Origami Long Horn Beetle

Ah!  Vacation is almost over...and tonight is the last day for stockings.   Cheryl plans on closing it tonight as any sale we make after today has a high probability of not making it in time for Christmas.   So,  Between small bouts of personalizing a few last minute stockings,  I worked on an Origami Beetle using left over Christmas wrapping paper.  Granted,  the paper was a little thicker than I would have liked  but it was surprisingly strong.   And after wetting it a bit and fine tuning the small folds,  I think it turned out pretty well.
 The secret (  well,  one of many)  is binder clips....lots and lots of binder clips!   Also having a small brush to wet the paper in key areas then quickly drying it helps it hold it's shape without ripping...( usually)

 I'll admit I'm hardly a pro...but I'm past the beginner stage...I'm more somewhere in between "Awesome! "  And "totally useless!"  However,  I can at least follow the diagram and have it look almost like the picture in the book.   So I guess that counts for something.  

Other than that...we begin work at ACT once again on another project.    So it is back to getting up early and drinking lots and lots of coffee while not letting the musings of high school students get me down.   High school students are great.    Full of optimism, attitude, and surprising, lacking in reality.   Perhaps I'm just saying that as a jaded adult.   No doubt real life skews your perception a bit when you hit 30...and then again at 40!  I can't wait till I hit 50!   By then, I will be Older,  Wiser, and totally useless to society.  If I have not given up on everything by then.  ( see what I mean?    Jaded!)  
  I should not be to down, though.   I mean,  Christmas is right around the corner!  And we DID mke some sales this year that were not that bad.   When you have high expectations,  things that fall a little short end up looking like failures...but seriously....it's not that bad.    Especially if you listen to the Westminster Chorus singing " wouldn'tit be nice!"    great song...Great Chorus.   Enjoy!

Our Subterranian Monster! The House centepede

Our cute little under furnished apartment is located partly underground. This has caused us to have a few uninvited guests that are grizzly and creepy at the same time. At first, it was an insect that I had never seen before ( there are only about a BILLION different species) so I thought that I should see if I could find out about this one. This picture was taken in our bathroom, a place they apparently LOVE to frequent. Cheryl was understandably creeped out and instructed me to remove it. Now I admit that the creep factor for me differs from bug to bug. Butterflies and certain beetles I find beautiful and interesting. BUT spiders, scorpions and centipedes I find frightening (roaches are the worst!) So, knowing that certain insects MIGHT be venomous, stingy, or "pinch-y", I decided to play it safe and cover it with a cup and slide paper under it to keep it away from human contact. However, this little guy had other ideas! First of all, it is FAST! I meant supersonic spirally roach-like fast! The kind that may you drop the cup, paper and bug as if you picked up a red hot iron! The kind of fast that makes a guy like me jump off the floor yelling "Gyaaaaaaaya!" Luckily it landed in the open toilet ( thanks to Cheryl, who had the foresight to open the lid for the flushing) and we were able to send it to a nice dark and damp dwelling where he could spend the remaining years of its life with fellow creepies. After looking a little online, I was impressed that there were about as many people as I that were having this strange encounter with this creature. They did not know what it was either, but decided to blog about it (Just like myself!) After a little more digging ( no pun intended) I found that this creature is called a "House Centipede". They are apparently "good" for humans in that they eat other troublesome insects, but I believe, as most other folks apparently, that No insect is good for my house. They can stay outside with the rest of the creepy crawlies and let us live in our insect free environment. Here is what the Entomology department of Texas says:
The house centipede (Figure 3), Scutigera coleoptrera, is often seen in and around homes where dampness occurs such as closets, bathrooms or areas underneath homes. House centipedes are nocturnal and search for insects at night. This species of centipede reaches about 1 ½ inches in length and has fifteen pairs of long, slender legs. The back legs are used to capture prey by using a “lassoing” technique. House centipedes are beneficial, but many people consider them a nuisance pest in the home.

A Little side note: If you read further on the texas page, it suggests that you NEVER pick up a centipede because many are poisonous or have sharp fangs and claws that could cut into human skin and cause a rash. Not that I was going to run out and pet one of these things anyway.

Some new Carving.. FINALLY!

This IS a carving blog after all! Yes tonight after finishing the hinge and taking it out for a spin, I was able to get going on my next carving projects. Nothing really fancy, just a couple of new boxes. I'm exploring the insect Realm for a change. Bugs are just way cool! I only hope other people find them as much fun as I do. I did throw in a mouse and frog. I ran out of daylight, so to speak, so I'll have to finish the rest up tomorrow. And resharpen a few of my finer chisels. Oh! Just to keep those Anime fans interested, We have been watching Black Cat again ( we own the video set) But they have posted the complete series on Funimation.com so you can check it out for free. Cheryl loves it so much she also has the entire Manga collection. Enjoy the opening!

Another day, another carving

Well, I finally finished painting the cat furniture. I now have to add the scratchers and carpet tot he shelves. Cheryl has pointed out the crappy job I did of painting it, but showing me all the missed spots that she can see from below. ( Must be nice being that short!) Anyway, I'm done painting. She can touch it up at her leisure. I carved up 5 seats tonight. I was surprised to carve up the zebra! I have sold it only one other time. Maybe African or safari themes are coming back. What a differance a little color makes! I decided to add a little origami to the post tonight. It has been a while and I have been exploring the "insect" theme once again. I am quite happy with my ant. I took an existing pattern and added a couple of my own folds to it to give it a better shape. I still might work on that one some more. I still have trouble with the dragonfly, but I think I have the various beetles down. Hope everyone has a great Wednesday!