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It will be here before you know it. So I'm doing some Christmasy mosaics to make ornaments and whatnot. This is my project to be done next week, in time for the November 1st "this is the day you really need to have your Christmas stuff together to sell or forget it" deadline.

I love doing these. Right now I'm doing them in watercolors and gouache on bristol, but may switch to acrylics and board or canvas. Depends on what I'm going to use them for. I'd like to do some paintings to sell, as well as a whole bunch of stuff to license.

Why do I always pick styles and techniques that are slow? Colored pencil is slow, and so is this. I see people dash off art and I think "how'd they do that?". Like, whole paintings. I'm envious.

This time of year its so easy to get confused. Right now its all about Halloween, but you'd better have your Thanksgiving turkey ordered and guest list just about figured out, and also start doing your Christmas shopping or gift making, and if you want to sell things for the holiday, you'd better have your fanny in gear. I don't even have my Halloween candy yet, but I'm doing Christmas art.

Ahh, well, such is life in these times, especially for an artist.

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I wish I had time to do some new work that I could actually show. Stuff on the board for publishers is verboten until after its been printed. Which is forever away.

I did do this though.

Gregory Cat Mosaic
Watercolor and gouache on board
2.5 x 3.5 inches
$25.00



I'm doing a new section in my CafePress store with these mosaics, which should be ready to go in a couple of days.

The fires have calmed down around here a bit I guess, because the sky isn't quite as smoky and weird. There was some seriously icky air there for a week or so. And a reddish sky with a white sun ~ creepy.

I can't believe its July already. JULY. Half the year is over. Its definitely been a "year of the cats" for me so far, what with Wendell and his hospital stay, then Saachi joining the family, and now Chloe and her brood. I sure hope the second half isn't like the first, yikes!

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by Hazel Booth

As a kid today, you’re usually so busy with school and other activities that sometimes when the action stops, and you’re stuck indoors on a “snow day” from school, you’re at a loss for what to do.

But don’t settle for dull and boring.

Next time the snow piles up outside and you’re stuck indoors, pull out your creative stops and see how much fun a snowy day can be.

Here are five activities to try:

1. Write a play. When I think about snowy or rainy day activities, I think of Jo and her sisters in Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott, and the delightful afternoons they passed in making plays.

Gather your friends and family and act out a well-known story or, like Jo, write some of your own. Laughter will draw you closer, and you may discover a hidden talent. With the advent of handheld video recorders, you can record your antics for future entertainment.

2. Devise a treasure hunt. Conceal a prize (it can be as simple as a chocolate bar) in an unlikely spot and write a series of clues to lead the treasure-seekers to the booty.

To extend the activity, wrap the prize in multiple layers of paper and string before hiding it, and when it is found, play the Hat Game: Sit around a table and attempt to unwrap the prize using only a knife and fork. The person wielding the knife and fork must don a hat, scarf, and gloves before beginning. All the while, the person to his right is rolling a die, hoping for a six. As soon as he rolls a six, the knife, fork, hat, scarf, gloves, as well as the die, pass to the next person on the left.

Continue in this fashion until the chocolate bar is unwrapped. Then share it.

3. Create an inspirational collage. Gather some old magazines and catalogs, a pair of scissors, and glue. Look for words, sayings, and pictures that speak to you in some way. Choose a theme, like sports, animals, or furnishings you’d like for your bedroom. Include inspirational quotes and words of encouragement.

Feel free to use your computer to scan and print items you don’t want to cut, or play with different fonts to emphasize or change the look of printed words. Compose your collage and embellish with lace, ribbon, feathers, stickers, buttons, etc. Hang it where you’ll see it and smile.

4. Plan a meal. Pull out the cookbooks, especially ones with pictures, and look for some tasty new recipes. Scan the list of ingredients to make sure it sounds as good as it looks. Bookmark it or make a list of recipe titles and page numbers for each book. Choose a recipe, make a shopping list, and schedule a time to help make it.

5. Make crayon rubbings. Gather an assortment of textured objects from around the house. Examples might be a cheese grater, a piece of screen, a comb, string glued to a piece of paper, corrugated cardboard, or a crumpled piece of foil.

Choose one item at a time, lay a fresh sheet of paper on top, and rub over the surface with the side of a crayon. Try not to shift the item, and watch the pattern emerge. Rub over each textured surface with two colors of crayon.

Try to fill the entire sheet of paper with different textures and colors. Then, take a fat paint brush and a set of watercolors and paint colors of your choice over each rubbing. Use your finished paper for cards or wrapping paper, or cut it up to include in a picture or collage.

Armed with creative ideas like these, you might find yourself looking forward to your next snowy day when you’re stuck indoors.

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Hazel Booth is a freelance writer and a student of the Institute for Children’s Literature. She reviews picture books for the National Writing for Children Center and is currently working on nonfiction articles for kids.

creative tips for kids, snow day activities

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