Day Fourteen: whiteboard

In my room presently I have a very nice setup that I got the idea for from a friend of mine. I have two white boards and two bulletin boards side-by-side (bulletin/whiteboard on top, whiteboard/bulletin on bottom), screwed into the wall. It keeps me very organized. The problem with this is that I can't take them with me, because I'd create giant holes in the wall where the screws were, and also I've painted my room since I put them in so there would be a large navy blue square where the boards used to be. I could have perhaps gone out and bought something similar for my new apartment, but then I saw this at paper n stitch and thought it was BRILLIANT. Especially since I have a million Ikea poster frames that are sitting around doing nothing.

Materials:
- picture/poster frame, any size (I got mine at Ikea, but you can probably just use any)
- some kind of fancy backing, paper or fabric or something (I used my awesome damask scrapbook paper)
- paper cutter
- tape
- I didn't use a ruler, but it might work out better if you did

Before I started, I made a small mark in the corner of the plastic part of the frame, waited a couple of hours, and then erased it to see if it would erase. I am so proud of myself for thinking ahead like this. It did erase, but I found that it erased better if I let it dry fully than if I made a mark and erased it immediately. This may hold true for all whiteboards and I've never noticed up until now.

So, the first step was deciding which of the 180 sheets of damask paper I wanted to use. This was a very tough decision. I made sure to choose the least-busy ones, because the words on the whiteboard needed to be the first thing seen, not the pattern.

I narrowed it down to the bottom-right pink or the bottom-middle green/blue, then tried to fill the frame to see what it would look like. This wasn't really effective, because I only have three sheets of each pattern, and I didn't want to cut them up before I knew they would be right. 

I ended up going with this one, because I didn't have any secondary colors that would look good with the pink. I used the cardboard backing as a guide to how to cut the paper - it is at this point that I think you should use a ruler. Basically two sheets side-by-side and then a third chopped in half makes an even rectangle shape.

Then I used solid yellow to fill up the rest of the frame - ideally I would have had enough damask paper to do this without the other colour, but I didn't want to buy anything new for this project. I measured the yellow paper against the cardboard backing for the frame, folded to indicate where I should cut, and then cut.

Then I turned it over so the white side of all this was facing me, and taped it all together so it matched up with the cardboard, stuck it in, and closed the whole thing up.

Super easy. In the words of the website I found the link to this project on, "Let's all kick ourselves now for not thinking of this sooner."

It would probably look better without the yellow border, but I really wanted to use that paper for it. Maybe I'll get a smaller frame the next time I'm at Ikea, so it will fit perfectly. Also, I'm going to paint the frame, I'm just not sure what colour yet. So between that and the laptop bag, I have two unfinished projects on the go. Way to be productive.

Day Fourteen Highlights: success again!, lovely damask paper, stealing good ideas from friends.

Day Fourteen Lowlights: not quite having enough paper, starting things and not finishing them.

Tomorrow: probably I should finish the two things I have left unfinished. We'll see.

Day Thirteen: laptop bag continued

Well, I had grand plans for the laptop bag today, which included adding velcro and a flap to disguise the gross top. I got to the flap part, and then didn't feel like it anymore, so I quit before I screwed something up. This bag-making stuff is hard work requiring focus, you guys. Anyway, here's what I've done.

I'll do the rest tomorrow or something.

But now, an UPDATE on non-menswear stupid bunny! I'd originally planned to use it for comfort in Campbell River, but it's so stinking ugly that I needed to rethink. So I gave it to my dog.

He really liked it at first.

Then he became disinterested, probably on account of shoddy craftsmanship and sheer unattractiveness.

And then I tried to take it away and he wanted it back. So that's where it is right now.

Day Thirteen Highlights: the material for my laptop bag, finding velcro in my closet, new toys for my dog.

Day Thirteen Lowlights: losing concentration, things that require focus.

Tomorrow: I think I might try making a whiteboard, or else some novel stuff. I grew attached to my novel whilst in Whistler and I kind of miss it.

