and this Certificate is awarded to....

Children LOVE rewards.  Sometimes when we (as adults) get out of whack with things, we can learn a lot from children.

My after-school artypops art group finishes next week and its time to look at what worked, what didn't, what can be learnt from and what can improved on...something of a SWOT test (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities & threats? am off too google...be back in a mo)  thats right indeed.

Firstly, the children LOVED all the activities, from dip-ink drawings using peacock feathers to making decs for the tree, all the activities were enjoyed.  They particularly enjoyed not knowing each week what they were going to be doing, they loved the surprise...perfect.

Secondly, they loved the snacks - marvellous.  Jammy dodgers win out every time..

Thirdly, the singing....I know.  Helped along am sure by Christmas play preparations but am thinking of taking a small iPod in for the next classes...there are only so many times I can hear 'Away in a Manger' in one day.

Fourthly, the carrying system for getting all our wee treasures home once we bought them.  Must get some more paper bags, they worked a treat...(swoon) just imagine if I had 'artypops' printed onto them...they would be just gorgeous...yummy.  (get the logo sorted first Sam).

Lastly, certificates.  Ah yes, I deliberated but in the end I remembered just how much my babes love recognition.  All the children in my class have done so well, kept themselves beautifully occupied and behaved wonderfully, they all deserve one.  I have written them out and encapsulated them (not a big fan of lamenating as its not very eco-friendly, but for longevity have gone ahead and done it.)

So there we have it, the first official course of 'artypops after-school classes' are completed.  Well done everyone.

If the children get certificates...do I get a medal?  And, is it normal to feel quite so sad about them being over?

Much love

Sam

Easy-Peasy Hangy-uppy Christmas Signs..P.E.A.S.E.Y (promise)

Hangy-uppy Happy Christmas Signs..

You will need:  

Ribbon

Labels (any size is good)

Paint/stickers/etc etc

Beads of some sort (if you have them)

Lovely to hang over any pictures you have in the house, to give away to Granny or perhaps to hang on the tree..

1.
Gather your bits and bobs.

2.
Paint up your labels.  I have used acrylic paint here making it really bright and strong, but it's great to use poster paints too.  I have only painted them on one side.  Once painted, leave until bone dry.  When so, paint on your letters in any colour you wish...white on red is great too.  I left them to dry then redid the letters with a second coat to make the colours stand out big and strong.

3.
Once dry, remove all the strings that came with the labels and begin to thread the labels onto the ribbon on each side of every label, I have used a bead to make more of the decoration (this also fleshes out the activity for the youngsters to enjoy).

4.
Tricky bit I know.. but to hold the labels in place, I have attached a tiny bit of selotape/masking tape to the back of the label to making it secure - bit fiddly but very doable.

So there you have it...if you wanted to you could keep adding and make ceiling decorations...using the bigger labels...ooooh, I may have to have a go at that one!

Much love, Sam x

Beautiful Birds by Mark Hearld...LOVE.

In terms of finding thing that inspire new collections, thoughts and new ideas..these birds by the very talented Mark Hearld 

These go a long way to getting my creative juices flowing.  They are just fantastic!  Outstanding and outspoken, I can imagine them hanging everywhere in my house and making me smile each time I biff my head on them.

Believe it or not these are greeting cards. I know.  £3.00 from this link  I will be ordering some for sure.  

Uber lovely Paper Snowflakes and Stars...

In preparation for my children's art-classes am doing all sorts of research for good art activities that last about an hour, keep little fingers and minds busy and hey presto...make something gorgeous to take home.  Suitable for all ages between 6-11, not too expensive and plentiful in materials.

Am struggling.

Last weeks class if proving hard to beat...we had a ball, making these Christmas Hearts & Stars.  So..onward.  This week am thinking Paper Snowflakes...I LOVED making these when I was little.  The best ones I have found are here by Vintage Junky.  They are beautiful, so beautiful in fact that am going to have to show her picture of them in situ...swoon.

See beautiful.  Now all I need is a super sharp pair of scissors, a beautifully painted wall, some original cornicing like hers and we are away.

Back to the drawing table.

Scroll down for next possibility....

I loved these stars too.   Please forgive me friendly blogger, I can't refind you anywhere to link this to you but please rest assured, I love them.  These are distinct possibility for my class.  Very doable, although am probably going to have to cut a gazillion stars out myself first me thinks.  Great to paint and decorate, lovely with ribbon.

