My Submarine To The Future

Kid's Craft: Pirate Dolls Made From Apples

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 07:06:00 +0000

ARGGG...Ahoy there matey!

This craggy-faced, sea-faring fellow and his weather beaten shipmate are my son's newest pirate pals...

...and can you believe that they are made from... APPLES!

Want to know how?

When I was a kid (many...eherm... years ago) I used to spend a considerable amount of time crafting little doll people from the apples that fell from our tree in my parents back yard (exciting times, eh?).
I would play with these dolls until they either got moldy and fell apart (gross!), or were splattered into a million pieces after being catapulted at high speed against our shed wall by my brother. Gotta love little boys, eh!

I had pretty much forgotten about this childhood pastime, until I recently read a book called "The Apple Doll" written by the very talented author and illustrator, Elisa Kleven.

The book is amazing and tells the darling tale of a young girl, called Lizzy, who decides to make a doll out of an apple. I won't give away the plot, except to say that it is all about friendship, creativity, imagination and life experiences. If you haven't read it to your kids, I highly recommend!

The other nifty part about the book is that it includes a tutorial explaining how you can make your very own apple doll. The good news is that this one will NOT end up becoming a manky, rotting, mess rubbed into your living room carpet because of the way the apples are preserved.

I set to work using the instructions and a little of my own improvisation along the way. Here's what you'll need if you want to try this out yourself...

Materials:

1 cup lemon juice (which is roughly the juice of 3 or 4 lemons)

A large firm apple

A peeler

A sharp small knife
A skewer

1 tablespoon of salt

Pipe cleaners

Glue

Red paint

Small brush

Beads (for the eyes)

Fabric and yarn (for clothes and hair)

Construction Paper (for accessories)

Peel the apple
(you can core it too if you like, but I didn't).

Carefully carve a nose and mouth into your apple with the knife.

Then make two small holes for the eye sockets.

Pour the cup of lemon juice into a jug, or bowl.
Mix in the tablespoon of salt until it dissolves.

Add the apple.

Make sure that the apple is completely submerged.
You can do this by holding down the apple (see pic above).

I used a bowl with a spoon underneath.
Now leave it for 30 mins.

After 30 mins, pat your apple dry. You can now begin the drying process.

Ok, so this part requires some patience. I must admit to initially feeling a little miffed at having to wait so long for the apples to dry, but once I started the process off, I just kind of forgot about them until they were ready to be used. Trust me, it's worth the wait. Also, it's interesting for the kids to see how the apples change over time. Sort of like a mini science experiment.

You have two options for drying your apple...

1) Air dry - put your apple in a warm, dry place (like near a radiator, or in front of a sunny window) and leave it for up to a week until it shrinks up. You'll have to rotate it occasionally, so that it dries evenly on all sides.

2) Oven dry - set the oven to 200 degrees. Place the apple on a greased baking sheet and cover the nose of the apple with a small piece of foil (to prevent burning). Place the apple on the tray in the oven for 30 mins. After 30 mins, reduce the heat to LOW and let it continue to dry. It will take roughly three days to dry this way. Be sure to turn the oven off at night, and again, remember to rotate the apple so that it dries evenly on all sides.

Now, your apple is ready for transforming. Let's add a little life to his face!

Glue the beads into the eye sockets (I used rivets because I didn't have any beads, but you can use whatever you have available).

Water down your red paint to make a pinkish hue. Apply this sparingly to the apple doll's cheeks and along the mouth fold. Now you're ready to make the doll's body.

Ouch! Looks painful, right? Push your skewer through the apple doll's head and rotate a couple of times so that you make a hole all the way through.

Bend one of the pipe cleaners in half and push it through the hole, so that it sticks out about an inch above the top of the apple.

Use other pipe cleaners to wrap around the body (underneath the head) until it is thick enough to support the head. Wrap more pipe cleaners around the middle and at the bottom, to make arms and legs.

You can also bend the pipe cleaners at the ends to form feet and hands (see below).

No pirate would be complete without his twisted, matted mane of hair. You can do this by simply gluing strips of yarn (or fluffy cotton wool balls) to the back of the apple doll's head.

I wanted to add a lot of hair so I cut a handful of yarn and then folded the inch of pipe cleaner, that was sticking out the top of the apple, over to hold the yarn in place (see pics below).

Braid the yarn at the back of the apple doll's head and tie it off at the bottom.

Use a strip of fabric to make a head scarf. This can be glued at the front and tied at the back to secure.

So, now the main construction of the doll is done. It's up to you how you dress and accessorize. Here's how I clothed our pirates...

For boots, wrap yarn around the dolls feet.

For his hook, cut a hook shape out of construction paper, making sure it had a long handle. Then wrap the yarn around the pirate's arm and down the hook handle to fasten it. I added a rivet to the top of the hook to give it character.

I also threaded some of these rivets onto his hair to make pirate beads.

A small knot in the yarn holds these in place.

For his eye patch, cut a length of fabric into an eye patch shape with long straps. Then tie it around the apple doll's head, securing it at the back.

For his clothes, cut a square of fabric and make two arm holes in it. Push his arms through the holes then wrap the fabric around his body again and again until it forms a jacket shape. Take some yarn and wrap it around his middle, knotting it to secure it.

The parrot was made by twisting 3 pipe cleaners together to form a bird body shape. Then another pipe cleaner, of a different color, was used to create feet and attach the bird to the pirates arm. I cut eyes and a beak out of a piece of the construction card and glued these onto the bird.

For the shipmate's clothes and belt, I wrapped him (the same way as the first pirate) in the square of fabric with the arm holes but instead of using yarn, I had a button attached to a strip of fabric that I was able to stitch around his middle to hold it in place.

And that's it!

These pirates have already been on many a courageous, salty sea dog adventure with my son.

I hope you enjoyed reading about them, and if you try making your own apple dolls, pirates or otherwise, please let me know. Would love to see them!

Happy crafting!

Jackie

My Submarine To The Future

P.S. Be sure to check out Elisa Kleven's other titles too. I'm NOT getting any kickbacks from the author for recommending her work, but I've become such a fan of her books that I want to spread the joy. Enjoy!

Why you may need a mantra for this new year?

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 07:34:00 +0000

New Year... new me! Sound familiar?

As I wrote out my resolutions for this year I realized that even before my pen hit paper I was already (laughably) trying to wheedle my way out of committing to my upcoming goals (stuffing a cookie in my mouth as I write "lose ten pounds" hardly qualifies as the most encouraging start).

I needed a different approach.

While batting around a few ideas with my friend Marie-Louise (a lady of genius mind and good humour) it suddenly occurred to us.... instead of a lengthy checklist of things to ~~stress about~~ achieve, we just needed a quick and easy way to stop-check ourselves if we felt like we were getting off track, or procrastinating.

Our solution?... an all encompassing catchphrase that can be pulled out, at any given moment, in any situation, when we find ourselves feeling frustrated, or in need of improvement. Simply put it is....

"Cut the dead weight"

It has become my new mantra.

"Cut the dead weight"

Try it out yourself...

"Cut the dead weight"

There... feels good, right?

Here's how it works.... "dead weight" is basically any excuse (that I concoct, daily) that prevents me from doing the thing I want to do most (e.g. I'm too tired, too busy, don't have enough time/materials, or am not in the mood... you get the gist.) The phrase "cut the dead weight" is a not-so friendly reminder to myself that it's within my power to make a change and make things happen.

I've got to say that it's already working for me. I feel motivated and driven and I noticed that I am pushing myself way more than I usually would. Here's a peek into my current inner dialogue...

Over indulged over the holidays? (Er, that would be a BIG yes!).

Spent too much? Ate too much? Sat around too much? (All of the above actually!).

Well... "Cut the dead weight!!!!"

Stop the excuses! Stop the whining! Get to the gym. Put away the credit card. Time to take some action!

Want to do more art and craft this year? (Absolutely!!)

Want to think, work and be creative? (Got that right, sista!)

Well.... "Cut the dead weight!"

Get to work! Cut back on unnecessary things that are not making this happen... yep, I'm talking to you Mr Television - you and your attractive 36 inches of screen.

Want to live an exciting life full of inspiration, adventure and opportunity? (you're singing my song, lady!)..."Cut the dead weight!"

Get out and about. See, do, communicate and experience more things with people who make you laugh, think and inspire you. Avoid dream crushers at all costs!

So that's my self motivating mantra. Maybe you have one yourself? Post me a comment and share it if you do. Would love to hear about it.

Jackie

My Submarine To The Future

Let the merriment commence!

