Shakespeare Costume - Goodwill's the Thing!

To be or not to be?  Hamlet, Act III, Scene I.  To sew or not to sew?  Christian plays Shakespeare in the modern world trying to sell his plays to Hollywood producers.  Enter stage left - a Shakespeare costume!  I considered it a personal challenge for me and Goodwill.  "Do you think I am easier to be played on than a pipe?"  Hamlet, Act III, Scene II.

I looked through lots of pictures on the internet and decided I wanted a long sleeve "flowing" shirt, a vest, tights and a slouchy beret.  I had the fabric to make the vest, so I started with that.  No pattern?  No problem!  I used one of Christian's shirts and outlined the width of the shoulders, arm holes and neck opening.  No need to be too exact - it's not fitted.  "Though this be madness, yet there is method in 't."  Hamlet, Act II, Scene II.

Next - on to Goodwill.  "I like this place and willingly could waste my time in it.  As You Like It, Act II, Scene IV.  I make a MAJOR score and found the perfect shirt!  I cut off the buttons, opened up some "buttonholes" and threaded some leather cording I found.

I also found some black leggings and a women's fleece slouch beret.  Finally, I found the coolest brown double belt with an elastic back for a guaranteed fit for my skinny guy.  "As good luck would have it." The Merry Wives of Windsor, Act III, Scene V.   Now back to costume construction.

I found some great maroon velvety stretch fabric I had in the closet and covered the sides of basketball shorts to wear over the tights.

Then I covered the slouch hat loosely with the same fabric.  First I covered the band and then made a large circle of fabric that would go over the top and gather back at the hat band.

Put it all together and Will Shakespeare has entered the room!  "What's in a name?  That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."  Romeo and Juliet Act II, Scene II.

 

He looked great, he was awesome and I was proud of that costume!  

"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players.  They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts."  As You Like It, Act II, Scene VII.

cindy

Have Bloggers Sold Their Souls?

Once upon a time (about 1999), someone decided to write an online diary and the blog was born.  A blogger was (and still mostly is) someone who has organic ideas that are being broadcast to the Web.  Mommy blogs are especially revolutionary - women who speak to other women about common issues in childrearing, family life, household management and hobbies.  The sharing of ideas in an open marketplace in which everyone has a platform and voice was, and continues to be, an amazing phenomenon.  Soon, advertisers and the corporate world took notice that women were much more likely to listen to the opinions and enjoy reading about the lives of women just like them.  Enter the money.

When the advertisers and corporations noticed the impact of mommy bloggers, they realized that the blogosphere was an ideal place for the kind of grass roots, word-of-mouth advertising that is so powerful, so organic, so real.  So Bloggers started receiving free "stuff" to try and the product reviews and endorsements started.  All along, the point was for women to spread the word - in their own words - about goods and services they liked or tried.

Here's my problem.  As mommy bloggers we may be receiving free items or outright compensation for providing our opinions, they are still our opinions.  But are they really our opinions and thoughts?  I'm afraid we might be unwittingly losing our voice.

More and more, I'm seeing the advertising executives pushing to control the opinion, pushing to control the copy, dictating the message.  In some cases they are imitating us.  I recently saw a "petition" in support of using non-advertising search engines for use in our schools.  Guess what search engine was promoted in the "petition"?  Bing.  Sorry, that's no longer a group of concerned mommies, that's a marketing campaign.

Advertisers are learning how to sound just like us.  They are using our blogs as platforms for commercials and using us as poorly paid junior advertising executives.  I won't be surprised to discover that one or more blogs aren't really written by a mommy blogger, but are a front for an advertising firm.  The final insult?  We're doing it for free.  There is no amount of free stuff that can compensate us for opening a market with limitless potential AND for teaching them how to tap it.

