Amiens Cathedral inspired printable box

Amiens Cathedral in France is a gorgeous Gothic cathedral in France, and is just an amazing example of engineering and artistry in the early 13th century. Last night, my husband and I watched Building the Great Cathedrals on Nova, and you all know how much I love rose windows and architectural details. You can watch it online for free here at the PBS/Nova website and the show is just wonderful.
What really got my attention was the floors at Amiens, black and grey brickwork in geometric patterns including the labyrinth above. I used them as my inspiration for the printable box below. Instead of doing it in color, the black and white seemed to suit, so the fold and cut lines are in grey.

Click the image for a larger version. Print on card stock, cut out, score folds, fold, glue!

Links I'm loving, Micropublishing and Tesla!

The first one, which you may have already heard of, it The Oatmeal's fund raiser for The Tesla Science Museum. It's a chance to be a part of history, and to help build a museum to remember Nikola Tesla, and his contributions to science. There has been a lot raised, but it's not just about buying the land. What goes over the amount raised for the land will help pay for getting the museum built.

The other one, you may not know about. Micropublishing! You know I'm a big supporter of micropublishing for Kindle, but I also like real books and "zines" that are micropublished. Micropublishing is independent authors, illustrators and very small publishing co-ops creating books, zines and chapbooks. These are all on a small scale and done more for love than money.

Growing up in a hippie household, my mom had lots of 8-32 page "chapbooks". These were laid out and Xeroxed, then folded in half and stapled, or sometimes they were just sheets of papers with a staple in the top corner. Some were political manifestos, others were collections of recipes or instructions on doing things. They were poetry collections and short stories. We have blogs and the internet for that now, but there is something wonderful about having paper versions to give people.

DIY publishing, full of creativity and ideas. It's a part of our culture that defies the mainstream to provide information, interests and thoughts. It's punk, it's hippie, it's all sorts of things.

These days, those self-published booklets are frequently called "zines", and the co-ops or people who distribute many types of them are called "distros". Distros get submissions from authors, and provide a central place to get zines on lots of subjects. Zines are generally printed on 8.5x11 inch paper that's folded in half and stapled in the middle. Some are copied from handwritten pages, or created using traditional methods to make a master and copy that. They are usually printed in black and white. Some of them have hand stamped or printed covers. The books made by the micro-publishers can be stitched, stapled or perfect-bound (paperback glue binding)

The biggest has split into 2 independent distros, it's the second that's my other "link I love".
Microcosm Distribution
They sell patches, buttons, stickers and teeshirts that are created in house, as well as a fantastic selection of zines and books.

I've ordered from the original company a few times, and trust them. So when the new company started, I had no hesitation about ordering from them. For DIY types, check out the DIY section. You can order superpacks which are collections on a theme. There is also a section for people who love to cook that includes some great vegan recipe collections.

It's punk, it's indie as heck, and it's a lot of fun. My whole family enjoys our zine collection. It's not for everyone. Some people will object to the politics or language.

I don't use explicit language very often, but it's not because I object to it. We have the Fix Sh*t Up sticker on a lot of things around the house, and  I'm beyond thrilled they are doing a sewing version of it.

Check them out, look around, if there is a specific DIY or cooking zine you want to know more about, ask me, I might have it and can tell you if it's a favorite or not. They are having a 50% off sale on a lot of things to promote the new distro.

Quote art, Vesta, Blogrolls and Birthdays

Click on the image for a larger version if you want to print it.

I updated We Come From Stars  today about Vesta. Still working on the final design for that blog and on a link list for the sidebar.

Also, I want to do a blog roll here. If you want a link to your crafts or cooking blog leave a comment.

With my birthday coming up (May 16! It snuck up on me this year), I've been trying to come up with a wish list. It's pretty skimpy so far.

• Donate to the SPCA
• Donate to PBS
• Bring old magazines and books to your local hospitals
• My Amazon.com wishlist 
• A favorite recipe, emailed to recipes (at) donteatthepaste *DOT* com that can be used with credit later on a recipe card

Working on it, my family keeps insisting that I'm impossible to shop for, so I try to give them some ideas every year.

