Letter Play - How to Make a TV Picture Frame

The following tutorial is brought to you by Nicole from The Madlab Post...

It’s time for Letter Play - Where DIY activities, cinema and life offline collide!

Sometime in the last two weeks or so, I came across an adorable handmade birthday card that was inspired by Twitter. The popular social networking website was to become the topic of today’s post but my Twitter craft ideas were too complex to finish in a short amount of time as my schedule and goals continue to get the best of me. Since, my friend David gave me some photos to use in a YouTube/Television series that I’m currently working on, I decided to kill two birds with one stone and construct a DIY picture frame - a handmade item that could be done quickly with just a few household arts and crafts items.

Here are instructions on how to make a TV picture frame for your home, office cubicle, school locker, car dashboard, bookshelf or any other place where you want to display new photos.

Materials used for this TV picture frame:

• Two Black 3x3 inch cardstock squares - One solid and one open square, cut into a sizeable border.
• One 3x3 inch photo
• Two thin strips of black cardstock (to be used as antennas)
• One small strip of yellow cardstock (to be used as a VCR/DVD player)
• Glue
• One pen
• Scissors
• Two brads
• One sponge or paint brush
• One small piece of cardboard from the top of an aluminum foil box* or similar item. (*Optional)

Instructions to make this handmade TV picture frame:
Step 1. Glue the black “antenna” strips in the middle of your solid black square.

Step 2. Attach the photo to the solid square, on top of the antenna strips, using glue. Set aside to dry.

Step 3. Glue the yellow “DVD player” strip onto the bottom center of your open square.

Step 4. Poke holes into the upper right side of your open square, using a pen.

Step 5. Put one brad through each hole on the open square and then fasten them on the opposite side.

Step 6. Glue the open square on top of the solid photo base, press down and allow to dry.

Step 7. Fold a small piece of cardboard and then attach half of it to the back of your finished TV photo frame, using double-sided tape. As an alternative, you can also use magnetic squares or strips if you want to display the photo on a refrigerator or other magnetic surface. 

Additional options for using this DIY handmade photo frame as a stand-alone item include placing it on top of your dresser, window base, mantel or coffee table. Enjoy!

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NICOLE
Blog: The Madlab Post
Also @MadlabPost on Twitter

Alphabet Remix - Time is Ticking

These A to Z Challenge blogging ideas are brought to you by Nicole from The Madlab Post...

It’s time for The Alphabet Remix - A Writing Prompt Idea Engine Treating A to Z Blogging Avoidance Disorders

TIME tends to be a popular subject during the A to Z Challenge, and no, I’m not referring to TIME magazine -- although you can write about that publication if you struggle with finding topics for Letter T in April. From Time Management tips at Tossing It Out to Time Traveling at Vive le Nerd and It’s Raining Blue Umbrellas, blog posts highlighting the way people spend their time is one trend in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge that some of you might want to write about, yet avoid doing so, in an effort to not cause visitors to think “been there, read that!” when visiting your blog.

So, here are some additional blogging ideas about TIME to consider for Letter T the next time you find yourself reluctant to chase the clock because you don’t want to look like a one-trick pony or like you're following in the shadows of bloggers who already wrote about it.

Timeless Phrases

Blog about phrases that have the word TIME in them such as “Time is of the essence,” “In the nick of Time” etc. and what they mean to you in various situations such as shopping, work, dating, road rage, exercising, aging or any other subject where this phrase may apply. Another possible approach is to blog about whether you think a certain TIME related phrase is logical or illogical. A phrase like “Time-Sensitive” creates a sense of urgency for many people, however, you could share your opinions on when the use of this phrase is valid and when it is not. For example - 9-1-1 calls are time-sensitive conversations versus rushing your roommate off of the phone so that you can tell your boyfriend/girlfriend about the semi-annual sale at Victoria’s Secret.

