August « 2009 « Frugal Green Tips

August 30, 2009

Night Stand

Filed under: the artist in us,this and that — admin @ 12:52 am

Main parts:
• 20” tall garden clay pot. $20 each
• An inherited refrigerator glass shelf to add a touch of Dadaism.
• (2) continuous color changing night lights from Costco.
The lights fade from one color to another and bland two colors into a third. Chances to get them both red are extremely slim.
The lights can also be set so that colors do not change.
• An old CD.
• Clear marbles.
• Extension cord.
• Larger felt pads for the floor and smaller clear pads for the glass.

How to make:

1. Take white latex paint and dilute. Maybe 1 part paint, 4 parts water. White wash the interior to a desired shade.

2. Use (4) ¾” felt pads at bottom of the pot to protect the floor and to raise the pot enough to allow electrical wiring clearance.
3. Insert an electrical extension cord into the pot through the drainage hole at the bottom of the pot. The hole might have to be enlarged with a drill to allow the cord’s plug to go through. The extension cord should be able to receive at least 2 plugs.

4. Cut a slit through a CD to the hole and let the extension cord slide through the slit and into the center of the CD’s shiny face up.
5. Place clear marbles on top of the CD.
6. The CD and the marbles are for reflection. The CD is also to refrain the marbles from going through the drainage hole of the pot.

7. Plug 2 continuous color changing night lights to the extension cord.
8. Almost done!
9. Place a small clear rubber pad at each corner of the pot’s rim, gooey side up, so that the protection pads will adhere to the glass.
10. Connect the extension cord to the power.
11. Done!

The night stands (or anything you want them to be) will come alive in their elegance
during the darkness of night emitting very subtle color changes.
The pots come in different heights and could be
shocking focal points in outdoor spaces tastefully vegetated.
The night stand shown above would be very nice as a glass coffee table accompanied by a black leather coach and chairs while the inside could be orchestrated differently.

The energy and money used for this artistic furniture luxury is miniscule in relation to the many other ways we can save.

Please note these last pictures may appear much darker on some monitors.

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August 29, 2009

Tutti Frutti Island

Filed under: concrete for the home,the artist in us — admin @ 3:20 pm

This experimental garden sculpture was made from a 24” flower pot saucer.
The center piece with the marbles was made previously.

• After applying the releasing agent, the concrete was poured gently in the saucer with occasional vibration to rid of air bubbles. It was leveled with a trowel and concentric lines made with a plastic card.
• The bottom of the previously made center with the marbles was first sprayed with water for adhesion and not to suck up the water from the wet concrete, then placed on top of the saucer at the center.
•Some concrete was then applied all around the center piece as rubble and to anchor the center to the saucer.
• Marbles at the edges were then tapped in with the handle of the trowel but since the concrete was rapidly drying, the marbles had a hard time sinking. Some plain cement was placed around the marbles to float evenly.

• The darker color of concrete around the peripheral marbles was due to the cement that was sifted from the concrete bag. The darker color is baffling but it can be handy as an accent.
• 24 hours later the concrete was taken out of the form.

Concrete at the price of $2.69 x 60lb bag would make the price of this composition about $.90.
Refer to the ‘concrete for the home’ category for tips on concrete, tools and molds.

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Concrete Humble Pie

Filed under: concrete for the home — admin @ 3:08 pm

This experimental garden sculpture was made from a 16” flower pot saucer.

Apply the mold release agent to the saucer and pour the ready mix concrete.

Tap marbles down a hair above their equator for anchoring purposes.
Remove the mold 24 hours later.

Of course if this composition was made with red marbles it could have been called a cherry pie.
Purple marbles would have made it a blueberry pie.
Concrete at the price of $2.69 x 60lb bag would make this composition for about $.60.
Refer to the ‘concrete for the home’ category for tips on concrete, tools and molds.

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Concrete Saucer

Filed under: concrete for the home — admin @ 11:23 am

The flower pot saucer form has the beauty to satisfy multiple tasks:
1. When placing a flower pot atop, the depression in the middle will hold a small amount of water but the pot will not develop a ring around the base as it usually does.
2. It can be used as a base to art work. The depression at the center comes very handy when interlocking a piece above and frames it visually.
3. Use as stepping stones.
4. Use as a bird bath.
5. Saucers can be stacked with smaller sizes on top creating a ziggurat type composition.
6. A hole through the center favors other uses such as drainage
or placing a solar garden light through it.

Flower pot saucers come in multiple sizes and it is wise to stick to the same manufacturer for interlocking and fitting purposes.

How to make:
1. Spray the saucer with a mold release agent.
2. Place tiles face down after planning the pattern.
3. Mix and pour the ready mix concrete. Vibrate and tap gently the concrete with a trowel to avoid air bubbles.
4. If a hole in the middle is desired, place a plumb pipe in the middle that is long enough to stick out of the finished concrete level. Later as the concrete cures turn the pipe a hair a couple of times. If needed the pipe can be shorter and left as a sleeve.
5. 24 hours later take the saucer out of the mold and with a credit type plastic card scrape excess off of tiles while damp.
6. Use a plastic card as a straight edge and with another card score along the straight edge.
7. Fill imperfections at tile edges by gently shaking some Concrete Fix All over the crevices. Then feather and level into crevices with the light brushing of a plastic card.
With a spray bottle dampen the area and let dry.
8. When dry buff gently with a small wash cloth wrapped in a couple of plastic bags.
9. Done.

