Blooming

Kenzie likes to pick me flowers from our yard, which we put in a little bud vase inside the house. This random act of kindness, was the inspiration for these. I don't think this was my unique idea - but I can't remember a source, so I can't site it. :)




We created the blooms while recycling toilet paper tubes, glammed up in glitter paints. Tissue paper is stuffed inside the round center, and a bamboo skewer makes a nice stem. And these, won't wilt.


Directions, per requests:
This was one hour worth of solid entertainment for my daughter. I cheerleaded & surfed the web while she drowned her flowers in paint. :)

I used one toilet paper tube per flower.
Draw a ring 2" in from the edge of each tube. Repeat on other side.
Draw cut lines every 1/2 inch (so the kid knows where to cut, but reinforce that they have to stop at the center rings! This required a lot of impatient reminding on my part.)
Fold petals back, and you should have a flower with two layers of petals.
I tried to make each flower different by varying the cuts. :)



More parent/child collaborated art HERE

Remember when this was a craft blog??

Sheesh. Me neither.
I do hope to whip-up a few shenanigans in the near future. There seems to be quite a few babies whom are about to join this wonderful world. And, they'll be needing something pretty!

This is pretty much how I've spent the past week. Hanging outside despite the heat (there's a fan blowing at the back of my head and I'm under an umbrella!) while the gal pretends away in one of the zillion tents (aka: caves, houses, forts, bedrooms, etc.) I've been forced to construct. I've found myself reading a lot and really enjoyed this book: Snow Flower & the Secret Fan and would recommend it for your own lazy day reading.



Turns out that we'll be staying put for awhile, at least. My husband has been offered a "retention plan" while his company finalizes their sale to another restaurant industry. This offers some financial bribing to stay put while the transition occurs. Truth is, we'll come out smelling like roses as long as he can find a job soon after this one ends. So, we're stable for another year, approximately. Then things will go haywire.

So, with that load off of our shoulders - I'm back in the creative spirit again and able to sit back and enjoy moments like the above. For you locals - if you haven't seen Funky Mama go seek her out. She's a hoot. Her music is just cool enough that parents have a good time watching her too.

Crafting to resume shortly. :)

Winging it.

I'm sitting waaaaaaaaaay out in my backyard on my hammock while the kids play. I can't believe it's taken me all summer long to discover that my wireless capacities stretch clear out here.

We're still wrapping our minds around the whole job gone wonky situation. He's still employed and may not even be at risk - but it's a scary gamble. So, we're making peace with our options. Outcome: to be determined. :)

I've been meaning to finish these wings for awhile now. Another one of those weird little ideas I seemed inclined to want to make.



A Fairy Wings Prototype: They are actually quite complicated with layers of mesh encasing a layer of fabric, embellished by a fancier iredescent pink middle. Next time, I need to choose louder colors. I sewed it all with some fancy metallic thread, which didn't show for crap so I jazzed them up with some red stitching. They have elastic bands that the arms slide through.

Clearly, she's thrilled.



*she's wearing a hand-me-down ballet recital dress. I was actually quite appalled when she chose to wear it today. It looks a wee bit lingerie-ish. :)

Thank You.

Just popping in to say many thanks to all of you who offered cheerleading through comments and emails. REALLY. You brought me a smile...and a reassuring pat on the 'ole shoulder.

Wish I could say "I'm fixed" but apparently things have to get worse before they can get better. :) But, at least I'm not -at all- freaked out about what's transpiring. Since my "woe is me" post, some other issues have presented.

We may actually have another move on the horizon, as some things have unexpectedly gone wonky with my husband's employer. We're just reacting to the possibilities at the moment (his job security is unknown as result) and considering our options. Lucky for me, a girl with a definite bit 'o "wanderlust" I know it will all pan out.

And just because a post without pictures is a very dull post, in my opinion... Here's some shots from this weekend's trek to Powell Gardens to see the dinosaur exhibit. These two like to keep things lively.

Time management

I have no idea where this post will wander. It kind of feels like my more recent days...unorganized, just wandering through each one, trying to fit in as much as possible, before crashing into bed at night. Despite the lovely weather the past few days - I feel a little overwhelmed by life (for no good particular reason), while at the same being underwhelmed by the outcome of everyday. A good analogy -- I was just typing pretty quickly but watching the words form on the screen at a much slower pace. That's what yesterday felt like...and the previous few days too. Hmmn.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I've been struggling in the creative realm. I made a rhino for my daughter and despite the difficulty of creating a rhino out of painted fabric leaves - I FORGOT A HORN.

And, then...there is this shirred disaster:


Any wisdom as to what was done wrong? I've gone back and carefully reread about three tutorials and I did it -all. But, my stitches didn't bunch the fabric together. I moved ahead, as one tutorial said "not to worry! just pull the elastic at the end and make the shirring tighter." No such luck. My elastic is refusing to be pulled, and even breaking when I try to force it. I've spent two whole naptimes on this stupid little shirt that should have been a cinch. The only explanation that I have...is that the tension on my machine is broken?? Or maybe my thread choice was bad? I dunno. Anyway... Somehow, I'm going to make it work out, just because I liked the fabrics. I think I can creatively wrestle the elastic into a shirred mess, that will work for at least ONE wear. For craps sakes.



Do you ever find yourself at a park and absolutely BORED? A self portrait above to describe what I was trying to wrap my mind around, above. I adore being home with my daughter, I really do. But, at this moment - there are so many reports to be written (job), creations to be made (of course), chores (duh), and the day just melts away...while I'm taking pictures of myself at a farmstead.

Balance. I need to create it. Got any tips to end this moaning?

Crafting with Kenzie

Onward into summer, it appears that we need at least a craft project per day now that it's blazing hot outside. We've got an arsenal of craft supplies, on the ready.

For The place where little and big art meet we had much begging to do another collage. Each week, I keep wondering when we might waver from the animal theme. Not this week. A "rhinoceros" she said. "Oh, and some flowers."



Painting and each flower handstuck by Kenzie. Wonky Rhino, who's missing a horn by Mama.



And some handmade critters of the foam variety. This time, we (I) managed to get all the body parts in the right place.

I do have some real crafting going on too...but it's progressing painfully slowly. After earmarking several tutorials and proceeding without caution on each of them -- I of course, make really stupid mistakes early on. Take shirring a shirt for example: it is indeed KEY to use long stitches as the instructions clearly warrant. Except I tend to read the tutorial, wait 2wks.. to perhaps ..7 months before starting the project - and forget such excellent advice. I get frustrated, walk away -- and start something else.
Hmnn.
Perhaps I should stick to kid crafts for awhile....

kenzie's doodle #5: Some giraffeses

Today, Kenzie was very specific about what to make for our project. How about these "giraffeses?"



I decided to make this more of a collage piece rather than again copying Holli's Junk-a-doodle style, so I gave Kenzie bare cardboard and asked her to announce the colors we'd need based on viewing our subjects. She painted these tones, which I then cut into the forms to make the giraffe's.



Kenzie however insisted on a few found objects mid-way through and collected the junk herself. So, that's how we got to the outcome:



More collaborative parent & child art can be found HERE .