Library and Back To School

Many of you are on your way back to school right now. Others of you have year round school.  I don't think I'd like that. I really enjoyed my summers off when I was a kid. I went to summer school, but that was for fun, not because I had to.  I would take swimming and sewing or drawing and painting. I only took things I loved in the summer. Maybe that's why I loved school so much. It loved me right back because with all those summer school credits I had the choice of graduating a year early or going to high school half a day and college half a day, so I did the latter.

I loved libraries and all the librarians loved me.  They were particularly supportive of my poetry. Even now I like to have at least one library day a week.

Our local Haskett Library in Anaheim CA underwent a major renovation a few years back and built a fantastic children's section. My grandson lives 300 miles away but when his parents were in the area last week we were having a heat wave so we headed to the Haskett Library.  It was the first time I'd seen my grandson in action at a library. He's only 3.  He headed straight for the computers. I used my library card to log him in, or you can see the librarian about logging in as a guest. After that we read for awhile.  Then the library closed early since it was Friday, but there is a park behind the library so it had cooled off enough to go meet other kids at the playground.  Going to the library with a kid is so much more fun.

Squid meet kid, kid meet squid.

Home Again

I'm back from visiting my grandson and his mom who is going to be a mom again. We were busy, busy, busy but I took my camera everywhere.

Making muffins

Weston and Heather

Weston runs off with my doll stuffing.

Making a doll at Linnea's Cafe in San Luis Obispo, CA

Head and body of prim doll.

Enjoying the park the last day of my trip. He just woke up from napping on the way there in the car.

Face-Painting

Spending a week with my grandson reminded me of how much I love working with children. I'm going to try harder to book more face-painting events. I want to come up with some new designs too. I'm reminded of the importance of sketching. I need to just jot down ideas when I have them, then figure out how to paint them and then add them to my face-painting idea book.

I did face-painting on the 4th of July, and then the next two Saturdays.  I'm on a roll here.  My daughter has a face-painting gig on Friday or Saturday as well.  I love summers. Leave me a comment if you need a face-painter for a party or a festival.

Carve a Stamp and Feature it On a Leather Necklace

How to make a stamped leather necklace. This is a project I designed for an archery event on Sunday, but it would be great for a summer camp or a family picnic.

My Little Kernel

<div style='padding-bottom: 2px; line-height: 0px'><a href='http://pinterest.com/pin/268808671479051657/' target='_blank'><img src='http://media-cache1.pinterest.com/upload/25966135321145253_3ovnIacq_c.jpg' border='0' width='400' height ='600'/></a></div><div style='float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px;'><p style='font-size: 10px; color: #76838b;'>Source: <a style='text-decoration: underline; font-size: 10px; color: #76838b;' href='http://www.birthstoriesondemand.com/home/2011/10/28/its-halloween-weekend-at-bsod-finally.html'>birthstoriesondemand.com</a> via <a style='text-decoration: underline; font-size: 10px; color: #76838b;' href='http://pinterest.com/pamelanred/' target='_blank'>Pamela</a> on <a style='text-decoration: underline; color: #76838b;' href='http://pinterest.com' target='_blank'>Pinterest</a></p></div>

A baby popcorn bag is a funny idea for a costume. I'm just not sure why the embed code isn't working but you can see it Here.  Popcorn

Make a Suncatcher

This is a good choice for older kids.  Younger kids will need help with using wire cutters and pliers.

First I took a sturdy branch about a foot long.  I gathered up some wire, beads, shells, polished stones and other found objects. Drilling holes in things can be challenging so try to pick things that already have holes. I used a technique called 'looping' to encase the bigger items in wire. I think it came out lovely.

Nature Crafts

It's so important for children to get enough exercise.  So why not plan out some nature exploring and nature crafts.  Take sketchbooks and watercolor pencils, hike to a nature spot, and spend some time drawing things. Collect leaves and take them back for use as stencils. Sometimes it's harder in the city, but look for regional parks, beaches, lakes, and nature trails.  If you are allowed to glean things, bring back flowers to press. Pine cones and pine needles are useful for many crafts. Seashells are a favorite of children everywhere. Fashion simple hair ornaments using things found in nature. Or frame seashells and leaves in shadow boxes. Many places have scheduled nature walks that are kid friendly.