tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52573625904404815842024-03-17T20:03:54.392-07:00Chuck Does ArtChuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16811206863063180060noreply@blogger.comBlogger222125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5257362590440481584.post-21914644602435251372020-12-19T19:04:00.003-08:002020-12-19T19:04:54.202-08:00DIY Hogsmeade Christmas Village: Dog Walkers Conversion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSmyNcnFdG4YSrpByFncz7wBU-CAXXELlDkXMsaRVZjI-4QgkF0KOmBwdFsjuzgInzW0g1K2IFd7xpIdVO97eytbMGLf2D8a2Qrsi61GHKcCbbg8QYGS_nDXDLtjNCUU69zVwlTkvw-Uc/s2048/dog+walkers+big.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1514" data-original-width="2048" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSmyNcnFdG4YSrpByFncz7wBU-CAXXELlDkXMsaRVZjI-4QgkF0KOmBwdFsjuzgInzW0g1K2IFd7xpIdVO97eytbMGLf2D8a2Qrsi61GHKcCbbg8QYGS_nDXDLtjNCUU69zVwlTkvw-Uc/w400-h296/dog+walkers+big.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>This year it's been a little harder to go to second hand stores for old Christmas Village supplies to repurpose, but I did get a pair of Lemax Christmas figures to paint. Like my previous figures, I painted them in colors to correspond to one of the Hogwarts Houses, in this case Gryffindor and Slytherin. </p><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Previous Hogsmeade Christmas Village Posts:</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><a href="http://chuck-does-art.blogspot.com/2019/11/diy-hogsmeade-harry-potter-christmas.html" style="color: #6fa8dc; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Hogwarts House Carol Singers</span></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><a href="http://chuck-does-art.blogspot.com/2019/10/diy-hogsmeade-harry-potter-christmas.html" style="color: #6fa8dc; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Hogsmeade Owls</span></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc; text-decoration-line: none;"><a href="http://chuck-does-art.blogspot.com/2019/09/diy-hogsmeade-at-christmastime-harry.html" style="color: #6fa8dc; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Hogsmeade Buildings</span></a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="http://chuck-does-art.blogspot.com/2019/12/diy-hogsmeade-christmas-village-madam.html">Madam Puddifoot's and Skaters</a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipesR8PjgVo6F2mmo3P-MI3Ti5Mzy4Wo4rvNeAfJ8mJ-OGF3LsSQfGoVCRXa5KMROil56pFCPzIOa6tOUFLr7C8cVHLKJSKR3WFMjELEtUkKyYvbGCcHEQCxGXloT54Li31FIQio1Fj6k/s2048/Dog+walk+Pinterest+final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipesR8PjgVo6F2mmo3P-MI3Ti5Mzy4Wo4rvNeAfJ8mJ-OGF3LsSQfGoVCRXa5KMROil56pFCPzIOa6tOUFLr7C8cVHLKJSKR3WFMjELEtUkKyYvbGCcHEQCxGXloT54Li31FIQio1Fj6k/w266-h400/Dog+walk+Pinterest+final.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: center;">The painting system I use is simple; first I paint the figures white, then I block colors for each section. For Slytherin I used greens, black, and silver primarily. For the Gryffindor I used reds, browns, and gold mostly. The red jacket is a different color (Santa Red) than the red sweater (Burgundy). Next I do dark washes with either black (for greens/grays/silver or dark brown) or dark brown (for reds and lighter browns) paint diluted with water. Finally I do highlights by dry-brushing light colors onto the trim/edges. So for example the yellow dog is a honey brown base, a dark brown wash, then a honey brown-mixed-with-white drybrush to highlight the fur. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAQ9m9h5Mhe2Krr5I4b-tGo7IDGI21Kde62c7lXDTQMVAkrKqPtpTWRJM6O8-lkQaKR0GZL7qgLG687GmsfMyIwxGi_zp78EKyRJLrZq3v47OkjiElxLt7MkC3KWJiEtfM3sBtVZ_Mcp0/s976/painting+progression.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="976" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAQ9m9h5Mhe2Krr5I4b-tGo7IDGI21Kde62c7lXDTQMVAkrKqPtpTWRJM6O8-lkQaKR0GZL7qgLG687GmsfMyIwxGi_zp78EKyRJLrZq3v47OkjiElxLt7MkC3KWJiEtfM3sBtVZ_Mcp0/w640-h132/painting+progression.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: center;">The fine details came last; the eyes, nose, and collar are all just solid colors. It's hard to paint the fine details, but for example for the eyes it was easy to just dap the area brown and then re-paint whatever spilled onto the fur. For the eyes I did small white dots, then very very small brown or blue dots. Having a very fine tip brush is key! I painted the bases white last, since I knew I would be spilling paint on them constantly during the process. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO4aCf_HktJ1i4PC5GRLMT2qlgoXuVnSXpmTe_dLOkOOxM3RfhPDq9nYklK6nLtDWus1X7ms1Ij1VcgXDhYrMFNRrwZ5s_i0wJmglf99acXlNBLaY95EGGiDhYgpXwnhDfj5Ksgo9srvY/s2048/a+red+walker+final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO4aCf_HktJ1i4PC5GRLMT2qlgoXuVnSXpmTe_dLOkOOxM3RfhPDq9nYklK6nLtDWus1X7ms1Ij1VcgXDhYrMFNRrwZ5s_i0wJmglf99acXlNBLaY95EGGiDhYgpXwnhDfj5Ksgo9srvY/s320/a+red+walker+final.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-NqSXh4KxcI2kR7PLMc86i2_-d7lGCdHhM9C9w0uvTq6ef92_IiPL6C3x8rH3_lP9xQrbLLRIIYldVlFF6r0gFgE0KLq4eKCgmfO2gu8fs3owtp7HKhCkGWXSj-SnbTpctuwezcwJE-I/s2048/984+edit1square.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-NqSXh4KxcI2kR7PLMc86i2_-d7lGCdHhM9C9w0uvTq6ef92_IiPL6C3x8rH3_lP9xQrbLLRIIYldVlFF6r0gFgE0KLq4eKCgmfO2gu8fs3owtp7HKhCkGWXSj-SnbTpctuwezcwJE-I/s320/984+edit1square.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Chuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16811206863063180060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5257362590440481584.post-31072839983462873742020-12-16T20:15:00.006-08:002020-12-31T18:47:46.134-08:00The Official Gingerbread House of 2020 (Dumpster Fire)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Well it has been...a year. So to commemorate we made a gingerbread house that fit the mood. All credit to Amy for the idea and baking and decorating and putting up with me through all of 2020. Can't wait to actually set it on fire. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>**Scroll to bottom to see it ceremonially burned on New Year's Eve!**</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR-gdtBOE9Gr-y1VThO3mMGqXxoqyDkHj1es4Fjl95OaFMxb7DV4mPGR40_eJYmdHEQVf_BUlyOIq08-byf9-UUuIfDKUeOx4oHoPEZaaQU08PKr1hvBDWm0xINO55IOYUDGlp9EASWlU/s1500/E90CF3D8-7642-4A20-9ECB-3B6DCD7105B1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR-gdtBOE9Gr-y1VThO3mMGqXxoqyDkHj1es4Fjl95OaFMxb7DV4mPGR40_eJYmdHEQVf_BUlyOIq08-byf9-UUuIfDKUeOx4oHoPEZaaQU08PKr1hvBDWm0xINO55IOYUDGlp9EASWlU/w426-h640/E90CF3D8-7642-4A20-9ECB-3B6DCD7105B1.jpeg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is a rough diagram of how I made the gingerbread pieces. The front (h) and back (H) of the dumpster are different heights, which means the lid of the dumpster has to be as long as the angled top of the sides (A). If you want to keep it simple, make the front and back of the dumpster the same height. We made the lid 1/2 the width of the dumpster (1/2 W), which meant the flames had to be a little less than 1/2 the width of the dumpster to make sure they would fit in once the lid was on. I made some of the flames taller than the back (H) and some were between the front and back heights (H > flame > h) Not included in my cardboard cut outs are the little right-angle triangles that I made to go behind the flames in front of the dumpster so they wouldn't fall over. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN0TdmLIMcYm0UnS4gNGpPf9jTLXFcGQsFoCtziunEbwV6gdvz1AbgWKXuI96-jbKasHxF5aG3kSNxPXzKrOKnUtamJrpTDdlQA0U1OJMn4GC28YwqpYL09r3KR7p_HqjZHyfdxCtTeJw/s2048/Design.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1078" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN0TdmLIMcYm0UnS4gNGpPf9jTLXFcGQsFoCtziunEbwV6gdvz1AbgWKXuI96-jbKasHxF5aG3kSNxPXzKrOKnUtamJrpTDdlQA0U1OJMn4GC28YwqpYL09r3KR7p_HqjZHyfdxCtTeJw/s320/Design.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir5cqPxeP5f3-12qPPGFl7_UMMM_ZxRM55kiSM2gDUrn3C7Wn0m8lgAm2fScWH59mJ451c3JXW0LzjjSxw2zoNzxiGa3n65mZyqfBqmjon0LwRjzEcgEcC85IIyeMx-Lky3-r6MNGOz3Y/s2048/IMG_9378.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1575" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir5cqPxeP5f3-12qPPGFl7_UMMM_ZxRM55kiSM2gDUrn3C7Wn0m8lgAm2fScWH59mJ451c3JXW0LzjjSxw2zoNzxiGa3n65mZyqfBqmjon0LwRjzEcgEcC85IIyeMx-Lky3-r6MNGOz3Y/s320/IMG_9378.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We cut the pieces out in a very hard gingerbread (find a recipe made for construction, not cookies), and made a couple extra pieces in case some broke. Once baked, we piped royal icing around the edges, then flooded the surfaces, and added gold sprinkles for the dumpster sides. The '2020' is made of hand-carved gingerbread pieces that we coated in white icing and placed onto the front of the dumpster after flooding it but before the icing hardened. You could also just flood the front, let it harden, then pipe '2020' onto it. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZeTDGkdSt1E68UTg8ZsMCtCMLN5YaNAjAn7Vk5DE9sU6MqdDHxv57PXqzXPmZxliWGw2VMzGdB9WvON0POTZwKyCgcBfxH6yzCQ0lHNWydvbchGGeh58gIBPn8SxD4prO0SaPf27Ugk/s2000/making+gingerbread.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="2000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZeTDGkdSt1E68UTg8ZsMCtCMLN5YaNAjAn7Vk5DE9sU6MqdDHxv57PXqzXPmZxliWGw2VMzGdB9WvON0POTZwKyCgcBfxH6yzCQ0lHNWydvbchGGeh58gIBPn8SxD4prO0SaPf27Ugk/s320/making+gingerbread.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We previously had a disaster trying to make a gingerbread house stand up using royal icing as mortar, so this time we used caramel. It was Super adhesive, though also Super Hot and Super Will Burn Your Skin so be careful! I used the little right angle pieces to act as braces behind the flames that are in front of the dumpster, but they might be able to stand up on their own without that. The whole thing is adhered to a piece of cardboard, which we left undecorated for full Dumpster feel. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRPuhYLOjIE9b9NBJ2ExwnfQSWptCFPToSR4Y87onj8bvteQ4BwckejMtw9xsswduyy0vroXaI8z82B3lYRvVgD8r8GlJIrS0-wQ3vp0BOHZGsZMV7jLdj035-U0U15AVRK4cKe4DHHSk/s2048/A+twitter+fire.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRPuhYLOjIE9b9NBJ2ExwnfQSWptCFPToSR4Y87onj8bvteQ4BwckejMtw9xsswduyy0vroXaI8z82B3lYRvVgD8r8GlJIrS0-wQ3vp0BOHZGsZMV7jLdj035-U0U15AVRK4cKe4DHHSk/w640-h360/A+twitter+fire.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVzQirIuurpOfZuuI5k3ql9MfoVYFHJGAeMA7MrkQYyajYJ3mQWjrCJkaKPf7tTzFY6qfAfNg-2cRV6aBr0eQNA093lgXpmaYmUK36kf_Ye1vOTs3pxoVZ7EVjQSt7IPhPZVC_eT267Ok/s2048/dumpster+fire+twitter.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVzQirIuurpOfZuuI5k3ql9MfoVYFHJGAeMA7MrkQYyajYJ3mQWjrCJkaKPf7tTzFY6qfAfNg-2cRV6aBr0eQNA093lgXpmaYmUK36kf_Ye1vOTs3pxoVZ7EVjQSt7IPhPZVC_eT267Ok/w640-h426/dumpster+fire+twitter.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Yqp3TEPxw4EVJfRx_3EllyE5CuUK3nHlP8YRH3VUpm-9dJ7PFuNJJ9-ZHZXF9eZ3-FYZ-xWMdPAzrd_upToeJof3v34ugYHmj3R6q-o-AO_KRwbO9lzdqiyH1Yu5V-TUG3VrT_-pYV8/s2048/dumpster+fire+pinterest.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Yqp3TEPxw4EVJfRx_3EllyE5CuUK3nHlP8YRH3VUpm-9dJ7PFuNJJ9-ZHZXF9eZ3-FYZ-xWMdPAzrd_upToeJof3v34ugYHmj3R6q-o-AO_KRwbO9lzdqiyH1Yu5V-TUG3VrT_-pYV8/w426-h640/dumpster+fire+pinterest.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Then, on New Year's Eve, we said goodbye to this dumpster fire of a year. If you've ever wondered 'could a gingerbread house burn down a real house?' The answer is yes, absolutely. These burn Very Well. <div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQs-vtbmtUWRy8PpeCzvZCF9FKyvFFGJ7Kx9ee-6jCuB93hqaI28obyVtakaC532ddqWN6su5vhG69xTOAooCawFgDX8mJlEqm41NTSGaDQtyMRL5XQJA3HLW1y4jcnQSzCi6WIbdfXw0/s2048/6157FE57-AF77-4885-94BE-95A31BD34135.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2008" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQs-vtbmtUWRy8PpeCzvZCF9FKyvFFGJ7Kx9ee-6jCuB93hqaI28obyVtakaC532ddqWN6su5vhG69xTOAooCawFgDX8mJlEqm41NTSGaDQtyMRL5XQJA3HLW1y4jcnQSzCi6WIbdfXw0/w393-h400/6157FE57-AF77-4885-94BE-95A31BD34135.jpeg" width="393" /></a></div><br /><div><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzKN_xAcrKIx_1bzOruFRud5O8LWjFCulpl6IQJJduZWk3OBVYss-oF3eO8gvqejr4hxeCK9kAoR921k1dtoQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><p></p></div></div>Chuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16811206863063180060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5257362590440481584.post-20179827950947738102020-11-29T19:37:00.002-08:002020-11-29T19:39:34.837-08:00della Robbia Christmas Wreath DIY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb-InD2grLAVAd219ExPHoytPTEVEhSG3und7tOPuvGBnzFMjJ_8VWI2PDYbhmY0BJ6l46E91ym3o2TqiKes7qThwqiuH4roXNfteU5gb3wLdiiF0osZBSkP690QZ0sRQxEwKZTXAKWrE/s838/della+robbia+wreath+.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="838" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb-InD2grLAVAd219ExPHoytPTEVEhSG3und7tOPuvGBnzFMjJ_8VWI2PDYbhmY0BJ6l46E91ym3o2TqiKes7qThwqiuH4roXNfteU5gb3wLdiiF0osZBSkP690QZ0sRQxEwKZTXAKWrE/s320/della+robbia+wreath+.jpg" /></a></div><p>I was inspired by an episode of Holiday Home Makeover to try to make a Lucca della Robbia-inspired Christmas wreath. It was a pretty simple task overall and I'm quite pleased with the result! You could also call it a citrus wreath. </p><p><b>Supplies:</b></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgapRb0p91ycX4TFmrDX_JGX5uoTx_fHyEgEnzcxRUbPPj83FUOWtzKdriy_Ok89tl3hQJAzUSx3HrVPvlbe7aSpzgX62flsQUCe-U_i9982mqBkrpbLC5eYqBSl5csyG1aCmxe2jXGKH0/s800/supplies+1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="800" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgapRb0p91ycX4TFmrDX_JGX5uoTx_fHyEgEnzcxRUbPPj83FUOWtzKdriy_Ok89tl3hQJAzUSx3HrVPvlbe7aSpzgX62flsQUCe-U_i9982mqBkrpbLC5eYqBSl5csyG1aCmxe2jXGKH0/w200-h168/supplies+1.jpg" width="200" /></a>18 inch fake pine wreath</p><p>Mini fake oranges</p><p>Mini fake lemons</p><p>Fake Cranberry sprigs and leaves</p><p>Gold glitter spray paint (I used Rustoleum Imagine Gold)</p><p>Hot glue gun</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzv748cNNOGkHr-CeddWi7ODx1oZYgH_HXUhYEWV6ivuA_16y2VHPdhzDpQSe-s9LjCxYlwxCV3bZmiE9rn3n80Y9c3oK1QRZ_mmWgh5c1wulfVARxtfKTm1IrVdd3v9Mkbum9pNbvyKg/s591/supplies+2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="591" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzv748cNNOGkHr-CeddWi7ODx1oZYgH_HXUhYEWV6ivuA_16y2VHPdhzDpQSe-s9LjCxYlwxCV3bZmiE9rn3n80Y9c3oK1QRZ_mmWgh5c1wulfVARxtfKTm1IrVdd3v9Mkbum9pNbvyKg/w200-h178/supplies+2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><br /><br /><b><br /></b><p></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>Process:</b></p><p>First I made the layout. I trimmed the cranberry sprigs to separate the leaves and the berries. I made two groups of lemons and two groups of oranges, then added cranberries in between. Finally I added a lot of leaves all over. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7l4g2Rtxgxmxps7y-X7vK60QVlFC-mhxJnmSS0Cj86s_U6cjaxPXYnuxF2n1UFRZguXgp_8aVGYRFgu9YsJqbp7cP23fUNui9l24ImpNApgpLYh-ItjiHFcz93XtFjvWoOGNiePWGOz8/s800/della+robbia+layout.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="724" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7l4g2Rtxgxmxps7y-X7vK60QVlFC-mhxJnmSS0Cj86s_U6cjaxPXYnuxF2n1UFRZguXgp_8aVGYRFgu9YsJqbp7cP23fUNui9l24ImpNApgpLYh-ItjiHFcz93XtFjvWoOGNiePWGOz8/s320/della+robbia+layout.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Happy with my layout, I took a photo and then took the whole thing apart so I could spray the leaves and fruit with the glitter gold. I did a mild spray: I wanted a good shimmer on everything but didn't want to turn it all solid gold. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfxJAaLuQ1b4Ia6LIwJ4ASPnf4pmuYQdp1b_l1-q1C7ndNBZu9Njan997ONIKcJZk7OBaKzVS7Dtb4kyqymy1NYdlqkU-GAyg8A1rlB6YoDM5HsCb1ij-1zQ9fOItcX1rfo8eoCx0fsuQ/s800/spray+gold+800.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfxJAaLuQ1b4Ia6LIwJ4ASPnf4pmuYQdp1b_l1-q1C7ndNBZu9Njan997ONIKcJZk7OBaKzVS7Dtb4kyqymy1NYdlqkU-GAyg8A1rlB6YoDM5HsCb1ij-1zQ9fOItcX1rfo8eoCx0fsuQ/s320/spray+gold+800.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Once the paint had dried, I put everything back on the wreath in place, then went through piece by piece and attached them with a hot glue gun. Notably I did this inside a large cardboard box to try to keep the glitter under control. And that's it! Lucca della Robbia inspired Christmas Wreath.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgouwVC1XA89yps156nEW4CqcGuHju04jM0362hA3MRsfdRdcWre2GDTG9-cIVGl34P1t9xM4j_TiI9S4pTa_lBAtELToc8597tjU_Q1Tz4_PpgoWXJy9sbwleuGpn65UibsamiVbm1ERM/s1500/della+robbia+wreath+final+text+pinterest+1500+1000.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgouwVC1XA89yps156nEW4CqcGuHju04jM0362hA3MRsfdRdcWre2GDTG9-cIVGl34P1t9xM4j_TiI9S4pTa_lBAtELToc8597tjU_Q1Tz4_PpgoWXJy9sbwleuGpn65UibsamiVbm1ERM/w266-h400/della+robbia+wreath+final+text+pinterest+1500+1000.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Chuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16811206863063180060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5257362590440481584.post-13403992126918738612020-10-13T19:20:00.000-07:002020-10-13T19:20:57.368-07:00DIY Captain America Shield using Round Saucer Sled<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAyNj8IVpfPcxYZAmGxXg3aeIlMClPQReQFzRnnfmbsVbxfhXlstb9Vwc4TmIBZUbhPGt2uDaNAhlBQm-_-L8Nnxy_6fEb6ZqL6YmEDjE3dAWysu691fEgdR2QXyRfSvQi3NQtLI0e_5E/s2048/diy+captain+america+shield+banner+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAyNj8IVpfPcxYZAmGxXg3aeIlMClPQReQFzRnnfmbsVbxfhXlstb9Vwc4TmIBZUbhPGt2uDaNAhlBQm-_-L8Nnxy_6fEb6ZqL6YmEDjE3dAWysu691fEgdR2QXyRfSvQi3NQtLI0e_5E/w400-h300/diy+captain+america+shield+banner+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>For Halloween this year the family is going as some of the Avengers, so I chose Captain America. The sled I used to make this shield was already used once as the shield for my <a href="http://chuck-does-art.blogspot.com/2011/10/diy-spartan-hoplite-costume.html" target="_blank">Spartan Hoplite Costume</a> so I needed to repaint it and make new handles. The construction part of this was pretty simple and straightforward, but the painting was a bit of a nightmare; I hope you will learn from my mistakes! I used only materials I already had at home other than the paint, so feel free to get creative with what you have available!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJoPLShw_1HNiMTYpTF7ScRUCC8b2xfvAgnBEG_iakgjvrhhjRlyNdEXywHjsGRqNXuVxyZUJkmYPckYlMQlfDi-09ZhHtmzXlrUx_0q2oki9xZ2P447nTwK7WEZrnRoS-D3RKTunyze4/s2048/DIY+captain+america+shield.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1748" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJoPLShw_1HNiMTYpTF7ScRUCC8b2xfvAgnBEG_iakgjvrhhjRlyNdEXywHjsGRqNXuVxyZUJkmYPckYlMQlfDi-09ZhHtmzXlrUx_0q2oki9xZ2P447nTwK7WEZrnRoS-D3RKTunyze4/w341-h400/DIY+captain+america+shield.jpg" width="341" /></a></div><p>This isn't a movie-perfect recreation but it is a pretty easy process and makes a great halloween costume! You'll notice particularly the shield isn't actually even a perfect circle due to the hand holds in the sled, and the straps are functional (so you can hold the shield with one arm or behind your back) but do not resemble the movie straps. Also it's plastic instead of vibranium so not useful in combat. </p><p><b><u>Materials: </u></b></p><p>-Round plastic 'saucer' style kids sled (28 inches across)</p><p>-8 D Ring style picture hanging hooks with screws and bolts (small!) to tie the straps</p><p>-Fake leather costume material (for hand straps) and leather string (for shoulder straps) </p><p>-Metallic spray paint - silver, red, blue</p><p><b>-Plastic Primer </b><i>**I Didn't Use This But I Should Have!! Please Learn From My Mistakes!