Day Twelve: laptop bag

Hey guys, I know this is a day late; I did this yesterday, on actual Day Twelve, but right before I finished there was a bit of an emergency (non-craft related) and I was with someone at the hospital for quite some time. Everything's okay, but we had to wait around for 8 HOURS for tests. Boo hospitals. One of the ambulance ladies we passed whilst wandering the halls commented that Surrey Memorial is the slowest hospital of all time, which does not instill confidence when I think about where I would end up if I had an emergency. It was actually quite an interesting experience, capped off with a girl in handcuffs and her police escort, but you'll have to check my other blog for the details. :)

ANYWAY. So, laptop case. Previously, I've made fun of people who kept that little plastic sheet on their laptops to protect them, because I thought they looked nerdy. However, when I got my tiny laptop, and it came with a little plastic sheet, I left it on... and naturally got made fun of by all the people I had made fun of before. I didn't want it to get scratched when I shoved it in my purse with my keys! And then I realized that I should have something more to protect it, especially when I brought it to Whistler and my dad crammed it in the trunk because he forgot it was there even though I told him. So I am going to create a laptop case!

I saw plans for this on the internet somewhere, but when I got to thinking about it, how hard could it really be? It's just a rectangle, I don't need instructions. 

Materials:

- fabric (Value Village)

- foamy stuff I found in my garage that my dad uses to wrap his framed pictures in

- sewing machine

- ruler and pen to mark fabric (see, I've learned stuff! No more sharpie!)

The first thing I did was measure my teeny tiny laptop, to make sure I got the dimensions right. Then I drew a rectangle out on the fabric, and THEN I put my laptop on that rectangle and folded it over, just to make sure it would fit. 

Then I folded over the fabric and cut out one long rectangular piece - I was going to cut out two separate pieces, one for each side of the case, but thought I would have to do less sewing if I just made it a long piece, folded it over, and sewed up the edges. Does that make sense? Anyway, you'll see from the pictures.

I layered the fabric and the foamy stuff I found in my garage, with hopes that the foamy stuff would protect my laptop from various attacks. I pinned the three layers together in a few places, but I suggest you pin them together in LOTS of places, because my sewing ended up a little bit crooked and the fabric bunched up in some places. And also iron the fabric.

Then, I think because I was sewing too fast (as this machine is wont to do), the thread mysteriously disappeared and my mother had to come find it for me. And then, I accidentally sewed way off on an angle, so much so that my laptop would not be able to fit in the case anymore. So I had to yank it all out. Boo.

Then I sewed it properly, in a rectangle, but I made sure to leave space at the top to overlap the laptop, like a lid. I searched for a long time in my room for snaps I KNOW I bought a while ago, but I couldn't find them, so I think I'm going to close it with velcro. That'll be easier, anyway, for a lazy person such as myself. 

This is what I meant by folding it over. And also the previous folding over, at the bottom, so I only had to sew the sides. There's all sorts of bits sticking out on the edges, so I trimmed them, but I wasn't too worried because the next step is to flip the whole thing inside-out and stick a laptop inside!

So basically it's perfect. I'm amazing! Except that the top looks a bit rough, so before I buy the velcro, I'm going to sew on another layer of the same fabric to make it look more tidy. And, on the one side there's a bit of fabric that didn't quite make it in the sewing machine, but I'm either going to glue or hand-sew that part. Hey guys, I made a laptop case!

Day Twelve Highlights: success! and wonderful fabric I got for super cheap.

Day Twelve Lowlights: long waits at the hospital, losing thread in the sewing machine, untidy edges.

Tomorrow (which is actually today): adding a topper and velcro

Day Eleven: scarf

Hey guys, another lame-o craft post today. My default: scarf. Although this was not angry crocheting! Just sleepy crocheting. So I'll probably have to unravel and fix it tomorrow. We left Whistler this morning, and an hour after I got home I had to go to work, and I just got home from work. Too much stuff in a day to build something crafty, as much as I would like to.

Measurement at start: 120 cm

Measurement at stop: 125 cm

I know. But at least I did something, right? AND I figured out "AFTER THE JUMP," except not how to size it or anything, because it's really small and it says "Read More." So remember to read more guys, when you see that. The good stuff comes after you click that link. No highlights or lowlights, because nothing really happened and I am spent.

Tomorrow: laptop case! I hope, if I can find the snaps I KNOW I bought several years ago. I'll start it, at least, using that fabric I bought from Value Village on stupid senior's day. Right now I am going to sleep.

Day Ten: evil plan guide

I've just posted days seven through ten, so be sure to check back so you are caught up. I am awash with creativity right now.

