tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-249277042024-03-07T13:33:06.408-05:00Learn-Something-NewCrafts. Costumes. Food. Home. Garden. Life.rubyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02693760545915842278noreply@blogger.comBlogger118125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24927704.post-68888402525191213832015-10-31T08:24:00.003-05:002015-10-31T08:24:16.800-05:00Autumn Leaves Lamp Project<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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“We need a lamp over this coffee station,” my husband said back in
2003. Rather than run out to a home improvement store, I took it on as a DIY
challenge.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I did a quick inventory of my crafts materials stash and decided I
would use the fall leaves I had gathered from the Blue Ridge Parkway, North
Carolina, the previous autumn season. Three types of big maple leaves will be
excellent for the lamp design I had in mind.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This was the lighting solution I created back then, hung above our apartment’s
coffee station. It served as a task light as well as a mood light for our nighttime
activities.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigVoW8BauK3X9476E33p89ZfEqstzTO8_q-whNs5FJNLgcc2F9rDjgU0Ze7i47C4TftO7r9hHZNhmJmfjNc9thAnSgJl4xjUkeALnCscWYKkLgJIytepksK0hmpXPfKfKgy-gfZA/s1600/01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Autumn Leaves Lamp over coffee station" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigVoW8BauK3X9476E33p89ZfEqstzTO8_q-whNs5FJNLgcc2F9rDjgU0Ze7i47C4TftO7r9hHZNhmJmfjNc9thAnSgJl4xjUkeALnCscWYKkLgJIytepksK0hmpXPfKfKgy-gfZA/s320/01.JPG" title="Autumn Leaves Lamp over coffee station" width="240" /></a></div>
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Our apartment’s wall décor evolved over the years, but the lamp
remained a fixture.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDhgx7sRQh44rMIiHYnQxPxZ3PfFCYCOZbH4DQdG0L-12TXGYHEhOygtpuHJBlJe11_DRqM_zJGb-wiqLZdDOJlsnzQ0G44YHnQJpVXNdokYlXhIpzR7pUe2NFN4gj79TwW5c26Q/s1600/02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Autumn Leaves Lamp over coffee station" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDhgx7sRQh44rMIiHYnQxPxZ3PfFCYCOZbH4DQdG0L-12TXGYHEhOygtpuHJBlJe11_DRqM_zJGb-wiqLZdDOJlsnzQ0G44YHnQJpVXNdokYlXhIpzR7pUe2NFN4gj79TwW5c26Q/s320/02.JPG" title="Autumn Leaves Lamp over coffee station" width="320" /></a></div>
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When we moved to our new home in 2007, the lamp became a nook light in
the living room.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKEAY3H7g-Hfr0gTYdrGrihBjmveFkdFPxHjHpBPoq8A1D4TX72LNvbLY52ljy4KRGUYZsALZ0xqmBFUaoroSzlqCYmhHIyxIi9_ylB8NArGeigZIVLcyJhr4v2wlG3cwOjB_1IQ/s1600/03-a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Autumn Leaves Lamp as a nook light" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKEAY3H7g-Hfr0gTYdrGrihBjmveFkdFPxHjHpBPoq8A1D4TX72LNvbLY52ljy4KRGUYZsALZ0xqmBFUaoroSzlqCYmhHIyxIi9_ylB8NArGeigZIVLcyJhr4v2wlG3cwOjB_1IQ/s320/03-a.JPG" title="Autumn Leaves Lamp as a nook light" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja5UJxO_Q94S1JKM0Tcog2V6TbqZXqJYeghsvv3wTQkljRaFQ4Gz6LYhb_E3FcGnkt6xw1jXOkOD0zn762bf_JTjM9zNuaulWg4hpIbkoLjYOFChSMgTsyVizQXED2H1y5YMPwbA/s1600/03.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Autumn Leaves Lamp as a nook light" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja5UJxO_Q94S1JKM0Tcog2V6TbqZXqJYeghsvv3wTQkljRaFQ4Gz6LYhb_E3FcGnkt6xw1jXOkOD0zn762bf_JTjM9zNuaulWg4hpIbkoLjYOFChSMgTsyVizQXED2H1y5YMPwbA/s320/03.JPG" title="Autumn Leaves Lamp as a nook light" width="320" /></a></div>
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In 2009, we transferred it from the living room to the bedroom, where it
became our nightlight until we moved overseas in early 2015.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrDO-nk_lLPDtnr5NQIC2Pjgf7H5v_TlRCVqIb47jSjQ6M8HbfMgZw-1Knh4rypq381JJB7N__i13tBllXgKY1vj7jefRhdcRoJ6KohcxX-m-QznCOcCC4qnRSSh1JjVA5dJq43w/s1600/04.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Autumn Leaves Lamp as a nightlight" border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrDO-nk_lLPDtnr5NQIC2Pjgf7H5v_TlRCVqIb47jSjQ6M8HbfMgZw-1Knh4rypq381JJB7N__i13tBllXgKY1vj7jefRhdcRoJ6KohcxX-m-QznCOcCC4qnRSSh1JjVA5dJq43w/s320/04.JPG" title="Autumn Leaves Lamp as a nightlight" width="320" /></a></div>
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Because it would be impractical to ship the lamp halfway across the planet,
and getting rid of the leaves was out of the question, I decided to dismantle
the lamp and transport the three leaf panels.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Last week, at about the same time I picked up these fallen maple leaves
13 years ago, I built the lamp again. It hangs in its new location in our
bedroom, to continue to serve as our nightlight for many more years. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEycfEFZAPP3leUSGlDp3B29_dBXr6492RoTO2HqMalKfDm-eGd7wRZWz51QuVy6X2V3TXEazJyEk71FRKTA4Cxq8MmjGQJJpJHh5fYTH6xtmeTeA4K6kgx53GKSw1C2t1ankNcA/s1600/05.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Autumn Leaves Lamp as a nightlight" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEycfEFZAPP3leUSGlDp3B29_dBXr6492RoTO2HqMalKfDm-eGd7wRZWz51QuVy6X2V3TXEazJyEk71FRKTA4Cxq8MmjGQJJpJHh5fYTH6xtmeTeA4K6kgx53GKSw1C2t1ankNcA/s320/05.JPG" title="Autumn Leaves Lamp as a nightlight" width="213" /></a></div>
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Here’s a quick overview of how I made the leaf lamp:</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Each pressed leaf is white-glued between plain white tissue paper and a
transparent sheet protector. This sandwich is framed in cardboard, folded so
that there’s a 2-inch tab to elevate the leaf panel from the base. Slip-in tabs
attach the panels to the baseboard without adhesive. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUl9K-5iaqO90oeBwbCNNTBRopZgLUDVlIS6f5Z2HdcA9xqYEoHkwR95FhRE1_JtEpbl1gDxSIKiE4kzinlXyOIol1ZX9KRCoL1APc7AEwGzrCbHvWnpsjPIpcsZhGwl2bswgZNw/s1600/06.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Autumn Leaves Lamp leaf panels" border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUl9K-5iaqO90oeBwbCNNTBRopZgLUDVlIS6f5Z2HdcA9xqYEoHkwR95FhRE1_JtEpbl1gDxSIKiE4kzinlXyOIol1ZX9KRCoL1APc7AEwGzrCbHvWnpsjPIpcsZhGwl2bswgZNw/s320/06.JPG" title="Autumn Leaves Lamp leaf panels" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF0Spb-fkvTKBOm1sfHCxq-KSqbY3Oj-6sALsSqwTLG-AQHX-wusaP_1IFtZnBjPWdaHbhsOvLaO6skT8ihqOa1OCR8tCx8CbvKuhfTWFezhAtlppB68XjBj4MLtJXuG8FigtZZg/s1600/07.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Autumn Leaves Lamp" border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF0Spb-fkvTKBOm1sfHCxq-KSqbY3Oj-6sALsSqwTLG-AQHX-wusaP_1IFtZnBjPWdaHbhsOvLaO6skT8ihqOa1OCR8tCx8CbvKuhfTWFezhAtlppB68XjBj4MLtJXuG8FigtZZg/s320/07.JPG" title="Autumn Leaves Lamp" width="320" /></a></div>
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The baseboard is a sturdy recycled cardboard folded and taped to form a
box-frame that’s hollow in the back. I cut slits on the baseboard to coincide
with the slip-in tabs of the leaf panels. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs-D2YVqL3jkMD6NqrNhmP-5WR0Z-uiTI54A37zd6mjD4LND-WvuEXPrehjCkBcxhT6xiIKxXIBaJpQkRuiXEIXsFpaqUKkVEdzBC4HWrSimFN9nK7Ti2Deq0QntgZwaq3J1KSJw/s1600/08-09.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Autumn Leaves Lamp baseboard" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs-D2YVqL3jkMD6NqrNhmP-5WR0Z-uiTI54A37zd6mjD4LND-WvuEXPrehjCkBcxhT6xiIKxXIBaJpQkRuiXEIXsFpaqUKkVEdzBC4HWrSimFN9nK7Ti2Deq0QntgZwaq3J1KSJw/s320/08-09.JPG" title="Autumn Leaves Lamp baseboard" width="240" /></a></div>
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The first time around, I used crumpled gold gift wrap to cover the
cardboard base. This time I painted the baseboard with a metallic bronze shade
to jibe with the brownish leaves.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_XVuEZiu7Ew2GxOVAdmskbEowmP_8CR4KwhnubZxJd7xI2Rg7C1CH__I7Q3RWHQbKP3PGO8BONrkfdnFHc2s4ikzEjuUHw5gnBnqQPEFYWCMXMeMTbgbI11uQKJqaChuhv9l8hQ/s1600/10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Autumn Leaves Lamp baseboard" border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_XVuEZiu7Ew2GxOVAdmskbEowmP_8CR4KwhnubZxJd7xI2Rg7C1CH__I7Q3RWHQbKP3PGO8BONrkfdnFHc2s4ikzEjuUHw5gnBnqQPEFYWCMXMeMTbgbI11uQKJqaChuhv9l8hQ/s320/10.JPG" title="Autumn Leaves Lamp baseboard" width="320" /></a></div>
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The electrical elements are the basic wire, switch, plug, sockets, and
lightbulbs. The lighting setup uses the traditional parallel wiring. The electrical
is taped to the back of the box-frame, with each light sticking out through the cardboard base,
centered behind each leaf.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKKvZT8sSRhBeaugc_MRVVcDYcc04LK3PDpQzcVFSisPqf3bVJAHkEIg60rCuA-BLYRHNcBaybVAQVvvRABXNoSQ-MTmrFYRGqFapn7H9v9877fsWR_ZU1Ut-RQEXykbdPPvT1Fw/s1600/11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Autumn Leaves Lamp electricals" border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKKvZT8sSRhBeaugc_MRVVcDYcc04LK3PDpQzcVFSisPqf3bVJAHkEIg60rCuA-BLYRHNcBaybVAQVvvRABXNoSQ-MTmrFYRGqFapn7H9v9877fsWR_ZU1Ut-RQEXykbdPPvT1Fw/s320/11.JPG" title="Autumn Leaves Lamp electricals" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMTzDeDkt3l3o3HijsOnQe0jRsiE3cbBgBlxVc_seoYH_i_zNLrXKdt67yDkVRd4YQ02jkP_mObu2-7FrgzSWof0mcgcuTJXxPZEjZi5lW9MTf8RhHBH1146upK-Degj1ZxoQExQ/s1600/12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Autumn Leaves Lamp lights" border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMTzDeDkt3l3o3HijsOnQe0jRsiE3cbBgBlxVc_seoYH_i_zNLrXKdt67yDkVRd4YQ02jkP_mObu2-7FrgzSWof0mcgcuTJXxPZEjZi5lW9MTf8RhHBH1146upK-Degj1ZxoQExQ/s320/12.JPG" title="Autumn Leaves Lamp lights" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyhurDwnzJnGGgkhwD2Mbv5UP3MWT8eQrSJTqr45QDg4l6wQ_XU3NTlfKh1WvW__Cj6yf9P2psY9SxQ_7ABs0fsCDPz5lV40N_VKa0DWf7gjhDVoDH-w6l471jGmjz2Vk97r4kw/s1600/13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Autumn Leaves Lamp" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyhurDwnzJnGGgkhwD2Mbv5UP3MWT8eQrSJTqr45QDg4l6wQ_XU3NTlfKh1WvW__Cj6yf9P2psY9SxQ_7ABs0fsCDPz5lV40N_VKa0DWf7gjhDVoDH-w6l471jGmjz2Vk97r4kw/s320/13.JPG" title="Autumn Leaves Lamp" width="213" /></a></div>
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These autumn leaves have been with us since the fall of 2002. And it looks like they will stay with us for much longer. That’s
rather impressive.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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</script></div>rubyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02693760545915842278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24927704.post-58223360073662989022015-10-18T22:31:00.000-05:002015-10-18T23:30:22.966-05:00TARDIS Bridesmaid Gown<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Regina came to me a few months ago with a challenge. She will be a
bridesmaid at a Dr. Who theme wedding and she needs help creating her attire: a
deep-blue long gown with a white Victorian-inspired bolero. Essentially, she
wanted to be a TARDIS incarnated as a bridesmaid. Challenge accepted.<o:p></o:p></div>
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She gave me this photo reference for the gown.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimJ_MVSz5mGRO0LATCWb5JOmDQG925FTCczpPXfcJ9DsoajXW4hEBxDt9LG7pc3LThzmaI9bmm7_IWUBg7A8Jo2uvFGGofYIeH0T3zrM7Nl73H1d-OSH3HlpNoZi-YgFEI8OKPFw/s1600/01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Bridesmaid gown reference photo." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimJ_MVSz5mGRO0LATCWb5JOmDQG925FTCczpPXfcJ9DsoajXW4hEBxDt9LG7pc3LThzmaI9bmm7_IWUBg7A8Jo2uvFGGofYIeH0T3zrM7Nl73H1d-OSH3HlpNoZi-YgFEI8OKPFw/s320/01.jpg" title="Bridesmaid gown reference photo." width="320" /></a></div>
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The bride had given Regina the material for her dress; I would sew her gown
from scratch. She wanted to look for the white blouse that I can just renovate
into the bolero she imagines, so she went all around town until she found a
long-sleeved ruffled piece. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipBGT7da4bKKsTfArR_pDSVpj9M3yCzz6djUhjgaqRLem6IGcIGYTavCg4EK1RL4ZgEeQdYxZyzpBNiyWp_XzjP1y7LLEuhmvvXVLT3u0SkYFvpisZWY5f6pUTLF40s0G5BM4iTQ/s1600/03.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fabric and blouse." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipBGT7da4bKKsTfArR_pDSVpj9M3yCzz6djUhjgaqRLem6IGcIGYTavCg4EK1RL4ZgEeQdYxZyzpBNiyWp_XzjP1y7LLEuhmvvXVLT3u0SkYFvpisZWY5f6pUTLF40s0G5BM4iTQ/s320/03.JPG" title="Fabric and blouse." width="272" /></a></div>
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Incorporating Regina’s ideas with the online images of Victorian
boleros, I mocked-up this design for her approval. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQQyv4Wh3yXwMFpwZASba0gJ2FDrzgFNESkTF9x-wT8lVb3HZZpCxMlB1FUvSEzf2wNQWfJrNs_OqSIrljhG5YIWwjGndBs5WSQAmHaXXWHIRhNqik46UXEcUWp0J64FoAcROFA/s1600/04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mock-up of bolero design." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQQyv4Wh3yXwMFpwZASba0gJ2FDrzgFNESkTF9x-wT8lVb3HZZpCxMlB1FUvSEzf2wNQWfJrNs_OqSIrljhG5YIWwjGndBs5WSQAmHaXXWHIRhNqik46UXEcUWp0J64FoAcROFA/s320/04.jpg" title="Mock-up of bolero design." width="180" /></a></div>
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With all elements agreed on, I went to work. Figuring out the bias
skirt for her gown was a bit tricky because even after I did all the math, my
pattern still came out wrong. Luckily, there was enough material to absorb the standard
10% error margin.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Same goes with the bolero. Good thing I had enough white voile in my
fabric stash to cover for the wrap-around and wrist ruffles. <o:p></o:p></div>
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For this project, I had to fire up my serger machine for the ruffles
and edge overlocks. It was an essential tool for the ruffling and the hemming
of the spandex gown.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdytepTS6QYyGk0J7dSJwe8PItlpv1VnmRZ1-hKQql3XQdvKMqvwc03ikM6xio6obeZOzpv3UCX19XALqxrMErpMFzI1_tkhYgm1yYV9UHgkoe9UETcuLTyKaUCejll2uGUAB5zA/s1600/05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cutting the bias skirt from pattern." border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdytepTS6QYyGk0J7dSJwe8PItlpv1VnmRZ1-hKQql3XQdvKMqvwc03ikM6xio6obeZOzpv3UCX19XALqxrMErpMFzI1_tkhYgm1yYV9UHgkoe9UETcuLTyKaUCejll2uGUAB5zA/s320/05.jpg" title="Cutting the bias skirt from pattern." width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTL9Qs05dnkXRP3S5iCM9YUz9GuFAx_QZW-69ZBEvZqazRahlDUE-YwtkEuG7UdM73Bj-HZSUGImnaMJnvXYK9wGN4gdnrIhQsLSsHSy22774tRnOUFjx0ikNq9fT8Daum3OR_RQ/s1600/06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Ruffles. Ruffles. More ruffles." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTL9Qs05dnkXRP3S5iCM9YUz9GuFAx_QZW-69ZBEvZqazRahlDUE-YwtkEuG7UdM73Bj-HZSUGImnaMJnvXYK9wGN4gdnrIhQsLSsHSy22774tRnOUFjx0ikNq9fT8Daum3OR_RQ/s320/06.jpg" title="Ruffles. Ruffles. More ruffles." width="180" /></a></div>
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Here’s the gown and bolero ready for the fitting. [Another vital tool
in use here is the adjustable body form. I set it to Regina’s measurements. I
won’t be able to complete these sewing projects without it. So yes, I need an
adjustable male body form.]</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9m4hL4NIOR5_7Gn1PHlcZPPMLWcOjZd7kK-uT9OmEsbLAoRXwU-YQa0Se66zW9d2RrqVJDc4BX-nrT9vLyg91bCmLvoTScBjhjfsCO3TkgFZRus6DGZ4nOUlU6oFSYa-FoBjPcQ/s1600/07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Final fitting." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9m4hL4NIOR5_7Gn1PHlcZPPMLWcOjZd7kK-uT9OmEsbLAoRXwU-YQa0Se66zW9d2RrqVJDc4BX-nrT9vLyg91bCmLvoTScBjhjfsCO3TkgFZRus6DGZ4nOUlU6oFSYa-FoBjPcQ/s320/07.jpg" title="Final fitting." width="180" /></a></div>
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The biggest challenge for me was the pair of “window” patches on the
bolero. Because I had given up my embroidery machine in a previous life, I had
to figure out how to make it using either my regular sewing machine (the
zigzag feature) or the serger (the rolled hem feature). I used up so much
thread and practice cloth but finally succeeded in zigzagging the window panes
and hand-sewing them onto the blouse.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBcWiBYN3xzNlZObvI88PzgVPVzMW7oRukyjkoWSbZmO37GIQZIkvHcLzP1VWM4ACtYOy26zjMjUFnMP8TDw3UlVMd4N5K_pUp4LGJyfu0gWI8iMsirirtt6_GlWkDaBOjHRf4QA/s1600/08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="TARDIS window panels for the bridesmaid gown." border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBcWiBYN3xzNlZObvI88PzgVPVzMW7oRukyjkoWSbZmO37GIQZIkvHcLzP1VWM4ACtYOy26zjMjUFnMP8TDw3UlVMd4N5K_pUp4LGJyfu0gWI8iMsirirtt6_GlWkDaBOjHRf4QA/s320/08.jpg" title="TARDIS window panels for the bridesmaid gown." width="320" /></a></div>
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To complete Regina’s TARDIS persona, I made these jewelry accessories for her:
the pilot light earrings (come back for a blog post on how I did those), the "police box" bangle, and the door sign pendant necklace. She liked them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAA_JKSrxBAos1Y7gRCiY5jmKczQOmLtT0qxuP38y1-ubCQZmOEIBVnsxAYoVRjA6iQpeQPv0yyBPGSV5r3wqvKmHd42u2SsplholLnul3iddt7014Zo9QqNRbeH4cVRqFfE0liQ/s1600/09-a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="TARDIS pilot light earrings." border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAA_JKSrxBAos1Y7gRCiY5jmKczQOmLtT0qxuP38y1-ubCQZmOEIBVnsxAYoVRjA6iQpeQPv0yyBPGSV5r3wqvKmHd42u2SsplholLnul3iddt7014Zo9QqNRbeH4cVRqFfE0liQ/s320/09-a.jpg" title="TARDIS pilot light earrings." width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqznqV3LJTg5HDl2K2aVRphuVzLJ9PgfgSFMrv4NfasYU2gypR6pY0k3bEqkhjvPBjBCRuHZyO3-xO0W_FpZ4Zyu5O50OCq6KOxeU-dAHSDEPUwJqagcEt1XwYC0K8lcuOFOFeOw/s1600/09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="TARDIS door sign pendant and POLICE BOX sign bracelet." border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqznqV3LJTg5HDl2K2aVRphuVzLJ9PgfgSFMrv4NfasYU2gypR6pY0k3bEqkhjvPBjBCRuHZyO3-xO0W_FpZ4Zyu5O50OCq6KOxeU-dAHSDEPUwJqagcEt1XwYC0K8lcuOFOFeOw/s320/09.jpg" title="TARDIS door sign pendant and POLICE BOX sign bracelet." width="320" /></a></div>
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And here is our gorgeous bridesmaid at the church... </div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Ku1C2o3-hA9xoqU6JZGJKxN5fQQuj328ELBrWL9jxQT7sKlyMInkInK1yXJvGSXj2aeOkkoo_B9ZSNB8LneehToR6qyAEEdKYzWVM67nBlC6fzOPqq0UAMAh3z2-sImmAV0NqA/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Regina the TARDIS." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Ku1C2o3-hA9xoqU6JZGJKxN5fQQuj328ELBrWL9jxQT7sKlyMInkInK1yXJvGSXj2aeOkkoo_B9ZSNB8LneehToR6qyAEEdKYzWVM67nBlC6fzOPqq0UAMAh3z2-sImmAV0NqA/s320/10.jpg" title="Regina the TARDIS." width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
... and at the wedding reception (with her doppelganger). Achievement unlocked.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbCY8sf4R50BOrx6yQKmdqXgZDDBBizIbxqmM_ScK9UFFDSRzfk8FZMkG2OCT21dkamm5aUPBXnecrcYJaCyBa-I3MbG1OVzE1fBiRMZi83hSk9J-8Ca4j6AlyTlt30yiCdRKByA/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Regina, the TARDIS, with TARDIS, the gift." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbCY8sf4R50BOrx6yQKmdqXgZDDBBizIbxqmM_ScK9UFFDSRzfk8FZMkG2OCT21dkamm5aUPBXnecrcYJaCyBa-I3MbG1OVzE1fBiRMZi83hSk9J-8Ca4j6AlyTlt30yiCdRKByA/s320/11.jpg" title="Regina, the TARDIS, with TARDIS, the gift." width="240" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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</script></div>rubyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02693760545915842278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24927704.post-75132521178772976862015-10-18T09:53:00.000-05:002015-10-18T10:08:27.762-05:00Captain John Hart Costume Project<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<a href="http://learn-something-new.blogspot.com/2012/10/hobbit-armor-costume-scale-mail.html" target="_blank">Oneal</a> is back with another costuming project for me. He is attending a
Dr. Who theme wedding and wants to go as Captain John Hart from the spinoff “Torchwood.”
