Witch's Hat Water Tower Prospect Park Minneapolis Minnesota - MN Roadside Attraction Travel Poster

The historic water tower is visible from many areas of Minneapolis and is nestled among mature trees. You can go up to the top one day out of the year but I've never managed to be there when it's open.

Available on Etsy

Lutefisk Capital Madison Minnesota - MN Roadside Attraction Travel Poster

We recently attended the annual Lutefisk dinner at my Grandma's church. I can eat lutefisk but never cared for buttered fish gelatin. Lefse rocks with butter and sugar and the ladies make a mean meatball. I eat a bite of lutefisk every decade or so to keep in touch with my Norsk roots.

Available on Etsy

Fishing Bobber Water Tower Pequot Lakes Minnesota - MN Roadside Attraction Travel Poster

This cute water tower is billed as Paul Bunyon's fishing bobber. The plaid border is what I think Paul Bunyon's shirt would look like.

Available on Etsy.

Giant Crow Belgrade, Minnesota - MN Roadside Attraction Travel Poster

This massive crow is located near the Crow River, not far from Crow Lake. I'm always impressed by how clever crows are. Every winter I make thin rolled Christmas cookies. The crows gather and caw outside while waiting for me to toss them dough scraps. They do the same thing when I make pie, they must have dough radar.

Available on Etsy.

Arlington Minnesota Baseball Water Tower Minnesota - MN Roadside Attraction Travel Poster

Available on Etsy.

Otto The Big Otter Fergus Falls Minnesota - MN Roadside Attraction Travel Poster

Available on Etsy.

Giant Grain Belt Beer Sign Minneapolis Minnesota - MN Roadside Attraction Travel Poster

The Grain Belt Beer sign is prominently placed off of downtown Minneapolis on Nicollet Island. It's about 50 feet wide and has appeared in at least one movie that I know of.

Available on Etsy. 

Lindstrom Minnesota Coffeepot Water Tower - MN Roadside Attraction Travel Poster

Lindstrom is a picturesque town with an adorable coffeepot water tower. The Swedish welcome message on the tower is hand lettered. I took a little creative license with the lower structure but the sky isn't rose colored either.

Available on Etsy. 

Big Fish Supper Club in Bena Minnesota - MN Roadside Attraction Travel Poster

I don't how I missed this place but I must admit I've never been here. I think of Muskies as Minnesota's version of a barracuda so it's rather fitting to go inside a giant fish to go eat fish.

According to the internet, a local businessman came forward to save the landmark fish from disrepair. It's big claim to fame is appearing in the opening of Nation Lampoon's Vacation, I looked it up on YouTube since I never saw the movie either.  I sense a trend; everyone seems to know about this place but me.

Available on Etsy. 

Pepie The Lake Monster in Lake Pepin Minnesota - MN Roadside Attraction Travel Poster

Last summer my daughters and I went to Austin to visit the Spam museum and took the long way home. We visited Lake Pepin and discovered it was home to a sea monster. There is a $50,000 reward for proof of the elusive lake monster's existence.

The only monster we saw was the giant piece of driftwood I made my poor kids drag to the Jeep. I didn't realize how many bugs were calling the wood home until they came forward to meet the kids.

Available on Etsy. 

Darwin Minnesota Home Of The Biggest Ball Of Twine In Minnesota - MN Roadside Attraction Travel Poster

This month I'm going to make vintage style travel posters for roadside attractions in Minnesota.

I'm fascinated by people with odd obsessions and the twine ball is a great example. I bundled the family in the car and headed to Twine Ball Days to smell the Twine Ball. The street signs have a twine ball in the corner, how great is that. The museum played the Weird Al Yankovic song about the Twine Ball on endless loop. I bought a Twine Ball hoodie. It was a good day.

Available on Etsy.

Happy Trees Vintage Paint By Number Painting - Arts and Crafts

Some people talk about how soothing Mr Rogers voice is; for me, it's Bob Ross when he expounds on "happy trees." I decorated the cabin several years ago with garage sale art since break-ins are always a possibility for property that you don't occupy regularly. I wanted art work that was not overly dear.

One of my purchases was a paint by number of a deer next to a woodland stream. The above painting was thrown in. I washed it, drew on the letters, and painted happy trees in acrylic paint.

I knew the original was heavily textured but I was wrong, it was downright lumpy. It's very difficult to paint straight, smooth lines on a lumpy surface. I love the new version and the fence posts being in front of the font gives it a lot more dimension. I have another purchased painting stored in the back of the garage that is becoming jealous. I think it wants a new life as slightly quirky art.

Arshile Gorky Inspired Abstract Expressionist Modern Painting

I did this originally as a digital image. Painting straight edges is surprisingly challenging. I tried painters tape and went back to freehand since the results with tape were disappointing.

Origami Turtle Magnets - Arts and Crafts

I tried to make an origami tetrahedron but the locking action wasn't working well for me. I needed an easier project so I made the turtles from some specialty paper that I had. They looked cute so I affixed half a magnet that was made to go on the back of a business card to each.

Giant Folk Art Painted Wood Dice - Arts and Crafts

I found a huge wood square and painted it to resemble dice since every game board needs dice. OK, this one takes two hands to pick up so it might not be practical but it looks great on the floor with a giant "jack" that I bought a few years ago.

I wonder what it was originally, perhaps part of a support column in an old barn.

Painted Wood Vintage Style Game Board - Arts and Crafts

I painted this game board on a piece of plywood. I found a little crackling medium so it was applied in scattered areas. The edging (pine molding) is raised to corral crazy dice rolls. The board was aged by lightly sanding the surface.

Mini Book Made From Scrapbook Paper - Arts and Crafts

I still have a ton of scrapbook paper so I made a new book. Directions:

Cut a 12 inch square piece of scrapbook paper in half. Fold the 12" x 6" paper in half so it becomes 6" square.

Glue the back sides of 2 paper pieces together. I used a glue stick. Keep gluing the additional paper to to proceeding pages. The folded spine pieces should line up.

Glue a cover piece on the front and back. Make a spine piece and glue it in plae.

Kazimir Malevich Inspired Geometric Abstract Modern Painting

I made this as a digital poster several months ago and thought it would be fun to redo it as a painting. I designed it to be vertical but I think I prefer it horizontal.

Spooky Halloween Fence with Halloween Images Behind the Fence - Arts and Crafts

I saw this spooky Victorian gate at the Graphics Fairy and was inspired. The witches, owl and black cat are scanned cake decorations. I made it to go across my mantle but posted it here at 11 inches wide. If you click on the image it will become larger. You are welcome to use it for your personal use.

Fortune Cookie Pop-Up Card - Arts and Crafts

I have many fortune cookie fortunes so I thought it would be fun to make a pop-up card for one.

I put the fortune cookie image back to back so I'd have a fold line.

I wanted the inside to be brown so I printed the image on kraft paper card stock. A mellower brown would be better.

Cut the printed image out. Use the cut out portion as a template for the inside. You will have 2 cut out shapes, one plain paper, the other printed.

Crease inside and outside shapes along the fold line.

Take the inside piece and cut a small tab. Crease the tab so that it can bend in the other direction.

Glue the 2 paper pieces together  being careful not to glue the cut tab. Check that the card closes properly.

Glue a fortune to the raised section of the tab. Be careful not to glue it so close that the card won't open and close properly.