DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

I recently developed a new recipe for a sculptural material I call “paper mache clay.” This material is so easy to use and so easy to make that I now use it exclusively for all my paper mache sculptures. It might be a bit more accurate to call this material “home-made air-dried cellulose-reinforced polymer clay,” but that’s way too hard to say (or type!), so for now, let’s just call it paper mache clay. The first video below shows how to make the paper mache clay, and the second video answers some common questions that I’ve received from readers since I first developed this recipe. Below the videos you’ll find the recipe written out, and a few comments about how it’s used. (This recipe is the basis for my book “ Make Animal Sculptures with Paper Mache Clay .”) I usually make mine fairly thin, so it can be spread over an armature like frosting – but you can also vary the consistency, and make it thicker, like this, when you want more control over the modeling process. A ver...

     Australia Day (previously known as Anniversary Day, Foundations Day and ANA Day) is the official national day of Australia.  Celebrated annually on January 26th, the day commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788.  The hoisting of the British flag there, and the proclamations of British sovereignty over the eastern seaboard of New Holland.    Australia Day is an official public holiday in every state and territory of Australia, and is marked by the Order of Australia and Australian of the Year awards, along with an address from the Prim Minister.    Although it was not known as Australia Day until over a century later, records of celebrations on January 26th date back to 1808, with Governor Lachland Macquarie having held the first official celebration of the formation of New South Wales in 1818.  In 2004, an estimated 7.5 million people attended Australia Day celebrations and functio...

   This recipe comes from www.make-it-do.com  .  Is there anything that doesn't go great with a bowl of vanilla ice cream?  Maybe a little hot fudge to go on top! Today is not just Cyber Monday, it’s  Green Gift Monday  too.  I’m so happy to be joining the good folks at  the Nature Conservancy  to celebrate Green Gift Monday by making some green gifts for some of my favorite friends. I’m making Chocolate Fudge Sauce to give in Mason Jars. Oh, how I love Mason Jars- useful, reusable, and charming.  They were green before green was cool. Here’s how I’m making my gifts: You’ll need Mason Jars:  This recipe makes about 1 – 1/2 cups or 3 half pints.  Most of the gifts I’m giving today are going into half pint wide mouth jars.  I’m also making a few pints jars full, like the one I’m sharing here. For the hot fudge sauce you’ll need: Hot Fudge Sauce 1/2 cup of butter (1 cube) 1 c...

    The  U.S. National Tobaggan Championships  is the only organized wooden toboggan race in the country and possibly the world. The toboggan chute is located in Camden, Main at the Camden Snow Bowl, a community owned year round recreation area which has developed thousand of deicated skiers since 1936. All race revenue goes to off setting the Snow Bowl budget. History     The original chute was first built in 1936 by a dedicated group of volunteers who also built a ski lodge and ski hill, one of the earliest in America. The chute was again rebuilt in 1954 by local Coast Guardsmen and lasted until 1964 when it was brought to an end because of rot and neglect.     In 1990 it was resurrected once again out of pressure treated wood by another enthusiastic group of volunteers and material donors and was to become known as the  Jack Williams Toboggan Chute . The week before the race, many hours are spent du...

This diy comes from  www.mommyisacoocoo.blogspot.com  .  Something to do with those extra ornament left over from Christmas.  Enjoy!   How to make a Valentine Ornament Wreath Did you go out and buy a bunch of ornaments at 50% off after Christmas? I hope so because there is no need to wait until next Christmas to have some ornament loveliness in your home! ~ My Valentine Ornament Wreath ~ Here is what you need: a glass of wine (if you are anal and will worry about bulb placement) a plastifoam wreath (DON'T buy floral foam) shaped like a heart glue sticks and a glue gun spray paint (to color the foam wreath). I used red. Use whatever color you like best. about a million ornaments (different {Valentine} colors and sizes work best). spray on glitter (usually $5.99 at craft stores or $1.00 if you buy body glitter left over from Halloween a small piece of ribbon to hang your wreath Spray paint your fo...

This recipe comes from  www.beckybakes.net  .  When I came across these, I could not pass them up!  All that's needed with these is an ice cold glass of milk and possibly some vanilla bean ice cream Alright, confession time. My first impression of these cookies was not a super positive one. I mean, don’t get me wrong…I love a good chocolate chip cookie. And Oreos easily top the list among my favorite “store bought” cookies. The idea of combining them just threw me. When I first saw this Oreo creation on  Picky Palate  I thought they looked a little gross (sorry Jenny). Just a bit too sweet for my taste, which sounds so very wrong by the way. I was a little curious though. Then I saw them again on  Sing for your Supper . Boy, these were really getting around. I just couldn’t be left out. I caved to the peer pressure, and let me tell you that I am  so  glad I did. Oh boy…this one’s a doozy, but in a decidedly good way. I am real...

   This diy comes from  www.makethebestofthings.blogspot.com  .  Another really cool decoracting Idea.  Enjoy! 3 D effect with hot glue I've been kicking this idea around in my head for awhile and I just decided to do it. How can I get a dimensional, 3 D image on a vase, jar, box or even a canvas? I considered cutting shapes out of foam and gluing them on, or gluing on store bought appliques or even jewelry charms. But all of those require a bit more effort or money and I knew there was a simpler way. So here's what I came up with..... The standard thrift store cheap glass vase. The sticker on the bottom says fifty cents, so it was a bargain. Now for my design.... Aha! It's my "leaving the house and my hair is a mess" hat. I got the pretty applique for $1 and it makes it look less like my "bad hair day" hat and more like a stylish statement. That's what I tell myself, anyway. Lol! So, I love the look of the fleur de ...