I'm back to making more Grandbaby Craft Kits. This ladybug is simple: a painted paper plate. black construction paper circles and head glued into place, pipe cleaner antennae.
I'm making a few kits that are not related to a holiday so Julie and the Littles can use them anytime.
---
Found on Pinterest and inspired by Angela of About a Mom:
Dale and I finished building my new Studio worktable today. It took most of the day, and I'm too pooped to edit a bunch of pictures, so the reveal here on my blog will have to wait at least one more day.
I love the way my worktable turned out and am jazzed at the prospect of starting to use it this week.
In the mean time, take a look at the bouquet Jodie brought to me
and the heart-melting gift Julie's family made for Jeanne and me!
I'm celebrating my 63rd birthday -- and my life -- with this special man. How did I ever get so lucky?
He gifted me with tools and books of inspiration that will help me take my photography to a new level. He brought me a special dinner and dessert from Outback Steakhouse. And together, we're building a big new worktable for my Studio. (We hope to have that finished tomorrow. I can't wait to show it off).
Dale and I sure do enjoy each other's company. I couldn't have a better person to isolate with in 2020.
I put up my first Christmas decoration today. Look upstairs!
The dotted Christmas tree is the next project for a Grandbaby Craft Kit. It's a big one, and may take several days for the Littles to construct with Mommy.
The colorful tree looks best on a dark background. Since we don't have any dark doors or walls, I used some painter's tape to attach navy blue gift wrap to the wall. (The gift wrap won't be part of the kit).
I made a silver star for the top, and put it in place first. Then I arranged the gifts at the bottom with their geometric bows.
Finally, I started placing the dots. I used a combination of poster sticky-tack and double-sided tape to adhere the construction paper dots to the wrapping paper background. I decided to place the largest circles first, then the medium-large, then the medium, etc. That way I could define the tree shape first, then fill in the gaps with smaller dots.
I put my signature shape right at the heart of the tree.
This project came out even better than I'd anticipated! It's unexpected to see as we climb the stairs. It's wonderfully colorful in our shades-of-gray house.
Best of all, it's the first thing to greet us as we get out of bed in the morning.
I need to finish up these Grandbaby Craft Kits and mail them off soon. The Christmas season has officially begun!
---
My Dotted Tree was inspired by Melissa Alvarez Hernandez on Pinterest
Our daughters couldn't share a meal with us this Thanksgiving. We are being super careful to keep isolated due to Covid this year. So Jodie put together a virtual family game night.
We used the Discord platform. It was a first for Dale and me, so it started as a bumpy road. We tried out three of the games. I'll admit that they strained my brain. But it sure was fun getting to be connected to our daughters and their partners all at the same time.
This was a scoreboard from Trivia Murder Party. Dale and I bombed.
Though it was an evening filled with laughter, I hope that we don't have to repeat it next year. I hope we'll all get to be together again around a common table, sharing love and gratitude.
I'm working on the next Grandbaby Craft Kit. I probably won't get it finished today. There are lots of colorful pieces! I think this is going to be a fun project for Julie's family.
I put the Grandbaby Craft Kit making off for a day. This morning I had some "homework" to do for an upcoming appointment. This afternoon we had a rare mostly sunny spell in between raindrops, and the temperature was above fifty degrees. So I called our daughter Jeanne to see if she was busy today.
She wasn't! So I invited her to do some socially-distanced gardening with me. I'd bought daffodil bulbs a few weeks ago and hadn't planted them yet. Jeanne arrived within a half hour and met me outside. With masks on, she played in the dirt with me. Playing in the dirt is something she and I have enjoyed doing together most of her life.
We planted two varieties of daffodils. 30 are pure yellow, and 15 are yellow with orange centers. In the Spring, daffodils explode all over town. Next year, our yard will add to the beauty.
Today's Grandbaby Craft Kit will be a challenge. To make this holiday card, there are quite a few pieces, and some of them are tiny. But I'm hoping the Littles can manage it with Mommy's help. It's mostly gluing with a glue stick. Plus a new skill, using a pre-inked rubber stamp.
The outside has a snowman and pine tree backed by some plaid paper. There are three sequin snowflakes and some googly eyes. The greeting is stamped.
On the inside, the kids have lots of choices. I included plaid circles in several sizes. Or they might choose to use more rubber stamps. I'm including eight different stamps for them to try. The inside "Happy Holidays" is printed on card stock and adhered with a glue stick.
My intention is for these cards to actually be mailed. So I included an envelope. The Littles aren't quite up to using scissors yet, so I cut and glued the plaid paper to the envelope flap for them.
Finally, I addressed the envelopes to some very special people, and added a Sesame Street Forever stamp so the cards can easily be mailed.
I included a brief instruction sheet with this Grandbaby Craft Kit to help Mommy lead the Littles through the process. Plus I included extra card makings in case another special someone would like to receive one.
