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Archive for the ‘Art and Crafts’ Category

Friday’s Fresh Five! (1/30/15)

Posted in About me, Art and Crafts, Creativity, Helping Others, inspiration, Parenting, Photography, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 30, 2015| Leave a Comment »

January, 30, 2015 Edition My camera lens focuses on the distant reaches of my backyard. Trying to capture an image of a particular bird, I’ve been sitting motionless on a rock for about 10 minutes. I sense movement to my right and turn my head to see a squirrel perched on a nearby rock. The squirrel sits and stares at me as if to say, “What about me? Aren’t you going to take my picture?” I chuckle and say out loud, “Well, if you give me a smile, I’ll take your picture too.” Lo and behold, the squirrel smiles.

#1 – Connections Between Man and Nature
Artwork by Elicia Edijanto Indonesian artist Elicia Edijanto creates simple, yet emotional juxtapositions of humans and nature. More specifically, her delicate black and white watercolor paintings portray connections between children and animals. There is a certain vulnerability displayed in her work – not just that of the children, but also that of the majestic animals. Check out Striking Black-and-White Watercolors Depict Children and Wild Animals to see examples of her work.

#2 – Developing Gratitude
Squirrel in Tree Living a life of gratitude keeps me in the present. One of the things that I am grateful for right now is having the time and the wherewithal to pursue my hobbies – like sitting and photographing wildlife in my backyard. I appreciate that to do so is a luxury not afforded to everyone. What are you grateful for? Developing an attitude of gratitude does not come easy to everyone. If you need a little help, read 5 Ways to Cultivate an Attitude of Gratitude to get you thinking and start the process.

#3 – 36 Questions
36 Questions The title of an article in Psychology Today Want to Get Closer to Your Partner? Try These 36 Questions is slightly misleading. Sure, if you were to ask your partner any of the questions from the three sets of 12 questions, you would learn more about him/her and possibly become closer. But, I think the 36 questions are good thought-provoking questions that would shed light on anyone you want to know better – a friend, a co-worker, your children, etc. Try answering some of the questions yourself. Maybe in the process, you’ll learn something about yourself that you didn’t realize before. To provide you with a brief preview, here are the first questions from each set:

Set 1, Question 1: Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?

Set 2, Question 13: If a crystal ball could tell you the truth about yourself, your life, the future, or anything else, what would you want to know?

Set 3, Question 25: Make 3 true “we” statements each. For instance ‘We are both in this room feeling … “

#4 – Valentine’s Day Food and Crafts
41 Heart-Shaped DIYs To Actually Get You Excited For Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day brings smiles to the faces of so many people. In a little over two weeks that special day will be here. For inspiration, take a look at these 41-Heart-Shaped DIYS to Get You Excited For Valentine’s Day and let the fun begin!

#5 – A Smile Is . . .
“A smile is happiness you’ll find right under your nose.”
Tom Wilson

“Smile, it is the key that fits the lock of everybody’s heart.”
Anthony J. D’Angelo

“A smile is a curve that sets everything straight.”
Phyllis Diller

“Today, give a stranger one of your smiles. It might be the only sunshine he sees all day.”
Quoted in P.S. I Love You, compiled by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Now go and spread joy!

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Friday’s Fresh Five! (1/23/15)

Posted in About me, Art and Crafts, Creativity, Entertainment, Environment and Ecology, Gardening, Health, inspiration, Photography, Travel, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 23, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Dandelion Waiting patiently in the gentle breeze, the white hair-like tufts of salsify plants sway to and fro. Suddenly, a perfect gust of wind releases them from their mother plant and they float effortlessly in the air, promising to fulfill their destinies. We are each blown to the “wind” to discover and create our own destinies.

#1 – Award-Winning Photos
Astonishing Award-Winning Photographs of 2014 To be in the right place at the right time and to be able to capture something extraordinarily special with a camera is what many photographers live for. I have an appreciation for photographers who travel, because through them the rest of us can see the world. Here are The Most Astonishing Photos That Won Awards in 2014.

#2 – One Piece of Advice
Advice That Changed Experts Lives Getting advice from fitness, nutrition, and health pros is interesting, but learning about what specific advice helped them the most is even more interesting. Check out We Asked 25 Experts for the One Piece of Advice That’s Changed Their Life the Most.

