Blood Pact. It requires both yourself and the intended person/animal to exchange blood. A cut is made on each (for humans it is usually the hand) and then placed together so that the blood can combine, thereby making you a part of each other forever. There is no known way to reverse a Blood Pact, save for the death of one of the parties.

Final Thoughts

Blood Magic, like other magics is not finite. New ways to use Blood Magic are constantly being discovered. It is a dangerous craft, and I recommend people only follow this path if they are truly serious. I highly recommend any one seeking to learn Blood Magic, seek out a teacher well versed in the subject and not try to do it on their own.

OOC Disclaimer:

*This is merely for my own reference and is in no way the only way to RP Blood Magic in WoW. *Questions, Comments, Concerns please feel free to send me a message. *I may edit or add to this compendium as I see fit, and will place an edit log when/if changes are made.

Edit Log:

Becoming A Blood Mage - June 11, 2018

Sources: http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Blood_Mage_(5e_Class) https://wow.gamepedia.com/Blood_magic https://wow.gamepedia.com/Blood_mage https://wow.gamepedia.com/Verdant_Sphere http://powerlisting.wikia.com/wiki/Blood_Magic http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Blood_Mage_(3.5e_Class)#Class_Features

#Blood Mage #World of Warcraft #Roleplay #Blood Magic

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liberalcom-blog · 6 years ago

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Blackthorn's Botanical Magic: The Green Witch's Guide to Essential Oils for Spellcraft, Ritual & Healing

https://liber-al.com/?p=40458&wpwautoposter=1565454197 Here is the first contemporary guide to the transformative powers of essential oils for use in spellcraft and the cultivation of ritual power. From rose-scented rosaries to the lingering aroma of frankincense, and the cleansing energy of white sage, Amy Blackthorn– the woman behind Blackthorn Hoodoo Blends –will take you on a journey beyond the soothing, healing power of scents into their hidden realms and their use in prayer, meditation, and shamanic journeying. One of the very first of its kind, this book includes: The rich history and lore of scent-related magic Over 135 essential oil recipes and craft projects An explanation of how magical aromatherapy can enhance divination with tarot and runes Practical information regarding the purchasing, blending, and storing of essential oils Editorial Reviews “To be a witch is to work with the powers of nature, and the green power of the plant kingdom is one of the greatest of all. Blackthorn’s Botanical Magic is a resource for anyone who works with plant materials, whether they have just planted the first seed in their garden of knowledge or are surrounding by an encompassing grove of long experience. This book is more than a dry tome filled with facts and correspondences, it is rich with the sap and the fragrance of the author’s love of this lore. The author’s hand tends the reader as gracefully as they would their garden, and that is a gift.” –Ivo Dominguez, Jr., author of Keys to Perception “So much wisdom is packed in Blackthorn’s Botanical Magic. The flow of information seamlessly blends the practical, scientific, historical, and magickal without overwhelming the reader, yet offering new ideas for a seasoned green Witch.” –Christopher Penczak, Co-Founder of the Temple of Witchcraft “An aroma can trigger memories, moods, and emotions. It plays on the most primal part of our brain. The essential oil of an herb is where all the good smell is and is the essence of any plant. In Blackthorn’s Botanical Magic, Amy Blackthorn shows us how to utilize essential oils to effect magic. In addition to the magical applications of pure essential oils, synergies (essential oil blends), and base oils, she gives practical information such as safety precautions and shelf life. This book is a must-have for anyone who utilizes essential oils in their magic.” –Deborah J. Martin, Master Herbalist and author of A Green Witch’s Cupboard and A Green Witch’s Formulary ��Brilliantly written and jam-packed with practical advice and easy-to-follow recipes, Blackthorn’s Botanical Magic is the one book that no magical practitioner can do without. I wish I’d had it when I began my practice!” –Dorothy Morrison, author of Everyday Magic and The Craft “Blackthorn’s Botanical Magic is a valuable resource that fills the need for information about the magical properties of essential oils. A book unlike any other, it guides the reader through the world of essential oils, describing their origins and dispelling the myths that surround them. The compendium of oils is a treasure trove of information, filled with magical correspondences, lore, therapeutic applications and scores of original recipes for using oils, herbs, and other botanical ingredients for making magic. This book belongs in the library of every occultist, healer, and herbalist interested in incorporating essential oils into their practice.” –Nicholas Pearson, author of The Seven Archetypal Stones and Crystal Healing for the Heart “Blackthorn’s Botanical Magic really reached inside my soul and chimed a ring of truth. Beautifully written, using contemporary magic to heighten and empower your life, I found it a wonderfully informative read, covering all manner of herbal witchery including essential oils and herbal plants to enlighten the reader. A must-have book for all those Green Witches, Kitchen Witches and Hedge Witches out there!” —Leanna Greenaway, author of Wicca Plain & Simple and co-author of Wiccapedia ‘”Knowledge is power when it comes to botanical magic and Amy Blackthorn has filled her book with scientific and magical information along with easy to follow formulas. Blackthorn’s Botanical Magic is a great resource for anyone looking to put the potent power of plants behind their magic.” –Adam Sartwell, co-founder of the Temple of Witchcraft and award winning author of Twenty-One Days of Reiki and The Blessing Cord “What a fresh new voice! Blackthorn’s Botanical Magic has wisdom for the novice, the experienced herbalist. and everyone in between. Amy Blackthorn’s style is accessible and the information so valuable in these anxiety-provoking times. Get this book and practice what you learn here.” –H. Byron Ballard, author of Earth Works: Ceremonies in Tower Time and Embracing Willendorf: A Witch’s Way of Loving Your Body to Health and Fitness “Books on herbs, essential oils, and aromatherapy abound. What makes this one standout, your customers might well ask. The answer: the no-nonsense, no pretense, no mystery approach this author takes to sharing her years of experience in the world of plant-based magic practice. Evidence of humans using plants for ritual and healing predates written language. Blackthorn seeks to take us back to those roots. Just smell, she tells readers, and experience what you smell. Use botanicals to tap into the heartbeat of the earth, she instructs further. No years of practice, no secret handshakes or PhD’s. Just get in there and do it. Not that this book is short on information. It’s not. It begins with basic techniques, moves on to color magic, then moon magic, followed by the import of the days of the week. 135 essential oil recipes in total follow that. The appendixes cover phototoxicity, pregnancy cautions, quality testing, and extensive resources.” –Anna Jedrziewski, Retailing Insight (September/October 2018) ��In her signature style, Amy Blackthorn offers botanical entries which are thorough and informative, with herbal lore to satisfy and so many rich, inspired recipes for magical intentions — spells — all based on aromatherapy. Carrier oils are well-discussed as are ways to use magical EO’s every day. There are even recipes using other types of botanicals such as chile pepper and whole clove, the inclusion of which I consider a real bonus.” –Doreen Shababy, author of The Wild & Weedy Apothecary “Blackthorn’s Botanical Magic is a fantastic starter guide and takes such care in speaking about the origins and cultural connections of various plants and herbs. If you’re looking for a practical guide that also takes time to answer how and why we’re drawn to botanical magic, this is it.” –Jaya Saxena, co-author of Basic Witches “I absolutely love this book! Amy Blackthorn’s vast experience with herbs and oils is evident on every page, and her friendly, wise, and witty voice makes it a pleasure to read. I particularly liked the chapter on using herbs in cleansing smoke, as well as the attention given to base oils and their various magical uses. The entries for each herb are rich with lore, recipes, and magical uses. This unique reference is a must-have for anyone who wants to get serious about using essential oils in their magic!” –Lisa Chamberlain, author of Wicca Herbal Magic, WiccaLiving.com “If you haven’t heard of Amy Blackthorn, well, you should. Not just because her tea (Blackthorn Hoodoo Blends) is delicious, let alone magical. Amy is an authority on herbs, oils, and brews of all sorts. I’ve witnessed her identify flowers in the field by name, species and genus, detect the notes in the essential oil I was wearing, and whip up just the right concoction of herbs to go with pork chops. Her formulas are efficacious and her knowledge of all things aromatherapy deep. She brings this expertise, as well a charming, warm, and genuine voice to Blackthorn’s Botanical Magic. Beginner or expert, magical or mundane… if you work with plants in any way, shape or form, you need this book in your life.” –Natalie Zaman, award-winning author of Magical Destinations of the Northeast – From the Publisher “If you haven’t heard of Amy Blackthorn, well, you should. Not just because her tea (Blackthorn Hoodoo Blends) is delicious, let alone magical. Amy is an authority on herbs, oils, and brews of all sorts. I’ve witnessed her identify flowers in the field by name, species and genus, detect the notes in the essential oil I was wearing, and whip up just the right concoction of herbs to go with pork chops. Her formulas are efficacious and her knowledge of all things aromatherapy deep. She brings this expertise, as well a charming, warm, and genuine voice to Blackthorn’s Botanical Magic. Beginner or expert, magical or mundane… if you work with plants in any way, shape or form, you need this book in your life.” –Natalie Zaman, award-winning author of Magical Destinations of the Northeast – Reviews

