Wednesday Website # 001 - Colouring Pages

Image: Patent Pending Projects

I have been really bad about updating this blog of late, yet I find the time to update the Facebook page on a daily basis - so new rule - update weekly.

To start things off - On my Facebook page I highlight a website every Wednesday. Most of the time it's for useful stuff like where to find great ideas for Handmade Gifts or cool websites that allow you to create Photo Booth Style Pictures with your webcam. Sometimes, I'll point you in the direction of a great Read or some great Art.

Sometimes, I just need a little break from all of it.

Today's website (and one of my favourite types of website - the FREE PRINTABLES kind) comes Colouring Page, a fantastic resource for lots of free colouring pages of characters from your favourite family friendly Movies, TV shows and Books.
Here's their Facebook Page too.

With colouring pages for Beauty and The Beast, Toy Story and Frozen to Peppa Pig, Spongebob Squarepants and Winnie The Pooh. There's something here to keep the kids entertained on the rainiest of days.

And remember - if you can, try to reuse any discarded printed paper to print the colouring pages on.
Better to have the kids scribbling on that than brand new pages, that if we're being honest, probably won't end up on the fridge 'forever'.

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Office Scrap Paper Project

Image: Patent Pending Projects

Each week in my job I end up with a stack of outdated script pages, old schedules and useless fax paper cover notes.

This continues week in week out until 5 or 6 months down the line when the Project is over, it's time to box up the Paperwork and ship it off to Storage, which you wish would looks a little like that final scene in "Raiders of the Lost Ark". You know, the lines and lines of spacious corridors but actually it looks kind of more like Monica's secret closet in "Friends".

So you have to be ruthless and go through everything that's not neccessary and dispose of it. No Problem. But now you are left with a "6 month" stack of outdated script pages, old schedules and useless fax paper cover notes.

So, Toss them in the Recycling Bin? Of Course.

OR maybe you could try out this simple idea to make some Retro looking notebooks. Use them as Scribbling Books for the Kids, Storing Recipes, or keep it at your desk for day to day notes.

Image: Patent Pending Projects

The Materials:
1: Scrap paper (from faxes, printing mishaps and mail)
2: Bull clips (about 1 Euro from any stationary shop)
3: Scraps of cardboard cut into 1” inch strips
4: Craft glue, pva glue or Mod Podge (around 1 Euro from any craft shop)
5: Paint brush
6: Decorative scrap paper (I used old maps and one of our old wedding invitations)
7: Masking tape and/or coloured tape. (about 1 Euro from a DIY shop)

(Click on Image for larger picture)

Image: Patent Pending Projects

Cost: 0 Euro - That's if you have the craft items from previous projects, otherwise - around 3 Euro.

Time: About 2 Hours (this takes in the drying time for the glue)


Instructions:
Step 1. Fold 40 sheets of scrap paper in half. Be sure to be very precise and then stack them on top of each other.

Image: Patent Pending Projects

Step 2. Keeping the pages evenly lined up, place a strip of cardboard slightly below the top edge of the cut edges. Attach the bull clips.

Image: Patent Pending Projects

Step 3. Paste glue along the cut edges and use the paint brush to even it along the top edge. Maybe use a third bull clip in the center of the book to keep the pages together.

Image: Patent Pending Projects

Step 4. Let dry and repeat 4 or 5 times, until you have a coat of clear glue that holds the edges together. Once the glue has dried for the last time, remove the bull clips-the pages should be secured together.

Step 5. Attach your decorative paper by gluing it across the top of the notebook.

Image: Patent Pending Projects

Image: Patent Pending Projects

Step 6. Secure with bull clips to hold in place and let dry.

Image: Patent Pending Projects

Step 7. Attach the tape carefully along the spine of your notebook.

Image: Patent Pending Projects

Step 8. (Optional) Decorate with stickers, labels or anything else!

Image: Patent Pending Projects

Colouring Book Project

This is a great idea if you have young kids in the house or a young niece or nephew.




Here's a really quick and easy way to make Colouring Pictures out of your family Photos. Go to GIMP and download the free software.

Once you have installed the software open up the image you want to convert.

(You can click on the following pictures for a larger image)
Step 1: Brighten the image

Image: Patent Pending Projects

Set the brightness to the maximum. Every photo is different so this might be a bit of trial and error. Setting it to 127 worked on this photo but a brighter photo may end up completely washed out but if you don't like the results just press Ctrl+Z to undo.

Image: Patent Pending Projects

Step 2: Under "Filters" Select "Artistic" and then "Cartoon"

Image: Patent Pending Projects

This tool creates dark lines around everything in the image so, again, try out a few different ways but i found if you set the Mask Radius to 7.0 and the percent black to 0.2 it gave a pretty nice outline.

Image: Patent Pending Projects

Step 3: Remove the Colour from the image.

Image: Patent Pending Projects

Select "Use Black and White palette" and hit "Convert"

Image: Patent Pending Projects

You should now have a fantastic outline of your Photograph ready to print onto A4 paper.

Choose a few photos of different family members and let your Son, Daughter, Neice or Nephew give their Grandad Green or Purple Hair for the first time in their lives!