JCasa BLOG

patchwork switch plate : HOW TO MAKE

fact:  there are scraps of vintage fabrics strewn about the house.  i can never seem to part with even the tiniest bit.

fact:  for months, the light switches in our sunroom has been without a cover.  it was misplaced during the renovations and had yet to be replaced.

one thing led to another...

eeep!  patchwork switch plate LOVE!  want to make one?  or more?  (me too!)

WHAT YOU NEED:  fabric scraps, a switchplate (they are stock items at most hardware stores; this one cost < $2), Mod Podge (i used Fabric Mod Podge, but regular Mod Podge would also work fine), a paintbrush, wax paper or freezer paper (to protect your work surface), and a craft knife + self-healing cutting mat.

HOW TO MAKE:  lay out your fabric scraps in a way that makes you happy.  place a piece of wax/freezer paper on your work surface.  brush a thin coat of Mod Podge onto the switch plate, then apply a fabric scrap to the surface, smoothing out any air bubbles with your fingers.  apply another coat of Mod Podge on top of the fabric scrap.  repeat this process with the remaining scraps to cover the entire top surface of the switch plate, including the openings.  allow to dry overnight on a piece of wax/freezer paper.  when dry, place the switch plate onto a self-healing cutting mat with the right side facing down.  use a craft knife to carefully cut out the excess fabric that covers the openings for the switches, plugs and screws.  use appropriate hardware to fasten the switchplate to the wall.  super simple + love!

i hope you enjoy it all the time :)  happy making, friends!  xoxo

thanks + happy summer [w/ printables]

the girls raced into summer with squeals of delight and much much excitement.  it's been a terrific year at a terrific school with so many inspiring and motivated people, and they have blossomed so very much.  now that school has been out for a week or so, we've been enjoying days with less structure, even more reading time, crafting indoors and out, cartwheels and croquet, late night dinners on the deck, and even later night bedtimes (and cocktails for the adults).

ahhh, summer.  i don't think i've ever loved you more.

in keeping with our tradition of putting together special treats for the girls' specials teachers, the girls and i once again made special somethings for all the special folks who have made science lab, music, art, library, physical education, and computer classes so much fun for the kids.  these are simple to assemble and great to have on hand throughout the summer - in fact, we're making a few more tomorrow for their teachers + receptionist at the dance studio, and they'll be nice to pop into the neighbor's mailboxes over the summer months, as well.

to make, you need a variety of delicious teas, mason jars with rings + lids, scissors and the two printables (below).  cut the sun tea directions into squares about the same shape + size of the tea bags, then put the instructions along with some tea bags inside each jar.  use one of the jar lids to trace circles for the lid cover and cut them out.  place a lid cover on top of a lid, set it inside the ring and screw onto the jar.  and repeat.  easy peasy happy summer!

click the printables below + print out onto heavy weight paper, then get to making.  enjoy!  xoxo

happy summer, friends.  make it special.  xoxo

DIY camera cleaning

*before i say anything, let it be known that i am not a professional photographer or camera expert.  i had a problem with my Nikon D40 that despite my best efforts, i was unable to solve.  i relented to the fact that it was time to bring in my camera to the local camera shop for a tune-up.  this DIY shows how i fixed my camera using a few non-traditional maguyveresque techniques i came up with on the fly.  that said, i know i could have totally busted my camera.  but since i had already resigned myself to going to the camera shop ($$$), i figured why not give it one last try.

**this is risky and could cost you a bundle it you mess up, so proceed with this DIY at your own risk. 

that said, viva la DIY!  shall we?

ever since our trip to cape cod last summer, i noticed a black spot appearing on my photos.
come to think of it, i bet it happened while we were on cape cod.  all that lens-changing...

fast forward close to a year and i've been making do with instagram and photoshop.  talk about head-in-the-sand fingers-in-ears la-la-la denial.  that's no way to live, my friends.

and seriously - first day of first grade photos?  schmutz spot.  halloween?  schmutz spot.  the holidays?  schmutz spot.  yada yada yada?  you guessed it... schmutz spot.

yes, i cleaned the lens.  inside and out.  took off the filter and cleaned that, too.  cleaned, wiped, dusted in a dust-free environment, all of it.  and still there it was, le schmutz spot.

but it was when a photographer friend suggested it might be a hot pixel and that i should send it back to nikon that i nearly passed out.  be without my camera?  albeit my enigmatic-schmutz-spot-embedded camera, but still.  no no no.  and then i was invited to post on habit during the month of May and they have rules about no-instagramming and such.  that was when i decided to take it into the shop.  and i was quite literally headed out the door and decided to try one last thing.  it hit me - take the whole thing apart with the shutter open.

G A S P!

but seriously, why not?  i was headed to the camera shop anyway.  and remember, i already ruled out the spot being caused by anything on the lens or filter.  i suspected something was wrong inside...

first i gathered my tools.

this lenspen was great because it can reach down into the camera where fingers should never tread.  the brush is retractable and there is a cap to cover the microfiber tip when not in use.

then i did my best to work in a clean, dust-free area.  (think small room that you haven't recently cleaned so there isn't matter flying around in the air.)  ready?  ok.  

here's a play-by-play of what went down, in a nutshell, as photographed on my iPhone.

1.  turn the camera on and turn the program to S so you can control the shutter speed.

2.  set the shutter to the slowest possible speed. 

3.  switch to manual focus.  (come to think of it, this isn't necessary.  do what you like.)

4.  set down the camera and press to shoot which will open the shutter.

5.  set the camera down with the lens pointing up.  remember, you pressed the shoot button, so the camera is in action at this very moment.  no time to waste, nancy drew.

6.  hold your breath and carefully remove the lens.  use a flashlight to look down inside - the shutter is open, revealing the inner workings of the camera.  this is delicate territory, people.  and there, on that blue-green screen, there lied a tiny fleck of schmutz.  THE SCHMUTZ!  so i carefully used the microfiber tip of the lenspen to extract the schmutz.

7.  carefully replace the lens.  now exhale.

8.  manually turn the camera off because heaven knows when the shutter will close.

at this point i took a photo of a white piece of paper to see if the dreaded schmutz was still there, and here is what appeared on the screen -

blurry iPhone photo, but you get the idea... schmutz be gone!

there was considerable jumping up and down, and i celebrated by taking my camera along with me.  everywhere.  no more configuring my framing to later crop out the schmutz, what a relief.  i am once again able to capture the entirety of what i see and feel and wish to express and savor.

DIY camera cleaning.  amen to that.  xoxo