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michaelfallcon · 6 years ago

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The 2019 Sprudge Guide To Teamakers and Ceramics

I hesitated in writing this guide. The world of teaware is vast and intimidating, and can be a money pit of fakes and forgeries. It is also where so much of the joy in loving tea can be derived. Ultimately our team felt Tea Week would be incomplete without some sort of feature on teaware. My very best attempt at this here in 2019 is what follows.

For coffee lovers, you might think of teaware as like the espresso machine of the tea world. To casual drinkers or the untrained eye, it just looks like a nice object that makes the thing you drink—and nothing more. But for those who obsess it can become an endless quest of sourcing and seeking, of pride and cost. A life’s pursuit, even. There is no small amount of money to be spent at the top end of teaware buying—may I call your attention to the infamous Chengua-era “chicken cup,” which sold for $35 million at Sotheby’s in 2014. For our purposes this guide caps objects at the $500 range, with prices average considerably less for most of the offerings.

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Note that this guide only barely touches on the world of Yixing, the traditional tea pottery of Jiangsu, made using porous clay in a style dating back to the 10th century. This is its own whole world, a vast guide I don’t feel prepared to lead at this time—perhaps in a few more years.

For now, these wholesalers and makers are more than enough to get you started and find new favorites. The guide below is hopelessly biased towards my own personal taste but hey—teaware is supposed to be personal. That’s part of the fun, and it’s something I hope you are inspired to explore further with support from this guide

A Solid Foundation

Photo courtesy of Rishi Tea.

Rishi Tea

Rishi is a truly solid place to get started with home teawares, offering for example this workhorse starter gaiwan for $12, and this cute little basic tea tray for $25. They’ve also got a lovely collection of flex items, like this stunning blue studio-made celadon “fairness pitcher” from Taiwan, or this rustic clay and mineral cup. Rishi ships free domestic at $25, which is plenty to get started making gong fu cha—pair that $12 gaiwan with, say, a couple of oolong samples (we like Rishi’s Iron Goddess of Mercy and Phoenix Dancong) and you are off to the races.

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Breville

Breville is the presenting sponsor of Tea Week on Sprudge—for which we thank them!—but they also produce a range of tea-focused hot water boilers and teamakers we have no lie legit been happily using in Sprudge Studios for the last few years, long before this content package was a twinkle in the editorial eye. The Breville Tea Maker Compact‘s tech allows you to set up brew parameters for whatever kind of tea you’re into; the machine’s automated basket then plunges your brew into water heated to your temp of choice. When the cycle is done, the basket lifts out of the water, ensuring you won’t oversteep. I’d liken this machine to something like a nice home batch brewer, a simplifier that’s perfect for tea making on a busy morning or for large groups (for which the classic Tea Maker is a bigger, better fit).

Another option is the Breville Smart Tea Infuser, which we especially dig these Tea Makers for their handiness with single-steep tisanes, like those from Smith Tea, Song Tea, and Tea Dealers featured in our tisane spotlight. We also really like their IQ Kettle Pure (pictured above) for heating water consistently and at scale—you can transfer from there into a ceramic kettle for service, or pour directly from the Breville IQ.

If you are looking for a fusion of tea, taste and tech, this is the gear for you.

Photo courtesy of Manual.

Manual Tea Maker No1

Chicago tinkerer Creighton Barman puts out new stuff each year, typically pre-funded on Kickstarter, but we’re still in love with this 2016 release, the Tea Maker No1, a modernist reinterpretation of the gaiwan built for ease of brewing. Double-walled glass is the hook here, which keeps the Tea Maker cool to the touch throughout the brewing process, and also gives you peek-a-boo viewing at all that beautiful steeping action. I think these gaiwans offer a rare degree of utility no matter where you are in terms of tea knowledge and experience—they are rad and very forgiving for beginners who are still mastering the whole gaiwan thing, but also fun for experts who want to incorporate western and modern influences into their teaware collection.

Let’s Geek Out

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Bitterleaf

With full respect to Bitterleaf’s collection of teas for drinking (featured in our buying guide), the site’s assortment of teawares, tea tools, tea pets, and assorted Chinese tea ephemera is truly deep and excellent.

From beautiful little studio tea cups (starting around $8) to Chaozhou teapots in a range of classic styles (more like $80) to really cute hand-painted animal vessels ($35) to all manner of entry-level trays and supports (prices vary) and much more, there are hundreds of pieces of tea kit to shop from and swoon over at Bitterleaf. I especially like their selection of “tea pets,” little clay figurines typically depicting children or animals, incorporated into tea service as a symbol of good luck. You “feed�� the tea pet with excess water or tea throughout the teamaking process, with the clay left to develop a lovely luster over repeat feedings. (It’s fun. Don’t @ me.)

