Consider The Lilies...

Description of Coloring Page: text from scripture, "Consider the lilies of the field. How they grow; they toil not neither do they spin. And yet, I say unto you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." Matthew 6: 28-29 quoted by Jesus in his Sermon on The Mount, greyscale of flowers, floral coloring page plus scripture

• To see how I hand-colored this page go here...

Don't forget to drag the png. or jpg into a Word Document and enlarge the image as much as possible before printing it folks. If you have a question about this coloring page, just type into the comment box located directly below this post and I'll try to get back to you as soon as I can.

Glossary of Postcard Terms and Examples

1. 3D postcard - 1970s
2. Appliqué - A postcard that has some form of cloth, metal or other embellishment attached to it.
3. Art Déco - Artistic style of the 1920s, recognisable by its symmetrical designs and straight lines.
4. Art Nouveau - Artistic style of the turn of the century, characterised by flowing lines and flowery symbols, yet often depicting impressionist more than representational art.
5. Artist Signed - Postcards with artwork that has the artist's signature, and the art is often unique for postcards.
6. Bas Relief - Postcards with a heavily raised surface, giving a papier-mâché appearance.
7. Big Letter - A postcard that shows the name of a place in very big letters that do not have pictures inside each letter (see also Large Letter).
8. Composites - A number of individual cards, that when placed together in a group, form a larger picture. Also called "installment" cards.

   

      Above, Example of a court card, postmarked 1899,
   showing Robert Burns and his cottage and
   monument in Ayr. 
   
   

9. Court Cards - The official size for British postcards between 1894–1899, measuring 115 mm × 89 mm (4.5 in × 3.5 in).
10. Deltiology - (from Greek δελτίον, deltion, diminutive of δέλτος, deltos, "writing tablet, letter"; and -λογία, -logia) is the study and collection of postcards. Professor Randall Rhoades of Ashland, Ohio, coined a word in 1945 that became the accepted description of the study of picture postcards. It took about 20 years for the name to appear in the dictionary the first time. Compared to philately, the identification of a postcard's place and time of production can often be an impossible task because postcards, unlike stamps, are produced in a decentralised, unregulated manner. For this reason, some collectors choose to limit their acquisitions to cards by specific artists and publishers, or by time and location.
11. Divided Back - Postcards with a back divided into two sections, one for the message, the other for the address. British cards were first divided in 1902 and American cards in 1907.
12. Django Fontina - A postcard written to a stranger, typically as a means of disseminating poetry.
13. Early - Any card issued before the Divided Back was introduced.
14. Embossed - Postcards with a raised surface.
15. Hand-tinted - Black-and-white images were tinted by hand using watercolours and stencils.
16. Hold-to-Light - Also referred to as ‘HTL’, postcards often of a night time scene with cut out areas to show the light.
17. Intermediate Size - The link between Court Cards and Standard Size, measuring 130 mm × 80 mm (5.1 in × 3.1 in).
18. Kaleidoscopes - Postcards with a rotating wheel that reveals a myriad of colours when turned.
19. Large Letter - A postcard that has the name of a place shown as a series of very large letters, inside of each of which is a picture of that locale (see also Big Letter).
20. Midget Postcards - Novelty cards of the size 90 mm × 70 mm (3.54 in × 2.76 in).
21. Novelty - Any postcard that deviates in any way from the norm. Cards that do something, or have articles attached to them, or are printed in an unusual size or on strange materials. An example is cards made of leather.
22. Oilette - A trade name used by Raphael Tuck & Sons for postcards reproduced from original paintings.
23. A postcard or post card is a rectangular piece of thick paper or thin cardboard intended for writing and mailing without an envelope.
24. Postcardese - The style of writing used on postcards; short sentences, jumping from one subject to another.
25. Real Photographic - Abbreviated to "RP."" Postcards produced by a photographic, rather than a printing, process.
26. Reward Cards - Cards that were given away to school children for good work.
27. Standard Size - Introduced in Britain in November 1899, measuring 140 mm × 89 mm (5.5 in × 3.5 in
28. Topographical - Postcards showing street scenes and general views. Judges Postcards produced many British topographical views.
29. Undivided Back - Postcards with a plain back where all of this space was used for the address. This is usually in reference to Early cards, although undivided were still in common use up until 1907.
30. Vignette - Usually found on undivided back cards, consisting of a design that does not occupy the whole of the picture side. Vignettes may be anything from a small sketch in one corner of the card, to a design cover three quarters of the card. The purpose is to leave some space for the message to be written, as the entire reverse of the card could only be used for the address.
31. Wood Postcards - made of thin wood have been produced and sold in the U.S. as keepsakes. Wooden postcards were sold for the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair held in Forest Park. Many included puns associated with wood: "Exposition is more than oak-a", "it is ash-tonishing", I wood spruce up and come", "You walnut regret it." and "Butternut delay". The Lewis and Clark Exposition of 1905 and the Jamestown Exposition of 1907 included wooden postcard souvenirs. The tradition of folksy puns continued in later wooden postcard lines. Others feature images, cartoons, advertisements and event commemorations.
32. Write-Away - A card with the opening line of a sentence, which the sender would then complete. Often found on early comic cards.