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I asked, “Who?”<o:p></o:p></div>
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He said, “Yes.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I asked again, “Captain Who?”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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He said, “No, Dr. Who. Captain John Hart.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Before I could open my mouth again, he showed me the online photos of
Captain John Hart. He said that’s the jacket he wants to wear to the wedding. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpI-2494JsDBU1uQjjWdOraHyJ8t-Y0aewQmbq00g2qnqYC6-SashIfphNDDkYEqgNQzX-Bu8ZINS5zoitRWkGku1mYgGq0aAmHVogPTInxNZqOdnTroF9IjZtOJ1VuTtRfUsRxQ/s1600/01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Captain John Hart of Torchwood" border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpI-2494JsDBU1uQjjWdOraHyJ8t-Y0aewQmbq00g2qnqYC6-SashIfphNDDkYEqgNQzX-Bu8ZINS5zoitRWkGku1mYgGq0aAmHVogPTInxNZqOdnTroF9IjZtOJ1VuTtRfUsRxQ/s320/01.jpg" title="Captain John Hart of Torchwood" width="320" /></a></div>
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Oneal said he will look for a jacket of the same color and texture and
I can just convert it. Add the braid and buttons accessories, and adjust the
collar and sleeves.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Easy as pie. If he can bring me the jacket (so I won’t have to make one
from scratch), I’ll do the required renovations.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The search for the jacket took a few weekend trips to where jackets are
sold. Remotely, he consulted with me on the options he found.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2SlZKWVVq_hH6W_87Z3JbHzy2wVm36YysYF5kszujA7iWNnzsoqHcY50CpoTvQIRUukxnhFHuhx4nEYj8Hsty0X0oG8U4tAqd9ZZJaj_W9iIpDVEdL5qtzdtqQlQ2bRDub6YW1g/s1600/02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Oneal searching for the right jacket." border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2SlZKWVVq_hH6W_87Z3JbHzy2wVm36YysYF5kszujA7iWNnzsoqHcY50CpoTvQIRUukxnhFHuhx4nEYj8Hsty0X0oG8U4tAqd9ZZJaj_W9iIpDVEdL5qtzdtqQlQ2bRDub6YW1g/s320/02.jpg" title="Oneal searching for the right jacket." width="320" /></a></div>
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One had black sleeves, one looked like salmon, one looked like
eggplant. We agreed on the maroon corduroy. I could make it work.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Next was the search for the braid material, or technically, the
soutache. And the brass buttons. After total fails at several sewing stores, he
landed at Carolina’s where they had these fancy options:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p> </o:p> </div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0vH_4Qgq_9VNJunMKSEY8VaHMKse40BfEnWqnm_reMsyJF2OmCJ2vHHLzh7U5X5aIXFiyf3pZ-Tt-78zh38hm-SwX3bRmLb4gRC_BV2yOqL7RuuwAKvCEXPR3RRke4l1owWG4mA/s1600/03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Searching for the right soutache." border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0vH_4Qgq_9VNJunMKSEY8VaHMKse40BfEnWqnm_reMsyJF2OmCJ2vHHLzh7U5X5aIXFiyf3pZ-Tt-78zh38hm-SwX3bRmLb4gRC_BV2yOqL7RuuwAKvCEXPR3RRke4l1owWG4mA/s320/03.jpg" title="Searching for the right soutache." width="320" /></a></div>
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Since it was going to be a wedding anyway, we agreed to use the white one
with the silver trim (but without glitter or crystals). Here’s our messaging
about the soutache and buttons.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDB6PbEDzlRE_Bb7qRg7bn-IF5bfnSTNE7VlYbn_cyTeuBRqyeXfCRKG8yPRuCRYYQfVchrmjPLjWY5qz6ZRBAFP6tH46Jv9MAYgp_Nk9ISFQ4t2KTdBbSsiydhm198GsXkjWQ0w/s1600/04.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDB6PbEDzlRE_Bb7qRg7bn-IF5bfnSTNE7VlYbn_cyTeuBRqyeXfCRKG8yPRuCRYYQfVchrmjPLjWY5qz6ZRBAFP6tH46Jv9MAYgp_Nk9ISFQ4t2KTdBbSsiydhm198GsXkjWQ0w/s320/04.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIsiOg8lpFRVSnoQDL-77VSDPqKofXqMc2x5p52aLQ_S_oWmKNf-zh_IH7TeBwPU7F0lCpmmOJFM87by58SoMZWzbnfyU12b1_RqP7FZOBLbSQurlhq5RQpvwZtPhUAmusD4G5UQ/s1600/06.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIsiOg8lpFRVSnoQDL-77VSDPqKofXqMc2x5p52aLQ_S_oWmKNf-zh_IH7TeBwPU7F0lCpmmOJFM87by58SoMZWzbnfyU12b1_RqP7FZOBLbSQurlhq5RQpvwZtPhUAmusD4G5UQ/s320/06.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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He ended up buying a whole roll of the soutache (60+ feet) and the store's entire stash of gold buttons (a dozen more than we needed).<br />
<br />
With all the materials available, I went to work. Digging through the sewing
accessories I hauled from the US, I determined that the best way to work with
the soutache is with a sticky stabilizer and fusing tape. Keeping an eye on the
reference photo, I estimated the size and shape of the area the soutache will
cover and cut a paper pattern.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNX8uXc2UgWCbpMbEA-KNXXAnxXTaSkfEuov3mPvC4YecmonbsbCi3KhP45mAwEASAeuwdMBEhv4HwXn-i3_uQjTDYHj0zN1PpzdM9udxFak7gW8Zs4uv4x6ZdjnuDMa19_KhJA/s1600/07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Materials for the Captain John Hart chest braid." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNX8uXc2UgWCbpMbEA-KNXXAnxXTaSkfEuov3mPvC4YecmonbsbCi3KhP45mAwEASAeuwdMBEhv4HwXn-i3_uQjTDYHj0zN1PpzdM9udxFak7gW8Zs4uv4x6ZdjnuDMa19_KhJA/s320/07.jpg" title="Materials for the Captain John Hart chest braid." width="240" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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This part required a lot of patience but the result was remarkable!</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5D0W3JGZfa62peckTG1azi2_4evITzcIMakyV_B4wmTMQWN4WexKbLLNRVFXsLq41f7ZV_mzctbt-mvmjPv84iZeRFPf1j3Y6eVXHm1dZBm77FN6E7DLl7OICBdXa07EnAAun_A/s1600/08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Making the Captain John Hart chest braid." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5D0W3JGZfa62peckTG1azi2_4evITzcIMakyV_B4wmTMQWN4WexKbLLNRVFXsLq41f7ZV_mzctbt-mvmjPv84iZeRFPf1j3Y6eVXHm1dZBm77FN6E7DLl7OICBdXa07EnAAun_A/s320/08.jpg" title="Making the Captain John Hart chest braid." width="197" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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The next step was to sew the soutache onto the jacket. Two straight
lines for now, just to hold the panel in place. Final stitching will be done
after the fitting.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_XoYCXFmM6kQMWykXZR_PdJimfsewX8V7AgzFvmPM7MxXLAnnJJ2p2-gBQgQW3mK6WQWee7yh81mauBqN-ZBjlsI9prJIJ556xsdNxDpE1FrXInAkrIhVckYcPz5PhiqdFXYolg/s1600/09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sewing the soutache onto the jacket." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_XoYCXFmM6kQMWykXZR_PdJimfsewX8V7AgzFvmPM7MxXLAnnJJ2p2-gBQgQW3mK6WQWee7yh81mauBqN-ZBjlsI9prJIJ556xsdNxDpE1FrXInAkrIhVckYcPz5PhiqdFXYolg/s320/09.jpg" title="Sewing the soutache onto the jacket." width="226" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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Oneal went searching again, this time for dark blue corduroy material
that I will use for the sleeves and collar. But his search was a bust, so I
said, “How about I use a blue microfiber that I have in my fabric stash? I will
show you.”</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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This was the jacket Oneal tried for a final fitting. Just a few
buttons, and pins all over the place.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDPl57F5lguPdlcYtC7JkFq0dVY3K75AxzFvbh9Olbl-cLuGcKCbBgs1jECdmDmRfAX7g0rMtbuvDB3d72KU1X2v_C2EsazB0FBkMaZFOIUqGHFAarRGdqj4VV-ukWroUnyiIWpQ/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Captain John Hart jacket in pins." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDPl57F5lguPdlcYtC7JkFq0dVY3K75AxzFvbh9Olbl-cLuGcKCbBgs1jECdmDmRfAX7g0rMtbuvDB3d72KU1X2v_C2EsazB0FBkMaZFOIUqGHFAarRGdqj4VV-ukWroUnyiIWpQ/s320/10.jpg" title="Captain John Hart jacket in pins." width="264" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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The jacket passed the fitting.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0_wBpjTaz8fs17W1uvExrqqLqrAybO6GL0N3N3FFR7_EKra9kbk4_WxHv7z363I0A3fR3kflDXnd_W0jxEVVagwc_Ph5iyXz7C1bE6ihg_u4JOzHU4UP63r7i_vGzEYXjj3-0bg/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Captain John Hart jacket project Before-and-After." border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0_wBpjTaz8fs17W1uvExrqqLqrAybO6GL0N3N3FFR7_EKra9kbk4_WxHv7z363I0A3fR3kflDXnd_W0jxEVVagwc_Ph5iyXz7C1bE6ihg_u4JOzHU4UP63r7i_vGzEYXjj3-0bg/s320/11.jpg" title="Captain John Hart jacket project Before-and-After." width="320" /></a></div>
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Achievement unlocked!</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Here’s Oneal at the wedding, with his wife wearing the project in my
next blog entry.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHjPAZb_50B7WG-73J3zDszePymZEJzc0Aq4mbGU9g9nKa2x8BjCYqgxNfYMWnmadEnOXD0UUutbZUr33UEhOkdtOXbYtFxmwGCAyd7WVi2A9HHFlQ1ZiNgHZNq3XMtigsw28V-Q/s1600/12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Oneal at the Dr. Who theme wedding as Captain John Hart." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHjPAZb_50B7WG-73J3zDszePymZEJzc0Aq4mbGU9g9nKa2x8BjCYqgxNfYMWnmadEnOXD0UUutbZUr33UEhOkdtOXbYtFxmwGCAyd7WVi2A9HHFlQ1ZiNgHZNq3XMtigsw28V-Q/s320/12.jpg" title="Oneal at the Dr. Who theme wedding as Captain John Hart." width="260" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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Recyclable plastic bags don’t always get reused right away, so they
accumulate in the dark recesses of your kitchen cabinets. And when it’s time to
reuse, you “ukay-ukay” (dig) into them frantically looking for the right size
bag for your purpose. It’s like stashing your underwear in your drawer without
folding and then rummaging through everything looking for that particular piece
you want to wear. No offense to folks who choose this kind of excitement but,
to me, it’s an inconvenience (yes, I fold underwear). <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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This was my stash of recyclable plastic bags before I found a way to
organize them:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcLeqbKzGWfs6UUE1cVAq-o9SN0dVxgSTbw2DYN3QivXv-zBTVq0yjeDZCJg1baRyKGiFuU0D4s5wy359r-b5yhhmK9az6PgLm0mODbpfZ4Jp6MSPYmB22g11cYmbSTXGl9azGBA/s1600/01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Stash of recyclable plastic bags." border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcLeqbKzGWfs6UUE1cVAq-o9SN0dVxgSTbw2DYN3QivXv-zBTVq0yjeDZCJg1baRyKGiFuU0D4s5wy359r-b5yhhmK9az6PgLm0mODbpfZ4Jp6MSPYmB22g11cYmbSTXGl9azGBA/s320/01.JPG" title="Stash of recyclable plastic bags." width="320" /></a></div>
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I figured that all I needed was some simple manner to quickly identify
the bags, keep the same sizes together, and make them quickly accessible for
reuse. So, let’s see what we have around the house. Aha! A stash of empty
tissue paper boxes. (Hah, I bet you were sure I had those piled somewhere.)</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFSRNds1u-FwCdXyLRvVbHyNqXvZZXiysTGBjT8F5O3uhryPHksF8VJxvJ55LztE8Mis4fFpqlZ4pcsSi8t82ZaLQwb-TkecocB21HzeNck0q3IEVwJP8VjHrP-lONG8LXo7GEjQ/s1600/02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Empty tissue boxes for repurposing." border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFSRNds1u-FwCdXyLRvVbHyNqXvZZXiysTGBjT8F5O3uhryPHksF8VJxvJ55LztE8Mis4fFpqlZ4pcsSi8t82ZaLQwb-TkecocB21HzeNck0q3IEVwJP8VjHrP-lONG8LXo7GEjQ/s320/02.jpg" title="Empty tissue boxes for repurposing." width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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Now to put up a grid to identify the bags. I’ll need a piece of paper as
large as the largest recyclable bag I have in the stash (could’ve recycled a
brown paper bag but I had just cut up the biggest one in my pile into a costume
pattern). I sorted the bags according to size (I was surprised there were only
five universal sizes) and drew the measurements onto the paper to serve as a
handy guide. Then I taped the paper to the inner side of the cabinet door.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheb2-9UwGZS19alFK0OzbLYPOjU9EapLVZB5qdekrrIAALCmyBWBNIlH7zLCFvTpAfgl15nuXiBZx8jTt_VhYJu_oROUdvmY2ka5ueue6vqLzY3unA9GKih6lSGX7fBu3bOY_dTg/s1600/03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Grid of plastic bag sizes." border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheb2-9UwGZS19alFK0OzbLYPOjU9EapLVZB5qdekrrIAALCmyBWBNIlH7zLCFvTpAfgl15nuXiBZx8jTt_VhYJu_oROUdvmY2ka5ueue6vqLzY3unA9GKih6lSGX7fBu3bOY_dTg/s320/03.jpg" title="Grid of plastic bag sizes." width="320" /></a></div>
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I labeled five tissue boxes accordingly, and slipped the bags into
their respective storage containers. And there they are!</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYf1G4GOAZZfomZqDTGv3JQrD4LhPq9pojiBBH371cVyk9ViWL1OMEK6gsRMVERRpoEBF1SQWTnt6IV68kswM98fBirdETsdDnEjfrxRAQeNDTL3blyyUduno7NZWm84vL4GhmQ/s1600/04.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Organized recyclable plastic bags." border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYf1G4GOAZZfomZqDTGv3JQrD4LhPq9pojiBBH371cVyk9ViWL1OMEK6gsRMVERRpoEBF1SQWTnt6IV68kswM98fBirdETsdDnEjfrxRAQeNDTL3blyyUduno7NZWm84vL4GhmQ/s320/04.JPG" title="Organized recyclable plastic bags." width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMOzrqZpUT7kPW_E4SCMhVKeL6p1gH6sg1Yc9JOtvIFBF9gRQjDlcIitjzbiUocBMo-qphWoNNKhXBGy1poLlLMX5J4YhQCC9X6R35oQvTCbKeZcvsBVgWV_S2Vu_Xp-5ZCu3yGA/s1600/05.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Organized recyclable plastic bags." border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMOzrqZpUT7kPW_E4SCMhVKeL6p1gH6sg1Yc9JOtvIFBF9gRQjDlcIitjzbiUocBMo-qphWoNNKhXBGy1poLlLMX5J4YhQCC9X6R35oQvTCbKeZcvsBVgWV_S2Vu_Xp-5ZCu3yGA/s320/05.JPG" title="Organized recyclable plastic bags." width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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Now it’s a snap to put away the bags and pull out the right-sized bag
for the purpose. No more unsightly stashing, fumbling, and rummaging. Recyclable
bags organized. Just like my underwear. </div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When you move into a new place, you don’t always have the amenities
you’re used to. In my case, our new residence has no spice rack. Nowhere to organize my spices! It does have a
blank wall above the sink, which is the only open space available in our very
conservative condo-type kitchen area. I figured it’s the best place to install
another handcrafted cardboard spice rack (I had created two before – one for
our old small apartment in Orlando, another for a friend).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />I have an inordinate (wow, “inordinate”) amount of cardboard, aka moving boxes, so this simple shelving project would make a teeny tiny dent on
my stash.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Measure the wall, estimate the spice container
sizes, cut up the cardboard, fire up the glue gun, splash on some leftover
paint, and there it is: my third cardboard spice rack of all time.</span></span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPrI3dsLulNvEh7Xzin1yUUWR53zWPdCN6eKiYDJhxfJbDE7eyabrsJKjrhk9XTOfVLjSsuocL5tIcF_F8Wfql8lkthL4pQTejHE8b7NIZMQS3WSn5R_yLGIWau-eJHs60KX8SxA/s1600/spicerack-01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Recycled cardboard project" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPrI3dsLulNvEh7Xzin1yUUWR53zWPdCN6eKiYDJhxfJbDE7eyabrsJKjrhk9XTOfVLjSsuocL5tIcF_F8Wfql8lkthL4pQTejHE8b7NIZMQS3WSn5R_yLGIWau-eJHs60KX8SxA/s1600/spicerack-01.JPG" height="213" title="Recycled cardboard project" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJD4G-cTQqDmkGDHpfFXHf6C0AtyCnp_S5L6jrXGpsY97bwOrqO1D2FIjZbFsrbWfc1Xf7BflXGLatr0E6_6-ucoC0YRjBtYq4B_iz4_QPpuRusFk6CmFEcthM8tNzDv_XdJahzA/s1600/spicerack-02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Preparing the spice rack frame" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJD4G-cTQqDmkGDHpfFXHf6C0AtyCnp_S5L6jrXGpsY97bwOrqO1D2FIjZbFsrbWfc1Xf7BflXGLatr0E6_6-ucoC0YRjBtYq4B_iz4_QPpuRusFk6CmFEcthM8tNzDv_XdJahzA/s1600/spicerack-02.JPG" height="266" title="Preparing the spice rack frame" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim78mxYF-vbQlg4PK-hsqAZd8qMpquyDmiu8YM-9i-KBS693HcXEmuT_og4teu6O3uPWwHKBdrjG9svJ2PDonfN0BeFlJYh-752PVxpIGtfsj-pGaNP2pwSLyAsy_6tdS5p6Dtiw/s1600/spicerack-03.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Painting the spice rack" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim78mxYF-vbQlg4PK-hsqAZd8qMpquyDmiu8YM-9i-KBS693HcXEmuT_og4teu6O3uPWwHKBdrjG9svJ2PDonfN0BeFlJYh-752PVxpIGtfsj-pGaNP2pwSLyAsy_6tdS5p6Dtiw/s1600/spicerack-03.JPG" height="271" title="Painting the spice rack" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1wwQTHJdoPBoMeSXaEXm5zsO3WEXQTMyUkWH0Xo_TUppsuuOe6YFo1XikuiJM_S_cnMJPQ34oKxnnxAhK4hyphenhyphenGH5tdFHAP1Ru2CkM_w_4KWSXPlrqtav0Wel5skPOTdp8x_18d2w/s1600/spicerack-04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mounted cardboard spice rack." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1wwQTHJdoPBoMeSXaEXm5zsO3WEXQTMyUkWH0Xo_TUppsuuOe6YFo1XikuiJM_S_cnMJPQ34oKxnnxAhK4hyphenhyphenGH5tdFHAP1Ru2CkM_w_4KWSXPlrqtav0Wel5skPOTdp8x_18d2w/s1600/spicerack-04.jpg" height="320" title="Mounted cardboard spice rack." width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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When you realize that you didn’t pack pot holders when you relocated
from the other side of the planet, you quickly make some by repurposing a
couple of face towels that you did pack a lot of. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
To make the pot holder different from the face towel, I decided to hand-sew
the seams, creating a pocket to slip the hand in. And I hand-embroidered these:
“POT HOLDER” and “PAN HANDLER.” Catchy.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Problem solved.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLKlI760zx8SNvJMAGaeNYot5tF9gKCxG7Hu0TbK5zDLWk1NZpcvWSEquX2_OG3J5NoD_TKVFRD0larjps7QTnW64JC84BPzaKZ358MQgtzXmzO5Zk_zix_PipULxKq_8XyN4Tpw/s1600/pot-holder-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pot Holder and Pan Handler" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLKlI760zx8SNvJMAGaeNYot5tF9gKCxG7Hu0TbK5zDLWk1NZpcvWSEquX2_OG3J5NoD_TKVFRD0larjps7QTnW64JC84BPzaKZ358MQgtzXmzO5Zk_zix_PipULxKq_8XyN4Tpw/s1600/pot-holder-1.jpg" height="252" title="Pot Holder and Pan Handler" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Md2cHgIpO887pTrIvloyqqokiwTG5yzaZsvh0G8G8pb1ctYamEd21lXWZ3chXpUTOTqf5qB1sCFVSmZsIpRy-ylppc6RnjU3Rfa2fU0548EJCdYIujoX3tNREVEjvF1KyB2UZw/s1600/pot-holder-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pot Holder and Pan Handler" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Md2cHgIpO887pTrIvloyqqokiwTG5yzaZsvh0G8G8pb1ctYamEd21lXWZ3chXpUTOTqf5qB1sCFVSmZsIpRy-ylppc6RnjU3Rfa2fU0548EJCdYIujoX3tNREVEjvF1KyB2UZw/s1600/pot-holder-2.JPG" height="230" title="Pot Holder and Pan Handler" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGde5KRPkn-6MwlCFGYA1mfJfaiV0MChq7l0JIfzu7ttyR9wde21Tzb__FkC9WM5LO_NxzqvumvyQbFyMoDa7wHdPtd_kfbXHHIffFpx4BOOFuAl67ktmgDuc0xLMjBhRAyRbEdg/s1600/pot-holder-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pot Holder and Pan Handler" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGde5KRPkn-6MwlCFGYA1mfJfaiV0MChq7l0JIfzu7ttyR9wde21Tzb__FkC9WM5LO_NxzqvumvyQbFyMoDa7wHdPtd_kfbXHHIffFpx4BOOFuAl67ktmgDuc0xLMjBhRAyRbEdg/s1600/pot-holder-3.JPG" height="229" title="Pot Holder and Pan Handler" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUaojnzD_LwovQIiLfB_NvCBGUiyfJ5PxltQTvqF2a9xtMO4d15lq0YtcPdnKLTxWjbTPdQX4iO1awPkEkCpzK4t-mAvZt-xTef4U9XUamKWFoUo4UU_D19S2-YcCqJta-4IKv9A/s1600/pot-holder-4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Upcycled Face Towels" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUaojnzD_LwovQIiLfB_NvCBGUiyfJ5PxltQTvqF2a9xtMO4d15lq0YtcPdnKLTxWjbTPdQX4iO1awPkEkCpzK4t-mAvZt-xTef4U9XUamKWFoUo4UU_D19S2-YcCqJta-4IKv9A/s1600/pot-holder-4.JPG" height="247" title="Upcycled Face Towels" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJl649FZk27nl_ALshti_txblvKj8IKcdaDCVbYyMOOojmvArEvt-RvJhqqs55cObGsrcvrthN-6eUsdQ6qi_x-HmJcK8N4MD36_KyHK58JYqpFHRwmIGhmACMHWf1leGsF4louQ/s1600/pot-holder-5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Upcycled Face Towels" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJl649FZk27nl_ALshti_txblvKj8IKcdaDCVbYyMOOojmvArEvt-RvJhqqs55cObGsrcvrthN-6eUsdQ6qi_x-HmJcK8N4MD36_KyHK58JYqpFHRwmIGhmACMHWf1leGsF4louQ/s1600/pot-holder-5.JPG" height="254" title="Upcycled Face Towels" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwCpp30azL6bruYQwu83HeGdkIDC-H8C3AkHmrWitUtY58ytSC2pqgAB9WCqLbYpuh_wLD1FERtA6JCyP48wpfJ2pu34OT5iMIc_X3a2YxAqNAwWAkpnQoH3Y6Y7YcCRWNNGl0Lw/s1600/pot-holder-6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Upcycled Face Towels" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwCpp30azL6bruYQwu83HeGdkIDC-H8C3AkHmrWitUtY58ytSC2pqgAB9WCqLbYpuh_wLD1FERtA6JCyP48wpfJ2pu34OT5iMIc_X3a2YxAqNAwWAkpnQoH3Y6Y7YcCRWNNGl0Lw/s1600/pot-holder-6.JPG" height="213" title="Upcycled Face Towels" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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Many years ago, I was criticized for serving spaghetti un-assembled. “Uncooked”
was the word used – because I brought my spaghetti to the table with the
noodles not mixed with the sauce. I had always served it this way but since
that comment, I conformed by mixing everything in the pot, at the stove. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Today, I decided to go back to my old way of serving spaghetti: the
noodles are in a bowl separate from the meat sauce, with cheeses and peppers at
the ready.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD4scoeos35UeWwfYdNGJj4Pn6XCd2e8ZpFi27iuWQwIRw1js3gTfAExRESG4mL5nIETt95X92dLiHpswQAvwSxkdqs1j7dy5lXRpCZRQ66mhp4JQvmAZmKEHx99N6LXgeTbHwFw/s1600/2014_09_07_940-800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD4scoeos35UeWwfYdNGJj4Pn6XCd2e8ZpFi27iuWQwIRw1js3gTfAExRESG4mL5nIETt95X92dLiHpswQAvwSxkdqs1j7dy5lXRpCZRQ66mhp4JQvmAZmKEHx99N6LXgeTbHwFw/s1600/2014_09_07_940-800.jpg" height="228" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
As I enjoyed my freshly-assembled personal portion of spaghetti, I was taken back to why I
had always done it this way before. Here are my reasons for going back to assembling spaghetti at the table (after years of doing it the other way): </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
</div>
<ol>
<li>The noodles don’t suck up the sauce. When you mix the sauce and the
noodles in the pot, the noodles absorb the sauce, so that by the time the dish
reaches the table, the pasta is past the al dente stage.</li>
<li>You determine the sauciness of your spaghetti portion. Do you want it
dry-ish? Or soupy? Maybe you want more sauce than meat? More meat than sauce?
