Ransacked Goods

Outdoor Chalkboard

I've been meaning to do this outdoor chalkboard project for so long! It was put on the back burner so many times I just forgot about it. But last weekend we got motivated to finish up some projects in our backyard. One trip to the hardware store for a can of paint was all it took, now that's not too hard. The Chickpea helped me slap a coat of primer on a big board we already had, then three coats of chalkboard paint. Yeah, my little helper got board so I did most of it. The hubby mounted it to the fence and I repurposed 2 hooks (they are a little creepy because they are shaped like fingers) to hang 2 chalk buckets. Instant play time, they love it. Now to be an over achiever I also painted the inside of the chicken coop (I should call it a kid coop for now) with the chalkboard paint and recovered the benches inside with new oil-cloth. We're ready for Summer.

Handmade Tissue Paper Valentines

I'm so please with how this year's Valentine's Day cards turned out. Best of all so is the Chickpea and she is really looking forward to giving them out to all of her buddies tomorrow. She had such a good time making them and they kept her busy for nearly an hour of fun filled yet focused time. These cards are brilliantly easy because we found 4" cardstock hearts that had a peel off sticky side. Add pre-cut squares of tissue paper and you get pretty little mosaic hearts. I then stamped them with a few little words on front. On the back she wrote her friend's names and we attached a little heart shaped notepad.

Kid Crafting Books

I don't think I've ever written about one of our favorite kid's crafting books, Every Day is a Holiday by Heidi Kenney of My Paper Crane. The Chickpea and I like to just sit down and flip through the pages for inspiration and a few giggles. There are some really adorable projects in here, conveniently organized by month if you're looking for a now project or planning ahead. Above is a star decoration we made for her room with tissue paper balls based on the hat project on the cover.

Are there any kid crafting books or sites in particular that you love?

Holiday Teacher Gifts

We gave each of the Chickpea's teachers a little homemade holiday gift this year. We made vanilla extract a few months back and then made some vanilla sugar - general recipe here. I also stopped by Miette, one of our favorite bakeries, and picked up little packages of walnut shortbread cookies. We bundled everything up in these sweet muslin bags that we stamped and punched out little tags with a message for each teacher.

While they aren't strictly made by the kiddo she helped in every part of the process and they were made over many days of crafting. It really helped to spread things out over several days.

We packed up a few more of these for friends. We'll be making another batch of this killer fudge from Martha. I made some for a Christmas party and I'm totally adicted to this easy confection.

Salt Dough Christmas Ornaments

Despite my lack of posting we've actually had a lot of crafting going on here. With a 17 month old cruzing around the house this year we only put up the non-breakable ornament on the tree. While the little distructor was napping her sister and I made ornaments with salt dough. It was a first for me and the results were really satisfying.

We rolled out several batches to cut up. More than I was really expecting.

After they were baked we painted them with our new glitter paint. Who doesn't like glitter on a tree. I think they are adorable and I'd love to make some garlands out of them next year. There is something satisfying about making decorations that are not meant to be permanent. Try it out, here's the recipe.

 

Salt Dough Christmas Ornaments

Ingredients:

1 cup salt

2 cups flour

1 cup water

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions:

Mix salt and flour in a bowl. Stir in water and oil little at a time. Next knead with your hands until you get smooth clay like dough.

Roll your dough about 1/4 inch thick and cut out your shapes with cookie cutter. Poke a hole with a wooden skewer for hanging.

Put your shapes onto an a cookie sheet with parchment and bake at 300 degrees for 1-2 hours until hard. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

Once dry paint with water based paints, glue, glitter etc.

Early Gift Making

A little holiday crafting has begun. It's never to early to get into the spirit. And slow and steady is my pace now days when it comes to crafting. See if you can guess what we're making. I'm not going to give it away.... but you can take a peek here. And make a note that children of friends make an excellent assembly line!