Related Links:

• Worldwide postcard exchange project
• English Heritage Archive, of nearly 5000 postcards collected by Nigel Temple. Use Advanced Search/Collections/Nigel Temple Postcards to view. The main theme of this collection is public parks and gardens. Coverage of the collection is national, and the bulk of the postcards date between 1900 and 1910.
• postaletrice A growing collection of select vintage photographic postcards from all over the world, classified by location and topic.

Tea Bag Folding Techniques

      Teabag folding is a form of origami the development of which is credited to Tiny (pronounced Teeny) van der Plas, who as a practitioner of origami developed the technique in 1992 as a paper craft art for embellishing greeting cards. It uses small square pieces of paper bearing symmetrical designs that are folded in such a way that they interlock and produce a 3 Dimensional version of the underlying design.

      Origami (meaning literally "ori" folding "kami" paper) the Japanese art of paper folding dates back to antiquity. The name Teabag folding was coined after Mrs van der Plas first set about folding the greetings cards. The wrappers were essentially square and of equal size, the two main prerequisites for producing symmetrical and pleasing imagery.

      Like many crafts or art forms the expression continues to be developed. The basic kite fold is used to produce rosettes that are a 3 dimensional version of the 2D design. There are many other folds and designs in existence and they are only limited by the imagination of the artist. Typical designs show birds, butterflies, flowers and generally imitate some of the raw beauty found in nature.

      The basic rosette design requires eight matching squares to be folded into the 'kite' design. Maths teachers find the designs very useful as a practical way of demonstrating some of the basic properties of symmetry.

• British Origami Society The UK's main origami organization.
• Origami USA The biggest origami organization in the US.

Iris Folding

     Iris folding is a paper craft technique that involves folding strips of colored paper in such a way to form a design. The center of the design forms an iris — a shape reminiscent of the iris diaphragm of a camera lens.

      Iris folding originated in Holland, where early craft persons made their designs using patterned paper cut from the inside of envelopes. Today, crafters use any light weight paper, such as scrapbook paper, origami paper, wrapping paper, the inside of envelopes or pages of magazines. Ribbon is also used.

      Iris folding is done with a pattern. The crafter uses the finished product to decorate the front of a greeting card, as a scrapbook embellishment, to decorate an altered book or a mixed media collage, or in various other ways.

      Supplies for iris folding include a pattern, strips of colored paper, permanent transparent tape, cutting tools and a temporary tape such as painters tape. The temporary tape is used to hold the pattern in place while the craftperson creates the design.

      Iris folding patterns are available from booksellers or as downloadable files made available on Internet web sites. Other craft persons doing iris folding create their own patterns.

