Alex Rider Books

"I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind.  Some come from ahead and some come from behind.  But I've bought a big bat.  I'm already you see.  Now my troubles are going to have trouble with me!"-Dr. Seuss

My little cousin T. enjoys the Alex Rider series.  These books are about a teenager who is a spy.  I can see how the teenage boy would find these books interesting.  I might even find them interesting.  We will see if I pick one up some time. I do enjoy a good spy movie, so I am sure a spy book would be even better.  

My love a spy gear is shown by the fact that I made two crafts for this book. The first craft I made was a spy tunes CD with unknown tunes on the tracks.  To find out what the tunes are you need to use a red decoder, or just the red side of 3-D glasses.  I found a pattern here of how to do it: http://strumpetscrumpets.blogspot.com/2011/05/secret-agent-birthday-tunes.html
On mine, however, I used a regular CD case and added will self-destruct after message onto the cover.  (Can you tell I watched a lot of the Inspector Gadget cartoons as a youth?).  Songs included themes from spy movies and shows, spy vs spy, and fun tunes about spies.

The second craft I made from this spy themed book was some TNT.  It does come in handy for spies, and a good spy needs to practice defusing a bomb every once in awhile.  This was really simple and looks kind of fun!

Materials:
3 Toilet Paper Tubes
Red and Black Construction Paper
3 Different Colored Pipe Cleaners
Scissors
Glue
Pencil

Directions:
1. Cut out red construction paper so that it will wrap around the tubes and glue the paper to the toilet paper tubes.  
2. Trace around the top of the tubes with a pencil onto red construction paper.  Cut out circle and glue to the top and bottoms of tubes.
3. Glue the three toilet paper tubes together, once they are all covered in the construction paper, in a pyramid formation.
4. Cut out two long strips of black construction paper.  Wrap them around the tube and glue them on to form the "bundling cable".
5. Glue the 3 different pipe cleaners onto the tubes to create "bomb wires".  I used hot glue for this part. (Mostly because I am not very patient).

I'm thinking a spy party might be in order.  James Bond movies and some reading of Alex Rider maybe?


In other news Beautiful Creatures got here today!  Yay! Nothing like new book scent.

Hatchet Inspired Bracelet

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better.  It's not." -Dr. Seuss, The Lorax

When I asked my brother what his favorite children's book was he said either Hatchet or Oh the Places You Will Go.   I personally only remember him reading sports chapter books, but I am probably an unreliable resource since my nose was buried in my own books.  Hatchet seems to be a favorite among pre-teen males.  It looks at survival and the human condition.  Survival bracelets are very popular right now and seemed appropriate when talking about this book.

I made mine from watching this YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aw-BKZbtOD4

I have been making friendship bracelets for years, so trading up to making one of these was really easy.  As the daughter of a former boy scout leader I have the mantra "Be Prepared" constantly ringing through my ears.  Now at least I can look fashionable as I head that advice.

(I bought my cord from Walmart and used a tiny carabiner as the clasp).

Snowflake Bentley

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened."-Dr. Seuss

I asked around to find out what my families favorite books from childhood are/were.  My little cousin J. told me that his favorite book currently is Snowflake Bentley.  This book is about the guy who studied snowflakes and found out each one is unique.  Check out http://snowflakebentley.com/ to learn more about him.  I decided to make my own unique snowflake in celebration of this book for J.  

I followed directions from http://www.reesedixon.com/2008/12/quilled-snowflake-ornament.html.  I added silver glitter and messed up around some parts.  I need to continue to work on it to get it perfect.

Book Smart Bookmarks

"So the writer who breeds more words than he needs, is making a chore for the reader who reads." - Dr. Seuss

Books are precious.  Dog tagging the corners is a major no-no, but even regular bookmarks can take their toll on the spine of books.  These book marks don't harm the spine of the book.  I love that! Plus really simple to make with all age groups.

Materials:
Old Envelope
Marker
Sticker
Scissors

Directions:
Cut the corner off the envelope.
Decorate the corner of the envelope with sticker(s) or marker.
Tuck over the corner of the book page you are on!

Sweet Book Treats

"The more that you read, the more things you will know.  The more that you learn, the more places you will go." - Dr. Seuss, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!

What's sweeter than reading?  Reading with some candy!  Chocolate books and gummy "book" worms are delicious and help to reinforce the joy of reading.