You’re in control here.</li>
<li>Your spaghetti meal can be your own creation. More cheese? Some hot
pepper flakes? Sweet like the Pinoy spaghetti? Garlicky? With anchovies? You
can whip up your own tasty concoction – you don’t have to be content with what
the cook considers his masterpiece.</li>
<li>Leftover already-mixed spaghetti is not very appetizing. After refrigeration,
the sauce is dry and the noodles are too soft and fat. If the refrigerated sauce is
separate from the noodles, you can reheat it to its original state. You can
reheat the noodles with a little hot water, on the stove or in the microwave. Assemble
at the table and you’ll forget that they’re leftovers.</li>
</ol>
So, do come by for my spaghetti. You know what to expect. Bon appetit! <o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
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Grapes are a staple in our morning smoothie because their sweetness neutralizes
the “green” taste of the veggies. I chose to use frozen grapes to cool the
smoothie just right. After a few trials and errors, I discovered the best way
to freeze them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
The first thing I do is wash the bunch of grapes. Then I pick each
grape from the vine so that I won’t have to deal with the stems later on. I
roll them on a paper towel to dry them. Then I grab a colander and arrange them
very nicely in one layer.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZiYmlLKaYS2AlIHQCwYIKdfocr1ePIpcP0JiD0zjQjfW7P6oCYhUap6j7kaBO8tihGOjbZ76SPQOLXFzZAzj3p_FgRbCvPuHOUBD8h3Gv2Hmu1hHN9YUKQygxs8QGIpL_cOEISg/s1600/2014_06_17_049-a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Freezing grapes in a colander." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZiYmlLKaYS2AlIHQCwYIKdfocr1ePIpcP0JiD0zjQjfW7P6oCYhUap6j7kaBO8tihGOjbZ76SPQOLXFzZAzj3p_FgRbCvPuHOUBD8h3Gv2Hmu1hHN9YUKQygxs8QGIpL_cOEISg/s1600/2014_06_17_049-a.jpg" height="228" title="Freezing grapes in a colander." width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Then I place the arrangement in the freezer. The colander helps freeze
the grapes evenly and quickly. After a few hours, I transfer the grapes to a
container that will reside in the freezer until all the fruits are consumed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFWwk0X0iwQPc7Ni5Q2xaqHTuMg2W262qHOsig_MzxdhoWb5u05qjmaBDqil2yl3mYom5eMjVQHlcO2lg1HOKAcrdA9FDJt_mFVaYUrHPRqMi_obbExDt7S8hpRwcBSQJW1GR3Rg/s1600/2014_06_17_075-a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Frozen grapes for smoothies." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFWwk0X0iwQPc7Ni5Q2xaqHTuMg2W262qHOsig_MzxdhoWb5u05qjmaBDqil2yl3mYom5eMjVQHlcO2lg1HOKAcrdA9FDJt_mFVaYUrHPRqMi_obbExDt7S8hpRwcBSQJW1GR3Rg/s1600/2014_06_17_075-a.jpg" height="228" title="Frozen grapes for smoothies." width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
I don’t bother to put the frozen grapes in a zipper bag because they
don’t last too long in the freezer anyway -- in about a couple of weeks, they’d have all been
added to our smoothies. Every morning, I just quickly grab a handful to add to
our drink.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Of course, I’ve tried freezing grapes in bunches – stems and vines
together. But when I’m picking the fruits to put in my smoothie, I have to fumble
with pulling out all the frozen little stems, and in the early hours of the
morning, I don’t particularly appreciate cold fingertips.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
I’ve also tried freezing individual grapes on a baking sheet and in a
plastic container. They work fine but I find the colander trick the neatest
yet. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
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I remember growing up detesting one and only one dessert fruit – the cantaloupe.
In the Philippines, we call it melon
(accent on the “lon”). Somehow I couldn’t tolerate the taste and texture, and I
didn’t know why. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Then a friend convinced me to try the melon juice – sweetened cold
water infused with melon flesh delicately grated from the fruit using a tool that
creates long orange “worm” strips (I’ll write about that next time). After I enjoyed that wonderfully refreshing and
tasty drink, the cantaloupe and I became buddies.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Here in the US, cantaloupes are available in groceries as whole fruits,
shrink-wrapped slices with the skin on, and chunks in clamshell containers.
Naturally, they are most expensive when already prepared bite-size, ready to
eat; the price of a small bowl of chunks is sometimes higher than that of a
whole fresh harvest fruit. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
So, whenever I feel prudent, I ignore the chunks, grab a whole fruit,
and set my mind to slicing the cantaloupe myself. It’s really quite easy. Let
me show you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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1. Get a whole cantaloupe. You will know it’s ripe and sweet when the skin
is starting to get wrinkly and the fruit is giving off a sweet aroma. Grab a
cutting board, kitchen knife, spoon, container for the seeds, and container for
the chunks. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw1LGeNTRV8jDZTiDd5vIIeOiWME5aYUHWB3ypRSUV2BuKI34nXiHh2sApR7JMFhuCoEG9WINGIJ8nqJARH2ksiNwEDF1tjiuZSVpI77GQs3vt3o4Ls9afK40hSnFj5j4Vj-UUZg/s1600/1-2014_06_06_802.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Get a whole cantaloupe." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw1LGeNTRV8jDZTiDd5vIIeOiWME5aYUHWB3ypRSUV2BuKI34nXiHh2sApR7JMFhuCoEG9WINGIJ8nqJARH2ksiNwEDF1tjiuZSVpI77GQs3vt3o4Ls9afK40hSnFj5j4Vj-UUZg/s1600/1-2014_06_06_802.JPG" height="228" title="Get a whole cantaloupe." width="320" /></a></div>
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2. Slice the fruit in half. It doesn’t matter if it’s lengthwise or
crosswise, because the fruit is generally round. I prefer to slice crosswise,
but that’s just me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmjaR07HOVDnz4nThWFVx0DWV69kc5GDrfo_H5yO5aGvPw7YwONhdpVNnpAghRte2WjBjM4xnwezVpTU6t-7xjZXu4oCoaM9QeZzPSwM3PBDNq0GogQXqViEKQsFUG8FHFHXoTTw/s1600/2-2014_06_06_803.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Slice the cantaloupe in half." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmjaR07HOVDnz4nThWFVx0DWV69kc5GDrfo_H5yO5aGvPw7YwONhdpVNnpAghRte2WjBjM4xnwezVpTU6t-7xjZXu4oCoaM9QeZzPSwM3PBDNq0GogQXqViEKQsFUG8FHFHXoTTw/s1600/2-2014_06_06_803.JPG" height="228" title="Slice the cantaloupe in half." width="320" /></a></div>
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3. Scoop out the seeds and fibrous material from the core of the fruit.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhesHMXvqph2K-g0QeYWfGgobXa9ad3MdVaFeornQSY9lXMRwDJo7VHtl_b-AAD02FovGnvvlemSB5__2Z9nJAk4nyzn0Akl3mh-xryPgikEI_epbVIBySohEtQcopScH1DhEqW-w/s1600/3-2014_06_06_811.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Scoop out the cantaloupe seeds." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhesHMXvqph2K-g0QeYWfGgobXa9ad3MdVaFeornQSY9lXMRwDJo7VHtl_b-AAD02FovGnvvlemSB5__2Z9nJAk4nyzn0Akl3mh-xryPgikEI_epbVIBySohEtQcopScH1DhEqW-w/s1600/3-2014_06_06_811.JPG" height="228" title="Scoop out the cantaloupe seeds." width="320" /></a></div>
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4. Lay the half on the cutting board like an upside-down bowl. Slice off
the skin by working from the top and down the sides.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZa1sPABSjIwBxukjC4lwxLYcqFkoBDd3H4av8kdVjwmisnGiKgcfn2o5nxvmdmsQebYi9_LtEwBFORE4jp3ovPiTm3SC_8V1cy9xOHV2Ui2EcrtpjF1BUirw_SNHM4Ya0dySvLw/s1600/4-2014_06_06_812.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Peel off the skin." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZa1sPABSjIwBxukjC4lwxLYcqFkoBDd3H4av8kdVjwmisnGiKgcfn2o5nxvmdmsQebYi9_LtEwBFORE4jp3ovPiTm3SC_8V1cy9xOHV2Ui2EcrtpjF1BUirw_SNHM4Ya0dySvLw/s1600/4-2014_06_06_812.JPG" height="228" title="Peel off the skin." width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq7Jzy1Quy4_kNSOmKgNdzkK97UzKdLtOA6s732p_81Nr-_jHCjYO676C3BAphzvnOFeS3XJSGQnli0rAHruck8voAbpmhrwQGUICa24bMp-qxL1uZlOn9WDUORYqTHEQ1NUcZPA/s1600/5-2014_06_06_814.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Peeled cantaloupe." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq7Jzy1Quy4_kNSOmKgNdzkK97UzKdLtOA6s732p_81Nr-_jHCjYO676C3BAphzvnOFeS3XJSGQnli0rAHruck8voAbpmhrwQGUICa24bMp-qxL1uZlOn9WDUORYqTHEQ1NUcZPA/s1600/5-2014_06_06_814.JPG" height="228" title="Peeled cantaloupe." width="320" /></a></div>
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5. Make vertical cuts, about an inch wide, across the skinned half fruit.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNjnNGPyJ2aRp99f9g15KvV-PMYi8LtHeKDDm4HL9QgaCDllnswLZYd1NC7_wDcxA9PHM1fOPgJonnYGfosFNyXNkjLdmeKmRCxRey5K0zTbkx3VIddjLP9M2no_OhLHcEjN2hPg/s1600/6-2014_06_06_815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Slice the cantaloupe." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNjnNGPyJ2aRp99f9g15KvV-PMYi8LtHeKDDm4HL9QgaCDllnswLZYd1NC7_wDcxA9PHM1fOPgJonnYGfosFNyXNkjLdmeKmRCxRey5K0zTbkx3VIddjLP9M2no_OhLHcEjN2hPg/s1600/6-2014_06_06_815.JPG" height="240" title="Slice the cantaloupe." width="320" /></a></div>
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6. Follow with 1-inch perpendicular cuts to create chunks. They won’t be
the same sizes but you can follow-up with quick cuts to make the big chunks
smaller.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmWhPpVwQQ_pIBaysr0_RIMeyIORAJOAzRDlH4_-X57jh7Kgu8LJYFTOnJzaoSACiWRQ_D4F5NOQzBE8e8oyr9lx30PC68X41iYA7GsUJe8WVyZgWBnnV8bEl-1UwS0V7UVEJ8Dw/s1600/7-2014_06_06_816.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Slice the cantaloupe into chunks." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmWhPpVwQQ_pIBaysr0_RIMeyIORAJOAzRDlH4_-X57jh7Kgu8LJYFTOnJzaoSACiWRQ_D4F5NOQzBE8e8oyr9lx30PC68X41iYA7GsUJe8WVyZgWBnnV8bEl-1UwS0V7UVEJ8Dw/s1600/7-2014_06_06_816.JPG" height="228" title="Slice the cantaloupe into chunks." width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie12-rLKpC0h-70VTFod7n6HMquXklVbyW_fp8pVgLmeDQSOH5KgxmDRXxRkxaXJYVY9mzv_zfDODtfdhx4bsUePJ6Ui1WslCKJnpwlIWDb6bkK7dsVOB0Baf2auyZcv2087mYGw/s1600/8-2014_06_06_818.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Slice the cantaloupe into chunks." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie12-rLKpC0h-70VTFod7n6HMquXklVbyW_fp8pVgLmeDQSOH5KgxmDRXxRkxaXJYVY9mzv_zfDODtfdhx4bsUePJ6Ui1WslCKJnpwlIWDb6bkK7dsVOB0Baf2auyZcv2087mYGw/s1600/8-2014_06_06_818.JPG" height="228" title="Slice the cantaloupe into chunks." width="320" /></a></div>
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Et voila! Bon appetit!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbU1GEYsA0XYGPqOaU0IKZGKZYSGC9Pel1ucRQjD_i0NPLgypI2OiiEcs5P5U0YxSKUftqfyW8yu_vsuF52UnV7C5NRdN6VEYjv-ad7mpPt2_OPsG-D0-FsCX_g2pmRWTpBq0JTA/s1600/9-2014_06_06_822.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cantaloupe chunks." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbU1GEYsA0XYGPqOaU0IKZGKZYSGC9Pel1ucRQjD_i0NPLgypI2OiiEcs5P5U0YxSKUftqfyW8yu_vsuF52UnV7C5NRdN6VEYjv-ad7mpPt2_OPsG-D0-FsCX_g2pmRWTpBq0JTA/s1600/9-2014_06_06_822.JPG" height="228" title="Cantaloupe chunks." width="320" /></a></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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</script></div>rubyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02693760545915842278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24927704.post-81355797221124164262014-06-04T17:57:00.000-05:002014-06-04T17:57:30.329-05:00How to Slice Watermelon into Chunks<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
I grew up feasting on watermelon the old-fashioned way: sinking my teeth
(and face!) into a freshly sliced wedge of that crunchy, cool, and juicy fruit
(it’s <a href="http://www.watermelon.org/Fruit-or-Vegetable.aspx" target="_blank">also a vegetable</a>) with its sugary-sweet nectar dripping down my chin, neck, and elbows!
Slurp!<o:p></o:p></div>
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When I moved to the States, watermelon became a delicacy, presented as
chunks sealed in clamshell packs at the supermarket. You need to use a fork (or tiny skewer) to eat
it. Where’s the fun in that?<o:p></o:p></div>
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But yes, forking watermelon chunks makes sense these days because sticky
hands don’t go well with our ubiquitous handheld devices. The downside of
buying prepared watermelon is you pay a premium for the labor and packaging. <o:p></o:p></div>
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How about saving a bundle by buying a whole watermelon and spending a
few minutes slicing it into chunks? I promise, it only takes a few minutes and
you’ll have a big bowl of chunks you and your friends can conveniently fork
into while you’re playing video or board games!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Let’s start.<o:p></o:p></div>
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1. Buy a whole watermelon – the cheapest option. It’s going to be heavy,
so plan ahead. If you won’t cut the entire fruit into chunks, you will need
space in the fridge to store the uncut portion.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOfxVSX2ZwqwFznQff9HvTqIawyg6K_H7Upos5ps5j6Xs27Vpjcv5Ezjy5-4JcsbY2pl-3FX6LrD8s4AQ7fciGmxomxu9taPWadWZKoJ0dJ3HbqCXpHzD9yF_ZW9h502ve0Nhkaw/s1600/01-20140522_191101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Watermelons" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOfxVSX2ZwqwFznQff9HvTqIawyg6K_H7Upos5ps5j6Xs27Vpjcv5Ezjy5-4JcsbY2pl-3FX6LrD8s4AQ7fciGmxomxu9taPWadWZKoJ0dJ3HbqCXpHzD9yF_ZW9h502ve0Nhkaw/s1600/01-20140522_191101.jpg" height="311" title="Watermelons" width="320" /></a></div>
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2. Slice the watermelon into quarters (some places sell watermelon
quarters – you see the flesh and you don’t have to deal with a huge fruit).
Work with a quarter at a time, unless you’re ready to consume the prepared
chunks within 3-5 days (they get soggy and taste weird after a week).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC71v7EZ6jFr2UFPSssBxDwpGmeLbRkO5cqEAbrecogr-RgFToBiqE-biiiEUPccEcmEocVDUC5P-sEGCcQB9Vo9XegCbsJHmibz-O1d5M2sWlPBWmD24e4LIDOUNmG1mWLEptgQ/s1600/02-2014_06_03_768.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Slice watermelon into quarters" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC71v7EZ6jFr2UFPSssBxDwpGmeLbRkO5cqEAbrecogr-RgFToBiqE-biiiEUPccEcmEocVDUC5P-sEGCcQB9Vo9XegCbsJHmibz-O1d5M2sWlPBWmD24e4LIDOUNmG1mWLEptgQ/s1600/02-2014_06_03_768.JPG" height="218" title="Slice watermelon into quarters" width="320" /></a></div>
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3. Lay the quarter with the skin on top, away from you – it makes for
easier, more stable cutting rather than if the skin were underneath. Trust me I’ve
tried it all sorts of ways.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuTSTTGwb1PUefnaMbhWc1F-GRF45leCecblICdvJAsAePMkvEj5m5KGXqssjdmB907E7EJfmU334-wl3L8p1gRhdaIxE5s3OkfXscyL_gb1S6Kb-4qVfsyelmZ5GlKalJ1Tif7g/s1600/03-2014_06_03_769.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Slice watermelons into chunks" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuTSTTGwb1PUefnaMbhWc1F-GRF45leCecblICdvJAsAePMkvEj5m5KGXqssjdmB907E7EJfmU334-wl3L8p1gRhdaIxE5s3OkfXscyL_gb1S6Kb-4qVfsyelmZ5GlKalJ1Tif7g/s1600/03-2014_06_03_769.JPG" height="248" title="Slice watermelons into chunks" width="320" /></a></div>
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4. Make vertical cuts about an inch thick. Use a large kitchen knife to
help with cutting through the skin. When done, switch to a paring knife and
ready the container for the chunks.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9IBwzsdz0pFMootKIApGFjcM5LJfVdxOEvIWiPoU9d4qTJiRk0mtb7hFoOrCUO3i2PPBCCVhjrHLN9Wa9VCjmhgReyYT8f488UDmC-DFrAQoFCHFWU8tlAvB04OLOlTWmDJUkcA/s1600/04-2014_06_03_773.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Slice watermelons into chunks" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9IBwzsdz0pFMootKIApGFjcM5LJfVdxOEvIWiPoU9d4qTJiRk0mtb7hFoOrCUO3i2PPBCCVhjrHLN9Wa9VCjmhgReyYT8f488UDmC-DFrAQoFCHFWU8tlAvB04OLOlTWmDJUkcA/s1600/04-2014_06_03_773.JPG" height="238" title="Slice watermelons into chunks" width="320" /></a></div>
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5. Pick up a slice and cut the flesh vertically about an inch thick, down
to where the flesh meets the inside of the skin. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqOoS1patlmRCikMt2sTf8hmIuD4QSvzAupPd2UuotraH6u8QZGRbnkj7cNkLS4TR5T5zkMw-tHy47g5gcj0bwCGFwYm6ZIfGCot7iiTS5Mh8ujJ3fJW2tdSiZzfhph7DDgvffjA/s1600/05-2014_06_03_779.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Slice watermelons into chunks" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqOoS1patlmRCikMt2sTf8hmIuD4QSvzAupPd2UuotraH6u8QZGRbnkj7cNkLS4TR5T5zkMw-tHy47g5gcj0bwCGFwYm6ZIfGCot7iiTS5Mh8ujJ3fJW2tdSiZzfhph7DDgvffjA/s1600/05-2014_06_03_779.JPG" height="295" title="Slice watermelons into chunks" width="320" /></a></div>
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6. Make perpendicular cuts, also an inch thick, letting the chunks drop into the
container. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjywj_5AC3QDCq3lkjPI40FYDYGclHnBIENdxOMUuT_IYFBk79LYvI0RXeu1e5uoEYA3o_XiLTtSuhrGPMi5rdKMxtTUNyitE64bIHS_KPfVn9h1tPsHaDkq0cPaPu8RJ61tw5T3g/s1600/06-2014_06_03_780.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Slice watermelons into chunks" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjywj_5AC3QDCq3lkjPI40FYDYGclHnBIENdxOMUuT_IYFBk79LYvI0RXeu1e5uoEYA3o_XiLTtSuhrGPMi5rdKMxtTUNyitE64bIHS_KPfVn9h1tPsHaDkq0cPaPu8RJ61tw5T3g/s1600/06-2014_06_03_780.JPG" height="297" title="Slice watermelons into chunks" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8hf0vkMppWlqBcA4qIWTsBNme7wN8rnETNetGUIm3x5D9Hfm6gSESfnMLCYjgSy1RqtqJ_8QGvUK5li77kOeD33P9GvtcEZsHFCKfbjRg5YQB2UQtQ4it0njVtf3myTgr_iKBOw/s1600/07-2014_06_03_782.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Slice watermelons into chunks" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8hf0vkMppWlqBcA4qIWTsBNme7wN8rnETNetGUIm3x5D9Hfm6gSESfnMLCYjgSy1RqtqJ_8QGvUK5li77kOeD33P9GvtcEZsHFCKfbjRg5YQB2UQtQ4it0njVtf3myTgr_iKBOw/s1600/07-2014_06_03_782.JPG" height="267" title="Slice watermelons into chunks" width="320" /></a></div>
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7. Cut off the remainder of the flesh by running the knife from the top to
the bottom of the slice, along the edge of the skin. Be careful not to nick
your fingers! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnhvdZooRp7NeSNOcyzMCfbrE_jXaBCZSVhbLhFd2Lfmbg-a2d4NhPWB5xe5362b3KuQSQyxHdiMP5X65qAnmq39lpHJcJwsKjT48QFd0nxi4NPV0hRpJL_iaObtQ9ez26E_TenQ/s1600/08-2014_06_03_783.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Slice watermelons into chunks" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnhvdZooRp7NeSNOcyzMCfbrE_jXaBCZSVhbLhFd2Lfmbg-a2d4NhPWB5xe5362b3KuQSQyxHdiMP5X65qAnmq39lpHJcJwsKjT48QFd0nxi4NPV0hRpJL_iaObtQ9ez26E_TenQ/s1600/08-2014_06_03_783.JPG" height="233" title="Slice watermelons into chunks" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD49CrNaSxL7fkVEQAFWxzwLHyL5HHldAyxcgHd3lO_y1B-vEitCYS31L1_17sbvmfgyY-TaZjFDdl4tL9i8ZHCqJoM6WLC12xOKpk-Jn2pZRyCb_WfLz_nw_9ApNmEjE_bnF7lQ/s1600/09-2014_06_03_784.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Slice watermelons into chunks" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD49CrNaSxL7fkVEQAFWxzwLHyL5HHldAyxcgHd3lO_y1B-vEitCYS31L1_17sbvmfgyY-TaZjFDdl4tL9i8ZHCqJoM6WLC12xOKpk-Jn2pZRyCb_WfLz_nw_9ApNmEjE_bnF7lQ/s1600/09-2014_06_03_784.JPG" height="258" title="Slice watermelons into chunks" width="320" /></a></div>
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Do the same with the rest of the slices, and there you have it. Look at how much a quarter of a regular
watermelon yields! And no sticky chin! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigdi_D4C62T__q6fovNXbTXw7ei2btHGFnugPPnBt1RCfqotzHlTJg1hcN5nKQodh9k8lohS7Y1_L5dDJYOhdWGS2EfxQPhxI27CAQz3eWKGyUdxVQfMEN1vq1RCXrWEo-l1MGWw/s1600/10-2014_06_03_788.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Watermelon chunks" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigdi_D4C62T__q6fovNXbTXw7ei2btHGFnugPPnBt1RCfqotzHlTJg1hcN5nKQodh9k8lohS7Y1_L5dDJYOhdWGS2EfxQPhxI27CAQz3eWKGyUdxVQfMEN1vq1RCXrWEo-l1MGWw/s1600/10-2014_06_03_788.JPG" height="257" title="Watermelon chunks" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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My creativity is mostly prompted by necessity. With no spare finances to purchase shadow boxes to encase some dried
herbs I wanted to display, I resorted to making my own. My medium of choice
was what I had plenty of: cardboard and brown paper.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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First, I cut and glued cardboard pieces together to form small rectangular
box frames and wrapped them with brown paper to cover the seams. For the window
panes of the boxes, I used clear hard plastic cut out from product packaging that I
had stored, thanks to my packrat foresight. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMoVxgHiGSahUZT5wXKmV8X4EvtSAHg8PYGCHxDjuPIdRwcHup41KowazWhWJ07mSd83SE2uwbNCHJ4Gx3yVX2KSq9pA06h3_wIP-23jczvQ8XGsKVTTBjdhMoTN1iMqNjaMRow/s1600/0-2014_05_10_384.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cardboard Shadow Box" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMoVxgHiGSahUZT5wXKmV8X4EvtSAHg8PYGCHxDjuPIdRwcHup41KowazWhWJ07mSd83SE2uwbNCHJ4Gx3yVX2KSq9pA06h3_wIP-23jczvQ8XGsKVTTBjdhMoTN1iMqNjaMRow/s1600/0-2014_05_10_384.JPG" height="227" title="Cardboard Shadow Box" width="320" /></a></div>
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Then I prepared the backing for the shadow boxes. I printed out the
names of the herbs and mounted them on tiny pieces of cardboard to serve as
nameplates. Then I punched two holes in the middle of the backing, strung twine
through, and tied down (with a nice ribbon knot) a bunch of the dried herbs I
