Steffy's Magic Shop

[Steffy]

Enter at your own risk.

Beyond here, safety is not guaranteed.

Does that frighten?  Terrified? 

Worry not. Everything can be fixed with a little magic.

What do we know about magic and magicians?  Well, most every magician starts as an apprentice. And a true student knows there is always more to learn.

So abracadabra and voila! Steffy's Magic Shop, a space where one can work on tricks.  No worries.  Just do it!

Tricks, not pulling rabbits out of top hats or cutting willing (or unwilling) assistants in half; instead, work on your coding and (hopefully) feedback, suggestions from coding magicians who wander in.

No skill is required to begin. Steffy's Magic Shop is the place to hone your skills or learn from scratch. A BIG NOTE (a repeat of above): others who are skilled are encouraged to aid aspiring apprentices.  Even answer a ‘how-to’ question.

Now, the big philosophy question: Why magic?  Magicians are performers beyond wonderful.  They work on tricks, show other magicians, and get feedback for yet better tricks. They amaze! Entertain! They wow. That’s what we want.  More wow for evryone.

So how does Steffy's Magic Shop work?

Magicians Check into the thread and see if you can help solve an apprentice's problem. Share code you think others might find interesting or useful.

Apprentices Ask questions. Describe what you are trying to create through marvelous code. Don't give up. Give it a try. Practice makes perfect.

*A Note From the Shop Owner: Everyone is welcome to come in and just plain say hey, and chat things up on different topics.  As we sit around, amidst all the tricks, a ‘saw that movie, it sucked’ or ‘loved it’ or ‘I know a trick on how to foam milk’ or ‘have you read this detective series’.  I mean the careful reader did note the sign in the picture right?  Yes, joke is included. 

Why have a shop if you can’t enjoy the visitors?  I can’t think of any topic that is not welcome.  I guess I’d say if it was.  My grand plan hope is that we get things rolling with ‘experiments’ and advice and season it with enjoyable conversation.

Always have fun!

__________________________________

Note:

A very easy way to track down a specific spell or 'how-to' is the stand alone Index which is totally the result of Courtney’s ministrations. 

It can be found here (press on Steffy's Spellbook immediately below):

Steffy's Spellbook

[Jaclyn]

Jaclyn Rosendahl
Entrepreneur
About Jaclyn

… so my longtime friend Steffy has opened a magic shop ... well that calls for a visit! ... and a disguise ... sort of ... a bit of looking around and all comes together ... walk down the street latge afternoon, feeling all witchy wonderful ... and lo and behold, there it is ... pull the door open and here the chimes for a new customer ... time to announce myself  …

  “Poof and cloud of smoke, I have arrived!” #Giggle

…now where has Steffy gotten to?  …

[Steffy]

I’m bedazzled, hmm

The first visitor!  Uh-oh!  It's a non-beginner!

“Hello.  I was doing a mind-will thing—wishing for visitors.  And voila!  Here you are.  Yes, and hello stranger.  Welcome.  You know I was chatting with someone about colors for coding.  She had a wonderful site to share.  Perhaps you know of it?” (Coy, subtle wink).

“Did you notice my skill at floating left? And by-the-by, you into the fireworks thing for today?”

[Jaclyn]

Jaclyn Rosendahl
Entrepreneur
About Jaclyn

… a figure emerges from the store … red velour hat and blue hair … well blue most everything but the hat  …

  “Why thank you! You float so nicely yourself. There will be a test later where you will recite a spell several times to show how well you manage your float. But enough of that for now. Colors you say? Let me check.”

… reach into the slit in the side of my robe and fish around … a yes … suitable … bring out the magical hexagon of of hexagons …

  “Colors are one of the greatest of all mysteries. Did you know there are exactly two hundred and sixteen of then that are safe for use in webs? And of those only one hundred and forty that most casual browsers can see?”

