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Rants and Raves |
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In this issue:
Keeping them busy - With summer winding down, you may be running out of ideas for keeping the little ones occupied. Here are a few of ours. Don't chuck that basin! - Guest author Elizabeth Purinton tells us what to do with with those shallow, crescent-shaped containers provided by the hospital. Crayon ice cream - With the assistance of food coloring, vanilla ice cream is transformed into a technicolor treat. A couple of years ago, we highlighted some special artwork on display at the Pacific International Quilt Festival. One of them, "Spies" has been traveling the country for two years, but will be sold at auction August 9 at the Pacific Northwest Quiltfest in Seattle. This is a great opportunity to bid on a hip piece of artwork, either in person or via mail. Until next month, happy kitsching!
Vacations are wonderful! Ours has filled us with a disturbing amount of energy and ideas even more vulgar than we'd had before. Enjoy.
Grapes of Blat Tissue Cover - Create a one-of-a-kind (and by one-of-a-kind, we mean cute but hideous) tissue box cover with plastic grapes. This would be a good use for the fake fruit stash grandma left you. Stitchery and Crafts - We review a marvelous literary treasure from the past, replete with unintentionally funny projects and genuinely helpful crafting instructions. Picking Perfect Souvenirs - Guidelines for picking memorable vacation souvenirs with examples of some of the best. An oldy but a goodie from the archives. Updated baby shoe archive - A reader has modified the original shoe pattern to create sandals. If you're interested in making baby shoes, check it out. Until next month, happy kitsching!
Everyone needs a vacation now and then, and we at Tacky Living are no exception.
Remember the days of youth, of being trapped at school in the springtime? The weather would be just perfect, maybe about seventy degrees or so. As you peeked out the window, you'd see big fat robins hopping around outside, stuffing their bellies with whatever disgusting thing it is that robins eat. All the flowers were in bloom, puffball clouds were lazily drifting across the sky. You knew in your heart that was where you belonged - out there with the flowers and the robins, not sitting in typing class beside some creepy pimple-coated guy with stinky feet. Times change. We aren't school kids anymore. We're adults! Bwahahahaha! We don't have to spend all of springtime in a glorified cell scritching pencils across a piece of paper! No, we can pack a lunch and go to the beach, head to an art exhibit, or check out an incredibly tacky amusement park we've heard about. Vacation. It's a good thing. We've been doing this web magazine for what, nine years now? Time for a break. Hasta la vista baby! (Or, as we like to say, "hostile the pizza".) Oh. You want some different articles to look at? Okay, here's some stuff you might enjoy from the archives. Or not. Custom cake topper - June is a popular month for weddings. If you're getting hitched, turn some heads with a plastic doppelganger. Cake mix cookies - Have a sweet tooth but you're all out of baking ingredients? Or maybe you're just a lousy cook? A batch of adequate, if not excellent, cookies is only as far away as a box of cake mix. Monster truck maze - Help Bubba get past the obstacles and reach the monster truck rally. Fun for the whole family, provided that you're dysfunctional. Until next month, happy kitsching!
Guess what! It's time for the May edition of Tacky Living, and we didn't write one single stinking article about Mother's Day crafts. If you send us a fat enough check, we'll continue this tradition next year. So what do we have to offer this month? Let's see ...