wanted to showcase. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH38sB2nluz07Gv1et9Zn-9ZcA2ceASVVTkXeTwD-uWPmgN7CEYbCgXB4r5SHkNXqcO3oRCwBB_tdSwK2B3aALKsJ9cyp4a69EoJQsUZiD0C_f-Wi-hhUqZgrgn1b5uTcMLYzgCQ/s1600/1-2014_05_10_384-a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cardboard Shadow Box" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH38sB2nluz07Gv1et9Zn-9ZcA2ceASVVTkXeTwD-uWPmgN7CEYbCgXB4r5SHkNXqcO3oRCwBB_tdSwK2B3aALKsJ9cyp4a69EoJQsUZiD0C_f-Wi-hhUqZgrgn1b5uTcMLYzgCQ/s1600/1-2014_05_10_384-a.jpg" height="200" title="Cardboard Shadow Box" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Qa3lcZ88CRiX0NXoT3eHgoOsjL4APlFVI-xQ3SYn-fTHSe0US7yCwJccflU5kN39T_gfLU4sA-LlmpsGGiicnjmPrpHDTK3EZmDyM3plpq6vh_OTNwSTxO1nJ7SmvxsBcq_IBQ/s1600/2-2014_05_10_381.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cardboard Shadow Box" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Qa3lcZ88CRiX0NXoT3eHgoOsjL4APlFVI-xQ3SYn-fTHSe0US7yCwJccflU5kN39T_gfLU4sA-LlmpsGGiicnjmPrpHDTK3EZmDyM3plpq6vh_OTNwSTxO1nJ7SmvxsBcq_IBQ/s1600/2-2014_05_10_381.JPG" height="297" title="Cardboard Shadow Box" width="320" /></a></div>
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The final assembly was just a matter of gluing the backing to the
shadow box frame, and gluing the finished box to the main frame that I prepared
also with cardboard and brown paper. Add a twine hanger to the back, and there
it is – all natural, very lightweight, and entirely handmade.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYNqaa4rSoB5IOmUIL9T8yzdIdO-cCYcA440SBlExjhTVxSyYKyc4FL0PHMz8gA4FPheM-bDS3MOwbZmkSYSg-cl-SLDBos__44M5ma3VnveLx-NAYR1o6Q5OxBVGYx-rPnpwqyg/s1600/4-2014_05_10_383.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cardboard Shadow Box - back" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYNqaa4rSoB5IOmUIL9T8yzdIdO-cCYcA440SBlExjhTVxSyYKyc4FL0PHMz8gA4FPheM-bDS3MOwbZmkSYSg-cl-SLDBos__44M5ma3VnveLx-NAYR1o6Q5OxBVGYx-rPnpwqyg/s1600/4-2014_05_10_383.JPG" height="299" title="Cardboard Shadow Box - back" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQHGXKHYDuzt0U8NKVPrQzbYLSa_qQ436njfP9jrmUTOX6gIBN0210PtIqQ33i-IN0BxGTzVea-vFXAcT5r7E8q26U8ixM3hbnv4IGFflxETsQFIbMUMXePDNZ7uAu_cpNwj3N5w/s1600/5-2014_05_10_379.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cardboard Shadow Box for showcasing dried herbs" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQHGXKHYDuzt0U8NKVPrQzbYLSa_qQ436njfP9jrmUTOX6gIBN0210PtIqQ33i-IN0BxGTzVea-vFXAcT5r7E8q26U8ixM3hbnv4IGFflxETsQFIbMUMXePDNZ7uAu_cpNwj3N5w/s1600/5-2014_05_10_379.JPG" height="234" title="Cardboard Shadow Box for showcasing dried herbs" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">I took these pictures a few days ago, but I made
the shadow box back in 2002 (which is why there are no step-by-step build
photos). The herbs look old and droopy now but the presentation is still good.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
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Pineapple season is here, and the “fruit,” which is actually a <a href="http://faculty.ucc.edu/biology-ombrello/pow/pineapple.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">mass of berries</a> growing along the bromeliad’s stalk, is once again popular in all grocery produce
sections. It’s time to talk about how to slice them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Born and raised in the Philippines (the top pineapple producing country
in the world), I grew up with little appreciation for any kind of fruit juice
other than pineapple. I also learned how to peel and cut pineapples without wasting
any of the sweet and juicy flesh. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I’ve seen two convenient ways to prepare pineapples. One is to use a
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pineapple_cutter" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">pineapple corer/slicer</a> that
cuts into the pineapple with a rotating blade and leaves the core and the skin
behind. Another is to pare off the skin thick enough to include the “eyes”
leaving a clean flesh for slicing. Both ways are quick and easy but wasteful because a lot of the delectable flesh is discarded
in the process.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Here’s how I was taught to prepare a whole fresh pineapple into
bite-size chunks without being wasteful [quick tip: wear plastic gloves to protect your hands from the acidic juices of the pineapple]:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuYApBFSV9uWZQh_7rTaagZx2uTQoNFaWBwa8DnRnOFw0AszxheKFeJxY51JKV_cDVF77oESDnJ7Qxd9qC7f_4Ic3LD722e31YEnrp_Dy_Fne3R7p0-qReGwA-LH-0F9_qGmeY8g/s1600/1-2014_05_24_607.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Del Monte Pineapple" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuYApBFSV9uWZQh_7rTaagZx2uTQoNFaWBwa8DnRnOFw0AszxheKFeJxY51JKV_cDVF77oESDnJ7Qxd9qC7f_4Ic3LD722e31YEnrp_Dy_Fne3R7p0-qReGwA-LH-0F9_qGmeY8g/s1600/1-2014_05_24_607.JPG" height="228" title="Del Monte Pineapple" width="320" /></a></div>
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1. Slice the top off. [Consider
planting this top in your garden. It will take a couple of years before you can
harvest your own <i>one</i> pineapple from it, which will most likely not be as big nor
as sweet as what you could get from the grocery, but it’s always cool to say you
grew your own!] Slice the bottom off too.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7adxdrpweaFZyYu0p2YmD3NhWTanIvd8dAZFVGbeDYd4X6KiZRADSknDzTyAUa2WFzbidEmWDJ2KQnaO7Nk_Vb_Cww4C3jijZgFcCgYUdPXpObWjivt0h9aAqBNpH8BsBW6xtpg/s1600/2-2014_05_24_608.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pineapple - slice the top off." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7adxdrpweaFZyYu0p2YmD3NhWTanIvd8dAZFVGbeDYd4X6KiZRADSknDzTyAUa2WFzbidEmWDJ2KQnaO7Nk_Vb_Cww4C3jijZgFcCgYUdPXpObWjivt0h9aAqBNpH8BsBW6xtpg/s1600/2-2014_05_24_608.JPG" height="228" title="Pineapple - slice the top off." width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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2. Cut away the skin just thin enough to expose the flesh. Parts of the “eyes”
should still be on the fruit. You can skin the pineapple in a spiral or
horizontally – I prefer to skin vertically.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOKsIASbhSIyro6x_l36SOnnBcGqiiYSjkSSdgU33mP34Tig9UrHmhocgMOAco30-44Y5P8V9tPv12OkcW8UsavBa0am2UKJdVF6QfkHX6gNJyOuj8tx1OzteaPhq3fM1YwhxenA/s1600/3-2014_05_24_609.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pineapple - cut away the skin." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOKsIASbhSIyro6x_l36SOnnBcGqiiYSjkSSdgU33mP34Tig9UrHmhocgMOAco30-44Y5P8V9tPv12OkcW8UsavBa0am2UKJdVF6QfkHX6gNJyOuj8tx1OzteaPhq3fM1YwhxenA/s1600/3-2014_05_24_609.JPG" height="228" title="Pineapple - cut away the skin." width="320" /></a></div>
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3. Following the spiral pattern of the eyes, cut along the sides of the
eyes to take them out. You can run the knife with one long spiral cut on one
side of the eyes, from the top of the pineapple to the bottom, then a matching
spiral cut on the other side of the eyes to scoop out the whole length. I
usually work with two to three eyes at a time. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-lZ1KKr2SVec4Kdsjux1EQJscCmc6k6HXZ3s-rxtDPBLsHrvsj-pojOilGysx29YUJO95SOwghkX2MGbk_v7XEkt7oTomdq-DMeQqkhC9JYD2AqqCIru_LrG06OQY70P7RBuyg/s1600/4-2014_05_24_610.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pineapple - take the eyes out." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-lZ1KKr2SVec4Kdsjux1EQJscCmc6k6HXZ3s-rxtDPBLsHrvsj-pojOilGysx29YUJO95SOwghkX2MGbk_v7XEkt7oTomdq-DMeQqkhC9JYD2AqqCIru_LrG06OQY70P7RBuyg/s1600/4-2014_05_24_610.JPG" height="228" title="Pineapple - take the eyes out." width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIRkk2Hxy-ycXfxGDt0oTpLnfjkmfg2YJIs1xxXSnbrRLfvr0VVHLC1j65v4yRNoclkGYbPCwRc7RuYPpMlua_L0ih4l-hQTQ9WNumtiH0hYbQJX94eqUH9XtSe0B667UG5YyueQ/s1600/5-2014_05_24_613.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pineapple - take the eyes out." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIRkk2Hxy-ycXfxGDt0oTpLnfjkmfg2YJIs1xxXSnbrRLfvr0VVHLC1j65v4yRNoclkGYbPCwRc7RuYPpMlua_L0ih4l-hQTQ9WNumtiH0hYbQJX94eqUH9XtSe0B667UG5YyueQ/s1600/5-2014_05_24_613.JPG" height="228" title="Pineapple - take the eyes out." width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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4. Quarter the pineapple lengthwise and cut out the tough core. [Some
folks who are into juicing don’t discard the core.]<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJTICa6k-Jk30x3-muL8X0kwGIHLRDvIWYIJWyOJgyyJuuMsKrFJntjReZ6J3AQNuE6kFDGv3cuBwViJ1BOQZO_rIXx3ur8evYh7oGHD7AdPPO5tYsk5Tj4MAc6SFtpXYbwzAVOw/s1600/6-2014_05_24_614.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pineapple - quarter." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJTICa6k-Jk30x3-muL8X0kwGIHLRDvIWYIJWyOJgyyJuuMsKrFJntjReZ6J3AQNuE6kFDGv3cuBwViJ1BOQZO_rIXx3ur8evYh7oGHD7AdPPO5tYsk5Tj4MAc6SFtpXYbwzAVOw/s1600/6-2014_05_24_614.JPG" height="228" title="Pineapple - quarter." width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieqxG8q2KCEm5wGrCugLEWLS3AGxqMzfJUs6qq5JcdHp2fsTZWgOddaTZZBW2epQTl6H4_mhU-6CFnmEWlOoYPR38vp8yx4hrRADtNuXDx3zH7_pdIXzLOvaXQd5yc2mHhwO-kSQ/s1600/7-2014_05_24_615.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pineapple - slice off the core." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieqxG8q2KCEm5wGrCugLEWLS3AGxqMzfJUs6qq5JcdHp2fsTZWgOddaTZZBW2epQTl6H4_mhU-6CFnmEWlOoYPR38vp8yx4hrRADtNuXDx3zH7_pdIXzLOvaXQd5yc2mHhwO-kSQ/s1600/7-2014_05_24_615.JPG" height="228" title="Pineapple - slice off the core." width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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5. Halve each quarter lengthwise. Cut into bite-size pieces and enjoy!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihA2yEdBiQnZK81Ssj-2doC2_ADNV2bO21wNhF34DLXoFDBk8TNAlYHBqdiyRwmPP-IoEgl02R8abfp9isBjMn5ZbHzzDgQI4LElHvfgn_exWG01EmbQAeV6wDX9mH7yEqaGdVzA/s1600/8-2014_05_24_617.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pineapple - slice lengthwise." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihA2yEdBiQnZK81Ssj-2doC2_ADNV2bO21wNhF34DLXoFDBk8TNAlYHBqdiyRwmPP-IoEgl02R8abfp9isBjMn5ZbHzzDgQI4LElHvfgn_exWG01EmbQAeV6wDX9mH7yEqaGdVzA/s1600/8-2014_05_24_617.JPG" height="228" title="Pineapple - slice lengthwise." width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOUu3CsIcI2uWX5S4kVNCFmpxrE1CUAgze3VA6G5ZUWWh7O22x1gEhvDl1ApZ0JwT0DeYhiRsECGkCHwrJZkmacmvNFHpWr221uzgqhU2o2x19GLev3rcJxAARxNojqHSzK8GXWA/s1600/9-2014_05_24_619.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pineapple - cut to bite-size pieces." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOUu3CsIcI2uWX5S4kVNCFmpxrE1CUAgze3VA6G5ZUWWh7O22x1gEhvDl1ApZ0JwT0DeYhiRsECGkCHwrJZkmacmvNFHpWr221uzgqhU2o2x19GLev3rcJxAARxNojqHSzK8GXWA/s1600/9-2014_05_24_619.JPG" height="228" title="Pineapple - cut to bite-size pieces." width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
I enjoy my fresh pineapple chunks as is, with some salt or sugar, to
flavor water, or as an ingredient of our <a href="http://learn-something-new.blogspot.com/2014/05/breakfast-smoothie-for-two.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">breakfast smoothie</a>. How do
you enjoy yours? <o:p></o:p></div>
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</script></div>rubyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02693760545915842278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24927704.post-53909234100598984992014-05-19T10:54:00.001-05:002014-05-19T10:56:19.796-05:00Breakfast Smoothie For Two<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Our new massage therapist introduced us to the concept of taking raw
fruits and vegetables first thing in the morning. While she was actually
telling us about juicing, Mike and I decided that we would rather go with
blending (aka smoothies). Juicing reduces the fruits and vegetables into liquid
form, hastening absorption by the digestive system; blending chops and grinds
the whole food, letting you consume the beneficial fiber of the fruits and
vegetables. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
After I did more research on the benefits and process of juicing and
blending, I became more convinced that I prefer smoothies over juice. Besides,
juicers are costly and harder to clean compared to blenders.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Our therapist suggested only three ingredients for the breakfast mix:
carrots, cucumbers, and beets. She said that by taking these, first thing in
the morning, we will not only become healthier but also feel better.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Because my research opened my eyes to this healthy sipping of plant
nutrients, I thought: why not add what we’ve always known to be nutritious too,
like celery, lettuce, spinach, ginger, and parsley? To neutralize the earthy
taste of the beet root, I added strawberries, grapes, and banana. Nuts would be
a great source of protein, so I threw in some chopped almonds. Then I read
about the omega-3 and antioxidant properties of flaxseed, so I ground some and
added that to our mix.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiowVRRnn6p6pAGimBlh3goStFalmu5zGVNM9OQjS2DP6Uu9Du4qwUrv1Q74CaZM9YEsmxjvZW9LFqsp3pehLipkOu7ZtmPqZASap6I__O6juiNzfjT9jInE0q8De6w48ZGL1tg6A/s1600/01-2014_05_17_504-b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Breakfast Smoothie Ingredients" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiowVRRnn6p6pAGimBlh3goStFalmu5zGVNM9OQjS2DP6Uu9Du4qwUrv1Q74CaZM9YEsmxjvZW9LFqsp3pehLipkOu7ZtmPqZASap6I__O6juiNzfjT9jInE0q8De6w48ZGL1tg6A/s1600/01-2014_05_17_504-b.jpg" height="213" title="Breakfast Smoothie Ingredients" width="320" /></a></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/AVvXsEiWPL6VqLjLLq4uUwPRtlxNaLEtKiRghUjq8WbzvbMbMD1Xy6iO2ElARsx_E3obpqduhRTkV98FxNY5_pWZWBrB1OS0NZacU2dutZdN4MukaxtstomJQunSjCe9imiM11gmkI6gLQ/s1600/02-2014_05_18_526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Breakfast Smoothie before blending" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWPL6VqLjLLq4uUwPRtlxNaLEtKiRghUjq8WbzvbMbMD1Xy6iO2ElARsx_E3obpqduhRTkV98FxNY5_pWZWBrB1OS0NZacU2dutZdN4MukaxtstomJQunSjCe9imiM11gmkI6gLQ/s1600/02-2014_05_18_526.JPG" height="213" title="Breakfast Smoothie before blending" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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Sometimes I would vary the combination – oranges instead of
strawberries, apple instead of banana. Sometimes the liquid would be no-sugar
grape or apple juice, sometimes plain water. Most times I would add an infusion
that we drink throughout the day: filtered water with slices of lemon,
cucumber, and ginger (this one I learned from a friend who has been taking the infusion
to keep her weight down).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtSn5ISPGRT3VE4PZZUt-LpIlMUPyXt7ok-Sf-LUlGAunWT3H_DT3ljspZNo6XZGTUxJEY-4UmPMARCAA6EbdbOwGYJNierea8vLEuff4O2HGLCrWiqRFBpUY2dtOsTCJddWqIIw/s1600/03-2014_05_17_516-a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Infused Water with Lemon Cucumber Ginger" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtSn5ISPGRT3VE4PZZUt-LpIlMUPyXt7ok-Sf-LUlGAunWT3H_DT3ljspZNo6XZGTUxJEY-4UmPMARCAA6EbdbOwGYJNierea8vLEuff4O2HGLCrWiqRFBpUY2dtOsTCJddWqIIw/s1600/03-2014_05_17_516-a.jpg" height="213" title="Infused Water with Lemon Cucumber Ginger" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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Every morning, for the past 35 days, Mike and I have been having this smoothie
for our first breakfast. To make the mixture refreshingly cool, I sometimes use
frozen carrots, grapes, and strawberries, then throw in a couple of ice cubes.
Some folks suggest frozen bananas or mixed berries. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaWAsuzQC6-oSF8haWlXmzJs8XOD9IS5cuuDn5S2XoNR0hA_OJP8QAcLdJI4anfuXkls3WQBEaL7llN7uKosGsQEq9YgVbc3CoO-CsCbjUhuj0RytuIweujrXbeuaTjLQxI1VKuA/s1600/04-2014_05_18_533.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Breakfast Smoothie before and after blending" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaWAsuzQC6-oSF8haWlXmzJs8XOD9IS5cuuDn5S2XoNR0hA_OJP8QAcLdJI4anfuXkls3WQBEaL7llN7uKosGsQEq9YgVbc3CoO-CsCbjUhuj0RytuIweujrXbeuaTjLQxI1VKuA/s1600/04-2014_05_18_533.JPG" height="213" title="Breakfast Smoothie before and after blending" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzCpBlcuknuBfvbUwUiGYB1syxqfzXriHje3n6MbcbrhBAndn3TfTIqDu5EO2GGLOLHpFDwvdS0AYylxLcCYZJleb5_r_hEP9B23W0Wi2I9FZqlzI3B5ba3YBRZOsag-cFs3bfQ/s1600/05-2014_05_18_539.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fruit and Vegetable Breakfast Smoothie for Two" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzCpBlcuknuBfvbUwUiGYB1syxqfzXriHje3n6MbcbrhBAndn3TfTIqDu5EO2GGLOLHpFDwvdS0AYylxLcCYZJleb5_r_hEP9B23W0Wi2I9FZqlzI3B5ba3YBRZOsag-cFs3bfQ/s1600/05-2014_05_18_539.JPG" height="213" title="Fruit and Vegetable Breakfast Smoothie for Two" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
So far, Mike and I appreciate the sipping of raw fruits and vegetables
in the morning. It gives us a nice kickstart to our day. And with it, we’re
already assured of ingesting at least two of the required number of servings
per day. That’s certainly better than the “whenever” we were used to.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Here’s a quick list of what I include in one tall mug of our breakfast
smoothie:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
</div>
<ul>
<li>5-7 sticks baby carrots (could be frozen)</li>
<li>3-4 slices cucumber</li>
<li>2 medium stalks celery</li>
<li>2 thin slices ginger (more than that and the ginger taste dominates)</li>
<li>1 thin slice beet root (makes the smoothie red)</li>
<li>1 grab-full mixed greens (spinach, chard, lettuce, arugula, frisee,
radicchio)</li>
<li>1 small bunch parsley</li>
<li>1 medium to large strawberry</li>
<li>5-7 medium grapes (frozen is cool)</li>
<li>½ ripe banana</li>
<li>1 tablespoon crushed almonds</li>
<li>1 tablespoon ground flaxseed</li>
<li>Ice cubes after blending</li>
</ul>
Other ingredients to try soon:<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
</div>
<ul>
<li>kale</li>
<li>broccoli</li>
<li>romaine</li>
<li>cantaloupe</li>
<li>mango</li>
<li>avocado</li>
<li>walnuts</li>
<li>cashews</li>
<li>chia seeds</li>
<li>blueberries</li>
<li>raspberries</li>
<li>blackberries</li>
</ul>
Why don't you try it? Then tell me how it goes.<o:p></o:p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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</script></div>rubyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02693760545915842278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24927704.post-70573965220589207932014-05-15T11:05:00.000-05:002014-05-15T11:05:13.954-05:00Speed Bumps in the Highway of Life<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
While purging our paper files, I found a printout of my son’s
LiveJournal entry for July 2002. Because it’s still a few days after Mother’s
Day, I decided to share this mother-son exchange. It’s rather weird that today
I am quoting that blog that quotes one of my defunct Suite101
Inspiration/Motivation articles that quotes my son. Nonetheless, just a few
thoughts for when we hit those minor setbacks in our lives. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Date:
2002-07-19 22:01<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Subject:
speed bumps<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Security:
Public<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A while
back, I wrote my mother some e-mail about dealing with her carpal tunnel
syndrome. For the unaware, CTS is the painful degradation of the delicate
muscle-bone mechanisms that we call our hands. She wrote an article about it
recently, and I'd like to share it here.<br />
<br />
==============================</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<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/AVvXsEgGTIYA8crZKJ0gci8AU2ptCC2FNi8hxC-l36gV0VYGN_rjA1f57VAxnDHFV7X4ia0KZW0qwW0TmaoejXV42gfN20Tu16OOE7BxgjHMGvOnD-TLBERlmvjUnuLZmaQhlqMBRIeYLg/s1600/suite101+inspiration+motivation+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screencap of Suite101 Inspiration/Motivation back in 2002" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGTIYA8crZKJ0gci8AU2ptCC2FNi8hxC-l36gV0VYGN_rjA1f57VAxnDHFV7X4ia0KZW0qwW0TmaoejXV42gfN20Tu16OOE7BxgjHMGvOnD-TLBERlmvjUnuLZmaQhlqMBRIeYLg/s1600/suite101+inspiration+motivation+(2).jpg" height="171" title="Screencap of Suite101 Inspiration/Motivation back in 2002" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcome page of Suite101 Inspiration/Motivation 2002</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /><b>Speed Bumps in the Highway of Life</b><br />
<i>By Ruby Bayan</i><br />
<br />
Sometimes we want to believe we're immortal, or at the very least, immune to
the frailties of human existence. Cancer happens to other people. Accidents
happen to neighbors. Casualties fall on friends of friends. These gosh-awful
things don't happen to us... until they do.<br />
<br />
When I started calling myself a writer, I took all the precautions I knew, so
that I wouldn't have to suffer what they call the "writer's syndrome"
or CTS (carpal tunnel syndrome). I had an ergonomic chair, keyboard, and mouse.
I was conscious of my posture, and took breaks from typing as often as I could.<br />
<br />
It didn't occur to me that CTS would sneak up on me not from the keyboard but
from packing and unpacking shelves of books and pieces of furniture from one
house to another. My workouts didn't prepare my hands and arms enough for the
torture I was going to subject them to when we relocated. As soon as I finished
re-assembling and re-stocking our bookshelves, my hands literally died. CTS had
set in.<br />
<br />
I couldn't believe I had no strength at all to open a jar of peanut butter. A
plastic bag of groceries felt heavier than a ton of bricks. Moving furniture --
out of the question. Typing sent tiny electric shocks through my fingers. Numb
and painful hands woke me up in the middle of the night. I couldn't believe it.