    Iris folding is an attractive paper craft technique used in card making,
 scrapbooking and other projects. The craft person folds a variety
 of colored papers to form a shape. This video demonstrates making
 a Halloween card with iris folding.

Quillwork on Handmade Cards

Traditional quilling shapes and correct
 terminology for each.

      Quilling or paper filigree is an art form that involves the use of strips of paper that are rolled, shaped, and glued together to create decorative designs. The paper is rolled, looped, curled, twisted and otherwise manipulated to create shapes which make up designs to decorate greetings cards, pictures, boxes, eggs, and to make models, jewellery, mobiles etc. The most popular and versatile technique is that of rolling. The paper strip is rolled in fingers or using a tool. The coil is then released and then glued at the tip and then shaped. These shaped coils are arranged to form flowers, leaves, and various ornamental patterns

      During the Renaissance, French and Italian nuns and monks used quilling to decorate book covers and religious items. The paper most commonly used was strips of paper trimmed from the gilded edges of books. These gilded paper strips were then rolled to create the quilled shapes. Quilling often imitated the original ironwork of the day.

      In the 18th century, quilling became popular in Europe where gentle ladies of quality ("ladies of leisure") practiced the art. It was one of the few things ladies could do that was thought not too taxing for their minds or gentle dispositions. Quilling also spread to the Americas and there are a few examples from Colonial times.

      Many quilled art works can be found on cabinets and stands, cribbage boards, ladies' purses, a wide range of both pictures and frames, work baskets, tea caddies, coats of arms and wine coasters. Storage boxes, larger than most jewelry boxes with drawers and/or tops that opened, quilled lock boxes, and much more. Some items were specially designed for quilling with recessed surfaces. Quilling was also combined or married with other techniques such as embroidery and painting.

      The craft has gone through many transformations and changes through the ages using new techniques, styles and materials. Dimensional quilling creates 3D items.

      Today, quilling is seeing a resurgence in popularity with quillers (people who practice the art of quilling) on every continent and in every walk of life. No longer confined to the "upper classes", this is a peoples art form and the beauty of the art is always expanding. The craft has become increasingly popular due to the low cost of the material. It is used to decorate wedding invitations, for Christmas, birth announcements, greeting cards, scrapbook pages, and boxes. Quilling can be found in art galleries in Europe and in the United States and is an art that is practiced around the world.

• North American Quilling Guild (NAQG) - Purpose of the guild is to "promote quilling"

Some Greeting Card Types

Greeting cards come in all types and themes: graduations, birthdays and holidays.

       A greeting card is an illustrated, folded card featuring an expression of friendship or other sentiment. Although greeting cards are usually given on special occasions such as birthdays, Christmas or other holidays, they are also sent to convey thanks or express other feeling. Greeting cards, usually packaged with an envelope, come in a variety of styles. There are both mass-produced as well as handmade versions that are distributed by hundreds of companies large and small. While typically inexpensive, more elaborate cards with die-cuts or glued-on decorations may be more expensive.

