Blog de Puree » Arts & Crafts

Protected: Art appreciation with M

paul — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:31:16 +0000

Bringing some “cull-chah” to the nursery

paul — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 17:19:02 +0000

We’ve decided that our son will be a Renaissance man, with an appreciation for the fine arts. Thus, we’ve added some color to the bare blue walls.

Above the changing table, we hung a virtual zoo of colorful critters for the baby to look. Kermit the frog will also be looking on and coaching Paul as he changes diapers. It’s not easy being green—or changing diapers.

Between the windows, we’ve added a print from Ed Emberley’s drawing animals, from the book we both had as children.

We secured magnetic metal strips from Ikea on another wall to hang the wee beastie’s own artwork when the time comes. For now, we can hang colorful cards and printed art for the little fella to look upon and appreciate.

Homemade bird feeding techniques

paul — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 15:11:15 +0000

Special thanks to Randye’s mother for aiding us to rediscover a great way to feed and attract birds from our childhood arts and crafts days.

A couple of weeks ago, she sent us a recipe for pine cone bird feeders. It being rainy this past weekend, we took the opportunity to put some together. First, Randye tied some string around solid parts of the pine cone so it wouldn’t snap off. Then, we spread peanut butter on two of the pine cones and crisco on the other two. They were then rolled in a seed mixture containing sunflower seeds, millet, milo, and cracked corn. Once the cones were completely covered in seed, we put them in the fridge to cool and harden—it was raining out and we didn’t want everything to wash off.

The next cold and dry day, Randye tied them on the back fence and we’ve attracted a number of birds within a few days: European starlings, dark-eyed junkos, house sparrows, cardinals. The feeders are also frequented by a small band of adolescent squirrels who have been fairly well-mannered towards their winged neighbors so far.

We’ve found that there was no preference towards the peanut butter or the Crisco, so if you decide to make these feeders, either spread will do. They both contain a fair amount of fat which is a great source of energy for small birds struggling to keep warm in the hard New England winter months.

Arts and Crafts

randye — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 01:26:34 +0000

I inherited my Nana’s The New American Cook Book (circa 1941). The hard cover and spine had ripped off with age and use. I wanted to preserve it because of its obvious sentimental value, but it’s also a damn handy cookbook. (If I want a good basic recipe, such as a fruit compote, this book has it — including some interesting recipes for possum and squirrel pot pie. Hey, you never know!) Plus, it offers these nuggets of home economic wisdom.

“The clever homemaker knows that her meals do more for her family than satisfy hunger and please tastes. She has full understanding that the bodies of all members of her family are composed of many chemicals, combined together in such a manner as to form skin, blood, muscles, bones, hair, and all of the other components of the human frame.”

Anyhow . . .

Knowing that bookmaking is a hot new hobby, I figured this would be an easy project. Armed with this Online Book Repair Tutorial, I went in search (and search and search) of project materials.

First I went to Joann’s Fabrics, but they only had s-crap-booking kits. Another shopper suggested an actual scrapbooking store down the way. Onward I went.

Unfortunately, they had ONLY scrabooking supplies. They suggested a paper store, All About Paper, right up the road. Onward I went.

It was a Paper Source wannnabe (a Boston-area paper mecca), but they DID have bookbinding supplies! I found everything I needed. Unfortunately, their variety of bookcloth colors was pretty weak — and nothing neutral.

Since I’d come this far, I wasn’t leaving without making this project happen. So I decided to go for the sassy red bookcloth for the spine, because heck, it’s a sassy cookbook.

So, despite not being particularly crafty, (I’m the messiest gluer on the planet) I now have a rebound volume that will withstand the ages. It ain’t pretty, but it’s preserved!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Almost good as new and it sure beats the rubberband that had been holding it all together.