Art Together Giveaway

At our house art takes many forms: a color pencil drawing, a paper mache mountain, an abstract collage filled with ripped bits of cardboard, pipe cleaners, and bottle caps, or even rocks gathered and arranged in just the right way. There are few bounds to what we consider art. Even when mining books or websites for ideas, the things we run across are more like jumping off points, rather than the ultimate project to be followed step by step.

And, I learned early on that any attempt to get these kids of mine to conform to a cookie cutter project was going to quickly fail. That is, it would be considered a failure if I wanted the end result to look like the one in the book, on the website, or the cute little example on Pinterest.  The successful result would be that they would take all of the supplies I had gathered for this special project and make something completely original and unexpected. I just had come to see it as a success!

When we are between projects and the kids are in a bit of a lull, I like to introduce new techniques or skills to inspire, or add to their stockpile of internal resources.

And this leads me to Amy and how much I really appreciate her approach to art. Her focus on process and technique over result is just what I need in guiding these kiddos of mine to grow their skill set, and continue to create art uniquely their own.

I was excited when she asked me to take a peek at her new e-zine, Art Together - named after her wonderful series on art with children, because I am always game for new art inspiration in the form of technique, philosophy and skills!

This week we have spent time with some of the exercises and suggestions made by Amy in Art Together. It has been wonderful to see some of those lightbulb moments that come with not only learning something new, but applying it in new and creative aways.

A color mixing review, and talk about tone, brought on new inspiration to not only make a color, but play with the tone and the exact match to what was in the minds eye.

Which, in turn, resulted in just the right green for the top of the pond!

Continuing with the theme of color in this issue, we used the color wheels we created to paint with color schemes in mind, combining this with the suggested activity of using black outlines with color. For our black outlines we used india ink with a stick as our drawing utensil, filling in with watercolor.

The results were stunning. It was so neat to see how the colors complement each other and how the different schemes work together to make a visually pleasing piece. 

Along the way Amy shares links and visuals of famous artists, with a splash of history to add to the understanding of a philosophy or technique. She also shows examples of art from her own children, which my kids loved to see.

We still have more to do and lots of resource suggestions to check out. This issue will keep us busy for quite some time.

Amy has generously offered to give an issue of Art Together away to one lucky reader. 

To enter the giveaway please leave a comment on this post. If you would like to share something you love about art, making art with kids, or even what most intimidates you about it, we would love to hear your thoughts! Optional sharing, of course. 

Comments will close and I will announce a winner here on Friday, October 4th. 

In the meantime click on over to check out Art Together and all of the other wonderful posts and resources Amy has over on her blog!

And the winner is Kim! 

Make & Listen Along: Animal Track Casting Kit & Giveaway

 Make & Listen Along

~ On Thursdays I will post what I have been making and listening to as creations grow. 

If so inclined post, on your blog or flickr, about what you have been making (on your own or with little hands by your side) and listening to while you create. It can be new music, flash backs, a song or a whole album... whatever you like. You can be stitching with needle & thread, yarn, paper crafting, painting, cooking... and beyond. Share what you are making and the tunes that are fueling your creativity. Then come back to my Thursday Make & Listen Along post and leave a link in the comments so we can be inspired right along with you! ~

Along with lots of making in the kitchen this week we finally put together a track casting kit to keep in the car. Remember that bag I made last week? It is the perfect size to fit all of the fixins' for track cast making: jar of plaster, card stock and paper clips for rings and a stir stick. Just add water and we will be ready to make a track cast!

We are so excited about it (because we are nature nerds like that) we wanted to share with you!

A little giveaway is in order. We put together another bag that includes a few extras that we really like.

The giveaway includes:

- The bag with plaster, rings, clips and stir sticks - enough for about three casts. All you do is add water.
- Nature Log Kids. A simple journal for recording nature observation with a few fun facts and things to try on the sidebar.
- A set of cards with mammals common to the Rocky Mountains. We picked these up free at the Wildlife Museum in Durango Colorado. They have great photos with neat facts on the back.

To enter:

Leave a comment on this post. If you would like to tell about a nature experience that would be fun! And share what you have been making & listening to if you like!

Extra entries for sharing on Twitter, FB, Google+, etc... Just come back to let me know what you did in the comments.

Entry will be closed and winner will be chosen by random number selection and announced on the blog the morning of Friday, August 23rd.

The winner of the giveaway is: Steve
Congrats Steve! 

As we have been baking and making we have been listening to a lot of Smithsonian Folkways Music, The Civil Wars and if it is early enough and the windows are open, the coyotes in the field below. 

What have you been making?

What is on your playlist?

Please do share!

If you don't want to enter the giveaway still share and just let me know you don't want to enter. 

Happy Mother's Day & A Winner

Happy Mother's Day!

The winner of the MOM Bookmark is Brigid!

Congrats! 

Thanks to all of you for your sweet words about the bookmark. It was fun to create!

Have a wonderful Sunday!

xo

A Bookmark Just for Mom: Giveaway

This weekend between opening day ceremonies for baseball, watching the big high school boys play (thrilling for the little man), and visiting the Four Corners Monument this mama found time to sneak away to drool over shop for fabric and even do some sewing. 

With Mother's Day in mind I brought home so super cute and spring inspired prints. I have been wanting to jump into a mini patchwork project ever since I purchased this book but have been a bit intimidated by the tiny bits and pieces. These fabrics just called out to be part of a tiny piecework project and I could no longer resist the idea but wanted to create my own design (of course).

I settled on creating a bookmark and started sketching up a design. Then came the measuring, cutting, and finally piecing it all together. 

I was initially thinking of stamping the letters for MOM in the center pieces but settled on embroidery. So happy I did because while it took a bit more time I think it looks much better embroidered and I have been missing embroidery lately.

I love the way it came out. Not perfect, but I am certainly not a perfect mom so that is really fitting and in my mind a wonderful reminder of the quirky & wonky moments of motherhood. 

In celebration of this momentous occasion of designing and piecing together my first bit of mini patchwork, and this week leading up to Mother's Day, I decided to giveaway a MOM bookmark! 

How to enter:

If you would like a chance to win please leave a comment below. 

For an extra entry you can share anyway you like (tweet, FB, google+, etc...) and come back to leave a comment telling me how you shared. 

Comments will close midnight (EST) Saturday and a winner will be announced Sunday, May 12th. 

 Happy Monday!