Listen to Jill's newest Christmas Arrangement
"O Come Emanuel Christmas Medley"
Monday, December 16, 2013
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Photography - Christmas on Temple Square
Photography:
Christmas on Temple Square, Salt Lake City, UT
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| Reflection pool at Temple Square Salt Lake City, UT |
I took this picture a few years ago when my family and I were visiting Temple Square in Salt Lake City. It was a very cold night, but this scene warmed my heart. I am grateful for my Savior and the Christmas season where people all over the world celebrate His birth.
Have a very Merry Christmas!
-Jill
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Cardboard Creations - Perfect Circles
HOW-TO Cut a Perfect Circle Out of Cardboard
Here is a simple tip I have used without fail many times over.
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| Tools |
Pencil
Measuring tape (flexible/fabric - not metal)
- with an eyelet at the end
(see the Tools picture)
- with an eyelet at the end
(see the Tools picture)
Straight pin
Utility knife (not shown)
Utility knife (not shown)
Cardboard :)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Determine the radius of your circle. (The radius = 1/2 the diameter. The diameter is the measurement from one side of your circle to the other - see figures 1&1.1.) For example: If you want a circle that is 6" across, the radius would be 3".
For this How-To I will use a 15" diameter (circle measures 15 inches across), so the radius will be 7 1/2". (see Figures 1&2)
2. The eyelet in my measuring tape is 1/4" from the end of the tape, so I add 1/4" to my radius measurement of 7 1/2" to get 7 3/4" and put a straight pin through the measuring tape at 7 3/4". Then, push the pin through the cardboard where the center of the circle is to be. (see Figure 2) Insert the pencil into the eyelet and draw the circle. NOTE: Be sure to keep the tape measure taught as you go around. (see Figures 2.1 & 2.2)
3. Cut out the circle with the utility knife. NOTE: I usually make two cuts, going around twice. The first time I keep the cut shallow so I have better control cutting the contour around the circle. The second time I cut all the way through. (see Figures 3 & 3.1)
For this How-To I will use a 15" diameter (circle measures 15 inches across), so the radius will be 7 1/2". (see Figures 1&2)
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| Figure 1 |
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| Figure 1.1 |
2. The eyelet in my measuring tape is 1/4" from the end of the tape, so I add 1/4" to my radius measurement of 7 1/2" to get 7 3/4" and put a straight pin through the measuring tape at 7 3/4". Then, push the pin through the cardboard where the center of the circle is to be. (see Figure 2) Insert the pencil into the eyelet and draw the circle. NOTE: Be sure to keep the tape measure taught as you go around. (see Figures 2.1 & 2.2)
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| Figure 2 |
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| Figure 2.1 |
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| Figure 2.2 |
3. Cut out the circle with the utility knife. NOTE: I usually make two cuts, going around twice. The first time I keep the cut shallow so I have better control cutting the contour around the circle. The second time I cut all the way through. (see Figures 3 & 3.1)
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| Figure 3 Shallow cut |
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| Figure 3.1 Deep cut |
FINISHED!
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| A perfect 15" circle (ok, well nearly perfect :D) |
-Jill
Friday, December 6, 2013
For the Stage - DIY LAMP POST
DIY LAMP POST
Yes, this is a DIY!! That fact was a surprise to many who saw it up close. They thought it had been purchased. I'll admit, I loved the compliments. I too was excited at how well it turned out.
Made mostly of cardboard making it light weight.
Comes apart for easy storage.
WHY I DID THIS:
Our church was doing a "Night On Broadway" event and I was asked to dress the stage with little time and a small budget. I took on the challenge. One of the things I needed for my design were a couple of lamp posts. Since I couldn't afford to rent any, as I had previously done for a wedding reception, and I couldn't find anyone who had one or two I could borrow I ended up making them.
WHAT I DID:
First of all, I got my initial idea from my sister who is an amazing artist and a creative genius! (Check out some of her art at http://www.mcfarlanearts.blogspot.com/) She had made some pretty amazing lamp posts for a project she was working on. (see picture below) I didn't need mine to be as fancy as hers so I scaled it back and went for it with the materials I thought would work. Most items I had on hand; left over from other projects I had done, or had attempted to do. (Not everything is a working success. "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." -Thomas Edison :D)
Materials:
Cardboard
Fabric bolt tube (empty)
Black Duct Tape
Copier paper or Melamine
Almost empty black duct tape roll
Low Temp hot glue sticks and gun
1"x4"x 4" piece of wood
PVC Plug
PVC coupler
A few screws
Flat black spray paint
Tape Measure
Straight edge
Pencil
Push lamp from the dollar store (you can see it sitting on the table next to the lamp post in the photo at the top of the post - the small white circle thing)
THE BASICS:
This is how I made it work for me with the materials I had.
