DIY SteamPunk top hat

I am going to walk you through how to create a top hat that will look like bits of metal to be used for a steam punk costume.  What you will need is 

* Plastic Top hat

* light weight white cardstock (I used no line index cards) 

* Decoupage glue

* scribbles fabric writer (what ever kind you like as long as it dries raised) 

* Black paint 

* Rub and Buff (your color choice, I used antique gold) 

* Paint brush

First start with your hat.  I got this one in the dollar spot at Target.  but any plastic top hat will do.  I put a coating of decoupage glue over it to seal the glitter.

Second...take your cardstock and cut it in to thin strips.  These are thin so they fold over the edge better.    do the rim and the top 

Next take larger piece of cardstock and place them at varying angles and in varying sizes.  When doing this step thing of it like piece of metal.  some you are going to add faux rivets.  Don't worry it will come out in the end.  i always worry at this step if it will look right.  

Now take your scribble writer and put dabs of it around the squares  you just did.  don't put it on everyone square leave some blank but most will have rivets on.  if you mess up you can scrap it off before it dries and just start over.  you are going to paint over it so smudges won't show.  

Once your hat is now fully riveted.  Paint the hat.  you can use black paint on paint or spray paint.  Just as long as your hat is black.  you will need about 2 coats for good coverage. 

 Now take your rub and buff and apply it to the hat.  This is hard to explain how it is best to do it.  I like to put some on a paper...then dab my index finger in and rub my thumb and finger together.  lightly add and rub.  you don't want it too think.  you might want to practice on the underside of your hat.  You want some black to show through.  And accent the rivets.   You can see how that one spot is a bit to dark for my liking.  you can always go back over with paint and redo

And now you have a top hat that looks like it is bits of metal sheets.  Decorate the rim with feathers, flowers and gears or steampunk a set of swim goggles from the dollar store and set it up on top.  If I can I will post a diy on the goggles.  i have to make a set for my nephew so i can take some pictures as i do that.  

The goggles are made from dollar tree swim goggles.  the 2 nerf guns were spray painted black and then I painted and rub and buffed them to look aged.  This is one set of goggles.  Mine look totally different.  

I know it has been awhile

but i just having been crafting like I should. i don't care for my space layout. i have been slowly replacing shelves here and there. I finally thought i found something I like but then dh bought me a HUGE monitor for my laptop to use when i am at home. So now one of my cabinets is displaced. I think i found a solution but that means that i have to replace my current desk. :( i do like this desk but it isn't a computer desk so no keyboard drawer. And shoot it was free from the curb so ya know. but I am going to get a new desk from shopko.

then I am going to get a new workstation becuz the new desk is too wide and it won't fit with my white table banquet table.

And since I will be at Ikea I am going to get another shelf to replace the white microwave cabinet. so i will have a TON of storage in my room. :) maybe when i get that done I can start crafting again.

I did go to a weekend crop in March and i did complete some layouts. when i get my room situated i will take pictures to show you

Blogger give away...hurry ends tomorrow

http://pinterest.com/pin/227431849901989284/

Awesome project from CHA

Christmas

Growing up not celebrating the holidays I tend to see things differently. People see, Love, time with family, sharing. I see, Stress, arguing, spending money on things just because of the day.

Time with Family. Yes it is nice that people spend time with family but why put so much emphasis on one day. There is 365 days in the year. What is so special about December. Don't say it is the birth of Jesus. It isn't. If Jesus wanted us to celebrate his birth then it would be in the bible when he exactly was born. There is only 1 date in the bible (well not an exact number but a way to find out the exact date) and that is the day of his final supper. (This is my blood, this is my body, keep doing this in rememberance of me) Did you know that the wise men didn't show up to see Jesus until he was a toddler. So if you want to be true to the Nativity, Remove the wise men and put them on the other side of the house, cuz at the time they were still traveling. Also they were sent to kill Jesus.

The whole saying of Jesus is the Reason for the Season. it gets me every time. I hear news reports every year telling people the reason is cuz the Christians wanted to take emphasis off of the pagans and their worshipping of the false god Saturnella (sp) So the Christians chose December 25 (the day of the other god's birth) to make it Jesus' birthdate to take all the steam from the pagans. Did you also know that the holiday is now a mixture of Christian and Pagan religion. So in essence you are still celebrating that False god's birthday and in essence going against the bible in idol worship.

People rushing to spend money on people they normally wouldn't. Why? Tis the season of giving. I think i like it when you are out and about and you see something someone likes or been wanting and you buy it. Give it to them just because you thought of them. Seems more meaningful. Spending time with your family becuz it is your family rather than in Dec. because it is expected. My sister's and I get together once a year for scrapbooking. it is our time and it is so meaningful. Rather than, Who's family are we going to see this day and who's that. rushing from one aunts house to a grandparents to another grandparents. The STRESS, fitting in family time in a few days, and if you have kids, dragging them from one house to another, over tired children, stressed out parents. not enuf time with anyone and over indulging in food.

