Interview

Several months ago I was interviewed by Living Creatively, an Australian online magazine dedicated to arty, crafty, handmade goodness, and the business of making things. It's very lovely. The article has just been posted in the current issue. Thank you, LC!

(Of course my mom had to write me to say how amused she was to hear me described as a "thrill-seeker." Well, just to prove her wrong, I'm going sky-diving now. With my DIY parachute. Bye.)

Say hello to my little orange friend

Look who came home with me from Home Depot the other day. He jumped into my cart; what could I do? And look, he's like a little brother to the plant in the corner, a gift from a friend. Aww! For $4.98, you can grab your own. The 4-inch-tall pots come in turquoise and hot pink and all sorts of nifty hues, and the cacti vary, too.

A charming tilt-shift video

I'm enchanted by this tilt-shift helicopter rescue film! It's called Bathtub IV by Keith Loutit. (Thank you, Jennifer!)

Tilt-shift miniature photo maker

Tilt-shift style photos are photographs of real life scenes that are made to look like miniature scale models. And Tilt-shift Maker is a website that will fake it for you: upload your digital photo and it's manipulated to look like a miniature model. Fun! Some pictures work better than others, so read the tips. I tried it with this photo I took in Venice. Above is the miniaturized version. Do those look like teeny buildings and model boats? (Click to view larger.) Below is the original.

Check out their photo gallery of samples. Interesting.

What font is that?

Do you guys know about WhatTheFont? It's a site that helps identify a typeface from a sample you submit. I've had hit or miss luck with it, but it's always worth a shot. As a test, I submitted my blog header because I outlined the type in "How about orange…" so long ago that I can't remember what font I used. WhatTheFont suggested it's a typeface I don't even have, so that's obviously not it. If all else fails, you can submit your sample to their forum and an enthusiastic type geek will probably identify it for you. WhatTheFont also comes as an iPhone app.

Make stuff with people

Chicago area ladies, you're all invited to an evening of snacking, chatting, and making stuff! Even if you only feel about 2% crafty, that's okay, because we'll have a variety of projects you could choose from and people to help you. Or bring along that thing you've been procrastinating on and finish it in the company of other creative people. Motivation by osmosis. I'm helping to plan this Craft Social with a few friends, and we are terribly excited about meeting you all! To get the details and RSVP, visit the Craft Social site.

DIY key holder

Here's what I did with that folksy flower design I made: a key rack. And hey, if you're going to drag out all the stuff to make one, why not make a few, I thought to myself. This is probably going inside our coat closet where the lighting is bad, so excuse me for not photographing it in action. Follow along if you want to make one.

1. I picked out a smooth, 4" wide pine board at Home Depot, and Alex cut it into 9" lengths for me. My job was to hold it steady, and I'm pleased to report I still have all my fingers. Sand the wood corners a bit to make them smooth.

2. Find some decorative paper you want to use on the front, or get a color laser print like I did. Trim your paper so it's 1/4" larger than your wood piece.

3. Paint the sides of your board a coordinating color. I did the back, too, so it would look more finished. I used acrylic paint.

4. Brush the front of your board with acrylic gel medium. I thinned it with a little water. You could use Mod Podge instead. Center the sticky side of the board over the back side of your paper and press it down. Flip the whole thing right side up and smooth out any bubbles with your fingers.

5. Turn it face down again and trim off the excess paper with an X-acto knife.

6. Apply more coats of gel medium over the entire surface of your board, letting each one dry before adding the next. I did three.

7. Attach hooks and hangers. Put some little felt squares on the back corners to keep the key holder from scratching your wall. (Or stick it up with wall mounting adhesive, but realize it might pull your paint off later when you want to take it down!)

These guys are waiting for something to happen to them. Hooks? Presents for people to hang as little pictures in a nursery? Hmm. Yet to be determined.