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 01:48:00 +0000

Well, the festivities have well and truly kicked off over here at My Sub headquarters!

The sweet smell of baked cookies wafts through the house. Christmas music fills our hearts and home with joy, and the mulled wine and Jack Daniels flow freely (at this time of year my husband ~~thinks he's Don Draper~~ loves a good whiskey!).

Between putting batches of creamy cookie dough in the oven and telling my son for the millionth time to stop taking the ornaments off the tree, I find myself with a very rare moment of quiet....

...so I just want to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to you guys for reading and being so supportive in 2010. I've enjoyed your comments, your questions and having the opportunity to get to know some of you as well (hoping to chat more).

I wish you and your families a very Happy Holiday season and a New Year packed with fun, creativity, love and joy!

I also want to take this moment to share with you the Christmas tradition my husband and I have been doing, every year since we got married (almost 7 years ago now!).

Every year we get a new ornament for the tree, or are given one as a gift by a family member. The ornaments become so special this way because, when we dress our tree, they not only remind us of the person who gave them to us, but also of the time and the place we got them.

When I see them all hanging together they remind me of my family...

They come from all over the world

Each is so gloriously individual and different

When they get together special things happen.

Do you have any Holiday traditions? Would love to hear them. Hit me up in the comments below and let me know.

Best wishes

Jackie

A Simple Craft Idea for Kids: Make a Venetian Mask

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 06:17:00 +0000

Last week, I made these Venetian masks with a group of thirteen 3 year old kids! Yes, you read that right... 13 of them!!!!

Ok, I'll confess that I didn't do it alone (my son's two preschool teachers were there helping me work with the kids) and, yes, there were a few moments where I found myself saying things like...

"Sweetheart, don't put the stickers in your hair"

"Let's not throw the tissue paper on the floor"

.. and...

"Ok, who took the glue?"

BUT... on the whole this craft project was a big hit with my son and his school buddies!

It does require a little prep beforehand. You will have to handle the cutting and preparing of the basic outline of the mask, before you let your kids have at it, but after that they will be fully responsible for the decorating.

Ok, so here's what you will need to get started...

Materials:

1 large paper plate (if it's big enough you can make two masks out of it)
A pencil
Non-toxic glue (the liquid variety)
Tape
1 wooden stick
Scissors or a cutting knife
Materials to decorate (you can use whatever you like but I've listed suggestions below too)

Take your paper plate and cut it in half.

Take one half of the plate. Using your scissors, cut off the sharp outer pointed edges at the corners so that they are rounded off (for safety reasons).

Now draw a curved shape in the center, along the straight edge (for your child's nose to fit in the mask). I roughly worked out how large to make this "nose curve" by holding the plate up to my son's face and eyeballing it. Then I cut the shape out (away from him) and then tested it again to see if it fit. Be sure to round off any sharp edges around the nose area of the mask.

Next cut out two eye holes.

Again, I roughly eyeballed where these holes would go by getting my son to wear the mask.

Mark off where you want the holes and then (away from your child) carefully cut out two eye slots in the mask.

Tip: if you have a compass knife (see below) it would work great for this part, if not, no problem, scissors will do just fine.

Remember that the eye holes don't have to be circular. They can be oval, or zigzagged, or whatever shape you would like them to be. It's entirely up to you.

Finally, you need to take a wooden stick and some tape and attach the stick to the inside of the plate.

If your child is right handed, attach the stick to the right side of the mask. If they are left handed, attach it to the left.

That's it! Easy. You've finished your part... now it's up to the kids!

Your child can jazz it up any way they like. Pour a little glue on the outside of the mask and they can go to town on it.

In my son's class they used tissue paper squares, feathers (which looked amazing!), scraps of material, newspaper clippings and foam stickers. But you could also use....

Pom poms. Leaves. String. Glitter. Pipe-cleaners. Sequins. Small buttons. Googly eyes. Fabric flowers. Dried Flowers. Pretty much whatever you can think of that will stick down.

Why not try making some festive masks for the Holiday season?

If you do try this project out, then do please let me know. I'd get a kick out of hearing about how your kids customized their own masks.

I love to read your comments and hear what you think about the things posted here. It makes this crafty mumma's day! So please feel free to drop me a note or leave me a comment below.

Happy creative ventures

Jackie

My Submarine To The Future

What puts you in the festive Holiday mood?

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 07:37:00 +0000

A family sized tin of Quality Street chocolates. Julie Andrews yodeling on the TV in The Sound of Music. Lashings of heavy cream dolloped over steaming hot Christmas pudding, and soft, crumbly mince pies filled with pockets of plump, sweet fruits. These are the things of my Christmases of past. The triggers that spark childhood memories of growing up in England. They instantly put me in the holiday mood.

I also must add clementines to that list. My father has a penchant for clementines (or "satsumas" as he calls them). He would buy them by the truck load every Holiday season.

They would be swiftly devoured (and I do mean swiftly as there were 6 of us in my family!). My dad even used them as stocking fillers!

This year, far away from the winter beaten streets of London. Nestled in my Los Angeles home. I found myself wanting to continue this family tradition.

Off I toddled to the grocery store last week to buy my own immense box of tangerines. My citrus bounty was proudly displayed on our living room table for all to see. Waiting to be eaten....

Waiting...

Waiting...

Waiting...

In my house there are only three of us. My husband: who is not particularly fond of tangy fruit. My son: a three year old with limited tummy space. And me.

The rapidly browning little oranges were not going to make it.

200 degrees in the oven and 2 hours later.

Oven dried orange slices for Potpourri!

Add a few pine cones and some cinnamon sticks and now the house smells like Christmas!

What scents and memories make you think of Christmas?

Jackie
My Submarine To The Future

P.S. Just a quick tip.... if you try making these at home don't forget to either spray the baking sheet first, or put a layer of wax paper down to avoid the orange slices sticking.

Balancing Creativity and Motherhood

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 23:30:00 +0000

When I started My Submarine To The Future blog it was more of a creative diary for myself- a place to chronicle my endeavors as I worked towards the goal of trying to squeeze a little art and creativity into my already chock-a-block busy day.

In just a few short months though, that changed.

The biggest difference?... I was no longer flying solo! You guys now accompany me on all my arty adventures! Sometimes you even send me questions, like the following one….

“I love the projects you show on your blog. Being a not-so-creative Mom, I am impressed but have a few questions…”

The message came from Puneet Singh (a busy mother of two and a regular reader). I asked Puneet if she would mind me posting her questions (and my answers) about balancing art and motherhood on the blog and she was happy to oblige. Thanks Puneet!

Puneet: How do you work on these projects with your 3 year old, as the patience level and attention span at that age is limited?

Jackie: Sometimes the serene photos of my son sitting, focused and happily painting don’t always tell the whole story of how our art experiences go down (check out - When Good Craft Goes Bad!). Often making art with him can feel tantamount to teaching a wild cat how to draw! One minute he’s up on the table, the next he’s down on the floor. He’s knocking over water jars. Trying to mess around with things he shouldn't (sharp scissors!) and tying up furniture with string. Yes, it can be tricky, to say the least!

Despite this there are ways, I've found, to encourage a more enjoyable crafting experience. Here are 5 tips that can help….
1) Gauge the activity - if there is a particular project you want to do with your child then ask yourself what parts of it can he really handle? Is there painting he can do? Gluing? Collage? How can he assist? Is the project age appropriate? If not, manage the project so that he can help with the parts he is able to and you can assist with the rest.

2) Keep your expectations in check - Art and crafting should be fun! Be sure to remember it’s a “no pressure zone”. If the project is not turning into what it is “supposed to be” don’t worry about it. You may have intended to build a house with your child and then it ended up being a robot. Who cares! Your child got to create with you, had fun and learned he can make another cool thing out of a cardboard box.

3) Be selective about the timing of your creative moments - I’ve learned the hard way not to craft just before lunch, or nap time. Time flies when you’re creating and before you know it your child is wailing for food (or sleep) and you’re trying to clean up wandering paint splattered hands while also freaking out about getting the chicken nuggets in the oven.

4) Keep it informal - Have you ever noticed that when you start working on something independently, your child will immediately investigate? Try assembling a piece of furniture with a 3 year old around and you’ll see what I mean. They get right in there pulling out screws, trying to take the screwdriver from your hands. They want to do what you do! Apply this method to your art projects. Unannounced, take a sheet of paper out and some art materials. Set up a still life (just A Bowl Of Apples will do) and start sketching. Your child will be over there in a shot to check it out and, most likely, will want to join in too.

