Monthly Archives: July 2014

Jul26

Our Imaginations! Camp for Kids! Fence Weaving Part II

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Our Imaginations! Camp for Kids! Fence Weaving Part II

Materials:

Chain link fence

Paper – solid colored paper, patterned paper, crêpe paper, tissue paper, rice paper, construction paper, newspaper, etc. as long as the paper is pliable

Fabric scraps

Ribbon

Foil

Anything that you can use to decorate a fence

Scissors

Wire or pipe cleaners or string for attaching various elements of the design

Tape

Markers, pencils, rub down lettering or crayons for writing messages

 

A chain link fence works best. Please get permission to use it first.

Colorful, funny, serious, or informative designs can cover the entire fence or a part of it. Decorate the fence alone or with friends. Think about celebrating the project with a “weaving” party! Each of your friends could design their personal section of the fence.

Themes are popular: nature, animals, the zodiac, outer space, the sea/ocean, beach, transportation, abstract art, etc.

You can take down your fence “weaving” if you don’t like it and start again.

Weave your design vertically, horizontally or diagonally!

Use your imagination!

If you are not allowed to leave the fence “weaving’ up for a long time, take a photo of all the designs and post them on Facebook or tweet the photos to your friends and family.

Fence "Weaving"

Fence “weaving” design made of two kinds of fabric

Chain link fence banner

I Love Summer! Banner

Fence "Weaving"

Fence “Weaving”

Fence "Weaving"

Fence “Weaving”

 

Fence "Weaving" Paper Loops

Fence “Weaving” Paper Loops

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Jul20

My Big Fat Caribbean Vacation Photos II

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My Big Fat Caribbean Vacation Photos II

Click on any image to view the slide show.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Jul20

Our Imaginations! Camp for Kids: Papier Mache Dragon

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Our Imaginations! Camp for Kids: Papier Mache Dragon

The craft PAPIER MACHE DRAGON is an adaption of the project “Two Masks” found in  the Reinhold Book of Arts and Crafts Techniques and published by Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, a division of Litton Education Publishing, Inc. in 1976.

Materials:

Newspaper, cut into strips

Scissors

Wall paper paste or white glue slightly thinned (Home improvement stores and wall paper stores sell wall paper paste.)

Containers for water and paste

½ egg carton

4 – 6 oz paper cup

Masking tape

Bond or construction paper

Green acrylic or poster paint or any color you choose for your dragon

Glitter, buttons, tissue paper, wiggle eyes, foil, etc

Paint brushes

Paper towels

  1. Cover your work space with newspaper. Cut a carton for a dozen eggs in half and tape it shut. Tape the paper cup to one end of the carton. (This will be the head of the dragon.) Make a long tube with the construction paper and tape it to the other end of the carton. (This will be the tail of the dragon.)
  2. Cut newspaper into strips.
  3. Read the directions on the label for using wallpaper paste. Mix wallpaper paste with water and stir. Pour into container.
  4. Dip strips into paste mixture. Allow excess paste to drip off into container. Apply to the dragon mock-up. Apply two or three layers. Allow to dry. To add more layers, apply them when the first three layers are dry. Dry thoroughly.
  5. Paint the dragon with acrylic or poster paint. Allow the paint to dry.
  6. Decorate the papier mache dragon with a variety of embellishments. Use your imagination!
Papier Mache Dragon

Papier Mache Dragon

 

Papier Mache Dragon

Papier Mache Dragon

Papier Mache Dragon

Papier Mache Dragon

 

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Jul13

Our Imaginations! Camp for Kids: Painted Rocks

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Our Imaginations! Camp for Kids: Painted Rocks

PAINTED ROCKS is an updated adaption of the project from “Painted Stones and Stone Sculptures” found in the Reinhold Book of Arts and Crafts Techniques and published by Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, a division of Litton Education Publishing, Inc. in 1976. Materials: Rocks preferably with a relatively smooth surface Poster or acrylic paints Brushes of various widths Container for water Palette or disposable smooth surface like wax paper Soap Paper Towels Newspaper or something similar to cover the surface of your work space

  1. Wash rocks thoroughly and dry. If rocks are very dirty, soak in a bucket of sudsy water, rinse and dry. In the meantime, cover your work space.
  2. Think of a design for the rock. Sometimes the rock suggests a design or an object. Stripes, dots, stars, swirls, circles are some ideas you can use alone or in combination.
  3. Select the paint colors and squeeze a small amount (about the size of a quarter to start) on the palette or wax paper. Squeeze white, black or brown for the base coat of the rocks.
  4. Prime the rock white if you selected lighter colors or brown if you selected darker colors. This step isn’t required but it makes the colors adhere to the rock better if there is a base coat on which to paint your design. Paint one side at a time and allow the rock to dry. Turn over and paint the other side.
  5. If you can’t think of a design, lay the paints on the surface randomly. Overlap the colors and see them run into each other.
  6. Paint one side at a time and allow the design to dry. Turn over and paint the other side.
  7. Use your rocks to decorate your desk or your bedroom’s window sill.

VARIATION: Select yarn or string in different colors and dip into glue. Wrap around the rock in different directions. Allow the glue to dry. VARIATION: Create rock creatures by gluing paper, pipe cleaners, pompom, buttons and more!

Painted Rocks Step I

Painted Rocks Step I

Painted Rocks

Painted Rocks

Painted Rocks

Painted Rocks

Painted Rock Variation

Painted Rock Variation

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Jul7

Our Imaginations! Camp for Kids: Weaving with a Simple Frame

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Our Imaginations! Camp for Kids: Weaving with a Simple Frame

The craft WEAVING WITH A SIMPLE FRAME is an updated adaption of the project “A Simple Weaving Frame” found in The Reinhold Book of Arts and Crafts Techniques published by Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., a division of Litton Education Publishing Inc. in 1976. Many important events happened in 1976.

