Kiddo Creations

Hey People!!  Not sure how it got to be Thursday already, but I'm glad that this weekend is almost here!!  I got a BIG BOX OF GOODIES and I cannot WAIT to start playing with stuff!!

There has been creativity going on here.....just not mine.  The Kiddos have had projects due and once again, Mom's "junk" adds those little "extras" that kick up the projects up a notch!!

First up:  Oldest Kiddo had to make a project from the Renaissance era.  Of course, being a "manly boy" he went for a weapon of war.  A siege tower to be exact. 

I'm not sure why I don't have any pictures of the actual work of creating this.  Heaven knows, all the Popsicle sticks, glue, felt, etc., were on my kitchen table for two weeks.  My best guess is it is due to the fact that this was a project that I had very little to do with.  The Toad helped the Kiddo design this and they worked on it together.  Sometimes while I was at work.  Or while I was making supper.  Whatever.  I failed to document the actual creating. 

This picture does not show the cool details on this project.  Like the drawbridge that drops down.  Like the floors between the three stories that have these itty, bitty little ladders that lead to the next floor.  I really should have taken more pictures of the project itself. But I'm lazy.  And it is 7 am and my hair is drying all funky because I'm trying to post instead of taking care of my looks.  Ahhhh!!  The sacrifices one makes for her blog followers!!  

Hehe.

Next project.  Each year at our little school grades 4-6 have an "Ethnic Feast" instead of a Thanksgiving Feast.  Each kid is assigned a country and must do a report of some type giving details of their country.  My Kiddo was assigned Denmark. Thank you Mrs. M. for not assigning my kid a country I don't even know how to pronounce.  In addition to a "fact sheet" on Denmark, the Kiddo had to dress this paper doll in the ethnic costume of his country.  



  I now know that I need a Big Bite.  My cropadile did not reach the center of this paper doll to place the jumbo eyelets that the kid was using as "buttons" on the vest.  Actually, the Kiddo is probably glad I don't have a Big Bite.  He had waaaaayyyy too much fun pounding the eyelets with the hammer.  Let me confess here that I have TOTALLY forgotten how to set eyelets the "old fashioned" way.  Didn't bother to look it up.  The Kiddo just smashed those puppers in the paper and got them to stick.  Works for me!

The finished project and the proud creator:





Well, that's it for me today!!  I get to spend the rest of my "day off" volunteering at the school, grocery shopping and trying to find an ethnic Danish dish that I can make for the Ethnic feast next week.  Oh yeah, and maybe sneak in some play time with my new goodies!! hehe!!!

Thanks for dropping by again today!! Remember that the day is not complete without some type of creativity!! 

Lots of Colors and Swirly Things

Hey People!! I hope you are having a great evening! Yes, I'm writing this rather late in the evening.  That would be how life is around here!! 

This afternoon, when I picked up the Kiddos, the youngest told me that it was Mrs. B's birthday today and he had to finish the card he was making her.  He said he told her he would give her "her present tomorrow, for sure, because he didn't have time to finish it today". He described to me that it was taking forever because he was writing "Happy Birthday" in block letters across the entire card.  He then proceeded to pull out the card from his backpack.  And the "OH NO!!!" was one with much dismay! It would seem that the Kiddo, not only shoved the card into his backpack (thus crumpling the card), but he also shoved his LEAKING water bottle on top of it. 

After finishing his homework, he came into my office/craft area and said he needed to make a new card.  I figured he would want to just make the same version, just round two.  NOPE.  He thought that he might like to stamp.  Ok.  What kind of stamp did he have in mind?  Did he want to color?  Did he want flowers?  After a few minutes of pondering, he came up with "I don't want to color, but I want a lot of color and swirls and stuff".  Oooookkkkkaaaayyyy. 

So, I did what any wise mother does when put in that situation.  I pulled up SCS's resource  page and started looking at possibilities!!  And one of the first to jump out at me was the Alcohol Ink Faux Bleach technique that my friend Sherry wrote up.  My kiddo has played around with my alcohol inks before and liked them.  He was very excited when he saw Sherry's example and thought that would be perfect. 

He chose which "swirly" stamp he wanted to use and stamped it with Versamark ink and sprinkled clear embossing powder over it. Then concentrated very hard on melting the embossing powder

Then he chose which inks he wanted to use.  We had to have a sample of different ink colors and then he chose which ones he wanted to use.  I caught myself in time from suggesting a "color" scheme.  I believe his final choices were: Stream, Raisin, Wild Plum and Butterscotch. 

