Villain, I Have Done Thy Mother!

Guh

2010-11-04T08:18:00.000-07:00

I haven't disappeared or dropped this project, I've just been swamped with school and a bunch of crap I have to do outside of that for my (non-school) housing requirements, so the ball may not get rolling again until the new year. The few readers I do have, keep checking back!

The Gift of Rock

2010-09-04T12:00:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the gap in posting. I haven't had much energy, what with getting classes set up and other time-consuming junk. (Yes, that's right, college. Shut up.)

Eitherhoo, here's a small project post - DIY guitar picks. I ran across this idea by chance while searching for something else. Since Sarah is always whining about one thing or another about learning the guitar - namely refusing to even try to begin learning unless she has every accessory under the sun to go with it - I decided to have her help me tackle at least one obstacle - guitar picks. Why go out and spend money on tiny hunks of plastic when you have them lying around your house? (Usually ready to go in the trash.) Who among us doesn't have an empty gift card lying around the house?

SUPPLIES:
guitar pick (for template)
empty/expired gift cards (without upraised numbers)
permanent marker (fine tip)
scissors (regular size; tiny ones hurt your hand.)
sand paper (we used a sanding sponge)
Goo Gone (to remove residue from any stickers/labels that might be present)

We happened to have seven, which makes 35 picks when laid out like this, 5 picks per card:

All cut out, they look roughly like this. The tutorial I found used old credit cards with the upraised numbers, but I think this would rub your fingers funny after prolonged use.

Take your sand sponge and refine the edges until they are smooth and have a slope on either side. It creates a nice visual effect on certain ones.. (Left is before sanding, right is after.)

Round Top Antique Week?

2010-08-23T23:59:00.000-07:00

Y'know, I've lived in this part of the state for two years now, and I have not yet been to do two things everyone around here does. a) Tour the Blue Bell Ice Cream factory, and b) Round Top Antique Week, roughly Sep 22 through Oct 3 this year.

I think I shall do the latter this year. Drag Rob and Sarah along. Even if we don't buy anything, I can certainly get a trunkful of ideas and pics to bring back. Hit all the hot spots, namely the big dog - Marburger Farm. And then they have this thing called the Junk Gypsy Prom or some such...I do have a dashingly frou-frou steampunk-ish shirt that I have nowhere else to wear, and bottlecaps to bedeck myself with...

Project: Deco address plaque

2010-08-23T23:30:00.000-07:00

While searching for art deco designs for a file cabinet I'm doing (pics to be posted as soon as I get on those touch-ups...it's about 80% done) I ran across this piece and wanted a similar one of my own.

stoneengravings.co.uk

Materials:

Wooden plaque
Picture hanging kit (eye hooks, wire, and hanging brackets incl.)
acrylic paint (black & metallic silver)
Free font - "Sesame"

Overall cost = $6
Perks = extra wire and hooks for future projects; speedier pizza delivery
Drawbacks = makes a knocking noise when the wind gets up, but can only be heard when outside

Rental or not, I didn't feel confident drilling into the brick to mount it. Rob had the idea of wire, so I hung it over a lip inside the flap of the (unused) mailbox. I wish I could show the whole thing, but I don't exactly fancy a home invasion anytime soon...but I had to at least show off that purty "O" I made, slightly different from the reference font by a lucky paintbrush slip.

Skeletons Don't Dance (But Mummies Do)

2010-08-17T22:59:00.000-07:00

Well, since I went shopping instead of doing projects today, here's one of my favorite Old Tyme cartoons, Disney's Silly Symphony Series' "The Skeleton Dance" from 1929.

An almost complete ripoff, here's a Columbia Pictures Color Rhapsody, "The Skeleton Frolic" from 1937. It's in color, more frames per second, and lots of angles and stuff - but to me it's more flat-out creepy in places (especially the tree thing at the beginning) than cute-creepy. It has the same building design as Skeleton Dance, same sight gags, animation patterns (the rooster, the weird horse formation near the end).

Here's a similar Silly Symphony, "Egyptian Melodies" from 1931. Notice the similar "sweep" dance move. I also love the cute little butt flaps on the mummies.

Vintage pencil case

2010-08-16T15:11:00.000-07:00

Here's a fun post - I finally got Rob on the closet cleaning bandwagon and lo and behold, I found one of my favorite keepsakes stashed with his stuff! This is a funky little pencil box I've had as long as I can remember. If I remember right, it's something my mother had or found - it seems to be from her generation, at least. It's an old metal pencil case with some cute little cartoon animals on it. No date, no writing on the front or back, and a lovely gold color on the inside.. It reads "Swallow Pencils" with an apporpriately themed logo, and says Made In China, so I presume the foreign characters are Chinese. I tried a quick search for this company or similar products, but all I find are pencil cases with swallow-bird designs (all modern) or what to do if you swallow a pencil (ouch). The scrapes on it are actually teeth marks; as a small child, I liked the taste of metal things and would gnaw or suck on them, much to my mother's fear.

If anyone can find this box, others from this company, or any info about the company, please share!

Cherry-Poppin' Post

2010-08-15T13:03:00.000-07:00

This is mostly just to say hello and not make the place look so empty! I am working on finishing a handful of projects that I've got in progress so I can have something to show. Meanwhile I'll work on a photo tour of the household knicknacks and comb around for past projects and cool ideas.

This isn't just a showing-off blog, I will definitely need advice from time to time - plants, shopping locales, materials, methods, colors, etc. So keep an eye out - you may be able to fill in the gaps. I'll also show off other people's show-offs too! :D

In the meantime, here's a picture of a lady with a giant crab hat.