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Clipping since: January 2008
Location: Sandwich/Salem, MA
Recent Obsession: CRAFTS
Website: http://

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ReadyMade: RE-DUX

http://readymademag.com/feature_33_redux.php

clipped by trranced Nov 10, 2008

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Combat winter’s chill with this idea from Simply Green author Danny Seo: Use a sweater and a staple gun to reupholster a chair. Wrap the existing cushions in salvaged knits, staple the fabric in place, and sit pretty!

Moths ate your argyle? Transform those worn-out pullovers into felt by washing them in hot water and drying them on high heat (be sure to use sweaters made from 100 percent wool). Cut out a set of circular coasters, pour yourself a drink, and let the fleece catch drips while your table stays stain-free.

Keep your laptop cushioned with a button-up slipcover. Trace the computer’s dimensions onto the front of an old cardigan and cut the sweater where marked. Stitch closed the button-free edges, trim the excess fabric, and stow your gear in its snuggly new sleeve.
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Sruvival Bracet

http://www.paracordbraiding.com/survival.htm

clipped by trranced Oct 18, 2008

bracelet

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How to braid a Survival Bracelet
To start cut and seal both ends of a twelve(12) foot length of paracord.
Measure the wrist and add an inch or so to the measurement. After you make a few you will get the hang of how much extra to use.
Start your bracelet by tying a Chinese Button Knot at the center of the cord.
Measure the bracelet from the edge of the button knot and tie a Constrictor Knot at the correct length.
From this point fold the cords back along what will become the inner cords. Tie another constrictor knot and inch or so from this end. Just to remind the cord to stay in place for a while.
Smooth out the outer strands of cord along side the inner strands and tie another constrictor knot 3/8 to 1/2 inch from the button knot.
The constrictor knots will be removed later, they are just there to help hold thing in place for a while.
Grasp the cords just below the constrictor knot with one strand of cord going off each side. It doesn't make any difference which hand you use.
Make a small loop on the right side and take the cord behind the braid and hold it tight.
Bring the cord on the left side behind the cord you just brought over.
Take the end of the cord you brought behind and thread it through the loop on the right.
Pull the cord all the way through until it is almost snug.
Now Pull both cords so the knot is tight. It is important that you tighten all of the knots the same.
This time bring the cord on the right side over the top of the braid and out to the left.
Bring the left cord over the top of the cord you just brought across and then behind the braid.
Now insert this cord through the back of the loop on the right side.
Pull both cords snug.
Tighten the knot just as tight as you did the previous knot.
Bring the right cord behind the braid and up and over the left cord.
Bring the left cord over the top and through the loop on the right side and tighten the knot.
After you have tied two or three square knots you can remove the constrictor knot from the end by the button knot.
If you happen to forget which cord is supposed to go where, just look at the last knot that was tied. The cord that is coming out of the knot and pointing up is the cord that will be behind the braid.
To speed things up a bit, I like to bring the cord that is going through and out the back of the knot over the braid and behind the cord that is pointing up.
Now bring the cord that is pointing up over the cord you just brought across and behind the braid.
Now bring the end up through the loop on the left and tighten the knot. Be sure the tension is the same on all of the knots.
As you can see the cord on the left is now pointing up. Bring the cord on the right side of the braid over the top of the braid.
Bring the upper left cord over the cord you just brought across, behind the braid and up and through the loop on the right side of the braid.
Tighten the knot, again making the tension the same.
Continue to tie square knots until you get an inch or so from the constrictor knot.
At this point you need to remove the constrictor knot and align the loops.
Continue to tie square knots until you are at a point where the loops will just fit over the button knot at the other end of the braid.
At this point you can use a wood burning tool to cut and melt the ends of the cord next to the edge of the bracelet. You can use a lighter, but just be extremely careful. It is very easy to burn part of the bracelet that you don't want burned.
This is where I like to use a pair of hemostats or fine needle nose pliers to go under the knot at the end of the bracelet and grasp the cord.
Pull the end under the knot.
You want to be sure to pull the cord very tight.
Turn the braid over and do the same thing to the other side.
Again, you want to pull this under and pull it very tight.

I like to do this several times so there is no chance the cord will pull out.
At this point I saturate the cord with liquid glue.
Keep the cord away from the bracelet so the glue doesn't stick to any of the loops.
When the glue is dry, pull it through one more set of knots.
At this point I use a pair of side cutters to cut the cord through the glued area.
I then fold the bracelet and apply another drop or two of glue to the end to seal it so it doesn't come unraveled.
After the glue has dried do the same thing to the other side.
At this point you can move the knots so they cover the end of the cords.

To wear, bring the loop over the end of the button knot. If you need to use the parachute cord for an emergency, grasp the button knot and pull hard and the inner cords will pull through the knots.
Copyright 2008 www.paracordbraiding.com

poatoe chip cookie

http://www.veganappetite.com/

clipped by trranced May 31, 2008

recipe

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Potato Chip Cookies

2 dozen

1 cup earth balance

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup crushed potato chips

1/4 cup milk (add as needed, you may not need it all)

1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional, for drizzle)

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream eb and sugar until fluffy and light. Add vanilla and flour, mix in. Fold in crushed potato chips. Using a teaspoon, drop on cookie sheet covered with parchment. Bake for 15 minutes until light gold on the edges. If using the drizzle, let cookies cool, then do the drizzle thing.
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Crafty Crafty: How to transform an old table with buttons

http://www.craftycrafty.tv/2008/05/transform_an...

clipped by trranced May 22, 2008

Crafts / Inspiration / DIY

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s fabulously simple yet effective idea from Marianne Kirby proves that putting buttons on almost anything will dramatically improve its looks. At least, this certainly turned out to be true in the case of an old table she picked up for $5 at a yard sale. Marianne told us how she did it:

"One Saturday afternoon, at a yard sale, I had one of those moments. One of those moments when the heavens parted and a ray of sunshine fell on an item I just couldn't leave behind. Sometimes this happens to me at yard sales. This particular ray fell on a small side table, about knee-high, with angled legs and a slightly recessed top. After some smart bargaining, the table went home with me for the low, low price of $5.

My next step was to start combing ebay for buttons. Buttons can be purchased in bulk lots for between five and twenty dollars, plus shipping. I ordered two bulk batches for a total of 1600+ buttons in a green and white mix. Always order more than you think you'll need for a project like this. The table I was working with had about 2 sq feet of surface area and I had around 100 buttons when I finished.

When you've picked a color scheme for your buttons, and you are waiting on them to arrive, take the time to sand and paint your table. I used a white semi-gloss spray paint and applied three thin coats. Thin coats are always better!

Once the paint is dry and your buttons are in hand, it's time to start applying the buttons. I used a basic tacky craft glue to affix my buttons. Spread a thin layer of glue on your surface and start applying your buttons. Nestle them up close to each other, but don't go too crazy. It's easy to get a bit obsessive with this sort of project but the random spacing is part of the charm of the finished object. Make sure your buttons, if you are using a table with a recessed top, do not rise above the top of the lip that goes around the edge of the table. Snip the shanks off of any buttons that do not have flat backs.

It makes life a lot easier if you start at the corners and work your way in to the middle. Cover small areas at a time and take breaks if you start to feel a little crazy.

When you have covered the surface of your table with buttons, allow the glue to dry at least overnight. The glue must be totally dry before you move on to pouring your resin.

Resin can be a little tricky to track down locally. Try your major craft stores and home improvement stores. You are looking for casting resin, not fiberglass resin. I use a brand called Envirotex because it is super easy to mix and use.

You're going to need resin, catalyst (sold as part of the Envirotex kit), two containers, and a mixing stick. Add you resin and catalyst in equal parts (or according to the directions that came with your kit) to one of the containers and mix vigorously, as if you were mixing cake batter. Because it is essential for the resin and catalyst to thoroughly mix, pour the mixture of resin and catalyst from one container into the other. Use your mixing stick to continue vigorous stirring. After about a minute, you should be ready to pour.

Ideally, you will pour your resin in thin layers (just like with spray paint, thin layers are better with resin, too). Don't pour layers that are more than 1/8 of an inch thick - you'll wind up with improperly cured resin and a lot more air bubbles.

Make sure, as you pour the first layer, that you use your mixing stick to spread the resin out like cake frosting - just don't lick the spoon. Air bubbles will begin to rise to the surface. As they reach the surface, blow on them. The carbon dioxide in your breath will help release the bubbles. Just be careful not to inhale the fumes.

