New Bird Feeder

To be honest I wasn't sure what to call this post...You see the bird feeders aren't really new and neither is the limb they are hanging on...So here's the story...

Sadly the arbor that covered this pathway fell down last winter and we had to remove it...

Which would have been OK, but my beloved bird feeders hung off of it and I SOOO ENJOY watching my birdies!!!  In the winter I could see the feeders from my favorite chair as I enjoyed my morning coffee.

My husband kindly put my feeders on a ladder so that I could still enjoy the birds....

but we had a problem...

Autumn's chicks quickly discovered they could climb the ladder and help themselves to the food...

Not only were they eating all the food but they were also chasing of all the Woodpeckers...

In the spring, I go threw about a package of suet a day...This is truly AWESOME because so many of the birds...

bring their young to my feeder...

and I get to enjoy the show!!!

Anyway my solution to this problem was simple and cheap!!  :)

I cut a limb off a tree that had fallen during one of our winter storms. The boys dug a hole and placed it in the ground for me.  Now the birds have a perch that they are totally comfortable with and the chickens can't eat their food.

Don't worry they still scratch the ground below the feeders picking up left overs.  :)

Well, thanks for stopping by!!

I will be linking up to many of the party's on my side bar...Check them out...They are full of great ideas!!

Denise

Summer Finds...

Our summer so far  here in Poulsbo has been anything but spectacular...We still haven't got the part for the Wake Board Boat..The weather has for the most part been...DREARY, (we are lucky to get above 70)...my oldest has Mono and his races keep getting canceled due to rain...

But on the up side...I have had a great time shopping at the Good Will...

So I thought I would share a few of my finds...

I got this tray the other day, before it had even been put on the shelf...

I think it's Silver Plated, but don't know for sure and for that part don't even know how to tell....

Although...truth is it doesn't really matter to me I-LOVE-IT!!

These are the markings it has on the back...If any of you know what that means I would love to hear from you!

I think my favorite thing about it...other than it's weight (It's nice and heavy), is the feet it has on the bottom...to give it just that little bit of lift.

I don't think you can tell from this picture but you can kind-of see that the stamped design shows slightly on the bottom of the tray too.

Anyway on to my glass finds.....

One of the days Garrets race was canceled Autumn and I discovered the G. W. in Shelton....now we always try to leave in time to stop there!!!  (My son race's cars and often competes at Grays Harbor Raceway, in Elma Wa.).   Prices are considerably less than the one at home...the first time we stopped Autumn got a Wet-Suit for $13.00...They run around $30.00 at ours which I find ridicules!!!

Last time we visited I found this lovely glass set with two large bowls and four smaller ones.

I also picked up a candle stick...Thinking I would glue it on the bottom a larger bowl...giving it a pedestal...but now I'm not sure.

What do you think?

And what about my tray any idea on its make or worth....I payed $10.00 for it.

As always thanks for stopping By!

Denise

I am linking to these wonderful party's:

Easy Batik

Finally...Here it is my..... recipe for BATIK...

I've been wanting to share this for SOOOO LONG but I was waiting for my Summer Art Class to start up so I could get pictures of all the steps along the way.



Cute Puppy Dog with Bone

Let me start with just a little history behind this project....

My son was studying Africa in his 3rd grade class and I was the Art Docent (At his school an Art docent was a volunteer that came in, gave art history lesson and the usually did a project along with it)....I was never very good at the history lesson, but I sure had fun with the art part...

Anyway I always tried to pull the lesson in with what they were studying...which is where the Batik project came in.



Cool Abstract Design!



The kids enjoyed it so much...That I have done it ever since!!

(Not to mention the finished project got rave reviews from the parents)!

I should also add that the melting wax...Hmmm shall we say... kind of smells...We had the Principle along with many of the teachers poking their heads in to see what we were up too. :) 

So here we go:

First of all, I purchased muslin fabric, washed, dried, and then cut it into rectangles...(mine were 15" X12" ).

For the School project the kids had to draw African animals...but for my summer classes they get to draw what ever they want...The only criteria is that The drawing has to be LARGE...When your painting with wax its hard to do paint fine details and thin lines!!!

I mix my own wax using a 50/50 mix of bees wax and paraffin wax. (The bees wax absorbs better into the fabric..but the paraffin dries harder..making it crackle better when you ball up your project before dyeing it).

We add crayons to color the clear wax and of course the kids get to choose their colors...I melt them on two griddles using cup cake tins to hold the wax....

You want the wax to be hot enough or liquid enough to soak though the fabric...

Have the kids paint the smallest parts first...like the eyes...dots on the butterflies etc...Once the fabric has absorbed the wax anything painted on top of it wont show after you iron out the wax.

