Circus-a-Day Project Recap of Week 15

Day 99

It was a late submission for today, but this necklace took K forever! I had to make all the individual links, then make sure that the asymmetrical chains were of equal lengths so that the necklace would hang properly. Isn’t that big brass tiger awesome?!?

M worked on her quilling technique and is totally dissatisfied with the results. I will need to work more creatively to make things look better, but I did learn some new tricks for using circles to create new shapes and negative spaces.

Day 100

For our 100th day of the circus project, K decided to experiment with dangerous acids! I etched brass using a muriatic acid/hydrogen peroxide solution, which we then neutralized by using a full 2-pounds of baking soda. Some of the etching took really well (butterfly, eye, some of the writing), but some did not. I learned a lot, including that my inner scientist squirreled away some pretty cool skills and facts that I can recall at a moment’s notice! And if you’re going to etch metal this way, do a lot at once, so you don’t waste your materials … but if I was going to screw it up, I didn’t want to ruin a big batch of brass! These aren’t quite done. Next up: oxidize with liver of sulfur, buff and seal, and finally, incorporate into the intended applications…

M got the idea to crochet a tentacle necklace when she made the ribbon neck ruffle a week ago. It didn’t turn out quite as I expected, but it is a good base for future iterations. The tentacles definitely need to be longer and fatter and I think they could probably use some mini suckers to make them look more tentacle-like.

Days 101-103

We’ve made so much stuff in the last couple days and we prepped for Oklahoma Steampunk Expo, we’re not even sure which days each project is really aligned with. But we made a lot of stuff! And you still haven’t seen a third of the awesome bustle skirts M cranked out in the last week! K decoupaged an old partial mannequin to better display our pettipants. She used the directions that came with the glass syringes we sell as they are in Czech and Russian and we couldn’t use them for anything else. She also made a sun catcher in honor of her kitty Xena who we sent off to kitty heaven this week. Everything seemed like it was taking forever, especially the dye projects M was working on, but the petticoats turned out awesome with the tea stain.

Day 104

Nothing really, except getting up early and getting set up for Oklahoma Steampunk Expo, which was a feat of strength and mind over matter as we drove 16 hours in the car yesterday, through tornadoes, and got very little sleep last night. None of these are acceptable excuses for our lack of creation, but our booth looks pretty flippin’ sweet so we are counting it as today’s circus as it IS our traveling side show!

Day 105

Today we met the original Ronald McDonald – he has the coolest circus tattoos and grew up as a carnie working on Ferris Wheels! We got our photos with him as our circus… We also met the cutest, most amazing girl ever – Vaudevie from Hellblinki! She plays the accordian and recently spent time with the Ringling Brothers band! She is going to give M info on how to learn to play her accordian. Some days we really LOVE our jobs!

Today I will blend two great American traditions in one blog: The Road Trip and FUDGE! Yep, according to all the research that goes along with my lifelong obsession with fudge, Fudge is an American invention with the first references to its existence dating back over 100 years ago to the 1880s (prime Steampunk inspiration era time!).

There is no historical record proof of the first ever batch of fudge but it is assumed that it is an East Coast invention and the mistaken result of a botched batch of caramels – thus the name “fudge” as the recipe was “fudged”. Talk about one tasty mistake!

The first known sale of fudge was in 1886 in Baltimore. It gained fame in 1888 at Vassar College when a student sold over 30 pounds of it in the Senior Auction for 40 cents a pound. Today you will pay, on average, $6.95 to $9.99 per pound of the sugary goodness!

But why is fudge on the brain is all our recent travels? Since November of 2010, K and M (that’s me) have logged over 10,000 miles in the Stay Puft Marshmallow Van visiting places like Seattle, Atlanta, Tucson, Oklahoma City, Kansas City, Denver, and a bunch of little towns in between. A running theme on every one of those trips is Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” (which oddly is always playing on some radio station or other at least 2-3 times each trip) and – you guessed it – FUDGE! It seems every touristy souvenir stop along the highways that criss-cross this country sell fudge, and we sure are grateful they do! Billboard after billboard trumpeting the beloved American treat are seen along I-40, I-70, I-90, and countless other roads we have traveled.

