Garden 2015: Grape vines

I'll admit I know squat about grapes.. I bought two nice vine that have come along well.. I think.

Last year they spent all their effort putting down roots, I think. Almost no growth up top but they were growing, albeit slowwww. 

This year the one vine that grew like 6 inches last year has sprouted up to my knee. The other, hardier vine is like a friggin wild bush! It's monsterously big..

So I started digging around and found this info. Shouldn't expect output for a while but it's all good- I get grapevine this fall when I prune.

http://m.almanac.com/plant/grapes

I'll upload pictures of my out of control grape vines later.. It's too dark now, and I'm probably fit for grape shaming lol I should have investigated sooner, but at least now they have a solid root base, and I was able to mulch well this spring so they were able to weather out the drought this year like champs. 

Notable link: great info on processing and canning:

http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/publication/FN_2005_Harvest-11.pdf

Skyrim bathroom 008: there be dragons here

So you can't do Skyrim without dragons, because..

DRAGONS!!!

So we opted to go two ways: 

-Canvas for Alduin for the ceiling

-Sculpture/bas relief type for Paarthurnax to go over the door like he's watching the Throat of the World/High Hrothgar. 

There will be 3 canvases total: 2 sky (sm), one dragon (med). They are painted to look like the ceiling with 'comes the dawn' as a base coat, like walls/ceiling. I used 'homestead resort' and 'gossamer wings) to make clouds.

Paarthurnax is made of sculpey 3 clay, painted with acrylics and clear coat. 

-Alduin-

I used plain white canvas, penciled in my dragon body, and started painting around him with base coat. 

Base coat done, dry overnight. Smaller canvases are just solid base coat. 

To make clouds I used the tried and true, cheapo method of paper towel blotting :)

Clouds added:

Dragon detailed:

And the cloud panels:

Canvases hung up ( yay for command Velcro -soooo easy!):

Meant to look like he's circling the light.. 

-Paarthurnax-

I started with plain old white Sculpey III and started shaping. Body first, then adding some spikes and so on. The block is 2.5" x 2.5" if that gives you an idea of his size. Really it was trial and error, and this is what I got:

Not much change after I baked him for 2 hours at 235 (convection oven), but he's hardened like he should have. Yay!

Test fit on the door- discovered an issue. My measurement was off. Ugh. His wing broke at the joint, but it's all good.. Super glue before paint, so the wing sits at an angle so he fits. The door he's sitting on is in a corner, and my wing was slightly too long. 

But what's super cool- he's got a glow in the dark eye . DD was making glow stars for her Doctor WHO room with me while I worked on this, so thank you kiddo for sharing your sculpey and giving me the idea!

Wing fixed back on.. Paint next!

Base coat paint, after sanding a little:

Details- mind you I'm not the best painter, but he's not too bad:

Installed:

Skyrim bathroom 007: Winterhold sigil

So the request from the kids was more city sigils EVERYWHERE.. And thusly, Winterhelm over the light fixture was conceived. 

I'll admit this template/stencil was daunting for me.. Until I said to myself- white out. It made figuring connectors so much easier, and I simply added them in. 

Template on card stock

I used white out to make connector lines so that my stencil doesn't fall apart. Then I cut the stencil with an exacto knife. 

Yay, stencil done!

Traced it in pencil centered over the light fixture, and set up a second template as a reference guide for painting my outline.

Outline done, coat one.

Filled it in white, coat one. 

Fill in, coat two. 

Outline, coat two. 

Finished!

I also did a Falkreath sigil the same way: 

Skyrim Bathroom Final Pics Aug/Sep 2015

Here's some finished pics:

(Everything listed, I think, will get all the photos up with the tag as I am able) 

Throat of the World/High Hrothgar Mural:

Wall Art:

Skyrim canvas burned map

Fus Roh Dah

Storage Unit:

Riften Door Frame:

Nightingale Mirror:

Winterhold crown:

Dragon (ceiling):

Dragon sculpture over door frame ( inside):

Dovahkiin:

Entry Door:

(WIP)

Projects:

- We painted everything solid in 'comes the dawn' then did the Throat of the World/High Hrothgar mural.

- We painted several other Skyrim elements like dragon thu'um, dragons, and city/guild sigils.

- We reframed the mirror and door. 

- We changed out the wall art. 

- We repainted the door and added a sign and painted locator art

- I painted/stained the storage unit. 

- Chris changed out to a more efficient/eco friendly light and fan light.

- He also put in new switches, gfci outlets, and a fan timer. 

- New faceplates for the switches/outlets. 

- New high efficiency shower head. 

Of course we've more yet to do, but this was the biggest bang for the buck I think, and once we've more time and finances to tackle the rest of this list we will get to this too (some of it slowly, as we go, but some in a chunk)

-new cabinet

-new counter top/backsplash

-new faucet and tub spigot/handles

-new towel bars/hooks

Skyrim Bathroom 006: Nightingale Mirror

So we had this big 4' wide by 3' tall mirror over the sink. I love it, but the very edges are starting to go bad.. And it looks dated. So it needed... Dare I say it.. A Skyrim treatment. Bwahahaha. Of course it does. Did. Yes. 

See.. It's a lovely mirror.. Just needs, anchoring. Weight. Love. Nightingales. 

So I made templates:

And sketched them on 2 1/2 x 2 1/2" hemlock blocks:

Then wood burned them. 

Then stained them. 

I used 2 1/4" hemlock board  and stained it Bombay Mahogany (baseboards actually- it's got a lovely groove cut in the center backside ready perfect for my mirror hangars to fit when I mount this so I don't have to move/remove the mirror at all!):

( pieces for the door and storage unit here too)

Then, we had to figure out a hanging option, because we refuse to use liquid nails and ruin the mirror AND because I nearly cracked the wood with the picture frame bracket options -the wood was too thin or I didn't to something right :(  I was about ready to break something because my plans of a well made frame were literally beginning to splinter. 

But Hubby, glorious, brilliant, hubby.. He's my hero. He said- Command picture hanger strips.  They make them with Velcro: 

Perks here:

- I can take down the frame to wash the mirror

- I can change the sigils when I want

- It's not ruined my mirror with liquid nails!

- Each piece is separately hung so The weight is distributed in smaller bits on the mirror than one heavy frame

Any it looks cool! So much better than un-framed.:

Seriously loving this mirror frame DIY and not a drop of liquid nails in sight. The day is save thanks to the Power Puff Hubby. Duh duh du-duh-da-da-dahhhh...