squirrel momma

Upcycling Fireworks

For one week out of the year, in early July, our family gives in to barely restrained pyromania.  This year, however, we were bothered by all the plastic trash left over from some of the fireworks, especially the "champagne bottle" poppers.

  

Nut Boy was the one who came up with the genius idea of turning them into robots.

He's even got a name for them: Pyrobots!

Sprouting

I've been sprouting some tiny seedlings.

Miki and Misaki (who are each about 4.5 inches tall) have already found homes (thank you!), but I'll be doing some more gardening over the next few days.

Another Parliament

I am about to lose my marbles because the box of crickets I picked up today for our lizard has a chirper in it.  It's been going at it all afternoon long.  Chirp, chirp, chirp.

Chirp.

Grrrrrr.

But before that long fingernail of distraction began scraping down the chalkboard, I did manage to photograph the newest flock of owls. Otherwise known as a parliament.

I also have a little bat finished, but I need to cut out a background for him. And some plant people are in the works, but Nut Boy declared the first one of those off the production line needed more detail, so I have to redo that. Yup, I take artistic advice from a ten year old.

Now I think I need to go feed Bob the lizard an early supper...

Why Muggles and Magic Don't Mix

Only a Muggle would come up with an idea like this!

No. 69

Squirrel Girl and I were out doing some girlie shopping, and she purchased this:

"But!" I protested, "I can make that!*"  And just to prove it I ran out and bought 1/3 yard of this:

And then I dusted off this:

And that was things began to get a little dicey.  Truth be told, I use the "Roll and Shell Hemmer" foot for my sewing machine once every, oh, millenium or so.  And it's a slightly tricky to use.  Actually, it's extremely tricky to use, as it involves growing a third hand, for starters.  But after sacrificing a swath of fabric to appease the Sewing Gods, I finally achieved this:

Hmm...must clip those loose threads, though...

*The woman at Field's Fabrics confirmed that the words most dreaded by any child of a mother who sews are, "I can make that!", because that means that they will then get dragged on a long, boring trip to the fabric store. But why can my children not understand the giddy joy of a fabric store? Why?!

Owl Production

In order to keep my owl production line going, I've been fueling my brain with Neil Gaiman.  A lot of Neil Gaiman.  First of all, I'm reading his newest--and Newbery award winner--The Graveyard Book, to Nut Boy at bedtime. If you're familiar with Neil Gaiman (he's the author behind Coraline, just made into a movie), you won't be surprised when I tell you The Graveyard Book is a retelling of Kipling's The Jungle Book, only in this version the orphan boy is raised by a family of ghosts and a tall, somber man who sleeps in a crypt and only comes out at night (I'll let you figure that one out for yourself). I also just finished Stardust (also made into a wonderful fantasy movie, but that one has a few adult situations that might not be so great for kids). And to finish my binge, I just picked up Neverwhere.

Contrasting all that fantasy, I also read a new young adult novel, The Chosen One. It tells the story of a 13 year old girl, Kira, who lives in a polygamist cult with her father, 3 mothers, and 20 siblings. As the mother of a daughter Kira's age, it was hard for me to read about her life, her forced engagement to her 60 year old uncle, the violence and intimidation that keeps everyone under the thumb of the "prophet" who runs the compound. But it was such a compelling story I couldn't put it down (one review describes it as "ripped from the headlines") and I hope Squirrel Girl will read it.

But back to the owls...

I felt like I wanted something snazzy for their photo shoot, so I cut out a gnarled tree for them to perch upon. I usually don't do much set dressing for my photos, mostly because I feel like the pieces are busy enough by themselves, but the owlies deserved a tree.

I am LOVING making these little guys.  And I'm already thinking of some different critters...but shhhh, those are a secret.

Tiny Owl Men

This month the Etsy Plush Team store is having $5 Mondays, where every Monday plush by four or five different artists goes on sale for the rock bottom price of, yup, $5. I'm up to bat next Monday (the 22nd), and after several weeks of hyperventilating I came up with this little Owl Man (surrounded by body parts from his flock-to-be), who stands 2 inches tall, not including his footsies.

It was REALLY difficult for me to come up with something that sells for $5, because my inclination with any project is to make it as nitpicky as humanly possible. But I forced myself to machine (gasp!) zigzag the wings and feet, and keep the details to a minimum. If I make more for my own store--which I probably will--they will have a few more details, and sell for a few dollars more.

And don't ask me why this owl is pink and a boy. For some bizarre, unknown, and probably Freudian reason I give 99% of my creations male personalities. Again, don't ask me why. Just the way it is.

Sardines on Toast

Etsy Plush Team is currently playing "Iron Plush". Like Iron Chef on the Food Network, we were given a secret ingredient to work with. Mine was velcro. I don't know about you, but velcro is my hands down least favorite thing to sew.  I felt like I was Bobby Flay, and the secret ingredient was revealed to be (drum roll please!) SHEEP EYEBALLS!

I tried to make the best of it. But sewing velcro? Yuck. I am usually Miss Do-It-The-Impossible-But-Perfect-Way, but I had to pull out the stick on stuff.  Then I colored it with permanent marker, to try and make the toast look "toasted".

It needed a side of slaw to give it a little color for the picture.  And it probably needed more than that, but today was the deadline.

Should I admit I've never eaten sardines on toast?  And I'm not about to start with these?

Potter Mania

We just got back from a quick trip to Chicago, prompted by the world premiere of Harry Potter: The Exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry.

The exhibition is crammed full of props and costumes from the first six movies (yes, there are even a few from he-who-has-not-been-released).  The Museum of Science and Industry got the bid to premiere it because it was one of the few museums willing to build an entire wing to house all those goodies (actually in a ginormous tent attached to the main museum, but once inside you would never know it), and they really did a fantastic job recreating the feel of Hogwarts, including a Hagrid's hut you can actually go inside.

For someone who thinks she knows how to sew, it was quite humbling to see how much exquisite craftsmanship went into everything, even costumes that appear onscreen for only a few minutes at best. My absolute favorite was Professor Sprout's cape, with dyed and rouched velvet made to look like leaves, and her dragon skin gloves crafted from...um...dragon skin? (Darn it all--they wouldn't let us touch anything!)

Oh, and the Buckminster Fuller exhibit at the MCA? Couldn't compete with with HP, but very cool. Live taping of NPR's Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me in Millennium Park? Hilarious, and Carl Kasell is the coolest 75 year old I know. Dinner at Frontera Grill? Yup, still one of the best restaurants I've ever eaten at. 

Whew! We crammed about a zillion other things into two and a half days, so the kids are sleeping in. But I can't stop thinking about Professor Sprout's cape, and my fingers are itching to sew...

R-E-L-I-E-F

We're trying acupuncture for headaches around here.

I think it's working!

(And no, I'm not actually using that poor bird as a voodoo doll.  The pins are to anchor the final pieces in place while glue dries.)