The Sasquatch is an enduring staple of American folklore. This fabled ape-man, believed to live in remote forested areas of western North America, has been an object of fascination for centuries. There have been countless reported sightings and a few blurry pictures taken of the reclusive beast, but its existence has not yet been proven. The most common items offered as evidence of Sasquatch are plaster casts of large human-like footprints allegedly left by the creatures. The twenty-four-inch-long footprints inspired the legendary creature's nickname of "Bigfoot." Since it is highly unlikely that you or I will chance upon actual Sasquatch tracks while taking a casual hike in the woods, it would be much easier to simply make your own plaster casts of Bigfoot prints at home.
Why make casts of fake Sasquatch prints? Personally, I enjoy the aesthetic properties of plaster casts and appreciate them as decorative art. To me, their lack of authenticity does not detract from their rough-hewn beauty. It is true that many well-known masterpieces of classical Greek sculpture displayed in museums are actually later Roman copies of long-lost original Greek statues. Only through reverently produced Roman copies, made years after the Classical Greek period, can we appreciate these fine examples of the Classical Greek style. I believe the same standard can be applied to Bigfoot casts. Even if the casts are not authentic, we can still use them to imagine the magnificence of the mighty Sasquatch. Although the creation of many Bigfoot casts may have been motivated by the desire to defraud and deceive, I choose to admire the ingenuity and creativity behind the objects. Making your own versions of these unusual works would not only allow you to experience the joy of creation, but to hold in your hands an item which can generate genuine feelings of mystery and wonder.
Bigfoot casts can be manufactured in a simple three-part process: First, you create a replica of a Sasquatch foot. Second, using the replica Sasquatch foot, make a footprint. The footprint will be used to mold a cast. The third and final procedure is making the actual cast by pouring quick-drying cement into the mold. To complete the project, you will need the following materials: paper, modeling clay, varnish, two handles or knobs, epoxy, plaster of Paris, and about one square yard of mud. The tools you will need are a pencil, a paintbrush, a wooden spoon, and possibly a ruler.
Start by making a replica of a Sasquatch foot (actually, just the bottom of the foot) using about five pounds of modeling clay. A five-pound slab of clay will cost between ten and twenty dollars at an art supply store. Before sculpting the replica foot, it is best to sketch out a drawing first and use the drawing as a template. On a large piece of paper (at least 18"x24"), draw the outline of a foot approximately twenty-four inches long and eight inches wide. If you lack the drawing skills to sketch a reasonable likeness of a foot, trace your own foot on a piece of paper and enlarge the image using a grid system. A grid system is quite simple: after tracing your foot on paper, use a ruler and a pencil to superimpose a grid over the traced image of your foot with the lines one inch apart. On another piece of paper, draw a larger grid with the lines two inches apart. Make sure that both grids have the same number of squares, number the squares, and copy the image from each square of the smaller grid onto the larger grid. If you have small feet, increase the size of the second grid accordingly. If you have extremely large feet, disregard the replica and simply make a cast of your own footprint.
Lay the finished drawing on a flat surface and fill the entire area inside the lines with several inches of clay. Carefully manipulate the clay to resemble features of a foot: the toes, ball, and heel. Loosely follow the contours of a human foot but enlarge the heel toward the ball and toe area to give the appearance of a flattened arch. Round all of the edges for a natural appearance. When finished, let the clay replica foot dry for twenty-four hours at room temperature. When dry, seal the clay with varnish to protect it from moisture. Using a paintbrush, apply varnish to the entire foot. Remember that the fumes can be toxic, so only use varnish in a well-ventilated area. Allow six to eight hours for the varnish to dry, then use epoxy to attach a handle or knob near each end on the flat side of the foot.
Now you are ready to make the footprint. The mud should be soft enough to push the foot in without much effort, but dry enough to hold the shape of the impression. Before making the impression, test the consistency of the mud with your thumb and sprinkle a thin layer of loose dirt over the mud to prevent the mud from sticking to the replica foot. Reddish, iron-rich soil is preferred. In addition to its practical purpose, the residual dirt will leave a nice brick-colored patina on the finished cast. Place the replica foot in the mud with the flat side up, put pressure on the foot and, holding the handles, gently rock it back and forth to create an even impression. Pull upward on the handles to remove the replica foot and inspect the impression. The footprint should be uniformly even and at least one and one half inches deep in order to make a good cast. Toes and other features of the foot should be fully discernable. The mud impression should be left to dry for several hours before mixing the cement.
Use a two-gallon capacity bucket to mix the plaster of Paris with water. Plaster of Paris is a readily available, quick-drying, lightweight cement and a four-pound container can be found at most home improvement stores for less than ten dollars. The combination of plaster of Paris and water generates a heat-producing chemical reaction that can cause burns, so wear gloves and goggles to avoid injury. Fill the bucket with about three quarts of water. Add a small amount of the powdered plaster mix to the water and stir with a large wooden spoon. Slowly add more plaster and stir until the mix is a smooth pudding-like consistency. If the mixture is too thick it will not pour, and if it is too watery it will not set correctly.
Before pouring the plaster into the mold, sprinkle a few pine needles, twigs, leaves, or small pebbles into the mold to create a nice, realistic looking texture. Pour the plaster slowly and evenly, starting with the toes and moving in the direction of the heel - this will prevent the wet plaster from picking up and moving loose debris to the more detailed toe area. Smooth the plaster over the mold with the wooden spoon.
The cement will take only a few minutes to set, but you should allow several hours of drying time before removing it from the mold. The mold cannot be re-used, so it is not necessary to be dainty or graceful in removing the cast - just grab it by the edges and lift. After removal, use a dry cloth or brush to gently remove excess dirt and debris while leaving the imbedded particles in the cast and preserving the gritty exterior surface.
The finished product will be a unique, one-of-a-kind, work of art that can proudly be displayed on your mantle or in your trophy case. Fake Sasquatch footprint casts make great gifts for friends interested in the paranormal, conspiracy theorists in the family, and that co-worker that you don't know but whose name you drew in the office "Secret Santa" gift exchange. However, if you decide to sell your casts at a souvenir shop or swap meet, you should inform prospective buyers that the cast is not of an actual Sasquatch footprint.

