Scrapbooking that doesn't SUK.

Summertime rolls, sang Jane's Addiction, which somehow is supposed to launch into the DIY Librarian's welcome back column about how you can scrapbook all of your dee-lightful summertime memories, vacations, gaycations, whalecations, etc. Scrapbooking might conjure up the smell of Designer Imposters perfume and visions of earnest Christmas sweaters, but you too can scrapbook without owning a minivan. Believe it or not. Seriously, why put all of your fotos up on a social networking site when you can create a lovely piece of art that you can access any time without the need to pay ComCast $85 a month? Scrapbooks also make lovely gifts. You can email your mom those pics from Aunt Lynn's third wedding or you can make said aunt a gift she's sure to treasure until the next court appearance. So, where to start? The DIY Librarian has all of the answers (the first one being "cool scrapbooking" is a horrible way to start searching!)

• Tools of the Trade from HGTV
  Don't feel bad about loving HGTV; they don't feel bad about loving you. And providing you with good, solid, reliable information. Start here to understand why acid-free paper is a must and what all of that crap available at Hobby Lobby is for. (Hint: it's not crap, it's a key to fun!)
• Crafty Chica's Record Album Scrapbook
  Finally a use for that awesome Blondie LP you are never going to find a record player to play on! The Crafty Chica is always a reliable source for amazing crafts. Here she tells you step-by-step how to make a rock'n'roll scrapbook that isn't trying to be rock'n'roll. See, you don't have to shop at Michael's to make a scrapbook that screams "you."

Yep, that's all I found for non-sucky scrapbooking. Help a sister out, if you can. And understand the DIY Librarian is only human, even though you might not want to admit it, Darling Reader.

Summer vacay

The DIYL is on a short summer vacation and will return in July!

Understand your fertility!

What better way to celebrate Mother's Day than to start thinking about your fertility, ladies? (Sorry, gentlemen, don't mean to leave you totally out on the doorstep like a flaming bag of poop.) The DIYL is that age when every birthday feels like another round of fertility Russian roulette. Babies make her bio clock go off like a smoke alarm with fresh batteries. If you can relate or perhaps if you feel like babies might be in your in-five-years plan, learn the ins and outs of your fertility. The DIYL only just learned how to track her cycle this past month (and she was the girl who taught everyone in middle school how to use a tampon!). Let it be known: even if you don't plan to breed yourself, understanding your body on a more intimate level is important. It helps you better understand why you feel certain ways physically and emotionally (like that life is an Endless Hell and there is no Hope for a week), increase your ability to recognize when something's off, and just take charge of your health overall. So, enjoy these wonderful tools about the ins and outs of your innards.

• My Monthly Cycles.com
  Okay, so the name is totally creepy, but the site rocks! Calculators(ovulation, period), calendars (more of the same) and tons of great, great information. The focus is definitely on getting pregnant (baby names, anyone?) which can feel kind of desperate if you're not there yet, but this is a great place to get started on this magical journey towards womanhood.
• American Pregnancy Association
  Great wealth of medical, emotional and practical information here about the process start to finish of pregancy. The focus is on total wellness, so you get a broad range of articles and tools for tracking ovulation and pregnancy. Best part of the site? The great, non-judgemental info on adoption readily and easily available in its own tab. Thank you, APA for normalizing adoption as part of the process of having a child.
• Understanding cervical mucus
  What is cervical mucus and why is it so important to recognize and track it? Every woman has experienced it, now understand its function and ties to your cycle. Includes photos!
• WebMD's ways to improve your fertility
  That's right, with a little work and effort, you too can improve your fertility! Terrible title, but good information about how your entire body, environment and emotional state effect your cycle and ability to get impregnated. How about this factoid? "In one study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility, doctors found that men who stopped smoking experienced a rise in sperm count of up to 800%!" Dang, now that's worthy of a gold star and coupon for a free Personal Pan Pizza. (Only bad thing? The link to the video on Pregnant and Vegan has a Milk ad on top!!!!!)

Whether you're planning to be a biological parent, adoptive parent, foster parent, special auntie/uncle or just a trusted adult in some kid's life, understanding how your body works is key to overall long and short-term health. The DIYL can't tell you how many women she knows who are in their twenties and never visited the gyno ("But, I'm not having sex," "I feel fine," "I practice safe sex,"). While being sexually active effects your health, you can be a virgin/celibate and still have conditions (endometriosis, dermoids, cancer) which impact your well-being and future fertility. So this Mother's Day, honour YOUR mother by taking care of your health.

Make Your Own Cheese!

Who cut the cheese? Eww, not like that, people! Who cut that gorgeous hunk of homemade goat cheese wrapped in herbes de provencal? Why, it must be you, Darling Reader, with your newly-acquired cheese-making skillz! Exasperated by the $4.99 price tag on paneer at her local groceria, the DIYL is determined to figure out how to make it her-dang-self. Why should cheese-making be shrouded in mystery like the going-ons at a Masons' meeting? Folks in developing countries have been making their own cheese for years, so why shouldn't you?

