Color Color Color

Art in the Park

2011-06-07T00:27:00.000-07:00

Waylon having a great time with the shaving cream--he still smells like Old Spice, even after a bath:)

What a beautiful day to get together with friends and make a huge artsy mess in the great outdoors. I wish I had more pictures, but I was so involved with the art making that despite the camera around my neck, I took only a couple of pictures. I will do better next week.

We made shaving cream prints and did some printing with gadgets and vegetables. For this we used tempera paint on black paper. Adding white to each color ensured that the colors stood out on the black background. All of our colors today were cool colors- blues, greens and purples. These Alaskan kids need strategies for cooling off when the temperature hits 70!

There were about 15 kids between the ages of 2 and 9, not to mention a few babies who were able to watch the fun.

The aftermath of the gadget printing station.

Secret Messages

2011-04-09T21:10:00.000-07:00

I know that Valentine's Day is over and we have moved on, really. But these secret messages that started out as Valentines have become so much more. We are hooked on making these and I think you might be too once you see how easy it is. All you need is heavy paper or card stock, a white crayon, a washable marker, water and a paintbrush.

Write a message or draw a secret picture with the white crayon on the white card stock. Gently color over the entire thing with a washable marker. Give it to a friend or anyone special and tell them to paint it with water to reveal the secret message.

The water blends the choppy lines and pops out the white writing.

Bunny Chicks

2011-04-07T20:46:00.000-07:00

I found an unfinished piece of wood cut in the shape of two bunnies at a thrift store the other day.

I love what my almost six-year-old did with it. I had suggested that she use paint and she insisted on Sharpies. She was right. the colors came out great and she was able to get the details she was after. I love the way she made the bunnies peeking out of Easter eggs.

Maybe she can do the back next year.

Plastic Lid Bunny Wreath

2011-04-05T20:46:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I started a changeable wreath for our front door. The kids and I just got it ready for Easter. I cut the edge off two large 64oz plastic yogurt lids and cut out simple bunny shapes. Basically, a figure eight with ears. I cut 3 bunnies from each lid and made them various sizes. Hollin decorated their faces with colored sharpies. Waylon helped me cut ribbon. The ribbon just loops through the twigs and ties around the bunnies' necks, securing them to the wreath and giving them a bow tie at the same time.

I am very hoppy with the result (I could not resist).

The Days are Getting Longer

2011-03-08T14:41:00.000-08:00

I spent every spare minute last month working on this oil painting. It is pretty big, 36" by 40". I suppose it is my interpretation of February in Fairbanks. Still so very cold and still, but the light is incredible. It is the month where, after so many months of cold and dark, you start to get a glimmer that spring may actually return. It is still cold, but the days are noticeably longer.

I will never tire of painting the trees in interior Alaska. Even around our 2 acre yard, the inspiration is limitless. The aspens and birches are all so unique and they change dramatically depending on the weather, the time of day and of course the seasons. I love to wander around and look for my next painting.

Upcycled Party Gift Box

2011-02-26T10:16:00.000-08:00

We made this gift box for a friend's birthday party the other day. It is made from a cereal box. I have seen this done using gift wrap to cover a box. We covered ours with white contact paper and decorated it with permanent markers.

Cut the top flaps off a cereal box and wrap in contact paper.

Poke two holes on the top, both sides, for handles. We fastened a pipe cleaner handle to each side.

We tied tulle and ribbon to the handles to make it fancier, then Hollin drew birthday designs on each side with permanent markers.

We added the gift, which was a lovely assortment of art supplies, some tissue paper and a little card.

So sweet and personal. We gave new life to an old box, and saved $ on a gift bag.

Valentine's Day Shirts

2011-02-10T19:58:00.000-08:00

I had been planning to make doily print shirts with Hollin since I saw the idea a few weeks ago over at The Artful Parent.

While inking up the doily, we could not help but notice how nice the stencil effect of the doily looked on the paper underneath it, so very impulsively, we put the doily on the shirt and rolled over it. I think it came out cute. It was hard to hold it perfectly still, but between the two of us we made it work. So instead of making doily prints, we ended up using the doily as a stencil.

I am not opposed to boys wearing hearts and pink, but I thought a pink doily shirt might be a touch too much. So, I jazzed up an old shirt with a cute boyish Valentine design using freezer paper stencils.

I really like heart art. There. I said it. We have been doing a lot of lately and I will try to get some more up before the big day.

Painting in a Real Painting Studio

2011-02-06T16:12:00.000-08:00

What's a mom with two sick kids to do on a cold Sunday morning?

They were not sick enough to stay home (or I was not willing to stay home another day), but sound way too terrible to go to church or to any other public place (really nasty cough). I am taking a painting class this sememster so I decided to take advantage of the big beautiful painting studio. I had some work to do and I figured we could bring some paints and let them get messy. They were so happy and had such a great time. We were alone the entire time we were there, three hours! I even got a good chunk of my own work done.

I packed liquid watercolors, droppers, huge sheets of watercolor paper, salt, a spray bottle, shaving cream, trays and sponges. Snacks, drinks, and a portable dvd player ensured that after they painted, I would be able to paint.

Hollin found a doillie and went right to work creating with it.

They were all smiles and giggles. It was so nice to play and get messy with the materials and not worry about it. Waylon actually sang while he worked.

I usually do not give them such huge sheets of expensive paper, but once in a while it is nice to splurge. I just ordered some new art supplies for myself and felt I could part with two sheets.

After a little while (or as Waylon would say, after a couple of whiles) the shaving cream got out of control as it always does. It was time to clean up and have a snack.

Creating art in a space designated for art making was a great experience for them. I know I work better when I am there. There is great light and so much to look at. Paintings everywhere, tools, strange things like bras dipped in plaster and plastic doll legs. What's not to love? I see this becoming a weekly adventure.

Fleece Doggie Scarf

2011-02-03T17:09:00.000-08:00

Recess at minus 20 can be pretty chilly with or without a good scarf. We rarely attempt it without and wanted to make something new and special. This was fast and came out really cute. My little sweet girl loves it and it gives her face a place to hide when it is really cold. I wish I had taken more pictures of the process, but I was on a role as it was a total impulse project on a school night.

I did take this one picture once all the pieces were cut. There are two pieces for every one you see in the picture (2 bodies, 4 ears, 8 legs). As you can see it is a long body piece with the head and tail included . The legs and the ears are separate.

I stitched up the ears and legs first and turned them inside out. I put a tiny bit of stuffing into the legs. Next, I pinned them to the inside of the body (right sides together) and stitched the body leaving a place to turn the entire thing inside out. Hmm, I think I sewed the blue collar on before sewing up the long body pieces. Once it was all together I embellished it with button eyes, a nose and a pink heart.

Cute easy project. Fleece is perfect for this as it is so easy to work with, I find it is great for experimental projects. I can see making all sorts of animal scarves. The next one I plan to make is going to be a long tractor trailer for my truck lover.

Big Paper Snowflake

2011-01-18T22:22:00.000-08:00

We get to enjoy making various types of snowflakes from October through April (hopefully not May...). This is one of our favorites.

We make one or two of these big beautiful snowflakes every year. You need 7 squares of paper, scissors, a pencil, and clear tape. We used white paper cut in 9" squares.

Fold in half to make a triangle, then in half again forming a smaller triangle.

With the open sides at the bottom, cut three lines, parallel to the long straight side, from the bottom, almost to the top (but do not cut through the top). Use the picture below as a guide. Draw first if that helps.

When you open it up, it should look like this. Now, repeat with the remaining 6 squares.

Now, you want to make each piece 3-dimensional. Take the top and bottom corner, bring them together and secure with clear tape. Then take the next top and bottom corners and bring them together on the opposite side and secure with tape. Looks like we started with the inside pieces...

It really does not matter how you start as long as you end up with seven pieces like the one pictured below.

Now line them up and tape the sides together so that they form a long line. We only have five lined up in the picture, just pretend there are seven.

Finally you want to tape the bottoms together so that it forms a round snowflake. As you can see, I took over at this point. It can be tricky getting the corners together.

These are beautiful in a classroom or a space that can accommodate a bunch especially if they are various sizes and colors.

Painting with Vroom Vrooms

2011-01-16T20:27:00.000-08:00

"Vroom Vrooms" have been a huge part of our lives since Waylon was mobile enough to scoot to the stroller and try to spin the wheels. He takes them everywhere. He sleeps with them, eats with them, bathes with them and paints with them. Now every little guy (or girl) enjoys running a car through some paint to make tracks on the paper, but Waylon manages to do it regardless of my intention. I will set out paint and brushes, or paint and gadgets, or fingerpaints, etc. and he will somehow produce a car and start painting with it or painting it.

Washing the car in a tub of soapy water might even be more fun than painting it. Perfect for a cold January day.

Cutting Wheatgrass

2010-12-13T21:40:00.000-08:00

Oh Color Color Color, I have missed you. I have been sewing, knitting, crafting, and painting so much that I have not wanted to take a break to tell anyone about it. In fact, with all the turkey art around here, I cannot believe I did not post anything for Thanksgiving. I feel like a squirrel, I have a huge storehouse of images stored up for the darkest days of winter. Actually, these are the darkest days of winter. It has been very cold and dark. This is the time of year that I am ready for dinner by 3:00 and want to go to bed at 5:00. We can always use a little something green and alive this time of year. That is why I like to grow wheatgrass. We plant it, watch it grow, care for it and trim it. There is just something therapeutic about cutting the blades with a pair of scissors.

To grow wheatgrass you simply press wheat berries into soil. Water it and watch it grow. It comes up in a couple of days and grows fast. I suppose we could juice it or eat it too. But for now we will just continue to play.

Owl Cake

2010-11-11T17:40:00.000-08:00

I made this cake a few weeks ago for a cake auction fundraiser at my daughter's school. It was so cute and easy...and it got lots of bids) I found an image of an owl cake and tried my best to copy. I should warn you, you will have to tilt your head to view the last two pictures. For some reason they will not rotate, but I think it is worth the neck stretch.

I made a chocolate cake using two round pans. I cut one piece to look like the tufts on the top of an owl's head.

White frosting for the face and belly....

...Chocolate frosting along the edges. The feathers are sliced almonds, the beak is a pecan. I dusted two dried pineapple rings with powdered sugar for the eyes and the eyeballs are chocolate covered almonds.

Enjoy!

Luminated 3-Dimensional Jack-o-Lantern

2010-10-25T14:24:00.000-07:00

A few months ago a stumbled across this great idea via the Artful Parent for making a 3D contact paper stained glass sculpture. I applied that concept to make this little guy for Halloween.

I made a circle with 20 gauge wire in the size I wanted the jack-o-lantern to be. I cut a larger circle of clear contact paper-- large enough to fold the edges of contact paper around the wire and have some room to make it 3-dimensional. Clear packing tape was necessary to reinforce the seams.

I made a face using black yarn, but I think it would have been cuter to let the kids draw a face with a Sharpie (or the yarn--their faces are always better). They stuck bits of tissue paper on the sticky side. Then we stood it up and pushed the contact paper around until it was the shape we wanted and able to stand on its own. We put a little LED tea lite behind him and it glows beautifully.

The LED candles have been a major source of entertainment the last few weeks. The lights are always being turned off so they can set up the candles.

I had to include this photo of our huge sweetheart, JJ. Always involved in, even if oblivious to, the action around him. At one point he had about four candles on him before he looked up.

Easy Kid Made Outdoor Ghost

2010-10-15T12:16:00.000-07:00

We made this spooky little cutie last week using a stick, a plastic white table cloth, fiber fill, a pipe cleaner and a sharpie. We wanted to decorate the outside of the house with ghosts, but wanted something that would withstand the elements. This is easy and not messy.

