tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74828656385063407282024-03-13T16:51:19.984-07:00Crafting PlayCrafting Playhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12917135526044905975noreply@blogger.comBlogger145125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482865638506340728.post-9666968915988903482014-07-25T12:10:00.000-07:002014-07-25T12:10:24.680-07:00Spin Art<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijXsK1VQIersP5_NdH8NytBPryPzh-5lsFFTLeTvHRqY-WTHFap9OCBFHU6ZI0CDrGdowUEv0c0UZdSBm4PYAyy_Bvh1IUT27jUNe0HzzdY_cd8hyphenhyphenDtOYQ8B9s82gMiDaqsIEiXd96Ge-k/s1600/spinart+image.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijXsK1VQIersP5_NdH8NytBPryPzh-5lsFFTLeTvHRqY-WTHFap9OCBFHU6ZI0CDrGdowUEv0c0UZdSBm4PYAyy_Bvh1IUT27jUNe0HzzdY_cd8hyphenhyphenDtOYQ8B9s82gMiDaqsIEiXd96Ge-k/s1600/spinart+image.png" height="640" width="425" /></a></div>
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We just got a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VNVVN6/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000VNVVN6&linkCode=as2&tag=artesi-20&linkId=NWQ3AFCZVNQXESSY">Melissa and Doug Swirl 'n Spin</a>. Oh. my. goodness. So much fun. I've always felt a little "eh" about spin art, but after seeing Ethan's process, I may have changed my mind. Not only was he enjoying the art, but he was experimenting: What happens if I.... I wonder what it will look like when I... He tried so many things I wouldn't have thought to try on my own. (See the photo where he drew lines with the paint.<br />
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Lately, the creative in myself has been wanting to get back to some more "hands-on" projects. Different mediums, etc. I want to spend time experimenting with art and seeing what sticks. This spin art has done just that for Ethan, and it's just been so fun to watch! (Pretty sure you can tell how much he enjoyed it when you look at that face!)Crafting Playhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12917135526044905975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482865638506340728.post-73072446347014617292014-05-30T12:27:00.002-07:002014-05-30T12:27:30.099-07:00Recycled Can Herb Planters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1jKu4YwoFwxWw3ygXvQLFsRtNu3z1QPAcv6NDJBYL7Ne9pW5lAojvzdUQ121_59KEt8MeXzcLVQGsJ-06z890aCpUWPJHc27d-Cu1CLRQiz90R7ska3GeerrIjezrE9dA2SY7UQ6eG7YJ/s1600/CP_can+planters.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1jKu4YwoFwxWw3ygXvQLFsRtNu3z1QPAcv6NDJBYL7Ne9pW5lAojvzdUQ121_59KEt8MeXzcLVQGsJ-06z890aCpUWPJHc27d-Cu1CLRQiz90R7ska3GeerrIjezrE9dA2SY7UQ6eG7YJ/s1600/CP_can+planters.png" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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I've been wanting to grow some herbs for awhile, but we are overrun with rabbits, so anything I would plant needs to be out of bunny's reach. That's been a bit challenging. I have been avoiding putting them up on a table...that always just seems to get in the way.<br />
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I originally saw this idea on a post from <a href="http://themicrogardener.com/diy-repurposed-garden-projects/">The Micro Gardener</a>, and I knew right away that I needed to try hanging my herbs this way. <br />
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I created them the<strike> totally lazy</strike> easy way and didn't even need a drill. I hammered a nail against the bottom of the can to poke drain holes (three for each can). I used an old fashioned can/bottle opener (you know, like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005D6G6WM/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005D6G6WM&linkCode=as2&tag=artesi-20&linkId=YJLOANIMHCLCNWLA">this</a>) to create the hanger holes on the side of the cans. I used two sizes of cans, although I found that the best was the 12 oz cans were probably the most successful. Sorry I didn't take any "process photos." I was rushing ;)<br />
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I spray painted them with white <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002BWOS7G/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002BWOS7G&linkCode=as2&tag=artesi-20&linkId=4O7B5573FXLLE3MJ">Rustoleum spraypaint</a>, choosing white to help avoid cooking the roots of the plants in the sun.<br />
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I was able to pretty much buy the herb plants and slip them right down into the cans. Again, it was much easier with the larger tomato can than it was with the soup cans. Either way though, they are happy, smell great, and are looking fabulous. They do require frequent watering however, since the planters are so small.<br />
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Anyway, bottom line? Love them.Crafting Playhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12917135526044905975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482865638506340728.post-87615599734844259832014-05-14T14:19:00.000-07:002014-05-14T14:19:48.250-07:00Growing Sweet Potato Vine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">We started with a sweet potato perched inside a Mason jar full of water. Now we have a lovely beginning of a sweet potato vine, planted and ready for summer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi76ACY_p-658jYCLN7UWp2sGPRLzs-aTb1W4GzspcPix6wjMsmm-mv2x13nFro4-FJe7ceZveLI3hlYOr8gE3wiG35pO10VpVY8uV3ibxKPEHwWIC6e9bCQMH-eVjPdl4JR44sHcX6dCHl/s1600/20140511_111219_wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi76ACY_p-658jYCLN7UWp2sGPRLzs-aTb1W4GzspcPix6wjMsmm-mv2x13nFro4-FJe7ceZveLI3hlYOr8gE3wiG35pO10VpVY8uV3ibxKPEHwWIC6e9bCQMH-eVjPdl4JR44sHcX6dCHl/s640/20140511_111219_wm.jpg" /> </a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I held the potato in place while Ethan filled the planter with dirt. (PS. I lined the coconut husk planter with a grocery bag)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdkwm-ARIqOwg2eLwTjGk5qGFGsyWMAdUq6e-_ig8V22WPKsDa3AoyjC5hizQZN5EvA-nSoJUnHX372wmflWd-JxuyTYChFdDx1A32JbPHwdDjqdbV4ziDU6HIKUod4_xWEqjw6NxAMoCA/s1600/20140514_151435_wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdkwm-ARIqOwg2eLwTjGk5qGFGsyWMAdUq6e-_ig8V22WPKsDa3AoyjC5hizQZN5EvA-nSoJUnHX372wmflWd-JxuyTYChFdDx1A32JbPHwdDjqdbV4ziDU6HIKUod4_xWEqjw6NxAMoCA/s640/20140514_151435_wm.jpg" /> </a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And there we are...loving the great outdoors.</span></div>
Crafting Playhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12917135526044905975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482865638506340728.post-64190571738405504062014-05-13T16:10:00.001-07:002014-05-14T14:19:40.288-07:00Comb Painting<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;">
Painting with a one dollar comb. It's amazing how fun changing up your tool can be. :)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTg52n5G781cog6p24YNOHdlVpaUFLIbZQzRM8mQcTdOvtxGsImTNXSYmIeOfT30TIqIEqncEl-wXdhWaC-sfTZn6lFndj01Ubd83EHgFGPpWDa7It10KDuqDKZzr_gFoFcmD8AibYTodh/s1600/DSC_0007_wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTg52n5G781cog6p24YNOHdlVpaUFLIbZQzRM8mQcTdOvtxGsImTNXSYmIeOfT30TIqIEqncEl-wXdhWaC-sfTZn6lFndj01Ubd83EHgFGPpWDa7It10KDuqDKZzr_gFoFcmD8AibYTodh/s640/DSC_0007_wm.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm47moZ0Z06hqsPNKd9q1hPTLG7F6RxcWRvwqmwSdPDwgnbNG-7LYqVldxVwTr3k7qwEemTi-HPVqY9TXRJfR_MIsQi4OHFEW7mpwFS12jWsP_TSh4GvbRV_e-SyN0W4K-HfFkYtGFNORN/s1600/DSC_0009_wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm47moZ0Z06hqsPNKd9q1hPTLG7F6RxcWRvwqmwSdPDwgnbNG-7LYqVldxVwTr3k7qwEemTi-HPVqY9TXRJfR_MIsQi4OHFEW7mpwFS12jWsP_TSh4GvbRV_e-SyN0W4K-HfFkYtGFNORN/s640/DSC_0009_wm.jpg" height="400" width="266" /> </a> </div>
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He does good work.</div>