I then placed a scrap piece of computer paper over the inked image and melted off the embossing powder with my iron.  We tried several different die cuts on the front to place his sentiment, but he didn't like the fact that they all covered up his "swirls".  He started looking at my punches and pulled out SU's Designer Label.  He hand wrote the sentiment with SU's Elegant Eggplant marker and sponged the label edges with Distress Dusty Concord.  I suggested maybe some type of "bling" beneath the sentiment and pulled out some glittery brads and itty bitty self adhesive pearls.  He went with the pearls and colored them with the same alcohol ink colors he used on the background.  I then asked if he wanted a ribbon under the label.  After looking at it, he decided yes ('cause it didn't cover too much of his swirls).  Then he decided to add a bow.  After much frustration on my part to tie a decent bow with "legs", he said that the "fake" bow I showed him first, would be fine.  Gotta luv that kid!! "Fake" bow made and topped with another self adhesive 1/2 pearl. 

The results:

*Have to share.  While adding my "watermark" to this photo, the kiddo says "uhhh, where is "Card by C?!!" 

During this entire process of making this card, the Kiddo kept asking if I thought Mrs. B would like it, because she wasn't expecting something like this.  

I don't think she is going to like it.  I think she is going to LOVE it. 

 Supplies:  Paper:  Gina K's Pure Luxury, SU glossy paper.  Inks:  Ranger Alcohol Inks, SU Elegant Eggplant marker, Distress Dusty Concord, Versamark. Stamps:  Tattered Angels "Regal".  Accessories:  Clear embossing powder, 1/2 back pearls (from my stash), black ribbon, Designer Label punch

Thanks for dropping by again!!  Remember~your creativity can be the inspiration for someone else!!

A Moment

Happy Friday Peoples!!  I'm REALLY excited about today's Just For Fun® Friday Color Challenge!!  Today's colors are much more down my alley (meaning~~no PINK! hehe)

BUT more importantly~I had a guest designer help with today's project!!  My youngest kiddo came into my office to complain that his older brother wouldn't play with him (the cross a 9 y/o must bear when your older brother is 13!).  The Kiddo is creative, but has to be in the "mood".  He has definite ideas for his handmade projects and I try to only make suggestions instead of telling him how to do something (not that he won't say, "Nah....I was thinking of something like this")  I decided to throw caution to the wind (as I'm down to the last hours in being able to make something for today's challenge) and I asked him if he wanted to play around with my stuff and help me with today's project.  So we got out some "fun" stuff and this is what we came up with:

I had Tim Holtz's Fanciful Flight die on the desk and the kiddo decided he wanted to use that. We got out the alcohol inks and I actually demonstrated the colors that I had planned on using, but the kiddo decided that Rust, Pool and Butterscotch looked better than my blues! He applied the inks on glossy cardstock and then went over the inks again with the blending solution to mute them a bit more.  We die cut the butterfly using Tim Holtz's Fanciful Flight and the kiddo sponged the chocolate chip layer randomly with Walnut Stain Distress Ink.  Believe it or not, the Kiddo is the one who came up with the idea to make a flower for the butterfly to "land on".  I told him I was thinking of using this sentiment from Just for Fun and after I explained the meaning to him, he agreed.  After some debate on how we were going to use the sentiment and the flower idea, we pulled out the Peony Spellbinder die and die cut the bottom layers from K&Company's Ancestry line and the "center" from a piece of very vanilla using the kiddos favorite machine, the Big Shot.

The Kiddo then sponged all the edges of the flowers with Vintage Photo while I sponged the "center" of the flower with some Antique Linen and Tea Dye. 

I then did some selective masking to get the image to fit properly onto the center of the card with the help of my every trusty stampamajig.  The sentiment was stamped using Broken China Ink. 

We then decided that our focal points were getting a tad large for a card.  I pulled out a small canvas that I had and the kiddo did the wrinkle free distress technique using Distress Inks in Broken China and Tumbled glass.  Instead of spritzing with water, he spritzed it with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Frost.  Now, when using a canvas, the pores of the canvas do not absorb the ink like paper does.  I have found that taking a stencil brush or paint brush and pouncing the ink into the pores of the canvas works well to spread the ink. 

We then played around with a some different flourishes and papers before deciding we liked the Flourish #2 from Sizzix the best.  It too, was cut out of K&Companies Ancestry line. 

Ok...to be honest ~~this is where the Kiddo lost interest (and the time where his brother said he would play with him!).  So, deserted, I layered the flower using dimensionals and added the 1/2 backed pearls.  The butterfly was attached in the corner, with it's body also on dimensionals. 

One last photo of the guest designer:

                                     

This was a special creative time with my Kiddo that I will put into my heart's treasure chest!!

Now, just as a reminder~~playing along with us on the JFF blog gives you the opportunity to win a $50 gift certificate for a fun shopping spree at Just For Fun® Stamps!  You don't have to use Just for Fun stamps, so there is no excuse not to play!!  For more inspiration, make sure you check out the other designer's projects to get your creative juices flowing!

Sherry Cheever

Glenda Brooks

Roni Johnson

Broni Holcombe

Sandy Sandrus

Margarita Ybarra

Beth Moore

and

Terre Fry

Thanks for dropping by again today!! I hope that maybe you can find some creative time with a loved one this weekend!! (hmmmm.....take that anyway you want! LOL!! I can't come up with another way to say it now!!)