Onward with my quest.

Will bring you results soon...I promise.

Much love

Sam x

Making 'Doodle-balls' (LOVE them...as do the tweenies)

It was after-school art session number 3 yesterday.  The heat was on.  The children were tired as, (am sure its the time of year) so out came the choccy biscuits (SO not homemade however good my intentions) as a bribe  treat to bolster them all up for some making.

I actually needn't have bothered with the biccies, the children LOVED the activities this week.  We made Christmas Decorations, the green Decorations from this tutorial (See below) and also...(See even more below... we made Beaded Hearts...

 

The Session practically ran itself and the children found it impossible to tear themselves away.  Its incredible how much these offerings engage them.  They LOVED doing them and loved watching them.  The immediacy of the making definately had a part to play here - they could see their makings coming along nicely every step of the way.  To find out how to make hearts, click here.

Further to the beading and sequins, I also ran an option to make a 'Doodle-ball'  I think the idea of these is truly inspiring and love the way it stretches out our thinking about drawing.   Pure thanks to these fabulous people at Accessart for coming up with the idea.

Righto, a 'Doodle-ball' is just that, a ball covered in paper that you can draw on and all over, letting your thoughts wonder as they will.  They are FAB for active learners and can be added too at anytime...just pick them up and carry on.

To make a Doodle-ball you need:

A hand-sized ball.  A tennis ball or Christmas dec is good, try to remove the nobbly bit first though.
Glue, PVA is best
Mid-sized paint brush
Paper, cut up into double-stamp sizes
Pen or Pens for drawing..

Gather your wares together...

2.

Take your small pieces of paper and layer them onto your ball, all over until its completely covered. Two layers is great too.  Lashings of glue here until the paper is flat with no sticky-uppy bits!  Then dear hearts, when its fully covered pop it into the airing cupboard or on a radiator to dry.  Don't do any drawing until fully dry..

3.

Here we have our ball fully covered and about to dry.

3.

Once your ball is dry it's good and ready to go.  Begin drawing and let your drawing go where it wants to go.  Enjoy the process, its a lovely way to draw.

Here is a 'Flower Ball' made by the originators of this fab idea at Accessart.

Enjoy x

The (occasionally dreaded) Christmas run up and Let's get making. Starry Stars for the Christmas Tree! (Tres simple I promise!)

It's coming, we all know it.  

Sadly, I catch myself going off on my instant reaction to Christmas.  You know the old 'Oh Blimey no...already?  Am not ready...where are we going to find the extra few hundred that dribbles out of my wallet into someone's else's, etc etc etc...in short, proper MRS MINUS thoughts about the forthcoming Season)  Easily done and with good reason, especially in current climates with two freelance parents.

BUT, dear readers it doesn't have to be this way.  Christmas day is really just a day, when thought of as a proper snuggly Sunday, we get to be with those that we love, eat good nosh, play games, watch movies and lounge en famille under a duvet on the new (second hand) sofa that now seats all of us (at a real push!)

Hmmm, am beginning to feel a flicker of excitement.

My children now are 8 and nearly 5 years of age.  This means that they have now reached an age where they can actually get involved, get excited and get making independently given the materials, some instructions and a finished article to work to.  

I don't know about you but previous to this age, when doing creative activities with my babes, the art session was much more of a 'damage limitation' hour that involved, setting up, manhandling the mess created by the (very happy it has to be said) children and then another hour clearing up.  All for the five minutes of actually doing the activity, until darling children lose interest and off they go - I know ALL about that trust me.  

But, once again dearest reader, for however long, for very little thanks and in the name of creativity...puhleeze continue with said activities for all ages of your babes.  They LOVE it, will remember it and guaranteed when they are older (like me now with DS) you look at the odd thing that we haven't lobbed out as it was broken (& quite crap) and think aww...I loved doing that with them, its a trick of parenthood, you may have a rubbish time making with them but guaranteed you won't remember it this way!

So...onward to making.

Dead simple to start with.

'A Starry Christmas Tree Decoration'

You will need:

3 x lollypop sticks

Lashings of glue

Sequins or can be made perfectly nicely too with buttons.

Cotton or fishing wire (to hang star on the tree with)

1.

Take your lollies and glue together one on top of another in starry-like fashion.

2.

