Craft Project: Thing 1 & Thing 2

Thing 1 & Thing 2 Peg People

I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, and that enables you to laugh at life's realities. Dr. Seuss

Picture from the book "The Cat in the Hat" by Dr. Seuss

A glimpse into my crafty crazy mind:

looking at clothespin "peg person"

looking at pom pom "looks like hair"

placed pom pom on top of clothespin "looks like clown hair"

"gasp, it looks like thing1 & thing 2!"

Yep, that pretty much sums it up. So if you would like to make a Thing 1 & Thing 2 set of your own, simple directions below.

Supplies:
Glue
Blue pom poms
Wood clothespins or wood peg people - both are inexpensive and can be found at the craft store
Red & white acrylic paint or paint markers - I actually used both for this project but not necessary
Paint brush
Black fine point pen - I used a Micron 03
Acrylic Gloss



If using a clothespin, you'll want to saw off the bottom it so it will stand on it's own. To prevent the clothespins from falling over when painted, place a folded index card in the slot of the clothespin (refer to picture). Paint head, neck and circle on stomach with white paint. You'll want to do 2 or 3 coats so it's opaque.

Paint the rest of the body red. For this part I used a red painter's marker (painters) by Elmer's. The company sent me the paint markers to test out. I was surprised how they actually write like markers, the paint does not come out thick at all. I also liked how there was no brush strokes. If you click on the picture, you'll notice that the red paint is very smooth compared to the white paint.


Once the paint is completely dry, add the details. I used a fine point pen to draw the face and stomach details. I've made a lot of peg people and I've found this method works best over using black paint. Let dry for at least a half hour. Apply 2 coats of acrylic gloss.

Apply glue to the top and back of head. Place pom pom on top. Hold in place for a minute to secure. Done.

Come back Saturday for a fun crafty giveaway.

Easy Japanese Curry Recipe

It's beginning to feel like fall around here. In just a matter of days the temperature dropped by twenty degrees. And with the cold weather, I'm starting to crave comfort food such as spaghetti, shepherd's pie and Japanese curry. I never thought I would think of Japanese curry as a comfort food but some how it won over my heart or should I say stomach?

Japanese Curry Recipe
adapted from the S & B recipe
makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients:
4 cubes of Golden Curry sauce mix
2 cups of bite sized carrots
1 onion chopped into bite sized pieces
1 lb of chicken chopped into bite sized pieces
2 Tb of cooking oil
3 cups of water

1. In a large pot fry chicken and onions in oil till chicken is browned and onions are translucent.

2. Add carrots and water and bring to a boil for about 10-15 minutes or when chicken is cooked.

3. Take pot off heat. Add 4 cubes of the curry (half of 8.4oz box). Mix until the curry cubes are dissolved.

4. Simmer for about 5 minutes.

5. Serve over rice.

* Optional - we like to eat our curry with raisins, pickled ginger, and chopped apples. If you're the adventures foodie type, you might want to try this.

Winner of the Mushroom Clothespins Giveaway

Congratulations to Southerner who is the winner of the mushroom clothespins!

As always, thank you to everyone who participated in the giveaway.

Mushroom Clothespins Giveaway

If you read this blog, you know that I like to shop at Daiso. Often in the comments I read that many of you wish you had a Daiso close by. So, to bring a little Daiso your way, I purchased these cute mini mushroom clothespins to giveaway to one lucky winner.

How to enter

Leave a comment at the bottom of this post no later than Monday, September 27th, 2009. One entry per person. Please leave your email address in the comments if it's not linked to your profile. The email address is only used to notify the winner, I do not save the addresses. I'll choose one winner at random and post their name Tuesday. Contest open to everyone. Good Luck!

This contest is now closed.

Craft Project: Giant Candy Corn

Here's the phone conversation that went down before I made this giant candy corn.
DH (Dear Husband)

Me: Where are the orange soccer cones?

DH: In the trunk of the car, I'm afraid to ask why?

Me: I need them for a post? How much did they cost?

DH: You're not going to ruin them are you? I need them for soccer practice.

Me: How much did they cost?

DH: One or two dollars each, why?

Me: I'm going to make one into a giant candy corn.

DH: (Silence)

Me: What?

DH: I knew I didn't want to know.

I'm afraid this is what one has to deal with when they're married to me. And I can't say this is the first time I've confiscated an item for a craft project. A few Halloweens back, I dyed one of his white dress shirts yellow to make a Curious George costume. I'm sure there's been other incidents but I just can't seem to remember them. Oh well.

How to Make Giant Candy Corn

Supplies:
Plastic Orange Cones - can be found at your local sports good store
Yellow & White Acrylic Paint
Foam Brushes

1. Paint the top of the cone white and the bottom of the cone yellow. Yep, it's that easy. If you want the lines to be perfect and clean, you can mark off the sections with painter's tape.

2. For each color paint 3 or 4 coats on the cones. Let dry about 10 minutes in between each coat.

*Optional - to prevent risk of the paint scratching off, coat with clear acrylic spray.

So what do you do with giant candy corn you might ask? I envision these lining the walk way to the front door on Halloween night. Maybe place some flashlights inside the cones so they glow. Or, you could just run soccer practice with candy corn cones. It's really up to you.

When my son came home from school and saw the giant candy corn his exact words were, "I know what that is. Dude, it's candy." But what I really want to know is why is he saying "dude"?