Recycled Lighthouse Patio Light Cover

OK, I admit it . . . I'm a compulsive recycleholic. There. It's an admitted fact. Fortunately, recycling is a good thing . . . until I start sqirrelling things away . . . and then it's not. Especially when I live in a house on wheels that's 8' wide (closed up) and 31' long. 'Storage' is severely restricted . . . until a fun brain fart like this one pops out and is well-received.

This project got its 'seed' from some square racketball sleeves. I've been making different awning light covers for some time that are more fragile, and the square sleeves are ideal to stack the light covers in and protect them in transit.

Jokingly, one of the girls in our campground store asked if I might want a tennis ball sleeve one day (we sell the balls individually and discard the empty sleeves). I took a couple home and then the idea came to turn them into awning light (or patio light) covers.

My original intent was to use a graphics program to create a pattern on my computer which I could print out and place inside the cylinder, then paint the design on the outside . . . obviously, during the process, a typical-for-me entirely different direction emerged.

About two years ago I found http://thecraftypc.com online. I don't recall what type of product I was Googling at the time - yes I do - transfer papers for the jigsaw puzzles featured in the right hand column here (which are great). While exploring The Crafty PC website I discovered Backlight Film - and a Wedding Light pattern that I've since redesigned into my awning light covers.

As my design emerged, it took on a life of its own. With the bottom of the cylinder painted black to become the top of the lighthouse, I only needed a flat pattern to roll up and insert into the cylinder. I used basic shapes which I filled with color then tweaked with filters (the red and white bands, door and windows). I then cut out the window panes and diamonds from the light room at the top.

Originally, I intended for these areas to remain clear, then decided to add a 'reflection'. Off to my digital images, and I opened one of my colorful Florida Sunsets and placed it as the bottom layer. Having previously cut away all the glass areas, I was able to work with the sunset image until it looked right through every window - but keeping in mind that the top light would be meeting along the seam.

Aftter that, I added greenery from an image of a flower bed here at the campground - again, being aware that it had to match up on the sides.

For a little added zest, it was back to my image collection and this time, the siding of a houseboat on nearby White Lake was the perfect accent for the shutters. To give them a bit more zing, I went to my digital scrapping collection and found hinges and potential door knob from Scrap Girls, Eternal Love kit.

Add a few pertinent shadows and a few other tweaks and I had my pattern.

I printed it out on The Crafty PC's Backlight Film and let it dry for a few hours. Two coats of The Crafty PC's Decal Finishing and Inkjet Overcoat Spray (again, letting it dry between coats), one last 2-hour drying spell, and I was able to trim the paper to size.

All I need now is to get the light hole for Christmas Tree lights drilled to size and I'll be ready to hang it. In the meantime, the second pattern is underway - I'm aiming for a set of six lights.

Teaching This Old Gal New Tricks

Blogging is still new to me. When I first decided to try 'Smilebox' I was extremely hesitant, even to the point of cancelling it before exploring its potential. Fortunately the program persisted in teasing me enough to give it another look. Below is my first experimental slideshow. Hopefully you enjoy it. These images were randomly chosen from many I've taken along my travels. A couple will reappear in different posts later which I hope you will find beneficial.

Nugget's New Hat

As a Workamper, I wear many hats (just look at my resume card samples below and on the side). Ever eager to promote the company I'm working with, and constantly creating things from forms to promotional items and personal gifts, this adventure provided another opportunity.

Twice a week I generate leads for Thousand Trails at the Tampa-area Camping World (which already has most of my monies - it's a dangerous place for a full-time RVer!!!). On my third day, aware of all the dogs that were coming in the store, I called Mike and asked him to bring 'Nugget' over (lead images for this blog). Thar fellow is a magnet when it comes to getting attention. Mike got quite a chuckle when he saw guests and dogs alike coming over to check him out.

Before getting too carried away, I asked my boss to come over and approve my new 'helper'. She was a bit skeptical, thinking that Mike might be helping me, and the position only pays one person per shift.

Quietly I brought him up from behind the counter and started putting him through his paces. She responded to him immediately . . . then stared looking around, stunned, as people stopped in their tracks for a better look, then started gravitating our way. Nugget was hired!

Nugget isn't 'just' a dog - he's a hand puppet with the ability to be quite amazing.

There was one problem though - three out of five people want to BUY my buddy. It was time to get him 'dressed' for his part. With my boss's permission, I took digital images of our current promotion and edited them for iron-on transfers. I have a wonderfu, free, program - www.wildthings.com, that offers a good variety of customizable patterns. Using a beret pattern, I adjusted it to fit Nugget, then printed it out. Now he has a beret featuring the current promo on the top and the Thousand Trails logo on the wider-than-normal band.

As my great boss, Sue Rose says, "Life is Good".