The Lamp Box:
I designed this lamp box to open on one side for easy insertion of a push lamp. In my sister's design, the top came off for the same purpose.
BOX SIDES: Need 4 total. Paper or melamine for windows. (I used copier paper because it was what I had on hand). Cut them to the same dimensions as the box sides then trim (or just cut .25" smaller all the way around to begin with - see Figure 3.1).
MEASUREMENTS:
Top & Bottom: 7.5"
Width: 9:5" (gently fold along this line)
Height: 16"
Borders: 1"
Three of these remain all one piece. For the fourth, separate the top section from the bottom section as shown in Figure 3.
BASE & TOP: (Cut 2)
Base & Top: 7.5" square
(Figure 4)
After I had all the pieces cut I taped it all together with the black duct tape. I thought about just taping the seams and spray painting the rest, but decided to put tape over the whole thing in an attempt to make it more durable. I've been pleased with how well the pieces have held up with all the use they've seen.
I hot glued the mostly used tape roll in the center of the bottom of the lamp box. The tape roll would be the collar that would fit over the empty fabric bolt or "post". Since the tape roll was too large to fit snugly over the empty bolt I cut strips of cardboard, rolled them up to give them a curl, then coiled them around the inside of the tape roll filling the gap. (see Figures 5 & 6) Once I got the fit I wanted, I hot glued the coiled cardboard strips into place.
The Base & Post:
I would have preferred to use a 3" PVC pipe for the post of my lamp, but budget did not permit. I happened to have an empty fabric bolt, so that is what I used. However, the bolt was not long enough to give me the height I wanted so I had to improvise.
I cut TWO CARDBOARD CIRCLES - 12" diameter and set one aside. TIP: See my "Perfect Circles" post at http://jillscreativeumbrella.blogspot.com/2013/12/cardboard-creations-perfect-circles.html) On the other one, I found exact center of the circle and drew a circle the diameter of the bolt tube in the exact center.
TIP: Trace the end of the bolt onto a piece of cardboard, then cut it out. Find exact center on the small circle and match it up with exact center on the 12" circle. Trace around the small cardboard circle.
I then cut the center circle 1/2" from the edge of the drawn line for the small circle. (see Figure 7 - drawn line is the solid line - cut line is dotted line). NOTE: It is always easier to cut more off than it is to add cardboard back when you've cut too much off. I always err on the side of having to trim again. I then cut small wedges out around the edge of the small circle creating small pieces of cardboard that I could gently fold down to fit the post into place. (see Figures 7.1 & 7.2)
WHAT I DID:
First of all, I got my initial idea from my sister who is an amazing artist and a creative genius! (Check out some of her art at http://www.mcfarlanearts.blogspot.com/) She had made some pretty amazing lamp posts for a project she was working on. (see picture below) I didn't need mine to be as fancy as hers so I scaled it back and went for it with the materials I thought would work. Most items I had on hand; left over from other projects I had done, or had attempted to do. (Not everything is a working success. "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." -Thomas Edison :D)
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| My sister's lamp posts in use. |
Materials:
Cardboard
Fabric bolt tube (empty)
Black Duct Tape
Copier paper or Melamine
Almost empty black duct tape roll
Low Temp hot glue sticks and gun
1"x4"x 4" piece of wood
PVC Plug
PVC coupler
A few screws
Flat black spray paint
Tape Measure
Straight edge
Pencil
Push lamp from the dollar store (you can see it sitting on the table next to the lamp post in the photo at the top of the post - the small white circle thing)
THE BASICS:
This is how I made it work for me with the materials I had.
The Lamp Box:
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| Figure 1 |
BOX SIDES: Need 4 total. Paper or melamine for windows. (I used copier paper because it was what I had on hand). Cut them to the same dimensions as the box sides then trim (or just cut .25" smaller all the way around to begin with - see Figure 3.1).
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| Figure 2 |
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| Figure 3 |
Top & Bottom: 7.5"
Width: 9:5" (gently fold along this line)
Height: 16"
Borders: 1"
Three of these remain all one piece. For the fourth, separate the top section from the bottom section as shown in Figure 3.
