Archive journals, icons etc

[snorkackcatcher]

Hmm, haven't posted in a while ... partly because I was away on one of those family visits that result in stress levels that make you think wistfully about expressing yourself with a lead-tipped bludgeon, and head immediately for the local pub on your return in an effort to preserve a measure of sanity! I even found myself joining a party going clubbing afterwards (for the first time in about 2-3 years -- didn't reveal much except that my self-confidence is shot to shit, but then I knew that anyway).

However, I did take advantage of being away to send my old PC to be kitted out with a DVD writer and USB2 ports, and have just acquired a 320Gb external HDD -- *adopts Four Yorkshiremen style voice* Sheer bloody luxury, I tell thee ...

Anyway, enough RL drivel. One of the things I've been experimenting with was the idea I mentioned a while back of a fic archive journal. A draft version with a couple of random stories as test posts can be found at snorkfics -- comments on the layout, colours etc would be received with interest.

The ad-sponsored LJ does offer more scope for icons to distinguish the various types of story. Since I'm revising NTLJ anyway (and wincing at how clunky those early chapters were), I thought I might try a specific icon for the story. Eight experiments below the cut -- again, comments welcome.



(There weren't many Natalia Tena publicity shots available ...)

1	2	3	4
5	6	7	8

Lyrics: The last one was I Don't Feel Like Dancin' by the Scissor Sisters from last year -- spotted by sparkly_stuff who's a fan, and ladybracknell who's a pro. :)

As for this one ... well, since I mentioned clubbing, this next song is one that might spring to mind if you'd visited a cheap dive very pleasant Torquay nightclub called The Hideaway in the 1990s. The management used to play it at chucking-out time, presumably on the theory that it would make the patrons run screaming for the exits. Naturally, however, it merely resulted in everyone sitting around and singing the chorus. :)

I saw a mouse!
Where?
There on the stair!
Where on the stair?
Right there!
A little mouse with clogs on
Well I declare!
Going clip-clippety-clop on the stair (1960s)

Comments

[msmoocow.livejournal.com]

I like number 7's cropping and placement the best. Perhaps with Tonks against a black background, though. Love the coloring in number 4, too. Natalia is gorgeous, by the way. :) Can't wait for OotP.

And that song just baffles me, I'm afraid. :/

[magnetic-pole.livejournal.com]

I'm so unhelpful about this kind of thing; web-type things baffle me. But I do love seeing a masterlist of fic either on the main page or on the userinfo page. (That's what I would be looking for on your page.)

I love having icons for specific stories/series, too. Maggie

[tree_and_leaf]

I like 7 or 8 best, I think. The journal layout seems fine - spare and uncluttered, but in a good way. The tags feature would be useful for finding stories by genre.

The song is something to do with living in a windmill in Old Amsterdam, but further than that I cannot get, though I could sing the entire chorus too....

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

"A windmill with twins in, and triplets, and quins in". Alas, though I know practically the whole thing, I know neither title nor composer nor singer.

I rather like icon 4, but it may just be me being pleased at seeing a new film still.

[gilpin25.livejournal.com]

It is "A Windmill In Old Amsterdam" and sung by Jessie someone, I think. No idea who wrote it, and I'm getting slightly concerned that it's the ancient ones I seem to know, lol.

I like icon 4, too, the colouring makes it stand out.

[snorkackcatcher]

Well, it probably wasn't a US hit. :) I'd like to see more shots of Natalia -- there were only two ootP stills to work from when I put these together. 4 does seem to be the popular choice.

[snorkackcatcher]

I'd probably transfer the current masterlist to there from the top of my current journal. I rather liked the idea of using icons for something other than a whim too.

[snorkackcatcher]

Yes, I'd have to work out some tags. (Actually, I already did -- I just lost the list somewhere.) Glad the layout seems OK -- after some experimentation I basically came back to the default with a few colour and font changes ...

And A Windmill In Old Amsterdam is actually the title!

[snorkackcatcher]

4 seems to get a number of votes. The title's the bit repeated at the end of each verse. :)

[snorkackcatcher]

It is indeed -- apparently country star Jessi Colter did do a version recently when I looked it up, although the one I know is Ronnie Hilton's version from 1965 ...

I'm not sure how 4 is darker -- maybe I just lessened the transparency a bit? Might be worth trying to make Tonks's hair pink rather than magenta though.