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I don't think I ever posted these quilt projects on the Robert Kaufman site using fabrics from the Creatures and Critters 3 collection.

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Amazing ohio kids art – folk art chickens!

Oh how I’ve looked forward to this class.. I am very easily amused and I think chickens are one of the weirdest, coolest animals. Did you know chickens are related to dinosaurs?! True story. For proof, click here. 

I think they look alike, don’t you?

In class today we learned about folk art and viewed some farm related examples of North American folk art, including sculpture and quilts. We sketched chickens in 3 different ways:

 

Then we chose our favorite chicken sketch and drew the design on large construction paper. We used oil pastels and baby oil to blend bright colors together.

Finally, we collage-d paper squares around our chickens to create a final folk art ‘quilt.’ Here are our final images!

The post Ohio Kids Art- Folk Art Chickens appeared first on Scribble Kids.

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One of Michael's tasks for The Earth's Wife is to research "second lives," so to speak, for the waste that had been diverted to Walt and Nora's spare bedroom. He uses 1001 Ways to Give New Life to Old Things (Northampton, Mass.: The Free and Open Press, 1973) for this task.

     On Monday morning, Roberta asked him, "What kinds of things have you been finding in your room? You said you made a list."
     "Butter containers," Michael said. "There are hundreds of butter containers under the bed. They're all different sizes and colors and brands. And then there are lots of those artificial-whipped-cream containers."
      "Someone must have given Nora those. She would never buy anything in a plastic container herself. And she wouldn't buy artificial whipped cream no matter what it came in."
      "Plus, there are empty bleach bottles all along one wall," Michael said.
     Roberta groaned. "I swear, when I was in college, people were making purses out of bleach bottles. Or maybe that was just one of those urban legends, because you never actually saw anyone carrying one of the things. I did know a guy who made himself a vest out of the ring tabs on soda cans, though."
     "There are only a half dozen soda cans. I brought them in yesterday," Michael admitted.
     "Fortunately that's not enough to make anything out of. Whatever you do, don't buy any more. What else have you got?"
      Michael looked at his paper. "There are some used beach towels."
     "Are they nice?"
     "No."
     "Maybe we can make pot holders out of them. What's that you've got written there? 'Blue jeans'? Are there a lot of them?"
     Michael nodded. "But they have holes."
     "Now those we can use to make a quilt. I've seen a few of those. They're actually attractive."
     "A quilt!" Michael repeated. And then he thought, What does she mean by "we"?

I think my Aunt Tessy really did make one of those bleach bottle purses. I don't know if she went out in public with it.

When the original edition of this book was in the editing stages at G. P. Putnam's Sons, someone there told my editor that no one would cut up old blue jeans for a quilt. They were too valuable. Well, I would. I don't have any kind of emotional attachment to my old Levi's. Or those of any of my family members.

And so, folks, I have, indeed, made a denim quilt out of old blue jeans. I think it was done either just before I was writing this book or soon after. It went away to college with someone and is now in his house. I also made a cute little bag for a girl out of denim with a denim patch work side. Don't have a picture of that.

What I do have a picture of is all the denim, some of it already cut into squares, that I've collected for another quilt. A couple of weeks ago a family member was visiting and told me he had a bag of denim for me but had forgotten to bring it. So there will be more squares and more quilts and maybe more denim bags.

Wow. Little denim bags. I could have cranked out a bunch of those and used them for swag. I could make a little denim bag and put a copy of the original paper STP&S in it for raffle donations! Got to think seriously about my ROI on that idea.

This whole recycling old things business was a bigger deal in my college days, so this is another example of an autobiographical element making its way into my work. Recrafting recycled items still has its advocates, however. Team EcoEtsy is a group of sellers on Etsy who reduce, reuse, and recycle. This past month they ran a trash-to-treasure challenge to celebrate Earth Day.

Nora would have done an article about them for The Earth's Wife.

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There are lots of recipes for great picture books but Rebecca Patterson has certainly worked out one of the best set of ingredients. She takes a good dose of humour, a non-patronising, reassuring, sincere child’s-eye view of the world and adds in highly observant illustrations and a sprinkling of drama. She did it with the Roald Dahl Funny Prize winning My Big Shouting Day!, the brilliantly perceptive My Busy Being Bella Day, and has pulled it off once more with her latest book, Nightbear.

An old bear has arrived at a new home; the book opens with us following him from the factory where he was made, to his first (and unappreciative) home, to a charity shop where he is eventually bought by a young girl out shopping with her mum. The bear is thrilled to have been chosen, but how will he fit in, when he discovers that the girl already has lots of teddy bears with very important roles in her life?

