Saturday, November 13, 2010

Wine Bottle Light

This is a fairly easy craft project. It makes a nice gift for someone who has the Italian theme in their kitchen or someone who enjoys a nice glass of wine. One glass of red wine per day is suppose to be good for your heart.


You need:
empty wine bottle and the bottle cork
one small strand mini Christmas lights white bulbs
cluster of plastic grapes and leaves
ribbon with wire edges
light weight wire

Carefully place the strand of mini Christmas lights down into the bottle. Leave out enough cord on the plug end to be able to reach the electric socket. Wire the grapes and leaves up around the neck of the bottle. Wire the bottle cork where you like it best. Tie the ribbon around the bottle neck to cover the other wire and make a big bow.






















































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































Friday, November 5, 2010

Tattoos

Tattoos are something this generation seems to love. They call it BODY ART. I love most all forms of art, but I am not a big fan of tattoos. I loved watching Miami Ink and love watching LA Ink because those tattoo artists amaze me.


First of all a tattoo requires having a needle penetrate the skin and ink injected into it! PAIN! Anytime something penetrates the skin, there is the potential for contracting a disease. The most common and contagious risks of getting tattoos include contracting Hepatitis B and C, HIV or AIDS and various other infections. You can also suffer from an allergic reaction to the equipment or ink. These things can actually be fatal!! If the tattooist injects the pigments too deeply into the skin, the pigments may migrate beyond the original sites, resulting in a blurred appearance or spots where the color has disappeared.


Before even thinking about getting a tattoo a person should make sure their tetanus and hepatitis shots are up-to-date. Know the tattoo artist and find out how they sterilize their equipment. More than just the needle needs to be sterile! Getting a severe staph infection can easily result in a lengthy hospital stay or death!


Watch out where you put a tattoo! Remember the effect of gravity makes skin sag. The above butterfly will eventually turn  into a caterpillar when the owner gets to be my age. Also, what looks good on a young person may seem a little ridiculous when you get older. Tattoos in the workplace are becoming more common, but there are still lots of employers who will not hire people with tattoos. Think before you get a tattoo and try to place it where it will not be visible to employers, when you are properly dressed for the job.


Cheaper than a class ring! That might be a true statement, but tattoos are still expensive. They are even more expensive if you decide you want to have them removed. The removal process costs several thousands of dollars and is very painful.
Think before you get a tattoo!


There have been reports of people with tattoos or permanent makeup who experience swelling or burning in the affected areas when they underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).


With so many realistic looking temporary tattoos on the market it might be a good idea to get one of those first before you undergo the needles.

As you can see I know a few people who have BODY ART.


Despite advances in laser technology, removing a tattoo is a painstaking process, usually involving several treatments and a huge expense. Complete removal without scarring may be impossible. So think before you decide to get a tattoo!                 Is BODY ART worth the risk?

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Horseshoe Christmas Tree

This awesome Horseshoe Christmas Tree can be seen in Elk City, Oklahoma. I have no idea who welded it together, but I think it is a real work of art. Also, notice the round ball on the metal base behind the Christmas Tree. The ball is sculpted out of horseshoes as well. I can't imagine how heavy these pieces might be...that many horseshoes would be very heavy. Western Oklahoma really has some wonderful free art exhibits open for the public to view. These are at the Old Town Museum on Historic Route 66.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

End of Garden


This year we decided to plant some cherry tomato and jalapeno pepper plants. This does not really equal a garden, but it was the only thing we wanted to plant. We love both of these things and they are so much better freshly picked. We also did not want to have more things that required weeding and additional work. Both of these plants thrive in the hot Oklahoma summer with a little water and not much work. This is the last bounty of the wonderful 2010 garden season.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Pine Cone Turkey

This is a easy project for the kids. The turkey can also be used as place card holder at your November parties or just several of them lined up in the middle of the table for small decorations. 

TURKEY
ONE LARGE PINE CONE
5 FEATHERS
3 PIPE CLEANERS

First lay the pine cone down to see how it will be on its side. This is how you decide where to place the head, legs and tail feathers. To make the head I doubled the pipe cleaner, made a small circle to form the head, with the end poked out to make the  beak. Took the other ends and wrapped around the pine cone to keep the head on.
Next I took two pipe cleaners and twisted together. You can see the ends make the "feet". Then I placed the pipe cleaners in the back of the turkey an bent them so he looks like he is sitting down. Next I glued feathers inside the bottom of the pine cone to make the turkey tail.

You can use any color pipe cleaners and feathers you like. I love orange and yellow so that is what I picked out of the craft drawer.

Make a comment and share your easy craft projects to be used in November.