19th century Optical Toys

[moniqueleigh]

Hmmm... This is sort of loosely crafty, but I hope somebody can help. I work at a house museum, & we do summer workshops for children. This year we're making 19th century optical toys.

Does anybody have (or know where I can find) any optical illusions that are definitely from the 19th century (or earlier, of course)? I need stuff to fill time. The kids are ages 5-12 (well, I don't think anybody over 10 has signed up so far, but nevermind).

1st week (Monday, 7 July): Kaleidoscopes & Thaumatropes
2nd week (Monday 14 July): Magic Pictures & Phenakistoscope
3rd week (Monday 21 July): Flip Books & Changeable Faces
4th week (Monday 28 July): Magic Lantern

I have a few patterns for Chromatropes (tops mostly). I also have the young/old woman, rabbit/duck, lady at vanity/skull, & children playing/skull illusions. Yes, the Victorians were a rather morbid lot!

But I need more!! The kaleidoscopes will probably take awhile to make, but I'm afraid the others will be finished in 15 minutes or less. I've got an hour to fill each week. Yipe!!
(I've cross-posted this in my journal.)

we're gonna make it after all

[crafting-change.livejournal.com]

On the crafting front I have a couple of art projects in the works for my hubby's b-day, and I'm knitting socks and a glitter scarf... but I got two more fun animal purses done, so I had to share
( pictures and link here )

fun with duct tape:

[comearoundruby.livejournal.com]

just a small handbag. it definitely needs something. im thinking ill probably add a heart with red or pink duct tape later. but nonetheless:

(no subject)

[lennonmarx.livejournal.com]

hello ladies.
i'm new so i hope no one has asked this a million times before.
i just bought some new converse hi-top sneakers. i wanted them in red but i was too cheap so i got black instead.
so now i want to personalize them.
i was wondering if anyone has painted their sneakers or knows where there are some pics or ideas for how i can royally screw up these overpriced shoes.
i think i just want to splatter them with paint but that seems kind of...unsatisfying.
any ideas?
there's got to be thousands of teenagers who take pics of their decorated hi-tops...

Help on comparing yarn weights?

[rdhdsnippet.livejournal.com]

(posted to knitting, crochet, and craftgrrl)

Anyone have any idea what weight Lion Brand 'homespun' would be? I've made a baby blanket out of it, and I want to make the same pattern out of a worsted weight, but am confused at figuring out how much yardage I need (an important issue since the yarn I *heart* is on ebay and I need to make sure I get enough). I've read the label and it doesn't say.

Would it be a worsted weight do you think? I'm not sure it's thick enough to be "chunky".

And, addendum question... if you don't think the homespun compares with worsted, how would you convert yardages of one to the other? There's gotta be some sort of gizmo or website to do this, but damned if I can find it...

Thanks, girlies. :o) (and guys too!)

car accessories

[stasiia.livejournal.com]

anyone have ideas for home-made car accessories or else know a way i can make an air freshener for the car..

mint::bag.

[pink-peas.livejournal.com]

Hey everyone! =)

I've just come across a mint plant that I remember planting when I was in 4th grade. (now I'm in 10th),

I replanted it into a bucket that I hand painted, and I was wondering what you could make with mint plant?...

I was thinking of drying it out, and then crushing it up to put in some soaps, but is that a good idea?
What are some good ways to dry it out? (is there a certain way I'm supposed to do this?) And what other types of things can I do with the mint? (I was thinking of putting together an herb garden or something, but I'm not quite sure how I would go about finding information...)

Could anyone help me?,
<333

p.s. I made a ( bag )

(no subject)

[avocado.livejournal.com]

Does anyone on here like to grow things?

I was wondering if you could point me towards any fun gardening communities, especially ones focussing on growing food and guerilla gardening.

thanks!

The Nightmare Before Christmas table

[mapetite.livejournal.com]

I didn't make this, but it was made for me by my mother -- as a birthday present! My husband and I collect "The Nightmare Before Christmas" collectibles. We've been doing it forever and a day.

I made a box in middle school and my mom decided to recycle it and make me a table. It's a wonderful present and a one of a kind.

( Table pictures back here )

finally...

[ceilingfan.livejournal.com]

Hey…I finally had time to kill some shirts…and

( here they are )

Another sewing machine question..

[mapetite.livejournal.com]

Don't hit me! I didn't see anything in the FAQ about this sewing machine.
My mom is letting me take her sewing machine home. She hardly ever uses it, so someone should!
I'm new to sewing, so a lot of things they talk about in this list I just don't understand. Is there a place the I can look on the net that explains what a sewing machine is suppose to have..?

Brother XL-5130

My questions are:
If you have it, what do you think?
Does it have everything I will need?
Will it do basically anything I want? (Shirts, pants, hem, etc?)

I'm sure you guys get tired of sewing machine questions, but this is really the only place I know to ask :P

Teeny Tiny Crochet

[saturninespirit.livejournal.com]

Hi, everyone! I've been lurking for a few weeks, and I love this community already. Mmm, creative people are delicious. ;)

I hope you guys don't mind me opening with a doofus question, but I'm on a mission. My grandmother loves torturing herself by crocheting sewing thread, but she's only got a couple size 16 crochet hooks and one size 15 to do it with (and you can imagine how easily they bend). I've started looking, and have actually found them in a few stores online, BUT...not anywhere I've ever ordered from before or even heard of before. I'm a little leery about handing my cc# over to a total stranger, y'know? Can anyone recommend a store? Or expressly forbid me to order from a store if they were horrible? lol

Ty!

My sis's wedding quilt started!

[loosetooth.livejournal.com]

Ah... some sizable progress made on my sister's/brother-in-law's
wedding quilt for their wedding on August 9th. ( Read more... )

(no subject)

[arsenicxii.livejournal.com]

the other day i was dumpster diving behind a craft store and I found all these pieces of picture frames. They were like the samples that a frame store would hang on the wall, with only two sides of each type of frame. they are pretty cool, most are silver or gold, kind of out-there spacecrafty looking stuff. I'm trying to find something to do with them there are like 5 or 6 different ones, all different sizes. any ideas?