5) Go with the flow - sometimes when I’m crafting with my son we’ll take breaks. We both may stop and leave whatever we are making to do something else, only to return to it a little later. Or, he may just get up leaving me to continue working alone. I find when this happens (especially if it is a slightly longer project) he will often return when I’ve moved on to another stage of the project construction (e.g. he may be more interested in the painting part, rather than the building). I will try to finish it so that he can see the project through to the end. Sometimes that can happen in ten minutes, an hour, a day or even a week! It all depends on how busy I am. For me the most important thing is to have him experience the creative process.

Puneet: What about space? I have limited space. I can’t dedicate a room or even my dining table to a project because it is needed at the next mealtime. Yes, no backyard, no patio, no attic and no basement (just driving home my space point). How do you handle “work- in progress”? Where does it go?

Jackie: That's a tough one, but there are a couple of ways around it. Sounds simple but a plain old cardboard box can do the trick! When you’ve finished working on a project for the day (or even if it's still in progress but you're out of time) store everything in a box. When you come back to work on it, just pull the box out again. You will be able to pick up where you left off. For wet, glued, or painted work I recommend making full use of your walls. Set up a clothes line. You can use a length of string strung across one of your walls and clip clothes pins (pegs) on to it. Hang up any "in-progress" artwork to dry. It also makes for a great wall display for your kids finished pieces too.

Puneet: On a similar note, how does one, rather where does one store all the supplies?

Jackie: When you’ve got a small space organization is key. Collect various jam jars and other recycled containers to hold pens, crayons and collage materials. I keep a large tub for all our paint supplies and an old mug to hold brushes. Most of this stuff, I store up on a shelf together. Again, don't overlook your wall space.

The hardest things to store are the packaging materials for some of the projects I make (e.g. the recycled cardboard boxes). If they are large I flat pack them (sliding them behind a piece of furniture to store and use later). For the smaller boxes try to use them as and when they become available – often what I have on hand inspires the project I will do that day. I'm quite frugal (read: cheap. Ha!) when it comes to buying materials and like to try to use the things I have lying around.

Puneet: What if the project end product doesn’t turn out as nifty as expected? Are you troubled with toddler accusations –“this is not how a …. looks like”, or “ these puppet stings break every time I pull them” and so on.
Jackie: Kids are quite forgiving (thankfully!) but the few times I have been called out by my son, I turn it back on him. Ask your child “What do you think we can do, or use, to make it better?” Try to involve them in finding an inventive solution. That way it’s not about the level of skill or crafting ability of the adult, but the creative thought process of the child.

Puneet: Could you do more quickie projects for younger kids – easy to do, instant gratification? Like your cute spider web plate in the Oct. 2010 post?

Jackie: Inspired by your request I am currently working on some ideas now! In the meantime check out this previous post for Simple Games to keep the kids entertained.

Puneet: And the most important question of all – how do you carve out the time to do all this in a Mom’s chore heavy day?
Jackie: It’s really tough! I’d love to say it happens spontaneously but, honestly, I find the best way is to schedule it in. Almost like a class in your own home. I set aside an hour (*see note below) where I say "I'm just going to focus on creating something with my son". I try not to listen to the nagging voice in my head saying “the laundry needs doing” or “the dishes need washing” and I try to spend the time focusing on just being creative. If I don't make time for it, it just won't happen.

*Just to clarify, please note that although I set aside an hour for creative time, I don't expect my son to paint and draw for the full hour (he's a toddler of course, so 5 or 10 minute bursts are more the reality). An hour is just the time I allot for us in the day to set up, do creative activities, take breaks, start up again and then clean up.

Now, with regards to my own individual art projects and creative ventures (those done without my son) I find making time for those much harder. I'm currently trying to use this "scheduling" technique to give myself more opportunity to be creative. Sometimes, unfortunately, my inspiration doesn't always coincide with my self allocated time slot but I still try to push myself to do it because I'm not sure when my next chance will be. Since becoming a mother, my personal time has become so precious to me. When I do have a free afternoon all to myself I almost become incapacitated trying to think about what I should do with it!... Shopping? Gym? Meeting friends? Reading? Watch a movie? Writing? Sleeping!? Pedicure? Or draw and paint? Art often gets relegated to the bottom of the pile. I'm striving to change that. I guess, I'm a work in progress :)

Thank you again Puneet. Great questions!

I would love to hear how you moms (and dads) out there balance creativity and parenthood. Any hints, tips or suggestions that you can share on how you fit it in your busy lives? Please post your comments below and feel free to e-mail me directly if you have any questions. Always great to hear from you!

Happy ventures

Jackie

My Submarine To The Future

Make Your Own Festive Wall Mural

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 22:56:00 +0000

Halloween came and went in a flash and although the candy treats still linger, tempting me with their chocolaty goodness, the decorations came down faster than an elephant on a broomstick. Yes, in less than 24 hours we had boxed them up and packed them back in their home in the garage. You see, unlike Christmas decor, some Halloween decorations don't really have that hang around longevity - you can't really keep the "life-like-amputated-rubber-foot" out on the lawn without garnering odd looks from the neighbors. But before I say my final goodbye to these festive delights this year, I want to share a few snaps with you...

This year we turned the walls of our living room into a haunted Halloween backdrop by creating murals using black and orange paper. The paper was glued onto foam board and then cut into spooky designs. We adhered these to the wall with masking tape that could easily be taken down without damaging the paintwork.

We also papered a few cardboard boxes with the black paper and cut out some orange paper windows and doors (that we stuck on to the box) to create a haunted village. It was a big hit with the kids!

The backdrop really helped set the scene for our Halloween festivities and we plan to add to the landscape next year so that it builds and builds.

We are now considering making another mural too for the upcoming Holiday season - maybe a winter wonderland backdrop. I'll be sure to post the tutorial here if we do.

Happy Crafting!

Jackie

My Submarine To The Future

Halloween Craft: Cuddly Spiders made from Pom Poms

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 06:19:00 +0000

Help! We've been over-run by these furry eight-legged critters! They seem to favor the house plants but I've found them in the laundry basket, on my bed and even in the fridge! My son loves to hide them around the place to try to "make you jump", as he puts it, and sometimes it works!

Truth be told, I'm not a fan of spiders normally, but these ones make me just want to reach out and hug. Continuing on the theme of quick Halloween crafts they are easy to make, use few materials and are inexpensive. Here's the how to for...

HALLOWEEN POM POM SPIDERS

1 small cardboard box

A cutting compass (or something to cut a circle with)

Scissors

Yarn

4 Pipe Cleaners

Googly stick on eyes (with adhesive backs)

Ok, so first you need to create the spider's body. This is made from a pom pom. Here's how you make one...

Take the box and cut two circles (exactly the same size) out of the cardboard panels. I made mine 8cm in diameter, but the size is really up to you. The larger the diameter, the bigger the spider will be.

I used a cutting compass to cut them out but, if you don't have one, you could just cut a rough circle out with scissors. It does not have to be perfect.

Take your two circles and cut another circle inside of each one. I made this one have a diameter of 3 cm.

You should end up with two doughnut shaped pieces of cardboard (see pic on left).

Hold these two circles of cardboard back to back. Now you can begin with the yarn.

The idea is to wind the yarn around the cardboard circles until the whole thing is covered.

Hold one end of the yarn against the cardboard and then wind the other end through the middle of the circle, then out around the outside and back in through the middle.

Make sure you are pulling the yarn taunt so it lies tightly flat on the cardboard (without crushing it).

If your yarn runs out before you cover the whole circle, simply use another piece and continue to wrap it around. You don't have to worry about trying to tie it to the first piece of yarn. Just wrap it.

A little trick to make things easier is (when you start) to roll up a little ball of the yarn (small enough to fit through the center of the circle) and work with that instead of a long, long piece of yarn.

When you're finished it should look like this (below):

Take your scissor and snip a little hole into the edge of the circle, along the circumference.

Gently ease the scissors BETWEEN the two cardboard circles inside and continue to cut all the way along the circumference with the scissors, until you have opened up the circle. Be sure to hold the yarn while you cut to make sure it doesn't fall through the center of your circle.

Now take another single long length of the yarn (approx 15cm). Open the cardboard circles up slowly and tie this new piece of yarn around the bundle, in the middle of the two cardboard circles. Tie it up very tight and double knot it. This piece of yarn will hold everything together. Do not cut it as it will come in use later.

Ease the two cardboard circles off and you should be left with a pom pom! It may need a little rolling around in your hands to make it even, but hopefully it should end up looking like this (see below):

Set this aside for the moment because it's time to work on some crazy spider legs!

