CRAFTING IN THE CLINK

My beloved late sister Ang would frequently threaten her children that she was going to commit a slightly heinous crime to get a much needed and well deserved break in prison.  So, somehow in one of our many random and brilliantly thought provoking conversations we somehow arrived at the conclusion that she may have been onto something.  Clearly, the biggest road block in the crafting world is free time.  You see where I am going... don’t you?  The fabrication of many creative license plates adds merit to this school of thought. I am thinking it needs to be taken to the next level.  Consider this for a moment.  Acquiring the skill of using mundane everyday objects to make something useful and beautiful requires a great amount of innovation and some willingness to let things that actually need to be done get moved to the tomorrow list once again. Nothing like some solitary confinement to give the brain the space it needs.  To be honest, I do question my ability to get myself into solitary confinement.  I was born to be a good girl. My unfortunate compulsion to follow rules with exactness, however, may be a be a blessing in disguise. I could be rewarded with greater access to the above mentioned everyday objects.  With time and good behavior I may even get clearance for brief supervised scissor visits.  Give me some slightly greying  white sheets, standard prison issued orange jumpsuit, and my place would sing with spring time! Martha Stewart’s cell would have nothin on my pad! 

ROB DOG

BLOCK 11 CELL 15

Don’t get me wrong I do believe there is clear evidence supporting the ideology that Prison could be a very productive place to craft.  I undeniably feel  a little solitary confinement could possibly induce a plethora of creative neurons firing into action.  The idea of being sentenced to 5-10 years of uninterrupted crafting is a no brainer.  Meals fully prepared, free internet, and large tables just yearning for glue, glitter, and gadgets makes for a  solid case.  I surely would have no problem trading  gum for glue sticks.  However,  the lack of sharp objects poses a conundrum in and of its self.  Unlike Robby, I am pretty sure I will not earn the coveted scissor time.  I also question the strength of my teeth to gnaw through prison issued textiles. The 50 thread count sheets, maybe, but have you seen those jumpsuits? I am pretty sure they are made from rough canvas.  I am also sure my mother would not be happy if I knowingly damaged my pearly whites that she invested a substantial chunk of money into.  Not only do I  without a doubt do my best work in stretchy pants, but orange is nowhere near my color pallet.  I do also have some concern as to how long before my inner monologue became my outer monologue, and eventually ending in a yard fight.   Productivity for sure would suffer with my eye swollen shut and a bruised hand.  But hey, you should she the other gal. 

 So, I have to say I am straddling the fence on this one. 

 But, not a the prison fence... that would for sure hurt.

BRIDGE DOG

BLOCK HIGH SECURITY

CELL  SOLITARY CONFINEMENT (AGAIN)

TO PIN OR NOT TO PIN

Not sure how many of you have heard about Pinterst.  I think it is like facebook, but for people who don't want to read.  I, myself, am drawn to the pretty pictures.  Before I was "allowed" into the club. (yes there is a waiting list) I wanted to pin everything, but now that I have my own boards I have become a
Pinterest Snob.  Not just anything is good enough to be on my board.  As I scan the boards of images in search of only superlative photos.  I can't help but pass some judgement on some of the stupid things others have 'Pinned', and ask myself "WHY?"  Why on earth would you waste not only the strength of clicking  the subpar icon,  but most of all....your creditability.  So with that ...I have made my own subpar icon and am very interested to see how many "Repins" it gets.  wish me luck!
BRIDGET

detailed pinwheel tutorial

I apologize for my delay at posting clearer instructions as per requested by my favorite follower.  ( Don’t be a hater.  Anyone can be in the running for my favorite, but you have to post things like Domestic Diva.)  To my credit I did do this last week to find it didn’t actually post.  Third time is a charm right?

Take your square piece of paper and draw an X corner to corner.  In the center draw another X about 1”. ( I have used marker for tutorial purposes only.)  

Cut down large X stopping at small X.  

Poke small hole at every other corner and center of small X.

From here take brad ( I have used poky thing for tutorial purpose only) and poke through one of the corner holes from the outside of paper.  Continue until you have all four corners together as in 3rd photo.  

Then, continue by pushing brad through center of small X and securing tabs.

Finally, hot glue pinwheel to dowel or run ribbon through it for pinwheel garland.  If you want pinwheel to twirl then use thumbtack instead of brad and push partially through wooden dowel.

Yes, I do exist! And I DO create!