#3 – Another Tile Game
2048 Tile Game Take a break from what you are doing and play a game. Stand up, stretch, and be ready to sharpen your brain. A little while back, I linked to the K Tile Game. Now, I have discovered its numeral soul mate in the form of the 2048 Tile Game. Click on the link to play. Using the arrow keys on your keypad, manipulate the numbers in the grid so that similar numbers can touch and then merge. The goal is to get to the 2048 tile. Warning: this game is more challenging than the K Tile Game.

#4 – Mixing Reality With Fantasy
Realistic and Fantastical Art by Rob Gonsales When a realistic painting style collides with fantasy elements, you get the intriguing artwork of Rob Gonsales, a Canadian artist.

#5 – Let It Be
“There’s nowhere you can be that isn’t where you’re meant to be . . . .”
John Lennon

Now go and spread joy!

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Friday’s Fresh Five! (1/16/15)

Posted in About me, Art and Crafts, Creativity, Entertainment, inspiration, Recycling, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 16, 2015| 3 Comments »

IMG_0275 Book Stack -T What do the books laying around your home reveal about you? Plenty. Are you a romantic, a gardener, a do-it-yourself-type of person? Looking at this short stack of my books, can you tell that I read books about history, like to cook, love dogs, collect books just for their titles and don’t like to clean my house, worship well-written classics, pretend that I can read French, and search for nuggets of wisdom?

#1 – Characteristics of Book Lovers
19 Things Only Book Lovers Will Understand This week a friend and I found we shared similar tendencies when we are around books, such as in libraries and book stores. Both of us lovingly run fingers down book spines and both of us enjoy feeling the heft of books in our hands. Odd you say? I think you would be surprised how many other book lovers do the same things. Check out the 19 Things Only Book Lovers Will Understand and see if you recognize any of the traits in yourself or in someone you know.

#2 – Searching For A Book?
Searching For Old Books If there’s an old book or a book out of print that you really want to get your hands on, consider searching for it on AddALL. I searched for several books on the site and within 20 seconds pages of sources appeared. You can also search AddALL for other things such as books in print and ebooks.

#3 – Ikea Versus Apple
While on the subjects of books, this Ikea ad is just too tongue-in-cheek for me not to share it:

#4 – DIY Creative Chandeliers
29 Magnificent Chandeliers Made Out of Crazy things To all the people who think, “What if . . . ,” please don’t ever stop thinking that way. The world needs your creative and outside-the-box way of looking at things. To that point here are 29 Magnificent Chandeliers Made Out of Crazy Things. Some are made from pages of books, plastic bottles, waxed paper, zip ties, etc. These projects would be even better, if they are fashioned out of re-purposed goods.

#5 – Reading Outside the Box
“If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.”
Haruki Murakami

Now go and spread joy!

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From Old Sweater to New Beanie Cap

Posted in About me, Art and Crafts, Creativity, Kids, Recycling, Style and fashion, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 13, 2015| 2 Comments »

Beanie Cap Made From a Sweater The model napped during the construction and fitting of the garment, so a giraffe graciously stepped in to help. What? After using a sweater to make a Christmas stocking last month, I wanted to learn additional ways to reuse old sweaters. I searched for ideas online and found the site Make It and Love It, which had some cute examples. Making a “sweater” cap is easy. By the time my granddaughter woke up from her nap, I’d fashioned a beanie cap for her. It’s a little large for her right now, but it looks great on the giraffe. I’m going to make an argyle cap tomorrow. Hopefully the model will be awake!

How to Transform a Sweater into a Beanie Cap

MATERIALS
Old sweater with ribbing at the bottom
Paper and pen for pattern
Thread
Pins
Scissors
Sewing machine

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Using an existing hat that fits, flatten it out and place it on a piece of paper. Trace around the perimeter of the hat with a pencil or pen. Draw a 1/4″ seam allowance alongside the first outline. Cut out the pattern.

2. Lay the sweater on a flat surface and place the pattern on top of it. The bottom edge of the pattern should be flush with the bottom edge of the sweater hem/ribbing. Pin pattern in place. Cut around the pattern making sure to cut through both layers of the sweater. Note: In this photo, I used the half of a sweater leftover from the Christmas stocking project. That’s why the sweater looks so narrow. Using an old sweter to make a hat

3. To make the bow feature, cut an additional piece of sweater at least 1.5 inches longer than the width of the base of the beanie and about 3 to 4 inches tall.