Concrete at the price of $2.69 x 60 lb bag would price a 24” saucer at about $.90 ea.
Refer to the ‘concrete for the home’ category for tips on concrete, tools and molds.

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Pyramid And Mastaba

Filed under: concrete for the home — admin @ 11:10 am

This composition consists of a helical pyramid centered in the depression of a 24” mastaba.
When watering in the yard occurs, the whole composition is wet.
Later the mastaba will dry but some water will be trapped in the depression and will keep the pyramid a wet dark gray for most of the day. The pyramid will dry from top to bottom.
All summed up this is a living sculpture if one considers it as a sweating fountain.

Refer to the ‘concrete for the home’ category for tips on concrete, tools and molds.

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August 28, 2009

The Bent Pyramid

Filed under: concrete for the home,the artist in us — admin @ 11:13 am

This is a variation of the helical pyramid.

Set your form at an angle and let cure to produce this.
Refer to the ‘concrete for the home’ category for tips on concrete, tools and molds.

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The Helical Pyramid

Filed under: concrete for the home,the artist in us — admin @ 10:57 am

The protective plastic packaging of a Teflon pastry maker provided the pyramidal mold which was accented by the sparkle of a marble. They fit quite well in the landscape.

According to sources the spiral plastic form came from a cup cake maker purchased at Williams-Sonoma.

Concrete at the price of $2.69 x 60 lb bag would make the price of this composition totally negligible.
Refer to the ‘concrete for the home’ category for tips on concrete, tools and molds.

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Whimsical Toad

Filed under: concrete for the home,this and that — admin @ 10:32 am

Problem:
A 4 to 6” hole in the exterior garage wall due to the clothes dryer vent that was moved.

Solution:
Behind the stucco there was wood.
A 1x wood board large enough to cover the hole was glued and screwed to the existing 1x from the garage side.

This left a depth of about 1.5” to the edge of the stucco finish on the exterior.

A hollow garden toad this time proved handy. Part of the toad’s back was sawn off with a hack saw. Various tests occurred to see how the toad sat in the hole and then later with the anchor.

A coat hanger was doubled, bent to 90 degrees +- and cut once leaving a 3”x3” +- anchor.

A screw was inserted through the hole opening into the wood earlier applied. This held the anchor.
Use those black common sheet rock screws. They are mighty fine.

Some concrete (cement is OK) was placed in the hole followed by some small wire mesh.
More concrete was applied over the mesh as well as inside the toad.

The toad was pushed against the anchor sticking out of the wall and pushed into seat.
It was an orchestration of movements but it all worked.

The balance of the hole around the toad was filled, smoothened and a light texture applied.

At this point a long board, held by a garbage can, was placed against the toad to insure it would not fall.

Later after the toad had cured, Concrete Fix All over the moistened concrete patch helped achieve a finished texture look.
Chinese bristle brushes or a spray water bottle work well to moisten.

The hooked toad was caulked and primed.

The job took about an hour and a half and the cost of the toad itself was about $3.00.

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August 24, 2009

Razo Dazzle

Filed under: cleaning — admin @ 10:15 am

After using the Dry Cleaner’s Secret to dry clean at home, these tough cleaning cloths can assume a different secret life prior to recycling.
They fit perfectly at the end of a Swiffer and help dramatically in gathering the bulk prior to vacuuming non carpeted floors. On a slightly soiled floor they will make vacuuming obsolete.

Dirt on floors seems to magnetically cling to the cleaning cloth of this razing push/swing broom like device which hardly produces dust since it is not lifted off the floor.

The cloth also works on furniture sort of like the micro fiber ones to dust the car’s dashboard.

The picture above is a 20 second razing sweep under my neighbor’s bed.
A place the maid repeatedly chose to avoid.

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August 23, 2009

A Process Of Creation

Filed under: concrete for the home,philosophy — admin @ 1:53 am

This is a process in the stretching of the imagination
…and stretch …and stretch.
We need to evaluate what we need and what we have around us.
Does this work? Does this fit?
Can they interlock? Are they modular?
Where can we get that? How could it be done?
…and stretch …and stretch.

Sometimes we embark on a composition
with a vague idea of what we are after
just following our gut feeling.
Oh my goodness it is beginning to look like…
…and stretch … and stretch
Yes!
We think of a good name
and finally have a path to follow
to realize our composition.
Sometimes the synergy of a multitude of compositions with their titles
will suggest a theme and therefore a directional goal.
Sort of like taking a shadow and then
composing what could cast it.

Like most things, artistic compositions should always have a name even if the painting is
white on white.
A title in fact at times emerges the luster and meaning from the banal
and it is just plain wonderful fun.

…and stretch …and stretch
that
concept, solution and presentation.

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