Wordle taken over by the NYT today! (No Spoilers!)

My Wordle score today. That was a close one! 

Wordle 237 6/6*

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⬜🟨⬜🟩🟩

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Most people on social media know what Wordle is, even if they don't understand it. It is played all over the world. Here's a brief history. Wordle was created by Josh Wardle, a software engineer in Brooklyn, New York. He created it for his partner who loves word games. It was first shared with his friends and family. They were having so much fun playing it that he decided to share it with the world in October of 2021. It spread like wildfire! It's not an app to download and there are no adverts (yet). Everyone plays the same game with the same word as everyone else, once a day. It keeps your winning sprees and gives you a little grid to share your scores without giving the game away (as above). Here are my current stats:

This simple game played the world over has been a much-needed distraction from all our troubles, especially the ones over these past few years which has been tearing family and friends apart and pitting us against each other. This simple game has been a much-needed mental health therapy for many of us and a great unifier the world over. This is just my observation and personal experience.

It hasn't been all peachy though. As Mr Wardle lives in the States he uses the American spelling for words and this upsets a lot of people in the UK. Personally, I don't understand why they get so upset, by now they know the game originated in the States. When they get the word correct they should be patting themselves on the back for being so clever! Where's their sense of humour? ;-) (Image below of a recent game which caused quite a kerfuffle!)

Side note on the above game.... I probably wouldn't have gotten that on my second guess if I hadn't looked at social media before playing the game. You see, when I opened up Twitter and Facebook there were all these UK folks complaining about American spellings! They gave the game away! D'oh!

Another side note.... Everyone I saw complaining about the American spelling of that day's Wordle had gotten the answer in less than 6 guesses! I consider that quite an achievement! Shame so many decided to go American bashing instead. Seriously folks, the USA is their own country, they haven't been under British rule in nearly two and a half centuries. Can't we all just get along and be kind to one another. It's a much nicer world when we do. xx

Now the New York Times has bought Wordle from Mr Wardle and everyone has been worrying about what will happen to their fun game. Well, today is the day, the NYT has officially taken over. If you go to the usual webpage to play it redirects you to the new NYT's page for the game. There has been some panic as some have lost their scores. Everything is still intact for me though there has been a glitch. It seems I did today's Wordle just before it switched over for me, or perhaps my system hadn't updated yet. Or it might depend on which device you play it on. I play on my phone. So my morning Wordle didn't look any different. But it has changed now. Here are screen grabs from my phone showing the difference.

As you can see I haven't lost my statistics, but I do have a blank game board. I could play today's game again! But I won't as I don't want to feck up my score. Yes I know I could improve it but that would take all the fun out of the game if I cheated. It has registered the 32 games I've played and I'm happy with that. I'll play again tomorrow. :-)

The NYT say that the game will remain free for now. Keywords being 'for now'. How long? Who knows? Will adverts start popping up? Only time will tell.

Happy Wordleing!

My Wordle History:

I'm not obsessed! Honest! ;-) B-) 

My Face Mask Making Experience

**Mask updates at bottom of post**
Well, I started making facemask yesterday, and a few people want to what method I'm using. There are loads of methods out there, this is the one I chose for myself. I thought it might work better with glasses, so far so good. I'm not actually finished working on the ones I've made so far, I'm waiting on supplies so that I can add a nose support to help keep the mask close to my face.

This is my face mask making experience so far.

After hearing, watching and reading many professionals talk about the pros and cons of wearing a homemade face mask, I decided that we need to be wearing them when in public. They will not keep us from catching Covid-19, but they go a long way in helping stop the spread. Many communities around the globe are now recommending that we wear them too.

EDIT: Adding a message from our local Department of Health and Social Care - DHSC
Follow this link: Public advised to cover faces in enclosed spaces.

Follow this link for a video of Dr Ellie Cannon talking about wearing face masks. (Sorry, I couldn't figure out how to embed the video)  
TWITTER LINK: Dr Ellie *Wash your hands* on wearing masks. 
FACEBOOK LINK: @Dr_Ellie explains more

So, I bought a sewing machine. I've not sewn in years, looking forward to getting back into it.

