I like Lisa's art.
Every now and then, she offers free downloadable images, usually pertaining to a holiday.
This time, she asks for a link first. Fair enough. Here is the link for St. Patrick's Day images.
If you do link and load, please don't pass those images on to others. Invite them to download their own copies directly as well.
But her clock is ticking. They'll likely be gone in the next couple of days.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Feb CMP ATCs
I participated in the Creative Mom Podcast ATC swap for February.
Some swaps ask for participants to mail the art to the host, who mixes or matches and re-sends out. This works well for large projects like an alphabet swap. 26 participants are each assigned a letter and make 26 cards for that letter. The host receives the 26 "L" cards and put one each into 26 participant bags, like Valentines. Then, every participant receives an alphabet deck with 26 letter cards from 26 artists, included one's self.
The CMP swap is easier. Rather than mailing all cards to Creative Mom, we send just our address. She does the mixing and sends each person the name and address of their recipient. It is not a matched group. I send to Person R, I receive a card from Person V. Next month, I'm assigned person B and get a card from Person H.
I received this art card in the Feb Swap. The theme was Alphabet Soup. This has nothing to do with the theme, but who cares. It is sunny and bright in midwinter and I learned on the swap page that it was one of her first ATC attempts.
Here is the back, with contact info fuzzed out.
Here is my contribution. I love playing with font and color and shape of the alphabet.
Some swaps ask for participants to mail the art to the host, who mixes or matches and re-sends out. This works well for large projects like an alphabet swap. 26 participants are each assigned a letter and make 26 cards for that letter. The host receives the 26 "L" cards and put one each into 26 participant bags, like Valentines. Then, every participant receives an alphabet deck with 26 letter cards from 26 artists, included one's self.
The CMP swap is easier. Rather than mailing all cards to Creative Mom, we send just our address. She does the mixing and sends each person the name and address of their recipient. It is not a matched group. I send to Person R, I receive a card from Person V. Next month, I'm assigned person B and get a card from Person H.
I received this art card in the Feb Swap. The theme was Alphabet Soup. This has nothing to do with the theme, but who cares. It is sunny and bright in midwinter and I learned on the swap page that it was one of her first ATC attempts.
Here is the back, with contact info fuzzed out.
Here is my contribution. I love playing with font and color and shape of the alphabet.
Thursday, March 01, 2007
The Concert
I can check some info about my blog visitors through Site Meter. One bit of information is what key words were put into Google or other search engine to bring that seeker to me.
This week, someone was seeking with the words {short British crosswalk piano}
I know exact what you mean. I loved that little moive when I saw it in junior high music class and I still remember chunks of it fondly.
The IMDb says that it is The Concert (1974).
Ordinary Guy walks into a London black and white striped cross walk and hears piano music, as if he were stepping on large keys. He investigates for a while, puzzled, then delighted. He plays on the wristcuff of a London Bobbie / police officer. He taps a trill on an old lady's teeth. Anything black, white, and vaguely rectangular becomes a music making device.
Then, just as abruptly, the gift has run out and the concert is over. He hops expectantly through the cross walk and hears nothing by typical street sounds. He re-composes (ha, ha) himself and goes on his way.
Alas, I cannot find it on You Tube.
This week, someone was seeking with the words {short British crosswalk piano}
I know exact what you mean. I loved that little moive when I saw it in junior high music class and I still remember chunks of it fondly.
The IMDb says that it is The Concert (1974).
Ordinary Guy walks into a London black and white striped cross walk and hears piano music, as if he were stepping on large keys. He investigates for a while, puzzled, then delighted. He plays on the wristcuff of a London Bobbie / police officer. He taps a trill on an old lady's teeth. Anything black, white, and vaguely rectangular becomes a music making device.
Then, just as abruptly, the gift has run out and the concert is over. He hops expectantly through the cross walk and hears nothing by typical street sounds. He re-composes (ha, ha) himself and goes on his way.
Alas, I cannot find it on You Tube.
Arrow of Light arrows
I have been a Cub Scout Den Leader for just over four full years. My six Webelos are crossing over to Boy Scouts soon (as soon as this weather lets up). As a remembrance, I took ideas from other Scout Leaders and made career arrows for my boys. I chose to use beads to represent the accomplishments they archived in their time with us.
Here is a full shot of a different boy's career arrow.
I chose feathers of blue & gold (Cubs) and red & green (BSA).
I attached them with hot glue, then lashed them with gold cord, just like in the Webelos book.
I added name beads (fuzzed out for posting) on a pipe cleaner / chenille stem, with a blue and yellow glow bead.
(I love glow stuff. Our den behavior markers were glow MegaBloksTM that were my wedding gift from my husband.)
