Kirigami, Respect and the right thing to do

Pace

(Italian for 'peace')

'The virgin and child with two angels'

Andrea Del Verrocchio, 15th century Italy

Sad news.

A captain who couldn't follow the rules.

A disgrace.

Good news.

A captain who stood up for what is right.

A hero.

They are both captains, although in different branches.

One showed cowardice.

One showed resolve.

One made excuses.

One demanded action.

What makes us one or the other?

Family? Integrity? Base values? Religious views?

We each have our battles to face.

But most of us won't have to face it in the light of the public eye.

Both of these men did,

and one came up woefully short

while another surprised us into respect.

                

Well, no matter how many times I try to make these photos side by side, blogspot thwarts me!

Oh well....

Can we tell by looking at a person's outer shell?

Perhaps a weak chin here?

A look in the eye there?

The truth is, we cannot tell 100% what is inside a person

by looking at the outside.

We may get some clues, but those are up for debate.

We look at past behavior

and we look at current behavior.

We look for body signals,

and twitches of lips and clenching of fists.

But when it comes right down to it,

we do not know what is the character of a person;

we just guess.

So, can I be in judgement of anyone, by just looking at them?

Nope. I'm not God.  I'm not omnipotent.

Let's remember that.

drawing by Andrea Del Verrocchio

late 15th century, Florence, Italy

The photos above Left credits: Captain Gregorio Maria De Falco arriving outside the Italian court at Grosseto, 1/17/2012  photo creds Giacomo Aprili

The photo above Right credits: Captain Francesco Schettino in Grosseto, Italy,

1/14/2012 photo creds ANSA

Here are some pictures to remind us that we are not perfect -

even if we do look good in a naval uniform -

1/18/2012

Giglio Porto, Italy - lifeboats being towed away

photo cred Tullio M. Puglia

1/17/2012

satellite image of Costa Concordia Carnival Cruise Ship

photo cred DigitalGlobe

1/18/2012

cruise ship Costa Concordia off Giglio Island, west coast of Italy

photo cred Max Rossi

Quotes we will remember:

Captain Schettino of the Costa Concordia, undated

photo cred STRINGER/ITALY

"It's dark and I can't see."

(given as reason why he could not return to his ship)

Coastguard officer Captain Gregorio Maria De Falco

photo cred STRINGER

"You get back on board!

That is an order!

There is nothing else for you to consider...

I am giving orders now.

Get back on board.

Is that clear?"

response from Cpt. Schettino:

"I am here with my second-in-command."

counter response from Cpt. De Falco:

"Then there are two of you to return to the ship now!"

Both men refused to return to their ship.....

I just have to love that Coast Guard captain -

a man described as 'soft spoken' and 'unassuming' and 'shy'.

So why is Kirigami in the title?

I had a comment on a Kirigami blog that I have done previously.

In answer to your question:

Many of my kirigami cuttings are from the

Page-A-Day Calender, 'Kirigami'.

I have had a hard time finding it in stores, so have purchased the last two years from the internet.

I really enjoy sitting down in front of a movie (John Wayne or Goldie Hawn or Steve Martin comes to mind) and my Page-A-Day Kirigami, and just start folding and cutting away!

After I have a stack of them, I get a pile of cardstock in all different colors,

sized 4 1/4" x 5 1/2".

I get out my glue stick, and my trusty Aleene's Tacky Glue

some toothpicks and an old CD to use as a glue palette,

and maybe some previously stamped images.

I also have on hand some plain envelopes.

I glue the kirigami clippings to the cardstock,

and glue scraps either on the back for my signature,

and/or on the envelope.

Keep in mind you do not want the Post Office ripping off your work,

so glue down WELL.

Voila!

A pile of finished (mostly) cards to send to friends.

If you don't want leave a blank inside,

then get out your stamps and ink pads and have at it!

Yeah....sometimes I even use glitter.....

