Magnets

September 6, 2016 Susan Pavlovsky

Haaiiii!!!!! Am I a few days late in posting the beach club craft post for August? Yes, absolutely. Sometimes life gets in the way (or rather, the bad habit of watching tv shows during the commute to work instead of writing posts get in the way). But here I am and there you are, getting ready to go on the wild journey that is September. So why not extend August summer dreams a few more days with a little beach club craft post. 👏👏👏🌞🌞🌞

Like with everything I do, there is the vision of what I think it should be, and then what I actually end up doing. That, my friends, is called "thinking on your feet". Beach club and the people it consists of give me life. But with busy schedules, trying to organize a time for 8 people to meet can be tough. To ensure I see their lovely faces more often, I decided to make face magnets!! What was supposed to be 8 individual magnets quickly turned into 4; each couple being interpreted by the crafting supplies in my very messy crafting room (aka guest bedroom / storage / office). Continue reading to find your own magnet inspiration!

Supplies:

Cutting Matt
Ruler/ straight edge
X-acto blade
Cork (sheet or roll)
Magnets (sheet or roll)
Mod podge (I us d the gloss lustre)
Foam brush
Printing paper (I used basic b&w but you can get fancier)
Random crafting supplies of your choosing. Supplies used in this post include :

Black craft paint
Gold craft paint
Brushes
Elmers glitter glue
Glitter glue
Glitter
Wooden dowels
Googley eyes of various sizes
Various decorative trim
A lighter

Instructions:

1. Get Corky

Using cork as the backer/medium which we will be gluing to, cut 3" squares from sheets or rolls. Pro tip from Martha Stewart, if using cork in roll format, iron flat on low temperature prior to crafting (it totally works!). If you are lazy, use the sheet version instead. If you are even lazier, use cardboard from a shoe box. If you are EVEN lazier, why are you making a craft to begin with? But hey, thanks for reading! Check us out on Instagram 📸

2. Love your printer

Print out a few copies of your favorite photo. It could be of your own beach club gang. It could also be of a taco. Just print it out. Also, I used basic paper (so basic) because It will be covered in mod podge anyway. Feel free to get fancier with your taco magnet.

3. What a view!

I happen to own a lovely clear ruler which made selecting the desired 3" viewport very easy. You can do the same thing by cutting a 3" square hole into a piece of paper and then using the viewport to pencil in your selection.

Using an x-acto blade or scissors, cut photo as desired. I printed multiples since I knew we would overlap viewports a bit.

4. #modpodge

Using mod podge (or your favorite glue), coat cork 3" square and place cut image over. Press down to remove any bumps or bubbles, and pay extra attention to edges. Coat glued image with 1 layer of mod podge to seal in. For extra shine you may want to add multiple coats. Let dry for 20-30 minutes prior to adding flair.

5. Personalize!

Now is the time to really express yourself through the medium of crafts! Go crazy! No matter what your vision, it is most likely represented in an aisle in Michaels, your local hardware store, and/or the best dollar store in the neighborhood. See below for inspiration and my interpretation of beach club friends!

Greg & I:

For Greg and I, I kept is somewhat simple with a touch of glam-which maybe represents us? Who cares, I love gold so it works for me! Using black craft paint and a brush I added a graphic outline to our figures. To give it a Mucha/Klimt vibe, gold craft paint was used on the background and a single googley eye was glued right between us. This makes me happy 😍

Matt & Carissa

When I think of Matt and Carissa I think of good times and party vibes. I also think of the awesome waste bin Carissa covered in glitter ribbon for our secret Santa. Most awesome gift indeed! For their magnet (and in an effort to hide Greg) I not only used black craft paint to outline (and add jazz to Matt's sunglasses) but also added the shiniest of ribbon. Pro tip which I learned from Snooki (she has a great YouTube channel and loves to craft-who knew), using a lighter lightly graze the cut edge of the ribbon to prevent fraying. Be super careful during this step 🔥🔥🚒🚒

For the finishing touches, I added the most party-tastic funfetti glitter filled elmer's glue I owned. That and a giant googley eye simply because of how fun it looked. Party on Matt and Carissa, party on!

Kent & Sasha

These two crazy kids are the coolest. Words that come to mind when I think of Kent and Sasha include vintage, rock and roll, chic, sweet, kind, and loving. This might not make much sense to you, but in my mind vintage inspired trim, dowels, metal embellishments, and glitter were the obvious choices.

Hal & Meghan

If it weren't for these two, beach club wouldn't exist. Yes, we would still have the awesome dinner club, but beach club specifically would be nonexistent. Neo hippies who love to make things, Hal and Meghan to me represent crafty modernism at its best. I added wooden dowels to represent Hal's love of woodworking and a chunky glitter (that I knew Meghan would like) to create the magnet most inspired by the beach. Was there a mishap with the glue exploding on the entire corner? Yes, however who can get mad at having to add MORE glitter?

