Busy with Spring

"It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about?"- Henry David Thoreau

The book club is out busy celebrating spring and everything that comes with it.  Starting to plan for the summer, wrapping up some big projects, attending weddings, planning baby showers, taking licensing exams (not me thank goodness), and just enjoying the warmth.  I am glad Spring is here, but because we are so busy the book club has taken a hiatus to catch up.  Don't worry the next book is picked out: Divergent by Veronica Roth.  It was highly recommended by one of my co-workers.  It should be a great read and discussion for the club.  (Don't worry I can read books besides book club books until then).  

Yes, I suppose you could say what I have on my hands is a bookworm problem. 

Angry Birds: Crafting the Revolution

"If couples who are in love are called 'love birds', then couples who always argue should be called 'angry birds'." -Author Unknown

Angry Birds have taken over the world, or least it seems like it as I walk up and own the aisles at stores and see them everywhere (including in the gardening section today).  This Christmas I made my first Angry Birds craft, an ornament for my Christmas tree.  I found this craft about a year ago on Homemade Beauties by Heidi.  I have been thinking about using this game as a team game for middle school students, where one team works together to use boxes to protect their pigs and the other team take turns trying to knock the pigs down.  With it being the week of Earth Day and Arbor Day, I decided it was time to recycle some of my cans into pigs. 

Bird Materials:

Red Ball ($1.50 from Walmart)

Yellow, White, and Black Acrylic Paint

Black Puff Paint

Paint Brush

Bird Directions:

1. Paint a triangle on the middle of the ball for the beak with the yellow paint.  Paint a smaller yellow triangle under it to the far left.  Let dry.

2. Paint two white eyes on the bird.  Let dry.

3. Paint eyebrows above the eyes to make the bird 'angry' with the black paint. Let dry.

4. Outline eyes and beak with black puff paint. Paint the birds pupils with the puff paint. 

5. With the back of the paint brush add white dots to the pupils.

Pig Materials:

Cleaned Aluminum Cans (One big can if you want to make a King Pig)

Green, White, and Yellow Acrylic Paint

Black and Red puff paint

Paint Brushes

Pig Directions:

1. Paint the cans green. Let dry.

2. Mix some white paint with the green paint to create a lighter green color for the pig's snout.  Paint a oval in the middle of the can for the snout. Let Dry.

3. Paint eyes using the white paint and let dry. 

4. Using the black puff paint paint eyebrows, pupils, and nostrils on the pigs.

5. Using the white paint, Black puff paint, and red puff paint, paint a variety of faces on the pigs.  You can use either the faces I chose or look up some other pig faces from the games.  I am thinking a mustache pig would be awesome!

6. Paint a yellow crown on the King Pig if you chose to make one.

This game is fun for all ages, and adored by those obsessed with Angry Birds or Bad Piggies.  I just made the red bird, however different color balls could make different birds.  Want to learn more about birds out in nature that are angry?  Check out National Geographic's Angry Birds: 50 True Stories of the Fed Up, Feathered, and Furious.

Just a note, this game is a hit with preschoolers.  Just set it up and let them hit them over.  You can work on sharing skills or just have fun.  It will keep them entertained for a while. 

Piranha Plant Earrings

"Life is a game, kid!  It all depends on how you play!"- Mario

Now, I have never been much of a gamer.  I tend to kill myself off in the first level.  However, Dr. Mario and Mario Kart are two games that I will play.  I do love the video game motif though.  Good thing I have friends that are gamers!  I made these earrings a few weeks ago along with some chomp chain ones (to come later!).  They are fun and cute!

Materials:
Light Green Polymer Clay
Dark Green Polymer Clay
Red Polymer Clay
White Polymer Clay
Straight Edge Clay Tool

Directions:
1. Form two cylinders out of the dark green clay.  Form a lip around the cylinders to create the tube. 
2. Form two thin cylinders out of the light green clay.  Attach to the cylinders to form the stem.  Attach two leaves to each stem.
3. Form two red balls out of clay.  Use the straight edge tool to cut a slice in the balls and open them up to form pac-man looking red clay pieces. 
4. Form a thin white tube of clay and use that to form the lips of the plants.  Create small white clay balls and flatten them onto the plants.  Attach small teeth like shapes to the lips if desired.
5. Attach plant head to plant stem.
6.  Attach earring to inside of the plant head.  I used fish hooks, but flat pads would work too.
7. Bake as directed on the clay packages.  Careful not to overheat.  (You can see my earrings are flaking because I over baked the clay).

If you are looking for a Mario inspired read, or looking for a gift for your gamer, I suggest Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America by Jeff Ryan.  It is a behind the scenes look at Nintendo and how Mario brought the Japanese company into America's main stream.  Happy Reading!

Happy Earth Day!

"The earth is what we all have in common." -Wendell Berry

Earth day is tomorrow, and I wanted to do something to celebrate.  I decided to make a craft using only supplies I already had in my house.  At first I thought about just making a vase for flowers, however it has been so cold and rainy that flowers are not blooming around here yet.  Also, buying flowers from a store did not seem the most eco-friendly.  I decided to make flowers from comic books.  Another option would be to make the roses from my Valentine's Day post. 

Vase Materials:
-Glass Jar (recycled from a pickle jar)
-Blue and Green Glass Paint
-Gold Paint Pen
-Paint Brush
-Embroidery Floss
-Elmer's Glue

Vase Directions:
1. Paint the inside of the vase with the blue and green glass paint.  
2. Choose a word to write on the jar with the gold paint pen.  
3. Wrap embroidery floss around the jar neck for decoration. Use Elmer's glue to glue the end onto the rest of the wrap to hold the floss into place.

Flower Materials:

-Floral Wire

-Needle Nose Pliers

-Comic Book Pages

-Scrap Paper

-Scissors

-Pencil or Wooden Dowel

Flower Directions:

1. Create a template using scrap paper for the flower.  

Template

2. Cut out ten to twelve squares out of comic book pages.

3. Fold the squares into eighths and use template (folded into eighths as well to cut out ten to twelve flowers).

Folded Paper Square 

4. Cut out pieces of floral wire.  Close of the ends and poke through the center of each flower.
5. Attach five to six flowers to each full piece of floral wire.
6. Curl three full pieces of floral wire around a pencil or wooden dowel.
7. Arrange in the vase you made.  If needed use some clay or floral foam to keep the flowers where you want them.  

Up close of a flower

For more information about Earth Day visit: http://www.earthday.org/

Now that the glass paint is dry the vase looks even better!