**</i><br /></p><p>-Spray sealant (I used Krylon Triple Thick Clear Glaze but that's just what I happened to have at home)</p><p><b><u>Supplies:</u></b></p><p>-Power drill</p><p>-cloth measuring tape (for measuring the curved surface of the shield and to use as a compass to draw circles)</p><p>-painters tape</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Step one:</b></p><p>The first step was to drill the holes for the handles and a small hole in the very center of the shield for measuring and drawing circles. Use a bit that corresponds to the screws you will use for the D ring hooks. </p><p>There are 2 holes for each of the hand straps and 2 holes for each of the shoulder straps, so a total of 8 holes to drill for these, plus the 9th hole right in the center to help draw circles. </p><p>I drilled my hand holes about 5.5 inches apart per strap, and the straps are about 10 inches from each other, roughly centered on the shield (note that the holes from the previous life of the shield (the larger ones in the photo) were offset from center, but for this build I made the straps centered).</p><p>The shoulder strap holes are about 15 inches apart per strap, and the straps are about 14 inches apart. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Mn8RYYC7SqwRgClGZstd2SzsrJ3yMWcTcXlHMMcd8SrBqIx6whDfpvSdTRhUqhscWvwkBSeDoAHSWVkHUsuGdtCmR3RETdFdv2gr2pHvlDi4IfR3bRZmqDj9Ngnxd-sO36fKFk6CgX8/s525/700+IMG_7241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="525" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Mn8RYYC7SqwRgClGZstd2SzsrJ3yMWcTcXlHMMcd8SrBqIx6whDfpvSdTRhUqhscWvwkBSeDoAHSWVkHUsuGdtCmR3RETdFdv2gr2pHvlDi4IfR3bRZmqDj9Ngnxd-sO36fKFk6CgX8/s320/700+IMG_7241.JPG" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAUpSrfhnvsjWtrYxhJodtvjdvaPwBgK40iRRFLtfdzlPhQlnfOVl8KepiLCgrHiitcsGITSuCzBw8p75FsDe16Irfj2N4FvWkIIjJe3fh6mUy0vEFxTqDQSShbiv0xxN14hi1qFwG9CM/s497/captain+america+shield+diagram+one.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="477" data-original-width="497" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAUpSrfhnvsjWtrYxhJodtvjdvaPwBgK40iRRFLtfdzlPhQlnfOVl8KepiLCgrHiitcsGITSuCzBw8p75FsDe16Irfj2N4FvWkIIjJe3fh6mUy0vEFxTqDQSShbiv0xxN14hi1qFwG9CM/s320/captain+america+shield+diagram+one.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b>Step 2:</b><div><br /></div><div>Next I made sure that the screws for my D rings actually would fit, and secured them in place, bolt facing into the shield.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Step 3:</b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>**STOP: This next step is a mistake! I should have sanded and used a PLASTIC PRIMER first, but this was a sled that had already been painted once so I was painting over old spray paint and foolishly thought the base layer of paint was well adhered to the plastic sled (see later steps for why this was so very incorrect)**</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Next I spray painted the shield metallic silver on the front and back</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuA1RLrZdtacfTPkJCw_Qw3Sk5TV-lzYk8Jv1GmQnB4jpQM68HsrBmRzbbhEEJH-rudM5X2Jgt4LcWGPbQgTI4fdz1YXU2E9HaQRyieVyJlQQ9dKAmf76BjCZfGNthmgRT_LjTc7PLte0/s511/700+IMG_7171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="511" data-original-width="511" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuA1RLrZdtacfTPkJCw_Qw3Sk5TV-lzYk8Jv1GmQnB4jpQM68HsrBmRzbbhEEJH-rudM5X2Jgt4LcWGPbQgTI4fdz1YXU2E9HaQRyieVyJlQQ9dKAmf76BjCZfGNthmgRT_LjTc7PLte0/s320/700+IMG_7171.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div><b>Step 4:</b></div><div>Once the shield was silver (and the paint dry) I used the cloth measuring tape (with a nail in the end) to make the circles around the shield with a pencil. The sled is about 28 inches wide (14 inch radius) so it divided nicely into a center circle of 5 inch radius, and then three outer circles each 3 inches wider (8, 11, 14 inch radii). Or if you prefer, the center circle has a 10 inch diameter, the second circle has a 16 inch diameter, third is 22 inches, then the 28 inches of the shield itself).</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGjIDoN6-OjcxD0q1EciUVSMjDtEieF_DxDjjH-gRsQCu0zx9BS7GCPAjOKmzU45Pgil0aSXqxmd9roLEhjEVF27Zt8hoEfD4aHDWNJ4W3OKXm7UZDXpRSo-VGaVVwa_2Z2ZblZHwZdrE/s872/captain+america+shield+diagram+two+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="389" data-original-width="872" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGjIDoN6-OjcxD0q1EciUVSMjDtEieF_DxDjjH-gRsQCu0zx9BS7GCPAjOKmzU45Pgil0aSXqxmd9roLEhjEVF27Zt8hoEfD4aHDWNJ4W3OKXm7UZDXpRSo-VGaVVwa_2Z2ZblZHwZdrE/s320/captain+america+shield+diagram+two+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ6hWA_r5Fr4DW0vBI-4Y2PZ6k18Xmqt-Mi2dea1dHFlPWjO4UtlW1_BCaSSkdKW9vRmlRSabmzbYF4Qxahh10MntKgU8We7wzry0I0SHzBAuplCTeqUB34f9KwsEfzsNF1qupfp8PBtA/s700/700+IMG_7245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="525" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ6hWA_r5Fr4DW0vBI-4Y2PZ6k18Xmqt-Mi2dea1dHFlPWjO4UtlW1_BCaSSkdKW9vRmlRSabmzbYF4Qxahh10MntKgU8We7wzry0I0SHzBAuplCTeqUB34f9KwsEfzsNF1qupfp8PBtA/s320/700+IMG_7245.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLdQ-PFa7-mA0LuE2ixR68vSc6mYqhFn6b8fMNIsaA7Okt7elKmmAhyGqa8PQ1hcwBE8dY2yaoU9ri1RxuPQctmrnSmp06ULGdRR-ACYqpnaEetpQANjRzx6LDjBJn4LcOnzKBqZLoNCs/s700/700+IMG_7246.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="525" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLdQ-PFa7-mA0LuE2ixR68vSc6mYqhFn6b8fMNIsaA7Okt7elKmmAhyGqa8PQ1hcwBE8dY2yaoU9ri1RxuPQctmrnSmp06ULGdRR-ACYqpnaEetpQANjRzx6LDjBJn4LcOnzKBqZLoNCs/s320/700+IMG_7246.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div><b>Step 5:</b></div><div>Next I used painters tape to tape in the center circle and the middle of the three outer circles so I could paint the red layer. To get a roughly 'circular' pattern with linear tape you need to use lots and lots of little pieces. Unfortunately since I didn't use a plastic primer this all went very badly about two steps from now.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Ut8VpMY0VPhD9jaADLKd20mUvAaY6MS_RsaXmrTJMj-z1PEe_IW8T6zCOx3DeauiubUfMVaI4BZTIT8op4f6vS674IDsmrr-TeCrsCDuj0SZQv1zN-72e4OO_jAJuPX0LWdfeS6ltS0/s700/700+IMG_7247.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="525" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Ut8VpMY0VPhD9jaADLKd20mUvAaY6MS_RsaXmrTJMj-z1PEe_IW8T6zCOx3DeauiubUfMVaI4BZTIT8op4f6vS674IDsmrr-TeCrsCDuj0SZQv1zN-72e4OO_jAJuPX0LWdfeS6ltS0/s320/700+IMG_7247.JPG" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI6Sr9tGzWfCgyxmsCKDtRXfsexqIbllsVOrw7aK5LOailMuMaQZhglfTbPXaqqDb2sMzDd0COnZUH-GGr5bKTlix3LYmy0zB9o_QQz9cJyd9eAOzQEZf63Y8Wsj2CJxC9erRvsp5IPI4/s525/700+IMG_7252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="525" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI6Sr9tGzWfCgyxmsCKDtRXfsexqIbllsVOrw7aK5LOailMuMaQZhglfTbPXaqqDb2sMzDd0COnZUH-GGr5bKTlix3LYmy0zB9o_QQz9cJyd9eAOzQEZf63Y8Wsj2CJxC9erRvsp5IPI4/s320/700+IMG_7252.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div><b>Step 6:</b> I painted the outside metallic red</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizwkwipbNWERFy9YSC4p353dSLvcp2A5pUPxLI7MtOcKQ1MGQBkhXEx8iQwh6Dk4e-wNHj_d9JBoxgK_OpQJ3YwevWpO7HmD8O08C38bVnp22u2fI7_7TGmKXbE7xXhGC4qDtwgtdTlWw/s525/700+IMG_7262.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="525" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizwkwipbNWERFy9YSC4p353dSLvcp2A5pUPxLI7MtOcKQ1MGQBkhXEx8iQwh6Dk4e-wNHj_d9JBoxgK_OpQJ3YwevWpO7HmD8O08C38bVnp22u2fI7_7TGmKXbE7xXhGC4qDtwgtdTlWw/s320/700+IMG_7262.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><b>Step 7:</b> I removed the painter's tape and...<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_rbUlXXFwrmmJJHY5TLBqdpLZLDa3gdw4IbtGwAIVmGB_b2krilHE6CuotFJVOb6wXbkozpzd_1D29ETOuiXobO8BvZqHb6zdZ3quw1m_Ih-vFVkZxVnTpmkNLM0e7PaYQ8BBddJRdKI/s525/700+IMG_7264.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="525" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_rbUlXXFwrmmJJHY5TLBqdpLZLDa3gdw4IbtGwAIVmGB_b2krilHE6CuotFJVOb6wXbkozpzd_1D29ETOuiXobO8BvZqHb6zdZ3quw1m_Ih-vFVkZxVnTpmkNLM0e7PaYQ8BBddJRdKI/s320/700+IMG_7264.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div>Oh nooooooooo! Since there was no plastic primer the paint was not well adhered to the sled, and the silver paint AND the underlying bronze paint from the previous project all came off. Disaster! But the red paint looked great!</div><div><br /></div><div>I tried a second round of very limited taping to see if I could get better results, but still had to do a LOT of hand touch-ups to get the colors back, and because it was done by hand the colors do not have the full metallic finish that you get when you actually spray the paint. So PLEASE learn from my mistake and use a plastic primer to begin with and save yourself the headache!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvCQQHJDkMOVFYMhK-93UCnfc0tXpeXwVYElil7JqyWqYFDE5AteWsGiK4CKGTqhPIXO7Dkn28bZrbdkDoTB10OqrfRcZIhTgjuV5YrjyreMBitSaewk5QHMmrp4hOvfOcQFIdIQCvpOg/s525/700+IMG_7280.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="525" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvCQQHJDkMOVFYMhK-93UCnfc0tXpeXwVYElil7JqyWqYFDE5AteWsGiK4CKGTqhPIXO7Dkn28bZrbdkDoTB10OqrfRcZIhTgjuV5YrjyreMBitSaewk5QHMmrp4hOvfOcQFIdIQCvpOg/s320/700+IMG_7280.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjapLjgUZ7CnAlxWNRmkh4iiH3WV8r2LbJbp8BK5LWc00Ew1AyZf43LQNvjg_-AHHLwtzBAYnjrxAu_DtLPwRficiaz4s_ldmHAsN6EvoAWHkqmZhAI5b2IRAYqp3wkSybZ9eHHeCdDVeM/s525/700+IMG_7281.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="525" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjapLjgUZ7CnAlxWNRmkh4iiH3WV8r2LbJbp8BK5LWc00Ew1AyZf43LQNvjg_-AHHLwtzBAYnjrxAu_DtLPwRficiaz4s_ldmHAsN6EvoAWHkqmZhAI5b2IRAYqp3wkSybZ9eHHeCdDVeM/s320/700+IMG_7281.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHXfDOYcl9gjOgkckpKd6HfUjDVsRrQ6rNNZ9iNpM8OgpbTPaESqhuJFeeDk1CwKVHnEjM95-jCqdoH1XuhCUfc7vtGx2cIuKE44VjdaK1y99g8qu7EyafUfzlKcuJWzRPDDjtuH8Gpfk/s525/700+IMG_7283.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="525" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHXfDOYcl9gjOgkckpKd6HfUjDVsRrQ6rNNZ9iNpM8OgpbTPaESqhuJFeeDk1CwKVHnEjM95-jCqdoH1XuhCUfc7vtGx2cIuKE44VjdaK1y99g8qu7EyafUfzlKcuJWzRPDDjtuH8Gpfk/s320/700+IMG_7283.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div><b>Step...8? </b></div><div>Finally having a good-enough red and silver base I attached the D rings to the screws and bolted them in place</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlsutxUGGUXtp-30bvhK-iq_eu0JcyOh2fkC2HIW9XY-FGTDBsATbztV70a4VCzYlAM1fyvxRn0s_J1dlTHqsu4BthAt4dkeErj-7ltSuXbReqB3ikeX7DuWC1qzIr_w2GdGObkKLPeB4/s700/700+IMG_7276.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="525" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlsutxUGGUXtp-30bvhK-iq_eu0JcyOh2fkC2HIW9XY-FGTDBsATbztV70a4VCzYlAM1fyvxRn0s_J1dlTHqsu4BthAt4dkeErj-7ltSuXbReqB3ikeX7DuWC1qzIr_w2GdGObkKLPeB4/s320/700+IMG_7276.JPG" /></a></div><b>Step 9:</b></div><div>Now it was time to paint the blue center of the shield. I drew a star by hand by dividing the circumference of the shield into five roughly equal parts and connecting the dots.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT3dr2CvnXfftj8p86Sfd1CZeB2-krHhDr3H3ioiWuMs58OUIkEGxR5v_h317AODV7iuFECRbaljfrog7QvmXoIt9fk2CfkiNuVSVavexoKLJeLeQ7FmV98wBzZ0bTmEUIQ12atA9-WA8/s525/700+IMG_7300.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="525" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT3dr2CvnXfftj8p86Sfd1CZeB2-krHhDr3H3ioiWuMs58OUIkEGxR5v_h317AODV7iuFECRbaljfrog7QvmXoIt9fk2CfkiNuVSVavexoKLJeLeQ7FmV98wBzZ0bTmEUIQ12atA9-WA8/s320/700+IMG_7300.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div><b>Step 10:</b><br /></div><div>Since taping was such a disaster I hand painted the blue onto the shield. This does not look ANYWHERE as good as it would had I been able to tape off the star and actually spray the paint, so don't forget your plastic primer!</div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT4RnOrkReB-UIRxxTOd9SUbkxlE8a57AKufrOvv5HSk-2ktMKqqb2X-rO5FrqIt-CAQUpechKpZ3tpg-GdRPAwLZ6zlfSoYvBsWr1J0cs28qFEB0Sha_gjHxmPPiVHIn7VTXuFAgq-lU/s523/700+IMG_7329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="523" data-original-width="523" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT4RnOrkReB-UIRxxTOd9SUbkxlE8a57AKufrOvv5HSk-2ktMKqqb2X-rO5FrqIt-CAQUpechKpZ3tpg-GdRPAwLZ6zlfSoYvBsWr1J0cs28qFEB0Sha_gjHxmPPiVHIn7VTXuFAgq-lU/s320/700+IMG_7329.JPG" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Step 11</b>:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now that I was happy with the paint I sprayed the shield with the clear sealant to (hopefully) keep it from flaking off (though, again, a plastic primer would also have been an important aspect in keeping the paint adhered to the plastic). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Step 12</b>: I cut the fake leather strips for the hand straps and the leather cord for the shoulder straps. I had to play around with the lengths a bit to find what worked best.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiwpwORy6QVT_1C3brgsfFAdGh6wLqMO8SivFrr4fTnt6_QGc7UditCNvU3lzngHS6OgKkwMmwo4HtZJknK4_FvQvao41RJfcnio97iYjSIHUIvkjYido-kn78tDZM9BnvF-H1h7ywJ68/s700/700+IMG_7388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="525" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiwpwORy6QVT_1C3brgsfFAdGh6wLqMO8SivFrr4fTnt6_QGc7UditCNvU3lzngHS6OgKkwMmwo4HtZJknK4_FvQvao41RJfcnio97iYjSIHUIvkjYido-kn78tDZM9BnvF-H1h7ywJ68/s320/700+IMG_7388.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDwQ9igEKXmKESiNCEkhTYiT3oCfTQCsgzvMRaxaFP2h4kvOUk11FqyRLN7muM9Ys09ynD9vmKZYiVRscmP47Hire4yFCiboOZQYuAUq4lGae6_KVS33__ZaT5aDsDr98CSskEVibvYCo/s700/700+IMG_7384.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="525" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDwQ9igEKXmKESiNCEkhTYiT3oCfTQCsgzvMRaxaFP2h4kvOUk11FqyRLN7muM9Ys09ynD9vmKZYiVRscmP47Hire4yFCiboOZQYuAUq4lGae6_KVS33__ZaT5aDsDr98CSskEVibvYCo/s320/700+IMG_7384.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisrOj16NpbCBAFJhClLhVByos-7WcPJBW3hF_mPwhBLZyz9T0Qd0k6shDC168qXn-CNgoJbchjzSE2I1igxXuX_ZBdWW5WwyHbVOm5IvZ2-LtTyDy05l5LGYsQW972T54Y62NXpt4C6Dw/s700/700+IMG_7385.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="525" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisrOj16NpbCBAFJhClLhVByos-7WcPJBW3hF_mPwhBLZyz9T0Qd0k6shDC168qXn-CNgoJbchjzSE2I1igxXuX_ZBdWW5WwyHbVOm5IvZ2-LtTyDy05l5LGYsQW972T54Y62NXpt4C6Dw/s320/700+IMG_7385.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And there you have it! Obviously this is not the world's most accurate recreation of the Captain America Shield but I'm very excited to use it for Halloween! And if there's an early blizzard I'm all set!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzvtUubFUrwWSpw8a1y_Sz3V-NFhrxk6OWPeguy3eDGU8vTwhIlRBqNGN-HtRccw-66ef-PVaLpzsN_PGtZ9lMlInsW6mCcBOJCpALhGgkpDeE3rS6K5Uf3KMKhW-AgF0yFVDgd_R3OQc/s800/shield+800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzvtUubFUrwWSpw8a1y_Sz3V-NFhrxk6OWPeguy3eDGU8vTwhIlRBqNGN-HtRccw-66ef-PVaLpzsN_PGtZ9lMlInsW6mCcBOJCpALhGgkpDeE3rS6K5Uf3KMKhW-AgF0yFVDgd_R3OQc/w400-h300/shield+800.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIV47gN4jUBQGjYoj_7xjqa9BCfH0ywD5AUtQYYmHiMrYN88xSRj59vklqk1GlPbJwijF8Xxuxjrh2SDl5eavhvy8DglCLxH3aHanhJCliQIUEZ5FxGQzoNqsRqOMuewkPRLx6nr_jc7g/s2048/diy+captain+america+shield+back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1260" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIV47gN4jUBQGjYoj_7xjqa9BCfH0ywD5AUtQYYmHiMrYN88xSRj59vklqk1GlPbJwijF8Xxuxjrh2SDl5eavhvy8DglCLxH3aHanhJCliQIUEZ5FxGQzoNqsRqOMuewkPRLx6nr_jc7g/w394-h640/diy+captain+america+shield+back.jpg" width="394" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Chuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16811206863063180060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5257362590440481584.post-10949296651335348202020-02-04T20:26:00.003-08:002020-02-04T20:26:42.042-08:00Harry Potter Crochet for Absolute Beginners with Free Hedwig Pattern<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA4N2bkm4y_1ap_waIKzPZb04Wj-t71YIzRgMt0FqbW2nn7fMd3CV4eYCoN985ewIfVgalJ4bcgDp-iR4tXCO0x0Nzgi01jjkFg2q56OVkbXEqhfc0Qiu_huGYnK6gUtvSFurqIRvsAWQ/s1600/Harry+Potter+Crochet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="842" data-original-width="732" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA4N2bkm4y_1ap_waIKzPZb04Wj-t71YIzRgMt0FqbW2nn7fMd3CV4eYCoN985ewIfVgalJ4bcgDp-iR4tXCO0x0Nzgi01jjkFg2q56OVkbXEqhfc0Qiu_huGYnK6gUtvSFurqIRvsAWQ/s640/Harry+Potter+Crochet.jpg" width="556" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
(to go straight to the Hedwig (snowy owl) pattern just scroll down to the owl picture below)</div>
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I've been debating trying out crocheting for awhile and a few weeks ago had a chance to finally start. This post will walk through the steps I took to learn the basics of crocheting and then make all three of the toys shown above. <br />
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<b>Supplies:</b> I used an USH8/5mm hook and worsted weight thread (if you haven't bought thread before, basic thread at a craft store often says what size crochet hook to use on the label). I also in the end used a darning needle (like a sewing needle but blunt for knitting and crocheting) and a stitch marker. I stuffed the toys with cotton stuffing, but there are many options available. I used a Yellow/Gold and White thread for the Golden Snitch, a brown thread for the Chocolate Frog, and White, Black, and Yellow/Gold thread for Hedwig. <br />
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My first stop was this Youtube video:<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAxGTnVNJiE">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAxGTnVNJiE</a><br />
This video shows you how to do a basic stitch and how to weave in yarn ends, which is 99% of all I did to make these! I also did the follow-up tutorial, but I didn't end up using any of those fancier stitches in these projects. <br />
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Next I moved onto my first project, the Golden Snitch. I used this video for the ball: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAxGTnVNJiE">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAxGTnVNJiE</a><br />
This video shows you one way to make a Magic Circle which I used for Hedwig a few times. I made a total of three balls for practice. I didn't actually end up using the wings shown in the video, instead I made my own pattern by chaining 12, crocheting back down the line, and just going back and forth a few times, slowly decreasing the number of stitches on the far end. The video does show how to connect the wing to the ball by sewing in the thread using the darning needle (also very useful for Hedwig as it is made of many parts).<br />
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Once I had a nice Golden Snitch I moved on to the Chocolate Frog. I used this video:<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltWGQwgUuZU&t=12s">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltWGQwgUuZU&t=12s</a><br />
This video shows you how to slip stitch, which is another technique I used for Hedwig. To make the frog chocolate I used a brown thread and skipped the plastic eyes but otherwise followed this tutorial. This was significantly harder than the Golden Snitch, but again good practice for crocheting. <br />
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Once I had my Golden Snitch and Chocolate Frog in hand I set out to find a good snowy owl or Hedwig pattern. Unfortunately I couldn't find one that was quite what I pictured in my head, so I decided to make one myself! The directions are below Apologies to real crochet-ers who know how to read crochet patterns; I do not know how to write them!<br />