A heartwarming, delightful story not just about having a great teddy bear to hug, but also about the importance of having someone listen to your stories, and the reassurance that comes from being ‘picked’, about the everyday, real worries a young child can have (from nightmares, to being ill in the night), and most of all about the enormous fun to be had with imaginative play, Nightbear is a perfect picture book.

Starting with the gorgeous, dark sparkly cover, this book is so much fun to look at as well as to listen to. Patterson draws with a delightful, fluid simplicity; lots of smooth curves abound – as if echoing the cuddliness of the bears, and the warmth of the family. Some of the tiny details in the illustrations are like poems; they ring true in an uncluttered, authentic way that makes you see them anew, for example the way the mother holds the hand of the child when they’re browsing in the charity shop, or the manner in which the father holds the hair of the child whilst she is being sick.

A book every nursery and infant school should have, a book every charity shop should use to make a brilliant, eye catching window display, a book every family with young children will enjoy, Nightbear is an ideal book to cuddle up with.

Feeling sad at the thought of all those unloved teddy bears leading lonely lives on charity shop shelves we armed ourselves with 50ps and went off with a mission to each rescue and bring one home.

This one (above) looked pretty comfy.

This one looked rather resigned to its fate.

These two had fallen over and were asleep when we saw them.

This one was too expensive.

But eventually we each found a teddy that we loved, came home, and celebrated by dressing them up (as happens in Nightbear). I’m rather jealous of the bustle and headgear newly named ‘Treacle’ got to wear:

Little ‘Buttercup’ got a pretty nifty hat:

But ‘Candy’ stole the show with her badges and slides…

Whilst dressing our teddies we listened to:

Stompy the Bear by Caspar Babypants

Freddy Bear, The Teddy Bear by Ralph’s World

Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear by Elvis Presley

Other fun activities to get up to alongside reading Nightbear include:

Making a patchwork blanket. Even the youngest kids can have fun making a paper collage out of coloured squares, whilst older kids could paint fabric in blocks of colour (thinned down acrylic paint is great for this if you don’t want to get dedicated fabric paint).

Having a Teddy Bears’ Picnic! A blanket, some bears, some biscuits… oh and a good book or two and you’re all set!

Ready Baggy Brown by Mick Inkpen for another great view of a teddy bear factory line

Enjoying these pictures of really old teddies and wondering what sort of lives they’ve led

Have you a favourite teddy bear? Or a teddy bear who is assigned a special job?

Disclaimer: I received a free review copy of this book from the publisher.

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My most recent verse novel manuscript is told in two voices. Without giving too much away, I'll say it's a story of friendship forged in the midst of hostile circumstances. For most of the story the friends, Alis and Kimi, aren't together.

Working with author Darcy Pattison's idea of a shrunken manuscript, editor Cheryl Klein's idea of a book map, and my verse novel as quilt metaphor, I created what you see below.

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As I've mentioned here before, I'm fascinated by the visual representation of stories. Attending Darcy Patison's Revision Retreat in 2009 introduced me to the idea of a shrunken manuscript -- a condensed printing of an entire book that is then laid out so you might see the story from beginning to end.

The idea isn't to read it in this state (which is single spaced and microscopic) but to get an overall sense of where the story stands. With the entire manuscript before you, you can determine what's working and what needs work. 

There are a limitless number of ways a shrunken manuscript can be used. Grab a few markers, create a key, and use it to determine:

• story strands
• changes in voice for stories told in multiple points of view
• instances of conflict
• the story's movement through dialogue, thought, and action

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Check this out for a little girl's room on Etsy -

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4 stars Karla’s beloved quilt, named Mooshka, is unlike any other quilt, and not only because the material and design are unique.  Mooshka has the ability to talk and tells Karla stories on the nights Karla cannot sleep.  All Karla needs to do is place a hand on a patch, or schnitz, and the quilt [...]

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As it happens, I spent much of the weekend being a princess.

M and J too – although, perhaps technically that meant that I was the queen?

Either way we’ve been living it up like only princesses do, testing our sensitivity by sleeping on mattresses and quilts piled almost as high as the ceiling.

In fact we had 4 mattresses, 6 quilts and (because we’re modern princesses) 5 duvets. Oh, and 1 pea.

Our royal highnesses can thoroughly recommend trying out a towering bed like ours. It was the source of much mirth and merriment (you’ll never hear this in the stories, but such beds are very, VERY wobbly), even though we have all ended up black and blue with bruises all over because of that pernicious pea.

You see, (if you wish to believe it) The Princess and the Pea by Hans Christian Andersen and Maja Dusikova tells the truth: You really can tell who is of royal blood, and who is not, by placing one small, green, sweet seed of Pisum sativum under a mountain of mattresses. We scientifically investigated this and Andersen has been proved correct.

Should you not be in a position to carry out rigorous research yourself, then have no fear; this version of The Princess and the Pea, published by Floris Books, has everything, absolutely everything you could wish for.