Book Review- Build Your Own Free-To-Air Satellite TV System

So, this is different than my usual reviews right? So why a book on FTA satellite TV systems? Because this is one of my husband's two favorite books from 2011. The other one was fiction.


First a quick definition- Free-to-air satellite transmissions are transmissions that you don't have to pay a subscriber fee. The satellites transmit the stations, sometimes encoded, but frequently not, so if you have a dish that's positioned correctly, you can pick up those stations. You pick up those stations with a satellite dish. While you can certainly have a dish system installed that you pay a monthly fee for, this book is about building your own system to pick up free signals. 


My husband is a tinkerer who has been messing with building antennas for years. FTA satellite antennas were the obvious next step.

This well written manual is written for non-experts and hobbyists who are just getting interested in building home satellite television systems. The language is very clear and defines the technical jargon in easily understandable ways.

You learn how to set up anything from a small dish or if your budget and area zoning allows, a 6 foot dish. 

A resource list allows you to find the materials needed to build your dish, and sites that will help you position your dish according to location.

The book also explains about how satellite transmissions work, going into the science in a clear way.

There is also information on setting up surround sound for the best satellite television experience possible.

I'm really impressed with how well it covers the subject matter without becoming too dry to read. It's laid out in such a way that it's easy to find what you need to go back over while your building your system. 

In a world where a lot of people think they have to have cable or a paid satellite service just to get basic channels, this opens up a lot of possibilities in finding free transmissions for a one time cost. If you're in an area where cable is not an option, or you don't need premium cable stations, this is a great alternative.

My husband was completely inspired by it. Our neighborhood will NOT allow a 6 ft dish, despite how much he wants one now. 


If you're like my husband, or you know someone who is as interested in such projects, I really recommend this book.

We don't have cable, at first, it wasn't an option for our neighborhood. Now that it is, it's something we've found we can live without. So this is a good, less expensive option for us. It costs less to set up a basic system than cable does for a year. 


You can get this book directly from the publisher, McGraw Hill Professional, 

My reviews are always my personal and honest opinion. You can read more about my review policy here.

Book Review- Mini Weapons of Mass Destruction 2

Mini Weapons of Mass Destruction 2: Build a Secret Agent Arsenal by John Austen is the sequel to Mini Weapons of Mass Destruction.

If you haven't read either of them, they contain instructions to build all sorts of neat weapons that are meant for "office warfare". I've never worked in an office with that kind of office warfare but I really like both books.

I really don't recommend this at all for kids or adults who are liable to shoot the weapons at each other.

I'm a fan because of interesting projects built out of easy to find office supplies. The emphasis is firmly on safety. You are reminded to wear safety glasses and given ideas for targets to fire at instead of firing the projectiles at people.

As a firm believer that fun examples make it easier to remember basic math and science principles, these books go hand in hand in my family with discussions about things like Newton's Laws of Motion, and how they apply to projectiles. We get to build things and compete with each other for accuracy shooting at targets.

In this sequel, the guns and weapons are powered by balloons and rubber bands. They are made to look like models of real guns. Not realistic looking enough to be scary, but realistic looking enough to make most young men and women who are interested in such things happy. Most of the projects call for hot glue and craft knife use, so supervision may be necessary.

The ammo for these is creative and inexpensive. Candy, mini-marshmallows, pennies and even cotton swabs.

In this book, other than the weapons, there are also projects for spy equipment like projects that can be used safely by kids or adults. A periscope made from CDs and toothpaste box, cipher wheel are some examples, lots of ideas for concealed storage. All of it built from inexpensive components. Those projects alone make this book well worth it to me.

Everything is well illustrated with good diagrams, and while you're building, you can see the principle behind how it works. Lots of the supplies can be garnered from things you'd ordinarily throw away.

It's a hit with my whole family. My daughter likes the Concealment chapter, my son thinks the whole book is wonderful and is already planning modifications of some of the designs in it. My husband and I appreciate how clever the designs are, and how much fun we have as a family with making them and competing with them.

The last chapter is full of wonderful target ideas like a laser shark, a fake security camera, some regular paper targets and a cute octopus target made from a balloon.
My favorite projects in the book are the soup can safe, the gift card coin launcher, and the code wheel.