Today's Grandbaby Craft Kit is especially for Annie, who loves her hoo-hoos.
Paper bag, construction paper, googly eyes, glue stick and glue dots. Simple. Fun. And the kids can hoot and fly when they're done.
I found the idea on the Kitchen Floor Crafts blog.
The next Grandbaby Craft Kit is this snowman face mask. I'm trying to think ahead and have crafts that can be done outside of the Christmas season. This is still a winter craft, but not necessarily tied to a holiday.
It's made from a paper plate with the center removed. The hat is construction paper. The hatband, holly leaves, and bow tie are scrapbook paper. The berries are red stickers. The holder is a large popsicle stick.
Fun for all ages!
-----
Inspired by Meaningful Mama on Pinterest
The next Grandkid Craft Kit is for a gingerbread boy. He's made of card stock and decorated with stickers and fun felt tip markers that allow you to make a double line with a single stroke.
I kit up my sample for inspiration, along with the items I used. But I'll also send a large packet with lots more stickers and supplies so the kids can go to town decorating however they like. My hope is that by having a simple design kitted and ready to go, my daughter will have less mess to clean up if she and the kids decide to use the few items in the kit.
Here's the second craft for my Grandbaby Craft Kits.
Lacing string through holes helps with hand-eye coordination and small motor skills. I pre-cut and pre-poked-holed the plastic lids. Add in a sticker for a star, some glittery paper for the tree trunk, and pompoms for ornaments.
This is what the kit looks like when put together. I have enough for three trees and will include a short instruction sheet and the finished tree I made as a sample.
.
.
---
Inspired by this Pinterest pin. Sorry, I don't know the designer.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/134122895141984948/
I've got a new project. I'm finding ideas for preschool kid crafts, then making up kits with all the parts and pieces. I'll complete one as a sample, and include it, too.
I'll send the kits to my daughter so she can have the fun of crafting with our grandkids, but not have to find time to pull everything together. When they have time, they'll have all they need.
The first kit is for this snow kid made of popsicle sticks, pompoms, googly eyes, buttons, ribbon, and a chenille stem.
This one might be a bit complicated for a three year old, but I'll get better at making them age appropriate. Melody will be able to make this with some help from Mommy and Daddy. For sure, she'll be able to sort out the colors. Glue dots hold things in place.
---
Inspired by this pin:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/134122895141984865/
Watercolor style
Every now and again it's fun to play in my photo editing program and offer a different mood to a photo.
I'm happy to announce that I've completed all of my 20 Goals in 2020!
Having them all done by mid-November is a record for me. Without doubt, it's because I've been homebound during much of this pandemic. It's also because most of my goals did not involve going outside or having to rely on the company of other people.
Having this massive set of goals helped me stay sane. It gave me focus. I had something tangible to work toward. I've earned my gold stars.
I hope that going forward, I don't become rudderless. Our governor ordered Oregon to "freeze" due to the rising Covid cases. It's not a total lockdown, but we have additional restrictions. It looks like I'll need to find ways to stay occupied here at home for quite some time to come.
Time to settle in some more, do more crafts, read, watch movies, take photos. Whatever comes my way, I'm quite likely to document it here on my blog.
Let's see what opportunities present themselves.
I found this gorgeous image from the end of September on my phone. Time to edit and share it with the world.
 |
| Click for larger image. |
I got to spend about an hour with these beauties today ... by video.
Sure wish it could be in person. By the time we get to be in the same room, they'll have grown (nearly) too big to sit in my lap!
Today we learned how to do virtual fist bumps!
Busy. Charming. Love.
Today I did the finishing work on the Ice Cube Dudes. This adorable duo is now ready for display.
I decided to finish it double mounted, the same way I finished the Pumpkins and the Blackbird last month. The Dudes are somewhat bigger. The polka-dotted board is 7.5 inches square; the stitched board is 4.5 inches square. Each board has a layer of batting beneath the fabric to add softness. This time I adhered the two layers with double-sided tape. Time will tell if that method is strong enough to hold.
I found the polka dot fabric in my stash. I thought the dots could be interpreted as a snowstorm. They are about the right scale as the snowflakes in the stitched piece.
I tidied up the back by covering the edges of the fabric with a square of dotted scrapbook paper, then added the label.
I'm not sure where this piece will land during the Christmas season, but for now, the Ice Cube Dudes are standing in an easel, warming themselves on the hearth.
All the stitching is done. I decided to outline the arms so they'd show up a bit better against the blue fabric.
Now to decide how to do the finishing work. At 3-3/4 inches square, it's a bit big for an ornament. I might frame it. Or maybe make it into an easel. Or perhaps a finish similar to the pumpkins I did last month.
I'll need to dig around in my stash to see if I have some snowflake fabric to act as a border.
To be continued ...
They're comin' along. Stitch by stitch.
I made a mistake somewhere, couldn't find it, and had to do a bit of compensation. No big deal.