Grab your pipe cleaners (I chose these stripey ones to add a little fun to the design). Lay one pipe cleaner down horizontally. Then put the other three pipe cleaners across it vertically, positioning them in the middle. Fold the horizontal pipe cleaner over so that it crosses the vertical ones wrapping and holding them in place. Now fold over each of the other pipe cleaners so that they wrap in the middle too. You should be left with something like this (below):

Bend the pipe cleaners so that you make knee joints for the spiders legs and ankle joints for his feet.

Turn this leg base upside down and tie your pom pom (with the loose long yarn that is still attached to your pom pom) onto the spider legs. Wrap the long length of yarn around the middle of the leg base and tie it off underneath.

Turn it the right way up, add some googly eyes and hey presto!... a cuddly creepy crawly!

You can either cut the long length of yarn so that the spider is free-standing, or wrap it over the top of spider's head and knot it again tightly around the center, leaving the yarn hanging from his head. This way he can be hung up from his web.

Just a couple of safety tips...

Due to the number of small parts (googly eyes, bits of yarn and spiky pipe cleaner legs) I would not recommend this project for very young children who could potentially put these items in their mouths. Also, the wire ends of the pipe cleaner can be pretty sharp, so be sure to either turn those under or, if you have them, add beads to the end of the feet. Remember play safe, and keep it fun.

I plan to try to make a few more of these cute buggies before Halloween is up. I want to try some different colors and also maybe figure out some other creepy crawly shapes. I think three small pom poms held together with some more pipe cleaner legs could make a cool centipede.

If you try this one out yourself please let me know. Would love to see what you come up with.

More Halloween craft coming soon.

Jackie

My Submarine To The Future

Quick Halloween Crafts

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 05:04:00 +0000

So much for me getting the jump on Halloween! It's only a couple of weekends away now and I'm only just getting my spooky craft on. This is what happens when life decides to intervene on one's best made plans.

The good news is that the time crunch has inspired me to simplify. For the past week I've been keeping my eyes open for "easy" craft projects that can be done fast, with minimum materials. In my next few posts I will be sharing them with you. So let's get this ghost ride on the road with this first spooktacular idea (ok, I promise, I'll stop with the ghost gags now)...

Spider Web Plate

I stumbled upon this craft project when the family and I hit up the Kidspace Childrens Museum's 16th Annual Pumpkin Festival, in Pasadena, California, last weekend. I've got to say, their pumpkin festival is one of the best, especially for young kids.

Aside from all the games, ghost-themed bouncy houses, rides and (of course!) pumpkins on offer, they also had a variety of free crafts available too! My son was totally hooked by this very simple "build your own spider web" project that they were doing. Here's what you'll need....

A paper plate (black or orange)

A piece of string

A toy spider.

Scissors

(Yep, that's all!)

Take your paper plate and cut several slits (with the scissors) about an inch into the edge of the plate, all the way around (see below)

Now take your string and add one very determined child

Encourage your child to weave the string between the slots, across the paper plate. Once your child is happy that they have finished constructing their web then just add the creepy spider!

This craft idea would be great to do at a Halloween party with small kids. Or, if you construct the web yourself, it could even be a cute, inexpensive, decoration to add to the Halloween decor.

If you're intrigued by the Kidspace Pumpkin Festival and are sad you missed it, you could try out their Halloween event on the 31st October.

Halloween at Kidspace will be open from 10am to 4pm on the 31st. Check out the link for more details. I haven't been to the event myself but would love to know what it's like.

More creepy crawlies coming your way soon!

Jackie

My Submarine To The Future

My Very Social Submarine To The Future

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 15:05:00 +0000

You may have noticed a couple of new additions to the tab bar at the top of the My Submarine To The Future blog....

Oh yes! I'm pleased to announce that My Submarine To The Future has (finally) become part of the social network!!!

My Submarine To The Future now has it's own Facebook Page and Twitter account (called "FutureSub") so please do check those out if you're partial to a bit of tweeting, or Facebooking (note to self: better start learning the techno jargon the kids are using these days).

Both Twitter and Facebook will update you on what is posted here, on My Sub blog, but ALSO you'll find other tips, info and updates on projects and articles I think are interesting that won't find here.

Check them out and see what you think.

Jackie
My Submarine To The Future

Make A Homemade Book Of Your Kid's Artwork

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 17:20:00 +0000

In my last post I wrote about 7 Things To Do With Your Kids Artwork. One of those ideas was to create a homemade book. Here's the how-to....

You'll need:

2 pieces of stiff cardboard
2 large sheets of paper

Ribbon or String (4 pieces each approx. 23 inches long)

Something to cut with (Scissors/Paper Cutter/Cutting knife)

Hole punch (or something to pierce holes)

Paint (or other materials to decorate)

Masking tape

Pencil

Glue

First thing we'll work on is the cover of the book. Take your two pieces of cardboard (I used the lid off a large, sturdy cardboard box) and cut them so that they are the same size. These will be the front and back covers of your book. Be sure that the cardboard you use is large enough to hold your child's artwork that will be going inside of it. Set these aside.

Now, we're going to get to work decorating! Take two large pieces of paper and gussy them up any way you want. These will be used to cover the back and front sides of the cardboard covers.

We used red and yellow paint for ours, but you can use whatever colors or materials you like (e.g. markers, stickers, pencils, crayons etc.)

Check out this hand print design we opted for. I figured when we look back on the book in many years we'll have those tiny outlines of our son's hands to remind us of how small he was when he made the artwork in the book. Also it's a great way to get him involved in the creation of the art book.

I wanted something a little different for the inside of the book cover so for the second sheet of paper I used a roller with red and yellow paint and painted straight (ish!) lines to decorate it (see below).

Once the paint had dried, I cut each of these large sheets of decorated paper so that I had 2 pieces of each design that were the same size as my cardboard covers (e.g. 2 sheets of the hand print design and 2 sheets of the roller paint design). I used a paper cutter but you could use scissors, or a cutting knife with a metal ruler. Do this one away from the kiddiwinks for safety.

Take one sheet of each of your decorated papers and use the glue to paste them to the front and back of each one of the cardboard panels.

Each of your cardboard panels should look like this once finished (below).... both covered front and back with each design of paper.

After the glue dries take the masking tape (or any other tape you have that works with your design) and wrap it around all the sides of each page, reinforcing the edges of the book cover.

...and that's it for decorating the cover pages!

Now we can get to work on making this look more like a book. We need to bind it. Measure out and mark 4 holes with your pencil, evenly spaced, along one side of one of the cover pages. These hole marks should be about one inch in from the edge. These will be the holes where you will bind your book with your string/ribbon. Using a pair of scissors, or a hole punch, pierce 4 small holes through the marks you made.

Now, take the second cover page and put it underneath the first cover page (that has the holes) - LINE THEM UP EXACTLY. Put the pencil through each of the holes in the first page and make 4 marks on the cover page underneath it. Take off the top cover page and punch holes through the marks on the bottom cover page.

Now you need to make holes in your child's artwork too, so that you can bind it. Take your child's artwork and position it between the cover pages. Line it up with the binding edge (i.e. the edge with holes in it).

Mark each piece of artwork with punch holes the same way you did the cover sheet (i.e. use your pencil through the holes in the cover sheet to mark out where the holes in the artwork should go ). Punch them through.

Eventually you should have several pieces of your child's work with holes alongside one edge that line up with the holes in the cover sheets. Now you're ready for binding!

Take your ribbon (or string) and cut 4 pieces, roughly 23 inches in length. I keep the ribbon pretty long so that I can add more artwork to the book, as and when it arrives.

Thread each length of ribbon through the first cover page, then through all the artwork enclosed and finally out through the last cover page. Tie it into a bow on the spine of the book.

Be sure not to tie the book too tight - you want to be able to open the book and turn the pages fully without it constricting, or damaging, the artwork enclosed.

The book and pages should be able to lie flat when open.

And there we have it!

Your fully bound Homemade Book Of Your Kid's Artwork!

As a finishing touch I added a small picture of a single hand print on the front of our book, with a sticker of the number 3 (my son's age when he made the artwork enclosed). You can personalize your book with your child's name, or give the book a title, or theme. The options are limitless!

Let me know if you try this one out. Would love to see your homemade art books!

Happy Ventures!

Jackie

7 Things To Do With Kid's Artwork

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 06:32:00 +0000

By the end of most weeks I usually find myself buried in a pile of kid's artwork which can end up getting crumpled, torn and kicked about if I don't find a home for it pretty swiftly. Since my son started school there is even more artwork to worry about, as a steady stream of painted paper now flows into our house on a regular basis.