I used translucent and opaque tri-beads to represent each segment patch they earned. There is a stopper bead on the end. The hole was small, so I used elastic gold cord.
Next are shiny pony beads to represent beltloops, silver for sports and gold for academics, just like the loops themselves. I couldn't find copper beads for the BB and Archery loops, so I used shiny red. These holes were large enough to use yarn. I used variegated rainbow yarn.
The large orange bead represents the Tiger badge. It was a plain wooden bead that I colored with a dry erase marker. I couldn't get paint to look good. Each Rank bead has matching glow beads above and below it. I used opaque tri-beads for the totem beads, with a glow stopper bead
Finally, the blue bead represents Bobcat. I added two shiny blue pony beads to represent the 8 steps to earn the Bobcat.
Red wooden bead for Wolf badge, yellow pony beads for the progress towards rank beads, a gold oval bead for the gold arrow point and silver oval beads in two columns to the silver arrow points earned. The oval beads have small holes, so I used gold cord.
Teal wooden bead for Bear badge with red progress beads
Dark blue wooden bead for the Webelos badge and unpainted wooden bead for the Arrow Light badge. The star beads are in five colors to represent the five categories of activity pins. These are the exact beads we had on pipe cleaners for each boy's den doodle. Earning the compass badge added a fat blue disk bead. Earning arrow points after each four more stars placed a shiny purple pony bead on the stack.
The arrowhead was purchased at our Scout Shop. I used hot glue to affix it to the dowel (painted with gold glitter paint) and then lashed it on, knotting in the back and sealing the knot in hot glue.
The arrow has glow Rexlace for hanging purpose.
Here is a full shot of a different boy's career arrow.
I chose feathers of blue & gold (Cubs) and red & green (BSA).
I attached them with hot glue, then lashed them with gold cord, just like in the Webelos book.
I added name beads (fuzzed out for posting) on a pipe cleaner / chenille stem, with a blue and yellow glow bead.
(I love glow stuff. Our den behavior markers were glow MegaBloksTM that were my wedding gift from my husband.)
I used translucent and opaque tri-beads to represent each segment patch they earned. There is a stopper bead on the end. The hole was small, so I used elastic gold cord.
Next are shiny pony beads to represent beltloops, silver for sports and gold for academics, just like the loops themselves. I couldn't find copper beads for the BB and Archery loops, so I used shiny red. These holes were large enough to use yarn. I used variegated rainbow yarn.
The large orange bead represents the Tiger badge. It was a plain wooden bead that I colored with a dry erase marker. I couldn't get paint to look good. Each Rank bead has matching glow beads above and below it. I used opaque tri-beads for the totem beads, with a glow stopper bead
Finally, the blue bead represents Bobcat. I added two shiny blue pony beads to represent the 8 steps to earn the Bobcat.
Red wooden bead for Wolf badge, yellow pony beads for the progress towards rank beads, a gold oval bead for the gold arrow point and silver oval beads in two columns to the silver arrow points earned. The oval beads have small holes, so I used gold cord.
Teal wooden bead for Bear badge with red progress beads
Dark blue wooden bead for the Webelos badge and unpainted wooden bead for the Arrow Light badge. The star beads are in five colors to represent the five categories of activity pins. These are the exact beads we had on pipe cleaners for each boy's den doodle. Earning the compass badge added a fat blue disk bead. Earning arrow points after each four more stars placed a shiny purple pony bead on the stack.
The arrowhead was purchased at our Scout Shop. I used hot glue to affix it to the dowel (painted with gold glitter paint) and then lashed it on, knotting in the back and sealing the knot in hot glue.
The arrow has glow Rexlace for hanging purpose.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Knitting update: projects 1, 2, 3
My first try at knitting grew and grew. What started with 30 stitches was stopped when I realized that I was now doing more than 60. Sometimes, the yarn untwisted enough that I put the needle through only half. Then I knitted the other half, too. Other extra stitches appeared with no understanding.When it was done, it was not a square. It is a Rorschach test. Everyone sees something that it *could* be.
So when I started my second project, observers asked, "What will it be?" and I replied, "A square."
"No," they all countered, "what will it be?"
I explained. "The last time I tried to knit a square and failed. This time, I only hope to make a square." and I succeeded.
I really like using verigated yarns. It helps me keep track of my stitches much better than if I was looking into a sea for sameness. I like the surprised of what goes with which. What combinations appear that I wouldn't have chosen but now rather like?
For my third project, I wanted to branch out a little. I am attracted to fun fibers and wondered how they would knit. I wanted to make a small swatch, only 13 stitches across. But once I got started, in a gather of homeschool moms, I was encouraged to continue on. "Make a scarf," they said."But it's not really all that soft," I protested.
