This is what I entered into the competition:



It's been bothering me, the horizontal flower stuck in there, they aren't right. Too dominearing, and they repeat in such an unpleasant way.


So I canned them, and came up with this instead:



I wish I had stuck with the vertical to begin with, too late now. But at least I will sleep better now, knowing that for my own happiness I fixed it. Except that I won't sleep too well, because the colors look acceptable on one of my monitors and like neon signs on the other. I have no idea how they look on yours. Plus I cut and pasted the little spoons from the other spoons and they are rather choppy, luckily you can't tell in low resolution, except that I just told you so you know anyway. Sigh...

If you haven't already, go vote for me...HERE. #48. Thanks.

Making Frescoes With Children



I taught a little class to a bunch of my nieces and nephews about Michelangelo and we made frescoes. Can you tell which one I did?

Needed: plaster of paris, a mold for the plaster (we used styrofoam plates), water based paint, brushes

Do this: Mix up the plaster and pour into your mold, wait for it to set up to the point that your brush won't sink in, but not too dry, then start painting.

With the older kids we also used a detail from the Sistine Chapel and poked holes along all the prominent features. Then we pounced it with charcoal dust over our plaster, so that it went through the holes and left guidelines that we could then paint. (Sorry, I don't have pictures of the older kids paintings, maybe I'll get them later...maybe)

It's time to stuff the ballot in my favor again!

There is this excellent little company called Spoonflower, they print fabric that you design yourself. They are still in beta mode, but seem to be making a name for themselves in the vast crafty empire. I am jealous that they thought up the idea before I could, but I am definitely not envious of the amount of work that goes into starting up a company like this. To give themselves even more stress and anguish they hold a design contest. I'm sure it's also their evil little plan to get some publicity too, as the contestants unwittingly tell their friends and kinfolk to go and vote on their website. Well I have fallen into their cunning little trap and now I am telling all three of my faithful blog readers to vote for my fabric design.

Click this to go to the blog post about the contest. Click this to go right to the voting.

I am number 48. Vote for number 48. You don't even have to take the time to look at all of them, I've made your decision for you. 48. Please don't start looking at them for the ones that are better than mine and voting for them instead of me. That would be so unfaithful of you. Except for that 19 and 45, I do happen to like those. Oh... But you don't, you only like mine. You are going to vote for me and tell all your friends about voting for me too. And while your at it, don't forget to tell me that I really captured the essence of the spoonflower and you think I am a great person.

Edit: I just wanted to make it clear that I'm not asking you to stuff the ballot in such as way that it would be cheating. Just vote once, please.