• Jul. 30, 2008
Wordless Wednesday - A Little doodling/paper ARt
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• Jan. 14, 2008
Pom Poms
* This craft is also listed on the company porch but
just to have my own writings I am putting it here as well.
Did you know that you can create your
own pom poms? You can create so many things
with pom poms. You could make a snowman or a
bear. The ideas are endless. For our Valentine co-op this
year I think we may make these in the older class.
You make one and then turn it into a necklace.
Then as you are going about the activities you can
pull a string from your pom pom and tie it to your
Friends. Then you have a friendship necklace made
of yarn when it is time to go home. So would you like
to make some.
This is what you need.
Yarn
Cardboard
scissors
1. Cut a stripe out of your cardboard
depending on how large or small you want them.
I made mine 2 inches wide and about 6 inches long
so I would be able to hold on to it easier.
2. Then start wrapping you yarn around the
card board. You dont have to tie it on you can
just hold it into place and eventually you wont
need to hold it anymore. The red one is
wrapped below. I wrapped it about 120 times
around. The more you wrap it the thicker or
thinner the pom pom.
3. Next you want to gently slide the yarn off
of the cardboard and lay it on your table.
Cut a piece of yarn for tying it off. I cut mine rather
large so I can tie it twice. Lay the yarn Under
The pom pom like below.
4. Now you will tie the yarn in the middle
of you ball as tight as you can. I then flip it
and tie the opposite side as well. You will have
a little package of yarn.
5. Cutting- The next part is the fun part
you will now cut each little loop that the yarn
made. you may need to trim it as it opens
to the desired shape you are needing.
Here is the end result.
Have fun making pom poms.
Nikki
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• Dec. 23, 2007
Photo Trays
I am still here guys!! lol I have been crafting and crafting.
I found these wooden serving trays at our local Craft shop
AC Moore for $4.00. I made 2 one for Grandma and one
for my Mom . I hope mom your not reading this.
This one is moms. I painted hers burgundy .
Then Grandmas is below hers is blue and I
showed more of the bottom and used Scrapbook paper.
These were a snap to make.
What you need:
Wooden tray
paint desired color for try
printed photos
scrapbook paper optional
and decoupage
foam brush.
1. Paint the try the desired color
2. Lay photos in a pleasing way on the bottom
of the tray.
3. Use your foam brush to spread decoupage glue
all over where your photo will lay. The after photo is put down
use brush to put more over the top. Coat throughly. It may look white
but it will dry clear. Just dont have to many big clumps.
4. I put the decoupage over the entire try for a clear gloss finish.
Very simple and quick took me about a day.
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• Nov. 17, 2007
Bargin andChristmas Crafting
I started some of my Chirstmas crafts. I wanted to create some handmade things for my kids and quit frankly money is always an issue with only one adult working and 4 children . So we save where we can save. I did hit this really great deal that the church down the street had today. Baby was still sleeping so I snuck over to look around. (while dad kept an eye on him of course) They were having a clothing drive and everything was free!! I cant show you everything I got because I have a snoopy teenage daughter that reads my blog and I'd like to use some of the things I found for Christmas. Hi V I love you!! lol I found "Princess" an apron . I was so excited. She always wants to cook. I was thinking of putting together some of her own cooking tools, add the apron and add ingredients in a basket for her. I think she will love it. !! It will make an adorable gift. I also got a few other things that werent clothing but they had them out for free too. Great deal. I even got myself a really nice with the tags on winter coat. Very dressy and perfect. Amazing what people give away.
Anyway....
Back to crafting. Superboy just loves penguins so I decided to try to make some of my own with felt that I have laying around.
I am hoping to make 10 as you can see I made two . I also have one almost finished. They really dont take long to make. I'd like to try to make an igloo too but not sure with what . We'll see I'll think of something. (or if you have an idea please email or comment me) You can see my paper by the penguins I just drew the shape of a penguin and sewed around him. The rest of the shapes I cut Triangle feet ,beak ,and oval belly Then sewed them on and his wings. I know he's going to love it. I'll be posting all of our crafty things. Carl is making a few things from wood for the kids . I'll post those too.