The tourist interest in fudge is suspected to be linked to the grand traditions of the first fudge shop that opened in Mackinac Island, Michigan in 1889. The island eventually became famous for its fudge and the tradition of making right in front of the customers on marble slabs and then selling it fresh. By the early 1900s fudge had made it all the way to California and C.C. Browns ice cream parlor in Hollywood is credited with inventing the hot fudge sundae by undercooking the fudge so it stayed runny enough to pour over ice cream.

Modern fudge recipes use evaporated milk which significantly lessens the cooking time so people like me are no longer afraid to tackle making fudge in their own kitchens. This innovation is often credited to Mamie Eisenhower and thus such recipes are often referred to as “White House Fudge”. Using marshmallows or marshmallow cream is a newer trick as well allowing the fudge to “set-up” more easily than having to wait for the proper crystallization of the sugar. (Hey, Stay Puft Marshmallow Creme is M’s preferred brand when making fudge. And it all comes full circle!)

All the details aside, it is just a comfort to be out on the road and see a sign for fudge, pull over, and know you are going to get a sweet treat that comforts your aching body and tired mind and reminds you of the family gatherings and festive holidays of your youth. Ahh, fudge, how do I love thee? In a million different varieties, of course, but mostly in the chocolate peanut butter swirl version!

-M of the frenzygals, fudge fanatic for life!

For an excellent resource of fudge recipes and tips on making amazing fudge visit TheNibble.com

Circus-a-Day Project Recap of Week 14

Day 92 and 93

K started Saturday with the idea of prepping some brass for etching, but didn’t have the proper chemicals for etching, so all I did was the stamping. Some turned out better than others… On Sunday, I decided to finish those dratted Fortune Cookie charms, so I could work on the Fortune Teller necklace I’ve been planning for what seems like months. While I was at it, I made a new one from a fortune I found on Saturday while cleaning and I soldered some of the letter charms I’ve had lying around for years. I started with circusy letters, and I have loads more to make, but after about 3 hours of soldering, I decided I needed a break!

M worked on the hair fascinator base she had rescued after the original had been damaged during our recent convention. I removed the veiling and flower, added the black and white striped trim, covered the top with red sequins and added two gold leaves. Still trying to decide what to use as the focal. I am considering making a flower out of some old zippers. Then on Sunday I woke up with the idea to do some sillhouette art and chose to work on my quilling skills. The curly-qs and harlequins were fun to make and they just lent themselves to making a jester/clown. I am really liking how it turned out and may make several more characters along the same theme!

Day 94

So, K started her art project this morning around 11am. But because I am so disorganizationally organized, I couldn’t find the right materials to finish the project. So, seven hours later, I finally found the beading wire and crimp tubes I was looking for and was able to make the necklace in under an hour. We found the cameo in an antique store in Kansas, and the beads are Swarovski crystal and Jablonex cathedral beads. The magnetic clasp has been part of my hoard for about 10 years.

M continued her quilling experiments with a Ringmaster face including top hat, monocle, curly moustache, and bow tie! I made the hat but then when gluing it together glued the brim on upside down – GRRR! The moustache is uneven because I used two separate pieces instead of one piece folded in the middle as I started out trying to make a profile silhouette, but it wasn’t turning out well so I switched to a face-on creation. I am not very proud of this one, but I made it… so it counts.

Day 95

M kept up with the quilling theme she has been adopting this week. I was working in bad lighting so didn’t notice I had grabbed off white paper for his legs until I saw it in the photograph. Oh well, sometimes things like that happen. I particularly like his blue tutu!

K’s contribution was several sets of cufflinks, all made from buttons we found on our way back from Tucson. The two sets of lion cufflinks are fit for any Victorian lion tamer, and the red ones read “Victory & Glory”.

Day 96

K started the day by finishing four of her Winged Vial Necklaces, filled with lots of tiny gears and sparkly Swarovski crystals. Then, Kara helped M make lots of bustle skirts (photos TK tomorrow), and K masqueraded as the crazy, moustachioed, and armless freak. We had to make an emergency run to Hobby Lobby in search of trims/ribbon for M to finish the bustle skirts and decided to use some of their home decor items to create the word “CIRQUE”. M is counting it as her circus because everything else she was working on didn’t get finished.

Day 97

We were VERY productive today! M made this glorious brocade bustle skirt with velvet ribbon waistband and contrasting trim. Don’t you just love it! K started work on a thigh-garter holster for one of the many mini cap guns we discovered at antique stores on a recent outing. The holster is mocked up using paper brads instead of rivets so we can work out the details. Then, we’ll be embellishing the ruffly garter idea to include leather, buckles, and filigrees! More fun to come!