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| Figure 3.1 Finished Lamp Box showing swinging door. (I used a couple extra pieces of duct tape for securing the door when closed.) |
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| Figure 4 |
(Figure 4)
After I had all the pieces cut I taped it all together with the black duct tape. I thought about just taping the seams and spray painting the rest, but decided to put tape over the whole thing in an attempt to make it more durable. I've been pleased with how well the pieces have held up with all the use they've seen.
I hot glued the mostly used tape roll in the center of the bottom of the lamp box. The tape roll would be the collar that would fit over the empty fabric bolt or "post". Since the tape roll was too large to fit snugly over the empty bolt I cut strips of cardboard, rolled them up to give them a curl, then coiled them around the inside of the tape roll filling the gap. (see Figures 5 & 6) Once I got the fit I wanted, I hot glued the coiled cardboard strips into place.
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| Figure 5 |
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| Figure 6 |
The Base & Post:
I would have preferred to use a 3" PVC pipe for the post of my lamp, but budget did not permit. I happened to have an empty fabric bolt, so that is what I used. However, the bolt was not long enough to give me the height I wanted so I had to improvise.
I cut TWO CARDBOARD CIRCLES - 12" diameter and set one aside. TIP: See my "Perfect Circles" post at http://jillscreativeumbrella.blogspot.com/2013/12/cardboard-creations-perfect-circles.html) On the other one, I found exact center of the circle and drew a circle the diameter of the bolt tube in the exact center.
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| TIP for finding exact center |
TIP: Trace the end of the bolt onto a piece of cardboard, then cut it out. Find exact center on the small circle and match it up with exact center on the 12" circle. Trace around the small cardboard circle.
I then cut the center circle 1/2" from the edge of the drawn line for the small circle. (see Figure 7 - drawn line is the solid line - cut line is dotted line). NOTE: It is always easier to cut more off than it is to add cardboard back when you've cut too much off. I always err on the side of having to trim again. I then cut small wedges out around the edge of the small circle creating small pieces of cardboard that I could gently fold down to fit the post into place. (see Figures 7.1 & 7.2)
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| Figure 7 |
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| Figure 7.1 |
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| Figure 7.2 |
After I made certain the small circle in the center was going to work with the bolt tube, I taped the 12" circle to one end of my base piece (see below), wrapping the base piece around the circle.
THE BASE PIECE measured approximately 38.5" wide x 31" high - (lines in the cardboard running 31" inches, top to bottom). Initially, I just taped the two together to get them to stay in place. Once it was taped in place, I used hot glue from the inside around the entire bottom edge of the 12" circle for stability. After the glue had cooled and the circle was firmly in place, I went around the top outside edge with black duct tape to give the tape the finished look as seen in Figure 7.2.
Preparation of the post and inside circle:
I prepared my second 12" circle by determining the exact center of the circle and the exact center of a 1"x4" piece of wood. I then attached the plug, (see figure 8) which had previously had a hole drilled in it from another project, in the exact center of the piece of wood with a screw. I used a fiber washer to make sure the head of the screw wouldn't slide through the hole in the plug. After attaching the plug, I hot glued the piece of wood in the exact center of my circle. (See figures 9 and 9.1)
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| Figure 8 PVC Coupler and drilled Plug |
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| Figure 9 |
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| Figure 9.1 |
Next I prepared the post by cutting strips of cardboard and wrapping them around the outside of the PVC Coupler until I had the right fit, then hot glued the cardboard and coupler into place in one end of the bolt tube MAKING SURE THE SMOOTH END OF THE COUPLER WAS CLOSEST TO THE END OF THE TUBE in preparation to slide over the plug. (See figure 10)
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| Figure 10 Bottom end of bolt tube coupler and cardboard glued inside - smooth end of coupler toward edge of tube - slips over plug inside the base |
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| Figure 11 Looking at base from the bottom -Second 12" circle glued in place |
I had to glue in small sections and hold the cardboard in place until it was cool/set enough that I could let go and have it stay.
I then taped the base piece along the seam to secure it in place around the circles. I made sure all tape was securely in place I assembled the post and base together then spray painted the two pieces.
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| Figure 11.1 View of base from the top. You can see the second circle with the wood and plug. |
After it was dry I added the lamp box to the top. Done! Ready to insert the push lamp for lighting affect.
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| Finished & Unfinished |
-Jill