Gangsta rap about Arts and Crafts

This is hysterical! Yep it's a gangster rap about arts and crafts. But what the kids are making is REALLY cool! I wish I was that creative when I was a kid. The box city is AMAZING! Especially the building with the elevator, and roof top pool. It almost makes me wish I had kids so I could use up all the boxes in my kitchen instead of throwing them away.

Make a Tiara, Threadbanger Projects

Here is a great video tutorial on tiara making. Oh and I just so happen to be mentioned at the very end. YEEE HAW!!!

This is Halloween, This is Halloween!

It's October 1st YAYYYYYYY!!!! (dancing around the room) So now I'm really getting into the Halloween spirit. I just found this great video on making Halloween decorations, and another one on sugar skulls. Also, here is a great on-line retailer for sugar skull supplies http://www.mexicansugarskull.com/ I can't wait to try them out.

Halloween Tree

I'm starting to get in the mood for Halloween!!! YEAAAAAAA!!! So for at least the last five years I have been wanting to make a Halloween Tree so then I would start making some Halloween ornaments. But... then I get busy and I forget to make one. I just found this really great tutorial on the DIYnetwork. Hopefully if I place it on my blog then I just might remember to get to it this year. I'm not promising anything, but if I don't get to it then at least I can live vicariously through the video.

Victorian Halloween Terror-iums- Re-blog from DIY Craft

This post is a re-blog from Diy Craft . I just love this idea so so much, and exactly what I was looking for, for my next project.

Large glass terrariums were a part of many Victorian homes. The glass around the plants allowed them to flourish even in cold fall and winter months, and they were quite the curiosity when they first became popular. Brilliant San Francisco-based floral design company Studio Choo created aptly-named terror-iums for popular blog Design Sponge.

This spooky version of the terrarium is perfect decor for a Victorian Gothic Halloween party since it imparts that subtly eerie vibe youll want to achieve. Plus, you have the option of keeping your terrarium after the party, replanting the plants outside, or giving away the terrariums to party guests as prizes or favors, depending on how many you create.

We suggest taking this idea and simplifying it by choosing locally available plants that can be repotted in your yard, since the carnivorous plants they used require special environments and treatment to continue growing.

Heres our take on the terror-ium:


Supplies
large glass cloches or round bowls
easy to care for plants - mini ferns, grasses and mosses
dirt
Victorian-era embellishments like old lockets


Directions
Step 1: Purchase a mix of large glass cloches and round bowls to use for housing and displaying the plants.

Step 2: Visit a local nursery or greenhouse and ask which kind of easy to care for plants will survive well in a terrarium, and can be replanted outdoors in the spring.

Step 3: Purchase a mix of interesting looking plants for the terrariums, including mini ferns, grasses, and any unique mosses.

Step 4: Be creative in building your terrariums, and finish off the look with gray or black reindeer moss (can be purchased at Save-On-Crafts.com) over the dirt. For the Halloween party, add in extra Victorian-era touches like old faux lockets, ajar pocket watches, and cleaned chicken bones (be sure to boil the cleaned bones for a long time to avoid any rotting or smell).

*photo credit to Studio Choo via Design Sponge

How to Make a Gravestone Rubbing

Temple or gravestone rubbing is believed to have originated with the Chinese, around 30 0 B.C. Originally, it was used as a method of communicating governmental decrees, a forerunner to the printing press. The government’s laws and messages were carved in stone then transformed to parchment by rubbing with colored wax or other permanent dye material. More recently gravestone and momument rubbings were once very popular, and a common field trip activity for schoolchildren. For me they are just really, really cool to frame and put in your living room, especially for Halloween. There are much more complex methods for achieveing a proper gravestone rubbing, but this one makes a great image and easy to do.

Things You'll Need:
• Conte crayon, or pastel
• Drawing Pencils
• Pencil Sharpeners
• Tracing Paper
• Crayons
• Masking or Painters Tape

- Remember to always be respectful in a cemetery. Always check with the proper authorities before attempting any type of rubbing activity, regardless of whether the object is on private, or public properity. If you are going to do rubbings on actual headstones or monuments, be sure to check the laws in your state before you start. In many states, like New England, it is against the law to make rubbings on gravestones. In the UK, there are centres set up specifically for making rubbings, using replicas of the original monuments and plaques. Always best to do a little research before you start to avoid getting anyone upset.

- This method will work only on gravestones that have raised or sunken letters. If you can't feel anything when you rub your fingers across them, they won't show up on a tracing.

-Hold the tracing paper over the front of the stone or marker. You may want to use masking tape to prevent your paper from moving.

- The trick to this is finding the right drawing implement that woks best for you. Try out your technique at home first, and practice a little bit. If you're using a pencil of any kind, hold it almost horizontal against the paper as you rub. If you're using a conte crayon or pastel, rest it flat against the paper. Pressing gently, rub over the image until an outline starts to appear.

