Dumpster Diving

When some neighbors moved away, a piece of wood sitting by their trash can called to me from across the street. It kept calling to me... until I heard the trash truck coming - and I hurried across the street in a mad panic to claim it. It then sat in my garage for awhile while I brainstormed ideas for it's use. It appears to be an old table top, warped on one side with circular sweaty glass rings. I put my art on the opposite side. This is what I landed on:

My youngest covered it with my help with bits of magazine pages, mod-podged all over. I then bought stickers at the Dollar Store... and layed them down, in my quote of choice. We spray-painted the whole thing white and then lifted the stickers back off to reveal the colors beneath. I sanded the whole thing slightly to reveal a bit of texture... and left the sides unpainted. We hung it up in the stairway landing that goes to my kids bedrooms. That hallway has become a gallery of their art... enhanced by this.

2012 Class Auction Project

I accepted the assignment of creating my daughters 2nd grade class auction project last year. Almost a year later, I still love our project and need it stored somewhere for easy access. Now, when asked for photos and insights -- this will be easier to share than searching my photo archives and verbally rambling on about it...

To create this: The kids voted as a class on their favorite quote from options I provided. We ended up blending two quotes with the top votes - because they went so well together. I spent many hours at the top of a very tall ladder issuing instructions to wiggly kids down below (that didn't always recall which appendage might be right or left). My models loved the experience as much as I did though. My daughter is the letter "R," which required we creatively lengthen her left leg by sliding her boot down her foot a bit.

In art class, the kids created 6" x 6" art squares in patterns of their choice, with black sharpie outlining. I then cut these down to star shapes which I layered and layered upon themselves with other embellishments: wire, brads, circles, etc. to create the border. I printed all the photos on matte paper and cut around the little bodies/letters. The letters were stuck to a black matte board with scrapbooking glue dots. The kids signed the back of the frame and were so, so proud. As was I. At the auction, my husband got a little overzealous on driving the bids up. Accidentally, he bought it!! We ended up gifting it to my daughter's classroom and the kids loved that they could see it the remainder of the year.

Why hello there...

It's been awhile, hasn't it? I'm not ready to let my blogs completely die, but the fact of the matter is - I just don't think about blogging very often. I was, however, just managing my photo archives and tripped over a few little projects that I'll post here - over the next few days. Let's see if this little effort incents a recommitment to being creative and blogging about it! First up - is figuring out how the new Blogger works. It appears things have improved since my last post!

A friend contacted me many moons ago about a random file cabinet she was getting rid of. I took it off her hands and began planning its make-over. Long ago, a lovely blogger also sent me a wonderful stash of sheet music. I've horded it all these years and finally made some stuff happen with it. The music is quite old, a little yellowed and the covers were bright and seem a little mid-century modern. {My sincerest thanks to the blogger, whom I can't recall her name?}

The music sheets now adorn the backsides of a built-in shelving unit, in our hallway. It's definitely dressed up a bland space and gave it some character. I just wish it would distract more from the clutter that accumulates here. The shelves host a hodge-podge of leftover decorations & need some styling!

The file cabinet has been reinvented to house my kids' art supplies in this little nook, which is located off of our playroom. I used the covers from the sheet music to mod-podge a little lively onto the old file cabinet.

It came out so well... I had to inform my friend that she may not have it back. ;) Now, I'm off to go straighten all those pictures that have gone wonky in the art room...

Storage needed.

Project "make-sense-out-of-the-playroom" continues. What do do with the 14,096 plastic Dinosaurs? {well... I tried to donate a ton of them to the 1st grade's weekly prize box. But, apparently, my daughter noticed. And, she keeps bringing them back home each week!} So, a storage idea was in order.


A Richard Scarry book (Peasant Pig) was found thrifting, and the kids determined the story line was creepy. Not a favorite.

So, I dismantled the many pages and created a less creepy story on their new Dinosaur storage container... I'd also like to say: I.heart.mod.podge.

Best Valentine's yet

We've a long history of handmaking Valentine's, and then somehow mucking up the delivery. (i.e. last year we made different ones for boys and girls, separated into bags - and Kenzie managed to give every single boy a girl one, and vice versa). So, this year...with two kids delivering, I decided to keep it simple. Last year, I'd earmarked this idea from Alicia... and am so pleased to have these done in early February (a benefit of two snow days in a row, thanksverymuch). They make the kids smile..and me too.

Simply take your photo, with kiddo's arm outstretched. Doctor it at picnik with words and simple embellishments. Cut slits above and below the hand and insert sucker. Done. & Done. Easy to deliver and very pleasing!