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Song Tea

Song Tea are also featured in our tea buying guide for their literally life-changing (as in it changed my life) compendium of meticulously curated tea offerings. But the ceramics offered by Song are on another level. Founder Peter Luong has an eye for relatively young and emerging artists, making commissions across his travels to Taiwan. Works by artists like Zhang Yun Chen (Nantou), Qiu Qing Yun (Meinong), and Hu Tie Ha (Jiefen) evoke what’s possible at the blurred edge of collectible art and practical working pottery. I cannot realistically see myself being someone who collects art to hang on the wall, but the idea of owning this Husk #2 tea bowl by Zhang Yun Chen gives me heart palpitations. If you are, say, truly enjoying tea week and would like to, you know, say thank you as a grateful reader or whatever, please buy this for me. DMs are open.

Photo courtesy of Pu.Erh.Sk

Pu-Erh.Sk

Based in Slovakia, Pu-Erh.sk is an online webshop shipping worldwide, focused on sheng and shou Pu’er teas from Yunnan. Their tea sourcing is concise and well-considered—the gushu heads love ‘em—but for me the site’s focus on Eastern European ceramicists and teaware artisans has been a revelation. Czech artists like Jiří Duchek and Jura Lang are building truly compelling, one-of-a-kind teawares that fuse traditional regional clays with far-flung design influences from the east and west. Pieces like this gorgeous Jura Lang shiboridashi (a kind of Japanese easy gaiwan) are handmade, wood-fired, visually stunning, and sure to grow in beauty over repeated use. For beginning collectors and enthusiasts to be able to get in the door with an artist-specific work like this at just €65 is really special. Elsewhere on the site, Swedish artist Stefan Andersson makes a range of gorgeous wares, while Norwegian brand Ad.Infinitum offers bespoke and vintage tea ceremony linens. All of these makers are brands with followings in their own right, collected by Pu-Erh.sk for easy ordering and global shipping.

Everybody’s taste is different, and a lot of tea ceramics collections start and end in Asia, with no deviation. But I really grok the vibe of this stuff coming out of Eastern Europe. To get in at the cutting edge of small maker European ceramics artistry, go here.

Ceramicists To Watch—And Collect

*A note: While I am personally passionate about ceramics and hopelessly biased towards its validity and urgency as an art form, I also think you—whomever you are reading this—might really dig works from the artists below. The idea of placing a commission with an individual artist might seem intimidating or overly expensive, but we’re not talking George Ohr here; works from these artists don’t typically cost more than $100 for a single piece of teaware, and more like $30-$50 for a handmade cup or set of cups. For less cost than a single dinner at a fancy restaurant you can own and put into daily use your own personal work from a talented artist. It will make your tea taste better, your kitchen look cuter, and who knows—in 50 years you might get a segment on the Antiques Roadshow.

Here are a few talented and emerging ceramicists to follow.

Photo via Song Tea.

Lilith Rockett

Portland ceramicist Lilith Rockett works across a range of expressions for home pottery, including plates, lighting, vases, and abstract decorative objects. Her style—lustrous soft milky white porcelain, entirely handmade—translates well into tea, especially the stunning wheel-thrown porcelain gaiwan. A significant amount of tea consumed for the purposes of Tea Week on Sprudge was steeped in just such a piece. Rockett has a webshop, and also accepts limited commissions. You can find her work at some of the best restaurants in the United States, including The French Laundry (Napa), Smyth (Chicago), Saison (San Francisco), and Nodoguro (Portland).

Follow Lilith Rockett on Instagram.

Photo via Carole Neilson.

Carole Neilson

Buzzy San Francisco-based artist Carole Neilson fuses the rural pottery traditions of her native Alsace with an irresistible contemporary immediacy. Her eye-catching signature glazes evoke smoke fumes and clouds of dust, making for pottery with an earth-dappled glow. Neilson’s range of works include original sculpture pieces and stunning bowl and plate sets, but for tea (and coffee!) drinkers her small cups and pitchers make a lively addition to any collection. Neilson’s work is blowing up, with a growing list of stockists, gallery exhibitions at spaces like Hugomento, pop-up dinners around the country (including a recent dinner at Omaha’s Archetype Coffee), and a successful recent series of artist grants. She is truly an artist to watch. Neilson has a webshop and accepts limited commissions.

Follow Carole Neilson Ceramics on Instagram.

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Qi Pottery

Kim Whyee Kee of Qi Pottery first learned his art behind bars. After serving time in the Singaporean corrections system for gang-related crimes, Kee graduated from an arts college, helped co-found a variety of initiatives working with at-risk youth, and launched Qi Pottery in 2016. His style echoes ancient tea traditions, but does so through a burst of heart-stopping colors that demand attention. Vivid pinks, deep blues, mesmerizing blacks, coral reds—Easter egg pastels that fuse the practical nature of teaware with the elegance of a home statement piece. But this is no gimmick maker—Qi Pottery’s mastery extends to more simple forms, like these beautiful rusted large format cups.

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

It’s simply some of the most beautiful ceramics work I’ve ever seen, and for an artist with just a few public showings so far, you can certainly expect these pieces to become more and more sought after and valuable over the years. Qi Pottery has a website, but no webstore. If you’re interested in purchasing an existing piece or making a commission, please contact the artist directly via email or Instagram.

Follow Kim Whye Kee of Qi Pottery on Instagram.

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Arturo Alvarez

A full-time artist dedicated to original teawares, Arturo Alvarez is based in Olympia, Washington, and crafts art in a range of styles and expressions. We commissioned Alvarez for our office tea set at Sprudge Studios (we’ll be serving tea there this week as part of the Tea Week fun), and follow his regular updates on Instagram, where his account @your_pencil is part of a thriving Instagram ceramics community. Perhaps his most distinctive pieces involve incorporating found materials, including driftwood handles made from wood found across Puget Sound beaches, but this is an artist growing and advancing his craft before our very eyes, letting it all play out online. Follow him and watch along—it feels like he’s debuting new pieces almost every day.

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Arturo Alvarez sells a limited number of teawares online via Etsy. Contact the artist directly via Instagram for commissions or to purchase pieces featured on his account.

Follow Arturo Alvarez on Instagram.

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Andrzej Bero

A teaware potter out of Warsaw, Andrzej Bero specializes in the shiboridashi—a gaiwan variant that’s easy to use and, in the right hands, a piece of working art. Bero’s shibos are made from clay that feels coarse and tactile to the touch, in a range of dark reds, greens, and blues. This style translates especially well to larger pieces, like his 300ml teapots, which are hotly in demand for tea services around the world. Andrzej Bero has a website but no webstore; a limited number of his works are available for purchase via the aforementioned Pu-Erh.sk. Contact the artist directly for commissions and availability.

Follow Andrzej Bero on Instagram.

Jordan Michelman is a co-founder and editor at Sprudge Media Network. Read more Jordan Michelman on Sprudge.

Editor: Scott Norton.

Top photo by Anthony Jordan III (@ace_lace).

Sprudge Tea Week is presented by Breville USA.

The post The 2019 Sprudge Guide To Teamakers and Ceramics appeared first on Sprudge.

