Upcycled Design Lab Blog

Upcycled Vintage Suitcase - Yes I did :-)

 

 

Oh dear. 

Where have I been? 

Was my last post really in November?  It is Shameful really isn't it?

At least I have been crafting a few things here and there and will attempt to post them without monthly delays in between. 

 

So let's get to it.

 

Today's post can only be describe as well ...... as........ Truly one of a kind never seen before and probably will never be seen again.  It was constructed from mostly upcycled materials and is completely whimsical which is what you get when you mix Christmas my nephew and his gift request made specifically for his Crazy Aunt Cindy (that me.)

 

The request....

"A suitcase full of Mustaches with a Barber Shop Pole coming out of it." 

 

Does that make you giggle?  If not read it again. 

You have got to at least smile.  Don't you love how creative and specific it is?  Well I do. 

Perhaps that is why the request went to me and not Santa.

I started with this:

And these....

 

And an old book

I scrounged through my cupboards for all the cardboard boxes I could find.

 

I make messes all over my house.  This project was constructed mostly on the living room floor.

 

 

Here is the Barber shop pole taking a little more shape.  It's just missing some shiny sliver duct tape.

 

 

 

To fill the suitcase I bought some mustaches at a party store.  Cut some more out of fur and felt and I even made some out of candy.

 

 

Of course color and varity where important.

 

 

 

I didn't get at lot of pictures of the mustaches that I made but here are a few in the finished Mustache Suitcase with a Barber Shop Pole.

 

 

 

 

I don't know what my nephew is planning to do with all these mustaches but I sure had fun making the whole silly project for him.

 

So what's your crazy?

My Cats Are Into Upcycling

I generally think of cats in two categories.  The friendly pet me, Pet Me, PET MEEEE PLEASE!!!! type "A" cat.  And the "Humans exist only to worship me, you can touch me only on my terms, make sure my food dish is full at all times, it never smells when I use the litter box,  I am supreme ruler of this domain. " type "B" cat. 

 

This is my type "B" cat Isabeau.  Resting on one of the dog beds because no one in the house hold messes with her.

 

 

 

She doesn't look particularly worried about the well being of the planet does she?

 

This is my type "A" cat Jumbeau.  (Sleeping sitting up???)

 

 

 

He doesn't let anything get to him.  Not even global warming or overflowing landfills.  He spends his days sleeping, begging for attention from humans and annoying Isabeau.

 

Now as different as my two felines are they do have some similarities other than just their grayish color.  They both enjoy the ever frequent cat naps that are often so close together that it appears as if sleeping is all these furry gray blobs do.  But every now and then they are awake and alert and they both like to play with trash.

 

I have tried buying them expensive cat toys.  Really I have.  I am a doting cat owner who isn't ashamed to spoil her feline children.  Ok I am a little embarrassed to admit that I spoil my cats.  But here is the truth of the matter my cats don't like store bought toys.  You know the fish and the feather cat teasers and the rattly plastic balls.  They pretty much ignore these items.

 

But give them a ball of tin foil and it's game on.

 

They love to play in and around empty cardboard boxes.

 

 

 

 

 

And the all time most favorite toy is this:

 

 

 

I wish I could get a good video of them playing with this piece of milk bottle top but they move like lightening when they play with this "toy."

 

This is photo was taken right before the jump to light speed.

 

 

 

Their beds are also made from upcycled items.  An old hard-side suitcase.

 

 

 

It is a little cozy but they seem to like it.

 

 

 

Their other bed or should I say Isabeau's other "bed" is a pillow case filled with old tee shirt scraps.

 

 

 

 I threw this "bed" together just for Isabeau because she must be allowed to sleep on my desk at any moment that she desires (and I prefer to keep her off of my computer and whatever it is that I dare to be working on in her royal presences.)

 

 

 

After all of this I have come to the conclusion that cats aren't really that smart (please don't tell Isabeau I said that.)  But really I don't think she knows she is playing with trash and sleeping in someones old suitcase.  If she did I am sure that she would protest or perhaps just go for my jugular in the middle of the night in the hopes that her next human servant would treat her in the manner in which she deserves.  But I wake up every morning (so far) with my jugular intact and she is still quite happy to play with her trashy treasures and sleep in not so catty cat beds so there is peace in our little kingdom.

 

Jumbeau I don't worry about.   He is like the Jimmy Buffet of the cat world.  I am pretty sure that in his head he lives in the cat version of Margarita-ville and nothing could ever really vex him.

 

Except maybe this.

 

 

 

Do you think they know I am mocking them? 

 

 

 

:-)

 

 

 

Our Cats Sleep in a Suitcase

What is it about our furry little feline friends?  It never fails when we are getting ready for a trip, the suitcases are on the bed awaiting their usual over stuffing.  I always end up packing more than I need.  My brain shifts to some kind a weird scarcity thinking and I worry about not having hiking boots on a beach vacation or my running shoes on some other relaxing get-away.  My inner conversation is something like "You never exercise when you are on vacation but who knows this trip could be the exception."  I like to keep my options open I guess. 

Now I don't know if our cats have some kind of travel bug themselves but inevitably when there is an open suitcase anywhere in the house they have to, and I mean have to, check it out.  If you turn your back for a moment you will find their furry little butts plopped squarely on your freshly folded unmentionables.  Try to keep them out and you discover a new found stubbornness surprising even for a cat.  They seem to feel entitled to this "new bed" that you have clearly made especially for them. 

So, I can't imagine why it took me so long to get them their own suitcase.  For one thing I hated their old cat bed.  It was one of those foam oval things with a removable cover.  Now I am not the best house keeper on the planet but when I do bother to clean I like to feel like I have actually accomplished something.  The trouble with the foam bed was the foam was pretty hairy and dirty and even when you washed the cover it seemed only marginally clean.  In addition to that I could never get the cover to fit right when I stuffed the foam part back in.  The new suitcase bed has a small blanket in it which is very easy to wash and the rest of the bed cleans up nicely with the vacuum cleaner or a wet sponge.  I am quite happy to be rid of the hair infested foam blob.

I haven't done anything fancy with the new cat bed as you can see...

 

but I am inspired by what some other folks have done.  Maybe my cats will have a fancier bed in the future.

Check out these links.

Craftzine - Cat Chat - Crafty Crafty - Love the photograph idea on this one.  Very cute.

PS - Isn't this so true. "Dogs come when they are called.  Cats take a message and get back to you"   Mary Bly

 

 

Crazy Crafts from Christmas 2010

Ask; and if it can be made out of glue and papermache' it will be done.  That is my Crazy Aunt Cindy Manifesto.  This Christmas I didn't go nearly as wild as I have in years past.  But I did make these for my nephew as per his special request.

 
What are they you might be wondering.  Well they are the Jackie Chan Talismans of course!

Here are a few in process photos from the lab.

I made some templates for the shapes from a plastic milk jug and cut the actual shapes out of old corrugated cardboard boxes.  I wanted the talismans to be heavier than just plain cardboard so I cut solid shapes for the top and bottom and hollow shapes for the middle pieces.  I filled them with a mixture of glue and sand, covered them with papermache' and paint.  Each one was topped with a printed copy of one of the chinese zodiac animals and experiment concluded.  And to my delight they were received with great enthusiasm on Christmas Day.

I also turned this                                                                                    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Into this for my niece

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can you read what it says?  This wasn't my most sucessful experiment.