Crafting Playhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12917135526044905975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482865638506340728.post-4536243813032245912014-04-29T09:10:00.003-07:002014-04-29T09:10:58.239-07:00Preschool Vacation Packing List<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRnHixdPzxEaFM2IY8toHPM0MyAdHiaI2q8h0zpkThri5u1VnkSeicMW1cTRaJYkZNMrWDnJqHyE6Xj9E0qv1uBNZQE7W5RGjdscUQbyc2E8Gl5swn1OX_GszNXwLtXO3tYQlfs08zDc9T/s1600/20140410_191112_wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRnHixdPzxEaFM2IY8toHPM0MyAdHiaI2q8h0zpkThri5u1VnkSeicMW1cTRaJYkZNMrWDnJqHyE6Xj9E0qv1uBNZQE7W5RGjdscUQbyc2E8Gl5swn1OX_GszNXwLtXO3tYQlfs08zDc9T/s640/20140410_191112_wm.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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We recently went on a long weekend trip. I knew my do-it-myself preschooler would <strike>insist on </strike>want to choose his own clothing to bring along with him. To empower him to make his own choices as well as maintain some order (I mean, he may want to bring 20 t-shirts, but we only have so much trunk space--and Mom has multiple pairs of shoes to pack), I made this little illustrated packing list using Microsoft clip-art and Microsoft Word. </div>
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How easy is that?!!? Above each clip art, I put the number of each item that he was supposed to bring (great number reinforcement, right?). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8kXgdneVGeGgRCqlq5eYPYIaNiAbytw14_Y6ACX-__jHaNkalSF-luFjhFZ4kIZiz1qYoYe-ZxT0IaApLsnbZhC0jnM7Zh9f2gjNnooZkQyEY82j4NW6egSFMdgQwptopj0v9LY-wjgR0/s1600/20140410_191127_wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8kXgdneVGeGgRCqlq5eYPYIaNiAbytw14_Y6ACX-__jHaNkalSF-luFjhFZ4kIZiz1qYoYe-ZxT0IaApLsnbZhC0jnM7Zh9f2gjNnooZkQyEY82j4NW6egSFMdgQwptopj0v9LY-wjgR0/s640/20140410_191127_wm.jpg" height="225" width="400" /> </a> </div>
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The list worked perfectly and definitely helped him to feel like a big kid, in charge of his own packing process. We will certainly use these illustrated packing lists again!</div>
Crafting Playhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12917135526044905975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482865638506340728.post-62415969338240587592014-03-25T09:46:00.001-07:002014-03-25T09:46:49.844-07:00Foil Mixed Media Collage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJkwzOFHt-1YmDfuk7cuoAjfiji0q7bslNMw5P-5jxl0uzabkTvEi6xlo4TU5OmUiofaF-sIFC3fM-lBoYywICy4ycPneT_-IkpI7PtoCk1Dz-YH6Zt1YSzbcgE_LItit-0OuN7h9wboBV/s1600/foil+mixed+media+collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJkwzOFHt-1YmDfuk7cuoAjfiji0q7bslNMw5P-5jxl0uzabkTvEi6xlo4TU5OmUiofaF-sIFC3fM-lBoYywICy4ycPneT_-IkpI7PtoCk1Dz-YH6Zt1YSzbcgE_LItit-0OuN7h9wboBV/s1600/foil+mixed+media+collage.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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This project was a definite winner with the 3 year old! </div>
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I drew some inspiration from Piikea Street's <a href="http://www.piikeastreet.com/2012/04/modern-tin-art/">Modern Tin Art</a> that I found on Pinterest. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbhcAPVsZPGM55FWiJvoWe06ocv4mYJr7lUw2i556SekyR84p1gyzFkPxiixu4mG4J1VHpamMFDUSEVFnDGNQxc_SrEH9HQvJ_pAe_-xFVOaj_4XpmszyDsNqKvdP52MbNmz2bOdWrruuW/s1600/20140219_145817.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbhcAPVsZPGM55FWiJvoWe06ocv4mYJr7lUw2i556SekyR84p1gyzFkPxiixu4mG4J1VHpamMFDUSEVFnDGNQxc_SrEH9HQvJ_pAe_-xFVOaj_4XpmszyDsNqKvdP52MbNmz2bOdWrruuW/s1600/20140219_145817.jpg" height="238" width="320" /></a></div>
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I started by cutting out a piece of cardboard (think cereal box) and had Ethan cut slits around the edges (boy loves to use scissors). We then randomly strung yarn through some of the slits. After, we covered it with foil.<br />
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I gave Ethan paint and some glitter glue which he spread around with a paint brush. He then asked to add stickers, so away he went.<br />
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He is crazy proud of these pieces. I can see why. They are quite different, and of course, shiny and sparkly! I love mixed media pieces because they are really good for supporting creativity. Win.Crafting Playhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12917135526044905975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482865638506340728.post-31805212921612496112014-03-21T09:58:00.000-07:002014-03-21T09:58:25.219-07:00DIY LP Record Box<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg1ouZdyKrq0QBooOAy1whihFAKeRIbpw3hDr8zp7e7tRwUM6QMlmhWHFOY_u1rhL4GYWkcnDg6hRHvmGbSqTxbJEv3yUtC2hjXGNJ2JDksBvl24R6hF5IVaSpPwkbV1GTOOchRyT-J9QB/s1600/DIY-record.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg1ouZdyKrq0QBooOAy1whihFAKeRIbpw3hDr8zp7e7tRwUM6QMlmhWHFOY_u1rhL4GYWkcnDg6hRHvmGbSqTxbJEv3yUtC2hjXGNJ2JDksBvl24R6hF5IVaSpPwkbV1GTOOchRyT-J9QB/s1600/DIY-record.png" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
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I have a small stack of LP records at home, but I've never had a good way to store them. My best solution has been putting them inside a milk crate...which really isn't a solution at all. In fact, it's a really bad, eye-sore of a solution. </div>
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In an effort to do some clean-up, I went online and searched for a storage solution. Granted, I didn't want to spend a lot of money, but so many of the reviews for such things came back saying that the product didn't live up to the user's expectations. They were flimsy...hard to assemble... Sigh. On reviewer said the purchase was in essence spending $15 on a cardboard box. </div>
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So, I went back to the drawing board. Did I have a cardboard box? I discovered that a simple diaper box was exactly the right size. Hallelujah!</div>
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I taped the flaps up tall with packing tape, and covered the box with contact paper. Contact paper can be a tricky thing. If you look at the back of my box, there are quite a few bubbles. I really just focused on keeping the front side especially clean.</div>
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If I were to do it again, I'd use a darker colored Contact paper. The white shows through the box design a bit. But, it's what I had on hand. </div>
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For me, the box worked out perfect. I really just slide it in and out from under the turn table's table. ;) I will admit that if you would prefer a lid, or you will be moving the box around quite a bit, this may not be the solution for you.</div>
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It's wonderful to see my records looking so cozy!Crafting Playhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12917135526044905975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482865638506340728.post-72985545988513042632014-03-20T13:09:00.001-07:002014-03-20T13:09:28.063-07:00Oliver's Tree by Kit Chase<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHSBW1bfm73i6CaWp1gXEobuLMbe3mzkSSIDOcwL8oiuZpQCixnMv0Qzapvm0QVTzUhW0_ZiFF0tqXa57icd3LGg22KnzCGWdbT7Z1uQl2JGbVd4SyeEmx3zO0JcSmhX2e_E-TqEck_yxg/s1600/PicsPlay_1395343860036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHSBW1bfm73i6CaWp1gXEobuLMbe3mzkSSIDOcwL8oiuZpQCixnMv0Qzapvm0QVTzUhW0_ZiFF0tqXa57icd3LGg22KnzCGWdbT7Z1uQl2JGbVd4SyeEmx3zO0JcSmhX2e_E-TqEck_yxg/s640/PicsPlay_1395343860036.jpg" /> </a> </div>
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I'm not one to pre-order items, but when I saw Kit Chase had this lovely book coming out, I clicked the buy button without a second thought. It arrived yesterday, and is just wonderful!</div>
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I'm a big fan of Kit Chase's work. You can see more of it in her etsy shop, <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/trafalgarssquare?ref=si_shop">Trafalgar's Square</a>. We have a number of her whimsical illustrations in our playroom, and I just adore them. (Or follow Kit on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/kitchase">@KitChase</a>).</div>
