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[navybean.livejournal.com]

i just drilled sizable holes in an antique (19th century) china coffeepot, teacup, and saucer. OH MY GOD, ultimate adrenaline rush! :) actually, the saucer broke in half... but that's been fixed with super glue. haha, i'd never used a power tool before-- it was fabulous! i'm making this for my mom. two days ago, i had no coffeepot, no teacup, no saucer, no lamp-making supplies, and no means of drilling the holes. today, i have all my supplies, and the holes are drilled. i am still confused as to how this all happened, but basically i'm incredibly lucky. i'm so happy!! i'll post pictures of the finished project after christmas.

speaking of christmas, i've been meaning to share this idea for a while... if you are still trying to think of a present to make for someone (i'm assuming that other people procrastinate as much as i do), here's an easy, awesome project: make placemats out of fun record (vinyl) covers! you can get funky records at thrift stores for between 10 cents and a dollar. then buy some posterboard from a craft store or art supply store, and spray paint it gold. buy some clear laminate sheets (or contact paper), too-- the kind that comes in biiig rolls (buy a couple yards... it depends on how many placemats you're making. do the math!). cut the front side of the record away from the back side. you'll be using just the front. cut the poster board into rectangles of the same height as the record covers, and of whatever width you'd like. (i did about 4 inches). glue or tape one of these poster board rectangles to each side of the back of the record cover, with a few inches of the gold showing on the front. (in other words, attach the 3 pieces by making the record cover overlap the poster board rectangles by about an inch and gluing.) laminate using the contact paper, and voila! you have a totally fabulous retro placemat that's water-and-food resistant and oh-so pretty. i'll take pictures of the ones i made if you'd like to see!

<3
diana