I realized that I wasn't the only momma managing this mountain of montage after reading a recent posting on a discussion board that I follow. Oh, but what to do with it all?

Check out this list of 7 Things To Do With Kid's Artwork for ideas....

1. Create an Art Wall
Give your child their very own wall in your house and hang up their/your favorite pieces of artwork. Your child will feel proud that their efforts are prominently displayed and you'll get an interesting feature for your wall!

There are, of course, different ways of doing this. I simply mount the artwork on inexpensive construction paper, using double-sided sticky tape, then I can switch out the pictures from time to time for variety. You can get very creative though, with a little imagination. Check out this Curtain Rod idea or this Rotating Art Display both seen on Ohdeedoh.

2. The Fridge Door
A classic. Can't go wrong with this one. Couple of magnets and you've got yourself an easy way to brighten up the kitchen.

3. Photo Books

With so much technology at our fingertips these days, it's easy to create a fancy customized photo book of your child's artwork all online. Simply photograph the artwork, download it on to one of the many sites offering "create your own photo book"options (e.g. Kodakgallery, Shutterfly, Snapfish) Then get busy making your own album of your child's artwork. These photo books can be a little pricey for printing and shipping but the results can be well worth the expense. Consider making a book yearly.

4. Art Cards

Use your child's artwork to make cards for birthdays, get well cards, postcards, holiday cards, gift tags and wrapping paper, etc. The recipient gets a one-of-a-kind, handmade keepsake. Your child experiences sharing their work and also gets a kick out of mailing it too!

5. Go Online

I'm back with that newfangled technology again! How about creating a private blog for your child's artwork? Photograph your child's artwork and then post it up on to one of the many blog sites available. This way you can store everything online. If privacy is a concern be sure to set the settings of your blog account so that only you and your family members can view it. The nice thing about this way of storage is that the capacity is limitless and, as long as you are willing to keep downloading photos onto your site, you can just keep adding to it.

6. Divide and Share

This is an idea I have written about before...a shared gift of artwork. Divide one of your child's paintings into pieces (ideally 4) and frame each piece. Send a letter along with each framed picture to four of your closest family members explaining that the painting enclosed is part of a set, only given to a chosen few, and that together they make up one larger entity Each piece is unique in it's own way but belongs to a greater whole (like your family and it's members). This idea becomes very special if the painting you use is unique in some way too... like your child's first painting for example.

7. Homemade Art book

Compile all of your child's original artwork pieces and then bind them together to make a Homemade Art Book. Decorate it yourself and add details to remind you of how old your child was when they made the images enclosed. As your child creates more work you can open the binding and add new work to the book.

My son did a hand print design on his book so that, when we look back on it in a few years, we will be able to see how small his hands were when he painted the pictures. We also added his age to the book and if you have more than one child you will want to include their name too.

Watch out for my next post which will be a how-to-tutorial showing you exactly how you can make your very own Homemade Art Book.

Happy Ventures

Jackie

My Submarine To The Future

A Million Little Pictures Project

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 19:49:00 +0000

Not so long ago I wrote about participating in The Sketchbook Project - a cool idea where people all over the world can sign up to receive a small moleskin sketchbook which they fill up, and then submit to go on tour in the United States. After the tour, the sketchbooks all find a home in the Brooklyn Art museum's permanent collection. Well, the same organizers of that project have come up with another gem of an idea.

For all you photographers out there, Art House Co-op's A Million Little Pictures project could be "right up your alley" as my old English dad would say.

The idea is that you sign up to receive a disposable camera. You select a theme that inspires you and capture 27 frames, of your choosing, which you then send back to them. They will organize all the submitted contributions into a traveling exhibition which will tour the USA from coast to coast. You will be able to track the "Photomobile" (the vehicle carrying the exhibition) as it makes it's way across country visiting various museums and art galleries.

Anyone - from anywhere in the world - can participate in the project!

To enter sign up by March 31st, 2011. Send in your pictures before June 15th, and watch for the tour to start in September, 2011.

If this project is anything like the Sketchbook one then I can tell you, from experience, that there is an amazing sense of community involved. I've met some very interesting people who have also taken up the challenge.

Let me know if you decide to participate.

Jackie

My Submarine To The Future

12 Books That Inspire Creativity in Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 07:23:00 +0000

As I'm sure you've gathered by now, anything art, craft or design related usually gets my engine revving. Oh yes! I have a long list of creative blogs that I follow, design magazines that I thumb through and art books that I leave dog-eared and piled up by my bedside table (I'm one exciting girl, eh!). But it doesn't stop there... nooooo.... I also like to read books that have creative themes to my son too.

I'm a sucker for story books with interesting illustrations and for tales which have an element of imagination.

Illustration by Nik Afia and Jackie Doody

I gravitate towards fables with a particular kind of message too - the kind where one person can make a big difference to their environment (i.e. with a little bit of effort on the part of the central character, a whole lot of wonderful can happen).

So, without further ado, here's my list of 12 Books That Inspire Creativity In Kids...

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback

In this Yiddish folk tale, Joseph wears an old overcoat which has seen better days. He decides to cut down the tired, patched up, old coat and make it into a jacket. Soon his jacket starts to thin at the sleeves, so he chops it into a waistcoat. When his waistcoat is worn, he turns it into a tie , and so it goes on and on until he has nothing left.... except for his story about his overcoat ,which he then turns into a book! This Caldecott Medal winning book about a thrifty man, recycling materials teaches a valuable lesson about how things can be reused again and again. The pages of the book also have clever die-cut holes which reveal the new item of clothing being made out of the old fabric print from the previous page.

The Curious Garden by Peter Brown

Liam lives in a city that is a grey, dreary, industrial wasteland. Not a tree, a plant or a shrub graces the landscape. One day on a walk he accidentally stumbles upon a small patch of wildflowers growing up through an abandoned railway track. He decides to tend to the wildflower scrub and finds himself cultivating a garden. Over time this garden grows and spreads across the whole city. It becomes a lush landscape that now everyone in the city can enjoy. This beautifully illustrated storybook shows how one boy's creative hard work can enhance his environment and make a difference for everybody.

It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles G. Shaw
White shapes are contrasted against a plain blue background bringing to mind the game where clouds in the sky are imagined to be silhouettes of animals, objects or people. This simple but clever book encourages the imagination.

The Paper Crane by Molly Bang

A young boy and his father own a restaurant that is situated on a busy road. Business is good until a highway is built nearby, diverting all the traffic (and their customers) elsewhere. One day a stranger stops by the restaurant. He has no money to pay for food, but the father chooses to serve and feed the poor man anyway. As way of thanks the stranger crafts a crane from a paper napkin. It has magical qualities and so the father and son find their luck begins to change. The author uses collage and origami to illustrate an enchanting tale of kindness and generosity. The book's pages are flat, but the scenes appear to have a three dimensional quality to them because of the technique employed in the design.

It's not a box by Antoinette Portis

A rabbit is pictured sitting, standing and leaning on a cardboard box. When his actions are questioned ("why are you sitting in that box?"), he replies "it's not a box". On the opposite page the illustration shows us what the rabbit is imagining the box to be (e.g. a race car, a burning building, a robot). It's a gem of a book, illustrated with elegantly simple line drawings that capture what it's like to be inside a child's imaginative mind. The author's sequel to this book, "It's Not a Stick", follows the same concept except that it is a pig at the center of the action.

Rattletrap Car by Phyllis Root and Jill Barton

It's a hot day on the farm and Junie, Jakie and the baby want to cool off by taking a dip. Their Poppa, however, is not so sure that their old "rattletrap car" will make it all the way to the lake. They head out anyway, making many stops along the way as their car keeps breaking down. Fortunately, this resourceful family are able to use the items that they packed for their trip, in rather unusual ways, to fix their car. The moral of this story... think creatively about how you can use what you already have. Try fixing something old before you throw it away and buy something new.

Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson

Harold is a small boy with a purple crayon. But this is no ordinary crayon. When Harold sketches, his drawings become the backdrop to his adventures. If he draws a picture of the ocean he'll fall into it, so he has to think fast and draw a boat to save himself. Harold's imagination takes him far and wide but ultimately brings him back to the safety of his own home and bed. The author sends Harold on many other trips of the imagination in his series of "Harold" books, so be sure to check those out too, if you like this one.