The other thing to remember is ... they have to move fast...dip the brush and then quickly get it to the fabric!

Drips of wax happen...That's OK it just adds to the "Batik Feel"!

When they have finished the front, have them turn it over and paint any places the wax didn't go through on the back.

I don't think I mentioned that I usually do this as a three day project:

The first day we design our pictures starting out on  paper and then moving to the fabric.

Day two is of course painting with wax and....

Day three we dye!!

My favorite dye bath is black...I just like the way it makes the colors pop...with that being said I also offer the kids one or two other colors depending on what they painted.

I think one of the hardest part of this whole process is scrunching up that beautiful wax painting to put it in the dye bath...but they all do it!!!  :)

Art work in a black dye bath.



Nicely Scrunched!!

I then go home and iron out the wax using an OLD iron (that I just use for crafting) and paper towels..

So here are some more of the finished Batiks....



Handsome Raccoon




Lovely Pony



Some of the kids choose not to paint the whole fabric piece in wax...This is just fine but it does leave a waxy outline or shadow around the picture.

The kids who do cover all of the fabric get a more conventional Batik look.



This Rat is one of my faves...I don't think my picture does it justice!



Yummy Cupcake!



So there it is in a "Nut Shell" ...Easy...Messy... Fabulously Fun...Batik!

Give it a try at home and then just maybe...just maybe... at one of your kids, grand kids, neighbor's kids...(you get the idea) School!  :)

I will be linking up to many of those Awesome Link Party's in my side bar...

Check them out they are so full of great ideas!!!

And once again...

Thanks for visiting!!!

Denise

Kids Art...Drawing Owls

Hi Everyone..Let me first of all apologise for not posting anything for the last week and a half...but I have a good excuse...Really I do... (well at least I think so)...;)  I was getting ready for the "Art Camp" I teach threw Parks and Rec....and of course I had great ideas.... But true to my nature I waited till last minute to put them together.  On the upside I now have some really fun projects...(not to mention some AWESOME Kids Art) to share with all of you.

SO LETS GET STARTED!

One of my favorite things to do with kids is a directed draw.  I show them step by step how to build a drawing by breaking it down into simple shapes....Here's a couple of finished pictures...Just to get you interested!

Many of the kids added the moon and stars to their painting.

So this is what I did..

I drew the Owl at home using several different references...I numbered each step as I went along so it would be easy to share with the class.

I draw on the white board as the kids follow along...

The first thing we did is draw the two circles for the eyes.

We then drew the beak...one line at a time...

I use simple terms...Like the top of the beak between the eyes, I called a upside down smile...the bottom of the beak is of course, is just two straight lines...coming together in a point...

I think You've got the idea!  ;)

I is important to remind them to draw softly with the pencils...because there are parts that will need to be erased...

NOW FOR THE FUN...

Once the Owl was drawn...I let them choose what they wanted to color it in with...

Water Colors, Markers or Oil Pastels...

I also showed them different ways to do the breast feathers and wings....

The rest was up to them...

And as you can see...

Everyone of them is LOVELY...

Unique...

and totally AWESOME!!

Give it a try...the kids in my class ranged from 8 - 13.

I will be joining up to many of those wonderful "Bloggy Link Party's" on my side bar...If you haven't checked them out, please do... they are chalk full of ideas!

As always...Thanks for visiting!

Denise

PS:   If you missed my Directed Draw for a Sea Horse You can find it here:

Directed Draw: Sea Horse

Coffee Table / Pet Bed

Ever since I saw this floating around the Internet, I've been dying to make one...A coffee table converted into a Pet Bed...What a great idea!!!   Anyway it wasn't hard to get Autumn on board (If it has to do with pets...she's in)!!  So we hit some garage sales and ended up with two tables...I think we'll paint the next one black.  :)



Calico really likes this idea!



This is the first one we found...it was in grate shape and only cost $5.00....Because really.....who would want a  fake wood Formica tables out of the 70's???? 

We took the doors and the magnets that kept them shut off and then filled the holes with Glazing Putty (It was what we had around the house...after all my Son and Husband are "Motor Heads"...and they said "It will work great!!

Next step was to paint it with a primer (Zinsser, Cover Stain Primer).

Just one coat.

I then painted it with three coats of Valspar's Premium Decorator Enamel in Dover white.

To make the cushion I measured the inside of the table...Then using the old string and pen trick made marked and cut out a circle to fit...sew...fill TA-DA Done.  :)

I must say we are sooo happy with the finished project and are planning to move it to Autumns room... a night stand for her and a get away for Callie.  :)

I'm linking up to my favorite Parties (on my side bar) ...

Please check them out...there are so many great ideas roaming around you don't want to be left out!!

Denise

PS: leave a comment...I would love to know who has stoped by!