We stuck ours in a flower pot, but they would also be cute in the garden.

First, find a stick. A straight stick is okay, a branchy stick will create the illusion of arms or movement. A branchy stick is more likely to tear the tablecloth so be careful.

Gather your materials. You will need to cut the tablecloth so that it fits the stick you are using. A round piece will make a softer bottom edge. A square will work too, and is easier for a little one to cut.

Secure the bottom of the stick and add some fluff to the top. Plastic grocery bags make great stuffing too.

Center the tablecloth piece over the fluff.

Twist the neck tight with a pipe cleaner.

Draw a face with a sharpie.

A Few Things I Want to Try

2010-10-11T22:38:00.000-07:00

These pictures are totally unrelated to this post, but I could not resist.

There are so many incredible ideas out there. One of my favorite late night treats is to navigate my way through blog land and get inspired. I know, that might sound pretty lame, but chances are if you are reading this, you have similar interests. By the time I get the kids to bed and finish all the lunch making, dish washing, clothes folding and mess cleaning I am really too tired to do much else. It actually works out well. My husband is in his Netflix world on the couch. I am sitting across the room in heaven reading about sewing projects I will someday do and new ways to use chalk. We both have a glass of wine and exchange occasional smiles. The first snow of the season is on the ground, the house is cozy... life is good!

So about those ideas. I am presently inspired by many things, but will only share a few. I love MaryAnn F. Kohl's Dark Sugar Chalk. I did try this while Hollin was at school and Waylon was napping. I did not take pictures, I figured I should really let the kids have a chance. It really is fun.

Zakkalife has a beautiful idea of switching from paper to leaves as a painting surface.

I love this sweet drawing book from Paint Cut Paste. A beautiful way to keep and treasure the many drawings made by your child.

The Mother Lode is truly loaded with good stuff. I especially love this embroidered family hands project.

I really want to get some little ones together and make some paper shapes like the ones featured on The Artful Parent.

And there is so much more out there!

Alexander Calder Inspired Bat Mobile

2010-10-09T10:55:00.000-07:00

I have long been an admirer of Alexander Calder and his colorful, fun whimsical work. He strikes me as someone who was a quirky and interesting person to know. He is probably most famous for his mobiles and stabiles. In fact, you really cannot teach, learn or even think about kinetic art without discussing Calder. When making mobiles, I try to replicate (in a very stretched sense) the way that Calder would balance each piece when choosing where to add the next. Little ones do not need to merely hang various lengths of string from coat hangers to make a mobile, it is much more interesting to build and balance from the bottom up.

This mobile is holiday themed and a bit on the hokey crafty side, but I think the structure redeems it. I cut out the wings and bodies. Hollin glued them together and added faces, mango trees, night vision and more. Some are flying, others sleeping. Bold colorful shapes can easily take the place of bats--actually anything can work!

We used:

5 paper bats made with black construction paper and decorated with crayons

4 pieces of wire (20 gauge) between 14" and 8" (does not need to be exact)

pipe cleaner for a hook (and extra cut of wire would work too)

hole punch

wire cutters

pliers

I pulled out some other metal bending/ working tools, but really, the pliers and cutters are all you need.

1. Gather materials and make your bats and punch a hole in each bat where you want it to hang from.

2. You will be building the mobile from the bottom up. Use your longest piece of wire and attach a bat to each end. This is the only piece of wire that will have two bats. All the others will only have one. Be careful not to tear through the paper around the hole. The pliers help make a nice loop in the wire. Pinch and close it up tight. You may need to help make sure the bats are attached securely.

3. Using your finger, find the point where the wire balances (does not slide off your finger onto the floor).

4. Make a loop in the wire in that spot.

5. Select another piece of wire. This time, attach one end to the loop you just made.

6. Carefully attach the third bat to the end of the newly attached wire.

7. Now find the balance point by placing your finger under the wire with the bat (number 3) you just attached. Make a loop in that spot. Attach the next piece of wire and then the next bat. You just keep repeating this process until you are finished.

Once you have used up all of you bats and wire, find the balance point on the top wire, add a loop and attach a hook. We hung our mobile on the light over the kitchen table. It is very light and delicate and spins around slowly and gently.

It all sounds a bit complicated but t really is not. The balancing is great fun for the little ones and a great way to throw some science into your day.
Enjoy your weekend. This may be our last snow free weekend for awhile so I think we will be playing in the leaves.

An Autumn Collage

2010-10-04T07:32:00.000-07:00

Nothing Earth shattering here. No new groundbreaking idea. Just my boy, some contact paper and a beautiful fall day.

Leaves, petals, grass...some tissue paper found its way out here too.

He is enjoying the light shining through.

Yes, he is kissing his creation.

And hugging it... (his cuteness is unreal:))

We hung it on the garage door to brighten the view once those leaves are all gone!

This was actually done a few weeks ago and it is a good thing it was. Things are not so green anymore, most of our leaves are gone. The marigolds have withered and our days to play outside without mittens and hats are numbered. Brrr. The thought just gave me a chill.

Upcycled Plastic Lid Ghosts

2010-10-01T09:11:00.000-07:00

A few months ago we made upcycled plastic lid flowers from the tops of yogurt containers and random lids that had lost their mates. It only seemed right to make something festive for fall using our never ending supply of plastic lids.

First, I cut the edges off the containers to make them easier to work with. Next I cut out ghostly shapes. You could have your child cut the ghost, I just went ahead and cut them for this project.

Hollin used Sharpie Paint Markers to add details. I had imagined boring black eyes and a mouth (you can see the very simple one I made in the first photo). I should have known better. These ghosts have hair, dresses and bows.

Here they are all together on the porch. We used clear packing tape to attach a wooden skewer to the back. Sticking them in the bucket and arranging them was a project in itself. As you can see there is also a lovely three headed pumpkin man in the pot. That was a pre-fab wooden craft decoration painted first with orange acrylic then decorated with the paint markers.

What do you do with your plastic lids and containers? I would love some new ideas.

Thanks.

Markers + Salad Scraps = Art

2010-09-29T21:30:00.000-07:00

I love that fact that my artsy 5-year-old pulled the end of a freshly chopped celery stalk off the counter while I was making dinner to print with.

She used markers, a sheet of paper from our reusable art paper and something I was going to throw in the compost heap.

I love it:)

A Changeable Wreath

2010-09-25T21:10:00.000-07:00

Hollin decided that we needed a wreath for our front door. She wanted a Halloween theme. This is one of those somewhat homemade, somewhat pre-fab projects. I am the type who always wants to make the wreath and every accessory, but cannot always pull it off. As much as I wanted to collect the twigs and make the wreath and every accessory, it just made more sense to buy some things at the craft store.

We bought the wreath and the little wooden shapes. I also picked up a set of Sharpie Paint Markers. They were really fun and easy for a five-year-old to use. She had more control with the markers than she would have with a brush and was able to feel really proud of her work.

Instead of making a new wreath for every special holiday or season, I decided to make a changeable one by attaching little wire hooks to the wreath.

I used hot glue to attach little hooks to the back of the wooden shapes (not much planning here, I cut some pipe cleaners up and twisted them into hooks). The "ornaments" can be arranged on the wreath. We can then make turkeys, gingerbread men, hearts, eggs and so on to have a festive wreath all year round.

Little Blue and Little Yellow

2010-09-17T09:31:00.000-07:00

Although I do not often post about books we read, I am one of those parents you do not want to be behind in the library line. We go about every week and fill a really big bag with books. We read a lot. Sometimes we just enjoy the story, sometimes we get inspired. Leo Lionni is one author/ illustrator who almost always inspires me. His books are simple and sweet enough to hold the interest of a toddler, yet intriguing enough for an older child to want to read again and again. His illustrations truly show what an artist he was.

My two and a half-year-old loves the book Little Blue and Little Yellow. It is a very simple and beautiful story about two little friends, who happen to be splashes of color, and what happens to them when they hug.

I will not give it away, as I am pretty sure you now what will happen when they hug.

What a perfect story to lead into some color mixing fun. Just a squirt of blue and a squirt of yellow. It took about 5 seconds for him to make the colors hug and blend to make green.

I love the scratches he made with the back of his paintbrush.

Found Object Art

2010-09-06T22:01:00.000-07:00

My favorite thing about making art with found objects is that there is no limit on the possibilities. You can use anything to make anything. You can save it, leave it alone, knock it down or blow it away. The other thing I love about it is that it can just creep up on you when you least expect to be making art.

For example, your kids might come across an interesting assortment of bolts, washers and a dead fly or two and get to work making....

a "Tower"...

a "Train"...

"Butterflies"...

and just a cool thing that turns.

My kids stumbled upon this stuff at their grandparents house last month and just started to make stuff with it. There was no planning, no set up and hardly any clean-up. They just wanted to show everyone the treasures they made. I am happy had my camera.

Sponge Painting with a Twist

2010-08-28T11:23:00.000-07:00

Wow. I have been away from my blog for over a month now. Between a very long vacation and the start of school something had to give! But we are now getting into the swing of things and I am back! This very rainy day is also helping to keep me inside. The days have been so lovely that working in front of the computer is nearly impossible. I just hope there is someone out there still interested in what I have to share.
In most instances I would say that sponge painting does not excite me very much. It gets on fingers and the spongy prints make me think of a home decorating attempt gone bad. But I discovered that a sponge as a vehicle for printing can be a pretty cool thing. We used ours as gift wrap.
You need paper, a sponge cut into the shape you want to use, tempera paint, squeeze bottles with a small opening, a printing plate (I used a plastic yogurt lid).

Squirt the paint on the printing plate. Press sponge onto paint. Print. Repeat.

I wish I had taken a picture of the wrapped present--it was so very pretty! I think this would be great to do with older kids as well--they could make more detailed squirts to print.

Pounding Flowers

2010-07-21T18:14:00.000-07:00

We have been creating so many cool things these last few weeks, yet it has been a challenge to keep up with posting. I really admire the crafty moms out there who always post so regularly--you inspire me! Thank you to all who put up with my erratic posting. I should warn you that we have a 16 day vacation coming up so things will be quieter than usual. Once the cold sets in I will be much more inclined to post regularly. Okay, now for pounding flowers...

This was a very fun process. We have pounded flowers on fabric before and had great results. The color from the flower transfers to the fabric when pounded with a hammer or rock creating a lovely floral design. I thought we would try to do it on paper. The result was different from what I had expected. The color did not really transfer, but we got some super textures.

Gather some leaves and flowers. Thick sturdy ones with good veins work best. You will also need a sheet of heavy paper, a sheet of newspaper or lighter paper, a hammer or rock, a paintbrush, water and a watercolor wash.

Wet your heavy paper with water, then arrange the flowers and leaves. Cover with the sheet of light weight paper.

Press down carefully with hands, then pound with the hammer.

Remove top paper and use the watercolor wash to bring out the texture.

Fun and lovely--especially when held up to the sun.

Spicing Up Our Walks

2010-07-06T22:21:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I need to get creative to get everyone motivated for a walk. Even on the nicest days it seems that the kids would rather play in the yard than take a walk--or one wants to walk and the other does not. But, the dog needs a walk and I need a walk and everyone is always happy once we get started. It occurred to me recently that without even thinking about it I have been coming up with little themes or games that make the walk more interesting. We don't have many options as to where we walk around the house so I do need to spice it up a bit. Simply picking flowers along the way lost its appeal so I grabbed two pairs of little scissors and a vase full of water. Cutting wild flowers and arranging them right away was really fun, and now we have some flowers for some other projects I have been thinking about.