… place the hexagon of hexagons on an empty place on the table and bring out my wand …

  “And this marvelous hexagon of hexagons is charged with the wonderful magic of the webs. When I touch it with my wand or even my finger or any sort of pointer, it opens a wonderful new page of information about colors and how they are made. Go ahead, you try.”


OOC: click the hexagon. and here’s the code for the picture and link.

Code Select Expand

[url=https://www.w3schools.com/tags/ref_colornames.asp][img height=300 padding=10]http://www.mediafire.com/convkey/1590/s9b4nu1au8qj8wfzg.jpg[/img][/url]ee

[Courtney]

Geez, I knew Jaclyn was smarter at this stuff than I was, but now Steff too? Time for a trip to the magic shop! I walk in the door and oh! What luck! They're both here!

"Hi girls! I'm having trouble with my size! I'd like like it to get bigger when someone touches it. The picture that is! Right now when someone touches it, nothing seems to happen. To the picture! Nothing happens to the picture, and I'd like it to get bigger like yours do! Can you help me with that?"


Edit: Just did it by accident. I guess it just depends on how I link it from mediafire

[Steffy]

I’m bedazzled, hmm

A super trick!

“Thank you.  I now know I speak in #FF1493.  Who knew? I’m a little worried over this test thing.  It’s not cheating if I enlist help, right? . . . What am I saying?!?  It’s my magic shop! Okay.  I’d like to bestow an award for this, but reading is a skill: You’ve not yet answered: And by-the-by, you into the fireworks thing for today?”

(Mona Lisa smile, recomposing myself).  “Excuse my shouting.  Would you like to know a fun little trick with MS word for short-handing one’s tricks?”

(Titter, titter).  “Courtney, I don’t know but I’d say that the ‘want to get bigger and staying so for a meaningful while’ may be a common issue.  But I don’t know the answer.”

[Steffy]

I’m bedazzled, hmm

/

                                          Bad Ogre!!!

“Good and bad Courtney.  Good because I get to try out my ‘bad ogre’ award for one not sharing how she did her trick.  Bad because someone did not share her trick.  The ‘I guess’ needs more.  Please!”

[Courtney]

Good and bad Courtney.  Good because I get to try out my ‘bad ogre’ award for one not sharing how she did her trick.  Bad because someone did not share her trick.  The ‘I guess’ needs more.  Please!”

Right, ok!  So for those familiar with mediafire, it gives you an option to "use old site." That's what I do, as it gives you more options on sharing your image.

So once you click the down arrow next to the image you wanna share, you get a pop down window with several options. If you click on "share" you'll get a popup window. Ignore the top part of it, and hit "more options." Way at the bottom is the "Forum Embed Code." It's what I used at Lacy and it worked great because you could size it with the drop down menu just above it, and then do a direct copy and paste into your thread.

You can still do this and it works fine, but not if you want your image to get bigger when someone touches it. Instead, copy the link out of the "Direct Link" field, and your image should resize when someone clicks on it. See examples below:

Image using the Direct Link option

Code Select Expand

[float=left][img height=200 padding=10]https://www.mediafire.com/convkey/b946/3odaop7o7j6t6jk6g.jpg[/img][/float]

Image using the Forum Embed Code option (huge thumbnail size)

Code Select Expand

[URL=http://www.mediafire.com/view/?3odaop7o7j6t6jk][IMG]https://www.mediafire.com/convkey/b946/3odaop7o7j6t6jk3g.jpg[/IMG][/URL]







Click each image to see the difference.

[Steffy]

Dom Steffy

Good girl!!!  Very good explanation.  PLUS you caused the Cute Blonde (me) to figure things a bit myself.  (Note: If I have to get nasty, I put on the black wig etc.) So if one sizes her image for a post, when it is pressed, it shows the original size of the pic.  (Try the magic hat for instance).  (There may be details I don't appreciate).  Courtney I award you a magic hat: 

[Flower]

-A wild Flower appears into the shop-

Hey everyone. Just adding this wonderful shop to my GPS in case someone has a question that I might know the answer to. ;)

[Jaclyn]

Jaclyn Rosendahl
Entrepreneur
About Jaclyn

“Thank you.  I now know I speak in #FF1493.  Who knew? I’m a little worried over this test thing.  It’s not cheating if I enlist help, right? . . . What am I saying?!?  It’s my magic shop! Okay.  I’d like to bestow an award for this, but reading is a skill: You’ve not yet answered: And by-the-by, you into the fireworks thing for today?”

