Themed lunches for all three kids for Candlemas/groundhog day.
What you can make: – themed bento – special bento for holidays or just on any given day: if your kiddo is crazy about something, google that + bento and you’ll probably get some ideas;) Then you just adapt them to the ingredients you have at home and that’s it. – ABC (alphabet) bento that I described above – you can shape the bread into animals (dinosaurs, pigs, fish, whatever your kid likes) and then bake or steam it – you can make a classic bento from a rice ball and nori algae (you could put a piece of veggies inside the ball) – calzone or any other stuffed bread is great because it holds the ingredients nicely
One of the ABC-lunches – this one was “letter D”: dosa (Indian stuffed pancake), dates, and dahi (Indian yogurt). I can’t believe how little they ate :D.
Some tips and what to avoid (I know most are common logic but sometimes it’s good to have a reminder;) – quickly perishable foods that get squashed easily – especially if the kiddo will walk to school and carry their lunchbox in their schoolbag – ice cream – no need to explain, right? 😀 – putting together foods of distinct flavors that don’t play together nicely. You can include a dessert in the bento box together with fruits and veggies (separated) but put it in a separate container (separate box) if the main dish is hearty otherwise the smell from that will infuse the gentle dessert. If the main lunch is something very simple like a rice pudding and fruits and vegetables, the dessert can be in the same container but separated, of course.
A bag for carrying lunch – big enough for a thermos flask for hot food (like soup, pasta, casseroles, chili con carne, baked beans, etc…) and a lunchbox for other foods: fresh fruits and veggies,… and there’s still room for a bread roll if needed;).
How to carry a bento? Now, that my kids are bigger, I like to combine several containers – they often get a hot casserole, leftovers, or soup in the thermos bottle and something on the side in a box (usually some fruits, veggies, a bread roll, or similar and a piece of dessert – but not always everything). Above is an example of how my little one is carrying his lunch in his lunch bag and an example of what’s inside the box:)
Veggies, a bread roll, dip in a separate container on the right, and salt cookies made from buttery dough (usually used for quiches).
Don’t know where to start? Let’s make a simple bento together!
Let’s put together a cute little sea-themed bento for the little ones in your life (or even for the bigger ones who love the sea:). You don’t need any special equipment for this, you can cut everything with a knife but I show you a nice trick with a cookie cutter, too. So check the video and enjoy the rest of the summer!
As promised – a tutorial on how to make this postcard. It’s very easy, beginner friendly, and can be quite cute:) Of course, you can make it in any theme you’d like: seashells, ships, sea, and fish would be nice for a vacation card but I chose a flower for our gardening granny;). You can make these with kids because they are so easy to make and only use non-toxic materials:). Nothing fancy but so much fun! Enoy in sprinkling joy over the world;).
This is not a post about sales and how to bargain hunt. I have no idea about that so I’ll leave that to more savvy. You won’t find many garage sale tips here simply because I know nothing about garage sales (we don’t have that here). But I have been making art on the budget for years and years… I was working part time and we had three little kids in day-care so you can imagine;). And art and craft supplies are notoriously expensive (especially in Europe). “So what can poor girl do…” as the song goes (I apologize if there is any younger audience who doesn’t get my ancient music references;).
Natural materials are not just a source of inspiration – they can also be our painting surface, our texture tools and even our ink!
Here are some ideas how to stretch your dollar when creating use – recycled materials (post coming up): clothes, packaging, cardboard… – natural materials (post coming up): for textures, surfaces,… – cheap art materials: kids’ art supplies, knockoffs,… – know where to save: some things are more important than others: buy good brushes (they last;) but cheaper paint (student grade is perfectly good). Buy good quality paper for some things and practise on scraps. – things that are not made for art and are therefore cheaper;) – foam and alcohol from DIY store, textures from cosmetics/hygiene products etc… – homemade alternatives (craft recipes and DIY art and craft tools)
You can DIY many supplies and gadgets – like a wet pallet – that will also save your acrylic paint from drying up so it’s a double win! And the journal is made from an old book.