Big decision day today! As I worked out several plot points and characters, I decided to scrap the ghosts. Even though it’s a completely unrealistic story, it’s not unrealistic in THAT respect. No other supernatural beings of any kind to make the ghosts fit. Also, I figured out how it’s going to end! Now I just need to research the physics aspect. And Google the names I have come up with for my characters to see if they already exist. (I learned that the hard way: I one time created a character named Trinity West, and thought to myself, "Man, that name sounds really good. It just flows!" Then I realized that it flowed because it was half the name of the university I went to. Sad face.)

Aside from figuring out the characters, everything has been kind of a random creativity barf, so I don’t know how to include a tidbit here to prove I have been creative today. Also, for those of you who read this feel free to comment on this issue: do you want me to spoil the ending? I don’t know if anyone is actually here for the writing, or just to laugh at me failing at crafts. If it doesn’t matter, I’ll just post whatever I come up with, but if it does, I’ll try to censor it to maintain intrigue. (Although I've already spoiled several major plot points, so I guess it can't be too much of a mystery anymore. But there are still some things you don't know! Mwa ha ha!)

Perhaps for today, I will put a developing scene from early on, post-kidnapping incident. (I’m not supposed to be developing scenes yet, but stuff is just coming into my brain and I don’t want to lose it, so I’m straying a bit from my plot a novel guide. Don’t tell.)

Day Nine: evil plan guide

So much success thus far! It makes my heart happy. I shall hold on to this feeling, and when I get home and try to sew something and then fail miserably, I will not despair because I am doing so well right now.

Minor characters:
- the man Greta is in love with
- 2 old ladies
- Duncan
- ghosts (3?) (ARE THERE GOING TO BE GHOSTS?)
- Ben’s parents
- Greta’s boss

1) Johnny McNoNameYet
- personality not evident
- generally pleasant; never complains about slow service or lousy weather or long lines
- frequents the sock-and-shoe store, always buys the exact same pair of shoes
- undercover agent
- never talks about his personality, only about the weather
- motivation: anonymity
- goal: infiltrate sock-and-shoe store
- conflict: lack of cooperation of store owners
- “he always introduces himself by his last name, like he’s James Bond.”

Day Eight: evil plan guide

Today was chairlift day. When I’m not in Whistler, I forget that the chairlift is my favourite thing in the entire world, but as soon as we get here there is nothing else on my mind. Father wanted the Peak to Peak, but I don’t like gondolas because the whole reason I love the chairlift is because of the wind, and the motion, and how quiet it is. Only the motion exists in a gondola. So, as a compromise, we did chairlift-extravaganza! Up a chairlift, up another chairlift, up the Peak to Peak, HIKE (barf), up another chairlift, explore, hike again (double barf), down a chairlift, down the Peak to Peak, bus ride, up another chairlift, down that same chairlift, then down two more chairlifts. I wore sunscreen, but I think I got windburn. BEST DAY EVER.

Anyway. The whole time I was enjoying the wind on my face, I was thinking about Ben, the town mascot. I knew already that he hated the down, and that he refuses to talk about why he is the town mascot, but I didn’t know WHY he would be the town mascot. I wrestled with this for the entire day yesterday, and half the day today. I felt like if I knew why, then I could determine his personality. However, text-message consultation with my story-writing friend and discussion with my mother made it clear that I had to decide who he was, and then from there I could figure out why he would be the mascot for a town he hates.

Day Seven: evil plan guide

I’m up in Whistler presently, diligently maintaining my creativity whilst away. Since I am frustrated with all things crafty, I have dedicated this weekend to writing my novel. (Ha ha.) Although, mother and I perused the shops in town, as one is wont to do, and I got some ideas for things to try when I get home! More magnets, since magnets and I have a pretty tight relationship – I am going to try and copy some small ceramic tile ones I saw in a store; also the soap that’s in the house we’re staying in – it’s got exfoliating sponge or something built in to the soap! And really, how hard could it be to make soap.

Anyway. The next step on the “plot and write a novel” website I am following:

3. Write a one page summary for each character, including motivation, immediate goal, conflict, resolution, and a summary of the character’s story line. The time-saving factor for novelists here is that at this point, a writer knows whether or not the story has problems. If so, they can be finessed or changed completely to fix the story, without spending weeks and months writing a novel that won’t hold together.

I started with my main character, Greta.

