Art Storage: A Lesson from Mom

In honor of My Mama! I learned from the best!

This the old expandable file folder my Mom stored my childhood masterpieces in. Can't you just see the raw talent! She had one for each of us girls (3 all together.) A couple of years ago she was cleaning out her office and came upon them. We didn't know she had been saving our notes, drawings, book reports... all these years. It was a wonderful surprise to go through! It meant a lot to me that she had saved these pieces from my childhood. I wanted to do the same for my girls.

I found a sturdy file folder with a handle at Staples and bought two. As the artwork comes down off the wall or fridge I decide what to keep, what to reuse (cut up for collage) and what to toss. I then jot down on the back a date, name and any anecdotes. Like, "you had more paint on you than on the paper!" When the girls are a bit older they can even decorate or decoupage their folders! I leave the folders in a spot that is easily accessible so I'll be sure to remember to occasionally file & purge!


I am linking this post to Keeping Up With the Shultz Family's Round Robin Event. If you would like to join:

"Here is what you need to do: Post something fun on your blog that you would like to share with other bloggers. Like a craft idea, fashion tips, a recipe, a "Meme" you may have on your page, a giveaway, if you have a business show off what you have, or anything your little heart desires. Just remember to keep it clean. I do not want anyone getting hurt. After you have your idea ready come on back to my blog and link up with "Mr. Linky" Then keep coming back to see more ideas, learn something new and even meet some new friends."

Monthly Craft Challenge: Ribbon

Ribbon. I love ribbon, particularly grosgrain ribbon. When I started my now fizzled out card business pre-first child I went in to it as I do many things. Fly by the seat of my pants. Well long story short I still have 3 of these giant spools of pink ribbon left. I'm glad I like pink and have two girly girls. Many of you may have noticed how frequently pink ribbon pops up in my projects - now you will understand why. Here is a little retrospective of the many forms pink ribbon can take.

Packaging

Barrettes

Decorating

Hemming

Weaving

To see more ribbon crafts go to Heidi at Blue Eyed Blessing for the results from this months Ribbon Craft Challenge! I can guarantee you'll see something other than pink ribbon!

Teacher Appreciation Week: Part 2

Here is a great idea for teachers, grand parents, family, friends... I heard about this years ago. Probably from Martha! I was excited to finally get to do it. They came out very cute. Lu drew pictures of each of her teachers, I scanned the images, sized them, added the names and layed them out onto one page. I gave the single page to Kinkos and told them to make two 75 page pads. I was charged a cutting fee and a gluing/binding fee. If you can do most of the work for them you won't be charged additional fees for laying out etc. Each pad came to approx. $5.50.

I printed out a band that said thank you and then tied a ribbon around it. Chica and Jo have a great tutorial on how to make your own pads for a fraction of the cost. I found their tutorial a little late. The adhesive you have to order on online. I want to invest in the adhesive about $10 for a quart (which will make a gazillion pads) but the shipping on it is like $7 so I am having trouble rationalizing buying the quart. Chica and Jo sell a 2 oz. container of the padding glue on their site for $7 including shipping. Even though 2 oz. makes a lot of pads it is still only 2 oz for $7 versus $17 for 1 quart. Any of my frugal friends out there let me know what you think the better buy is.

Anyway, they came out so cute and Lu's teachers loved them! I can see making lots of pads for friends and family. What a cute gift for older girls! Tweens are so hard to buy for! Make them their own pads with their artwork on the pad. Tie it off with a bow and a super girly pen!

Teacher Appreciation Week

Here is the poster I have been busy making for Lu's teachers. I hope they like it!

Paper Tube Bugs

Here is a step by step for making a super easy bug from a toilet paper tube. How much of the steps your child can do will depend on their skill level.
Supplies:
Card Board Tube
Scissors
Optional:
Paint or Crayons
Glue
Googly Eyes
Construction Paper
Glitter

Flatten tube

Cut slits along one side of tube approx. 1/2 through. Cut off one piece for antennae.

Fluff up tube then push every other slit in.

Cut the slits that were left up. Leaving the ones that were pushed down.

It should look like this when your done.

Cut a small slit on top for the antennae. Take oval you cut off bug. Snip one of the folded ends, turn inside out so curve face out.

Slide antennae in - you can glue them in place if they don't stay

Flatten and have child decorate. Paint would be a better option - more vivid - but Lu didn't feel like painting.

We glued on some polka dots and googly eyes. Lu wanted to add wings - so I flattened a second tube and cut out a B shape. when opened I had 2 connected wings. Using a box cutter I made a slit on top of the bug and slid the wings in the slit.

A paper towel tube works as well - makes a great millipede!

Have fun crafting with your kids, Mama King

Mother's Day a Week Early!

Lucky me! I get to celebrate two weekends of Mother's Day activities! This past Sunday, Papa King & the girls took me out for a yummy brunch. I was so full afterwards! Taking a cue from Bran Flakes (Adventures of a Flake) I thought I should try to get some shots of me and the girls (while we all looked nice.) We have so few with me in them since I am the one usually taking the pictures. Ignore the mess in the background! It was raining outside so we had to take them inside.





Lu took this one! She loves taking pictures.

One of Papa King & the girls: my sweeties

Brunch was delicious and the girls were so well behaved!

Chocolate Mousse...Yummmmmmmm!

Spirit Jumper

I am happy to say I sent out my first "Spirit Jump" yesterday! I was matched with an one year old girl who was diagnosed with Ewig Sarcoma at birth and has been undergoing chemo since she was 3 weeks old. She just celebrated her first birthday a month ago and has one treatment left! I sent her a cloth Where's Elmo? book and some of my initial correspondence cards, for her Mama.

