This week was marked by my acquision of an old light table. For those who aren't photographers, graphic artists, or crafters, a light table is exactly what it sounds like: a large table that has florescent tubes inside it. The top is made of glass, so whatever you are working on is illuminated from below.
Our local newspaper was getting rid of 8 light tables. Since they have switched over pretty much completely to computers, the light tables are no longer used for pasting up pages or stripping negatives. I saw the ad, and as a long-time graphic artist. I just couldn't resist it. I still use X-acto knives for certain stuff. (I also knew that these type of tables used to sell for about $700-$800 new.)
So after checking them out, I agreed to buy one of the tables. I then had to undergo a HUGE office reorganization. The table now is where my two 4-drawer file cabinets used to be. The file cabinets had to be relocated along with a 3-foot wide 5-shelf bookshelf. As you might imagine, it was a whole lot of heavy lifting.
The table itself is no lightweight either. We barely were able to fit it into the truck. (Because the truck has a camper shell on it, tall items can be a problem.) In any case, we got the monster home and in place. I now need to clean off about 20 years of scotch tape from the front and sides.
However, even in its sort of grody state, I'm already using the table. Because I've been out of the office a lot doing somewhat non-creative work, I've been having a "crafty craving." I find that if I spend a lot of time using computers or doing office work, I want to do more hands-on stuff, like crafts or gardening.
So, this year, my Christmas cards are hand-made. They might be mildly weird, but unlike a store-bought card, each one is unique and has probably been touched 37 times by the sender :-)
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