The Big Reveal.

Remember the mural I'd been working on? 

I finally finished it before spring break. This past week the kids were back in school and I just happened to be substitute teaching on Thursday so that was the day the faculty decided to unveil the mural for the kids. 

I. Was. Nervous! 

They herded all the kids, 120, into the foyer of the school where the mural would be hung and I tried to hide in the back hoping everyone would forget about me. I know, silly, since I painted the thing but really...I didn't like the idea of having to get up in front of the crowd...even if they were "just kids". I'm my worst critic and I could have picked out half a dozen things about the mural that I maybe should have changed and I was afraid everyone else would see them too. 

Hiding? No such luck. 

The teachers called me out and had me unveil my mural. 

(They hung it between the two benches.) 

The kids clapped and cheered; I was so relieved. You may think that's silly but kids have a funny way of being totally honest. And this mural was for them! If they didn't like it I think I would have been devastated that I had let them down. Adults on the other hand have a funny way of politely clapping even for something awful. Adults and kids are just funny aren't they?

I sure wasn't expecting anything but the faculty had bought me a present and it was the COOLEST thing! I never would have thought of this but they had my mural put on a throw blanket. How awesome is that? So now, where ever we live, I'll always have my mural! Lovely!!! 

This was so much fun and I was so very happy that I could paint something that, hopefully, will inspire kids. I love to paint and would paint all day if I could but I only have so much wall space (or closet space) to put my artwork. So having the opportunity to give my artwork away is a wonderful feeling. 

Art is medicine for the soul but only if we share it. 

Another Mural FINALLY done!!

You probably don't remember this but waaaayy back in January I posted a bunch of quotes that I was considering incorporating into a mural for my bathroom. 

Well, I ended up actually starting this mural in April, believe it or not, but then life just got really hectic and I had a hard time carving out big chunks of time to paint. It was 20 minutes here, 30 minutes there. What made this mural even harder was that I chose some lousy paint! I ended up having to put on 3 COATS to cover evenly. Next time I paint a mural I am definitely putting a lot more time into researching paint!!! 

Last week though, finally, FINALLY I finished it!!!

I ended up choosing the Oscar Wilde quote, "With freedom, books, flowers and the moon, who could not be happy? 

My bathroom is kind of small and I couldn't get a photo of the full mural but I think you get the idea. (The light in there is terrible too.)The mural begins  above our mirror and sink on the left....

...then wraps around a corner and is above a window on the right. 

This little old mural only took me.....4 months!! Ha, if I didn't have kids I probably could have finished in 4 days! 

On a little side note I put up a new curtain in this bathroom, right below the mural. It had Venetian blinds in it, which I hate. DR and I argue over windows and light. He always wants them closed...he's got this thing about privacy! But me, I want the windows wide open letting in as much light as possible. 

Then the blinds broke, YAY!!! Now for a compromise...I looped a bunch of ribbons onto a tension rod as a curtain. This photo looks lousy, it looks much better in person, but now DR and I are both happy. He gets his privacy and I get light!!! 

I wish I could take credit for this wonderful idea but nope, I found it on Pinterest...of course!! 

What next? Should I attempt another mural? I'm not sure. Of all the 7 houses we've lived in I've never finished more than two murals before we had to move. Should I attempt another, or worry about bringing down the resale value?? 

Happy Fourth of July (..and a little craft)

Happy 4th of July!!! 

I wasn't planning on doing much today but check out the cute flag craft!
This is what we'll be making today instead of shooting off fireworks! 
(Burn ban :( )  

10 craft sticks, hot glue, a little paint and a patch of denim...and five minutes later you can share your patriotism! 

No fireworks for us tonight; there's a burn ban in SW Kansas, again. I'm learning that it's just part of living in this part of the country. 

Wherever you are enjoy the fireworks for us! 

Remember, Freedom isn't free....it's something we have to work and fight for. 

http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html

Marker Monday - Coffee Carpets

This was a project I did with my Sunday school class on Mother's Day. I didn't have a chance to post it before Mother's Day but it's still a nice craft that could be made any time of year. 

First, at home, my kids and I painted up a bunch of sheets of paper in various colors, patterns and textures. It was a lot of fun letting their imaginations run wild. I think it was kind of a stress free art project where they didn't have to think too much or worry that they'd mess anything up. 

I found this idea on Pinterest to help create textures. 

It worked great!! 

To make my "coffee carpet" example, I took half a painted sheet, measuring 6x9, and cut strips from the other sheets to create a pattern. Then with a white paint marker and other markers I added swirls and dots. 

During Sunday School we talked a little about how Biblical mothers would have had lots of carpets in their tents (I'm thinking Abraham time, wandering the wilderness, etc.) and asked them to design their own carpet. 

Here are my boys carpets.

When they were all finished we laminated them and gave them to mothers to use as "coffee carpets". They turned out great and painting the papers ahead of time really worked out well for all the kids. They really enjoyed sifting through the various painted papers and looking at the colors and textures. 

Marker Monday - Knockoff Paintsicles

I was thumbing through a Discount School Supply catalog the other day and came across a Paintsicle maker.

