Once Upon A Time . . .

2011-10-02T19:28:00.001-04:00

Here's another I'm working on for my class. Will try to get back to it sometime this week.

2011-09-09T19:02:00.002-04:00

Lion tamarin from the National Zoo. Acrylic on stretched canvas, 12x24." This is among a series I'm painting for a grad class, the Artist Teacher Connection.

2011-08-27T19:12:00.003-04:00

A new painting I finished last week. This one is 16x20" on stretched canvas. Meanwhile, birdie is a girl, and is now named "Pippa." I'm currently hunkered down in the craft room, bracing for hurricane Irene. It's a good thing I made these cookies yesterday . . .

Birdie is home!

2011-08-21T11:04:00.003-04:00

Work in Progress

2011-08-20T01:30:00.003-04:00

A king vulture. 16x20." Hope to find time to finish it, but for now I need to get to bed.

2011-08-18T10:15:00.003-04:00

It's been pretty busy around here! There hasn't been time to make or paint very much, but I did teach a week at a camp. I have a great photo of a king vulture I am hoping to start painting soon. In other news: I've acquired a new friend! My first pet, ever. Name and sex to be determined. I can't wait until the cage comes! I so want it to be home with me now. More on my conure soon!

2011-08-05T18:06:00.002-04:00

A flamingo from the National Zoo, painted for a friend. This was done on 10x20" stretched canvas, in acrylic.

2011-08-04T14:58:00.005-04:00

Started this fellow late at night, then picked up where I left off the next morning. I had to get creative while arranging lamps to work on it. To the left of the painting, you can see I placed my floor lamp on the table. These stepwise images make it so obvious how great daylight is for painting. I just wish that pendant lantern I ordered would come in already! This is a large one compared to the rest you've seen here- 24 x 30 inches on stretched canvas.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

2011-08-03T14:29:00.004-04:00

2 1/4 C all purpose flour

1/2 C cocoa

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 C butter, softened

2 1/4 C sugar

4 eggs

1 C sour cream

1/2 C buttermilk

1 (1 oz.) bottle of red food coloring

3 tsp. vanilla extract

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

-Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl, set aside.

-Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

-Beat in eggs, one at a time.

-Mix sour cream, milk, food coloring, and vanilla.

-Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until just blended. Do not overbeat.

-Spoon batter into 30 paper lined muffin tins, filling each cup about 2/3 full.

-Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until done.

-Cool pans on wire racks 5 minutes.

-Remove from pans and cool completely. Frost them.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (8oz.) package cream cheese, softened

1/4 C butter, softened

2 T sour cream

2 tsp. vanilla

1 (16 oz. ) box confectioners' sugar

-Beat cream cheese, butter, sour cream and vanilla in large bowl until light and fluffy.

-Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth.

2011-07-27T16:50:00.001-04:00

A simple 3D star made from this tutorial. Imagine how pretty this would be in delicate paper, lit from within?

2011-07-23T11:46:00.001-04:00

Check out the work of this amazing artist, Lorenzo Duran! He makes intricate, lace-like cuts in real leaves to form images.

2011-07-14T16:09:00.002-04:00

Completed tissue wreath. I estimate this took around 400 folded tissue triangles. I tried to show the versatility of tissue paper as a medium by demonstrating different forms and textures one can achieve with it. This was built on a 10" foam wreath form.

2011-07-12T11:40:00.002-04:00

A new wreath in progress. This should take awhile.

2011-07-07T14:48:00.005-04:00

Here is some of the paper sculpture I've been working on lately. This first image is a wreath of catalog pages I made for a friend.

The next four images are shots of a crazy headdress I built which was inspired by a trip to France a few years ago. The spiky crown refers to the Statue of Liberty, which came to us from France. Behind the crown is a pair of wings, since I was lucky enough to photograph an amazingly tame family of swans at Versailles. The bridge across the eyes is the Sully bridge, which crosses the Seine very close to Notre Dame. I created the paper roses in response to the real ones I saw while eating lunch in the rose garden at the Rodin museum. I used only one neutral color hoping it would tie together all of these disparate elements and establish a sense of harmony. Obviously, I was bursting with enthusiasm for the 10 days I spent in France, and I hope this joy is captured in my artwork here.

2011-07-05T17:30:00.003-04:00

This book is amazing and inspiring! You could spend so many hours marveling at artwork made with simple, humble paper. Buy it if you're an artist or simply wish to be amazed at what human beings can make. There is also a DVD with interviews, paper sculptures you can print and assemble, and more.

Happy Independence Day!

2011-07-05T00:16:00.000-04:00

2011-07-04T01:06:00.007-04:00

Burrowing owl from the National Zoo. Painted on my beloved Ampersand artist panel, 8x10." Happy Independence Day!

2011-07-03T00:41:00.001-04:00

The evolution of White Kitty.

2011-07-01T17:50:00.004-04:00

Not dead. Boy, I sure am a fickle blogger. I'll add some of my recent paintings, in steps, as I created them. This one is 11x14" on cradled board. I am loving that as a painting surface, by the way! Ampersand makes the ones I'm using.

2010-12-28T13:43:00.001-05:00

A docile mute swan. Trying to paint more!

2010-12-26T23:33:00.003-05:00

New paintings up on Flickr, as well as a recycled catalog wreath, a peek at my Christmas tree, and an array of wooden letters I've painted for a friend.

2010-10-16T20:09:00.003-04:00

I've been having a great time playing with my new Japanese masking tape! This is amazing stuff- it comes in every color and pattern you can imagine. I ordered mine on Etsy, here. I've found that it makes a marvelous spine for a handmade book, or decoration in scrapbooking, cardmaking, or any other paper crafts for that matter. Here it is on a recycled sketchbook I made:

Also, I updated the craft compilation with lots of new tutorials craft websites.

2010-09-19T16:47:00.004-04:00

Updated the Craft Tutorial Compilation, and added some new work up on the Flickr page!

2010-09-12T13:24:00.001-04:00

Trying nifty new crafts!

2010-09-12T00:27:00.002-04:00

Updated the Tutorial Compilation with more links. Discovered a fun new blog by a textile artist, Michele Made Me.

2010-09-09T21:23:00.003-04:00

Just a note- I had a grand time this summer testing out crafts from all over the internet. Since so many that I found were wonderful, I started a compilation (linked here in the sidebar to the left) of craft blogs and tutorials you must explore! I will keep updating this page whenever I find more great material.

Fall Tree Tutorial

2010-09-09T18:59:00.014-04:00

Here is a charming little craft that I do in my classroom with kindergarten. With adult help, preschoolers can do this, too. I haven’t tried this with larger grocery bags, but it might work with them as well as these small bags.

Materials:
-A brown paper lunch bag
-Scissors
-Elmer's or other craft glue
-A pencil
-Tissue paper cut into 1 1/2 to 2 inch squares, I used a mix of red, orange, yellow
-A chunk of cardboard to serve as a base, a bit larger than the bottom of the bag
-Green construction paper for grass, if desired

1. Draw four lines along the top of the bag, each about 4 inches long, equidistant from one another. Cut along the lines, but no further. We need the rest of the bag for the trunk and roots.
2. Reach in and open the bag, so that it can stand by itself.
3. Hold the bottom of the bag in one hand, twisting the bag with the other. This forms the trunk section.
4. Gently fan out each branch and twist it as you did the trunk, in order to create the branches. I like to double some of them up for variety- this means you twist the two at one about halfway up the branches, and then twist the rest separately. I did one of these very close to the right edge of the step 5 photo.
5. Twist all the branches and glue the bottom of the bag to your cardboard "ground."
6. Now for leaves: grab one square of tissue paper and wrap it on top of the pencil's eraser. While you hold it still with one hand, use the other to dab one small dot of glue onto the tissue paper. Don't let go of the pencil yet . . .
7. Press the pencil onto the desired branch and use it to hold the tissue paper in place while you wait for the glue to dry. I tell my students to count to thirty, and then ever so gently take the pencil off. Fill the tree with tissue paper leaves. You can even add some to the ground to make it appear that they've fallen there.
8. If you want, you can add grass along the base with some fringed green construction paper. If your kids are a bit older, they might like to add something extra, like a bird, bat, pumpkin, fence, etc.

2010-09-04T16:03:00.004-04:00

New pairs of earrings, some felt magnets, and this beautiful brooch up on Flickr!

Kusudama Paper Wreath

2010-08-06T16:06:00.001-04:00

47 flowers, 46 leaves on a foam wreath form. 257 pieces of paper in total.

2010-07-20T18:19:00.003-04:00

Completely adorable idea- ice cream in a jar. Instructions for the jar here at City Cradle Designs, and a super cute spin off, an ice cream party, from MartaWrites by way of You Are My Fave. Whew!

2010-07-15T22:18:00.002-04:00

One of the pretty, pretty blogs I read, Oh, Hello, Friend, is hosting a giveaway of some of the most unabashedly gorgeous jewelry I have ever seen, created by BlushEnvy. Not all of it is this large in size, but every piece is a showstopper. It's free, and super easy to enter, and the prize is a $100 gift certificate to BlushEnvy's shop! Run, do not walk, my friends.

Something Wonderful

2010-07-15T20:32:00.002-04:00

Bellissima! Stunningly lovely ring by Jennykim.

2010-07-12T17:08:00.003-04:00

Fellow Sharpie junkies: Target has the limited edition Caribbean colors on clearance for $3.14 a pack. That's five colors: Stingray, Surf, Flamingo, Lime Daquiri, and Coconut!

Image from the Official Sharpie Markers Blog.

Hue: Tomato

2010-07-12T13:02:00.008-04:00

Tomato art print by Kitchenwizard, vintage mugs from iWunderVintage, enameled earrings by Dandelionblu, pin cushion by thecupcakegoddess.

2010-07-09T13:12:00.008-04:00

Fifth Grade

Contour Paintings

Fifth graders honed their observational skills in this project, drawing objects of their choosing from direct observation. We talked about contour drawing techniques, and looked to Pablo Picasso's elegant line drawings for inspiration. These drawings were outlined in Sharpie and painted with tempera in non-naturalistic colors.

Keith Haring Prints

Keith Haring's freely expressive, linear, playful style appeals to the masses, so his work was the springboard for this Styrofoam print process. Students first made sketches, then traced those designs onto a sheet of Styrofoam, leaving indentations anywhere they drew lines onto the soft surface. The foam "plates" were inked and printed onto construction paper.

Wayne Thiebaud Cupcakes

Food is often and engaging subject, especially when it's junk food! I've always admired Wayne Thiebaud's food paintings, so here they are manifested in my classroom. I created fake cupcakes using spray insulation foam, and painted and decorated them so they would be different and fun. We also used fake french fries, dirt cake, and ice cream as subjects for these drawings. We learned about shading a form, so students were careful to include shadows, highlights, and a heavy cast shadow in their drawings. Rich, beautiful color was achieved by blending and mixing oil pastels. These were drawn on gray paper to help the light colors pop.

Cuckoo Clocks

As a kid, I was fascinated by my grandmother's cuckoo clocks- they're so detailed, folksy, and intriguing. Since woodcarving obviously isn't an option for an elementary classroom, we used corrugated cardboard I had stockpiled from the year's art supply order. For assembly, we needed Tacky glue and low temperature mini glue guns since Elmer's dries too slowly for a three dimensional structure with this kind of bulk. Lastly, students embellished with Sharpie to mimic the intricate carving on the real McCoy.

Endangered Species Cyan Print

The only reason my students could do this nifty project is one special product: light sensitive paper. This is about as close as I could get to a photographic experience for my students, since we have no dark room. We borrowed five overhead projectors from some obliging friends around the building to serve as the light source. Kids printed out images of the endangered species they had been studying in a classroom project, and traced the animal onto a transparent sheet of plastic (in this case, part of a sheet protector) with, yup, you guessed it, a Sharpie marker. Thicker Sharpies are actually best for this process since they are crisp, clear, and extra opaque. Once that drawing was done, kids came to the projector, where they were given a sheet of light sensitive paper. Quickly, they dropped their transparent drawing onto the projector bed, followed by the sheet of light sensitive paper facing down, and topped with a heavy book to cover it all up and trap the light. We timed the exposure with stopwatches; in this case to 2 minutes, 45 seconds. The print gets dropped immediately into a bath of water for a minute, and then it's done! If you get this paper, you can do these prints at home with sunlight instead of the projector. You needn't rely on a photo or drawing as a subject, either- you can lay objects on the paper itself, like leaves, feathers, shells, anything you like.

Klimt Self Portraits

For the fifth grade self portrait, we looked to painter Gustave Klimt. His gloriously lovely portraits feature realistic renderings of faces and arms, but wildly stylized depictions of clothing and background. They're bursting with color and pattern, and embellished with real gold leaf. Fifth graders first created a tissue paper collage on an 8 by 10 inch canvas board. Then, they drew a small self portrait of only their faces (or hands if they wished) on tagboard. This was cut out and glued to the canvas, which was then painted to make the clothing and patterns in the background. We imitated the gold leaf with metallic paints.

2010-07-07T16:07:00.023-04:00

Fourth Grade

Superhero Self Portraits

The fourth grade self portraits were funny and whimsical. The kids had a great time designing the costumes and superpowers. We used simple ovals to build a complex shape- the human form. These were done with pencil and Sharpies.

Logo Design

This was the first in a group of three projects with a business slant. Students designed a logo with Sharpies on sheets of aluminum that they embossed and engraved.

Shoe Contour Drawing

As preparation for the clay shoe sculpture, students did contour line drawings of their own shoes, paying extra close attention to decorative details, laces, seams, and soles.

Clay Shoe

Using what they had learned from closely observing real shoes, students designed an original shoe prototype in red earthenware and glazes. This is one of my favorite projects of all and they get a charge out of it too!

Escher Tessellation

The more analytically minded kids really enjoy learning about M.C. Escher and his meticulous tessellations. We created our own by making a tracer from an index card and tracing it repeatedly and transforming some shapes into creepy creatures. These were done in pencil, Sharpie, and colored pencil.

Matisse Paper Collage

These vibrant and beautiful collages were inspired by the cut paper work by Henri Matisse. Students were asked to include examples of both geometric and organic shapes. A sense of unity was established by repeating shapes. We used fabulous Fadeless Paper and some fancy schmancy scissors in this project.

O'Keeffe Painting

Fourth graders examined the paintings of Georgia O'Keeffe and created their own by closely observing silk flowers, antlers, shells, and bones. These are watercolors.

Khan Landscape

These mysterious chalk pastel drawings were achieved with a nifty stenciling process. We looked at the bright and expressive landscapes by painter Wolf Khan as inspiration, borrowing his palette, horizon line, and techniques for creating a sense of space.

Board Game Design

Board game designs are an an opportunity for kids to show their creativity, ingenuity, and sense of humor. These are only the boards- kids also created game pieces, draw cards, spinners, and dice depending on the rules of their game. We used Sharpies and Prismacolor Art Stix, which are woodless colored pencils.

Comic

At the close of the school year fourth graders created comics with markers and pens. These could be humorous, like Calvin and Hobbes, or adventure-based, like Spiderman. Some cartoon techniques we explored include speech bubbles, action, onomatopoeia, simplified characters, outlines, and personification.

2010-07-05T12:47:00.018-04:00

Third Grade
Postcard Design

At the beginning of the year, third graders drew an image of themselves, using basic ovals and circles, in a place they have visited or wish to someday visit. Many kids drew themselves at the beach, since that's such a popular summer destination. These drawings were done with sharpie and colored pencil.

Van Gogh Starry Night Landscape

Vincent Van Gogh is endlessly fascinating to kids because of that bizarre ear incident, but his artwork is bursting with energy and life, even when no living things are in the image. Together, we talked about his painting, Starry Night, and created our own version with chalk, white paint, and construction paper. Kids took care to include a horizon line and add objects in the foreground and background.

Leaf Paintings

I collected a variety of leaves for students to draw as fall arrived. We focused on using our observational skills and including tiny details like veins and jagged edges. These have crayon outlines and watercolor, creating a watercolor resist.

Aztec Suns

These wonderfully whimsical suns were built with coil construction of red earthenware clay and underglazes. Additional textures were added with small wooden clay tools, but you can get the same effect with toothpicks. As inspiration, we examined the Sun stone, which is believed to be like an ancient calendar.

Sumi Paintings

Done in the style of Asian sumi, these delicate paintings were created with watercolor and traditional bamboo brushes.

Egyptian Sarcophagus

The Egypt unit is an exciting one for our third graders. They have lots of questions about the mummification process, and I used the sarcophagus of King Tut as an example. A fun way to introduce some of the archeological highlights is to read Bill and Pete Go Down the Nile, by Tomie de Paola. The project itself is paper mache, mounted on a sheet of tagboard, based on a scrunched newspaper and masking tape armature. Then, we painted the dried paper mache with gold tempera or acrylic. While the paint was drying, we touched on hieroglyphics and designed a cartouche in colored pencil. The next week, we added intricate symmetrical patterns, first in pencil, then with Sharpie markers.

Doodle for Google

Each year, Google holds a competition for kids to design a "doodle" that will be displayed on the front page of the Google website. All grades participate, and these are some examples by third graders.

Down the Back of the Chair

When I read Down The Back of the Chair by Margaret Mahy, I was so tickled that I had to try and use it in my art room! It's a hilarious poem about a family that discovers first simple, then peculiar, then plain insane things beneath the cushions of an innocuous chair. Third graders designed their own chairs with corrugated cardboard, construction paper crayons, and Sharpies. Can you tell I love Sharpies? The chair cushion is a little hinged book, and on each page is a small drawing of something "from down the back of the chair." The students chose some logical items such as keys, coins, or paper clips, and some wacky things like fairies, pirates, and rainbows.

Squiggle Drawing

This was just a sub activity, but the result was so lovely! All you need to do to make one is draw a controlled scribble, and begin coloring in all the shapes you discover as the lines intersect. We used marker, but this could easily be done with any coloring media.

Sonobe Ball

I didn't teach this, but one amazing kid did it entirely on his own. I put it in an art show because I was so impressed! There's no glue, only modular origami. This example is called Sonobe, and I can say from personal experience that it's very challenging!

2010-07-02T14:08:00.014-04:00

Second Grade
Royal Self Portraits

The second graders' self portrait unit is a royal one. We still discuss adding detail to the face, but we also talk about where on the face our features usually reside. We draw in pencil, painted in tempera, and outlined in sharpie. Don't forget the bling!

Stained Glass Windows

Looking at examples from gothic cathedrals, second graders learn about stained glass and symmetry. We folded black construction paper in half in order to get the pointed arch shape and interior cuts. The "glass" is tissue paper attached from behind with a glue stick or tape.

Saint George and the Dragon- Shadow Puppets

First, we began by reading Tomie dePaola's The Knight and the Dragon, a variation on the tale of Saint George featuring a happy ending for the dragon as well as the humans. Students then created one of the four characters on black construction paper with pencil and construction paper crayon. We attached narrow dowels to the back to make them into shadow puppets. Since my classroom has a suspended ceiling, I used binder clips and paper clips to hang a long white sheet of bulletin board paper to serve as the puppet theater. The students then created a drawing of a setting and wrote their own version of Saint George for small groups to perform. Some of these stories were just wonderful- princesses throwing hissy fits or shopping, baby dragons hatching and making friends, all kinds of great ideas. I made sure to remind them that the story must describe actions characters are taking and words they say to each other, and it worked quite well.

Faith Ringgold Quilt Squares

As a class, we read Faith Ringgold's Tar Beach, observing the theme of family in her work. Then, we drew a picture of ourselves with someone special to us, usually a family member or a few friends. We colored using watercolor crayons, and then "turned crayon into paint" by brushing water across the crayon. Once it dried, the painting was glued to a larger square of cardboard, and the quilt-style border was added by gluing scrap fabric and beads.

Small Town Drawing

We used our own town as a theme for some drawings- I gave the kids lots of pictures to choose from and they did their best to copy the architecture of our area. Adding detail is again important here, the more the merrier when it comes to buildings.

Picasso Style Portrait Collage

Second graders revealed their sense of humor when we made these collages! I told them that they needed to include at least one of all the parts of the face, but to be playful about where they put them.

Pattern Drawing

Using their own hands as a stencil, students drew "ripples" of the shape extending outward, off the page. These stripes were filled with repeating patterns. We used pencil to trace the first hand, but the rest was done entirely with marker.

Stewart Davis Style City Collage

This was one of my favorite projects, and it's new this year. We used construction paper, mirrorboard, corrugated paper, construction paper crayons, and sharpies to create a city on a wide sheet of brown kraft paper.

2010-07-01T13:57:00.012-04:00

First Grade
Figure in Action

I make sure every grade does some kind of self portrait, and the first grade creates a full body drawing. Using simple shapes like ovals and rectangles, we combine them into a complex shape, the human body. These were painted in watercolor.

Monet Unit

The first graders learn about Claude Monet, first doing the tissue paper collage with oil pastel in the style of his water lily paintings. Then, we make something two dimensional a little bit three dimensional- the lilies in this bird's eye view are folded so they protrude off the page. We used construction paper crayons for the animals.

Observational Leaf Drawings

Using a variety of real leaves, students learned about contour drawing to make a beautiful drawing. First, we used pencil, then outlined in sharpie, and then, early finishers created lovely backgrounds with lots of crayon leaf rubbings surrounding the subject.

Jasper Johns Collages

Painter Jasper Johns is well known for using bright color and text in his paintings, so we borrowed from him by using students' initials in this colorful paper collage. Construction paper is the basis, but I also gave the kids some corrogated paper to add a bit of texture.

Robots

This was actually just a sub activity, but the results were so charming I put some up here. I left the book Nutsy the Robot Goes to School for the substitute teacher to read, some gray paper, sharpies, crayons, and some geometric shape tracers, and voila! Adorable. The concept of creating a complex shape using simple shapes as building blocks is important in art from kindergarten through adulthood.

Ehlert Food Collage

I loved teaching this unit because it's so colorful and playful, there are a variety of art skills and media involved, kids feel very confident about what the subject looks like, and it gives us a chance to talk about nutrition as well as art. Lois Ehlert's BEAUTIFUL book, Eating the Alphabet, was the inspiration here. She created these illustrations with a technique similar to Eric Carle's, by making paintings, and then cutting shapes from the paintings to form the collaged illustrations.

Clothesline Drawing

Art teachers spend a lot of time and effort helping our students draw human beings, especially the face, but one important way we reveal our identities as people is our choice of clothing. So, for this project, we talked about observing and adding detail to clothes. I hung a real clothesline across the room and filled it with different articles of clothing to help make the drawings as realistic as possible. This drawing was done on a long piece of brown craft paper, using pencil, sharpie, and construction paper crayon.

Audubon Birds

With a little help from the media center, students learned about John James Audubon and created birds based on images in books. These were made from heavy cardstock, colored with crayon, and collaged with paper feathers. It would be even cooler if you have the money for real ones!

2010-06-30T17:24:00.013-04:00

It's the close of another school year, and boy, has it been a long one! A double dose of blizzards made our kids remain in school well into June. All year long, I have taken pictures of lots of my students' artwork. And, like last year, I am pleased to share some of them here with you, in case you would like a fun project to do with your kids on your own. This time, I will try not to duplicate the projects I have posted here before. I will post them one grade at a time.

Kindergarten
The Little Smudge

Early in the year, as kindergarteners are getting accustomed to using art supplies, I sometimes give them a little leg up by precutting some elements. In this case, we read Little Smudge, by Lionel de Le Néouanic, and saw how simple shapes can be transformed into more complex things, and so in a collage, turned geometric shapes into something new.

Map of My Town

We learn about line as we create a map of our hometown using different types of lines as roads. I precut the strips of grey construction paper, and they added details with pencil, then sharpie, then crayon.

Self Portrait

Every grade learns to draw a self portrait, even the little ones. I give them large tracer ovals to use for a head with four options for face shape. Then, we talk about adding all the facial features, making sure to emphasize details that often get passed over such as eyelashes, eyebrows, ears, etc.

Louise Nevelson Sculpture

In studying Louise Nevelson's sculptures, students can see how lots of different three dimensional objects can create a sense of unity when they are painted just one color. We used cardboard, wood scraps, beads, tongue depressors, blocks, and beads- found objects.

Smokey the Train

One of my very favorite illustrators from my childhood was Bill Peet, so we read his book, Smokey, and learned about adding details to a drawing as we created trains of our own.

Just as we did last year, my smallest fries learned about rockets and outer space as we read The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System. First, we did the rocket collage, then, the following week, we read about constellations in Zoo in the Sky by Jacqueline Mitton, and created our own as pictured here, using a Q-tip, white paint, and crayons.

Illustrators are often a source of inspiration for my kindergarteners, and Eric Carle is one example we learn about in art. We learned how he creates his illustrations as we watched Eric Carle: Picture Writer together, and on that first day of the lesson, made beautiful painted papers as he did using tempera, brushes, and stamps to mix colors and textures. On day two, we read A House for a Hermit Crab, and used the now-dry papers to cut out a collage of a sea creature on black construction paper.

One fun way to explore texture is creating a rubbing. We did fall leaf rubbings early in the year, but in the springtime, we used rubbing plates to create pajamas for this collage.

2010-06-28T19:48:00.004-04:00

Here are some project ideas I've been testing out, in the hopes of doing them with my middle school campers in August:

A woven paper coaster made of catalog pages, tutorial at How About Orange.

A polyhedron I built from a Cheerios box, from the tutorial at CreativeJewishMom.

I made these paper lanterns with dowels, hot glue, sharpies, and vellum. Inside is a fake flickering tealight I found at Michaels. (They don't list all their inventory online, you have to go in to get it.)

2010-06-25T23:27:00.003-04:00

More fun with paper up on Flickr, as well as the respective tutorials I used to make them! Tomorrow I'm off the Pile of Craft once we are through singing.

2010-06-13T23:35:00.004-04:00

Lots of new beaded jewelry up on Flickr! These beads were made from the pages of various catalogs, really enjoying working them in to my earrings and necklaces.

2010-06-04T09:04:00.003-04:00

Flock hand painted collaged cards, set of 3.

2010-05-08T15:03:00.002-04:00

New origami flowers.

Hue: Aqua

2010-05-06T18:33:00.006-04:00

Stoneware vase by Bridgemanstudios, shelf by OldNewAgain, journal by Paperandtwine, flower bobby pins by Petalmix.

2010-05-03T07:55:00.001-04:00

New work on Flickr!

2010-04-27T20:18:00.001-04:00

New work is up on the Flickr page!

Hue: Aubergine

2010-04-25T21:41:00.003-04:00

Silk Necklace by Sleeks, Jar of Love watercolor by GollyBard, Stoneware mug by vesselsandwares, Organic cotton camera bag by infusion.

Hue: Lemongrass

2010-04-17T21:42:00.008-04:00

Fingerless gloves by Beautifulbridget, Bouquet by AngelloftCreations, Lemongrass Poppyseed Soap by Dancingmooney, Felted nesting bowls by VisioniAlterate.

More Origami

2010-04-09T16:33:00.004-04:00

Thankfully, spring break has afforded me more time to explore origami (and blog!)

Kusudama flowers and variations glued to floral wire.

Inverted flower kusudama, from the tutorial on Kalami.

Curly Kusudama, made from the tutorial on British Origami Society.

2010-04-08T17:55:00.004-04:00

Been hard at work painting my kitchen! It used to be a very urgent hue of highlighter yellow, but now it's a much more relaxing "Calm Air" from Home Depot. Soon to come: brushed nickel hardware.

Latest Paper Crafts

2010-04-05T22:49:00.006-04:00

I've been exploring some modular origami techniques the last few days, and here are some of the results.The first two are variations on the Kusudama flower in the previous post, and the last is a Sonobe ball, made with 30 pieces of paper that I had painted earlier with watercolor.

Some Fun Craft Tutorials

2010-04-04T22:36:00.006-04:00

This list is by no means comprehensive, but I have tried most of these and enjoyed them very much! I may keep adding to this so we can have a database of tried and true crafts! We'll see . . .

Lucky Ladybird's Plastic Bag Coil Basket This is best suited to the ambitious since it takes time and tenacity to hold down the coils as you bind them. Maybe if you aren't feeling so bold, you could use the same technique to make coasters. I just like the idea of using plastic bags for something since they aren't biodegradable. This was my first stab at basketry, and I found it fun. If you know how to knit or crochet, Ladybird has a tutorial on making yarn out of plastic bags, as well as some other fun projects.

Creative Jewish Mom's Polyhedrons- Those who know me see them displayed hanging from the ceiling in my classroom! They are very addictive! Also time consuming, but again, what a nifty result! If you make a small one, card stock works well and makes a fine ornament. Don't use wrapping paper, it ripples and slides off of cardboard because of its waxiness. Glitter glue finishes these off nicely, if you like a bit a sparkle. While we're at it, CJM has TONS of other fun crafts on her site. I am hoping to try the fused plastic bag coasters and the felt roses sometime soon, too.

Fluffyland's Starburst Wrapper Bracelet- I remember making these as a kid, and the bonus is you get to eat candy in order to make this! Other wrappers are suitable, too, but Starburst is a colorful and easy to acquire. Not too hard compared to the others I've included.

Folding Trees' Kusudama Flower/Ball- I am currently adoring these and making a funky flower arrangement of my own. The Kusudama ball is very impressive, but it takes 60 pieces of paper and a lot of time to make. It's surprisingly heavy, too. Not a confusing craft, but you must be dedicated to finish one! I have one seriously helpful hint for those that attempt this one: Use hairpins to pinch the petals and flowers together while the glue is setting. This will save you a lot of waiting! There are other great paper craft tutorials on this site. If you want something cute and easy, try their paper star instead.

Markers 101

2010-04-01T19:32:00.006-04:00

I use a variety of markers in my classroom and at home, so here are some of my favorites:

1. Sharpie- One of the few companies I have total, unapologetic brand loyalty to. They come in many colors and three different sizes (Chisel, Fine, Extra Fine.) Use them to write on almost anything- metal, fabric, glass, plastic, you name it. I have used them for a 4th grade embossing project on foil and they look amazing on it- they are translucent so the shine is maintained when you draw on the aluminum. My favorite is the silver Sharpie which is opaque like a paint marker; it stands out beautifully on dark colored paper, and can add a futuristic look. I used one to write my parents' house number on the mailbox, and it's still clear after two years. Dries quick as lighting, slightly stinky. There's also a Sharpie pen now, which has no smell and won't bleed through thinner paper the way the markers do.

2. Zig Posterman- A nice chisel tip paint marker with steady flow and opaque colors. They are great for my visual aids and can write on almost any surface. They do take a little while to dry, like paint, and must be shaken thoroughly before use.

3. Zig Calligraphy- The very best calligraphy marker I've found, and I have tried several. Permanent ink that dries quickly with beautiful color and high saturation. Perfectly steady as you write- no part of the tip lifts or leaves a ragged edge. I memorized a calligraphy alphabet called Uncial and use it often with these pens for Christmas cards, certificates, and fancy name tags.

4. Sakura Pigma Micron Pens- Amazing permanent ink felt tip pens that come in a detailed variety of widths. These are acid-free inks suitable for archival projects like scrapbooking. A colleague of mine who is a comic artist can't live without these! Great for anime fans, too. No smell, dries quickly.

5. Staedler Triplus Color Pens- These are felt tip pens and markers that are super comfy to hold- the barrel is triangular and very easy to grip. Nice color selection, won't bleed through paper readily.

6. Paper Mate Felt Tip Flare Pens- Nice all around felt tip, won't bleed through paper like Sharpies. I used them to take snazzy looking notes and doodle in the margins in college.

7. Prismacolor markers- I saved the best for last, but BOY, are these grown-up markers a splurge. They're a dream to work with, huge color availability and bold, intense saturation. They layer and blend on the page almost like paint, and are dual tipped. Breathtakingly expensive, but the pros love them because they rock! Nothing like kids' Crayolas. Prismacolor also makes excellent paint markers and colored pencils that blend beautifully and won't snap as you draw with them. Another brand loyalty company, folks.

Glue 101

2010-03-28T21:10:00.005-04:00

Here are some of my favorite standby adhesives, and how best to use them:

1. Hot Glue Gun- This is the least sticky of the lineup, but it sets the fastest. I use my glue gun for projects built from mat board, cardboard, or foam core (gatorboard.) It's especially handy for pieces that protrude outward since you won't have to hold them in place very long for the hot glue to cool. The stretchy strings that hang from glue drops seem messy to me so I ususally try to hide them.

2. Mod Podge- Mod Podge is not washable, but it's great as a coating or sealant. I use it in my classroom for printmaking projects that involve dampening the paper, but it can also protect paper mache sculptures, paper beads, or any number of your more vulnerable projects. You can get it matte or glossy finish. Wear a smock when using it, and when you're done, you'll want to wash your brush thoroughly.

3. Rubber Cement- I buy the acid free variety for my own collages and card making. It's stinky stuff, so not well suited to a classroom full of kids. This glue is great because it stays neatly in place, it won't wrinkle paper by saturating with excess moisture, and best of all, it's removable. Once rubber cement dries, you can peel or rub it off with a fingertip.

4. Aleene's Tacky- The most versatile of this list. Tacky is gummier than Elmer's, and sets a little faster, too. It makes a good substitute for hot glue if you don't have a glue gun for more three dimensional projects. I use it in my classroom for attaching materials as diverse as paper, cardboard, fabric, sequins, plastic gems, and beads. Dries clear.

5. Elmer's- Simple to use, washable, dries clear. Holds very well once it's dried, but it can wrinkle paper since Elmer's is a water based glue. I tell my youngest students, "Just a dot, not a lot," in hopes of preventing this. It's my go to glue for most projects, since glue sticks don't stay stuck nearly as well. Best suited to paper based projects.

2010-03-18T22:38:00.003-04:00

Finally, the pushpin board has come together! I made it from three sheets of Homasote, a composite material created from recycled newspaper. Then, I bought this gorgeous fabric from Ikea and covered it with handy dandy staple gun. This shows most of the content of my Etsy shop, easily located by function an color.

2010-02-16T01:22:00.001-05:00

I'm back! Settling in to my new nest and loving it. I have my own craft room! It's so organized! How I wish it would last . . .

2010-02-04T23:30:00.003-05:00

Getting ready for the big move! I'll leave you with this link in the meantime- an artist who makes amazing sculptures with pencils!

2010-01-19T19:45:00.002-05:00

Sorry for all this inactivity, blog friends, but I have been busy lately with the process of purchasing my first home! Soon I will be moving in to a condo of my very own, with a separate craft room! I haven't had time to make much, and I don't expect to until after this dies down, perhaps as late as early March. I may be putting my Etsy shop in vacation mode as I approach my settlement date. Wish me luck!

2010-01-09T22:48:00.002-05:00

Thanks to lucedivetro for kindly including my Cleopatra napkin rings in a post on her beautiful blue-themed blog!

2010-01-05T20:16:00.002-05:00

Thanks to windyriver for featuring my bracelet in her delicate, lovely treasury!

2009-12-31T17:04:00.002-05:00

New felt house pins on Flickr!

2009-12-28T12:36:00.001-05:00

New necklaces made from my paper beads!

2009-12-27T13:09:00.004-05:00

My etsy shop is bursting at the seams, and I'm dying to make room for new work, so I'm working on a HUGE post-holiday housecleaning sale. Get your shop on, peeps! Over 50 items discounted.

What a beautiful Christmas! Took some pictures over the holiday of the misty, snowy landscape:

2009-12-23T14:44:00.004-05:00

Many thanks to BluLucille for including my card in her very first gorgeous treasury!

2009-12-21T20:22:00.003-05:00

New work, finally! Was going through craft withdrawal. Thank goodness for snow days!

2009-11-28T14:42:00.004-05:00

Here are some amazing online shops I've stumbled onto. They are all super artsy, elegant and innovative. Many include handmade work, some of which is eco-friendly. Give them a click for your holiday shopping!

Cosa Verde- Handmade green clothes, accessories, home decor, and gifts.
Fey Handmade- Feminine, delicate, modern, handmade for women, kids, and home
Spool 72- Lovely indie-style clothes and accessories, affordable prices
Rifle Paper Company- Adorable cards, prints, posters. Some great for kids' rooms, charming wrapping paper and recipe cards.

Thanks to Modish for drawing my attention to these wonderful businesses!

2009-11-27T13:14:00.001-05:00

Images of new felt ornaments!

2009-11-25T23:35:00.001-05:00

Another kind Etsyian, EndlessSunner, has included one of my creations in a lovely treasury. Thanks, ES!

2009-11-20T23:28:00.002-05:00

My pride and joy!

2009-11-19T20:48:00.002-05:00

Thanks to juja for including my apple ornament in her charming Christmas treasury!

Just finished a two-day felt project: life size artichoke. I regretted all that ambition at first, but now that it's done, I am really proud of it! Images coming soon . . .

2009-11-18T21:09:00.003-05:00

Many thanks to Corkycrafts and Moonovermaize for including my work in their two winter-inspired treasuries!

Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star
Spraklefrost

2009-11-18T18:35:00.002-05:00

More paper necklaces. These were made with the pages of a catalog, strung on glittering embroidery floss, and accented with a variety of glass beads. I just wish I had some more daylight so I could get some pix that aren't so blue!

2009-11-12T20:08:00.005-05:00

Woo hoo! This is my lucky day. My Mantis Napkin Rings made it into a post on the DIY blog! Thanks, DIY! Also, thanks to jacjewelry for including my little apple ornament in her treasury! And, for the first time, I have something in an Etsy gift guide! It's that apple again. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Getting ready for Saturday's craft show at Behnke's. Be there or be square!

2009-11-08T20:10:00.002-05:00

Ok friends, I think this might be the wave of the future. I remember making these as a child and loving it, so why not start up again? Therefore, I submit: paper beads by bakerswife.These were created from the pages of a catalog, coated with glue, and strung along with other beads onto colorful embroidery floss.

2009-11-08T14:49:00.004-05:00

Riding the felt wave! A bit more up on flickr:

Mark your calendars- my only craft show this season will be this Saturday, November 14th at Behnke's Nursery in Beltsville, MD, for their Holiday Craft Fair and Open House. The show runs 11 to 4, and features a raffle to benefit Autism Speaks, food from Black Cat BBQ, 20 crafters like me, and door prizes. Feel free to bring along your donations for Toys for Tots.

2009-11-03T23:16:00.002-05:00

Images of new earrings posted on Flickr!

2009-10-31T17:33:00.003-04:00

Halloween + rain + rehearsal + concert + roommate VERY sick with H1N1= quite stressed out. Been disinfecting and worrying constantly for the last four days. Gone to the doctor and the grocery each three times in the last three days. Wish I felt like crafting.

2009-10-28T22:23:00.003-04:00

Updated Flickr page with images of new felt ornaments. Totally bitten by the felt bug, these days. I've been using eco-felt made from recycled plastic bottles! It's amazing how similar this feels and looks compared to polyester felt.

2009-09-29T16:28:00.004-04:00

Still here, a bit worse for wear. Back to school and rehearsal has kept me very busy these days, and I've been feeling under the weather this weekend. Did some sewing, though, and photographed new work. These little felt cuties are pins or brooches. More on Flickr if you like what you see:

2009-09-02T20:33:00.015-04:00

Though the return to school has kept me busy lately, I recently found time to visit the Maryland Science Center. I have to say, although I enjoyed the dinosaur bits, the rest is kinda silly and uninteresting if you're a grownup, or even a woman-child like me. I remember it being WAY more fun when I was small. Also, it was really dim, so most of my photos didn't turn out to my satisfaction. Still, where else can we find so many dinos? Here are some highlights in images.

First, you'll observe the towering sculpture depicting a Tyrannosaurus biting a Brachiosaurus on the, ahem, hindquarters. Ok, tail. Then, we have an impressive T-Rex Skull. The next image reveals the true and enormously disappointing proportion of a Velociraptor skull in relation to my finger! Jurassic Park, or the film, at least, is guilty of incredible exaggeration. He and the remaining dinosaurs pictured are part of the Chinasaurs exhibition, comprised of "authentic Chinese dinosaurs." Next I have a shot of a Yunnanosaurus, a plant eating, long necked creature prone to standing on two legs. Following him is the CREEPIEST dinosaur I've ever seen, the Oviraptor. Eek! Lastly, the friendly Robo-crab bids you adieu.

2009-08-23T23:29:00.005-04:00

Been baking away the last remaining days of summer vacation:

Blueberry Bread Pudding
This makes four substantial servings, six if you put it in smallish bowls. My grandmother's recipe- not too fussy, not sickly sweet, so, so good.

2 C bread cubes 3 eggs
2 C milk dash salt
3 T. butter 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 C sugar 1/2 C blueberries

Place bread crumbs and blueberries in greased 1 qt. dish (the shallower the better- more surface area means more crunch along the top). Scald milk with butter and sugar. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, add salt and vanilla. When the milk mixture cools (we put it in a larger dish and surrounded it with ice to speed things along) combine it with the egg mixture and pour over bread cubes. Set that dish in a pan of warm water and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. No blueberries? Try raisins, shredded coconut, jam, chocolate chips, or pineapple. Or all of it. How bad could it be?

2009-08-22T12:24:00.004-04:00

Hearty thanks to VeesVintage for including my earrings in her breathtaking treasury!
Also, many thanks to mooshoopork for her explosive treasury!

2009-08-12T18:10:00.037-04:00

If you live in the Baltimore area and you've never been to the American Visionary Art Museum, get thee hence! It's the wackiest, sparkliest, strangest, most compelling museum I know. The premise is that all the work within is known as outsider art. This means that it comes from artists who often teach themselves, who are driven to create without the influence of the "inside" of the art world- art schools, professors, and mainstream galleries. These people are every bit as fascinating as the art they make, so be sure to read about each artist as you wander through the collection. The current exhibition hinges on the intersection between art, science, and philosophy. A lot of the artists included are scientists themselves, or philosophers of a kind, or have unique ideas about spirituality which heavily influence their body of work. Some highlights from the exhibition:

- Applique textile art by Chris Roberts-Antieau, impeccably made and often humorous (my fave = Godzilla)
- Assemblage Stegosaurus by Leo Sewell
- Patty Kuzbida's assemblage guitar, which includes most of a porcelain head of lettuce. Yup.
- Karen and Steve Alexander's crop circle photography
- Julian Harr's creepy/cool wood sculpture juxtaposing brightly painted animal parts in a mystical way
- David Anson Russo's glorious and PROFOUNDLY anal-retentive structural drawings and ceramics. Think of Escher's Relivity turned up to 11 and observed through a magnifying glass.
- Kenny Irwin Jr.'s ballpoint pen drawings- who knew pen could do that??
- Jeff Smith's cleverly disturbing Abacus, which is like a mirror universe piano.
- Walter Kitundu's wooden Birdsong Bench, which you can play like a xylephone, but don't you dare sit on it! Super neat.
- Gerald Hawkes' elaborate matchstick sculptures
- Fred Kahler's super detailed ink drawings
- Dalton Ghetti's MINUSCULE pencil graphite carvings. These are so cool I had to buy the postcard of the alphabet set. It will blow your mind.

If any of that is intruiging to you, you will certainly enjoy the permanent collection just as thoroughly! Admission is 14 bucks, 8 with student ID. They don't let you take pictures inside, but outside the museum there are plenty of sculptures and neat things to photograph and explore. There are three separate buildings, so be sure to visit each one when you go.

Also, note: the gift shop is WICKED cool. It's full of offbeat original arts and crafts, weird toys, lots of upcycled stuff, creepy jewelry, cards, and great gag gifts. I bought a gorgeous handmade basket, imported from Nepal. It's created with discarded plastic wrappers and, for costing me only 30 dollars, it's quite sizable, easily 13 inches across. It would make an awesome project to teach at school if I can figure out how to do it! What a nice opportunity to talk about recycling. I also got a long necklace made with paper beads for 20 bucks, and of course, the postcard. Go forth, friends, and visit AVAM!

2009-08-07T00:18:00.001-04:00

Many thanks to Sassafraslane, who kindly included my bracelet in her bold, fiery treasury!

2009-08-05T13:40:00.005-04:00

En fuego lately! Seven new necklaces in the last two days, plus three new pairs of earrings, a bracelet set of three, four felt magnets, and a custom order of six pairs of earrings, all made in the last week. Getting the most crafting time out of summer while I still can. School is around the corner! This picture is of the seven necklaces, and explains, I think, why glass beads are so stinking awesome. See my new stuff on Flickr.

2009-08-03T17:35:00.003-04:00

Many thanks to pianobenchdesigns for including my new orange magnet in her bright and sassy treasury!

2009-07-31T16:24:00.003-04:00

While my air conditioning was broken, I was over at my Mom's making all of these. There's more to come over at the Flickr site- lots of tiny ones made into magnets.

2009-07-31T15:46:00.003-04:00

Check out designsbynight's faboo treasury, featuring Baltimore area crafters in spring green splendor! Thanks for including my bracelets, dbn!

2009-07-28T16:37:00.002-04:00

Hearty thanks to Flirtbags, who kindly featured my bracelet in her super-sweet and girly treasury!

2009-07-24T07:24:00.002-04:00

Many thanks to JunkyardGypsy, for including me in her lovely treasury!

2009-07-22T22:32:00.003-04:00

Please check out ArtandAngelsbyRose's adorable treasury! Thanks for including my earrings, Rose!

2009-07-18T16:18:00.001-04:00

I've been a bad girl! (A bead girl?) Gorgeous new loot from the bead show.

2009-07-17T22:21:00.001-04:00

Going to the bead show tomorrow morning! I expect to be very bad indeed. Tee hee!

2009-07-13T01:04:00.004-04:00

Hearty thanks to Anni2008 for including my bubblegum earrings in her sweet pastel treasury! And, in another stroke of luck, the same earrings are included in this gorgeous treasury by TheFancyLamb!

2009-07-10T23:50:00.001-04:00

Thanks to capitolagirl, who so kindly included my boom card in an action packed treasury!

2009-07-09T16:50:00.004-04:00

New work completed and photographed- more posted pix on Flickr.

2009-07-07T16:47:00.004-04:00

Another happy purchase from FunktionalSpa! Now I smell better than everyone, hah.

2009-06-27T21:36:00.001-04:00

Many thanks to Mysticwind for including my earrings in a bold, fiery treasury!