My Creative Space

Lots of secret Christmas swap action going on this week, but I'm not quite ready to post about it, so I thought I would share what I was up to last week (while getting ready for my last market of the year when didn't have time to post:)

Now you are probably thinking, it must have been something for the market, but it wasn't that kind of crafting. Earlier this month was the market day and art show at my children's school and I was one of the organizers. It's an event that can't be successful without all the lovely handmade and vintage stallholders who participate, so we always do a thank you from the students.

In the past we have gotten blank cards printed using the children's art, but as it turns out we used them all up last year, so I came up with a very quick and simple idea for thank you cards. I got my hands on some unclaimed paintings/pictures from the art room, cut them up, glued them on black card and glued white card on the back for the children to write on.

See I said it was simple! Voila, thank you cards:)

We have received numerous comments from the market stall holders about the cards, how lovely and how thoughtful to even say thank you (doesn't everyone say thank you?) One stall holder even called the school to say how lovely their card was:)

This would be such a simple idea to apply to your own children's art. As littlest is in kinder she brings home a never ending supply of art projects. This would be another great way to use some of them:)

Hope there is lots going on in your space this week, maybe even secret Christmas stuff:) To see what others have been up to be sure to visit My Creative Space. Cyndy Pin It

Day 25 Blogtoberfest - My Creative Space

Even though I had a million other things to do (read should be doing) this week I indulged in a bit of Christmas crafting.

 

 

I shared a sneak peek earlier, but now I've done more and taken pics in better light:) They are Australian animal shaped Christmas ornaments!

This is an idea that's been in my head for 3 years. How do I know its been 3 years? Well, I had the idea right before we last went to the US and that was 3 years ago this Christmas. You see, I thought my idea might make a nice project for the children, something they could give Grandma, Auntie etc....

Only the project never happened, too much going on, children weren't interested. Honestly I don't remember why, I just know the idea never came to fruition.

So skip to this past Sunday. Looking for something to keep middle busy. We are going overseas again, so I thought they might make good presents (sound familiar). This time middle was interested so project was a go, despite a million other things I should have been doing.

I found the shapes many moons ago at Kaisercraft, some traditional Christmas shapes and some Australian animal shapes. It was the Australian animal shapes I was most interested in. In my quest for creating Australian themed craft activities I thought the idea of combining Australian animal shapes and Christmas themed papers was genius. Well, in my head at least. That is until now:)

I painted the edges, cut and glued the paper on both sides and voila, Christmas ornaments. Simple, no? And now that I have made them, yes, I do believe they are genius:) I even went out and got more shapes to make:)

I hope you are bringing genius ideas to fruition in your creative space:) For more spaces and inspiration this week, be sure to check out My Creative Spaces. Cyndy

PS Be sure to also check out the My Creative Space challenge for November! Pin It

And they are back!

Yes, that's right, the school holidays are officially over! Don't know how we did it, but somehow we made it to school on time this morning - despite everyone still going to bed later than usual last night. When my son first started school I wasn't sure about two weeks of school holidays between each term, as it was different than what I had experienced growing up in the US, but after four years I think it works. Both of the older kids were excited to be going back; to see their friends and teachers, to share what they had done on the holiday, and as my oldest daughter said, "to not be bored anymore":)

The children did a variety of things over the school holiday: they visited their cousins, went to the movies, went to Scienceworks, went to the Hottie Cover Challenge exhibition at Open Drawer (only one more week left to see it!) and did a lot of crafts and cooking. While we always seem to start off with a bang by the end, I will admit we get a little lazy and just stay at home. Yesterday the girls played school (guess they really wanted to go back) and my son made Anzac cookies. It was a nice day at home.

While in a way things get easier for me (only one child at home most of the day instead of three) they also get busier as we get stuck back into swimming, ballet, sport etc...Hmm, only 10 more weeks until the next school holidays! Cyndy Pin It

My Creative Space

This really isn't about my creative space this week, it's about my oldest daughter's (age 7). This is the second week of the school holidays here in Victoria. Pretty much every day her first question is "what can I make?" So far this week she has made a canvas picture, felt sushi, a button hair clip, an artist palette brooch and a decorated T-shirt. Yes, she exhausts me:)

Hope you are getting lots done in your creative space this week. You can see more creative spaces here. Cyndy

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My Creative Space

The first part of the week I was frantically trying to finish my hottie for the Hottie Challenge organised by Cam at CurlyPops. I finally finished it and sent it off Tuesday afternoon - you can see how it turned out here!

Now I am frantically working on last minute details for the fundraising event (a Trivia Night and Auction) at my children's school which will be held this Saturday. My oldest daughter (age 7) helped decorate these "mystery" envelopes we sell at the event. There is a bit of a circus theme, hence the envelope decorations. My daughter did the circus drawings. I then made the labels and little circus tents. I think they look pretty cute:)

Now on to the bid sheets for the auction...

Hope you are getting lots done in your creative space. For more creative spaces you can visit here. Cyndy Pin It

Happy Mother's Day

Although today is Mother's Day my oldest daughter (age 7) came home on Wednesday and said "mom I have something for you." As it was Wednesday, not today, I wasn't thinking Mother's Day present and when I turned around she handed me this:

She had made the card at school and apparently couldn't wait to give it to me! She was so proud of her creation and couldn't wait to see my reaction. Of course, it will go in my special box:) Hope you are having a lovely Mother's Day! Cyndy Pin It

Last Minute Easter Crafts with the Children

With Easter only days away and the children still on school holidays yesterday we did a couple of Easter crafts, including decorating Easter eggs. Decorating eggs is a tradition in my family. I can remember my mom carefully blowing out eggs instead of cracking them in the weeks leading up to Easter and making a stockpot full of boiled eggs for us to decorate. My mom would cover the kitchen table with newspapers and make bowls of dye using hot water, vinegar and food coloring. We would use a variety of methods to decorate our eggs, including wax, crayons, string, and rubber bands. The blown out eggs would be used to adorn our Easter egg tree (a branch from a tree in our yard) and the boiled eggs would be used in our Hungarian Easter food (this is a cold dish of meats, hard boiled eggs and homemade cheese).

Getting white/light colored eggs is difficult here, so only about two dozen eggs for us to decorate. The kids tried using rubber bands, but found them a little hard to keep on the eggs. They seemed to favor using crayons (before dying) and using markers and stencils (after the dying). I made punches out of masking tape to make my eggs (for our Easter egg tree)

My middle daughter (age 7) also tried her hand at making a couple of "spool" bunnies from a printable we found here. After cutting them out and gluing them together, she added some cotton wool to their fronts and tails. She also decided they needed a home so she created this little woodland setting for them.

Hope you have a happy Easter! Cyndy Pin It