"Make a Fashion Scarf," they said, and one showed me her accent scarf, worn in that loose Lark's Head way.
"I am the one who wears a lizard hat," I reminded everyone.
But I'm making a scarf now, anyway. I like having one 13 stitches before flipping.
I'll declare that for Project Spectrum, CHG is reading aloud "Wintersmith" for the family. The third Tiffany Aching book from Terry Pratchett, it is full of grey skies, white snowflakes with curious properties, and the little blue Wee Free Men, the Nac Mac Feegles. While he reads, full of spot-on voices, I knit. I really should try knitting with something blue, grey, and white, but I like these colors. I'll think about it. I have a second set of #10 needles, which are grey.
I'm coming along nicely. It reaches from my palm nearly up to my shoulder now. I expect that I'll keep going until I finish the skein or reach my arm's span across.
Kitchen switch and outlet covers on display
The ceramic covers have been fired, picked up, and installed around the kitchen. They add a lovely, personal touch to the place.
These are Ganoush's. She included her initials, which I have craftily disguised using MS Paint. The pink puffy paint that she had used is now purple. It does not affect the design.
This was CHG's first time with ceramics. He did a lovely layering on the leaves that is hard to see now. The dark greens overpower the lighter greens. The stripes are bold.
On the flip side, my leaves could have used more layering. I used rubber stamps, and they are difficult to align for second or third stampings. The boldest fern, I went over the paint with a brush, but it seemed too thick. I do like it. I just wish that the leaves had come out darker. I also initialed (and masked here) my work.
Gonzo's Electric-type Pokemon cover turned out great. It features Voltorb, Electrode, and Pikachu.
These are Ganoush's. She included her initials, which I have craftily disguised using MS Paint. The pink puffy paint that she had used is now purple. It does not affect the design.
This was CHG's first time with ceramics. He did a lovely layering on the leaves that is hard to see now. The dark greens overpower the lighter greens. The stripes are bold.
On the flip side, my leaves could have used more layering. I used rubber stamps, and they are difficult to align for second or third stampings. The boldest fern, I went over the paint with a brush, but it seemed too thick. I do like it. I just wish that the leaves had come out darker. I also initialed (and masked here) my work.
Gonzo's Electric-type Pokemon cover turned out great. It features Voltorb, Electrode, and Pikachu.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Valentine's Day Countdown
Lisa Vollrath is having another Countdown giveaway.
Do not pass along the pictures you may download from there. Just spread the news and let everyone download for themselves.
Do not pass along the pictures you may download from there. Just spread the news and let everyone download for themselves.
Hats
I like hats. Hats add to or enhance my character. Hats keep the sun out of my eyes.In the summer, I wear a brimmed hat. I pin buttons and pins on it. Once, a librarian found a pin in my vicinity and asked if it was mine. It was not. "Oh, well," sid the librarian. "It should be," and gave my the button. A quote from Albert Einstein about education. Rather unschooly.
My hat has style ~ Heidi style. It is not a Tilley. It is from Lands' End. CHG has a real Tilley.
They are white-ish to reflect away sunlight. They are green underneath to minimize reflection into one's eyes.
They have a cord for windy days. I usually tuck mine up and around the back to keep it out of my way.
They have a fun foam insert inside the pocket inside the top; this will help it float in water.
The sides can snap up, though I don't wear it that way.
They have grommets to let the breeze blow through.
I can found in a crowd. The lady in the hat.
When I have summer band concert, the hat means that I am the personnel manager. I take attendance. When I remove my hat, that means that I am ready to be a musician.
In the winter, I wear a hat that was a gift for my son when he was younger. But I liked it much better than he did. So now it is mine. It was made by Doni Jo McBeath at Art for Your Frame. Go click. Not only does she make lizard hats, she makes chicken hats, rabbit hats, Knights visors, Viking hats with Brunhilda braids attached. She also makes coats for wee ones and pillow.She is delighted that I send her an e-mail every year, letting her know that one lizard is still out in the world, making people happy. When we coordinate, she says she can make a winter hat for me with a brim. A duck in a pond.
Drivers are nicer to pedestrians that make them chuckle.
People smile at me when I wear the hat. I smile back. I rifle through my mental RolodexTM. Do I know them? Do they know me? No. They like my hat. Brave people find the courage to say out loud, "I like your hat."
There is a wire in the lizard's tongue. It usually keep it pointing up and out of my way.
If we have a large snow, I need to brush the snow from the roof of my car. In doing so, snow usually get on the lizard. Typically, I brush off my car because I intend to use my car, so after brushing, I get into my car. I turn on the heater. The interior warms up. The snow on my lizard hat melts. It drips. On my face. While I'm driving.
Lizard spit.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Valentine ATCs
Since I don't sign up for swaps much, mine are more AGCs, Artist Giving Cards.
