Showing posts with label trilogy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trilogy. Show all posts

Saturday, January 05, 2013

Review: Shadow of Night


Shadow of Night
Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I just finished reading Shadow of the Night. While I enjoyed A Discovery of Witches, it started out great but the Diana/Matthew relationship felt a bit Twilight-esque. I was just annoyed with the whole damsel in constant distress is saved by big vampire man.

Well, this book was a complete turnaround. Diana was strong and didn't need saving, she managed herself. I love Elizabethan historical fiction so that just added to a great story. You just felt like a fly on the wall with such vivid descriptions.

I loved this book. In fact, I've been reading it nearly nonstop for the last couple of days and when I finished tonight, I had to keep reminding myself I was no longer in this magical world of witches, vampires, and daemons.

Don't you love it when you get so deep into a book that once you pull yourself out of it, you have to sort of wake up and realize it's not real life?

I can't wait for book 3!!



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Sunday, October 21, 2012

Part 3 - DARTH VADER of the Star Wars Ribbon Sculpture Tutorial

This is Part 3 of my Star Wars Ribbon Sculpture tutorial. This tutorial will show you how to make a Darth Vader ribbon sculpture hair decoration. I have it pictured both on a hair clip and on a headband, so you can see which you like better.

As in my previous posts, I've seen tutorials that tell you to use that fray spray, but I don't like it. I prefer to seal my ribbon edges with FIRE!  Since I've started this tutorial, I purchased a woodburning tool (with my 50% off coupon!!) from one of the craft stores, and it works great.  You just barely run the edge of the tool along the raw edge and it seals easily and quickly.

Darth Vader Ribbon Sculpture Hair Clip / Headband Tutorial

Materials: 
Hot glue gun or fillet tape
Scissors
Lighter or wood burning tool to seal edges
Ribbons: 
  •    Black 3/8 inch:  1 piece of 3.5 in, 2 pieces 5/8 in./ea, 4 pieces of 1.25 in, 1 piece 5.5 in
  •    Black 5/8 inch:2 pieces 2 in, 4 pieces 2.5 in
  •    Gray 3/8 inch:1 piece 1 in, 1 piece .75 in, 1 piece 1.5 in
  •    Red 3/8 inch: 2.25 inch
 Step 1 - Take the 3.5 inch black 3/8 inch ribbon and roll the top into the head and glue.

Step 2 - Create the feet and legs.  First, round the edges and seal the two 3/8 inch ribbons that are 5/8 inch in length.  Then glue them onto the end of two pieces of the 1.25 in pieces of 3/8 inch ribbon to form legs as shown. 

 Uploaded from the Photobucket iPhone App 

Step 3 - Glue the legs onto the body as shown. 

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Step 4 - Take the other two pieces of 1.25 in back ribbons and round the edges of the arms and seal, then glue them to the body as shown.

 Uploaded from the Photobucket iPhone App 

Step 5 - Take one of the 2 inch pieces of 5/8 in black ribbon, round the lower part of the body, then seal the edge. 

 Uploaded from the Photobucket iPhone App

Step 6 - Glue the body onto the top of the body as shown.  I glue this up clear up to the head.


Step 7 -  Take the 1 inch piece of gray ribbon, fold it over and glue it into a square.  Glue it to the upper body of Darth Vader.

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Step 8 - Take the 1.5 inch gray ribbon and glue it around Darth's waist for his belt.

Uploaded from the Photobucket iPhone App

Step 9 - Take the four 5/8 inch width ribbons that are 2.5 inches long and glue together as shown to create the cape.  Measure it to the back of Darth Vader so that it will be short enough to glue at his neck, but also show his feet.  Then, round the edges and seal at the bottom as shown. 

 Uploaded from the Photobucket iPhone App 

Step 10 - Round and seal the top of the cape as shown.

Uploaded from the Photobucket iPhone App

Step 11 - Attach the cape at the center of Darth's neck.

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Step 12 - Create the front of Darth Vader's cape with the 5.5 inch piece of 3/8 inch black ribbon.  Fold over the middle on both sides and glue as shown in the picture, so that it will fit behind his head and be at the top of the cape.

Uploaded from the Photobucket iPhone App

Step 13 - Glue the top middle of the ribbon to the back of Darth's head and bring the long pieces down in front.  Glue them at various points along the arms and legs to keep in place.  Cut the ribbons to the length of the back cape and seal the edges.

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Step 14 - The tricky part.  Take the second 2 inch piece of 5/8 inch ribbon and measure the helmet ribbon around his head and make sure it will be just long enough to right past his head before you cut it and seal it.  Fold in half to mark the middle, then glue the middle to the top of his head (just slightly forward).  Apply glue to the edge of the rounded part of the cape at the neck on one side, just the forward facing edge.  Then, glue the side of the back of the helmet ribbon to that part.  Do this for both sides.  Leave the front of the ribbon unglued.  It gives him a "king tut" look, but it also gives it that look of the Darth Vader helmet.

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Step 15 - Make the light saber.  Cut the edge off along the length of the .75 inch gray ribbon.  Seal this edge.  Cut the red ribbon along it's length into the shape of a light saber. I  start out the width of the gray part and cut it down to a rounded point.  Seal all the edges.  Glue the red ribbon behind the gray. 


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Step 16 -- Glue the light saber to the hand and along the body.  And you're finished!

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Attach to a clip or headband. 

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And this completes the Star Wars Trilogy ribbon sculpture.  I will have a new one for another popular trilogy coming soon.  Thanks!
Mondays @ All Things Fee!

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Review: The Forest of Hands and Teeth


The Forest of Hands and Teeth
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I have not finished the trilogy for this book yet. I will probably come back and write more in this review once I have.

This is the story about a girl named Mary who lives in a village surrounded by fencing. It's run by this mysterious Sisterhood who provide everything to everyone in the village. The fence keeps out the Unconsecrated, basically zombies.

Mary dreams of leaving the village to see the ocean. Her mother told her stories about her great-great-great grandmother swimming in the ocean. No one has left the village for generations.

On the morning of Mary's marriage to a boy she doesn't love, the village is swarmed by zombies and all that are left are Mary, her betrothed, her best friend and her best friend's betrothed (whom Mary loves), a little boy, and her big brother and sister-in-law. There are gates that lead further into the forest with narrow fenced paths that no one has ever used. But, when the zombies take over, the only choice this group has is to start down the paths.

It is a nailbiting journey, but that seems to be all it is. It seems the only things that happen are zombies and people being killed. Mary keeps making selfish, childish decisions that end up killing people she loves.

I liked it, but I wish there was more depth to the characters and the back story. It just seems the story starts out many many generations into the future where all they have ever known are zombies and the mysterious Sisterhood and no one questions it. Who are the Sisterhood? Where did they come from? Why are they so damn religious? Why are there so may zombies in this forest?

I did enjoy the story, so I am anxious to read books #2 and #3 to see if there is more depth to the story besides zombies and dying.



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