Dating is a discovery period. If you imagine that the idea of dating is about discovering other people and seeing how much you ‘click’ and whether you have enough going on to forge a relationship, this period is for you to learn about one another…even if what you learn is bad news. Contrary to popular opinion, the key thing that you will need to find out is whether you share common values this is what will take you from dating into a bonafide relationship. If you rely on sexual chemistry and common interests and forget to discover whether you share common values, you will find yourself being bemused as to why someone you ‘seem’ to get along with so well doesn’t translate into a relationship. Don’t start acting like you’re in a relationship when you’re are just dating. Slow your roll! You’re going too fast! If you do this, you will expect as if you’re in a relationship when you don’t actually know each other enough to be able to do this. You will make the other person nervy if you go into girlfriend or even ‘wifey’ mode when you’ve not established whether you’re in a relationship. Don’t assume the position! Remember to act like you’re worthy and in the same league. Do not put people on a pedestal because the only place for them to look at you is from above, which means you are beneath them.this creates a dangerous, imbalanced relationship that is difficult to recover from. Be careful of getting dazzled by someone and in awe of them as it may make you blind to the reality plus it puts undue pressure on them creating expectations that they cannot live up to.
Different sized bowlsRopeHot glueFillers for decoration (apples, soap, seashells) Place your bowl upside down. Coil rope into spiral while adding a line of glue to each spiral. Cut the rope and hot glue the end of the rope to keep the bowl from fraying. Remove the bowl and let the rope bowl sit and take shape.
KELP or "seaweed" is form of algae marine plant that grows on rocks in the ocean. Kelp is a source of Algin, a thickening agent used in toothpaste, paint, ice cream and cosmetics. The best times to apply Kelp are early morning and early evening, when the liquids will be absorbed most quickly. Seashells are rich in calcium. Fertilizer manufacturers use seashells as a growth stimulator to help plants become more resistant to fungi. Crushed seashells can be used as soil amendment to loosen clay soil and improve drainage. Calcium carbonate in seashells provides a slow release of calcium that de-acidifies and helps balance soil pH.
Create or find the look you’re after. This will determine the type and size of board you need for creating the sign. If you want to create an authentic aged look, start with recycled or aged wood. Even better if it has old paint still on it. If starting with fresh unpainted wood, paint the background color first. At this stage, you may also want to add a little molding or trim around the perimeter of the sign to dress it up a little. Once the background color is applied, then start with the lettering and or images for your sign. If you’re copying something you’ve found in a magazine or online, you might be able to use a simple table projector to superimpose the image onto your sign. Then trace the design with a pencil onto your sign and paint as desired. If you’re painting freehand, be careful to not choose a design too intricate as you’re edges will not be terribly crisp. Small designs can be copied using a Sharpie or other marker, which allow for greater control. Many older signs were hand painted which adds to the rustic charm and with practice you may be able to achieve this look yourself. My ‘laundry’ sign was done by projecting an image I found online (I printed it up first), tracing it in pencil and then using a blue sharpie to color it in. My ‘cigar’ sign was also projected onto the wooden sign I made first, but in this case I just carefully painted the lettering using a small artists brush. If you choose a very detailed design and want it too look very professional, you may opt to have a mask made at a professional sign/banner store. Take your image and sign measurements to the store and they will use their computer to cut out the image in a sticky vinyl sheet, which you lay over top of your sign. When you peel off the top layer of the vinyl, the mask acts like a stencil where you simply paint over the relief of your lettering. When the cut out areas have been fully covered in the color of your choice, you just peel off the mask and your painted lettering will remain on your sign, looking very precise. I used this process with the my larger signs (Southwell & Company, and Oakville Yacht Club). Once all the lettering and design work has been painted on, you may want to distress the piece afterward to make it look really old. You could literally add dents and small cuts to the wood using a variety of tools – one of the tricks of the trade is to tie a large number of metal keys on a wire ring and attach the ring to a wooden handle and then hit the wood with the keys. The keys will create small random gouges and depressions along the woods surface without doing too much damage. Another way to age the piece is to sand off areas of the sign to give the impression of the colors fading over time. This takes a little skill but if you look at real vintage signs, you’ll get an idea how best to sand your piece. After sanding, I often add stain or glaze to the piece to add another layer of age. If you’ve sanded any edges down to raw wood, then you’ll want to age those areas so they don’t look like new wood. Light brown stain, which you quickly wipe off or a glaze tinted with umber can also create a great aged look. Apply sparingly over the whole piece and add layers as needed. Remember to never apply polyurethane (oil based) finish coats over your painted projects. Polyurethane eats away at paint and will destroy your finish. If you feel you must apply a protective finish over your finished project, you must use a polyacrylic (water based) finish. Keep in mind, any shiny finish coat will detract from a vintage look where truly old wooden signs have a matte, very worn feeling from many years of exposure to the elements.