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• Jun. 23, 2007
Pottery and Flats
Update on our flats. If you have been reading my blog you know that my children created three flats for mailing. (based on the book Flat Stanley) I am excited to report that all three flats found homeschool families to take them for a few weeks. Yesterday two of our arriving flats came to visit us . Flat Rebecca is here from Vermont. Her owner created her to be a Girl from Austrailia. Flat Gover arrived as well and of course he is a star from Sesame Street. The kids were so excited about their arrival. We cant wait to show them around our town. In fact we did a little bit...
Last night I took the kids to the Pottery. Not just my kids but our entire J-Train youth group. (2nd-5th graders) We all picked some pottery to paint. Vallie picked a serving dish and made it a plate for jewlery. Sara made a flower dish, Brett a Race car and I painted a plate to sit a candle on that I have had for awhile.
Here is Sara, her flower dish and her Flat Rebecca friend that is visiting.
This is Brett he doesnt have his pottery with him because he doesnt want you to see it till its fired and shiny. However he is pictured here with his Grover.
I dont have a picture of Vallies she was busy hanging with some friends but will post the finished products next week if you would like to see them. :)
Today is just as busy and fun filled as most days. I need to get together some lessons for sunday, finish up my family reunion stuff (mostly gathering things together) and Vallie is getting her hair done this morning. Later we are going to a friends to swim and watch fireworks from their house. The lake is having them and we will be able to see them from her home and pool .Cool huh.
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• May. 23, 2007
Wordless Wednesday
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• May. 12, 2007
Beading flowers
I have found a new favorite past time.... Beading. I am enjoying it so much. Although I only have a kit of pink and a kit of blue but I am still learning. Let me show you what I have learned. I have learned how to tie an end you can also use crimps. Crimps are little beads you put on your string and them crimp them with a crimping tool to keep them in place. Then you have no sharpe edges when working with wire. I also learned how to make flowers.
You string 5 beads onto your wire ..
Then you string your wire back through the first bead and pull it tight. You then all you petal beads. Which depending on the size can be 7 beads to 20 or more. I used 20 on this one because the middle beads were so large. Once you have all you beads on you sting the wire through the other side of the bead to make a loop. Then go into the bead next to it and begin beading again till you get the whole way around.
I was able to create a necklace for myself . I liked it so much I created a key chain too.
(I apologize for the blurry photos.)
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• Apr. 28, 2007
My Art
I dont have anything to show you today. I have been working on my painting of the barn. Its coming along. I find the hardest part of it all it finding time for my craft. I also come upon something new that I have been enjoying which is beading. I taught myself how to make paper beads and they are so neat. I would post how I am doing it but I have posted it on craft corner on the company porch. It should appear on Monday if you want to check it out. I am thinking a prize of some beads might be fun to do. So watch out for what I create and what you can win.
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• Apr. 20, 2007
Art Caterpillars Results.
Last week on the Company Porch I posted a caterpillar craft.
If you missed it here is how it was made.
Supplies:
nylon sock
potting soil
grass seed
Wiggle eyes
pipe cleaner
All you need to do it stuff your sock with a mixture of potting soil and grass seed.
Then tie it shut. Add wiggle eyes. Curl a pipe cleaner and add antenna. I wasnt sure that this project would work, but it did. So that is why I am posting about it. I wanted you to see that he is growing grass and quickly. So drum roll.... Here is the caterpillar... I hope you can see .. He is starting to Grow hair!!!! I was so excited.
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• Apr. 13, 2007
Art Working on self portraits..
Sometime during our school year we work on self portraits. We took the time this week to look at Leonardo de Vinci. We looked at the Mona Lisa and Leanardos own self portrait.