The Best Type of Creativity

Today's Game Plan:

1) Get DH and oldest ready for the field trip to the beach (meaning, make sure that sun screen is packed...and sack lunches)

2) Leave house at 7:30 and swing thru IL's to pick up the old boogie board so that some classmate who does not have a board can have fun in the water with everyone else.

3)Drop everyone, including youngest DS off at school, smile and wish everyone a GREAT day

4) Be home by 8:15, take the pooch for an hour walk

5) 9:30 Update blog and start card

REALITY:

1) Drag both boys out of bed despite pleas of "PLEEEEASE!! Just 5 more minutes!"

2) Leave house at 7:30, pick up extra boogie board and drop everyone off at school.

3) Go into youngest DS's classroom and find that DS's best friend has returned to school (kiddos go to a small private church school. Best friend's parent's tried the public school. Best friend was MISERABLE and is now back)

4) End up putting numbers on 11 pencil boxes and supplies. Label workbooks. Run to STAPLES and replace broken pencil box for teacher.

5) While out to STAPLES, run to Rite Aid to buy a battery for dying watch. Spend 15 min trying to get the battery cover off of watch. Spend another 15 min trying to find the battery cover of the watch that went flying when the cover finally decided to come loose. Spent 10 min trying to figure out how to reset all the settings on said watch (by this time, I seriously considered just buying a new watch)

6) Return to school with new pencil box. Transfer everything from broken box to new box.

7) Arrive at home at 10:45 am FAMISHED (seems that while I made sure everyone else had a good hearty breakfast, I had a peach).

8) 11:30....snack done....trying to update blog

OK....enough of my whining. On with the show!

**********

Daycare. Major stress during the summer when the "stay at home" parent is called in to work. Luckily, one of the teacher aides at the school does "daycare" at her home in summer and doesn't mind my varied schedule week to week. This year she had 6 kids, ages 7-12 that she watched. Mrs. B is WONDERFUL. The kids have a regular routine (including MATH!) that they follow each day. She has introduced the kids to games that parents shudder at (LIFE...do you know how long it takes to play that game?!) but she will gladly sit on the floor and play with them. Daily crafts. Daily swimming. Feeds them. You get the idea~~~WONDERFUL!!

This year she read Swift Arrow, by Josephine Cunnington Edwards. This book is one that I read when I was a kid! Basic story line: Boylan family moves along with 14 other families to new territory. The son, George, along with his best friend Robert are "stolen" by Indians. The boys are separated at some point. George becomes the adopted son of the chief Big Wolf and the brother of Ewanah. The story goes on over the next 12 years that George spends living with the Indians before making his escape and finding his way home.

Here is where creativity takes place. Shortly after finishing the book, one of the girls suggests that the kids put on a play about Swift Arrow. Of course, since kids don't have our adult fears of "we can't do this", they all jump on the bandwagon. The kids, with the help of Mrs. B, figure out a script that would include all of them (since the story is mostly about George/Swift Arrow, support characters were brought in at the beginning and some smaller parts were added). How the transitions of characters and how the younger George and Ewanah would "grow". The kids each played multiple parts. AND, they created the set(s)!!

Parents/Grandparents were invited to a light supper of haystacks (have I mentioned that Mrs. B is wonderful? In addition to corralling 6 kids who each had their own idea of how this play should go, she made dinner for everyone!) and then we were treated to the play. The kids used scripts, since they each had multiple parts and in all reality, only a little over a week to pull this all together. Which makes it all the more amazing!

Here are some photos of the evening (uhhh, the professional photographer could not make it. These were taken by "mom" hehe)

The opening set. The kids painted the backdrop and the tipis.

"Grandpappy and Marcus Boylan discussing the move. (Grandpappy would be my youngest, and Marcus is my oldest)

*H~loading the wagon, watched by *K~Ma...."Robert" is in the grey (Chace, my youngest), with *J behind him(young George Boylan) with "Marcus Boylan/Pa (my oldest, Grant) and *S~Grandpappy. The families loading up their wagons for the move

Marcus Boylan" in front of one of the newly built cabins

The "Indian Village". The kids painted TWO different sets!!

Members of the Indian Village where "George" becomes "Swift Arrow"

The play had an intermission (if you notice the second Indian....he is a little wet. Seems that George did not know how to swim which displeased Big Wolf. So Big Wolf took George out to the lake (aka the pool) to watch "big fish swim". "George" learned how to swim!!). While George changed into dry clothes, eveyone enjoyed homemade strawberry shortcake and brownies. By now, the sun is obviously setting but the show goes on!

Me Serious Indian! HEHEE.....my youngest posing!

The kids did an amazing job!! Talk about creativity!! From start to finish, they came up with the idea, wrote the script, did the backdrops and preformed!! What a lesson to be learned! If you have an idea~~GO FOR IT!! You only have yourself stopping you!!

Thanks for stopping by!!