Ice Marbles & Snow Monsters

I live in beautiful Michigan where the winters can have some intense weather.  Lucky for me I like the cold, and winter is my second favorite time of year (Autumn winning first place in that contest.)  Ice cream cones, water balloons, food coloring & a cold day led to some really fun outdoor art play with my little one. Here are pics of our snow monster & some giant ice marbles.

Kid-friendly Art: Masking Tape Forrest

Masking tape gently applied in shape (don't press too hard so you can peel it off later)

Add your favorite child.

Drown it in color, especially along the edges of the shape.

CAREFULLY peel off the tape (extending tape off the page helps.)

FINISHED!  We cut them into 3 and framed them each.

Fun DIY Project: Prayer Flags

 My daughter and I have been a little crankypants this summer.  I decided we should work on a fun art project to snap us out of it.  That's when I ran across this DIY prayer flags project.

I've been aware of Buddhist prayer flags, hippie dwellings on college campuses commonly fly them...  But I didn't really understand their significance. Until I found this explanation: "Prayer flags are not just pretty pieces of colored cloth with funny writing on them. The ancient Buddhist prayers, mantras and powerful symbols displayed on them produce a spiritual vibration that is activated and carried by the wind across the countryside. All beings that are touched by the wind are uplifted and a little happier."

I thought it was such a beautiful concept, and just the project we were looking for! I am planning to eventually move our prayer flags out into the backyard, but decided to spend some time with them in the living room first.  Maybe a breeze from an open window can shake a little positivity loose inside our house.

Garden Art: DIY Succulent Planters

Like many internet geeks, I've been obsessing over Pinterest and all the delicious ideas it shares.  One of my favorites so far has to be DIY concrete planters.  It's been the perfect spring hobby for me, although I've been neglecting my drawing, and leaving a trail of concrete dust everywhere I go...

Here are pix of my favorites.

So go ahead and make your own!  The only tips I would offer: 1. don't forget to poke a hole in the bottom of your planter to avoid root rot.  2. Stick to molding with cardboard boxes and flexible plastics, I attempted to make a couple in a rigid metal box & hard plastic box, neither of which survived.  Good luck!!