life as it is

OMG

2011-03-12T08:20:00.000-05:00

I'm married to a 70 year old (hottie)

reminders

2011-02-21T18:59:00.000-05:00

Every time I sit on the kitchen porch this winter,Orion (O'Brian) is in view and I think of my wonderful and very loved daughter. and when I hear Dream ON...my exceptional son fills my mind. How lucky am I to have such reminders

We don't always get what we want

2011-01-15T07:20:00.000-05:00

We may not always get what we think we want, but we usually get what we need. A little struggle is good.

Ending the year on a positive note

2010-12-30T10:40:00.001-05:00

Some of my family and friends are having a carpy end to 2010. I feel for them because I have had whole years like that. I'm feeling very positive about the coming year. Britten has found her soul mate and will be marrying Brandon. The magnet will have to be approved by the Bride - to - be, but this is my mock up.

My grandsons are too cute for words. I am extremely proud of my son and his wife for their amazing accomplishments this past year. Peter has a clean bill of health. Life is GOOD!

Passing it forward

2010-12-16T18:36:00.000-05:00

It's easy to take credit when your children turn into great adults, but really, you just gave them the tools...They take the initiative and make their lives work.

I am so proud of my children. And that is all I have to say about that...

Change

2010-11-22T08:35:00.000-05:00

Don't get too attached to the moment...It will change in the blink of an eye

Paige's arrival

2010-11-21T05:33:00.001-05:00

Dottie and her grandaughter

Hunter in hot water

2010-11-21T05:29:00.000-05:00

Matt White - Love

2010-11-13T20:07:00.000-05:00

Breakfast at Denny's with the kids. on Twitpic

2010-11-08T13:43:00.000-05:00

Breakfast at Denny's with the kids. on Twitpic

Life is weird

2010-11-07T19:55:00.000-05:00

no doubt about it

Passing

2010-10-23T19:08:00.002-04:00

People from my past are dropping like flies...unfortunately they are the ones who will be missed///

Life unexpected

2010-10-20T08:53:00.002-04:00

Peter's ex is in the hospital after suffering what appears to be a stroke. Healing thoughts...

Carpe Diem

2010-10-14T10:40:00.000-04:00

"Seize the day, trusting as little as possible in the future", and the ode says that the future is unknowable, and that instead one should scale back one's hopes to a brief future, and drink one's wine.

2 out of 3 residents in this household are going to enjoy this beautiful day...

Good bye to some more loved ones

2010-10-09T17:52:00.000-04:00

Sometimes a relative or acquaintance passes out of this life and you don't even know about it. It doesn't make them less important if you don't attend the service...once they entered your life or you theirs, they have affected your existence forever ...Bye Aunt Skip...I will always remember you as you were when I was part of your life...
Animals are different. They are our silent partners . when they leave, they leave an emptiness that needs to be filled by something else warm and fuzzy...You'll know when...
Bye Winnie.

Just some random thoughts

2010-09-30T22:41:00.000-04:00

Parenting may be work, but it shouldn't be treated as a job...Children need love as well as discipline.

Politics and public office...

The media has stepped out of bounds...Reporters should leave bias to the public and report facts...guilt should be proven, not innocense

If you don't believe things can change at a moments notice, check out the weather

Love is a wave

Beautiful day

2010-08-28T08:02:00.000-04:00

It's a beautiful morning...great day for my barn sale

I need to grow up and smell the roses

2010-08-10T22:20:00.000-04:00

There are some things in life that don't disappear with age. Strained relationships are easier to deal with when you are younger and busier. I'm finding I have less tolerance now, knowing that there is more time behind me than there is before me. Sticks and stones sting more, hurt more, and nick away at joyful moments. I can not expect to change ignorance and paranoia...yet somehow I always do expect to...

Tomorrow is another day

rearranging the barn...and life

2010-07-31T00:25:00.000-04:00

We have this beautiful old barn. It's bigger than most houses and it is full of stuff! Peter and I have been cleaning rearranging and shoveling C*ap all week and it's finally beginning to show promise...all the stuff is going to be beautified (well cleaned ) and parted with. I will have my summer studio and Peter will have a proper workshop where he can manuever things longer than 4'...AT LEAST THAT'S THE PLAN

For every high there is a low

2010-07-09T22:26:00.000-04:00

Complete melt down tonight...I'm sure the heat wave is the cause...tomorrow I should be able to breathe again

Take it off...