The well-known story is told eloquently and magically, with no post modern twists, just classical elegance. But it is Maja Dusikova’s illustrations which make this a book sing. Beautiful, graceful, delicate, detailed, soft and luxurious, Dusikova’s illustrations have tip-top fairy tale quality. Imagine a rainbow coloured incarnation of Hans Christian Andersen Award winning Lisbeth Zwerger and you’ll get some sense of Dusikova’s style.

An utterly delightful book, I don’t know of any more charming version of this tale, traditionally told.

Whilst playing at being a princess we listened to:

Tomboy in a Princess Dress by Suzi Shelton, which you can listen to for free on Zooglobble’s great site.

Sheet Shakin’ Bed Quakin’ Belly Achin’ Wide Awake

5 Comments on When were you last a princess?, last added: 2/7/2012

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se7en said, on 2/6/2012 5:51:00 PM

Ha!!! What fun, my favorite Fairy Tale ever!!! Love your towering bed adventure!!!
se7en recently posted..Saturday Spot: Se7en + 1′s SketchBook Project for 2012…

vanessa@silly eagle books said, on 2/6/2012 6:11:00 PM

So much fun!! I love this idea.
vanessa@silly eagle books recently posted..how to keep toddlers from drawing on the wall

Zoe said, on 2/6/2012 11:26:00 PM

Se7en – YOU could make the most amazing towering bed…. I can just imagine it… and your kids would really really enjoy it, I just know they would. Go on, it’d be a good excuse to turn the mattresses over and give them and airing

Zoe said, on 2/6/2012 11:27:00 PM

Thanks Iza, it definitely is a beautiful book. And it was quite refreshing to read a classical version of the story rather than a fractured / postmodern one!

choxbox said, on 2/6/2012 11:45:00 PM

Nice! The bed looks very inviting, pea or not!

And we just read a version with a rather feminist outlook – the princess is rather offended at the pea test and so the next night puts a pineapple and an avacado and pebbles and such. The prince snores through the night so she rejects him, and he is happy because he then marries his pen pal from Latvia!

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This striking book takes a very interesting approach to the subject of hummingbirds (which, incidentally, make up the second-largest group of birds in the Americas.) It combines factual information with folktales. And quilts! When I first held this book in my hand, I felt like I was looking at one of those trick pictures with two images. When you look at the picture above, what do you see first

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Check out the new pattern by Cherry House quilts using On A Whim 2 fabrics. Isn't is grand?

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This post is going to be random and all over the place- you have been warned.

I thought using WordPress would save me time to paint more but I have become more than a little obsessed with it.

I’ve been really busy working on a web site project for a local Parish Council as well as tweaking my web site some more (I know I should stop at some point), so I haven’t done that much painting lately.

I can’t show the Parish Council website yet because it hasn’t been officially launched yet, but I’ve really learned a lot from working on it.

I have also been learning a lot more about web content accessibility guidelines (WCAG). It is very interesting thinking about how many people may view one web page in a different way. I’ve implemented many of the techniques on this web site and the Parish Council project I’m working on.  I’ll have to write up an accessibility statement at some point I guess.

Yesterday I went to the Festival of Quilts ¹ at Birmingham International with my aunt and mum. There were loads of really beautiful arty quilts everywhere and I had a good time looking at all the buttons and beads. I might be inspired to do some more sock monkeys at some point. There was one thing in the whole place that really caught my eye- it was a Korean exhibit: Chunghie Lee: Pojagi & Beyond – My Cup Overflows, I just thought it was beautiful.

Today I mowed the lawns and saved a butterfly.

Now for tea.

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Jone at Deowriter has set up the auction site to benefit the medical fund of blogger/author/librarian Bridget Zinn. Bridget in in an aggressive, expensive treatment program battling cancer. Her next chemo is on May 8, which we have designated "Bridget Zinn day". Your thoughts and prayers for health and healing and strength are greatly appreciated! When I was dealing with cancer last winter it

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Although I grew up in a small city outside of Los Angeles, my entire childhood was filled with everything country and mostly Southern in nature. You see, both of my parents were born in the Ozarks and raised during the Great Depression. They, like so many other young couples of that era, came to California looking for the gold at the end of the rainbow, or at least, a fair paying job. They settled in a post war cookie cutter neighborhood and lived a simple life.

All throughout my young years, I loathed everything about their simpleness. I despised that I had accidentally "inherited" their southern accents and slang words. I was ridiculed relentlessly for the twang in my spoken words. I tried with all my might to dis-own my heritage.

Of course, as time passed and I became an adult with children of my own, I began to see their simpleness as a blessing that was graciously passed on to me. A simple blessing that I am, hopefully, passing on to my own children.

