Tutorial: Foam Tray Sign

Yes, indeed. It's a sign made from a foam veggie-slash-meat tray! The kids might even like to join in on this one 'cause it's quick, it's easy, it's messy, and fun as pumpkins.

Tutorial: Foam Tray Sign

Step 1: Gather supplies. For this craft you will need: a clean foam tray, pair of scissors, pencil, ruler, ball-point pen, paper, tracing paper, paint, paintbrushes and a toothbrush.

Step 2: Cut off the raised edges of the meat tray.

Step 3: Use your pen and ruler to draw a rectangle on the remaining foam rectangle. Cut along the lines to create a lovely squared-up rectangle.

Step 4: On a piece of paper, draw yourself a sign design. It can be a reminder, a short inspirational message, a name plate, or any crazy word or expression that takes your fancy! Fill the area around the word with a filler design. Anything from cross-hatching (as I've done), wavy lines, zig zags, loops, a pattern of dots... etcetera... will work!

Step 5: Transfer your finished design onto a sheet of tracing paper. Place the tracing paper over the foam rectangle, and then gently re-trace your design so that it is transferred to the foam tray. Once you've transferred the entire design, remove the tracing paper from the foam rectangle. Re-trace your entire design directly on the foam rectangle with the ball-point pen. Firmly re-trace around the main lettering, and gently re-trace the filler design.

Step 6: Now you're ready to paint! Choose a bright, saturated colour for the bottom layer of paint. Fill your brush and apply the paint while holding your brush almost horizontally. This way you'll avoid filling in all the grooves with paint allowing the tray colour to show through. Allow the first layer of paint to dry completely. Apply a lighter second colour of paint in the same exact way. You don't have to completely cover the bottom layer of paint. Let some of it to show through for a nifty contrasting effect. Let this layer dry as well. Now go over your letters only with a third bright paint colour. And finally, age your sign with a little spatter-painting using a toothbrush and some watered-down black paint. 

Well lookee there, you have signage!

Go ahead now... Be bold and try it yourself!

♥M

A prior version of this craft lives here.

He Takes Me Out

Thursday of last week, Lo out of the blue decides we seriously need a date. Like big time. Thing is, we hardly ever go out okay. I can hardly even remember the last time we had a date night. November sounds familiar though... So it's been a little while, eh? And it's kinda getting to be a bit of a situation.

So like I say, Lo takes it upon himself to organize a date for us without my prior knowledge or consent. He books us a babysitter - my eldest daughter, Elle, who's 25 and lives in the big city. He books us a hotel room in the big city. He books us tickets to see The Wizard of Oz because he knows how I am with my musicals. And then he comes home and tells me I have no choice but to go.

He knows me well. Coercion and bribery are effective ways to get me out of the house. Because, as you may have surmised, I have hermit-like tendencies. If I were an animal, it would be a toss-up between baby kangaroo and turtle. Turtle because my physical home would always be with me, and baby kangaroo because I could jump in a comfy pouch whenever I wanted. I am a homebody. I like to be warm at all times and the outside world is a cold place without blankets.

Now, say there were blankets in every restaurant, movie theatre, public outdoor place, and sporting event. I would be SO there. My only stipulation is that the blankets would have to be clean and warm. No dirty or thread-bare blankets. But, yes, if the outside world was full of freshly-laundered cozy blankets, I would be out there schmoozing, making connections and - what's-the-word?... NETWORKING like nobody's business. Sadly, this is not the case. So I stay home under my many blankets and talk to myself.

With the exception of this weekend, that is. Indeed, we do go out on our date. We have a lovely 3-hour drive to the big city. Lo and I talk the whole time. I don't think we even disagree once during the whole ride. It's like a miracle. We drop The Boy off at his sister's house, and then we're off on our date. Holding hands and such. He takes me out to a lovely little restaurant, and then clothes shopping. Typically, I go clothes shopping about once a year. In recent years, Lo has resorted to ordering my clothing on-line without my prior knowledge or consent, because he's sick and tired of seeing me in the same clothing for years on end. He mostly orders me pajamas because the sizes are easy to figure out. I have so many pajamas. Another reason I never leave the house.

Anyway, after the shopping, we take in our musical. It's lovely! The choral numbers especially. That wall of human voices... So powerful! Though, I do have to say, no one will ever ever ever live up to the brilliance of Judy Garland and the original Toto. But how could they?

After the show, Lo and I have a disagreement. Our first of the day. Something about tone of voice. Something truly silly. It doesn't last, thankfully. We work it out. We end the night on a high note. So to speak.

Next day, we pick The Boy up and drive home again. The Boy sleeps like a darn angel the entire 3 hour drive home. He's had a busy night himself I guess. I sleep a lot too because dates are tiring things. Lo and I hardly say two words to each other. It's a comfortable, welcome and peaceful quiet though.

And now we're home again. There are blankets here. It's warm. I'm with my little family. And I couldn't agree more. There is no place like home.

♥M

P.S. The above photos show a few iterations of "M"s and one of the headers I created (AKA the rejects) that eventually lead to the new header and blog design. It's mostly done now (yay!) and I'm so pleased with it. Thank you to Whitney for creating the navigation and social media buttons.

Construction Zone

The blog is under construction. Some things are working, others are not.  Thanks so much for your patience while I sort it all out!
♥M