2010-07-07T18:49:00.000-04:00

I have stripped to 3 pieces of clothing. I washed my hair this morning and it still hasn't dried...If the heat melted body fat, I would vote for a 30 day heat wave...That said, I am so lucky to have a deep well, an air conditioner in the 2 most important rooms of the house and a box of wine in the fridge...life is good

Mute

2010-06-24T21:16:00.000-04:00

My wireless keyboard died yesterday...Okay, I may have helped it along a little bit by spilling iced tea on it :-o...
anyway, It was like being mute at a big party. You can see everything going on but can't respond ....needless to say, I went out and got a new keyboard today...not a wireless but usb is good enough

Goodbye Uncle Charlie

2010-06-21T22:40:00.000-04:00

I'll miss knowing you were just up the road...

Cumberland Pass

2010-05-27T11:01:00.000-04:00

2010-05-23T10:29:00.000-04:00

What a difference a week makes

2010-05-19T07:22:00.000-04:00

Immortality

2010-05-09T20:48:00.000-04:00

Being a mother by birth or right insures my life will have meaning long after I am gone...In a sense it is a form of immortality. Therefore I am a goddess.

Jury duty...almost

2010-05-05T22:31:00.000-04:00

I was called for Jury Duty

I spent 3 days in a selection process starting with 175 people. For what ever reasons, by 4:00 this afternoon, 150 of us were eliminated as jurists and not one person was chosen.
I know that I put my life on hold and was willing to do my civic duty. Now I don't have to...for another 6 years...
I'm looking forward news from the trial...if they ever can agree on a jury

Sometimes we need to be reminded

2010-05-04T08:35:00.000-04:00

ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN
(a guide for Global Leadership)
All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sand pile at school.
These are the things I learned:

Share everything.

Play fair.

Don't hit people.

Put things back where you found them.

Clean up your own mess.

Don't take things that aren't yours.

Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.

Wash your hands before you eat.

Flush.

Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.

Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.

Take a nap every afternoon.

When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together.

Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: the roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.

Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup - they all die. So do we.

And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned - the biggest word of all - LOOK.

Everything you need to know is in there somewhere. The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation. Ecology and politics and equality and sane living.
Take any one of those items and extrapolate it into sophisticated adult terms and apply it to your family life or your work or government or your world and it holds true and clear and firm. Think what a better world it would be if we all - the whole world - had cookies and milk at about 3 o'clock in the afternoon and then lay down with our blankies for a nap. Or if all governments had as a basic policy to always put things back where they found them and to clean up their own mess.
And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go out in the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.
[Source: "ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN" by Robert Fulghum. See his web site at http://www.robertfulghum.com/ ]

the chair

2010-05-03T07:24:00.000-04:00

Grandma to a super hero

2010-05-01T16:24:00.000-04:00

Yep! That's snow

2010-04-29T05:45:00.000-04:00

April snow showers bring May flowers?

Sparkling Clean Glassware

2010-04-07T11:30:00.000-04:00

Anyone who knows me, knows when I go to Florida for the winter, my most missed appliance is my dishwasher. Unfortunately, we have well water which is very hard and for years I suffered with cloudy glasses and flatware...Here is the cure!!!
At the beginning of the cycle, add a package of crystal light or cheap alternative. I use lemonade because it doesn't stain the dishwasher, but any flavor works.
Your glassware will sparkle like new.

the above method works for me...try at your own risk

Mari

Margot Potter The Impatient Crafter™: RIP Civility and Saturday TastyLinks!

2010-04-03T20:31:00.001-04:00

Margot Potter The Impatient Crafter™: RIP Civility and Saturday TastyLinks!

Margo always knows...click the link and read her blog. She manages to write her honest thoughts without being preachy...This hits really close to home for me this week.

Health care for all is NO JOKE

2010-03-25T20:23:00.000-04:00

For years, it has been a standing joke that I married my husband for his health care benefits...as a waitress, I had none and disaster struck twice in 3 years and as a result, instead of continuing my education as planned, I ended up paying hospital bills for the next ten years. It's easy for people to criticize when they've never faced the choice of going to a doctor or paying the rent YET...

Peter has a run in with a gator

2010-03-16T15:30:00.001-04:00

Blue sky and oranges

2010-03-15T09:33:00.000-04:00

Who could ask for anything more...

My cure for obesity

2010-03-10T18:22:00.000-05:00

Restaurants should charge by the calorie with a premium for fat and sodium...ie: carrot = 25 cents
big Mac = $5.63
Denny's All American Slam = $9.90
16 oz sirloin = $12.00
Banana Split = 10.89

How cold was it?