The 2019 Sprudge Guide To Teamakers and Ceramics published first on https://medium.com/@LinLinCoffee

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epchapman89 · 6 years ago

Text

The 2019 Sprudge Guide To Teamakers and Ceramics

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

A Solid Foundation

Photo courtesy of Rishi Tea.

Rishi Tea

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Breville

If you are looking for a fusion of tea, taste and tech, this is the gear for you.

Photo courtesy of Manual.

Manual Tea Maker No1

Let’s Geek Out

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Bitterleaf

From beautiful little studio tea cups (starting around $8) to Chaozhou teapots in a range of classic styles (more like $80) to really cute hand-painted animal vessels ($35) to all manner of entry-level trays and supports (prices vary) and much more, there are hundreds of pieces of tea kit to shop from and swoon over at Bitterleaf. I especially like their selection of “tea pets,” little clay figurines typically depicting children or animals, incorporated into tea service as a symbol of good luck. You “feed” the tea pet with excess water or tea throughout the teamaking process, with the clay left to develop a lovely luster over repeat feedings. (It’s fun. Don’t @ me.)

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Song Tea

Photo courtesy of Pu.Erh.Sk

Pu-Erh.Sk

Ceramicists To Watch—And Collect

Here are a few talented and emerging ceramicists to follow.

Photo via Song Tea.

Lilith Rockett

Follow Lilith Rockett on Instagram.

Photo via Carole Neilson.

Carole Neilson

Follow Carole Neilson Ceramics on Instagram.

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Qi Pottery

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Follow Kim Whye Kee of Qi Pottery on Instagram.

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Arturo Alvarez

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Arturo Alvarez sells a limited number of teawares online via Etsy. Contact the artist directly via Instagram for commissions or to purchase pieces featured on his account.

Follow Arturo Alvarez on Instagram.

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Andrzej Bero

Follow Andrzej Bero on Instagram.

Jordan Michelman is a co-founder and editor at Sprudge Media Network. Read more Jordan Michelman on Sprudge.

Editor: Scott Norton.

Top photo by Anthony Jordan III (@ace_lace).

Sprudge Tea Week is presented by Breville USA.

The post The 2019 Sprudge Guide To Teamakers and Ceramics appeared first on Sprudge.

seen 1st on http://sprudge.com

0 notes

mrwilliamcharley · 6 years ago

Text

The 2019 Sprudge Guide To Teamakers and Ceramics

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

A Solid Foundation

Photo courtesy of Rishi Tea.

Rishi Tea

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Breville

If you are looking for a fusion of tea, taste and tech, this is the gear for you.

Photo courtesy of Manual.

Manual Tea Maker No1

Let’s Geek Out

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Bitterleaf

From beautiful little studio tea cups (starting around $8) to Chaozhou teapots in a range of classic styles (more like $80) to really cute hand-painted animal vessels ($35) to all manner of entry-level trays and supports (prices vary) and much more, there are hundreds of pieces of tea kit to shop from and swoon over at Bitterleaf. I especially like their selection of “tea pets,” little clay figurines typically depicting children or animals, incorporated into tea service as a symbol of good luck. You “feed” the tea pet with excess water or tea throughout the teamaking process, with the clay left to develop a lovely luster over repeat feedings. (It’s fun. Don’t @ me.)

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Song Tea

Photo courtesy of Pu.Erh.Sk

Pu-Erh.Sk

Ceramicists To Watch—And Collect

Here are a few talented and emerging ceramicists to follow.

Photo via Song Tea.

Lilith Rockett

Follow Lilith Rockett on Instagram.

Photo via Carole Neilson.

Carole Neilson

Follow Carole Neilson Ceramics on Instagram.

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Qi Pottery

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Follow Kim Whye Kee of Qi Pottery on Instagram.

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Arturo Alvarez

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Arturo Alvarez sells a limited number of teawares online via Etsy. Contact the artist directly via Instagram for commissions or to purchase pieces featured on his account.

Follow Arturo Alvarez on Instagram.

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Andrzej Bero

Follow Andrzej Bero on Instagram.

Jordan Michelman is a co-founder and editor at Sprudge Media Network. Read more Jordan Michelman on Sprudge.

Editor: Scott Norton.

Top photo by Anthony Jordan III (@ace_lace).

Sprudge Tea Week is presented by Breville USA.

The post The 2019 Sprudge Guide To Teamakers and Ceramics appeared first on Sprudge.

from Sprudge https://ift.tt/2TkAiuQ

0 notes

luxdea · 2 years ago

Text

❝ link told me about how you helped him with naboris. ❞

ZELDA ALLOWED HERSELF to be a little less formal than she once would have forced herself to be a century ago. many of the expectations of what communication between the princess of hyrule of the chief of the gerudo should look like had been lost with the arrival of the calamity a century ago. furthermore, she & riju were close in age, & zelda was already hopeful that they would get to be friends.

❝ what you did was very brave, & i can’t thank you enough for helping him. ❞

THOUGH SHE HAD seen his fight against thunderblight ganon, she had specifically turned her focus away from him once he began to head towards the desert, lest calamity ganon’s attention notice, watch him, & grow angry at his progress & begin to fight against her hold once again. zelda had listened to him fill in the gaps, & she had been unable to contain her excitement at the thought of getting to meet riju & thank her in person.

SHE WAS HAPPY to take the chance now. it had taken them far too long to make their way to gerudo town after the calamity’s defeat, & she was determined to make up for it.

❝ he speaks very highly of you. i’m glad that we finally get to meet! ❞

( starter call! | @shadowborders )

#shadowborders #⌜VERSE 3 –––– as it was in the legends of old.⌝#⌜QUEUE –––– we’re at a point now where we can actually control them.⌝#[ let them be FRIENDS your honor! ]#⌜STARTERS –––– an addition to the compendium.⌝

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luxdea-archive · 6 years ago

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( starter call! | @hyliancourage )

IF SHE HAD never looked further than where she sat at that moment, zelda would have been convinced nothing about hyrule had changed. from the rock formation that had served as her shelter from the rain, to the plains that had served as the place for link to practice his formations, this area had remained essentially untouched.

KNOWING THIS BROUGHT an odd sense of relief washing over her. though this new hyrule was undoubtedly her home, and she loved it all the same, it was overwhelming to see just how much had changed. to sit there, in a place that seemed the same as a century prior, relaxed her more than words could say. even if the conversation they’d had there hadn’t been more melancholy than anything.

HER GAZE TURNED from the horizon and lingered on link. did he remember that conversation? though she had watched over him and knew he had been there, there was no saying just how much he remembered. though she’d avoided the topic other than her initial question after he’d defeated the calamity and she’d sealed him away, she felt she couldn’t avoid it any longer.

❝ we’ve stopped here once before, once when we were returning to the castle. a storm stopped us in our travels. ❞

ZELDA HOPED PAINTING the picture of the setting may have helped. with no idea how much he remembered, there could have been thousands of memories for him to sort through. there really was no telling unless he said so himself.