4. Cut a smaller piece for the center of the bow.

5. Fold each bow piece in half lengthwise with right sides touching. Sew 1/8″ seams. Turn both pieces right side out. Place the small piece around the center of the long piece, making sure all seams are facing towards the back. Pin together and stitch the small piece as close to long piece as possible. Cut off excess length on the short piece. Turning an Old Sweater Into a Beanie Cap

6. Lay one of the cap pieces right side up on a flat surface. Place the constructed bow on top of it, making sure it is centered and the seam side is down. Pin it in place. Place the other cap piece right side down on top of the bow and pin all three layers together. Sew all layers together using a 1/4″ seam allowance. Trim excess bow fabric that sticks out beyond the seam. Making a beanie cap from an old sweater

7. Turn beanie cap right side out. Embellish with button, if desired.

LINNELL’S NOTES
1. I don’t have a serger, so I used a stretch stitch on my sewing machine. Working with a cable knit was more difficult for a first-time attempt. I recommend experimenting with a smooth knit first.

2. If you don’t want to include the bow feature, just omit the steps related to bow construction and placement.

Enjoy!

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Friday’s Fresh Five! (12/19/14)

Posted in About me, Art and Crafts, Creativity, Gift Ideas, Helping Others, Holidays, Husbands, inspiration, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 19, 2014| Leave a Comment »

December 19, 2014 Edition Holidays bring cherished memories, family traditions, favorite foods, festive decorations, and opportunities to gather together. This is true across the world. Hanging this wreath on my front door is a holiday tradition for my family. The wreath was made by my husband and is the only example of his woodworking skills. With angels gloriously sending out stars of hope and joy to all who see it, Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas for my family without this lovely wreath adorning our door.

#1 – Delicious Pancakes!
21 Delicious Pancake Recipes If your holiday morning traditionally includes serving pancakes for breakfast, you might want to check out these 21 Crazy Delicious Pancake Recipes. You’ll be hard-pressed to pick a favorite.

#2 – Gift In a Jar
96 Great Homemade Gift in a Jar Recipes If you are in need of last minute gifts, look no further than your kitchen cabinet. Just find an empty jar and make one of the 96 Great Homemade Gift In A Jar projects.

#3 – Knitting With Glass
Artist Carol Milne Knits With Glass Traditionally, knitting involves the use of some sort of fiber. Artist Carol Milne “knits” with glass. She developed a technique that uses glass to create knitted sculptures. Pieces of her artwork are as delicate and intricate as some of the finest fiber-knitted goods.

#4 – Helping the Homeless

Homeless People: Do You Just Walk on By? If you see me walkin’ down the street
And I start to cry each time we meet
Walk on by, walk on by
Make believe that you don’t see the tears
Just let me grieve in private ’cause each time I see you
I break down and cry, I cry
– Dionne Warwick

Using the lyrics to a song as an introduction to her article “Homeless People: Do You Just ‘Walk on By‘”?, writer Pam Bailey reports on the changing numbers of homeless people, on the dilemma of whether to give them money or not, and on alternative ways to help them.

#5 – Make It Part of Our Daily Lives
“All major religious traditions carry basically the same message, that is love, compassion and forgiveness . . . the important thing is they should be part of our daily lives.” Dalai Lama

Now go and spread joy!

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Friday’s Fresh Five! (12/12/14)

Posted in About me, Art and Crafts, Creativity, Entertainment, Helping Others, Holidays, inspiration, Parenting, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 12, 2014| Leave a Comment »

December 12, 2014 Edition With a pretty red bow tied around its neck, a ukelele sits under my Christmas tree waiting for nimble fingers to strum it and voices to sing along with it. My husband rarely asks for anything for Christmas, but this year he wants a ukelele. He wants to be able to sing songs to our new granddaughter. On Christmas morning, wrapping paper and ribbons will be strewn all over and there will be food aplenty. More memorably, though, music, love, and laughter will fill the air.

#1 – Sing Along!
Sing Along “Singing is not about being a star or knowing how to do it well. It’s about enjoying the gift of our voices and sharing them with others,” says Tania De Jong, an Australian singer and global speaker. In her article, 10 Reasons to Make Singing Your Happiness Drug and her TEDx Talk, she presents compelling reasons why singing is good for our brains and for our happiness. She also adds, “And it’s free, because we all have a voice!”

#2 – Christmas Decorating Ideas
Stylish and Easy DIY Holiday Home Decor ideascor Candle holders made from wine glasses and snow made from salt are just two of the clever ideas found in 23 Stylish and Easy DIY Home Decor Ideas. Just more examples of creative people letting their voices be heard.

