Fizzing Sidewalk Paint and the Foaminator

We've only been out of school for a week but we've been having a ball enjoying some outside fun. I'm just sharing a couple things, of many, that we've done this week.

A friend of mine sent me a recipe for Fizzing Sidewalk Paint that is so much fun!

Take one box of baking soda and mix in 1/2 cup of cornstarch. Then mix in a cup of hot water and stir. Add food coloring of your choice. Then let it dry, which it does very quickly. The cornstarch/baking soda will want to settle to the bottom of the mixture so continue to stir it up occasionally. You can keep this overnight but you'll have a heck of a chunk waiting to get stirred up the next day. My advice; use it all when you make it. Paint your sidewalk...or your feet...or a wall....

Now the fun part! Let the paint dry and take a spray bottle filled with vinegar and spray your paint....it will fizz like a soda pop! Sorry, no good pictures of this. I tried but spraying vinegar and photography is a multitask I haven't yet mastered. Actually I thought this paint was really good paint and a lot of fun without the vinegar.

Next....The Foaminator!!

My friend Melissa made a bunch of these for our toddlers play group. Remember! Don't inhale! The littlest ones in our group had some trouble with this :)

Cut off the bottom of a water bottle and cover with part of an old terry cloth towel or rag. Attach the rag with a rubber band. (I don't know if any other type of fabric will work on this or not. Let me know if you try something different.) Pour a couple tablespoons of dish soap in a bowl with just a little water. Place the towel covered end in the soap. Don't swish it around, just dip it in and pull it out.

Then BLOW!! Instant foam! Actually it looks like frog spawn to me but still fun!

Photo Thursday - Understanding Light

I've recently started following the blog One Thousand Words. Gretchen from Texas has started this blog to help photographers of all levels improve their understanding of their camera and to create a forum for questions about how to improve their photography. Gretchen, Texan Mama has even given us assignments.

Assignment #1 - READ YOUR CAMERA MANUAL!

Assignment #2 - Understanding Light - For this assignment she challenged us to start really thinking about light and how it changes throughout the day or how it changes from one location to another. Once I start thinking about light and it's effects then I can anticipate the settings I need to make to my camera.

f/11, 1/200 sec., ISO 200, flash, 2:30 pm

I've already posted on how the bright afternoon sun here in Kansas creates dark shadows under my men's hats. I've learned moving in and using a flash helps tremendously along with a fast shutter speed. I know many people say the middle of the day is a terrible time to shoot photos but it is quickly becoming one of my favorite times of day to break out my camera.

f 3.8, 1/25 sec., ISO 800, 6:40 pm.

f5, 1/80 sec., ISO 800, 6:30 pm.

The two previous shots, kids and chalk, were taken before Thanksgiving and were pretty tricky. It was almost dusk and I had to open my lens up and slow down my shutter to get these images. What I really like about the evening light is how cool it is, bluish. (I love the shirtless boy and barefoot girl wearing a winter coat!)

f 5.6, 1/100 sec., ISO 200, no flash, 8:00 am

f 5.3, 1/100 sec., ISO 400, no flash, 8:00 am.

I still feel really unsure shooting indoors. I always want to automatically flip on the flash. With the previous two morning indoor shots I kept the kids near the windows to allow the natural light to do the work. I was fairly happy with the results. I like the morning light because it is very warm while creating soft shadows.

But I was at a total loss for this one! The boys Christmas program was in a gym with the lights turned off! I did my best but in the end I had ISO 1600, flash and it was still dark and grainy.

Ah well, I have years of Christmas programs to practice on don't I?

If you are new to taking photos jump over to Gretchen's One Thousand Words. I've already gotten some great advice and lots of encouragement.

Marker Monday - Homemade Sidewalk Chalk

We ran out of sidewalk chalk the other day. Since it's still fairly warm here and the kids still play outside frequently, this gave me an excuse to make homemade chalk...something I've wanted to do for a long time.

Plaster of Paris, water, paint and styrofoam cups.

Pour 1/2 c. of plaster into the cup. Slowly pour 1/4 c. of water on top.

Let the water settle into the plaster a bit by poking holes in the powder before you start mixing. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the cup well to mix in all the powder.

Once it's mixed to a smooth consistency...

...add some paint. Remember the more paint you add the darker the chalk will be but it will also take longer for the plaster to harden.

Mix the color thoroughly all the way to the bottom.

It will probably start getting chunky now.

Tap the cup on the table to settle all the plaster and level off the top surface.

Leave the chalk to harden about 30-40 minutes, more if you added lots of paint.

If it feels hot to the touch then it's almost ready.

Tear or cut off the styrofoam cup for your chalk.

It works really well. It doesn't wear down as quickly as store bought chalk either.

I've read other ways of making chalk by using a mold of a toilet paper tube lined with wax paper. I haven't tried that but styrofoam cups seem simpler and they aren't too big for little hands.