First problem, finding a sewing machine to buy! Everywhere is closed and I didn't want to buy one over the internet. Finally found one at Argos in Stroud, though not the one I originally wanted. Sewing machines seem to be very popular right now! haha

Second problem, finding sewing supplies. Again, everywhere is closed. I'd normally go the closest local shop down in Stroud, Sew & So. So I put my feelers out and ask my local friends via Social Media and they came back with lots of help. One was another local sewing shop a bit further away, but still really close, In Stitches, which is just down the road in Cainscross. They aren't technically open but they are opening up on a one to one bases to help supply necessary materials for those making scrubs etc for essential workers and the odd customer like me. :-)

Thrid problem, which mask to make? Which will be best for me and my husband? I did a lot of research but I didn't document any of it. So sorry, but you can do the research yourself, just google it! :-) In the end, I chose a design that I thought would work best with our glasses. So far so good! Added bonus that it fits snuggly around my face, I know it does because when I breathe in and out the material moves in and out like I'm breathing into a paper bag.

Here is a link to the video tutorial (below in a bit, first I'll tell you about my method) that I mostly followed. (I'm not great at following instructions or directions and I like to make my own modifications) I'm going to use soft cotton pipe cleaners for the nose bridge support. I say going too as they haven't arrived yet. On the next masks I make I'm also going to extend the bit that goes along the face where you attach the elastic that goes around your ears, I feel I need more material to fold over for the elastic to go through. I like threading it through as appose to sewing it in as it gives me the option to change my mind or tweak the fit later.

What materials did I use? I used some cloth remnants I bought from In Stitches when I picked up my other supplies for the outer coverings. ( I also intend on using some material from old clothes we have as well) I looked closely at the threads and tried to pick those with tighter weaves. Best for filtering ya know. For the inside layer, I used an old high thread-count pillowcase that we already had. I think the thread count is 300, it's quite tight. For the first mask, being the overachiever that I am, I doubled up on the inside layer. Figured it'd be better at filtering, and it probably is, but there is a slight problem. It's not so easy to breathe through, so having the filter pocket just became mute. Remember when making your mask, you have to be able to breathe with it on! haha

Speaking of breathing, you don't want it to be too easy either, the mask needs to be securely against your face, no gaps for air/germs to escape or get in without going through the filter of the mask. It's not very pleasant, but we will only be wearing them for short periods of time. You also shouldn't be able to blow a candle out with your mask on. But you should be able to breathe!

For the second mask, I only used one layer of the high thread count pillowcase. For the filter, I slipped in a paper towel folded into thirds. I'm hoping this will also help with moisture build-up in the mask as well.

OK, here's the video I mostly followed for my mask. Look in the info section under the video on YouTube for more information. I'll also add a direct link to the pattern under the video below.


Direct link to the pattern that I followed from the video above: THE OLSEN MASK

Here are some more photos of the masks I've made so far. Remember, these aren't quite finished yet, I'm still waiting on nose support supplies. (You should be able to open the images up lager by clicking on them) (NOTE: The mask doesn't fit Lucy very well, as she doesn't have a human-sized head) (Also Note: I found that my glasses held the mask down enough so that my glasses didn't fog up, I'm still going to put the wire nose support in though as it doesn't work with my husband Peter's glasses)

Here is one of many videos explaining why it's a good idea for us to wear a mask:


There are many different ways to make a mask and many different materials that you can use. I can not cover them all, I am not an expert. The information in this blog post is just what I learned and where it led me.

PLEASE NOTE: The masks being discussed here are for general public use. These are not for medical purposes. We don't need those types of mask, those are for the professionals. So please leave them for the professionals. 

Here is a link to some helpful information on materials for mask making at home. Follow this LINK: Ultimate Face Mask Materials

This medical professional did a lot of research on homemade face mask.


