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Ha ha ha, I have lost the art file for the RPG mini shelf. It's here somewhere, I just have yet to figure out One Directory Structure to Rule Them All and sometimes I get lazy and don't name/sort as I should. Oh I found it!! Yeah, I hadn't renamed it from "untitled".

Yeah, there is way too much going on in this layout. So I'm selectively pruning some elements and rearranging a little. It's still a lot. This is going to take time. Pretty sure I have enough of the imitation gold leaf. Not sure I have enough of the size - the thin sticky glue that gets painted on. I hadn't done any tests to see if it was better to seal the stained plywood first, or if I could just paint the size on the wood directly. Longevity isn't a concern - I don't care if the leaf tarnishes or cracks in 20 years because I messed up the application. To start, my woodworking skills are not heirloom quality. I'm going to do a light coat of clear spray sealer first just because I don't want the dry wood to sop up more size and make me use extra.

Why gold leaf and not gold paint? Because gold leaf is opaque and has superior light reflectivity. Imitation leaf won't burnish to the best shine like real gold leaf, but it will still have a superior metallic look compared to paint. It doesn't cost much more than a good quality metallic acrylic paint, and I won't have to waste time with multiple coats to get the opacity I want. The one drawback to leaf is that it's going to be super messy brushing off all the excess. The little pieces are so thin and light they go everywhere, like glitter. I'll have the vacuum cleaner at the ready.

Process is: I seal the plywood, then I print out the design in multiple pages, use a transfer sheet to hand trace the design on the plywood. Then paint the size where I want the gold to stick. Apply the gold, brush away the excess. Then I seal the leaf with a polyurethane coat. Down the road I want to add LED strip lighting to illuminate each shelf, so there is a small detail of adding little openings in the plywood backer where the lighting can be threaded from the front to backside of the shelf and have all the messy wiring/components tucked in the back. Then I can get on with actually assembling the shelf.

I want to get spouse into the habit of using his free time to paint his blank minis, and I think if we have a display shelf that might help. Maybe after we move we could host an open mini painting night - something we could both get into as a social activity. It's less restrictive than running a campaign and anyone can participate, even if they haven't roleplayed or prefer WH40K or whatever. Like, come over for a couple hours, watch a movie, paint a mini, chitty chat. Spouse's new job will have a more set M-F work schedule and we could do a casual ongoing thing. That's the grand master plan, anyway. First, I have to finish this shelf.

I'm getting around to watching the ending of Making the Cut. Of course Gary is my favorite but I don't really want him to win, because aside from the money I am not sure it is a positive thing for who he is and how he creates. I don't want to see him fed to the amazon machine. I think he deserves better - but he's really trying to win and he has the life experience so maybe he knows best. The other remaining contestants, Andrea-from-Colombia and Andrea-from-NYC, are better suited for the mass market treatment. I think Andrea-from-NYC has some real talent but she is a bit too green and eager to really understand what she's about yet. She could mature into an artist, if she doesn't get ground up and spat out. Andrea-from-Colombia is a party girl hack with no real talent, so she's perfect for amazon. She could easily churn out a bunch of cheap crap and laugh all the way to the bank. She isn't an artist, she'll never be an artist, but she is a businesswoman with a keen understanding of selling an aspirational look and that's what makes her perfect for winning. So I am rooting for Andrea-from-Colombia to win even though I think her style is 100% tacky (I do like her bullfighter inspired jackets, to be fair).

(spoilers beyond)

In episode 7 everyone has to build little pop up retail shops. So Andrea-from-Colombia picks the shiniest fanciest fabrics possible for her collection (I believe her strategy is to use distracting sequins and busy prints to dazzle people into thinking her clothes are interesting). She is absolutely zeroed in on the party girl aesthetic. Andrea-from-NYC works hard to make an urban looking, "sellable" collection. She's going after the middle class professional businesswoman - someone who wants something interesting but everyday wearable. Gary goes for a more artistic shop experience and gets panned for being too old-timey and asking the judges to read and think. It's true, he doesn't showcase his stuff in the retail space as well as the other two. He could have used some mannequins. So he looks like the obvious loser and the whole episode they are highlighting his social anxiety and internal sense of doom. Of the judges, the two models (heidi and winnie) don't get Gary, but the third judge (jeremy, a designer) gets serious and really goes to bat for him. "If you want to be a global superbrand, you have to have a vision that is unique. I feel like he's a cut above the other two in that respect." Which is true.

So surprise!! After ratcheting up the drama they keep all three.

Last episode, #8 - everyone has to make a large collection. Andrea-from-NYC isn't a dummy - she sees the positive feedback Andrea-from-Colombia got last episode and decides to chase that vibe (just throw a bunch of shiny stuff up there and let the fabric talk for you). She goes for the shiniest loudest sequin glittery fabrics she can get and makes a party girl/glam collection. She does a lot of long duster coats and some lingierie looks. She makes some matching stocking caps that the judges praise as "modern". She has some nice touches and cuts.