• Dr. David Fanhauser's Cheese Making for Beginners
  So, yeah, start off here for a detailed, step-by-step science-based primer for understanding the art of cheese-making and developing the skills to make it successfully. Presented by a biology professor, this page teaches you how to start off by making yogurt and ends with a lovely bleu cheese. Great photos, lots of links to help explain it all and it's no nicely organized that the DIYL's heart just puffed with pride. If you only visit one cheese-making web site in your life, make it this one.
• Show Me the Curry's Make Your Own Paneer video
  You'll get addicted to Anuja and Hetal's web site and videos that teach you how to add a little spice to your life. Geared especially towards Westerners, these videos put South Indian cuisine (you know, the good, delicious saucy stuff) within reach of daunted white folk. Anuja and Hetal break down the art of paneer into an easy-to-achieve lesson. They're the aunties you've always wanted.
• Howcast's Irish Porter Cheese-Making
  Need to get in the mood for a little cheese-making? You won't necessarily learn how to make Irish Porter cheese in a practical way, but you'll enjoy some nice British Isle's eye candy and get your Irish accent fix as two blokes talk cheese. It's the DIYL's gift to you. You are soooo welcome.
• Gourmet Sleuth's Cheese-Making Videos
  From riccotta to goat cheese to vegan cheese, check out these videos. Once you get some cheese-making skillz under your belt, you might want to tackle brie, cheddar or marscapone. Try the video page or this comprehensive index of cheese recipes.

A simple Google search for "cheese making" or "cheese-making" will reveal myriad ways to purchase cheese-making materials, should you require them. Be creative: see if there's a local source for animal milk, herbs or other necessities for your endevour into cheese construction. Visit the local farmer's market for cheese-makers; they are usually very happy to talk to you and give advice. Maybe you'll get lucky like one of the DIYL's friends and get to spend a day with baby goats! Enjoy, as always.

DIY Shrines

This week's posting is in honor of Her Ladyship Battle-Ax Midnight Cheesecake Flowing Pantsuit Dame Bea Arthur who passed yesterday, leaving the world a less acerbic, sisterhoody, Broadway-beltin' place. We'll miss her. We all have folks we miss and need to honor, like Ms. Arthur (if you're nasty). What better way than a homemade, perhaps glitter-laden shrine? Use personal momentos, photos, fabric, and anything else on hand to pay homage to those we've loved and lost. The cool thing is, you don't really need tons of skillz to make a really meaningful, cool piece. And you can use anything from a shoebox to an Altoids tin to house your homemade lovefest. (Oh, a tip from the DIYL's conservator friends: make color copies of photos at your local copyshop. You can save the originals and protect them from deterioration.)

• The Crafty Chica's Guide to Shrines
  The Crafty Chica, Ms. Kathy Cano-Murillo, uses glitter like no one's bizniz. She is also Queen of Shrines with a whole book and line of crafts available on them. Kathy shows you how to make the most of momentos and glitter to create something truly spectacular. (Warning: she does this within the context of her line of crafts, but you can still get a lot out of her web site and directions). Plus, she's just a really, truly cool person!
• Go Make Something's Shrine Making ULTIMATE GUIDE
  Check this out! From making matchbook shrines to matchbook shrine books to a beginner's guide, this is your ultimate one-stop shop for step-by-step instructions (with photos!) for making cool-as-beans shrines. Truly impressive clearinghouse.
• Aisling's Art Shrines
  The DIYL is not exactly sure who Aisling is (hmm, credibility problem?) but they know their stuff! Check out the Edgar Allan Poe shrine to get a taste of their talent. Aisling has taught art shrine classes and graciously offers up practical advice on tools, techniques and inspiration. Features a higher level of skill-building and tool-using, but still totally doable for the average crafter.
• Pocket Shrine's Journal
  Strictly for inspiration, check out what this artist makes on a regular basis. Don't let it create false expectations for your shrines, just let the inspiration soak into your pores.

Shrines are fantastic for honoring, healing and dealing. The DIYL's good friend 'Quel created some amazing shrines using old windows. She bought clear sticker sheets onto which she printed old photos and stuck 'em on the panes. Paint and other craft items were added. Shrines offer endless opportunities to reuse and create something very personal. The nice thing is, it's just for you, so no worries about perfection. Put on some music that reminds you of for whom you shrine, maybe even host a shrine-making party and let the glitter and gluegun take you where they may.

Special mid-week post: the art of Derek Erdman

Got $15 to spare even in this economy (btw, that equals 3 fancy coffee drinks)? Invest it wisely! Buy art, not stock. Take a few minutes to check out the amazing Derek Erdman, his portfolio and 15 buck portraits. (As soon as the DIYL can find a picture she actually likes of herself, she's going for it!).

Balloon Animals and other twisted art!

No, the DIYL is not pulling your needs-a-tan leg. This week's post is about doing balloon animals and art. Inspiration struck upon seeing the amazing balloon "crown" left for her by the previous librarian on duty (it included a balloon that had an eye on it! Amazing!). Sure, said previous librarian found it on the ground and left it for the DIYL, but whateves. Why pay good money for some schlub to twist a balloon into dogs for the next birthday party when you can learn to amaze your friends and relatives (and possibly make them worry about your sanity)? Use the DIYL's previous advice and host a cocktail/balloon art party (synergy!) or just start hanging out at fairs with your newfound skillz. Who doesn't love a balloon dog?

• Balloon-Animals.com Video Collection:
  This free video collection is theHoly Grail of balloon art. From a dolphin hat to a T-Rex, the possibilities are endless as to what you can twist a balloon into. The videos are excellent how-tos with step-by-step instructions and helpful hints. Start your amazing balloon career here.
• Balloon history from Balloon HQ:
  Just check this out. Animal intestines and bladders, the first balloon modeling convention and more. This stuff is interesting.
• The Basics from Magic George:
  The layout on this site SUCKS (a basic table, red writing on black background...shiver) but the info is solid. Introduces beginners to the fundamental twists of balloon art complete with step-by-step photos, where to buy products and even how to come up with balloon schtick! Thank you, Magic George!

While the world of balloon art is far more vast than the DIYL ever expected (the sheer number of balloon artists who also preach gospel at the same time was dizzying), it appears the how-to portion is fairly straight-forward. So, cue some Chubby Checker and start twistin' the night away.