Art and Max by David Wiesner

Art and Max are two lizards who have set up easels, ready to paint, in the desert. Max is impressed by a portrait that Art (short for Arthur) has painted, so he decides to create a portrait himself. He chooses Art as his subject and from that moment on things start to get crazy. He says he's going to paint Art and he does... literally! He takes Art apart with his brushstrokes and then has the challenging task of having to try to redesign him again. By doodling, painting, using water and color, Max shows how to form figures, mix color and finally produce a finished product... his friend Art! The book demonstrates a fun, carefree way to approach art.

The Tin Forest by Helen Ward and Wayne Anderson

An old man finds himself living in a dump ground. Despite his best efforts to clean up the piles of trash, he just can't rid himself of the mess. At night he dreams about beautiful lush forest, only to awake to the visual eyesore of another day of junk and clutter surrounding him. By thinking creatively he overcomes his situation, creating his own forest of his dreams out of the junk he has on hand. He painstakingly crafts tin flowers, trees and animals, until a funny thing happens... his fake tin forest, is overtaken by a real living forest. By creatively visualizing his problem in a different way, the old man finds a solution.

The next three books were recommended to me by my friend Gina (The Twin Coach) and I couldn't agree more with these suggestions...

Ish by Peter H. Reynolds

A boy loves to draw, until his pictures are mocked for not looking realistic enough Eventually he realizes that drawing something that looks "tree-ish" or "vase-ish" is wonderful in it's own way. It opens a whole new world for him. The message... art doesn't have to be precise to be appreciated.

The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds

A girl thinks she can't draw until she is encouraged by a teacher to see her simple dot on a page as something worth being proud of. She becomes a great artist and encourages others in the same way her teacher did. Paying it back. The book promotes the importance of having confidence in ones own efforts.

When Pigasso Met Mootisse by Nina Laden

Pigasso (a pig) and Mootisse (a bull) are two artists with two different styles of painting. They are friends until their differences drive them apart. Then they realize they miss each other and that both ways of creating are equally as wonderful. This book invites discussion about the various styles of art and shows it's ok that my neighbors painting is not the same as my own.

Ok, so that's it. Is there a creative story book for children that you love, that you think should be included here? Drop me a note and let me know. I'd love to have more to add to my son's reading list.

Happy Ventures

Jackie

My Submarine To The Future

New Sub

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 07:12:00 +0000

Surprise!!!!!!

As you can see I've made a few changes to My Submarine To The Future and I'm very excited to share my new look with you.

In an effort to make the style of my blog more in line with my interests, and in trying to achieve a more polished look, I've been fiddling about again. I hope you like the results. Yes, it's a brand new look but with your same old, trusty captain.

Let's continue this ride!

Jackie

My Submarine To The Future

P.S. Many thanks to my darling husband who helped me with the new transformation xx

London Calling

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 05:01:00 +0000

The baby boy and I both came down with colds. Needless to say that little else, other than coughing, spluttering and sniffing, has been going on in our house this week. Fortunately, my super hubby came to the rescue with plenty of hot English tea, a pack of McVities chocolate Digestives (yum!) and this boxed puzzle of Tower Bridge, that he'd stashed away for just an occasion such as this.

He picked it up during our most recent trip to Chinatown from a small store very close to Hop Louie restaurant. We eagerly opened the box and busted out the pieces to see what we were working with.

The puzzle came flat packed. Inside was a small square of sandpaper, an instruction page and two sheets of lightweight wood (the puzzle pieces were etched in the wood ready to be popped out and assembled),

Seemed pretty straight forward.

Now, I've put together the odd Ikea cabinet before, so I'm no stranger to an instruction sheet. I figured if we just simply follow the instructions and deal with one part at a time we should have this tower up in a flash...

..and that very well may have been true, except that our son had already started to do this....

...making things a little more complicated.

But using the picture on the box as a guide, and following some of the instructions, we finally managed to start getting it together.

At this point I was starting to get nostalgic for me old home London town.

A few more pieces and an hour later, we finally had something to look at.

The real Tower Bridge is spectacular but to our little boy this toy one was really quite the marvel.

We also had another puzzle, bought from the same place, that my husband put together himself...

It's a forklift made from cardboard with workable parts!!! That front fork really does goes up and down. Neat, eh?

I like the way that the pieces in both of these puzzles fit together (no glue or tape required). It gives me lots of ideas for constructing homemade projects with pieces that slot together. Something to think about while I get over the sniffles.

Achooo....

Happy Ventures

Jackie

My Submarine To The Future

What do your shoes say about you?

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 06:37:00 +0000

I sometimes like to take a little amble through the blogosphere by pressing the "next blog" button at the top of my blog page. It randomly selects different sites that I may never have found otherwise. Steph's Picture Blog was one of those sites for me.

Steph is a runner and he writes about the hikes he goes out on. He often includes photographs of landscapes and things he sees along his race route, but it was his post Shoefest that really caught my attention. It is simply a photograph of all his running shoes gathered together in a group. That's it. No words. No story. No details. Just a pile of weathered trainers (or 'sneakers" as they say in the US). The shoes are battered and worn and they tell the story of every step he has taken. Every mile he has run. Every path he has raced. His shoes tell the tale of his interests and his life. This picture speaks to me.

I began to think about my own shoes. What do MY shoes say about me? I dug them out of my closet to have a look.

The first thing I noticed was that, despite having recently donated a lot of shoes to Goodwill, I still manage to own footwear that has been around long enough to see Tony Blair move in (and out of) 10 Downing Street!

Here's my London boot collection. I call them "London" boots because (although they were not all purchased in the UK) they are from a time when I lived and worked in London over ten years ago. I loved these boots and often paired them with warm tights and mini skirts. I still try to wear them occasionally now (but, being 36 and not 26 anymore, I now pair them with a longer skirt). Alas, California is a very warm and sunny place making a boot outing a rarity.

No, these boots seem to belong to a different place now. A different life. A time filled with noise and action. The bustle of the underground (subway). The cold bite of winter mornings as I walked to Queens Park Station to catch the train to work in Notting Hill Gate, and the late Friday evenings spent enjoying an after work hours pint at the local pub (the name of which escapes me now).

How about these beauties?!!

My "dolly bird" shoes. Can you believe I used to wear some of these to work?! Seriously! I can barely wear a pair of heels for a couple of hours on a night out now, let alone 10 hours during a busy work day. Just thinking about chasing a toddler in these makes me laugh out loud. If these shoes could talk they would tell stories of evening soirees, late night dancing, office parties and deals made over clinking glasses. Their appearance these days is seldom, and fleeting at best.

Left. Right. Left. Right. Attention! Make way for my regiment of sneakers. My trusty stalwarts. These days you're most likely to catch me roaming around in a pair of these. They are in some ways how I see myself right at this moment. Functional. Comfortable. On the go. Prepared for anything and able to outrun a three year old making a bolt for the park gates. I appreciate my many days of wearing them (I haven't always felt that way) and they remind me of the importance of the things I do every day... the loving, the caring, the nurturing and the entertaining of my dear baby boy.

Yes, my shoes and I have been through a lot together.

We've traveled across countries. We've attended award ceremonies, graduations, weddings, and christenings. We've visited hospitals and, sadly, trodden the freshly turned earth of cemeteries. We've wandered country lanes, navigated foreign cities, trekked jungles and strolled sun-kissed beaches.

We've run races, achieved goals, nursed wounds and commiserated failures.

There is a quote I like which says...

Between saying and doing, many a pair of shoes is worn out

There is also an old Chinese proverb which reads...

Reshape one’s foot to try to fit into a new shoe

I ask myself, where will my feet and aspirations lead me next?

Only the future can tell.

Jackie

My Submarine To The Future

How Do You Kick Start Your Creativity?

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 20:56:00 +0000

The Happiness Project is a website (book and blog) about one woman's pursuit of happiness. Gretchen Rubin discusses the methods she practices, and the steps she takes, in the effort towards making happiness an integral part of her life.

A friend recently brought my attention to Gretchen's site when she sent me an interesting post from The Happiness Project blog called Eight Tips For Sparking Your Creativity.

It particularly struck a chord with me because it reinforces a belief I've long held - that creativity is 10% spontaneity and 90% hard work.

I'll confess that my "light bulb moments" are indeed far and few between these days (hey, it can be hard to think creatively when you're washing out a potty, or doing the laundry!) and I have come to realize that most of my ideas and imaginative moments occur when I am actively working towards the goal of TRYING to be creative. The bottom line is… if I don’t schedule in the opportunity and work at it, it ain't going to happen!