Something else we have been having fun with is a dicewalk. I got the inspiration for this via the Artful Parent, one of my very favorite blogs. Instead of arrows and left right directives, I wrote instructions such as "march", "sing", "be an animal", "pick a flower", "skip" and so on. It is half a mile to the nearest intersection, so we would have to take a very long walk in order to get our fill of tossing the die. I did not follow the instructions for making the box, it was thrown together in 3 minutes so it is sloppy and uneven--but it is covered in packing tape and seems to be bomb proof. the kids take turns throwing it. Hollin can sound out the words a little which adds even more excitement.

Sometimes I make a smoothie for them to take or suggest we have a rainbow hunt, where we look for something of each color of the rainbow. We sing songs, tell stories, look for critters or play I spy.
I would love some more ideas, so please share what you do on your walks with your kids.

A Magic Bean Drawing

2010-07-05T10:06:00.000-07:00

When Hollin woke up on this lovely rainy day, a long sheet of paper with a dried bean glued to the bottom was waiting for her. I told her it was a magic bean and that she should draw what it was going to become. She came up with this "fish plant". This was a quick and easy (no mess) way to start the day creatively. I love the thrill of artistic problem solving!

I think it really was a magic bean because Waylon is still in bed (9:00) and Hollin is unloading the dishwasher. I think I will go enjoy my coffee:)

Giant Dandelion Chains

2010-07-03T16:10:00.000-07:00

Thanks to an endless supply of sunlight in the summer months, we have some of the biggest dandelions growing near our house. As you can see, they are at least 2 feet tall.

When you pop the flower off the stem you see that the stem is like a hollow straw. You simply loop the stem into a circle and stick the skinnier end into the thicker end.... then keep adding more loops. The smaller ones made nice round loops while the huge stems created more angular shapes.

I knew it was a good idea to let those sunny weeds grow free.

Mailbox Makeover

2010-06-25T16:02:00.000-07:00

Yikes...seeing it in a photograph really makes me wonder how and why it took 8 months to replace our mailbox. A new home is always full of so many projects, big and small and somehow the mailbox was overlooked for quite some time. I am not so concerned with the wild and woodsy growth around the mailbox that would look very out of place in many communities. It would be very unusual to have a manicured lawn where we live. But the paint-peeling, attached to the post by a bungee cord mailbox, could not be ignored any longer. At first I thought we would strip and repaint this mailbox, but decided to start with a fresh clean white new one.

I love when we can create something functional that the kids can contribute to. These projects are not only the most fun, but are so meaningful. What better way to tell your child you think they have good ideas or you like they way they paint than to allow them to paint the mailbox or a similar project. I felt like I was able to tell my 5 year-old the "I trust you and your ideas and think you are really creative capable of important things" with this project...yet I was still able to control it a bit.

I realize that sounds a bit manipulative, but I had to find a balance. If I let it totally be up to her we would end up with a pooping moose or worse, a Disney Princess mailbox. But with a little bit of conversation and brainstorming, she happily came up with the bear in the blueberries. I painted the branches and then gave her a round and a leaf shaped sponge for the berries and leaves. She drew the bear with pencil first then painted it. I did some little touch ups and now we have a super cute mailbox.It is basically the same design on both sides.......with a cheery surprise for the mail carrier inside.

I used acrylic paint directly on the metal mailbox and sealed it with a clear spray paint to seal it. We actually made this as a Father's Day surprise and Daddy loved it. We have received lots of compliments which have been very well received. I love the way she wants to show our friends and loves to go fetch the mail. She talks about what the neighbors must think of it and has been talking about inventing a roaring bear sound effect.

This project turned out to be so much more than simply painting a new mailbox.

How does your mailbox look? I bet your kids would love to paint one!

More Magnets

2010-06-23T08:26:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I wrote about making magnets

I made some more last month only this time I used little drawings and photographs as well as small pieces of fabric. Each magnet is representative of an experience or place and collectively they tell the story of the places our family has lived in the last 10 years. My husband and I met in college in Virginia, moved to Maryland, then to Alaska, Georgia, Michigan, back to Maryland and finally back to Alaska. Each place became home--we made friends, took walks and bought groceries. Each time we would move I felt a strange longing for the aisles of a former grocery store or the familiar streets where I would walk. Missing people is a given, but I wanted to honor in some way the places and experiences that are so significant to daily life, but when you move away are simply not to be part of your life any longer.

A few of the pieces are bits of old curtains that used to hang in our windows, some are representational drawings of particular places or objects and a few are a bit more abstract as I tried to capture the sounds and smells that connect me to a place.

Most of the time they live on the refrigerator but they can also be a fun toy for little hands.

Regretfully I did not take any pictures, but Hollin did make some of these for her teachers as an end of school year gift. She drew some cute pictures and designs. They were really cute.

Thanks for looking:)

Upcycled Plastic Lid Flowers

2010-06-14T09:23:00.000-07:00

I often wish that I had some gardening skills, and I do try and will probably continue to try...but for now I have decided to make some flowers that will not die. I know that I am not the only one out there with plastic yogurt containers. We cannot recycle them here and I really don't need anymore, yet we go through so much yogurt that I have an endless supply of containers and lids just waiting to be repurposed. I also have a handful of Tupperware lids that have become mysteriously separated from their matching bottoms. Well, I cannot recycle those, can't really donate a random lid, and I cannot throw them away so I had to think of something. The excess lids combined with my need for flowers that will survive my black thumb led to these adorable flowers. I cut the flower shapes from the lids, painted one with acrylic paint and attached buttons and painted dowels using wire (poked holes in the plastic with a thumbtack first). I filled a tub with soil and rocks and planted my flowers. The four you see here are just the beginning. So far, this was a mommy project, but it inspired the kids. Just last night they started cutting and painting a few more. The plan is to make a new flower with every lid we use. Be on the lookout for a full flower bucket in a few weeks.

Our Fantastic Tipi

2010-06-05T14:58:00.000-07:00

Our yard needed a tipi. For a brief moment I even considered purchasing one for almost $200. Thank goodness they did not ship to Alaska because the one we made is wonderful and was made entirely from things we had. It was so easy too. We have so many trees in our yard, including many saplings that were too close to one another or to the house. Still, I used mostly branches that had already been cut. Finding the branches that were the right size and hauling them over the hill to our designated tipi spot was quite the adventure. It was a lovely way to spend a sunny morning. I used seven sturdy branches, each is about eight feet tall. If you do not live in the woods, you can purchase bamboo poles at a a hardware store for about $2.00 each.

I dug a 6" hole for each pole, stuck them in and then tied the tops together. I dug a trench around the outside because I thought we might plant beans, but decided to go with fabric instead so that we could enjoy the play space right away. I wanted to use some sort of water repellent yet breathable fabric, but ended up using curtain liner instead simply because I had about 6 yards of very basic liner that would never be used for curtains (I need blackout liner for our curtains). I very roughly measured the height and the circumference of the bottom. I stitched together about 4 panels of equal length and then hemmed the top. The important thing is to make the bottom wide enough to stretch the entire way around the widest part of the tipi. I threaded a piece of rope through the top and gathered it. There are better ways to custom fit your fabric, but this was easy and will allow us to reuse the fabric next year if the structure needs to be remade.

Watered down acrylic paint in a spray bottle took care of most of the decorating. We did experiment with hand and leaf stencils which and loved the results. Simply hold a leaf or your hand up to the fabric and spray over it. We did some beautiful shirts using this technique--more info in a future post! Hollin also used a brush with some undiluted acrylics. She so enjoyed painting her tipi and said over and over again how much fun it was. We hung a string of beads from the top on the inside and put down a blanket.

Our campfire is just outside so the kids can cook and sleep tell stories and more.

A Play Campfire

2010-05-27T22:34:00.000-07:00

I am not sure how or why this campfire came about, but it has been a great source of imaginative play for both kiddoes. We gave new life to a large (64 ounce) plastic yogurt container. I cut flame like shapes out of the top edge, Hollin painted the inside and outside with orange acrylic paint and then we built a ring of rocks around it. We placed a few smaller rocks inside to ensure it would not blow away, added a few sticks, and now we have a great place to warm up, tell stories, roast make-believe marshmallows (much healthier than the real ones:)) and more.

I am going to have to keep an extra close eye on Waylon around real campfires this summer...

Here you can see Hollin painting the yogurt tub. I love that this fire will stay bright through all kinds of weather. We are thinking about adding a place to hang a cook pot over the fire, but I don't have any ideas just yet, please share if you do.

Blue

2010-05-18T18:29:00.000-07:00

A single color collage is a great activity for young children, especially if they have expressed an interest in colors. My little guy is almost two and a half and he has been really into naming colors lately. There is nothing to this--just a bunch of blue "things" and some blue paint and glue. You can let your child decide what color to use. You could even go on a little treasure hunt to search for blue or yellow etc. items. I should mention that this particular project with my little guy lasted only about 10 minutes. I also sat with him and helped. Some little ones will spend more time, some less. I think it is important not to pressure them to spend more time. It has to be fun!

Drawing Outside

2010-05-14T17:53:00.000-07:00

It is an absolutely gorgeous day...blue skies, high 60s, slight breeze, sun up at 4, setting after 11--life is good! After a busy morning swimming, then off to the park for an end of year school picnic, Hollin asked to draw with pastels while Waylon was napping. I rarely turn down such an offer. We sat on the deck with our paper and pastels and worked side by side. Mommy drew the trees while Hollin created a couple of designs and a self portrait.

Love the smile...

Pastels over lace printed paper ...

While he does not always make his way into the photographs, our dog JJ is always by our side while we create, and do just about anything:)

Button String Mobile

2010-05-12T18:47:00.000-07:00

While out running errands last week we came across a lovely colorful hanging work of art. From a distance it looked like small pieces of colored glass attached to fishing line. Of course, I had to get out and figure out how someone attempted such a task. Without being too much of a snoop I got a closer look as saw that it was not glass at all but plastic buttons and a few beads. We went right home to replicate!

We used:

A dowel

string to attach to the ends of the dowel for hanging

fishing line

buttons, beads, and a few metal washers to make it chime in the wind

scissors

I started by tying a long length (about 2 feet) of fishing line to a chair leg. The chair leg provided resistance so that I could thread and tie. My assistants chose the beads or buttons and we would string them, one at a time, tying it on securely and leaving space between each one. This was great for my 5 year-old who could thread and choose. My little guy actually cut one strand in half and dumped all the buttons on the floor several times. But he did enjoy naming the colors and we enjoyed how he called them all blue:) After we made four strands I tied them to the dowel, attached the string to each end and found a nice spot to hang our creation.

We do not get much wind here, but I imagine if we do catch a few gusts the strands will tangle. I think that a few horizontal strands of fishing line tied through will ensure sure that does not happen.

It sure looks good with all that green! Then again, the green makes everything look good!

A Garden Flag

2010-05-08T10:06:00.000-07:00

I love the way this turned out. I bought half a yard of rip-stop nylon and hemmed the edges, making a thick fold over on the top to hang on the post. I am not sure what "rip-stop" actually means. I thought it would not fray, but it frays like mad and would be a real mess if left unhemmed. I was able to make two small flags (we are saving the other one for a rainy day) with a half yard. Sorry I don't have specific measurements, I just made sure it would fit on the flag stand we purchased.

Hollin drew a design with a black Sharpie directly onto the flag. I went over the lines to even them out a bit. She used watered down blue acrylic for the background and acrylics (not watered down) for everything else. When it dried we traced over some of the lines and made some spots on the ladybugs (she only wanted one to have spots). It has rained since we put it outside and is holding up great.

