Design Festa Volume 30

Sunday October 25th at Tokyo Big Site. Pictures from the event!

Kamakura

Went to Kamakura yesterday and was lucky to see a wedding couple as they were coming out to be announced and have their photographs taken. I wondered for about 4 hours all over Kamakura when I came home I could barely move my feet. I think it was good that I was by my self. I don't think anyone else would have enjoyed all of the wondering about I did!

Student's Work

My student's work from yesterday. We dry brushed ceramic pumpkins then afterwards I let her make something cute to take home :)

Student's Work

Abstract Fall tree made from dots and a little owl. Mixed media work from my 6 year old Japanese student. I am amazed by her English, she listens and follows directions so carefully. After we work on the project of the day she is then free to make what she would like. Here are the pictures :) today she wanted to make a dots picture :)

Book In Shop

Fall Owls

Usually I just do collage but I decided to paint these. These were done with acrylic and ink. Interested in adopting a set just e-mail me!

Sometimes I wonder

and don't know where I am going or where I even want to go, just that I want to go somewhere. So for this day, I just hopped on a train with the original intent to go look at Japanese Washi Paper (which I still haven't done...)but when I got to KamaKura I decided to try the train that goes to Enoshima, still unsure of where I would get off, would I go all the way to Fujisawa or get off the train before that???? Anyways, after riding for a while I decided to go to Enoshima Island! WOW! I loved it, it reminded me of Okinawa in so many ways, it was so pretty! They had everything there, beautiful ocean, bridges, Tori Gates, shrines, everything, even an aquarium - I will save that for another day:) What a nice place to spend the day!

Mommy and Me Art Class

Pictures from their project they worked on last week. They turned out really nice.

New Book

Starfish

We found a bunch in Zushi today. Too, cool :) I have only seen them at aquariums, never in real life. A lady at the beach showed us how to tell if they were alive or dead, this one was alive, we brought home about 10, all the alive ones were sent back to sea :)

Christmas Factory

If you don't start early you never get everything done :) Cold AC, Rain and Christmas movies help with the mood. Plus- who doesn't love glitter, sequins and sparkly stuff (well not with kids) but who?

Happy Birthday Cards In My Etsy Shop

Happy Birthday cards are finally in my shop. They measure about 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches wide. They are flat like a postcard, no envelopes (hey that's enviromentally friendly :) Just put them on the package or in the bag. They are nice, bright and very big! Lots of fun!

My Book

Cute Video

I just found this Crayola Doesn't Make the Color for Your Eyes.

Sometimes I like to cook...

Today it was Banana Chocolate Chip Nut Muffins. I like to make muffins, unfortunatly my hand does not :(

Camp Adventure Collages

from the class I did about a week ago. I think the collages turned out GREAT! A lot of creativity in this group )

Student's Projects

Here is one of my students with her finished projects. All of my art classes did American Flags in the Jasper Johns style. This student also made a small bag that I got from the 100 yen shop. It came already printed with the birds and then she colored it with Sharpies and added extra stuff. I scanned all the flags so that later we can have everyone working on one project and individually the children will make an Andy Warhol style print using the computer.

Guest Speaker Camp Adventure 2009

Yesterday I taught collage at Camp Adventure. For those unfamiliar with Camp Adventure it is a really cool program that brings a "real day camp style camp" to military bases around the world, they are also at U.S. Embassies too. They do all the fun stuff a day camp would do, rock climbing, hiking, arts and crafts, sports, games, camp songs, skits, swimming, kayaking, marine sports, the beach and every week they go on a super cool field trip to somewhere here in Japan. It is the best money we spend for our homeschooling all year. So many experiences to be gained!

Anyways- I usually come to teach a project so this year we did mini 4 inch canvas using collage. I also talk about and show my artwork, this year I brought my Big Happy the Giraffe. The kids get to use "professional" quality supplies and they make artwork that turns out great. I think it is a Great experience for them.

Here are 3 of the great counselors we got this year! The first picture is a counselor with a "real" name and I cannot remember,then there is Ms. Marathon and Mr. Flip! (sports themed names this year) While Ms. Marathon dove right into the project the other 2 very a little hesitant but with a push they started creating- the amazing part is they created some cool stuff :) so sometimes just a little push is all it takes- say hmmmm start with a flower, tree, flag and then the ideas cam start flowing! The class was a great one to teach this year, very well behaved, helpful and I don't think I hear once "I can't" or "I don't know what to do" Everyone just dove in and made some really creative stuff! Now to get back there Monday to get pictures of all the artwork once it has dried! Enjoy!