Challenge yourself and always use your imagination!

Materials: Cardboard

String

Ruler

Pencil/eraser

Scissors

Yarn

Large-eyed tapestry needle (optional)

Ribbon, feathers,  wool and other strips of fabric, leaves, twigs, string

* At all times refer to the photo illustrations.

  1. Weaving consists of a warp and a weft. The warp comprises the vertical strings of the loom while the weft consists of the yarn interlaced through the weft. Take a piece of strong cardboard. Measure and cut ¼” incisions at regular intervals of ¼” to 1/8” on both ends of the cardboard.
  2. To make the warp: Take heavy string (i.e., kite string) and make a knot at one end. Loop the string from one end of the cardboard to the other and back up again. When finished, cut and make a knot in the back or tape the end of the string to the back of the cardboard. (Always leave a little extra string at either end.)
  3. To make the weft: Think of a theme or a design for the weaving. The design is up to you! Use a variety of materials to weave in and out as you did with the paper weaving. (The weaving below was woven with pipe cleaners and kite string but almost anything goes!)
  4. Start with about an inch and a half of warp at the bottom. Make sure strips of material alternate with each row. Roll the material into a ball if possible and pass it through the warp back and forth for several rows depending on the design. Tuck the end in the back of the warp. Do not tie a knot.
  5. Tips: Consider using a the tapestry needle to weave the yarn and string. A ruler will help you lift the warp so you can pass material through easily but you must lift every other string (see step 4.)
  6. When the weaving is finished, cut any loose thread in the back of the warp but don’t cut too close to the weft.
Frame for weaving

Frame for weaving

Preparing the frame

Preparing the frame

 

Beginning to weave

Beginning to weave

 

The finished weaving

The finished weaving

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Jul6

What Events Happened in 1976?

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What Events Happened in 1976?

1976 Fun Facts

From:

www.thepeoplehistory.com

http://en.wikipedia.org

www.historyproject.org

Fashions:

What was popular in 1976?

Patterned jackets

Tunic and pants

Denim separates

V-neck dress

Blazer

Wood bracelet

Checkbook clutch

Super necklace

Dressy handbag

3-strap shoe

Lace boot

Ankle-strap shoe (wedge)

Leather boot with tool work designs

Romeo slip-on shoe for men

Fonzi jacket and corduroy suit for men

Rugby pullover

Phasar watch for men.

Miscellaneous: Toys

Life-like baby doll

Toy sewing machine

Peanuts characters

Legos

Connect Four

Hair:

Long hair

Frosted or streaked hair

Afro

Farah Fawcett feathered hair

Sideburns for men

Surfer hair (tousled look)

Movies:

One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest

All The President’s Men

The Omen

Taxi Driver

The Outlaw Josep Wales

Rocky

Television Shows:

Bionic Woman

Laverne and Shirley

The Gong Show

Family Feud

Charlie’s Angels

The Tony Randall Show

The Muppet Show

Monster Squad

Most Wanted

Songs:

Silly Love Songs – Paul McCartney and Wings

December 1963 (Oh What a Night) – The Four Seasons

You Sexy Thing – Hot Chocolate

50 Ways to leave Your Lover – Paul Simon

I Write the Songs – Barry Manilow

Books:

Trinity by Leon Uris

1876 by Gore Vidal

The Hite Report by Shere Hite

Headline News:

Gerald Ford was the 38th President of the US and Nelson Rockefeller was the 41st Vice-President of the US

Earthquake in Tabgshan China kills 655,000

Tidal wave in the Philippines kills 5800

First commercial Concorde flights take off

Worst drought on record hits Britain forcing the use of standpipe

Hurricane Belle hits US east coast

32 Black African nations boycott Montreal Olympics in protest to sports’ links between New Zealand and South Africa

Mao Tse-Tung, founder of the Chinese Communist Party, dies

Palestinian extremists hijack Air France plane in Greece with 246 passengers and 12 crew members

Completion of the CN Tower in Toronto  – tallest freestanding structure in the world

First Legionnaires disease affects 4000 delegates in Pennsylvania from a chapter of the

American Legion

US Bicentennial – 200 years of freedom from British rule

Earthquake in Guatemala and Honduras kills more than 22,000

First recorded Ebola virus epidemic begins in Sudan

Billionaire Howard Hughes dies at age 70

Formation of Apple Computer Company by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak

Soweto riots mark the beginning of the end of apartheid

Nadia Comenici wins three gold medals in the Montreal Olympics with seven perfect scores

Invention of the first laser printer

VHS home video cassette recorder by Matsushita is available for sale

Sports:

1976 Olympics are held in Montreal, Canada

The Pittsburgh Steelers win Super Bowl X  21-7 over the Dallas Cowboys

The  NCAA Football National Champions of 1976: the University of Pittsburgh Panthers

The Montreal Canadiens win the Stanley Cup in 4 games vs. the Philadelphia Flyers

Bold Forbes wins the Kentucky Derby

 

Here’s delicious recipe to try from 1975 -1976!

Watergate Salad

1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple (do not drain)

1 box instant pistachio pudding mix

1 1/2 cups small marshmallows

1 (9 oz) box whipped topping mix

1 cup or less walnuts or pecans

Mix pineapple in its juices with pudding by pouring pudding into pineapple. Stir.  Add rest of ingredients.

Stir by hand. Chill before serving. C.K.

from Anne’s Reader Exchange,” Washington Post, November 13, 1975 (p. C 17)

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