Day Six: menswear bunny (pt. 2)

Status of pupil dilation: back to normal. Thusly, I am about to embark on the most difficult part of this sewing project for children - the sewing. Wish me luck.

Materials:
- pieces of material I cut out from last time
- stuffing (Wal-Mart)
- sewing machine (still from my closet)
- needle and dark thread (also from closet)

Step One: cut out ears in the right colour. (Two of the pieces were supposed to be a different colour, as I suspected but was too lazy to check. But it's all right now!) Step Two: iron the pieces so they are flat. So far, I'm doing REALLY WELL.


Step Three: put the ears together, with the sides you want facing out at the end of it all (hereafter known as RS, for right side) facing in towards each other. Sew along the edges, leaving a space between the seam and the edge of the fabric. (Martha Stewart says 1/4 inch, but I alternately sewed off the edge and into the middle of the ear, so I can't really say what you should do.)

Step Four: turn the ears the right way out so you can marvel at your ability to sew an item intended to be sewn by children. I think because the ears are so small and I left such a wide edge, it was really hard to turn them inside out. But I could! With the assistance of a pen. I did it guys! I sewed my first thing! I called my mom over, and she said it was quite obvious that it was a bunny ear. I'm doing it! It was very stressful, because the sewing machine kept wanting to go to fast. I was like, "Hey now, slow it down; we're not in a race," plus the ear was so small and I was worried about ruining it somehow - but the sewing machine and I are coming to an understanding, I think. An understanding of slowness.


Step Five: one more ear and two arms, done in the same way.

Several times during steps four and five, I accidentally unthreaded the needle. Instead of panicking, I took a deep breath and re-threaded the needle like a pro. Then I started sewing into the middle instead of along the edge, so I had to stop and undo the stitches. As I undid the stitches, I notice that my material is really thin, and now has a bunch of tiny holes in it where the needle went in. Maybe that's why Martha Stewart recommended menswear.


Step Six: put the pieces of the body together and stare at Martha Stewart's picture to see what is supposed to happen now. It is at this point that I realized, with a terrible sinking feeling of immense disappointment, that I did the ears wrong. Ears do not need stuffing, so they do not need to be turned inside out. Unstitch them both, and redo. My fabric is starting to unravel at the edges. Stuff from Wal-Mart is crap.


Anyway, Step Six: put two body pieces RS facing in, and sew together. Important to leave a space on both sides to attach the arms, with one un-sewn side twice as big as the other (so you can stuff the stuffing in the big side). Martha says something about notching with scissors where the legs meet, but I don't know what that means so I don't do it.

I forgot to take a picture of this part, but sew the ears inside the head, pointing down to the bunny's butt. This is really important, so look at a picture here. Sew it up, turn it inside out (so it's the right way out now)... Annnnd... the big reveal...


My bunny looks like crap. Stupid Martha Stewart and her stupid unrealistic expectations. And the notching is important, I guess, because between the bunny's legs are all bunchy.

Step Seven: stuff arms. I used my magical pen to get the stuffing inside the arms, because those things are stinking TINY. Step Seven part b: stuff rest of stupid, ugly bunny body.


Step Eight: attach arms to the disappointingly un-cute non-menswear bunny. I don't know how Martha intended me to sew the arms on after sewing the body shut, but the Frankenstein-style stitches made me feel like that old duck man in a wheelchair from Nightmare Before Christmas, which lent my bunny an even creepier air.

Maybe adding the eyes and nose will make it look adorable? (This is done with a hopeful heart and a needle and thread. Just go over the same spot again and again until you have a large enough dark dot that looks like a facial feature.)


Maybe not.

I had visions of lying with my tiny menswear bunny in my bed in Campbell River, during those lonely times when I realize that everyone I know lives a 2 hour ferry-ride away. I think if I were to wake up to this thing staring me in the face, I'll have a heart attack.

I hate to say it, but if every craft post on here has the tag of 'fail' attached, I'm not sure I can continue. I did warn you all at the outset that I'm not very good at crafty things, but I think I may have secretly overestimated my ability. THIS WAS A SEWING PROJECT FOR CHILDREN. For CHILDREN. A kid could definitely not do this. Unless they were some sort of sewing superhero kid, or else really good at reading instructions.