My kids don't want to make their own Valentines for their exchange. I don't want to buy licensed cards. So they contracted me to make their cards. I was delighted.
These were for Ganoush's exchange. The background is Marvy ink pads, direct to paper. The patterned pink is store bought tissue paper. The bright pink hearts are just Astrobright copy paper. I added the Snoopy stamp after they were punched. For a time, Ganoush would hold out her arms, throw back her head, and tappity tap dance whenever she heard the word "Snoopy," as shown in this stamp. She was tickled that I used it on her Valentines. And it added that wee bit of licensing that the kids have come to expect.
I also broke my big heart punch during this session and had to make it work without its plastic casing.
I finished up with a lit of little "exploding heart confetti" stampings and one heart with wings stamp.
Gonzo's cards have a more masculine look. The cards are darker. I had started with the same pink and purple, but overstamped them with Marvy orange direct to paper.
All of the hearts are punched from one page from TV Guide magazine. The ad is for Cheez-its. The ad shows that a Cheez-its brand cracker is small but shows it next to a large block of cheese to represent the big taste.
Again with the exploding heart stamp and the winged heart stamp.
Gonzo surprised me with his thoughtfulness. On the cards to his close friends, he is adding original art tailored to their preferences. Pikachu for one, light sabres for a couple of others.
Ganoush has one friend in Gonzo's class, so I made this card extra for Ganoush to give and for Gonzo to deliver during the exchange. It will be a surprise when she looks at her Valentines.
Same formula. This heart is punched from some random paint art that Ganoush made one day. Most of our painting sessions end with time for "let's use up all of the paint you guys poured out but haven't used yet" background making.
And in true ATC form, I am continuing to number them. My last card was #658.
Ganoush's exchange was today. Gonzo's will be next week.
Ganoush's received cards had many kittens, kittens with puppies, Veggie Tales, and a few Disney princesses. She likes the card of Will Turner from Pirates of the Caribbean.
Her b-o-y-f-r-i-e-n-d drew his cards on copy paper, saying "Best Firend" and showing a bald head and a head with flip curls. Ganoush said that he made those for everybody. She said that he doesn't know yet that he's her boyfriend. She didn't know until last night that the boy's father work with CHG. They have had a chat about their children. As far as I know, nothing about dowries was mentioned.
She received candy on about half of the cards. I don't believe in giving out candy. It makes it too much obligation. But I did accept the Hershey's mini-bars, Bottle Caps, and Butterfinger hearts that she didn't want.
My kids don't want to make their own Valentines for their exchange. I don't want to buy licensed cards. So they contracted me to make their cards. I was delighted.
These were for Ganoush's exchange. The background is Marvy ink pads, direct to paper. The patterned pink is store bought tissue paper. The bright pink hearts are just Astrobright copy paper. I added the Snoopy stamp after they were punched. For a time, Ganoush would hold out her arms, throw back her head, and tappity tap dance whenever she heard the word "Snoopy," as shown in this stamp. She was tickled that I used it on her Valentines. And it added that wee bit of licensing that the kids have come to expect.
I also broke my big heart punch during this session and had to make it work without its plastic casing.
I finished up with a lit of little "exploding heart confetti" stampings and one heart with wings stamp.
Gonzo's cards have a more masculine look. The cards are darker. I had started with the same pink and purple, but overstamped them with Marvy orange direct to paper.
All of the hearts are punched from one page from TV Guide magazine. The ad is for Cheez-its. The ad shows that a Cheez-its brand cracker is small but shows it next to a large block of cheese to represent the big taste.
Again with the exploding heart stamp and the winged heart stamp.
Gonzo surprised me with his thoughtfulness. On the cards to his close friends, he is adding original art tailored to their preferences. Pikachu for one, light sabres for a couple of others.
Ganoush has one friend in Gonzo's class, so I made this card extra for Ganoush to give and for Gonzo to deliver during the exchange. It will be a surprise when she looks at her Valentines.
Same formula. This heart is punched from some random paint art that Ganoush made one day. Most of our painting sessions end with time for "let's use up all of the paint you guys poured out but haven't used yet" background making.
And in true ATC form, I am continuing to number them. My last card was #658.
Ganoush's exchange was today. Gonzo's will be next week.
Ganoush's received cards had many kittens, kittens with puppies, Veggie Tales, and a few Disney princesses. She likes the card of Will Turner from Pirates of the Caribbean.
Her b-o-y-f-r-i-e-n-d drew his cards on copy paper, saying "Best Firend" and showing a bald head and a head with flip curls. Ganoush said that he made those for everybody. She said that he doesn't know yet that he's her boyfriend. She didn't know until last night that the boy's father work with CHG. They have had a chat about their children. As far as I know, nothing about dowries was mentioned.