 Interesting idea. Supposedly this particular kind of paint, BioColor, is a better quality of paint than your average run of the mill craft paint. I've used it and it IS very good but I was wondering if how the craft paint I had would work as a Paintsicle.

I had some tempera paint and some acrylic paint that I swirled around in two separate cups and popped in some craft sticks. Who needs some fancy shmancy paintsicle maker? 

Tempera is a water based paint while Acrylic is a latex based paint so I anticipated that Acrylic would work better when frozen. 

The tempera worked but I did have to press harder and the formation of ice crystals interfered with a nice smooth painted line. 

The Acrylic was much nicer! 

Yahoo tested it out for me but, really, she didn't seem too interested in playing with it. She scribbled on one piece of paper because I asked and then just walked away. I'm glad I didn't buy anything special if that was going to be her response! But who knows, maybe she'll be more interested in it later so I popped the paintsicles back in the freezer. 

Paintsicles; fun to experiment with, use acrylic if you have it but ya don't need to put a bunch of money into a "Paintsicle" maker! 

Marker Monday - String Painting with Toddlers

I love painting with my kids but I had to take a big break from it with Yahoo for the past six months or so because every time I let her paint more paint always ended up on her than on whatever it was we were painting. 

Or she'd just eat it. 

But she's getting more grown up and listening better (sometimes) so we've been tackling more painting projects lately. She really loved painting with string. First she covered her string in slightly watered down paint. 

Then I gave her a piece of paper creased in half and helped her place the strings on just one side. Let a little of string's end hang off the edge. 

Fold the paper in half and rub the back thoroughly and next, slowly pull out the strings....

...and unfold! 

She loved it! I think she loved the fact that the final painting was such a surprise. 

Thanks to Preschool Powol Packets for the great idea.  

Words, words, words...which for my blank wall?

The best thing about my bathroom is the huge mirror over the sink and counter. The worst thing about my bathroom is the huge space above the huge mirror. Ever since last year when I finished my Pheasant Mural in the boys bathroom, I've had in mind that I'd like to put something above the mirror in this bathroom. 

But I'm not leaning towards any objects like the windmills or barns in the other bathroom, rather I'm thinking of putting up some words...some great quote. 

And where do I go to look for something without knowing what I want?
Why, Pinterest of course. 

And oh boy, I was filling up my board with WORDS that I just love. 

Some though just aren't appropriate for my bathroom wall. 

Maybe not for a mural in my bathroom but I'd love this as a T-shirt! 

I can go through a whole jar of peanut butter by myself. No joke. Hmmm, maybe I could find a place in my kitchen to put these words. 

Isn't this one so true? But not for my bathroom. I don't want to encourage the men in my family to stay in there ANY LONGER than they already do!

I'm learning I really like Oscar Wilde quotes and need to read more of him.

Ah, Mark Twain...so American...and so true. 

  

This sure makes me want to embrace every morning. 

 

You just can't help but smile after reading this one. 

aahhh....

Irish blessings; You can't go wrong with those! 

I wouldn't put this Oscar Wilde quote on my wall but I really, really, Really, REALLY want it as a bracelet similar to the one in the photo. I need to do some research on that one. 

I still want to paint above my mirror but I'm getting overwhelmed with the wonderful words, words, WORDS I'm reading everywhere! What about you? Do you have any quotes on the walls in your home? Any suggestions? 

It may be awhile before I get this project finished but hopefully I can get it done before spring. 

Marker Monday - Handprint Calendar Gift Idea!

Warning!!! 

To my Mother and Grandmother, 

unless you want to ruin the surprise of your Christmas gifts STOP READING NOW!

okay.....

.....that should be enough warning for them! 

My wonderful friend Melissa who runs our playgroup had a big workshop day, 7 hours long, where she had different stations set up for us to do 12 different paint hand prints with our toddlers. After they were dry she cut them out, added details and and a poem, and we attached the hand prints onto a calendar for a Christmas gift for grandparents!! 

They turned out so well I just had to share. Maybe you have enough time to do something like this with your kids. Melissa was kind enough to set this up early for me because our family Christmas is next weekend in Indiana. 

This is the cover made from two handprints. 

The first page. I wasn't able to fit all three kids handprints on every page but we rotated so there were two per month. 

Then with every month Melissa put a matching poem.I won't put them all up because there are poems all over the Internet you could use but for example, January's says;

These aren't just five snowmen

as anyone can see.

I made them with my hand 

which is a part of me. 

Now each year when you trim the tree

You'll look back and recall 

when my hand was just this small. 

Melissa also had a lot of options if you didn't like the handprint she had for a particular month. There were also strawberries, octopus, firemen, ghosts, lobsters, and some that you could do with your feet too! 

Fish and flags for July?

 Yes, odd but my boys didn't want to do the flags! 

The apples turned out perfect if you only paint the palms. 

These are such a cool keepsake for grandparents, I can't wait to give it to them this weekend! This makes me wish I ran a daycare, wouldn't this be a cool thing to do with your kids all year long and surprise their parents with? 

What kind of homemade gifts are your kids making this year?