Here is another popular method being used, a lot of people around here are making them in bulk to help essential workers etc. LINK: Make Face Masks with Missouri Star Quilt Co. **Includes Videos.

I quite liked this one as well. LINK: DIY Face Mask Tutorial **Includes Videos.
A video from the same lady:


And if you don't want to sew a mask but would like a quick easy to make a no-sew mask using an old Tshirt you have lying around the house, Here is Clay Sinclair from The People's Republic of Stroud showing us how: (Note: Make sure you can breathe through any artwork on the t-shirt!)


Follow this link for another video on how to make a simple no-sew face mask from Dr Ellie Cannon. Link: DIY face mask: Dr Ellie Cannon makes a protective covering from a piece of cloth.

I hope this information helps some, please feel free to share any information that you have in the comment section. Remember, there is no right or wrong way for everyone, find what's right for you. Stay safe!

Tips for wearing your mask:

• You should wash your hands well before putting the mask on.
• When removing mask don't touch the front of the mask. (Don't cross-contaminate!)
• After removing mask, maybe lay in the sun until you can wash it. (or toss in the laundry)
• You really should wash it after every wear. 
• Washing in high temperatures and ironing your mask will help sterilize it. 
• Your face mask should fit securely to your face, no gaps for air to easily get in. 

PS.... NOTE: This blog post is subject to change! As I receive or come across more helpful information I may update this blog post.

UPDATE on wire support for the nose: 19 May 2020
I've added the wire support for the nose to help seal the mask around my nose and help with glasses steaming up. And I must say, it works a treat!! Yay!! The wire I used was soft cotton pipe cleaners. I didn't sew them into the mask as I was worried about rusting and not surviving many washes. I just did a couple inch long straight stitches on either side of the nose to help hold it in place. This makes it easy to shape the wire and easy to put it in and take it out.

It's quite comfortable to wear and I'm quite pleased that it doesn't fog up my glasses. :-)

Just waiting to see if it passes my husband's test! :-D 

UPDATE: It did pass my husband's test!! Now if I can just get him not to shove it in his jeans pocket when it's done with it! haha 

Here are some of the masks I've made on my lovely assistant Lucy. 

 

Magilight by Fotorgear

Hello fellow photographers and light painters! Back in February of this year I invested in an Indiegogo project by Fotorgear called Magilight: Creativity Without Boundaries. I opted for the Magilight Early Bird and the add-on Mini LED Bar. I didn't get the optional add-on Wireless Receiver. Shipping was estimated in mid April, but I didn't hold my breath as this isn't the first product that I've backed. I've backed a few things but only a couple of products, this being my second one. The first product that I backed went bust, and I lost my money, so I was a bit worried about this one too. The first product I backed was called TriggerTrap and they'd been around a while and were based just up the road in Bristol. This was their second crowd funded product and the first one was a success so I figured this was a sure thing. Boy was I wrong!!! They had so much interest and some amazing working prototypes, but they just couldn't get their act together and it all went bust. Shame that. But anyway, back to Fotorgear and Magilight, which I've just received today!

So, what is Magilight? It's an LED light stick that you use for creative light painting in long exposure photography. It's quite similar to the Pixelstick which came out a few years ago. But the Magilight has been based mostly on Tube Light Painting and Fire Painting.

Here's one of the first hands on reviews of Magilight:

And here's another one:
 I do believe that these are the people who inspired Magilight. :-)

Magilight was projected to be ready for shipment mid April, but there were a few hickups and shipping problems they had to sort out. From following other projects I knew this wasn't so uncommon, so I was patient. The biggest hang up was the production of the add-on wireless receiver, but I hadn't ordered that. They didn't talk much about the mini LED bar so I don't know how much of a hang up that was, but I do know that I wasn't part of the first wave of shipments. I figured it was because of the mini bar.  I received notification that my early bird Magilight was on it's way on the 16th of May. Yay!! Expected deliver date was 22nd May. Every day, several times a day, I checked the shipping updates. :-D It was coming via DHL and I'd signed up for text notifications and updates. Definitely recommend doing that.