❝ do you remember? ❞

#hyliancourage #⌜VERSE 5 –––– so much and yet so little has changed.⌝#[ talking about memories!!!! fun times!!!!#(also in case i got my words all tangled it's memory 11 i'm thinking of #shelter from the storm that one)#lemme know if this is okay sam or if you want smth else!#]#⌜STARTERS –––– an addition to the compendium.⌝#⌜QUEUE –––– we’re at a point now where we can actually control them.⌝

7 notes · View notes

ao3-stevenuniverse-connverse · 6 years ago

Text

Beach City Blues: The Angst Prompt Compendium

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2BWsrcm

by AbelQuartz

This is from a series of starters/prompts from Tumblr. You can send some to my blog (abel-quartz) or you can select one from the list and post it in the comments. Please select characters, and a vague scenario if you'd like.

https://ift.tt/2L0eihe

Words: 1793, Chapters: 4/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Steven Universe (Cartoon)

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M, Gen

Characters: Connie Maheswaran, Steven Universe, Greg Universe, Rose Quartz (Steven Universe), Lion (Steven Universe), Pearl (Steven Universe), Original Human Character(s)

Relationships: Connie Maheswaran/Steven Universe, Connie Maheswaran & Steven Universe, Connie Maheswaran & Pearl

Additional Tags: College, Aged-Up Character(s), Teenagers, Teen Romance, Pregnancy, Loss, Medication, Post-Episode: s05e25 Legs From Here to Homeworld, Crying

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2BWsrcm

#steven universe #connverse #steven universe fanfic #connie maheswaran #ao3feed

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charleshurleycollections-blog · 7 years ago

Text

Rare Book Collection

A Brief Guide to Starting a Rare Book Collection

Leah Dobrinska

. Sep 4, 2015. 9:00 AM.

Topics: Rare Books, Book Collecting

Collecting rare books is at once a hobby, a passion, and an art form. The process is filled with nuances, and there are perhaps as many ways to go about forming a collection as there are collectors. However, some universal truths are present in the book collecting world. Here, we’ve compiled a brief guide to help you along your collecting ways. Whether you’re just starting out or if you have been at it awhile, we hope what follows is helpful. And we hope you’ll share with us in the comments below what you’ve learned and the skills you’ve honed through your own personal collecting journey.

What is a Rare Book Collection?

Before we begin, it is only fair to note that there is a difference between a

book collection

and a personal library. Both are good and beautiful things, but they are different. Many of us have personal libraries in our homes: all those used books purchased for college courses, the stack of children’s books peppering the bottom shelf, how-to compendiums for the first-time homeowner, etc. In short, a personal library includes books we’ve acquired in numerous ways, and there’s often not a clear theme present. It is what it is — a library with many topics in its arsenal. A collection, on the other hand, is a focused attempt to amass a specific type of book, usually of a certain quality.

So, now that we’ve identified the difference between a personal library and a book collection, we must also recognize that there are different types of book collections.

Collecting Around a Central TopicMany collectors choose a topic of interest to them and base their collection on it. We’ve heard of collectors who focus on a particular sport, an event in history, a part of the country, etc.

Keep in mind when you’re deciding on a topic-based collection that some topics are too broad to allow for a thorough and full accumulation of texts.

World War II

, for instance, may be of particular interest to you. Yet, collecting books on WWII without a more refined search criteria could leave you floundering. Instead, perhaps it would be better to focus on a particular author in the WWII era, or on a particular battle, or books out of a specific region written during or about the war.

Collecting Around a Specific Author

As we mentioned above, another way to go about focusing one’s collection is to pick an inspiring author and go after his or her works. We’ve written about the challenge and reward of Rudyard Kipling, for example. He is just one of many authors who provide an outstanding outlet for book collecting enthusiasts. Think about who speaks to you through their work, and start there.

Keep in mind that collecting as a ‘completist,’ that is, aiming to collect every item from a single author (all of the works of Charles Dickens, for example), is an incredibly ambitious, expensive, and in some case, unfeasible endeavor. Rather than getting overwhelmed by the daunting nature of such a task, we’d recommend choosing a tighter focus within the category of your author of choice and going from there.

If you’re not sure where to begin your collection, you can look to lists of award-winning books or authors (Pulitzer Prize winners, Nobel Prize winners, etc.) for some inspiration.

Collecting Books Based on Looks

Other collectors focus on aesthetic appeal when they are acquiring books. Some prefer to compile a collection of leather bound books. Franklin Library editions, for instance, include beautiful classic, leather-bound books. Because the books are broken down into series, there's also a type of framework to follow for collectors, which is appealing for those looking to amass a complete collection. Many Franklin Library editions have been signed by the author. They make for very aesthetically appealing collectibles.

Another option for collecting books based on looks is to work to accumulate

fine press editions

. Fine press books often have truly unique stories behind their creation, making them not only items that look pretty on the shelf, but also inspirational pieces of craftsmanship. A

fine press book

is often printed by a small press in close collaboration with the author, thus limited quantities are usually available. This makes for a supremely interesting and usually incredibly visually appealing addition to one’s collection.A Note About Dust Jackets

Speaking of aesthetics, keep the importance of

dust jackets

in mind as you begin your collection. Finding books in their original dust jackets is a challenging and fascinating venture. Early dust jackets (pre-20th century) are incredibly unique and a major bonus to one’s collection. For modern first editions (most of the 20th century), acquiring a book with its original dust jacket in fine or near-fine condition will mean the difference between an incredibly valuable collectible and one that doesn’t hold much weight. Many early dust jackets were destroyed by the original owners who wanted to display the actual bindings of the books, which now means that dust jackets still in existence and in good shape are rare and valuable finds.Narrow Your FocusThe key to any book collection is a specific focus. One must outline her budget, her goals, and create a reasonable plan of attack. A narrower focus allows you to zero in on what’s important and build a truly rich collection of works that matter to you. That way, you’re not wasting funds and shelf space on books that don’t really suit the needs and purpose of your collection.

Once you’ve decided on a type of collection (and you can most certainly have more than one!), it’s time to start figuring out what kinds of books you’ll be looking to add to your shelves.

Collecting Basics

It’s important to understand the terms of the trade as you sift through the many pools of rare books. You can look for collectible books at library book sales, rare book fairs, auctions, antiquarian book stores, online, or in your grandmother’s attic. Truly, the opportunities and avenues to starting a rare book collection (and building it!) are endless. Whatever route you choose, though, it’s helpful to know what different terms mean when you’re presented with a copy that may be of interest. We’ve compiled several glossaries of rare book terms and our rare books page to help you along.

Find and Download Your Collector's Resources

In many cases, serious book collectors are after

first editions

. As you are getting started, keep in mind that first edition/first impression (or first edition/first printing) is the real gem, whereas a first edition and a subsequent impression often wouldn’t be considered as appealing. It can still be valuable and a worthwhile purchase, but in most cases, you shouldn’t be paying as much for it.