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Oliver's Tree did not disappoint. The illustrations are fantastic, and the story is a beautiful tale of friendship. Also, the dust jacket and pages are so sleek and high quality (the book is also available on the Kindle, but I can't help but feel like this is book that you must have in print). This book is truly a wonderful addition to your collection, especially if you're a sucker for illustration.</div>
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I can't wait to show my son that the friends on the pages of the book are the same animals in the prints on the playroom wall. But we'll have to wait until Easter for his three year old opinion.</div>
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You can <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DGZKMSQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00DGZKMSQ&linkCode=as2&tag=artesi-20">buy Oliver's tree on Amazon</a>. Do it. :)</div>
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Crafting Playhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12917135526044905975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482865638506340728.post-81198119676939236222014-02-11T09:36:00.000-08:002014-02-11T09:36:02.711-08:00Creating an Artistic Living Space<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj66ol8abStoF43yWacKrV91gqlzpClI2hFCZIXTW0ynAIhi4D164t5IsVyccgbwvZsyD_ffoqcFDMJulc9KNhK94ttETzlNEz-Xat-TBM1lYaWN01JHhzhS5Vnp6tlclWr4wAimNQAIFVe/s1600/DSC_4932b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj66ol8abStoF43yWacKrV91gqlzpClI2hFCZIXTW0ynAIhi4D164t5IsVyccgbwvZsyD_ffoqcFDMJulc9KNhK94ttETzlNEz-Xat-TBM1lYaWN01JHhzhS5Vnp6tlclWr4wAimNQAIFVe/s1600/DSC_4932b.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When we moved into our current home, I had one decorating goal in mind...to fill the space with a variety of different (affordable) art. Pieces that I really loved. A good variety of things that were inspiring. Somewhere in between reality and a perfect world, I wanted to expose my little guy to art not only by going to galleries, but by having pieces to appreciate at home. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I've been following Tobi Fairley since watching two of her great interior design courses on <a href="http://www.creativelive.com/">Creative Live</a>. In her courses, I learned a lot about making thoughtful decisions about interior spaces. She recently posted a Tobi TV episode on her blog called <a href="http://networkedblogs.com/TGevA">Being Smart with your Art</a>. Her post really hit home to me...she was explaining exactly what I have been trying to accomplish. How amazing is it when you have some validation that you're on the right track!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My condensed version of "Tobi's Top Tips for Using Art That's Smart":</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1. Use a mix of media and art types</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2. Bring in things that have meaning- even children's artwork!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">3. Buy original- take note to up and coming artists</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">4. Mix in some "decorator art"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Make sure to read her <a href="http://networkedblogs.com/TGevA">post</a> in more detail and watch the video. Great stuff!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For me, I'm enjoying a mix of things like artists I've discovered through blogs or Etsy, <a href="http://www.craftingplay.com/2014/02/touch-of-easy-modern-art.html">DIY art</a>, my own art pieces, kid art, <a href="http://www.craftingplay.com/2013/11/student-pottery-sale.html">student art</a>, some fine artist prints, and a few pieces of "decorator art." It's a nice eclectic mix, and all pieces that I love looking at every day. I have things scattered all over our home, but I thought we'd take a look at the living room.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF4Es7_YHAaixw-Vl3B6UxShLQ-MXB8xhPw3TVVS5Vzc-AMic6skXaO7Ocl6A95fNeIiLgEQ7NWDJzQqf7Qz2ehRzwpQUUVJ769pC7bW9FODcF6MYeP1yHabcLApzehDXdrZiqXux5IlcF/s1600/lIVING-ROOM-collage-for-blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF4Es7_YHAaixw-Vl3B6UxShLQ-MXB8xhPw3TVVS5Vzc-AMic6skXaO7Ocl6A95fNeIiLgEQ7NWDJzQqf7Qz2ehRzwpQUUVJ769pC7bW9FODcF6MYeP1yHabcLApzehDXdrZiqXux5IlcF/s1600/lIVING-ROOM-collage-for-blog.jpg" height="267" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I love these pieces...none of which will break the bank...so I wanted to share them:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007TTF28K/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007TTF28K&linkCode=as2&tag=artesi-20">Artissimo Designs- Joyful Garden</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">2. <a href="http://everydayloveart.com/item/City-in-the-rain/88/c6">Nidhi Chanani- City in the Rain</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">3. <a href="http://everydayloveart.com/item/Koi/24/p3c6">Nidhi Chanani- Koi</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">4. <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/162392178/original-watercolor-red-poppies-8x11?ref=shop_home_active_1">Kristin Maynes Red Poppies</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">5. <a href="http://www.cafepress.com/craftingplay.403652351">Kristin Savko- Fern Collage</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">6. <a href="http://society6.com/KristinSavko/Quiet-Still_Print#1=45">Kristin Savko- Quiet Still</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The rest of the wall prints are family photos, a small oil painting I bought on a trip, and a spin art Ethan created from melted wax at the <a href="http://www.crayolaexperience.com/">Crayola Experience</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you want to seem more about the living space, you can take a peek at <a href="http://www.craftingplay.com/2013/05/bold-flora-living-room-accents.html">Living Room Mood Board</a>. Also, gotta mention how much I adore my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009M98NSQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009M98NSQ&linkCode=as2&tag=artesi-20">Hampton Bay Ceiling Fan</a>. It's so lovely.</span><br />
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<br />Crafting Playhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12917135526044905975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482865638506340728.post-51969922146434418492014-02-06T15:00:00.000-08:002014-02-06T15:00:07.025-08:00Snow Ice Cream: A Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_iZTCFfu-4VpYjqnKKJd-9BfUV3GOu0ikVwZLgvxmzsHaa7EKtGezIVNHVJ1G6I2LbKr6QkhN6EW-XkJxr1t7tr2i2bZ1jOn9gIGjx3qubIXKV_Mp21XTd5lx8A9Wckn18twkDafqPIJQ/s640/20140203_140058_wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_iZTCFfu-4VpYjqnKKJd-9BfUV3GOu0ikVwZLgvxmzsHaa7EKtGezIVNHVJ1G6I2LbKr6QkhN6EW-XkJxr1t7tr2i2bZ1jOn9gIGjx3qubIXKV_Mp21XTd5lx8A9Wckn18twkDafqPIJQ/s640/20140203_140058_wm.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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With all the crazy snow this year, I decided we'd try out some snow ice cream. I mean, even Paula Deen <strike>says it is amazing</strike> <strike>can be done</strike> has a recipe for it <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/snow-ice-cream-recipe.html">online</a>. We used about 8 cups of snow, 1/2 cup of sugar, a cup of milk, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Ethan loved collecting the snow, adding the ingredients, and mixing. Neither of us were real excited with the final product. The taste was there, but the texture, not so much.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhloYfSda2UoRiD7sjDjecDdLsXw8tgFivJCNpOV4vtn1DCJQqGRTe967-YLUjxthvgmlMtff8TwlilGpnnl2melLdiRK65NpMxcVZgAZ5fNGmfmMjk5Q1qTrW_jCwM-LFI_vstQ1ptRZvw/s1600/20140203_140635_wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhloYfSda2UoRiD7sjDjecDdLsXw8tgFivJCNpOV4vtn1DCJQqGRTe967-YLUjxthvgmlMtff8TwlilGpnnl2melLdiRK65NpMxcVZgAZ5fNGmfmMjk5Q1qTrW_jCwM-LFI_vstQ1ptRZvw/s640/20140203_140635_wm.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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As much snow as he was eating outside, I thought this would be a winner, but you can see how impressed he was...even with chocolate syrup. Next time, we'll stick to eating snow and icicles.</div>