Design Festa

Here I am at Design Festa. I just found it on Flickr and realized how TIRED I look. The place was super hot that day....... but all in all a good day :)

Sometimes I like to cook.......

Today making muffins sounded good :) so I did.

U.S. Craft Decoration

for my English Classes. Everyone will be making them this week to finish off the American Theme Month of July. Thanks to PamperingBeki for reminding me of this craft. I think they will all enjoy making them :) and lucky me- I had everything but the wreaths which I got at the 100 yen shop!!

Cake for Sale

Yummy..... Yummy..... Yummy :) Interested? E-mail me. Would make a perfect Birthday Tradition Item. Boy and Girl friendly colors or I can custom make a cake in your choice of colors!

Cake is collaged with painted papers, printed papers and washi papers. Mixed Media to include acrylic pen, acrylics and collage :) 8 x 10 Canvas, painted and decorated sides. Sealed with Acrylic Sealer and ready to hang! or display on a stand! $120 each.

Tokyo International Toy Show

2 words: Super Cool :) Check out the cool painting done completly from Nano Blocks- It is of the painting by Katsushika Hokusai also the giant An PanMan flying in the sky (he is famous in Japan- I stil know the song from the Japanese Kindergarden!) and the Giant Rody. I cropped my son out the the picture since he really did not want to be there and it showed, nobody wanted to be in that photo with me......

Students work Paper Mache Bowls

Almost finished just need some collage and to be sealed with mod podge! Cool designs on the inside!

Finished! He decided to do a warm colors bowl with star cutouts. It is ready to go home. He has been ahead with his projects this month so he got to make a lot of ATC's and some other art projects.

I think everything turned out GREAT!!!! Now PLEASE NO FOOD, NO CEREAL, NO PET FISH!!! These bowls took 4 to 5 sessions to complete :)

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday! I really am starting to like how it is coming together. Now I will go shopping and for a walk while waiting for the white paint to dry then I can glue everything down and add the candle flames. I really like the colors :) I think I will have to make a seperate one with boy colors. I plan on printing these up to have on hand ready for a birthday!

I piled all the candles all over the cake, I remember how I always wanted to use the whole box or 2! I loved the way candles look, especially the striped ones......... so this is perfect for any age!

What's weird about this piece is that all the sudden out of nowhere I just saw this cake... I will probably be craving SUGAR soon :)

Students Work

Here is my little Japanese Student's newest artwork! I think it turned out Super Cute :)

We used these:

To make this :

I think it turned out GREAT! Thanks to Jannie Ho over at ChickenGirlDesign who sent me these stickers from France months ago as part of an exchange.  They were the perfect starter for this art piece. Now WAIT!! I don't make things that easy- YES, we used stickers but then she had to cut little pieces of paper to finish it off, lastly we covered it in sparkly gel and added sequins.  I think it turned out GREAT :) and she was happy to take it home today!

Becoming a Famous Masterpiece

In my Elementary Education courses we were taught about "becoming the character" you know so you can really think how someone feels, what it would be like to be that person, thing, whatever. I remember having to choose what "building I would be" and why- it was really strange and also a very creative process. Just think how people who create movies think or people who write books. Really, think about how people create movies like Monsters Inc., Cars, Over the Hedge, The Bee Movie. You really have to pretend to be that character to create it. So anyways ..........that was all really off subject.... the real thing I wanted to share was my cute little student who "Became the Masterpiece" today. She was really happy, she even got to put her handprints on my painting uniform (I'll never mix those jeans up again with my good ones :) not to sure how here mom felt though- she painted her own clothes too :( I really wonder why I forgot to pull out the painting smock????? a little confused to as to why I let her paint right next to my fancy Japanese walls (they are covered in paper and I don't think they would clean well) really, questioning my brain this afternoon. Oh well. It was a fun day. If I find something cute in her size when I go to the U.S. I'll snag it :) but for now on - this is her painting uniform!

How I am taking over the living room.. is this a house?

O.K so I knew someone who once turned their whole living room and dining room into a preschool :) It was really neat, the rest of the house was for their family but this part was the school. They had a family room that was their living room, etc.

So, I asked my husband if he would go for that. He said if I had the right amount of students..... 20. O.K. well then he said no, there was no way we would live like that..... but it is difficult to teach in a small space....

So I have streched out a bit.... here is the special intrest area:

Notice the laundry.......

Here's the kitchen.....

and the reading/lounge area with art books...

oh and lets not forget the drying area/laminating station:

What do you think? hmmmmmm.......maybe I am taking over :)