I am too excited about my ombre pumpkin! Do you like? It took very little time to complete.
I started out with a fake pumpkin, two acrylic colors of choice (mine are hot pink and hot orange -- hello, '80s) and a make-up sponge.
Pink went on the bottom half, and I used a rubber band as a semi-straight barrier for me to avoid.
Orange was next, and I furrowed my brow more than once trying to figure out how the top should look.
I then combined the colors for the meeting in the middle. Not too bad, but I wish I had something that would allow the colors to stay wet long enough to combine naturally. Anybody have experience with an acrylic gel or medium?
I'll probably do a few more, like in March or June. Any color combinations you would like me to try? Blue and aqua make me smile, and maybe red and gold. Let me know what you think would be amazing!
Dudes. And dudettes. I don't know what happened to my motor-vation...but it left for a few weeks. That, and I feel like sleepy bear up there. I also feel dumpy and a little busy with a lazy Thanksgiving and pre-Messiah details. Ooooh, man. The excuses. They're coming quick, aren't they? My apologies.
I'm going to re-use the arms challenge from way back when! I promise to exercise every day this week...except the day I'm told to chill...by me. I will even exercise before I participate in the turkey challenge.
Week one (starting over):
(B)icep, (T)ricep, (S)houlder, (F)orearm
Friday (Shoulders): 2 circuits
10 each side Plank Press (S)
Rest 30 seconds between each side
12 Front Raise (S)
Rest 30 seconds
12 Standing Row (S)
Rest 60 seconds
Saturday (Fat-burning):
30 Second Wide-Leg, Straight-Arm Plank
Rest 30 seconds
30 Second Wide-Leg, Straight-Arm Plank
Rest 30 seconds
Begin Tabata Interval (from video)
The arms challenge continues! I did every day of the challenge last week. Did anybody reading this do that? Well, it's here if you decide to do it on your own timeline. So, without further ado, here are the exercises for this week, starting with tonight! I should plan better, I guess, so the exercises are ready for you if you workout in the morning...or we could keep Monday's routine as-is. Yes.
Friday (Shoulders): 2 circuits
10 each side Plank Press (S)
Rest 30 seconds between each side
12 Front Raise (S)
Rest 30 seconds
12 Standing Row (S)
Rest 60 seconds
Saturday (Fat-burning):
30 Second Wide-Leg, Straight-Arm Plank
Rest 30 seconds
30 Second Wide-Leg, Straight-Arm Plank
Rest 30 seconds
Begin Tabata Interval (from video)
I love Halloween projects! I think I could make something Halloweeny once a month and still have tons of projects lined up come October 31st. Here's the latest thang:
Isn't that fun? We did that with a real tiny pumpkin this year. Next year, we might try it with a fake pumpkin, just so we can keep him, year after year. I can't keep calling him 'him,' so he is now Vlad.
Here's our starting point. I guess there's a spoiler here:
First, we had to cut a mouth opening for Vlad. It took a while, but we finally came up with the correct dimensions to fit Vlad's enormous teeth. We used both a cheese knife and a safety knife and didn't slice or dice human phalanges. Hooray!
We cleaned out Vlad's brains, then had a fitting. Vlad's a snarky dental patient...
All is vell (said in a very dramatic Vampire voice), so we pinned Vlad's teeth in with his eyes. Sounds weird, but it works like a charm.
We had leftover glitter glue from the Creepy Eyeball Project, so we thought it would be funny to add a little in appropriate places. Muah-ah-ah-ah!
Vlad needed a friend, so we repeated the process for Constantine.
HA! I crack myself up with my little puns. Eyeball. Look out. Oh, ma-a-an. Classic.
So, I have had the 'ingredients' for this little project for a while, but I haven't been in the crafty mood...so I waited until today. I've got just enough time to panic and think that I don't have enough time to do all the things I need to do for Halloween. That's called 'motivation' in my world. I've been told it's called procrastination...whatever that is.
We'll jump right in! First, you'll need:
Googly Eyes, of all shapes and sizes (lots!)
Red glitter glue (or you can use regular paint in Halloween color of choice)
Cheap picture frame (got mine for $1 at Michael's, $0.60 if I use a coupon!)
Funky ribbon of choice
Letters of choice, from wherever (cricut, etc, if you have it, or store-bought)
Glue/epoxy of choice
Next, unwrap frame and get to it.
I think I used too much glitter glue, and probably should have used my fingers to rub it around, as that paintbrush was irkin' me. I declare! *ponder* Wow, I'm in full Southern mode, y'all.