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<br /><span style="font-size: large;">Hedwig (Snowy Owl) Crochet Pattern:</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /><b>A note on phrasing:</b><br />-I say ‘Increase’ to indicate crocheting into the same loop twice to increase the number of crochets in a row (some people say ‘2 single crochet’ but I find that can be confusing with doing 2 single crochets adjacent to each other). <br />-I say ‘single crochet 2/3/4/5/6’ to indicate single crochets in the next 2 spots (or 3 or 4 etc)<br />-I say ‘Decrease’ to indicate hooking loops in two stitches before yarning over to decrease the number of crochets in a row (so a Decrease is a single crochet covering 2 spaces)<br />-I say ‘around’ to mean repeat the pattern for a full circle. So if the pattern is ‘single crochet 3, decrease around’ it would mean ‘crochet crochet crochet decrease crochet crochet crochet decrease…’ until you’ve made it all the way around the circle.<br /><br /><b>Supplies:</b> H8 Crochet hook, worsted weight yarn in White, Black, and Gold/Yellow, Polyfill or other stuffed animal stuffing, stitch marker, darning needle, scissors.<br /><br /><b>Owl Body</b> - I used white worsted weight yarn. The pattern starts at the bottom of the owl and works upward. I use the stitch marker to keep my place so I don’t go more than a full circle (if you are very good at counting and paying attention you don’t have to have one, but I’d recommend it if you are easily distracted like me). <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /><br />To start: Magic circle 6<br /><br />Increase (add 2 single crochets to each) all the way around (total 12)<br /><br />Single crochet, Increase around (total 18)<br /><br />Single crochet 2, Increase around (total 24) (it should be a pretty flat circle still)<br /><br />Single crochet around (24 still). The form should start to bend up<br /><br />Single crochet around 10 more times to build up the body (still 24)<br /><br />Single crochet 2, Decrease around (down to 18) (starting the neck)<br /><br />Single crochet 4, Decrease around (down to 15)<br /><br />Single crochet 4, Increase around (up to 18)<br /><br />Single crochet 2, Increase around (up to 24)<br /><br />Single crochet around 3 times to build up the head<br /><br />Single crochet 2, Decrease around (down to 18)<br /><br />Single crochet, Decrease around (down to 12)<br /><br />**add stuffing at this point**<br /><br />Single crochet 2, Decrease around (down to 9)<br /><br />Single crochet, Decrease around (down to 6)<br /><br />Loop one and break off a long thread (extremely long if you want to make an eyebrow ridge with the same piece)<br /><br /><br /><b>Wings (make 2)</b><br /><br />Chain 6<br /><br />turn and single crochet back down the line (5)<br /><br />chain 1 and turn<br /><br />single crochet 4, then Increase the last one (6)<br /><br />chain 1 and turn <br /><br />single crochet down the line (6)<br /><br />chain 1 and turn <br /><br />single crochet 5, then Increase the last one (7)<br /><br />chain 1 and turn <br /><br />single crochet down the line (7)<br /><br />chain 1 and turn <br /><br />single crochet 6 then Increase (8)<br /><br />chain 1 and turn <br /><br />single crochet down the line (8)<br /><br />single crochet 7 (leave the last one) (you will start to make a ‘step’ like effect)<br /><br />chain 1 and turn <br /><br />single crochet 6, then Increase the last one (8)<br /><br />chain 1 and turn <br /><br />single crochet 7, then keep stitching over the right angle bumps until you get back to the original starting line (see image).<br /><br />Loop one and break off thread. Leave a long end so you can sew the wing to the body. Do NOT sew the wings on until you have added the black markings! </div>
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<br /><b><br />Black markings on wing:</b> Put black thread on a sewing needle. Go through wing from inside to outside, go down one stitch and go through to inside again, come back out the original point and go down one stitch 90 degrees away, then go through to inside and tie ends together (see image).<br /><br />Note that one wing is a Left wing and one wing is a Right wing so the 'inside' and 'outside' of each wing you made are opposites; don't accidentally stitch the markings on the same side of each wing!<br /><br />Once you have your markings finished, use the darning needle to sew the wings onto the body. Depending on your preference you can sew along the full edges of the wings (to keep them close to the body) or just the front edges if you want them to be able to flap a bit, or somewhere in between! I use the term ‘sew’ loosely; I just run the needle back and forth between the wing and body with reckless abandon, there is probably a more correct way but I’m very much a beginner! <br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWr2N6ADv8lEA_wgaAcfEWOIC9r-fGec28YMTT1E5QQ08jmCUYGF-_cuDy9B6KZqoc2vU1oZ3k0HR3cTcLSwq9EcRP3iBtSzCXj4M-u2YVNEmA7a9o3Z7QES4_rJwAm4Bv7BJAlme_4WU/s1600/Wing+sideways.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWr2N6ADv8lEA_wgaAcfEWOIC9r-fGec28YMTT1E5QQ08jmCUYGF-_cuDy9B6KZqoc2vU1oZ3k0HR3cTcLSwq9EcRP3iBtSzCXj4M-u2YVNEmA7a9o3Z7QES4_rJwAm4Bv7BJAlme_4WU/s640/Wing+sideways.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><b>Feet: </b>You are making an ‘X’ essentially. (make 2)<br /><br />Chain 5<br /><br />Slip stitch back 3<br /><br />Chain 4<br /><br />Slip stitch back 3<br /><br />Single crochet into center<br /><br />Chain 4<br /><br />Slip stitch back 3<br /><br />Single crochet into center<br /><br />Chain 4, <br /><br />Slip stitch back 3, <br /><br />Chain one and break off a long thread<br /><br /><br /><b>Talons: </b>Use black thread on a needle, tie a knot around the end stitch on each toe and then pass the thread through over and over (covering the knot) until you have a nice talon, then tie the end of the thread to the thread from the knot (at the BOTTOM of the toe so it's hidden)<br /><br />Use the darning needle to sew the feet to the body.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqNWV6YUVvC_xidXRuUnabmccn1w_FZEjbKt7iohUpZmsXNZNQeDlQV6v8gmvLBCIkTw7m-snk-xUvPDCr3ddXPofd18PYIz29dmRTTA_KkWaSZvJnE6K4uK7xQ97SgoVnN6WDWPGY4jc/s1600/feet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="323" data-original-width="1600" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqNWV6YUVvC_xidXRuUnabmccn1w_FZEjbKt7iohUpZmsXNZNQeDlQV6v8gmvLBCIkTw7m-snk-xUvPDCr3ddXPofd18PYIz29dmRTTA_KkWaSZvJnE6K4uK7xQ97SgoVnN6WDWPGY4jc/s640/feet.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><b>Eyes (make 2)</b>: The eyes are a black center with a yellow/gold rim and a single white line for a ‘reflection.’<br /><br />Magic circle 4 with black thread. With yellow/gold yarn do a single crochet then chain 1 around the circle (you can either tie off the black thread and then start again with yellow/gold or just link the thread together if you know how to do that). Chain one and break off thread once you've gone all the way around.<br />Use a piece of white thread on a needle to make a short loop and tie at knot behind the eye to make the 'reflection' in the eye (see picture). I left very long threads for both the black and yellow because sewing the threads back in can help hide mistakes. I used the yellow thread to actually attach to the head. <br />Use the darning needle to attach the eyes to the body. Note that you are using yellow/gold thread to attach so it will show up if you sew away from the eye.</div>
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<br /><br /><b>Eyebrows: </b> These are sort of unnecessary but I felt like trying to make them. Snowy owls have pretty smooth dome heads so feel free to skip this if you like how your owl already looks without them!<br /><br />I used the *very* long thread I had left from the top of the head and used a darning needle to stick it back down and out next to the left eye. I then crocheted 5 from the side of the eye to not quite the center of the forehead (you don't want the two eyebrows to touch). Hook one, turn, and stitch 5 back down the line so you have an eyebrow that is 5 crochets long and 2 crochets tall. Thread the darning needle and move over to the other side and repeat. Once finished hook one and break off a very long thread. I used the thread to then sew the eyebrows back so they turned into smaller ridges above the eyes, but if you like the more stronger brow-ridge look then leave it at that!</div>
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<br /><br /><b>Beak:</b> Thread black onto a darning needle. Thread across the stitches between the eyes and tie a knot. Loop through over and over to cover the knot; let the strand from the knot fall down the face, and loop over this as you make your way down the beak. Progressively make smaller and smaller loops, and then tie the end to the knot thread. Use your darning needle to bury the end of this new knot thread back up and under the beak. </div>
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<br />All done!<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;">
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Chuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16811206863063180060noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5257362590440481584.post-46520389314179061492019-12-21T13:12:00.001-08:002020-12-19T19:06:28.168-08:00DIY Hogsmeade Christmas Village: Madam Puddifoot's conversion and Ice Skaters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmNFZpcsm1kDwMmUx_3Cx_Tqa2nOfG27YVEFBULg3X0z7jX9GPfBQRSXbxi2A1Rj_iCmtUQci8XG8Evp5ZAnsrqFF2nAwd2hIo3zLSxlsgvPypI_bPJS1HiCCMrDl9Lmd1E9Y4H37berI/s1600/short872+edit1.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="1600" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmNFZpcsm1kDwMmUx_3Cx_Tqa2nOfG27YVEFBULg3X0z7jX9GPfBQRSXbxi2A1Rj_iCmtUQci8XG8Evp5ZAnsrqFF2nAwd2hIo3zLSxlsgvPypI_bPJS1HiCCMrDl9Lmd1E9Y4H37berI/s640/short872+edit1.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DIY Hogsmeade Christmas Village</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Previous Hogsmeade Christmas Village Posts:</span></div>
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<a href="http://chuck-does-art.blogspot.com/2019/11/diy-hogsmeade-harry-potter-christmas.html"><span style="font-size: large;">Hogwarts House Carol Singers</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://chuck-does-art.blogspot.com/2019/10/diy-hogsmeade-harry-potter-christmas.html"><span style="font-size: large;">Hogsmeade Owls</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://chuck-does-art.blogspot.com/2019/09/diy-hogsmeade-at-christmastime-harry.html">Hogsmeade Buildings</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://chuck-does-art.blogspot.com/2020/12/diy-hogsmeade-christmas-village-dog.html"><span style="font-size: large;">Hogwarts House Dog Walkers Conversion</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">DIY Hogsmeade Christmas Village: Ice Skaters and </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Madam Puddifoot's Tea and Cakes</span></div>
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My latest additions to the DIY Hogsmeade Christmas Village are a few ice skaters and Madam Puddifoot's Tea and Cakes!<br />
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I followed my same basic strategy for these as I have for the rest of the village:<br />
1) Paint solid white<br />
2) Paint in solid colors for major details<br />
3) Do a black 'wash' of very water paint to fill in shadows<br />
4) Dry brush on lighter colors for highlights<br />
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Most of the figures and accessories I get are from the Lemax line christmas village. The stores and houses I purchase at thrift stores (usually not in boxes, so the brands are unknown).<br />
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<b>Ice Skaters:</b><br />
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There were two pairs of skaters that came with my set; a couple and a child pulling a sled. I made the couple a Slytherin and a Gryffindor, and the child is a Ravenclaw. These figures are slightly smaller than the singers I painted previously, so I wasn't able to put as much detail into their faces.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ice Skaters conversion</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skating child and dog conversion</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Madam Puddifoot's and two carolers</td></tr>
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<b>Madam Puddifoot's Tea and Cakes:</b><br />
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I used the same color scheme as the previous buildings to keep the village matching.<br />
Dark grey roof, light taupe brick, tan for the chimney and covered walls, burnt umber for the woodwork, a dark green for the garlands, and I used purple for the windows. The green woodwork is a lighter green than the garlands. <br />
This store had a big front window display, large enough to paint, which was quite a bit of fun. The display had some carved aspects to it, however, which limited my options for the display.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx-yk5wyG3ZzLtfMfAH1kzUc_O1jQWUbfaBt2piWh7yQ93ceGieOgOab3jmfyavqpobdXUzBhJJuxMMDWeN8IKeEdsUqNzWeTaqYgWo48WX6i2IJWvDsRnr6VV6H9VGl2FlBNoWsDHMJA/s1600/Madam+Pudifoots+progress.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx-yk5wyG3ZzLtfMfAH1kzUc_O1jQWUbfaBt2piWh7yQ93ceGieOgOab3jmfyavqpobdXUzBhJJuxMMDWeN8IKeEdsUqNzWeTaqYgWo48WX6i2IJWvDsRnr6VV6H9VGl2FlBNoWsDHMJA/s640/Madam+Pudifoots+progress.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Madam Puddifoot's conversion</td></tr>
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The original sign had a large teddy bear sculpted onto it. I used plaster of paris to cover over the sign, then sanded it down once dry.<br />
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You can see the carved string of lights and christmas tree in the display window. </div>
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After painting the purple window frame, I did a very light yellow wash to give the windows a little warm glow. Then I colored in the window display the way it's carved, but added an extra cup of tea and a cupcake, since it is supposed to be Madam Puddifoot's Teas and Cakes, afterall.<br />
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For the rest of the building, as before, after the first block coloring dried (it took a couple coats of most of the colors) I did a black wash by diluting black paint in water and letting it seep into all the cracks and crevices to help accent the shadows. Then I took lighter versions of all the colors and dry brushed the highlights (for the roof I just added white to the gray to make the lighter color, for the woodwork I used a golden brown to accent the burnt umber).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Madam Puddifoot's in the Hogsmeade Christmas Village</td></tr>
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<br />Chuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16811206863063180060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5257362590440481584.post-56745621821185884782019-11-17T20:19:00.002-08:002020-12-19T19:22:35.087-08:00DIY Hogsmeade Harry Potter Christmas Village: House Choir Singers<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGBPd9Caf2jILIjm2_u-4qrchPG0wL_SbR3zur42PTvxFJJOrt6bgr-5FLTXB-LZXyX8DIaZ36EtYZimm4E9o2OCdOYBFRB6pEnihxN9kc9Pd5T1N4TGH5JbzpzkL9WHFQc_pV4K9YSjg/s1600/banner.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1029" data-original-width="1600" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGBPd9Caf2jILIjm2_u-4qrchPG0wL_SbR3zur42PTvxFJJOrt6bgr-5FLTXB-LZXyX8DIaZ36EtYZimm4E9o2OCdOYBFRB6pEnihxN9kc9Pd5T1N4TGH5JbzpzkL9WHFQc_pV4K9YSjg/s640/banner.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, and Gryffindor singers in the Hogsmeade Christmas Village!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://chuck-does-art.blogspot.com/2019/09/diy-hogsmeade-at-christmastime-harry.html">See the original Hogsmeade Christmas Village post here!</a><br />
<a href="http://chuck-does-art.blogspot.com/2019/10/diy-hogsmeade-harry-potter-christmas.html">See the Owls of Hogsmeade Christmas Village post here!</a><div><a href="http://chuck-does-art.blogspot.com/2020/12/diy-hogsmeade-christmas-village-dog.html">See the Dog Walker Conversion for Hogsmeade Christmas Village post here!</a><br />
<a href="http://chuck-does-art.blogspot.com/2019/12/diy-hogsmeade-christmas-village-madam.html">See the Madam Puddifoot's Conversion for Hogsmeade Christmas Village post here!</a><br />
<br />My latest addition to the Hogsmeade Christmas Village is a set of singers. I couldn't find any pre-made Dickensian singers in wizard robes, so I painted the old timey clothes in the house colors for Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. I didn't fully stick to the straight house color pattern; each one got a little extra Christmas flare for the season. <br />
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I purchased a set of 4 figures that were pretty roughly painted. I didn't do any edits to the actual figures this time, just repainted everything. First a coat of white paint, then block coloring the clothing, then dark washes. I used a black wash for the clothing and a dark brown wash for the skin tones. For a few areas I then also did some highlight dry brushing of the original color. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn5-_GN9VccChBeJZq51x9NSYGWy6DrU8S9Kzp186u6UGzNdVstAc9sA-cXLc-7U1gBWm4_w06ZGAXiC_wwX1NSNdgBtwMpniokXM4m3UYLiPMOf8miDbPaR0CILLwrC_NTws-yR2Pgus/s1600/gryffindor1-side.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="975" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn5-_GN9VccChBeJZq51x9NSYGWy6DrU8S9Kzp186u6UGzNdVstAc9sA-cXLc-7U1gBWm4_w06ZGAXiC_wwX1NSNdgBtwMpniokXM4m3UYLiPMOf8miDbPaR0CILLwrC_NTws-yR2Pgus/s640/gryffindor1-side.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gryffindor Singer Painting</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBZE7M-0XMU6JppGPQ5bIR4zEMk0bjjatLAx0yXwLY5G9prkk8q5Ui5f5mU7hQzKUhlHY59tqgbdxNUhPYattQYsc13l4dmqiOV784qurvpiuFYvSvwVyGrXgqNhpR3fWGpafNcNWQ09E/s1600/huffle1-side.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="494" data-original-width="762" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBZE7M-0XMU6JppGPQ5bIR4zEMk0bjjatLAx0yXwLY5G9prkk8q5Ui5f5mU7hQzKUhlHY59tqgbdxNUhPYattQYsc13l4dmqiOV784qurvpiuFYvSvwVyGrXgqNhpR3fWGpafNcNWQ09E/s640/huffle1-side.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hufflepuff Singer Painting</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4XpSZRMB4rEJHhZje_OOl5d4wdb73Syp7jHnh1ZvUjqMBlR1UdjdJ4GDRssEYJB5_4E7ZV7CQJLeY-9PKfoTPxICYAJQ-6RKJ6HeNNVr5ZzvZMfLPEeePtCSRk1y43Rblhz4EWJGd66A/s1600/ravenclaw1-side.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="495" data-original-width="788" height="401" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4XpSZRMB4rEJHhZje_OOl5d4wdb73Syp7jHnh1ZvUjqMBlR1UdjdJ4GDRssEYJB5_4E7ZV7CQJLeY-9PKfoTPxICYAJQ-6RKJ6HeNNVr5ZzvZMfLPEeePtCSRk1y43Rblhz4EWJGd66A/s640/ravenclaw1-side.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ravenclaw Singer Painting</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE04oME3izGGX-DnzXWQuscS9Z-3pA7LxHRaO4MOV6Co7CImSQwN_tVdMZ2iPokJTxDMBR4Jw4pigqiJrcUt9JALDTwQIe2ufcdXDqpIBhUVyIRuHg6Bhh9awnIR2D-wcYfE5Mchi0iXE/s1600/slytherin1-side.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="949" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE04oME3izGGX-DnzXWQuscS9Z-3pA7LxHRaO4MOV6Co7CImSQwN_tVdMZ2iPokJTxDMBR4Jw4pigqiJrcUt9JALDTwQIe2ufcdXDqpIBhUVyIRuHg6Bhh9awnIR2D-wcYfE5Mchi0iXE/s640/slytherin1-side.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slytherin Singer Painting</td></tr>