She received candy on about half of the cards. I don't believe in giving out candy. It makes it too much obligation. But I did accept the Hershey's mini-bars, Bottle Caps, and Butterfinger hearts that she didn't want.
Monday, February 05, 2007
Project Spectrum 2.0
February / March
Blue, White, Gray
April / May
Green, Yellow, Pink
June / July
Red, Black, Metallics
August / September
Brown, Orange, Purple
Poppins has been excited about Project Spectrum and I'm ready to give it some attention. This was started last year and basically asks folk to be aware of color in their lives. It draws attention different colors each couple of months, and certainly invites craftiness if that suits one.
I have some ideas, but nothing to show yet.
Saturday, February 03, 2007
New outlet and switch covers
The kids and I like visiting a local pottery store. We can paint bisqueware with glaze, they fire it for us at the store, and we pick it up a week later.Since the kitchen's design phase, I have had a dream of each of us in the family decorating an outlet cover for the new kitchen. Today, my dream came true. We were all available to go painting together.
We realized that their stock had just the right switch covers for all of our configurations as well. Each of us now has ownership of one corner. The pink spells out "dad."
Near the dining room are the pieces by Ganoush. She made the three-switch plate and the outlet cover next to it. She finished early, so she also painted a cat.
The electrics between the stove and the garage door were decorated by CHG. His pieces are at the top, striped or leafy. What looks like a cover for one switch and two outlets is really for three outlets. Original to the house, at least since we've been here, is one "regular" switch for the kitchen overhead light, and two left-to-right switches, one over the other, for the light in the garage and the light for the landing just before the garage.
The corner by the pantry is mine. I used rubber stamps to make a leafy theme. The kitchen has a lovely summer to autumn feel without really having any glaring orange in it.
The three of us used the same palette of three green and three wood-beige colors.
Gonzo went off and did his own thing. He didn't use any of our colors but had a definite theme in mind. He drew Pikachu from Pokemon. He also drew Pokemon Voltorb and Electrode. These are all Electric type Pokemon. For an electric outlet cover. Cool.
The big revealing entry!
We've moved the dining table back to the dining room part of the house. We've written big checks. The Access Key box has been removed. The kitchen remodel is done.
Last week, we hosted my mom, my brother Goof, his wife Equestrian (sounds nicer than Horse), and their college chum, Raven's Path. They came over for a day. We played Apples to Apples with the kids. We left when the smell of varnish got to bothersome to a few.
We had Final Christmas with my family. We were showered with Target gift cards, most of which are already spent on the kitchen.
But you want to see photos of the finished product, don't you?
This is the view from the dining area.
Over the fridge is more once-a-season storage. Not full. Yea!
Everyone who saw the refrigerator in the dining room and the space that was reserved for the fridge was certain it would not fit. It does.
The little cabinet by the fridge. Gonzo noticed that we still have the little shelves around the garden window. I liked those in the old design. Open, airy. This one holds meds. It isn't the shelf visible from the living room. The paper towel holder was from the Target cards.
Here is my fancy new super Flylady-shiny sink, all polished and pretty.
The sink in use. We bought a sink guard at Bed, Bath & Beyond when we bought the pans, since I scuffed the sink when I washed the crock pot. New cookware is drying in the rack because none of it can go in the dishwasher!
There was a small leak under the sink. It soaked the lower third of the box of dishwashing detergent.
We called back Top Jimi. He tightened the connection between the handle and the silver pipe leading to the dishwasher. We all agreed that if the trouble was with the red plastic pipe, we were calling in the plumber. So far, no more leak.
Lower shelf holds baking utensils, upper shelf has food storage. Target gift card bought the new RubbermaidTM storage set with handy-dandy holding frame. The nicest part is that the two large sizes share one lid size.
This long shot shows the little pocket lights over the sink, replacing a small fluorescent fixture.
I really like the pantry. Lots of roll out shelves.
The lowest shelf is for baking foods: baking powder, brown sugar.
Next up is for pasta. A box of lasagna fits exactly from side to side. Gotta love industry standards.
Then semi-snacky foods: graham crackers, peanut butter, Nutella, raisins.
Then canned goods.
The fixed shelves hold Coke with Splenda and coffee for CHG, Cub Scout microwave Double Butter popcorn.
The upper section holds really-snacky foods on the roll-out. Pretzels, blue chips, Girl Scout cookies.
The uppermost shelf is out-of-season storage.
Here is the view from the landing, as I had taken at other times. The step stool is where the stove used to be. If you click to the larger view, look at just how close the top of the PringlesTM can clears the underside of the roll-put above it. If the can is under the roller track, it won't stand.
