It's Your Lucky Day - Scratch Cards!

This week was the birthday of my always wonderful husband!!! We usually try to keep it simple and personal. Over the years we've learned that the right gift for each other is the planning of a special moment or adventure, rather than the purchase of a needed or wanted object.

This year, I hid my special moment-style gifts in two handmade scratch cards. It was unique, pretty and fun. The birthday boy loved it!

All you'll need for this super-easy-super-fun project is:

• Card stock
• Markers
• Transparent large tape
• Acrylic paint
• Dish soap
• Paint brush

Create your card with card stock and markers. You can give it any style you want. Place the tape over the "prize" that you want to hide. Prepare a mixture of 2 parts of acrylic paint to 1 part of dish soap. You can use any color you want. With a paint brush, paint over the tape, letting it dry between layers. I used 4 layers to cover the writing completely, but it would probably be less if I was using a darker color of paint. If you want to keep the lines around your box clean, use some painter's tape to create a border. I didn't have painter's tape, so I used a piece of card stock to establish that border. 

Once the paint job is dry, our card is ready for some scratching! Put it inside an envelope with a lucky penny (perhaps from the birth year of the person?) and enjoy the face of excitement of the recipient of such thoughtful and creative gift card. This is also a cute project to do with kids - I bet they would come up with some very special gift ideas!

Essa semana foi o aniversário do meu maravilhoso maridinho, e de praxe a gente sempre comemora de forma simples e com muita pessoalidade. Com o passar dos anos, aprendemos a presentear um ao outro com momentos especiais ou aventuras, ao invés de objetos imemoráveis. 

Esse ano, escondi meu presente / momento especial em uma raspadinha!  Idéia super inusitada e divertida - e aniversariante adorou!

Para esse projeto super simples e divertido, você só precisa do seguinte:

• Papel cartão
• Marcadores coloridos
• Fita adesiva transparente e larga
• Tinda acrílica
• Detergente de lavar louça
• Pincel

Crie seu cartão com papel cartão e marcadores. Você pode dar o estilo que você quiser. Coloque a fita adesiva sobre o "prêmio" que deseja esconder. Prepare uma mistura de 2 partes de tinta acrílica para 1 parte de detergente. Com um pincel, pinte sobre a fita, deixando a tinta secar antes de aplicar nova camada. Eu usei 4 camadas para cobrir a escrita completamente, mas provavelmente teria usado menos se tivesse escolhido uma cor de tinta mais escura. Se você quiser manter as bordas limpas/retas, use fita crepe para estabelecer os limites. Eu não tinha fita crepe em casa, então usei um pedaço de papel cartão como guia.

Uma vez que a pintura estiver seca, o cartão está pronto para ser raspado! Coloque-o dentro de um envelope com uma moedinha (talvez uma moeda do ano de nascimento da pessoa?), e divirta-se com a alegria do destinatário de um presente tão criativo. Este projeto também é ótimo para fazer com crianças e fazê-las pensar em idéias de presentes não-materiais. 

Heart-Shaped Book-Marker

My father always says that a good book has to be thick enough to stand on its own. My father is a wise man, but before I became his best arguer, as a kid I was always eager to agree with him. However, I couldn't on this point. I had read plenty of wonderful books that perhaps had the inner strength to stand straight, but no physical robustness to match it. And I loved these books too much to agree with my dad.

Easter Weekend in NYC

In New York, Easter is for some a time to celebrate - while for many other folks it's a weekend worth celebrating just like any other. In a place where the term "diversity" is not simply a mix of differences, but rather an expression of identities, everyone is welcome to build their own traditions. As my extended family is far away in Brazil, my husband and I got to do Easter our own way. This year, we enjoyed some creative bunnies, interesting history, adventurous baking and an NYC quirky parade.

On Friday evening we folded origami bunnies to hold some treats and decorate the place. The video (see link) is very clear and it was a fun activity to start the weekend with good spirits and creativity!

A Kissing Hummingbird

"Don't be surprised if one day
A hummingbird invades
Through the door of your home
Gives you a kiss and leaves...
It was I who sent the kiss
To kill this desire
It's been too long since I saw you
And ah! how I miss you..." 

My project this week was a needle felted hummingbird, inspired by one of my favorite songs from back home. I should explain, too, that in Portuguese, a hummingbird is called "beija-flor" (flower-kisser). This was super fun to make! Choose a combination of bright colors and let your hands play until you get satisfactory results. See Needle Felted Gnome for more details on how to sculpt with felt.

First Attempt at Cake Decorating

For a while now I've been excited about trying out cake decorating, and this week I finally had the help I'd been waiting for. When I was 17, I went to study abroad in Germany and I was very lucky to stay with a family that immediately became my own. They visit me at least once a year and we always have lots of fun being as much of ourselves as we can be. It’s some kind of magic how well we fit together.

So, we planned a messy day of butter and sugar (it’s essentially what baking sweets really is).  For the cakes, we used my aunt’s simply delicious recipe. For the frosting, we decided to try buttercream (but there are other options, such as glace or marshmallow icing). We got some food coloring, chocolate bars, decorating bits, and zip-lock bags for improvisation.

Ceramic Painting for Family Fun

So, I missed the Wednesday deadline for my post this week. But I have the best excuse: my parents were visiting all the way from Brazil! They left a land with one-sun-for-every-person for a cozy snow storm in NY. As I tried to maximize my time with them, the only way to have a post this week was to incorporate a craft afternoon into the program, and it was the perfect idea!

How to Craft the Weather - Crochet Snowflakes

I was 17 when I first saw snow; and although I have seen it plenty now, every time feels like a moment to remember. I love how it makes the air smell fresh, how it makes the busiest city quiet, and how it delicately rests on my hair. Above all though, I love how it makes everything look like a big, sweet cake with powdered sugar on top! This winter I missed the few snow falls in New York. Thus, I decided to add snowflakes to my life by crocheting some, perhaps as a means of emulating an indigenous rain-dance ritual to help make it snow.