Project: House Numbers

When we moved into our house, one of the numbers was broken.  These were the old, seventies, big wooden numbers (that apparently aren't made anymore).  I wasn't too keen on replacing all of the numbers with little plastic pieces of junk, so, what does a DIYer do?  Makes his own, of course.

I found some pictures of numbers I liked on-line.  I could have photo shopped the on-line pictures and printed them out, but that seemed like cheating.  So, I did free-hand sketches on paper.  Since I lack artistic ability, it took quite awhile to get them just right. 

I had just purchased some rough cedar to replace some of the front trim and had some left over, so I had the right materials. Unfortunately, I don't have the right tools. No problem--improvise!

Using my paper sketches, I traced the outline on the wood and started hacking away with my jigsaw. 

The curves on the inside of the 9 were the worst.  Maybe I'll ask for a band saw for Christmas. 

I finished the numbers out, removing rough edges with a file and sandpaper.  A couple of coats of paint and we were in business.  Upon close inspection, the numbers are obviously imperfect, but there's something about the imperfections that make them interesting.  I know nobody else has any like them!

Start 'em Young

I'll be honest, I'm not the craftiest guy in the world.  Neither is my old man--but he enjoys working on things, whether they be an old truck, a shelf, or a back deck. 

Growing up, my summers were spent watching--and later helping--Dad on whatever project he had going for the summer.  He always had a pile of scrap wood that was mine for the asking and a box of penny nails with my name on it.  I would sit out in the garage and pound away for hours.  I still struggle getting a nail to go in straight and my measurements are always off, but I still love to work on projects, and I'm not afraid to try anything--much to my wife's dismay. 

It would be a lot easier to plop my kids down in front of an educational video or computer game and feel justified that I was being a good parent.  But I think I'd rather fill a cardboard box with scrap wood and let my kids whack away for a couple of hours everyday.  Maybe they'll learn how to drive a nail straight and help me out with my projects.

Indoor Gardening

I just read this article from Inhabitat about indoor gardening during the winter. 

Unfortunately, our house only has one south-facing window, and it's rather high, in our bedroom.  We have a large, west-facing window where all of our plants gather during the winter, but I'm not sure if it would provide enough light to grow a new plant.  In order to make our bedroom window work, I would either need to find a table to place the pot on, so that it received more direct light, or hang something from the curtain rod.  My idea, at this point, is to try lettuce--a staple--in the window and see how it goes.  Wish me luck!

Ben Runkle--Butcher

Grain & Gram--The New Gentleman's Journal is an interesting on-line blog, interviewing a wide range of business owners and designers.

Their interview with Ben Runkle, an Austin, TX butcher is interesting.  While I have no desire to be a butcher, I did like what he had to say about what he has learned through his experiences:

"Being a butcher has lead to me start my own business; forcing me to be a general contractor, handyman, equipment repair man, and accountant. I've gained a great deal of confidence in my own ability to do things and solve problems. I think that confidence would carry over into anything else." 

I would be interested to hear what Mr. Runkle had done prior to being a butcher.  It always encourages and impresses me when people are able to make drastic changes in their careers/lifestyles. That this trait is still alive and well in our society fills me with hope.  Maybe this will be a benefit to the hard times our culture is currently experiencing--a renewed sense of independence.

Barensfeld and Howell

I have been scrolling through Brian W. Ferry's work the past couple of days and was intrigued by his photo on a work for the magazine Freunde von Freunden. 

So, I followed the link to the article about a young couple, Jessica Barensfeld and Simon Howell, and really enjoyed it.  I'm not sure if this is typical of this magazine's interview style, but if it is, I'm hooked.  Ignoring typographical errors (sorry, I'm an English teacher), I really enjoyed the questions.  It seems to me that most magazines interviewing artists and designers dwell more on the actual material aspects of the designer's product--only intersting to those in their particular field--and ignore the human element.  But Miss Schwarz asks some great questions about the meaning behind the objects--and not in some artistic, coldly aesthetic mode, but in very warm, human terms.  (I also liked the hats made by Barensfeld and Howell's company, Lynn & Lawrence.)