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<br />The faces were a little more complicated. A sold block color of skin tone, then a dark wash. Next a tiny dot of white for the eyes, then an even tinier drop of brown or blue for the iris! I then did a little dry brushing of the skin tone again and red lips for Gryffindor.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7BXJ7EYinafSf72pmZ5twyiodX5DePGWpjzeGu9l3UM0at4LQ7CxnTB9Z3HZ3HRxXykx42ZDHRuX-sBWzL_W5Mm1LzFPnCfbXuL0bNDyH0QqCV-zi61tX7QQHav85tXgmw_f99qR8PbQ/s1600/gryface1-side.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="449" data-original-width="826" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7BXJ7EYinafSf72pmZ5twyiodX5DePGWpjzeGu9l3UM0at4LQ7CxnTB9Z3HZ3HRxXykx42ZDHRuX-sBWzL_W5Mm1LzFPnCfbXuL0bNDyH0QqCV-zi61tX7QQHav85tXgmw_f99qR8PbQ/s400/gryface1-side.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gryffindor Singer Face Painting</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv92aWVbYjLl7ZOtYdtG6ZC6rJgBMWfsZffCNrRdydjitjsYNkthBxE86R5Jjl6vtTNl2YJObOwwZVk_2sY14FuTcf6RGwpsc4TBgw0SA7uWVWJyZi4wtg0z4g47p6NA1Zlhg7GlP1oow/s1600/chorus8.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv92aWVbYjLl7ZOtYdtG6ZC6rJgBMWfsZffCNrRdydjitjsYNkthBxE86R5Jjl6vtTNl2YJObOwwZVk_2sY14FuTcf6RGwpsc4TBgw0SA7uWVWJyZi4wtg0z4g47p6NA1Zlhg7GlP1oow/s640/chorus8.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harry Potter House Singers in the Hogsmeade Christmas Village</td></tr>
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<br /></div>Chuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16811206863063180060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5257362590440481584.post-81047635324438496262019-10-27T12:03:00.001-07:002019-10-27T12:06:17.227-07:00Healthy Halloween Snacks: Bell Pepper Pumpkins and Krakens<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqNd-Zqx1mOKzbMUmBMXPcmjMctvTU311st9uppkNqMT8Xnso-sgkrZ3C430MRK62q61mu0WFdwdQ-P-gIs9B_5WEsiGooUu_QZl3g5XZRtFoK20Tqf_QGGUvN8wHRjxFP0kAEuuedZQI/s1600/pumpkin+peppers2-down.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1144" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqNd-Zqx1mOKzbMUmBMXPcmjMctvTU311st9uppkNqMT8Xnso-sgkrZ3C430MRK62q61mu0WFdwdQ-P-gIs9B_5WEsiGooUu_QZl3g5XZRtFoK20Tqf_QGGUvN8wHRjxFP0kAEuuedZQI/s400/pumpkin+peppers2-down.jpg" width="313" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgciLE9fneCRcjBDEX6Q7UffgS4pyZ-4nePBgbiJlnFiHjYP6B4iKkZjMOm4sapUqio4MJoMipWGLK4t5oKnZwpT5piU851x4R2gh2AzhJPA_bxpo1oiybCr016MisGzQI5TTLuEf-RILs/s1600/Bell+Pepper+Kraken.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgciLE9fneCRcjBDEX6Q7UffgS4pyZ-4nePBgbiJlnFiHjYP6B4iKkZjMOm4sapUqio4MJoMipWGLK4t5oKnZwpT5piU851x4R2gh2AzhJPA_bxpo1oiybCr016MisGzQI5TTLuEf-RILs/s400/Bell+Pepper+Kraken.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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There are lots and lots of sweet halloween treats and decorations available, but we recently hosted a halloweeny brunch and we needed some savory options. These bell pepper creations were super quick and easy to make, but had a big visual impact. They are pretty much as easy as they look!<br />
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For the pumpkins, carve the pumpkin faces before you cut open the pepper; if you cut it open first it will be less structurally sound and a little harder to carve. Once you have the faces complete, cut the top off and empty the insides. You can also put dip inside the pumpkins if you feel the urge.<br />
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The Kraken eye is a circle with an ellipse on either side. Again, carve the eye, then cut the top off and flip it upside down. It's hard to see from the picture but the Kraken is sitting in blue ranch dip (I just used a few drops of blue food coloring). <br />
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There you go; all ready for a spoooky brunch!<br />
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<br />Chuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16811206863063180060noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5257362590440481584.post-73922863050565798672019-10-23T20:19:00.000-07:002019-10-23T20:39:24.286-07:00DIY Hogsmeade Harry Potter Christmas Village: Owls!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjENd_MHKdAio2MTv14fC8AEdUmUa1HdIq6TqZLAa8ebmZZTqcq0h_-h1EEOSC3Ysv8Z-61dMdBWoI2vcdsLOo-VLXrZyAvM6S_KQZGT5LKnkCOmGl7K3zIHbhtv4GsFU5pjF0KfbfsmUE/s1600/owls+group+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjENd_MHKdAio2MTv14fC8AEdUmUa1HdIq6TqZLAa8ebmZZTqcq0h_-h1EEOSC3Ysv8Z-61dMdBWoI2vcdsLOo-VLXrZyAvM6S_KQZGT5LKnkCOmGl7K3zIHbhtv4GsFU5pjF0KfbfsmUE/s640/owls+group+2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://chuck-does-art.blogspot.com/2019/09/diy-hogsmeade-at-christmastime-harry.html">Click here for the Hogsmeade at Christmastime: Harry Potter Christmas Village post!</a></div>
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As the first addition to the Hogsmeade Christmas Village, I converted some Halloween Owls I got on sale into wintry Harry Potter owls. It was actually a bit easier than expected; I used a dremel drill to remove the 'Halloween' aspects of the models, then simple acrylic craft paints to repaint them.<br />
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The owls I got were in a pack for a Halloween village. I had no idea what they were made of, but given their price point I assumed that they could contain lead. As a result, I made sure to take some extra precautions when using the dremel drill to remove the halloween flare.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX7EpBB9DY1TDmY6ZEIgjLeLmG4c1-0tObTymcXXhwEGtQoeZ8OLuatJ17nxUSqzRiruDX-3TtvoWC95pj4TWgYqLGHbrtwhOpTsiGIml88ICHDqJiRwwsMr8hnOiC4oSdp7t3-Vmjp-0/s1600/hedwig+with+text+400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX7EpBB9DY1TDmY6ZEIgjLeLmG4c1-0tObTymcXXhwEGtQoeZ8OLuatJ17nxUSqzRiruDX-3TtvoWC95pj4TWgYqLGHbrtwhOpTsiGIml88ICHDqJiRwwsMr8hnOiC4oSdp7t3-Vmjp-0/s1600/hedwig+with+text+400.jpg" /></a></div>
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The owls, as seen above, had a few items that needed to be removed in order to convert them to Wintry Wonder. I dremeled off the spiders, rats, halloween mask, and the high collar of the dracula cape. I didn't dare remove the entire witch hat or cape, as it would have required sculpting a large piece of the owl. I used light strokes with the drill to make new 'feather' imprints below the areas where I removed things. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX7lKMQE-AFM7C60yNS6dlFfZMaHO3UMF-u8JJIbKLYR5F4wf_5zf7VF8qYjZEOLL-3qiPBno5oOnLEhrdcZVdxy8PnZMArQkjHK09EAYeypu6MYjaT4waWb24DjZJaXRzGehbn3R7UHQ/s1600/originals+side+by+side.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="356" data-original-width="800" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX7lKMQE-AFM7C60yNS6dlFfZMaHO3UMF-u8JJIbKLYR5F4wf_5zf7VF8qYjZEOLL-3qiPBno5oOnLEhrdcZVdxy8PnZMArQkjHK09EAYeypu6MYjaT4waWb24DjZJaXRzGehbn3R7UHQ/s320/originals+side+by+side.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The original owls before the dremeling</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkfN2PEF_FB7g44icz59a3lm3scfwVynA-czrknvDp-hzooIhpcD8EpYAWAzYvK8C6XyyFt5yTSI05u1HkmkEB4L2Hx12MiH_Apc6CnZ3BnkbBHn7U7Hn1iCFELu9p8qzr_0xpPmEVPqM/s1600/dremel+edits.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="700" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkfN2PEF_FB7g44icz59a3lm3scfwVynA-czrknvDp-hzooIhpcD8EpYAWAzYvK8C6XyyFt5yTSI05u1HkmkEB4L2Hx12MiH_Apc6CnZ3BnkbBHn7U7Hn1iCFELu9p8qzr_0xpPmEVPqM/s320/dremel+edits.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Owls after dremeling</td></tr>
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Painting: I started the painting with a base layer of white. It took a few layers for the Hedwig owl in order to get a solid white color. Be sure not to put the paint on too heavily as you don't want to obscure any of the detail.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs3gu2QuZmv3GdPj_BkvZ7FsSZQRvtkWHSdPwRVx6MG19tW_jdnsJBUr4_FB6alEU-qshTzyzjlRZum5N5sYfHchVlNDIhzntniI8ZYq3x9OEMdFcfox4xl3eoTy5XOye3r9OyP_-2C4E/s1600/paint+white.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs3gu2QuZmv3GdPj_BkvZ7FsSZQRvtkWHSdPwRVx6MG19tW_jdnsJBUr4_FB6alEU-qshTzyzjlRZum5N5sYfHchVlNDIhzntniI8ZYq3x9OEMdFcfox4xl3eoTy5XOye3r9OyP_-2C4E/s320/paint+white.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Next I started adding color. The non-caped owl I gave darker brown wings/head/back with a lighter belly. The caped owl I painted a more orangish color for variety (the cape I painted green). The hat owl I left white, to make a snowy owl a la Hedwig. The tree trunks I painted a dark brown, with a lighter brown for the cut surfaces. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkqHC32NmToIMf1-e0SnGPOfT6tEIZ8conxsMqpg7JkmLdo79vZClN_jIVN9uiWWSk1XOoDMcPeff6OwbLwzroL3B3lVhKfhjUs7KdcShKlb0MyMJLweadtydGNhj63jmcJz3HxUDJ8Co/s1600/first+colors.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkqHC32NmToIMf1-e0SnGPOfT6tEIZ8conxsMqpg7JkmLdo79vZClN_jIVN9uiWWSk1XOoDMcPeff6OwbLwzroL3B3lVhKfhjUs7KdcShKlb0MyMJLweadtydGNhj63jmcJz3HxUDJ8Co/s320/first+colors.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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From here I began doing layers of dry brushing and washes.<br />
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<b>Washing</b> is taking a darker color paint and diluting it with water. Take this and paint your item, allowing the watery paint to seep down into the crevices of the item. This will help accent shadows. Generally I use black paint for washes, but occasionally other dark colors if it will fit in better.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6g3U26e1cLGTMW6I_dN1EKBHrEbto15TT_xizftVxMLEJmPLkgzdEZCyKUo7edUlbtQfdTw2-oa2TCYiidbaRvFG6fHN73ODn-jASvu867cMx5o09DRIvLynI_KZAiwDvk9AgaAlSHzA/s1600/eyes+and+dark+wash.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6g3U26e1cLGTMW6I_dN1EKBHrEbto15TT_xizftVxMLEJmPLkgzdEZCyKUo7edUlbtQfdTw2-oa2TCYiidbaRvFG6fHN73ODn-jASvu867cMx5o09DRIvLynI_KZAiwDvk9AgaAlSHzA/s320/eyes+and+dark+wash.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A very light Black wash in Hedwig's wings</td></tr>
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(For the eyes, I did golden yellow, then very tiny black dots on top for pupils. It was surprisingly difficult to get the pupils to face the same direction!)</div>
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<b>Dry brushing</b> is when you use a lighter color paint, put a small bit on a brush, then remove most of it on a piece of newspaper or paper towel. Then very lightly paint with the brush so that only the top bits of the surface (the highlights) receive paint. Typically I do a wash first, then a dry brush once it has dried. If you do a wash over a dry brush it will darken the highlights a bit. <br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja_rnmdU2cfupXSrcIhwoniouw_p9kn6IjQCDnTsTVbwuqahCGFdL8Df5mOEKEcIaDqljOF36XmLyTQWs0Spha8nnzNDsXHr33lJ0o8N_Cf0n5iGi9SrheuEYagIVoDMNiZXcBobDewDI/s1600/dry+brush+owl.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja_rnmdU2cfupXSrcIhwoniouw_p9kn6IjQCDnTsTVbwuqahCGFdL8Df5mOEKEcIaDqljOF36XmLyTQWs0Spha8nnzNDsXHr33lJ0o8N_Cf0n5iGi9SrheuEYagIVoDMNiZXcBobDewDI/s320/dry+brush+owl.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Brown owl with lighter brown dry brush on the feather edges</td></tr>
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For Hedwig, I needed to convert the witch hat into either something Christmasy or Harry Potter-y. I decided to paint her wearing the Sorting Hat. The hat was light brown, and I added eyes and a mouth with a darker brown paint. I then did a dark brown wash to give it better depth and texture.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJlYk744tnj04wKqUUpQizRGiJf-CeKnHTnNN36XmTlqfTL8D-4oOnTeQ2lIcpFjLo6caJM05K_BLKB0ZRWd2xWDr6XGUHtjBAVvreeWy9pdTmV7ZwUYjQ25ub0roxY8S7zRhEpJM_Hss/s1600/sorting+hat+full+development.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJlYk744tnj04wKqUUpQizRGiJf-CeKnHTnNN36XmTlqfTL8D-4oOnTeQ2lIcpFjLo6caJM05K_BLKB0ZRWd2xWDr6XGUHtjBAVvreeWy9pdTmV7ZwUYjQ25ub0roxY8S7zRhEpJM_Hss/s640/sorting+hat+full+development.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hedwig and the Sorting Hat progression</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBH2R_nr7-QLpYWDxjtChbqdkTfXX-X6JsJmymJdrwkq1t-blIXrcjWOeyDeepwKqjotyroTPbNvDhZgsmtGy8e2vMJjhA3p_chL4zwmU33nDpEOsmiLZze6-AE26kS5huRraXPJA_GwA/s1600/owls+group.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBH2R_nr7-QLpYWDxjtChbqdkTfXX-X6JsJmymJdrwkq1t-blIXrcjWOeyDeepwKqjotyroTPbNvDhZgsmtGy8e2vMJjhA3p_chL4zwmU33nDpEOsmiLZze6-AE26kS5huRraXPJA_GwA/s640/owls+group.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hogsmeade Owls for the Harry Potter Christmas Village</td></tr>
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Chuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16811206863063180060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5257362590440481584.post-50110058531183687982019-10-16T20:24:00.003-07:002019-10-16T20:25:03.716-07:00DIY Wooden Train Track Accessories<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguJAQdpHSZibrWvldFKJmS9dEFSzDeK37odYAA06nsbCE6NqK6wP3e9qyOVi8I2Fa2h71Nv-_WWwKo6Afx4KWfLUhO9pmOmcbTzcwF58MlTc8Yh2CW9tbp83ORzYE1xR_92DFbf_tntoE/s1600/wooden+trains+DIY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1056" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguJAQdpHSZibrWvldFKJmS9dEFSzDeK37odYAA06nsbCE6NqK6wP3e9qyOVi8I2Fa2h71Nv-_WWwKo6Afx4KWfLUhO9pmOmcbTzcwF58MlTc8Yh2CW9tbp83ORzYE1xR_92DFbf_tntoE/s400/wooden+trains+DIY.jpg" width="188" /></a>My child has been building a wooden train set and I decided to try my hand at building a few accessories for the tracks. We use the generic wooden tracks that are compatible with Brio et al (mostly we use the IKEA Lillabo sets; great price) but they work with the Thomas The Train engines which my child adores. I've heard a rumor that the official Thomas tracks don't link to the Brio et al tracks without adaptors, but I've not tried them myself. Either way, the trains all work on any of the tracks.<br />
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I made three different items; a Water tower with track, a Helicopter landing bridge, and a Buffer.<br />
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I used generic wood slats and rods from a craft store to make the structures, plus a wooden bead for the water tower. I glued them together with wood glue, sanded them a whole bunch, painted them with craft paint, then gave them a coat of semi-gloss polyurethane.<br />
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For the painting, I used blue painters tape to cover the bases so they could stay unpainted. I painted the rest white, then added the highlight colors as needed. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Helicopter Landing Bridge:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGNsliTNmyCxnQbZTmd47Xxp_r595HUt65GUIRrz5rwiyXOPvGTsswHqZq7xzG_sj0aGGr5gbk8ATzKTjWTIPSdEt9daD60mvlFvyg8Psu-T0gcnxVHJsxrUO2hK0ziAIOuKaV_fNmK5w/s1600/wood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="933" data-original-width="700" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGNsliTNmyCxnQbZTmd47Xxp_r595HUt65GUIRrz5rwiyXOPvGTsswHqZq7xzG_sj0aGGr5gbk8ATzKTjWTIPSdEt9daD60mvlFvyg8Psu-T0gcnxVHJsxrUO2hK0ziAIOuKaV_fNmK5w/s200/wood.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnaZq2fE3BLEfCDtllkv33WflFag9_OLGnbtueh065FJiCXGZiOhWbRP8AnKnYr2DlmtV0RBt-G6jvSG7F35k3yK5sqRp9FEreutoN8xCVCkfCNQr0lCYhmQWyrapbhKUIKXnhuvI9UXY/s1600/bridge+paint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="700" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnaZq2fE3BLEfCDtllkv33WflFag9_OLGnbtueh065FJiCXGZiOhWbRP8AnKnYr2DlmtV0RBt-G6jvSG7F35k3yK5sqRp9FEreutoN8xCVCkfCNQr0lCYhmQWyrapbhKUIKXnhuvI9UXY/s200/bridge+paint.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDORPztfzE3ddEC0BypLJGzt9BsVAbW4HgCHkl0XZUWmxJmkAbIiV3bWBmyKaFFgSFmWLqCmvSAHaBcEGCHcsgsQlEz8xohE59UB4igsI8ZQQ2wpB4ftltpqu_wr7EQCVLCEecCmVbjgw/s1600/bridge+wood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="933" data-original-width="700" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDORPztfzE3ddEC0BypLJGzt9BsVAbW4HgCHkl0XZUWmxJmkAbIiV3bWBmyKaFFgSFmWLqCmvSAHaBcEGCHcsgsQlEz8xohE59UB4igsI8ZQQ2wpB4ftltpqu_wr7EQCVLCEecCmVbjgw/s200/bridge+wood.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Buffer:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Water Tower:</span><br />
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I made a track under the water tower which was probably unnecessary but a fun challenge. I made both ends female because it seemed easier than trying to make one of the male ends. I made a diagram of the dimensions of the actual tracks in case someone has nicer tools than I do and wants to make a more accurate replica (see above). The female connectors have a circle that is 1/2 inch diameter; my largest drill bit was only 7/16, so I used a dremel drill to make it larger. The tracks themselves were much harder; trains have narrow wheels but they stick out a bit in the middle so you really need to try to re-create the trapezoid shape of the tracks to let them run smoothly. After much sanding and laboring I managed to get the track even enough for a battery-powered train to run through it without getting stuck; I declared victory.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVxf5yZEDsUpSBFXMHAm985I_yCFsZYSyc-PGsH2zEiPAQw4mCkDB6OCyykUdhqrTHmw1prYWBYYV4Jlk3icesUO9WqC8WlMoMf35pH1ieWIs0vSd4DyUeqqpXOl_L0gcQqDi6EcQjIWk/s1600/full+track+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="933" data-original-width="700" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVxf5yZEDsUpSBFXMHAm985I_yCFsZYSyc-PGsH2zEiPAQw4mCkDB6OCyykUdhqrTHmw1prYWBYYV4Jlk3icesUO9WqC8WlMoMf35pH1ieWIs0vSd4DyUeqqpXOl_L0gcQqDi6EcQjIWk/s640/full+track+1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/JTnjZJT3nTFjIrJBC3">via GIPHY</a>Chuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16811206863063180060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5257362590440481584.post-49953625626447341012019-09-02T22:00:00.004-07:002020-12-19T19:20:27.588-08:00DIY Hogsmeade At Christmastime: Harry Potter Christmas Village<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVP4KXf-TUD9LsPl1H3fQyrNlTXlq1lpwIBBX2mzCT6ng8QipC1SQOimcWLUGYMPUZb-F4G2vPCRS8fPXuWgnAKwcOZqTpbSzUpdxxVTluOUeCIck-dP0FUF0I7-nQi7chtUyZUxs1tAU/s1600/Hogsmeade+Christmas+Village+labeled.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1266" data-original-width="471" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVP4KXf-TUD9LsPl1H3fQyrNlTXlq1lpwIBBX2mzCT6ng8QipC1SQOimcWLUGYMPUZb-F4G2vPCRS8fPXuWgnAKwcOZqTpbSzUpdxxVTluOUeCIck-dP0FUF0I7-nQi7chtUyZUxs1tAU/s640/Hogsmeade+Christmas+Village+labeled.jpg" title="Hogsmeade Christmas Village: Honeydukes, Three Broomsticks, Flourish and Blotts" width="238" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrWv_mIA_5_fHLbl3-AE9iCxqQpnA_hzDwnFmFK1v5dUz6854SPk42N2sjPd-SOhcBDjc0PqLOMrczkObI49TBzNfiPfzYtTLHiR6EbIX92bVfKmiYS62PTsikK1m6pLOHVABVuop2SYA/s1600/hosgmeade3crop1200.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="1200" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrWv_mIA_5_fHLbl3-AE9iCxqQpnA_hzDwnFmFK1v5dUz6854SPk42N2sjPd-SOhcBDjc0PqLOMrczkObI49TBzNfiPfzYtTLHiR6EbIX92bVfKmiYS62PTsikK1m6pLOHVABVuop2SYA/s640/hosgmeade3crop1200.jpg" title="Hogsmeade Christmas Village" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hogsmeade Christmas Village</td></tr>
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<a href="https://chuck-does-art.blogspot.com/2019/10/diy-hogsmeade-harry-potter-christmas.html">Click here for the article on converting Owls for the Hogsmeade Christmas Village</a><br />
<a href="http://chuck-does-art.blogspot.com/2019/11/diy-hogsmeade-harry-potter-christmas.html">Click here for the article on converting Choir Singers for the Hogsmeade Christmas Village</a><br />
