April 2008 Entry: Islands in the endless streams

[SpamValiant]

"Islands in the endless streams
Harbour hopes and hazy dreams
Of lost and lonely lovers' schemes,
Soaring with the seabird's screams."


Hi all. Thought I'd get myself started with a stab at the challenge. For all that I've always loved maps, I think coastlines and islands have a special magic above all other maps, so this challenge really intrigued me.

I have no particular ability in this area, so this might wander a bit, but since I'm doing something new I thought I'd do everything new! Rather than a treasure map, or a 'here be dragon's' map, I'm trying to create a map for a secret assignation. Two lovers seperated by a churning sea, two countries seperated by the fires of war. A Prince and Princess who were to be married, but when treaties break down they are forbidden to meet again. A secret note from a man to his love, telling her where to sail so that they may be together again. De dum de dum de dah...

Because this is all new, I'm starting by shamelessly filching from some of the great tutorials on the site (or linked to it). So far I've followed the 'how to make paper' tutorial, after that I'm going to read a few coastline type tutorials, and we'll see how it goes. Comments are utterly welcome - I'm very new to this and have virtually no ego to bruise, so let me know what you think

Tying it all together is the poem, giving clues to follow on the map. And because we're being new, this will be written in a metre that I've never used before (and am finding bloody difficult to be frank). If anyone wants to know more about the rhyme structure (hey, you never know!), I can expand on it a little. But for now, here is stage 1, 'paper made in photoshop' (assuming I've figured out how to link stuff)