Where do old boots go to die? Well, apparently they go to Texan Cowgirl Treasures to be resurrected as beautiful purses, clutches, and wine bottle holders! Made from vintage boots with vintage belts as straps, the bags have an oval wooden bottom (so they stand up!) and are available in a variety of styles and colors. I love it!

While perusing the internet, looking for a Mary and Jesus belt buckle, I stumbled upon this site, where they "strive to provide our customers with unique one-of-a-kind western creations reflecting the beauty and romance of the "Old West". Located in Austin, Texas, we specialize in Western Leather Cowboy Boot Purses, Western Boot Top Wine Holders and Custom Rhinestone Belt Buckles made from vintage and new jewelry, each of which are original handcrafted designs."

Now, I've been to Austin plenty of times and I've never seen these beauties! but here they are, and it's only a matter of time before one or more are making their way to my closet...

One of my favorite craft sites, Sublime Stitching, had a contest challenging people to make creative, handmade things for one another, rather than running to the mall for more "random crap" as my sister and I call it, this holiday season. (Although, don't get me wrong: I love me some random crap). They called it their "Handmade Holiday" contest and there were more than a hundred entries. I just loved to see how creative people were - truly inspiring. Next year, I'm going to start in August. No, better yet, I'm going to start NOW and maybe I'll finish something by December.

Check out the winners on Jenny Parker's Sublime Stitching blog.

My significant other calls me "80% Wanda" because I never finish anything. Filled with creative energy, I start hundreds of projects, complete about 80%, then stop. I get excited and move on to another project. Material cut out waits to be sewn, towels sit, half-embroidered, and scrapbooks linger with photos waiting to be affixed to their pages.

But no more!

