Project 3 Chalkboard globe - Circumnavigation!

 

Well, project number 3 taught me one thing: I may come from a long line of globe-trotters, but I am no good at geography. Or is it cartography? Both?

I'm super pleased with the final result. When the original paper map finally disintegrated and fell off this old family hand-me-down, it was a pity. It's been sitting downstairs, all naked and neglected, for years.

Cue brain wave!

 

Chalkboard globe! Draw your own planet Earth! Or any planet, I guess...

 

Look how big Australia is!

 

Anyhoos, this project was fairly straightforward. Start with redundant globe-type-thing.

 

 

Clean it thoroughly and give it a good sanding. The globe is made of thick old-school plastic, and scuffed up quite well to hold the paint. Always wipe with a clean damp cloth after sanding to remove grit.

You need to have all your equipment ready and at hand. This, I have learned by NOT doing. Realising you don't have mineral turpentine when you're covered in enamel paint is not a good thing.

I was painting inside because of the horrible weather, but I made sure to have ventilation. The fumes from the paint are a little intense.

I roughly masked the areas I didn't want to get paint on, mixed the paint well and got to work! I followed the instructions on the paint tin, and had my fingers crossed the paint wouldn't just bead off the plastic.

Two coats and some horrible weather and flooding later, and it was all ready for chalk! And my dubious efforts at drawing our kooky wide brown land.

 

 

Photobomb! My little mate, being super cute and also seeing what was for dinner.

 

Coming next... Project 4!

Project 2 - Buffy cross stitch Parts A and B

 

Parts A and B. Essentially this means I bit off more than I could chew, and had to make it all sound OK. Which it is, because I make the rules here!

I know, right? Cheating, so early in the piece. But, as the kids say, "That's how I roll."

Anyhoos, TADAHHH! The characters from Buffy, made small and squarish, but nonetheless awesome. I found this pattern at Wee Little Stitches, and I can't wait to make another. It was fun, and a reminder to pay attention to what I'm doing.

And to never assume I know how long something will take! (I'm too shy to admit how long it took me - I've got no idea how long it's 'supposed' to take!!)

And now... Project 3!

Verbs are doing words

Leaking - out of my eyes while watching Seeking a friend for the end of the world. I didn't expect it to be so moving. Steve Carell manages to be both hilarious and a figure of pathos, and Keira almost hit a Clementine note with her 'quirky chick' character. Am I a loon because I think end-of-the-world movies are fun?

Over-committing - just maybe? My second 52 project, and I'm just a little (ahem) behind schedule. But hey, it's no biggie. I'll class this as a "to be continued". It's so much fun, but I made the rookie mistake of stitching like a fiend for a few hours straight, then wondering why my head was pounding. What a rube.

 

 

Hooking - for love. That's right! Valentine's Day is not too far away, and I'm listing my heart garlands in the shop. 

 

 

 



One way to beat the heat...

OK.
It's pretty clear by now, if you've listened to my carry-on at all, that I really can't deal with the heat. When the mercury rises, my coping abilities fall.

I become a pink-cheeked, frazzled and desperate thing. I stand in the freezer at work (don't tell anybody), I bemoan my lack of appropriate summer attire (why can't I do casual, ever?), and I simply can't think straight. I go to the shopping centre by choice, because, airconditioning. I shun crochet because even the thought of yarn against my skin makes me prickle with sweat.

It doesn't help that my workmates aren't bothered by the heat. I've been heard to wail, in the peak of a busy service "Do you not have blood in your veins? Look at you! Look! Cool as fuck!' while my hair goes frizzy and my very soul wilts.

And any thought of love squeezings go out the window. Summer is officially the least sexy season. Although, now that I think about it, there's this...

PHEW. AND YOU'RE WELCOME.

He's my main man

 

I made the husband a mountain of chocolate whoopie pies to celebrate his birthday. Actually, I spent the whole day cooking him various tasty meals (mostly seafood!) and chilling out watching Adventure Time. (Officially our new favourite - we can even {begrudgingly} share it with the kids) 

 

Yes, it was a couple of days ago, but I had to share the photo and the recipe because they were so damn tasty. And those chocolatey wheels of naughtiness herald the end of the xmas/new year feeding frenzy! Woo! Carrot sticks and skim milk again!

Get your 365 outta my face! Or, before and after - Door



So, I'm crazy with the goal setting and making things happen right now. The start of the year feels full of promise, and I guess part of that is this article I read recently from cracked.com, which really lit a fire under my butt. I blathered on about it until friends were rolling their eyes. Don't care!
You should read this thing and then come back to me.Go!

And now, all these awesome people in blogland aiming to kick out an incredible 365 project, I guess that makes me feel ... inadequate? And then I thought, the heck with that, I'd last 3 days. What about a 52 project? Mmmmm! Now you're talking!

 

I had a little paint left over from sprucing up an outdoor bench, and couldn't resist taking down the Amy Blackwell poster from the last Frankie mag and getting a bit dotty.

 

I started hesitantly. A few dots.

 

And before I knew it - bam! It was raining!

 

 

I love the way the door looks now. And I've got to say, it feels damn good just to be doing something. And more to the point, finishing something. Can I keep it up for 52 weeks?
Did you notice the Tavi on the wall?



 

Things and links and stuff

THINGS I want to make at Kollabora

THINGS I want to drink at This Bottle Of Vodka. A Dirty Girl Scout? Who told you?

LINK to the Orla Kiely sale...drool!

STUFF like this hilarious series of scotch tape faces by Wes Naman. Um, ow?