… and a loud response to my magic trick …

  “Yes, you speak in that hexadecimal gibberish invented by the geeks! I avoid pyrotechnic displays to preserve my hearing and keep my familiar safe. She does not belong cowering under the bed from the loud noises so we turn the air conditioner to fan on and play Brahms.”

… and dear Courtney enters and demonstrates a skill with Mediafire images ... do we one up her? …

  “Very nice Courtney! And how praytell does one get the several different codes from Mediafire? For my hexagram of hexagram image up there, I click it in the file list so it opens in a new window, then right click on it there and select Copy image url, and then paste it here before I wrap it the img and then the floatright tags.”

… another lovely person enters the shop ... smile at her …

[Steffy]

Wondering, wondering

I am a shape shifter.  Now, I am a seer of sorts, a bit of a jester.  I recognize Flower.  “Hello Mentor.”   (A word of explanation—she’s cool.  Sort of like a guardian angel.  I’ll keep working on the name thing.  Steffy has a habit of nicknames and shortening things.  The only person not to agree with anything was ‘Miss Bitch’.  Go figure.)

“Flower, GPS away.  I can vouch for both Courtney and Jaclyn.  . . . Well, I mean I know nothing negative about them and if I think, I can probably list positive things.  Jaclyn is a blonde.  And Courtney is too, although she died her hair brunet.  That’s another ‘go-figure’.”   

(Still thinking on what to award Jaclyn for now catching up on all things in the Magic Shop).

Stage whisper: “Jaclyn’s got this football thing scoped.  She knows all about what’s going on and rules and stuff.  Appaaaareeeeentllyyyyyy, there’s this world kickball thing going on.”   (Shrug).

[Jaclyn]

Jaclyn Rosendahl
Entrepreneur
About Jaclyn

… to giggle at Steffy's stage whisper ... but more important, no introductions? ... turn to the newcomer …

  “Hello Mentor? I'm called Jaclyn, and many other things too. Um, if I may ask, are you perchance the same Mentor that supported the Arisians and the Galactic Patrol and gave them their Lenses?”



OOC: Old old SciFi, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lensman_series. Kitchen sink space opera of the best kind.

[Kit Cat]

And here I thought I was just coming for the cream!
But this magic shop is a sight to be seen!
Where else would a cat come to preen,
And learn all that she can glean.

But riddle me this, riddle me that
How do you make a hidden

cat

?
(It took a while for this blind bat)
And I won’t keep it under my hat!

The site has this wonderful button called ‘hide’ that allows you to create hidden images between the code when you place the link between. However, to add the wording, you simply need to add = after the first 'spoiler' like and write whatever you wish!

It’s basic for many, I’m sure, but I’m a basic kinda kitten and I was purrroud of myself!

Now if someone can tell me how to put the coding in, so it displays like Courtney was able to demonstrate it, I'd be grateful.

[HockeyGod]

What a curious and helpful magic shop for new Elliquians ;)

To do coding, simply use the word code in between brackets at the beginning of the code and then use a /code in  brackets at the end. That way someone can select your code. It is VERY helpful for character sheets.

Code Select Expand


[spoiler=code for spoiling]this is called a spoiler or hide[/spoiler]


[Courtney]

“Very nice Courtney! And how praytell does one get the several different codes from Mediafire?"