Allow your resin to set for a few hours. The setting time depends on temperature and humidity. Hot, dry climates will need less time than cool, damp ones. It isn't fair, but it is true. When your first layer has set, pour a second layer. Continue this process of pouring layers and allowing them to set until your resin is at the level you desire.

Once you have all of your resin poured, allow the table top to cure for 72 hours. When you're done waiting - which is the most difficult part of this project - you will have a beautiful and level table top encasing a colorful array of buttons. A one of a kind side table is all yours! Now put it to good use.

Posted by AbiSilvester on May 6, 2008 in Interior Decorating
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Sequin Mushroom Ornament

http://www.poopscape.com/projects/mushroom/mush...

clipped by trranced May 22, 2008

Festive-ness I-want-to-try cute

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As soon as I spotted the mushroom ornament, I knew I had my project. The instruction for the mushroom ornament simply states that you are to, "Cut plastic pen case (wha?) in half and glue onto clip clothespin. Cut a foam ball in half for tops." Dude, I can do better than that! I kept the clothespin and the foam ball, but everything else I needed to change and fancy up a bit. I decided that I needed to revisit my old fave- the sequin ornament.

I started by cutting a styrofoam ball in half with a bread knife. It really is the best tool for the job. I smooshed down the edges of the mushroom cap to make them more rounded and natural-looking. I used a pencil to make a hole on the underside of the mushroom cap for the stem to fit in.

I used the remaining half of the foam ball to make the stem by cutting a basic stem shape and rounding off the cut edges by again smooshing them down.

My precious minon is not allowed to use knives, needles or hot glue guns just yet, but boy can she paint. I let her paint the tops red. It was the only way to get her to stop whining, really. The red paint is necessary before the next step because it functions as a primer for the red sequins (unless you want white peeking through). I painted the stems white too. They don't get sequins, but I didn't want them to be just plain styrofoam either.

You'll need the right kind of needles (sold next to the sequins in most craft stores) and of course, sequins. I used large metallic red ones for the cap, large silver ones for the mushroom gills, and small white ones for the spots. I applied the red and silver sequins in rows, with the sequins barely overlapping each other.

I thought about painting the clothespins green, but after I realized how difficult it was to get green paint in all the nooks and crannies, I moved on to a better solution- moss. I hotglued moss onto the top of the clothespin and trimmed off the excess dangly bits, hotglued the stem into the mushroom cap, and then hotglued the mushroom onto the clothespin. After I made the initial prototype, I ended up doing an assembly line process and made several at one go.

The result- I love them. When Christmas is over, I'm planning on wrapping these up with the utmost care to try to preserve them. The moss might need to be replaced now and then, but I hope one day Eleanor will be putting these on her own tree. D'aww!

Turn a Candle Into a Radiator : Green Building Elements

http://greenbuildingelements.com/2008/01/16/tur...

clipped by trranced May 07, 2008

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Today is a cold, wet dreary day. Which inspired me to dig the Kandle Heeter out of the garage.

Parked next to my mouse, this little device brings the temperature of my 8×12 office up from shivery to cozy - not quite enough to take my lovely handknit wool socks off, but a great antidote against a dreary January, and a definite cat magnet.How it works: That top terracotta pot is actually a nest of several, spaced with metal bolts. Heat rises from the candle and then absorbs into the ceramic, which is a high ‘thermal lag’ material. High thermal lag materials are dense and heavy - tile, concrete, water - all of these store heat well. The pots won’t hold it forever, but they concentrate it, slowing down its exodus to the ceiling. They keep the heat near my mouse hand - which definitely increases my productivity!

The developer says a 3″ dia. by 3″ ‘dollar store’ candle will yield about 50 BTUs an hour, for a total of 1000 BTU. I get about two days per candle, so that’s 0.50/day. If all my winter days were wet, cold, and in need of paraffin cheer (sum total of mid-Dec thru March = 105 days), that’s about $50 for a heating season. And it smells nice.

Granted, I live in mostly sunny Northwest Florida, so my heating bill is pretty small compared with snowy places. But this one with the silly name is one of those ‘value added’ ideas - if I’m going to burn a Christmas gift candle, I may as well get full value.

(Check out their other nifty ideas: using an incandescent light bulb instead of a candle, and other open-architecture common-sense energy concepts.)

UPDATE: Here’s a podcast interview with inventor Doyle Doss. (Ed. note: Max tells us the podcast isn’t there anymore, but he’s reposted it at http://www.thelindbergreport.org.)
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