-Usually, the image will not turn out completely crisp. You might want to go back in and alter it a little bit. If you're using a pencil, you can use your kneaded rubber eraser to remove shading in small areas, and create a more distinct image. Also you can move the rubbing while you’re working on it slightly to create a 3D effect. Complete the rubbing in the basic color then move the paper slightly to one side. The next step is to go over the highlights with a contrasting color giving the image a highlight or 3-D effect.

- Roll up your rubbing carefully, and when you get home spray it with a spray fixative to make sure it is protected ( make sure to do any alteration to the image before using the fixative). And there you have it a perfectly spooky image for framing.

POPcorn Halloween Style

It's been so hot lately that I've been fantasizing about Halloween. So I decided to share one of my favorite spooky snack foods with you. It is the combination of two of my favorite treats combined into a loving symphony of snacky goodness. That is the perfect creation of pop corn and candy corn together at last. Please enjoy…

Ingredients
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup white sugar ( white sugar makes it taste little kettle corn or popcorn balls, brown sugar makes it taste like Carmel corn you choose)
• 1/2 cup unpopped popcorn kernels
• ½ cup of candy corn ( or any other candy you prefer i.e. … gummy worms etc)
Directions
Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Place three kernels of corn in the pot. Once all three kernels have popped, your oil is hot enough for the rest of the corn. Stir in the sugar and popcorn. Cover, and shake the pot constantly to keep the sugar from burning. Once the popping has slowed to once every 2 to 3 seconds, remove the pot from the heat and continue to shake for a few minutes until the popping has stopped.Lift lid and immediately sprinkle with salt. Recover give it one good shake to make sure all the popping has ceased. Pour into a large bowl, and allow to cool, stirring occasionally to break up large clumps. Then toss in your favorite treat. I love throwing in candy corn, but gummy worms, and even little broken up pieces of candy bars will work just fine.

Spooky Confetti Eggs

I'm going to share a little item I love to make for Halloween. It's my spooky Confetti eggs! I hope you have lots of fun making them.

Materials
Eggs- As many as you desire
Confetti- I use the paper that has been shredded in my shredder, but you can buy confetti or just make some with a hole punch
Tissue paper
White glue- Elmer's or Modge podge is fine
Pin or needle
Acrylic paints

At my grade school for our May festival, each child had to make a dozen confetti eggs to be sold for the school fundraising. This was always one of my favorite things to do because it is fun to make them and even more fun to use them. The whole point is to run up to people and smash them on their heads leaving confetti streaming down their hair, or throw them at someone so that when they break there is a puff of confetti exploding in the air. The shell makes them very durable, but when they are broken it doesn't hurt the person they are broken on. The only thing that can hurt is if the person breaking gets over zealous and smashes them full force on your head. I never understood why this was a spring activity when it would be just PERFECT for Halloween pranks so here it is I give you my spooky confetti eggs...

1- Take all the eggs that you want to make into confetti eggs and leave them out on the counter for a little while. Not too long you don’t wan them to spoil, but it’s much easier to empty them if they aren’t cold.

2- Next you need to get all the egg parts out of the egg so you are just left with the shell. Make sure you have a bowl under you so you can do something with the egg goop later... looks like scrambled eggs for dinner ... or French toast Yummy!

3- Take a pin ( I use a bead reamer, but not a lot of people have those lying around), and at one of the points of the egg's oval poke out a tiny pin prick of a hole. Just make little tiny poking jabs at the egg to open it up, but be gentle you don’t want to crack the egg. Once you have that one get to work on the other side. The next hole should be much bigger than the first because that is where the eggs insides are going to come out of, but don’t make it to big so that the egg shell looses its structure integrity. This takes a little practice and some finesse but just take it slow with little pokes nipping away at the edges of the hole until it’s about the circumference of a dime or a penny.

4- Next put the little pin prick hole up to your mouth and gently blow. Your breath will force the egg goop out of the shell on the other side ( just like getting frozen orange juice out of those little cans as a kid) Just remember to go slow and gently so the weight of the liquid doesn’t force the hole to crack and get bigger.

5- With all the eggs liquid out it’s time to wash the inside of the shell. Just put it under the faucet and flush water through it. Give it a really good rinse you don’t want a spoiled egg smell to accompany your eggs weeks later when you use them. After your done rinsing, them make sure to blow all the water out as well just like you did to the liquid part of the egg.

6- Now let them dry at least over night. Other wise when you put the confetti inside it will be all mashed together and clump.

7- The next day it’s time to fill your eggs. You can use any type of confetti you choose I use the paper that has been shredded in my shredder, but you can buy confetti or just make some with a hole punch. Maybe even getting some orange and black papers and hole punching them. gently take a little pinch of confetti and place, or spoon it inside. If your little hole is small enough on the other side the the confetti wont seep out, but if that hole is to big take a dab of your white glue on your finger and spread it around the hole then tear off a little square of your tissue paper and place it on the glue covering the hole. That will seal it up nicely. Finnish scooping in the confetti don’t make them too full but you want enough in to make a big impact. Maybe fill up the egg half way.