Apply lashings (love that word) of glue, stick by stick.  Take your sequins and place on one by one.  I wouldn't try the glitter effect (that is pouring the sequins over the glue) as they stick in all the wrong places.  I did it by hand but with the help of a wee pen (with the lid on) just to help me place them.  Once your lolly sticks are covered, step away from the decoration and leave to dry for a good 24hrs...

Tada!

The only thing left to do with this baby is to hang my cotton from the top of one end of the sticks and  it's all done and ready to hang on the tree.

Well done everyone!

Making idly-biddy tiny nativity sets with the children (magic for Granny's Christmas pressie)

It's coming around to that time again.

If I were to come on strong dear reader, I could fool you into thinking that my perfectly pointing (Farrow & Ball) painted house was having a retouch before the silly season comes around again, whereby my beautiful house will be smelling of cinnamon & orange and my 'warm glow' fairy lights on my perfectly John Lewis Christmas-decked tree sat oh-so-beautifully in the window.  Yeah right.

Meanwhile in the real world, the babes have been murmuring more about Christmas and dh & I are beginning that - Oh gosh..where are we going to find that extra £200 for the presses and another £200 on nosh and a couple of stunning bottles of vino.  Fret not, we will find them...we always do somehow or another.

For my after-school art class group of 8 little faces (I love doing them) I realise that my minor punters have to take home somethings Christmassy, preferably made over two weeks to enhance the anticipation of their delivering it on Christmas morning...queue...clay.

Researching through my books, I found the sweetest little nativity set in my '101 things to make a do' book, by Parragon.    I love this book, given to DS around his 5th birthday, we dip in every so years and find motivation to make all sorts of things I wouldn't normally dream of.  One Christmas we made everyone in the family a velvet-fabric crown...this was quite probably the dawning of my realising that I rather enjoyed making things with children...who knew?!

So...in preparation for my art-class, I decided to test out said project with my own.  Both DS and DD loved it from start to finish.  My question really was air-drying clay or air model-fix (more expensive) so we made two (like we said..perfecto for the grannies gifts from the babes)

How to make an 'IDDY BIDDY LITTLE NATIVITY SCENE'

Things needed:

Air Clay or Air Modelling Clay.    A good handful

Paint, the list states acrylic but I used thickish watercolour too.

Black marker pen...(not essential but handy if to hand)

1.

Warm up your clay/substance in your hand for a good while until its soft to play with and shape.

2.

Firstly make the cave, shape the arch to be about the size of your hand cupped.  The figures should be about thumb sized and quite rounded.  Baby Jesus is fantastic, to make said figure, roll your clay to a thickish flat oval about the size of a 50p coin at the largest and give it a push with your thumb...thats it!   The cot is to be big enough to fit the baby in and bed-ish!    

To begin with we made Mary & Joseph, the cot and baby Jesus, along with 3 sheep, Granny will be delighted with that!  On later models (ahem) I will add in the Three Wise Men and some more animals me thinks.

3.

Once you have your wee figures, stand back!  Put onto a tray or a plate and leave in the airing cupboard overnight (it's quite exciting)

4.

Time to paint.  Here is the interesting bit.  I had expected the clay to be much easier to paint but the modelling air stuff was good too.  Either is fine.

Am sure you don't need me to tell you that you need a face, some arms, a head scarf and a headband on your wee figure.   The sheep were fab...will draw up a simple template this afternoon and scan it in...for now...herewith one two we made earlier (have ALWAYS wanted to say that!)

Well done everybody, dead simple, very engaging and perfect for doing together.

Enjoy x 

A Beautiful but rather 'Deadly Art Bat' Well done Jenny!

Following my blog post all about 'Deadly Art' this has come in from Jenny.  Well done Jenny!  

Her own 'Deadly Art' Bat!  I love it!  Gorgeous big strong lines.  Thanks for sending it in.

Sam x

A brilliant thing to do with that pile of wonderful beautiful drawings children's drawings...that pile that just keeps on growing. MAKE WRAPPING PAPER from them...genius! Enjoy x

Don't feel bad, we have all done it.  Binned (ahem) recycled some of those beautiful drawings that fall fresh from the hands of our babes...it's the quantity of them that is the problem, we have gazillions of them..all gorgeous of course.    

Once your albums are full, and there is no space left on your bedroom walls we are in trouble.  

As more drawings roll off the dining room table rising panic begins to kick in...I know, we have all been there.

No longer dear hearts...homemade wrapping paper...genius.

1.

Gather together all the drawings you can muster....children LOVE to do this bit.

2.