And 2 additional ideas: * buy things (like stamps etc) that are versatile and will last for many projects (general things like stars and flowers for stamps and general the most basic shapes like circles and ovals for punches or die-cuts) and if you do buy themed stuff, choose a theme you really love and will use often (don’t do what I do: I am a sucker for anything sea-themed;) but I rarely use it since we’re never home during summer :D) * choose materials that last (watercolours don’t go bad, acrylics do); brushes and paper can wait a long time but polymer clay will be hard as hell after a few years. It’s still usable but very very hard to work with. Save yourself some trouble;).
Free art project: slow stitching from Sketchbook revival where I used a piece of old jeans, the test crochet row, some thread from packaging and some natural material – nothing fancy but it looks nice in person and it was lovely creating this slow stitching roll.
Let’s make a wet palette so our acrylic won’t dry up!
Materials needed: – Plastic container that seals shut (the best are the ones that lock) – Sponge (I like Vileda biodegradable kitchen sponge cloth because it’s firm and biodegradable) – Parchment paper (any kind but that is NOT waxed paper) – Water (I use boiled water so mold won’t form) Optional/additional supplies: – Copper coins (to prevent mold from forming) – Grey or black cloth (I used cotton but any fabric would work) – Spray bottle filled with water for spraying your paints – you can recycle old mosquito spray bottles;)
I have written about fall equinox in September but I like spring equinox even better, of course – because now the days are getting longer and it’s getting warmer,… and I love that!
One of the ways to celebrate equinox is by making a spring nature corner…
There are many ways to celebrate equinox – from self care routines or cleanses that some people do and modern pagans and witches celebrate it with pagan rituals as a time of fertility, creativity, and renewal.
Equinox is a time for balance…
Since equinox is a symbol of balance between the dark and the light, it might be a good time to re-evaluate our balance – wherever you need it – work-life balance, family-personal space balance, money-time balance, whatever is your challenge at the moment. Or you can set up a spring nature corner (you can find a tutorial here) or bake something special, like bread shaped as birds… You can learn about the path of the sun, calculate the routs and angles, whatever is your jam;). What is your favourite way to welcome spring into your home?
Bird shaped bread – nothing makes home feel more homely like freshly baked bread…
Let’s give some old thorn T shirts a new life – let’s dye them and use them in our nature corners, to sew our dolls, mend things,… there are so many uses for naturally dyed fabric! But how can we dye it? Watch the tutorial bellow:). You don’t need anything special and if you are curious how different methods of brewing coffee and tee influence the results, check it out:)
Let’s dye!
Here’s what I’ve used: – Espresso coffee – actually since we don’t own espresso machine I don’t know if it’s called that – it’s a coffee from cafetiere – Turkish coffee – the brewed coffee in the Turkish coffee pot – Instant coffee – in granules that you just dissolve in hot water directly in the cup – Loose tea – I used black tea, also called Russian or Indian tea (but this one was from East Africa in fact :D) – made in a clay teapot – Tea bags – same black tea, this one was Earl Gray from Teekanne made in ceramic jug / pitcher.
Dying with tea and coffee is so much fun, all natural, non-toxic and gives really nice results!
I first cut a strip of a baby T shirt into 5 equal trips, prepared coffee and tea in all different ways and then dyed the fabric. I didn’t etch the fabric with vinegar nor did I use salt. I didn’t leave it to soak over night, just a couple of hours and the results are quite impressive nevertheless – check the video to be your own judge:)
Chinese New Year (lunar year) is around the corner so let’s make some paper lanterns to decorate our home, to exercise our fine motor skills and learn something about their culture in the meanwhile. (Read about Chinese new year here and more on Sunday).
Let’s make some paper lanterns for the Chinese New Year!