2010-03-08T07:35:00.000-05:00

Peter's been wearing socks all winter...

success (of a sort)

2010-03-03T17:15:00.000-05:00

My latest...acrylic on canson acrylic paper...I like this paper very much for printing and painting

Miami has lost it's allure

2010-02-13T08:36:00.000-05:00

This will be our last winter in Miami. We have decided to cut our mileage by 500 miles next year and stay near Titusville...The area has more to offer and is less expensive in the long run...On the downside, the weather is cooler but is balmy compared to upstate NY. New adventures await...

Maybe it's the rain...

2010-02-01T09:32:00.000-05:00

I am so disappointed that we have free minutes on the cell on weekends and no one ever calls then...
25% of our income is spent on services ...It's time to rethink some of the expenses

Blankie time

2010-01-28T04:56:00.000-05:00

It's been a bit chillly in Miami

Safety First

2010-01-11T13:18:00.000-05:00

I really think that people who object to full body scans at airports are either ignorant or have something to hide. True, there will always be someone who tries to abuse the practice, but the alternative stinks. Also, being patted down and searched is more invasive.

Graphic tablet success!!!

2010-01-10T20:31:00.000-05:00

I made my very first drawing with the graphics tablet today. It's crude but adorable

3am rambling

2010-01-08T03:46:00.000-05:00

Why is it we always re-examine our lives when someone close dies? Living is a story to anticipate...

Rest in Peace, Aunt Maureen...You were loved

2010-01-02T17:41:00.000-05:00

My last aunt died in her sleep last night...Possibly all the family secrets went with her. I am sad...I have very fond memories of her and her family gatherings.

Let's get on with a new year! HHPP

2009-12-31T12:24:00.000-05:00

Health, Happiness, Prosperity and Peace

The Next Generation

2009-12-23T15:42:00.000-05:00

When people wish they could foresee the future, they don't take into consideration the seconds, minutes, hours and days that go with the wish...just the end result. And oh what things we would miss...
Happy Anniversary to my wonderful son and his wife. May all your moments be full of joy and anticipation and wonderment. I love you both
MOM

Sleigh bells ringing

2009-12-17T03:29:00.000-05:00

Went to GW yesterday and found 6 awesome cut glass wine glasses that fit in my trailer size glass holder...Every time I sneeze or move about the RV, they jingle :o)

2009-12-16T16:26:00.000-05:00

Cracker Barrel and swollen feet

2009-12-16T06:20:00.000-05:00

One week of eating breakfast at Cracker Barrel restaurants on the trip down to Florida resulted in swollen feet from all the salt in their yummy ham and bacon...Why is it that everything that tastes so great is sooooo bad for you...back to eating sensibly...sigh

Destination Miami

2009-12-13T17:58:00.000-05:00

The slide is repaired, minus trim...We head for Miami first thing tomorrow, armed with new directions to bypass Jacksonville thanks to Leo and Gail, who we met at SOB...They winter at Manatee Hammock so we will see them in March when we head north again. There is never a day when we fail to learn new things...Happy hour started without us yesterday but Kitty called today to fill me in :o)
Peter caught a cold from the little germ spreaders...I guess we're getting the Cr*p over with early...

Georgia on our mind

2009-12-12T17:52:00.000-05:00

Darn...double darn...We have to stay an extra night in Georgia because the weld holding the slide mechanism broke...Luckily there is a welder at the KOA who can fix it. Our trailer won't look too pretty but at least we can get the slide out

Heading south

2009-12-11T19:04:00.000-05:00

Things to work on in Florida

2009-12-06T10:09:00.000-05:00

2009-12-06T09:04:00.000-05:00

Winter Wonderland

2009-12-06T08:52:00.000-05:00

It's a beautiful sunshiny day with a blanket of snow covering the everything..Hard to believe in one week we will be in a tropical paradise sipping wine beneath the Avocado trees.

? Tiger Woods

2009-12-02T18:50:00.003-05:00

Did you touch the iron?
Nooooo!

One week til Grandyummies

2009-12-02T11:11:00.000-05:00

If all goes according to plan, We'll get to see our children and grandchildren in one week!!!!

No help this year

2009-12-01T10:22:00.000-05:00

"When a soldier comes home..."