Then Brett took his try at working on his self portrait and chose me for his portrait. I am disappointed in how the photo graph came out it doesnt do it justice. Its so dark and Brett drew wilth such vibrant colors. Anyway you get the idea and will have to imagine the color. :)
If you decide to work on portraits or self portraits try pointing out each feature. We took our fingers and traced around our faces and around our nose. We really looked at the color in our eyes and hair. Start with your oval shape for a face or round depending on what you have. Next work on the eyes. Reminding them that your eyes dont start at the top of your head. Infact they are almost in the center. Then draw two footballs for eyes. Dont forget you pupils and iris. Then look closely in the mirror and look at you eye lashes and eye brow. Now add them. Next you want to add your nose. Feeling that there are 3 bumps on the bottome of your nose. Also trace around you lips and then draw the two bumps on your top lip and notice the bottom is smooth. Dont forget to add some shape for ears and hair details. When you add you neck. Feel it and notice it isnt much smaller than your head. We draw these every year and keep them in a folder. It will be neat to look at one day when the kids are older.
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• Apr. 5, 2007
Easter Lily Craft
Today I am posting my Easter Lily Craft. The Easter Lily sybolizes purity, virture, hope, sprituality, innocence and Life.
Lilies from the beginning of time have had the significant role of motherhood. Some of the myths go like this.... Roman mythology links it to Juno, the queen of the gods. The story goes that while Juno was nursing her son Hercules, excess milk fell from the sky. Although part of it remained above the earth (thus creating the group of stars known as the Milky Way), the remainder fell to the earth, creating lilies. Another tradition has it that the lily sprang from the repentant tears of Eve as she went forth from Paradise. Easter morn with lilies fair Lastly you can add a little yellow tissue paper to the middle with a tiny drop of glue. Make as many as you like for desired bouquet.
And legend has it that when the Virgin Mary’s tomb was visited three days after her burial, it was found empty save for bunches of majestic white lilies. Early writers and artists made the lily the emblem of the Annunciation, the Resurrection of the Virgin: the pure white petals signifying her spotless body and the golden anthers her soul glowing with heavenly light.…
Fills the church with perfumes rare,
As their clouds of incense rise,
Sweetest offerings to the skies.
Stately lilies pure and white
Flooding darkness with their light,
Bloom and sorrow drifts away,
On this holy hallow’d day.
Easter Lilies bending low
in the golden afterglow,
Bear a message from the sod
To the heavenly towers of God.
-Louise Lewin Matthews
Now lets make our own paper Lilies...
What you need...
White paper
Scissors
elmers glue
Yellow tissue paper
Green pipe cleaners
Next you want to fold each of the flowers in half. Like the ones below
Begin by Cutting the Shape out of white paper like the ones below.
You want them to be about 4-5 inches in length and about 1 in. wide. You will use 3-4 Petals per flower depending how full you would like them to be.
Now for the tricky part . This requires a little dexterity. lol You want to half open the petals and arrange them at the bottom flat part of the petal in a circle shape and twist the bottom. It helps to bent the Petals a little. Below is the example
Next you will need a green pipe cleaner and twist it around the bottom of the twisted paper for a stem.
Hope you enjoyed the Craft this week. Stop by the Company Porch on Mondays for My new debute on the crafting Corner! If you make the Lilies please post about it and leave a comment so I can come and look. :)
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• Feb. 23, 2007
My Art A story I am working on. :)
Todays Art is a story I have been working on. Let me know what you think of the start...
The heart has many locked away moments written inside as it seems to beat a million miles away. Can you change the script of time or is it so etched in that there is no stopping what happens? How long you suffer, joy, fear, love, kindness is it all a matter of when it occurs or where? Is it your destiny or legacy to live an ordinary life? Can you make things happen? I for one believe you can. Things do not just fall into your lap God gives them to you. What you are doing when he hands you that key is up to you. Are you sleeping on the job? Wake up and do something about it.
