Beeswax Collage with Anna Corba

I have wanted to take a class with Anna Corba of Found Cat Studio for years.  I love her mixed media projects and how she incorporates beeswax into them. I have never tried that before and decided it would be fun to take one of her community education classes at the local junior college.

Each student's station was stocked with materials:

She even let us paw through her collection of ephemera which was too fun! Isn't it wonderful to get to go through someone else's stash?

I like to collect a bunch of images that I like in big stack and then sort through them to figure out a narrative.  Here is one of my pieces as I was trying to figure out how to lay everything out:

I have been very attracted to birds and butterflies lately.  I think part of it is that I feel like my own baby bird is getting ready to fly away. (he starts Kindergarten next week) Also, butterflies represent change in its most beautiful form. 

I managed to finish three pieces.  My favorite is the one on the right:

It is hard to see from the photographs but we sealed each piece with beeswax which gives the whole piece a lovely color.  It was a fun class and got me excited about the big art retreat coming up in September!!!

Stay tuned because I am going to feature several back-to-school posts over the next few days leading up to Noodlebug's first day of school!

Lisa Leonard Grateful Necklace---ONE DAY ONLY!!!

It is not secret that I love Lisa Leonard.  I own a bunch of her jewelry including the year-long build-a-charm-bracelet.  I love her products so much that I decided to become an affiliate.

Today, Lisa Leonard has a special promotion for one day only.

EXCLUSIVE necklace by Lisa Leonard. TODAY ONLY!

This beautiful limited edition necklace is available for $44. But only today!

It has never been in the shop and won't be offered again. I'm going to snatch one for myself right now!  Follow the link above to purchase.

Fair Results

I entered four items in the Sonoma County Fair this year.  Just for fun.

My necklace and needle-felted fruit didn't win anything.

I think the necklace was a little too "avant garde" for the audience.  The fruit was just for fun.  I am new to needle-felting and my technique wasn't great.

I got first place for the hat that I made at ART IS YOU last year:

It always makes me think of Mary Poppins.





I am very proud to say that my mixed media painting of me and Noodlebug won Best in Show!

It was the last piece of art that I have made and the firsr thing in a long time that I have been proud of.  I made it to celebrate five years of motherhood and it's very special to me.

I am putting my winnings into a jar to save for a trip to Disneyland next year.

Camping and Hiking with Kids

We have waited far too long to take Noodlebug camping and we finally did it this past weekend.  We decided to go to Lassen National Park for our first camping attempt.  Noodlebug has been studying Earth Science in camp and we thought a park with a volcano would be a lot of fun. It was!!!

We already do a lot of day hikes with Noodlebug.  We try to keep it to about 2 miles.  Often, our day hikes involve letterboxing.  Since it is a little bit like a treasure hunt, it helps keep Noodle interested as we walk.  They do not allow letterboxes in National Parks so we couldn't do that this time. Sometimes, we also bring along a small, light-weight collection box.  The June Kiwi Crate came with one that has little compartments separated by color.  Your child can look for things to collect that match the different colors. You could easily make your own. If you want something more lightweight, you could create some index cards with different images or words on them for your own Scavenger Hunt.  I would laminate them and put them on a ring.  I saw a great idea in the latest Family Fun magazine for doing this using paint chip cards in different colors. You just punch a hole in each color, put the cards together on a ring, and then take them out into nature to try and match the colors up.  I had a great idea to make Noodlebug an explorer's belt that I saw in an Action Pack magazine but it hasn't come together yet. This belt has little pouches for collecting items and for carrying tools like a magnifying glass.  I love that it is hands-free!

The most important thing is to take time to wander.  Let kids explore.  We made lots of stops on a various hikes so that Noodlebug could take time to look at water bugs or flowers or whatever else struck his fancy.  At one stop, we stayed for about 20 minutes so that Noodle could build a little dam.

After reading Richard Louv's LAST CHILD IN THE WOODS, I feel even more passionate about giving kids time to explore in nature.  I don't to rush my child through the experience and I don't want to structure all of this time there.  At our campsite, I created parameters for Noodlebug in terms of exploration. He knew he couldn't pass certain trees or logs.  Beyond that, I let him explore on his own. 

I also made a little logbook for him.  I folded a few sheets of regular copy paper in half along with a sheet of construction paper for a cover and stapled it together. He could use his logbook and crayons to record what he found.  Another big hit was stopping at the Visitor's Center to join the programs they had for kids.  Lassen has a Chipmunk Club for ages 4-6 and a Jr Ranger Club for older children. They let us do both.  The Chipmunk Club involved taking a sheet of pictures on a hike and circling different flora and fauna that we found.  The Jr Ranger activity involved discussing ways to be green and doing a few related activities.  We turned in the sheets and received a sticker and a patch.  He loved that!  I think most National Parks have activities like that for children.