DIY Alphabet Art

I had an idea of doing a large piece of art with the alphabet after doing these small scale watercolor pieces with my daughter's preschool. There are so many beautiful renderings of the alphabet for sale but really it's such an easy concept to do at home. I'm really please with how it turned out and I'm sure we'll enjoy it for a long time. And what I really like is that it's kid art that doesn't really look like kid art.

So here's how we made it. With a pencil I blocked out a grid of roughly 25, 5x4" boxes on a piece of watercolor paper I had. I also made sure the overall piece would fit into an old IKEA matted frame I had sitting in the garage. I used a set of 4" repositionable vinyl letters to set up the letters in the grid, sticking them down really well. I had an old pallet of gouache paint with a nice range of color in it so we just used that. And away me and my daughter painted over every inch of the paper. While I tried to limit the number of colors we were working with for simplicity, she mixed a few new ones and it turned out beautifully.

Renagade Craft Fair SF 2011

Last weekend I hit the Renagade Craft Fair with two good friends. It surely didn't disappoint and I'm always inspired about the creativity out there. I think I was drawn to some really amazing embroidery this year as well as some wonderful graphic posters - two things I wish I had the patience to pursue myself. I'm truely impressed by people who make selling their art and craft a priority. Here are some folks I enjoyed.

via Hillary Bird

via Specks & Keepings

via Drywell Art

Pinecone & Chickadee

COATT

LINEA CARTA

SASS & PERIL

Paper Parasol Press

Brainstorm Print + Design

Personalized Girl or Boy Pillow

via www.etsy.com by olliegraphic

While I was thinking about thing I could make the Babe for her first birthday I came across this adroable pillow. I just love that you can pick the child's skin tone, hair color and style, eye color and pillow color, even his/her expression. I think I'll need to stash this idea away for the holidays.

July Birthday Bunting

Here is the birthday bunting I made for Apple's first birthday which is on July 5th. I figured if we were going to have decorations up this time of year they might as well be festive. It's not completely red, white and blue but there are pink, brown, green and orange spots in there too. I think it turned out beautifully and it such a pretty combination of what I already had hanging around. Her older sister was quite the little sewing helper too!

Watercolor Initials

I'm working on some art projects for the preschool kids as we plan a fundraiser in June. Testing some out with the Chickpea. These initial watercolors turned out really well and were just the right speed for the kiddo. Any other suggestions?

 

More Garland Love

More of our water color circles in a garland for Valentine's Day. The little Chickpea painted this wooden heart from the craft store and then dusted it with a mighty hand of sparkles. It looks pretty sweet I must say.

We're using the last of them to make Valentine's Day cards for her pre-school classmates.

1st Birthday Garland

A little gift for one of our littlest friends who is celebrating her 1st birthday next week (sorry to ruin the surprise -- it's going in the mail tomorrow). I can't believe how fast a year can fly by -- I understand why all parents say that now.

This is made with mostly scraps of watercolor paper that have remnants of little splashes of color made by my 3 year old. What a difference thick high quality paper makes to a project. I punched them out and sewed them to a piece of grosgrain ribbon, then placed sparkly little gilded letters on. I think it's sweet and hopefully timeless as fickle little girls go.

I still have a bunch of punched circles left so I'll make a Valentine's Day garland with a little message of love to boot!

Stuffed Pablo Cat

via www.greenergrassdesign.com

I saw these adorable photo print pillows a while back, and filed them in my "that-would-be-a-good-project" mental notebook. So the other day I snapped a photo of the cat, tweaked the color in PhotoShop, printed it out on photo transfer paper and ironed it on, then sewed it to a piece of flanel and stuffed him up like a nice little pillow. I think it's totally cute and completely less maintnenace than the real thing. Now I've just got to get a shot of the other cat while she's not hiding in the closet or running away from a child. The Chickpea is going to love finding this under the tree. They'd make great gifts for chidren's birthdays etc. I've even seen them as dolls made up from photos of family members.

