On Tuesday, Rachel decided it was time for some arts and crafts. Poor Rachel, she has a decidedly uncrafty mother. Thankfully she has very skilled grandparents with whom she can learn painting, sewing and gardening. From me she learns the joy of blogging and e-mailing. Hey, her typing is improving every day.
Gathering the tools – cups, sand, food coloring, glass jar and a good spoon.
Rachel has realized that sometimes you just have to go out and find a craft ready to happen. Waiting for me to work some hands on art magic usually just leaves you….waiting. Rachel has decided to bypass me altogether (“no offense, Mom.”) She pulls out all the arts and crafts books from the shelves, digs through the art desk drawers and then sets off to CREATE. See, she’s also learning to be an independent learner with lots of initiative. I’m just teaching all the time.
An artist at work.
This being summer and all (well, almost) Rachel chose sand as her art medium. She siphoned off some sand from the bags of play sand in the garage.
“I covered the holes back up with paper after I got enough sand out of the bags, Mom.”
Um, good. Way to show some initiative.
Next she put some sand in four different cups, added food coloring, and began to create sand art. She found two glass bottles in the garage (ah, the garage, the source of all sorts of treasures) that would properly show off her creations.
We were all amazed at how beautiful they turned out.
Rachel, I’m proud of your determination and hard work. You aren’t discouraged by the obstacles keeping from your art (a distracted mother, sweet but pesky siblings, lack of proper supplies, and so on). I love to see what you create. You have an eye for beauty and an imaginative knack for art. Thanks for sharing your creations with us.
Kathy
Project 365 – Day 149
Hey, I recognize those glass bottles! Say, Rachel, why don’t we do some glass etching on those?
Rachel is cursed with not one, but two uncrafty parents. A couple of Christmases ago, I hit upon the happy idea of “saving money through home-made gifts”. As it turns out, the idea that one could save money this way is is a common delusion that has rocketed sales at Michael’s and Ben Franklin stores through the roof. Anyway, we bought the stencils and the acid paste that supposedly can be used to etch designs onto glass, only to discover that either our glass was especially impermeable or our acid too weak. We did manage to put a smeary blur on one glass, but the two bottles we chose (shown above filled with sand) were unmarked by our efforts. I’m glad to see Rachel was able to find another use for them — way to go, Rachel!
Those are beautiful! Rachel is very creative.
Great job, Rachel! You are very creative.
I like to do some crafts, but not the sort that makes a lot of mess…all that painting, cutting, pasting stuff. I will do hand crafts, sewing, x-stitch, knitting, that sort of thing.
I think I might try your idea on the kids! They would love it.
Ah – the girls used to do these all the time. I need to go buy Arielle and Nolan some art kits. Ah nostalgia.
I love that Rachel is willing to grab the art supplies and just go for it. She’s so much fun! I need to be sure the house is stocked with plenty of things to keep her creative juices flowing.
Good work, sweet Rachel. Sorry to say you have an uncreative Aunt Kate, too. But don’t let it stop you!! You are wonderful and your sand art projects are beautiful!!
Can’t wait to see you. I’m glad we’re sitting at your table for the wedding reception. Uncle Jerry is glad, too.
Love you Edgrens- creators and non. Aunt Kate
Great job, Rachel! Kathy, have you ever checked out some of the kits in Oriental Trading Co. catalog? They’re wonderful, inexpensive and fun/easy for the kids to do without any mom help.