Materials:
Paper or card (preferably red) – measurements at the bottom
Scissors
A scalpel or x-acto knife
A bone folder or cutlery knife
A ruler
Some kind of glue: glue stick or tape glue for paper, PVA for paper and container and all-purpose adhesive for lantern with acetate
A hole punch and/or an awl or a thick needle to make holes for hanging
A satin band, wrapped wire, yarn or decorative string of some kind for hanging
For the 2nd lantern: – Container (recycled coffee, cocoa or barely drink container); mine is: 11 cm (cca 4,5 in) high and 10 cm (4 in) wide – Red paint & paintbrush
for the last lantern: – Piece of scrap (recycled) acetate from packaging
Paper lanterns are quick to make but make everything more festive!
Measurements:
the first paper lantern: 20×10 cm (8×4’’) piece of red paper
the second lantern with the container: 33×13,5 cm (13×5,3’’) of red card
the third lantern with clear (acetate) centre: 23×20 cm (9×8’’) of red card and a piece of acetate 5×20 cm (2×8’’)
Here is the big fat list of art challenges month by month that I have promised. For everybody who will look at this and think to themselves: “Are you crazy??? That’s too much! It makes my head spin!” I have another post coming up about how to do art without challenges and for people who like challenges but don’t like the pressure of doing it every single day a post about yearly challenges (including weekly challenges) is also coming up so stay tuned:). Let me preface this list that art challenges are definitely not necessary for doing art consistently! But they can be a fun addition sometimes – and as the name suggests – a good challenge – to go out of your comfort zone (like I did with the robots or black and white), to explore new materials (like I did with my homemade gelli plate) or to just create every day. And of course, chose one that you like – you’re drawn to the subject or the materials and feels manageable. And if this is not your jam, I’ll give you some other ideas
My interpretation of mermaid expanded a bit since doing mermay for a few years as you’ll see;)
Without further ado, here is the list; (the challenges I enjoyed or learned the most from are bold) January: – the January challenge from 64 million artists – a huge community – tinker lab: although more geared toward children, everybody could enjoy some easy art:) – art journal January: I loved this one because it is so unlimiting – by kickinthecreatives – creatuanary: draw a creature every day in January February: – figuary: you draw a life drawing – figure drawing every day of the month. It is accompanied by tutorials on Youtube (by Love Life Drawing) and it really takes your practice forward in a deliberate way – it is not just a challenge to practice – it is meant for you to learn something as well. I love it, needless to say;) – 36 days of type begins somewhere between February and April – according to the site – I haven’t tried this challenge yet, it’s good for calligraphers – February faces: for all of you, portrait lovers! – fairyary: create a fairy every day March: – march of robots: you won’t believe but I actually participated in this one one year – I started to feel something for robots in the end 😀 But I humanized them quite a bit;) –march challenge: a gelli printing challenge – I love gelli printing so naturally, I liked this challenge:) But bare in mind, this one takes a bit of a clean up;). – mixed media March by kickinthecreatives – if you like mixed media, like me, this one is for you:) April: – Aprilics: paint with acrylics for a month. I really want to do this one! – our plannet week: I haven’t participated yet but I definitely want to this year – it is right around my alley! And the host seems like a very nice lady:). May: – mermay: the challenge is one of the oldest challenges but the site is new – they just got it last year if I’m not mistaken. My very favourite challenge by far – and the one I never had the problem completing – because… well… mermaids! You can draw or paint or create your mermaid however you want it just has to have some kind of a mermaid – and people are very flexible on your interpretation;).