Right, so I did mention it, but reading again, I can see that maybe it wasn't clear when I did so:

So once you click the down arrow next to the image you wanna share, you get a pop down window with several options. If you click on "share" you'll get a popup window. Ignore the top part of it, and hit "more options." Way at the bottom is the "Forum Embed Code." It's what I used at Lacy and it worked great because you could size it with the drop down menu just above it, and then do a direct copy and paste into your thread.

All the the link options appear once you hit "More options." Note: under "More options" there will be two tabs: A "One time link" tab, and a "More." tab. You want the "More" tab, and you'll see the various link options there, with a button to the right of each option to directly copy them.

As I mentioned before, most of these options only appear if you click on the button at the top right of the main mediafire page that says "Use Old Site."

[Jaclyn]

Jaclyn Rosendahl
Entrepreneur
About Jaclyn

… fiddles around with Mediafire …

  “Wow, that's cool Courtney! Thanks.”

… are they ready for another one? …

  “So here's a trick I learned at LiL. Trial and error. You know how a URL link shows up in some default color so it stands out? Here's a normal link to Mediafire. See how that glares ugly versus my own pinkish font color? The cure for that is to put color codes inside the URL tags, which makes it like Mediafire. To make sure people see the link, underline it like Mediafire. Here's the code for these three diffferent ways, using the little button in the toolbar and using pink as the desired color.

Code Select Expand

Normal way: [url=https://mediafire.com]Mediafire[/url]

Colored way: [url=https://mediafire.com][color=pink]Mediafire[/color][/url]

Colored underlined way: [url=https://mediafire.com][color=pink][u]Mediafire[/u][/color][/url].

[Steffy]

Madame Chat

Miss a little, miss a lot.  Lots to see and lots to do.  (An explanation: the shop mistress was practicing a knife trick.  As it happens, she next had 4 stitches to her middle finger.  (Jokes accepted).  In RL this trick may be known as de-pitting an avocado pit ineptly).

Just so everyone knows everyone else.  Who I called Mentor is Flower.  Jaclyn, Courtney and Kit Cat should already know each other.  Hockey God who is another mentor is who he lists as.  On the nickname thing, I’m still working on Flower’s, but for Hockey God, I’m thinking ‘Pharaoh’.  (I take hints of objection such as ‘no effffing way!’)

Anyways, here’s what I need to do: Stir conversation—HG (aka Pharaoh)—Jaclyn is encyclopedic on sports (plus sci-fi fiction); Flower—I just found out in a roundabout way that Courtney knows tons about monarch butterflies (keyword: milkweed).  And who does not love a poetess?  Kit Cat—who simply must wander in and out just like all cats do.

Next on the agenda is: throwing some kudos at who has recently shown up with suggestions that are very stellar and perhaps crafting a King Arthur challenge (per Flower, she claims what I want to know is not achievable here.) 

Talk about teasers!  I mean Madame Chat (Cat) to start and all these promises!  Whew!

[Jaclyn]

  What was your non-knife hand doing near an unpitted Avocado! Sheesh girlfriend! Set it down and put your hand behind your back while you embed the knife blade in the pit. Not the tip either! 10 points off for lack of kitchen neptitude.

  Still OOC, are we planning to assemble all these cute tricks into one place without the intervening and fun silliness? As Flower knows, there's hints on these things scattered all over Elliquiy and things may well change once our fearless leader Vekseid rolls out the new site using ElkArte instead of SMF. Good things for a Wiki maybe?

[Steffy]

  What was your non-knife hand doing near an unpitted Avocado! Sheesh girlfriend! Set it down and put your hand behind your back while you embed the knife blade in the pit. Not the tip either! 10 points off for lack of kitchen neptitude.

  Still OOC, are we planning to assemble all these cute tricks into one place without the intervening and fun silliness? As Flower knows, there's hints on these things scattered all over Elliquiy and things may well change once our fearless leader Vekseid rolls out the new site using ElkArte instead of SMF. Good things for a Wiki maybe?

You done good!  More power to you!

