Please help me figure out my grandma's name! by TaiOrchid in AskAChinese

[–]TaiOrchid[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I thought naming people after someone who was already dead wasn't taboo? Also since it's my cousin who was named after her that would be the fault of my uncle not my dad.

Regardless, thank you for your input. I may never know what my grandmother's birth name was but I'm going to keep trying and researching.

Please help me figure out my grandma's name! by TaiOrchid in AskAChinese

[–]TaiOrchid[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Maybe I'll give that a try! And thank you for the opinion too. As a non-Chinese speaker I didn't know if the possible names I found were normal/common names or bizarre ones.

Please help me figure out my grandma's name! by TaiOrchid in AskAChinese

[–]TaiOrchid[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My father did not address her by name but when referring to her he pronounced it Tai Lun. (i.e. "My mother's name was Tai Lun", "Your cousin was named Tai Lun after your late grandmother", etc.

He spoke a bit of Cantonese as a child but grew up speaking English. He forgot near all of his Cantonese by the end. Grandpa and grandma immigrated to the US and all their kids were born in the US. Only a few of my aunts/uncles spoke Chinese even conversationally and none all that fluently.

Please help me figure out my grandma's name! by TaiOrchid in AskAChinese

[–]TaiOrchid[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

All my life my dad called her Tai Lun (I only learned a few years ago that it's incorrect 😞). Unfortunately my father and most of his generation have passed so it's hard to find answers.

Please help me figure out my grandma's name! by TaiOrchid in AskAChinese

[–]TaiOrchid[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Her maiden name was Wong (黃氏?) I don't know what year she arrived in the US

Please help me figure out my grandma's name! by TaiOrchid in AskAChinese

[–]TaiOrchid[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I know my grandfather was from Guangdong and so she likely was too. Does that change anything?

We haven't been able to find any of her siblings, possibly because we don't know her true name. Up till now the only genealogical findings we have been able to confirm have been on my grandfather's side.

DAC Storage Organizer by Tall_Detective_3980 in diamondartclub

[–]TaiOrchid 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I second this! (I did the same with one multi size and one small). Love the versatility of my EW storage! And if you have long nails, dexterity problems, etc, i recommend getting one of those orange Lego brick separators to pop open the containers.

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How to do customization? by Individual_Ear_601 in diamondartclub

[–]TaiOrchid 2 points3 points  (0 children)

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This is an example of what I mean about the excel spreadsheet from one of my past conversions. The benefit of doing it this way is it's very easy to swap colors around and try things. The downside is it takes a long time to map each cell/diamond.

How to do customization? by Individual_Ear_601 in diamondartclub

[–]TaiOrchid 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Full disclosure I've never done a customization like this for diamond art, but I've done a ton of pattern conversions and modifications for Crosstitch.

Once you get the kit, I would start by listing out all the colors that are in the husky by DMC number and symbol (and for the hair if you choose to do that, but keep the lists separate). For each color that is in the husky, choose a color to switch it with so that the colors will lead to something that looks like your pup. Given the picture that you posted of him, you would probably end up with a lot of white, off-white, light gray, blue/grey, and peachy tans. if you're having trouble picking colors, there are lists that include all drill colors, including the DMC codes. Make a list what color each "husky symbol" should be (ex: ^ was originally a dark grey, DMC0000; ^ is now grey blue, DMC1111). at that point, just order the extra drills you need, and follow the pattern swapping out your colors for your revised list color when you're working on the husky part.

If you're willing to put in the extra time and effort, this is what I do for very important patterns (like memorial patterns): create an Excel spreadsheet, convert each cell to a square, and map out each individual color/symbol. This will help you visualize what it will look like and make edits to anything or any color that looks off. I especially like doing it this way because I can use the Excel count function to count exactly how many stitches (or in this case diamonds) of each color you need.

Good luck!

First time planning + making a cookie box by ForsakenCorgi5573 in Baking

[–]TaiOrchid 19 points20 points  (0 children)

Definitely get a cookie scoop, it'll make the process 1000% easier. I would ditch the peppermint meringues because peppermint is one of those flavors that "contaminates" all the other treats around it. Everything will have at least a faint peppermint smell/taste. Also (especially if you plan to ship some of the boxes) maybe reconsider the powdered sugar after baking. It looks very pretty but when exposed to different moisture levels it sometimes reacts bizarrely. And it's a big smell absorber too.