I was a bit worried about customs charges, and there were some, but they weren't as bad as I was expecting. DHL sent me a text and link about the import charges and how to pay. It was £18.

The product is being shipped from Singapore, mine made a pit stop in Germany, before coming to me in the UK.

True to their estimate on the delivery day of 22nd May, it arrived promptly this morning! As you can see in the above photos, it is well packaged. The mini LED bar and charger packed away safely inside the carrying case with the Magilight.

Carrying Bag

Battery, rechargeable 

Micro SD card

As you can see in the photos, everything came branded.

So far I'm really impressed with the build quality of everything. As it's a bright sunny day I've not had much of a chance to play with it yet, so I can't comment on it's use just yet, but I have had a small play in a dark corner of my home. I'll let you know how that went in a minute. 

The carrying case is quite handy and has lots of pockets and straps for securing the Magilight and LED bars. The charger was in one of the pockets. 

The Battery Charger top

The Battery Charger Bottom

 The battery charger is powered by USB, so I connected the USB to a powerful phone charger which I plugged into the wall. I'm in the UK and it all works fine.

The batteries came stored in the handle with a little bit of paper which needs to come out before it will work. I was happy to see that they had a bit of charge already so that I could have a quick play. 

Close up of handle showing that there is some power in the batteries.

In this next photo you see the Magilight and the mini LED bar, which is suppose to do everything the big one does. From my little play with it so far, it looks as if it does. 

 All of the black and blue bits are aluminum/metal and seem very sturdy and well made. The bit of plastic on the face of the controls and covering the LEDs all came with a plastic protector which I pealed off. 

Controls on handle

It came with a quick start manual, but I've not read it yet. Luckily it's not very hard to figure out, I've managed to work it out without reading any instructions so far. :-D 

Micro SD Slot

A lot of people have complained about the micro SD slot, saying that it's easy to eject the micro SD card while using it. I don't know if that was fixed in production or not, but it is slightly recessed and I've not had a problem with it coming out easily or accidentally. What I have had a problem with so far is accidentally turning it off while trying to use it in the dark. Or accidentally pressing one of the other buttons. When you're waiving it around and spinning it, it's quite easy to do. 

 The handle can be locked down in several angles and move along the LED bar. It has little markings to help you line it up in the exact centre for simple circles. There's also a grip ring to help you spin smoothly.

There's a tripod (or light stand) connector built into the handle which is very handy! 

There's even little holes in the end of the LED bars for adding extras like sparklers to the end. Really looking forward to trying that out!

The brightness comes preset to 15%, so you might want to turn it up if you are playing with it during the day like I've been. :-)

In the shade during full sunlight and turned up to 100% brightness. 

Also in the tube was this little surprise. Not something I really need but might come in handy.

Flash gun diffuser

I've only managed a quick play in a darkish corner of my home so far. Here are a few of the images from that play time.

When I've had more time to play with it and create more images I'll update this blog post with more photos and info below. Until then, happy snapping!

 PS.. I've been inspired to start a Magilight Photographers Facebook Group, as I wanted to communicate with other Magilight users and was having trouble doing so. If you are a Magilight (or future) user, please feel free to join our group and share your experiences and photos. Link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Magilight.Photographers/

UPDATE: 

OK, as promised a few photos from going out at night with the Magilight. I didn't have much time to spend on this, just a few minutes, but I had loads of fun. Really looking forward to having a proper play soon.

Bit of fun with blending the images together. :-)

Another update! More photos!

Me with my Magilight and a portrait I just lightprinted from a photo I took for a magazine a few years ago. 

Clifton Bridge from Bristol in my garden here in Stroud. 

Another another update! Went out with other photographers to light paint down at Capel Mill and by the Canal in Stroud.

Handle in the middle, because I forgot to move it haha, sparkler on the end. 

Handle on the end and spun, sparkler on the end. 

I think it's safe to say I'm having fun with this. :-D

I'll be posting my favourite photos on my Instagram account, you can see them here: https://www.instagram.com/tammylynnsnaps/