8- Once you’re done filling it’s time to seal up the other end. Again take a little of your white glue on your finger and spread it around the hole then tear off a little square of your tissue paper and place it on the glue covering the hole. I prefer to use white tissue to blend in with the egg, but I have seen amazing confetti eggs where they had used different colors of tissue paper and incorporated it into their design. Just remember try to use as little glue as possible. The main point of these eggs are to crack or smash them on peoples heads if you use a lot of glue when they hit the head instead of a nice soft crack the glue will make the shell very hard and might hurt someone.


9- After the glue dries it’s time to decorate them. Acrylic paint is the best for this. Get as creative as you want. It could be a great activity to do after pumpkin carving.

10- Then you can place them in a pretty bowl for a lovely table decoration, once dinner is over the egg battle can begin!!!

11- An alternative version of this is that instead of confetti you could fill the eggs with really small favors for a prank Halloween gift giving. You have to crack the egg to get at the surprise... just a thought.

My Quest for a Koi Pond

There are few things I love more on this planet than koi ponds. When things get really stressful in my life I pack up a lunch and go visit a koi pond. I am very lucky to have three really good ones around my county, so no matter where I am they are just a few minutes away. Since I have no room for one at home at least I can have a nice fountain, and fashion some sort of fake Koi pond with it. This is my latest quest, and here is some of the research I’ve done so far.
32 inspiring garden fountains- By: Sunset Magazine

How to make a tabletop fountain- By: HGTV

How to make a tabletop fountain- By; DIY network

Coral Cupboard

Some time back -- ten, maybe fifteen years ago -- I decided it would be nice to paint the inside of my kitchen cabinets red -- or rather, a coral-ish red. Just a nice surprising pop of color when I opened a cabinet, I thought,  would be refreshing.

And I thought and thought about it and now and then brought home paint chips of the sort of color I envisioned but it remained a 'someday' project -- hardly necessary but fun.

Then, finally, last year, when I had turned in the manuscript for The Day of Small Things, I actually went and bought some paint, mixed to what, according to the paint chip, was just the color that had been haunting me, lo these many years.

Well, you know how that goes. Suddenly I was caught up in writing Under the Skin -- and playing catch up from the beginning. The brave little can of coral paint languished in a dark corner, collecting dust. 

Yesterday dawned hot and humid and it seemed a good time for an indoor project -- preferably one that could be executed in front of a fan and listening to a recorded book.

In fact, it seemed a good time to begin the coral paint project!

I began with the cupboard where my spices and baking supplies, teas and vitamins stay.  Just getting things out, deciding if they really needed to be tossed out or if the jars only needed a good wipe -- that part took well over an hour.  

Finally though, the cupboard was empty and wiped down with alcohol in hopes of providing a clean surface for my long-awaited coral paint. I pried open the can and began.


Horrors! What appeared was a dreadful Pepto-Bismal pink! I mean, REALLY awful! 

Arrgh!

 The dab of dry paint on the can's lid, however, was the coral-ish red I'd wanted and I know that paint color changes as it dries so, only slightly daunted, I painted on, enjoying  Neil Gaiman's Ananzi Boys as I worked.

Three coats later, it settled down to a more respectable coral -- not yet as dark as the color on the paint can lid but okay by me. After all. it would be mostly hidden when I put things back.

Later in the evening, as I was doing the dishes after supper, I glanced at my handiwork and was startled by a quick flash of memory -- when I was growing up, our neighbors had an outdoor party room with a tiny enclosed bar. I think that I remember this coral color back there -- behind the shelves? Inside the cabinets? 

I can't be sure -- but is it possible I've been carrying this idea  -- not ten or fifteen years but over fifty? 


And what other projects does my subconscious have in store for me?


First I'd better finish those other cupboards.

DIY- Steampunk Goggles

This is such a great tutorial I just had to re-post it for all to see. It is brought to you by Fenris-the-Red-Wolf over at his deviant art page. Under the tutorial are a number of links to picture of the goggles people have made. They look so good! Check them out when you get the chance. Note the goggles pictured below are from Gypsy's deviant art page. Simply Stunning!!!

Handmade

We've always been fond of handmade gifts -- for giving or receiving. This year, alas, I had no time to make anything but John stepped in and turned (pun intended) out these beautiful wine stoppers from an array of exotic woods . . .

along with some elegant bowls and tiny little kaleidoscopes (not pictured.)

Claui surprised us with a lovely set of hand-embroidered napkins. She worked on them, she told me, during the power outage, by means of a head lamp. I love it!

And Justin presented us with an elaborate drawing of our extended family . . . (He was quite kind to some of us in his depiction of body shape.)

John and I are standing in the front door with Maggie between us and a tangle of dogs in front of us -- Molly and the Border boys, Jack and Dan.

Then going counter-clockwise, Ali Ali is in a rocking chair, next, our friend Josie, Claui, with William trying to climb into her lap, and Justin (looking pretty pleased with himself.)

Next is Otis the pit bull, sulking under the little table. Our friend Kasie is pouring wine, while Cory is taking a picture of Miss Susie Hutchins. Ethan and Aileen and their dogs are next. (Ethan is dashing in a frock coat, such as he wore at his wedding) and Big Eddie is stretching on the railing.

Handmade and heartwarming!