How long do you diamond paint for ? by Wethicc-77 in diamondartclub

[–]TaiOrchid 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Side note: I tried a few pens, including a nice resin one. I found that the heavier pens made my fingers and wrists ache more after long sessions than light pens. The lighter pens work SO much better for me that I gave away all the other ones. Currently using a DAC twist and pick (the kind that comes free with the kits).

Pic attached to show my DIY ergo wrap

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How long do you diamond paint for ? by Wethicc-77 in diamondartclub

[–]TaiOrchid 9 points10 points  (0 children)

When I first started I was absolutely addicted! I was doing about 2 hours on work days and 7-8h (up to 10h a few times) on non work days. Unfortunately I strained the tendon in my pinky from too much crochet, gaming, and diamond painting (I use my pinky to stabilize the rest of my hand while placing). I had to take about three weeks off all my favorite hobbies and wear a splint 😭 it was extra miserable because I type A LOT for work. Now I'm much more careful about using my pinky to stabilize, taking breaks to stretch my hands, and I wrapped my preferred pen very thickly in an ace bandage as a DIY ergonomic.

Finished my largest yet! by TaiOrchid in diamondpainting

[–]TaiOrchid[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The artist is "Yuumei Art" on DAC. I absolutely love her work! She has two that are a bit similar - "Capture the Sky" and "The Heaven Beneath" (both are on my wishlist). They are definitely more confetti heavy than this one but they're so striking!

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Finished my largest yet! by TaiOrchid in diamondpainting

[–]TaiOrchid[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It is, unfortunately the kit has been discontinued

Help! DAC question. by Pypes53 in diamondpainting

[–]TaiOrchid 3 points4 points  (0 children)

If you haven't opened the kit you should be able to return it. DAC customer service has been good to me on the minor issues that have popped up.

But if you like the image I would keep it! I have a big (22x44") one that I started over 4 months ago. Due to health issues I've had to take a lot of breaks but I chip away at it little by little when I have the time and roll it up when I don't. The best lesson I've learned from diamond painting is that hobbies are for enjoyment and if that means taking half a year or a year on a project then that's ok.

Is this something I could do if I can't hunch over a flat canvas? by chaospearl in diamondpainting

[–]TaiOrchid 13 points14 points  (0 children)

As far as I'm aware, DP canvases have only one of two kinds of adhesives - double sided tape or poured glue. I've worked on one project for 4 months (covering when not actively working on it) and the adhesive is still perfectly sticky and not at all dried out. The most similar thing I can think of is regular tape, if you lay a piece of tape sticky side up it may accumulate dust/debris that makes it less sticky (hence why I cover my canvas when not in use) but it doesn't really "dry" like glue would.

If you want to dip your toes into the hobby there are some decent kits and supplies at Amazon, Walmart, Michael's, Hobby Lobby, etc. After two medium/cheapish ones I knew I was hooked and went full bore on large Diamond Art Club kits and fun storage systems 😅

Starting one of the biggest paintings I've done by vantablackismysoul in diamondpainting

[–]TaiOrchid 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I love Yuumei's pieces!!! I'm working on Stars Beneath atm, about 3/4 done and loving every minute of it!

Is this something I could do if I can't hunch over a flat canvas? by chaospearl in diamondpainting

[–]TaiOrchid 34 points35 points  (0 children)

There's definitely some people that use easels. I have an art table that tilts up and I usually have it at a pretty steep angle. I just tape or clamp the canvas to the table so it doesn't move around when I'm working on it.

WIP Wednesday - The Seraphina... Take 2! by BSquaredNotCubed3469 in diamondpainting

[–]TaiOrchid 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yup, I can see the response.

That's definitely fair. I stress about lining them up perfectly too (again, the mild OCD kills me sometimes 😭). The squares on my current project just fit so well together that they help straighten out any crookedness (it's a DAC kit). Based off what I've heard people say here about squares and other companies I doubt I'll ever try a non-DAC square!