Dear OOC Witch:  First, I sacrifice for my art.  Years ago, I sliced the tip of my finger on a mandolin—a cook’s slicer (the ER doctor had only one way to stop bleeding—pressure to the tip.  Steffy who is pain tolerant graded it as a 15 on a scale of 10.  This is a useful experience if I ever write a torture story—way worse than water-boarding.  As I say, I do much for art).

As the shop continues there could be a forest of suggestions.  Maybe what I’ll do is name the suggestion with the author and have that as a running index at the end of the introductory post.  (E.g. • Color palette/coding – Jaclyn, p. 1 etc.).  Once there is more than a few.

What would be really helpful is a slave.  If you saw ‘The Hitman’s Bodyguard’, someone like the woman prisoner who Salma Hayak told to stand in the corner.  (Note a movie reference for wonderful conversation—hint, hint.)

(p.s. I have been one-upping Courtney on typos and such.  Courtney: You ‘done good’ is intentional!)

[Steffy]

Madame Chat

How many places can a cat hide in this shop?  Thousands probably.  A cat wanders in, makes herself at home, soon she expects the saucer to be timely filled.  Especially the poet kind.

“Here kitty, come out poet cat.  I have something for you.  You get the first poet award in the shop.  Very nice. . . . Now others, be patient.  Remember the finger thing?  That lame excuse?  It’s still in effect.”

Magic Shop Poet Cat

[Courtney]

"Oh great wizards Steffy and Jaclyn! This apprentice would like to know a trick that she just noticed. How are you putting captions below your images? I'll paye the price of one typo for Steffy to mock me with."

[Jaclyn]

Jaclyn Rosendahl
Entrepreneur
About Jaclyn

… oh nice! ... a kitty lives here ... will my familiar enjoy the magic shop kitty? ... reach into my robe and pull her out to set her on the counter …

… pet her as she looks around …

  “I hope they get along. Many kitties are jealous of her colors and horn so won't play with her or let her join in any reindeer games or whatever. But she doesn't flaunt it or anything, it's just how she is.”



Posted that to show one can float stuff both sides at the same time. Can also center something between those if desired.

Working in a camp kitchen many years ago, took the tip off my left pinkie finger, cutting the core out of a head of iceberg lettuce. Bled forever. Had to sleep on my back that night with a makeshift sling holding my hand up above me. Learned that removing the core is easier if one just bops the whole head down on the counter core first and then twists the mostly separated core out. Pain? 2 on a 1-10 scale. Shock? Only after getting it bandaged and I lay down to slow my heart. Most pain ever? Dropped the flange end of a 6" cast iron water pipe on my little toes while rolling the damn things off a trailer. 5/10.

[Jaclyn]

Jaclyn Rosendahl
Entrepreneur
About Jaclyn

  Easiest way to see how anything is done here is to use that Quote thing just above each post on the right just to to the left Modify and Remove. Shows everything except what might have been done in the signature.

  So two different things showing above. Steffy simply centered the kitty picture and the text underneath it. Her code was this:

Code Select Expand

[center][IMG height=200]http://i64.tinypic.com/2r2njgy.jpg[/img][/center]
[center][b]Magic Shop Poet Cat[/b][/center]

  I would have done the same thing like this, using the break tag to force a new line:

Code Select Expand

[center][IMG height=200]http://i64.tinypic.com/2r2njgy.jpg[/img][br][b]Magic Shop Poet Cat[/b][/center]

  The text under my avatar floating left is coded like this:

Code Select Expand

[float=left][center][img width=150 padding=10]http://www.mediafire.com/convkey/132c/qanv0vlare944wbzg.jpg[/img][br][font=Georgia][color=#B163A3][size=12pt][b]Jaclyn Rosendahl[/b][/size][br][size=10pt]Entrepreneur[br][url=https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=289408.msg14241614#msg14241614][i]About Jaclyn[/i][/url][/size][/color][/font][/center][/float]

[Courtney]

Thanks! Here, this is for you Jaclyn:

The Jaclyntini