Craft Date

Recently I had a very fun craft date with a little creative cutie-pie named Lorelei. Her mom, Courtney, is a friend of mine that I have mentioned many times here.  She has two darling girls but her youngest, Phoebe, is under the age of one so it was just Lorelei and I.  She is a smarty who can spell her own name and chose sausages and grapes as her favorite foods. I may have also encouraged her to choose pizza as well. ( :

 I have been interested in doing classes with kids for a while now but wasn't sure exactly how to go about it. As I have very little experience working with children in this arena I have been a bit overwhelmed and intimidated by the notion of trying to put together a class.  Courtney has been so kind to let me work with Lorelei as I learn about what works  and what I should expect.

This project worked so well because it was fairly minimal work but there were several different steps so boredom wouldn't set in too early.  I gave Lorelei prompts and let her draw different things on the doilies.  As she is still in the "scribble phase" of toddlerhood I tried to focus on building up color instead of drawing representational objects.

Next we decorated each doily with glitter or other objects I brought along like tissue paper flowers and feathers. She is so tuned in with colors so it was fun to pick colors to represent her family.

Lorelei was so into it all which made it even more fun!  When we spilled out some beads on the floor she said "We need to take a picture of this!"  I loved how much she loved things.

 When we were all finished creating we strung the doilies on some string with beads in between each piece.  Lorelei wanted to place it over a painting she previously did so up on the wall it went while she smiled the cutest smile ever in front of it.

I loved this project and am excited to try it again with a larger group of kids.  It can be very simple or it can be more involved which is nice. What I learned was that I can't be a control freak when working with kids.  The control freak in me wants to make everything be beautiful and perfect but I have to realize that beautiful and perfect means a million billion things. I think the finished results of Lorelei's garland are more beautiful than I could have ever imagined.

I can't wait to work with her again.  I am also feeling confident about putting together my own class.  

Do you have any advice for working with kids and making art projects?  I'd love to hear.

Imagine

I had a great day today but I ate too many sweets.  I totally forgot that I was going to stop.  Why does my job have to have donuts on Mondays?? It gets me every time.

I am trying to remember what summer feels like.  I was making these little feathers in my studio and thought about this red and yellow color scheme and how looking at these colors on a super hot summer day would make me even sweatier.  

I miss sitting outside. I miss working outside. I want one of those summer nights where it's just cool enough for a light hoodie and I'm sitting on my adirondack chair sipping a glass of wine and listening to college students in the distance drunkenly making their way to parties.  I want to watch lightning bugs and try to grab at them when they get too close.  I love when there is heat lightning in the sky or you hear the distant rumblings of a storm making it's way in.  I want warm summer mornings where you can sit outside in a tank top and drink coffee at 6:00 am because the sun is already up.  I want to swim in the sunshine.

But it's February 3 and those days are a ways a way.  Maybe we'll get lucky and Spring will come early and the sun will stay out longer sooner.

In the meantime I'm going to keep taking shelter in my studio.  Maybe I'll paint a sunshiney mural on the wall.

How are you surviving the winter? If you are reading this while in Australia I hope you know I'm so jealous of you and I really like your dress, it's really pretty.

Since Last Week

Hi. I managed to survive my back-to-work jitters last week. It helped seeing on facebook that so many other people were experiencing the same kinds of feelings.  Of course as soon as Friday came I was back in my space making stuff.  I am also watching Friends on loop lately because something about that show is so comforting.  I did watch a super great movie last week, Frances Ha.  It reminded me of me and my friends so much.  We are all slowly growing up and it's a hard thing to adapt to.  If you haven't seen it check it out. It just may be right up your alley.

My rabbit is killing me with cuteness. Which is a weird way to die.

I don't want to sound braggy but I am really catching on to the ukelele.  I love this instrument so much. I still sound like a little kid at their first recital but I'm okay with that.  So far the only song I have been playing is Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah."  It's such a melancholy song but I keep playing it very upbeat.  I wonder if I can turn all rap songs into ballady ukelele songs. That could be what I'm known for!

 

Do you know that I have blond hair now? I do I do.

Saturday I was so grumpy and for no real reason.  I also felt kind of lazy and run down so I did a lot of couch sitting and TV watching. I think the inactivity was making me even grumpier but I did keep my hands busy by making these pom poms.

And then today I finished them up and listed them in my shop! Not so grumpy any more! Just kidding, I'm still a little grumpy. I don't know why!

You can click on the pictures for details and to see what's happening in my shop. I've been sprucing it up as much as possible. I even dusted. Just kidding. I actually vacuumed.

By now you probably know about Phillip Seymour Hoffman passing away. I am truly torn up over this.  We just watched a movie two nights ago with him in it and were talking about what a terrific and prolific actor he was. I was honestly surprised to see that he has only been in about 60 movies because it seems like he has been in every movie I have ever seen.  Some people think it's silly when people get upset about the passing of a celebrity but I don't think thats fair.  Their craft allows you to make emotional connections to them and even though you do not know them personally you may still feel like they are a small part of your life.  PSH was definitely a favorite of mine and I always rooted for him.  I hope if you feel the same way that you are finding some sort of peace in all this.  Addiction is a horrific thing that affects more than just the addicted.  I hate it.

On a lighter note.... I don't hate this swan planter given to me by one of my favorite people.

Have a nice night. If you are reading this tomorrow I hope your day is perfect and that you found some money you forgot about in your pocket!