Gary walks out and says his collection is inspired by Laura Wilder and Nellie Olsen, so he isn't shutting himself up - good for him. Heidi is instantly turned off. But the collection is way modern and he made his own prints! He has a color palette I love - the green and rust red. He goes for more of a cozy artist vibe with interesting pattern mixes and some sweaters.

Andrea-from-Colombia does more of what she always does - party girl shiny, leveraging the fabric for interest. Take away the fabric choice and the things are all simple same-same. But that's perfect for quick mass production.

So the judges are talking and Heidi, Winnie and Amazon Lady are totally dazzled by Andrea-by-Colombia and Andrea-from-NYC. The shiny fabric tactic works. Then they talk about Gary and Jeffrey has to go to bat for him again. Jeffrey gets really serious when Amazon Lady and Heidi are being negative about Gary's potential for being profitable. "He's not a time warp!" Jeffrey says. "He stood here and told us himself that he is open to collaborating, open to new things. I have no doubt that he can work with the amazon team and I think you cannot do something brilliant without a true vision, and his vision is unique." Winnie doesn't think his dresses speak to a lot of people. "He might not be for everyone," Jeffrey argues, "but there is real brand there. He has the vision and the real potential." Heidi doubts Gary is a global brand. Jeffrey looks genuinely angry. "You cannot pass this opportunity up. I'm giving you a passionate plea, telling you the truth." He's really emotional. The other judges don't seem moved.

So here we go, the reveal. I've been hesitant to watch this because I don't really want Gary to win - amazon doesn't deserve him - but I also don't want to see him lose, because he's put his heart in the competition.

Andrea-from-Colombia says she took risks with her collection because she MIXED TEXTURES which she has never done before. (I just don't think she's a smart person - that's such a high school home-ec level thing to brag about. Oh golly, faux leather AND sequins??? Groundbreaking.). Also she declares she is strong woman, yay.

Andrea-from-NYC points out that she works really hard, which is true. And her fabric choices/color palette are better and more interesting than other Andrea's. She outdid Andrea-from-Colombia in that respect. And she had looks for men. She's not a one-note.

Gary talks about his inspiration coming from westerns and pioneers and wanting to look like the clothes have travelled. The judges praise his original print creations. He also had mens looks. Jeffrey gives some heartfelt compliments.

ANDREA-FROM-COLOMBIA GETS THE BOOT FIRST. Andrea claims she took risks and broke the rules, which is so laughably false. This person just parrots things that sound good in her head, I think. She's read too many inspirational memes on instagram. I don't think she has a real mental grasp of what an artist does or is.

Heidi votes for Andrea-from-NYC. Jeffrey votes for Gary. Winnie votes for ... Andrea-from-NYC.

Nice, that's a good ending. Andrea-from-NYC has some real talent. She is a hard worker. Good for her.

Heidi announces all three get the chance to sell on amazon, yay!

I suspect Gary will do fine in the future. At least the show will help him find more of his particular sort of customer. Shoot, I'd love to own something of his. It's bittersweet, knowing he was the best artist with real vision, and that means he shouldn't win.

There's a myth of a master craftsman that gets woven into marketing, to manipulate an audience into thinking they are buying a "bespoke" luxury product when they aren't. I find it incredibly irritating so I bring it up a lot. The truth is that someone who is a real artist, like Gary, will not have the broad appeal necessary to win the game of corporate profitmaking. Like oil and water, they aren't meant to mix.

After reading that article on the society of the spectacle, this, too, is all part of it. Jeffrey was passionately advocating for Gary because he saw something real and unique. Heidi and Winnie were more interested in whether or not they'd wear the clothes to their next party, or what a customer like them would be interested in purchasing. Because they dress for a particular mainstream identity that is aspirational for millions of people. Attractive, rich, pampered, rubbing elbows with other attractive, rich, pampered people. They're so deep in the spectacle they can't see outside it.

It's easy to sniff at "fashion" and say it doesn't mean much. The things that matter come from our brains and our direct communication, right? Most of us purchase things based on the qualifications that it looks good enough, covers our bits adequately and isn't itchy. Maybe we spend extra for something special like a pop culture tshirt design that made us laugh, or something that lets people know what fandom we're into. Maybe we have a favorite color. One pair of jeans is just as good as another, right? We don't think too hard about the quality of the fabric or where it was sewn, we just care that this $25 investment fits okay and will last a year or two. We care so little we buy it online without even touching the fabric. Most people don't ask for much beyond that, and we all end up in a similar wardrobe, similar uniform. Which is the point - being part of the herd and having the comfort of broad association.

But it's a missed opportunity, isn't it? If you want to say something, if you have a voice, you can be a walking art piece moving through the din. You can remind everyone around you that there are alternatives to the corporate sourced uniform. You can say what's important for you to say, about anything you want.

On one side, here is the mass produced myth that is for sale at a discount, cheap cheap cheap. Oh the other, here is the genuine article, and you cannot purchase it. You make it.