Day Six Highlights: wrangling a sewing machine, being able to re-thread a needle like a pro, initial success

Day Six Lowlights: the sting of consistent failure, not reading instructions properly, moving away from everyone who loves me

Tomorrow: I am going to Whistler for five days. I was planning on creating a squirrel from an old glove, but now I think I will stick to writing and attempting to take pictures. (That counts as creative, right?) And honestly, this might not keep going upon my return. I am really screwing all this stuff up.

Day Five: menswear bunny (pt. 1)

I am attempting a sewing project today! Except, no sewing until tomorrow. I went to the eye doctor this morning and got those lovely drops that make everything super bright and blurry, so I don't want to try anything that requires sharp vision. (That is my excuse. It's legit, I swear.) This is supposed to be a sewing project for kids, so I hope I can manage.

Materials:
- 2 pieces of fabric (purple for the body, yellow for the ears) (Wal-Mart)
- stuffing (Wal-Mart)
- thread (my closet)
- sewing machine (also my closet)
- bunny pattern (Martha Stewart)

The first thing I did was print out the template for the bunny, which good ol' Martha Stewart explains is on more than one page, so she put a symbol in the middle to help you connect them. I don't see why it had to span four pages - it easily could have fit on one. So thanks for wasting paper, Martha Stewart.


Then I traced each part onto the material - I didn't have any menswear, like she suggests, so I just picked out fabric that I thought would be fun. Initially it was going to be a yellow bunny with purple ears, but since purple is my favourite colour, I changed it around. However, I haven't yet read the instructions, so all the pieces are purple, and I'm pretty sure something is supposed to be yellow. I'll figure that out tomorrow, when my pupils return to their normal size.

So far this project has not been difficult! Although, I noticed that I should not have used Sharpie to trace the pattern onto the fabric, because in some places it shows through. Probably there's a special pen for that, or I've seen it on t.v. where they use chalk? But I was in a bit of a rush. So I apologize if today doesn't feel like a REAL day of creativity to you; I blame it on my eyes.

Day Five Highlights: not screwing up so far, stuffed bunnies, purple fabric

Day Five Lowlights: saving the hard part for tomorrow instead of getting it over with, giant dilated pupils

Tomorrow: menswear bunny pt. 2! (Although I guess I can't really call it menswear, since it's just regular fabric from Wal-Mart.)

Day Four: magnets redux

Today was relatively uneventful in the realm of crafts. I am afraid to try something new, based on my terrible failure yesterday, so I made some more magnets. Today I created series of red ones for my mom, plus a green one for me. (I think I am addicted to making magnets now.) If I could find some sort of career that requires me to leaf through magazines and rip out pages, I would be a happy clam.


I also ventured to Value Village today, to search for fabric for my miscellaneous sewing projects that I may attempt once I get my crafting confidence back. On that list is a tool bag, a reversible purse, a clutch bag, a laptop case, and maybe a stash bag - so I need a lot of fabric. Only two caught my eye, because the selection is obviously limited; I may venture to the actual fabric store for one of the smaller projects. But today I chose second hand, and let me warn you: do not go to Value Village on a Tuesday. It's 30% off day for seniors, so I stood in line, clutching my two items, for half an hour waiting while old people haggled with salespeople. I have nothing against old people, I just wish they would have a separate line-up for non-seniors on this day. Or I should have been smarter and waited until tomorrow.


Sorry for the picture quality - my camera is a piece of junk. The clear photos you have seen previously are from my mom's camera, but she has it with her right now.

Day Four Highlights: ripping pages from magazines, magnets, cheap fabric

Day Four Lowlights: not being a senior on 30% off day for seniors, long lineups, junky cameras

Tomorrow: probably a writing thing. Or maybe a purse! But probably not a purse.

Day Three: Japanese papercraft boxes

One of the things I am super proud of myself for remembering that I need when I move to Campbell River is tools. Nothing fancy, of course, but things like a hammer, screwdriver, pliers, and duct tape will be accompying me on my journey. Most of them I collected from home, but I had to go into Canadian Tire for a screwdriver and duct tape; while I was there, I also looked at the tool boxes because I wanted a place for my tools to be kept together. Much to my chagrin, toolboxes start at $20, and they COME EMPTY. Which, my brother says, is obvious, but I think that's a rip off. So I decided that I would make my own tool box. (Initially it was going to be a tool bag, but then I found these boxes at Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories and decided they were perfect.)