<a href="http://chuck-does-art.blogspot.com/2019/12/diy-hogsmeade-christmas-village-madam.html">Click here for the article on Madam Puddifoot's and Ice Skaters for the Hogsmeade Christmas Village</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://chuck-does-art.blogspot.com/2020/12/diy-hogsmeade-christmas-village-dog.html">Click here for converting dog walkers for the Hogsmeade Christmas Village</a></div>
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I've had a very long-term goal of one day making a Christmas Village, and recently was inspired by a trip to Harry Potter World at Universal Studios to try to make a Hogsmeade of my own. I looked around online to see if you could buy a pre-made Christmas or Winter Hogsmeade or other such thing, but the closest I could find was the Harry Potter Village from Department 56 which is notably Not wintry (<a href="https://department56.com/collections/harry-potter-village">https://department56.com/collections/harry-potter-village</a>).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMb3zi_rIhXIMUDBkqyFlzbFfhHbD4VGhDSmttLbHua45aMbocqtrxo9cp29wHeCT0KI7Am1KkRDus2EDi66L2fMjwVYsW96auQ9x2RolApHAtMIJynSzyJts_xjWLi106GhT49iP7T9I/s1600/1100+946+edit1crop+brighter.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="1094" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMb3zi_rIhXIMUDBkqyFlzbFfhHbD4VGhDSmttLbHua45aMbocqtrxo9cp29wHeCT0KI7Am1KkRDus2EDi66L2fMjwVYsW96auQ9x2RolApHAtMIJynSzyJts_xjWLi106GhT49iP7T9I/s640/1100+946+edit1crop+brighter.JPG" title="Illuminated Hogsmeade Christmas Village at Night" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hogsmeade Christmas Village Illuminated at Night</td></tr>
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So I went to a local thrift store and procured three generic Christmas Village houses and set to work re-painting them. My primary supplies were cheap acrylic paint from a hobby store and equally cheap kids paint brushes, along with a solid amount of patience and time. I've broken down the basic steps for each building below, hopefully with enough tips to help you make your own charming Christmas Hogsmeade. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEYm9OC32tCSxsDcLwcBtcsxe4wYFrxY0G-rqhnlDnOMlRrv8KVH5OIASV5-7n5kXTAGvW-LmgO5xifrcZBxlPvbpT65cfHEq1ipMsNGLhq80E-HVKBaXEha3qQuutBa3G3kj-p5wkkGA/s1600/three+buildings+right+order.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="401" data-original-width="1600" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEYm9OC32tCSxsDcLwcBtcsxe4wYFrxY0G-rqhnlDnOMlRrv8KVH5OIASV5-7n5kXTAGvW-LmgO5xifrcZBxlPvbpT65cfHEq1ipMsNGLhq80E-HVKBaXEha3qQuutBa3G3kj-p5wkkGA/s640/three+buildings+right+order.jpg" title="Honeydukes, The Three Broomsticks, and Flourish and Blotts" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9NpCpdX80g43sptgQitIoZqDyY0zzedlqtfSQUX7AhuvP2H3CMAMLNrmgL9QGI_kpCFkngkfVg0wvQT0w7EpwU-FKX8piG-VXYRvPvGHKxw5SewubCDCnsm3QyJWnPu2EoAcQURgvtGQ/s1600/buildings+adjacent1200.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="317" data-original-width="1200" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9NpCpdX80g43sptgQitIoZqDyY0zzedlqtfSQUX7AhuvP2H3CMAMLNrmgL9QGI_kpCFkngkfVg0wvQT0w7EpwU-FKX8piG-VXYRvPvGHKxw5SewubCDCnsm3QyJWnPu2EoAcQURgvtGQ/s640/buildings+adjacent1200.jpg" title="Honeydukes, The Three Broomsticks, and Flourish and Blotts at Night" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Honeydukes, The Three Broomsticks, and Flourish and Blotts</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCze5NEwEyGfRzCdbA27zGsxObuLR0HmLHEVE3VsOOTF1ttRm2U5qFLRX8CjbFsIGR-AL2p8zzcKWD6aFF-ryFOul3eclhJUpAdl7oCMzr4g0r_8VsdRdL4yLnEC0m7XnxL3X5opLTYY0/s1600/Honeydukes+Three+Broomsticks+Flourish+and+Blotts.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1143" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCze5NEwEyGfRzCdbA27zGsxObuLR0HmLHEVE3VsOOTF1ttRm2U5qFLRX8CjbFsIGR-AL2p8zzcKWD6aFF-ryFOul3eclhJUpAdl7oCMzr4g0r_8VsdRdL4yLnEC0m7XnxL3X5opLTYY0/s320/Honeydukes+Three+Broomsticks+Flourish+and+Blotts.JPG" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Honeydukes, Three Broomsticks, Flourish and Blotts</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Painting techniques</span> - I used two 'techniques' while painting which I reference below:<br />
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<b>Technique 1)</b> The first is a 'wash' effect. This means diluting the paint in a large amount of water until you have a very runny paint, or really more like a tinted water. This is used to darken crevices and make shadows. This is much easier than the 'real' way to make depth in painting, which would be to paint a very dark layer, then a slightly less dark layer, then a slightly more less dark layer, etc.<br />
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<b>Technique 2)</b> The second technique is 'dry brushing.' This refers to putting paint on a brush, then wiping most of the paint off on a paper towel (or wherever) so that very little paint remains. You then lightly brush the paintbrush over the area you wish to highlight, and only the parts sticking out the farthest will be painted. This is used for highlights; lighter colors put on as accents (the opposite of a shadow).<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Building 1: <i>The Three Broomsticks</i></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ32OlbPTAu0AtzYZzQYTSkUUDM7mYCzBJ1xgswIFU9JzdUKjwJU9-RSpydq-EfSzpmc3gBJel49CfZsadU1jF7eVTJsNySpGD_-qGpCBXZgQBaJmONoTLrtVMGmCC7FN2H5YypwdX6_s/s1600/800+three+broomsticks+0.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ32OlbPTAu0AtzYZzQYTSkUUDM7mYCzBJ1xgswIFU9JzdUKjwJU9-RSpydq-EfSzpmc3gBJel49CfZsadU1jF7eVTJsNySpGD_-qGpCBXZgQBaJmONoTLrtVMGmCC7FN2H5YypwdX6_s/s200/800+three+broomsticks+0.JPG" width="158" /></a></div>
This is the original building I re-painted. I kept most of the patterns, just changed the colors. I actually didn't re-paint the rock wall; just added a black wash to make it pop.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBF4ezFBX5Bet33q5RayIC-1jq2Kq1cuZtEly8eg7RBXdSFDRiCN4GR8kS-Q0GW-TtiS98wnSOGQYq7dTobPEC950oXKaJ_925l7_eVdWzfk_jWoqDr4JgpG8-eli6PyIuAM_vBbusaUg/s1600/800+three+broomsticks+1+light+taupe+deep+grey+burnt+umber.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBF4ezFBX5Bet33q5RayIC-1jq2Kq1cuZtEly8eg7RBXdSFDRiCN4GR8kS-Q0GW-TtiS98wnSOGQYq7dTobPEC950oXKaJ_925l7_eVdWzfk_jWoqDr4JgpG8-eli6PyIuAM_vBbusaUg/s200/800+three+broomsticks+1+light+taupe+deep+grey+burnt+umber.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
Step one: paint solid colors over the roof (deep grey), the woodwork/stucco (light taupe), and doors/windows (burnt umber).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqYUx0LV87u2CqoWCqWUFXY7SUh_Lj58uoQn78NCIBLt87eNIR1zfut-vudwRE_Wsu3mcEUOp6CCVRbus1X9q4CIm4WySHUbrKmkw9bTYELf7MeZgTL4xZMe1RLRGkPr7kpZ1mAFn5_NQ/s1600/800+three+broomsticks+2.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="360" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqYUx0LV87u2CqoWCqWUFXY7SUh_Lj58uoQn78NCIBLt87eNIR1zfut-vudwRE_Wsu3mcEUOp6CCVRbus1X9q4CIm4WySHUbrKmkw9bTYELf7MeZgTL4xZMe1RLRGkPr7kpZ1mAFn5_NQ/s200/800+three+broomsticks+2.JPG" width="143" /></a></div>
I also painted the woodwork burnt umber.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmAwS0GNm2yfgliQxfJdwH6uYQdpi1-Wh8m5xn1FC_B11MUpohLdZF1upk5FMxZGFNZnPQGzSiJQnIx3hJR7V5PuT3Ezq3mCbmxAVGSHu9cpezZJmTC7sU9O0s2N7LLjjv_LbJ6GgZrXU/s1600/800+three+broomsticks+3+black+wash.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="430" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmAwS0GNm2yfgliQxfJdwH6uYQdpi1-Wh8m5xn1FC_B11MUpohLdZF1upk5FMxZGFNZnPQGzSiJQnIx3hJR7V5PuT3Ezq3mCbmxAVGSHu9cpezZJmTC7sU9O0s2N7LLjjv_LbJ6GgZrXU/s200/800+three+broomsticks+3+black+wash.JPG" width="171" /></a></div>
Once all my base colors were down, I did a black wash. As noted above, this means I took water, added a hint of black paint, then 'washed' the building in that mixture so it would sneak into all the crevices and cracks. You can especially see in the stones on the wall how this creates a strong shadow.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGLBb8cQOdwXz0ag0Hdd4gSQHkqAePI0f4RUnpI4eml4lEQ5A7UEiapthrph-kJK8NGNPhhKA7C1V6pI-lG7Wq7Uv7wQ7MYV-IycGjKgsFqOzWnUPE8lLlsT9A2ZQxHB4iAP_kItk9Ipw/s1600/800+three+broomsticks+4+roof.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGLBb8cQOdwXz0ag0Hdd4gSQHkqAePI0f4RUnpI4eml4lEQ5A7UEiapthrph-kJK8NGNPhhKA7C1V6pI-lG7Wq7Uv7wQ7MYV-IycGjKgsFqOzWnUPE8lLlsT9A2ZQxHB4iAP_kItk9Ipw/s200/800+three+broomsticks+4+roof.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
Once the black wash dried (give it plenty of time!), I dry brushed a light grey onto the roof to accent the tiles. The light grey was made by simply mixing white and the deep grey I had already used for the roof. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUTRonoUHtV8eacKGfl0I1IWbBOVv2k4YKcPS5DXK7dk31ddxAODnF1GSbxc7ct1yvT_F2xclWkfdQFSta4t4VGXH-0qvgSnmxL9x24gWfM23t_q2H5LgiFAcQigyPcA-IStLvdGche3o/s1600/800+three+broomsticks+5+drybrush+light+brown.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="432" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUTRonoUHtV8eacKGfl0I1IWbBOVv2k4YKcPS5DXK7dk31ddxAODnF1GSbxc7ct1yvT_F2xclWkfdQFSta4t4VGXH-0qvgSnmxL9x24gWfM23t_q2H5LgiFAcQigyPcA-IStLvdGche3o/s320/800+three+broomsticks+5+drybrush+light+brown.JPG" width="276" /></a></div>
Here is the almost completed building. I dry brushed the woodwork with a lighter brown mixed with white, to help the woodgrains stick out. The white snow on the roof I had to paint because I got paint on it during painting. The original snow was a sort of warm off-white, and I changed it to a straight white. It took quite a few coats of paint to get a solid white color, probably because I used such cheap acrylic paints. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMrk99KYnvP3cyd9R2sQWephwMP4XXfv9vD7ejpPmTVU91xg8lSQdbjYLMGfo1A2zKuH9SgPAqOTsJFYKI5PXZM3dJ-jyc9RUfP6aV5MSXqFuDFmzGCv5NAmujatvlUEkXL7HkJ6ucKYA/s1600/broomsticks+mix.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1600" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMrk99KYnvP3cyd9R2sQWephwMP4XXfv9vD7ejpPmTVU91xg8lSQdbjYLMGfo1A2zKuH9SgPAqOTsJFYKI5PXZM3dJ-jyc9RUfP6aV5MSXqFuDFmzGCv5NAmujatvlUEkXL7HkJ6ucKYA/s400/broomsticks+mix.jpg" width="400" /></a>Here you can see how I made the broomsticks for the Three Broomsticks logo. I started with small matchstick pieces, and cut them quite short. I then took thread and wound it into a ball, then cut it on either end to make a large volume of short little strands. I tied these around the base of the match stick. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9_XIw3vG-cNWvYmFhvtzulgkMhVX5rYXVkgohdrcL9I-HcqekVBPPtG0UJHkUdlNW55_3yVO3IgsgigO3-qQhqik9ZHsmdQm_6zfT0g06dRav-WXqF5pc5qhwGwzhOoXjiSfcG-gbVzQ/s1600/broomsticks+logo+mix.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9_XIw3vG-cNWvYmFhvtzulgkMhVX5rYXVkgohdrcL9I-HcqekVBPPtG0UJHkUdlNW55_3yVO3IgsgigO3-qQhqik9ZHsmdQm_6zfT0g06dRav-WXqF5pc5qhwGwzhOoXjiSfcG-gbVzQ/s400/broomsticks+logo+mix.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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I painted the broomsticks dark brown, then hot glued them together to make a triangle. Once the glue was dry I highlighted the 'straw' on the ends with a lighter brown paint. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLEV2Ipq1FTNgKVk0Yko7HSp7TxF8Ea-7lWPjp39c_er5WzL8SzBmvpWVSgDty6bBeQLyN_uCbvRuPk_frhyPl8z6XTYlihbM2uxs5DjvVuWsHHzQjLok38iiC_2JYSYf39uhPPOZUg3M/s1600/paperclip+mix.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1600" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLEV2Ipq1FTNgKVk0Yko7HSp7TxF8Ea-7lWPjp39c_er5WzL8SzBmvpWVSgDty6bBeQLyN_uCbvRuPk_frhyPl8z6XTYlihbM2uxs5DjvVuWsHHzQjLok38iiC_2JYSYf39uhPPOZUg3M/s400/paperclip+mix.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
To attach the logo, I cut a paperclip and hot glued it to the roof of the building, then painted it deep grey to match the roof.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqFCDsmNpw5hHo2n5s1VXfeVnubYqH7n5qtzOTncBE61YT3tU8kPX3XdWHB4NMxP2OO48w1CQ3OhHEgJRj8AgRzWf0Q0JZ9k_msC8O5ezzZ9ey53EwK6o-wJp2zuMUFU-O0hYgTknQhsY/s1600/1100+924+edit1crop.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1098" data-original-width="1100" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqFCDsmNpw5hHo2n5s1VXfeVnubYqH7n5qtzOTncBE61YT3tU8kPX3XdWHB4NMxP2OO48w1CQ3OhHEgJRj8AgRzWf0Q0JZ9k_msC8O5ezzZ9ey53EwK6o-wJp2zuMUFU-O0hYgTknQhsY/s320/1100+924+edit1crop.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Three Broomsticks Christmas Village</td></tr>
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Here is the Three Broomsticks in all its glory!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Building Two: <i>Flourish and Blotts</i></span><br />
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I know technically this shop is in Diagon Alley, not Hogsmeade, but I really like it and thought it would be a nice shop for a Christmas Village, so I'm telling myself they were able to expand to a second location.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx98MXn80Du0pCNcN9nZ5rR_6ugz1mNg5uwSa2lpDEMI2Fer2fbrwO-kNC7I89D1qoorBIbTbQdj2KhvpTxV0_PWHs624hcjl9B3D6D5Lj2r8siTdlNcCbzVhE15VqXfyA0r_775BD79E/s1600/800+flourish+0.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx98MXn80Du0pCNcN9nZ5rR_6ugz1mNg5uwSa2lpDEMI2Fer2fbrwO-kNC7I89D1qoorBIbTbQdj2KhvpTxV0_PWHs624hcjl9B3D6D5Lj2r8siTdlNcCbzVhE15VqXfyA0r_775BD79E/s200/800+flourish+0.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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Here's the original building. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxQIhlRhiOuX2dIW3CQJU_X6oDXVSKpecSx6Th1pwWH4kQUSDsRxeHvwggEkfQMwLJbfI8TfaQNkBjE-h_yDCJnNPc-nwpzMFc2Baylu0q3OKqT89ftj59j2-r4y7BT6onwfIA8pJIS4/s1600/800+flourish+1+light+taupe+tan+deep+grey+evergreen.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxQIhlRhiOuX2dIW3CQJU_X6oDXVSKpecSx6Th1pwWH4kQUSDsRxeHvwggEkfQMwLJbfI8TfaQNkBjE-h_yDCJnNPc-nwpzMFc2Baylu0q3OKqT89ftj59j2-r4y7BT6onwfIA8pJIS4/s200/800+flourish+1+light+taupe+tan+deep+grey+evergreen.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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I used mostly the same colors for this building as I had for the Three Broomsticks; Deep Grey for the roof, Light Taupe for the stucco, Burnt Umber for the woodwork. But now I also have Evergreen for the trees and garlands and Tan for the painted stone walls. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqyCIJaR5O6TTgERGa1QCnZCPZdU3UcU7M1HJJt1JyzHeB5drEioSQsiK8QTKq6NPgXKFRGDceiSYPCgs6uchYlR2C3GZis6CeFXNbBKocVh0eG7fubplFqmmtfULercUO2XCbwgVz1Ps/s1600/Flourish+Logo+Mix.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1000" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqyCIJaR5O6TTgERGa1QCnZCPZdU3UcU7M1HJJt1JyzHeB5drEioSQsiK8QTKq6NPgXKFRGDceiSYPCgs6uchYlR2C3GZis6CeFXNbBKocVh0eG7fubplFqmmtfULercUO2XCbwgVz1Ps/s200/Flourish+Logo+Mix.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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The logo proved to be a little tricky to replace. I tried to scrape the logo off, but it wouldn't budge, and I worried I might shatter the whole building. So instead I used some spackle meant for filling nail holes in walls, and covered it to make a tiny dome. Plaster of paris would have been a better bet, but I didn't have any handy. I ended up painting it numerous times (eventually gold) and the paint helped smooth out the finish. <a href="http://chuck-does-art.blogspot.com/2019/12/diy-hogsmeade-christmas-village-madam.html">(you can see the plaster of paris version in my later Madam Puddifoot's here)</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPjfEQA6oT6DcNtp4AjQzwuxMbdqh-phhRxwE43C8PQvZ5Duzv9O5iWIX_w5LKhhquGNlTPFN_V5TNH9YkZUPrdqIrnh9fgnQcPDKIFFjuUaxYAm-LkS_LWwHmw0-MHbuSFc61FGNGTGQ/s1600/800+flourish+4+santa+red+and+dark+santa+red.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPjfEQA6oT6DcNtp4AjQzwuxMbdqh-phhRxwE43C8PQvZ5Duzv9O5iWIX_w5LKhhquGNlTPFN_V5TNH9YkZUPrdqIrnh9fgnQcPDKIFFjuUaxYAm-LkS_LWwHmw0-MHbuSFc61FGNGTGQ/s200/800+flourish+4+santa+red+and+dark+santa+red.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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I changed my mind and decided to paint the windows Santa Red instead of brown, and did a first coat of white paint on the window panes. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPnZ8E-qRlEG0LPld5AHc_-dyAstIgsBi8VQpWlAuE2ypWJ_PGp3RvXhSmD_3tG9-RAqD1N6KnJv5xetEeWYNm0TRQQ27yuaSJGhwBm9ya_7IHUl5qyQ_Vo-H-85YxwGmvq4TK5lcLytw/s1600/800+flourish+6+black+wash.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPnZ8E-qRlEG0LPld5AHc_-dyAstIgsBi8VQpWlAuE2ypWJ_PGp3RvXhSmD_3tG9-RAqD1N6KnJv5xetEeWYNm0TRQQ27yuaSJGhwBm9ya_7IHUl5qyQ_Vo-H-85YxwGmvq4TK5lcLytw/s200/800+flourish+6+black+wash.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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Here you can see the black wash, which really helps the stone walls pop.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMmAA3OrKccsB2szy-LhMRGSZL9RUZb7AQqiu_C0tMB1DEPF-sAL-mI3doY51oMIydvCKj1XuqW50Rmquc-dBTVyhNIAym5WLw2VhgPZwAM-cEqBBKzodGiHU-0eT7I1sTmQ6owT_ThF4/s1600/800+flourish+8+yellow+window+tint+wash.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMmAA3OrKccsB2szy-LhMRGSZL9RUZb7AQqiu_C0tMB1DEPF-sAL-mI3doY51oMIydvCKj1XuqW50Rmquc-dBTVyhNIAym5WLw2VhgPZwAM-cEqBBKzodGiHU-0eT7I1sTmQ6owT_ThF4/s200/800+flourish+8+yellow+window+tint+wash.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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Here you can see another wash, this time a yellow wash in the window panes. I initially did an orange wash but it was too dark orange, so I painted them white again and tried the yellow wash. Even the yellow wash was a bit more intense than I intended, so I did a very light white coat in the center of each pane afterward, to keep the edges yellow but make the center brighter. My goal was to make the windows appear to have a gentle glow to them. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhivW-6UWUS62nNBuJoI-PLiHPUK11QcC8OXrtShP7WArt52MwRX0TNq1OazMBjKXW_I7uY8NFnXF_SqqsBMYyqy6r7vv4Rw0TIJjC3pOTKtYlV0uPEnLtkxtVOm7r00DFJkwmJEx993gg/s1600/800+Flourish+9+white+highlight+window+gold+logo+kelly+green+and+a+blue+awning.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhivW-6UWUS62nNBuJoI-PLiHPUK11QcC8OXrtShP7WArt52MwRX0TNq1OazMBjKXW_I7uY8NFnXF_SqqsBMYyqy6r7vv4Rw0TIJjC3pOTKtYlV0uPEnLtkxtVOm7r00DFJkwmJEx993gg/s200/800+Flourish+9+white+highlight+window+gold+logo+kelly+green+and+a+blue+awning.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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Almost done! Here you can see the final effect of the glowing windows, and the gold logo. I also made the awnings dark blue. The garlands and trees are Evergreen color with a black wash and Kelly Green drybrush to highlight. The bows are Santa Red mixed with black, then straight Santa Red for highlight.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyQ_Pdx6lhn3ItuKQzG5lLxSoHUd88-XR7CUGSyJMEEd01qCQBzaz2YdWy_9XZ-06GIWVtqcGBhg5eqRJn9abfeU2XgQfVNFLwBE7M4-g9x3LRQJoL2vgvRn52b2Gyn5h4olGRoyG6ENI/s1600/1100+927+edit1.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="825" data-original-width="1100" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyQ_Pdx6lhn3ItuKQzG5lLxSoHUd88-XR7CUGSyJMEEd01qCQBzaz2YdWy_9XZ-06GIWVtqcGBhg5eqRJn9abfeU2XgQfVNFLwBE7M4-g9x3LRQJoL2vgvRn52b2Gyn5h4olGRoyG6ENI/s320/1100+927+edit1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flourish and Blotts Christmas Village</td></tr>
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Here's the final product! My partner made the logo with a fine point black acrylic paint pen. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Building Three: <i>Honeydukes</i></span></div>