Please note the credit for this design goes to

Sharon Schaich

from 'The Book of Paper Cutting Christmas'

Here is one of my papercut kirigami cards

with a rose/leaves that I stamped previously:

and another kirigami design from the calender:

I hope you have enjoyed today's meanderings.

See you soon!

inkspired

http://www.inkspired.etsy.com/

Easter Egg-cellent!

Good morning!

Or afternoon.....or night....depends on where in the world you are!



I have just been checking my 'stats' and am thrilled to see I have had folks from Spain, Malaysia, Israel, Egypt, Russia, South Korea, Mexico, Norway, the United Kingdom, and Italy visit - in addition to the United States!!!

Wow! Thanks for spreading the news of my blog! :0)

Today's focus is on Easter Eggs!



As I was looking through my files and some searches on Google, I had so much fun checking out all the pretty eggs! I have taken photos of the first batch of eggs that I have decorated this year, and hope to download them to edit later today.
Let's start with these lovelies:

Simple directions:

Start out with plastic eggs. Yep, plastic!
Apply various stickers - in this case multi-colored dots.
You're done!  What a great craft for little ones to participate in.

Now another idea:

Start by dying hard boiled eggs in various shades. Use those cheap Easter Egg dye kits! I get mine at the Dollar Store.

Get out your wonderful Aleene's Tacky Glue in the gold bottle, and scraps of ribbon, little silk flowers and stick on flat back rhinestones.
Check out the photos for placement ideas.
The artist as also used tiny felt flowers and a small covered button.
Beautiful!

Many churches do not have 'children's hour' during the Easter Sunday service. I think this is great. Even little ones need to learn how to behave during a church service (or a concert, or a play...). Most churches have some kind of special service to celebrate the Risen Saviour. Our church always has a terrific choir cantata. The kids don't have to sit through a (very long to them) sermon (Pastor does have a short sermon however!), and can celebrate with the music, even if they are too little to understand the words yet.



So, what are those kids supposed to do during that time? I think it is unreasonable to expect children to all of a sudden be quiet for perhaps a one and one half hour service, much of it sitting.

I know some parents bring an assortment of crayons and coloring pages. But why are the kids coloring Tinker Bell in church? Let's at least use that coloring time for a subject that relates to the service.

When I was growing up Dad often asked my sister and I, after church, what we learned that Sunday. Oooo, I hated that! That meant I had to pay attention to at least part of the service to be able to answer him! (My sister perfected the "open eyes sound asleep" thing. I was so jealous!)



So, here's my suggestion:

Go back through some of my blogs, and print out the coloring pages that you think would be relative to an Easter Sunday service.

Not a parent?

That's okay! You may be a grandparent, aunt, uncle, cousin or just the lady that sits behind the family with kids.

BE PREPARED!!

Here are a few pages to get you started:

Here is another simple but oh-so-pretty Easter Egg project for displays:

First the hard part:
Blow out the eggs.
That means taking a T pin (or corsage pin) and poke a hole in the top (pointed) end of the egg. Take a smaller pin and poke a hole in the bottom. Now go back to the pointy end. Make the hole larger, to be able to fit a few thin stems of flowers. Really, not too big!
Now....Blow through the tiny pricked end, and the raw egg will come out the bigger hole.
Yeah, that's the only way to do it that I have discovered.
Keep blowing. You can encourage things by poking the yolk inside with your Tpin to break things up.
Keep blowing until empty.
Sit, let the oxygen return to your brain.
Do another one!

Now take a nice paper cup - not the styrofoam unless that is all you have. Trim the cup to go half way up the egg. Tall enough so the egg doesn't topple over.
You can add a few glass marbles to the bottom to prevent tipping also. Make sure you re-adjust the height of the paper cup.

Gather some little silk grass blades, or use Easter Egg crumpled paper grass, or cut your own little snippets of tissue paper or crepe paper into tall leaf blades.

Just before you wish to display, snip some small flowers. Some ideas are johnny-jump-ups, daisies, columbines, pansies, or the small narcissus (daffodils). Fill each egg with water. The tiny hole from the bottom should have 'self healed' so very few water drops should escape. Place flower in top. Place egg vase in the cut paper cups. Arrange a few leaves on the outside. Refer to photo.