I felt miserable.<br />
<br />
I told my folks about what had happened to me -- we had moved to a beautiful
new home but in my excitement, I lost my hands. They all told me to take it
easy, and to give my hands a rest. My son, ever fluent, and thinking otherwise,
gave me the most powerful advice and encouragement I received:<br />
<br /><blockquote>
"Hi, Mom. The source of CTS is the overexertion of the muscles through the
wrist-joint mechanism. With the right amount of stretching and massaging, you
can slowly counteract the damage, and realign the muscles within your wrist.
It's going to take a lot of time and a lot of exercise, but I'm sure you can
manage it. You always were the more diligent of the two of us.<br />
<br />
"And what's this I hear about your not being able to move stuff around? I
can understand not being able to do heavy lifting, but I do hope you're still
keeping a moderately active metabolism. Fight the sedentary lifestyle -- there
are people decades older than you and me who are still going strong because
they just won't let it get them down.<br />
<br />
"Be confident about your abilities. You were a mountaineer once. Don't
just look back at it wistfully as an aspect of your past that you went through
and moved on from. You're still that same person. You just haven't used the
hardware in the same fashion in a while.<br />
<br />
"I'm sure you can find the focus. Look back at all you've accomplished,
and remember that you managed far more than the average individual because you
felt like you could, and you went ahead and did it. Yes, acknowledge your
limitations, but that doesn't mean you should just take it easy and take things
for granted. It's all in the mindset, right?<br />
<br />
"If you believe you can, then you won't take minor setbacks like momentary
fatigue and muscular distress as if they were permanent roadblocks stopping you
from walking down your old roads. Just think of them as speed bumps. You need
to compensate for them, but darned if you're going to let them stop you,
right?"<br />
</blockquote>
</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12px;"></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
Ah, yes. My son gave me the gift of a bright and optimistic perspective: speed
bumps in the highway of life. That's what this is. Just like all the other
obstacles I have faced, I shall cope, I shall compensate. Then gain momentum
once more, and cruise, and continue to enjoy the journey.<br />
<br />
==============================<br />
<br />
An uplifting postscript to Mom's article: her CTS is gone. Her hands have
returned to full functionality, and she's doing great. If you'd like to get to
know the true renaissance woman I call mother, mentor, friend and role model,
visit her website </span><a href="http://www.oursimplejoys.com/"><span style="color: #cc6633; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">here</span></a><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span>
<br />
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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</div>
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</div>
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I’m back after a rather long hiatus. Had to attend to matters of
consequence – and oh, ye, I learned a lot of new things during that hiatus. Maybe I’ll share them
here one of these days. Today, I’m sharing my very first Cthulhu project.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Curiosity is what usually drives my creativity. I’m always curious how
something will come out. I said, “I’d like to try making a Cthulhu pendant. Let’s
see what happens.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
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<br /></div>
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Using my favorite creativity medium, polymer clay, I mixed a few colors
to form a dark greenish glob. Without a specific design to work with, other
than the mental collage of various image renditions of the Lovecraft creature that
I saw online, I let my fingers bring the clay to life.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgHYHDy6NyLC86M_6GGWFQ2rdvsvK6aIs_aE8DzlxGG-2AzckVRzUd53x1iNGC2SVwMyrQyOuhLJHILQOCqn1ZEAfIzKWGrJQnj6xbGJWryPnCCx70-HqSWnTXn28XQIs99dJJAA/s1600/2014_01_04_999_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cthulhu Pendant - polymer clay" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgHYHDy6NyLC86M_6GGWFQ2rdvsvK6aIs_aE8DzlxGG-2AzckVRzUd53x1iNGC2SVwMyrQyOuhLJHILQOCqn1ZEAfIzKWGrJQnj6xbGJWryPnCCx70-HqSWnTXn28XQIs99dJJAA/s1600/2014_01_04_999_2.JPG" height="213" title="Cthulhu Pendant - polymer clay" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Head shape here, tentacles there, texturing here, and... Oh look! I’ve
created a monster!</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3jhD64fPDvNNyfsg5hrcjl-LRXuBBWD_We8V_QW7Kaq59if1dut5ZtTbBMVASo9IHSAEUVc1YJvyUsiOLV5UN4n3XmjRJdEfqbus2gCKpcNvRohE9LpbEUgTzRfB0ni6JGfZ-A/s1600/2014_01_04_999_15.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cthulhu Pendant - polymer clay" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3jhD64fPDvNNyfsg5hrcjl-LRXuBBWD_We8V_QW7Kaq59if1dut5ZtTbBMVASo9IHSAEUVc1YJvyUsiOLV5UN4n3XmjRJdEfqbus2gCKpcNvRohE9LpbEUgTzRfB0ni6JGfZ-A/s1600/2014_01_04_999_15.JPG" height="213" title="Cthulhu Pendant - polymer clay" width="320" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
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<br /></div>
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After baking the clay, I used dark acrylic paint to add shades to the
texture. When the paint dried, I coated the piece with Mod Podge to seal the
colors in. Then I glued a pendant hanger to the back.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p> </o:p> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-4W9slqu6hJlSjEbe_34n-PfvwPJKtx9kOKxvu07NDqSgy7EtTssmPRs-q8sYW-8XTYKnaDiFfPaEW3267x5Qc35zN0bpBdQNXJ8w0z9IbeSrshuvWcH49P05Tq8O4zbP5NLyVw/s1600/2014_01_08_014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cthulhu Pendant - polymer clay" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-4W9slqu6hJlSjEbe_34n-PfvwPJKtx9kOKxvu07NDqSgy7EtTssmPRs-q8sYW-8XTYKnaDiFfPaEW3267x5Qc35zN0bpBdQNXJ8w0z9IbeSrshuvWcH49P05Tq8O4zbP5NLyVw/s1600/2014_01_08_014.JPG" height="253" title="Cthulhu Pendant - polymer clay" width="320" /></a></div>
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<o:p> </o:p>And here’s my Cthulhu necklace #1! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxDAJfTKfmO2P4EtQu4SBdco8JrBA5GZxj-ooSfCP5AAVTJlOxvhB2kHhlc1nP48xmxNHn8rLUQ-SPGFNkgK7jmL8JH6bBZYX3kQofcjzaM-RO5Fp3Gjlc4t00MfkaovDLx6oLcA/s1600/2014_01_08_019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cthulhu Necklace" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxDAJfTKfmO2P4EtQu4SBdco8JrBA5GZxj-ooSfCP5AAVTJlOxvhB2kHhlc1nP48xmxNHn8rLUQ-SPGFNkgK7jmL8JH6bBZYX3kQofcjzaM-RO5Fp3Gjlc4t00MfkaovDLx6oLcA/s1600/2014_01_08_019.JPG" height="296" title="Cthulhu Necklace" width="320" /></a></div>
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I took the project a little further by molding a silicone cast of the
pendant, for if I become curious about what else I can make from it. My first
try at using the silicone cast was with plaster, which was a fail because the
tips of the tentacles broke off.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkGler6hmk1srEpWjqpdBvBT7vyAtYRW8hpdvmuYhcOEq1LsSZAexHhnkte5SeIZLbSJusFo2A0znzECCFv1SZxsuLfGkhuAu-8mWoVoZrR0c75bqxojBjmd1cA1gnJkQ0jL3Zw/s1600/2014_01_08_023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cthulhu necklace project - silicone - plaster" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkGler6hmk1srEpWjqpdBvBT7vyAtYRW8hpdvmuYhcOEq1LsSZAexHhnkte5SeIZLbSJusFo2A0znzECCFv1SZxsuLfGkhuAu-8mWoVoZrR0c75bqxojBjmd1cA1gnJkQ0jL3Zw/s1600/2014_01_08_023.JPG" height="200" title="Cthulhu necklace project - silicone - plaster" width="320" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
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Next time I’ll try resin. Just curious.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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The challenge was to make several pouches for an assortment of board
game dice. The pouches would be given away as tokens to fellow gamer friends.
The options for the material to use were paper, netting, suede, felt, or any
kind of fabric that would serve the purpose. Nothing too fancy; after all, the
pouch just needed to hold seven regular-sized dice.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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After pulling out a number of drawers of materials I could use, I remembered that I had scrap leather from an old jacket I bought at a
garage sale. It’s genuine leather that has natural wear and distress. And even
though the scrap pieces are relatively small sections, they would be just fine for
the size of the pouches. This was what I had been waiting for -- the chance to recycle/repurpose that old leather jacket!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I went ahead and made a prototype – two sewn-together panels with holes
for a pair of drawstrings. It came out really nice! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ksw8r_i_avRituNfV5RN0blRKgNMNn2mLN3zjWDgk5lb9qDc2UETMOZ30sZVLLg9vUL6IIZuh8L_GtYXVZZ9L5GOFFHsgLT_pORMiVp1gaQmUYf0JKFSBiYJLv2BgNtNGu7erw/s1600/1-collage-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Dice Pouch Prototype" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ksw8r_i_avRituNfV5RN0blRKgNMNn2mLN3zjWDgk5lb9qDc2UETMOZ30sZVLLg9vUL6IIZuh8L_GtYXVZZ9L5GOFFHsgLT_pORMiVp1gaQmUYf0JKFSBiYJLv2BgNtNGu7erw/s1600/1-collage-1.jpg" height="240" title="Dice Pouch Prototype" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4RvqW9FQ_tP1mM1e_hFVOS5UeDhRLLGkjsHcAoNNU7V7h-vFj2HM47f3CD60sa79ffy4QM_jI_aykdkdET-C_MiB6ZFjWgdyZpXuVMRNUESbNINMSP1nMFdWlNKxIBQ84J0d-xA/s1600/2-2013_11_15_706.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Leather Dice Pouch Prototype" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4RvqW9FQ_tP1mM1e_hFVOS5UeDhRLLGkjsHcAoNNU7V7h-vFj2HM47f3CD60sa79ffy4QM_jI_aykdkdET-C_MiB6ZFjWgdyZpXuVMRNUESbNINMSP1nMFdWlNKxIBQ84J0d-xA/s1600/2-2013_11_15_706.jpg" height="220" title="Leather Dice Pouch Prototype" width="320" /></a></div>
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Because the scrap leather had been in storage, I decided to give each
section a good cleaning. We keep a bottle of leather cleaning and polishing
solution for our boots, bags, and other leather goods – I put it to really good
use!</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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After the clean-up and polish, I traced the pouch panel pattern on the
leather. Because the leather’s wear patterns were not uniform, I made sure that
the paired panels came from the same swatch or were at least similar in
discoloration. While scissors were good for the panels, the rotary cutter was most
efficient for cutting the drawstrings.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicZ5hQAA6T6TT-35c9PYH9-Yt5gSHbuEXfg_XvPwy1CCKyMCvpytnITAgtC6vGrGCyHOA08Uscs7BGzZiuVJKVCPbqeQ5tCL2jbFuwaB-6NbW1a7I9s9-c9FaG2GzW9xXnSboBsg/s1600/3-2013_11_16_713.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Leather dice pouch pattern" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicZ5hQAA6T6TT-35c9PYH9-Yt5gSHbuEXfg_XvPwy1CCKyMCvpytnITAgtC6vGrGCyHOA08Uscs7BGzZiuVJKVCPbqeQ5tCL2jbFuwaB-6NbW1a7I9s9-c9FaG2GzW9xXnSboBsg/s1600/3-2013_11_16_713.JPG" height="213" title="Leather dice pouch pattern" width="320" /></a></div>
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Punching the holes was next. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2jG4ObHB8SkaX2SVr6O3Xm7d2ou171DtGWlfRtL13TrHD9idbhi1CpWYAjOr7zpOu5iWOcF6dv9yvK8cpYBm_rN0EYZroYmlyCgZvDNhB27JHbczqRv-d7yZ6wV2wnnKf4ny3sw/s1600/4-2013_11_18_729.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Leather dice pouch punching holes" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2jG4ObHB8SkaX2SVr6O3Xm7d2ou171DtGWlfRtL13TrHD9idbhi1CpWYAjOr7zpOu5iWOcF6dv9yvK8cpYBm_rN0EYZroYmlyCgZvDNhB27JHbczqRv-d7yZ6wV2wnnKf4ny3sw/s1600/4-2013_11_18_729.JPG" height="200" title="Leather dice pouch punching holes" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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Then I just sewed the panels together, smooth side in, and pushed the seam
to flip the panels smooth side out. It’s with projects like this that I’m glad
I have a heavy duty sewing machine. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO3v_fhZ-MfvpYyRMdjUPp9cS9Fq0CIJgCjgPtlHkJqsnNqMfVESMsaW0We_AAPqtOwYZBhC0vn0heO9NgZx30e8mQDaNjUtvWWhjGlrTlW4e94beKPdRGJEJNq05prsRwY2gzrg/s1600/5-2013_11_17_722.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Leather dice pouch sewing" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO3v_fhZ-MfvpYyRMdjUPp9cS9Fq0CIJgCjgPtlHkJqsnNqMfVESMsaW0We_AAPqtOwYZBhC0vn0heO9NgZx30e8mQDaNjUtvWWhjGlrTlW4e94beKPdRGJEJNq05prsRwY2gzrg/s1600/5-2013_11_17_722.JPG" height="200" title="Leather dice pouch sewing" width="320" /></a></div>
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What I like about leather is you don’t need to worry about the edges
fraying -- construction of the pouches was quick and trouble-free.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What took the most time was threading the drawstrings. A crochet hook
would help, but I discovered that a pair of tweezers made the job pretty easy. <o:p></o:p></div>
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And here are the leather pouches, ready to be filled with dice. Mission
accomplished.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9MKj4hZJcX-NicyeMXZnzQKsr67j31TsNzka44dX8ovFnURACqiz5cL8HU4ghQ9moBGVzLE26n1dDLt9Yq2zGGRTRH_o8CXYZ5AST5W32tHTHGsC0kMParHuMiqkjE6efiHCu6g/s1600/6-2013_11_17_726.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Leather dice pouch batch" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9MKj4hZJcX-NicyeMXZnzQKsr67j31TsNzka44dX8ovFnURACqiz5cL8HU4ghQ9moBGVzLE26n1dDLt9Yq2zGGRTRH_o8CXYZ5AST5W32tHTHGsC0kMParHuMiqkjE6efiHCu6g/s1600/6-2013_11_17_726.JPG" height="216" title="Leather dice pouch batch" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://learn-something-new.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-hobbit-lord-elrond-costume-summary.html">Lord Elrond's full costume</a> worn by my son, Dante.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglu5tqbg9eONGVvvEfhOP7pp3JLKWpYSQgGNK68Z7vFOgYKw3BURK2LJ5pq_ESmtpcwhsHKMjicnVQP8oIRokUaFQPMYZrp-6Bl5ZAlGoxl2m8ZDqLOaLw1OXTxFqmqoDZTmlORw/s1600/IMG_5108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lord Elrond costume for The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglu5tqbg9eONGVvvEfhOP7pp3JLKWpYSQgGNK68Z7vFOgYKw3BURK2LJ5pq_ESmtpcwhsHKMjicnVQP8oIRokUaFQPMYZrp-6Bl5ZAlGoxl2m8ZDqLOaLw1OXTxFqmqoDZTmlORw/s320/IMG_5108.jpg" title="Lord Elrond costume for The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug" width="149" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo1e7t6QjE5OZIw4MF0HoVz0QrfYatSlHmVA_cqJX4gF-qiedQ98_2QA85XrcQ64aJzE-wHXm8aTlbWzQyVFZcYtORm5pJ2Q_TqYRgx-kSshKppCZsp6nIj5CYYznxKOcWDySYaA/s1600/IMG_5039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lord Elrond costume for The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo1e7t6QjE5OZIw4MF0HoVz0QrfYatSlHmVA_cqJX4gF-qiedQ98_2QA85XrcQ64aJzE-wHXm8aTlbWzQyVFZcYtORm5pJ2Q_TqYRgx-kSshKppCZsp6nIj5CYYznxKOcWDySYaA/s320/IMG_5039.JPG" title="Lord Elrond costume for The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug" width="213" /></a></div>
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These next photos were taken at the advance screening for the New Zealand Embassy in Manila.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRMLnrdUQWf_o4vrbqPmKpQCNnbnYtWMTf9in2PvDInfRc3p_Xog7UYUiP55RSHkv1cNpLpqdYiXUUpx05CNUBTQjjoQ9U8sknBMf8wFztvoFQiJw6Ha4cYzq-ywN0LusAW6yOgA/s1600/IMG_4962-b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Bilbo, Elrond, Thranduil, Legolas, Tauriel" border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRMLnrdUQWf_o4vrbqPmKpQCNnbnYtWMTf9in2PvDInfRc3p_Xog7UYUiP55RSHkv1cNpLpqdYiXUUpx05CNUBTQjjoQ9U8sknBMf8wFztvoFQiJw6Ha4cYzq-ywN0LusAW6yOgA/s320/IMG_4962-b.jpg" title="Bilbo, Elrond, Thranduil, Legolas, Tauriel" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGTkJrO55uvrZmQy464dsZUWdRr_1PxqXFguAddb6972mn-6yYvzGMQm04DyXC65YH5ab7zXZnnYxb4Aa5yFWTXS6kSebvxdTGTm9boRaaq5yY6d5ktyv7zDa-N_D1WMzDuNElvQ/s1600/IMG_4980.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Middle Earth company of dwarves, elves, hobbit, and human." border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGTkJrO55uvrZmQy464dsZUWdRr_1PxqXFguAddb6972mn-6yYvzGMQm04DyXC65YH5ab7zXZnnYxb4Aa5yFWTXS6kSebvxdTGTm9boRaaq5yY6d5ktyv7zDa-N_D1WMzDuNElvQ/s320/IMG_4980.JPG" title="Middle Earth company of dwarves, elves, hobbit, and human." width="320" /></a></div>
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Here are the costumes that incorporate my contributions: Thorin's <a href="http://learn-something-new.blogspot.com/2012/12/hobbit-costume-tutorial-finished-thorin.html">scalemail armor</a>, <a href="http://learn-something-new.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-hobbit-thorin-oakenshield-belt.html">belt buckle</a>, and <a href="http://learn-something-new.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-hobbit-thorin-oakenshield-boot-caps.html">toecaps</a>; <a href="http://learn-something-new.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-hobbit-costume-projects-fili-vest.html">Fili's leather vest</a>; and Kili's accent (collar/vambrace/baldric) scales.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWRBulNZ0wOna1bVT0Pt6SMq-4MFRiTzMUqIfQVWsfnuwLdsN1cRYWx7S1OTfHOctSEeN50VGoMc49qTykdlQ4jxN5b5TCWDckcwtKlMvvM0qYSK60ivLxDgBiru-mGRzRv5M_pQ/s1600/IMG_4964.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Thorin Oakenshield, Kili, Fili" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWRBulNZ0wOna1bVT0Pt6SMq-4MFRiTzMUqIfQVWsfnuwLdsN1cRYWx7S1OTfHOctSEeN50VGoMc49qTykdlQ4jxN5b5TCWDckcwtKlMvvM0qYSK60ivLxDgBiru-mGRzRv5M_pQ/s320/IMG_4964.jpg" title="Thorin Oakenshield, Kili, Fili" width="301" /></a></div>
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My bragging rights:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtlKqQ2p-1x9_PFSDkf5QzSGBp902cGvSs9btIY5kJN5YnTR2LE9uPYJum7Xnt7gLq4y3FPlJ1yUHD-iM9Yxk-B8S__-UISlqyhGs-sYW0WJ0tVJlCAObn3DsKx0csyG200UI8iw/s1600/IMG_5080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lord Elrond, Fili, Kili, Thorin Oakenshield" border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtlKqQ2p-1x9_PFSDkf5QzSGBp902cGvSs9btIY5kJN5YnTR2LE9uPYJum7Xnt7gLq4y3FPlJ1yUHD-iM9Yxk-B8S__-UISlqyhGs-sYW0WJ0tVJlCAObn3DsKx0csyG200UI8iw/s320/IMG_5080.jpg" title="Lord Elrond, Fili, Kili, Thorin Oakenshield" width="320" /></a></div>
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This project was totally spontaneous. It cropped up when Mike saw a
Freddy Krueger rubber mask at the CVS store and decided to wear it for
Halloween. When he tried it on at home, he put on his cowboy hat to complete
the look. I said that if he really wants to complete the look, he needs to wear
a striped sweater and the Freddy Krueger glove! Thus, the project was born.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmK36xzildO4fXoqWbdzlmreiSpchyphenhyphenp-pc7AnenbChf9R3kzlSdgK9hkcCHw0GyIBl3NQQIsAbY3GdjIMvShELuigzuEr1PNJQxKmXWps3ziBnGUkr9LvTgnRL3Zv4hxmSsr6MgA/s1600/01-2013_09_15_990.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Freddy Krueger Project materials" border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmK36xzildO4fXoqWbdzlmreiSpchyphenhyphenp-pc7AnenbChf9R3kzlSdgK9hkcCHw0GyIBl3NQQIsAbY3GdjIMvShELuigzuEr1PNJQxKmXWps3ziBnGUkr9LvTgnRL3Zv4hxmSsr6MgA/s320/01-2013_09_15_990.jpg" title="Freddy Krueger Project materials" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgonyzIrmZbUlqsT2F1cd2wKiFvHRZe9Wvf6i8svS7ATxZWD0HdUT9Ej7t9ccALABAz6Z6GvT3M8YmqC0pND5bTssJekkKEyZ92iR0gDooDo0_TX9yAAFKcO6w38F6mvVnqYtWWtw/s1600/02-Freddy_Krueger.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Stock photo of Freddy Krueger from Nightmare on Elm Street" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgonyzIrmZbUlqsT2F1cd2wKiFvHRZe9Wvf6i8svS7ATxZWD0HdUT9Ej7t9ccALABAz6Z6GvT3M8YmqC0pND5bTssJekkKEyZ92iR0gDooDo0_TX9yAAFKcO6w38F6mvVnqYtWWtw/s320/02-Freddy_Krueger.JPG" title="Stock photo of Freddy Krueger from Nightmare on Elm Street" width="240" /></a></div>
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I scavenged through our closet for what I could retrofit into the
Krueger sweater. Nothing. Then I remembered that we had set aside some garments
for donation to the Salvation Army, and that’s where I found two old long-sleeved
shirts -- one brownish, one dark-reddish. Jackpot! This project is looking very
promising.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now for the glove. I knew that Mike had leather work gloves that were
perfect for the prop. I asked him if he could give up the right glove for the project
(it will be totally appropriated for the costume so he will need to get new gloves
to have a viable pair). He had no choice, actually. Hah!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Next was research. I had to look for actual photos of the Krueger glove
because all I remember is there are four sharp knives protruding from the fingertips.
Luckily, someone had already done this project (in fact, a lot of people have already
done this!) and generously posted a pattern that could be printed on regular bond paper.