6. Final steps

In the words of the Insane Clown Posse, "Fucking magnets, how do they work?" . Well, science can explain that for you. Go science!

I happened to buy magnets in a roll which could be cut to size. You can also try to find precut tabs to make life a little easier. Sometimes they will have a sticky film on the back, but either way I would still recommend adding a dab of tacky glue. Let the magnets/glue dry for a couple of hours prior to proudly adding to your refrigerator door (or favorite magnetized surface). Congratulations! You can now look at the lovely faces of your friends every day!

We hope you enjoy doing this craft as much as I did! And thanks to beach club for just being the best!

Pa-Pow Hot Sauce

August 20, 2015 Susan Pavlovsky

When it comes to crafting, sometimes it can be a little difficult and stressful, and sometimes it can be so easy that a hungover stupid version of yourself could do it. This one TOTALLY falls into the latter category.

One of the first things I learned about Greg (other than when he was 7 or 8 he met George Clooney – “Are the buggin’ ya!”) is that he is VERY connected to his home roots in Cincinnati. Not just Cincinnati but all things connected to it. The Reds, the Bengals (Who Dey!), and most importantly, Skyline Chili. Skyline Chili – which automatically gives you the poops but they just keep coming back. Skyline Chili – which fills the air with scent of B.O and 3 way. Skyline Chili – I honestly don’t get it. But do you know what I DO get? What I love and look forward to in the care packages Greg’s Mom sends? Skyline Chili hot sauce - the most delicious and purest of hot sauce! Red tabasco peppers, cayenne peppers, distilled vinegar, and some random chemical sounding ingredients.

To make Greg Skyline Chili from scratch would have been expensive and time consuming, but hot sauce – hot sauce I could do! Until I realized that Fresh Direct didn’t have the peppers I needed. So see below for a different kind of hot sauce. One made with love and too much alcohol from the night before.

Ingredients (or more like a loose list of stuff – feel free to experiment!)

20-ish Thai Chili Peppers
4-5 Habanero Peppers
3-4 Jalapeno Peppers
1 Onion
4 cloves of garlic
2 cups water
1-2 cups distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon cayenne powder
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1 tablespoon honey (optional - also optional is to use spicy honey)
S&P
rubber gloves (optional)
face mask (NOT AT ALL OPTIONAL)

Instructions

1. Clean and chop

Roughly chop all of your peppers, onions, and garlic. It is ok to be a little lazy here because it is all going into the food processor anyway. I would highly recommend wearing sanitize gloves during this process - shit gets SPICY

2. Ventilate!

In a heated large pot (Emiril suggests a non-reactive one) add everything you just chopped. Saute for about 3 minutes Now, and I CAN NOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH, make sure your space is properly ventilated. Like open every window and turn on every fan. Greg and I had to go into the other room while I hoped I wasn't burning down the place. It gets in your throat, your eyes, EVERYWHERE!

Once you have survived those 3 minutes, add 2 cups of water and let simmer for 20 minutes. Again, keep your space ventilated! Maybe try to do this outside and away from any kind of civilization? Let mixture cool down to room temperature.

*While you wait, it might be a good idea to sterilize your jars. Here are directions from the National Center for Home Food Preservation (who knew that existed, huh?)

this photo is so horrible because I couldn't breathe.  the things I do for you — this photo is so horrible because I couldn't breathe. the things I do for you

3. Let's get saucy!

Set up your station for what will potentially be a messy situation. Look how clean mine was at first! Put cooled mixture into food processor and pulse/leave on for about 15 seconds or until it turns into a paste. Then, slowly, start adding a cup of vinegar from the top nozzle of the processor. This is a good time to do a quick taste test - with caution!! In my taste test I learned that although the sauce was delicious, it was also excessively spicy. Like Holy mother fuck what have I done spicy! After a desperate google search on how to make hot sauce less spicy, I decided to add another cup of vinegar and 1 tablespoon of honey. This made it spicy, but more of the holy fuck I feel alive spicy. And that I can live with!

When the flavor feels right, strain it with a fine mesh. I had decided to do use a measuring up so that my pouring would be easy but this left very little room for failure/cleanliness. I had also decided to ask Greg to help me because two hungover people are equal to not even half of a real person.

* I saved the leftover mush as marinade for some chicken breast which I cooked in butter and then de-glazed the pot with orange juice. It was dope to say the least

4. Bottle me up!

Pour the liquid mixture into a sanitized bottle with an air tight lid. Store for 2 weeks prior to using. That simple! You can now brag about the awesome hot sauce you made (while hungover) while you put it on your morning after eggs!

Thanks and I hope you enjoy!

DIY Color Block Laptop Sleeve

August 18, 2015 Susan Pavlovsky

A BIG thank you to the beautiful model, Greg!