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Ever have good experience with snow ice cream? </div>
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Maybe I should have followed Paula's recipe? </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha4D7w0w7dFvYL2H_w9OhJ5nsDPF3bHoqBWSjj1FUjDbvCd8k-WiiizGYnvqP3ipiQvqJcOcY50lBfA0m_L3iLrC3lHEJzPcM7O4hncDEn6NmEhuYvzOKFLwiohKeVYzvjD6qKPWljuilC/s1600/DSC_4956.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha4D7w0w7dFvYL2H_w9OhJ5nsDPF3bHoqBWSjj1FUjDbvCd8k-WiiizGYnvqP3ipiQvqJcOcY50lBfA0m_L3iLrC3lHEJzPcM7O4hncDEn6NmEhuYvzOKFLwiohKeVYzvjD6qKPWljuilC/s1600/DSC_4956.jpg" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
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Tape resist painting is all over Pinterest. In fact, I did some with Ethan when he was just a baby that you can check out <a href="http://www.craftingplay.com/2012/02/q-tip-and-finger-painting-letters-on.html">here</a>. I have to say though, I was quite inspired by <a href="http://krugthethinker.com/2011/11/tape-paintings/">these</a> tape resist paintings hung above the bed--so that's what I set out to do.</div>
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The canvases I got at Ollie's for $2-3 each. I also got some gold spray paint (the cheapest I could find...I think that was maybe another $2)...and some acrylic paints...the cheapest thing the craft store had...so maybe another $3 there. My total investment for the whole project was under $15. Not bad for three painted canvases!</div>
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I spray painted the canvases with the gold paint, and once they dried, Ethan helped me with the tape placement (we used blue painter's tape). Then we painted the canvases together. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjphyasbIxNqwwczVAektbI-v3pUUomPlfSlpD5CgAlg0Ol8gR_C9yj9KmiIcvvpmQ69JVTukPvRp2sTao9ArwDyMllDBLz89jPTmW1d01ZJFdSVbRW2WKhNLrERy3jrU3uoTDnxV5s_j_h/s1600/2013-11-10+19.15.12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjphyasbIxNqwwczVAektbI-v3pUUomPlfSlpD5CgAlg0Ol8gR_C9yj9KmiIcvvpmQ69JVTukPvRp2sTao9ArwDyMllDBLz89jPTmW1d01ZJFdSVbRW2WKhNLrERy3jrU3uoTDnxV5s_j_h/s1600/2013-11-10+19.15.12.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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We only used one coat of paint. I liked the brush strokes and seeing some of the gold peeking through. We removed the tape before it was dry to try and avoid chipping any paint. Some paint did seep under the tape and I resisted my urge to touch up the areas with gold paint in an attempt to have something a bit less polished.</div>
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I love the paintings above the bed. I hung them with <a href="https://www.blogger.com/a%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000OF6X48/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000OF6X48&linkCode=as2&tag=artesi-20">Command Strips</a>, which made hanging them at a level height much easier than using nails. That's it! Totally easy! :)</div>
<br />Crafting Playhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12917135526044905975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482865638506340728.post-5313498535339422562014-01-30T18:00:00.000-08:002014-01-30T18:00:02.876-08:00Experiment Journal- Hot Water in the Polar Vortex<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhazc-7URadco8lM3IzvUNFvzmG56jP8IYOMy6-v4CHge0qTUuQK8FJQCVoVvNlg6Ue2PmJ0NI6oNiXCdbjC9J4IeucCbN_fb30zli6nVI342O9Hz5N8489QQ9TGZxjyT538j5_ikMhRm1H/s1600/20140121_170907_wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhazc-7URadco8lM3IzvUNFvzmG56jP8IYOMy6-v4CHge0qTUuQK8FJQCVoVvNlg6Ue2PmJ0NI6oNiXCdbjC9J4IeucCbN_fb30zli6nVI342O9Hz5N8489QQ9TGZxjyT538j5_ikMhRm1H/s640/20140121_170907_wm.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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It's been a fitting year for a movie entitled <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G5G7EXY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00G5G7EXY&linkCode=as2&tag=artesi-20">Frozen</a> to be hit the big screen. "Do you want to build a snowman? It doesn't have to be a snowman." </div>
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Near zero temperatures and a toddler who wouldn't admit that he was bored out of his mind, lead for desperate measures--an activity that would entertain for more than five minutes. On this particular day, I wasn't sure that it was even possible. So I asked Ethan if he wanted to do an experiment and journal about it. His ears perked up.</div>
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My husband boiled the water and put it in a coffee travel mug. To really make it a good learning experience, we also took out a travel mug of cold water. We threw the cold water in the air first. Of course, it spilled out like normal. Then we threw the hot water and watched it turn to a cloud of super fine snow. </div>
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Remember BE CAREFUL. We were wearing heavy winter clothing, including gloves, and we were very cautious of the direction of the wind, etc. Our mugs had handles and were not breakable. You can read an explanation of the science <a href="http://newsfeed.time.com/2014/01/07/heres-what-happens-to-boiling-water-when-its-this-freezing-out/">here</a>...as well as read a cautionary "do not try this at home" tale. (Don't want to tell you "I told you so.")</div>
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So then we came inside and drew what we had seen. At first Ethan just drew crazy all over the page, but after watching me draw mine, he quickly flipped his paper over and started drawing "cups and water." It was a good way to be entertained, as well as a great chance to talk about what we had seen. He was especially excited that we were drawing in our journals about science experiments like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004ILXB8A/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004ILXB8A&linkCode=as2&tag=artesi-20">Sid the Science Kid</a>. </div>
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Going to have to be on the lookout for some more experiments. The journal was a real hit!</div>
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Here's our video too..just in case you wanna check it out :)</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwsASrSZ-Wo_LbK-41p7C8ofryZVJ5mxY8XDUMZXrjABIx2UAiNE9x5vyQd3YMa84JIabCFktk5ld7yWIWXVA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Enjoy! Be careful, and stay warm out there!</div>
Crafting Playhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12917135526044905975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482865638506340728.post-85418017784990635612013-12-23T09:16:00.001-08:002013-12-23T09:16:16.228-08:00CraftingPlay is on Zulily today!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3-vBzxbEWgl7CkG9QZG-WtwD8hTTMuSllxnS3KFMHXkL8B0PMjtpg68RwZ565wATPxZpKcaBTE_BkqVheG82rVZOCXiDfagafZQ3_HjAEbay4lo6Nlcw6CyEd4R-OPQjPP_suilvq4VN_/s1600/White+Monkeying+Around+Canvas+Wall+Art+++Daily+deals+for+moms,+babies+and+kids.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3-vBzxbEWgl7CkG9QZG-WtwD8hTTMuSllxnS3KFMHXkL8B0PMjtpg68RwZ565wATPxZpKcaBTE_BkqVheG82rVZOCXiDfagafZQ3_HjAEbay4lo6Nlcw6CyEd4R-OPQjPP_suilvq4VN_/s400/White+Monkeying+Around+Canvas+Wall+Art+++Daily+deals+for+moms,+babies+and+kids.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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I love myself some Zulily. How surprised and excited I was when I saw one of my illustrations<a href="http://www.zulily.com/p/white-monkeying-around-canvas-wall-art-69399-6775791.html?pos=61&e=1&ns=ns_501163221"> for sale</a> on their page today! If you aren't registered with Zulily, you may not be able to view the link. If that's the case, you can check out/ buy products with the same design directly from <a href="http://www.cafepress.com/craftingplay/7111358">CafePress</a>.<br />
