Shrinking Some Dinks

Well, Girlie does not have school on Fridays, so today we decided to make some Shrinky Dink ornaments. She is at that stage where she just started drawing people. I find that so charming, and will be glad to have some permanent reminders.

I purchased sheets of shrink plastic, but because I got the clear kind, I had to sand it so the color would stick to the sheets, not to my girlie's hands. This was an event where she was allowed to use my permanent markers, and she was whole-heartedly on board for that. The forbidden fruit!

So she drew 'em, I cut them out and punched a hole in the top with a regular-sized hole punch. Let the shrinking begin! They really get twisted and turned, it is hard to imagine that they will get flat again. Sometimes they need a little extra help with that. Put something flat and heavy on them while they are still hot. I like using a heat gun to shrink them for a little more control.

Viola! Ornaments (well, once we get some string or ribbon through them for hanging). Fun for all. And honestly, despite being an adult, I still get such a kick out of watching them shrink! :-)
There ARE some hazards to permanent markers with a 4-year-old--thank goodness for Mr. Clean magic erasers http://www.mrclean.com/en_US/products/eraser_extra_power.shtml!

A Sad Clown

Not one day after I hung up those cute vintage ornaments passed on from my mother-in-law, my daughter handed me the clown, fallen and broken. I don't think she was the culprit--more a gravity thing!! I felt so terrible about it. So I am trying to decide--do I take down the other one, wrap it in bubble wrap and put it in a box? Or do we leave it on the tree and enjoy it--risking its demise at any moment?

Certainly a question that could go far beyond an ornament, couldn't it? We could consider how we live our lives--protecting ourselves, or taking chances?

I'll leave you to your thoughts on that one, and I will think on it, too--I have a project to work on that will leave me with my thoughts. Unfortunately, it is not a craft project--it is one I don't particularly enjoy. I need to get to work on painting some walls. I will be glad when it is done, though! And I filled some holes myself! I learned something new, and that is a good thing. Husband showed me one, and I rather enjoyed it. So it is time to sand them smooth, and hopefully get some paint on the wall before it is time to pick Girlie up from school!

A Happy Wednesday to all of you!!

Cyber Monday

Well, we only got 3" instead of the 9" of snow predicted. But it was a strange snowfall--areas that are perhaps only a 45-minute drive away received 10"!!!! (better them than me--oops, that was ungracious!)

Last night we got our Christmas tree up. It was nice because, at age four, my girlie seemed to have a clear memory of Christmas last year for the first time. She was so excited, and it brought back some childhood memories of being excited as well (instead of seeming a touch bit like a chore, getting all of the decorations out, etc etc). My son was quite happy, too, but she took the cake with her enthusiasm.

Many of the ornaments we put up were made by my son, nieces and nephews--she kept saying, "Did I make this?" I think it will be a big year for her to make some ornaments. That is good, there are so many kinds of ornaments to make, and making them as gifts will give her a feel for the giving part of the season.

Speaking of ornaments, I put up some breakable ones that I didn't quite dare in previous years. My mother-in-law split up some of the childhood ornaments a few years ago. I thought you would get a kick out of these. They must be between 20 and 30 years old! What a treasure! Besides, they crack me up! One is crazy clown, and the other must be an alien in a UFO!

Well, today is my first Cyber Monday as someone with an internet shop! Also the last day of my big etsy sale and free shipping offer. We will see how things go!