An essential tool to help you along your collecting way is a

bibliography

. Bibliographies exist for different authors or different collecting categories, and they chronicle imperative information regarding first edition ‘points’ so that a collector can identify and distinguish first impressions (first printings) from later impressions.Other Collecting Considerations

signed copy

of a text you’ve been coveting makes a brilliant addition to one’s collection, as does a limited edition. Limited editions are printed, much like the title suggests, in limited quantities. Usually, they will be numbered, and once they are gone, they are gone.

A limited edition book is different than say, a deluxe edition. Though they both may include extra features like illustrations or an author’s note, a deluxe edition is not necessarily printed in limited quantities, which again, affects its value.

Once you’ve started to amass a collection, it can be exciting to try to add

ephemera

and other artifacts that are associated with your topic, author, or collection style. Playbills, advertisements, newspaper articles, letters, and a whole host of other options are often some of the most fun elements of any given collection.

Why Should You Collect?Individuals

collect rare books

for a variety of reasons. As we just mentioned, some are after it for the fun — the thrill of the chase and the satisfaction of nabbing a pristine copy. Book collectors will tell you theirs is one of the most enjoyable and rewarding hobbies. What’s better than a collection of books to serve as a conversation starter when guests arrive?

Beyond that, though, a book collection is wonderful for posterity. Many collectors collect with future generations in mind. Whether their aim is to pass down their collection to family members or bequeath it to a community organization, book collectors often use the acquisition of their rare books to serve the greater good.

Caring for Your Collection

Once you’ve started to compile a book collection, it’s important to take good care of it! You’ve worked hard, and you don’t want your collection to lose any of its value because it has been stored improperly. Remember when you’re choosing where to house your collection that storing books in a sunny library can lead to sunning. Likewise, exposure to humidity can lead to foxing. Many book collectors choose to store their dust jackets in protectors separate from the books themselves. That way, they get the benefit of looking at the book binding while also having access to the valuable dust jackets (and knowing that they are in a safe spot!). Keeping in mind that a collection is often prized for the sake of posterity, it makes sense to take good care of one's books not just so they maintain their material value, but also so they can be enjoyed for generations to come.

Key Takeaways

In conclusion, our recommendations are to start small, with a manageable focus. Learn the terms of the book collectors world so you know what to look for, and what you’re paying for. Make sure you care for your books. And most importantly, enjoy the process and the fruits of your labor!

Browse Book Collector's Resources

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sklurb · 7 years ago

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Cultist Simulator Review & Starter’s Guide ◥▶◀◤

______________________________________________

꧁ TL;DR: ꧂

Saturated with intrigue, this is an innovative & unique singleplayer roguelike card game w/ a steep learning curve. Highly replayable due to branching events & randomness. Non-existent tutorial, but community is helpful.

* Designed by the dev that created Fallen London & worked as creative director on Sunless Sea.

✂---✂---✂---✂---✂---✂---✂---✂---✂---

Recommendation:

☑ Content quality is a value at full price. ☑ Content quantity is a value at full price. ☐ Positive experience, but wait to buy when it's on sale. ☐ Negative experience. Wait for improvements before buying. ☐ Very negative experience. Save your money.

**********************************************

What I like about Cultist Simulator:

+ Active pause. + Achievements. + 1920's setting. + Legacy system. + Alluring premise. + Very well-written. + High replayability. + Apocalyptic humor. + Fast forward option. + Simple & effective art. + Mouse zoom for tiny text. + 20-40 hours of gameplay. + Eye-pleasing color palette. + Very helpful & friendly community. + Music invokes a feeling of mystique. + Plays smoothly. No bugs that I ran into. + Study lore & discover forbidden secrets. + Authorities can be alerted to your "activities." + Subtle & blatant hints when clicking on icons & empty slots.

Indifferent:

~/= Waiting for a critical card to turn up can be like waiting for the stars to align, but that's the nature of the game: to play the hand you've been given wisely. ~/= Default sound settings are way too low at 10%. Press ESC to adjust. ~/= Static screen hints default is too small. Go to Settings & switch to 100%+

Room for improvements:

- No tutorial. - Some grindiness. - Late game can be convoluted. - Timers try my patience ...at times. :P - Individual card expiration timers need an adjustment. - Automatically PAUSE gameplay upon returning to game. - Grammar could use a minor touch-up in places. (mine probably could too!) - Legacy selection window needs mouseover tooltips for what their corresponding cards do. - There are times that no matter how well you play, the randomness will just totally screw you. - I would prefer mouseover tooltips to having to click each icon or slot that I want to view the tooltip for.

Other thoughts:

Cultist Simulator is not a quick, pick-up-and-play card game, but it sure is devilishly entertaining once you understand how to play it. Be prepared to devote some time to learning its particulars and nuances, mainly because it is so different from most other card games that you may have played. Part of the challenge getting started is wrapping your head around all the combinations of how the cards interact with one another. Will adding a card to that Verb yield a favorable or unfavorable result? Will it be consumed? Would it just be a waste of time? What cards will it produce? Now apply that thought process to multiple Verbs and multiple cards that are running down their own individual timers. It can be daunting at first, but once you've dedicated some time to learning the game's functions and have a bit of a handle on it, it's smooth(er) sailing.

The Beginner's Guide by Tssha is a really good place to start, taking the author's advice step-by-step through the beginning of the game, while utilizing active pause. This is one of the best and quickest ways to get some of the basics down, while getting a visual flow of the game. I had first tried to figure it out on my own, and while I did Ok for a little bit, it became a convoluted process when a lot of Verbs and cards were in play with all those timers ticking. I appreciated the "training wheels" immensely.

I've added an additional starting tutorial below this section ("How to Begin Playing") with more detail and descriptions, as some portions of the Beginner's Guide were somewhat vague to a new player, but Tssha's guide is very important as it also digs into additional ways to make money, get established, and specifics for founding your cult, etc.

Further, once you begin needing a better understanding of some of the cards that appear later in the game, the Comprehensive Reference Guide (spoilers!) by Escapade84 is a handy compendium of cards, traits, assets, ephemera, grimoires, lore, rituals, locations, status, followers, societies, actions, time, random events, legacy, miscellaneous stuff, etc. Due to it being loaded with spoilers, you may want to hold off until you've soldiered through more of the content and made some discoveries for yourself.

**********************************************

How to begin playing:

➥ My Cultist Simulator Starter Guide on Steam

(For best results, follow along w/ this starter's guide while playing & using active pause)

Cultist Simulator starts you off with a single Work Verb. This is a square-shaped icon on the game board which you will click on to reveal its empty card slots. Clicking on an empty slot will reveal what types of cards you can place there. You will see a description on the tooltip, with some Aspect icons at the base of it. Clicking on those icons will give you a description of the type of Aspect that can fill that card slot. In this case, your starting card, Menial Employment, fulfills the requirement as an "Aspect: Job" and may be added to the empty slot. This enables you to begin work as a miserable hospital porter.

Clicking and beginning to drag a card will highlight the Verbs in purple that the card can be used with.