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The painting for Honeydukes was much the same as the others except I used a variety of color washes to give the windows a stained-glass appearance. The windows were much too small to try to paint tiny candy in them, so I figured the colored glass would help convey the colorfulness inside. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEehIC-bLFgqTKe1vUVwWtxAx9e3U6YrKmMJoqEBQJVuxjNv0aquQ62pGrNKBozbd65wQ15-3Pi-GJSpKFk1v_qjn4HNO01rtTVfer2_AxoLhm4AKhuhQX07dkM07ozVMSbARWWliokss/s1600/Honeydukes+0.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEehIC-bLFgqTKe1vUVwWtxAx9e3U6YrKmMJoqEBQJVuxjNv0aquQ62pGrNKBozbd65wQ15-3Pi-GJSpKFk1v_qjn4HNO01rtTVfer2_AxoLhm4AKhuhQX07dkM07ozVMSbARWWliokss/s200/Honeydukes+0.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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Here's the original building. There's a lot going on. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3KtTLAvE2Sx8bZ7KQcjtLspgEcYXYwkmgatiYqrZlQrZZVndm1RaA9ls8FonmF77OlZ2WE8jZIUQwI2Rdo3ohunLRehcrtZZG4LeRMXtMsktrxfXwSSnyLF_3ufiFyM4T1wDCk_sHWrk/s1600/Honeydukes+1+evergreen+red+plus+white+light+taupe+burnt+umber+tan.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3KtTLAvE2Sx8bZ7KQcjtLspgEcYXYwkmgatiYqrZlQrZZVndm1RaA9ls8FonmF77OlZ2WE8jZIUQwI2Rdo3ohunLRehcrtZZG4LeRMXtMsktrxfXwSSnyLF_3ufiFyM4T1wDCk_sHWrk/s200/Honeydukes+1+evergreen+red+plus+white+light+taupe+burnt+umber+tan.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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Some of the starting bits: a Pink door and window shades, dark green for the wood trim and awning, burnt umber for the supporting wood structures, deep grey roof, etc. The Honeydukes from the movies has a green/pink color scheme which I wanted to replicate. There are actually windows and window shades under that awning which were very much not fun to paint. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGu3zLm0UFcIYoCo9AcIA9MnwpLp6uhisSW6gnscm5lGUC2CBD0J0sV6BeiFz2E3nicit3jYomCggScbu3GXz3Y4Fe73AW7_fwnmx6lQKdJymTFAeUnZkQgEbWJuND1cDswXS2auzFaJA/s1600/honeydukes+2+white+windows+light+taupe+walls.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGu3zLm0UFcIYoCo9AcIA9MnwpLp6uhisSW6gnscm5lGUC2CBD0J0sV6BeiFz2E3nicit3jYomCggScbu3GXz3Y4Fe73AW7_fwnmx6lQKdJymTFAeUnZkQgEbWJuND1cDswXS2auzFaJA/s200/honeydukes+2+white+windows+light+taupe+walls.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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Here I started to paint in the windows and stucco behind the wooden ornamentation. This part involved a lot of painting and then touching up and then painting again etc </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbZv8MrhNRs1Sel54PwwlDeAluwKCn_JewW_bpRi9tHyX0TIcxlMiNTxg6gfl1To8BJ2_UVGnutxQgfwms4ly93HS1XKvHF5mNdMn3rpZMh6BgIJRq0S18JEp3MwJt3otEtth9km7SWEw/s1600/honeydukes+3+window+color+washes.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbZv8MrhNRs1Sel54PwwlDeAluwKCn_JewW_bpRi9tHyX0TIcxlMiNTxg6gfl1To8BJ2_UVGnutxQgfwms4ly93HS1XKvHF5mNdMn3rpZMh6BgIJRq0S18JEp3MwJt3otEtth9km7SWEw/s200/honeydukes+3+window+color+washes.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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Here you can see the washes of color for the windows. This part was a lot of fun.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_p-20ksWmyYGZdraB-5pCK5iCx2qENEVctcdeFKV_h2Jt0Gq6U1Jpi9gOhWoc5rMQXU99C-niYgyBcbqiMlkxKSqYgksKQNGdKc5N72vrdrdA2eFKZADje4evqrNKMa2H8lhtxTIEnBk/s1600/honeydukes+logo+mix.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1000" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_p-20ksWmyYGZdraB-5pCK5iCx2qENEVctcdeFKV_h2Jt0Gq6U1Jpi9gOhWoc5rMQXU99C-niYgyBcbqiMlkxKSqYgksKQNGdKc5N72vrdrdA2eFKZADje4evqrNKMa2H8lhtxTIEnBk/s320/honeydukes+logo+mix.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The logo on this building was imprinted, so the wall filler actually worked well to smooth it out so I could paint a new label onto the building. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWb1iJ8m6lit6w235bYPEJfPDlia6r63QgKQgWjWJMuaLbLAm9wlueDTM4SjO9j1h6OijoZ3Marr6fzLXoyhsf0i6rQA6XiKryUUrZI6onjU34BzEvV1-XvQ99fB-xo4KvmEUhPRgzCzI/s1600/800+honeydukes+6+black+wash+then+pink+and+grey+highlights.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWb1iJ8m6lit6w235bYPEJfPDlia6r63QgKQgWjWJMuaLbLAm9wlueDTM4SjO9j1h6OijoZ3Marr6fzLXoyhsf0i6rQA6XiKryUUrZI6onjU34BzEvV1-XvQ99fB-xo4KvmEUhPRgzCzI/s200/800+honeydukes+6+black+wash+then+pink+and+grey+highlights.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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At this point the building is almost finished. I highlighted the roof, beams, doorway, and window shades by drybrushing. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5DdCBlGEzVp4VJ-OhLLKldGBRV84aYT4z6x6uNQD-FJhiRGhHkEjrhK2qIzJuV5zT59dfUwmsdCCpbenXY-pm0qygnFD6jwcbHnm7Q_NFQQDrgGSE2p0cxHNy4VPaC9OgGYKlu-iTpA8/s1600/1100+923+edit1crop.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="754" data-original-width="1100" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5DdCBlGEzVp4VJ-OhLLKldGBRV84aYT4z6x6uNQD-FJhiRGhHkEjrhK2qIzJuV5zT59dfUwmsdCCpbenXY-pm0qygnFD6jwcbHnm7Q_NFQQDrgGSE2p0cxHNy4VPaC9OgGYKlu-iTpA8/s320/1100+923+edit1crop.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Honeydukes Christmas Village</td></tr>
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And here it is! The final building of the project. This one was definitely the most detailed and difficult, but also my favorite to have finished!</div>
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I hope you have found this tutorial helpful; Merry Christmas! </div>
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<br />Chuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16811206863063180060noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5257362590440481584.post-69436626778842114172019-07-23T18:49:00.005-07:002019-07-23T18:49:48.081-07:00DIY Harry Potter Wand Spell Tokens<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnatZ8uONI-ow13gdfEq6CCP_eLcdoEz5vVJkCPvluUKK4jNZ21nyj0U33JImSPv4_CFRp_WAZ2H_1tUJcE1n6Ebq17QMcoS44V6xf6vTUI4RDdzlRMdAx5224GQmaU_WcITeYCl_nhsU/s1600/IMG_8982.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnatZ8uONI-ow13gdfEq6CCP_eLcdoEz5vVJkCPvluUKK4jNZ21nyj0U33JImSPv4_CFRp_WAZ2H_1tUJcE1n6Ebq17QMcoS44V6xf6vTUI4RDdzlRMdAx5224GQmaU_WcITeYCl_nhsU/s320/IMG_8982.JPG" width="320" /></a>For a present I made my wife some Harry Potter Spell Tokens, which are just little wooden disks with spells from the Harry Potter books on one side and the wand motions (according to the internet) on the other side. <br />
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I used round disks from a hobby shop and a wood burning kit to carve the spell name and wand motions. This left a nice dark outline that I foolishly thought would last through the staining process. It did not.<br />
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I stained the discs with a Cherry and an Oak stain/varnish combo and..wasn't super excited with the results. The Cherry discs were still OK, but the Oak stain was much too dark and you could no longer appreciate the words or spells. <br />
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I decided to adjust the overly dark Oak tokens by painting the indented text and spells gold. I used an acrylic gold paint and lightly painted as close to in the indents as I could. I then wiped off the token, and all the paint not in the grooves was wiped away (though it did leave a metallic gold sheen on the tokens). <br />
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For the Cherry tokens, the text was much easier to read after staining, but still not perfect. I used a black acrylic paint to darken the letters and spells for the Cherry tokens, and it turned out nicely. It looks as though the original wood burning is what you see, but it's actually black paint coating the carved letters. <br />
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That's it! I put them all in a little black satchel so they are easy to carry around (in case you need to throw one at your enemies, I guess). If you chose to do this project I'd recommend using lighter stains, or really carve the letters deep so you can paint them well afterward. <br />
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<br />Chuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16811206863063180060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5257362590440481584.post-34682731659912729332018-12-11T12:27:00.003-08:002018-12-11T12:27:39.499-08:00DIY Animal Terrarium Holiday Ornaments<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEIn3ba0yrHgu-OdpQ-fiLEsCVfZDunHm3oAFU00pXCP6B1CEI5eIRblEu9xE2HC_6ZpRWhv5pCgtJqWs6Vkuc54QjQ6GVRR0ID2kTMEl_Z-kJ5cZcxlleVV3Gn4i4KpfWYD2nMPFQwT4/s1600/Ornaments+together+with+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1380" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEIn3ba0yrHgu-OdpQ-fiLEsCVfZDunHm3oAFU00pXCP6B1CEI5eIRblEu9xE2HC_6ZpRWhv5pCgtJqWs6Vkuc54QjQ6GVRR0ID2kTMEl_Z-kJ5cZcxlleVV3Gn4i4KpfWYD2nMPFQwT4/s640/Ornaments+together+with+tree.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://drchuckbooks.blogspot.com/2018/12/diy-cute-animal-terrarium-christmas.html"><span style="font-size: large;">Check out these adorable animal terrarium ornaments! </span></a></div>
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<a href="https://drchuckbooks.blogspot.com/2018/12/diy-cute-animal-terrarium-christmas.html"><span style="font-size: large;">A fun family DIY craft for the holidays</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://drchuckbooks.blogspot.com/2018/12/diy-cute-animal-terrarium-christmas.html"><span style="font-size: large;">See the full instructions from Dr. Chuck here!</span></a></div>
Chuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16811206863063180060noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5257362590440481584.post-17985173613711205952018-10-26T18:39:00.001-07:002019-09-07T09:17:37.739-07:00DIY Wizard Wands<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For Halloween this year we are going as wizards from the Harry Potter universe, so of course we needed to create some wands! There are many descriptions online of using hot glue, dowels, and acrylic paint to make your own wands, and that's exactly what we did too. I was surprised at how well it worked, and how nicely the glue took paint. The glue works particularly well for organic shapes and patterns.<br />
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<b>Supplies:</b><br />
12 inch wooden dowels (from a craft store)<br />
Sandpaper<br />
Hot glue gun and many extra sticks of glue<br />
Cheap acrylic kids paint<br />
Glossy polyurethane<br />
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<b>Steps:</b><br />
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The first step for me was sanding down one side of the dowel which would be the 'tip' of the wand.</div>
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Next I added the hot glue. I first made a sort of 'handle' for each wand where the thumb and forefinger will rest. </div>
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Next I embellished the rest of the grip.</div>
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Last I added a 'butt' to the wand to increase the overall length of the grip. This is essentially just a giant glob of hot glue. I added extra glue over the glob to make it more interesting. This also served to add extra weight behind the 'handle' and make the handle the balance point of the wand.</div>
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I stopped adding glue to the end once the balance was right.</div>
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Now with the wands glued, it was time to paint them.<br />
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I used a black base coat, then successive layers of brown, from dark to light. Each coat was thinner than the last, so that the deeper crevices remained darkest. The final lightest brown I only painted onto the glue embellishment, and did two coats to increase the brightness.<br />
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I let the paint dry overnight. The paint rubs off of the glue easily, so I coated the wands in a glossy polyurethane to seal them. Overall I was quite happy with how these turned out, and the project overall was pretty simple. It would also be easy to add further embellishments (tassels, beads, etc) to give them more variety.<br />
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<br />Chuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16811206863063180060noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5257362590440481584.post-24326302487043240232018-07-15T19:22:00.004-07:002018-07-15T19:28:33.935-07:00DIY: Cornhole set (bean bag toss) boards and bags<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is my attempt to make a cornhole set using these instructions:<br />
<a href="https://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/outdoors/structures/how-to-build-a-regulation-cornhole-set">https://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/outdoors/structures/how-to-build-a-regulation-cornhole-set</a><br />
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I did pretty much this entire project in my apartment using a hand saw, a jigsaw, and a cordless power drill. If you have an actual workshop and clamps and benches etc this would be a lot easier, but if you have a tiny amount of space and a few power tools you can still make it work!<br />
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Materials:<br />
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I used 2 pre-cut 24x48 inch sheets of plywood for the faces of my boards. For the edges and legs I used 3 inch wide, 3/4 inch thick board because it was cheaper than actual 2x4s. and seemed easier to cut given my limited supplies.<br />
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I needed enough edging board to line two 24x48 inch rectangles along with legs. This meant 4 pieces 48 inches long, and 4 pieces 22.5 inches long (24 inches wide minus two 3/4 inch wide boards). Plus 4 legs 11.5 inches long. <br />
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I additionally bought a whole pile of indoor/outdoor use screws and four pairs of nuts and bolts to attach the legs to the frames.<br />
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For the bags we used two different colors of a thick indoor/outdoor fabric (you are technically supposed to use duck cloth, but we asked the fabric store people what would be an acceptable substitute and they pointed us toward the 'denim and related' fabric section; we found a fabric we liked that came in two different colors). We used a sewing machine and filled the bags with dry Navy Beans.<br />
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Building:<br />
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Frames: First I cut the boards to make the edge frame. Again, building a rectangle that sits under a 48x24 inch rectangle, I cut two pieces 48 inches long and 2 pieces 22.5 inches long per frame. These were all drilled together with two screws per joint. Remember to pre-drill your holes! If you own clamps, use them! I do not, so I used my hands, which is dangerous and not recommended. Also you probably should be doing all this in a well ventilated room because there is lots of sawdust which is probably bad for you to breathe. <br />
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With the rectangles complete, I next attached the plywood tops. Remember when you are drilling down into the edge frame that there are screws already inside of it! If the frame doesn't seem to be lining up perfectly with the plywood board, you may be able to flex your frame a little to make it line up. The boards I used were a little warped, but pliable enough to put back into position.<br />
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Next I needed to cut out the holes in the boards. The center of the hole is 12 inches from either side and 9 inches from the top. The hole is 6 inches in diameter. I didn't have a compass, so I used a pencil and piece of string to make the circle (3 inch radius).<br />
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I used the power drill to drill a hole within the circle wide enough to fit the jigsaw, then used the jigsaw to cut out the circle. This was actually my first time using the jigsaw, so the circles are Not Great, but they were good enough for me.<br />
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At this point I spent awhile sanding down the boards and particularly the holes to help hide my lack of carpentry skills. <br />
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Legs:<br />
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The legs start as 11.5 inch long pieces. Mark the board 1 3/4 inches from the top on the center line. Draw a circle using that point as the center with a 1 3/4 inch radius. Cut this with a jigsaw to make a curved top to your leg.<br />
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Flip your board upside down. Place the curved top of your leg into the corner of your frame, so that the leg points upward, and is flush against the long-edge of the frame. You want to drill a hole through the frame and the leg that is at the midline for the edge height-wise, and the midline of your leg depth-wise. Place bolt through the hole, and see how well your leg rotates.<br />
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If you are really bad at using a jigsaw like I am, your leg will not move well. Make the curve of the leg steeper by removing more wood until it actually rotates in and out when attached to the board.<br />
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Final unpainted product:<br />
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Painting:<br />
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I painted mine a very simple black edge with white top. I'm planning on re-painting them each year for different parties/gatherings, and wanted a simple base. The boards absorbed far more paint than I expected, and they probably need a few more coats of paint than I had time to give them.<br />
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Bags:<br />
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Officially these bags should be 6 inches square, but we made them a bit smaller by cutting 6 inch squares of fabric so that once sewn they are closer to 5 inches square.<br />
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You will need 4 bags of each color, so 8 squares of each color fabric.<br />
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These are a very simple sewing project if you have a sewing machine: Pin the two sides together, sew the edges, and leave a 1 1/2 inch gap on one side. Use this gap to invert the bags (so the sewn edge is now inside) and fill the bags with navy beans. We hand-stitched the first few closed, then realized we could actually still use the sewing machine to close them because we hadn't filled them too full with beans.<br />
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And there you have it! Boards and bags!<br />
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Much to my own surprise the boards and bags held up great for our party and will be in fine shape for the next event!<br />
<br />Chuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16811206863063180060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5257362590440481584.post-54981700149636976842018-02-27T16:09:00.004-08:002018-02-27T16:10:39.142-08:00DIY Coffee Harvesting and Roasting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Growing your own coffee is a rather formidable challenge, and, to be honest, not a particularly effective use of time if you live in an apartment. But if you are like me, and you have a coffee tree, you might as well get some brew from it, right?<br />