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I created that design almost four years ago while we were waiting for Ethan's arrival. Pretty neato!<br />
<br />Crafting Playhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12917135526044905975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482865638506340728.post-83812110390964593452013-12-02T09:48:00.001-08:002013-12-02T09:48:49.839-08:00Skillshare Photo Series Class Discount Code<div id="yui_3_10_1_1_1386005839681_12190" style="color: #333333; line-height: 23.515625px;">
I'm so excited to be teaching a photography class at Skillshare!! </div>
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<b>For my blog readers, you can use discount code SAVE5 to save $5 from now until 12/10/14</b>. That means the class is only $14! </div>
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I love taking classes through Skillshare because they are a great online, self paced, opportunity to learn new skills. I can't be happier to see my content launched though such a great site.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3wFh-Rg4AE5r_JKpqSD7S4WJDmKLStYSQqlI6k6sWa14VxYCKFpue68_r6QYXR513FdAMVKiRsgcwXWMLTob1kw4Geg1Gt3FiEsbp8o-xwuEHni8gWBqtioBtyF7mqVbgTu4QLc_VTj_E/s1600/Promo-Ad.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3wFh-Rg4AE5r_JKpqSD7S4WJDmKLStYSQqlI6k6sWa14VxYCKFpue68_r6QYXR513FdAMVKiRsgcwXWMLTob1kw4Geg1Gt3FiEsbp8o-xwuEHni8gWBqtioBtyF7mqVbgTu4QLc_VTj_E/s400/Promo-Ad.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<em>Description</em></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A <strong style="color: #111111;">photo series</strong> is a set of photographs created with the intent of telling a story, evoking emotion, or causing the viewer to take a closer look at something. Shooting a photo series can be a lot of fun, and working within the parameters of a series can ignite your creativity and advance your photography skills.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As a photographer, I love the creative spark that a photo series gives me. Not only do series inspire me to pick up my camera, but they also are a great way to create a cohesive project from start to finish. My current series, “Little Loves: Everyday Life” is a personal, longer and ongoing photo series that allows me to be mindful of the details and moments of my everyday life. With this class, I want to share with you the joy and satisfaction of creating a photo series and then displaying it in a collage.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A collage is a great format to display your series (and all the work you put into it), and looks fabulous on a blog, Facebook, greeting cards, or printed and framed on your wall! </span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: inherit;">What you’ll learn</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In this class we will break down a photo series into manageable steps by:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Defining a photo series by looking at examples and resources</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Learning to develop your idea though word lists, mood boards, and shot lists</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Discussing basic photo composition and how to strengthen your images</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Learning about basic photo editing and effects</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Creating a collage using 4-9 images from your series</span></li>
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<em><span style="font-family: inherit;">Who is this class for?</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This class is for anyone who enjoys taking pictures and is eager to take part in a photography challenge. It doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner, a photo enthusiast, a budding photojournalist, a parent, or heck, you just love documenting life with your camera…this class is for you.</span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: inherit;">Prerequisites</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">You can use any photo equipment you choose: a cell phone, a point and shoot, or an SLR. You also do not need to have any prior experience with photo editing, nor do you need any special software. I will demo how to use the free software at Pixlr.com to do our editing and collage, however you are free to use other editing software like Photoshop if you prefer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><a href="http://skl.sh/18uHvJE"><span style="color: #2777ae;">Enroll </span>here.</a> (remember to use code SAVE5)</span></h1>
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<em><span style="font-family: inherit;">Want a sneak peek?</span></em></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUqNu8HGNNp5Qr5oLK3rVZhDeHFtoUMNPsuK8aTdwh4OxbkMThxwbrJbiKm5HEyKcqjegdMk4-G_NFQSE1Htjomn1DBtFRhM4d7nPNDy85nJVpNAXSs0MB6JEHFL4EQOwlFnHQSOuqxWOm/s1600/slideA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUqNu8HGNNp5Qr5oLK3rVZhDeHFtoUMNPsuK8aTdwh4OxbkMThxwbrJbiKm5HEyKcqjegdMk4-G_NFQSE1Htjomn1DBtFRhM4d7nPNDy85nJVpNAXSs0MB6JEHFL4EQOwlFnHQSOuqxWOm/s400/slideA.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Hope to see you in <a href="http://skl.sh/18uHvJE">class</a>!</div>
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Crafting Playhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12917135526044905975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482865638506340728.post-781838640049223712013-11-18T08:49:00.000-08:002013-11-18T08:49:00.313-08:00Student Pottery Sale<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghgdW9lqEgyo0qBaGiBmSikMEiPlt1hkHTK5TQefSPiWaa123j-WbaVi6UINlKkfjrSrjiilQn0wo_6EMq5CA0xvn5jz9YQ3vx2ZIsebHKT3JysKy3BR0vHq8uPaRhcCrqf4SPQ1kq_Fjk/s1600/20131115_204323_wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghgdW9lqEgyo0qBaGiBmSikMEiPlt1hkHTK5TQefSPiWaa123j-WbaVi6UINlKkfjrSrjiilQn0wo_6EMq5CA0xvn5jz9YQ3vx2ZIsebHKT3JysKy3BR0vHq8uPaRhcCrqf4SPQ1kq_Fjk/s400/20131115_204323_wm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This weekend went went to the student pottery sale at Millersville University. Was nice to be back at the Alma matter and supporting some very talented art students. Shout out to Alyssa Zimmerman, she made the two lovely pieces on the right. I love the form of the mug, and we can't wait to use the bowl for some guacamole! So excited to have these pieces as part of my art collection!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVd-v3gNckkwko00idLrjLPE_Mz3wUvymH4ucPg39Z7dxJG3N5puaoHENnAZ04kJOt_MqJgOPa6h2MpvI7LqOpI-lHdRzDyU87_COY3-ZClADh3PIJZVUpeWfXjTp9dwntiR1IkVC4OpxQ/s1600/20131115_183454_wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVd-v3gNckkwko00idLrjLPE_Mz3wUvymH4ucPg39Z7dxJG3N5puaoHENnAZ04kJOt_MqJgOPa6h2MpvI7LqOpI-lHdRzDyU87_COY3-ZClADh3PIJZVUpeWfXjTp9dwntiR1IkVC4OpxQ/s400/20131115_183454_wm.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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Ethan would have bought just about everything there if we had let him. He left with two small clay pendants of his own.</div>
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So my shopping tip? Keep an eye out for student sales. You'll be amazed with the quality of the pieces and you'll be supporting some wonderful artists who are just trying to get started. Win-win.</div>