 

Skirt Transformed

Sadly, maternity leave is coming to a close. I head back to work next week with mixed feelings. I'll miss being home every day with my little darlings, reading in bed, making soup, taking leisurely walks in the neighborhood chatting with friends. But I'll be gaining my sense of independence again, some quiet time to read on the bus and the confidence that I am providing for my family in a different way.

That said, I purged the closet hard, slash and burn. After 2 pregnancies let's just say I'm not headed back to the size 6 I was when we were married 7 years ago. And that's fine. I'm more forgiving and grateful of my body now that I used to be. It's good to be gentle with your self image, I'm feeling older and wiser these days. But there were a few pieces I didn't want to part with, I'm a pack rat at times. So I turned a few skirts and dresses into these drawstring bags. Sew them below the darts at the waist, trim off the waist excess, open the hem and pull a ribbon through, voila a nice bag for storing stuff (dress up clothes, travel laundry, toys...)

Yarn Wreath by ItzFitz

via www.etsy.com

I'm brainstorming about holiday crafts. What's easy, what's practical, what's been done before and what's simply lovely. This wreath is a great twist, a non-traditional interpretation that would give me a smile as I came home.

Animal Stamps

via Cavallini & Co.

We just picked out this adorable stamp set the other day on a little outing to the art supply store. Can't wait to play around with them. Our stamp collection is growing and they are oh-so addictive. Get a set of blank cards and envelopes and you're in business...

Handmade Kitty Dolls

 
I wanted to make my girls something to mark the point when they became sisters and to also give them both something special to snuggle made especially for them by Mommy. I looked at a bunch of patterns some of which I love below and decided to settle on a kitty pattern that I already had from this book (which is excellent in every way). I could have spent more time deciding on a pattern than actually sewing it! I tried using linen for the first time because it is so durable and classic. It was difficult to work with but I think it looks very sweet and highlights the details.

 

Chickpea's has rhinestone button eyes from an Anthropology sweater that I finally admitted I'd never wear again. I can sew some on Apple's kitty once she is old enough. Overall I'm happy with them. We'll see how well they are received or if they end up in the bottom of the stuffie basket. But I'm hoping they hold on to them for a long time.

via www.weewonderfuls.com

via bird & little bird

Birthday Party Ideas

I've been mulling over birthday ideas for Chickpea's 3rd for a little while now. Not like she hasn't been reminding me that her birthday is coming for the last 6 months. I'm thankful that her only real request has been cupcakes which I can happily provide. But I've forgotten how exciting birthdays are for kids and with every party that she attends for a little friend the wheels start turning in her head. I've got to say that I'm so grateful when other parents keep it modest and creative. I want to celebrate my child but I also want to teach her that the gift of experience, joy and sharing with friends is more important than what money can buy. So here are some of my thoughts on this year's party. We'll see what we actually come up with!

 

Cupcake kits via Meri Meri. These are such an easy and affordable ($12) way to build a little theme around a party without being over the top, plus the kids are going to love them. I adore the birds but Chickpea wants the kitties. There is also a pretty template for cupcake flags you can make yourself over at lovely designs.

Hummingbird Cake recipe via Martha Stewart. There is also a cupcake version but isn't the big cake lovely. I don't think I'm ready to give up adding a little nutrition to a cake.

Sidewalk chalk party favors via Mighty Girl. So brilliant, so affordable. I just bought a giant box at Target for $4. I'm mindful of not giving other kids crap that I wouldn't want in my house. Other ideas are play dough, bubbles, balls, seeds with pots, organic treats, art supplies, stickers....

Collaged birds on a stick via lovely designs. I love the idea of having a craft project for the kids to play with during a party, particularly when the weather can be unpredictable. These are so cute and again so easy, affordable and definitely  special memento. I'm going to work something out here with my art supplies on hand, maybe paper kitties?

Crown tutorial via Curly Pops. I think I'm going to have to make a birthday crown like one of these that we can use over and over. there are a lot of tutorials on this and lots available at etsy. Maybe I'll use the same fabrics from the birthday bunting I made her last year which will also come out.