This year mermaids were a bit different;)
June: – junicorn: same as mermay but now you create a unicorn every day; haven’t done it, though – June is a very busy month for moms;) – junebug: create art based on bugs – this one could be for me:) – junefae: like fairyary – create a fairy a day July: – world watercolour month: I love this challenge – there are so many inspiring paintings flooding internet in July! August: – smaugust: a challenge, where you draw or paint dragons, is inspired by Tolkien’s dragon from Hobit. – 31 animals august: naturally, I’ve participated in this one – just draw or paint an animal a day, whicnever you like:) – doggust: draw a dog a day – I guess in August animals rein:) September: – sketchtember: every year I want to join but September is again, very hectic in our household… – gelli printing letters by talented Masha Valk October: – inktobre: the first challenge I did and that I keep going back – although I never was a pen and ink person – but that’s why I need it;). – drawloween: art inspired by halloween November: – huevember: one of my first and still most beloved challenges – not surprisingly since I love colours;) I have learned so much during my first huevember on colour – which colours are related and what you get when you darken yellow or orange, for instance;) – nanowrimo: a project where you write a whole novel (the first draft) – that is 50.000 words in November. I started this year, things were going well, then the whole family got terribly sick and I flopped miserably. But I will definitely try again! – folktale week: illustrate a folk tale every day based on the given prompts December: – drawcember: I did it a few times but I sometimes I did not follow the prompts – artsy advent calendar: she does it mostly every year but here is the whole list for 2018 – carve December by lovely Julie from blazerdesigns – I really want to do this one someday – December is pretty busy so I never have the nerves to add a hand carved stamp to my every day… but I would really love to give this one a shot!
Challenges make you to come up with less obvious solutions or new interpretations sometimes.
If you want more, here are even more challenges – but it would get a bit crowded here if I was to list them all… And here the challenges are nicely explained (there is quite some overlap with my list as I saw – I guess the author is into fantasy art as well:).
This one got me hooked on Inktober – I saw some progress!
Have you participated in any art challenge so far? Let me know in the comments – I’d love to know to tale the content to make it more useful for you:). What are your favourite art challenges? Have I missed any that you know of? I would like to keep this list alive and add to it so do let me know in the comments what I have missed out so I can include other nice art challenges:).
2-3 minutes read Now that we’ve set up our work space and chose our goals it might be a good time to tackle the big question how to make art practise stick. I always loved to draw and create in any form but I haven’t always done it. In high school I completely stopped because we had no art class and it seemed too indulgent to do it. I still played instruments, so that was something:). But I didn’t draw.
Practical art – in this case a postcard.
When I started creating it was firstly crafts – projects that I could give as gifts – I painted T shirts, sewed bags, sculpted clay ornaments, made jewellery and alike. When I finally tackled drawing again I took a book and set out to draw everything in it. Then the kids came and all the projects had to be useful again – because time was more limited. This is a good bypass when you are too busy for “real art” or too tired for studying art. And when I could find a few minutes again, I decided to draw mostly everyday, so I chose Christopher Hart’s short videos and just drew one each day. They are 5 minutes long and that was something I could invest. Later I did many monthly challenges so I got used to consistency and from all that here are my top tips:
One of my favourite ways of doing art every day was art journaling – I have to get back to that!
My no.1 tip would be to make a daily practice extremely EASY and SMALL. Both in terms of expectations and in terms of dimensions. Easy commitment means 5 minutes of drawing/creating a day or less. Don’t expect half an hour every day, it’s hard to do it consistently and when you fall behind it’s hard to get back up. Commit to one pose, one line, one quick sketch, whatever takes you less than 5 minutes. If you want, you can keep going after that but the goal is just 5 minutes every day. If you miss a day, just pick up again next day, no judgement, just get back on like nothing happened. *I know it’s easier said than done;).
Have all your art supplies ready to go in a designated spot (if you don’t have a desk it could be a small tray or a baggy) where you can just grab everything and you don’t need to set anything up. That takes way too much mental energy even if it’s just 2 minutes! You’ll be surprised how much easier it is if it’s ready.
Choose simple techniques that you feel pretty comfortable with. Whenever I create with something where I don’t need to think too much about the technical side, I make more art.
Doing art with somebody you love is very rewarding and makes you commit to it easier.
What are your favourite tips for making art consistently? It doesn’t need to be every day – it could be every week – however often you like and can afford. Just try to steal some time for yourself – you will feel better, guaranteed!
Very Arty Fairy 