Drink Wine So You Can Make your own Cork Board...

                    One rainy Maine Fall, a few years ago, a good friend and I made drinking wine our number one seasonal job. We rationalized the consumption saying that we would make our own cork boards with the plethora of corks we would have on hand. 

       Every purchase was a carefully scouted decision based on the unique qualities of the cork, if the wine was bad, we just drank that one at the end of the night. We calculated the number of corks needed and realized that even we could not drink that many bottles. Hell, if we did, we would forget to ever make the cork boards.

         So our cork board dreams waned and over the years my cork collection increased slightly while my time for projects decreased dramatically. The other night I concocted this small test project as I was awake at four a.m. It was super easy and relatively inexpensive, plus each cork tells a story unlike the ones you can buy. 

       My former wine guzzling partner is coming to visit next weekend and I think I will give this to her as a keepsake to remember that fall and all that wine. 

Here is the list of supplies you will need. Shop your LOCAL art supply when you can!!

1. Corks (about 10-15 for the size shown)

2. A cheap or antique picture frame with glass removed and backing still in

3. Slate finish-quick drying-chalk board paint (one pictured worked great)

4. Craft contact adhesive in tube, clear. " "

5. Acrylic craft paint if you wish to paint your frame

6. SUPER sharp x-acto knife

7. Thick rubbery cutting mat. This really helps control the corks for cutting with that sharp X-acto knife

8. A "Gessoed Art Board" made by Speed Ball found near the flat canvas'. Buy one the same size as the backing of your picture frame. If you can't find one the same size,  you can easily cut it to size with a small hand saw (The Board is the Mona Lisa label below)

9. Fun permanent adhesive stickers- I found mine in the dreaded Scrapbooking aisle.

DIRECTIONS

1. Spray the art board with a light coat fully covering surface with chalk board spray

Paint your frame if you wish to do so at this time as well

2. While you wait for first coat to dry, half the corks lengthwise carefully... I almost lost an index 

on this step. 

3. Coat chalkboard again and let dry one hour.

4. When dry, place chalkboard surface in frame and secure backing.

5. Chose your layout of the assorted corks. You may have to cut some of the end ones to fit, just make sure you stagger this so it doesn't look too engineered.

6. Glue in place the corks, starting with the bottom and working up. On the top row only put adhesive on bottom two thirds of the cork so the glue will not show.

7. Once all corks are secure, place your sticker and let dry. 

I plan on writing on the chalkboard portion some good wines for my friend to try

Grow This Tree...

Ceramic bird courtesy Kara Kowalczyk. Broken Pot courtesy of Leon.

       One summer night my fiance offered to cook dinner and I knew that it would include meat, red meat. It was Carne' Esada, so while it included a flat ironed spiced rubbed meat,the meal also had an avocado to pit and chop up.

      Over the eight years I was a nanny I was constantly reassuring the youngest child that you could grow your own tree from the pit inside the green guacamole' maker. After many failed attempts, I began to secretly doubt this. I had dismissed it as an agricultural urban myth. 

          However, my reluctant optimism got the best of me and we tried to sprout the seed from our Spanish feast. Maybe it was the magic window in his cavernous third floor West End Apartment,  or maybe I  had gotten pretty good at sprouting things, seeing as I became pregnant with our daughter the same week. 

           Who knows, but you can't leave it up to chance so here's some tips if you have always been curious... I assure you, this is no myth.

 

• Dry the Pit in the sun for a few hours
  
• Stick three toothpicks a half inch in the pit at the half way point of pit (lengthwise)
  
• Place the wide round portion in a cup of clean water-make sure it is submerged up to half way mark
• Place in sun and keep water level constant. Do not pour out, just refresh
• In about four to six weeks it will sprout roots and leaves
• Three weeks after pit sprouts green leaves from top, snip them off and wait three more weeks
• It's time to pot the plant- put it half way submerged in soil in a lofty sized pot with leaves open and free from soil.
• Water fairly often, keep soil moist not muddy. It also helps to mist plant. Moderate sunlight. If leaves turn light or yellow it means too much H20.
• Keep in sun-bring outside in summer-bring inside in winter if temps are below 45 degrees
• Prune your plant, I didn't keep up with this but I'm sure it helps grow a sturdier base plant
• Your tree will begin to bear avocados in a bout two years. Pollination is tough, so it helps to have multiple  plants close in proximity.

                       About half of all trees cultivated will bear fruit. So it's kind of a gamble but either way, if you win- you come up with green. 

Welcome To The Simple Circus

Life is a Circus, and I love it. Here you will find random things, thoughts, recipes, and projects of mine. I live in a great city and have amazing friends. Good food, exceptional wine, and crafty crafts are a way of life, my way of life.

I'm no Oprah, but I too have a changing collection

 of things I enjoy immensely.

Currently...

 

 Cheap Spanish espresso coffee in a tin 

  French Toile fabric and it's numerous applications

                                      

        Our lady of Guadalupe Candles

                   

   Vintage clothing tags 

                                 

         Matchboxes. Matches are a dying breed

     

Growing my own avocado tree in a third floor walk-up