Because of my mom's basic upbringing, she was taught to keep herself busy. Along with her daily doings she made time to can homemade jams and jellies, tend a lovely garden, sew many of my clothes (and my Barbie's clothes) and quilt.

Quilting, I suppose, was her way of relaxing. But...at the same time, she was creating something with a practical use. Of course, when she was a girl, quilting was necessary, as there was no extra money to purchase store bought bedding. By the time I was born, my mom could easily have gone to the local J.C. Penney's and purchased bedding, but she chose instead to invest her time and heart and talent into her craft.

My mom hand-quilted using her mom's old wooden hoops. They looked very much like gigantic embroidery hoops. I remember so clearly the sound of the stitches, and the click of the needle on her metal thimble. Ohhh...and every once in a while, she would let out a quiet naughty word. We all knew what that meant...it meant that mom pricked herself with the needle! I loved seeing the little blood stains on a freshly made quilt. It somehow stood for the heart that she put into it.

I have most of the quilts here in my home. Some are so very tattered that I keep them stored away and some are still in use. These fabrics that are sewn together make a beautiful yet practical hodge podge of memories. I can still pick out blocks of fabric that came from my "Holly Hobbie" short outfit that I wore in first grade, a floral print from one of my mom's dresses and the plaid fabric my mom used to make my Barbie's coat.

My mom is 81 now. She lived with my family and me up until last October. As she is declining with an end stage disease, I was forced to arrange for her to stay at a Board and Care. She is weak and ever so trembly now. Truth be said, she'll never quilt again. She started one several years ago, but was not able to finish it.

Her stitches were not the perfectly timed rows that they were in her younger days, but the heart behind the stitches remained...



I have that unfinished quilt now. It is exactly as she left it the last time she put it down...



The needle is in the same position...



It is still in Grandma's hoops...



I am committed to finishing this quilt. I don't know when, but someday...

Until Next Time:
Kim
Garden Painter Art

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I have two great selections for you all today! I really enjoyed both of these books and feel that each has it's own unique characteristics that will appeal to a variety of age levels.

First, The Seldom-Ever-Shady-Glades, written by Sue Van Wassenhove is an incredible book. Not only are the poems fantastic, both in their cute rhyming manner and their teaching technique, but the book is illustrated with the author's quilts. Each poem is set on a background of what at first may look like a beautiful watercolor, but is in fact an amazing quilt.

My favorite poem in the book is "Below the Keys' Seas," which also happens to showcase my favorite quilt in the book as well. Here is the beginning of the poem, showing the creativity of Van Wassenhove:

The Florida Keys
grow canopies
of mangrove trees
for manatees.

And Portuguese
sea men-of-war
patrol the shore.
Oh, don't you wish
moon jellyfish
had jelly bellies?
Weren't so smelly?
Had no stringy
things that sting?

And that's just a short sampling of that poem. The words in all the poems tell a rhythmic story about the Everglades and the magic that takes place within that vast area in Florida. They're fun and educational poems, very important for growing minds! Besides the great poems, parents and kids alike will love the quilts! I really had a lot of fun with this book. I also have a personal connection with the Everglades, growing up knowing how much my father loved it there and then spreading his ashes with the crocodiles in the swamps after he passed away. This book will be great way to not only teach my child about the greatness of the Everglades, but also about his grandpa.

The next book I want to share with you is Barefoot: Poems for Naked Feet by Stefi Weisburd, illustrated by Lori McElrath-Eslick. The most stand-out part of this book is definitely the illustrations, though the poems come a close second. Each poem features a different aspect of enjoying barefeet and saying NO to shoes...which if you know me, is a huge thing with me. I hate shoes! My favorite out of this book is entitled "Bathtub."


two puckered old men
splash out and totter
trailing beards of water
I almost don't recognize
my toes
in disguise
squinting at me
with Grandpa's eyes

I would definitely recommend this book towards a slightly older crowd, only because it lacks the "cuteness" I think poems need for younger children. If they don't rhyme or have a certain silliness, I've found the young kids at the library aren't interested. Older kids, however will love the poems and of course, the beautiful illustrations.

In both these books you can definitely see the passion the authors have for the topics they've chosen. I would love to interview Stefi Weisurd to see if she hates wearing shoes as much as I do! I would also greatly enjoy chatting about the beautiful quilts in Van Wassenhove's book, as I've always loved quilts (hence the name of my blog) and though I still haven't learned how to do it, talking with someone as talented a writer and quilter as she, would be an honor!

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In her Newbery Honor picture book, Show Way, Jacqueline Woodson draws a long, bright thread through history that radiates her deep and abiding love for family and freedom. Woodson begins her story by remembering the life of one of her ancestors, a nameless slave in Virginia, and ends telling family stories to her own daughter, Toshi, born free more than a century later and living with Woodson in

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