Houseguests: 12 Helpful Tips for Successful Entertaining - Are houseguests descending upon your humble abode? Never fear - Tacky Living is here to help with cleaning and decorating tips! Hipster Clock - Make a cool-looking and cheap hipster clock based on Ikea products, or simply get annoyed while reading our instructions. We've documented our mistakes so you can avoid repeating them! Plastic Bag Rug - Do your bit for the planet by transforming ugly plastic shopping bags into an equally ugly doormat. Happy kitsching!Tanya
In this month's edition of Tacky Living:
Tax Day Cake - Make your tax day something to remember with a delicious chocolate and raspberry-flavored faux bonfire topped with marzipan tax dollars. The Backgroundulator 2000 - More photography on a shoestring. Make your own tabletop photography aid with a piece of plastic, a couple of yardsticks and some shoestrings. Helpful Household Hints - Does spring cleaning fever have you in its grip? Wondering where to begin? We're here to help. Baby Shoe Gallery - Updated with new reader photos. Happy kitsching!Tanya
It's here and chock full of nutty goodness! In this month's edition of Tacky Living:
Happy Hollow - Come with us as we visit this little-known jewel of American kitsch in San Jose, CA. Easter Egg Stand - With a permanent marker and a few bits of paper, you too can turn an insipid plastic Easter egg into something quite tasteless. Family Creative Workshop - We review this series from the past, which is one of the most amazing and eclectic craft book collections ever written. Frankenbunny - A treat from the archives; turn a humble bunny ornament into something quite different. Baby Shoe Gallery - Updated with new reader photos. Happy kitsching!Tanya
In this month's edition of Tacky Living:
Spool People - Get out your thread spools and crafting leftovers and whip up some tacky little dolls! Trashcanulator 2000 - Photography on a shoestring! A macrophotography aid made from a $2 trash can. U-Print Valentine card, 2008 - How do I scorn thee? Let me count the ways ... U-Print Valentine card, 2007 - Last year's card, which is as disgusting as ever. January Mystery Food - Answer to last month's Mystery Food quiz. Baby Shoe Gallery - Updated with new reader photos. Baby Shoe FAQs - Updated with new sole material. Happy kitsching!Tanya
A link for your amusement:
TackyChristmasYards.com - Just in case you're not feeling in the holiday mood quite yet.
In this month's edition of Tacky Living:
Trimmings for your tree - Get out your crafting leftovers and whip up some retro hipster ornaments! Mystery food - Odd and vaguely disgusting, as usual Light of India - A conflagration of Indian matchbox labels Also see the list on the home page for holiday-related articles from the archives. Happy holidays and happy kitsching!Tanya
In this month's edition of Tacky Living:
A Turkey of a Wall Hanging - An update of a childhood classic. Cheese Turkey - Sculpt a turkey centerpiece from a cheese ball. Disgusting for carnivores and vegetarians alike. Turkey Parfait - Thanksgiving dinner in a glass Last month's Mystery Food Quiz Thanksgiving Wishbone Choker & Earrings Updated baby shoe gallery Happy kitsching!Tanya
In this month's edition of Tacky Living:
Trailer Park Playset - Make flannel board play pieces with your inkjet printer. Leg Lamp - We take a close look at a kitsch classic. Mystery Food - An homage to those marvelous school cafeteria lunches of yore. What could it be? Last month's Mystery Food Quiz Updated reader project gallery Updated baby shoe gallery Happy kitsching!Tanya
In this month's edition of Tacky Living:
The Fall of the House of Ginger - Can mankind dispose of its unwanted gingerbread houses in an ecologically sound manner? A special investigative report. Make a Wonky Doll - Just as ugly as the toys for sale on crafters' websites, but much cheaper. Mystery Food - An homage to those marvelous school cafeteria lunches of yore. What could it be? Updated baby shoe gallery Happy kitsching!Tanya
In this month's edition of Tacky Living:
Faux Gelatin Salad Paperweight - Create a fool-the-eye paperweight using casting resin, shredded carrots, nuts and raisins. What the Broom Found - We've been sweeping up some fun at Tacky Living Central! Look through the photo and see if you can find the items listed. Baby Shoe FAQs - Frequently asked questions to accompany our Tacky Baby Shoe instructions Results of July Mystery Food quiz Updated baby shoe gallery Updated reader project gallery Happy kitsching!Tanya
There's a rather special item available on eBay right now, a vintage 1957 sewing table which has been augmented with bits of fabric and trim to within an inch of its life. Or, as I wrote in a mailing list I'm on, "Dear God! Did someone kill and dismember an entire beige toreador outfit and staple its skin to an innocent, hapless sewing table?"
I'd love to post pictures of it here, but there are copyright issues to consider, and the owner of the photos might not appreciate it. So, um, if you're interested, do go take a look. Do it quickly, though, because something this special surely won't be available long!
In this month's edition of Tacky Living:
Spaghetti Texturing - Create a textured surface for decorating fabric and paper, using spaghetti, cardboard and glue. Trashy Toffee - Fattening bliss for one! Mystery Food - This month's gorge-churning photo. Results of June Mystery Food quiz Updated baby shoe gallery Happy kitsching!Tanya |
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