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Showing posts with the label crafts

A Day and Life in San Diego-Leroy and the Sea Lion Tour

In search of ocean breeze and sunny skies we headed downtown to a two hour San Diego Bay cruise.   One of the fastest and convenient methods to the city’s activities is to jump on the famous San Diego trolley. As with all public transportation you will meet people from different walks of life. Some are old, many young, well-dressed professionals, and others flocked together in families making their way to a game.  As we walked into the trolley we came across an Indiana Jones looking man sitting quietly assembling all types of flowers, animals, and creatures from palm leaves. With only a few seats available we were forced to sit near the street artist. Perhaps too close for comfort. In the back of my head I kept thinking, “I hope he doesn’t ask for change”.   I watched him suspiciously over the top of the chair. This artist wasn’t just forging palm leaf products but also handing them out to anyone who took interest in his activities. Mothers, little girls, boys…he didn’t

How to Build a Rock Garden Table

Sometimes we find old tables sitting around the house or a neighbor willing to part with a scratched up old piece of furniture for a few dollars. What is one man’s junk is another treasure. Learning how to refurnish such tables puts them back into beneficial use within one’s home or office. A little tender love and care can restore it to its former beauty.   The possibilities are as open as your imagination.  Unpainted table Finding a solid wooden table with a few scratches on it but in sound condition I decided it would be great for my patio. Yet as I finished painting it I decided that I could do just a little more to enhance it as an artistic project. A few ideas rolled around in my head such as building an actual pond, a sand based rock garden, or a nice habitat for hermit crabs. Finally I decided that it would be an excellent place to put the portable Weber Grill.  Edging As you can tell from the pictures the center is made of rocks, sand and shells. It looks w

How to Build an Old Crate Bookshelf

Arts, crafts and hobbies can be a wonderful addition to any person’s life. They provide an outlet for creative juices, allow for personal expression, enhance skills and give one a sense of accomplishment. With all such creative endeavors it is a process of learning. Things rarely turn out perfect but do provide some insight into how to make the next one better or allow for the transference of skills to other areas. This post is about how to build a bookshelf from two crates and a few pieces of wood.  The process is relatively simple and can be done in any small space. With a garage and proper equipment it is possible to do much more in terms of creative and more professional works. However, with just about any size space you can put together something simple like this bookshelf with whatever color or design you prefer.  The bookshelf is very steady and I was actually able to lift it full of books without any problems with the joints, bindings, or any other type of loose