Timelines

There are many directions that you can go in when blogging about timelines. If you’re on Facebook, then write a blog post about whether you are in favor of (or against or indifferent to) the timeline feature that they launched on that website. You could also track your journey through your experience in weight loss, graduating from college, healing after divorce or hardship, renovating your house, restoring an old building or raising a kid, etc. by posting photos and dates representing each milestone moment or depicting your progress. Show readers how you got from where you started to where you are now, no matter if it took a long TIME or short amount of TIME.

Timing

Consider a point in your life when the phrase “Timing is everything” had an impact on you and then blog about that experience. This could encompass almost anything such as wanting to end a relationship with someone but deciding to wait (or not wait) until after a holiday, birthday, surgery, etc. to do so -- or realizing that despite being 20 minutes late to work due to traffic, you missed a dangerous police shootout and hostage situation that occurred 30 minutes earlier, in the building where your job is located -- or calling the radio station one more time before giving up after five tries, and the sixth call led to you winning those Bruce Springsteen tickets.

No matter what the case may be or how a situation was (or is) presented, if you had a feeling that timing IS everything at one time or another in your life, then blog about it.


Guess what...you can still also blog about TIME MANAGEMENT by remixing the topic into the following subject: Write a blog post that describes your position on texting with regards to managing time. While many people think texting is a particular convenient cell phone feature, you can blog about why you agree or disagree, in comparison to voice calls.


Yep, you guessed it, TIME TRAVELING is open for A to Z Blogging business as well, when you consider a different way to look at the topic: Blog about what you would tell your 16 year-old self if about dieting, smoking, bullying, drinking, sex, school, competition, etc. if you could travel back in time to your teenage years. Want to get a little adventurous? Ask the same question to three friends or family members who are 10-20 years apart in age...and then list your three responses in a blog post. This option could also work for Letter G on the subject of Generational Gaps, but you get the picture!
Now for some Friday Fun Time housekeeping, the winner of last week’s Alphabet Soup game is....

Tina Downey at Life is Good

This is Tina’s second win in a row, so her Alphabet Wizard status continues with a prize package that includes: the choice of letter to be covered in the next Alphabet Soup game and the option of selecting the topic* for my next Monday Movie Meme (*Must be a topic/theme that has not been previously covered). She unscrambled all eight Theatrical Title Twisters correctly.

Here are the answers from last week:

1. The Terminator
2. Transformers
3. The Transporter
4. Trainspotting
5. Tangled
6. Takers
7. Tropic Thunder
8. Trois

Congratulations to Tina and may you all have a great weekend!

Need some extra blogging motivation? Sign up for the Monday Movie Meme, a weekly writing and memory activity that will have you thinking about movies in a whole new light. New topics are posted every Monday!
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NICOLE
Blog: The Madlab Post
Also @MadlabPost on Twitter

Alphabet Soup - A Jumbled Jungle of J's

This post is brought to you by Nicole from The Madlab Post...

It’s time for Alphabet Soup - The Word Scramble Puzzle for A to Z Wizards!

Unscramble the following names of movie actors and actresses whose first name starts with letter J. The first commenter who has unscrambled all of them, or the most at best, wins this week’s Alphabet Soup game. Answers and the name of the winner will be posted here at the A to Z blog during next week’s “Friday Fun Time.” Word to the wise: Don’t let the spaces in these names fool you!

1

Jhcaknsooa Jus

2

otkeacaJnsn J

3

ernnnH fidoeuJs

4

nferCylonJen ine

5

tosifei nnAJrnne

6

errCJy mia

7

eeortJtl nuSelm

8

JrnOCo lelnry

9

NlckoncJiohas

10

kck acaBJl

Have an alphabetized weekend, everyone!

Need some extra blogging motivation? Sign up for the Monday Movie Meme, a weekly writing and memory activity that will have you thinking about movies in a whole new light. New topics are posted every Monday!

NICOLE
Read The Madlab Post.
Find/Follow/RT @MadlabPost on Twitter.