I have a thin yellow plastic table cloth and I am thinking about using it to make something similar. I am not sure it will last very long, but might be a fun way to reuse the tablecloth.

Anyone ever paint on plastic tablecloths before? Or use them to make kites, flags, banners, etc.?

Steampunk

2010-05-05T11:25:00.000-07:00

This Steampunk woman grew out of my paper treatment. Just as a sculpture begs to be carved from a block of marble, she just started to appear. I treated my paper with black ink washes, drops, and sea salt. While looking at the finished prepared background I saw a long dress and a bouquet of flowers. I used what I saw and just went with it.

A Recipe for Goth Art

2010-05-05T11:05:00.000-07:00

This assignment was one of my favorites. After a lecture on goth art each student was given a a small package wrapped in black tissue paper. Inside each package was a black cup filled with little objects, all of which had to be incorporated into our got drawing assignment. The incorporation could be very subtle, for example, a marble could be drawn into the piece or simply rolled in ink across the paper. A bone could be used as a stamp or a scratching device. So the challenge was there, but it was manageable. My cup contained a black candle, a marble, a piece of patterned velvet, a vertebrae, a fortune card with the word "Malice" on the back with an image of a creepy little guy and a snake, and a thumbtack. I decided to go with the word "malice" to create this piece. I was inspired by this drawing by Aubrey Beardsley. The woman looks so evil to me.

I borrowed her look of indifference and replaced her cello with a pair of scissors, poised to cut a snake. I patterned the snake with the pattern on the velvet. I used the bone as a stamp around the border and dripped black wax around the border as well. The black string was used as a cattail stem. The thumbtack poked a hole in her hair where I stuck a black feather to add an element of kitsch, another subculture we were learning about at the time.

Sub Genre of Choice

2010-05-05T10:39:00.000-07:00

After almost an entire semester of assigned subculture genres we were given the task of finding our own subculture aesthetic to explore. The last 5 years of my life have been very focused on pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding and everything else that comes with mothering. It is to be expected that somewhere along the way I discovered Lactivism . This sub genre felt like a good fit for this assignment. Most self-proclaimed lactivists wish to promote acceptance of public breastfeeding and ensure legal protection for breastfeeding mothers. So who are they being protected from? Anyone who is offended by a woman feeding her child. When we think of the sexualized images of women in our society it is ironic that breastfeeding can be considered offensive while skimpy swimsuits, lingerie ads and mudflap girls are so mainstream. I intended this piece to subtly challenge that irony. I created this image using color pastels. No black, white, brown or gray were used--only the full spectrum of colors.

The idea of a breastfeeding mudflap girl is not mine alone. As Paul Gauguin once said, "Art is either plagiarism or revolution". I saw a similar image on a shirt once and it really made an impression. Putting it on a mudflap on the back of a truck was my way of making it my own.

With Rocks and Leaves...

2010-05-04T17:16:00.000-07:00

Now that spring is here, Hollin has been spending every minute she can outside. Her being outside alone is new for us. I am so glad that she has a safe place to play and explore.
I was thrilled the other day when she showed me what she had been working on near the side of our house. She spent about an hour collecting, arranging and rearranging rocks and sticks to create the trees and flowers pictured above.
Last summer we created Earthworks which were similar to her recent creations. I often wonder if our creating together inspires her to do these things or if she would have done it on her own. I suppose there is no way to find out. I am looking forward to seeing what can be made once we have some color to work with.

A Puppy Party

2010-04-25T15:30:00.000-07:00

My little girl is now 5 years-old. We have been planning her puppy party and celebrating all week. Here are a few highlights...

Map Coasters--A Great Gift Idea!

2010-04-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

I received a very cool handmade gift for Christmas this year. Nancy, my brother's girlfriend (also known as Fancy Nancy) made these very personalized coasters by adhering the map to a cork coaster. She cut a circle from heavy map paper. I think she printed the maps herself on cardstock, but it is possible she used actual maps. I would think both would work. The circles were then adhered to the cork with acrylic gloss or Mod Podge. The best part of these coasters is that the maps are all close-ups of places I have lived, making it a very personal gift. The are really sturdy and have had lots of use, not only as coasters but as building blocks, wheels, babies and more. Personal and functional are always such a good gift combination.

Queen of the Laundry

2010-04-17T10:22:00.000-07:00

I gave myself a face. That was my initial intention, I really did not want to portray myself as being choked or suffocated by the endless loads of wash, I wanted to represent a more beautiful side to a sometimes overwhelming mundane task. I was inspired by the works of Julie Heffernan, particularly her self portraits wearing dresses composed of tails, dead animals, flowers, etc. Many artisits have painted or drawn portraits of "washer women" and they always look burdened or tired, never glamorous. I wanted to give a new look to an old theme. The lighting in the new photograph is more true to life. It still has some proportion issues, but I am glad I took the time to put the face in. I feel like this is a concept I want to continue with. Let me know what you think of the addition of the face.

I spent a good part of last week working on this life-sized self portrait.

I do realize that if I stop drawing the laundry I will have more time to wash, dry and put away. But that simply does not excite me:)

Post It Notes Collage

2010-04-09T10:31:00.000-07:00

This is a great idea for a temporary collage for toddlers to create. This idea comes from Young at Art by Susan Striker--a wonderful book for creating art with young children. My little man loved peeling off the little sticky notes and arranging them on the furniture. The dog even ended up with a few.

Big sister could not resist joining in....

Working with Pastels

2010-04-08T09:29:00.000-07:00

I have been working with pastels lately and my little artist has been eyeing them up. We got her pastels out the other day, along with some heavy paper, contact paper, scissors and paper towels. We cut a few shapes from the contact paper to use as a masking device. Using both the positive and negative shapes we stuck a few at a time to the paper and started to fill in the spaces with pastels.

Pastels are a great medium for blending colors. Rubbing with a paper towel helps to smooth and blend. Rubbing over the contact paper, then peeling it off, creates bright clean white spaces and interesting shapes. You can then restick the contact ppaer over new white spaces or places that have already been colored.

Eggs!

2010-04-02T09:43:00.000-07:00

The egg coloring has begun. Crayons on hot eggs will slide around so nicely and create very pretty eggs. Much less mess than traditional dipping. Keep the eggs in the hot water after they finish cooking. Place a few eggs into an empty carton, the carton makes a perfect workspace that keeps fingers off the hot eggs. Experiment first to find a temperature that makes the crayon melt but will not burn if someone decides to pick one up. You can leave the eggs as they are, or dip them in some dye for a nice crayon resist affect. The melting sliding crayons are really nice to work with.

Our lovely collection. Glitter glue with a paint brush was also a big hit.

I think these marbled eggs are so pretty. After you boil your eggs, roll them on the counter to crack the shell, but do not peel it. Then let them soak in egg dye in the fridge overnight. Then peel off the shell off to reveal the lovely marbled eggs inside. We only made a few because I am not such a big fan of eating colored eggs. One of these years I will look into making these with natural dyes. For now, they are really pretty and our dog enjoys an occasional egg treat.

One more thought--A tray of watercolor paint and a brush is a great way for 2 and unders to decorate eggs. Fill a carton with white boiled eggs and give him or her a paint tray, a brush and some water. Painting is easier than trying to dip and and wait. No spills and very satisfying:)

A Little Bit of Easter

2010-04-01T10:36:00.000-07:00

I had intentions of posting tons of Easter projects, but then the sun came out and started to warm this place up! We have been enjoying the warmer days. We have a few puddles, lots of mud, melting snow, sunlight from about 7 AM until after 9 PM. We have seen and heard some new birds and spotted buds on the trees. We can be outside for extended periods without full winter gear, and geese were spotted in Delta Junction, a few hours south of Fairbanks...Spring is here! We still have snow on the ground and freezing nighttime temps, but for the most part, winter is a thing of the past.

I did want to post a few pictures of some of the things we have been doing around here to get ready for Easter before Easter is over.

Hollin came up with this game all on her own. She selected 12 plastic eggs and painted an empty egg carton to match each of the eggs. She poured and mixed every color, painted, and even counted how many of each color she needed. It has been a cute game to play with Waylon as he is just starting to learn colors.

My personal favorite...We just had some work done on our deck which resulted in a big pile of scrap wood in the driveway. Hollin made this adorable Easter Bunny using the wood scraps. Just a temporary creation.

Window Easter Eggs

2010-03-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

We love decorating the house for holidays or to mark the change of seasons. Because it is more fun to arrange and rearrange than to simply put something up, I came up with an Easter craft that can be moved around a bit.

We made these colorful Easter eggs for our windows the other day using white contact paper and permanent markers. I cut out a few egg shaped pieces and we sat down with the markers to decorate.

After the eggs were colored, we just peeled off the backing and stuck them on the windows. Contact paper sticks really well and peels off with no residue. Arranging the eggs on the window was a very fun job.

She came up with some lovely designs.

I designed an egg and Hollin made two more just like mine to try to trick me.

Sunrise

2010-03-22T20:42:00.000-07:00

We have been blessed with some pretty impressive sunrises over the last month or so. Hollin was inspired to paint one this morning. She helped herself to a sheet of watercolor paper and a tray of watercolor paints. I love what she came up with. I am glad we have this lovely reminder of sunrise as the sun is rising earlier and earlier these days. In another few weeks we may have forgotten about all those pretty morning colors. I suppose twenty hours of daylight is a fair trade for pretty sunrises...

Sequential Art--My First Attempt

2010-03-15T20:05:00.000-07:00

I love the idea of telling stories using only images, or very few words. I was recently given the challenge of doing just that for my drawing class. Not only did I discover some really cool comic art out in the world, I had fun coming up with my own little story to tell. I am debating whether or not to cut this up and turn it into a book or keep it in one piece. It is 18" by 24", so it is pretty big as is. Hollin really likes it, and I am glad I was "forced" into creating something that will hopefully be of sentimental value to her in the future.

So why the birds and bubbles? It was a very unseasonably warm February day so I was sketching on the deck while the kids played. Hollin was blowing bubbles. Her expressions were so joyful, it was as if she was seeing bubbles for the first time or seeing something truly magical. While all this was taking place we were being visited by quite a few chickadees. They were hopping around on the rails and feeders. I think they were interested in the bubbles, they just seemed so curious. All those birds and bubbles just got me thinking...

So cut it up and make a book or keep it as is? Decision making is not my strong point:)

Small Frame Mosaics

2010-03-11T16:49:00.000-08:00

Bright sunlight and big picture windows need lots of colorful glass, don't you agree? We have been busy making mosaics the last couple of days. This is a "Waylon's naptime" project--he likes to taste all art materials and I really do not want small shards of glass in his mouth. You can often get small scraps of colored glass from a stained glass store. All the pieces I have were already small so I did not need to cut any glass. If you don't have access to glass shards, or don't wish to risk cut fingers, you can use the little round glass bubbles in the floral department of a craft store.

We used an old picture frame and some Elmer's glue. The clear frame glass was left in the frame as a background on which to stick the colored pieces of glass. We used a few beads and a seashell or two as well. I have found that Elmer's glue works very well on glass for indoor use. Everyone has it and there are no fumes.

I opted not to grout as a final step as you would with a traditional mosaic. We may work our way up to that but for now we are sticking to glue and glass.

For what it is worth, there were no cut fingers, just lots of concentration and fine motor tuning.

