Cozy Bed Alcoves and Bed Nooks

Built In Bookcases

Christina Bothwell - Lucid Dreaming

Amazing clay and glass sculptures by Christina Bothwell.

How to Make an Ocean Diorama

Love this idea from Martha Stewart:

Conceiving a diorama is an adventure in scale and spatial relationships. Choose a container, then put yourself in the shoes of one of its future inhabitants.

Tools and Materials

• Sardine tin (well washed and dried)
• Cardboard
• Nautical map
• Blue paper
• Shells
• Twigs
• Toy Birds
• Cutout images (from sardine label)
• Cheesecloth
• Fish cutout
• Card stock
• Sand
• Rope

Ocean Diorama How-To

1. For background, trace bottom of well-washed sardine tin onto cardboard and a nautical map, and cut out; glue map onto cardboard, then glue inside tin.
2. Cut waves from blue paper, making tabs on bottom and sides for attaching to can; glue in place. Glue on shells, twigs, toy birds, and cutout images photocopied from sardine label, and cheesecloth for a net.
3. To make free-floating fish, glue fish cut out to one end of card stock strip folded at each end; glue other end to background.
4. Brush glue on floor of diorama; sprinkle with sand. To hang diorama, tape rope to back.

Unpaved Gravel Courtyards

I'd love to take on a backyard landscaping project this summer. My vision is to remove everything but the plantings lining the perimeter and install a flat, unpaved, crushed rock and sand courtyard. Think Parisian parks and French country courtyard cafes. No weeds. Low maintenance. Environmentally sound. Fill the edges with color and potted plants, plus colorful seating perhaps?