• Counter cards: Greeting cards that are sold individually. This contrasts with boxed cards.
• Standard Greeting Cards: A standard greeting card is printed on high-quality paper (such as card stock), and is rectangular and folded, with a picture or decorative motif on the front. Inside is a pre-printed message appropriate for the occasion, along with a blank space for the sender to add a signature or handwritten message. A matching envelope is sold with the card. Some cards and envelopes feature fancy materials, such as gold leaf, ribbons or glitter.
• Photo Greeting Cards: In recent years, photo greeting cards have gained widespread popularity and come in two main types. The first type are photo insert cards in which a hole has been cut in the center. Your photo slides in just like a frame. The second type are printed photo cards in which the photo is combined with artwork and printed, usually on a high-end digital press, directly onto the face of the card. Both types are most popular for sending holiday greetings such as Christmas, Hanukkah & for baby showers.
• Personalized Greeting Cards: Websites using special personalization technology allow consumers to personalize a card which is then printed and sent directly to the recipient.
• Reusable Greeting Cards: These are greeting cards for the budget conscious. There are two common formats for reusable cards. Firstly there are cards with slits in them positioned to hold pages. Secondly there notepad style cards where pages stick to the back of the cards. The pages that have been used for reusable cards can be removed after being received and fresh pages can be used to reuse the cards.
• Musical Greeting Cards: Recently greeting cards have been made that play music or sound when they are opened. They are commonly 3D handmade birthday cards which play traditional celebration songs such as Happy Birthday To You.
• Electronic Greeting Cards: (also called E-cards) Greeting cards can also be sent electronically. Flash-based cards can be sent by email, and many sites such as Facebook enable you to send greetings. More recently, services have launched which enable you to send greetings to a mobile phone by text message. Many of these electronic services offer open or anonymous chat, to enable further discussion.
• Pop-Up Cards: Pop-Up Cards are normally cards that, once opened, have a picture coming outward, giving the reader a surprise. Pictures and printed messages in greeting cards come in various styles, from fine art to humorous to profane. Non-specific cards, unrelated to any occasion, might feature a picture (or a pocket to paste in a personal photograph) but no pre-printed message.
• Telescoping Cards:  "Telescoping in mechanics describes the movement of one part sliding out from another, lengthening an object (such as a telescope or the lift arm of an aerial work platform) from its rest state. In modern equipment this is often done by hydraulics, but pulleys are used for simpler designs such as extendible ladders & amateur radio antennae. When making paper greeting cards you can achieve this action with pull tabs or by inserting brass brads."
•  Swing Cards: These are cards that are engineered to have a rocking motion once they are opened up.
• Pop-Up Rocking Cards: Three-dimensional cards that have the same features of pop-up books. The parts could be movable in a wide variety of ways using: flaps, pull-tabs, paper transformations etc...

Cute and Easy Pop-Up Easter Cards.

from Red Ted Artist, Maggy Woodley.

How to make a seed/bean abstract mosaic . . .

My teachers sample of an abstract bean mosaic.

       Seed and bean mosaics seem to go in and out of fashion. This simple craft can be used to teach young students about the qualities of texture and design at very little expense to the teacher, camp director, or an art department. 

Supply List: 

• A heavy duty piece of cardboard or inexpensive Masonite, or recycled sheet of pressed wood 
• either wood glue or white school glue
• pencil 
• Mod Podge 
• A wide assortment of seeds, beans, rice, nuts, and or dried items may be collected; I've listed specific varieties below. 
• Suggested dried beans, seeds and rice available at your local grocery store: Red beans, Black beans, Anasazi beans, Sunflower seeds, White rice, Brown rice, Pumpkin seeds, Melon seeds, Black eyed peas, Green split peas, Yellow split peas, Navy beans, Pinto beans, Wild rice, Indian corn, Lentils, Grass seed, 
• Suggested dried materials available at your local florist, hobby outlet, or even outside in your own backyard: Devils claw, Wheat stalks, Money plant, Sponge Mushroom, Pomegrante, Lotus Pods, Okra Pods, King Cobra Bark, Pod Oars, Pinecones, Acorns, Hazelnuts, Walnuts 

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Draw a design on your cardboard or wood board 
2. Glue the dried materials down with either wood glue or white glue in designated areas or patterns.
3. After the glue has dried, completely cover the entire surface with Mod Podge in order to seal it properly.

Left,Photograph of my abstract, bean mosaic up close. 
Right, These dried beans were purchased at a local grocery store.

More Crafts Made With Seeds and Beans:

• Here is a listing of projects using seeds, pods, nuts and beans from my Christmas blog.

How to mosaic a bird house . . .

I purchased this prefabricated, wooden birdhouse 

from a craft store called Michael's. It is an actual

 birdhouse that may be used outdoors.

       This mosaic birdhouse can be hung outside if you would prefer. My mother kept it inside in her sunroom.

