Penguin Earrings

"The answer to every problem involved penguins." -Rick Riordan, The Throne of Fire.

So, these little guys did not want to take a good picture.  With all the cold weather, I wanted to make some winter themed earrings.  I figured even in the cold penguins could make me smile.   

Materials:

• Polymer Clay (black, white, pink, orange).
• Eye pin
• fish hook style earring

Directions:

1. Form two rounded rectangular shapes out of black clay.
2. Add a piece of rectangular white clay atop each black rectangle. Press the middle of the top piece of white clay in to form two bumps at the top.
3. Form 4 small circles with the orange clay.  Attach two of these to the bottom of each penguin shape for feet.
4. Create two beaks out of the orange clay, and attach one to each penguin.
5. Add two black eyes created by forming two small black balls of clay.  Add to penguin. Repeat for the other penguin.
6. Create 4 small balls of pink clay.  Flatten one of each side of the beak for blushed cheeks.
7. Thread the eye pin through the penguin and poke the eye pin int to top of the penguin. 
8. Bake in the oven for ten minutes at 225 degrees Fahrenheit.  Let cool.

Book choice for this craft: Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater.  This is a classic childrens story and reading it again or for the first time brings back the joy and ease of youth.

Olympic Painting

"Most other competitions are individual achievements, but the Olympic Games is something that belongs to everybody." -Scott Hamilton

Getting in the mood for the Sochi games just around the corner, so I decided to do a painting to help set the Olympic spirit.  This was my first attempt just painting without being told what to do and just going off a picture.  I think I did alright.  I used the oils I got for Christmas, so the leaves, the fire, and the torch bases would blend nicely.  (Thanks for the paint M&O)!

If you want to try doing something similar, I did find a lesson on painting fire, but it was in acrylics, so it didn't work for me.  Let me know how yours turns out if you do decide to give this a try.

A book, at least from the same area as the games this year, is The Tsarina's Daughter by Carolly Erickson.  This is a historical fiction piece that tells of the Russian Revolution through the eyes of Tatiana Romanov.  It is a pretty interesting book and does focus on what was happen around that time in history.  An interesting read, if not directly linked to the Olympics.

Calendar Envelopes

"A letter always seemed to me like immortality because it is the mind alone without corporeal friend." -Emily Dickinson

This craft was part of my figuring out what to do with leftover calendars.  These are simple to make and create a talking point (besides the letter itself).  

Materials:

• Calendar
• Old Envelope
• Glue Stick
• Scissors
• Pencil

Directions:

1. Open the old envelope and trace it onto the calendar page.
2. Cut out the calendar envelope. 
3. Fold to create the envelope and glue the edges in place.

Enjoy the comments you get back when you send your letters out in these envelopes!

Book Club Shirts

"There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book.  Books are well written, or badly written." -Oscar Wilde

The book club made shirts last weekend with bleach, fabric paint, and stencils made out of parchment paper.  They turned out pretty well.  We each took one of our favorite books and made it into a shirt.  Looking good ladies! Looking good!

"Teddy Westside's" Horton Hears a Who Shirt

"Big Fudge's" Harry Potter Shirt

"Swarley's" Hunger Games Shirt

Book Bags

"Books are the ultimate Dumpees: put them them down and they will wait for you forever; pay attention to them and they always love you back." -John Green

Part of book club this month was crafting. There were a handful of different projects we made.  One of them was a canvas tote bag to glam up our trips to the library (or favorite reading spot).  With the sayings about books on them, I am hoping they at least turn the librarian's head.

Materials:

• Canvas Tote Bags
• Puff Paint

Directions:

1. Find a quote or a saying you like.
2. Write the quote on with puff paint and decorate it.

BTW: I like big books... and I can not lie!

Chalkboard Party Cups

"Friendship is born at the moment when one man says to another: 'What! You too? I thought that was no one but myself...'" -C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

I enjoy when the book club can get together.  Skype meetings are great, but nothing like spending time in person. Everytime we are together, we seem to get fun cups.  These are, by far, my favorite.  And since we are big How I Met Your Mother fans, we went by the nicknames the male characters have on that show.  

Materials:

• Plastic Cups
• Plastic Toy Animals
• Black Chalkboard Paint
• Paintbrush
• E6000
• Chalk

Directions:

1. Paint all but an inch from the top of the cup with chalkboard paint.  Let dry.
2. Paint the the animal with the chalkboard paint. Let dry.
3. Glue the animal onto the cup. Let dry. 
4. Decorate with chalk.  

Olive You Pillow

"Friends see most of each other's flaws. Spouses see every awful last bit." -Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl

One of my favorite parts of Gone Girl is that when they meet they start off by joking over making a sandwich with "just one olive".  It reminded me of the olive theory on How I Met Your Mother.  I saw a pillow with an olive on it a while ago and decided to try making one for myself.

Materials:

• Pillow Form
• Off White Material
• Green Felt
• Red Felt
• Sewing Machine
• Scissors
• Brown Fabric Paint

Directions:

1. Cut out 2 pieces of material around pillow with enough extra for a 1/4 seam.  
2. Cut an oval shape out of green felt.
3. Cut a small heart out of red felt.
4. Sew the read heart onto the green oval.
5. Sew the green oval onto one of the white material pieces.
6. Sew the two sides of the pillow cover together, leaving room to fit in the pillow.  Make sure to sew them together with the olive facing the inside.
7. Flip inside out, and put pillow inside the cover.
8. Sew the open ends together.
9. Write "Olive You" on the pillow.

The pillow represents the good parts of Amy and Nick's marriage, and how somethings a little thing, like an olive, can bring us together.