#3 – Creatively Wired
Chicken Wire Art Chicken wire is not your average art medium, but some creative people around the world use it to make incredible three-dimensional artwork. Click the link to check out amazing examples of chicken wire sculptures.

#4 – Life Lessons From Children’s Books
Life Lessons from Children's Books Don’t underestimate what kids can learn from reading children’s books, or adults for that matter. Some phrases from favorite children’s book characters continue to teach us life lessons. Interesting Life Lessons, Adults Can Learn From Children’s Books contains a nice collection of quotes to revisit.

#5 – Be Part of the Choir
“A choir is made up of many voices, including yours and mine. If one by one all go silent then all that will be left are the soloists. Don’t let a loud few determine the nature of the sound. It makes for poor harmony and diminishes the song.”
― Vera Nazarian, The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration

Now go and spread joy!

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Friday’s Fresh Five! (11/28/14)

Posted in About me, Art and Crafts, Creativity, Entertainment, Environment and Ecology, Holidays, In The Kitchen, inspiration, Kids, Recycling, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 28, 2014| Leave a Comment »

November 28, 2014 Edition The demolished turkey platter sits pitifully on the table. People, who once engaged in lively conversation, sit in food comas with their pants unbuttoned. The Thanksgiving feast is a thing of the past. But wait! One more course has yet to be served. Out from the kitchen comes the pièce de résistance, a sterling silver platter carrying an assortment of wishbones. Go ahead and take one. Surely, after a day of giving thanks, there must be one more wish you’d like to make.

#1 – Wish For A Greener Lifestyle
If you wish for a greener planet, you need to consider the amount of trash you dispose of on a daily basis. Inspiration for changing to a greener lifestyle and ideas on ways to reduce your trash output can be found at Zero Waste Home.

#2 -Storytelling
Pixar's 22 Rules to Phenominal Storytelling Oh, the tales I will spin for my granddaughter Charlotte. Since all children love to be told bedtime stories, I look forward to the time when Charlotte is old enough to snuggle up to me and say, “Grandma, please tell me a story.”  I’ll smile and recite a little story of my own creation, written especially for her. If you would like to do the same for your children or grandchildren, Pixar’s 22 Rules to Phenomenal Storytelling will give your storytelling ability a boost.

#3 – Holiday Garlands
24 Christmas Garland Tutorials Crank up the holiday music and let the decorating begin! Check out these 24 Christmas Garland Tutorials and before you know it, you’ll be singing, crafting, and wishing you had more areas in your home to decorate.

#4 – Baking Substitutions
Do you ever wish your local grocery store were just a little closer? The holiday baking season can be stressful, particularly if you are all set to prepare something and discover you are missing an ingredient. Before you dash out to the market, check out this infographic featured on Fine Dining Lovers or check out this link to Baking and Cooking Ingredient Substitution Chart from What’s Cooking America. A Guide to Cooking and Baking Substitutions

#5 – Wish
“We all have our own life to pursue, our own kind of dream to be weaving, and we all have the power to make wishes come true, as long as we keep believing.”
Louisa May Alcott

Now go and spread joy!

 

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Friday’s Fresh Five! (11/21/14)

Posted in About me, Art and Crafts, Creativity, Holidays, inspiration, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 21, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Tall Shadows Long shadows stretch across the pavement. My legs appear to go on forever and I look model-like-tall. Thanks to the angle of the sun, my image is being granted temporary height. The illusion is fun to look at, but I know the real way to “stretch” myself is from the inside out.

#1 – Stretch of Imagination
Fairy Doors Do you believe in fairies? Well, if you ask folks in Ann Arbor, Michigan, some of them might just point out tiny front doors of fairy homes to prove they exist. While remodeling his home, author Jonathan B. Wright secretly installed fairy doors, much to the delight of his daughters. Years later, fairy doors popped up in public areas such as restaurants, shops, offices, and a library. Each tiny door tends to mimic the style of the host building or is an exact replica. Some doors even allow glimpses into interior spaces. What started out as a surprise for Mr. Wright’s daughters has become a public art installation. To see examples of these “urban-fairy” doors, click here.

#2 – Decorating a Thanksgiving Table
Decorating Your Thanksgiving Table When it comes to decorating your dining table for Thanksgiving, do you favor a minimalist or an ornate style? Either way, the article Gen X Vs. Millenials: Thanksgiving Table offers helpful tips on how to decorate your table for the holiday.

