shelves and recipes

[monicascully.livejournal.com]

Hi ladies!

I'm new (sort of, I've been reading this journal for a while) and I have 2 questions.

1. Does anyone know a website that explains how to make shelves? Explains the type of wood to buy, how to varnish, stain, prime (what the difference is between all the painting terms), how to connect the pieces, etc.

2. What's a good way to collect all the recipes I've found? I have stuff from magazines, on cards, written down. I would like them to look pretty but also be organized.

Thanks in advance for your help. Keep up the great work! You ladies have some lovely ideas. :D

Marilena

(no subject)

[savateuse.livejournal.com]

for those of you with diy distros online, for a novice webdesigner what programs would you reccomend? I can push around AI and have most of the graphics and have what I want it to look like but when it comes to html I just get lost.

Any suggestions?

bookbombing!

[feelingautumn.livejournal.com]

i am in the midst of making a kazillion fabric/cardstock/fancy yarn bookmarks to place in random books and libraries and bookstores.

i am writing quotes on the back.
only problem is, i have run out of quotes.

i'm looking for faerie quotes, of course, from old poems etc, you know the ones.
and other cheer-you-up quotes.
something other than simply 'smile'.
people can get that from bumper stickers.
i want my quotes to stand out.

anyone??

thanks in advance for any and all help!

xox

(no subject)

[xitsmylifex.livejournal.com]

You know those tealight/votive candle holder things that hold lots of candles and hang on the wall, like around door frames and such? I've seen lots of them for pretty expensive, and even some sorta cheap, but is there any way to make something like it? I was thinking like maybe pick up a metal decorative piece at a flea market and trying to put tealight holders sticking out on it, but I dont know if it'd be possible of if it'd be much easier to just buy one already made....

any ideas?

yet another question

[xitsmylifex.livejournal.com]

My mom's friend gave me some furniture, I have a somewhat long coffeetable with drawers in it and an end table, but not very large, which may be a problem in a big loft. Both pieces are kinda beat up, and my mom previously had the idea to crackle it and give it an old/country look, but I'm not really into that. I want my place done in reds, tans (both lights and darks) and black, and I really really really want black leather furniture (or at least pleather) but I dont know what to do with the tables. They've been up in our barn for months so I've not looked at them to see if maybe I could strip them and re-stain them, but I'm thinking - if I remember correctly - that it might be too beat up to strip, sand, and stain. What should I do to it??? Should I paint it black? Maybe try taking the top off and putting glass in it? detail it in silver or gold?

Help!!!!! I need an idea of what to do with it.... Considering the size of my loft and the size of the pieces, I'm not even sure where I'd use them because generally lofts have large furniture, and these seem just too small to put in such a big place.... I've thought about maybe putting taller legs on them if possible to make them seem bigger, and maybe trying to make the top part of it a bit bigger, but I'm afraid that I'd be better off buying the furniture I want instead of taking so much trouble to paint it....

(no subject)

[xitsmylifex.livejournal.com]

anyone else wish Trading Spaces had instructions for how exactly they did stuff? :-/

Sewing Machine Basics

[forestcats.livejournal.com]

There are many different brands of sewing machines as there are automobiles. One method of choosing what to get is to state your primary use for the machine and from there select options.
Quilting- Straight stitch consistency, drop feed dogs, needle down, better motor to handle machine quilting through several layers, optional feet 1/4 inch foot, walking foot.
Clothing/Home Dec/ Crafts - Free Arm, Straight stitch, zig zag, stretch stitch, blind hem stitch, elastic stitch and as many decorative stitches as you desire, needle down option, edge stitching foot, rolled hem foot, zipper foot, button hole foot.

www.allbrands.com has a fine selection and lists feedback from people who have the machines. Check www.about.com for further brand postings.

To help your machines have a long life OIL them before every day of sewing. Take the shuttle area apart where the bobbin resides and vacuum it out every week. Change your needles after 8 hours of use. Bring them in for a once a year tune up.
Cut your threads and pull them through the needle, if you pull them out backwards you can drive lint further into the tension disks. Don't use cheap 4/$1 thread, it has short fibers that will lint up and hurt the mechanics of the machine. Serger thread is thinner then regular sewing thread, you can use it but it isn't going to be as solid of stitches.

Spend a weekend visiting several shops that carry machines. Bring a yard of muslin with and try out the different machines and write on the muslin which model the stitches are from. Bring a friend that will play "Bad Cop" who won't let any sales person talk you into anything. You are looking for stitch consistency and the options YOU WILL USE!!! If you don't have 20 grandchildren I doubt you will need a 4K embroidery machine to stitch them all Snoopy bibs. Go to a couple of fabric stores and ask workers there about machines and even ask other customers. We are all just sisters of the cloth LOL...

Get yourself a decent chair, you are worth it! An adjustable office chair will keep you seated and sewing!

Good Luck on your travels!

(no subject)

[baidy.livejournal.com]

This is addictive. I've been spending all my money and time (even at work) on crafting.
I just got caught at work making duct tape wallets and now everyone here wants me to make one for them. My boss has already asked if she can buy set of my marble magnets. Now, I’m getting requests for duct tape checkbooks and even a day planner. Not to mention that I just got into the whole word of wire art and beading. I CANT STOP.

It's like a drug. It takes over every part of your life. I'm now staying at home along widdling away until my knuckles bleed. Each great idea in this community is just another high. ya'll are my suppliers.

A little extreme you say? OK Maybe, but I'm easily influenced. :)

(no subject)

[carharttgurly.livejournal.com]

Does anyone have any good directions for making little paper boxes?

Warning: Cross - Posting

[tygerlilly.livejournal.com]

So a new year begins and I am becoming more adventurous. I want to get some tools for one thing - what is a good basic tool kit? I also want to learn how to make things with wood. Like basic 2x4 easy beginner things. I was looking at books on amazon.com, but they didn't have very good reviews. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

A crafty idea from the she-devil herself

[pumpsnail.livejournal.com]

I've taken to calling Martha Stewart that, because I SWEAR she is silently mocking the rest of us. I was looking at the latest issue of her magazine today while in the waiting room for a dentist appointment and the woman has scheduled a day to rotate her mattresses. The 22nd of January, to be exact. And about a week later, she's going to touch up the interior paint in her house. Ugh, she makes me sick. ;)

Anyway, there was a really awesome idea in the letters section. Someone wrote in because she wants to wallpaper her room in old newspapers or magazine covers. How cool is that? All Martha really said on the topic was that it sounded like a great idea (or is that A Good Thing?) and that you should use an adhesive that comes dry...like, apparently you buy this powder stuff and then add water to it and it makes glue. Then you basically decoupage your wall :)

The dentist gave me a cheap toothbrush, so rather than use it on my teeth (I know, I'm horrible!) I'm going to make a toothbrush bracelet out of it. Wish me luck! ^^

(no subject)

[soknivesout.livejournal.com]

where would i be able to find supplies to make lip balm?

i have no clue where to find flavored oil or any of the oils, for that matter.

any ideas?
thanks.