DIY Revisited: Mother's Day flower pot with template

Last year I wrote a post with an idea for a Mother's Day card that I like to do at school with my kids each year. This year I decided to make a template to speed up the process!

Here are your options for different ways to use the pattern:

1. Print the pages and either use them as is.  You can let kids cut and color the pieces, but normal printer paper will be more on the flimsy side.
2. Photocopy them onto construction paper.  This is what I'm doing at work, we have a heavy duty printer that will take construction paper without a problem.  Then I let the kids to the cutting and help them put all the pieces together.
3. Cut out the pieces and and use them to trace the shapes onto construction paper.  Then let the kids cut their pieces and finish the project.

Click here to download the PDF.

Hope this helps make this project easier some of you out there!  If you want more information and details on putting the card together, go to my original post.  Happy (almost) Mother's Day!

Changeable scenery terrarium pendant

A few months back I saw some great terrarium necklaces on Etsy and Pinterest, and decided to make my own.

I looked all over online for pendants that would work for this project and wound up buying a set of two shadow box pendants from HHHdesigns for around $11. They're copper and big enough to make some cute little scenes inside.  They're a little bigger than a typical pendant, but despite that, it was still a challenge to find small enough figures to put inside.  I had a little owl that I thought would be perfect, but, like, one claw on his tiny foot stuck out too far to fit. 

Initially, I put Velcro in the back and bottom of the box and on the felt I used for the scenes, with the thought that it would make it easier to change scenes out.  Unfortunately it was too bulky.  I ditched that and sewed the felt into little L shapes, connecting the back and bottom pieces so they'd sit in the box without any support or adhesive.

First I made this little duck scene (although I did redo it before this picture, after the Velcro idea failed).  The ceramic duck was $1 at the Mall of Saint Paul.  The water is felt and beads, sky- felt, cloud-batting, sun- felt, and the reeds are felt and sticks from the end of incense.  All I bought for these scenes were the animals, the rest was from around the house with felt as the main medium. 

I got this glass cat at a bead store for $1.50.  I used some rhinestone beads for stars and felt for the rest.  The great thing about the cat bead is that it has a hole. I used wire to attach it to the felt.   

Now, this elephant is probably my favorite and cost a little more ($5 at the Mall of Saint Paul), but I love it.  It's pewter and pretty heavy.  I put felt hills behind it and a bead for a setting sun.

And last is this cute little ceramic bluebird from an antique store for $1.  I used twigs from the yard and star beads.  This is the only one that doesn't have a felt base at the bottom of the box, but the twigs fit snugly and hold it all in place. 

I think this pendant is going to be great to switch up and wear, especially to work for the kids in my class!  I  want to find a chain or cord that matches better than my typical silver chain.

Honestly, when I first took on the project, I thought it would be something I could duplicate and sell on Etsy, but it took so long to find the tiny animals for my own necklace, that it would be a pretty time-consuming.  I'm happy with this being a personal project that maybe other people can try out and have fun with!  I'd love to see other ideas and results, so please post anything that you make!

A big change!

I got a new job!

And yes, this is an old picture, and I'm in the bathroom. 
But I look like I accomplished something, and that's how I feel today.












Over the summer, after my AmeriCorps gig was over, I had some free time to move, go on vacation, settle into my new place, listen to some music, make a craft room, and be awesome, but it was getting old.  I was also on a job hunt: applying for jobs, going to interviews, not going to interviews, being offered jobs, turning down jobs, not getting jobs.  And when I wasn't on the job hunt or cleaning/unpacking/cooking , I felt super guilty being unproductive- like I wasn't deserving of downtime until I was gainfully employed. 

Well, last week I got a few messages from sort-of-bosses from my time in AmeriCorps.  They were hiring new teaching assistants, thanks to a grant, and wanted me to apply.  Long story short: applied, interviewed, got it! 

I'm pretty excited.  Last night I was laying in bed, thinking about how to write this post as someone still looking for a job, trying to remain optimistic.  I didn't expect today to be the day I got a job.  But it was, and now I feel like I deserve that downtime.  I only have a little summer vacation left, but it's going to be awesome.  I'm going to sleep in, craft like mad, cuddle with kitties, and blog whenever I want. 

Then, in September, it's time to shape the lives of twenty-something kindergarteners.  It's going to be an epic school year!

A three-year journey comes to an end.

Well, yesterday was my last day of tutoring.  After three years, I feel like it's an appropriate time for closure... sad nonetheless.  Since my position is AmeriCorps funded, I'd have the option to continue for one more year, but at this point I feel ready for more stability and open to new opportunities.

Spending my last day with students was incredibly bittersweet.  In the past, the last day of school has been a celebration, with the anticipation for the next school year and new students.  This coming fall, I won't be meeting another group of children, embarking on their first school experience, full of excitement and fear of the unknown.

Alright, enough emotion for the moment.  Here's a summary of the last day (sans students... I could get in major legal trouble if I posted any of the mind-blowingly beautiful pictures I took of all my little darlings):

 Playground souvenirs.

Jewelry from a student and my classroom teacher.

The teaching assistant I work with has a fantastic husband who does glass lampwork and he made this tree.  There's almost nothing I love more than tree jewelry- and this one has apples, fitting for a teacher!

Child-created card artwork.

 

The cards make me pretty emotional, but this next one is definitely smile-worthy!  One of my students happened to attend a Weezer show I was also at this past summer and we wound up having regular conversations about the band.

"Ms. Karen!  My dad made me the Blue Album and I listened to it alllllll night!"

I pack up the classroom on Monday, and then it's all up in the air!  Hoping for another opportunity to work with kids, or maybe something more along the "professional" line, but, realistically, anything is better than nothing!

So, this is it.  Joining AmeriCorps was the best decision of my life and I will always be grateful for the experiences and relationships that resulted from it.  Thank you everyone who made it possible!

Valentine's for little ones.

So, for Valentine's Day, I decided to take on a project for my students. I made each one (that's 39 kids!!) a felt keyring. They were pretty simple, but time-consuming, especially when I'd misplace my good scissors and spend loads of time trying to cut felt with a dull ol' scissors.



Here's what I did:
1. Cut out all the letters. 1 per student for their first initial.
2. Pinned the first letter on felt and cut two more layers, each slightly larger than the last.
3. Sewed the top two layers together. Added some beads and brightly colored thread for fun.
4. Used tacky glue to attach the top two layers to the bottom.
5. Sewed the keyrings on with a small strip of felt and more colorful thread.


It took approximately 10 hours altogether, but I got it done while watching some of my usual TV shows over the last week or so, so it went pretty quickly. Also, I loved some of the color combinations I came up with as I randomly placed felt together!








I have lots of "A" names!

ABCs

Another final project this semester- this is for my Illustrator class. I wanted a "mature" alphabet instead of what I'm used to seeing at work every day. I wish I had something more creative, but I seriously stepped out of my comfort zone and typical drawing style for this picture. I created 26 separate repeating patterns for each letter. It was time-consuming at first, but once I got a rhythm going and realized I didn't need to stress about the little details of each pattern, it went really quickly: maybe around 9 hours all together. I think it turned out well and hope my teacher appreciates it.

Elephant!