Are your eggs leaking too much water? Try a quick dab of hot glue.

Why not use these as name place markers, using a pen to write each name on an egg cup. After nuncheon, the guests can take their own egg vases home.

These eggs were made in the Ukraine, but using traditional Mexican patterns:

I won't go into details on how to make these,

but it involves bee's wax coating the egg,

and then pressing  seed beads into the wax.





Not sure, but the artist perhaps used decals? For instance, dye the hard boiled egg baby yellow. Then apply decal. Smooth edges with a fingernail. Dye egg spring green. Remove the decals, and you get the egg in the top row.

A felted egg with beaded embellishments:

These are painted wood eggs:

Or perhaps we should just wait for the Easter Bunny to decorate our eggs?



So who created the Easter Bunny any-who-how?

Think about it.

Doesn't make sense, other than eggs and rabbits are both strong fertility symbols.

Here's an unusual Easter wannabe Bunny!



American proverbs:

'Don't put all your eggs in one basket' - means:

don't plan on an outcome before it actually happens.

Here is another Easter Egg dying tip:

Place one teaspoon of cooking oil in the prepared dye.

This will make irregular spots on the eggs!

Hope you have enjoyed this Easter Egg-cellent blog!

http://www.inkspiredmusings.blogspot.com/

inkspired

http://www.inkspired.etsy.com/

http://www.myinkspired.com/

dominoes@myinkspired.com

A girly girl Easter with free paperdolls and vintage clip

Hi!
Today we are going to be girly girl. If YOU are not girly girl, I bet you know someone who is, be she 5 or 95!

Barbie coutour in Satin, 1997 Add  a little wrist corsage, and she is ready for any Easter event!!!

Here is Sally for some Easter paper dolly time:

Is Ms. Kitty searching for Easter Eggs?

What girly girl can resist these adorable tots with ducklings?

Why not print out some of the vintage clip I have included in my blogs from day 1, and make your own Easter cards?

So so simple.

Take 1 sheet of 8 1/2" x 11" cardstock, cut in half.

You now have the base for 2 cards. Fold each half in half. You can orientate your cards with the fold on the left side, or the fold at the top.

Lay out snippets of lace, ribbon, printed color clip, perhaps some vintage buttons or Easter ones. Add in a little gold charm that coordinates, such as a little duck, or a little bird in a nest. Tear some poetry or words from an old dictionary to give a 'vintage' look to them.

How about some tiny silk or ribbon flowers? 

Arrange everything to your satisfaction.

Now, starting from the bottom of your picture/embellishment pile, start gluing things down onto your Easter Card. Remember to leave room for a sentiment (Happy Easter, For You, etc.) if you haven't already included it, or choose to put it inside as a greeting.

You can use double stick tape whenever possible(VivaLasVegastamps has the best, see side bar), but for heavier items such as buttons, I still think Aleene's Tacky Glue in the gold bottle is best. It has a heavy weight that allows things to sink into it. It dries clear.

Let dry. Open card and stamp a little sentiment, or use one you have printed or found in an old book.

Now TURN OVER to the back, and sign your work of art! Date it if you want.

For heavily decorated/bulky cards I like to use a padded mailing envelope. If you are hand delivering, then any envelope that your card fits in will work.



Voila! C'est bien!

Let's do some fantasy dress up for Easter!
These dolls and costumes are from Liana's site.
Such a wonderful, wonderful talent.
see side bar for website.

I think this one needs a big picture hat!

What do you think? A little nosegay of spring flowers tucked into her waist sash?

I have saved one of my favorites for last:

Have fun!
Don't forget to laugh today!
Don't have someone to share paper dolls with?
Find one! There's lots of girls out there...they don't have to be blood relatives
to enjoy some special time with you.
How about spreading some joy to your local nursing home?j
:0)

inkspired
http://www.inkspired.etsy.com/
dominoes@myinkspired.com