DIY: Cards and Photos Memory Book

It's impossible for me to throw announcements, postcards, and holiday and birthday cards away.  Unfortunately we're running out of room on the kitchen walls and I needed to do something about storing whatever I wanted to keep.  I saw a couple ideas on Pinterest and yesterday decided to hit Michael's for supplies. The finished product is a clean and simple way to keep cards organized and also make it easy to flip through the collection - kind of like a memory book.

Supplies

chip board or matte board for front and back, cut so they're slightly larger than your biggest card

(2) hinged binding rings - Michael's only had 2" rings, smaller would be better

grommet kit (sold at Home Depot or other hardware stores)

hole punch

large rubber band (sold with scrapbooking supplies)

Instructions

Follow instructions on grommet kit and punch holes in chip/matte board and insert grommets (best if you do this on cement, you need to hammer it hard.)

Line up your cards on the boards and punch holes in your cards so they line up with the grommets.  

Connect everything together with the hinged rings

Wrapping with the jumbo elastic will stop the cards from flopping around and slipping out of the sides of the board

Glitter Christmas Cards

My friend Piper gave me an amazing set of Martha Stewart glitter a couple years ago and I've been hoading it.  I LOVE glitter, I would drape myself in glitter if it were socially acceptable, but it's really hard to come up with grown-up crafts involving sparkles.  This year I decided to put it to use and whipped up some Christmas cards, which you can buy for $4 at Clay Wood & Cotton on Main Street in Beacon, NY.

DIY: String Globe Shade

Our downstairs entryway was in need of a new light fixture - a bare bulb is hardly welcoming.  However, as a freelance designer I'm always on tight budget and everything I liked left me deciding between the new fixture and groceries for the month.  So, I came up with a DIY lamp shade that would fit over the pendant fixture and bulb already in place.  The total cost for this gorgeous, modern light fixture shade?  A mere $5.

If you have a couple hours, five bucks, water and flour, you can make this string globe shade over your next free weekend.  Instructions are below. 

Supplies

• 1 cup white flour
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup craft glue
• 100% cotton yarn/string (I used a spool of 120 yards)
• balloon or ball that can be popped  (note:  if you want perfectly round globes, you're best off using a ball.  Balloons tend not to blow up perfectly round and they also deflate and change shape.)

Instructions

Making the Shade

1.  Install some kind of pendant lamp and determine how large you want your globe shade.  Make sure it won't be knocking anyone on the head and that the light bulb won't be touching any sides of the shade.

2.  Mix up your papier mache solution:  in a large bowl combine the flour, water and craft glue.  You want the solution to be somewhat thin - not watery, but also not thick like cake batter.  The solution should drip and not clump.  Add more water if it's too thick, add more flour if it's too thin.

2.   It helps to tape one end of the string to the balloon or ball before you start. Masking tape would be best, but I used electrical because I was too lazy to walk upstairs.

3.  Now is about the time that my dog got mad at me for not paying attention to her.  If you have a dog or cat you should occupy them with a chew toy or cat nip before you start this project.

4.  The next step is the bulk of the project.  The string should be soaked in the papier mache solution before you start wrapping it around the ball/balloon.  Don't be afraid to wrap tightly.   If you run out of yarn and want to start a new spool just tuck the new end under a criss-cross and keep wrapping.

tip:  when you wrap the string, choose one area to keep clear from string.  This space should be big enough to go over the light bulb.  If you're not able to do this don't worry, you can alway snip clear an area with scissors once the string is dry.

5.  Let your finished globe dry for a minimum of 24 hours.  In humidity and cooler weather you may have to let it dry for up to 48 hours. 

 6.  Make sure your string is totally dry and then comes fun step:  POP! your ball/balloon and carefully remove the debris.

7.  Optional.  Place your string globe in large cardboard box and use spray paint to brighten up the white, change the color, or add gloss to the string.  Let it dry according to the can's directions.

Hanging the shade

1. Test how your shade will cover the light bulb and if necessary, use scissors to snip away the string.  

2. The shade can be hung in a few ways.  I used cup hooks and gold chain to hang mine.  Cup hooks easily screw into the ceiling by hand. 

3.  Enjoy your beautiful new globe shade!

Fashionable Hippie Babies

I've been on a bit of a tie-dying bender these last couple weeks. I decided to venture into some gifts for the baby friends in my life. Next stop: Baby's First Phish Show!

Ceramics Project #3

After spending several weeks on my sweet lynx mask I needed a little break. So I was just fooling around and decided to try and sculpt a little person - similar to the little people I doodle. I started creating little people when I was very young - I liked making up personalities and outfits for them. Then, during college, I started doodling less realistic munchkin people. I don't really know what you would call them - they have round heads, shapeless bodies, and draping cloaks. So anyway - I sculpted one out of clay and then doused it heavily in agate and bronze glaze.