Very helpful – thank you!<o:p></o:p></div>
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At this point I had to make a decision. Will I follow the pattern and
use copper and aluminum sheets as well as actual knives? I figured that since a
ton of awesome folks have already recreated this prop using authentic materials,
I prefer to do my own thing with non-lethal substitutes. My substitute of
choice was <a href="http://www.worbla.com/" target="_blank">Worbla thermoplastic sheets</a>. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw3esjCnYQTYU33WM4VajelaKZJ5DnEQ46Rc3KW903WnVqgNgcqEyPMXn9yY5a6jx84bX26Vz93gFWKjbn9U0f34n311TXEyRsmJBse5B1BdRsfVryIeazoriL61bOrFAhxMqvuw/s1600/03-2013_09_21_076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Freddy Krueger glove pattern available online" border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw3esjCnYQTYU33WM4VajelaKZJ5DnEQ46Rc3KW903WnVqgNgcqEyPMXn9yY5a6jx84bX26Vz93gFWKjbn9U0f34n311TXEyRsmJBse5B1BdRsfVryIeazoriL61bOrFAhxMqvuw/s320/03-2013_09_21_076.JPG" title="Freddy Krueger glove pattern available online" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Worbla is easy to cut and can be formed and manipulated using heat
(hot water, steam, oven, heat gun, hot iron, flat iron). The material becomes soft, like clay, and
hardens at it cools. When cool it's hard as, well, hard plastic. This was my first
time to work with it so this was a learning process for me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I started with the knives. Two layers gave the knife form the necessary
heft. But the thermoplastic material made them not rigid enough to easily pierce
through flesh, nor sharp enough to cut through anything. As long as they ended up looking like knives, they’re fine by me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR0voInhMAzxSHgPCDjK6eab5WiZKz6cUWOv7RAG4DlOx4eBHNbvADMgBsBO2-ReMWSx8kxpByC0zy4KPExwf2byE-zZ4eMZz-OKCbUIpMEZnPh87aYeMrqIrnclvMas8s3g4Pyw/s1600/04-2013_09_21_078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Freddy Krueger knives made from Worbla" border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR0voInhMAzxSHgPCDjK6eab5WiZKz6cUWOv7RAG4DlOx4eBHNbvADMgBsBO2-ReMWSx8kxpByC0zy4KPExwf2byE-zZ4eMZz-OKCbUIpMEZnPh87aYeMrqIrnclvMas8s3g4Pyw/s320/04-2013_09_21_078.JPG" title="Freddy Krueger knives made from Worbla" width="320" /></a></div>
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Then I cut the rest of the patterns and copied them onto the
Worbla sheets.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW4D2TXSBQfgGzHnkj1HiQ1SbC_oD1d6OOX-MW2482xPz3g5CHJcxQ6Z-RijNeB2R-OpStxS8EhgAcqf099HbGKPORmRyaSbT5qju_i2ItPqGkFFy2AdEzpS3HmQRhJjbfEBGLew/s1600/05-2013_09_22_079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Freddy Krueger glove pattern" border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW4D2TXSBQfgGzHnkj1HiQ1SbC_oD1d6OOX-MW2482xPz3g5CHJcxQ6Z-RijNeB2R-OpStxS8EhgAcqf099HbGKPORmRyaSbT5qju_i2ItPqGkFFy2AdEzpS3HmQRhJjbfEBGLew/s320/05-2013_09_22_079.JPG" title="Freddy Krueger glove pattern" width="320" /></a></div>
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Using a heat gun and a metal pipe, I formed the finger plates one by
one. I used the back of a ballpeen hammer for rounding the fingertips, and a
hot iron with a pointed tip to make the holes for the rivets.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeSOs-c5DkaG_-FIkQU9lwXSMpdbhBTFjoCgBvy8S_VluFnxOCXaEag1FnIwCNpqu-YxoJhzFTmOfbti6R9sJITl1crUeBFw_OgMaDZvWOavBvcWHsgvYZtTNTGNEKmpsi95WKEg/s1600/06-2013_09_23_120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Forming Freddy Krueger glove parts with Worbla" border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeSOs-c5DkaG_-FIkQU9lwXSMpdbhBTFjoCgBvy8S_VluFnxOCXaEag1FnIwCNpqu-YxoJhzFTmOfbti6R9sJITl1crUeBFw_OgMaDZvWOavBvcWHsgvYZtTNTGNEKmpsi95WKEg/s320/06-2013_09_23_120.JPG" title="Forming Freddy Krueger glove parts with Worbla" width="320" /></a></div>
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I attached temporary rivets to check the alignment of the finger
segments. So far, so good.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSn00H687U8bASF4bCyxfS8TSU4PX_1i9gFjj7H_HLNXt3HkO5Vmoewo8slvJV2WbA6U8yUQDpa7DhwLbqRCm50YXLCy6lk1N0TIN7EB9lF50F-UstdhRASr_1GtXZIo1KbLKO9g/s1600/07-2013_09_23_124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Forming Freddy Krueger glove parts with Worbla" border="0" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSn00H687U8bASF4bCyxfS8TSU4PX_1i9gFjj7H_HLNXt3HkO5Vmoewo8slvJV2WbA6U8yUQDpa7DhwLbqRCm50YXLCy6lk1N0TIN7EB9lF50F-UstdhRASr_1GtXZIo1KbLKO9g/s320/07-2013_09_23_124.JPG" title="Forming Freddy Krueger glove parts with Worbla" width="320" /></a></div>
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The next step was to attach the knives to the fingertip sections. I was
surprised at how easy it was to “glue” them together. The Worbla sheet is
integrated with a kind of adhesive, making it very simple to connect pieces to
one another. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg02cdMEdPXKmfTEMypmLGJAZh4R4VLF28XlWbzIidcpjF6U_nCgSe3FXT8u_bjVHJkm4GSNDYs4vN59ZjEQU6cQaIAE7ZmxCl5ByBIoQoGyi_IsiblbSu4oqZwOA05LAoZKU_kQw/s1600/08-2013_09_24_135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Forming Freddy Krueger glove parts with Worbla" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg02cdMEdPXKmfTEMypmLGJAZh4R4VLF28XlWbzIidcpjF6U_nCgSe3FXT8u_bjVHJkm4GSNDYs4vN59ZjEQU6cQaIAE7ZmxCl5ByBIoQoGyi_IsiblbSu4oqZwOA05LAoZKU_kQw/s320/08-2013_09_24_135.JPG" title="Forming Freddy Krueger glove parts with Worbla" width="320" /></a></div>
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To make the attachment points of the knives and the fingertip sections
look like the original metalwork, I had to add scrap pieces along the joints to
resemble solder marks. It’s interesting that using Worbla, you won’t need any
soldering, but because the glove has to look like the movie prop, I had to
simulate the solder joints.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcd0HgJn_10qnpLGj0GeBuBOtos4p2zGPipma0USlJmuYyvgWx1H22CCGVRcgW-eKPiPAtKisozMvpA4RdgPwT71mTL_Unl8iCpHPe-5nMI56pEZCoOFRLMbKrcB3u46e_KCEz1Q/s1600/09-2013_09_24_139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Forming Freddy Krueger glove parts with Worbla" border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcd0HgJn_10qnpLGj0GeBuBOtos4p2zGPipma0USlJmuYyvgWx1H22CCGVRcgW-eKPiPAtKisozMvpA4RdgPwT71mTL_Unl8iCpHPe-5nMI56pEZCoOFRLMbKrcB3u46e_KCEz1Q/s320/09-2013_09_24_139.JPG" title="Forming Freddy Krueger glove parts with Worbla" width="320" /></a></div>
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Then there are the loops across the curved segments to keep the
contraption in place and give the user the ability to control the angle of the knives. Just
heat the tips of the strips and press them into place. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMBaZ_-R4Juxda8TAMHttOMZOC54Lj1s4KW6rKE_OYIFH2EaQQ-Kz6G6WbeEf5UbbCkCoKsdCJ3wDJWwmj9_FB_R6gdgE349tBJSjypjJAsEAVX6IElxamdGYXwKSFQkjPJddEPg/s1600/10-2013_09_25_141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Forming Freddy Krueger glove parts with Worbla" border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMBaZ_-R4Juxda8TAMHttOMZOC54Lj1s4KW6rKE_OYIFH2EaQQ-Kz6G6WbeEf5UbbCkCoKsdCJ3wDJWwmj9_FB_R6gdgE349tBJSjypjJAsEAVX6IElxamdGYXwKSFQkjPJddEPg/s320/10-2013_09_25_141.JPG" title="Forming Freddy Krueger glove parts with Worbla" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaMVz0M1QrUnvjIgDw0bYjJYvFZCTdiBlL734ChGh-kmo4veerN5l8_S511xGQEJcE-yAB6rr-kXJplLMxD21ddKhy38B2cE0jpb8u620d3j3L4-WFvbeeOebrXARMdLUnzHFDWg/s1600/11-2013_09_25_144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Forming Freddy Krueger glove parts with Worbla" border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaMVz0M1QrUnvjIgDw0bYjJYvFZCTdiBlL734ChGh-kmo4veerN5l8_S511xGQEJcE-yAB6rr-kXJplLMxD21ddKhy38B2cE0jpb8u620d3j3L4-WFvbeeOebrXARMdLUnzHFDWg/s320/11-2013_09_25_144.JPG" title="Forming Freddy Krueger glove parts with Worbla" width="320" /></a></div>
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Painting is next. Some silver here, some bronze there, some dark
smudges here and there. Done!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQqFbsTKJKnlmW9LWBLCzENjqOTDJu4VakDRNDWOYHINyYw3TPzJb9o4QyTAXBlcYG2XtjJ8sMEi1WI82ooXTM84YvIrJQFr7f_GdmIfDEUgUIJlgrt0-z_cvaxLKc9JuZUaR1bw/s1600/12-2013_09_25_147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Painting Freddy Krueger glove parts" border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQqFbsTKJKnlmW9LWBLCzENjqOTDJu4VakDRNDWOYHINyYw3TPzJb9o4QyTAXBlcYG2XtjJ8sMEi1WI82ooXTM84YvIrJQFr7f_GdmIfDEUgUIJlgrt0-z_cvaxLKc9JuZUaR1bw/s320/12-2013_09_25_147.JPG" title="Painting Freddy Krueger glove parts" width="320" /></a></div>
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I had to run to Michaels for another pack of rivets because I had used
up all the small ones for my <a href="http://learn-something-new.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-hobbit-lord-elrond-costume-summary.html" target="_blank">Lord Elrond costume</a>. </div>
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Included in the assembly is punching holes through the back of the hand of Mike’s work glove to coincide
with the holes on the main plate (following the printed pattern). The rivets on the back of the hand went through the finger appliance, the main plate, and the leather glove. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgghbn0rLknqw8wcywKomJdWOlDSc9NKZ_rEYNLOtEgxRt84bZ3-mivLNUYCl8gEM8JypymGqx_K1m5aBWx-o9az_liQ_Cl-giwvIIV8JbrRA5d9VNvBYcqCYmne7z9BkwoSeqQ4g/s1600/13-2013_09_26_151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Assembling Freddy Krueger Worbla glove " border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgghbn0rLknqw8wcywKomJdWOlDSc9NKZ_rEYNLOtEgxRt84bZ3-mivLNUYCl8gEM8JypymGqx_K1m5aBWx-o9az_liQ_Cl-giwvIIV8JbrRA5d9VNvBYcqCYmne7z9BkwoSeqQ4g/s320/13-2013_09_26_151.JPG" title="Assembling Freddy Krueger Worbla glove " width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOZ2WpO0WKVz2yxaSgyZLjj3eQ2wH9M6E9oEJ9UMt9Tk4tFoO_uGuygcSB9uY9fsrgKXpDbCr22FueuDwZQUjqpu7aismNaMUACTNMxt6Rl3BMRGl-dT5iXKzDvP6dFqw9Ft9Bwg/s1600/14-2013_09_26_152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Assembling Freddy Krueger Worbla glove " border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOZ2WpO0WKVz2yxaSgyZLjj3eQ2wH9M6E9oEJ9UMt9Tk4tFoO_uGuygcSB9uY9fsrgKXpDbCr22FueuDwZQUjqpu7aismNaMUACTNMxt6Rl3BMRGl-dT5iXKzDvP6dFqw9Ft9Bwg/s320/14-2013_09_26_152.JPG" title="Assembling Freddy Krueger Worbla glove " width="320" /></a></div>
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As a finishing touch, I added a few more dark smudges on the Worbla pieces as well as the leather
glove. </div>
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Last step: I asked Mike to do a final fitting, and yes, it works!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKK37u1Xr8zL2lXc637pDzZFoovJdA0qL1OHWVHDsuZdxhPx38b-V8k6yn2dthmntfSiU5380ExMa6mRIjNe9C_K0iy2X4JjPiGJ1bJICrjNYGeQDkoEe0geKXmjxvkd6eIQQR2g/s1600/15-2013_09_26_169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Finished Freddy Krueger Worbla glove" border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKK37u1Xr8zL2lXc637pDzZFoovJdA0qL1OHWVHDsuZdxhPx38b-V8k6yn2dthmntfSiU5380ExMa6mRIjNe9C_K0iy2X4JjPiGJ1bJICrjNYGeQDkoEe0geKXmjxvkd6eIQQR2g/s320/15-2013_09_26_169.JPG" title="Finished Freddy Krueger Worbla glove" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipr0sPKLeVf2GkKrwvrwdadfUNrIaKc3DHVC-hIHb78I1tr4FtFhyX0i_DtI1cGyyeDg0XQ8QF0CeS1rEGfo8u2YNbd910_7mFmCVtpVoKZWFQ0vLwgmBn8WuFzilyvD1B15d0Yg/s1600/16-2013_09_26_180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Finished Freddy Krueger Worbla glove" border="0" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipr0sPKLeVf2GkKrwvrwdadfUNrIaKc3DHVC-hIHb78I1tr4FtFhyX0i_DtI1cGyyeDg0XQ8QF0CeS1rEGfo8u2YNbd910_7mFmCVtpVoKZWFQ0vLwgmBn8WuFzilyvD1B15d0Yg/s320/16-2013_09_26_180.jpg" title="Finished Freddy Krueger Worbla glove" width="320" /></a></div>
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Someone suggested that I add scratches and scuff marks, and make the leather glove scruffier to make it look more realistically worn and weathered. Will do!<br />
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We’re just about ready for Halloween! Next up, the Freddy Krueger sweater.<o:p></o:p></div>
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</script></div>rubyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02693760545915842278noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24927704.post-13263638716843551102013-09-06T21:33:00.002-05:002013-09-07T20:02:10.035-05:00The Hobbit: Thorin Oakenshield Boot Caps<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Another <a href="http://learn-something-new.blogspot.com/2012/12/hobbit-costume-tutorial-finished-thorin.html" target="_blank">Thorin Oakenshield costume</a> accessory I determined I could also
do was his boot caps. Fortunately, there’s a good image of them available
online.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi05asCt0UYbSO5QVoPRIUXh-CxR3oS-gauq_s2G5ouleokr7sIYgxrrEmIACBc5trZaOiL_zvFRrxCIAsAlehc2u-Cuqelcy_sSRSDbP-Hi0bta6KsxMKKRNRK_VzzUA2jWgqABA/s1600/01-thorin-alone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Thorin Oakenshield boot caps from promotional photos" border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi05asCt0UYbSO5QVoPRIUXh-CxR3oS-gauq_s2G5ouleokr7sIYgxrrEmIACBc5trZaOiL_zvFRrxCIAsAlehc2u-Cuqelcy_sSRSDbP-Hi0bta6KsxMKKRNRK_VzzUA2jWgqABA/s320/01-thorin-alone.jpg" title="Thorin Oakenshield boot caps from promotional photos" width="320" /></a></div>
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Because I would again be making these accessories for <a href="https://www.facebook.com/onealtr" target="_blank">Oneal</a>, who’s
several thousand miles away, I asked him to take comprehensive measurements of his boots to where the
caps would attach. He was quick to illustrate his numbers.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnpOJxggrgz_xXvA1rI6bcfq-sEZM2NGzGadWqp1rzrGhDymqT4rjDcqfSNAn_WDGY5c9HV1Xvc_FTNQ94t_XGsoLob1-HJ684a-IY9yXVLf5598J5cMAmO7N01yPR5JrJp6jOwQ/s1600/02-2013_08_27_727-a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Thorin Oakenshield boot caps measurements" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnpOJxggrgz_xXvA1rI6bcfq-sEZM2NGzGadWqp1rzrGhDymqT4rjDcqfSNAn_WDGY5c9HV1Xvc_FTNQ94t_XGsoLob1-HJ684a-IY9yXVLf5598J5cMAmO7N01yPR5JrJp6jOwQ/s320/02-2013_08_27_727-a.jpg" title="Thorin Oakenshield boot caps measurements" width="253" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz8zfHxGvDludWNmUH2Q0u-GrML11nnF_-wwhs1RWBcBXE0xNXbJgSLd0EUijaQ0c9Lapvm09251-j2vkPaOdZS8bDYz9b-1biucA5k8JrFpUjTtkrb1LhtyqLwHq05uL3aeb2OQ/s1600/03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Thorin Oakenshield boot caps measurements" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz8zfHxGvDludWNmUH2Q0u-GrML11nnF_-wwhs1RWBcBXE0xNXbJgSLd0EUijaQ0c9Lapvm09251-j2vkPaOdZS8bDYz9b-1biucA5k8JrFpUjTtkrb1LhtyqLwHq05uL3aeb2OQ/s320/03.jpg" title="Thorin Oakenshield boot caps measurements" width="320" /></a></div>
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Based on Oneal’s measurements, I came up with a paper pattern of what I
figured would be the best way to execute the angular forms of the toe tips.
There would be a two-section top panel, and a four-section side-to-side panel with tabs
to glue the top panel on.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgER_anCDZ7M4hGC3H6CpaR3mj2hkKTNicl_j_PJDGiUYHoYhjMg_pNvTrFCxULv2AfkI2HFd55VA88m_vPq5pJv6ny9a99Juup4XI-DmVirBj3m5AkdQoNQnu-PVevIPKBE7VLvg/s1600/04-2013_09_02_869.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Thorin Oakenshield boot caps cardboard and foam" border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgER_anCDZ7M4hGC3H6CpaR3mj2hkKTNicl_j_PJDGiUYHoYhjMg_pNvTrFCxULv2AfkI2HFd55VA88m_vPq5pJv6ny9a99Juup4XI-DmVirBj3m5AkdQoNQnu-PVevIPKBE7VLvg/s320/04-2013_09_02_869.JPG" title="Thorin Oakenshield boot caps cardboard and foam" width="320" /></a></div>
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The caps would be made out of a type of cardboard called chipboard – the
kind used as backing for sketch pads. I’ll cut the dwarven designs from craft
foam, glue them onto the chipboard, and paint the caps to look just like in the
movie. It was relatively straightforward.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWslyRJwuO9fXngon9jSTkH-24ntu1vg7kBVj7_DqXj2bhyphenhyphenuJDrrnF8Ofmha4A_2uleeIKIAB7X_rUZuTXM30AyxLSUkOFtw_3yqoHeYBPx3cN-tHQA3OdoPA3zWCa17i3SHyzgA/s1600/05-2013_09_02_876.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Thorin Oakenshield boot caps cardboard and foam" border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWslyRJwuO9fXngon9jSTkH-24ntu1vg7kBVj7_DqXj2bhyphenhyphenuJDrrnF8Ofmha4A_2uleeIKIAB7X_rUZuTXM30AyxLSUkOFtw_3yqoHeYBPx3cN-tHQA3OdoPA3zWCa17i3SHyzgA/s320/05-2013_09_02_876.JPG" title="Thorin Oakenshield boot caps cardboard and foam" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQpK8e4SHfpkNz52EDv1abaKoLU__jfv5YwEpZS-FgWS9pW5s2wvXt5nekHjG6uueJNyr9vHtjHrNEe29T8uMkC3YFNnXK-bd5VeLut3ZGqilOJx3GKQK9c8VU5xOEJkU5HEpppg/s1600/06-2013_09_03_880.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Thorin Oakenshield boot caps cardboard and foam" border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQpK8e4SHfpkNz52EDv1abaKoLU__jfv5YwEpZS-FgWS9pW5s2wvXt5nekHjG6uueJNyr9vHtjHrNEe29T8uMkC3YFNnXK-bd5VeLut3ZGqilOJx3GKQK9c8VU5xOEJkU5HEpppg/s320/06-2013_09_03_880.JPG" title="Thorin Oakenshield boot caps cardboard and foam" width="320" /></a></div>
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I added a tiny strip of foam along the outer edges and gave the chipboard a
base paint of light brown. Then I superglued the cutouts in place.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT2iRJuBBnGqWVUDJ_C6ZjlJpjhgVrjJV0BTVm1vCW4BRZofPrSLalclLGfyIF1voLczQf0AgJohewW4PaloJ353YtpnsQqa6XWnGd8fBu1XlKjithcbKXoYuxUiEKWInLER2ctw/s1600/07-2013_09_03_888.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Thorin Oakenshield boot caps cardboard and foam" border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT2iRJuBBnGqWVUDJ_C6ZjlJpjhgVrjJV0BTVm1vCW4BRZofPrSLalclLGfyIF1voLczQf0AgJohewW4PaloJ353YtpnsQqa6XWnGd8fBu1XlKjithcbKXoYuxUiEKWInLER2ctw/s320/07-2013_09_03_888.JPG" title="Thorin Oakenshield boot caps cardboard and foam" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8FsChyphenhyphenpbhyYR2L0HWdAHZM1qttsM1D8Dzbr8Voj5Rl7Glb-ujhpbDIrGX5fnNStMwXnzC_e_5jcgdCOUjIEOJoLCN5YcqlnLm4lt9Vxcni1-wVFs7Yzpds7EXRTbpphlSGZvvkw/s1600/08-2013_09_03_891.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Thorin Oakenshield boot caps cardboard and foam" border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8FsChyphenhyphenpbhyYR2L0HWdAHZM1qttsM1D8Dzbr8Voj5Rl7Glb-ujhpbDIrGX5fnNStMwXnzC_e_5jcgdCOUjIEOJoLCN5YcqlnLm4lt9Vxcni1-wVFs7Yzpds7EXRTbpphlSGZvvkw/s320/08-2013_09_03_891.JPG" title="Thorin Oakenshield boot caps cardboard and foam" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is how the caps looked on my husband’s biker boots (two sizes bigger
than Oneal’s) before the painting phase. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieDV7-jW8ODcHzUjTLkC4tXNU0eCiDeHirnEKzgBsPdo5h3KsF_5BwBlrBtwr5cqlLX7wZqtNwezZoB6w4i0LGsnSccrqElw-lIg5pFGv5msH6WcaOH6BofPOMLxK_4QYW7UG2Pw/s1600/09-2013_09_03_897.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Thorin Oakenshield boot caps cardboard and foam" border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieDV7-jW8ODcHzUjTLkC4tXNU0eCiDeHirnEKzgBsPdo5h3KsF_5BwBlrBtwr5cqlLX7wZqtNwezZoB6w4i0LGsnSccrqElw-lIg5pFGv5msH6WcaOH6BofPOMLxK_4QYW7UG2Pw/s320/09-2013_09_03_897.JPG" title="Thorin Oakenshield boot caps cardboard and foam" width="320" /></a></div>
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I used a combination of gold, silver, bronze, and black acrylic paints to give
the caps the semi-metallic weathered look.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHfI29X65eqWpE4LM9x-BAe-pZYo57e_pAN1806Jr7PpGOHYuoXH4wK1g-FnNVFrBt0vuNyyIRl0e2NjApL5oY9TD7FgsBETllz-1nfJAtoNgyMibXoONjleg7uFrR66qm0dGncA/s1600/10-2013_09_03_908.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Thorin Oakenshield boot caps cardboard and foam - painted" border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHfI29X65eqWpE4LM9x-BAe-pZYo57e_pAN1806Jr7PpGOHYuoXH4wK1g-FnNVFrBt0vuNyyIRl0e2NjApL5oY9TD7FgsBETllz-1nfJAtoNgyMibXoONjleg7uFrR66qm0dGncA/s320/10-2013_09_03_908.JPG" title="Thorin Oakenshield boot caps cardboard and foam - painted" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLdvea8vtzJbZjZ8Bt0DTB7vF5i1qZ6mkHvtuogelyCzl7uYreQNIh3jEaRfeLGVSFaaFKi4FDlpxcVX-yLaPUNR0WE-Om3EtCcHsdH4dMbI1Gl6IEoCfQ1oEziXsc0th_dQuXA/s1600/11-2013_09_03_910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Thorin Oakenshield boot caps cardboard and foam - painted" border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLdvea8vtzJbZjZ8Bt0DTB7vF5i1qZ6mkHvtuogelyCzl7uYreQNIh3jEaRfeLGVSFaaFKi4FDlpxcVX-yLaPUNR0WE-Om3EtCcHsdH4dMbI1Gl6IEoCfQ1oEziXsc0th_dQuXA/s320/11-2013_09_03_910.JPG" title="Thorin Oakenshield boot caps cardboard and foam - painted" width="320" /></a></div>
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Not bad. I’m a little uncomfortable though, at how the caps look a little too
shiny compared to the movie version. I told Oneal to maybe add another layer of
matte brown and some more weathering (maybe beat them up some) to make them not
look like they came from Lord Elrond.<o:p></o:p></div>