2009-11-26T07:29:00.002-05:00

*WHEN A SOLDIER COMES HOME**
This email is being circulated around the world - please keep it going**
*

When a soldier comes home, he finds it hard.....
..to listen to his son whine about being bored.

....to keep a straight face when people complain about potholes.

to be tolerant of people who complain about the hassle of
getting ready for work.

...to be understanding when a co-worker complains about a bad night's sleep.

..to be silent when people pray to God for a new car.

...to control his panic when his wife tells him he needs to drive slower.

..to be compassionate when a businessman expresses a fear of flying.

....to keep from laughing when anxious parents say they're afraid to

send their kids off to summer camp.

....to keep from ridiculing someone who complains about hot weather.

....to control his frustration when a colleague gripes about his coffee
being cold.

....to remain calm when his daughter complains about having to walk the
dog.

......to be civil to people who complain about their jobs.

....to just walk away when someone says they only get two weeks of vacation
a year.

....to be forgiving when someone says how hard it is to have a new baby in
the house.

*The only thing harder than being a Soldier...* * *

Is loving one.

I was asked to pass this on and I will gladly do so,

Will you???

Good thoughts needed!!!

2009-11-25T15:50:00.000-05:00

My nephew Travis underwent surgery this afternoon to remove lymph nodes and a biopsy. They are keeping him overnight for observation...We're hoping it is just a severe infection and not that other thing...I will keep you all updated.

Can you picture this?

2009-11-20T21:20:00.002-05:00

Wii bowling to be held Wednesday

GLENS FALLS - The Glens Falls Seniors will be having a Wii bowling tournament from 10:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Wednesday at the center.

Waiting to exhale

2009-11-19T08:33:00.000-05:00

Peter went for his biyearly cancer checkup yesterday and the results this morning were excellent. His PSA # was the same as 6 months ago so he has a clean bill of health til the next checkup in May...after that he will only have to go yearly because it will be the 5 year mark...

Empty nest

2009-11-17T11:45:00.003-05:00

Hooray!!!!

Blatantly copied from Google's quote of the day...I always suspected...

2009-11-12T18:48:00.001-05:00

Sometimes people are layered like that. There's something totally different underneath than what's on the surface. But sometimes, there's a third, even deeper level, and that one is the same as the top surface one. Like with pie.
- Joss Whedon, Zack Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen, and Jed Whedon

No Go

2009-11-10T17:06:00.000-05:00

Mom offered to buy me a dog and there was a 2 year old female white toy poodle on craigslist...still available because Peter is not ready to replace Feebee...It's been almost a year, and we still miss her every day

Friends don't need tags

2009-11-08T18:47:00.000-05:00

I dropped by to visit my friend Al today...I can do that. Al doesn't have a computer...He was building a new porch on the front of his 18th century house that he rescued from disrepair. He also has rescued (with his partner) 4 children, 3 surviving, who without their 2 foster dads would be dead by now or worse. The 2 have a beautiful home, a funny, romantic, loving family and an outlook far beyond what most couples can imagine...Though they don't need a law that allows them to legally bound to each other, they deserve one, and I will celebrate their wedding as a renewal of vows, long past spoke.

OhOH

2009-11-01T15:18:00.000-05:00

Best Buy has 0% for 18 months if you spend $499 or more...We are now the proud owners of an ipod touch (welcome to the next century, Peter) a humongous tiny external hard drive and various other delectable electronics...Everything seems to be working so play we must...

Look what the dog is having for dinner...

2009-10-31T18:34:00.000-04:00

What else?...Penguin~

Hardeharhar

Where did I put...

2009-10-24T19:03:00.002-04:00

Stress can make you sick...chill

Grandma can see you...

2009-10-06T16:20:00.000-04:00

MY HERO

2009-10-03T10:13:00.000-04:00

Don't mess with Mother nature...

2009-10-02T17:09:00.001-04:00

Some of you know that we replaced the north side of our foundation last month, which contributed to the following scenario.
Stage right at foot of stairs:
Mary feels something furry at her toes; looks down and screams as humongous (well 5")rat sinks his teeth into her bare foot...picture middle aged girly moment
Panic ensues and doctor is called when one tiny droplet of blood appears at the base of little toe. In the mean time, rat has disappeared into the closet under the stairs.
An hour later, Mary has returned home from her first Dr's visit in six years, Tetnus updated, antibiotics in hand and waiting to see if the CDC thinks the rat bite warrants Rabies shots..The rat is still in the closet, unaware of the giant trap being set for him...
3:00...No Rabies shots needed...The Rat set off the trap and screamed but escaped...He is either dead or cunning..
Story to be continued...

scary stuff

2009-09-30T19:37:00.000-04:00

You know you're in Vermont when...