Book Worms

Materials:
Gummy Worms
Printed Messages
Plastic Sandwich Bags

Directions:
Put gummy worms in plastic bags and attach message. 
Enjoy

Chocolate Books:

Materials:

Mini Chocolate Bars

Construction Paper

Printed Messages

Black Permanent Marker

Tape

Directions:

1. Print off messages cut out the messages a little bit bigger than the chocolate bar.

2. Cut out construction paper rectangles a little bigger than the chocolate bar.

3. Draw a "book spine" on the construction paper.  Write book on one side of the "book" cover.

4. On the opposite side of the construction paper tape the chocolate down.

5. Fold the printed message in half

6. Tape the message over the chocolate

7. Enjoy!

Getting Ready To Read Across America

Read Across America Day is March 1st!  In preparation for this event, my crafting has been inspired by children's books.  

I-Spy books are very popular because they work on both reading skills and problem solving skills.  Also, they are just plain fun!  I-Spy tubes are becoming more popular where a person can look for items in a tube by rolling it around.  I created a real simple one that is fun and can entertain for hours (if your have the patience for it).

Materials:

• Plastic Soda Bottle
• Odds and Ends from around the house
• Rice
• Hot Glue Gun with Glue Sticks

Directions:

1. Put the Odd and Ends into the bottle, writing down what each one was if you want a list of items for people to search for.

2. Add rice into the bottle filling almost to the top.

3. Glue Soda Bottle cap onto the bottle.  Little hands like to unscrew lids and I can just imagine rice everywhere.

Simple, and leads to hours of searching.  The list of my items is listed in the picture below.  Just use whatever is laying around the house.  Buttons, pennies, noddles... whatever is on hand.  Have fun and keep on reading!

List of what is in the I-Spy tube

Richard Parker?

All I could think of when I saw this video on I Can Has Cheezburger was "Is that Richard Parker (Life of Pi)?"

Even better, the Tiger's name is Enzo (Like the dog who was the main character of the Art of Racing in the Rain).  Yeah.  I think we would be best friends if I knew him in real life! It combines two of the book club approved readings!  Awesome!


I can't wait for Beautiful Creatures to get here.  I need to see my world view through another lens. 

Book Club Night/ Life of Pi Inspired Meal

"Whatever you like, we'll make it."- The Hindu

The book club finally got together to discuss "Life of Pi".  I have read a whole book or two in between when I finished that one, but I am glad we were able to discuss it.  One of the parts we kept coming back to had to deal with Pi envisioning all the delicious food he wanted.  (A lot happens in the book around that part).  This reminded me of a meal I made last year for my roommate.  It was a crockpot butter chicken recipe.  It is delicious, but it makes a lot of food.  I might have to make this next time I have a bunch of company.  I do have naan in the freezer. YUM!

H.P.'s picture of the meal.  btw...that is not my wine with the ice in it.  

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

4 large skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons curry powder

2 tsp tandoori masala

1 tsp garam masala

1 (6 oz) can tomato paste

15 green cardamom pods

1 (14 oz) can coconut milk

1 cup plain yogurt

salt to taste

Directions

1. Melt the butter and vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Stir in the chicken, onion, and garlic. Cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir in the curry powder, curry paste, tandoori masala, garam masala, and tomato paste until no lumps of tomato past remain.  Pour into slow cooker, and stir in the caramom pods, coconut milk, and yogurt.  Season to taste with salt.

2. Cook on high 4 to 6 hours, or on Low 6 to 8 hours until the chicken is tender and the sauce has reduced to your desired consistency.  Remove and discard the cardamom pods before serving.  

Serve warm with rice and warm Naan.  

Next month's book is Beautiful Creatures.  Possible movie date with the book club?

Getting Ready For Spring

"For her fifth wedding the bride wore black and drank a scotch and soda." -Phyllis Batelle

Spring cannot come fast enough.  I am sick of snow and ice.  What been cheering me up is thinking that spring is just around the corner.  I will get to enjoy my porch again and go for walks outside!  I just can't wait.  

I am getting ready to decorate my porch with these lanterns made out of soda pop cans.  Great for book club decorations when you can have your first outdoors meeting or any book about princesses.  I recommend Once Upon a Curse by E.D. Baker for the tween girls right now.  It is a fun read and puts a twist on the traditional princess and the frog story.  

Materials:
Soda Can
Xacto Knife

Directions:
1. Rinse out empty soda can.  Fill empty soda can(s) with water.  Put in freezer and let set over night.  
2. Remove cans from freezer and cut a rectangular slot in back with the Xacto so that you can add candles to the lantern should you choose to.  
3. Cut slits into the can in a half an inch pattern all around the can starting at the ridge of the can and ending a half inch from the bottom of the can.  This can be done straight up and down or curved. See above for examples of both.
4. Let ice melt from the can in the sink.
5. Press top of the can towards the bottom of the can.  If slits need to be cut deeper to get through the can use the Xacto knife to cut where the score marks are.  