I'm a little bit afraid that this is above my skill level, but then so will most of the things I attempt, so I'm going to give it a good try. Also, the dimensions they provide are for business card holders, and I need tool holders, so I'm going to make it up a little.

It did not start well. The comments on the instructions page make it sound easy to change the dimensions of the box, but I had a really hard time doing it and mostly ended up guessing. The instructions call for paperboard, and I don't know what that is; I thought that the box should be sturdy if it's going to hold my tools, so I grabbed some of my cardboard moving boxes and chopped them up. This was really hard, because I only have normal scissors, and I rethought the heavy cardboard idea and switched to cereal boxes because there is no cardstock paper in my house. Then I lost the instructions and almost gave up. (At times like this I feel this challenge is a waste of time. WHY AM I DOING THIS?)

Then I started converting the measurements and it wasn't making sense, then I threw my cereal boxes on the ground and I DID give up. Say what you will, but I have reached my breaking point. I am going to make a stupid tool bag another day. This box stuff is junk. Now if you'll excuse me, I am going to crochet a few layers onto my scarf that I've been working on since last November. Since I have committed myself to this thing, and I have to produce something creative. ARGH.

Measurements before angry crocheting: 110 cm

Measurements after angry crocheting: 120 cm

As proof to you, here is a photo of my in-progress-forever scarf, which I have never laid out flat before and looked at it, and now I can tell it's slowly growing wider. I am not fixing it.


Day Three Highlights: NOTHING.

Day Three Lowlights: stupid paper boxes that I want to punch in the face and light on fire.

Tomorrow: maybe some more magnets. I need to feel the warmth of success again.

Day Two: evil plan guide

In university, a friend and I wasted a lot of time writing stories for each other. These stories were usually ridiculous, hilarious adventure stories with superheroes and kidnapping. While I know this is not the kind of story to get published, I find it the most fun to write, and it requires a high volume of creativity. So this is what I am going to be working on.

A while ago I came across a website that offered to concoct an evil plan guide for me, which I thought was awesome, and I am going to use that as a framework for my story. (At this point I would like to note that while my evil plan includes a plot to steal the moon, which is exactly what happens in the movie Despicable Me, this website plotted my evil plan before I saw the movie. And it will probably be better done in the movie. But I'm not copying.) I'm combining this with a step-by-step plan to plot and write a novel, and will hopefully come up with something fun in the process.

I completed the first two steps today, with okay results. It definitely was more difficult than I thought, especially since the evil plan guide spelled it out for me - the difficulty came in changing the plan to make it suit my style, and also to make a bit more sense. Here is my bit of creativity for today, completely opposite to my bit of creativity from yesterday.

1. Write a one sentence summary of the story. This requires novelists to distill a possibly rambling story into a single statement. It’s not as easy as it sounds.

On a misguided quest for love, our heroine embarks on a journey in three stages: kidnapping, theft, and a really big weather machine.

2. Expand that summary sentence into a paragraph describing the basic plotline, each major conflict, and the final resolution.

Once upon a time, there lived a young lady with a simple wish: requited love. Sick and tired of numerous embarrassing, failed attempts, she concocts extreme solution that begins with kidnapping and ends with exerting control over what has been heretofore deemed uncontrollable (the weather). Naturally, nothing goes according to plan. Her intended love interest is unexpectedly encased in a block of ice; she discovers ghosts in her evil headquarters; the moon is more difficult to capture than one would think; and something strange is happening in her hometown.

Since that is more of what would be on the back of the novel, instead of the actual plot that describes the final resolution as I am instructed to do, I alternately wrote this:

She wants love, but nobody is interested, because she is not that noticeable. In order to become more noticeable, she concocts a plan to attract world-attention by stealing the moon and controlling the weather. She can’t steal the moon; she can control the weather. This garners her world-attention, which she finds very uncomfortable, and the attention of her love-interest, which she finds disappointing and fake.

There. See? I know how it will begin and I know how it will end. This paragraph was hard for me, and I can see trouble ahead as I have to plan out why she can't steal the moon, and how she can control the weather. I do already know what is wrong with her hometown, and I am excited about it! I think this will be fun.

Day Two Highlights: creating an evil guide plan, hilarious adventure stories, working the plot into something that makes sense, Despicable Me.

