And the Winner Is...

Congratulations to ITB's own Sukogirl! You are the winner of the long anticipated Toy Box Giveaway!

I am happy to send a finally finished Toy Box out into the world. This project really got the best of me over and over again. The objects I was working with do not match my general aesthetic and the greatest challenge was to incorporate all of the items in a way that looked like I had created this piece.

This morning I finished Toy Box by completing the back. The back of the box had so many reincarnations - but I am so happy with this final choice. As a former librarian, I love to catalog EVERYTHING. I started cataloging the items I include in my boxes, when I created my very first box Small Objects of Importance during Thing-A-Day 2.

As I noted in the accompanying post: I am fascinated with the act of cataloging items and with the look of specimens and exhibits. There is something interesting about objects being defined without emotion but being held as important enough to preserve them and sometimes to display them. I decided to include a list of factual titles for each one of the objects, but I added no more information. I leave it to the viewer to make their own story, or to research an item’s significance Well, sukogirl, I hope you or someone you know enjoys Toy Box - just email me with your mailing address and I will figure out how to package up this fragile item so it has a safe journey from the craftarium to you!

Progress Report

After a couple hours of tedious work, the toy box finally looks like something I would make and be happy to send out into the world.

The words are selections cut from a copy of Alice in Wonderland. I knew I wanted to add text from a classic children's story along the edges of my toy box, and Alice's fantastic story seemed like a perfect choice for my box about toys and play.

I spiced up the dull base of the box with some of my favorite instructions from childhood, "cut along the dotted line." Unsurprisingly, I loved to cut stuff up as a kid. I also did some coloring in on the bingo card (I still doodle by coloring in words and numbers on anything). I added some stars glitter glue too. Toy box still needs cleaning and touch-ups and probably some more work on the outside. Don't forget to visit my blog and post a comment for the 101st post if you want to be entered in my toy box giveaway.

Turn Off the TV

When I was a kid I did not watch much television. I had my few programs, but I never had to be encouraged to "go play outside" or "turn off the tv." This is sort of amazing. As a thirty year old, I constantly have to be reminded to "go play outside" or "turn off the tv." I watch sooooo much television - not all crappy television, but lots of it is pure candy. (That is why I have made no appearances here on ITB.) So what better way to break the tv cycle then work on a tribute to some of my favorite childhood toys. I got the idea a few weeks ago, when I unearthed from my grandmother's beach house dresser, my jacks. I loved to play jacks, something you cannot play growing up in an apartment that is not on the first floor. I could play them at the beach house though. And play jacks, I did. But the idea, like drilling sea shells, and making books for wee-one, fell to the wayside as I handled summer plan logistics and watched Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. Yesterday, I resolved to spend a good chunk of today working on my toy tribute, and I followed through. I am stepping away from it for the afternoon - it is still very much a work in progress. I have many more toys to fill the box AND unlike past cigar box projects, leaving any cigar box details seems wholly inappropriate, so I will be doing a lot of work to the outside of the box. That said, I thought that this project should find it's way in the world, so I am going to give it away. I just posted my 96th post on my blog, Lady Lulu's Braindump Hut and Craftarium. Comment on my 101st post and I will enter your name in a drawing and I will send this little box your way if I pull your name from my hat. I think this box will be charming for an adult or kid's room, don't you?

A Crown For You From Me!

What a weekend! You know what is more exhausting than throwing one first birthday party? Throwing two.

My daughter did have a lovely time at both and we have thoroughly documented her smearing her first icing all over her face and hair. Unfortunately, I did not get a decent photograph of my much blogged about crown. But here it is, and it was quite the hit! As promised, the crown is now available for free download. I love to share my creations and this one is just too much fun to keep to myself. Once you print it out and cut it out and customize it to suit Your Majesty's desires, fancies, and whims, be sure to let me know how it turned out! Post comments and links on my blog, Lady Lulu's Braindump Hut and Craftarium or here so we can admire your handiwork!

Download me here! lady-lulus-crown.pdf (5.8 MB)

If It Will Please Your Royal Highness

I finished the image for my crown for the wee-one's birthday party. (Sorry the image is so small - I was having formatting issues.) After days of fiddling with it , I returned it to its simpler state. Next week, the file will be available for free at Lady Lulu's Braindump Hut and Craftarium, so anyone who wants a crown to call their very own, can have one! I was originally going to embellish my crown, but I printed it out on Legion Somerset Photo Enhanced, White Matte Velvet Inkjet Paper and it looked so lovely without additions. This paper is AMAZING! You could see so much texture and detail in all the elements of the crown and the colors are rich, rich, rich! So the crown is staying "as-is." I will post photos later.

Fortune Telling Display

Holy cow! The last two weeks have been totally crazy and I am happy to return to my totally nutso routine, because frankly I could use a routine (nutso or not). I was just itching to finish up my tribute to some of my favorite toys as a kid, teen, and adult - fortune telling novelties! I never did find my mini-Magic-8 ball, but when I do, I will just glue it to it's rightful place on top. I was sure to include just a little bit of everything (minus the Magic-8 and Ouija). I included the "gemstone" from a mood ring, one of those fortune tellers kids fold out of square paper, a palm reading chart, the super cool packaging from a Fortune Teller Miracle Fish (lining floor of inside), mini tarot, and horoscopes. I love creating little interactive pieces like this one (which invites you to help yourself to a fortune). I like encouraging people to look and touch objects on display in my home. In February I created a display of small objects of (personal) importance. Some people look at it, moving their head to peek around objects, other people remove objects and then return them, and some people close the display lid, hiding the objects. I certainly don't watch my guests to see what they do, but I always appreciate the different reactions when I do notice. The fortune telling piece is hung in my guest bathroom. I thought people were more likely to appreciate it and help themselves to a fortune if they were in private. As I don't have a medicine chest or cabinets in my guest bathroom, this will give my guests an alternative place to snoop!

Party Invitation Finished!

I have finally finished my invitations to the wee-one's first birthday party. The colors are not quite right in the photos. The cardstock is a slightly shimmery gold and the colors are all bright, bright, bright! I printed the back using my gocco this evening. I need to make myself a shirt pronouncing my gocco love. The paper on the back was not applied as precisely as I would have liked, but I am sleepy and still pleased with the results. The envelopes are a slightly shimmery blue called "stardust." The whole package is quite nice.

Birthday Invitation

Last night I finished the image for the invitation to my daughter's first birthday. I am very happy with how it turned out. When I set out to tackle this project I initially felt disheartened. I was struggling to get the ethereal-spring quality I love so much. However, on day two, I broke through my creative block!

My First Post on ITB!

On January 31, 2008 I was not a blogger. Then, February 1 rolled around and I was a part of Thing-A-Day 2. Everyday of February I worked on something creative and blogged about it. By the end I was hooked and started my own blog. Even though I had struck out on my own, I had established creative relationships with a few folks, cignoh included. Cignoh has invited me to join in the fun here at icky tandoori buns, and how could I refuse. I am very excited to share some of my projects with you. I made my second ATC today; this time I used digital collage. I was inspired by a page I stumbled across in Why Birds Sing: a Journey Through the Mystery of Birdsong. The Yellow Rail's bird call sounds like a typewriter. I found an audio clip of it's call and you have got to listen to it - it is really incredible. The information I included on the ATC about the Yellow Rail is from Cornell Lab of Ornithology's All About Birds. The image of the Yellow Rail itself is by artist nineteenth century artist James DeKay.