Out with the old...

...in with the new!

To celebrate the coming year, we've found a few fun crafts for up-cycling books (for ones that are falling apart and/or too well loved for donation!)

Photo Books: transform old books into interesting frames for your favorite photographs
Better Homes and Gardens

"Pretty Bird Wall Art": made with just Mod Podge and Sharpies
Blue Cricket Design

Bird Ornament: instructions in link
By Stephanie Lynn

Book Planter!
DIY Ready

If You Dream of Life in the Country (or have any interest in it) then this Blog is for You!

Get on over to Chickens In The Road - life in ordinary splendor authored by Suzanne McMinn which is just chock full of stories of her life on a small farm in West Virginia. Suzanne is obviously a very interesting person who has lived many places, loves animals, country crafts, gardening and food. In her spare time she writes romance novels and a column for the Charleston Daily Mail.  She also takes great photos and videos of the daily goings on at her farm and the best part is that she likes to share.

Hop on over to her About Me page to get the full scoop and get a glimpse of the characters living on the farm. You'll find goats (including the fainting variety), cows, chickens, sheep, ducks, dogs, cats, and donkeys. I probably left something out but you get the idea.

There is a forum, a newsletter, recipes, crafts, gardening, contests, and seemingly never a dull moment. Miss Bun loves to read CITR while she's sipping coffee in the morning and is super glad that someone is living the life she is certain she was meant to live.

Enjoy!

(And thanks to Laura R. for sharing this with me!)

Prom, Duck Tape & Scholarships! Oh, My!

Hey, Peeps! Here is a nifty, creative contest that can bring in some money for you & your school if you happen to be going to prom this year. (AND you follow all the rules and are 14 years of age or over, etc.)

The folks at ShurTech Brands, LLC are giving away 20 scholarships in celebration of their 10th anniversary to couples (and their schools!) who make their prom dresses & tuxes out of Duck Tape, make it to the top ten and survive 5 weeks (& 3 days) of online voting. Sweet!

Here are the prizes that go to each individual member of the prom couple and the school that hosts the prom:
First Place - $3,000
Second Place - $2,000
Third Place - $1,000
Seven Runners Up - $500

Check it out! Stuck at Prom

And while you're there take at look at the gallery of contests past as well as the current entrants for this year.

The sheer creativity plus fun factor is amazing!!! Enjoy!

Going On A Treasure Hunt!

Like a challenge? Like the great outdoors? Love puzzles? Like to collect things?

Well.....Letterboxing (or possibly it's much younger cousin Geocaching) might be for you!

"Zo, vhat ees zis Leterrbooxing ov wheech yo spek????" (Sorry, I went all Inspector Clouseau there for a second.)

So glad you asked!  Letterboxing is a game of hide and seek with clues. To play you need a compass, a trail name, a personal rubber stamp, & a logbook.

The letterbox (usually a waterproof plastic container that holds at least a rubber stamp & logbook,) is hidden by its owner at some location. Your job is to find it armed with the clues provided. Once you have found it, you stamp your logbook with the letterbox stamp & stamp your stamp in the letterbox logbook thus providing proof all around that you really did find the box. Cool, huh?

Evidently handmade stamp images are highly prized in the world of Letterboxing. So you get to be creative & physically active as well!

Here is a site that will give you all the info you need to get started (along with clues to find letterboxes) & then some:

Letterboxing North America

Don't worry if you are not from North America. Letterboxing (& geocaching) is global! Check out the Net for info on boxes in your neck of the woods.

Wondering about  letterboxing versus geocaching? Here is well written article by Trailhead Tessie from the SheltonTrails.org site comparing them: Letterboxing and Geocaching which also includes links.

What a great way for the whole family to enjoy the great outdoors this summer! 

Easter Sushi???

Miss Bun had never heard of this somewhat peculiar springtime treat until she stumbled onto Serious Eats . It was love at first sight!

It's still not too late to make this an Easter tradition at your house too!
(The ingredients needed are pretty minimal.....as you can see!)

How to Make Peepshi = Peep Sushi

Too Cute Bookmarks to Download!!!