Day Two Lowlights: similarities to major motion pictures, planning intricacies of moon-stealing and weather-controlling.

Tomorrow: paper boxes!

Day One: magnets

First of all, I'd like to say how ridiculously difficult it is to find small magnets (or any magnets at all, really - everyone I asked gave me a strange look, like what would anyone want a magnet for?), and quality flat clear marbles. Finding this craft at not martha is what inspired me to start the whole thing in the first place, so I wanted it to be the inaugural bit of creativity, but I had to keep postponing due to not being able to find any of the stupid stuff.

Also, don't buy the marbles from Wal Mart. The ones there are cheap cost-wise, but also cheap quality-wise. They were cloudy and had cracks in them, so you couldn't see the picture through them and they were completely useless. I dislike spending money (and Michaels is so expensive... sigh), but I also dislike crappy things. So Michaels it was.

Initially I'd planned on using the small marbles, since those were used in the example I saw, but the pictures I wanted to use were too pale to show through such small marbles. I ended up buying the larger ones from Michaels (only $2.99/bag, a lot cheaper than I thought), because in order for my magnets to be as pretty as I'd imagined, I needed more of the images to be seen.

So, the materials I ended up with:
- Aleene's Clear Gel Tacky Glue (Wal-Mart)
- large, clear, flat marbles (Michaels; and a few small ones from Bowrings)
- assorted pictures from O Magazine and the Ikea catalogue
- 3/4" ArtMinds craft magnets (Michaels)

First I traced one of the marbles onto a piece of cardboard that I could then use as a tracer for all the pages I ripped out of magazines. An actual circle tracer or hole punch, like I've seen for scrapbooking, would have been super helpful here, as I quickly got bored of this process. (I am new to this crafty stuff and the patience and tools it requires. Bear with me.)



I completed one whole one before doing it assembly-line style, just to see if it would work. With this one, I glued the picture picture to cardboard like in the example, but found that wasn't necessary so I will not continue with that part - I am all about skipping steps. Also, the cardboard started peeling away from the marble after it dried (but maybe this wouldn't be a problem if you were more liberal with the glue than I am.)

So with or without the cardboard attached to the cut-out circles, squirt a bunch of glue onto the middle of the underside of the marble, then squish the picture onto it. The glue spreads out and comes a bit off the edge, which is fine I guess because it probably helps the picture stay on. Or maybe you can wipe it off or something. Whichever.


It was at this point that my dog decided to get involved, but as you could probably guess she was not much help. Especially since I think the glue is toxic.


Waiting for stuff to dry is one of the hardest parts for me, because I want to finish it NOW. (Hopefully, as these thirty days progress, I will learn to enjoy the process.) But probably that's really important to dry fully before you glue the magnet on and stick it on the fridge. So I waited, waited, waited, and then looked on craft websites for what I could do tomorrow, and then got really overwhelmed that I am now committed to doing this for thirty days. Then I pondered my fear of commitment, and then the glue was dry. Some of them needed to be trimmed because my tracer was flawed, and some needed a bit more glue squished around the edges to make it look nicer, but all in all it looked pretty good.

Then I glued on the magnets! I was worried about these magnets, because I didn't splurge on the expensive, heavy-duty metal ones, and I wasn't sure if they would hold. (I'd initially bought small marbles from Wal-Mart, and I was clever and taped one to the magnet and then stuck it on the fridge as a test, but then I returned the small marbles to Wal-Mart and forgot to test the large ones.) They are good enough for the job, and it may be interesting to note that both sides of a magnet will stick to a fridge, so it doesn't matter what side you put the glue on. (Or maybe that just makes me sound dumb. I thought it important to check because one side of the magnet will stick to another magnet while the other side of the magnet will repel another magnet, and I didn't want to create a bunch of magnets that repelled the fridge.)


And now I'm done. I am very pleased with my first attempt! Especially since there was about a week of build-up, trying to find the right materials and then finding out I'd got the wrong materials and having to wait for today for my 50% off coupon for Michaels to be valid. But here they are!


Day One Highlights: looking through magazines for pictures, 50% off coupons, success, helpful dogs, glue drying on fingers and then pulling it off and pretending it's fake skin

Day One Lowlights: cheap marbles from Wal-Mart, waiting for glue to dry, not having a hole-punch, fear of commitment

Tomorrow: who knows. Maybe a writing thing to take the pressure off.