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Crafting Playhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12917135526044905975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482865638506340728.post-31809855808614281162013-11-15T13:48:00.001-08:002013-11-15T13:48:27.992-08:00Six Little Paintings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_QWJGvPhnTrh3DWmx6FMAYX4tAYW6Vbsgffl2Bt7u3WfmDFo-XzSJfW5NlV3qfG6HM6Ly_Yp2vrFsgznKf1SWdxnQlVy7EmquN6b3BaGaziQpRZd2fqUFpdErefovXSW6vL4VrkQuHQRQ/s1600/PicsPlay_1384465412112_wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_QWJGvPhnTrh3DWmx6FMAYX4tAYW6Vbsgffl2Bt7u3WfmDFo-XzSJfW5NlV3qfG6HM6Ly_Yp2vrFsgznKf1SWdxnQlVy7EmquN6b3BaGaziQpRZd2fqUFpdErefovXSW6vL4VrkQuHQRQ/s400/PicsPlay_1384465412112_wm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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It's been a long time since Ethan's fingerpainted. So when he asked, we went down into the studio and he got to work. One of my favorite parts of the studio space is our drying line. Not only does it look awesome when all the little paintings are hanging in a row, but I can see the excitement and sense of pride when Ethan gets to clip his masterpieces up there. It's really just a $9 <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004AE2B04/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004AE2B04&linkCode=as2&tag=artesi-20%22%3EBetter%20Houseware's%20Retractable%20Clothesline%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=artesi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B004AE2B04%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;">retractable clothesline</a>. Great for hanging artwork, but nice that it can easily slide away when not in use. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1q97wsv_6N0Mrivx-4ZyygMdDlezYW68ArLr4eROaeTVqTfXVUwXLhnIvmO-PyyGac6Fx-vKdbFSyvLlb4r4K00oSII9DF2NuxfdgNpQYslqNeENF3nuSCQEcSJ5_2iZzjFzx7EIVYrVI/s1600/2013-11-10%25252020.01.05_wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1q97wsv_6N0Mrivx-4ZyygMdDlezYW68ArLr4eROaeTVqTfXVUwXLhnIvmO-PyyGac6Fx-vKdbFSyvLlb4r4K00oSII9DF2NuxfdgNpQYslqNeENF3nuSCQEcSJ5_2iZzjFzx7EIVYrVI/s400/2013-11-10%25252020.01.05_wm.jpg" width="400" /> </a> </div>
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I'm actually quite a fan of the red one in the middle. That might show up in a frame somewhere. Anyway, my main point is a just a little reminder that if it's been awhile, get out the paints again. It really is a lot of fun...And who doesn't want to preserve some little hand prints? They sure don't stay little for long...</div>
Crafting Playhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12917135526044905975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482865638506340728.post-21217012853521315962013-11-11T14:30:00.000-08:002013-11-11T14:30:00.893-08:00Pom-pom Toe-ga Game<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOm6TP0FH6KxXw4OtEb22GboiKx5AF4GgxkR_mER3m3aRiCtv9D3sV25aZZEr2ro9HVnK3JXmBomkP0PuBV51Os6wLS67rZKzkom98HUlL51WhQV4rZ-X4RfGzft6uqTqHjKM64L7s7qcO/s1600/20131109_194818.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOm6TP0FH6KxXw4OtEb22GboiKx5AF4GgxkR_mER3m3aRiCtv9D3sV25aZZEr2ro9HVnK3JXmBomkP0PuBV51Os6wLS67rZKzkom98HUlL51WhQV4rZ-X4RfGzft6uqTqHjKM64L7s7qcO/s640/20131109_194818.jpg" /> </a> </div>
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Recently at a yoga class, my instructor was having us do some "toe-ga" or feet strengthening exercises. I was doing a little research, and came across this great little <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/jonathanbailor/the-smarter-science-of-slim-and-sane-recipes/">children's yoga game</a>. Basically, you dump a bunch of pom-poms on the floor. Each player gets a yoga mat. Picking up the pom-poms with your feet, you bring as many as you can back to your mat. Whoever has the most at the end, wins. </div>
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We tried it out this weekend and it was a hit. At first, Ethan was pretty sure he couldn't possibly pick up the pom-pom with his toes, but once he did, he thought it was pretty cool. The game part fell apart a bit when I was only allowed to pick up the colors that he "didn't like," but it was still some good, fun, active play. And I'll tell you what, at then end, my feet were feeling pretty tired! </div>
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I didn't get a photograph, but Ethan also thought it was fun to pick up the pom-poms with his feet and try putting them into an empty tissue box, similar to our old <a href="http://www.craftingplay.com/2012/02/tissue-box-and-pom-pom-fill-and-spill.html">fill and spill game</a> (in fact, it's the same pom-poms and the same tissue box).</div>
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Pom-pom Toe-ga game for the win.</div>
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Crafting Playhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12917135526044905975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482865638506340728.post-9291766829219096452013-10-18T12:45:00.002-07:002013-10-18T12:45:54.834-07:00Weeee!!!! Photoshop 101 Homework<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigd8rc-8V3fqWHVlbFfoPL_VQGR-u_SPXH_zNBdf-lYrtgjY8xI9R-fJGC-ZvjBFI03B_wToACkSc1M6TObijXjD0VRRre03fNIPMFh2IJIndb0-S6VF3qdxTEl2b0ypEbxQD66Ox7dPtE/s1600/Ethan-glide-animated.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigd8rc-8V3fqWHVlbFfoPL_VQGR-u_SPXH_zNBdf-lYrtgjY8xI9R-fJGC-ZvjBFI03B_wToACkSc1M6TObijXjD0VRRre03fNIPMFh2IJIndb0-S6VF3qdxTEl2b0ypEbxQD66Ox7dPtE/s640/Ethan-glide-animated.gif" width="358" /></a></div>
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Sorry for the double post today, but I'm taking a Photoshop 101 class with <a href="http://www.fifthandhazel.com/">Melanie Burk</a> though <a href="http://www.nicolesclasses.com/">Nicole's Classes</a>. Even though I have been using Photoshop for years, I've still learned quite a bit. It's been great! Anyway, I learned how to create an animated gif in Photoshop today. This is just a set of cell phone pics of Ethan and his daddy at the park the other evening, but they animate quite well I think. :)<br />
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PS- I created the images in my last post as part of the Photoshop 101 class as well. Good stuff. Do yourself a favor and check out <a href="http://www.nicolesclasses.com/">Nicole's Classes</a>!Crafting Playhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12917135526044905975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482865638506340728.post-37298291274170215262013-10-18T11:02:00.002-07:002013-10-18T11:02:42.691-07:00Pretty Potted Plants on a Dime<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I bought these pots for a dollar a piece at Target back in the spring. (They were actually ice cream cups from the kitchen section). I love the brilliant colors and had really good intentions of buying some artificial succulents to put in them... until I saw the price tags. No way I was going to pay $7 per piece to fill my dollar pots. I ended up getting these $1 aquarium plants from the pet store and dropped them in. <div>
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Small inexpensive pots (I imagine you could paint some cheap clay pots at around $1 each) and aquarium plants. Easy-peasy!</div>
Crafting Playhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12917135526044905975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482865638506340728.post-44990741809694784512013-10-11T09:31:00.001-07:002013-10-11T09:31:43.656-07:003 Minute Recycled Ghosts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSb9EZhdmt7QGqMK946cNNXrzjJbD-4hBhyphenhyphenBdwTY6eC7Px9Z0BWKkxWPENkSZFtzE4E_QJxVTrVNeixEG9AG2doWLqJYov87N6kI4wag5XC76uCOZdtL1mQwyOOfBQWuvcOCidiiq8GANF/s1600/ghosts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSb9EZhdmt7QGqMK946cNNXrzjJbD-4hBhyphenhyphenBdwTY6eC7Px9Z0BWKkxWPENkSZFtzE4E_QJxVTrVNeixEG9AG2doWLqJYov87N6kI4wag5XC76uCOZdtL1mQwyOOfBQWuvcOCidiiq8GANF/s400/ghosts.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span id="goog_1882281157"></span><span id="goog_1882281158"></span>I really wanted to go outside the other evening. Cool and crisp fall air was upon us. 3 year old Ethan was less than interested, so I suggested we decorate for Halloween. Suddenly, going outside was a cause he could get behind. I really didn't have much, and I hadn't planned ahead (silly Mommy)...and so I decided <strike>I'd make ghosts while Ethan played with the materials</strike> we'd quick whip up some ghosts.<br />