You can get this book from IPG Books

Book Review - Culinary Reactions

I like science, and love cooking. So Culinary Reactions : The Everyday Chemistry of Cooking by Simon Quellen Field is very exciting to me. The idea is to explain in clear and easy language how the chemicals in our foods react and behave to create what we eat.

From the liquid nitrogen frozen ice cream in the introduction, to the very end where he explains why salt and ice freeze ice cream and all the information in between, he's managed it very well.

The chapters each cover a specific topic, and there is some overlap in the examples used. Like making cheese involves making a protein gel using protein chemistry and can be flavored using molds which are covered in the biology chapter.

The language is clear and scientific. He explains the way molecules interact to create foams such as bread and meringues, how beer and vinegar are made, how specific cultured bacteria can create inhospitable environments for more dangerous bacteria. The affects of acids and bases on recipes, including a very clear explanation of the difference between the two.

Yes, it's science, but it's easy to read and understand.

There are few cooking projects that show the chemical processes at work. A whipped topping that's stabilized with the addition of xanthan gum,  a homemade cheese cheese with instructions for two great, inexpensive and easy to build cheese presses, a turkey that's is surface sterilized to be cooked for a very long time at below boiling point temperatures to keep it super juicy, extracting DNA from pumpkins and fruit, and lemonade with color changing grape juice "chameleon eggs".

If you have a practical knowledge of cooking, you will probably get inspired to try other things like creating invert sugar solutions to use instead of simple syrup, or trying acids like lemon juice in your meringues instead of cream of tartar.

The understanding of the scientific principles behind why ingredients behave the way they do can help make anyone a better cook I believe. I found the information exciting and inspiring, and know I'll use it to develop more recipes for my family.

It's educational and interesting. The projects provide great science experiments to do with your children or just on your own. It's one that my husband is interested in reading as well. He's already said he will build me a cheese press following the instructions in the book so I can try making harder cheeses. I really enjoyed it, and recommend it to anyone who has an interest in science and cooking.

Published by Chicago Review Press and distributed by IPG Amazon.com affiliate links don't affect your cost, and provide extra income to me personally, which helps support my book addiction.

My reviews are always my personal and honest opinion. You can read more about my review policy here.

Manga science and math geek happiness

Now that school is getting ready to start again, I'd like to bring your attention to No Starch Press's wonderful Manga science and math series.

These are brilliant. Instead of teaching what's traditionally very dry and boring material in normal text book fashion, they are illustrated in manga style, with stories that explain how the math and science work in real world applications that really helps retention of the material. These are not just kid level math and science either. If you're interested in learning more as an adult and only have a passing knowledge of physics for example, these books will help you understand it better.

My son really loved the Electricity book, my personal favorite was the guide to physics which explained Newton's Three Laws of Motion very well. One of the real advantages of the manga style is that movement is easily shown in cartoon format. We know what cartoon movement looks like and can apply it to real life movement. The wrap stories and characters are super cute and the chapters have more information in them once you understand the basics.

You can get the books from Amazon, but  No Starch has a deal for getting all the books for 75.00, or you can just buy them one at a time and get a free e-book with the purchase of a print book. So, the Amazon.com link is an affiliate link, the No Starch link is not. The best deal is to get them from No Starch if you're interested.

I'm really looking forward to reading the Manga Guide to the Universe next! If you've been reading this blog long enough you know my family loves planetariums!