I'm always open to new suggestions where creative matters are concerned and I'm excited to try out some of Gretchen's methods. She also got me thinking about the list of ways I encourage my own creative thought process and so I figured I would share them with you. Here's how I kick start my imagination...

1. Get Out And Go Places

Take a spontaneous walk around the neighborhood. It can be very fruitful. I try to stop at a place I haven't visited before, or take a route I've not tried. I take in the colors, smell the roses, listen to the sounds of the city and admire the architecture. It's amazing what you see when you're really looking.

As well as spur of the moment trips, I also extend the practice of "going out" by making plans. I attend events, stop in at art galleries, visit craft fairs and go to exhibitions. If there are no events happening, I would perhaps consider planning one myself. That's a sure fire way to ensure plenty of opportunities for creativity - especially if the event has a fixed budget. Check out the calendar and use the upcoming dates as motivation. (e.g. Fall, Winter. Halloween. Thanksgiving. Christmas and other seasonal holidays).

2. Set A Challenge And Tell Somebody

If I say I’m going to do something, I hate not to follow through. More often than not, I end up persevering to complete whatever challenge it is that I set, just because I announced it. I like to think that by telling myself, the universe and whoever else is listening, I have witnesses to the promise I made and therefore I must fulfill it. If the challenge has a deadline, even better. Nothing like a bit of pressure to get really moving! Case in point... The Sketchbook Project.

3. Change it up

My husband is a writer and when he gets stuck for ideas he will stop and listen to music. Sometimes he’ll play, or even compose music. Suddenly he’ll be inspired to go back with a new take on the project he was doing. By going off on a creative tangent sometimes you can find new inspiration.

When I feel stuck I explore these other creative avenues… photography, writing, poetry, doodling, painting, collage, sewing, cooking, baking or even just thinking up a story – I often do this last one with my son. I ask him what he wants to hear a story about then I just start making it up. It’s usually very odd and he laughs but he doesn’t care that it doesn't make sense. It doesn't matter whether you are good, or not, at any of the other creative skills either, in the end it all goes towards your creative growth.

4. Draw like a kid

Often I can get so caught up in the idea of producing a finished product that it almost incapacitates me. I can't think of what to create because I'm obsessing about whether the end result will be any good.
This is a long time affliction of mine going way back to art school and it's there where I found a way to tackle it. They called it "timed free sketching". I like to call it "draw like a kid".

If you’ve ever seen a kid do art it goes something like this: they start a picture, work on it for an incredibly short amount of time. Stop. Then quickly move on to another picture (or something else entirely!)

This exercise is similar.... gather five objects from around the house. Arrange them on the table and draw what you see in front of you for exactly 5 minutes. When the time is up (no matter where the picture is at) stop drawing. Now start a new picture, of the same set up. You have to work fast if you want to have something on the page within the 5 minute allotted time period. I do this exercise for about 25 minutes, and sometimes I also change the medium I use between each picture (e.g. if I used pencils for my first drawing, I switch to crayons for my second, then charcoal, pastels or paint). I work quickly and freely. It’s very liberating and it usually provides some interesting results. When I finally sit down to draw for a longer period of time all the anxiety about creating something "good" is gone.

5. Seek mentors and the company of inspiring people

I enjoy connecting with people who I find inspiring, who I admire and who I can learn from. If I find a blog I like, or a community of people with similar interests, I try to connect with them. If they are an expert, or they just give great advice, I ask them questions. If they are creatively inclined I ask them about their inspiration and influences. I can be painfully shy, so this can be a challenge for me, but I've found that most people are happy to talk about their work and that the more I do it, the easier it gets. Surround yourself with people who encourage and inspire you. It can be very uplifting.

6. Start something. Start anything!

Simple as that. If there is something you've been meaning to do but you keep worrying about all the details... just start it. Every step forward is a step that will take you closer to completing your goal. I often get overwhelmed by the details of a project instead of just getting on with the task at hand. I get caught up sweating about things like "what do I want my company image to be" or "how should my business cards look" when in fact I should be just focusing on producing the actual product.

7. Keep a list

I have a list of all the different things that pop in my mind that I don't have time to fully work out. I also have long lists of craft ideas that I would like to make, when I get time. If I ever feel like my imagination has dried up and the creative tank is running on empty, I pull out the list and take a glug from the ideas reserve tank.

8. Recycle, Reuse and Fix

I try to look at trash in different ways. I think about all the different things I can do with one item of rubbish (e.g. a cardboard box can make a great toy oven, or a toy train). I collect things I can reuse (like jam jars to hold art supplies, or old newspapers for a collage) and I try to give things a second life.

In a similar vein, if something needs fixing, or has worn out, I try to think of a way to solve that particular problem myself. I confess that it takes every ounce of my being to resist the urge to run out and buy new stuff some days, but the thought of spending extra cash on non-essential items can be a good deterrent. I set myself a budget (less than the cost of the item if I were to purchase it new). Then I get busy. I do some research, or sometimes I wing it and work it out as I go. If the end result is a success then great, if not, then it doesn't matter, as the knowledge, insight and experience I gained from just trying are invaluable. Practice will make perfect and I will (hopefully!) learn from the mistakes.

So, that's how I do it. How about you?

What do you do to get your creative gears grinding?

Jackie

My Submarine To The Future

Adventures in Scrapbooking

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 08:36:00 +0000

Not so long ago I took a little venture into the world of scrapbooking.

My interest came about partly because I was curious to see if I could do it, and partly to see if I might be interested in turning it into some sort of a business.

Before launching myself into the arena though, I figured it might be wise to try to whip up a couple of scrapbooks to see whether... a) I liked making scrapbooks and b) I could actually physically create one that someone may want to buy!

I don't know about you but I tend to be more critical of my final product when I'm crafting for someone else. So I really wanted a "client", rather than just to make a book for myself.

But who would be willing to test out a rookie with their precious photos and mementos?

Enter, my friend Gina, who bravely stepped up to be test case number one!

You may know Gina as The Twin Coach. If not, please allow me to introduce you. She writes a fantastic blog for mothers of multiples but (as mother to a singleton) I've often found her advice to be invaluable too. She is also the person who encouraged me to start this blog (my creative outlet), for which I am very thankful.

Gina had boxes full of photographs of her family and her beautiful children but, as a mother of twins, she found herself with no time to pull something special together for them. Something that she could pass on through generations.

A book that not only holds photographs but also trinkets, personal messages and the precious treasures of childhood.

We discussed details, made a deal, and I got to work!

I really enjoyed creating these books for her and she was so supportive throughout the whole experience. I confess that, initially, I had fears about showing her the results just because of rookie nerves, but she encouraged me all the way and ended up really loving the finished scrapbooks.

Gina has very kindly allowed me to share her albums with you.

I've selected a few pages, and snapshots of design details, from both her daughter's and her son's books.

It was fun using collage to illustrate their family adventures...

...and trying to capture her children's different personalities in the page layouts was a trip!

Although I, currently, have no plans to make scrapbooking a full time business, who knows what the future may hold?

I just was happy to be able to do this for my wonderful friend, who continuously inspires me.

Jackie

My Submarine To The Future

Rocking the Podge!

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 20:34:00 +0000

Today I have a little skip and a hop in my step and it's entirely down to the fact that our little Trashman Marionette has been featured on one of my favorite blogs!

Oh yes indeed, it truly does rock and so does Amy who writes the Mod Podge Rocks blog. If you've never visited, then please check it out. I am inspired daily by the ideas I read about there, the amazing things that Amy and her readers create and also by Amy's craft adventures. Plus she has a very entertaining writing style to boot.

We (Mr Man, my son and I) are honored to be featured, and we wear our Mod Podge button with pride :) Thanks Amy!

Jackie

My Submarine To The Future

More LACE

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 15:40:00 +0000

In my last post I talked about the adventure we had traveling out to Chinatown for LACE (Los Angeles Craft Experience). The experience was so action packed just describing the environment left little room for any talk about the actual craft fair!

I want to make up for that now by focusing entirely on some of the wonderful wares we saw on offer there and tell you about the designers we met. We wandered by many different interesting stalls but these were a few of my favorites...

Avonlea Luxury Hair Accessories

Their delicate fabric flower hair accessories were gorgeous! I have been coveting that large white lily clip (in the photo below) since I laid eyes on it.

A designer called Yvonne (no company name or contact unfortunately) made these lovely handmade toys (below). I love that they were so unusual looking. Everything from their designs, to the fabric used in their construction, gave them so much personality.

Another stall with handmade toys called Carrot Fever also caught my eye. These soft brightly colored dinosaurs (in the photo below) made both my son and I so happy we just giggled out loud when we saw them!