Enjoy thinking about warmer weather and barbecues with these cute spring/summer decorations!

Happy President's Day

"In the end, it's not the years in your life that count.  It's the life in your years." - Abraham Lincoln

On president's day we celebrate the great leaders of this country.  Many books have been written about Abraham Lincoln.  The most recent one I read was Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame Smith.  While it is a fun read, Seth Grahame Smith, did his research.  This book is jammed packed with history, if you can weed out the vampire parts.  As (quite possibly) the historical figure I talk about the most, a Honest Abe shirt will make any President's Day awesome!

I got the pattern for this shirt from Dana  over at MADE.  http://www.danamadeit.com/2008/07/tutorial-presidents-day-shirts-intermediate-freezer-paper-stenciling.html

I didn't have all the materials that her design called for, but what I had ended up working.  

Materials:

-T-Shirt

-Stencil from MADE

-Full page label

-Red puff paint

-Foam Paint Brush

-Scissors

Directions:

1. Print off stencil onto full page label.

2. Cut out the stencil and save pieces that go on the inside.

3. Peel of back of label pieces and center on the t-shirt.

4. Squirt red puff paint onto the stencils.  Brush the paint to cover the stencil pattern.

5. Let dry.

6. Remove the stencil and peel off all excess label.  

7. If you want, add drips off the bottom of the presidents shirt to add to the vampire hunter effect.

Ain't No Party Like a Harry Potter Party

"Pity you can't attach an extra arm to yours [broom], Malfoy. Then it could catch the Snitch for you." - J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter

 

A whole generation grew up reading Harry Potter books and waiting for the movies to come out.  Harry Potter is still as magical the 5th or 6th time reading through the series.  Harry Potter Parties are so much fun because of the pure joy of the books and the wonder that is the wizarding world.  Recently I had a Harry Potter party with my book club and some other friends.  We had our own Honeydukes, the Owlery, and even an entrance to the Ministry of Magic.  Food included sandwiches (like Ron always brings along for the Hogwarts Express ride), mandrake cake (dirt cake with a dolls head with construction paper to look like a plant), pumpkin pasties, chips, and delicious butter beer. 

Now, what would a gathering of the book club be like without some crafting?  A. made us some adorable pygmy puffs.  (The blue one is Spike.  He likes to go swimming).  We each had the chance to make our own wands. The one in the picture is called The Rorschach Wand.  And then we needed to make a quiditch inspired center piece of quiditch posts.  

My favorite craft project though was the Golden Snitch.  Flying through my kitchen it was hard not to want to get a broom a play a game of quiditch.  

Materials:

-Gold Christmas Ball Ornament

-Yellow Crafting Foam

-Hot Glue Gun

-Gold Paint

- Paint Brush

-Scissors

Directions:

1. Cut out wings for the Snitch from the yellow crafting foam.  Match size to the size of the ornament.

2. Draw designs on the wings with a hot glue gun.

3. Once glue is dry paint the wings with the gold paint.  

4.  Paint designs with the gold paint on the ornament.  Swirls on both sides and a line down the middle will help create the same pattern that are on the Snitch.

5. Glue wings onto the ornament to finish the Snitch.

Add some games and trivia to your plans for your Harry Potter party and you are sure to have a great time!

A Spoonful of Literature....

"All of my problems are rather complicated- I need an entire novel to deal with them, not a short story or a movie.  It's like a personal therapy." - Manuel Puig

I find the books I find most enjoyable (just like movies and TV shows I enjoy the most) are ones that make me forget about my own problems and draw me into to world that is all its own.  These are the kind of books that take me someplace else as I read them.   Never ask me to do anything if I am engaged in what I am reading.  Many a times I have agreed to something, not realizing what I had done because I was still in that other world.  Every once in a while it is good to escape out own lives and explore these other worlds and characters.  Besides, a book is a lot cheaper than a therapist.  (Disclaimer: Mental Illness is a serious medical condition that affects approximately 22% of all Americans.  Please do seek out professional care!)