So, ok yeah, I have thus far been content to let my friend Bridget monopolize this blog. Well, sometimes that's what friends do ya know? It's not like she has been casually trying to mention it every once in a while that WE really need to get going on our blog or anything. Truth be told (insert whisper here) she just really likes to have the spotlight all to herself. Ok so maybe I  have been a tiny bit intimidated by her humorous posts and her obvious talent and intellect in the crafting department. But hey, I have to remind myself that I am usually involved in those great projects and I do happen to give her some of her humorous material. The fact is that I am one of those people that are much funnier (I think that is officially a word now) when I have someone to get me started. My Krazy friends get going on a subject and, if I am tired enough or if I have had enough diet pepsi, I can actually be funny. Just the other day I cracked myself up all alone in my room even! Oh, wait....I don't think I was supposed to share that until my next therapy session! In the DIY world I can actually hold my own too. I (ok, we) have actually been known to produce some fabulous cupcake towers for a couple of beautiful weddings. I have posted the above evidence to prove it. Please don't hesitate to leave some great comments to boost my self esteem so that I am able to rid myself of my blogging inhibitions and give you people full access to my dimentia! Check back to monitor my progress. You won't regret it! K, I have to go call her and have her read this to make sure it is good enough to post!


BUTTON, BUTTON WHO'S GOT A BUTTON??

US!!!

I know what you are thinking "What's the big deal with getting a grab button?"  For us it was a mountain to cross.  Yes we are crafting genius', but computer programers... not so much.  Thanks to team work and ok Roby's  'Beautiful Mind'  we now have a button.  Once again, proving to ourselves...."We can totally do that!"

So GRAB OUR BUTTON .   no seriously grab it.  DO IT! 

SPRING INEXPENSIVE CENTERPIECE

Ya know how after a 12 hour shift scraping dime size pieces of wallpaper off of the In-Laws house, you come home and just have the urge to make a pinwheel?   No??  Ya me neither.  Truth be told... I as always, for good reason I am sure, had procrastinated getting my centerpieces done.  I owed one of my BFF's several crafting IOU's.  She had the wonderful opportunity of being in charge of our church's women's night.  Which then gave me the wonderful opportunity to be her big helper.  I know what you are thinking...How could they be so lucky?
Yaddy, Yaddy, Yaddy...on March 23, at 3:00 a.m. my pinwheel centerpiece was born.
(Early too may I add?  They really didn't need to be done until 10:00 a.m. that morning)

*Table runners are wrapping paper ($2 per roll) we cut to size (FYI: make sure you double check size of paper and size of tables)
*Green plate  ($1)
*6 glass vases I had just waiting to get out of their bubble wrap once I remembered where I had put all of them.
*misc. items flowers, ribbon, and tulle
*cutest stinking pinwheels you have ever seen

Let's get started....
1.

~ I first painted my wooden dowels and a few brads with Lavender. FYI:  Lavender is the new Pink!
wooden dowels and paint can be found at your local Hardware store.  I prefer ACE Hardware because I  get everything at cost.  You should also because they are voted #1 for customer service. :)

2.

~ While they are drying.... cut your second favorite paper into squares. (Not your very favorite paper because that paper is just too cute to ever use.  You know what paper I am talking about.)   If you are like me and only have one sided paper  then use spray on adhesive to adhere papers back to back.

3.

4.  Take all of your squares 4X4, 6X6, 8X8, 12X12 are the sizes that I used.  (smaller than 4x4 is difficult to work with.)
~ Make an 'X'  by drawing 2  lines from corner to corner
~ cut on lines leaving about a 1" square in center.
                                             

~Using a matching brad.. poke a hole in every other corner, connecting 4 out of the 8 triangular corners.  Then push brad through center.  It is easier if you pre-poke holes with a large needle or one of those poky things like in photo above.

~ hot glue pinwheel to painted wooden dowel

5.

~  I use styrofoam chunks to hold things into place.  "Why?" you ask.  A) "Why not? "   B) because I have pieces laying around from another project  C) because it's 3:00 a.m. and I am running out of time, options, and patience.  Your answer?  (insert Jeopardy music here)
Answer: ( D )   A-C  are all true.

~ Add ribbon and/or flowers to dress up outside of vases.  Then add some of your tulle leaving space on top of styrofoam to push dowels in.  Make sure wooden dowels are at different heights and you should use an odd amount whenever you are grouping items.  Push pinwheels into styrofoam then fill with more tulle as you like.

6.  Assemble on table, then, sit back and enjoy.

PHEW! Done!  well not quite.  Now, what are you gonna do with over 30 pinwheels?  WAIT!!!  Yes, I have an idea.  Imagine that...

Next Tutorial.....
Bring it on home
Bridget