Wood Sculptures

2010-03-07T10:19:00.000-08:00

I have a bin where I keep little scraps of wood, interesting pieces of cardboard, toothpicks, popsicle sticks, dowels, etc. I pulled it out the other day, along with some Elmer's glue and let Hollin go to town building. She was completely set on making a dog. The black pieces, which were ripped off the back of a picture frame, were going to be the ears. But as she played around with the various pieces a rocket was born! It is always exciting when something just begs to be made and I am so glad she had that experience. This was 100% kid generated--the idea, the construction and the painting.

I love the way she used toothpicks to represent the fire coming out of the bottom.

When it dried she made the decision to add another layer of paint. I love the sense of ownership and pride that comes from creating something completely on one's own. No one told her what to do, nor was there a model to try to emulate. As a result there was no frustration or disinterest-only pure creative enjoyment. Kids are capable of such brilliantly creative ideas.

Our Ice Sculpture

2010-03-05T10:02:00.000-08:00

Well, here it is. The most fun was removing the round ice from the balloons. After you cut off the ends, the balloon just peels off and out pops a lovely little ice jewel. After we removed everything from the molds we just stacked them up. We did not even need to spray water in between the pieces because it was warm enough that there was some wet melty ice and all the pieces stuck together nicely. I really would like to do this on a much larger scale. It would be a great school project or something to do with a group of friends.

Ice Sculptures--Part 1

2010-03-02T09:47:00.000-08:00

It is that magical time of year in Fairbanks when the sun is bright, the days are longer and warmer, and the ice park is here. The kids' ice park runs alongside the World Ice Art Championships which is one of my very favorite things about living in Alaska. The sculptures are amazing and playing at a park made entirely out of ice is not something anyone should live without doing. With season passes, we plan to spend lots of time there until it closes at the end of March.

Since we cannot be there 24 hours a day, we decided to make a few sculptures out of ice for the yard. I did not give the kids sharp tools and hot irons to carve and sculpt with, instead we went with more kid friendly tools such as balloons, cups, bowls, colored water, glitter, beads, found objects and spray bottles. My plan is to build with several small pieces of ice rather than carve away from a larger block of ice.

This is a 2 part project since you have to make your ice before you can build with it.

As you can see we just poured colored water into molds and added "stuff". It was a warm enough day to go without mittens and survive a few splashes. It was a major mess, but well worth it I hope! I hope to show you part 2 in the next few days.

The Perfect Pet

2010-02-27T10:29:00.000-08:00

I came across a Family Fun craft book in the reference section of the library the other day that was full of really clever ideas. This little fish bowl is the first one we have tried. To make your own you will need:

fish bowl or jar

styrofoam (clean meat tray or egg carton)

permanent markers (be careful!)

fishing line or thread

stones or beads (make sure they will sink)

heavy washers, bolts or beads

I started by cutting a few fish shapes out of a styrofoam egg carton. After cutting out a few I wondered why I was doing it when my 4-year-old was sitting right next to me. So she drew and cut a few herself. Then she colored them front and back with permanent markers. Next we used a pin to poke a hole in the bottom of each fish. Hollin counted the fish to determine how many pieces of thread she should cut (I would suggest fishing line if you have it). She was able to string the thread through the holes but needed help tying it on. We then tied the other end to a button to act as a weight to hold the fish in place. She filled the bottom with a layer of stones and beads, carefully set the fish on the bottom and poured in the water. The plan was to watch as our fish floated to the top, held in place by the button on the bottom, but silly Mommy never thought about the fact that the button may not be heavy enough to sink and hold the buoyant foam fish in place, so all of ours floated to the top.

This little problem was easily solved...by the 4-year-old who carefully pulled each fish out, cut off the buttons and explained to me that we needed something heavier to hold them down (I did get it, but was speechless over her complete understanding and ability to solve the problem). We found some heavy bolts and washers in the tool box and retied the strings. She dropped them in and sure enough, we now have a lovely little bowl of fish who do not poop and do need to be fed.
Another thing I like about this activity is that we were able to talk about the different lenghs of string and how they will affect the look of the fish bowl--not to mention the cool science lesson in buoyancy.
I think it would be cute to fill a mason jar with stones and a foam fish, tied to a washer and ready to float. Then send it to a friend with instructions to add water. Or leave the fish white and let the recipient color them themselves. Might just make a nice little birthday present.

Tribal

2010-02-25T09:24:00.000-08:00

I am taking a graduate level drawing class at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) this semester. So far, the class is amazing. Not only do I get to go out and draw two nights a week, but I have been completely inspired and exposed to new subcultures and genres. I am not going to go into too much detail here, but I wanted to share a few images. This is the first time in quite some time that I have been able to focus on my own art. Even in grad school I was more focused on teaching art. When I was teaching full-time I had little time for my own art...throw a kid or two into the mix...need I say more?

OK, here is the quickie explanation. For this assignment we were to research tribal art and then create an image with some elements of tribal art. I found an African sculpture here of a mother and child. I was also influenced by western images of the same subject matter then created my own interpretation using ink and charcoal and bubbles....yes, I said bubbles. I treated the paper with black ink bubble prints before getting started. If you look closely at the whitest parts you can see some faint bubble prints.

I like the idea of adding a twist to an age old theme. Images of a mother and child have been created by artists from many cultures throughout history. I wanted to blend cultures under a universal theme. I always visualize a very European Mother and Child portrait when I think of this theme so I started with that and added patterns for a more tribal feel. I made the mother and baby a mixed race pair to strenthen the concept that motherhood exists everywhere.

My house is covered in charcoal dust, but it has been worth it.

Clay Day

2010-02-23T09:17:00.000-08:00

I pulled out the clay the other day. I had nothing particular in mind, just some good mushing and molding.

Frozen Tempera Paint

2010-02-17T10:18:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun painting with paintsicles the other day so I decided to make some more frozen paint. This time we squeezed tempera paint into mini muffin tins. Ice cube trays would also work well for this. I covered the tray with foil and Hollin inserted a toothpick into the center of each "muffin".

We left these on the deck overnight. When we did bring them in they were frozen solid but after a few minutes on the table they came right out and were really nice to paint with. Very thick and buttery.

Without even intending it, this project turned into a great color mixing experience.

A few of the toothpicks came out as the paint warmed up and were great for adding lines.

The texture of the frozen tempera was so inviting. There was just no way to keep hands out. We did manage a few prints by folding the paper before the inevitable finger painting began....

I love the serious expression on Waylon's face. He is in the zone!

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-13T09:30:00.000-08:00

Hollin made about 3 of these before getting bored (I am not sure if there are any 4-year-olds out there that will sit and make 20 identical cards...). Good thing her Mama likes glitter and glue!

A Chilly Valentine

2010-02-11T14:06:00.001-08:00

Paintsicles

2010-02-08T19:08:00.003-08:00

Despite the bright sunshine that suddenly has started to flood our windows this week, we still have quite a bit of winter weather ahead of us. Fighting the cold will not make it go away, so why not use the giant outdoor freezer for a creative purpose? We experimented with frozen paint this week and I think it is fair to say that this is a keeper. We froze tempera mixed with water in popsicle molds and then painted with our "paintsicles" on watercolor paper. A dish of salt and a small bowl of water with a dropper helped create beautiful textures. Wetting the paper first with a brush or droppers full of water help the frozen paint slide across the paper. Dipping the end in salt for a minute helped speed up the melting process creating thicker paint, more vibrant colors and a grainy texture.

Stamping the ends resulted in rings while sliding on dry paper made scratchy lines.

Yes, I know the next picture is sideways, it keeps uploading that way despite not being sideways in my file--just tilt your head, it is worth it! Maybe I have been sunlight deprived for too long, but that natural light and shadow makes me giddy...

When we finished we just stuck the paintsicles back outside so that we can use them again and again. The only downside to this is that the frozen paint looks very yummy. Hollin could not resist licking each one. She is almost 5 and not at all the type to eat paint. But even she could not resist--even after saying "yuck" to the first one. I think she was holding out hope that one of them really was a popsicle...just thought I would warn you!

Just Plain Painting

2010-02-05T17:17:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day doesn't have to be all hearts and lace...sometimes just a little red, white and pink paint are all you need... And maybe a sponge or a dinosaur.. some Q-tips, toothpicks and a race car...

Pure joy!

Valentine's Day Decorations

2010-02-03T17:13:00.000-08:00

Many of my fondest memories are linked to preparing for holidays, and I know I am not alone. There is simply something special about the decorations and activities that only come out once a year. A few little touches are all it takes. As you might have guessed, I prefer handmade to store bought--or better yet, kid made. I do believe they thrive on such things.

Hollin and I made these flowers. They are the classic pipe cleaner and tissue paper flowers we all made in elementary school. Both kids have played with these, arranged them and moved them all around the house. I made these felt cookies as a Valentine's Day gift last year. Much more fun when they only come out once a year. (They would probably have even more dog hair on them if I left them out all year....)

Our seasonal tree always changes to reflect what is happening every month. In the past we used some pretty little hearts I had made. Hollin would decorate the tree with my ornaments. Just they other day she asked for paper. She made all the pipe cleaner heart ornaments and put them on the tree. Waylon made the heart shaped sun catcher on the bottom right.

Nothing fancy, just a few simple additions to our home to remind us that this is the month we get to hug and kiss a bit more, write love poems and make yummy things to eat.

Lace Prints

2010-02-03T16:31:00.001-08:00

This is without a doubt, my new favorite technique. It is so fun and the results are lovely. This is something that can be done any time of year, with any color or colors--but it is especially perfect for Valentine's Day. We made several (too fun to only make one) so we may cut a few to make cards or hearts or for collage. For now, I just need to share the joy! First, go to your local thrift store and buy a lace curtain. I got mine for $2.99. If you can't find any, you can get a piece of lacy fabric at a craft or fabric store. You really do not need much--1/2 a yard will be fine. You will also need an empty clean spray bottle, liquid watercolors, watercolor paper and something to cover a large work area. I will warn you, this can get pretty ugly if your little artist is not careful. I would not dream of letting my 2-year-old do this indoors (and I am pretty relaxed about art messes). My 4-year-old is probably more careful than me, so we did not have any problems.

Cover the work space and set your watercolor paper in the center. Spread the lace over the paper and try to avoid wrinkles. Put your liquid watercolor paint in the spray bottle. I diluted it with some water which is totally optional.

Start spraying. For best results, aim for a quick misty spray. Encourage your child to keep the lace in one place.

Lift the lace off the paper to reveal your lace print.

Oooh la la! We LOVED this. I so enjoyed Hollin's enthusiasm. She just could not get enough of it. I hope this becomes a favorite for you too!

Saving Space

2010-01-28T10:37:00.000-08:00

I am always looking for creative space saving ideas. With limited drawer space in the bathroom, I decided to try to utilize some wall space and create a more usable drawer. Previously, I kept my daughter's barrettes in little bowls in the drawer. I tried to keep them separated and organized, but despite my best efforts, they always ended up taking over and we could never find what we were looking for. I had seen lots of cute barrette holders, and started out with grand plans for crafting something extravagant. The problem with extravagance combined with 4-year-olds, is that you end up spending way too much time on something that may or may not be well received. So I made this instead. I secured a piece of fabric around the glass of an empty picture frame then secured two pieces of ribbon to the back, allowing them to hang in front. I put the "glass" back in the frame. The ribbon pieces inside the frame are loose enough to manipulate and there is plenty of hanging ribbon to accommodate our barrette collection. I added a little string to the top so it could hang on a nail or hook. Hollin and I put the barrettes on the ribbons together. So far I like it. I was afraid it would look too cluttered on the wall, but it does not feel that way at all. The best thing about it is that she wants to put her barrettes back when she is finished with them and the drawer is now home to a little box of headbands, a comb and some detangler---ahhhhh.