Day 98

K’s been working on preparing for the Oklahoma Steampunk Expo, and part of that involves preparing jewelry displays. Well, I got tired of looking at the old, ugly, off-center cuff link displays we made last year. So, I decided to remake them, all pretty-like. I think they turned out pretty sweet looking!

M took an existing hair clip that was just the black and white feathers and added a lace flower she made from some scraps and some heart shaped rhinestone beads. I used the beads to make a little flower, sewed it to the lace flower, then sewed the flower onto the feather fascinator. I was tempted to use glue for time’s sake, but I loathe using glue when a more permanent and less messy option is available.

Wild Wild West Con – Tucson, AZ  March 4-6

We headed for Tucson and Wild Wild West Con immediately after packing up after AnachroCon. We made time for some fun stops on our westerly journey including the graves of the Gypsy Kind and Queen in Meridian, MS; White Sands National Monument; Carlsbad Caverns; and Roswell, NM! We arrived in Tucson on Wednesday night and were able to sleep in a bit on Thursday before needing to head out to Old Tucson Studios to set up for the weekend. After a few mix-ups about our booth were resolved we got to work setting the stage for what was sure to be a unique vending experience.

On Thursday night we gave a workshop on making military medals and met some new friends. Then we ran into our good friends and authors Nick Valentino and Liz Darvill in the lobby of the hotel and were thrilled to make plans to hang with them for dinner the next night. We managed to get a bit of sleep before heading out on Friday morning to see what the American Southwest Steampunk crowd would show us!

Old Tucson Studios was a pretty sweet venue for a Steampunk convention and everyone looked even more awesome in their outfits with the backdrop of the mountains, desert, and the old west town. The wind kicked up frequently throughout the weekend making it particularly inconvenient to the vendors, but we all muddled through. K kept reminding me that people used to live like this and drove their wagon trains through it all for weeks at a time so I shouldn’t be so cranky. She was right.

We were fortunate to meet Carol, the bartender working the bar right next to our booth, as she was lively and interesting and kept us on our toes by bringing us homemade empanadas on Sunday morning! Our booth was located right next to the stage and we were thoroughly entertained on several occasions by several belly-dance troupes, a few musicians, and M’s personal favorite: Steam Powered Giraffe!

We took advantage of the few slow times we had to get out of the booth and have look around. There was quite an impressive array of wares for sale by the vendors and we made some pretty great new friends! Margaret of Original Sin Jewelry was situated just across the aisle from us and we just love her woven wire jewelry and she loved our stash of skeleton keys! Kyla Kahn of Kyla’s Keepsakes was super fun and we spent a lot of time swapping stories with her. Maria & David of Flotsum’s and Jetsam’s Emporium out of California were the sweetest and loads of fun. You have to check out the boxes that David makes with working lightbulb tops and cool switches and stuff! We were also very excited to finally put a face to the name Alex Whisenhunt of Cracked Monocle and Clockwork Con! (It will be in Austin, TX next January and we have been anxiously anticipating it for months already!)

The lovely folks of Airship Isabella stopped by and let us ogle their massive gun and gorgeous clothing. They gave several panels and workshops over the course of the weekend and from what we heard were a smashing success! Ukulele Catfish Keith, one of the minstrel performers, stopped by several times and serenaded M with “By the Light of the Silvery Moon” when she managed to get out of the booth for a bit. We even had a gentleman by the name of Bruce Cooperberg come solely to see us and show us his amazing jetpack contraption! He is willing to make these on spec for the adventurer in need of a jetpack”¦ so if you are interested let us know and we’ll pass his contact info along to you.

Saturday night saw us giving a workshop on Mixed Media Art which was pretty much an awesome discussion with some other crafty folks about different distressing techniques and supplies and turning some old Bingo cards into mini works of art! Then we stayed in the room (after cleaning up) to hear Liz Darvill read excerpts from a couple of her romance novels. It was strictly an adult affair and was a fun way to wind down the evening. Afterwards we saw a screening of Nickel Children and were introduced to The Eye of the Storm by Levitt; two very different, yet interesting, takes on Steampunk short film.

It was fun driving through the Saguaro cacti every morning and stopping to watch the sunset over the desert on the way back to the hotel in the evenings. And the trip to In & Out Burger was actually kind of epic as we were still in our Steampunk corsets and it was the first hamburger M has had in over 5 years!