Keeping them out of presents until a specific day. Giving it to them anyway even though they really don't deserve it. Trust me, if i could i would take everyone of my son's presents back cuz he has been a terror.

Some of you may say "bahumbug, where is your christmas spirit" But remember, I am an outsider looking in. Though sometimes i think i would be easier if my kids believed in Santa but they don't. We could never do the Santa things cuz for the first few years of their lives we were never home on Christmas day.

My Cycle

OK as most of you followers know I have been having issues with my cycle for YEARS. It started with uber heavy bleeding for 3 days. I thought an uterine ablation would be the answer and as far as bleeding went it did improve that but enter cramping. Serious mind blowing cramps that recently even pain killers wouldn't dull. So I made an appointment with my ob (a new one) and she said my options were partial hysterectomy or going on the pill. IUD option is out due to the scaring created by the ablation. So I decided to try the pill for a few months. WOW. My first cycle started with thick brown old blood for one day then my real period was about 3 days, mild cramps, the flow was so light also. I am not on cycle 2 on the pill. the cramping is a little more this time but still very very bearable. the flow is a little heavier but not bad.

Now on to the reason for my post. I was wondering if I should starting all the following cycles do continuous pills. meaning when my actual hormone pills end instead of continuing on with the placebo sugar pills. or should i just continue on with the next set of hormone pills in turn stopping my periods all together. or should i just let my periods come every month. the down side to the stopping period i heard is occasional spotting. If this was an option for you what would you do. You can respond to facebook comments or pm me on facebook. the reason for me posting on blogger is so that those interested in reading can and say the men on my blog can just not read.

thanks so much for your input

How do you decide your career path?

How do you pick your career path? My husband is pushing me to work. Do I have to work? Not really, he makes 6 figures. But he would like me to work to help out. I know he get stressed a lot when it comes to money and I know others have it worse than us. We got in an argument because he asked me why don't I go back to school. And I asked him "to do what" He asked me "there is nothing you want to go back to school to do" and HONESTLY, No. He thinks that I just have no purpose, no goals.

When growing up, I loved animals. I wanted to be a vet. Yes, most little girls want to be vets. I then wanted to be a vet nurse. But now I think about it. No, I don't think I could do it. I don't think I could handle blood. And strange dogs scare me. I wonder if you could follow one of those around to see if that is something I could do. hmm. In high school I was really good with numbers. Got A's in math. I took accounting. thought i would want to do that. but yeah, now I don't think that would work. I don't think i want to do that with my life.

What am I good at? Crafts, scrapbooking. Where has that gotten me? I applied at Archivers. Yeah that didn't pan through which totally sucks becuz there was a new employee there and she knew squat. I applied at Target. Nope, they turned me down. I applied at Joanns and Big Lots...haven't heard from them either.

I don't know what other things are out there. If I could spend my life teaching people how to scrapbook that would be awesome. I thought about those home buisness like CTMH or Stamping up. but how do you get a client base to make money doing that. I live in a small town with a bunch of small towns surrounding. Really is it something to do.

I thought about teaching also but really, I waited for this year to come when all 3 of my kids were in school. do i really want to be in charge of a bunch of other kids.

So i go back to my original question...How do you choose a career path when there really isn't anything that makes you say "ooh i want to do that for the rest of my life"

My Monthly Cramping

OK so a few years ago I had a uterine ablation in hopes to help cure me of the Gol Awful heavy Cycles. While some have no return of their periods. Some have lighter periods and some it don't work at all. My cycle when from uber Heavy and clotting to 1 day with no clotting. I was OK with that. As the year went on it went from 1 day to 2 days and again I am OK with that. The cramping though is insane. I have to take pain pills (600-800mg of Advil) and keep on it before it wears off. I am like this for a day - day and a half. It is awful. this last time the Advil only took the edge off. So before our insurance changes (for the worse) I wanted to get a lay off why I am cramping. My bleeding has also gone to one day flow, dry next day, one day flow to dry. Sometime there will be a pop and i know to run to the bathroom as I know a gush will happen. I am incapastitated those days I am broken. I did discuss my cramping with the OB who did my ablation and she told me nothing of the following. I wish I would have known this a year ago, I might have done this sooner and had more time to try other things. As it is now. I have 3 months. before our insurance changes for the worse. So here are my options. Option 1. try the NuvaRing. sometimes it helps with the bleeding and cramping. Sometimes it don't. But to know if it will work I will have to be on it for 3months. but if it don't work I am back to square one with a crappy insurance and I won't be able to do option 2. Option 2- Partial Hysterectomy. They will remove the offending uterus either vaginally, laparoscopicly or through my current c section scar. I am leaning for the first 2 as there is minimal recovery and with the last i will be restricted for 6 weeks. Though all 3 don't scare me as I have had three C sections. So it looks like I will be doing option 2. I am just kinda wishing she would have removed it during my last c/s. If i would have known all this a year ago when i talked to Dr. Ritter I would have tried the nuva ring FIRST and had more time to try things. :(