I discovered Spirit Jumper through The Secrets in the Sauce blog. They were a featured blog. I read their mission statement and immediately wanted to get matched with someone!

The following was taken from the Spirit Jump Blog: Spirit Jump is a program that directly connects the gift giver with a person battling cancer. It was founded in November, 2008 by two young women who have both battled cancer.

Meaghan is a cancer survivor. She was diagnosed with end stage cancer with a 20% chance of survival in February of 2007. Like many cancer patients she experienced the horrors of chemotherapy, radiation and numerous surgeries. Today Meaghan is CANCER FREE and is thankful for all of the support of her family and friends who stood by her side through her cancer fight.
Stacy is currently fighting Stage IV Melanoma. Diagnosed, October, 2007, Stacy is still undergoing treatment and fighting this horrible battle.

Click on either of their names to be re-directed to their personal websites.

The Mission of Spirit Jump

If you have a shop, artistic abilities or even an extra card in your drawer and you want to give it to a person in need, send us an email that you want to be a Spirit Jumper at spiritjumper@spiritjump.com We will then connect you directly with a person in need, or we can give you a list of names, a brief description of what their particular cancer battle is and you can choose. When the match is made, We’ll give you that persons mailing address and then it’s up to you to send the gift. It’s a simple.

If you decide to be a Spirit Jumper you will be overwhelmed with the joy and warmth you feel when giving a gift. Additionally, every Spirit Jumper is welcome to write a post on our website and tell our many readers about your shop, blog or website. You may include links, photos and any information you want to be featured on the site. We encourage you to also include why you decided to donate, who you donated to and maybe even a photo of what you donated. This will be wonderful exposure for your shop, blog, website and you will be lifting someone’s spirit, WIN, WIN!

Want to be a Spirit Jumper: spiritjumper@spiritjump.com

Need a spirit jump or know someone who does: needaspiritjump@spiritjump.com

My immediate reaction was to want to go out and lavish gifts on this little girl but I realized it was more important for me to make a commitment to Spirit Jumper. I plan on getting matched once a month to someone. The gift is wonderful but the intention is what is at the heart of the Spirit Jump. So don't worry about the size of the gift -- if you can only send a card do it!

Simple Weaving Project for Toddlers

I wanted Lu to practice her weaving skills (fine motor) so I cut large toddler size slits into a long strip of white card stock. The big opening makes it easier for them to thread the ribbon through. Remember you don't want this to be too frustrating for them. I showed Lu what I wanted her to do then I helped by holding the strip and reminding Lu...in...out...in...out. After awhile she didn't want help and tried it on her own. The great thing about this project is it is simple to pull out the ribbon and start over. You can model the steps, have her practice with your help and then start fresh with no help at all. We made it into a crown/head band after we were done.

I used a box cutter to cut the slits. I drew lines with a pencil on the other side. It actually did not take that long to do. Cut all your vertical lines first then your horizontals.

Measure out a piece of ribbon about 6 inches longer than the weaving piece. Makes it easier to tie off.
Have fun crafting with your kids, Mama King!

The Sand Table

Today's craft session (also known as Em's nap time) was spent making more paper plate puppets (Cinderella and company), playing with beads in silly putty, and reading books. Pretty quiet and nothing too exciting to show. So I thought I would show off our new sand table. The girls love it! I put some shells in the sand which made sifting and digging the sand very exciting. A project I have filed away in my mind - plaster of paris bones for excavating!

I like this table because it has an umbrella, a tight fitting cover that bungees on, is child height and most importantly, is mobile!!! Great for us who are limited in space. We have a huge deer problem. We counted 25 deer hanging out in our back yard. Which means a whole lot of poop and possible ticks. Until we can put up a deer fence in the backyard the girls and I are limited to the front driveway. I can wheel out the cart for play and wheel it back next to the garage for storage. I also like that when the girls out grow the sand table they can use it as a lemonade stand! I know they are going to play with this for many years. Edit: The sand and water table is listed on the Step2 website as being $79.99. I bought mine at Toys R Us for $59.98.

This is our water table. I bought it before Lu was even walking at Ikea for $5! It was advertised as a table with toy storage (it has a removable clear plastic top) but I knew back then that it would make a great water table. We use it year round! I keep the water and separate mainly for storage reasons. The sand table was advertised as a sand / water table but putting a lid on wet sand in the summer spells mold.
Have fun crafting with your kids, Mama King!

Katie's Nesting Spot & Frugal Family Fun Blog Rock!

I wanted to thank Katie for such an amazing post about winning 4CK's first giveaway. She raved about the Mama King (that's me!) designed cards she actually brought a tear to my eye! I tell you! That Katie is pretty awesome! I am so glad she won. Katie is not only a crafty soul mate but she is also an adult adoptee! So if you haven't been over to her blog check it out! Being the super amazing person that she is she actually has two blogs that I read daily. Katie's Nesting Spot and ABC and 123. Katie's Nesting Spot is her personal blog and features projects she does with her daughter, crafts, sewing, and family. "ABC and 123 is a Learning Cooperative

A place to collect & borrow teaching tools, share & receive inspiration, explore & review professional resources for those who love to learn & teach and those with lots of time & those with limited time to invest in their children."

The other blog I want to give a shout out to is Frugal Family Fun Blog. It is not only because I just won my first blog giveaway...talk about blog karma! Valerie has amazing ideas and is so resourceful. She was just featured on her local morning TV show for Earth Day Activities. She has a great field guide project I really want to put together a for Lu and Em.

I also love that Valerie & Katie leave COMMENTS!! I know many of you are already fans of Katie's and Valerie's but for those of you who haven't read their blogs I highly recommend them! So give them some blog love and tell them I sent you :-)