More fun ideas over at Martha Stewart for both indoor and outdoor kid parties. Ah, no licensed characters... thank you very much. I like the ideas over at Cookie Magazine too but they seem better for older kids. There is a darling flower themed birthday over at inchmark for all those spring girls. And the camellia pinata she re-made from a soccer ball pinata is very beautiful and resourceful.

Tea Tins For Paint Brushes

The other day I turned this tea tin into a cute little paint brush holder for Chickpea with a little bit of doodled paper and glue. Am I the only one who hold on to little tins because they could be useful for something and they sit and sit empty forever? I think this one has been in my desk for at least 2 years. Better to turn things into useful objects than hoard them right. So then I ran across these tins below in an old copy of Martha a few days later. Leave it to Martha to have already figured it out. They do make a nice collection though, don't they.

Martha's Memorabilia Tins 

Heart Garland

I'm on a roll with hearts this week. Here is a garland I made with pre-cut felt stickers and some vintage paper simply cut out and sewn up.

Sick Day

When you've been puked on by your child before 7am you know you're in for a day of patience, compassion and just plain rolling with it. I found out late this evening that there were 5 kids out of her preschool with the stomach flu - poor kiddos. They were so looking forward to their V-day celebrations.

Inspired by the orange heart garland we bought at the art supply store yesterday, Chickpea and I set off to make some Valentine's Day decor (above) - that and veg out with some Pedialyte and Curious George.

 

We started out with plain old construction paper but then I though we should dig into some special papers I had stashed away for my collages. And the results were beautiful and so much more fun than I had expected. Here's to a better day tomorrow.

Frozen Heart

Chickpea and I made this ice heart a few weeks back. We went on a walk and gathered up little bits of nature that we found. We took them back home and talked about them all and then put them in a little cake pan, filled it with water and a looped string and popped it all into the freezer. The next day we hung it outside and watched it melt, revealing more layers and changing shape as we played outside.

I think these could be really fabulous if you lived in a colder climate than us where they stayed frozen for a longer amount of time -  you could decorate whole trees with different ornaments. I even thought a garland of them made in a fun shaped cupcake pan like hearts or stars would be cool too.

Speaking of garlands, check these out from deliajude.

Doll Bedding

A new quilt and pillow finished from scraps for Chickpea's dolly bed. Thank goodness I can rest better now that they are sleeping in a matching and well fitting set-up. Really she'd be happy tucking them in with a dirty tea towel from the kitchen and a damp washcloth left over from the bath. But doesn't she look cozy?

Recycling & Melting Crayons

I've been meaning to do this crayon craft project with the Chickpea ever since I first read about it on Craft Apple. We inherited a bag of old broken crayons that still have good life but are a little ratty. Plus I think larger sized object fit differently in small hands and lend themselves to different explorations. So we gave them a try today on another rain filled day.

Unwrapping the crayons was therapeutic and the confetti like mess actually quite pretty. Breaking them was satisfying and melting them a little tedious. 

 

But we had fun and they turned out well. We're ready to bust out the paper and play with our new inventions now. I think if I do these again I might try using fewer colors and melting them in the microwave and pouring them into fun candy molds as was suggested on another site. But really the possibilities are endless - maybe we'll try soap next?

Crafting With Kids

Crafting Fun: 101 Things to Make and Do with Kids by Rae Grant

I just picked up this book with more classic crafting ideas for Chickpea and me after our pine cone fun. I like the fact that most projects in this book can be made from things that you'll find around the house or minimal items that can be purchased easily and don't need to be stored. They aren't overly complicated and don't need a whole lot of instruction or detail work that can often make kids feel frustrated or inadequate. I also like that is organized by season so we can welcome each one - or just save them for a rainy day. Some of the ideas are really basic and familiar but it's nice to have them all at your fingertips in one place.