Give Your Books a Makeover: Book Planter

“I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.” – Jorge Luis Borges

Although I believe all books have a place in the world, some books need a make-over.  You know the ones I am talking about- encyclopedias that mention Pluto as a planet, dictionaries from the 1970’s, books that have water damage, and those craft books from the 1960’s (sorry, but that’s what craft blogs were invented for!).    Many crafts are out there for crafts with old books, but one of my favorites is turning an old book into a planter.  My brother is the environmental scientist in the family, but he firmly believes that houseplants help allergies and remove common pollutants from the air.  (Which also would be supported by a 1989 NASA survey).   Recycling, removing air pollutants, and crafting?  

Materials:

·         Old book

·         X-ACTO Knife

·         Plastic Wrap

·         Planting Soil

·         Plants

Directions:

1.       Find the center of your book.  Trace a circle or square (depending on how you want your planter to look) around that center point.

2.       Using the X-ACTO knife begging cutting on the line.  Might take a while to cut the hole for the planter.  Make sure to not cut through the bottom of the book, but cut far enough down that the plant root system will be able to fit. 

3.       Use plastic wrap to create a bowl type effect to prevent water from steeping into the book pages when watering the plant.

4.       Fill hole in with dirt.

5.       Plat your plant(s) and enjoy!

Clean air never looked so good!

Some Puppy Love This Valentine's Day

“Dogs are not our whole lives, but they make our lives whole.”  - Roger Caras

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!  The book “Marley & Me” by John Grogan is about the love between a man and his dog.  This heartwarming story will make you laugh, cry, and fall in love with spirited dog.  The book was written based on newspaper columns John had written about his dog Marley.  On St. Valentine’s Day, some newspaper roses to celebrate love (yes, even the love between a man and his dog) are sure to brighten your day and fill your heart with love.

Materials:

·         Newspapers

·         Floral wire

·         Floral Tape

·         Scissors

·         Tacky Glue

Directions:

1.       Cut out newspaper ovals 1.5” inches by 2” inches.  Cut out about 15 ovals for rose.

2.       Spiral a tight oval and glue it together. 

3.       Glue the floral wire to the bottom part of the spiral. This is now the base of the flower.

4.       Glue the petals around the base until the rose is filled in.

5.       Wrap floral tape around floral wire.

6.       Make as many roses as wanted to form a bouquet.

Happy Valentine’s Day!  

Raise a Glass to Fifty Shades

“It’s not true that I had nothing on.  I had the radio on.” –Marilynn Monroe

“Fifty Shades of Grey” by E.L. James is another one of those overnight sensations.  It feels like everyone is reading it.  The craze spans across age groups, genders, and occupations.  It is a fun read for any book club, though wine helps to make the meeting more fun.  Besides Christian and Ana always do seem to be drinking something, even if it is not always out of a glass.  These glasses will impress your book club when they come over for the meeting.  Use with Hunger Games Coasters (or make some Fifty Shades of Grey ones) to really leave your club impressed. 

Materials:

·         Wine Glass(es)

·         Craft Glue

·         Paint Brush

·         Glitter (Silver)

Directions:

1.       Make sure glasses are clean

2.       Put glue around the base and stem of the wine glass.  Spread even with the paint brush.

3.       Sprinkle glitter over the glue.  Make sure all the areas covered in glue get covered in glitter.

4.       Shake excess glitter off the wine glasses.

If you want some Fifty Shades inspired drinks check out:  thestir.cafemom.com/food_party/139393/50_shades_of_grey_inspired

Cheers!

Hunger Games Coasters

“Don’t ask me who’s influenced me.  A lion is made up of the lambs he’s digested, and I’ve been reading all my life.”- Charles de Gallue

One of those influential book series being read by young and old alike is The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  The Hunger Games seems to be everywhere- from the books, movies, and merchandise everywhere.  Katniss Everdeen is the heroine in this story.  She is strong, loyal, and cares deeply about her family.  These Huger Games coasters are sure to please at any Book Club meeting or Hunger Game party you might be hosting.

Materials:

·         Craft Foam Sheets

·         Magazine with article(s) about the Hunger Games

·         A coaster (to use as a template.  I used one from a restaurant)

·         Scissors

·         Mod Podge

·         Pencil

·         Paint Brush

Directions:

1.       Trace coasters onto foam sheets.  Cut out foam, this will be the base for the coaster. 

2.       Cut out images and words to be used on the coasters.

3.       Cut out a background for the coasters.

4.       Make sure the background is the same size as the base of the coaster.  Mod Podge the background onto the coaster base.

5.       Mod Podge the design you want onto the coasters.  Use multiple layers of mod podge to cover the design.

6.       Make as many coasters as needed to create a set.

Fun coasters are always great conversation starters and useful.  These will show off your Hunger Game pride.

