I’ve mentioned a time or two about how much I love making miniature terrain as well as how much I love recycling. This project encompasses both.
I spotted a rectangle of grey molded foam on the top of laundry room garbage. Of course, I had to grab it to see what it could become.
I broke and tore chunks off. Glued others on to make higher walls. Left bigger chunks to become rubble for my ruin.
In some spots, I used joint compound to smooth the transitions and cover my additions.
I gave the whole works a paint job to make it a cohesive piece.
I’m very happy with my trash to treasure transformation.
And the original packaging….
held an airsoft pistol.
If you look carefully you might be able to see it in the ruin.
The ruin is positioned in the same orientation as the original foam.
Quick art journal page this morning.
Lots of layers and texture…
I decided to get brave and try making sushi at home after having been to a sushi party at a friend’s house. I was able to get a lesson in making a roll as well as good advice on purchasing the fish and making the rice.
I picked up the equipment I needed this week such as the bamboo mat for making rolls.
The process definitely gets easier once you’ve made a couple rolls. I’m sure it’s like any skill. It must be practiced and honed to get it right.
Between the wasabi and the radish sprouts in this roll it was REALLY spicy. Clears out the sinuses, that’s for sure.
Of course since I’ve never done this before I had no idea how much to make. Yeah…I definitely made way more than we could eat.
We called up the neighbor to help us eat some. I’ll certainly try it again but will make much less and try some other ingredients for fillings.
The two best words when you are a kid.
I don’t mind getting a call at 5:45AM when it’s that kind of news. Always makes I heart skip a beat until I know what it is though.
We’ve been out and cleared round one of the snow but it’s coming down pretty fierce again.
I had to get out the heavy machinery. I like using the snow blower, to be completely honest. But there’s always cleaning up to be done with the shovels anyway. Good thing I had two helpers today. :)
We tried to get Gracie to come explore in the snow but she wanted nothing to do with it after a few flakes hit the top of her head.
Now it’s time for a cup of tea…and hey, it’s Tuesday!
Tea Tuesday…I haven’t been a part of that tradition in a long time.
And then French Toast for lunch. Yum…I love breakfast for lunch.
Children’s books are so much fun. 
Silly stories, tales with a moral, social stories, nursery 
rhymes and so forth, all have one idea in mind. To get kids reading or being read to by others.
I volunteer in our elementary school library once a week and love to see those certain titles that are being checked out time and time again. They are sometimes tattered and torn…what I like to call, well loved.
In my new altered book I’ll be highlighting some of my favorites. I’ve been throwing this idea around in my head for a while. Now I’ve finally gotten started. 
Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White…a classic. I remember my 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Clark, reading it to our class.
Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin is one of the funniest kids books I’ve read. I get a chuckle just sitting here thinking about it.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar is just one of many favorites by Eric Carle. Certainly the easiest to illustrate.
The slides I have been scanning aren’t in the best shape.
This one was from 1951. Many of them are this blue hue. I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to salvage the color and that I’d just have to make them into B&W images.
Through the magic of Photoshop, I’ve been able to coax some of the original colors back. Now if I can just figure out how to tone down the brightness on my dad’s face without darkening the rest of the photo.