Art4Tots Party Preparations!

This was our last Art4Tots session for awhile...what with my upcoming travels, the holidays etc., we will start up again in January. This session involved creating beautiful butterflies for Tessa's upcoming 3rd Birthday Party, with a butterfly theme.  So everyone decorated these paper butterflies with paint, markers, glue and glitter.  Tessa's mom Hulya will use them as party decorations around the room.  Happy Birthday Tessa!

Here's Ella, shaking the glitter around on her lovely orange butterfly.  Good job, Ella!

Mosaics 101
at 2KatStudios!

This was my first mosaic workshop in the space since adding the divider screens and hand dyed fabric panels. Judie and Jenny got right to work, creating their mosaic mirrors.  The studio  is comfortable and light, and we had room to really spread out on a Sunday!

Judie's mirror is filled with vibrant color and design.  Check out the little half pot with mirror pieces coming out of it! And the wonderful green leaf platters that were so difficult for students to smash, since they looked just fine!  (Thank you Karin and Melissa,  for giving me your "seconds"!!).  And the black grout really makes everything pop.

Jenny's mirror is more subtle but still filled with an interesting mix of color and texture.  As a quilter, she recognized the way her style went straight to creating a  quilt-like design, although the finished product is very different.  Her use of a few larger pieces makes this mirror easy on the eyes....her first choices of tesserae (pieces of tile etc) were all about the same size, and I think she made the right decision to change it up a little and add the bigger pieces.

Art4Tots #2

ART4TOTS....
Our second session of Art4Tots was another success! This time we made paints from cold cream, cornstarch and food coloring, and I brought a batch of home made playclay. The kids enjoyed experimenting with the goopy stuff, and didn't seem at all bothered that they had nothing to take home with them except fun memories!

If you want to "try this at home"....here are a few links to great craft suppliers: here in the USA, I like Dick Blick and Michael's. In the UK, you can find great craft supplies at Baker Ross!

And please remember, use safe materials and keep an eye on your little artist!

Mosaics and Margaritas

Mosaics and Margaritas Party!

A different way to spend a Saturday night...

Heather, a friend and wonderful life coach, invited me
to lead a mosaics party for her and some of her friends, to celebrate
her (belated) birthday. So I drove up to the OC to share my passion for mosaics with this great group of women. Heather's mother Beverly created a cool "studio" in her dining area, and provided delicious margaritas and yummy food. The 9 participants enjoyed a Saturday night to remember. Although at first I heard a lot of "I don't know what to do" and "I'm not at all artistic", see what you think of these great mosaic mirrors! Happy Birthday Heather!






Here's Jen, holding up her finished mirror....good going!









Some mirrors in various stages of completion....










The grouting was pretty messy, and although I like to say that "your fingers are your best tools", and it's true, I think maybe I'll need to change that phrase...lots of raucous laughter when I told that to the group.




I love mosaics, I love leading workshops, and I love birthday parties....Heather's Mosaics and Margaritas night had it all! Thanks!!