Reflections on a Dog's Life

“…what is worse, smelling the roast and not feasting, or not smelling the roast at all?”-The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

Who would have thought that a story told through the eyes of a dog would be so insightful? Last month, my book club read “The Art of Racing in the Rain” by Garth Stein.  This book is about the life of Enzo, the dog, and his family’s story.  One of the main points of discussion at our book club meeting was about the meaning of the zebra.  Garth Stein will not reveal what the zebra means, however, the zebra does have importance in the story as he appears multiple times.   A poster I found on the “Quote Factory” inspired me to make a mirror with Enzo’s quote “Somewhere the zebra is dancing” on it.  

Materials:

Mirror

Page Size Labels

Scissors

Glass Etching Cream

Paint Brush

Computer/Printer

Directions:

1.       Print the quote on a page sized label.  I used 80 sized bold faced font. 

2.       Cut out the letters from the label.  This will form the stencil. Save the insides of the letters like “o” to be used later.

3.       Peel off the backing from the stencil (or stencil parts) and lay it on the mirror.  Rub the stencil so that it lays flat on the mirror and that the etching cream will not go between the stencil and the mirror. 

4.       Peel off the insides of the letters and place them in the letters they belong to.

5.       Use a paint brush to brush a substantial amount of glass etching cream onto the open letters as to fully cover each letter.

6.       Follow directions on the etching cream as to how long it must set before being removed.

7.       Use the paint brush to remove the etching cream under water in the sink and the stencil should start to remove itself from the mirror.

8.       Once all etching cream is removed and the stencil is removed from the mirror, take a cloth to dry the mirror and remove any excess materials that might still be on it.

“Somewhere the zebra is dancing”, but hopefully not on my crafting supplies. 

Do Comic Books Count As Books?

"Old superheroes don't just fade away.  They grow old, useless- and very, very bitter!" - The Blue Diamond

Comic books might not count as a book to read for book club, however they are fun to read and the bright colors and bold images make for perfect crafting.  Besides, we all need to do our part to prevent bitter old superheroes.  These comic book pendents and earrings were inspired by the comic book necklace pendents found on Punk Projects.  http://www.punkprojects.com/2011/03/comic-book-necklace-pendant-diy.html
They could be made using any magazine, however, I chose to use the Feb/Mar 2013 issue of Marvel Super Heroes Magazine.

Materials:

• Comic Book
• Glue Stick
• Cardboard
• Jump Rings
• Contact Paper or Laminating Paper
• Hole Punch
• Earwires
• Cording

Directions:

1. Cut comic book images that you want to use for earrings and pendents.

2. Glue images onto cardboard and cut excess cardboard to match shape.

3. Laminate images and cut around image leaving enough room around laminated edges.

4. Punch a hole in the image and attach jump rings through punch holes. For earrings attach another jump ring to the first one to get the earrings to fall in the right direction once ready to wear.

5. String pendents through cording and attach earrings to earwires.

Resident Marvel fashion designer Janet Van Dyne, aka Wasp, would be proud of this jewelry.  It is fun and makes a statement.  I'm thinking the next project with comic books is going to be either a chained bracelet or a charm bracelet.  Maybe both!

...And Some Metallic Paint

“When I get a little money, I buy books. If any is left, I buy food and clothes.” — Erasmus

Recently for me, this list has included metallic paint.  Nothing like gold paint to help fight off the  doldrums of winter.  

This months book is the "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel.  It is "a story to make you believe in the soul-searching power of fiction"-Los Angeles Times Book Review.  I can't give too much away since we haven't had our book club meeting yet, and the club hasn't finished reading it yet.

Richard Parker, the Bengal tiger, plays a key role in the story.  He was my inspiration for this months craft project along with cute animal jars I found over on http://heodeza.blogspot.com/
This is what I ended up with-

Materials:

• Black Paint (Spray or Acrylic with Paint Brush)
• Gold Paint Pen
• E 6000 or Hot Glue Gun (with hot glue sticks)
• Bengal Tiger Toy
• Jar with Lid

Directions:

1. Paint lid of jar and tiger with black paint. Let dry.

2. Paint design on tiger.  

3. Paint quote from book on jar.  I chose "Love is hard to believe, ask any lover.  Life is hard to believe, ask any scientist. God is hard to believe, ask any believer.  What is your problem with hard to believe?" I altered from gold to black paint on each side of the jar. 

4. Glue tiger onto lid of jar.

Until my book club finishes reading "Life of Pi", I (like Pi(scene) Patel) have Richard Parker to keep me company.