Supply List:

• Selection of mosaic tiles, glass marbles, tiny mirrors, seashells... 
• Cement grout 
• Elmer’s wood glue 
• Plastic-like gloves 
• Old damp rags or paper towels 
• Prefabricated wooden bird house 
• white acrylic paint 8. burnt umber acrylic paint 9. bucket of clean water

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Glue the tiles directly to the surface of the prefabricated wooden bird house. 
2. Let the applied tiles dry over night to ensure that the glue has hardened. 
3. Check to see if the glued tiles have stuck to the surface permanently. Some of them will, some of them may only seem temporarily attached. The application of this step is necessary to help the tiles to stay in place before grouting them primarily. 
4. Mix the grout solution according to the directions on the label. 
5. Wear gloves if the label says that it is necessary. 
6. Gingerly apply the grout directly onto the surface of the tile work. Make sure that the grout does get pushed into as many of the cracks as possible. This is a bit messy. 
7. Wash your gloves thoroughly and you may put them back on or choose to remove them all together at this point. Be cautious about this removal however, some people do have mild skin allergies to grout and will develop a rash when coming in direct contact with it when its wet. 
8. Now your going to delicately wipe down the surface of your tiles with a damp rag or paper towel. You will be throwing these towels away. 
9. If you wish to rinse and squeeze out a sponge or towels as you work, keep an old bucket full of water for this procedure. Do not wash this contaminated water down a sink! Grout will collect in pipes and harden. You will need to pour this old water down a sewer pipe outside or simply find an area of your yard where you may dispose of it. Grout won't hurt an old leaf pile or the ground where plants are not growing. 
10. You want your project to look clean on the surface of the tiles when you are finished. The cracks between the tiles should also be completely filled with grout. 
11. Leave your mosaic project out over night to harden properly. If you see remaining grout on the surface of your tiles after it has hardened, you may go over the surface of these tiles with a light weight sand paper and damp sponge again. 
12. You may wish to seal the exposed wooden areas with a tough varnish if you choose to hang your bird house outdoors.

More Crafts About Birds:

• How to draw a peacock, an ostrich and a blue jay...
• Download bird coloring pages to practice your fine motor skills

Craft a Mosaic Tea Tray

Handmade mosaic tea tray with lovely scones.

       These tea trays are perfect for serving up your favorite tea and scones. I recycled these 1950's ceramic tiles that I found inside of an old cabinet. It seemed a shame to throw them out. I am sure that these would be quite expensive if I were to purchase them today.  

Supply List:

• Selection of mosaic tiles
• glass marbles
•  tiny mirrors
• seashells 
• Cement grout 
• Elmer’s wood glue 
• Plastic-like gloves 
• Old damp rags or paper towels 
• Prefabricated wooden tea tray 
• white acrylic paint 
• bucket of clean water 
• soft paint brush 
• acrylic varnish sealer 

Left I recycled 1950 bathroom tiles to mosaic a prefabricated wooden tea tray. Right, A close-up
 of the period tiles.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Glue the tiles directly to the surface of the prefabricated wooden tea tray. Let the applied tiles dry over night to ensure that the glue has hardened. Do not check to see if the glued tiles have stuck to the surface permanently. Some of them will, some of them may only seem temporarily attached. The application of this step is necessary to help the tiles to stay in place before grouting them only. 
2. Mix the grout solution according to the directions on the label. 
3. Wear gloves if the label says that it is necessary. 
4. Gingerly apply the grout directly onto the surface of the tile work. Make sure that the grout does get pushed into as many of the cracks as possible. This is a bit messy. 
5. Wash your gloves thoroughly and you may put them back on or choose to remove them all together at this point. Be cautious about this removal however, some people do have mild skin allergies to grout and will develop a rash when coming in direct contact with it when its wet. 
6. Now your going to delicately wipe down the surface of your tiles with a damp rag or paper towel. You will be throwing these towels away. If you wish to rinse and squeeze out a sponge or towels as you work, keep an old bucket full of water for this procedure. 
7. Do not wash this contaminated water down a sink! Grout will collect in pipes and harden. You will need to pour this old water down a sewer pipe outside or simply find an area of your yard where you may dispose of it. Grout won't hurt an old leaf pile or the ground where plants are not growing. You want your project to look clean on the surface of the tiles when you are finished. 
8. The cracks between the tiles should also be completely filled with grout. Leave your mosaic project out over night to harden properly. 
9. If you see remaining grout on the surface of your tiles after it has hardened, you may go over the surface of these tiles with a light weight sand paper and damp sponge again. 
10. With a soft brush wipe on gently a wash of white paint on the exposed wood and then seal it with a varnish.