Are you giving books as presents this holiday season? Then you will want to go to Jinjerup and snag some of these adorable bookmarks to go with them.

All you have to do is download, print on card stock , & cut them out. How easy is that?

Christmas Penguin & Snowmen Bookmarks

(OMG! Only two days til the BIG DAY! Where's a good elf when you need one???)

Make Your Own Advent Calendar

Here is a nice template and instructions for making an Advent Calendar using your own photos from the good people at Kodak.

Yes, I know the season has started already but there is always next year, right?

Enjoy!

Hot Chocolate on a Stick from The Giver's Log blog

The Giver's Log is the place to go for ideas on gift giving, gift wrapping and more!

AmberLee has collected ideas on gifting, wrapping, thoughtful gestures, and gift etiquette from friends, bloggers, and herself.

There are do-it-yourself projects as well as links to nifty things on the Web. She also has gift ideas by category such as teacher, hostess, grandparent, client, farewell, new baby, & teens, to name a few.

Here is one that would be a perfect treat to make for this time of year:

Hot Chocolate on a Stick





'Tis the season for giving.....Go forth & be inspired!

This is Papercraft Heaven!

 Hi Peeps! It's been a really busy week in Library Land ... hence the lack of posts ... BUT ... here is a site from Canon  (the technology company ... I'm sure you've heard of them?) that really is a bit of heaven for papercraft enthusiasts.

Canon Creative Park is an amazing site with amazing projects that are all free.

Here are their categories for all sorts of things to do and make with paper and a printer: Gift & Card, Paper Craft, Scrapbook, Art, Calendars, and Photo Gallery.

There is everything from the very simple to the complex, from one dimensional to 3D and beyond! I have to say there are some very talented people out there designing these projects.

Creative Park gives users a choice of five languages. Each project has author info, release date, recommended paper & printer settings as well as download-able pattern and assembly instructions. 

So limber up your phalanges and click on over to (the aptly named)  Canon Creative Park!



Enjoy!  

How to Make Origami Claws . . .

If your costume this year requires low budget claws (Lions & Tigers & Bears, Oh My!) (. . . Or should that be Werewolves & Vampires & Freddies?) this is for you!

Origami Claws

Go crazy with decorating them! Enjoy!

Online Coloring Pages......TGIFF!

Halloween Online Coloring Pages

By registering for a free account (on the home page) you can save your finished pictures to a gallery.


There are tons of coloring pages on this site. Don't let the kids have all the fun!

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Pumpkins.......and Then Some!

Ok, Peeps, this is the place to go for all your pumpkin informational needs: Pumpkin Nook!


Here you will find info on how to grow them, giant pumpkins, facts & education, recipes, fun stuff and more. Plus lots of links related to the two main pumpkin consuming holidays: Halloween & Thanksgiving.

One of Miss Bun's favorite pages is "Naming Your Baby" which assures us that what name you give your growing pumpkin is very important! (Who knew???)

Enjoy!

It's TGIFF......Go Make a Flapping Crane!

Even if you think you can't quite grasp origami instructions this 3D animated tutorial will make you a professional crane folder in no time! Really!

How To Make A Flapping Bird

Enjoy!!!

Papercrafting = Folding Trees....

I'm not sure why (Hmmm....what would Sigmund say?) but many "book people" I know also love paper crafts.

If you fall into that category you will love this site: Folding Trees - the best tutorials and paper creations online!

Here you will find all kinds of creative things to do with paper from bookmarks to boxes, to books & journals, to paper models, origami, papercutting, & tons more!

This obvious labor of love is a collaboration between two women: Eve in New Zealand and June in Canada who "aim ... to collect the best tutorials we have found on the net, inspire you by highlighting amazing paper creations from talented artists and crafters, and share our own paper crafts and tutorials."

Be sure to check out today's entry: Altered Book Art to see some totally amazing things some folks are doing with old books.

Find yourself in desperate need of some really cute bookmarks? Fire up your printer and go here: Chick Bookmark.



Well, Peeps, that should get you started. Welcome to the Wonderful World of Papercrafting!

P.S. If you really just must run with scissors at least put point guards on them first....ok?