To begin your job, now that you have added the Menial Employment card to the Work Verb, you can click START, and the Work Verb timer will begin. Once the timer has elapsed, open the Work Verb, and you will see two new cards: Funds and Health. Collect them all, and they will now appear down on the game board area. You will notice a new Sleep Verb has appeared on the game board with its own timer. Once that initial Sleep Verb timer elapses, you will see that another new Verb has appeared: Time Passes. Before adding any cards to the Sleep Verb, let the Time Passes Verb timer run down to initiate the next Verb: A Bequest Arrives.

For the purposes of getting started, I'm leaving the Dream Verb (& Contentment card) be, but it's helpful in discovering lore & recovering from negative statuses. Dreaming can also eventually cause you to go insane.

The mini magnet icon on a Verb means that it will automatically grab a card (like how the Time Passes Verb will grab the Funds card each cycle of its timer for example, whether you add it manually or not).

The Bequest Verb description delivers good news that the old man you dreamt of at the hospital named you in his will. Allowing the new Bequest Verb's counter to run down will award you with eight new Funds cards plus three others. Collect them, and at this point you will also see on the game board, a Bequest card, a Reason card, and a Passion card. This is a very good time to use active pause to stop the timers while you consider your next actions, because the Time Passes Verb has just grabbed one of your Funds cards (due to its mini magnet icon). This is your recurring expenses upkeep (every one minute on the Time Passes Verb timer). Keeping yourself stacked with Funds cards is extremely important as running out of them will eventually affect your hunger and ultimately your Health, setting you up to lose the game. Negative effects like hunger, illnesses, and injury cost Funds cards to remove. The late game will also introduce additional money sinks.

Be careful how you use your Health card(s) as they are critical to keeping yourself away from a losing scenario. In the early game, they can be added to the Work Verb with a chance to be turned into an Injury Card which costs Funds to turn back into a Health card.

You will notice, at this point, that the Bequest Verb has now changed into the Study Verb despite having the same light bulb icon. You also now have a Bequest card that you will add to the Study Verb. Notice also that while having the Study Verb open with the new Bequest card slotted in it, that it opens a new "Approach" card slot. Make a decision to add either your Reason or Passion card into this slot and click START. Remember, you can click on empty slots and on tooltip icons for additional hints and descriptions.

Now that your Study Verb has been slotted with the Bequest card and either the Reason or Passion card, it's time to unpause the game. Allow the Study Verb timer to run down to receive additional Text cards that you can add to the Study Verb when you wish. Most likely the Time Passes Verb timer also ran down by this point and grabbed another Funds card from your stash.

One of the best ways to keep money flowing is by climbing the corporate ladder of Glover & Glover. You can open this option up by adding the Reason Card to the Work Verb. Be aware, that your boss is a hardass and demands a perfectionistic work ethic...

You should now have a very basic understanding of how the game flows and can begin to experiment with how using different cards and combinations on various Verbs branch out the story and gameplay. As storylines unfold, your play area will fill up with cards and Verbs that will allow you to do a great many things like founding a cult, sending disciples out to on missions, reacting to encounters, summoning "things," etc. 😈

**********************************************

Legacy Options (Pick one after defeat):

Physician Cards: Reason, Position at the Institute "As the patient descended into the final delirium, I made copious notes. In the buzzing heat of the night, I re-read those notes, and they began, at last, to make a kind of sense."

Bright Young Thing Cards: Health, This & That "Endowed from birth with wealth and talent. A life of ease, comfort and delight stretches ahead like an amber carpet."

Detective Cards: Reason, Health, Inspector's Position "I am an inspector in the capital's police, charged with the investigation of the most vile and wretched things that one human does to another."

**********************************************

Helpful Links for Getting Started:

Community Discord: https://discord.gg/ub2tE6Y ➥ Beginner's Guide - by Tssha ➥ Reference Guide (w/ spoilers!) - by Escapade84 ➥ Cultist Simulator Wiki - by Curse Gamepedia

**********************************************

I hope you enjoyed this and found it helpful! ◥▶◀◤

Check out my other reviews! ⤵ https://steamcommunity.com/id/sklurb/recommended/

▶ Devs & Publishers may e-mail me at sklurb [at] gmail [dot] com regarding inquiries & game promotions

#cultistsimulator

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omcik-blog · 8 years ago

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New Post has been published on OmCik

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Tax season essentials: One tip that can make all the difference

Half of American workers could qualify for a key IRS tax credit, but many opt out because they don’t self-identify as being low or moderate income. (Photo: Thinkstock)

With tax season well underway, your clients are no doubt busily working through 1040 forms and tracking down expenses that can reduce tax liabilities come April 15.

Often overlooked amid the flurry of activity is the IRS’ retirement savings contribution credit.

Available to people contributing to a qualified retirement plan or IRA, the “saver’s credit” can reduce modified adjusted gross income for tax filers by thousands of dollars. And, contrary to a common conception, those on low incomes aren’t the only folks eligible to use the credit.

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For married couples filing jointly and with a combined income of up to $62,000, a 10 percent credit rate can be applied to employer-sponsored retirement plan contributions or a $4,000 credit to IRA contributions.

That’s not chump change. Nor is it a benefit only of value for tax purposes. Catherine Collinson, president of the Transamerica Institute and Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies, says the credit could incentivize workers to save for retirement or, if already contributing, to sock away more in their nest eggs.

For insurance and financial service professionals, she adds, the availability of the credit (in addition to the tax-favored treatment of qualified retirement plans) is also a great conversation-starter during a client engagement. Not least, broaching the topic can help position them as trusted advisors.

During a 40-minute-plus phone interview, Collinson detailed findings about the saver’s credit, as well as other highlights of a 300-page study released in December, the “17th Annual Transamerica Retirement Survey: A Compendium of Findings about American Workers.” The following are excerpts.

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LHP: How long has the retirement saver’s contribution credit been in existence?

Collinson (pictured at right): The saver’s tax credit was enacted as part of EGTRRA [Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act] in 2001 and made permanent by the Pension Protection Act of 2006. We at Transamerica are on a mission to increase awareness of this tax credit.

Surprisingly, now that the credit is 15 years old, only about 1 in 3 workers know about it. The good news is that awareness has increased over the years.

LHP: Why is there not greater awareness? Is there not enough employee education happening in the workplace?

Collinson: We have several working theories. The first relates to the IRS description: Their documents call it a tax credit available to low to moderate income savers. But over the years, eligibility for the credit as a function of income has increased.

We’re concerned that many people may be eligible, but are not self-identifying as being low or moderate income. In fact, half of American workers could meet current eligibility requirements. For couples filing jointly, the limit is a modified adjusted gross income of $62,000 in 2017, up from $61,500 in 2016.

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Many who are eligible to benefit from the saver’s credit are using Form 1040EZ— when they should be filing with Forms 1040, 1040A or 1040NR — and so don’t get the tax benefit. (Photo: iStock)

LHP: What are the other reasons for the lack of awareness?

