We had a crazy night last week (or was it the week before last? Time, it’s a blur…) when the cat access door to the garage was accidentally left blocked overnight. The significance of that is, that’s where they go to take care of their “delicate” necessities. Since their access was blocked, clean-up was a necessity in the house the next morning and our losses included the kitchen rug and the batting from their purple pillow. The batting replacement required a trip to the crafty-land of Michael’s.
Michael’s is a place I like to wander through and “ooohhhh” and “awwwww” over things. Much like fireworks. I think they’re beautiful and well arranged, but have no idea nor desire (usually) to figure out how to do what I’m supposed to do with the stuff.
But this time I had a mission. I had to conquer something.
I needed to replace the batting in their pillow, which I found for $3.27 on the back wall of the store. Then I remembered that I needed a coaster for my desk. I searched and found the picture coasters that Noonie suggested in the comments of this post, but they were sold in a package of four for $12. Even with my 40% off coupon, that was enough to make me feel non-committal about them. So, I carried them around for awhile, like they were a very expensive doll that I wanted but couldn’t afford. I thought and thought while carrying them.
I happened to wander over to the bare frame and wood pieces section and thought to myself, “Cork board. I wonder if they have cork board?” Why, yes, they did. Four 6×6″ squares for $6, minus 40%, equals a reasonable price. Yay!
When I got home, I got to work.
First I grabbed the biggest cup I will be using, and used the base as a guide for how big around the coaster should be.
Then I grabbed my mouse pad for the pattern.
And photocopied it on the reduction setting. Then I cut out the outer parts on half of the pattern to use as a stencil.
I put my stencil on the cork board, grabbed my permanent marker and blackened the “outer” sections I’d cut out and then used my mad art skillz to draw in the “inner” details. Tony says there’s a scary face in that drawing, but I shrug his fears off because I’m not a scared little ninny like he is.
The other project I did was install a notebook arm inside my rolltop desk. This required that I make the cord hole a bit larger so the clamp of the arm would have something to clamp onto. That involved drills and saws and measurements, only to realize after I was all done with my hole making, that the clamp part of it easily disassembled and the hole didn’t need to be all THAT big, so the project really shouldn’t have been as complicated and manly as I made it out to be.
Oh! And check out the cubby hole area that I previously opened up (off to the right side of the picture). Remember how I pulled the frame off to give myself some working room? Well, turned out the sides of the cubby were unfinished, since they weren’t ever expected to be seen by the light of day. Since I didn’t want to go to all the trouble to finish it, I came up with the idea to glue a large scroll pattern over the unfinished area. I think it looks great!
And to wrap it all up, replacing the batting was really no big deal and the kitties love their clean, puffy, purple pillow with the new batting in it.
Jammie J's Quest 
Oh my! That’s a whole lotta project going on!
Everything looks fantastic! I like your new coasters. 🙂
And yeah. Tony’s a scared lil ninny 😛
It was just a “one thing led to another” sort of thing project. 🙂 Thanks, glad you like it.
Tony is silly. It’s part of his charm, I think. hehe
That’s not funny, don’t make me hurt you, I am not a scaried little ninny!!!!!!!
You seem to have awakened your inner Martha Stewart gene….. 😉
Somehow I think Martha would have been more tidy about the whole thing. I had stuff all over the place … 😛
You are such a little brainy smurf.
Brainy smurf… hahaha! I try… 🙂
Holy crap girl! You’re far more industrious than I am. I must remember to call you when I have little projects like that.
Industrious — I know… it was *just* a coaster, right? 🙂
Your post actually reminds me of a book that Ella has called “If You Give a Cat a Cupcake.” It’s a silly book where one random thing leads to another, and then another, and the next thing you know, you’ve taken the cat on all kinds of adventures … and the book ends with something like, “And that’s what will happen if you give a cat a cupcake.”
So all of this industriousness is what will happen if you don’t let the cats out to do their delicate business. 🙂
😆 I think I’d like that book, it sounds like my life! 🙂
Cool… you took the idea and then went wild…. much prefer your cork version, my idea was only a quick fix. Now can you make us some sets of eight and start selling them on etsy.
Oh my… eight of those? That thing took me something like TWO HOURS to make. heh.
You did GREAT! I am reallyt impressed, my dear. I must say though, I see that scary face…lol…Tony is right!
I always loved Michaels or any ART Store for that matter—These are dangerous stores for me to go into….I always see things I have to have….It’s an addiction to Art Related Goodies…….
I see things I’d like to make and then never seem to get around to making them. *ahem* Which is why I came directly home and did those things so I wouldn’t ignore them! heh
Hey! You’re not supposed to take Tony’s side on the scary face thing!! 😛
I’m impressed with your skills. Want to come over and ‘help’ do some of mine?
*suspicious look* re: the word “help”… 🙂
OMG, that is an awesome idea for coasters!! I love it! You just inspired me to make my own, since I’m always losing coasters at home (and resorting to stealing….ahem, borrowing from my sisters).
Really? I inspired you? Aww, shucks! 🙂
You stop it sweetie, your the little scaried ninny, nananananaa, not make me beat you, XXOXOXOX
Ninny, ninny!
(I’m waiting for my beating!!)
xox