I love going to market early in the day. There is something about the smell of the room. The fresh brightly colored oranges, apples, pears and grapes all lined up for the choosing. The little Amish children playing as their parents serve you their freshest and best baked goods. The flowers blooming and the light streaming though the windows high up on the tall ceiling makes my eyes grow wide. I become more awake then ever. My body is my temple and I am duly aware of it as I move through the isles. The thin material of my cotton dress makes me feel confident in my endeavors. It is of simple beauty. My brown hair flows around my face and kisses my cheeks. I recognize him at once; a man from our church. He is sitting with some of his friends having breakfast. My heart begins to beat faster. I wonder as I always do if he notices me the way I notice him. I feel a connection to him but does he feel it too. It is hard to know. Sometimes I see him look at me sideways or his eye linger with mine but is that all in my mind. I put my head down and look at my feet my confidence fading.
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• Feb. 16, 2007
My Art
My Art
I dont have any photos to share today. I have been working on my oil painting of the photo I showed a few weeks ago. I finally got the canvas and drew in the buildings. I have begun working on the sky but feel it needs more work. I think I made it to busy and with all the grasses, I want to smooth it out somewhat. I am really excited with myself for finding time each week to spend time doing things I enjoy. It has really made a difference in my life and how I see the days. I am not only a partner or a mother or drama mom etc.. but I can be the artist I enjoy being without losing myself. So although I am not ready to show it I have been working very hard and hope to show it soon. The unveiling so to speak. :)
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• Feb. 9, 2007
My art Poetry day. :)
My eyes shine as I look to you
Something in the knowing
My hands shake and steady
My heart is full and open
I raise my hands to you
You look upon me with ever holding strength
I feel you engulf me
your power , your strength, your love
showers over me
my mind is secure at peace and solomn
My breathing goes rapid like the rivers to a trickling brook
I fall to my knees
I know Lord . I know.
By Me... Nichole H.
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• Feb. 2, 2007
My Art
I cant show you my art this week because I created some thing for my secret sister. I did do some rubberstamping to make some cards and a little painting. That all though is top secret. :)
At the super bowl party the other night. Vallie wanted me to help her watercolor. So we sat down and worked on some techniques that she didnt know about. She did a mountian scene and added her wash. Which is a light coat or watery paint. Then we began the details. We added a colorful sky, grass , water, and cattails. She eventually lost patience with it but it was a good start.
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• Jan. 26, 2007
My Art
Over the summer we took a walk on the rail trail near out house. This is the path that the old trolly carts used to travel. Our county decided to make it a sort of walking/bike path. They have art along the way and benches for breaks. I am lucky to have it so close to our home. Anyway while walking with the kids I took these photos.
I have two others of an old church and a bridge. What I want to do is use the photo to paint a picture. This is my project for the next few weeks. I think I like the top photo more as a guide than the other. I am not sure what kind of paint I am using yet oil, acrylic, or watercolor. Maybe I will try a few. Watercolor is more freeing (and pretty new to me) and yet oils will do a more exact. Hhhmmmm My next stop is to get some paper . I want something bigger than what I have. I only have sketchbook size.
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• Jan. 19, 2007
My Art
I did paint again this week but it wasn't anything I want to post.
I did some flower petals I was just fooling with the color on and I did an angel. It looks very child like. I was more theraputic as it was a tough week at first. This time really calmed me down. The painting itself was kind of bad. I was doing it in a candle lit room. When I turned the lights on it didnt look like what I had thought I was doing but thats ok. I was glad for the time to calm down. I don't have anything to show you this week . :(
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• Jan. 12, 2007
My Art
My Art..
When I was a teenager I spent a lot of my time mesmorized in the art world. Creating collages, painting, drawing in chaulk, taking photos and writing short stories and poems. I do not claim to be a professional in anyway. I just enjoy art and playing with the different creative mediums. One of my goals for this year is to create more. Find that extra time for myself to do the one thing I have always enjoyed. Thinking I might stick to my goal if I scheduled it into my blogging world I have made Friday my art day . So after many years. Here is my first attempt. Don't laugh... and just for the sake of.... its a leaf. :) I did feel a little better about posting it when Baby Brody reached up and tried to pick it up by the stem. Fall is my favorite time of year. I just love it. So with all the cold weather I was inspired to paint a leaf.
Ps. I really like this new way of posting pictures. It is so easy.
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