I was having a similar problem with earrings. I have always kept them all in a pretty little box (gift from a good friend for being a part of her wedding). The box was just getting too crowded. So when my sister recently shared the idea of using a crocheted doilie on an embroidery hoop as an earring holder--I stole the idea right away:) The pretty little box is still home to my non- dangly earrings and is much less cluttered. Embroidery hoops are super cheap, probably less than a dollar new, cheaper at thrift shops (where there are always an abundance of them!). I picked up the doilie at a craft store for $.99.

I even found free labor to arrange the earrings.

Contact Paper Resist

2010-01-27T18:05:00.001-08:00

I can't resist a resist project (hee hee). We have been going a little crazy with hearts this week and I thought I would share this one. I cut the heart shapes out of contact paper. My little artist peeled off the backing and arranged them on a sheet of watercolor paper. She can cut hearts, and this would have been a good 2 part project, but sometimes it is nice to collaborate. She also drew a few "secret" hearts with a white crayon. Next come the paint--a nice wash of liquid watercolors. We peeled the contact paper off right away to reveal bright white shapes beneath.

Doilie Stencils

2010-01-25T11:46:00.000-08:00

We had something of a Valentine's Day craft free-for-all this morning. I think these came out really nice and were very "ooooh, ahhh" inspiring. First we mixed up some tempera paint to get the colors we wanted to work with. Each kid got a large sheet of heavy white paper and a big paper doilie. Our doilies were pretty thin and worked just fine. The object is to hold the doilie still and paint over the pretty pattern. I had to help my 2-year-old hold it still. Once you finish painting, just lift up the doilie to reveal your lovely stenciled pattern.

A few cookie cutter heart prints for some extra flair...

Special bonus is you end up with a painted doilie for another craft!

Spool Snowflakes

2010-01-20T09:39:00.000-08:00

Here is a quick and rewarding printmaking project for a snowy day. I hope you like it as much as we do.
I am a big fan of all types of gadget printing--especially for toddlers. To make snowflake prints, use white paint on a colored background, or make a pale blue paint and use white paper. I used tempera and card stock. First we mixed up some pale blue paint. (The mixing of colors alone is a great experience). Next, I gave my little guy some empty thread spools and showed him how to push the spool into the paint and then print on the paper.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-09T17:20:00.001-08:00

To most people, this is just a mess. But, to me, it is an early sculpture. These things were just laying around and he put them together so creatively.

My little boy turned two a couple of weeks ago. He is at a great age for getting into art. I like to just give him materials and let him go.

Chalk pastels plus paper plates plus toilet paper...no rules...both kids loved this.

I am not a fan of the markers on the couch series, but if I don't make light of it, I may go crazy! This has happened three times now. Waylon has no problem getting the caps off the markers and feels compelled to draw on the couch. Luckily, the permanent markers are under lock and key these days and the washable ink comes right out--although I have had to take the cushion covers off and wash them. On the bright side, my couch has never been cleaner.

Like everyone else, the holidays have consumed me the last few weeks. We just got back from two wonderful weeks visiting family on the East Coast. The artistic highlight of my vacation was learning to knit, something I have wanted to do for a long time. (pictures of my first project should be available soon:). I have to say, I am feeling very relieved that the holiday craft madness has ended. It has been nice just letting the kids create art in their own way again, with much more freedom, which is what I think it is all about. Hollin has been spending a great deal of time coloring in her princess coloring books--not really "art", but it inspires her. I equate it to when I was in middle school and wanted to read nothing but Sweet Valley High books, that used to drive my mother mad because it was not "great literature". But, it spoke to me at the time and helped instill a love of reading. I have not read one in 20 years, but still have not read Pride and Prejudice because it was suggested so many times (although I think I am finally ready). While coloring books have no place in an art curriculum and should not be a substitute for creative expression, they can be a lot of fun. I hope my rambling makes some sort of sense!

The coming months will be busy. I am still working through a very time consuming math course (why do I get myself into these things?) and I just registered for a drawing class. I am really looking forward to taking a studio course again. It has been a long time since I have been able to
get out and develop as an artist. It felt so good walking through the art department, there was an immediate connection. The courses, homeschooling pre-K, and everything else that comes with raising a family will keep me on my toes. I had been thinking that maybe I should take a break from my blog, but I saw that I have 10 followers! Not huge, but hey, 10 people (and possibly more) want to hear what I have to say. Thank you, I am so glad you are out there. You have inspired me to pencil in a weekly date for Color Color Color. Enjoy!

-Gail

Making Magnets

2009-12-16T21:07:00.000-08:00

I just finished making a big batch of these lovely magnets to give to a few people on my Christmas list. I really like the way they came out. I actually feel compelled to make about 30 more because I love the way the entire group looks on my fridge (so much prettier than plastic letters and numbers!) I have seen these magnets at bazaars and decided to give it a whirl. They are functional and can be given to just about anyone on your list (who can't use a pretty magnet?). They are inexpensive to make, you need only fabric scraps, glass bubbles, magnets, Mod Podge and a glue gun. They are small and easy to travel with or to mail, and they are so pretty! Does that make them the perfect gift to make? I think so.

So how do you make these?

Gather your supplies--Mod Podge, large(about 1")glass bubbles, fabric scraps, paint brush, magnets, glue gun. You can find all of these supplies at a craft store. The glass bubbles are in the floral section.

Cover your workspace. I don't have an art studio (sigh) so I am constantly creating mobile work spaces. I used a cookie sheet covered in wax paper for this so that I could grab it when I had a few minutes to work, and put it out of the way when I needed my kitchen to be clutter free.

Make sure your bubbles are clean and dry. I noticed that many of them had imperfections on the backside that would interfere with the design. So I weeded those out or used them with a fabric that complemented the scar.

Lay the bubble on a fabric scrap and trace. Cut it out so that it is touch smaller than the line you traced (just inside the line).

Paint the flat side of the bubble with Mod Podge and press the fabric circle onto it, pressing firmly and making sure there are no air bubbles. Coat the back with another coat of Mod Podge, being sure to seal the edges.

Allow it to dry, then trim any edges that are not neat, then apply another coat of Mod Podge to the backside.

When it is dry, use a glue gun to secure a magnet, pull off any glue gun strings, wipe it clean and you have a very pretty magnet!

Recycled Christmas Trees

2009-12-13T20:56:00.001-08:00

Hollin made this at Sunday School this morning and I love it! What a great way to reuse liquid laundry detergent tops. The lid is stuffed with coiled cardboard and the stem/ trunk is a coffee stirrer. The kids stuck stickers to a paper cutout and then taped it to the coffee stirrer.

So simple and she loves it.

Snow Family

2009-12-06T10:29:00.001-08:00

Here is another one from the Christmas box. Again, I don't have pictures of the process, but I may make a few more this year (I believe I have a baby or two to send out) and if I do I will post instructions. I started making snow families about 10 years ago--I gave them as gifts to friends and family. A cute personalized gift that I hope the recipients enjoy every year. They are paper mache over newspaper and masking tape armatures. I use white paper towels with the paper mache glue so that I do not have to paint them (saves a step and looks really nice) The carrot noses are made out of polymer clay and everything has been assembled with a glue gun. My family is in need of a few repairs (the trip from MD to AK took a toll on them). The kids love these and like to play with them. I think it is fun for them to have a "doll" of themselves. You can add little features to characterize each family member a bit more. I would like to put a princess scarf og Hollin and a truck scarf on Waylon. Nothing is ever really finished...

Tree Topper

2009-12-05T17:42:00.001-08:00

Hollin and I made this tree topper two years ago, when she was 2 and a half. We made it out of cardboard, a toilet paper tube, paper mache, some red paint, glue and little "jewels". I absolutely love it and hope it will be our topper for years to come. I still remember her chubby little hands gluing on the jewels while we talked about our new baby who was to arrive after Christmas. The best part is that she still considers it a masterpiece--the perfect topper to our tree. I don't have photos of the process, but I will describe it. Let me know if you need more detailed instructions to make one for your tree.

First cut a star out of a piece of sturdy cardboard. Glue a toilet paper tube to the back the tape it on securely with masking tape.
Tear a white paper towel into strips. Mix up some paper mache glue. You can do this several ways, I suggest using Elmer's Art Paste for paper mache.
Cover the entire thing with 2 layers of wet (with art paste), but not dripping, paper towels and allow to dry.
Paint.
Decorate.
Put on your tree every year:)

Noodleflakes

2009-12-03T22:00:00.000-08:00

This noodleflake ornament evolved from the snowflakes in my last post. After making sparkly snowflakes, http://http//alwaysarting-colorcolorcolor.blogspot.com/2009/11/sparkley-snowflakes.html I thought I would try to make something similar for the Christmas tree. This is what I came up with. These were made by gluing uncooked noodles to a plastic yogurt lid, then popping it off once dry, adding a bit of glitter and a ribbon...So pretty!

The key to making this ornament is to use a TON of glue. Squeeze the glue into the lid so that the entire lid is coated in a layer of glue. Then press the noodles into the glue, really pack them in tightly. I tried making these in various patterns and found that unless they are packed together tightly they will fall apart. So, I suggest making a round noodleflake. Allow the glue a day or 2 to dry, then simply pop it out of the lid. Add some glitter or glitter glue, string a ribbon through a hole and put it on your tree.

You can glue first and paint later, or paint first. I like to paint first. Painting the noodles this way is really fun. Choose your color. We used white and a tiny touch of blue. Squeeze it into a container with a lid.

Add noodles, close the lid, and let your little helper shake it up. You can also place a blank index card inside and let the paint and noodles "paint" the card for you. It makes a nice design.

Once the noodles are coated in paint, spread them out on some waxed paper to dry or just get started. Using wet noodles will result in messy fingers, but it can be done.

Don't forget to add glitter. Brush with glitter glue or with glue and sprinkle on the glitter.

Sparkley Snowflakes

2009-12-02T17:07:00.000-08:00

We moved into our new house, had a wonderful visit from Grammy, and then my husband left for what will be almost 4 weeks (12 days to go!) The shock of it all has kept me from the computer, but I think it is safe to say I am back and in full on holiday art mode! My art space is starting to take shape in our new house and I can finally access all of our materials. It is not perfect yet, but it is going to be. We have made, are currently making, and will be making tons of fun projects. December always creeps up on me and leaves our house in a crafty disarray. We have glitter on the counters, gingerbread in the oven, and popsicle stick creations on the table. The first thing I want to share is a beautiful little snowflake made with wagon wheel pasta (uncooked of course).

To make this you need:

card stock

glue

marker

wagon wheel pasta (uncooked!)

white tempera paint

paint tray and brush

white glitterWe are fortunate here in Alaska to get a close look at snowflakes pretty regularly. We have been able to see that they are all different and that they have symmetrical patterns.

Start by drawing a simple snowflake shape on white card stock with a marker.

Next, glue the pasta over your lines.

Now sing a song, go outside, have a snack--do something for at least 10 minutes to let the glue set.

Paint with white tempera, brush with glue, sprinkle with glitter, shake off excess and you have a very lacy and very lovely snowflake.

Doing this with a group will result in many different designs. I must warn you that you will likely see more wagon wheel pasta projects in the coming weeks. I have never been much a the noodle art type, but I have been having fun adapting this activity.

Moving In

2009-11-12T08:28:00.000-08:00

No pictures with this post--I am not sure where the camera is! This has been a very busy week. We have moved into our new home after more than 2 months in a hotel. We still have lots of unpacking and organizing ahead of us. I keep eyeing the boxes labeled "art", but I am trying to stay focused on things like towels and dishes. It won't be long though, I just cannot take it! I have way too many projects on my "want to do" list. Holiday projects, curtains, murals, preschool art group...not to mention rediscovering the materials that have been in storage for 3 months. I have actually been losing sleep (in a good way) thinking of all the creating I plan to do in the coming months.

