Color Theory Collages, Delta Kites, and Mini Lanyards

We got our abstract collages back on Tuesday. They’re nothing too special, but I am posting everything I make, so I’ll post these as well. They are not supposed to be anything in particular, just random shapes to demonstrate that we know how to use color. The first one I made uses analogous colors. This is just a grouping of adjacent colors on the color wheel. The ones I used were all in or related to the blue family of colors. The background is tissue paper, and the rest is construction paper.

The next uses complimentary colors. These are colors that are opposites on the color wheel, and go well with each other. I used purple and Yellow, but another example would be seen in Christmas decorations, as Green and Red are opposites on the color wheel. This one is entirely construction paper.

The last one is mono chromatic. Mono chromatic color schemes use varying hues of one color. I chose red tissue paper, and used pink construction paper as the varying hue.

We turned in our 4 drawings today. I was up until almost one finishing mine. He said that they were due at the beginning of class, because we would be reviewing material for the midterm quiz. (Midterm already?! We just started didn’t we?) There were quite a few people who did not have them done though, and worked on them all through our quiz review. I hope the get counted down, because we were repeatedly told when they were due, and we had plenty of time to finish them. I have no excuse for waiting till the night before to color in my last two, but at least I made the deadline. Our teacher is way too lenient. There are lots of slackers in the class, and I hear “I’ll make an exception this time,” from the teacher a lot. Not to me personally, but to all the people who keep missing deadlines.
In my Design 1 class, we are still working on our kites. I’ve now decided on a Delta kite, but the hard part has been finding some good clear plans on the internet. I found some, but they’re for a kite using a garbage bag and bamboo skewers. I want mine made out of cloth. I did put together a small kite made out of paper and balsa wood,

(Not a flying model) but I want a different design. One that I can take apart for storage, since I have no place to put a full sized kite. I remembered today that dad has a collapsible delta kite in the attic, and I told my teacher about it. He said I could bring it in, and we could make some plans based on the design of his kite.
In our speech class Tuesday night we had to give our process speeches. A speech explaining how to do something, using visual aids. The choice of the night was food, and most of those who chose to do food, brought in what they made to share with everyone. Everyone who did food, did desserts, so I had enough sweets that night to last me the rest of the week. There were two demonstrations on homemade ice cream, one by machine, one using ziplock bags, a demonstration of scotcheroos, Taffy Apple Pizza, and the most original one, gobbler goodies. I took a picture of mine to share here.

As you can see it’s really easy. You just make a batch of rice krispy treat mix and form it into balls. Then twist an Oreo in half, and using chocolate frosting, glue it and some candy corn to it, and you have a little turkey. I liked that she used Halloween Oreos, since the orange cream gave some more color to the turkey.
Other speeches explained how to make homemade jewelry, and how to meditate. Joel did his speech on folding an origami airplane. I didn’t do so well on mine.

The top looked ok, but the underneath wasn’t right, and it didn’t fly well. It took a one way trip to the garbage can.
My speech was a demonstration on how to make something I invented called a mini lanyard. I’ve been making things out of paracord, but I always have extra bits left over after I cut off the ends of the cord. I hate wasting the cord, so I came up with them as a way to use up the extra. Since my speech was mostly ad-libbed I’ll post my outline for you to read, then you’ll know how to make one too!

Topic: How to Make a Mini Lanyard
Purpose: To teach the audience how to make a simple keychain or zipper-pull.
Central Idea: Making a mini lanyard is a simple craft that only takes a few minutes to put together.
Introduction
I. When I make a lanyard or a paracord bracelet I always have extra cord left over at the end.
II. I don’t want to waste the cord, but what could I do with it?
III. I designed a simple use for it using just a bead and a lanyard hook.
Transition: Tonight I’ll show you how I do it.
Body
I. If you want to make one, you can start with an extra scrap, or you can choose your own color and cut a length to your own specifications.
II. Then gather your materials, you’ll need what I mentioned above, plus a lighter.
Transition: Next you put it together.
I. First you fold the paracord in half.
II. Next you take your bead and twist the cord through the hole.
III. Once the cord is through, you take your lanyard hook and you clip it to the loop at the top of the bead.
IV. Then you tie knots at the bottoms of the strings that are hanging down.
V. Trim the ends if desired and use the lighter to melt the ends, so that they don’t fray.
Transition: and that’s all there is to it.
Conclusion
I. There are multiple uses for the mini lanyard.
A. You can use it for a zipper pull.
B. You can use it for a decoration for a backpack or other bag.
C. If you leave the lanyard hook off of it, you can put a chain through the loop and wear it as a necklace.
II. You can also make them in specific colors for different causes, such as pink for breast cancer awareness, or yellow to show support for the troops.

 
This is the one I made during the demonstration. I attached it to one of the zippers on my new backpack.

I also brought supplies so that everyone could follow along and make their own. I was afraid that my speech would be way under the limit, because the speech was supposed to be between 4 and 5 minutes long. My speech ended up being 4 minutes and 58 seconds! I made it just under the wire!

Our teacher has been trying to get us to use more gestures in our speeches. Since we were to use visual aids I planned some gestures into my speech. Gestures are much easier when you are showing things to the audience. At the beginning when I was explaining about what I make, I held up a couple of lanyards that I have hanging on my backpack.

I also rolled up my sleeve to display a survival bracelet I’d made.

Gestures were also easily incorporated all throughout my speech, since the whole time I was putting a mini lanyard together. Then at the end when I was explaining all the uses for the mini lanyard, I pulled out a necklace I had made from one that I had hidden under my shirt.

I’m not really sure what I’ll do for gestures next time. It’s so much easier when you have something to show the audience. Gesturing doesn’t really come naturally to me, at least when I’m giving a speech. If I’m thinking about gesturing, I feel like I’m just randomly waving my hands about.
Remember last week when I told how in drawing 1 we had to draw a pile of boxes? I expressed the hope that the next assignment would be more fun. Well guess what. It wasn’t. This time it was even worse. This time there was random junk piled all over the boxes. Broken mannequin chunks, rope strands, torn cloth, and all manner of random rubbish. Because nothing says great art like a broken mannequin's upside down butt. *eyeroll* At least this time we are using pencils instead of charcoal. This drawing we are taking two weeks to do because it is a lot more detailed, plus we are using an inkwash for the shading. I think I will probably enjoy that part a little more since that’s something I’ve never done before. I’ll be glad when we move on to something else though. I would much prefer it if our still life drawings were of something nicer.
Well, that’s all the latest news from school. Now I need to get onto my online psychology class and make a post on the discussion forums. This weekend I have another test due. >Groan< Hopefully I’ll do better than last time…