The Friday Five Good Things

Five good things that happened this week.

1. Himself was craving something from Tony's, our local pizza and sub shop. No cooking for me!

2. A two, cowboy hat day.

3. New office supplies arrived

4. Organizing projects with clipboards that have storage space.

5. The Young One opened up an Etsy shop: Wish Upon A Spud

How was your week? 

Sackboy from Little Big Planet

 Gift giving to adult children can be difficult. What do they need? What do they want? What do they like? It's easier for me to take the Italian route and just give money (a check). That way they can save or spend. A card or envelope with a check in it isn't very exciting.

I was trying to think of a way to present the Young One's Christmas gift in a fun way or wrapping. She's a gamer, enjoys video games, computer games, table games. For her birthday, I had already made her a Gamer Gift Box and Card. What else could I do?

When she was a teen, she played a game on the Play Station called Little Big Planet. The game involved a character named Sackboy or Sack Child. The game was a puzzle game. You guided your Sack Boy through mazes and obstacles. You also dressed Sackboy in various costumes and decorated the walls of his abode with stickers and stuff. 

I'm not sure how I thought of Sackboy, but as luck would have it, I found a crochet pattern for him. Make Your Own Sackboy The cool part of this doll was the working zipper. His body cavity would be the perfect place to tuck the check. Three weeks or so before Christmas, I began crocheting the doll. After a couple of false starts, the doll began to take shape.

I used to play Little Big Planet with the Young One. More often than not, I watched as I was so slow with the controls or couldn't remember which control button did what. The Young One patiently went over buttons over and over again.

Her Sackboy would pick up a frying pan and would sidle over next to my Sackboy as I tried to remember buttons and how to pick up objects. When I didn't get the buttons correct, her SackBoy would bang my Sackboy upside the head with the best BBBBOOOnnnnnggggg sound effect. That would dissolve us into gales of laughter.

As it happened, I found a pattern to make a frying pan to complete Sackboy's ensemble. With a little fiddling, I was able to size it for the doll.

A tag would let her know that something was inside Sackboy, an origami envelope with the check inside. Happily, the doll went over just as well as the check did. I think a happy memory of having fun together. Either that or the joy of banging Mama upside the head with a frying pan. 😺

Wordy Wednesday

 

T Stands for My Precious

I was picking up some office supplies. Glue sticks, double stick tape. And then, what the heck, a little retail therapy never hurt. Washi tape, functional pretty, and then I saw it

One tape to rule them all,

And to the paper bind them!

A black, Maneki-neko in a tea cup! Ink! My Precious!

Do you use washi tape or do you just look at it and pet it?

Drop by hosts, Bleubeard and Elizabeth’s blog to find out what the rest of the T gang is up to. If you want to play, include a beverage or beverage container in your post. Don’t forget to link your blog from Bleubeard and Elizabeth’s page.

 

Art Bytes: Faux Calligraphy Valentine Zoom Workshop

 

Saturday, January 30, 2021

1 PM - 2 PM ET: Check your time zone here

$20  payment via PayPal at https://cjkennedyink.com/in-the-studioclasses.html

Have questions? Email Me

From the comfort of your own home, schedule some Me time out of your busy schedule. Using materials you probably have around the house, reduce your stress with art.

In this hour-long workshop learn how to turn your handwriting or printing into faux calligraphy using an ordinary marker, pen, or pencil. We’ll work together to write out a sentiment. You can ask questions and have them answered in real time. Then put your new skill to use to make a sweet card to send to your favorite Valentine. 

You’ll be able to use your faux calligraphy to make your own greeting cards, add sentiments to scrapbooks, or use in journaling.

Easy and fun. Teens welcome. A materials list will be sent when you sign up.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

 Another backwards story. Oh, well,

I finally got around to getting a battery for the weather station. It's Winter and the little tree is bare. The station took the temperature of the house as the outside high temperature at 68 oF. Don't I wish!

Inside, pictures of the farm. Lots of blossoms on the pepper plant

The green mountain

Lots of little tomatoes, we hope

The Eldest sent Himself and herb garden for Christmas

The tall plant on the right with the yellow flower is broccoli. I thought it grew in a poly bag.

Outside, snowbirds at the feeder

A mole road

Another mole trail, this one to the bird feeder.

Overnight, a skiff of snow.

How does your garden grow?

Saturday Afternoon at the Movies

This idea came from a Facebook meme:

Over 10 days, post your 10 all time favorite films. What movie has really made an impact on you or what films can you watch over and over and never tire of? Post either the movie poster, DVD cover or even a screenshot on your timeline. No need to explain.

Only I had a hard time picking out just 10 movies so my favorites over the next few hundred Saturdays 😸 in semi-alphabetical order my favorite films. What movie has really made an impact on you or what films can you watch over and over and never tire of? Post either the movie poster, DVD cover or even a screenshot on your timeline. No need to explain.

Westworld (1973) Yul Brynner, James Brolin

If you haven't seen this movie, you can find it for rent on YouTube.