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Collinson: Another working theory sounds too good to be true: that someone can save for retirement on a tax-favored basis — pre-tax contributions to a 401(k) grow tax-tax-deferred — and get a tax credit to boot. Because of these dual advantages, I’m concerned that people may be confusing the two benefits or, as I say, see credit as too good to be true.

Lastly, the saver’s credit is not available on the IRS’ Form 1040EZ. Many who are eligible to benefit from the credit may be using this form — when they should be filing with IRS Forms 1040, 1040A or 1040NR — and so don’t get the tax benefit.

LHP: Whether people are aware of the tax credit or not, I would think the tax guidance available through popular tax preparation software recognizes the saver’s credit?

Collinson: In theory, tax preparation software should catch the oversight. But if the software starts by asking the question, “Which tax form do you want to use?” they may incorrectly elect Form 1040EZ.

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LHP: To what extent is the saver’s credit encouraging people to take tax greater advantage of their employer-sponsored 401(k) or other tax-qualified retirement plan?

Collinson: We do think the saver’s credit has a positive impact, though our research doesn’t offer insight as to degree it has encouraged non-savers to start saving. One thing we do know: People are far more likely to be saving for retirement if offered employer-sponsored benefits, including a 401(k) or similar plan.

There are so many factors that drive savings rates — the presence of a matching contribution, payroll deductions, corporate messaging about joining the plan, auto enrollment and auto escalation — that it would be difficult to isolate the saver’s credit as a factor underpinning contributions to a 401(k).

With regard to advisors, some of their clients may be eligible to benefit from the credit, so it’s a great conversation-starter — including with older clients. As we see from our research, usage of advisors typically increases with age; boomers are more likely than millennials to turn to a financial professional.

LHP: The Transamerica survey finds that, depending of their level education, between 31 and 37 percent of Americans say that making the saver’s credit available to all tax filers, regardless of whether they have to pay taxes, should be a priority of the new president and Congress to better prepare for a financially secure retirement. Is this percentage range about what Transamerica expected?

Collinson: Yes. Our researchers posed this same question elsewhere in the survey to see also how answers varied by household income, employer size, ethnicity and gender. Across all demographic segments, fully funding Social Security is the most cited priority.

With respect to making the saver’s credit available to all tax filers, response rates for those flagging it as a high priority are similarly high. The response rate is highest among those with some trade school or college education, as well as college graduates.

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The Transamerica study reveals a high percentage of workers who say they haven’t fully recovered from the Great Recession. Financial confidence has also stagnated since 2014. (Photo: Thinkstock)

LHP: Considering all of the survey’s findings, were there any surprises?

Collinson: We’ve been closely following how people’s retirement confidence has correlated with the economic recovery since the Great Recession of 2007-2009. What intrigued and surprised us this year is the high percentage of workers who say they’ve either not fully recovered or were not impacted by the recession.

When we reviewed responses from earlier years, we saw a dip in confidence that coincided with the timing of the recession, then a gradual improvement in confidence post-recession. But confidence levels have stagnated since 2014.

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LHP: Why might that be?

Collinson: One factor is economic trends, including real wages that, when factoring in inflation, are stagnating. Another big factor is the lack of retirement preparedness among an aging population.

In 2015, the first Gen Xers turned age 50. And in 2016, the oldest boomers turned 70. At these critical cross-roads, retirement looms larger on the horizon. And there’s a growing realization among these groups that they haven’t put away enough to meaningfully self-fund retirement.

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Still other factors could be depressed financial confidence levels fed by worries about the future of Social Security and fast-rising healthcare costs.

LHP: There’s a new book out, “The Gig Economy,” which offers advice and tips for the growing number of workers who are self-employed — people who don’t have access to a 401(k) plan. Are retirement needs and trends among these folks an area of focus for Transamerica?

Collinson: We closely track contributions to individual retirement accounts, many of which are self-employed folks who open an IRA when rolling assets over from a 401(k) or 403(b) plan. But it’s hard try to capture in full how these people are saving.

To your point, given the growth of self-employment in the gig economy — and employers’ growing preference for freelancers versus full-time employees — we expect IRAs to be a big area of growth.

LHP: The Transamerica report also finds that between 21 and 37 percent of employees want voluntary protection products apart from health insurance — including critical illness, long-term care, disability income and life insurance — as part of a benefits package. Are employers falling short in offering these products?

Collinson: Yes. There’s a high response rate among workers who say they value the various voluntary protections products as important benefits. But we also see that employers offer these benefits to a smaller percentage of workers than those desiring the products. That tells us there’s a substantial unmet need — and an opportunity for agents and advisors — around workplace benefits.

There’s also a big opportunity for advisors serving both employer clients and individual clients who are planning to work longer and retire at older ages because they need income to bridge a retirement savings gap. But deteriorating health or a catastrophic event can short such plans, a possibility that increases as we age. So voluntary protection products can play a really important role as part of a back-up plan.

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Nearly half of Transamerica’s respondents say they want 401(k) plans to offer the option to pay retirement benefits in a form that guarantees a set monthly income for life. (Photo: Thinkstock)

LHP: Returning to the gap you identified — between employees’ interest in supplementary voluntary benefits and what their companies offer — does this not represent a risk for employers? To the extent these benefits are not being provided, I imagine that valued and talented workers may be inclined to leave for a company offering a more generous package. Thoughts?

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Collinson: I can’t speak to protection products, but in one survey question we did ask participants how likely they would be to leave their current employer to take a nearly identical job with a similar employer offering a better retirement plan.

Most workers — 60 percent — whose employers do not offer a retirement plan said they would be likely to switch jobs for a similar job with a retirement plan, a survey finding that has remained unchanged since 2015. Among all workers, 54 percent said they would switch jobs for a better retirement plan, representing an increase since last year.

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LHP: How are innovations in automated asset allocation tools impacting employees’ retirement plan investment selections?

Collinson: In other Transamerica surveys, we have asked about take-up rates for target-date funds, target-risk funds, strategic allocation funds and professionally managed accounts. And we do see a high level of interest among workers —including millennials — in take-up rates for these portfolio solutions, which grow more conservative as you age.

These options let plan participants invest in professionally managed services or funds tailored to their goals, years to retirement, and/or risk tolerance profile. More than 8 in 10 plan sponsors now offer some form of managed account service and/or asset allocation suite.

LHP: Turning to annuities, do you foresee more employers offering these products as qualified default investment options or QDIAs in 401(k)s and other defined contribution plans?

Collinson: In another question about retirement security priorities for new the president and Congress, 46 percent of respondents said they want 401(k) plans to offer the option to pay retirement benefits in a form that guarantees retirees a set monthly income for life. This response rate was second only to the percentage of workers who want reforms implemented to ensure that Social Security is fully funded.

Annuities are clearly on peoples’ radar screens. A growing number of workers are looking to effectively pensionize a part of their nest egg. As more employers phase out defined benefit plans, interest in guaranteed retirement income products as part of defined contribution plan are sure to increase.

See the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies infographic on the next page for highlights about the benefits and mechanics of the saver’s credit. (Double-click on image to enlarge.)

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