Bulk food storage to the right of the stove. Good stuff. Falafel mix, oatmeal, unbleached white flour, whole wheat flour, corn meal, burger mix, varieties of beans, and we finally started using the oil decanter from Endora, Christmas 2005.
Top Jimi made this special over burner cover for me. It has little feet that reach out over the stove and rest on the counter, like a little bridge. Extra counter space, protect the glass top. Way cool.
This shows the inner wall without the stove cover.
The main hub. Dishes, bowls. Overflow bulk food. CHG wants a different plate holder. Not one that is white. We'll look at BB&B this weekend.
The new spice rack bought with Target gift cards. And bananas. And the Lego model of the kitchen that Ganoush and I made. [See below.]
The drawer holds silverware and "fixin' food" utensils: cheese slicers, apple slicers, can opener.
Below is the cereal shelf. The lower shelf holds the toaster and water bottles. The theme there was: They both fit.
The angled appliance cabinet.
Wedding-gift heart-shaped-waffle maker.
Blender.
One-Cup-at-a-Time coffee maker v. 2 after the wedding-gift v. 1 died last year.
Popcorn popper (behind the blender, that splash of green) From my nine months at the apartment, I think.
Steamer. Pre-wedding.
Close-ups of the LegoTM model for Ganoush's Kitchen Remodel display for the Homeschool Share Fair.
We dug through the bins and even found pieces to make the Vanilla Wafer colored wall. White for refrigerator, black for dishwasher (though Top Jimi spray painted the Harvest Gold to be Spruce Green), blue for sink, green for lower cabinets, red for stove, yellow for upper cabinets, flat pieces for the flooring. She even found a garden window piece and I found some roof bits.
Then she found little LegoTM people to be those involved. Designer, painters (stormtroopers), carpenter (Top Jimi was a ninja), banker, plumber, electrician, dry wallers, appliance guys, and inspectors.
Last week, we hosted my mom, my brother Goof, his wife Equestrian (sounds nicer than Horse), and their college chum, Raven's Path. They came over for a day. We played Apples to Apples with the kids. We left when the smell of varnish got to bothersome to a few.
We had Final Christmas with my family. We were showered with Target gift cards, most of which are already spent on the kitchen.
But you want to see photos of the finished product, don't you?
This is the view from the dining area.
Over the fridge is more once-a-season storage. Not full. Yea!
Everyone who saw the refrigerator in the dining room and the space that was reserved for the fridge was certain it would not fit. It does.
The little cabinet by the fridge. Gonzo noticed that we still have the little shelves around the garden window. I liked those in the old design. Open, airy. This one holds meds. It isn't the shelf visible from the living room. The paper towel holder was from the Target cards.
Here is my fancy new super Flylady-shiny sink, all polished and pretty.
The sink in use. We bought a sink guard at Bed, Bath & Beyond when we bought the pans, since I scuffed the sink when I washed the crock pot. New cookware is drying in the rack because none of it can go in the dishwasher!
There was a small leak under the sink. It soaked the lower third of the box of dishwashing detergent.
We called back Top Jimi. He tightened the connection between the handle and the silver pipe leading to the dishwasher. We all agreed that if the trouble was with the red plastic pipe, we were calling in the plumber. So far, no more leak.
Lower shelf holds baking utensils, upper shelf has food storage. Target gift card bought the new RubbermaidTM storage set with handy-dandy holding frame. The nicest part is that the two large sizes share one lid size.
This long shot shows the little pocket lights over the sink, replacing a small fluorescent fixture.
I really like the pantry. Lots of roll out shelves.
The lowest shelf is for baking foods: baking powder, brown sugar.
Next up is for pasta. A box of lasagna fits exactly from side to side. Gotta love industry standards.
Then semi-snacky foods: graham crackers, peanut butter, Nutella, raisins.
Then canned goods.
The fixed shelves hold Coke with Splenda and coffee for CHG, Cub Scout microwave Double Butter popcorn.
The upper section holds really-snacky foods on the roll-out. Pretzels, blue chips, Girl Scout cookies.
The uppermost shelf is out-of-season storage.
Here is the view from the landing, as I had taken at other times. The step stool is where the stove used to be. If you click to the larger view, look at just how close the top of the PringlesTM can clears the underside of the roll-put above it. If the can is under the roller track, it won't stand.
Bulk food storage to the right of the stove. Good stuff. Falafel mix, oatmeal, unbleached white flour, whole wheat flour, corn meal, burger mix, varieties of beans, and we finally started using the oil decanter from Endora, Christmas 2005.
Top Jimi made this special over burner cover for me. It has little feet that reach out over the stove and rest on the counter, like a little bridge. Extra counter space, protect the glass top. Way cool.
This shows the inner wall without the stove cover.