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I headed to the basement (where the treasures are) and got some old white t-shirts that Daddy was saving for when he works on the car. I also grabbed some scissors, plastic grocery bags, and fishing line.<br />
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I balled up 1-2 bags and wrapped the t-shirt around it. I'd hold the shirt tightly around the plastic bag ball, and then rather haphazardly, I'd cut the "tail" of the ghost. Tie with some fishing line and ta-da! I said each ghost took about 3 minutes, but after I got rolling, it was probably even faster than that.<br />
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Ethan directed where to hang them in the tree, and we were done!<br />
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If I were to do it differently (aka, didn't have a preschooler chomping at the bit), I may have threaded the fishing line though the top of the head to hang them, but I like to think when they're leaning, it's like they are really flying! Ooooooo! Weather pending, I may add some spider web to the base of the tree for Trick or Treat night.<br />
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Either way, they really do look quite spooky out there! Happy Halloween!Crafting Playhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12917135526044905975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482865638506340728.post-59423615678769632032013-10-10T13:55:00.000-07:002013-10-10T13:55:30.103-07:00Crayons are for Adults<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This week I broke out the old box of crayons. I'm not kidding when I say "my old box"...my name is written in poor penmanship, in pencil, on the back of the box. The box copyright is 1990. I'm pretty sure those 8 new colors aren't so new anymore. </div>
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They may have been with me for awhile, but the crayon sharpener on the back of the box is just as lovely as always. (Remember how cool that pencil sharpener was? And how much it sucked when the bottom of the box would open up in your school desk?) Oh, and they still smell just as fantastic too.</div>
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I've been keeping this box and paper on my desk at work during the day. </div>
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I spend all day creating. Typically, when I need to think, find an idea, or work though something, I'll take to the internet and look all over the web for inspiration. I look at art, design, color, blogs-- all rather mindlessly until I work through my creative block in the back of my brain. Sometimes what I'm looking at sparks an idea; Other times just the break helps. It's my tried and true system. </div>
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This week I've been replacing some of that mindless surfing with a little coloring. It's a bit more meditative. I try and really focus just on the colors and the act of coloring, and clear my head. Only a minute or two at a time, but it's pretty good for a quick recharge. I'm 3 days in, and you can see from the image how little I've gotten done. It's not a lot, but it seems just right.</div>
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Regardless, it's been a nice change, and I have this wonderfully colorful piece of art to look at. :) Really, isn't it pretty?!? OH yeah, and it's so nice to be making marks on paper (that are not part of a to-do list).</div>
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You can download and print your own copy from my pin <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/108579040989655993/">here</a>. I repinned from Pinterest and I'm not real sure where the original is (If you know, please help me and give me a link so I can give more proper credit). Looks like it's a design from <a href="http://store.doverpublications.com/by-subject-coloring-books-creative-haven.html">Dover</a>. They have some amazing adult coloring books that are quite affordable...Love that the pages of the books are perforated too. Will have to get some of those! (Sorry, I digress).</div>
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So- do you love to color?</div>
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Crafting Playhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12917135526044905975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482865638506340728.post-15422714641473347202013-10-07T09:28:00.001-07:002013-10-07T09:31:02.454-07:00Raising a Shutterbug<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Interestingly enough, after posting last week about Strausburg, we ended up there again this weekend. Ethan's preschool class read 30 books as part of a library program, and he had a free train ride ticket waiting for him that we couldn't refuse.<br />
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Ethan asked during the ride if he could take some photos. I set the camera on Program, and the lens to 18mm and let him go. We helped him hold the weight of the lens (and keep him from banging it against anything when he would review his photos). Even with our hands on the lens, Ethan moved the camera around to take the photo he wanted. He had a BLAST.<br />
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Gotta say too, many of them are quite nice...take a look at Lancaster county through the eyes of a three year old. :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihUU-IL3ByVbduCCP9208fuqpu7WxCzcxb0YF2GauEixZtNZwDC5_pZlAtFPpzbWMrIKx3XX0OTi302kX2pzbzwxWTZ_vq_bQhyphenhyphenUgGHopV22lLJGQaZoqMqCZDajlC5A7FBRCtT9lC8koD/s1600/DSC_4290.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihUU-IL3ByVbduCCP9208fuqpu7WxCzcxb0YF2GauEixZtNZwDC5_pZlAtFPpzbWMrIKx3XX0OTi302kX2pzbzwxWTZ_vq_bQhyphenhyphenUgGHopV22lLJGQaZoqMqCZDajlC5A7FBRCtT9lC8koD/s400/DSC_4290.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIEl_mVMkWIXAxPfk3zNrsZNbLBzvAjGS3ujvXb-56lPHGVoxP2eDXBmrZsyl0-PrrscRJXQ4pN78RvUiljjOphYmM2tGuKHdsz30cblhZJjKrO5BiJappLBHU52zoocL2d67aIChixyS3/s1600/DSC_4293.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIEl_mVMkWIXAxPfk3zNrsZNbLBzvAjGS3ujvXb-56lPHGVoxP2eDXBmrZsyl0-PrrscRJXQ4pN78RvUiljjOphYmM2tGuKHdsz30cblhZJjKrO5BiJappLBHU52zoocL2d67aIChixyS3/s400/DSC_4293.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Yup, he loved it. :)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0iJx6f9b9C40B-Q9z8pgEW0u2YqTaFS5S0AXxmtkiOKHM6RzryDdF6sB782N70fnAYQAHy2ifOYiPpuFbzVimcNrurU13JKzYPsm6TlhTJOax3ZLEaNtwD7jsynoClyYDeDqS_EQGXD9Y/s1600/2013-10-06+11.45.53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0iJx6f9b9C40B-Q9z8pgEW0u2YqTaFS5S0AXxmtkiOKHM6RzryDdF6sB782N70fnAYQAHy2ifOYiPpuFbzVimcNrurU13JKzYPsm6TlhTJOax3ZLEaNtwD7jsynoClyYDeDqS_EQGXD9Y/s400/2013-10-06+11.45.53.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />Crafting Playhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12917135526044905975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482865638506340728.post-78450619462572461432013-10-04T12:44:00.001-07:002013-10-04T12:44:09.173-07:00Railroad Museum of PA Photo Exhibit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The <a href="http://www.rrmuseumpa.org/">Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania</a> in Strasburg, PA had a call for photograph submissions early in the year. I entered one of my favorite photos of Ethan visiting the museum and the trains at Strasburg. It wasn't chosen as a winner, but it is right next to the exhibit sign when you walk in, so I call that a win :)</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This summer, we got the chance to go see the exhibit: From Your Lens: Images of Contemporary Railroading.