Place them face down and secure into one large sheet with selotape. (Scroll down)

Marvellous stuff.  Then quite simply wrap your pressie.  Finishing it off with a bow works wonders too.  Below are lots of shots to get you going...great for Granny especially!

Fab Christmas Pressies for Arty Children. 'Art in a Box' by the wonderful Sarah Richardson & The Tate.

Quite frankly I have to ask myself 'whats not to like' about 'Art in a Box'  by the wonderful Sarah Richardson & The Tate (Darling).  

If ever I run dry'ish of ideas of things to do with my children and those in my children's art classes I head straight for the Tate (Modern normally) as they are stuffed to the brim with innovative ideas of high creativity for children.  Learning by mistake as it were - actually is this not the holy grail of teaching?  

I digress.  Inside of this natty little magnetic box (very Tate sweetie) are 20 cards with well known and mainly contemporary Artists work on. Peter Blake, Chris Offili, Cornelia Parker cards sit alongside Picasso and Albert Irving.  On one side of the A5 card is a well known work, covering the whole side bar a couple of mm at the edge.  On the reverse are the Artist's details, birth, death etc and up to 8 bullet points about their work and thought provoking questions for for the children to read and think about themselves.

Lastly, the 'Your Turn' section.  An activity to make something along the lines of said Artist.  For example, Albert Irvin.  'Make your own abstract painting in the style of Albert Irvin'.  Using suggested materials that are easy to grab, using two colours from the included colour chart in the box (LOVELY touch) and suggested materials, we are guided to produce something akin to the Artist's work itself.

Tactile, easy to comprehend and frankly delicious for parents and children to work on together I fully endorse this pressie.  Enjoy. 

Sam

ps.  Find it here  for £9.76.  nice.

Beading, Bonding & Birthdays...making 'Hearty Hang-ups'

My favourite time of year.

It's getting to be crafty time, I mean all those delicious events that need celebrating...Halloween, Guy Fawkes and all the things to get ready for the Red Guy to come on the 25th December...my idea of bliss, my husband the opposite (bah humbug grumpus mcflumpus).

So...kicking it all of is my DS's 8th birthday on Monday...aaargh.  Stress.  10 boys for tea, so it's making we shall do.  Monday's weather is looking good so am thinking that a picnic tea in the park might well do, but for now...am planing a 'make-along'.

Am thinking bats.  Bats for Boys.  Making Halloween Bats.  Good for being in season (Darling) good to take home (Happy Mums & Dads) and great to make (happy children).

Have the materials and the plan so oft I go.  Will let you know how we get on.

In the meantime...I have my beautiful nieces and nephew here today alongside my own too.  Organisation is the key and in fact, the day has flown by so fast that am willing the two big ones to come back from swimming now, to cram in the pizza/movie and popcorn part of the plan which is scheduled to start at 4.45...must...stay...on ......schedule!

This mornings activity however was a rip-roaring success.  The tines (ages 4 & 5) made airplay necklace pendants complete with tons of beads kneaded into them, and the older gals made beaded heart pendants complete with hangy bit.  Both went down mighty well.

So with that in mind, I decided to record it to pass on the (mega basic) idea.

Enjoy.

'Making Hangy Beaded Hearts'.

Brill for:  Ages 7 or 8 years up.

Whats needed?

Wire, gardening is fine.

Beads..

Seed beads...(little tiny weeny beads to put between the bigger ones)

Scissors

1.

Gather your stuff altogether and get comfy.. 

(Little hint..pop your beads in a plate or summit easy to pick & choose from

2.

Make yourself a tiny wee loop at the top of the wire to stop the beads coming off as you put them on!  

Then, (this is the important bit) take a seed bead (that is the tiny ones) and put between each big bead.  This does two things, a:  looks very pretty and b:  beefs out the big beads beautifully.  Making your bead collection last twice as long.

Keep beading until your line is about the length of an adults hand, in a line..big bead, then a little one.

3.

Once you are there,make a circle & tie up the ends together by winding and winding.  

Now you have your beads on the wire, you can make the heart shape..remember to make a kink at the bottom of the heart... to really make it sharp and obvious its a heart.

Once we have our beaded hearts, fill up the remainder of the wire with the seed beads and then bend over into a loop, fastening at the bottom.

We are finished and it looks...

Perfecto.  Wonderful as a window decoration, a Christmas tree decoration or for wrapping up and giving as a personalised gift.

Well done x