Travel Watercolor Journal

Have your watercolor supplies always at the ready whether you're at home or traveling the world.  If you can't find a notebook to your liking, cover a blank one with cool fabric.

On-the-Go Watercolor Journal

What You'll Need

• Notebook with a slot to add watercolor paper
• Embellishments - I found the chair in the scrapbooking section, 12" 1/2" wide ribbon
• Watercolor pad that will fit into notebook
• Watercolor cakes
• Brushes
• Aleene's Tacky Glue
• Old T-shirt
• Scissors

How to Make It

1. Glue embellishment to outside of notebook. Let dry.
2. Cut ribbon in half. Glue each piece inside notebook along the edge. Cut around t-shirt pocket. Glue to inside of notebook to hold your supplies. Let dry.
3. Place watercolor pad into slot of notebook. Fill the pocket with your supplies and you're ready to paint!

How to Make a Birdfeeder from an Old Record

Paradise for Rockin’ Robins

Use old scratched records for this tweet birdfeeder

Design by Joan Martin Fee

Supplies

Gloves, cotton
Oven
Pot holders
2 Records
Drinking glass
Glass pie plate
Chain, small links
Crop-a-Dile™
S hook
Bird seed
Needle nose pliers
Wire cutters
Ruler

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Place glass upside down in oven. Place record over glass form. Heat for 3-5 minutes. Ovens vary, so keep an eye on it. Wearing cotton gloves and using hot pads, remove record from oven when it is pliable and let record cool on glass. 

2. Place pie plate in oven, right side up. Place second record in pie plate and when pliable, push into pie plate with gloved hands.  Remove from oven. Let cool.

3. Punch three evenly spaced holes along edge of large record bowl, using Crop-a-Dile. Punch six evenly spaced holes along edge of small record bowl.

4. Cut 3 pieces of chain 12” long and 3 pieces 8” long. Open link on one end of 12” length chain using needle nose pliers and insert in hole in large record bowl. Repeat with other two 12” lengths in remaining openings.

5. Open opposite ends of chain and insert in every other hole of small bowl.

6. Insert 8” lengths of chain in small bowl.

7. Combine loose ends of 8” lengths together and use S hook to hold together.

8. Add bird seed and send out the invitation.

For more great ideas on how to use old, scratched records, check out Cheryl Ball and my e-book Get Those Old Records Off the Shelf at http://www.lulu.com/shop/joan-martin-fee-and-cheryl-ball/get-those-old-records-off-the-shelf/ebook/product-4670569.html

Valentine's Lunch Recipes

Whatever age your sweetie is, they'll love this special lunch you make for them.  It's super easy and is sure to bring a smile to their face.  You probably have all the ingredients in your kitchen right now.

Valentine's Lunch

What You'll Need 
Bread
Eggs or sandwich meat
Hummus, purchased
Carrots
Cookie cutter, heart shaped or use knife
Mayonnaise, light
Tomato soup
 
 How to Make It
Sandwiches and Croutons - For egg salad sandwiches, hard boil eggs and let cool. Remove peel. Chop and add a little mayonnaise. Season to taste. Place bread on cutting board and cut into heart shapes using knife or cookie cutter. Spread egg salad or use sandwich meat on bread. Croutons - Cut small heart shapes from excess bread. Toast in oven or pan until brown and crispy.
Hummus - Take a large spoonful of hummus and place on plate. Take another spoonful and place next to first scoop.  Form into heart shape with spoon.  Add carrots.

Add a Little Special to Every Day

I made empanadas for a party last Friday and since I can't just do ordinary, I cut hearts from the extra dough and added them for a special touch.

Make today special...

Shrink Plastic Heart Earrings

Valentine's Heart Filigree Earrings

Shrink plastic can be found at your local craft store.  It's a super fun product for the entire family.

What You Need

• Shrink plastic
• Baking sheet
• Baby powder
• Oven or toaster oven
• Scissors
• Hot pad
• 2 fish hook ear wires
• 6 (6mm) jump rings
• ¼” hole punch
• Needle nose pliers
• Pencil

 What To Do

1. For each earring, cut a 3-1/2” x 4-1/4” piece of shrink plastic. Fold plastic in half. Crease will disappear when shrunk.
2. Lay folded plastic over pattern. Trace pattern using pencil. NOTE: Shaded areas on pattern will be cut out and discarded. Cut out design following pencil lines (excess lines can be erased before shrinking).  You have two pieces, the outer heart and the inner heart with filigree design. Open design and use a paper punch to make holes where indicated on pattern.
3. Preheat oven to 275-300 degrees. Lightly sprinkle baking sheet with baby powder and place plastic pieces on baking sheet. Place in oven. When flat, remove from oven with hot pad and let cool.
4. Attach jump rings and fish hook ear wires to hearts, using needle nose pliers.