#3 – Stretching Your Dollar
Advent Calendar Don’t mind me if I jump from Thanksgiving to Christmas. With so many holiday projects to make, time is of the essence, especially if you are trying to stretch your money. Check out these creative ideas from Top 36 Simple and Affordable DIY Christmas Decorations.

#4 – Make It Count
Make It Count Make each day of your life count. This quote and 38 other powerful ones Will Change the Way You Live and Think.

#5 – Stretch Yourself
“What we think determines what happens to us, so if we want to change our lives, we need to stretch our minds.”
Wayne Dyer

Now go and spread joy!

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Friday’s Fresh Five! (11/7/14)

Posted in About me, Art and Crafts, Creativity, Entertainment, inspiration, Pets, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 7, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Friday's Fresh Five! November 7, 2014 Edition Breaking free from the safety of their branches, the autumn leaves gently tumble to the ground. Their slow fall to earth resembles a graceful dance as they float and swirl effortlessly in the air. Falling where they may, they create their own destiny.

#1 – Being Happy
Watching autumn leaves fall is a calming and peaceful activity. It was an activity that I often shared with my dog Romeo. Under clear blue skies, he would sit and watch leaves fall in our backyard. His head would move slightly, as his eyes tracked the flight of individual leaves. Stopping whatever I was doing, I would sit down next to him and together we would watch the dance of the leaves. A year ago this month, Romeo left my family forever. I pay tribute to him and all other nature-loving-falling-leaf admirers with this Snoopy cartoon. Happiness exists in simple things.Snoopy and autumn leaves

#2 – Go Dog, GoPro
What happens when you strap a GoPro camera device to a happy Labrador dog named Walter? Watch the video and find out.

#3 – Words To Add To Your Vocabulary
Words to Add to Your Vocabulary At last! There’s a perfect word to describe one of my tendencies. The word “tsundoku” sounds so much better than book-hoarding. Check out more interesting words in There’s a Word for That: 25 Expressions You Should Have In Your Vocabulary.

#4 – Decorating With $10 Worth Of Sharpies
Charlie Ktatzer's Sharpie Wall Art Surrounded by basic cream-colored walls, attorney Charlie Kratzer wanted to do something special; he wanted to decorate his basement and surround himself with cartoon drawings of some of his favorite cultural icons. Read more about his project and see a 360-degree tour of his wall-art here.

#5 – Take the Power
“This life is yours. Take the power to choose what you want to do and do it well. Take the power to love what you want in life and love it honestly. Take the power to walk in the forest and be a part of nature. Take the power to control your own life. No one else can do it for you. Take the power to make your life happy.”
Susan Polis Schutz

Now go and spread joy!

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Friday’s Fresh Five! (10/31/14)

Posted in Art and Crafts, Creativity, Helping Others, In The Kitchen, inspiration, Recipes, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 31, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Joy: Book Letters Everyday, moments of joy exist in your life. How many of them do you recognize and acknowledge? Joy doesn’t always hit you over the head and scream, “Hey you! This is what joy feels like!” A joyful moment does not have to be a profound moment. It can be as basic as sitting at the kitchen table with your family, as delightful as listening to a baby coo, or as serene as watching a bird soar overhead. As you go through each day, stop and identify things and moments that bring you joy, and be grateful for each and every one of them.

#1 – Kick-start Happiness
Don't Wait for Happiness Don’t wait for happiness to come to you. You must instigate your own happiness. There is no better way to start your week or everyday, for that matter, than being happy to be alive. In Kick-start Your Week With a Happiness Regimen, author Beth Kuhel suggests “easy ways to increase your happiness that don’t require anyone else’s input.”

#2 – Choose Wisely, Read Labels
If you are like me, after you read this infograph on fruit stickers, you’ll go into your kitchen and read as many fruit stickers as you can.
Information You Can Get From a Fruit Sticker

#3 – Cityscapes
McNabb Wood Cityscapes Sculptor James McNabb is familiar with wood-working. He used to make furniture. Now he’s into “sketching with a bandsaw.” He collects leftover scraps of wood from other artists, pieces them together, and saws them into intricate shapes to create fascinating wood cityscapes.

#4 – Sugar and Cookies and Bars, Oh My!
Can a delicious cookie bring you joy? Depends on just how delicious that cookie is, right? Maybe you’ll find a recipe for one on Tidy Mom’s post 10 Favorite Cookie and Bar Recipes. 10 Favorite Cookie and Bars Recipes

#5 – Choose Joy
“Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.”
Henri J.M. Nouwen

Now go and spread joy!

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