My summer resolution is to tackle all the unfinished projects around the house, from the Halloween scrapbook to the baby onesie that currently won't fit the baby it was intended for (no matter, there are plenty of babies around).

I vow to take on these projects before starting another, and to post the results here. So there!

My first finished project was this embroidered t-shirt - the Howdylicious! T-shirt, or Shirtalicious! I must have started this two years ago after seeing a similar t-shirt for over $150 at Nordstrom. I actually completed the embroidery (the hardest part), then got distracted and never glued on the rhinestones. I also never wore the t-shirt. But finally it's done! And while I think it could use some more embroidery, I think it's pretty damn cute.

Here's the detail:

And the back:

What do you think?

When should you Do It Yourself, and when should you leave it to a professional? After all, if we never tried to do things ourself, we would probably still be toddling around naked drinking juice from a sippie cup and waiting for our mom to dress us (which doesn't sound half bad, but still...).

I never try to DIY when it comes to automotive repair, dental or medical situations, and most electrical repairs. Now that I'm a homeowner, I'm pretty brave about DIY plumbing, and a few good books will tell you whether or not you're looking at a simple repair (patching plaster, changing a plug or fuse, or changing out the guts of a toilet), or a major job requiring more tools than you own and a certification from a State Board. But how else do you know when to DIY and when to GAP (Get a Professional)?

There's degree of difficulty, and then there's degree of mystery: I have no idea how to do this, I have no idea what that noise is, I have no idea where the leak is located, or I have no idea why there is no water pressure or even how to begin checking. Yikes.

Degree of difficulty is one thing, but it can't be the only criteria, or we'd never try to do things that were difficult. I also go with experience: has anyone done this before? It helps to have a few handy friends that can give you advice like, "man, that's a bitch, you'd better call a plumber" or the famous last words: "I think we can fix it."

On the other hand, I have friends that are much more adventurous than I am when it comes to all things DIY: cooking, clothing, auto repair, and hair styling are a few areas that come to mind. And while I've colored/bleached/cut my hair for more years than you've probably been alive, I currently prefer to leave the mess to a professional, as I'm busy DIYing in other areas of my life.

What brought it all home to me was a recent encounter with a friend that started me thinking about when we should DIY and when we should consult a professional. Recently, I ran into a (formerly brunette) friend that was a new blonde. "Wow! I almost didn't recognize you!" I said. Translated; you look so different I don't know what to say. "Yeah," she sighed. "It seemed like a good idea, but I should've used a professional."

Famous last words.

File under FYI, this one is for the analog scrappers I know:

New website: Scrapblog.

My friend Cindy Li is now illustrating for Scrapblog and has gotten several folks involved in it.

If you are a scrapbooker who has yet to take to any of the online services, might want to try out Scrapblog and let us know what you think.

Stop It. Stop being so damn adorable. It makes me crazy. It makes me want to kiss you on the mouth. That's how I feel about these insanely cute rubber stamps from The Small Object.

Yes, rubber stamps in the shape of an acorn, a squirrel, and holy crap, a hedgehog. The Small Object is the cottage industry of Sarah Neuburger who makes "artwork, limited editions and handmade goods for everyday that are fun and quirky." Chances are, Sarah's not trapped in a cubicle somewhere, wincing under the flourescent lights. Or maybe she is.

When I get stressed, I imagine stamping these little fellows on my staff reports, time sheets, and performance measurements. And life gets better. And so much cuter.

Jenny Hart over at Sublime Stitching (who is my craft Idol) has made embroidering hip again, with her amazing art and must-have patterns.

I've been embroidering since I was a little girl, so I'm no stranger to the medium. In fact, this is the one craft that really relaxes me and mellows me out - with each pull of the needle I can feel my heart rate slowing.

So everytime Jenny comes out with new patterns, I collect them unabashedly, sometimes buying in sets of two (one to store, one to use). Her new collection is one of the cutest: Bon Voyage (Eiffel Tower, Taj Mahal), Word Balloons, and Camping Images, but all the sets are adorable - precious chihuahuas, Olde English letters, fierce roller derby babes, luchadores. There are more patterns than there is time to embroider!

