I’ve wanted to “unfriend” several people this year

According to the New Oxford American Dictionary, the word of the year for 2009 is :

“UNFRIEND”

Unfriend, as in “to remove a friend on a social networking site such as Facebook” is the buzzword this year, and I must admit, I’ve been guilty of wanting to “unfriend” several people on my Facebook list.  Why do people unfriend? Sometimes, people just keep writing annoying posts.  Other times, they send you every link under the sun (to be clear, I do NOT want to join your group called “People who want to…….).  Complainers are big on my unfriend lists also.

But I have refrained from unfriending simply because I’m too afraid of insulting someone (especially when they are related.  I don’t want to start a family feud!).  But apparently, this isn’t something that I am alone in feeling.

You can read more of the words that made it into the dictionary this year right here.

Have sharpie…will create…

I have been looking for inspiration for my Christmas bulletin board for the last week or so, and I came across this talented artist who is has found creativity in a Sharpie!  Chris Piascik begins by just doodling lines and shapes on a page and then goes on to create gorgeous and creative work with his imagination.  The video above shows him working on a piece for Halloween, but his style is so unique that he can adapt it to anything.

You can follow his work in many great ways, from his Flickr Photostream to his daily blog with a new drawing everyday.  If you’re interested in purchasing some of his work, he has a store on Etsy where you can pick up an illustrated treasure.  Follow him on Twitter or Facebook if you just can’t get enough of this artist.  I think I’ll be adding him to my account.

So, with his inspired illustrations, I might try my hand at something similar for our Christmas bulletin board.  Wish me luck!

Fake fireplace? How about a fake moose to go over it!

I’m always doing crafts at the library, and we’re thinking about getting our Christmas decorations up, so I’m in creating mode.  One of my co-worker’s, Judi, had a great idea.  She wanted to create a fake fireplace near our front desk and put up a recycled cardboard moose.  She’d run across an article about these fabulous and easy cardboard animals that you just punch out and pop together for a great 3-D look.  You can find them at Cardboardsafari.com and each one is laser cut and packed flat for shipping.  You can choose from large animals, Christmas decor or small animals and each one can be painted to your liking.  They come in white or brown so you can choose just how much work you’d like to do.

These look like they’d be great fun to try, if you’re willing to do a little work.  Or how about as a gift to someone with a new fireplace?  We might not get one for the library this year, but at least the idea is out there.  You can find similar templates to this online to make your own animals, but they’ll require lots of patience and a sharp knife.  In the meantime, Cardboard Safari has a great blog so that you can follow their progress and see some new ideas here.

Learn to draw?

Some of the most popular books that people ask for at the library are books on learning to draw or paint.  We have a wide variety of books on the subject in both the children’s section, and adult.  You can find a book that will teach you how to draw cool girl stuff:

or some things not so girly (but cool to someone, I’m sure):

as well as wide variety of other art books.  But what if you need a little more instruction and can’t find a teacher who is offering you exactly what you want?  How about taking an online drawing course?  Drawspace.com offers a wide variety of courses, teachers and start dates.  You just sign up, choose a course you’d like, pay online and and wait for your instructions.  There are detailed pages on what drawing supplies to purchase and what resources you might need, so you’ll never be lost.  The professor will send you a copy of your assignment in PDF format which you download and complete.  Then, you just scan your work and upload it to the site for marking.  Lots of fun and you don’t even have to leave your house!  Very convenient for people who work and might not be able to attend a class.

So have fun and learn to draw!

Unique bookends

Here’s a great, whimsical bookend by Artori Design.  Not only is it functional, but it will act as a conversation piece!  There are two models, both of which have a couple escaping the “falling” books.  The bookend is a piece of metal set at an angle and the far end inserts into the inside of a book.  It works best if the book is a hardcover, for more support, and the bookend remains invisible.

There are two models available… the one above and another with a single person with his arms out to prevent being crushed.  Both are funny and very creative.  You can see more of Artori Design ideas on their website here.

Remembrance Day in Carleton Place

If you missed the ceremonies on November 11th in Carleton Place, here is a quick review of some of the morning’s events: