two straight lines

Specimens

Elliot and I decided to make some terrariums, so last week we headed out to our local plant store and picked out some nice specimens.  It took us a whole week to gather the supplies (giant jars and dinos from Target, everything else besides plants from Downtown Home & Garden), and we put them together this morning.  I really struggle with houseplants because I am fickle with a short attention span, but I have great hope for these because I read online that most terrariums fail due to over watering.  Well, they clearly haven't met me.  (Husband chuckles)

The dinos were originally intended for a paludarium in Elliot's room, but he wanted them in the kitchen, and actually I quite like them.  Elliot and my husband (do I ever say his name?  his name is Scott) ran to Target for one more dino and a smaller jar for his room.  I would show you a photo of that one, but its rest time, and of course, one does not interrupt rest time.

Science is so cool, why did my teachers have to make it so dang boring?

This one is my favorite.  I love the way that guy looks like he's eating the plant.  Scott says this one doesn't eat plants.  I say only boys care about such details.

I keep forgetting to tell you, a local friend of mine started a blog, and she is super sweet as well as the queen of crochet.  Check it out...here.

Update: These jars are the 2 gallon Heritage Collection at Target (by Anchor Hocking) for $12.99.  They are around 13" tall.  They are in the kitchen department, and there are many others there that would also work.  I chose these because they looked vintage, instead of looking like they were "trying to look vintage, but not quite."

What We Gave

Today was Valentine's Day at Elliot's school, so I thought I'd show you what we ended up giving. 

Elliot doesn't draw figuratively or write letters yet, so I needed a project that he could help with, as well as one that he had interest in.  We made a potato stamp of a heart-- like last year-- and stamped it on the pages of the dictionary that keeps on giving.  This was the end of Elliot's involvement, so after he went to bed, I cut them into little mitten shapes, scalloped the bottom, and addressed them.  I also punched around the edges with a hole punch because I just couldn't stop myself.  It will be fun next year when Elliot's attention span is a little longer to have him even more involved.

I had to brave the cold and snowy drive to school today because my husband had an early appointment.  It was treacherous driving (saw many spin-outs), and I was never so happy to arrive.  The children were all excitedly chattering about their Valentines.  I spied some of their creations (they are required to bring handmade), and I can't wait to see what we receive.  Hmmm, who's more excited here??  We have a lot of "mail delivery" in our house, so I'm sure they will all be dragged around for many months.

After drop-off Lucie and I headed over to the new grocery in Ann Arbor where there is a See's Candy, to pick up a few goodies for my Valentines as well as items for Valentine's dinner-- with the kids, of course.  Prepared Pork Loin stuffed with dried fruit, fingerling potatoes, maybe a plum cake.  Perhaps followed by hot chocolate with just my sweetie?  What's on your menu?

Sweet

Here are a few fun Valentine ideas, in case you haven't made yours yet.  I have to admit that making Valentine's is just about my favorite childhood memory.  My Mom always had me make my own, and I don't think anyone else in my school ever once made theirs, so I loved crafting just the right thing for each person, and being the only one without store bought.  These days, I think more kids make theirs, and even if they don't, there are more choices within the ready-made category.  I've even seen some cute down-loadable ones.  And I find myself nostalgic of the vintage-y store bought ones that look like the ones from my youth too.  You know, puppy dogs and kittens rather than Dora and Spiderman.

Anyway, both of these can be made with items on hand.  The key is to wet the paper first, then draw on it with chalk, which creates creamy vivid colors.  I tried it a whole lot of ways, with and without white paint, soak the chalk, wet the paper, etc.-- and my best results came from wetting the paper first, and not the chalk, then drawing on the paper with the chalk.  I had the best results with thick Martha Stewart scrapbooking paper in solid colors, but plain old construction paper was almost as good.

For the lollies, I first drew circles all over dark cardstock with a compass, then swirled the chalk around, let it dry, cut it out, and sandwiched a sucker stick with two circles.  You could put a message on the back, or on the little tie on the wrapper.  These are pretty big (4"), I wanted them an exaggerated size.

The spool candy is easier, simply because the swirly part above is a little tricky.  For this I marked rectangles on the paper big enough to wrap around an empty thread spool (have any of those?), then I drew lines diagonally on the (wet) rectangle.  Finally, I cut out the rectangle, wrapped it around the spool (taping one end to the spool), then packaged in cellophane with ribbon.  You could write a message on the backside of the paper, on the ties, who knows.  These are prototypes, and I'm intentionally leaving it vague so that your creations are infused with your own ideas.   

You could also wrap a rectangle of paper around toilet paper tubes and fill them with a gift  or candy, unless that is too gross.

For the very industrious, these would even be cute in felt, as toys.  As always, let me know if you get a chance to make them.

Colorblock Crowns

I just wanted to let you all know that my most recent craft for Wondertime is up on their website, and that I have created a flickr set that I will update after each of my projects for them goes live which is usually several weeks after the print version comes out.  That way you can see another shot if you need to.

These colorblocked crowns are really fun and easy to make, you just need two pieces of craft foam and some decorative brads.  I've also created a flickr group in case any of you do the projects-- right here.  I am now a contributing editor for Wondertime, so look for more projects from me in the future.

Fall Craftiness

A lot of you have emailed me privately about my piece in the new issue of Wondertime, so I wanted to say thanks, I really appreciate it.  It wouldn't have happened without all of you.

Here's a sneak peak of one of the two projects, since the picture of this one is smallish in the magazine.  For me the holiday is really a celebration of family and the fall bounty, so those were my jumping off points for these projects.  If anyone attempts these, please let me know, I'd love to see them.

Also, don't forget the crepe paper flowers for the upcoming season, they could be boo-tiful Halloween decorations.  And my leaf prints are still available at lulu.com, so get on over there and download those too.

In Play

We've had a really difficult time with Elliot for the past several months.  Sibling issues combined with him generally "being three" has been really challenging for all of us.  (My husband and I swear that if people were born at three, the human race would die out)  We try to work with him saying things like-- "if you don't wake your sister, I can play with you," but clearly logic is not the driving force with him at this age.

Its easy to connect with newborns, who are all cute and lovely, rolls of fat and smiles, who can resist?  Lucie kept me up for a good part of last night scooting around the bed and blowing raspberries, and I still wake up, see her smiling face, and am completely enamored with her.  Connection with older children requires more effort.

I often struggle with what to do with Elliot during our days at home.  I love to make crafts, bake, read him books, things like that, but he'd be forever content pushing fire trucks around the floor, which bores the heck out of me.  After tears in the pediatrician's office this week (mine), our fabulous doctor recommended a few books for me.  I started reading one of them yesterday, and using some of the ideas in it, transformed our morning.

I gathered the supplies this morning to make a firehouse out of an old milk carton.  Together we collaborated.  Me-- "Is this where you would like the windows?"  "What would you like the signs to say?"  Him-- "I cut it myself."  We had great fun, and he played happily and creatively while I made our lunch.  He has a beautiful wooden firehouse 15 feet from this one that has never seen such creative play.  Something about the act of designing this one ourselves made it "the biggest firehouse in the whole world," and "in New York City."

Sometimes I guess, to connect, we just have to meet them where they feel the safest...in play.

Recommended reading: Playful Parenting by Lawrence J. Cohen, Ph.D.

All Play, No Work

Not much solo crafting going on around here, only the kind that involves a little helper.  Have you checked out the printables over at Wondertime?  We tried the picnic play one this morning, first letting Elliot sharpen his scissor skills, then we printed a second copy and laminated them with our Xyron and made up a game.

Our rules:  Each player takes a picnic blanket, and all other pieces are placed in a paper bag.  Players take turns removing one item at a time from paper bag until a player gets 1 plate, 1 drink, and 2 food items.  If you draw an ant, all items must be returned to the bag.  Note: 3 year olds have a hard time resisting looking in the bag while they pick. 

I've been researching schools for Elliot and reading about the Montessori approach, so I ordered him some items recently from Montessori Services-- a pitcher, some little glasses, a knife, a chopper (shown), a cutting board, vegetable brush, etc.  He's really enjoyed "helping" while I make dinner.  He even sets the table complete with itty bitty glasses for his Dad and me.  He chops our fruit for us and eats as much as he chops.  So cute.

We tried paper mache a few weeks ago.  Elliot made a canister for the dog biscuits by covering an oatmeal can with newspaper, then stickers.  I have a great book about paper mache that I keep meaning to post pictures from.  I bought the book a while back when I saw the work of Julie Arkell at Takashimaya.  I think I could really enjoy that medium.

Happy (well, mostly) Camper

We're wrapping up week 2 of Camp Russell, and things are running as smoothly as can be expected when your fellow camper is a 3 year old.  Turns out this kid has opinions.  We've been getting all buggy over here, but there was a mutiny when Elliot spotted the pirate activities over on Kids Craft Weekly.  More on that next week, as we move on to Recycling.  Pirates recycled, right?

So here are the highlights of our week...

Egg Carton Caterpillars

Impromptu session of making bugs out of pipe cleaners (that we had out to use for the antennae on the caterpillars).

Bug House #2 made from plastic juice bottle.  Bug House #1 shattered all over the patio- note: Don't give a glass jar to your three year old and send them outside, even if you warn him a million times not to run with said jar.  No one was hurt.

A bug collection made from a metal gift box that one of my Christmas presents came in.  I originally intended to use the Martha Stewart Crafts specimen boxes, but those are a bit expensive for a three year old's craft project.  Might be nice for an older kid who will really take their time with the project, resulting in a nice little piece of art.  These bug images are copied from my favorite Dover Book.  It is a great collection of French advertising line art, everything from strawberries to roosters.  If I were going to have only one clip art book, this would be it.

And finally, I had a pleasant discovery a few days ago when I ran across the simple blinds that I originally made for the nursery when it was Elliot's room.  They fit our playstand perfectly!  I haven't gotten around to making any cute covers for it yet, so this will be great for now.  I would love to applique some flowers or birds on it, which was my original intention when they were blinds, but we'll see.  The loops along the sides will be a great way to lift the sides up if we want.  Love it when things work out like this.

Rocket Man

Well, we finished up our rocket today.  It was a cooperative project with my three year old's interest waxing and waning, but the final embellishment stage was undoubtedly the highlight.  He was so excited that I got 5 or 6 unsolicited I love you's.  How cute.

It is made from a paper tube that fabric comes on, sawed to size.  Yes, I am that crazy Mom sawing between counters in the kitchen with my newborn in a swing.  The fins or wings or whatever they're called are cut from a cardboard box.  I cut 6 total, then hot-glued them together in twos, ending up with 3 total wings.  It has a double dixie cup tip-- I believe that is a technical term (my aerospace engineer husband is rolling his eyes right now).

Elliot did almost all of the painting and embellishing.  I gathered stickers and electrical tape, and he specified 10 stripes of electrical tape, which I applied.  I did all of the hot gluing.  We also found an American flag on the internet and printed it and glued it on.  The inspiration rocket in MSKids was emblazoned with Augustus 03, so we christened ours Elliot 07 with black marker.

Here's my proud rocket man.  I love to see your excited creativity, my little love.

Butterfly

Elliot recently brought home this adorable craft from preschool.  Butterflies made from painted coffee filters.  His class used the ruffly basket type filters and cinched them with a pipe cleaner.  Today we reinvented it with a box of small cone filters for a coffee maker we no longer have.

Cut them open and paint.  We used watercolors because the colors bleed beautifully.  I had fun playing with symmetry.  Hang them in a window, or let them fly away as Mother's Day cards.