Am I suggesting that bloggers shouldn't be paid for their time and effort in offering their opinions?  Should we reject brand placement or endorsements on our blogs for fear of losing our objectivity?  No.  I won't go that far.  However, I do think we need to be vigilant.  Don't sell yourself short.  Don't let a suit write the organic message.  Don't lose your voice.  It is unique and cannot be replicated as a cheap marketing method.

cindy

Easter Bunny Place Cards

Looking to incorporate your creativity into your Easter table?  I made these place cards several years ago for Easter and I still think they are so cute.  I think I found this idea in Family Fun magazine.  They are a great example of paper piecing:

These are not too hard to make, although they take a bit of time.  Hopefully, you are not having too many people to Easter dinner - I had 12 that year :)

You need scrapbook paper in two solid colors, one in a patterned color and some white for Mr. Bunny.  You also need vellum paper, brads, a little ribbon and some 3-dimensional adhesives - like sticky foam squares.

Because I made these several years ago, for this tutorial I used slightly different colors.  First cut your card (background paper) into 3"x 5 1/2" rectangles and fold in half.  If you have a scoring tool, this will make your fold cleaner.

Next, cut your front square in a contrasting color.  Mr. Bunny will sit on this square.  I used pastel green because it matched my china pattern.  Cut the squares 2 1/2"square.

Next cut the patterned paper in a rectangle about 2 1/2" x 1".  This will be the background for your vellum name.  I used a pink gingham, but you can use any pattern.  

Now comes the part that many might find intimidating but it's pretty easy.  Take the white paper and draw a head (like a fat pear), two ears and two fat feet (look like elongated circles).  You might want to start by drawing them, but once you feel comfortable, you can probably cut them without patterns.  Remember, each Mr. Bunny is unique.

Next, draw two big dot eyes close together, a long skinny pink nose, a little line below the nose and whiskers on the face.  You also need to draw paw marks.

Using your computer's printer, pick a fun font and print the names of your guests on an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of vellum.  A thicker, paper weight vellum does great in a printer.  Once you print all the names, cut them in rectangles just a little smaller than the patterned paper.  Get some tiny ribbon and tie little bows.  Add a little hot glue drop if you are nervous about the bows coming apart.  Now you are ready to piece.

Start with the background paper and glue the square onto the front half.  Piece each piece of Mr. Bunny on top of the paper, with the head on top of the ears and feet which are glued first to the paper.  You may want to use a 3 dimensional adhesive to make Mr. Bunny pop (or in his case, hop).  You will want his feet to slightly overlap the patterned paper and his ears to stick up above the fold.  A pair of tweezers will help immensely.

Now you want to layer the patterned paper (in purple above) over the green and then the vellum with the name over the patterned paper.  You are going to hold them together with metal brads.  (Here's a bonus tutorial on how to apply a brad.)  A brad is a small piece of metal you drive through your paper to attach papers in a decorative way, or, in this case, attach a piece of vellum.  It's very hard to glue vellum without it showing.  I also like brads because they come in a variety of colors.  On my sample I used a pastel green brad, but here I'll show metal brads.

That silver cylinder thing is a brad tool.  Notice that the end is not flat, but has a tiny point that you insert in the brad to hammer it.  I like this tool set from Making Memories.

Put the brad, smaller side down, over the papers you want to hold together.  In this case I'm driving the brad through 4 layers - the vellum, the pattern contrast paper, the square for Mr. Bunny and the top of the place card.  Use a hammer (see the one above) to pound the brad tool down, driving the brad through the papers.  PLEASE make sure to use a hard surface - the harder the better (granite countertops, tile floors, heavy wood furniture) - AND a self healing mat (or plastic cutting board in a pinch) under the papers.  If you don't, you WILL have a mark in your surface underneath the papers.  Once you hammer the brad through the papers and turn over the papers, it should look like this.

Take the same brad tool and insert it over this side of the brad and pound it down.  It will force the brad shaft to spread, "grabbing" the paper.

You've done it!

Your guests will be so impressed at your craftiness and that you cared enough to make beautiful place cards.  Depending on the colors you pick with your dinnerware and tablecloth, they can also make an attractive addition to your table.

Happy Easter!

cindy