2009-09-24T09:18:00.000-04:00

Shopping in Aldi's, these delectables were near the checkout

Bad Thoughts...

2009-09-19T21:55:00.000-04:00

On September 17th, my former sister-in law lost a nephew to the conflict in Afghanistan.
I am guilty of being thankful that my son and my daughter-in-law were returned to us after serving in Iraq and that no matter how tough their lives may be sometimes, they have time, a commodity no one can make more of and once it ends, those that live on are changed forever...

Pfc. Jeremiah Monroe Dies In Afghanistan

Posted on Friday, 18 of September , 2009 at 3:05 pm

BRANT LAKE—Pfc. Jeremiah Monroe of Brant Lake has died while serving with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan.

Monroe’s mother was notified Thursday afternoon.

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, Monroe died Sept. 17 while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom in Handahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 7th Engineer Battalion, 10th Sustainment Brigade, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), at Fort Drum.

He had joined the Army in March 2008 and arrived at Fort Drum in July 2008. This was his first deployment.

He had been awarded the Purple Heart, National Defense Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon and Combat Action Badge.

Monroe, 33, was the son of the late Rob Monroe and Dolores (Peanut) Monroe of Brant Lake. He had last been home on leave in March following the death of his 51-year-old father of brain cancer.

Monroe’s death is the fourth in his family this year. He leaves behind a 9-year-old daughter, Delilah Rose. 9-18-09 (Updated 9-19-09

2009-09-18T16:44:00.000-04:00

2009-09-18T16:40:00.000-04:00

2009-09-16T14:32:00.000-04:00

How to Make Gummy Bears: 9 steps - wikiHow

2009-09-15T09:05:00.000-04:00

How to Make Gummy Bears: 9 steps - wikiHow

I am not happy with this...none of it is mine

2009-09-13T14:27:00.002-04:00

There's a 30 x 40 barn underneath all this
I did buy the boxes so technically they are mine...Home depot has great boxes ranging from 18" square and up...

2009-09-13T09:27:00.000-04:00

Fiction is a way to tell the truth while protecting the innocent

Move in ready...almost

2009-09-12T19:15:00.002-04:00

The last full load of Mom's 40 year accumulation made the 60 mile trip to our barn today...It's sad but *I have to say it's an adorable house without all that stuff in it...somewhere where a new family can start their 40 year accumulation...Be happy, new owners to be...the alternative sucks

Work smart

2009-09-11T11:30:00.003-04:00

No matter how I rearrange, there is just too much to fit

The first sign of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results

2009-09-11T11:30:00.001-04:00

No matter how I rearrange, there is just too much to fit

Repeat after me

2009-09-11T11:26:00.001-04:00

I do not need more storage...I need less stuff...I do not need more storage...I need less stuff...I do not need more storage...I need less stuff...I do not need more storage...I need less stuff....I do not need more storage...I need less stuff...I do not need more storage...I need less stuff...I do not need more storage...I need less stuff

Never buy a house that comes with a barn...

2009-09-10T18:41:00.002-04:00

When my son was about 13, we bought him a basketball hoop. Until that point, he had very few friends that visited him at home. Change was imminent as soon as the net went up. every day after school, there were a half a dozen sweaty adolescent boys in my driveway, trying to fit the ball in the basket.
A barn is like that...I had visions of a country store or an artist studio . Instead, I have the equivalent of another 12 room house filled with other peoples stuff...I'm so depressed

Eco-crafting

2009-09-07T16:52:00.000-04:00

I'm cleaning my office (or rather looking at all this stuff and wondering why I'm keeping it) so I decided to make use of as many things as I could for one craft.
The scroll saw cut the vinyl records which I softened in boiling water to make these awesome bracelets and barrette. I use the Pazzle to cut the flower petals and cuff shapes out of found materials long waiting in my office for their purpose...not finished by any means...just taking a breather...
Enjoy

and there they sat...

2009-09-07T16:02:00.000-04:00

Someone is about to get lucky...

2009-09-05T19:42:00.001-04:00

Mom's house is officially on the market today, just as my son found out his offer on a house is accepted...The universe is like that...sell;buy;find;lose;love;hate; .lalalalala

2009-09-05T06:32:00.000-04:00

Not all laborers are created equal...

