The Studio House

In the near future, I will be running the craft portion of a children’s program at our local library.  The theme of the program will be cupcakes!  After reading a couple cupcake themed books, the children will have the opportunity to decorate a pretend cupcake (made by me) with things like glitter, paint, pompoms and some other fun things.  I have been thinking for a long time on how I can creatively distribute the “sprinkles”  to all the children at the different tables.  Along with glitter, I also found some great little styrofoam balls online, they are perfect pretend sprinkles.  I was considering having multiple bowls filled with glitter and the kiddos would take pinches of them to sprinkle on their cupcakes but I knew that this would lead to quite a mess with a lot of wasted materials.  As I was wandering around the Dollar Tree, I found theses simple salt and pepper shakers, 2 for $1!  I brought them home, drilled the holes in the top bigger and attached these labels (also found at Dollar Tree.)  I think they came out so cute and the glitter comes out just a little at a time.  On a side note, I rubbed the inside of the shaker with an unscented dryer sheet to eliminate static, it was helpful.  Stay tuned for more about the cupcake project!

When we moved into our house, I was a stranger in this town.  I didn’t know a single person and I tend to be on the shy side in new situations.  Fast forward a couple years, we were still in the same house, I now had a small baby at home and was looking for a local, close friend.  I had my community acquaintances but I really value the gift of good, true friends.  One day I happened to look out the back window and noticed a small black cat in our backyard.  When I went outside to check on her, she quickly ran away.  Each day after that, she would return and I would try to approach her in a gentle way to gain her trust.  After several days, she finally decided that I was ok. 🙂  She was small, cute and so friendly, purring away as I pet her.  There was a local phone number listed on her ID tag so I called. “Hi, I live nearby and I think your cat wandered into my yard??” “Oh yes!, Ill be right over!”  A few moments later, a white Cadillac pulled into our driveway and a woman with bright glittery clothes, pink lipstick and blond hair stepped out.  She was very friendly, outgoing and lively.  We chatted for a bit and then she took her little kitty “Doo-doo” and went home.  Two days later, the little cat was back!  I would call Vicky, she would come get Doo-doo, bring her home and then again, two days later, the cat would be back at my house.  The kitty got very comfortable with us and would come right into our house for food and petting.  As Doo-doo came back time after time, Vicky and I would talk and laugh about the situation.  The little cat would travel about 3 miles to get to our house and this went on for weeks!  A friendship quickly blossomed, grew and outstretching to our families.  They are the most kind, generous, fun, loving family you could imagine.  Our personalities may be different but we have found so much common ground in our love for art and animals.  We both admire the different personality traits in each other.

Doo-doo has since passed away but the black cat has remained a symbol of our friendship. I often think about the power of the universe and how amazing it truly is.  I believe everything happens for a reason.  Out of all the houses near by, she choose my house. This tiny cat would trek miles to get to me to bring the friend that I had prayed for.  It’s really quite special what has grown from such a small seed.

…and all because of a little black cat…

We’ve lived in our house for 11 years now. The neighboring house, which sits very close to ours, has had 4 different residents since we have been here. The newest couple have a small dog named Winnie, she is a riot and has also become great friends with our dog Penelope. If I just mention the name Winnie, Penelope rushes to the window to look for her, it’s pretty cute. It’s like watching a comedy act when they play together outside. I decided to make a Winnie in a nut for Melinda, who just seemed like the kind of person who would really appreciate something like that. When I gave it to her, she was so thankful, she gave me a hug. I always say, my favorite part of making art, is giving it away.

they love to chew on sticks together

I love when I am given the opportunity to volunteer in my children’s classrooms for a special event.  I always bring a craft and usually spend about 2-3 months thinking of a unique and useful project!  While I am planning, I have a few things to consider…

1.) How much time will this take? When I volunteer at the school, I usually have a time limit for the project I have planned. I spend a lot of time on prep work so that when I sit down with the kids, everything is organized and ready to go.  I always start with the kids writing their name and date directly on the piece or on a small cardboard work surface.

2.) What will the end result be? Making a piece of art or a craft that is usable is important to me. Can it be displayed on the wall, fridge, played with, or worn as jewelry? When something has a purpose, it is more likely to be enjoyed instead of getting lost in the shuffle.

Side note: Consider a small decorative bag or box for the children to bring their work home in.  That way, they are safely transported and become a small wrapped gift for the child to give.

3.) Does it encourage creativity? Even though each child is working on the same thing, with the same supplies, is there an opportunity for self expression? Will each piece be unique to each child? My favorite part of doing an art project with children is seeing all the different outcomes in the end. I usually snap a photo because I love to see them all together. They are all unique in their own way.

4.) Can they physically do it? Having two kids of my own helps with knowing age appropriate activities but there were a couple times I brought in a project and some steps were a little too challenging for some of the kids. In any class, there are a variety of skill levels to consider.  I always make a trial piece at home to make sure it all works.

5.)How much will this cost? When I organize a group art activity, I am usually using my own money to buy supplies. I have to think about how to make the project awesome while still staying on a budget, especially when I have a group of 23 kids!

As you can see, I take this pretty seriously.    🙂

Here is the most recent project I did with my daughter’s 1st grade class.  I cast 23 sets of the word “JOY” in plaster.  The kids painted them. The supplies for this project were inexpensive (~$15 total supplies) but the labor was long! If you’ve ever cast plaster using only one mold, you know what I mean. These letters are about an 1″ thick so they can stand up on their own.  They look great on a shelf of window sill.

Happy New Year!

I LOVE all things small. I also love when a small thing can be put inside another tiny thing, a nut shell in this case. How cute is that! This little fox’s bed is a polymer clay walnut, made by casting a real nut in mold putty. I have always been drawn to casting, working with negative and positive space. It’s somewhat scientific. I recently came across 2 part silicone putty at the craft store. It’s wonderful for polymer clay because it can be baked in the oven and it’s super easy to use. After my walnut nest was complete, I added a cute little sleeping fox inside. My next idea will be using both sides of the walnut (in polymer clay) to make a tiny box that will open with a hinge. Maybe a sleeping mouse inside?

This dollhouse was passed down to my family about three years ago from our Uncle Omer, who handcrafted it for his two daughters around 30+ years ago. This photo shows what it looked like when I started. It had good “bones” but needed a little TLC and so started The Dollhouse Project. Can you spot our cat Ruby in there? 🙂

I designed nearly all the miniatures in the house. There are a few items I didn’t make from scratch (purple bed, stove, fridge, tub, chalkboard and toilet, to name a few) but I did repurpose/up-cycle them to make my own unique creations. Many people ask me if this dollhouse is “kid friendly”….the answer is YES! It makes me so happy to see kids playing with it and changing things around. A messy dollhouse warms my heart, that means it is loved.

Before…

After!

These little critters have pretty good taste wouldn’t you say? So many hours went into making every little detail of this dollhouse, I lost track.  The pen and ink nature art in the living room and the master bedroom were both made by artist, Katrine Dickau (who also happens to be my sister in law) 🙂

All of the wood floors were made from popsicle sticks.  They were laid piece by piece! Other materials I used: wood (bass, balsa, pine, maple, black walnut) fabric, yarn, foam board, polymer clay, glue- a lot of glue, paint, speciality paper, and various other supplies.

Most of the art displayed was found online.  I am now trying to find the original artists so I can give them credit!!