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</script></div>rubyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02693760545915842278noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24927704.post-54597058922328006802013-09-04T21:37:00.000-05:002015-05-01T00:34:54.193-05:00The Hobbit: Thorin Oakenshield Belt Buckle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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It only made sense that after building <a href="http://learn-something-new.blogspot.com/2012/12/hobbit-costume-tutorial-finished-thorin.html" target="_blank">Thorin’s armor vest</a> for <a href="https://www.facebook.com/onealtr" target="_blank">Oneal</a>, as
well as the scales that decorated his massive belt, I should also make the belt
buckle. It shouldn’t be difficult. Or so I thought.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY-LJjupz2LyXeJ3Mlt6_ulm_SiZrzvf-NxD11JWd6LFjPNNBIqX8Cbvpyf46behv-EpifHol4-zr6cuQkkSo8prlnNA0Q6JYOikYxcQGdbru1OE3AX9iV1Db9PI3od13RDf6TyA/s1600/01-thorin-alone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Thorin buckle photo from The Hobbit" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY-LJjupz2LyXeJ3Mlt6_ulm_SiZrzvf-NxD11JWd6LFjPNNBIqX8Cbvpyf46behv-EpifHol4-zr6cuQkkSo8prlnNA0Q6JYOikYxcQGdbru1OE3AX9iV1Db9PI3od13RDf6TyA/s1600/01-thorin-alone.jpg" title="Thorin buckle photo from The Hobbit" /></a></div>
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Because I used <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=polymer%20clay&linkCode=ur2&rh=n%3A2617941011%2Ck%3Apolymer%20clay&tag=simplejoys&url=search-alias%3Darts-crafts&linkId=FGPJKXE4UNT3XP24" target="_blank">polymer clay</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=simplejoys&l=ur2&o=1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> in building the scale mail, I decided to also use clay in building the buckle. Just make it look like metal, just like the
scales.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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So, I asked Oneal (from halfway across the planet), to give me the
width of his belt, which would be the basis for my design dimensions for the
buckle. And this is what I came up with.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0iZOH64wnyvShhkwNoSkcb5CKeZ2ZBwGM51TRj6EXUW3wdHcUDajUnUFi_9nvl71TVYlQF6vFDAupD4CFi7Sy72pURBzjTNgEWl3yrjmDodPTW_juLT87BJbm2jIjwnUqMnOOFQ/s1600/02-2013_08_27_728.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Thorin buckle design sketch." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0iZOH64wnyvShhkwNoSkcb5CKeZ2ZBwGM51TRj6EXUW3wdHcUDajUnUFi_9nvl71TVYlQF6vFDAupD4CFi7Sy72pURBzjTNgEWl3yrjmDodPTW_juLT87BJbm2jIjwnUqMnOOFQ/s320/02-2013_08_27_728.JPG" height="228" title="Thorin buckle design sketch." width="320" /></a></div>
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Following the design, I formed and cut my metallic silver clay. It was
looking good but I had a tough time keeping the clay’s sharp corners. Every
time I add something, my fingers nudge what’s already in place and I have to go
back and do damage control.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9G6HbjpgdjTFsvEklNUqdRGjDnZ9Nhop_U_L0OaZ09z8oIllqQiODr7hWzpeOr7zhwhhD_jamNQE6y-bJjhoiDQqHVpxHYj4oAVP3fb_TFyB1MAmdJ-Wqa365F_DhbXbVrKIlJQ/s1600/03-2013_08_27_730.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Thorin buckle - polymer clay" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9G6HbjpgdjTFsvEklNUqdRGjDnZ9Nhop_U_L0OaZ09z8oIllqQiODr7hWzpeOr7zhwhhD_jamNQE6y-bJjhoiDQqHVpxHYj4oAVP3fb_TFyB1MAmdJ-Wqa365F_DhbXbVrKIlJQ/s320/03-2013_08_27_730.JPG" height="228" title="Thorin buckle - polymer clay" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0pO22KPBsrBuVDQtA1QjdvMsFluMb53PceQLhj9eTuSZlhHqqr3KTuWQqgTosAVkJ1Cz_DPJ4ZckkBmCAdJlmpkKyrtGpg62pEOO0KmG8x7XD4McXY_8zwX6IkSHK668Z-Lx4tQ/s1600/04-2013_08_27_731.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Thorin buckle - polymer clay" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0pO22KPBsrBuVDQtA1QjdvMsFluMb53PceQLhj9eTuSZlhHqqr3KTuWQqgTosAVkJ1Cz_DPJ4ZckkBmCAdJlmpkKyrtGpg62pEOO0KmG8x7XD4McXY_8zwX6IkSHK668Z-Lx4tQ/s320/04-2013_08_27_731.JPG" height="228" title="Thorin buckle - polymer clay" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLHJ2nZTk0WpjlnoPDbYqZLhRUR2-piFGdEmP0K2mKtTBZI67iRMS7rvtHi5ANfJlw3QS4Lb06JkirwximnXplSZL9ZvR3-sivIw_8Sx_eHw9Sj5RWVEVM5ImM9A85pKuFPZZpSA/s1600/05-2013_08_27_733.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Thorin buckle - polymer clay" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLHJ2nZTk0WpjlnoPDbYqZLhRUR2-piFGdEmP0K2mKtTBZI67iRMS7rvtHi5ANfJlw3QS4Lb06JkirwximnXplSZL9ZvR3-sivIw_8Sx_eHw9Sj5RWVEVM5ImM9A85pKuFPZZpSA/s320/05-2013_08_27_733.JPG" height="228" title="Thorin buckle - polymer clay" width="320" /></a></div>
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Then I tried to make the clay surface look rough by texturing with a
crochet doily. It worked to some extent.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEN3-lGCzzOyyHzxBAWZ42jbLL6bBt3aqo4YfvDzP-U4YvH5TjCGgHmJo2NzrHN-IFeFUWYHUErqjGx2jQlDv-Cx80Pcxyb0lZ5fHoMIgd99aF3dh1kvRs71pPc2iLWsXD7cF3kQ/s1600/06-2013_08_27_736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Thorin buckle - polymer clay" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEN3-lGCzzOyyHzxBAWZ42jbLL6bBt3aqo4YfvDzP-U4YvH5TjCGgHmJo2NzrHN-IFeFUWYHUErqjGx2jQlDv-Cx80Pcxyb0lZ5fHoMIgd99aF3dh1kvRs71pPc2iLWsXD7cF3kQ/s320/06-2013_08_27_736.JPG" height="228" title="Thorin buckle - polymer clay" width="320" /></a></div>
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I guess I was too excited to put the whole thing together, including
the jewels, that it was only after I had baked the clay that I noticed that the
entire thing was off-kilter. The angles were wrong, the depths were wrong,
everything was wrong! And crooked! And it was just horrendous! It looked like an Autobot emblem that melted
under the sun. I junked it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGNCXZcpK1t06dq3jiTpnrjh7mvkpFAn2j4Ru0vxozanfJJZD-ce7xY3kiaqEIzD2jSjVipLfnjynxGdamZTLBJ0G2sKeppJ8Q95e_vYPbKizPdwjjqUtY8EfUxhK8BMl1G2mZ0A/s1600/07-2013_08_28_786.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Thorin buckle - polymer clay *FAIL*" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGNCXZcpK1t06dq3jiTpnrjh7mvkpFAn2j4Ru0vxozanfJJZD-ce7xY3kiaqEIzD2jSjVipLfnjynxGdamZTLBJ0G2sKeppJ8Q95e_vYPbKizPdwjjqUtY8EfUxhK8BMl1G2mZ0A/s320/07-2013_08_28_786.jpg" height="228" title="Thorin buckle - polymer clay *FAIL*" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOL2PSdZs2wHc6C9ittBIFUfkI0QrNOwbKwNWod_4yIQSEn5bgrinLSqIKhS14vUoQlg4PGETRI0BUfyZaaAXx4hmlphYz5YVCN5ODy7CbDX_ijjFExjYroeDnS3QfFmvSOqTnQw/s1600/08-2013_09_02_858.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Thorin buckle - polymer clay *FAIL*" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOL2PSdZs2wHc6C9ittBIFUfkI0QrNOwbKwNWod_4yIQSEn5bgrinLSqIKhS14vUoQlg4PGETRI0BUfyZaaAXx4hmlphYz5YVCN5ODy7CbDX_ijjFExjYroeDnS3QfFmvSOqTnQw/s320/08-2013_09_02_858.JPG" height="228" title="Thorin buckle - polymer clay *FAIL*" width="320" /></a></div>
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Not to be discouraged, I thought of using a different medium. The clay
was just too malleable. I needed a medium that keeps its shape. Cork!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2wYhIk7-j2OH5t9FsCm2Prdfd3RYU6h5IxdSM5_Y_x5chKiZLGZCbsbe4E_geqxoRB0e-bn86vnywk9Tlb2kD4k-as8Ir9f4Zz02vsqlWYDs0dVWrQFQsT_HL9c3YPBtB9UK7eA/s1600/09-2013_08_30_839.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Thorin buckle - cork" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2wYhIk7-j2OH5t9FsCm2Prdfd3RYU6h5IxdSM5_Y_x5chKiZLGZCbsbe4E_geqxoRB0e-bn86vnywk9Tlb2kD4k-as8Ir9f4Zz02vsqlWYDs0dVWrQFQsT_HL9c3YPBtB9UK7eA/s320/09-2013_08_30_839.JPG" height="228" title="Thorin buckle - cork" width="320" /></a></div>
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I adjusted the design a little bit, incorporated the backing, and used
a 45-degree cutter (tool for picture frame matting) to make the sharp-edged
shapes in the center of the buckle. It took a bit of practice (and a lot of
cork) to perfect the triangular-edge forms. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaBdcEsHqP4ElannLNPepSK-Ue7b0NTa3SBA2M3j0_D1RJTHJj02puYFYi1Jr-cnuL0qPu8iRV8TunpZ_wCA9bin2IBI3a3iMwBPeMhN36bsHbmffX-SHyL6dQhxb5eB2zG3utoQ/s1600/10-2013_08_30_842.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Thorin buckle - cork" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaBdcEsHqP4ElannLNPepSK-Ue7b0NTa3SBA2M3j0_D1RJTHJj02puYFYi1Jr-cnuL0qPu8iRV8TunpZ_wCA9bin2IBI3a3iMwBPeMhN36bsHbmffX-SHyL6dQhxb5eB2zG3utoQ/s320/10-2013_08_30_842.JPG" height="228" title="Thorin buckle - cork" width="320" /></a></div>
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Next, the jewels. I didn’t like how the clay ones came out -- even after I tried to make
them shine with a couple of coats of Mod Podge.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuCse0DvzGDkh8u76-3AbIDmkho3-vhiRseiJNIuL1qBROwXI4LPkNfq9Zbxg6QTX4sjQsN8SyJXz0hYaY78quBNzXKm-U6BhXQ0kNM2Yjnmx0pQUU-FFD-AdCB6jT48QR-XVKSQ/s1600/11-2013_08_31_857.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Thorin buckle - cork" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuCse0DvzGDkh8u76-3AbIDmkho3-vhiRseiJNIuL1qBROwXI4LPkNfq9Zbxg6QTX4sjQsN8SyJXz0hYaY78quBNzXKm-U6BhXQ0kNM2Yjnmx0pQUU-FFD-AdCB6jT48QR-XVKSQ/s320/11-2013_08_31_857.JPG" height="228" title="Thorin buckle - cork" width="320" /></a></div>
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It was time to employ my resin casting skills! I cut the jewel shapes
on hard (black) foam, then I pressed each one on a silicone mold. When the mold
cured, I poured some resin, which I tried to color with blue food color. The
food color didn’t blend well with the resin because there are tiny blue spots
in the cast, but it turned blue enough to pass for Thorin's buckle's precious jewels (you won’t
see the spots unless you look really close).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr0TNB2yRPiiTO8X61VxtECeo8XBElfWIcD0KkKGH_ISKs79rVfeoKFx3zJ9qJEKNo0llmv3u4QQaZYKknqY_4sHkm0Kg9Fa00V9vAs2vm1zJVh6QJOE1s9lWSB5BTdCL2yuze1Q/s1600/12-2013_09_02_863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Thorin buckle - resin jewels" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr0TNB2yRPiiTO8X61VxtECeo8XBElfWIcD0KkKGH_ISKs79rVfeoKFx3zJ9qJEKNo0llmv3u4QQaZYKknqY_4sHkm0Kg9Fa00V9vAs2vm1zJVh6QJOE1s9lWSB5BTdCL2yuze1Q/s320/12-2013_09_02_863.JPG" height="228" title="Thorin buckle - resin jewels" width="320" /></a></div>
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My next challenge was to design a way for Oneal to attach the buckle to
the belt that he has out there, twelve time zones away. I thought of suggesting superglue (he won’t really have to remove the
buckle from the belt, right?). But what if he wants to change the buckle to one
that says “Elvis”? So I thought of just screwing an aluminum sheet plate to the
back of the cork buckle, with tabs that he can bend and fold around his belt for a
perfect fit. (Note that I had to insert/glue onto the cork a set of dowels to screw the plate on.)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJsy6z2T9bO1S0Fm1-vNqtfLe_NVulonfTMtMhtQwRltS6BvNOCRwkJb9JOfjlmCQt9WuVnImHPlSgVoFs4QBbp399gJdVavBEeWycKsQOa-MQ8cXW1ck_EvVnlIRGzQ9ZpDMMoQ/s1600/13-2013_09_02_860.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Thorin buckle - cork" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJsy6z2T9bO1S0Fm1-vNqtfLe_NVulonfTMtMhtQwRltS6BvNOCRwkJb9JOfjlmCQt9WuVnImHPlSgVoFs4QBbp399gJdVavBEeWycKsQOa-MQ8cXW1ck_EvVnlIRGzQ9ZpDMMoQ/s320/13-2013_09_02_860.JPG" height="228" title="Thorin buckle - cork" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwdd6QTaLEzAa1zs0eKHlxV6_hlCJIDCMxr19xGGFhf6p0v36m0n_tRX523tzV-jFAPo1oMnVMemqFErfH8kUnhv-uIRTQNQnVWvr2olwiRwvwBY_g0CEQw7ZL9XveYzY_AsnRnQ/s1600/14-2013_09_02_865.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Thorin buckle - cork" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwdd6QTaLEzAa1zs0eKHlxV6_hlCJIDCMxr19xGGFhf6p0v36m0n_tRX523tzV-jFAPo1oMnVMemqFErfH8kUnhv-uIRTQNQnVWvr2olwiRwvwBY_g0CEQw7ZL9XveYzY_AsnRnQ/s320/14-2013_09_02_865.JPG" height="228" title="Thorin buckle - cork" width="320" /></a></div>
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Adding a few shades of metallic silver acrylic paint made the cork look
very close to the movie version Thorin buckle. Glue the jewels on and… done! Now doesn't that look so much better than my clay *fail* attempt? But hey, you never know
until you try.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN-HXCyJ12t1kzrZis5lWKLEkjjYK1qAevzJ9KBFoIS2kUcZMLjlcoXC5j4O7ivd85JX-dfZB9LFU53-7ki7TD6SqZClHMq3rd9i40l3x4spYzB7yf8bNyWGf89IZclb1fsGMayQ/s1600/15-2013_09_03_903.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Thorin Oakenshield Belt Buckle" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN-HXCyJ12t1kzrZis5lWKLEkjjYK1qAevzJ9KBFoIS2kUcZMLjlcoXC5j4O7ivd85JX-dfZB9LFU53-7ki7TD6SqZClHMq3rd9i40l3x4spYzB7yf8bNyWGf89IZclb1fsGMayQ/s320/15-2013_09_03_903.JPG" height="228" title="Thorin Oakenshield Belt Buckle" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhERPZcR0oKJh4joG719fs8JQIOV6sTIHzmxp40aiOpZBelE9HGdyZU4u2z1qw716Y_2kB4j-c8Sw53EHj7UDK5z3OjUZ9IrmRdB2UTez8voza5OvpT9eJCbvDmD8BZsPBVqZMt2A/s1600/16-2013_09_03_905-a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Thorin Oakenshield Belt Buckle" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhERPZcR0oKJh4joG719fs8JQIOV6sTIHzmxp40aiOpZBelE9HGdyZU4u2z1qw716Y_2kB4j-c8Sw53EHj7UDK5z3OjUZ9IrmRdB2UTez8voza5OvpT9eJCbvDmD8BZsPBVqZMt2A/s320/16-2013_09_03_905-a.jpg" height="284" title="Thorin Oakenshield Belt Buckle" width="320" /></a></div>
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Yes, I know, it's still not an exact match to the movie version, but I bet if I try a third time, I'll get it just right! </div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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</script></div>rubyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02693760545915842278noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24927704.post-61995086525651375362013-08-11T15:48:00.002-05:002014-06-30T19:32:26.227-05:00The Hobbit: Lord Elrond Costume: Summary<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH0esehPOgFFc4h718WSkW_NabdWzkrOXJzD0FgqAUBLE9LANQEJA7q8ibfblIE_un2wJF8-BwltwNk8O8tt2Jy2TwkxMOlcC4XFok8-d1sro-7ihHpgzLqtxwgTxFwBX-iGSVvg/s1600/elrond+stock+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lord Elrond Photo from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH0esehPOgFFc4h718WSkW_NabdWzkrOXJzD0FgqAUBLE9LANQEJA7q8ibfblIE_un2wJF8-BwltwNk8O8tt2Jy2TwkxMOlcC4XFok8-d1sro-7ihHpgzLqtxwgTxFwBX-iGSVvg/s320/elrond+stock+photo.jpg" height="320" title="Lord Elrond Photo from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" width="193" /></a></div>
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It took me 6.5 months to build the Lord Elrond costume from scratch. I
worked on the project sporadically though, mainly because I had other things to
do, but sometimes because I was stumped. While I tried hard to get the whole
project organized and planned out, there were times when I would suddenly
realize that something I initially thought would work wouldn’t. At that point,
I would do something totally different (like <a href="http://learn-something-new.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-hobbit-costume-projects-fili-vest.html" target="_blank">Fili's vest</a>) until a lightbulb of an idea would
come up.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Thankfully, I managed to make it all come together. On the
whole, I’m quite happy with how the costume turned out.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This page serves as the jumpoff point for the build pages of the
various elements of my Lord Elrond Costume. May you all be inspired.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5oTBgvyuPZvpyK29xRiOkteUAqceozuAeHI_T1DVxDT0ekFnQQ7IhVDBiKQm4RPHhLsz0f_wOKBdJ_y82Tz9mI2IiAc4Ah0okBBUJu5foHC1Cu8peXwv6iL_7FnN6JqZXHakmSg/s1600/elrond+costume+done-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lord Elrond Costume handcrafted by Ruby Bayan Llamas" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5oTBgvyuPZvpyK29xRiOkteUAqceozuAeHI_T1DVxDT0ekFnQQ7IhVDBiKQm4RPHhLsz0f_wOKBdJ_y82Tz9mI2IiAc4Ah0okBBUJu5foHC1Cu8peXwv6iL_7FnN6JqZXHakmSg/s320/elrond+costume+done-2.jpg" height="320" title="Lord Elrond Costume handcrafted by Ruby Bayan Llamas" width="174" /></a><b><a href="http://learn-something-new.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-hobbit-lord-elrond-costume-prep.html" target="_blank">Costume Preparations</a><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><a href="http://learn-something-new.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-hobbit-lord-elrond-costume-tunic.html" target="_blank">Tunic</a><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><a href="http://learn-something-new.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-hobbit-lord-elrond-costume-armor.html" target="_blank">Armor Vest</a><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><a href="http://learn-something-new.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-hobbit-lord-elrond-costume-vambrace.html" target="_blank">Vambrace</a><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><a href="http://learn-something-new.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-hobbit-lord-elrond-costume-pauldron.html" target="_blank">Pauldron</a><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><a href="http://learn-something-new.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-hobbit-lord-elrond-costume-hip-armor.html" target="_blank">Hip Armor</a><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><a href="http://learn-something-new.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-hobbit-lord-elrond-costume-chest.html" target="_blank">Chest Armor</a><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<a href="http://learn-something-new.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-hobbit-lord-elrond-costume-cape.html" target="_blank"><b>Cape</b></a><br />
<b><a href="http://learn-something-new.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-hobbit-lord-elrond-costume-boot.html" target="_blank">Boot Armor</a></b></div>
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<a href="http://learn-something-new.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-hobbit-lord-elrond-costume-final.html" target="_blank"><b>Costume Completion</b></a></div>
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<b><a href="http://learn-something-new.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-hobbit-lord-elrond-costume-circlet.html" target="_blank">Circlet</a><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<br />
<b><a href="http://learn-something-new.blogspot.com/2013/12/hobbit-costuming-for-desolation-of.html"><span style="color: #660000;">The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug Premiere Screening Dec 9, 2013</span></a></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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</script></div>rubyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02693760545915842278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24927704.post-57514214608596224392013-08-10T16:29:00.000-05:002013-08-11T17:17:02.479-05:00The Hobbit: Lord Elrond Costume: Final <div class="MsoNormal">
The final touches were attaching the stud covers to all the
bare studs on the vambrace and boots, spraying acrylic sealer to all the
surfaces covered by Mod Podge to seal in the tackiness of the gloss finish. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUWa-SI4sbwLkx1-uHt8wyP1qoHw1MvALIhy4ECtn9OqeoKxFVyZxTNGle7o2_CU0CaYlUs2-UPaxo3-VAePxhubKleL0Tyx8dTOZvKmy1n8mT4pXffMs9DVtW0g4rKCrX_ZOzUw/s1600/elrond-final-00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lord Elrond armor costume handmade by Ruby Bayan." border="0" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUWa-SI4sbwLkx1-uHt8wyP1qoHw1MvALIhy4ECtn9OqeoKxFVyZxTNGle7o2_CU0CaYlUs2-UPaxo3-VAePxhubKleL0Tyx8dTOZvKmy1n8mT4pXffMs9DVtW0g4rKCrX_ZOzUw/s320/elrond-final-00.jpg" title="Lord Elrond armor costume handmade by Ruby Bayan." width="320" /></a></div>
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Here’s the “Wearing Sequence” panel I created to show how to
wear the armor pieces in order.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCiSzaIULc11wgmIVjJ3eBJ7tE4tInahcHhOUAcSIu79D8uZtTpjKen_TA0r7c05Ln_MrvRUHVsf2ew1dh0gEIG4Kq4AWEf5iSy1eMAGo6vJeRkUnxonwsWV6jrhGztftfTfdeaQ/s1600/elrond-final-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lord Elrond armor costume panel handmade by Ruby Bayan." border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCiSzaIULc11wgmIVjJ3eBJ7tE4tInahcHhOUAcSIu79D8uZtTpjKen_TA0r7c05Ln_MrvRUHVsf2ew1dh0gEIG4Kq4AWEf5iSy1eMAGo6vJeRkUnxonwsWV6jrhGztftfTfdeaQ/s320/elrond-final-01.jpg" title="Lord Elrond armor costume panel handmade by Ruby Bayan." width="320" /></a></div>
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And here’s a shot of my favorite McDonald’s Minion, Dave,
who says, “Ba-nah-naaah”. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI9EN7Li17ZvNqp6GKGoY-srVCaVQJIjxpqBB5jBlvDPuY4E4vef6fq8Dw3R2sBsBCIMFdt0ZGzga3nCEYCjIKobnRBJl64YYGzYzhvgfNpGG_bonZkoGNaoBiyiCMCO_OA4-3bA/s1600/elrond-final-02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lord Elrond armor costume handmade by Ruby Bayan." border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI9EN7Li17ZvNqp6GKGoY-srVCaVQJIjxpqBB5jBlvDPuY4E4vef6fq8Dw3R2sBsBCIMFdt0ZGzga3nCEYCjIKobnRBJl64YYGzYzhvgfNpGG_bonZkoGNaoBiyiCMCO_OA4-3bA/s320/elrond-final-02.JPG" title="Lord Elrond armor costume handmade by Ruby Bayan." width="320" /></a></div>