2009-09-04T20:22:00.000-04:00

While the boys we hired to rebuild the foundation were hunkalicious (yeah, I know I shouldn't say that) and hard not to look at, one of the mover-packer guys I hired to help me at Mom's house caused a similar reaction. In the 80 + heat, his toupee slipped sideways and the elmer's glue holding it in place started dripping from the hairline......Not wanting to jeopardize the quality of the finished job, I have been averting my eyes for the past 2 days...tomorrow, I pay them and we part ways and I can finally laugh out loud :-0

Day off!!!

2009-09-03T09:34:00.002-04:00

Not really but at least I'm home for the next 2 days. The guys I've hired to help me clean out Mom's house have talen out 6 extended van loads so far and Saturday they will help me bring down the rest (I hope)...

Money well spent

2009-08-28T19:11:00.000-04:00

If you have to spend $9,000 on a new foundation, it's a real plus if it's done by two good looking twenty something guys who sing while they work...

Beyond scrapbooking with Pazzles

2009-08-26T20:44:00.000-04:00

I can't believe there are so few people out there using their cutters for art and crafts? Would love to see what others are doing...here's an example of my candles...

2009-08-26T09:12:00.001-04:00

A lovely start to the day

Can you dream calories?

2009-08-22T22:10:00.000-04:00

One should never watch the Food Network after making a ho-hum dinner. I will be dreaming of Coconut Cream pie, cinnabuns, Hash and eggs......My hips will be 10 inches bigger when I wake up tommorrow

2009-08-22T09:22:00.000-04:00

How to Make Cookie Cutters

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

There are various kits you can buy to help you make your own cookie cutters. Here's an easy way that uses materials you probably have in your home already.

Steps

Draw straight lines onto the bottom of an aluminum lasagna pan going lengthwise, using a ruler and permanent marker to be sure the edges are straight. Make the lines at least 1" apart and fill up as much of the bottom of the pan as possible.
Using your heavy duty scissors, cut the sides off the aluminum pan and then cut out your strips that you drew onto the bottom of the pan. Be careful, cutting aluminum can give you cuts and nicks in your fingers. Wearing gloves is a good idea.
Set aside your 1" aluminum strips and start designing on your paper. Keep in mind that you only have as much length as your strips to work with. To help you gauge the size of your designs, draw out your design on paper and then use string to measure the outline. Hold the string up to the strip and see if the strip is long enough. Also, since you're working with metal, give 1"-2" allowance for curves and so you can properly close your cookie cutters when you're finished shaping them.
Take one of your 1" aluminum strips and start molding it around your design. To help make curves, use pens or cups. To make 90 degree edges, use table edges or your ruler. Use anything around the house, just be creative!
To close your cookie cutter, overlap the ends of the aluminum strips and staple together more than once (three times is a charm!).
Use a metal file to grind down any nicks and burrs on the edges that will hurt you. Wash and dry your cutter thoroughly before cutting out your cookie dough.

Tips

For sturdier cookie cutters, go to a hardware store and buy some 1" copper or aluminum ribbon. These will last forever, but to seal the ends together, you will need 2-sided tape and some clamps to hold the ends together as it sets. Wash these metal strips in soap and water before taping together, as they may have oil on them that would interfere with the tape bonding.
To help fold the ribbon into the design, first draw out the design on paper. Then, trace the pattern onto wood and cut out the piece of wood. Mold the ribbon around the wood. Alternatively, you can cut out the design on 3-5 pieces of cardboard and tape them together instead of using wood.
Don't have too many long skinny parts or tight curves, as these won't translate well to a cookie. Remember you are making cookie cutters and details will be lost when you bake the cookie dough because it expands in the oven.
If you want to reuse the cookie cutters or store them away, don't pile anything on top of them that could deform the shape.
Washing your cutters by hand will help them last longer.

Warnings

Cutting aluminum metal will give you small cuts or nicks on your fingers, even if you're careful.
Not recommended for small children.
The permanent marker will smudge a bit because it doesn't adhere to aluminum too well, but it will be easy to clean off once your cookie cutters are finished.
Once finished, the cookie cutters will be a bit fragile. Be careful when cutting the cookies, as the cutter may deform somewhat.

Things You'll Need

Large Disposable Aluminum Lasagna or Roasting Pan (Rectangular is best)
Heavy Duty Scissors
Permanent Marker
Ruler
Stapler
Paper (to draw your designs on)
String
Newspaper or Cardboard to cover the work surface

Related wikiHows

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