The main hub. Dishes, bowls. Overflow bulk food. CHG wants a different plate holder. Not one that is white. We'll look at BB&B this weekend.
The new spice rack bought with Target gift cards. And bananas. And the Lego model of the kitchen that Ganoush and I made. [See below.]
The drawer holds silverware and "fixin' food" utensils: cheese slicers, apple slicers, can opener.
Below is the cereal shelf. The lower shelf holds the toaster and water bottles. The theme there was: They both fit.
The angled appliance cabinet.
Wedding-gift heart-shaped-waffle maker.
Blender.
One-Cup-at-a-Time coffee maker v. 2 after the wedding-gift v. 1 died last year.
Popcorn popper (behind the blender, that splash of green) From my nine months at the apartment, I think.
Steamer. Pre-wedding.
Close-ups of the LegoTM model for Ganoush's Kitchen Remodel display for the Homeschool Share Fair.
We dug through the bins and even found pieces to make the Vanilla Wafer colored wall. White for refrigerator, black for dishwasher (though Top Jimi spray painted the Harvest Gold to be Spruce Green), blue for sink, green for lower cabinets, red for stove, yellow for upper cabinets, flat pieces for the flooring. She even found a garden window piece and I found some roof bits.
Then she found little LegoTM people to be those involved. Designer, painters (stormtroopers), carpenter (Top Jimi was a ninja), banker, plumber, electrician, dry wallers, appliance guys, and inspectors.
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Pondering a complicated art situation
For many years, I have enjoyed collage art, altered art, recycled art. The ecology bug hit me as a kid during the energy crisis of the '70s and it has stayed with me.
For many years, I have enjoyed making calendar photos into envelopes or other collage projects. When I worked at BigCo, I would go around in January and ask my fellow employees to give me their previous year's calendar. Many did so.
Our local nature center holds a fund raiser that sells recycled calendar envelopes among other recycled crafts. I have templates for making my own envelopes. I have re-wettable glue for envelope closures.
So this week, I was at the local mall, trolling for half-price 2007 calendars. As I looked at many of them, I noticed a sentence on the back cover.
My mind tried to wrap itself around the many facets of copyright law and licensing and ownership and all. I frequent the websites of Lisa Vollrath and she is quite rightly protective of her designs and ideas.
She has made me wary of posting the ATCs I have received, for that is a photographic reproduction of someone else's work. I mentioned the posting when I sent the invitation, but Lisa's website advises that I should have written permission from each artist (whether or not they consider themselves artists) before posting their work on my site. Cumbersome, but I understand.
Part of my love of collage is putting together new ideas, joining two items in a new way, for a new point of view or a new statement. It seems odd to me to buy a booklet of reproduced ephemera to use in my art when I could have some actual ephemera. Found items.
Does it apply to art that I would sell? The I would give away? That I keep for only myself but post? That I make and keep to myself? This is yet another arena where technology is growing faster than ethics and law can keep up.
So now, calendars are expressly forbidding purchasers/possessors from altering they images for other purposes. Better they go to a landfill than to have another life. Did I buy the rights to enjoy the images and use the date tracking, but not the right to use that image?
In many cases, yes. I have the shed pages of an old page-a-day calendar with the art of Mary Engelbreit. It is easy to see that I cannot legally, ethically take a page of her art, trim it, glue it to an ATC, and call it mine. But if I start with her art, add glitter glue, a phrase from a magazine, a sticker from the teacher store. Now, is it my art? Legally, no. According to Lisa's site, I am using copyrighted images in my art. Even to make it for my own enjoyment on a wall in my house.
If the copyright expires, then it is a public domain image. Lisa takes many public images bought at flea markets and such, I assume, and tweaks them, gathers them, arranges them, and sells the collection as her own art. Her own work created that collection of found/purchased images.
Ron at Big Happy Funhouse also posts photos he has found or bought. Photos by ordinary people of ordinary things and everyday life events. Does his posting mean that he now owns the images? His cropping makes it his? Can I use an image from his site in art work of my own?
I was taken aback and disappointed in the announcement on the 2007 calendars. I can see that the artists and publishers want to preserve their rights to the images, but that restricts me in the art I want to do. Better that it is put in a landfill than put on a card.
I can still use my own art in my collages. Doodles, painted backgrounds, test printed from Word in a fun font (do fonts have copyrights?). Can I take text from a magazine? From a 1992 Harlequin romance? Very complicated.
I don't have the answers. But I would like to hear how it looks from your neck of the woods.
For many years, I have enjoyed making calendar photos into envelopes or other collage projects. When I worked at BigCo, I would go around in January and ask my fellow employees to give me their previous year's calendar. Many did so.
