I finally decided what to do with this blog: various projects, ideas, inventions and other things that I would otherwise forget about.
Update: The iPod I mentioned earlier will have to have the battery replaced, unfortunately. The battery is not salvageable no matter what I do, and the external battery wouldn't work. I will still be experimenting before giving up, though.
Current Project: I found a beautiful Chinese style lantern in the corner of my parent's closet. It has a black painted wooden frame that make a simple tall rectangular shape; its four sides are covered in red paper with a black ink Chinese dragon print. It belonged to my older sister, but then one side of the paper got torn slightly, and eventually three sides ended up with medium sized tears. I decided to tear out the red paper and replace them with my own paper. Only one side still has the original paper, as I'm waiting for my dad to come home and show me how to use our poor excuse of a camera so that I can take a good picture.
I thought to repaint the black frame and do a sort of Goodnight nightlight with lavender, light blue, and silver star printed paper. The frame could be painted either a lavender or a dark purple, and decorated with silver stars all round. two sides would be covered in the star print paper with the light blue paper behind to make it less transparent; the other two panels would have lavender paper printed with a handrawn ink print crescent moon with minimal silver coloring. It will, no doubt, be very beautiful.
However, it would also be very tedious, since I would be lacking some materials such as the paint and star stencils. I don't really have money at the moment, so what I have at home will have to do.
Since the Night theme lantern would be too much work and more materials, I came up with another good idea for refurbishing. I have some very beautiful patterned origami paper lying around. They are as smooth as silk and no two are the same. They're just big enough to cover the four panels, and I carefully curved three papers and tucked them in to see how it would look. The result is incredible! As soon as I get the camera to work and I take out the last panel I'll start cropping the origami paper and gluing them in permanently. I'll keep the black frame, since it works well to not take attention away from the panels, but I might but that silver paint to good use and do some simple designs on the black frame, such as silver sakuras in the corners.
After refurbishing I would have to check out the light bulb; its not working and I need to find out the problem, or at least replace the bulb. Also, I would have to tighten the bottom screws to keep it all stiff.
I wont start anything until I know how to work the camera and I take a picture of the last panel, sort of like a "Before" kind of picture, only without showing the damage the other three had, since I already took them out. Then I'll take pictures of the finished project as "After photos." Maybe later I'll get some ink and have the bulb colored. Since most of the origami papers have pink or red flowers or patterns, I try and get pink or red ink. Maybe I'll include a few pictures of some of the steps I take as well, just in case the other Chinese lantern gets damaged and I want to do that Night theme (black or blue ink).
When I do get the camera working, pictures will be taken and posted as soon as possible.
Materials I do have: star print paper, lavender shimmer paper, light blue shimmer paper, scissors, mod podge, jewelry glue, scotch adhesive, silver acrylic paint, paintbrush, some lovely star confetti, lavender/baby blue glitter and some decorative origami paper.
Materials I may need: red or pink ink, black or blue ink, white paint, lavender paint, (better paintbrushes), new light bulb.