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First things first; a coffee tree in a pot in your apartment takes about 3-4 years of growing before it will start to produce fruit, and maybe a couple more before it makes enough fruit that you can convince yourself you should try harvesting them. </div>
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Your future coffee beans first appear as little white flowers, harbingers of caffeine and happiness. </div>
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About a month later you will see little green fruit start to emerge where the flowers had been. Now comes the hardest part; it takes up to 6 months for those green fruit to ripen into juicy red berries. </div>
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Six. Months. It's agonizing.</div>
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But if you are patient, 6 months later, you can harvest to fully ripened berries. They should be a strong, deep red when you harvest them; if in doubt err on the side of waiting a little longer. </div>
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So now that we've picked the berries, we can start making the coffee. </div>
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First, open the berries. A large, ripe berry will have two coffee beans inside. Smaller berries may just have one. The beans will be nice and slimey when first removed. </div>
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Next, wash the beans, then set them in a dish of water to ferment. I've found this process takes about 3-4 days. The beans should start to feel a bit gritty at the end of fermentation. At this point you should throw out any floating beans. </div>
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Now we dry the beans. Outside people use the sun. Inside an apartment, a desk lamp might be your best bet. I used a lamp with a compact fluorescent bulb, so it produced fairly minimal heat, but just enough to speed up drying times. Even under the lamp it still takes about 7 days. To find out if they are dry enough, take one bean and open it up, revealing the green inner bean. A sufficiently dry bean will snap in your mouth; if it is chewy then you need to keep drying.</div>
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Now that your beans are dry, shell them all, then remove the silvery parchment. </div>
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What is left is the actual coffee bean that you consume. They should be a greenish silver color. </div>
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Finally it is time to roast the beans. There are many great descriptions of using air-poppers (like for popcorn) to do this well in your house. I did no such thing. The hardest option is to use a frying pan on a stove. This is extra hard if you don't have enough beans to fill the pan, so you cannot stir them well. This was my situation. Again, I do not recommend this method, but it is technically possible. Set the stove to a medium heat and start roasting. It should take about 15-20 minutes if done right. The first time I did this I set the stove to high and immediately burned my beans. You are trying to heat them up, then caramelize the sugar inside. Once the sugar is all caramelized you are done, and any further cooking will burn it. Alternatively, if the pan is too hot they will burn immediately. </div>
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This was my final product. You can see how beautifully uneven I was able to roast the beans in a fry pan. Definitely worth the wait! </div>
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Chuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16811206863063180060noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5257362590440481584.post-87106530620180313612017-12-23T15:48:00.000-08:002017-12-23T15:48:33.015-08:00DIY: Pine Cone Hedgehog Ornament<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A fun Christmas ornament craft! </span></div>
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<a href="https://drchuckbooks.blogspot.com/2017/11/kids-crafts-hedgehog-pine-cone-ornaments.html">Full instructions from Dr. Chuck</a>!</div>
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<br />Chuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16811206863063180060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5257362590440481584.post-57479194443377697942017-12-03T18:45:00.000-08:002017-12-03T18:47:17.449-08:00DIY: Quick and Easy Glowing Window Decorations<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Our newest 'Christmas' decoration this year; a glowing nerd symbol!<br />
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Total time to make: 10 minutes. Total happiness: Immeasurable.<br />
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<b>Supplies:</b></div>
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Cardboard box</div>
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Duct tape</div>
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Marker or pencil</div>
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Scissors</div>
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Tissue paper (like for presents, not for sneezing)</div>
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Lamp</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic8Qy6OVDvlf0ayzEYH9oxL2pIfleMkQySSf-qdPr7TJOjt7p2K15CiDqbGAtrmlE1vvx7sCh_k1-GbCR-TC7SB1myfcmJXoF7btH1gFTZZaI-MdoAusDxZ7-L2LwgZQ1nXwYhNKUrtMI/s1600/rebel+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic8Qy6OVDvlf0ayzEYH9oxL2pIfleMkQySSf-qdPr7TJOjt7p2K15CiDqbGAtrmlE1vvx7sCh_k1-GbCR-TC7SB1myfcmJXoF7btH1gFTZZaI-MdoAusDxZ7-L2LwgZQ1nXwYhNKUrtMI/s320/rebel+4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Steps:</div>
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1) Cut down the cardboard box flat. For my box I had to cut it in half, then tape the two parts together to make a big enough square. (not pictured)</div>
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2) Draw your symbol/image/words of choice. (not pictured)</div>
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3) Cut out your symbol/image/words of choice. (not pictured, sorry! I forgot to take pictures until halfway through!)</div>
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4) Tape tissue paper to one side of the cardboard. </div>
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5) BONUS: Use black duct tape to cover the cardboard and make the image stand out better</div>
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6) Place decoration in a window; tissue paper facing inward. Place a lamp next to the decoration. NOTE: tissue paper is flammable! Keep a distance between the lamp and the decoration! I'm using a compact fluorescent which doesn't get quite as hot as an incandescent bulb AND the lamp is still a good distance from the decoration. Don't set the house on fire!</div>
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7) Bask in the glory of your new home decoration!</div>
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Chuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16811206863063180060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5257362590440481584.post-89818033002747073422016-12-31T11:03:00.002-08:002017-01-01T06:48:26.005-08:00DIY Cigar Box Travel Board Game<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoxHNoYuHxCulUbb7fi_MILIFUXtZJuv98MEIDBwA2Rk9f2RusKExELYmr0-Jk1LSP-3yHTLS3iwYfxvWngcXPxja0Wg2352MqC3DOjDq2vyS7PEq0aLp9U3OIc1IJmrCGbI9bvzMLYtw/s1600/full+game.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="337" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoxHNoYuHxCulUbb7fi_MILIFUXtZJuv98MEIDBwA2Rk9f2RusKExELYmr0-Jk1LSP-3yHTLS3iwYfxvWngcXPxja0Wg2352MqC3DOjDq2vyS7PEq0aLp9U3OIc1IJmrCGbI9bvzMLYtw/s640/full+game.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
For Christmas this year I made my brother a travel version of a board game I really like. I used a balsa wood cigar box from a craft store, and little wooden dowels as pieces. The board is painted on the top of the box, and the inside holds the game pieces, cards, and instructions.<br />
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This is a general outline for making a board game. You can use this to make a wide variety of games which require a relatively simple board. <br />
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<b>Supplies:</b><br />
-Balsa wood box<br />
-Acrylic craft paint<br />
-White craft glue<br />
-Balsa wood strips<br />
-Felt<br />
-Wooden dowels (for game pieces)<br />
-Wood stain<br />
-Polyurethane (I used glossy)<br />
-Water colors and water color paper (for game cards)<br />
-Card stock (for printing instructions)<br />
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This project took awhile to complete. The paint, wood stain, and polyurethane all need to dry for long periods of time, so make sure to plan ahead! There is a list of mis-steps I made listed at the end to help your project go smoother.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7aYnchKgNm76f6mSAPhZ41yuYzVk2vnlUupf68JQ_2VotEb52knG4aliEUPuwyCaenAZXWfmX5QLEgPJuGrKbxHS7X1oaS5R-nsZulHrPNDPpqIrUFcNK-HiGeuGyeMbDiLSG2EQ5v-E/s1600/IMG_8559.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7aYnchKgNm76f6mSAPhZ41yuYzVk2vnlUupf68JQ_2VotEb52knG4aliEUPuwyCaenAZXWfmX5QLEgPJuGrKbxHS7X1oaS5R-nsZulHrPNDPpqIrUFcNK-HiGeuGyeMbDiLSG2EQ5v-E/s320/IMG_8559.JPG" width="320" /></a>Step one was finding supplies. The box itself I chose because it was roughly square (the shape of the board) and shallow, which meant it wouldn't take up too much space. I knew I needed two types of pieces for the game, so I bought large and small finished dowels at a craft store. I also wanted to be able to partition off the inside of the box, so I needed some strips of balsa wood (same material as the box itself).<br />
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To frame the inside, I placed the pieces and cards into the empty box. I then cut out balsa wood segments to contain the pieces but still leave room so they can be picked up easily. I glued them down with white craft glue. See 'Things I should have done differently' (below) regarding balsa wood height!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiihYfA3BMnQj0C-ppoI0f8oOpCIJD_Ip00_F4NCTKuYD4NjR-GgqO17-Y07stMqd9OdXSPif5bYlIT2dg2SLlas4vthlLHKX2VE8ey_ioNzg9pKszFYPjKi-X13h4lBFxP0-8YufbSe90/s1600/IMG_8611.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiihYfA3BMnQj0C-ppoI0f8oOpCIJD_Ip00_F4NCTKuYD4NjR-GgqO17-Y07stMqd9OdXSPif5bYlIT2dg2SLlas4vthlLHKX2VE8ey_ioNzg9pKszFYPjKi-X13h4lBFxP0-8YufbSe90/s320/IMG_8611.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
Next I painted the board*. Originally I had planned on painting the inside of the box as the board, but it was a pretty small space, and would have made playing the game frustrating. Next I tried painting the top of the box but leaving an edge around the board. This ended up still being too small of a board to be easy to use. In the end I used the whole surface of the box top for the board to maximize space. The top is painted with acrylic craft paint. I drew the lines for the board after the underlying design was finished. The bottom of the box I painted a solid white for symmetry.<br />
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*This was the wrong order; you should stain the box first! See below, and avoid my mistakes!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNPH7HV_5UzPpJF8o0vU1cCpU7D8vhSjd-GYBOhvj7RtMIR-guuS87VjhE6n9c11rZp78P_Hcl23Pl_ntB_cZsWq5syMk1qIiwtDspNqNpD-PE8wMLbIRIjVyofXZBD99yigGOEDVA99c/s1600/IMG_8594.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNPH7HV_5UzPpJF8o0vU1cCpU7D8vhSjd-GYBOhvj7RtMIR-guuS87VjhE6n9c11rZp78P_Hcl23Pl_ntB_cZsWq5syMk1qIiwtDspNqNpD-PE8wMLbIRIjVyofXZBD99yigGOEDVA99c/s200/IMG_8594.JPG" width="150" /></a>The pieces are colored with the same acrylic paint. Because the pieces were already finished when I bought them, they did not take paint well. The smaller pieces were semi-finished and so the paint ended up staining them in an interesting way. The larger pieces were heavily lacquered, so paint did not stick to them at all. I ended up dipping the tops of the large pieces into paint, which made for a solid shell around their tops. The large and small pieces were then coated in polyurethane to protect them.<br />
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The inside and outside edges of the box were finished with a dark wood stain. I unscrewed the hardware from the box prior to staining to keep it clean. Once the stain was dry I then coated the inside and outside of the box with 2 coats of polyurethane. See below regarding polyurethane and craft paint!<br />
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Once the polyurethane was dry I used felt in each compartment to reduce wear and tear on the pieces (and make the game quieter to carry around). The felt was glued down with the white craft glue. <br />
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The cards used for the game I painted on water color paper which I had cut into 1/8ths. First I did a very light brown watercolor wash over the entire card to give it a slightly aged look, then I drew the grids in ink. I finished by watercoloring the name and squares.<br />
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The instruction cards I printed on card stock. I cut out a small quarter circle in each corner to make them easier to pick up from inside the box. <br />
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And that was it! I'm quite happy with how the box turned out, and the play-testing was a success! <br />
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<b>Things I realize I should have done differently: </b><br />
1) The balsa wood pieces I used are too short, which allows the contents of the box to move around if the box is not kept upright. <br />
2) The acrylic paint I used became slightly translucent with the polyurethane, so in some places you can see the original smaller board outline peaking through the white paint. <br />
3) Staining the box is super messy! Do it BEFORE you paint the box or you will be doing Lots of touch-up work!<br />
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<br />Chuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16811206863063180060noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5257362590440481584.post-79016689910475543822016-11-12T11:24:00.000-08:002016-11-12T11:24:47.633-08:00DIY: Grow your own Pineapple plantSo about 3.5 years ago I was wondering if I could make a new pineapple plant from the top of a pineapple I had bought at the grocery store. The answer, it turns out, was Yes. It actually wasn't very hard, and now I have an enormous pineapple plant in the apartment. <br />
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I will note that my Pineapple has yet to flower and produce a new pineapple, but as I live pretty far north and do not really go out of my way to get it enough light I am not too surprised. Mostly my pineapple plant just hangs out as an enormous bromeliad. <br />
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<b>What you will need:</b><br />
A pineapple<br />
A glass of water<br />
A pot of soil<br />
2 years (or more)<br />
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<b>Step 1</b>: Buy a pineapple. Make sure the leaves on top are green. I've never seen a pineapple that didn't look like the leaves looked at least moderately healthy, but I assume it's possible.<br />
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<b>Step 2</b>: Cut the pineapple's top off. Cut right where the leaves exit the fruit, or a bit lower. <br />
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<b>Step 3</b>: Take the top and slowly cut thin layers off until you see root nubs.<br />
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<b>Step 4</b>: Once you see the root nubs, start removing leaves from the base. I removed about an inch of leaves total.<br />
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<b>Step 5</b>: Now that your pineapple top is ready, let it dry for 24 hours. This is to prevent rot. I cannot actually remember if I did this step (it's been 3.5 years), but it's what you are supposed to do. <br />
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<b>Step 6</b>: Place the top into a glass of water so the root nubs are submerged but the leaves are above the water. Put the glass somewhere it will receive light for the next 1-2 weeks.<br />
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<b>Step 7</b>: Watch the roots slowly grow. It took about a week or so for the roots to grow to be an inch long. <br />
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<b>Step 8</b>: Once the roots are an inch or so long, take the top out of the water and Very Gently plant in soil. I just used the random garden soil I had lying around.<br />
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<b>Step 9</b>: Place in a southern facing window and water regularly, but don't keep it soaked. If in doubt the pineapple will do better with a little less water than too much.<br />
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<b>Step 10</b>: Slowly give up more and more of your house or apartment space to the monster you have created. Mine is currently 4 feet across and harassing all the other house plants on its shelf. <br />
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In theory a pineapple can start to flower and bear fruit after ~2 years, That has not been the case for me and I believe it is due to sub-par lighting, but it is still very much alive and kicking, so I have my fingers crossed that one day I may yet get a second pineapple from my original purchase.<br />
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Chuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16811206863063180060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5257362590440481584.post-63201116062415189652016-10-30T20:15:00.001-07:002016-10-30T20:15:08.645-07:00Dragon Pumpkin<div>
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This year's pumpkin carving used a new tool; the 1/4 teaspoon! I used it to ridge edges along the skin and then scraped away at then to make a bit of a curve and give extra dimension. Overall pretty happy with how it turned out!<br />
<a href="http://chuck-does-art.blogspot.com/search/label/Pumpkin%20Carving">See all the pumpkin posts here</a><br />
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Detail on the fire: It's supposed to be a new, smaller dragon emerging from the flame...it's not perfect...<br />
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Chuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16811206863063180060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5257362590440481584.post-15353188249441888462016-07-23T15:57:00.001-07:002016-08-06T11:19:14.678-07:00Wedding Centerpieces: DIY Rustic Terrariums with subtle Nerd Accents (Star Wars Terrariums)<br />
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I was recently asked (allowed, more like) to help make centerpieces for one of my best friend's wedding. We made simple glass terrariums and accented them with some rustic wood slabs and moss, and LED lights. As a finishing touch we added Star Wars Micro Machines, because we are adults.<br />