Our local nature center holds a fund raiser that sells recycled calendar envelopes among other recycled crafts. I have templates for making my own envelopes. I have re-wettable glue for envelope closures.
So this week, I was at the local mall, trolling for half-price 2007 calendars. As I looked at many of them, I noticed a sentence on the back cover.
The removal or reuse of these pages is strictly prohibited.Well.
My mind tried to wrap itself around the many facets of copyright law and licensing and ownership and all. I frequent the websites of Lisa Vollrath and she is quite rightly protective of her designs and ideas.
She has made me wary of posting the ATCs I have received, for that is a photographic reproduction of someone else's work. I mentioned the posting when I sent the invitation, but Lisa's website advises that I should have written permission from each artist (whether or not they consider themselves artists) before posting their work on my site. Cumbersome, but I understand.
Part of my love of collage is putting together new ideas, joining two items in a new way, for a new point of view or a new statement. It seems odd to me to buy a booklet of reproduced ephemera to use in my art when I could have some actual ephemera. Found items.
Does it apply to art that I would sell? The I would give away? That I keep for only myself but post? That I make and keep to myself? This is yet another arena where technology is growing faster than ethics and law can keep up.
So now, calendars are expressly forbidding purchasers/possessors from altering they images for other purposes. Better they go to a landfill than to have another life. Did I buy the rights to enjoy the images and use the date tracking, but not the right to use that image?
In many cases, yes. I have the shed pages of an old page-a-day calendar with the art of Mary Engelbreit. It is easy to see that I cannot legally, ethically take a page of her art, trim it, glue it to an ATC, and call it mine. But if I start with her art, add glitter glue, a phrase from a magazine, a sticker from the teacher store. Now, is it my art? Legally, no. According to Lisa's site, I am using copyrighted images in my art. Even to make it for my own enjoyment on a wall in my house.
If the copyright expires, then it is a public domain image. Lisa takes many public images bought at flea markets and such, I assume, and tweaks them, gathers them, arranges them, and sells the collection as her own art. Her own work created that collection of found/purchased images.
Ron at Big Happy Funhouse also posts photos he has found or bought. Photos by ordinary people of ordinary things and everyday life events. Does his posting mean that he now owns the images? His cropping makes it his? Can I use an image from his site in art work of my own?
I was taken aback and disappointed in the announcement on the 2007 calendars. I can see that the artists and publishers want to preserve their rights to the images, but that restricts me in the art I want to do. Better that it is put in a landfill than put on a card.
I can still use my own art in my collages. Doodles, painted backgrounds, test printed from Word in a fun font (do fonts have copyrights?). Can I take text from a magazine? From a 1992 Harlequin romance? Very complicated.
I don't have the answers. But I would like to hear how it looks from your neck of the woods.
Saturday, December 16, 2006
One sheet bowl / box
This is my other long trip origami, making snack bowls for the kids. These boxes also work well for holding scraps when I am trimming papers for art projects.
In each direction fold the paper in half and in half again. This will give you sixteen parts as shown, four rows and four columns.
Fold the top and bottom short sides into the middle.
Press the edges flat. The gap should be in the middle, running from side to side.
Take one corner and fold it so that the bottom edge is aligned with the quart fold. The top of this new triangle will *not* meet up with the center. That is more than okay, it is the big secret.
Do the same to the other four corners, folding them just to where the bottom edge touches a vertical quarter fold.
Take the the little strip of paper that stick above the corner fold, and fold it down towards you, right where the corner is. You will trap the two corners under this fold.
Do the same to the other side. This "trapping" of the corner folds prevents the box from falling open while in use.
Slide your fingers into the pocket under the little folded strip, on both sides. Gently lift your fingers. The sides you are touching will move apart and start to stand up like a box. The sides you are not touching will start to move closer together and stand up like a box.
Crease the corners and around the bottom.There is your new little box.
In each direction fold the paper in half and in half again. This will give you sixteen parts as shown, four rows and four columns.
Fold the top and bottom short sides into the middle.
Press the edges flat. The gap should be in the middle, running from side to side.
Take one corner and fold it so that the bottom edge is aligned with the quart fold. The top of this new triangle will *not* meet up with the center. That is more than okay, it is the big secret.
Do the same to the other four corners, folding them just to where the bottom edge touches a vertical quarter fold.
Take the the little strip of paper that stick above the corner fold, and fold it down towards you, right where the corner is. You will trap the two corners under this fold.
Do the same to the other side. This "trapping" of the corner folds prevents the box from falling open while in use.
Slide your fingers into the pocket under the little folded strip, on both sides. Gently lift your fingers. The sides you are touching will move apart and start to stand up like a box. The sides you are not touching will start to move closer together and stand up like a box.
Crease the corners and around the bottom.There is your new little box.
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