Pinterest has a superb surplus of creative ideas.  I recently saw one from the Dollar Store Crafts Blog inspired by the Alien Abduction Lamp.  The blog states the importance of being original. I agree. I always look forward to seeing what others come up with, and even more when it comes to children, it is amazing what they can create on their own.  In this case it was this particular child of mine and the birthday gift he made for his dad.  

This is his version using even less:

• a glass amber vase (a found object but also sold at Dollar Stores)
• Christmas LED lights (white and blue)
• another found object which was originally a toy sheep and was painted to look like a cow 
• a recycled speaker component to materialize an extraterrestrial spaceship windows and all
• and creative electrical tinkering skills
  

This reminds me of something we joke about when we say in Spanish: "con las uñas".
It translates to: "with the fingernails". 

It refers to doing or making something without supplies or almost no money at all.

There are different suggestions on its metaphorical meaning but this is my interpretation: for example, a task requires tools like wrenches and screwdrivers, and if you don't have tools then you use other objects like forks or sticks, but if you don't have that either then you use the nails.  

Uñas/Limits can enhance ingenuity.  I make the comparison because what can be less expensive and more out-of-this-world than a collection of repurposed objects to recreate a 5 dollar craft that recreates the original $110 design.  Here it is in all its splendor:

Then I started thinking about how many years I have been doing projects to re-purpose foam.  I remember my dad built us a foam cutting machine when we were kids and we made all sorts of decorations for Christmas and Birthdays.  I also used it in college on an impromptu sign I made for our Psychology club, which won us first place for booth decor, ahem, ahem, I don't want to brag but we even beat the Architecture club and their complex wooden structure.     

I have created a category called FOAM HOME for all sorts of ideas for reusing this thing we keep calling Styrofoam and is known in Spanish as corcho blanco or unicel --  which are great search words just in case you want to expand your images, projects, and ideas.

This project was fast because I used whatever I found at the discounted-oops-paint-shelf. Nothing helps speed things up like having a limited color assortment to choose from.

This project involved a desire to get rid of something cumbersome from 
a large parcel I received.  Something I don't like: Styrofoam.

I try to stay away from foam knowing that it is not biodegradable and won't even be collected by most recycling facilities, so instead of throwing it away, this is what I did with a large piece of packaging foam, a can of black paint, and a can of yellow paint that I got for 50 cents each.


Rubber Ducky

Easy drawing subject:  a circle for the body, a circle for the head, and a circle for a giant eye.

I think the ragged edges and porous-looking surface of the foam add character.