I have been making one-of-a-kind stuffed toys and plushies ever since I first learned to sew! I like to draft original plushie patterns and create three-dimensional cloth projects, as I find it particularly fun to see how a basic design changes when it goes from unstuffed to stuffed. For my other sewing work, see my Wearable Projects and Costumes or Embroidery pages.

Creating something that solves a problem is the very heart and soul of engineering. Sometimes, the result of the engineering process is a life-changing medical device, or a process improvement saving tons of time and labor. Other times, it's a cardboard hot glue stick dispenser. This afternoon project was a simple, but straightforward personal application of the engineering design process, as I took the idea from concept to reality.

The Prototype: The finished prototype is both functional and sturdy. Storing the sticks in the closed dispenser also prevents them from getting sticky due to heat and sunlight exposure.

How I Could Improve the Final Product: I'm actually quite happy with the cardboard dispenser, but I would also love to make it as a 3D model, both to 3D print a cleaner final product and to share my project with the world. I could also add multiple notches in the stick selection shaft, so it wouldn't require a full knob rotation to dispense a stick. Ultimately, however, as a simple application of the engineering process, I would count this project as a complete success!

Paper marbling is a process by which inks or paints floated on top of water (which has been thickened with a chemical agent) can be transferred on to paper, creating an interesting marbled effect. From the moment I first saw a video about traditional paper marbling, I was obsessed. The process is very meditative, and no two marbled papers are ever quite the same.

Unfortunately for me, the supplies needed to perform "traditional" paper marbling were both expensive and difficult to procure in small quantities, so during the summer of 2016 I experimented doggedly with different takes on the process, including paper marbling with watercolors, acrylic paints, calligraphy inks, and more. Before dipping, I treated papers with a "mordant" (a mixture of alum and water) to give the paper some "tooth" to take on the paint.

Ultimately, my many attempts at paper marbling paid off, and I was able to refine a reasonably-foolproof marbling method that uses watered-down acrylic paints floated (or, rather, dripped) on a pan full of plain shaving cream. After all that work looking for a good method, who would have guessed?

Pour painting is a method of painting where you add a flow agent to paints to make them runnier, then layer different colors of paint in a cup with layers of a lubricant such as silicone oil between the different paint colors. When ready, you pour the paint cup onto your canvas or other object, and the different layers of paint slide over and around each other, creating an interesting wave-like pattern. You can also run a flame over the wet paint to encourage the formation of "cells" which are effectively windows through one color and into the next.

Naturally, when I heard about this technique, I was immediately itching to try it out for myself. My first attempts did not go well, as the paint wasn't runny enough. Watering down the paints made them runny, but too liquid to layer effectively on in the cup. Lacking access to any commercially-available flow agent, I thinned my acrylic paints with watered-down Elmer's Glue, and used a silicone spray for door hinges as the lubricant between the layers. It's a somewhat messy process (protip: work inside of a disposable aluminum tray!), but it paid off with its unique and beautiful results.

I love trying and refining new techniques! For more pour painting, check out my finger-jointed MDF box.