Upcycled Dinosaur Diorama

I am so excited about this latest project.  It is a Christmas gift for my nephew who loves dinosaurs. 

I started with a $1 tv from Goodwill.  I gutted it and painted it with plastic paints.

The walls were decoupaged with pages from used children's books, and I painted a bit to blend them together.
I made the volcano from a plastic water bottle covered in news-paper mache.  I installed a red light bulb that came from an old plastic Christmas decoration that was in a box of junk I bought at an auction.  The dinosaurs all came from a flea market for a quarter a piece. 
I positioned the large dinosaur near the hole where the knobs were, so there is something to see if you peek through.

This diorama cost less than $5.00 to make!  And, most importantly, it was fun!

Shop Opens Soon

So, this Friday, April 1, I can begin setting up my shop (no, that's not an April Fool's joke!).  I met my ex-husband on April Fool's Day...now I know why it's called that!  But, I digress...

I have been busy, busy trying to make everything that I want to put in my shop.  So many ideas and so little time!  I need items not only to sell, but also to remain as part of the display.

My latest obsession for the shop are Easter baskets made from felted (fulled) wool sweaters I thrifted. 

I got the idea from Resweater's blog.  Although she has posted a tutorial for a different style of basket this year, her old post from last year is what inspired my creations.Here is a link to the version from last year:  Easter baskets 2010.

Getting Started

I have made the decision to take the plunge into the retail world.  I've dabbled periodically with craft shows, eBay, etsy, webstore, etc., but now I've decided to rent space at a nearby popular antique/craft mall.  This serves many purposes, one of which is storage for all of the things I have made! The second purpose is to generate enough income to pay for my thrift store habit.

So, let me explain a few things about my arts and crafts.  I love to take old, unwanted, used, discarded items and transform them into something you would never expect.  Such as this bustier made of plastic water and soda bottles.



I realize it isn't something one would actually wear.  I made it for a fundraiser style show called Mardi Bras.


I also enjoy just taking a well worn item and sprucing it up a bit, such as this doll bed I made for my niece's Christmas present (whose picture will need to be added later because Mr. Computer isn't cooperating today!).

Some call it upcycling, some repurposing and others, like me, just know it as a way of life.  Growing up the youngest of five, I was always taught to make do with what I had.  That could involve a new coat of paint on a dresser or a patch over a worn knee, but it was never considered "crafty."  It just was how it was.

Now, I have college degrees and the ability to purchase what I want.  However, that just doesn't seem challenging enough, and it isn't nearly as much fun as making something myself.  Making something new out of something old is a good exercise in thinking outside of the box (or thinking outside of the sweater, as I write about in my other blog!).

So, all of this creative thinking has led to an abundance of items I have upcycled.  Thus leads to the creation of UpDo, a place to sell and display (and store!) some of my creations.  I will post pics and tutorials on the blog for some of the items I make.  I get so excited with projects sometimes that I fail to take before pictures.  I'm going to work on that, though!  If you live in the Evansville, Indiana area you can visit the store.  Otherwise, I do have an etsy shop where items can be listed.  But, the primary purpose of this blog is to share with the world my latest adventure and get feedback on my creations.  I want to know what you like and don't like; what you think is too common or not keeping with current trends.  I'd like to hear anything that can help make my creations more useful.  Thanks for coming along!