We got all packed up on Sunday night and began preparations for the trip back home to Ohio by way of the Grand Canyon, Jerome, AZ, and the Cadillac Ranch! What? You gotta make some time for the fun stuff along the route! Besides, Gingersnap and the Bok Choy Boys were clamoring for more cool photo ops for their own albums!

Footnote: we discovered upon our return home that we lost LOVE somewhere in the Tucson area! If anyone comes across the LOVE Bok Choy Boy, please give him a good home and occasionally send us pictures to show us he is alright and living the good life!

Circus-a-Day Project Recap of Week 13

Day 85

We ARE the circus most of the time, and today we show it on the outside. We LOVE our circus costumes, even though most people look at us like we are crazy when we wear them. But we are certain this is how Steampunk Circus Folk dress. CERTAIN OF IT!

Day 86

Another day where we get to be the circus, We met the amazing and wonderful Mythica von Griffyn who was just itching to paint us up so on Sunday of AnomalyCon we let her! Look at the incredible work she did to match the themes of our outfits! It was kind of cool to sit still for that long and let someone else make us beautiful! Ooh, and the paint had cocoa butter in it so it smelled wonderful and moisturized our skin at the same time!

Day 87

We were all set to the visit the C.W. Parker Carousel (a must-see according to the highway billboards) for our circus today, but by the time we got to Abilene, KS and found the carousel (signage was virtually non-existent and the map we got from the Visitor’s Center was all sorts of wrong) it was closed, so we humbly submit this photo of a Carousel Bank that K found at an antique store we stopped at along the way. It turns and you put the money in a slot in the top and could see it inside behind the horses. That is kind of cool.

Day 88

We made a stop in Missouri at an interesting Flea Market/Antique Store to break up the drive home and found a plethora of circus goodness! (as well as some super creepy clown stuff!) Here is a small taste of the three-ring wonders we stumbled upon! We just LOVE antique stores full of weird cast-offs!

Day 89

Home again, home again, jiggity jig. We unloaded the van, unpacked, re-inventoried the warehouse, and did some fiddly organizing and prep for the next trip, then remembered we needed to make circuses! K’s collection of Clockwork Circus Denizens is awesome! We especially love the monkey and the Evil Kanieval stunt jumper. M worked on a hat band decoration using some bright orange feathers, some sparkle tulle and an old brassy clock key. It looks pretty awesome once it is on the hat, but kind of lame all by its little lonesome.

Day 90

We joined forces today and worked on a piece that will end up in production in the VERY near future (we’re talking next week, people!). K was a force for creativity today by opening M’s closet of fabric and pulling stuff out. M tried to ignore her, but just couldn’t let her go on unsupervised. We are very territorial over our respective spaces and supplies. So, we discussed the different fabrics and what they would be best used for and K got to cutting out patterns M had created so we could see if they would work. The end result is this lovely tie-around bustle skirt in a sheer and shiny striped silky fabric that is just gorgeous to look at, divine to touch, and has amazing draping and swishy-ness. Yes, swishy-ness IS a word (that M totally made up).

Day 91

K’s circus today is a conglomeration of many partial pieces. I was cutting out fabric for more of those great bustle skirts M will make next week, and I decided to make jewelry focals. I’m testing some new glues/epoxies, so I may have to fix some of these tomorrow, but I think they’re looking pretty snazzy! I used brass and silver plated filigrees, vintage chandelier glass, rivolis, foil cabochons, and resin roses.

M was working on a little hair fascinator, but sliced her hand with the X-Acto knife and so decided to take a break. She went out to dinner in Cleveland with a friend and ended up at an awesome store that sold lots of odds and ends from her childhood where she found three truly awesome children’s books about the circus: Circus Carnivore, The Circus is Coming!, and Sawdust and Spangles: The Amazing Life of W.C. Coup. These books are full of interesting art and actual historical facts about some truly amazing circus-obsessed people from the past. In other words, kindred spirits!

Circus-a-Day Project Recap of Week 12

Day 78: Custom Bracelet (K) & Quilled Elephant (M)

Saturday’s circus for K was a custom order bracelet for our friend Kyla Kahn, who we met at Wild Wild West Con. I stamped the center piece, engraved the letters o the brass discs, and assembled the piece to put in the mail to Kyla.

