Saturday, July 26, 2008

Sticky Buns and Journal Writing

We're back from our fabulous family vacation. I'm one of the lucky ones who has 7 brothers and sisters and each has a spouse or significant other who all like each other so we all spend a week together in Bayside on the coast of Maine. I posted this winter about something I was planning on doing with all the kids while we were there- journaling our week. So I made journals for everyone, baked sticky buns and froze them, gathered doo-dahs and crayons, markers and glue and packed everything to go. What a fun way to start the day! By eight o'clock I had between 4 and 12 people drawing, writing and eating! I was so surprised at how much time the little kids spent on their journals, first decorating them and then thinking of things to write about.

We had little kids like Charlotte and Ella:

And Katherine and Bridget:

And big boys who very possibly only came for the sticky buns and white donuts, though they did make an effort the first morning :)

And white donuts. Why do kids like white donuts????

The writings and drawings were inspired by what happened the day before and what was to come. Such a nice vacation! And now back to reality and my studio.

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Blueberries and Birds

Can you see all the blue?

Up bright and early this morning and was it ever worth it. These are the special things of summer. I know what we'll be doing with Carey and Charlotte come next week.

It took about 15 minutes to pick all these. First we'll read Blueberries for Sal....
And maybe if we're not too full from gorging on blueberries, we'll walk to the heron rookery.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

OUTRAGEOUS!!


I'm having so much fun getting ready for our extended family vacation. Not extended vacation (which is what life feels like to me now that I'm retired!) but extended family. I think at last count there were over 30 of us for dinner on any given night. And lots of kids. They certainly don't need to be entertained, but they don't mind it now and then. So, a while back I could feel my creative juices start to overflow and remembered the "Sixtyopoly" game featured in Cloth, Paper and Scissors. I decided to make up my own game for little kids, one that would have no right and wrong answers, one that used their imaginations to fuel the game. So out came "OUTRAGEOUS!!" Making the game was the easy part; figuring the purpose and play options was harder. But I started to make these cards that the kids draw when they land on a particular square and the goal seemed to come of it's own. Using pictures and things from family events of the past, I put some questions to them and the kids will have to either make up a story or answer the question any way they like. No right or wrong, just silliness.

The cards say things like "What just happened?" and shows my brother with fogged up glasses, or a sign we saw in Ireland of a car going over the edge and the card says "What does this mean?" Funny. Silly. I'm hoping for lots of giggles.

The board is scraps of paper from magazines and on several there is a pink dot. If you land on that square you choose a pink card. If you land on a green dot....I haven't decided yet. Suggestions?

And everyone will have their own game piece. I still have a few to go and a little more 'fancying up' to do on these, but it's nearly done and ready for our BIG WEEK!!!

Sunday, July 06, 2008

BEADS!


On the way to visit my sister I stopped at The Beadin' Path in Freeport, the most amazing bead store in Maine. Last time I was there it was still a small establishment. I imagine since the article in one of Pokey's Quilting Arts Magazine came out they've become the place to go for a great selection of any sort of bead you can imagine. It was so everwhelming, I didn't find a thing to buy. But the colors! Oh my.




It's like dessert for the soul.

Friday, July 04, 2008

Happy Fourth!

Have a safe holiday weekend everyone and see you next week. I have lots to share!

Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Sea Glass

I'm always up for new and creative things to do with the thousands of pieces of sea glass I have collected over the years. Having access to the coast and having time to troll is a good thing. I don't know if I'll ever get around to making anything with them but it's fun to take pictures of things others have done. This is one part of a large mural on the outside of the Lubec Library. The library was closed when we were there, otherwise I would have gone in and asked a lot of questions about this piece. There were lots of other book titles mentioned, so I think the kids were able to choose their favorite books and scatter the names here and there.

I also really liked the combination of wire and glass in this fish. Bith of these works are very appropriate for the town, a small fishing village on the coast of Maine. Still fishing. Barely.