Be on the lookout for some snowflake crafts this weekend...

Best Use for Halloween Candy

2009-11-05T15:47:00.000-08:00

There is really only so much candy a 4-year-old can (or should) eat. Why not make some art with all of those pretty little colors and shapes? I rinsed out a little carton of cream and painted it white (actually Hollin painted it). We used acrylic, but tempera would work well too. While the paint dries, open up lots and lots of colorful candy--everything that does not get used gets tossed, so open more than you think you need :)

Then let them glue away with some white glue. You have to do one side at a time to allow the glue to dry. I think this would be fun for older kids to do after reading Hansel and Gretel, or somehow tied in with a game of Candyland. We kept it simple, but you don't have to!

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-01T13:13:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun decorating and making costumes for Halloween. I love that Hollin is old enough to really get into it. She was so enthusiastic--essentially going crazy with joy--while we decorated the hotel room, carved pumpkins and planned costumes. Waylon picked up on the excitement too.

Here is Hollin decorating her trick-or-treat bag. She wanted a pink plastic princess pumpkin that we saw at the grocery store...we made our own princess bag instead. I drew a picture of her favorite princess on a piece of fabric and she painted it. Then, I sewed it to a pre-made reusable grocery bag. Sadly, we left it at home for the big night of trick-or-treating, it just never made it into the bag of costumes, mittens and goodies. We ended up borrowing a pumpkin bag from a friend and did not miss our mermaid bag at all (now we have a very cute shopping bag). We did make Ariel leaning on a jack-o-lantern--if you look closely you can see the face. Pop-up cards for the family!

Hollin really wanted me to wear a costume, so I made this funny looking jack-o-lantern from an orange sheet. She painted the face for me. I made it nice and big so that it would fit over my coat. Every year I wish for something festive to wear for Halloween--now I am all set!

We had so much fun decorating our hotel room window. A friend gave Hollin the orange pumpkins, I cut our ghosts and bats and she made faces and stuck them to the window. The entire family got into the monster making. This will hardly put us on the cover of a decorating magazine, but that is not the point!

Hollin wanted to be Dorothy and we thought Waylon would make a cute cowardly lion. I can take no credit for his costume, other than finding it for $5 at a consignment store. I made her little jumper--which she is still wearing today, the day after Halloween.

Last week I realized that there would be no way she would be able to wear her Dorothy costume trick-or-treating in Alaska. She would need boots, snow pants, a jacket and hat--all of which would cover up her cute little outfit. So we thought and thought about what costume she could wear over her snow gear. The ice-cream cone was her idea. It was very warm--good thing because it was about 8 degrees!

I just love the faces she made on the clementine "pumpkins" below!

Time for a piece of candy.

Pumpkin + Markers

2009-10-28T17:34:00.001-07:00

Who would have thought something so simple could occupy these two for so long! Markers, wipes and a pumpkin. And we can still paint it later as planned.

Glue Batik

2009-10-25T15:14:00.001-07:00

I have been having a lot of fun with this easy batik technique. A friend of mine read about this in Family Fun magazine and passed it along. Hollin and I did some experimenting at home, then we got together with some friends to make some pumpkins. I have pictures of various projects at different stages along the way. I am sure you will have no problem following along.

To do this you will need:

white cotton fabric (jersey knit (old t-shirt) works best)

white glue

acrylic paint mixed with water (this is not washable)

brushes

1. Cut some white fabric to desired size. We used an old cotton sheet for some and a cut up t-shirt for some others. We found that the t-shirt absorbed the color better and the results were more vibrant.

2. "Draw" your design with glue on the fabric and allow it to dry. We made this a 2-day project so that the glue could dry undisturbed over night.

I made the dump truck and helped with the rainbow and flowers below. But the kids had no problem making the pumpkin designs--they really came out cute.

3. After the glue dries it is time to paint. I mixed a squirt of acrylic paint with a small amount of water (1/8-1/4 cup). Mix it up and adjust until you have the color intensity that you want. You want a liquid color with no thick clumps. Paint the fabric. Paint right over the glue, it will resist the paint leaving white lines.

4. Allow it to dry, then rinse off the glue. The best way to do that is to soak it in warm water then rub the glue out. When it no longer feels slimy, it is finished and ready to dry.

I think this so pretty and has lots of potential. After we made the pumpkins we thought we should try it with blue, purple and black paint on orange cloth. If I do it I will post pictures.

Leaf Rubbing Gift Wrap

2009-10-11T11:03:00.000-07:00

I had not intended to create a post about this, but I love it so I thought I would share. We had a little gift to wrap yesterday and we used a leaf rubbing for the papper and a leaf for the card. So simple.

Paper Pumpkins

2009-10-10T16:19:00.000-07:00

These 3-dimensional paper pumpkins are very cute and very fun to make--especially if you are 4. My daughter has wanted to do little else the last few days. We are growing quite a pumpkin patch. To make a pumpkin you need:

4 strips of orange construction paper. You can make your pumpkins any size. We used 12" x 1/2"

a small square of orange paper for a base (if your pumpkin is wobbly, you can add a piece of cardboard to the bottom).

a green rectangle (about 3" x4")

about 2-4 thin strips of green paper for vines and a pencil for wrapping them around to make them curl

scissors

white glue

Start by gluing the center of an orange strip to the little orange square (base). Then continue gluing the center of the orange strips making a star shape. While the glue sets for a few minutes, cut small slits along the long side of the green rectangle, then, roll it into a stem so that the slits are on the bottom. Glue the side of the stem together. Hold it tight for a few minutes so that it does not come undone. Sing a song, count to 100, say the alphabet 3 times--then it should be dry enough to stay put. This is also a good time to curl your vines by wrapping the green strips around a pencil.

Starting with the bottom strip, start to glue the ends of the orange strips together making the round shape of the pumpkin. You might need to hold the newly glued pieces and count or sing again. Next, glue the vines on the top of the pumpkin. Fold back the little tabs you cut along the bottom of the stem and add glue to each tab. Carefully glue the stem to your pumpkin.

So cute! We plan to add some faces later. Hope this works for you!

Prints and Stamps

2009-09-25T15:25:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite stamping and printmaking mediums can be found at a hardware store or in just about any box store in the hardware section. It is cheap, easy to find, and you can also use it to seal up any drafts around your windows and doors:) It is roll of adhesive vinyl weather stripping tape. It come in a few different widths and is usually gray. I used the 1/2 inch width for the projects below, but have used thicker ones in the past. A roll should cost you about $3.00 and a little goes a long way. You also need cardboard scraps, masking tape, markers and paper. You can use tempera paint for a more vibrant result, but I prefer the markers. My 4-year-old enjoys coloring and re-coloring the stamp. If you use paint you really need to stick to a single color unless you want to take the time to really clean between colors. (If you do choose to use paint, I recommend painting the stamp with a brush rather than dipping it into the paint).

I have instructions for making a single stamp and a printing plate below.

1. To make a single stamp, start by cutting a scrap of cardboard into a square, about 3" x 3". Use a piece of masking tape to make a handle on one side (as pictured below).

2. Cut the weather stripping tape into small pieces of various sizes and stick them onto the front of your stamp (when you unroll it for the first time be sure you do not peel it off the paper. You want to paper to be on until you are ready to stick it to the stamp).
3. Color with markers.

4. Start stamping! You will need to reapply the marker after every stamp. You can easily change color by stamping it on a scrap paper a few times to completely clean if off). This is a great project for introducing pattern.

You can also make a scene that can be printed again and again by making a printing plate.

1. Use a larger piece of cardboard. Cut the weather stripping into pieces and start arranging.

2. Color with markers.

3. Carefully turn the printing plate over and press onto a sheet of paper. Be sure to keep it steady as you press.

4. Lift it off the paper carefully.

5. Repeat, repeat, repeat! You can make only one, or a great big edition of prints.

Finger Painting

2009-09-24T09:26:00.000-07:00

No big projects today, just some classic finger painting. I simply could not resist posting this picture of my little man painting with his hands (and a comb). I think I will be making him a smock pretty soon.

Mouseterpiece

2009-09-21T16:15:00.000-07:00

I love the fall. The leaves on the ground provide an unlimited number of creative activities. Today while walking along a golden path, Hollin observed that the leaves look like little mice. We collected a few and came home and created this mouseterpiece!

Make a Fall Tree

2009-09-15T09:58:00.001-07:00

You can make an adorable fall tree using leaves from your yard, a few items from your recycle bin, some glue, scissors and a marker. In the past I have made trees with little ones in a similar way--only I used to have them paint the "trunk" and use tissue paper for the leaves. That is still a great way to do this project, but I needed to make some changes to fit our current situation--all of our art supplies are in storage and I have no room for tissue paper or paint. So instead of painting our tube, we covered it with the white side of a long receipt, added some detail with a marker, and used real leaves we collected outside.

1. Start digging in your recycle bin. You will need a paper towel tube, a piece of cardboard for the base (we cut a circle from a cereal box), and a long receipt or other paper that you can use to cover the tube. We made a white birch tree. Feel free to make any tree you wish. 2. Cover the tube with glue and cover it with your receipt.

3. Cut short (1/2 inch) slits along the bottom. These will be folded back and glued to the cardboard to secure your tree to a base. Cut longer slits along the top. These can be various lengths as they will become the branches of your tree.

4. Add detail to the bark with a marker.

5. Cut a hole in the tree so a little critter can have a home in your tree.

6. Fold back the little tabs you cut on the bottom of the tube. Apply a generous squirt of white glue to each tab and press firmly to the cardboard base. Have your child hold it in place while you count to 100 together. That will give the glue enough time to keep the tree in place though it will not be sturdy enough to lift and move around for a few hours.

7. Fold back the branches and glue on some leaves. Add some leaf litter, pebbles and grass below.

8. We stopped here, but may come back to this later and add some fun details--a nest, squirrel, birds, a swing, tree house, etc. You could make an entire forest--the possibilities are endless!

Contact Paper Creations

2009-09-06T12:12:00.001-07:00

In my last post I shared our leaf place mats. I thought it would make sense to share a few of the other items we have created with clear contact paper. As I said in my last post, I think this is a great medium for toddlers and preschoolers. Here we made a round "stained glass" rose window or sun catcher using contact paper, tissue paper, thin ribbon and stickers. Feel free to be as creative as you wish, any 2-dimensional materials will work. I do try to avoid picture stickers and stick to geometric shapes for design quality and because I want the final outcome to belong to my child, not Disney or another designer.
1. Cut 2 pieces of contact paper the same size and set one aside. Tape the non sticky side to your work space and carefully peel off the paper backing. Now the sticky side is up and ready to decorate. 2. You can pre-cut the paper and ribbon, or give your child the scissors and let them start cutting. I have found that most little ones really enjoy the cutting. Show your child how to place the paper, ribbon etc. on the sticky paper.

3. When the design is complete (keep in mind, the younger the child, the more minimalistic the design may be) you are ready to stick the top sheet of contact paper to the design. You will be sticking the sticky sides together. Start by peeling back a small portion of the paper (don't peel it all off at once) and carefully line it up with the artwork on your workspace. Peel the paper backing off as you press the top sheet onto the artwork.

4. Smooth out any little wrinkles and trim around the edges.

5. Hang in the window and enjoy!

As with all art, the variations are endless. You can turn this into a great art history lesson about rose windows in Gothic cathedrals or stained glass windows in general, symmetry, color, etc. You can also use the same process to make different things. We made Valentine's Day place mats in February using the little photo sheets that come with an order of prints. We recently made bookmarks too.