Book Review - Snip, Burn, Solder, Shred

Snip, Burn, Solder, Shred : Seriously Geeky Stuff to Make With Your Kids lives up to it's title.
First, this isn't a book just for kids. If you've had an interest in learning basic electronics and how to build simple circuits, or how to make various kinds of instruments, or just in general love to make things, this book has something in it for you. The projects are a little too complicated for little kids to do alone, but they could certainly help parents and learn from them. They are perfect for older kids and teens to do. If you would trust them with a wood burning tool, they can probably do all the projects in this book. As always, read all instructions all the way through before starting.
The projects extensively use re-purposed materials. Bicycle innertubes, x-ray films, old cell phones, socks, aluminum cans and Tyvek envelopes are some of the materials used. None of the projects cost more than 10 dollars to make. For things you might need to buy parts for like some of the electronic parts, part numbers are given to make them easy to get.
The projects are fantastic. Sure to inspire any budding tinkerer. Everything is very well explained, and the science behind the projects is also explained. In some ways, this book reminds me strongly of some of my very favorite vintage books. Recycling and handy skills being taught in a way that is challenging and interesting.
The first chapter is named Kid Stuff. There is a basic switch box project in it that teaches the beginning of electronic circuits to make a box that has lights and sound. The Sock Squid is a sewn project with a very cute Cthulhu variation. This chapter also has classic games you can make and a box that gives you a safe electric jolt when you touch it.
The next chapter, Electro-Skiffle Band has instruments. Again, lots of innovation using re-purposed material, as well as some of the history of the instruments themselves. Enough instruments in here that you could start a band. Percussion, horn, guitar and amps and stomp boxes. It's a fun starting place to learning about music from building an instrument to seeing what kinds of sounds you make from it.
Chapter 3, The Locomotivated is probably the chapter that people who really like to play will be more interested in. It starts with a boomerang with 2 versions, one for indoors, one for out. Made simply from re-purposed cardboard packaging. Things that move is the theme of this chapter, from a very simple little robot to a nicely involved geometry project to build a box kite of Tyvek envelopes, rockets and a marshmallow gun.

No Starch Press has a lot of great books including this one. You can buy this book directly from them by going to their website.  NoStarch.com or by using the Amazon.com affiliate link below. I do recommend going to their website, especially if you love Legos or science. (Or if you love me enough to buy me their Manga Guide Complete Set for my birthday. Because gosh, I'm full of want for the awesomesauce of science geeky manga.)
If you'd like to know more about my review policy, you can read that here.

Book Reviews- two books I like for my teens.

Fairy Cooking
If you have a child who is very into fairy things, into pink and loves pretty, this is the perfect cookbook for them, or for adults who still like to wear fancy hats and have tea parties with friends.
First: Format, because I didn't read carefully because I was distracted by the cover when I ordered it. It's about the size of a large coloring book, roughly 12 inches tall by 9 inches wide. It's printed in full color on decent quality paper and has a stapled binding. The paper and printing quality is a bit more than I expected for the price.
There are no basic cooking instructions in it, so it is a book to use hands on with your children who are just learning, but there are lots of children's cookbooks that explain all the tools.
The recipes themselves are simple and gorgeous. The sort of thing that any little fairy princess would be thrilled to serve at a tea party. My daughter is 14 and has basic cooking skills down pat, but this is a great one even for her for the ideas in it. The miniature cooking and whimsical look of the recipes also makes them perfect for bentos.
My favorites:
Iced Raspberry Mousse- a sweet airy confection made with yogurt, cream, raspberries and for a nice touch of texture, meringues
Cut Out Sandwiches- A simple idea that makes a great presentation and one I will use in bentos and for tea parties myself.
Mini fairy pastries- Miniature really food is just wonderful and these are flavorful enough that even my son and husband would eat them without complaining too much about the cute factor.
Another great book for children from Usborne.

Backyard Ballistics: Build Potato Cannons, Paper Match Rockets, Cincinnati Fire Kites, Tennis Ball Mortars, and More Dynamite Devices by William Gurstelle
The most impressive book I've seen of it's type. The projects in it are mostly inexpensive to put together and require few special skills for great results. Caution is recommended when building projectile weapons of course, but if you've got a teen or a husband who loves these sort of things, they will find something they want to try in here. My favorite projects are the tennis ball mortars and the paper match rockets. The mortars because the section explains the difference between mortars and cannons and the project itself is a wonderful hands-on experiment for trajectory and how gravity effects it. The paper match rocket is minimal supplies and easy to put together and shows how a struck match creates energy in the form of heat which launches the miniature rocket.
The science behind each project is well explained, and there is a lot of history about the scientists who came up with some of the most pivotal theories about physics and how they tested them.
Recommended with adult supervision for middle school and high school children. It's not deeply technical and it's very accessible even for teens who aren't really interested in science.
Also recommended for husbands who like to build things that go boom and are interested in science.

The Amazon links are affiliate links and help pay some of the costs of maintaining this site.