Showing posts with label made. Show all posts
Showing posts with label made. Show all posts

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Hand stamped necklace: 30 Days of Creativity: Day 30

Hand Stamped Necklace


Honestly, I had hoped for some grand finale on day 30.  But frankly, it's just not possible.  Family is coming to town and I have two weeks to move into our new house.  I really need to get packing, gathering, sorting, and cleaning.  But after all this DOing, I thought that I should give props to just BEing.  
Sometimes, I find the best moments are when I'm just being.

Taking in.
Giving thanks.
Noticing.
Appreciating.
Being.


My "Be" necklace.


Excited to get my new metal stamp letters.  I think these will be engraving all sorts of items in the next few months.


But for now I'll just wear my necklace, have a glass of wine, and watch the thunderstorm outside.
Yes, that's just what I'll do.


Sunday, June 12, 2011

Ink Drawings: 30 Days of Creativity: Day 12

Sketches of my favorite levers


Ok, so I just can't help being a physics nerd.  A very simple physics nerd, that is.
I think simple machines are so cool.
After teaching seventh grade physics with levers, pulleys, inclined planes, screws (an inclined plane wrapped around a cylinder), and reading the book One Good Turn, I declared myself in love.


Today in particular, I am in love with the lever.
So I have this idea that I'm going to create some linoleum prints of all my favorite levers.


Right now this is my list:

Hammer
Stapler
Shovel
Clothes Pin
Garlic Press
Fork
Scissors
Wheel Barrow
Pliers
Safety Pin
Broom


I want to create nine small prints of levers to organize together.  
So I have to limit my list to nine.

What's your favorite lever?


Vellum Airplanes: 30 Days of Creativity: Day 11

30 Days of Creativity: Day 11
Printed Vellum Airplanes


When I lived in NY, I spent many days enjoying The Gates project in Central Park.  I used some cropped photographs I had taken of The Gates and printed them on Vellum paper.  The photo on Vellum paper gives a luscious translucence that I like.


Plus, the Vellum paper is a good stiffness for flying planes.


When The Gates were up in Central Park, I loved the feeling the bright, sun-filled orange gave against the blue of the sky.  Such joy!

I think it would be fun to string a lot of these airplanes together to hang in my boys room.  Perhaps their new room will be decorated in airplanes.  


To string my airplanes, I used a simple needle and thread, woven along the base of the airplane.


I made sure it wove in and out along the base, from tail to tip.  Then I left some thread and started the next airplane.


Inspiration #1 for this project: The Gates in NYC.


Inspiration #2: walking under all the "paper airplanes" at the Denver Airport.


Thursday, June 9, 2011

Cork Trivet: 30 Days of Creativity: Day 8

Cork Trivet


I will admit I've been wanting to make one of these for a long time.  It's an idea that floats in and out of my thoughts.  But I saw that the theme of today's Day of Creativity Challenge was recycle.  

Then I got a call that our house is going under contract!  Hooray!  Not two minutes later, I looked in my pantry and saw this:


What?  How do I have that many corks?  I am not going to move all of those in a jar!  Plus, I want to use the jar for sun tea.


 I also found this box that used to hold my Amy Butler pattern cards.  I've filed them away and now the box is empty.  


One box + 24 enjoyed bottles of wine = an upcycled trivet!



It took me awhile to organize them in just the right way to make them fit.  They're all slightly different sizes.  Once I found the right combinations of corks, I glued them together.  I guess I still have to move my new trivet to our new house, but now I am only moving useful things!



Perhaps we'll stay at this new house so long that I'll save up enough corks for these chairs:



That would be a lot of wine!

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Toadstool Radishes: 30 Days of Creativity: Day 5

Toadstool radishes for a gnome picnic


Is this one of the silliest things ever? 
I adore them.
My sons loved them and ate them quickly.


Here is a salad fit for gnomes.  
If I could, I would eat it on these toad-stools from Tao of Craft. (But it was delicious under the apple tree in the garden too)



 Here is how to turn your radishes into tiny toadstools.

One: Take a knife and position it half way down the radish.  Make an inscision that circles the radish and cuts about halfway into the radish.


It should look like this.  You've cut partially into the radish where you would mark its diameter.


Two: Slice from the bottom down in straight lines to meet this diameter cut you made.  You are leaving a little square in the center as you do this.


Three: Do this four times, each time moving 90 degrees over, until you've cut out a little stem.


Five: Gently insert the side of your knife into the top of your radish and swivel it around to peel a little circle out of the top.  Make several more little circles like this.


Now you have a radish fit for the best gnome picnic ever.

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Month of Creativity

Ok, here goes.

I'm going to try...


TRY...


TRRRY...



to be creative 
EVERY DAY
for the month of June.

This will be tricky.
My husband works in June from 7am to 9pm.

I'm with the boys.



I still have work to round up from the school year.
I have a lot of work to do for next year's homeschool high school program I'm creating.
I may be moving to a new house (oh please, oh please, oh please)

My mom and her fiance are coming to visit.



My in-laws are coming to visit.



So, I may drop the ball here and there.
But I'm seriously going to do my best.

Thanks for your hope and intentions and "Atta-girls"!

Monday, May 9, 2011

Coaster Tutorial with Vintage Postage Stamps

Make your own colorful coasters from images of vintage postage stamps. 


Supplies:
Wooden or bamboo coasters (I got mine at Target for $4)
Four images printed in high quality to fit the coasters
Large paintbrush (bigger than in the picture)
Mod Podge, matte or glossy
Acrylic sealer, matte or glossy (not in the picture)
Paper cutter or scissors

1. Print your images.  These four vintage stamp images plus a couple more are available to download and print at the bottom of this page.  They will print 4" x 4", since that seems to be the typical coaster size.  


2. Cut your images to size.  Mine were 4" x 4".  I rounded the corners slightly to match the bamboo coasters I bought.


3. Using a large paintbrush, spread your coasters with a thin, even layer of Mod Podge.


4. Lay your image on top of the Mod Podge and gently press down, starting in the center and working out. Make sure the edges are lined up well.  Then, wipe away any Mod Podge that leaked out.


5.  Let your image dry for 20-30 minutes.


6. Spread a thin, even layer of Mod Podge over your images.


7.  Let it dry 20-30 minutes until it is dry and clear.  
8.  Add a two more coats, allowing them to dry in between applications.


9. Take your coasters outside where you have good ventilation.  Spray them with your acrylic sealer according to the bottle's directions.  I sprayed two coats of glossy.
(If you're outside, pay attention to the wind; you don't want this toxic stuff to spray all over you accidentally.  Also, make sure you're not somewhere with lots of dirt or dust that may blow onto your coasters while the sealer is drying.)


10. Let your coasters dry and then bring them inside.
Pour yourself a drink.

Printable vintage stamp images:
You may need to resize these, depending on your coaster size.









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