Craft Day

 We recently had our annual mother/daughter craft day. Each mom brings a craft and supplies and each girl goes from station to station making each craft.

 Linda's snowflake ornaments.

 Jodi's kitchen magnets.

 Katie's sequin ornaments.

 Susan's recycled magazine gift bows.

 Sandy's glove ornaments.

 My milkweed pod peg doll angels.

 Caitilin's dipped biscotti.

 Nancy/Nicole's card wreaths.

 Ana's snowflake gift tags.

Germaine's tissue paper flowers.

 Lisa's kitschy glitter dinosaur ornaments.

 Fun together.

Ana-my partner who helps me put this on each year for the girls.

Cathedral Christmas

We enjoyed the Cathedral Christmas program again with brother and sister-in-law Brian and Dena. I love this every year.

Church Christmas Program

Clay Baby Jesus in Manger

 

We made these simple, charming baby Jesus in the manger gifts in my Friday art class last week.

I made the stars from foam sticker stars pressed together over a loop of string. Glitter optional. 

The supplies are simple and inexpensive.

Start by conditioning the clay. Make a small brown rectangle block for the manger. Press your thumb in the top to make a small indentation to lay the baby in. On top of the brown manger, add a golden yellow ball of clay that has been pressed into a flattened oval. Indent with your thumb as before. Use a toothpick to make straw line marks around the edge.

I used a very small clay cutter from the craft store to cut clay stars for my second batch.

Make a small flattened oval of white clay and place a small "head" and a tiny ball for the body on it.

 Wrap white clay around and press whole baby gently into the indentation on top of the manger bed you have made.

Earring hoop findings or jewelry wire can be used for the star holders.

Bake according to clay packaging instructions. Observe all safety instructions on clay packaging.

This and That

Beautiful roses Daughter L. received from boyfriend for their 2 year anniversary.

The kids have been having a great time with these blow-ups that Laura and Bret got for Christmas last year from Anna. (Cousin O. and Friend Hannah.)

Favorite buddies at Olive's brother O's community play, The Princess and the Pea.

Evening bonus: Grazing deer in a field as we head home after W's weekly science class.

Friends Brenda and Bonnie and I had a crafting weekend away. It was a great getaway.

Cold and Grey

Photos by Daughter M.

Paint-by-Number

Winter afternoon fun. We have rediscovered the classic paint-by-number. This one is a fox in leaves. Check Amazon for lots of options, including adult level ones. Or make your own photo into one at www.easy123art.com. Paired with a classic "taped" book, we have literature and art for afternoon school.

Teaching Tangling

I teach a girls art class twice a month to W. and some of her friends. I decided to teach them some of the "zentangling" I have been working on myself. (see Ornation Creation on FB.)To start, I gave them a gridded paper and we tried some patterns.

Then I gave them a simple feather outline I drew and asked them to fill each section with a different pattern. I thought the narrow shapes would be an easier way for them to start tangling while still making something.

I also drew out  each girl's name in "puffy" letters. They could work on filling these in if they finished their feather, or they could take their name home and work on it later.