I think the best part of the trip was unplugging completely and just spending time together as a family hiking, exploring, singing and telling stories.  I'm already looking forward to our next adventure.

Barefoot Books

I am starting a new adventure today as a Barefoot Books Ambassador.  Many of you know that I am passionate about books.  I have worked in libraries for over 12 years and I love sharing my passion for reading with children. When my son was 2, his godmother gave him a Barefoot Books book.

He made me read it over and over and he insisted that I SING the entire book.  I was so grateful that it came with a CD for those times when my voice wouldn't cooperate.  Since we got ANIMAL BOOGIE, we have been adding to our collection.  I love the colorful books, the multicultural emphasis and the high quality of the products.  As I was browsing the online store recently, I saw that they offered opportunities to sell these wonderful books. I have been looking for additional ways to earn money and loved the idea of combining extra work with my passion for books and literacy. So, I am going to try my hand at being a Barefoot Book Ambassador.

I hope you will take a moment to browse all the wonderful products that are available.  Even if you don't live nearby, I can be your Ambassador and I'm happy to answer any questions about the products.  I hope you will enjoy Barefoot Books as much as I do!!!

This is Making Me Happy Today

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I just love Mindy Gledhill. Her music is so lovely and she has a new album coming out on September 10.  Yesterday, she released her first single off the new album, "Trouble No More."  You can download it for free from the Anthropologie blog.  It is so cheerful and happy and I can't stop listening to it over and over.

Can't wait for the new album!!!

Letterboxing with Kids

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I have been looking for more outdoor activities to do with Noodlebug.  I recently finished reading LAST CHILD IN THE WOODS by Richard Louv and it convinced me that we need to get out in nature more.  I had heard things about geocaching before and started researching that as an activity possibility.  In my research about geocaching, I came across letterboxing.  Letterboxing felt like a better place to begin.

Letterboxing is sort of an outdoor treasure hunt. You follow clues to discover little hidden boxes. The boxes usually contain a small logbook and a hand-carved stamp.  Letterboxes can be found just about anywhere.  When we are heading out of our area for a day, we look up local letterboxes that we can search for while we are gone.  My favorite sites for letterboxing are AtlasQuest and Letterboxing.  I think AtlasQuest seems to have the best database of boxes.

What is a Letterbox?
A letterbox is usually a small plastic container such as tupperware or a disposable style food container. It can also be a sturdy plastic pouch.   The letterbox will hold a small logbook and a stamp.  If you are lucky, there may also be a small stamp pad.

What do I do when I find a letterbox?
Take out the logbook and stamp.  Stamp YOUR personal stamp in the letterbox logbook. We usually add a note such as our trail name (you can register an anonymous trail name on AtlasQuest), where we are from, and the date.  Then, take the stamp from the letterbox and stamp it in YOUR notebook.  In our personal logbook, we usually put the date we found the box, where we found it, and the name of the letterbox.  Once you are done, carefully put everything back where you found it.  It is nice to come back and log on to one of the websites after you are done and to record your find. This lets everyone know if the box is still active.  Sometimes, these boxes can be mistaken for trash.  If a box hasn't been found in over a year, chances are good that it is gone.

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Putting Together Your Letterboxing Kit

At the bare minimum, you will need a notebook, a stamp, a stamp pad, and a pen or pencil.  Noodlebug and I used a composition book for our logbook.  We decorated the front and then I sealed it with Mod Podge.  It is best if your personal stamp is hand-carved but you can use a store-bought stamp in the interim.  We started letterboxing back in February and have since added to our kit.  We now also include a pair of work gloves, a long sturdy stick, and a compass. 

Some letterboxes are in urban environments and are easy to get to. Some can be off the beaten path.  There have been a few that require some bushwhacking and digging through foliage.  We usually wear long pants and sturdy shoes when looking for letterboxes. Especially when we know we will be looking in regional parks or other wild spaces.  It's a good opportunity to teach Noodlebug about watching for animals like snakes, plants like poison ivy and various other trail hazards.

My husband was skeptical about letterboxing at first but now he is a big fan. I keep the kit in my car along with a set of printed clues so that we are always ready to go at a moment's notice.  We have just about found all of the letterboxes in our town and we are now branching out into other areas of the county.  We may even plant our own letterbox by the end of the year! Geocaching is similar but it more driven by trinkets.  I prefer the novelty and fun of handcarved stamps.  I think this is a great activity for families.  It's a good excuse to get out and explore!