As a special treat, Jenny is featuring Kurt Halsey as a guest designer. Kurt's designs are "twee and sad" (to paraphrase Jenny) and I can't wait to embroider them!

Should I be surprised that a Huntington Beach company has finally come out with Punk Rock scrapbook supplies? I've been waiting for a while for paper crafting to get really cool, because really cool means really cool products. And it's been happening slowly... slowly... with more really gorgeous papers and more fun embellishments.

So it stands to reason that I'm delighted with Creative Imaginations new lines: Marah Joneson's Lovestruck and CI's Caution Girl. As I sift through the fabulous photos from 2007 Punk Rock Bowling, I'm excited about using these products to create something truly unique, something that can be shared at next year's PRB.

Creative Imaginations can be purchased online through their webstore and at better scrapbooking stores.

Kindly Jess got me a subscription to Craft Magazine for my birthday, and I've been patiently waiting and waiting for it to arrive. Based on the arrival time of my other magazine subscriptions, I seriously think the mail lady steals my magazines, reads them, and then delivers them. They all arrive 3 weeks after the magazines hit the newstands.

But behold my delight when my first Craft magazine arrived in the mail today (for some reason I got Craft: 02 and Craft: 03 at the same time - thanks mail lady!), and the cover story featured these tiny kitties you can stitch from felt!

I'm not lying, I almost started crying. That's how cute these damn kitties are. I'm going to try to make them, as well as the punk rock reconstructed t-shirt and let you know how it goes. Thanks, Jess!

This coming Friday marks the start of a weekend long event - April, 6, 7 & 8th. Many of you crafters may want to check out this large and amazing event at the Ontario Convention Center. I have never been to a gem faire and hope to get out to one soon! http://www.gemfaire.com/

As a side note, Lone Star Gems out of Texas has an official cut for the state called the Lone Star Cut. Check this beauty out. It's a blue topaz.

March is National Craft month and I would encourage everyone to get some friends together, males and females, young and old, and make some shit DIY-style.
As of late, I’d been feeling pretty craft-deficient. I’d purchase a copy of the slickest new ReadyMade mag from my local Borders and feel…well, less than. One of the newer issues actually gave detailed directions on how to make a wood branch table with a glass top which cost $300. An older one gave directions for a rotating sunhouse designed by Todd Oldham. Are you kidding?
That was until I met some other people just like me – creativity hoarders. You likely know the type. These are the people who hoard crafts and never use them because of time or not enough money to get ALL the bells and whistles from some project they cut out of Martha Stewart’s LIVING but when you go to their homes, you are constantly tripping over blank canvases and finding beads in your socks after you leave. Yeah, them. So anyhoo, I’ve met a few of these ladies and we now have what my “best friend” Laura and I refer to as the “Best Friends Club”. It’s funny because we are each about 15 years too late to refer to people as our “best friends” and because we are embarrassingly enthusiastic about everything craft. (Julie and I squealed at this).
I just thought I’d let you know there are other gals (and guys, of course) out there, dying to be invited to your house to glue and cut and fold on your kitchen table but who are not quite ready for their own gallery exhibits.
If you need an idea, have a F*&% Hallmark party and encourage everyone to make their own cards. Make it a theme party. For instance, we all hauled over to my boss’s house a month or so before the Winter Holidays (how was that for p.c.?) to create cards and learn to use ribbon and brads TOGETHER. Believe me, it’s a lot less scarier with some other people around. I am totally afraid of eyelets but Laura and Julie have given me the courage to move through that fear to a higher form of craft. It’s a beautiful thing.
If you’d like some ideas for crafts you can actually make, look at these pictures of cards I made at my own craft party last week or check out Craft magazine. It is full of things you can actually make and with a couple friends, you can catapult through your creative fear and make things you can be proud to share. If all else fails, at least you’re not eating alone on a Friday night and you know your parents will always accept things for the fridge gallery.
-Jessa B.