At this point, I'm having fun putting the eyeballs into the glitter glue. Yay, me! Just a note: Obviously, if you use paint, you'd let that dry and then glue the eyes on. I know it doesn't always need to be said, but I'm covering my bases.
I.
Hate.
Googly.
Eyes.
I never want to see another one again. Seriously, I think I googly-eyed for two hours straight! I can set this aside for a few hours to let it dry.
After all that glue was dry, I ran a black sharpie around the inner and outer edges of the frame. I love the drippy glitter glue. Makes it creepy...well, creepier.
<------
I then wrapped a bit of ribbon around the bottom, and held it there with my handy-dandy clippy things. I have to say, I lucked out with the ribbon. I had no idea it was see-through, and that really works for this project! ------>
I glued the very punny letters in place and filled the frame with nothing. Look: that one eye has two pupils.
I really like the red glitter glue. It's icky and shiny and gross. Enjoy, while I go to my next panic project!
Sorry for the long absence! I haven't been feeling all that special, and this blog is the first thing to suffer in times like that. However, I'm back with a bang, and I want you to join me.
I am starting a 30 day challenge. You can go along with me, if you'd like, and do everything I'm doing, just in the comfort of your own environment. Don't start unless you get your doctor's okay, though, especially if you are of the older, more mature variety. :-)
This will be an arms challenge. I'm providing a before picture of my poor, neglected arm muscles. At the end of 30 days, I'll do a side-by-side comparison and, hopefully, we'll all bug our eyes out and hang our mouths open for several seconds. It's a wish I have...
So, without further ado, here's my arm:
Great Googly Moogly! Ten inches of pure bicep monster!
Throughout this challenge, I'll update weekly with different things to do. I want to confuse your muscles with, like, math and stuff. I'll work the biceps, triceps, shoulders and forearms. You'll need some equipment, like hand weights of various sizes, a yoga mat, a chair on 'concentration' day and proper outfits. No workouts in cocktail dresses! I also want your body to become familiar with one of my faves: Tabata Intervals.
Tuesday (Shoulders, Fat-burning): -- Still recovering. Tabata is no joke.
12 Standing Row (S)
Rest 30 seconds
12 Lateral Raise (S)
Rest 30 seconds
Begin Tabata Interval (from video above)
Wednesday: Rest -- This is good, since I can't move my arms.
Slowly stretch the muscles you worked after each workout. That should do it. Are your arms hurting already? If you aren't familiar with some of the exercises, let me know...or check out the internet search engine of your choice. There are great videos on youtube on how to do these exercises in a safe way. Just remember to keep things tight (don't flail about as you handle hand weights) and always, always check your form. Also, if you feel the need to stop because you are about to puke (thank you, Tabata!), do so...but try to finish after you recover. Concentrate, y'all. It's your temple you're dealing with here!
If you do this, measure your arms, take pictures, whatever. Slow and steady wins this arms race.
Since it's September and I am notoriously slow at starting things, I decided that I was just going to go ahead and prepare for Halloween. This year will be full of Pinterest crafts and ideas. I have about two months to do it all, and that stretch of time terrifies me! Can. I. Do. It?! Follow along and see!
I started with the magnetic spider project. I gathered a couple of big spiders, a bag of spider rings, magnetic tape, round magnets and fairly strong adhesive.
I did the big spiders first...'cuz those are freaky!
I put adhesive on both the magnet and the underside of the spider.
I did a push and twist, push and twist -- just to make sure the magnets stuck. Then I set them aside to dry.
Next came the smaller spiders. If you can find spiders by themselves, more power to you. I found the rings, and they were cheaper than the sparkly paper spiders...and more realistic (except for the large circular appendage protruding from their abdomens).
I ripped those off. I heard no screams.
Next came the rest of the surgery. Before I started this step, I had little visitors, like flies, dragonflies and ants. Afterward, I suppose the carnage that lay before me scared them off. They didn't return. Coincidence?
I cut the magnetic tape to the perfect size or thereabouts, and put adhesive on both magnet and spider, once again. Overkill...or thorough. Let's go with the latter.
Alright, when you get finished with all the little ones, set them aside to dry for a while.
* By the way *
Silly me. I was hating life out there in the grass. Ever just think everything is crawling on you? I'll be feeling that for the rest of the week...and so will you when you see the end result of the big spiders and the small ones below on my front door? Ready?
Oh, gross!
What is happening?!
Call the exterminator!!
Well, that was fun! I love how they turned out. I tested their sturdiness by opening and closing the door a few times. I also scared the kinder. That was pretty fun, too. She knew they were plastic, but like I mentioned earlier, skin-crawling uneasiness happens, especially when you see spiders, fake or otherwise.
