Monday Mischief-Simple Project Book Frames

Hurricane Sandy rained out our Sunday Pug-O-Ween party and closed the NYC public schools and trains, meaning a day at home with mom and dad.  A nice day for a craft.  Mom has been wanting to make book frames from some of our old books for a while and she decided to start yesterday. There are lots of techniques on like and mom decided to use this one . Being sloppy and an ameture crafter mom wisely decided to try the simplest technique first.

Book Frames

Materials: 

• Old hard cover books
• x-acto knife or box cutter, or both
• pencil
• ruler
• card stock or card board
• photos 
• tape

Procedure

1) Place the picture on the book and trace around it with a pencil

2) Use the x-acto knife or box cutter to cut through the cover along the traced lines.  (This takes a bit of work, I started scoring with the x-acto knife and then switched to the box cutter when I was nearly through).

3) Pop out the cut of part of the cover and try clean up any hanging, frayed bits of cover with your knife.

 4) (I didn't photograph this) Cut a piece of card stock a bit smaller then the book cover and tape or glue your picture to it, being careful to center it carefully.  Check the line up by putting the picture against the book frame.   When you have it like you want it, tape the card stock with the atatched picture to the inside of the book cover.

  

I made 3 frames in about an hour, and a better crafter could definitely do it faster.   I used a copy of the Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy, one of my favorite books, and two dog focused books.  The first was the Monks of New Skete's training manual How To Be Your Dog's Best Friend, which was a gift from someone and does not espouse a training philosophy I believe in, but the title seemed to suit a dog picture.

 For this frame I used some dog themed scrapbooking paper for the backing.

The last frame was my favorite, I used Susan Orlean's Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend to frame a picture of my husband and Ping bike riding on the Brooklyn Bridge.   I really like the cover of he book so I wanted to keep that in tact.  I traced the picture on the back cover and first cut the opening in the paper cover and then in the actual book.  After cutting through the book I secured the paper cover on with tape and framed the picture the same as with the other books.

 

The best thing about this project is that you can still read the books after making the frame, as only the cover has been altered.   You can use up old books you have lying around like I did or have fun shopping for vintage books that compliment your photos.  I'm sure with greater craft know how there are lots of ways you could improve on these frames as well.

(Stay safe in the Hurricane!)

Black and White Sunday-Photo Shop Effects

This is my first entry into black and white Sunday and I am cheating a little because I am showing the picture in color.  I used water color and brush stroke effect and then grey scale.

Original Picture:

 Watercolor Effect

Brush Stokes:
 

 I'm definitely still learning photo shop for mac and any advice is greatly appreciated.  

 

Big Hound-O-Ween Saturday!

This weekend we started celebrating Halloween early.  Mom did some decorating

 Too bad its so dark in our house or we could have gotten better photos.  Anyway, the decorating part was boring.  The good part came Saturday morning when after our walk we got our treat pumpkin!

We got some good loot this year: A black cat toy we named Poe (after Edgar Allen), a Deedle-Dudes Rat that we named Scabbers, a Crinkitts water bottler holder toy, a boiled wool snake, a Kong Mustache, Chicken liver treats, and a big bone biscuit!  Mom did cheat a little and some of the toys where from our October Bark Box, the rest where from one of our favorite stores Zoomies, which is right next to where mom works.  

After we got our Pumpkin the puggers went to the Canis Minor Halloween party in Jersey City (Norbert and Bob are not really found of big crowded events like this and last year they wanted to leave, so they stayed home.)   

 They had a huge treat table with free samples of Stella and Chewy's (don't worry we brought some home for Norbert and Bob).

This Brussels Griffon really remind us of our angle sister Dr. Zira, she was dressed as Winnie the Pooh isn't she adorable

Anyway we totally deserved all the fun!  Mom and Dad abandoned us twice this week, on Thursday (a school night no less) they left us to go see Riff Trax Live Birdemic.   Mom says Riff Trax is the same guys from the old show Mystery Science Theatre 3000, which she and dad liked a lot, basically they make fun of bad movies.  For Riff Trax live they show a movie and make fun of it live from a theatre in Nashville and the show is streamed to other movie theatres around the country, sounds pretty lame to us, but mom and dad said it was really funny.

Then tonight they are leaving us AGAIN!  To go see Dracula 1931, the Bella Lugosi version, at the Landmark Loewes revival Theatre. 

Anyway happy Hound-O-Ween weekend!

 

 

Thankful Thursday

We are Thankful October is but one month a year.  This year we are the Three Pugateers.  Our amazing costumes are from Matti Online on Etsy.  We will wear them on Sunday to our Pug-O-Ween party!  But thankfully mom and dad have promised lots of treats!

Wordless Wednesday-Jammie Partay

Our starry night PJs are from Rebel Wag on Etsy.

The Great Pumpkin

As in Bob, five years ago in his first Halloween Costume



I mean wasn't he the cutest thing ever!


 Pumpkin is great for foodables to of course on the blog we have shared recipes for pumpkin drop cookies for dogs, soup baked in a pumpkin, pumpkin french toast, and stuffed baked pumpkin with sausage.   Today we have another people recipe (the dogs are bit annoyed but they know that on Halloween they are getting a big plastic pumpkin full of toys and treats.)    

Anyway here is the recipe.  Its a version of Dorie Greenspan's stuffed baked pumpkin, very similar to the one we made with sausage last year.  It can be adapted a million ways and it always tastes great

Stuffed Baked Pumpkin with Bacon

2 2-4 lb pumpkins
1/2 of a 1 1lb loaf of stale french bread torn into cubes
8 oz Gruyerre cheese cubed
4 minced cloves garlic
4 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled
4 tbsp chopped chives
2/3 cup of heavy cream 
freshly grated nutmeg

 Preheat the oven to 350.   Slice the top of the pumpkins of using a pumpkin carving knife and scrape out the seeds and strings, this is easier if you make a fairly wide opening.  Place them in a casserole or pan where they stand up nice and steady.  Season the inside of the pumpkins generously with salt and pepper.  In a large bowl stir together the cheese, bread, garlic, bacon, and chives.   Divide the filling among the two pumpkins making sure to really pack it down.  Pour 1/3 cup of heavy cream over the filling in each pumpkin.  Sprinkle on the fresh nutmeg.   Put the lid back on the pumpkins and bake for 90 minutes until a knife inserted into the side of the pumpkin goes in easily.  Remove the lid from the pumpkins in the last 20 minutes of cooking to brown the filling.

Toy Treat Swap

We signed up for Nola's treat swap....and guess what today our treats arrived!  They were sent to us by Kasey from Long on Love.  She sent us some great stuff from our favorite online store, Olive Green Dog.  We got two hemp rope toys (one small and one medium) and a bag of Bravo Chicken Fillets, these are great treats with no scary additives or fillers.  Boy where we happy with our gift!

Oh we got something!

Tugging Fun

Give us some chicken please

Come on Ma hand over the treats!