M worked on her quilling skills and made an elephant. Using eight different quilled pieces of paper and lots of white glue, I formed the body, head, trunk (two pieces), ear, tail and legs. He is only about 3 inches long from trunk to tail.

Day 79: Decoupaged Hand (K) & Quilled Gears (M)

For Sunday, K decoupaged a papier mache hand we purchased at a craft store. M wanted a hand for display in the booth, and this one looked a bit like the one our website homepage, so I got out the decoupage glue and lots of tiny ephemera images, including miniaturized Barnum & Bailey posters, and got to gluing. It’s not perfect and has a couple of blank spots, but I ran out of prepared images, and considering it was the first time I decoupaged such an irregular shape, I’m pretty pleased with it!

M continued her quilling education and made three little gears. Each gear is a center circle with 6 “teeth” that were quilled as circles then formed into squares by pinching into shape by hand. The largest gear is only 1.5 inches in diameter. Working in miniature requires patience, as does the step by step process of building the object from individual quilled pieces. It is kind of zen-inducing and I hope to make more art in the future as I get better and more consistent in my coiling abilities.

Day 80: Food Circus Animal (M)

M played with her food tonight and made this animal prior to eating her dinner. I was trying to use up a bunch of odds and ends in the fridge before heading out on the road again so I made a hodge podge dinner of green beans (steamed, of course!), garlic bread, chicken tenders stuffed with chipotle cheddar cheese and garlic and wrapped in bacon. I then used the items to form my animal. I have no idea what animal it is. Oh, yeah, and it has raspberry ears!

Day 81: Mutant Siamease Strawberry (M)

M is again using her food as the circus. Today at lunch I was sharing strawberries with a friend when we came across the circus freak of the fruit world! These strawberries looked like Siamese twins and so we threw up a backdrop and took their promotional photo. Probably should have saved it for a while, but it looked so tasty that we ate it. I guess it is probably a good thing I do not run the circus!

Day 82: Circus Neck Ruffle (M) & Cookie Cutters (K)

We spent most of the day packing for AnomalyCon, but at one point M had a few minutes and so whipped up this neck ruffle with some ribbon and trim she had laying around. It was pretty quick to sew up and I managed to have lace that matched the ribbon perfectly. It closes at the back with a single large hook and eye fastener. I like how the ribbon ends splay out around the neckline like octopus tentacles. Ooh, that gives me another idea!!

K worked on more cookie cutters for stock, but was seriously hindered by the zombie cat bite on her right hand (her dominant hand, of course, and right by her thumb). K’s cat was diagnosed with liver disease and given a death sentence by the vet, but K refused to give up and Xena was feeling much better at her vet appointment this morning and showed her feisty side by biting K repeatedly as the vet tried to take her temperature. We are keeping an eye on the wound and hopefully K will be just fine and back to her productive self soon enough!

Day 83: Magic Marker Line of Infection Spread Deterrence

We drove from Ohio to Kansas City today on our way to AnomalyCon in Denver. K was bitten by her cat the day before in the midst of our packing. K was a real trooper and took it all in stride, until the wound and surrounding area started getting red, swollen and hot to the touch! We are counting the fact that we created the amazing Magic Marker Line of Infection Spread Deterrence as our circus. K decided the signs of the Feline Zombie Virus could no longer be ignored and we marked the edge of the swelling to keep an eye on it until we could get to an Urgent Care Center and get her some antibiotics. By the time we settled in for the night, we were exhausted and K was far too sore on her right hand so we decided to get some sleep.

Day 84: Kit Carson Carousel Visit – FAIL

We drove from Kansas City, KS to Denver, CO today and tried to stop and see the Kit Carson Carousel along the way. Apparently this carousel is something amazing and was a bit of a scandal at the time it was acquired by Kit Carson County Colorado in the 1920s leading to three county commissioners losing their seats in the election following the acquisition! Today it is a National Treasure and one of the only remaining complete wooden menagerie carousels in existence in the U.S. Unfortunately for us, it is only open from Memorial Day to Labor Day and around Christmas time. BUMMER! But we for sure want to make the trip out to see it in December all decked out for the holiday. Steampunk Meet-Up anyone? We picked up some information booklets and a DVD of the carousel instead and will dream about it for months to come!