Hope this works for you!

A Walk in the Woods = New Place Mats

2009-09-03T15:37:00.001-07:00

We are now somewhat settled in our new home. We have been enjoying the beautiful weather as we explore our new surroundings. Yesterday we took a little walk along a little path at a picnic/ camping area in town. We went with the intention of simply taking a stroll, but before we knew it, we were collecting leaves and getting to know the native flora. Of course, we couldn't simply collect the leaves, we had to make something, so... instead of purchasing much needed place mats for our temporary quarters, we decided to make them.

I am a huge fan of clear contact paper as for the under 5 crowd. We are always using it for something--sun catchers, stained glass windows, bookmarks, cardboard house windows, fishbowls--you get the idea! It is great to use as a collage medium for the youngest artists because all they have to do is place something on the sticky paper and it will stay put--no glue needed. You can find it with the drawer lining paper in most grocery or box stores.

Decide how big you want your place mats to be and cut 2 sheets of contact paper for each place mat. Tape the non sticky side on to your workspace. You can tape it right onto a window or glass door. Notice that we were working in the bathroom of our one room temporary home because Waylon was napping on the bed!
Once it is taped down, peel the paper off to reveal the sticky side. Start arranging your leaves, tissue paper, or other flat materials. When the design is complete, peel the paper off the second sheet and stick the sticky sides together, sandwiching the the leaves inside. Be careful here, make sure you have it where you want it because it will not come apart easily. Now, peel off the tape and trim the edges.

We were able to talk about and identify the different leaves. This is great to do in the fall and can be adapted for any season.

Still Driving

2009-08-21T06:02:00.000-07:00

We are getting ready to start our 6th day. We are all feeling very rested after a good night of sleep. We are going to play in the awesome play land in our hotel in Winnipeg, Manitoba. We will be heading to Regina, Saskatchewan tonight.

Drive Drive Drive

2009-08-19T17:46:00.000-07:00

These photos are a bit our of order, but I think you can still enjoy them! Here is Hollin looking over the edge at Niagara Falls.

Waylon contemplating a rock on a roadside beach (Lake Superior). Niagara Falls was our first stop. Fun town, amazing waterfall. We loved just watching the force of the water as it falls over the edge.

Moving Day! Anyone who knows Waylon can imagine how much he liked that truck. Hollin thought it was pretty cool too.

We are 4 days into our 12 day drive from Maryland to Alaska. We are driving an average of 350 miles a day, which comes out to about 5 or 6 hours of driving and many stops to keep the kids (and ourselves) sane. I think that by the end of this trip I may just be the world's authority on road tripping with little kids. I am actually amazed at how well they are traveling. Western Ontario is beautiful and very desolate. More trees than you can imagine, incredible lake views, rocky cliffs...there are hiking trails, parks and picnic areas everywhere. I wish we could stop more. We don't dare slow down if Waylon is asleep. We even managed a bathroom break stopping only for a second so I could jump out and Jonathan could jump in and continue driving around the parking lot. Hollin likes to switch cars and has been really fun. She loves a good adventure.

Art Eyes

2009-08-14T09:44:00.000-07:00

We are in between homes right now. We are with my parents for a few more days then we will start our drive to our new home in Alaska. Making art with the usual materials is not really an option for us. Luckily, art does not need to be created with anything. In fact, it can simply be something you talk about and see. It does not even have to be "art" at all. Take a walk and look for beautiful things. Talk about what you see. See if you can find beauty in things that are worn down and broken such as cracks in the pavement, a patch of weeds, in insect or a rusty pipe. Look for decomposing leaves that look like lace and stains on the sidewalk made by berries. Talk about the colors that you see. Are tree trunks really brown? Look at how many shades of green color the trees and bushes. Collect some samples and line them up. Talk about objects made by people and objects created in nature. When you read a story to your child, ask him or her how they think the pictures were made. Were they photgraphed? Painted? Cut and pasted? Artists are observers, so put on your art eyes and see!

A Few Cute Dresses

2009-08-07T08:46:00.000-07:00

A few months ago the Artful Parent inspired me to make dresses (for little ones) from old t-shirts and some new fabric. I have adapted that concept to make dresses using old t-shirts and old dresses and have not stopped. The entire process takes less than 30 minutes and is as easy as sewing a straight line. The best part is that I have been able to extend the life of some of our favorite dresses, ones too precious to part with, but too small to keep wearing. I am anxious to make a few more long sleeve and turtleneck dresses for the winter. I love this, and more importantly, Hollin loves it.

This particular dress was a too-big hand-me down. So, rather than wait for her to grow into it, I made it fit now. You need a dress and a shirt...

Decide how long you want the shirt portion and the skirt portion. Then cut off the excess material...

Pin right sides together and stitch...

Turn it right-side-out and trim. So easy and so cute.

A few of these were slightly more complicated in that they had a zipper or buttons to work around. I removed the buttons or zippers and sewed up the space. I was even able to keep the sash on a few. I am thoroughly obsessed!

My Favorite Trees

2009-08-05T10:32:00.000-07:00

Getting excited for birch trees!

Calling for Rain

2009-07-31T11:26:00.000-07:00

In my opinion, there is no better use for a paper towel tube than a homemade rainstick.

You will need:

paper towel tube

wide needle (put a bunch of tape on the back end so it can be handled comfortably)

white glue

flat toothpicks

masking tape

2 cupcake papers (any paper will do if you don't have these)

uncooked rice

paper mache glue (flour and water will do--more details later)

colored tissue paper

Wrap the eye end of a thick needle with masking tape so that it can be held comfortably. Poke holes all over the tube. The more the better. This can be a counting game, try to count and poke 100 holes.

Squeeze a dot of glue onto each hole and insert a toothpick until it hits the other side of the tube. Do a few at a time so you don't end up with a sticky mess. Part of the toothpick will be sticking out so that eventually you have what looks like a cactus.

Even the baby wants to help!

Your child will like to see the tube from this angle as it fills up with toothpicks. The more you use, the better your rainstick will sound. Try to fill 100 holes. Now, let the glue dry for a few hours then cut or break off the pieces of toothpick that are sticking out of the tube. An adult will have to do this part. This sounds tedious, but it goes quickly. I have found this method to be the best way to make rainsticks. Traditionally, rainsticks are made by pushing in the needles on a dried out cactus and in a sense you are recreating just that.

Cover up one end with a cupcake cup. They fit just right. Tape it on nice and tight. You can use any paper, but I like using the cupcake paper because kids think it is funny and they can handle getting it to fit really well. Get your dustpan ready, you will need it for the next step!

Pour about half a cup of uncooked rice into the tube then cover up the other end with the other cupcake paper. Wrap the entire tube in masking tape. This will cover up the prickly toothpick stumps and make the tube stronger. You can stop here and listen to the sound of rain as you slowly tilt the tube back and forth. You could just decorate it with paper and stickers or markers, or you can decorate using paper mache glue and tissue paper (described below).

Cover your workspace and tear up some pieces of newsprint or paper towels. Have some squares of colored tissue paper handy, but don't put them out until the plain layer is done. Mix flour and water together, about 50/50 until you have a gluey consistency. I like to add a big squirt of Elmer's too. Mix it up. Get your hands wet and goopy and rub the rainstick. Cover it with newsprint being sure to cover it with a layer of goop. Do a bout 2 layers. Encourage your child to rub it smooth and flat.

Now put out the tissue paper. The process is the same, you are simply using colored paper now.

Allow it to dry overnight. You can add feathers or string and beads. You can add a clear acrylic coat for a little shine. We kept ours simple. It really will sound like rain, especially if you have a group. Hmm, I just heard some thunder. I am always amazed at how making rainsticks or even talking about them brings the rain! I better go get the clothes off the line!

Mosquito Net Hat

2009-07-29T12:06:00.000-07:00

While packing up my daughter's dress-up clothes today I realized that a particular white bridal gown would make a really useful mosquito net for our future summers in Alaska. And, since we have more dress-up clothes than any group of children could tire of, I made the decision to donate this dress to one of my sewing experiments. I cut a piece of tulle large enough to fit around the outside edge of the hat's brim and long enough to cover her face and neck, with a few inches to spare. Then, I pinned the tulle netting in place and sewed it to the hat.
Next, I stitched the right sides of the tulle together to create a tube around her face and neck. This worked just fine, but next time I think I will do this step first.

Next, I hemmed a 1/2 " space along the bottom, leaving a space to insert a piece of elastic. The piece I used was about 15" long. I wanted it to be tight enough to keep insects out, but loose enough for a 4-year-old to put on and take off on her own and be comfortable. After running the elastic through I sewed that space up, trimmed my threads and turned it right side out.

Cute as can be! Of course, she ripped it right off and said it was too tickley. She may decide that tickley is better than itchy on a very buggy day--we will just have to see! I may try another version of this on a firmer hat. I have lots of ideas for cute mosquito wear. It will be something to work on this winter.

Earthworks

2009-07-25T04:28:00.001-07:00

I love the natural sculptures created by Andy Goldsworthy http://www.morning-earth.org/ARTISTNATURALISTS/AN_Goldsworthy.html. His work was the inspiration for the earthworks we created in our backyard. I don't even think instructions are needed. Just go outside and collect. Then arrange your treasures in interesting ways. There are endless possibilities here. You can explore color, value, line, shape, patterns, textures and size--not to mention the botanical and geological contributions. When you are finished, take photographs. You can create a slide show or make a book. You can also start out or finish up by looking at Goldsworthy's work. I really enjoyed doing this. Hollin and I worked on this while Waylon was napping. We talked and worked collaboratively. So often I give her materials and she works independently. It was nice to do this together. I am looking forward to making this a seasonal tradition.

Water Play

2009-07-19T09:49:00.000-07:00

We are really enjoying the challenge of playing without toys and creating without traditional art materials. We said good-bye to our sandbox and water-table yesterday, two of our outdoor favorites. I have to admit that I fretted quite a bit about not having those things in our yard over the next 3 weeks before we move. Now that they are gone I can honestly say we don't even miss them. Both kids enjoyed painting the deck with water yeasterday. Hollin got very into splattering the water and making foot prints. Waylon is happy with any form of water, including the container of ice cubes we had out there. I love water play because it is always fun and easy to clean up. It is also important to me that we spend as much time enjoying the summer and soaking up vitamin D now while we still can. Heat and humidity will be missed in Alaska!

Should Be Packing...

2009-07-16T12:33:00.000-07:00

I really have no business blogging today, or more importantly, making more freezer paper stencils. But, I had promised to make a few for my nieces and nephew. Waylon also had a big stain on an otherwise nice shirt, so I dug my fabric paints and X-acto knife out and set to work. Now I am really going to go and pack this stuff up for good!

Pack, Pack, Pack

2009-07-13T04:42:00.000-07:00

Color, Color, Color may be taking on some new personas over the next few months as we plan for and execute our big move from Maryland to Alaska. Yesterday I spent the day packing up the majority of our art supplies. The movers will be here in less than a month and I really need to clear things out and start to see some progress. I did leave some things out to put a small travel art kit together for me and the kids because it will be quite some time before we get to our belongings. The move itself will take 2 weeks, then, everything will be in storage until we find a house and are ready to move in. I must say, I am excited about the challenge of creating with new and few materials. I did leave out our clay, it will have to passed on because it is just too heavy to take so I am sure we will be using that in the next few weeks. I think we will also be working with nature, looking, listening and talking about the art and beauty around us. I may actually discover that we don't really need many materials after all!