As I sit here trying to figure out what to write, Greg is deep diving on his laptop. For as long as I have known him, Greg has always had a deep connection to this machine. It is always with him, whether he is in the bathroom or on the go. Yet, despite this addiction, to protect his laptop he uses the foam packaging it came with. The idea to make him a laptop sleeve came quickly and easily. The execution, however, was not as successful. Read below to make one yourself!

Supplies

cutting board
rotary blade
fabric squares - (11) 8" x 8" squares

About the fabric:

As an interior designer I have access to fantastic samples and raw materials which I regularly craft with. I was able to snag some of these awesome samples from the Maharam Kvadrat Waterborn collection. Because I can be a lazy crafter, I decided to take advantage of the suede look and feel of this upholstery fabric by keeping the edges raw and unfinished. To recreate this for yourself look for a felt of suede.

Instructions

1. Color Blocking

TBH, when I collected these samples I really didn't have a plan as to what this thing would actually look like. What I did know is that I wanted it to be easy . . but you know, still nice.

Finally, the seemingly simple idea came to me! "Maximize the usable fabric of the sample and use the scraps to make a stripe", I said to myself as I went to the fridge to grab a beer that wasn't there because we drank them all the night before (already off to a good start). You see, the white tag on the sample is actually glued to it; which makes it unusable. To see pictures of what I am talking about, go to 2. Cut, Cut, Cut Away!

2. Cut, Cut, Cut Away!

Oh, hello! Thanks for joining me here in 2. Cut, Cut, Cut Away! In this section we will be talking about cutting fabric. but before I get to that, some housekeeping!

I may or may not have forgotten to tell you to measure the laptop which will live in this sleeve. OOPS! Greg's measures roughly 15" x 11" with the thickness of no more than .5". In theory I designed a sleeve to have a finished dimension of 16' x 12" to allow for a little wiggle room. In reality I did no such thing

ALSO, see the diagram (or photo as it is often referred to) below for code and dimensions of the pieces which will need to be cut to make this project. Keep in mind that not only do these dimensions already include 1/4" seam allowance, but also reflect what I actually crafted (which is over sized). Adjust as needed!

Ok, so where was I? Ahh, yes, cutting and maximizing the sample! So very very efficient, no? First, using a ruler and rotary blade, I cut off the strip which has the glued on tag. Continue by taking the scrap piece and cutting the tag off again. Congrats! You now have 1 large piece and a scrap piece! Now do the same thing 10 more times!

*Since the yellow is my accent piece, I continued to cut equal strips from the sample.

3. Sewn Away

Before diving knee deep into the sewing portion, layout all of your pieces to get one last look at your creation. Oh, and if you plan on sewing this project at a later time it might be a good idea to take photos and tag the back of each piece.

Ok, so I guess we should start? I'm going to ease us into it by starting with the flap (the L series). First, with finished sides facing each other, sew together the stripe (pieces L3 & L4). Finish off this seam by doing a french stitch by sewing a line which connects the seam to the face. We will be doing this for almost every seam, so get used to it. Or no dessert for you! Wait, what?

With your L3/L4 stripe finished, line up (finished sides facing each other) to L1 while trying to keep the stripe centered (see image). Sew together and finish with the french stitch. To finish the flap, repeat this step by adding L2. Cut off the excess scraps and voila, you have a flap!

*fyi, upholstery fabrics tend to be much thicker than fashion or quilting fabrics. It might be a good idea to switch out the needle in your sewing machine to something a bit more heavy duty.

There is still no beer in the fridge and it is a little too early for rum, so let's continue by focusing on the back (B series). The directions are similar to the flap (1/4" seam, french stitch, line up pieces with finished sides facing each other etc) so this should be a breeze!

Assemble the stripe first by sewing together B5, B6, and B7. Then, sew together B1 and B2. Line up the B5/B6/B7 stripe to B1/B2, trying to keep the accent piece somewhat centered. Repeat this step with B3 and B4. Trim off the excess scraps and you have got yourself a back. Baby got back!

Repeat with front face 'cuz you a mother fucking boss!

I think that we got a lot done here, so go ahead and pour yourself that rum drink. Tastes good, doesn't it?

Now let's finish this thing. With finished side facing each other, line up the flap to the back face. Sew together and finish with a french stitch

flap attached and finished with french seam

Repeat by lining up finished side of front piece to back piece and sew together. No need to finish with a french seam here but go ahead if you are ambitious and not tipsy.

Now, with unfinished sides facing each other (or how the finishes product will look/work) line up and begin sewing together, preferably with one long stitch. Start in the bottom corner where the front and back pieces meet and take it up towards the flap. The stitch should end at the opposite corner.

Since we left the edges raw and unfinished, go ahead and trim if things don't line up quite right. No one will know!

And there you have it! Slightly tipsy (per all my crafts) and a little tired, but super happy and proud to have hand made this gift. Sure, it might be too big for his laptop and the seams are kind of wonky. But look how good Greg looks holding the laptop sleeve! I sure am a lucky gal.

Anyway, thanks and I hope you enjoy!