Circus-a-Day Project Recap of Week 11

Day 71: Pressed Penny Circus (M) & “Steampunk Springs” Vision Board (K)

M was cleaning out her suitcase and gathered up her complete stash of pressed pennies collected along the route to Atlanta, Tucson, and home again. 32 new pennies to add to my collection! Looking at the shiny, lovely pile on my work table inspired me to use them to make a giraffe and lion. Transient art can be just as fulfilling as “permanent” pieces.

K’s beau has been bugging her since January to make her 2011 vision boards. So I made a collage that is a visual representation of my hopes and dreams for a hot springs property I’ve been dreaming of owning for 5 years. We’re calling it “Steampunk Springs.”

Day 72: Gas Mask Elephant (K) & Crochet Button Bracelet (M)

K was inspired by a bit of Diesel Punk today and drew a gas mask inspired elephant with industrial fan-like ears. Pencil on paper, simple and yet amazingly awesome!

M crocheted a bracelet of sparkly yarn and salvaged metal buttons. I’ve never crocheted buttons into something, usually I add them after the fact, so this was new for me. I got the spacing wrong on them so they look a bit lopsided, but they make a nice tinny jingle when they clank together. I had to leave the end tail still attached until I can get a buckle to attach as a closure.

Day 73: Steamy Necklaces (K) & Quilling Lessons (M)

K was in production mode today. I made several of my steamy glass bead and resin pendant necklaces. I make the chain one link at a time so it was a bit of a process to complete the stock for the website. I imagine there is a lot of tedious work done daily in the circus that no one ever sees.

M bought a beginning quilling kit and broke it out to try her hand at this paper coiling art. It is not intuitive for me, I know, how hard can coiling paper be, but I opted to just follow the instructions and learn to make some basic shapes. I will be learning more and will eventually make a Steampunk Circus Masterpiece (hehehe)!

Day 74: Cookie Cutter Mass Production (K) & Garter Suspenders(M)

K stayed in maker mode and cranked out some serious merchandise by making her custom copper cog and dirigible cookie cutters. The last time we left town I had to make some on the road and find a shipping center to fill web orders. This time I am gonna make enough to leave some behind so our intrepid assistant can fill the orders for us!

M had the idea to make these Garter Suspenders/Skirt Lifters for a long time and finally bought the suspender clips to make it a reality. I took two different kinds of ribbon I had that I thought were kind of circusy in their coloring and style. The suspender clips allow it to clip to your shorts and then your leggings to hold them up or allow you to clip up the hem of your skirts to show a little leg or your frilly bloomers!

Day 75: Costume Modding (M) & Gibson Girl Necklace (K)

M decided to finally finish modding some of her own costume pieces that she has been dreaming about for a while. Trading out buttons is one of the fastest and easiest ways to change the look of something. I found these little red lady buttons ages ago at JoAnn Fabric and loved them but didn’t know what to do with them. I thought the flowers on her hat looked kind of like gears so when I was upgrading my stripey circus bustle skirt I chose to use them and red ribbon to add some contrast to the black and white.

K made a mixed media Gibson Girl necklace using a mixture of odds and ends, vintage and store-bought chain, and very cool printed beads. The asymmetrical nature gives a bit grittier look than the Gibson Girl would usually be comfortable with, but it works well I think.

Day 76: SteamPatrick’s Day Bowler

After our long road run this evening in preparation for the Warrior Dash in June, we didn’t have much energy left, so we joined forces to work on a way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day the Steamy Way. We took a stock green velvet derby, added some odds and ends that K had lying around and M made the rainbow thread spool hat band. Then we dug out some coins K had been saving for future projects and made M get in touch with her inner leprechaun. She kinda freaked K out a bit!

Day 77: Reclaimed Canvas Bag Decoration

For today’s circus we took reclaimed canvas tote bags M made last year and decorated them with circus themes. M used stencils and fabric paint to add crowns and the word “CIRCUS” , then used iron-on flocking to create the word “clockwork” . Then, she added the tiger using an iron-on foil transfer. K blocked vertical lines by using packing tape, then used fabric spray paint to paint red stripes. This was a failure, as evidenced by the bleeding of the lines. It took a really long time to dry as well. Next time, we will honor K’s first instincts and use actual spray paint instead. Then, she splattered gold and black paint by flicking paint brushes, wrote the quote with a sharpie, and used iron-on flocking to add the ringmaster, gears, and stars. We will decorate the other sides of the bags for a future project.