Here are a few I'm eager to try:

• Paper mache
• Bean painting with glue
• Tin can lanterns
• Ice pictures
• Pomander
• Beeswax candles & cutouts
• Potato prints
• Paper hats

Homemade Thank You Notes

We were in need of some thank you notes and I got the idea for these color your own cards over here. I found some black and white illustrations and threw them into PhotoShop and added the text for both thank you and happy birthday so we'd have some in hand. I printed them on card stock and the file is saved so we can print more or adjust the text later. On the back is my daughter's name and a space to write in her age. She has had a great time drawing on them but with so many people to thank we're doing them in small batches when the mood suits her. There is another similar idea over here for slightly older kids. I bet you could even make a gift set with pretty envelopes and a new set of crayons for another child. I'll definitely have to try that for an easy birthday gift.

Also a few new recipes tried with great success: Brussels Sprouts with Pecans and Cranberries, Pear Walnut Muffins, Orange Chicken from The Joy.

Next up: Pizza Dough, and Chicken Tortilla Soup

Pine Cone Bird Feeder

I took my friend Katherine's lead on this little craft project after she mentioned the non-material traditions she was starting with her daughter for the holidays. It's such a great idea to give the birds their gift for Christmas too. So the day after Christmas we all went for a hike up in Tilden and The Chickpea and Daddy happily forged for pine cones off the trails (thank goodness the poison oak is dormant).

We brought them home and set up a place to get messy. She just lit up with excitement at the idea and execution of this project that I am already craving more. A creative nature based project was different than just pulling out the crayons and paint. I'm not going to lie, getting messy in the house is a bit of a challenge for me although I like to think that I'm all for it - artist that I am. It's easier to reserve the mess for warm summer weather outside where a garden hose does the clean up or preschool where the teachers have saintly patience. But when I asked her to help slather the pine cones and sprinkle the seeds she was so happy to dive in, although she did look at me like "Really? You sure? Okay, I'm game!" And then began the song... "We're painting with peanut butter... We're painting with peanut butter..." over and over. The whole day made me pick up my copy of The Creative Family and start looking for more ideas.

So while I'm at work today Chickpea and Daddy are going to find special places to hang them outside. I hope the squirrels don't sabotage our hard work. I'm sure we'll get some nibbles.

Kid Proof Table

The Chickpea has been very hard on her simple little IKEA table set. Spilled lunches, fork scrapes, art projects galore... So I decides to take it apart and add a vinyal covered fabric by Echino (makers of the most lovely Japanese prints). Putting it back together involved minimal cursing and a pleasing result. It's cute, blends well with our house it will also clean up easily. Job well done Mama!

One Tough Rain Filled Morning

What to do when we're being hit with the worst storm we've seen in about 7 months? What to do when your curious and sleep deprived toddler has been up since 5:00am with said storm? Head to the post office in the pouring rain to submit passport documents and deal with government bureaucracy? Uh, yeah, not such a good idea - although when are we not faced with chores and obligations that don't coincide with things we can't control. So my little California Chickpea was terrified of the rain and refusing to wear her rain boots and rain jacket. Which left us with changing wet pants not once but twice and quite a few tears. Again, what to do to make that smile reappear? Pull over, slog in through the wetness and stop for brunch together.

With our tummies refueled and laughter regained we headed home to find better ways to spend our energy. Like calling public works to have the giant fallen tree branch removed from the top of some poor guy's dented car in front of our house. Or clearing the leaves that  dammed up the storm drain in front of our elderly neighbor's house. I wish I had a picture of the wet Chickpea watching me do that under her little "ubunda". Back inside our warm house we made time for coloring and stamping in between watching all the "fix-it men" out front cleaning up the carnage. I'll bet their morning sucked more than mine.

Today was just a reminder that Fall is here and that means being prepaired for rainy day activities to keep us all happy. So my plan is to stock up on some ideas from Kids Craft Weekly for next time. Any other suggestions for thing you love to do when going out is not an option?