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyvYBIEbTrIXzxqgbBGli3t0nXNI7RIi0wMPZxMElf4s-ya70X7RsSMYX2kN-XUlyQRCCMTxCLPhKAS-DldHGzA8iBlUyx183yHa-_uNpGdtNRWbMPRyQZA5FFUaPNQDDA8sLolhLtUUZg/s1600/crafting-play-loves-trains.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyvYBIEbTrIXzxqgbBGli3t0nXNI7RIi0wMPZxMElf4s-ya70X7RsSMYX2kN-XUlyQRCCMTxCLPhKAS-DldHGzA8iBlUyx183yHa-_uNpGdtNRWbMPRyQZA5FFUaPNQDDA8sLolhLtUUZg/s400/crafting-play-loves-trains.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbM2_m0-g9Pf9eOm4DjH_UVz39qA5wVTjQURsptHBPITe7PPwoR9C8bxonO2mIH7DrIpVZM_oSj8UwdL995L64cHF1EIQz1hGZ7UQt3RgDrnP9EJlUfzfl3P8NICj4EW3k2yXp4cM1yaA2/s1600/2013-07-21+12.40.50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbM2_m0-g9Pf9eOm4DjH_UVz39qA5wVTjQURsptHBPITe7PPwoR9C8bxonO2mIH7DrIpVZM_oSj8UwdL995L64cHF1EIQz1hGZ7UQt3RgDrnP9EJlUfzfl3P8NICj4EW3k2yXp4cM1yaA2/s400/2013-07-21+12.40.50.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's the family checking out the exhibit.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOy9HW5VpcxAwE8otG9xCIIbzOp18l6n_8PkrOkotmDkBODadp2rKUP5sd7QyZ23iK379R8utpaOHCTylywB1XbiaWKzrJZpuDPU3-YBBNnfS_nUHWpH6MfyNLhS0j8Z6DeTM686BDXRo/s1600/2013-07-21+12.40.31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOy9HW5VpcxAwE8otG9xCIIbzOp18l6n_8PkrOkotmDkBODadp2rKUP5sd7QyZ23iK379R8utpaOHCTylywB1XbiaWKzrJZpuDPU3-YBBNnfS_nUHWpH6MfyNLhS0j8Z6DeTM686BDXRo/s400/2013-07-21+12.40.31.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I thought Ethan would think that it was neat that he was hanging on the wall, but he was pretty antsy to get to playing with the trains downstairs....I can't say I blame him. Regardless, it's always fun to have work on exhibit.<br />
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If you're interested, you can find out more <a href="http://www.rrmuseumpa.org/visitors/seasonal/exhibits/index.shtml">here</a>. It runs until Dec 31.Crafting Playhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12917135526044905975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482865638506340728.post-91779038413551399152013-10-01T09:43:00.001-07:002013-10-01T10:12:48.285-07:00Remembering Artist Richard NeubauerIt's not everyday that you get to meet a great artist. I was lucky enough to meet Richard Neubauer, first and foremost as my friend Jenn's father, but also as the artist that he was. I was exceptionally lucky to get to get a chance to learn about the man behind the paintings through multiple meetings, interactions, and family stories. And equally lucky to see and enjoy so many photographs of his work over the years.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm7h_hfpEGKww_OlGacSrTSPNwckKCjleHeyUI_jzdhKafaGZ27sRudpBBrJp9VU7Z44yuNxF7HEyxs_Tky9k60jzwBfsQtt7nwYt4j6pRZceGalFoCpVZW_TWBYFpBiyuNZpjQKLLMxQ8/s1600/richard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm7h_hfpEGKww_OlGacSrTSPNwckKCjleHeyUI_jzdhKafaGZ27sRudpBBrJp9VU7Z44yuNxF7HEyxs_Tky9k60jzwBfsQtt7nwYt4j6pRZceGalFoCpVZW_TWBYFpBiyuNZpjQKLLMxQ8/s320/richard.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sneak peek from the York Dispatch <a href="http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid16157484001?bckey=AQ~~,AAAAAGaC5v4~,9uhnnmkkI-Zpp_yheU_ggv-m-KMlGpng&bclid=1915439352&bctid=781146167001">video</a> below: "Age of Knowledge, Look Back at a Career"</td></tr>
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Richard was a self-taught, Rembrandt-style artist. He drew a lot of his inspiration from the numerous books he read, and countless hours studying paintings at the Smithsonian National Gallery in Washington, DC. He was kind, witty, humble, and a wonderful husband and father.<br />
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On his <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ArtOfRichardNeubauer">Facebook page</a> he wrote:<br />
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<i>"Maybe i got the bug to paint pictures from my</i></div>
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<i>Grandfather, who was an artist in Baltimore in the</i></div>
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<i>Late eighteen hundreds and early nineteen hundreds,</i></div>
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<i>painting signs on the sides of buildings that are</i></div>
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<i>still visible today sometimes.</i></div>
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<i>To paint a picture, first you need an idea that you</i></div>
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<i>truly want to express. Make a rough sketch of</i></div>
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<i>the idea with shading. That will be your guide for</i></div>
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<i>your painting.</i></div>
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<i>A painting must start with good composition.</i></div>
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<i>Composition is essential. All styles of art,</i></div>
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<i>whether it be abstract, impressionistic or other,</i></div>
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<i>needs to have good composition. Composition is</i></div>
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<i>the arrangement of components in a picture on</i></div>
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<i>your canvas in a pleasing manner."</i></div>
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This captivating video, "Age of Knowledge, Look Back at a Career," was put together by the <a href="http://yorkdispatch.mycapture.com/mycapture/folder.asp?event=1160983&CategoryID=60381&ListSubAlbums=0&thisPage=1">York Dispatch</a>. Do yourself a favor and watch it.<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.facebook.com/video/embed?video_id=10150930781779310" width="480"></iframe><br />
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You can admire more of his work on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ArtOfRichardNeubauer">Art of Richard Neubauer Facebook Page</a>.Crafting Playhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12917135526044905975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482865638506340728.post-84640756545332862772013-08-13T09:19:00.000-07:002013-08-13T09:19:58.591-07:00Number Walk- Learning Through Play<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7LBAS-4oDvUuBSl10en8tgg1HL7T8-8iF81x0j5oSfW5Es6oWzLDO0UlVfTZffKsbFag1A9IuKcXGZ_v20AW0Zh29Hkh-UEGWNRWOvxbNSIvWMKzIsS5O99ewIJjoUyR5hssbUO8tjmuX/s1600/numbers_wm%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7LBAS-4oDvUuBSl10en8tgg1HL7T8-8iF81x0j5oSfW5Es6oWzLDO0UlVfTZffKsbFag1A9IuKcXGZ_v20AW0Zh29Hkh-UEGWNRWOvxbNSIvWMKzIsS5O99ewIJjoUyR5hssbUO8tjmuX/s1600/numbers_wm%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7LBAS-4oDvUuBSl10en8tgg1HL7T8-8iF81x0j5oSfW5Es6oWzLDO0UlVfTZffKsbFag1A9IuKcXGZ_v20AW0Zh29Hkh-UEGWNRWOvxbNSIvWMKzIsS5O99ewIJjoUyR5hssbUO8tjmuX/s400/numbers_wm%5B1%5D.jpg" width="225" /></a><br /><br />When we go for walks around the neighborhood, one of Ethan's favorite things to do is to look for house numbers on mailboxes. We stop by each and every one and practice reading the numbers. It's been a great way to learn to recognize and reinforce his numbers. And frankly, it's a good opportunity to be outside! <br /><br />Follow up with a great counting book like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0810972468/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0810972468&linkCode=as2&tag=artesi-20">The Waterhole</a> by Graeme Base (a favorite book around our house) and you've got quite the evening cut out for you!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> See! Lots of happy smiles :)<br />
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Crafting Playhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12917135526044905975noreply@blogger.com0