While watching videos today, I started stitching this fellow, designed by Medina Originals.
I recently flipped through 25 years' worth of the Just CrossStitch Christmas Ornament magazine. It's about the only magazine I purchase each year. I marked the ornaments I can picture stitching. Then I kitted up four of them so I can keep my hands busy while watching TV or videos ... and keep me from incessantly playing Spider solitaire.
I'm hoping to infuse a little more joy into my life. Quick craft wins buoys my spirits.
A Tribute to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
(1933 - 2020)
As we celebrate the life of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, we are given the opportunity to reflect on her indelible legacy.
A lawyer, professor, scholar, champion of civil rights, and esteemed jurist, Justice Ginsburg led this country on a historic path toward “Equal Justice Under Law.” She exalted the Constitution of the United States as a shining paradigm for civics education, imploring that all persons be treated equally and insisting that “We the People” included all populations in our society. She penned fierce dissents, demonstrating how the role of an individual jurist could be emboldened through consensus building on the long road to justice. And though her heart was most impassioned in articulating her demand for gender equality, she composed complex and enduring jurisprudence in such areas as civil procedure, education, disability rights, voting, healthcare, discrimination, and criminal law. Throughout her storied career, Justice Ginsburg used her brilliant intellect and measured temperament to expand rights and protections that positively impacted the lives of all Americans.
As a woman of many firsts, she assured she would not be the last. Justice Ginsburg fought tirelessly in her perseverance to defy notions that a devoted wife and mother could not equally excel as a prudent and scholarly legal mind. While she will be forever hailed as many things–American hero, fearless advocate, difference maker, and judicial luminary–she will be most affectionately remembered as the truly “Notorious RBG.” We all have Justice Ginsburg to thank for many of the hopes and dreams made available to our daughters and granddaughters.
The world grieves at the passing of such a remarkable jurist, and we are left wishing and wanting for even more from Justice Ginsburg. But in this year of the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment of Woman’s Suffrage, we will continue to celebrate her life and instill her legacy in future generations.
May we honor and respect her. May she rest in peace.
For the last couple years, I've wanted a sign with this sentiment to place on the porch or near the front door. Most of those I saw were either too expensive, would take too long to arrive, or had a design I didn't like.
So what's an artist to do? Make her own.
This is the very first time I've ever painted on canvas with acrylic paint. Since the entire attempt was a crapshoot, I made it as inexpensively as possible. (My entire expense for new materials was three dollars!)
I started with an 8" x 10" canvas from Dollar Tree that I had on hand. I used white chalk paint from my stash to give the canvas an initial coat of paint. Then I mixed some light orange paint with a dab of red and dry-brushed over the white. By making several batches of the orange paint, I was able to get variations in the color. I absolutely love how the orange background came out.
Feeling encouraged with that small win, I moved on to the design. I found the image on the internet. I transferred it onto the canvas using fabric tracing paper from my sewing kit (of course!) It worked remarkably well.
Then it was time for the hard part: painting.
I first tried using the two white paint pens I had on hand. I wish they were fresh, because I think that would have been the ideal way to tackle this piece. But the pens weren't working well. So I tried some white acrylic paint. It didn't cover the orange well. So I ended up using the same white chalk paint as the original coat. Chalk paint covers quite well, but it does dry fairly quickly and gums up the paintbrush.
I obviously have a lot to learn about paints and paintbrushes. I had quite a bit of trouble. So I took my time, listened to podcasts while I worked, and eventually got the design painted.
It was ... messy. I decided to use an ultra-fine tip black Sharpie to outline all of the white design. It's still messy, but doesn't look too bad from a distance.
I decided I needed to seal the painting. This was another fraught step. Would it work? I have a very old spray can of matte sealant - honestly, I think it's over 35 years old! The last time I tried to seal on top of Sharpie, the ink bled. So I took my chances and gently sprayed the sealant on the painting. Not only did the ink not bleed, the sealant helped the colors to pop. I am so pleased!
I bought two different 8" x 10" frames at Dollar Tree, (one of which had to be super-glued back together at a corner). When I tried to put the painting in the frames, I learned that my canvas wasn't cut straight. It was slightly too big for either frame. (I've spent two dollars at this point).
The following day, I stopped by a different Dollar Tree location. They had 11" x 14" frames! So I bought one of those. (The third dollar spent). I used a black mat from my stash. It was 11" x 14" with an 8" x 10" opening. I simply taped the canvas to the back of the mat with some painter's tape. (I go high tech). Then all the pieces fit together.
I hung the painting in our entryway at a rather unusual height. But it works! This is what it looks like when we walk in the front door.
And here's a close-up of the completed painting, in place.
Three dollars! Plus, since most of the supplies were on hand, this is another step toward finishing my 20/2020 goal of completing 20 projects where I already had the supplies: canvas, paint, mat, sealant.
As a bonus, I'm rather proud of myself for trying a new technique and having a measure of success.