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The terrariums are very simple and not really made to last very long. We put them together two nights before the wedding and they still looked great for the wedding, but their long-term prospects are likely not great. The glass jars have no drainage, so plants that don't do well with humidity (particularly cactus and succulents) are unlikely to do well long term. BUT they looked fantastic for the evening!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Supplies: </b></span><br />
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<b>Terrariums</b><br />
-Clean glass jars<br />
-Garden dirt<br />
-White pebbles<br />
-A variety of small plants (flowers, succulents, cacti, etc) in 2" plastic pots (adjust size to fit size of jar)<br />
-Accoutrements: Sea glass pieces, twigs, Star Wars Micro Machine toys, etc <br />
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<b>Accents</b><br />
-Oak slabs<br />
-Dried moss (varying types/colors/textures)(they sell 'sampler' bags at Michaels which work well)<br />
-20ct LED copper wire starry light strings (one string per centerpiece)<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>To make the terrariums:</b></span><br />
1) Take the plant out of the plastic pot and break up the root ball. If the pot was particularly tall you may need to simply remove the bottom 30-50% of the roots. Place the plant in the jar.<br />
2) Add dirt around the plant until the roots are covered and the dirt is level at the base of the plant. Shake gently to get dirt off the leaves and evenly spread.<br />
3) Carefully add pebbles around the plant until the dirt is covered.<br />
4) Add toys as desired.<br />
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Again, we made our Terrariums 2 days in advance and they looked great, but these aren't really designed for long-term survival of all types of plants. We gave the plants a VERY light watering after we put the terrariums together. Leave the lids off if possible until the event to let them breathe and get rid of excess moisture. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b> To put together the Accents</b></span><br />
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1) Place the Terrariums on wooden slabs<br />
2) Unwind the LED lights and wrap them around the terrariums; they don't need to be wound tightly, just keep them nice and loose<br />
3) Cover the LED battery pack with a large piece of moss. Add additional types of moss around the edges of the terrarium on the wooden slab to further hide the wire for the LEDs<br />
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This process will get dirt and moss bits on the linens; you can use the edge of a credit card to clean off the debris. <br />
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Congratulations! Your wedding is now beautifully nerdy! Chuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16811206863063180060noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5257362590440481584.post-77439102146247588352016-06-05T07:41:00.000-07:002016-06-05T08:13:18.810-07:00The Campbell Sisters Dancing by Lorenzo Bartolini<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My first two-figure painting. 16x20 acrylic. Complete with traditional unnecessary Tuscan countryside background and Botticellian flowers.<br />
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This painting is based on Lorenzo Bartolini's statue 'The Campbell Sisters Dancing the Waltz' ('<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">"Gruppo delle sorelle Campbell in atto di ballare il Valzer"). Looking at the plaster model used for the sculpture I thought they were walking, and made my background accordingly; only later when researching the sculpture did I find out they are in fact dancing! Oops. Sotheby's has a nice write up on the <a href="http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/lot.60.html.html/2014/treasures-princely-taste-l14303">history of the statue here.</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Placing religious moments and Bible scenes in the Tuscan countryside was a strong tradition during the Italian Renaissance, so I thought I would give it a try. I've been trying to find a Greek myth to attribute this moment to but haven't found one yet (most Greek myths, like Bible stories, took place in the Tuscan countryside, according to Italians in the 1500s). </span></span>Chuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16811206863063180060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5257362590440481584.post-37669532626389049512016-05-27T20:22:00.001-07:002016-05-29T08:17:10.244-07:00DIY Dining Set Makeover<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Re-finishing a table and chairs, or How I learned to hate chairs.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_W00c0Ctj500BApuBQ69n17IYpaZ1oXYD4OpyyATRST6zWIbtJGNzNA0Yjnv2YeIeQDe8pvO88tsYJ3c7PbuFSEPzH0ciPaMM5WvG_QE2kCeTfvFKic90kdDBTWQgUhyphenhyphen7q2tigLS8o-U/s1600/14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_W00c0Ctj500BApuBQ69n17IYpaZ1oXYD4OpyyATRST6zWIbtJGNzNA0Yjnv2YeIeQDe8pvO88tsYJ3c7PbuFSEPzH0ciPaMM5WvG_QE2kCeTfvFKic90kdDBTWQgUhyphenhyphen7q2tigLS8o-U/s640/14.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
After</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We were recently given a table from the delightful <a href="https://moiramuses.wordpress.com/">Moira Katson</a>, writer extraordinaire,
and decided it would be a great opportunity to put all of our years of HGTV
watching to use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The table had a very
dark finished veneer, and many years of love and use had left it a bit worn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After perusing many, many photos of tables we
decided to re-finish the top of the table in a lighter wood color and paint the
legs a distressed white. Painting the bottom of the table turned out to be an excellent
decision, as it is far less work to prep a table surface for paint than it is
to re-finish a dark veneer into a lighter color. Sanding and painting the
chairs also required less waiting time than refinishing the table top, but sanding
and painting every single surface of an entire set of chairs will leave you
cold and dead on the inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just
saying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Note: Most of our steps were determined by picking up the
item we liked in the store (such as wood stain or paint) and reading the can
for directions and tips on how to use it and then how to seal/finish it (both
the stain we bought and the paint we bought came with suggestions for a second
product to finish them with, so we just followed along humbly). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be sure to follow any safety instructions the
products list.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Re-finishing the surface of the table:</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
First we tried to strip the veneer using a chemical
stripper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was as misguided as it
was unsuccessful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The chemical stripper
just removes the lacquer or protective sealant over the top of the veneer; not
the veneer itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What we *actually*
wanted to do was remove the sealant and the top dark stained part of the veneer,
leaving the lower un-stained portion of the veneer to be re-finished.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the end the chemical stripper wasn’t even
enough to remove all the sealant, so it didn’t matter anyways. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Chemicals having failed us, we next moved on to power
sanding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This turned out to be an excellent
plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be sure to use proper protective
equipment! We used a 120 (‘Fine’) grit and with a few hours of elbow grease
we sanded off the sealant and then down through the stained aspect of the
veneer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately for us, the veneer
was thick enough that the dark stain only penetrated part of it, and beneath
that there was still light colored veneer covering the plywood table.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY0-c7hnrcbrejim6yrisBDYIldAP_rAxb359aZ6WgKsogj-9nN3-TD9KmYJyE1TH2HKeZi8OorLrTxTjY8iIb_CggpELxBzUD2mwbVhNmvnB0QUjd-Zqt6S0aDDYnUbfebaU1nHf8Xl8/s1600/1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY0-c7hnrcbrejim6yrisBDYIldAP_rAxb359aZ6WgKsogj-9nN3-TD9KmYJyE1TH2HKeZi8OorLrTxTjY8iIb_CggpELxBzUD2mwbVhNmvnB0QUjd-Zqt6S0aDDYnUbfebaU1nHf8Xl8/s640/1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Left: a failed chemical removal. Right: Power sander glory</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
As we sanded deeper through the stained veneer, the color
gradually lightened until the raw veneer was exposed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Different areas of the table had stain that
penetrated deeper, however, so there were some areas that stayed darker than
others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can keep sanding deeper in
sections where the stain penetrated further down, but you risk an uneven
surface and going all the way through the veneer and exposing the plywood
below.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We might have done that a few
times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t tell anyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Gg6wGQoxWpGiPH2us0uQxNoHw7GpCQ8Q-npvShJsHeggV-9FFLabMajbiUAjDF5JqnTw_43rTsyADP51oMOPJO9uj-18LEljpq0jSsKCRR9StbfHFJMGXprgglZr8nl1z6GrrPIzrW4/s1600/3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Gg6wGQoxWpGiPH2us0uQxNoHw7GpCQ8Q-npvShJsHeggV-9FFLabMajbiUAjDF5JqnTw_43rTsyADP51oMOPJO9uj-18LEljpq0jSsKCRR9StbfHFJMGXprgglZr8nl1z6GrrPIzrW4/s320/3.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Here you can see the layers of stain as it was sanded through </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sanding done, the next step was to wipe off the dust with
paper towels, then a finishing wipe with tack cloth (sticky cloth that picks up
any remaining dust).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiECcSqiMdQg2ixvk_YsVQe1WHwZ0H-Ai3m_66ZpFUGp-R36a0iOhU4yzFb3ha7mQVPq8cIiAp2zS1fq8L62EO5lWhyEXqEhhucsW-Z4YA7X5XupwpSQbSYUsigCjAWI4kUtrEfDHYOc5o/s1600/2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiECcSqiMdQg2ixvk_YsVQe1WHwZ0H-Ai3m_66ZpFUGp-R36a0iOhU4yzFb3ha7mQVPq8cIiAp2zS1fq8L62EO5lWhyEXqEhhucsW-Z4YA7X5XupwpSQbSYUsigCjAWI4kUtrEfDHYOc5o/s320/2.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The raw veneer was fortunately a very light tone</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To re-stain the table, we used a gel stain which was a bit
darker than the raw veneer (but far lighter than the original stain).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The gel stain is spread onto the surface of
the wood, then the ‘excess’ is wiped off with clean cloths after about 3
minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is slightly trickier than
it sounds, because you have to wipe off evenly or you will get some areas that
are more heavily stained and splotchy, and if it dries too much you cannot wipe
it off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you really mess up (which we
did in a couple spots) you may need to re-sand an area (by hand is enough to
take off the extra color) and re-stain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-SXhK_L5GqSTQQtDfasPP57JT-XhjldlA194nRyURoe9lmsMnCEcemAxHxINd_dFS2jMBoyBl4JODMVymouiSOBAj1iyt1kWbWZRhgJDgkXopPLuWjTt4J8HxzRqEcxR1C89KnGpQ49M/s1600/4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-SXhK_L5GqSTQQtDfasPP57JT-XhjldlA194nRyURoe9lmsMnCEcemAxHxINd_dFS2jMBoyBl4JODMVymouiSOBAj1iyt1kWbWZRhgJDgkXopPLuWjTt4J8HxzRqEcxR1C89KnGpQ49M/s320/4.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV7sqoI-B-6IDZgmBhL3j9VEl0NzpiaByMga-VAGwmfHGN4YcI74jn4ZdEzcgZyO8_MMlabid8KbENBAG0PPpsCxf_VK5pHj6Nb1VRRvj0C7hach-WC3jZQRuRgSRKduMLkVsbjDNz9u8/s1600/5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV7sqoI-B-6IDZgmBhL3j9VEl0NzpiaByMga-VAGwmfHGN4YcI74jn4ZdEzcgZyO8_MMlabid8KbENBAG0PPpsCxf_VK5pHj6Nb1VRRvj0C7hach-WC3jZQRuRgSRKduMLkVsbjDNz9u8/s320/5.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The stain required 24 hours before we could seal it with
polyurethane.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The polyurethane was then
applied over the entire table top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
polyurethane had to set for about half a day before we could lightly sand
it and apply a second coat (note; sanding the polyurethane looked like we were
destroying it, but the second coat made it all pretty again).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>24 hours later the polyurethane was set and
the table top was done!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If by chance you
are applying polyurethane in a garage, make sure one section of the table isn’t
in direct sunlight and 15 degrees hotter than the rest of the table because the
polyurethane will dry unevenly and you will have to re-do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean, a friend told me that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyQV6bn8jYy2_Px0KJLoBUPhC_9mU3DGF8UkV9_yEXUnUQaKThCSA0Mqe2lJmYMUrXAWc9DDQ1zYu5Gb_oTKrKzvGsIPBiiSIHQcD_-OnqtAoMiRoVf8T9cwQKV_-9FqzQ0YGTPSziPc0/s1600/6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyQV6bn8jYy2_Px0KJLoBUPhC_9mU3DGF8UkV9_yEXUnUQaKThCSA0Mqe2lJmYMUrXAWc9DDQ1zYu5Gb_oTKrKzvGsIPBiiSIHQcD_-OnqtAoMiRoVf8T9cwQKV_-9FqzQ0YGTPSziPc0/s320/6.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Refinishing the table legs and base</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While all that was going on with the table top we were also
re-finishing the rest of the table.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
lightly sanded the legs and base of the table by hand (to help the paint to
stick to the veneer), then once again paper toweled and tack clothed the
surfaces to remove any trace of dust.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
painted the base and legs with two coats of a chalky white paint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our plan was to hand distress the table
anyways, so we weren’t too picky about painting it perfectly. (Note; some
paints are made to be distressed, so if you are interested in distressing an
item make your life easy and chose a paint made for the job!).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSxLDNsqj_A5jtRsRL-DA39gVS9ELlerNvIdT6NhS6Vl3Y7aJMx9wmVvugangB7-iaGZpnutQ8FxWxjH6CIOF8lstSHMnWb6-1sp_ETIIt0jrUZBmeOCTYe72mVBfl44SWv-Ku2HTMlyc/s1600/7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSxLDNsqj_A5jtRsRL-DA39gVS9ELlerNvIdT6NhS6Vl3Y7aJMx9wmVvugangB7-iaGZpnutQ8FxWxjH6CIOF8lstSHMnWb6-1sp_ETIIt0jrUZBmeOCTYe72mVBfl44SWv-Ku2HTMlyc/s320/7.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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We put the legs back on before painting</div>
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Once the paint had dried for 24 hours, we distressed the surface
using sand paper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Focus your distressing
in areas that naturally get bumped and chipped over time; corners, edges,
places where chairs bump the table, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Start small; you can always add more distressing, but if you go too far
you have to re-paint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Once we were happy with our distressing, we cleaned off the
dust again and we sealed the paint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
paint we chose recommended Miniwax as a sealant, which was a new experience for
me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is literally a wax that you rub
over all the painted surface with a clean cloth, and allow to dry for a few
minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once dry, you go over it again
briskly with a clean cloth to polish it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The polishing part worked pretty slick, but be prepared to have your
hands very waxy during the initial application.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Actually, be prepared to have everything you have ever known be covered
in wax.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But really, it gets all over
your hands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe a smarter person would
have worn gloves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Refinishing the chairs</b></div>
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We had 4 old wooden chairs (mis-matched) which we wanted to
use for this table.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the chairs were
not stained the same as the new table top, we knew we would need to give them an
update to make the dining set work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
the chairs were pretty cheap to begin with, we did not think it would be
worthwhile to try to refinish the wood to match the table top. Instead, we
decided to paint them in the same distressed chalky white as the rest of the
table.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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The process for refinishing the chairs was the same as the
table base and legs: sand, clean off dust, paint, paint again, distress, clean
off dust, seal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s the thing; chairs
are way more annoying than tables.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Tables have large, flat surfaces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Chairs have a million little rounded edges and ledges and corners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It takes much longer to sand, clean, paint,
and seal a chair than a table.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And there
are So Many Chairs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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From the top: Sanded but not cleaned chairs, Painted chairs, Distressed chair</div>
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Once the chair purgatory was over we went and bought
new cushions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We continued our
not-quite-matching scheme and got different colored cushions for each of the
different chair types.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Originally we
were going to make our own cushions and buy our own fabric and everything, but
then we found out IKEA had cushions for our chairs for $5 each.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we were Done with dealing with the
chairs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">And that was our live-action HGTV episode! We're really happy with the results, and it was way cheaper than buying a new dining set. The total cost of supplies (paints, stains, sealants, brushes, masks, gloves, etc) was ~$100 since we were able to borrow a power sander. I have a new-found appreciation for working with furniture. And a new-found hatred of chairs. </span><br />
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">(PS be sure to check out <a href="https://moiramuses.wordpress.com/">Moira Katson; writer of novels and donator of tables</a>) </span></div>
Chuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16811206863063180060noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5257362590440481584.post-10202145546860149542016-04-08T08:57:00.000-07:002016-04-09T17:33:46.715-07:00Ballerina Acrylic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Acrylic, 16x20<br />
Currently challenging myself to do some figure paintings. What has become an annual Ballerina piece for Amy. Chuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16811206863063180060noreply@blogger.com1