Gina Barnes (the designer at Carrot Fever) also makes magnets, brooches and lots of other neat things too. Check out these awesome owls (below)...

...and these monsters too!

I predict that a bout of Carrot Fever may be striking us sometime around the Christmas holidays :)

Finally, I met a lovely woman called Gail Hermano who is the designer and creator of the beautiful, unique, line at Maganda Jewelry.

Maganda, which actually means "beautiful" in Tagalog (the national language of the Philippines) has a current collection that... "fuses pieces from different time periods and trends to create one-of-a-kind, timeless collages of salvaged treasures".

My photographs from the fair do it absolutely no justice (at this point we were rushing to leave after we had exhausted all the minutes on our parking meter) so I've posted some photos here of other pieces from her collection (below) so that you can see how truly magnificent these intricately crafted pieces are...

I walked away from her stall grinning from ear to ear after snapping up this piece (below) made from vintage earrings, that she redesigned and adapted to create this gorgeously ornate necklace.

We left LACE, clutching our wares, feeling inspired, enlightened and happy to close the evening after all our explorations. I hope you enjoyed reading about our creative adventure.

Thank you and goodbye Chinatown.

My Submarine To The Future

Outdoor Venture: LACE

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 18:38:00 +0000

There's nothing like a blast of culture, art and craft to kick off the weekend, so we headed off to Los Angeles downtown region for the Los Angeles Craft Experience (LACE).

The event was held in Chinatown - a vibrant, bustling place that (even without the welcome distraction of LACE) had plenty of its own treasures to marvel over.

Our senses were bombarded with the ornate and brightly colored architecture, the tantalizing waft of tasty morsels sold by food vendors and the mellow bop of music played by the DJ's at the event.

Some people bustled, others meandered, soaking in the atmosphere. We definitely fell into the latter category. Things were bought, things were sold, and I thought... how fantastic it would be to have the time to just sit and sketch these happenings. Maybe there would be just too much to taken in. Focusing on just one thing was proving difficult, even just taking photographs! So many eye-catching distractions...

The corridors of radiant red lanterns.

The rows of delicate paper parasols propped up against a shop wall.

...and also the activities on offer at the event..

The Pacific Asia Museum (based in Pasadena) had an activity table for families where we could create Chinese inspired crafts. They had two projects that we could make. The first was to construct a trinket box from ornately decorated paper. The museum was promoting their exhibition currently on show (from August 5 to Feb 6 2011) called "China Modern: Designing Popular Culture 1910-1970" and so the artwork was reflective of that.

The second project was a neat idea... a pop up Buddha card!

Such a cool way to open up a conversation about religion and culture with kids.

My son is too young to understand it all fully right now, but I love that he is being enlightened to other people's beliefs and cultures. The world is a big place and I hope some day he'll get to see it all.

Our stomachs began to grumble for something more than the free culinary samplings on offer, so we decided to stop for a little dinner at one of the many restaurants in the square.

This pagoda shaped restaurant called out to us.

Hop Louie was a neat place. Apparently Nic Cage and Jackie Chan agree with us too, given that their autographed photographs adorned the wall on the way up the stairs to the dining room. We particularly enjoyed the appetizers on offer here. The tin-foil wrapped chicken was gone in seconds! My husband was thrilled by the low lit bar downstairs too and has vowed to return.

mmmmm... green tea. Delicious!
I almost drank a whole pot of this by myself.

My son got a chance to practice his chopstick skills too.

With full tummys, we made our way back out to the craft fair and were now ready to get down to some serious perusing of craft stalls....

Check in for my next post, where you'll find out more about some of my fantastic crafty finds!

My Submarine To The Future

Submersibles and Dirigibles

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 05:53:00 +0000

Look at what turned up in our mailbox today!

It arrived in a small brown envelope.

No distinct markings on the package. No fanfare.

But it brought with it a wave of excitement to our household.

A few weeks back I wrote about The Sketchbook Project. Check it out as there's still time to get involved if you would like to. We (my husband, son and I) decided it would be a fun family project to create one together.

When we ordered our sketchbook we had to choose a theme from a list of suggestions that would act as a guide to help kick start our ideas. One jumped out at us immediately....

"Submersibles and Dirigibles"

How could we not choose that, given the name of this blog "My Submarine To The Future"! To add weird to wonderful.. my son and I saw two airships (or dirigibles) this week as we were just driving around town. I think this a good sign ;)

There is something I find so tantalizing about the first, crisp leaf of a brand new sketch pad. It's a clean slate. A fresh start. A story waiting to be written.

Each person who designs one of these sketchbooks starts with the same beginning as we do, but will end up telling a very different story. They'll express different experiences and illustrate different thoughts, dreams and aspirations. I think this is one of the many things I find compelling about this project.

My Submarine To The Future

Apple Sketches

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 05:49:00 +0000

Make your mouth water?

Our local market was having a sale on apples and these called out to me.

Just looking at them fills my head with so many delightful words...

Succulent

Smooth

Velvety

Crisp

Sweet

Vibrant

I can tell you that they are as juicy as they look. I know this to be true because after I sketched them, I swiftly consumed one. It was simply delicious!

It has been a long time since I sketched with soft pastels, and I must confess to being rather rusty. I was feeling somewhat loath to post these attempts but I found so much pleasure putting pastel to paper again, that I felt it only right to document the experience. Besides, these are valuable steps towards improvement.

Even the little man got in on the action.
He liked the way the pastels crumbled when he sketched with them. He said he loved that he could draw with his finger. He was referring to the way pastel powder can be moved around on the paper and smudged.

Of course, by the time he was done, he was wearing most of the pastel dust.

I love the color choices he made for his picture.

We played classical music while we doodled. He liked the violins.

A perfect afternoon.

My Submarine To The Future

If you would like to see more pastel work, or still life studies, you may like these previous posts.... soft pastel pictures and edible treasures: first quest. Enjoy!

Stepping Off The Beaten Track

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 16:03:00 +0000

I get so energized and inspired after experiencing other people's creative work. Something about their passion, hard work and inventiveness gets my creative juices flowing.

Well, if you're looking for your own creative jolt then it could be your lucky day! I heard about an event going on in the neighborhood and I thought I would share...

On August 14th & 28th, from 5pm to midnight, the LA Craft Experience will be taking place in the historic Chinatown district of Los Angeles! The event promises to be an exhilarating experience of sights, sounds, tastes and smells. As mentioned on the LA Craft Experience website...

"The smell of dim sum wafting through the alleyways, the red lanterns swaying on high lines, and the eclectic little shops and galleries convinced us that Chinatown was right for LACE."

So what is LACE (or the Los Angeles Craft Experience) exactly?

"LA Craft Experience is LA’s premiere outdoor market located in historic Chinatown's Central Plaza and features unique vendors from all over Los Angeles. The show includes designers, crafters and artists selling unique, handmade, original or hard-to-find items. Shoppers will be able to meet and shop from vendors selling screen prints, art, apparel, jewelry, home accessories and décor, children’s gifts and accessories, letterpress stationery, pottery, handmade books and much more"

Not only that, but LACE will be held alongside Chinatown Summer Nights, presented by Community Arts Resources, the Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles, and KCRW.

What is Chinatown Summer Nights I hear you ask? Well it is...

"...a nighttime festival unlike any other! Part food event, part summer party, Chinatown Summer Nights presents an exciting hot spot for Angelenos this August. Taste the many culinary offerings of Chinatown and LA’s gourmet food trucks; sample the neighborhood’s wares; watch Chinese chefs perform cooking demonstrations; experience large-scale, outdoor video projections; view site-specific public art; take part in hands-on, Chinese cultural workshops presented by local organizations and museums; sip on Chinese beer, shop at LA Craft Experience and dance in Central Plaza with KCRW’s DJs: Raul Campos, Anthony Valadez, Jeremy Sole and Aaron Byrd".

Sounds pretty cool, right?

The event planners do indicate that, with the combination of the Chinatown Summer Nights, the event could get pretty busy on the 14th and 28th (a good heads up if you are planning to take children along). I imagine that the hustle and bustle will add to the energy of the whole event, but if this does not appeal to your sensibilities, then you'll be pleased to hear that LACE also occurs as a separate event (without the festival) on the second Saturday of each month beginning Sept 11th to Oct 9th from 11am to 6pm at Chinatown's Central Plaza. So you can still get your creative fix on!

Admission is free. Check it out if you're local. If not, then I'll be blogging about it here so you can still share the experience.

Happy Ventures!

My Submarine To The Future