Citrus Lane Review: July 2013

It always feels like Christmas when we receive our Citrus Lane box!  We subscribe to the 5-yr-old boy box.  You can tailor your subscription by age and gender or even choose a gender-neutral box.  There are boxes for ages 0-5.  I enjoy this particular subscription box because it introduces us to fun new products every month.  And I love the emphasis on natural products.  This month, I decide to do an add-on and bought this wet/dry bag. I had been wanting to get one for awhile to put wet swimsuits in and thought this was a good opportunity.

I paid $16 for this Bumkins wet/dry bag.  I had looked at ones for $19-$20 online.  I didn't get any special deal with this one but I didn't have to pay for shipping.

Then, we got a credit for ten free Postagrams with the Sincerely Inc app.

As far as I can tell, this is worth about $9.90.  But it's something new and fun that I didn't know about before.

Next up, Me4Kidz Cool It Buddy.  I wish I had had this when Noodlebug hit his head on concrete last week!

This item retails for about $3.00 but it is something I think we'll really use.

Next, we have a Melissa and Doug Decorate-Your-Own Race Car.  Noodlebug is really excited to try this one!

This item retails for about $5.  It is definitely something we'll have fun making.

Next, freeze-dried banana snack from Just Tomatoes.

This item retails for about $1.50 and will be perfect for Noodlebug's lunches or a snack on the go.

Next, a bento "Bynto" box from Goodbyn!

I am always looking for more sustainable ways to do lunches so I was really excited about this one!  It has a great little handle on top so the whole thing doubles as its own lunchbox. It retails for about $9.50.

Along with the "bynto" box, we got some Goodbyn dishwasher-safe stickers to decorate the box with.

Noodlebug will have so much fun decorating the box with these stickers! These retail for about $3.50.

All in all, I thought it was a really fun box full of things we will definitely use.  Especially with school coming up.  The retail value of this box was about $32.40.  We pay $26.81 per month for the box but I still think it was worth it.  Some months you come out ahead on the value of the box and sometimes you break even.  But we ALWAYS enjoy the surprise.  If you would like to try Citrus Lane and receive $10 off your first box, follow this affiliate link. Already looking forward to next month's box! Hope it has a "back to school" theme!

Pin and Do: Water Blob

I first saw the Water Blob idea on U Create although there are tutorials all over the place.  It sounded like the perfect thing to do on a hot day.  We decided to make it our Fourth of July activity.  I got a 9 x 12 piece of heavy-duty plastic sheeting and some duct tape.  I folded the sheeting in half and then duct-taped the sides shut leaving a hole for the hose. There were some very minor leaks but otherwise the blob filled up perfectly.

Noodlebug had a great time rolling around on the blob as I was filling it up. It made for a nice cool waterbed experience. When Noodle's friend came over, they had such a fun time with it!!!

 With two little boys running across it, it sprung a few more leaks. I repaired some of them with duct tape but we eventually had too many leaks to repair.  The boys still had fun with it, though. It lasted several hours and everyone loved it.  Success!!!

7th Anniversary Gift on a Budget

July 3 will be my 7th wedding anniversary.  Hard to believe!!!  My husband and I always use the traditional/contemporary anniversary gift guides for inspiration.  Sometimes, it can be really hard to come up with an idea.  Your 7th wedding anniversary is supposed to be copper or wool.  My husband asked me if I'd like a sheep.  (the answer is yes but we don't have the proper home for a sheep just yet!)  My husband loves to cook and I thought about getting him some kind of copper pot or mold.  However, money woes continue to plague us.  Even though pennies aren't really made of copper anymore, I thought I could do something with them.  Noodlebug and I dumped out our penny jar and I had him help me look for certain dates. I decided to go for both of our birth dates, the year we met, the year we got engaged, the year we got married, the year Noodlebug was born and the year of our 5th anniversary.  Choose any significant dates that would you like to include. If we had been blessed with another child, I would have used that birth year instead of our 5th anniversary.

I then went to Michael's with a coupon and got this copper-colored frame:

 

The frame has can accommodate an approximately 4.5 " x 6.5" photograph.  I probably could have gone smaller but I wanted room for the print at the bottom.  The "7" made of pennies is approximately 4.5" high and 3" wide. I hot-glued the pennies down and then put a small explanation of dates on the bottom.  (I apologize for the poor photo.)  Some of the pennies were pretty hard to find. I got lucky. My back-up plan was to find a penny for each year we have been married.  Hopefully, my husband will appreciate the sentiment behind it. I wonder what HE will come up with?