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My showcase poster:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsApd-g54erDAHi88kGlS31o2K9PPTshgX6P2md-d3vY1QhyphenhyphenB0xto_Zu3IlYB7U6BkgGWF12K18O8wTNw7uQE-xbznV92xAQcqoBRpXXg1Rb0lKQFwv5I88VMZ2H1J8JSfE3QzHg/s1600/elrond-final-03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lord Elrond armor costume handmade by Ruby Bayan." border="0" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsApd-g54erDAHi88kGlS31o2K9PPTshgX6P2md-d3vY1QhyphenhyphenB0xto_Zu3IlYB7U6BkgGWF12K18O8wTNw7uQE-xbznV92xAQcqoBRpXXg1Rb0lKQFwv5I88VMZ2H1J8JSfE3QzHg/s320/elrond-final-03.jpg" title="Lord Elrond armor costume handmade by Ruby Bayan." width="320" /></a></div>
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… and my outdoor shot to show the natural color of the
armor. Also shows how hot I was, falling out of bed and into my
husband’s boots at 11 am -- I mean, literally hot -- it was 95F in the shade that August morning.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRdbvMp7Tz4TXAVuSWJkRE-9xEZ5KKLI96zU7TapYqb_5B77wrylvrEENyEw7OS_giDcSZXYsil_Z3b-3U1AZcT7MVNuw5_9B9FjME8c0ev5pVLZC8QqMKW0nPjyBUrm7H0d3eYQ/s1600/elrond-final-04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lord Elrond armor costume handmade by Ruby Bayan." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRdbvMp7Tz4TXAVuSWJkRE-9xEZ5KKLI96zU7TapYqb_5B77wrylvrEENyEw7OS_giDcSZXYsil_Z3b-3U1AZcT7MVNuw5_9B9FjME8c0ev5pVLZC8QqMKW0nPjyBUrm7H0d3eYQ/s320/elrond-final-04.jpg" title="Lord Elrond armor costume handmade by Ruby Bayan." width="228" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
[<span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://learn-something-new.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-hobbit-lord-elrond-costume-summary.html" target="_blank">Go back to Lord Elrond Costume Summary</a></span>]</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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The boot armor that I made is actually a cheat. On the stock
photo of Elrond, I couldn’t tell if the armor was actually overlapped bands
with silver edgings. For my purpose, I decided to just use a flat piece of
vinyl, backed with heat-curved foam, and accented with silver <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=polymer%20clay&linkCode=ur2&rh=n%3A2617941011%2Ck%3Apolymer%20clay&tag=simplejoys&url=search-alias%3Darts-crafts&linkId=FGPJKXE4UNT3XP24" target="_blank">polymer clay</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=simplejoys&l=ur2&o=1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> crisscrossed
stripes. Then I used loops (same system as the back of the vest), to wrap the
“armor” (more like a shield) onto the boot.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So that’s what I did.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7TUTRv_r55Yj3SzYeOlOBsK6-293HentwPsP2U310v_pOM8hOsHM_4_z3tP1H_0guKKwWAq82e6Oj-BII51Nw5seO31kb7cdkroxNJ1Xy9GDAescl7RONoMbR9S0lb0ST99UX3Q/s1600/boot-01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lord Elrond boot armor work in progress." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7TUTRv_r55Yj3SzYeOlOBsK6-293HentwPsP2U310v_pOM8hOsHM_4_z3tP1H_0guKKwWAq82e6Oj-BII51Nw5seO31kb7cdkroxNJ1Xy9GDAescl7RONoMbR9S0lb0ST99UX3Q/s320/boot-01.JPG" height="228" title="Lord Elrond boot armor work in progress." width="320" /></a></div>
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I punched holes where I would attach the loops for the back
laces, brushed on some Mod Podge, and attached Velcro to the bottom tabs to
anchor the armor to the sole of the boot. Easy as pie.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge5Kfktcr5mRDQI4RUjdqXaQnoUDSpgDAfA_jzNWow-6tzaoVDK271hfrWFLBz20hG6oepjBboWpdy8rgG_vucXkT7yIgdeuCse2oh_7AWMQ22Sj5EYmaImeZNRpoXtwSflAqAHg/s1600/boot-02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lord Elrond boot armor work in progress." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge5Kfktcr5mRDQI4RUjdqXaQnoUDSpgDAfA_jzNWow-6tzaoVDK271hfrWFLBz20hG6oepjBboWpdy8rgG_vucXkT7yIgdeuCse2oh_7AWMQ22Sj5EYmaImeZNRpoXtwSflAqAHg/s320/boot-02.JPG" height="228" title="Lord Elrond boot armor work in progress." width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8O5tUGaoWSKouHcVt_RCSc4g8X0wuMeQC5qX0c6RAMf-bfccS0a3szXdgwH8aIOC25D2-ih8xNitHPg0pXBxdXQQkSc0BpAGgNi8rvBK-bR3AF0Z4Z_n33aBnqquMECCiYEKGWg/s1600/boot-03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lord Elrond boot armor work in progress." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8O5tUGaoWSKouHcVt_RCSc4g8X0wuMeQC5qX0c6RAMf-bfccS0a3szXdgwH8aIOC25D2-ih8xNitHPg0pXBxdXQQkSc0BpAGgNi8rvBK-bR3AF0Z4Z_n33aBnqquMECCiYEKGWg/s320/boot-03.jpg" height="226" title="Lord Elrond boot armor work in progress." width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9iLLTkGnbmFyNVW7lXDAJDpGd2l_h4qQr8EkeqkT7B5ZiWhILO64GWQjZnNogxPH7J8h74igkmylDcuL9Diprq9Delz0JLbiyqWNdM6vXakTzLsQ6Kh_69pNgr2TNuUEv3-5bLA/s1600/boot-04.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lord Elrond boot armor work in progress." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9iLLTkGnbmFyNVW7lXDAJDpGd2l_h4qQr8EkeqkT7B5ZiWhILO64GWQjZnNogxPH7J8h74igkmylDcuL9Diprq9Delz0JLbiyqWNdM6vXakTzLsQ6Kh_69pNgr2TNuUEv3-5bLA/s320/boot-04.JPG" height="213" title="Lord Elrond boot armor work in progress." width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm9X9aG1YJSfkqNVu1FDW_HuA4uZ9V0aAntbpvYOKQDJdabPgoPTNaVt6SGn8pzsFk0G2-nc9YNHHkTyYGQ6o9lEyw9QM0O-813QWwZYODhQG5dJUAOjtCZQOueHnC5jueebaRYQ/s1600/boot-05.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lord Elrond boot armor work in progress." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm9X9aG1YJSfkqNVu1FDW_HuA4uZ9V0aAntbpvYOKQDJdabPgoPTNaVt6SGn8pzsFk0G2-nc9YNHHkTyYGQ6o9lEyw9QM0O-813QWwZYODhQG5dJUAOjtCZQOueHnC5jueebaRYQ/s320/boot-05.JPG" height="228" title="Lord Elrond boot armor work in progress." width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpM7oWGijbfxFuAasWyKu2A-K5Y1PdEtlVOIn0vFKuMB1qoOD-B_CcdNMjSYcTm3w0WCSGJ1cMn_inT_dZB_h35kHe7yOszwfkWMcY-bUMhji3p1x0wMV1iP0Tx1mAo9viQcGWyA/s1600/boot-06.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lord Elrond boot armor work in progress." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpM7oWGijbfxFuAasWyKu2A-K5Y1PdEtlVOIn0vFKuMB1qoOD-B_CcdNMjSYcTm3w0WCSGJ1cMn_inT_dZB_h35kHe7yOszwfkWMcY-bUMhji3p1x0wMV1iP0Tx1mAo9viQcGWyA/s320/boot-06.JPG" height="213" title="Lord Elrond boot armor work in progress." width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDKmolXKVSRRiqf5S3JSLGVLJlIO6O_mREjz2DWljZVPErcE3jdJ37gzfbEsRmI_AxNw0b1Gq9oelG1XGaJ1p-mvKvSLpWcI-hkGVIu2f_kSJEO33-OEt5-R-vxGjBfjLH85bv7g/s1600/boot-07.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lord Elrond boot armor work in progress." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDKmolXKVSRRiqf5S3JSLGVLJlIO6O_mREjz2DWljZVPErcE3jdJ37gzfbEsRmI_AxNw0b1Gq9oelG1XGaJ1p-mvKvSLpWcI-hkGVIu2f_kSJEO33-OEt5-R-vxGjBfjLH85bv7g/s320/boot-07.JPG" height="213" title="Lord Elrond boot armor work in progress." width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj32qhnsy65SwDtFiedSO-vYx2U6Z8ri7rjFtonEYgsYDe9Cm7Wn9Q0Ey_rMpcl8w0ENQFhoRd-DctiGH5ZLgwbbIGA8Q3V1uQh7Lz2Z7SDqaIW3Yq8YzXlM3vMdoD5mS0ja1MCg/s1600/boot-08.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lord Elrond boot armor work in progress." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj32qhnsy65SwDtFiedSO-vYx2U6Z8ri7rjFtonEYgsYDe9Cm7Wn9Q0Ey_rMpcl8w0ENQFhoRd-DctiGH5ZLgwbbIGA8Q3V1uQh7Lz2Z7SDqaIW3Yq8YzXlM3vMdoD5mS0ja1MCg/s320/boot-08.JPG" height="228" title="Lord Elrond boot armor work in progress." width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><a href="http://learn-something-new.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-hobbit-lord-elrond-costume-summary.html" target="_blank">Go back to Lord Elrond Costume Summary</a></span>]</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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What’s a Lord without a cape? This particular elven lord
wears a royal-red one what flows sleekly with every stride. I found a bright
maroon microsuede fabric at JoAnn’s on sale. Three yards was more than enough
for my son’s height. The pattern was
easy, just a straight cut with a slit for both arms.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My challenge was how to make it sit on the shoulders
squarely and still lie flat behind the neck no matter how tightly the armor
vest is worn. My solution was a garter/elastic strip along the back of the
neck, and snaps to attach the cape to the shoulders of the vest. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I had to hand-sew the gather on each shoulder and use hot
glue to attach the vinyl strip that would have half of the snap. I attached the
other half of the snap onto the shoulder of the vest.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
My mistake was I didn’t look to see if I had a brown elastic
band, which I had. It would’ve been less obvious than the white one I used (and I was too tired to re-do it).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqPAloL7hHxE8NZ6J5SxzqcVVdUrU3k0_8lq0mK6aMvpFyFvCATiPTnxciv1sTC5Z4KKjM5uFWsnxnCn9g8v4Cb78SPT3eDLMTrkhKPbB1JgRTpSpdRDendvtCFBooe5lOEhTJbA/s1600/cape-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lord Elrond cape with elastic and snaps." border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqPAloL7hHxE8NZ6J5SxzqcVVdUrU3k0_8lq0mK6aMvpFyFvCATiPTnxciv1sTC5Z4KKjM5uFWsnxnCn9g8v4Cb78SPT3eDLMTrkhKPbB1JgRTpSpdRDendvtCFBooe5lOEhTJbA/s320/cape-01.jpg" title="Lord Elrond cape with elastic and snaps." width="320" /></a></div>
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Here’s a photo of the snap solution.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggHtSCKTd5lIjdSg0ojZORsdaOhAr5GItoVuDnPjtQ_RIWzUw6ochItGuY5nfIggH2S1vGxeUeSHNH_VTljioaMd5lQ97wlxDv_hxX5eyq97sq2lZYGICGSn8QiY1Sr_oWCq8pyg/s1600/cape-02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lord Elrond cape with elastic and snaps." border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggHtSCKTd5lIjdSg0ojZORsdaOhAr5GItoVuDnPjtQ_RIWzUw6ochItGuY5nfIggH2S1vGxeUeSHNH_VTljioaMd5lQ97wlxDv_hxX5eyq97sq2lZYGICGSn8QiY1Sr_oWCq8pyg/s320/cape-02.jpg" title="Lord Elrond cape with elastic and snaps." width="320" /></a></div>
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I made a couple of medallions using polymer clay. I pressed
the raw clay on a round metal pendant that had swirlies. After baking, I
painted it with silver, then bronze acrylic. I superglued the brooch pin
hardware to the underside so that I could attach it to the cape. Later on, I made the medallions
shiny with Mod Podge.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9jY2Qg5Jc2xSyxonwKJ_DBQ9-0a1OUJQ1tE3cSafUDF9qqL8x4MFqO9NhVWNVFPYzF0e9-kAamWah2OYuaGpZP37rGNArThdmfhj5otML14_Poa-oP31sEHdsYAxo-4U4EirMOQ/s1600/cape-03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lord Elrond cape completed." border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9jY2Qg5Jc2xSyxonwKJ_DBQ9-0a1OUJQ1tE3cSafUDF9qqL8x4MFqO9NhVWNVFPYzF0e9-kAamWah2OYuaGpZP37rGNArThdmfhj5otML14_Poa-oP31sEHdsYAxo-4U4EirMOQ/s320/cape-03.jpg" title="Lord Elrond cape completed." width="320" /></a></div>
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And this is the finished cape on the dress form. It works!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcCkhfBebNnaa3o7r3s5txH14u6sVryuB2Vl2wGZiHzwaDbKUBd5YPyXTgvZZ8ZS_jcIPJEHG71TAEOz98-xiO-gg81Da5gcp0VjWizlNUI1WNQJSFePHYdJD-if92MGQiBxAjeg/s1600/cape-04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lord Elrond cape completed." border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcCkhfBebNnaa3o7r3s5txH14u6sVryuB2Vl2wGZiHzwaDbKUBd5YPyXTgvZZ8ZS_jcIPJEHG71TAEOz98-xiO-gg81Da5gcp0VjWizlNUI1WNQJSFePHYdJD-if92MGQiBxAjeg/s320/cape-04.jpg" title="Lord Elrond cape completed." width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0y85nMv2mPqfsVYXQdWit0IW3O0QR999WmvDcp_Anjz80Co-kHZyyJ64A8PhkREn7PapMS2u2RlG6eN_QZxiLAFJg1uLt0VD5eKYpDg4GE2vwlsYQ2Y4wQX_OtbpS_zwwN-3wsw/s1600/cape-05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lord Elrond cape completed." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0y85nMv2mPqfsVYXQdWit0IW3O0QR999WmvDcp_Anjz80Co-kHZyyJ64A8PhkREn7PapMS2u2RlG6eN_QZxiLAFJg1uLt0VD5eKYpDg4GE2vwlsYQ2Y4wQX_OtbpS_zwwN-3wsw/s320/cape-05.jpg" title="Lord Elrond cape completed." width="202" /></a></div>
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<br />
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[<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><a href="http://learn-something-new.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-hobbit-lord-elrond-costume-summary.html" target="_blank">Go back to Lord Elrond Costume Summary</a></span>]<o:p></o:p></div>
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The chest armor, which is the highlight of the costume, was
actually the biggest challenge for me. It took me a long while to adjust the
lames to fit the measurements of my son. I stared at the Elrond photo for
hours, trying to figure out how to make the lames look that way.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I was just glad I had the time, and the craft paper, to do
so many revisions and adjustments to make it right. Until finally, I got it
right. Almost.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmUnhR1uAkpXTublDR9gzLqgAqweCTZRWCanVSP20x_wqmtDv01tbkNSfQhhu0yll5G7ntOQr6mxugm6gbUChGsnRo8tncdZiUTZzk5MWeLqFtLrWYPu0f64Czh8g_dDqZbXROaQ/s1600/chest-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lord Elrond chest armor pattern work in progress." border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmUnhR1uAkpXTublDR9gzLqgAqweCTZRWCanVSP20x_wqmtDv01tbkNSfQhhu0yll5G7ntOQr6mxugm6gbUChGsnRo8tncdZiUTZzk5MWeLqFtLrWYPu0f64Czh8g_dDqZbXROaQ/s320/chest-01.jpg" title="Lord Elrond chest armor pattern work in progress." width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYAQKth2jcAU7V-USi9TbZ3ME9CiuqeYBEvcHWK6Cu5iol0SzyEvz3-mTQVRTm6U-tgGIS1ZlAfCs5OWUxoYAk1CWq2Oyrd2n2dIfv1A6JEmVs3rlaJvgmBBRQD7EHMBnjLcnYXA/s1600/chest-02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lord Elrond chest armor pattern work in progress." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYAQKth2jcAU7V-USi9TbZ3ME9CiuqeYBEvcHWK6Cu5iol0SzyEvz3-mTQVRTm6U-tgGIS1ZlAfCs5OWUxoYAk1CWq2Oyrd2n2dIfv1A6JEmVs3rlaJvgmBBRQD7EHMBnjLcnYXA/s320/chest-02.jpg" title="Lord Elrond chest armor pattern work in progress." width="228" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHSrMfyb_PcRhyphenhyphennBeScOjFEYIzVYyTvwbJum2MxkGFhIOg0AiwhE37c6sPk9J9Dkj3dnVVpXNzfZXplaImYZhfCoq59HDwfstQPbfnimKXmJzqGZjMNk3lor66nlbIiZv-tC3ZgA/s1600/chest-03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lord Elrond chest armor pattern work in progress." border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHSrMfyb_PcRhyphenhyphennBeScOjFEYIzVYyTvwbJum2MxkGFhIOg0AiwhE37c6sPk9J9Dkj3dnVVpXNzfZXplaImYZhfCoq59HDwfstQPbfnimKXmJzqGZjMNk3lor66nlbIiZv-tC3ZgA/s320/chest-03.jpg" title="Lord Elrond chest armor pattern work in progress." width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Notice that my original paper pattern had seven lames on
each side. At the last minute, I decided to have only six because my son does
not share the 6’4” height of Hugo Weaving. When I took out the bottom lame, the
chest armor actually looked better.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, I taped the final lame patterns to the vest and drew all
the overlap lines. Then I punched the holes through the patterns and the vest,
where the actual studs would be.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc_iTe5IM9dJmhxENZkR0yMTzvCHYikVraddeimTNVcjjIRhsFo3tPVxYyYD7ecQLSr-n3mHo6yWdCMG99cHvRfyeoMCB_UaAdZ428FU5kba-HOq3DQRPb7IGoNA9WLkZWfOIxbw/s1600/chest-04.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lord Elrond chest armor pattern work in progress." border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc_iTe5IM9dJmhxENZkR0yMTzvCHYikVraddeimTNVcjjIRhsFo3tPVxYyYD7ecQLSr-n3mHo6yWdCMG99cHvRfyeoMCB_UaAdZ428FU5kba-HOq3DQRPb7IGoNA9WLkZWfOIxbw/s320/chest-04.JPG" title="Lord Elrond chest armor pattern work in progress." width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipkNfQm4XbZ639l4-ksEcrGccNChs3zTG5dX6mb1wX3RAtbGxY1C5a9_R0d5GxPKnG8wEB8IHsq6-NfiMvLMR0HvSXbdzVl7p36ajPQGC2YAMN6__1AC6pjaniTbsX08PZRQjc5w/s1600/chest-05.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lord Elrond chest armor vest ready." border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipkNfQm4XbZ639l4-ksEcrGccNChs3zTG5dX6mb1wX3RAtbGxY1C5a9_R0d5GxPKnG8wEB8IHsq6-NfiMvLMR0HvSXbdzVl7p36ajPQGC2YAMN6__1AC6pjaniTbsX08PZRQjc5w/s320/chest-05.JPG" title="Lord Elrond chest armor vest ready." width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then I traced the pattern onto the vinyl, cut the vinyl,
prepared the clay, attached the trim, and glossed with Mod Podge -- same
procedure as the vambrace, pauldron, and hip armor. Drawing the overlap lines
on the chest pattern helped in positioning the clay swirl pieces on the final
vinyl bands. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5pRqx2mpNEDaxx-LE41h-dr_VsME1n11HiOFYMrJP0oXAMentu-fknsHE4iAbh_i9Hwvuv4KRQ5RpRgN6_VV3MQBXLxtZba1zrNef7hcCWdnqwzU8MIRN5gr2y4KV6vDZUhe-Fg/s1600/chest-06.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lord Elrond chest armor pattern work in progress." border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5pRqx2mpNEDaxx-LE41h-dr_VsME1n11HiOFYMrJP0oXAMentu-fknsHE4iAbh_i9Hwvuv4KRQ5RpRgN6_VV3MQBXLxtZba1zrNef7hcCWdnqwzU8MIRN5gr2y4KV6vDZUhe-Fg/s320/chest-06.JPG" title="Lord Elrond chest armor pattern work in progress." width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnxFeb5kfUb9u7m0clmc2NsV9ZaFq0s5CIJ4W2Ghc8v6PPkxLRDEzvYqgYBKdb6cnVFB0xDeWyKCKGfi5jCiE-3wIAwrlv2OPF1XpGrkvNWBOk9rRamvLaaFaM7TdtRzZ8g7sGVw/s1600/chest-07.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lord Elrond chest armor pattern work in progress." border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnxFeb5kfUb9u7m0clmc2NsV9ZaFq0s5CIJ4W2Ghc8v6PPkxLRDEzvYqgYBKdb6cnVFB0xDeWyKCKGfi5jCiE-3wIAwrlv2OPF1XpGrkvNWBOk9rRamvLaaFaM7TdtRzZ8g7sGVw/s320/chest-07.JPG" title="Lord Elrond chest armor pattern work in progress." width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip5B5D7jluvZdjJhcjRKr278yQWRcn64XJXAP09ERjmXXM7nEAshJdhRvldeAvGmmLlvPAxjaRJ0EcpKihIzf0-EQunUA0Hd-kQ_Z1IIZUIpGJP282ULLwLYa1yu5SSi2_-WGCBg/s1600/chest-08.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lord Elrond chest armor lames and clay trim." border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip5B5D7jluvZdjJhcjRKr278yQWRcn64XJXAP09ERjmXXM7nEAshJdhRvldeAvGmmLlvPAxjaRJ0EcpKihIzf0-EQunUA0Hd-kQ_Z1IIZUIpGJP282ULLwLYa1yu5SSi2_-WGCBg/s320/chest-08.JPG" title="Lord Elrond chest armor lames and clay trim." width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQpI1XOGvl_jsEGPW1PHwhQLUUVG3htovM8vsj6jCVy7EPxePFIfbMYloKVT-MDckJoEzme3Tdh4KTs0XEEkK1cQ1TPcrAkuDBr-UHaVydla5CbRaIij4tIuWikXa9qOMppxqrFw/s1600/chest-09.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lord Elrond chest armor work in progress." border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQpI1XOGvl_jsEGPW1PHwhQLUUVG3htovM8vsj6jCVy7EPxePFIfbMYloKVT-MDckJoEzme3Tdh4KTs0XEEkK1cQ1TPcrAkuDBr-UHaVydla5CbRaIij4tIuWikXa9qOMppxqrFw/s320/chest-09.JPG" title="Lord Elrond chest armor work in progress." width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The closure for the vest was the next decision point.
Buckles or laces? This time my son and I agreed on laces. The laces will make
the vest more adjustable and comfortable to the wearer. Either way, he will
need a second pair of hands to close the vest but the laces will be more
forgiving. In any case, they won’t be seen under the cape. So I attached loops
to the back of the vest using studs. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT4IiXAC2wofGGUNzkQJ-DHApY-KemZmqvJ1vQRgX0LYMRmUtsA2l_fAYWzDvuy_BLopZjCypmMnzqDnacvaj38u9lxQjl47qWeTdstp-pEucdZC4YH9tuyJik9H0GVndIFpeNEg/s1600/chest-10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lord Elrond chest armor closure." border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT4IiXAC2wofGGUNzkQJ-DHApY-KemZmqvJ1vQRgX0LYMRmUtsA2l_fAYWzDvuy_BLopZjCypmMnzqDnacvaj38u9lxQjl47qWeTdstp-pEucdZC4YH9tuyJik9H0GVndIFpeNEg/s320/chest-10.JPG" title="Lord Elrond chest armor closure." width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And I hammered the lames in place.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqUIhcjseeZVpbIsKRhDkqYv4Rc2BAJHGDMASE5DJKCKj-pE5VRKUxmLnuID76UbGnyyERtTEXgcrdKneI4E6f5cmGGftW1Q6HF4D4-BjOzjEnyC-WYc8sq4nll8p1IxQ6wcWTYg/s1600/chest-11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lord Elrond chest armor lames attached to the vest." border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqUIhcjseeZVpbIsKRhDkqYv4Rc2BAJHGDMASE5DJKCKj-pE5VRKUxmLnuID76UbGnyyERtTEXgcrdKneI4E6f5cmGGftW1Q6HF4D4-BjOzjEnyC-WYc8sq4nll8p1IxQ6wcWTYg/s320/chest-11.JPG" title="Lord Elrond chest armor lames attached to the vest." width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
And here’s the chest
armor, front and back. It wasn’t that hard after all! Well, it became easy after I finalized
the paper pattern. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_A8h1NXjzJX5E-si85Ki5pfsuSJ1gujnRaA9heYJgPMgj6vhPbXQP-mF5UY3wjvKvas5mq3ufgJMXq8TuYnGzUr9ASqzwOrLQmIWjRohOPDw2EAlMoezdCZrRbpqB95M7ZuncQ/s1600/chest-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lord Elrond chest armor front and back." border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_A8h1NXjzJX5E-si85Ki5pfsuSJ1gujnRaA9heYJgPMgj6vhPbXQP-mF5UY3wjvKvas5mq3ufgJMXq8TuYnGzUr9ASqzwOrLQmIWjRohOPDw2EAlMoezdCZrRbpqB95M7ZuncQ/s320/chest-12.jpg" title="Lord Elrond chest armor front and back." width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;">[<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><a href="http://learn-something-new.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-hobbit-lord-elrond-costume-summary.html" target="_blank">Go back to Lord Elrond Costume Summary</a></span></span>]<o:p></o:p></div>
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