More Crafts for "Tea Time" Play:

• Craft a Christmas Themed "Time For Tea, Placemat"
• Search the posts at our doll blog for Tea+time

Apply a faux metal finish to an egg...

A Repoussé Easter Egg technique.

       High school kids might enjoy this egg decorating project. It is certainly a bit more complicated than most Easter egg crafts. 

Supply List:

•  a plastic egg
•  aluminum foil (The type you buy at a grocery store)
•  black acrylic paint 
• white glue puff paint (any color)
•  masking tape
•  Mod Podge 
•  soft cloth or tissue 

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. First cover the surface of the entire plastic egg with masking tape until none of the surface is left bare.
2.  Use you puff paint to draw a swirl pattern around the entire egg. 
3. Let parts of the design dry as you proceed. 
4. Once you are finished and the surface is completely dry, this could take some time, brush the white glue to areas of the egg while applying the aluminum foil. 
5. Take care not to rip the foil and do not layer more than one sheet. 
6. Use your finger tips to press the foil down into the surfaces of your design over and over until you are satisfied with the overall effect. 
7. Now let the egg dry completely and then brush a watery layer of black acrylic paint onto the egg's surface.
8. Wipe away the paint with a soft cloth or tissue so that the raised areas made by the puff paints are shinier than the crevices of the design. Let the egg dry. 
9. Apply Mod Podge to the finished surface when done.

More Egg Crafts:

• Visit our giant egg hunt at Color The Bible!
• The Story of Easter Eggs by Christoph Von Shmid
• How we sculpted and painted a rainbow of colored eggs for our dolls...

Assemble a birch bark bird feeder...

       This bird feeder is easy to make because you start with a prefabricated wooden bird feeder. I made it many years ago while camping at Arcadia. I collected the bark from a peeling birch tree in the woods and glued it to the bird feeder, simple as that! 

Supply List:

• prefabricated wooden bird feeder
• wood glue
• small stones, about 30
• large rubber bands or twine
• hot glue and hot glue gun 

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Make sure the surface of the wooden bird feeder is clean before your begin.
2.  Glue strips of birch bark to every surface area of the feeder excluding the "floor" of the feeder. 
   
3. You may need to wrap twin or rubber bands around the exterior of the feeder to help keep the bark from sliding off while the wood glue dries. 
4. After the bark is dry, hot glue the stones onto the floor of the bird feeder with a hot glue gun.

More About Birds:

• Visit our secret listing of "bird" crafts, printables, poems etc... for young crafters and their teachers here.
• Craft a bird-feeder toy for your dolls here and then learn how we made an outdoor garden bench for our dolls here.
• Learn how to make a bird with feathers too!

How to craft a shell covered mosaic box

       Although this craft is simple in its application, the design work used in such a project may be very complex. The key here is to work slow if you should choose to use a cardboard box to decorate instead of a wooden one. Otherwise, the walls of the box could warp while your work is drying. 

I gave a gift of pencils and paint brushes to a family member using the box to store
the craft items inside.

Supply List: 

• wood glue 
• a bag of tiny stones shells 
• a sturdy box with a lid 

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Lay out your mosaic supplies and determine the pattern that you would like to use in the creation of your decorative gift box. I chose to arrange these tiny shells in a simple floral design. 
2. I used wood glue to adhere the shells first to the surface of my box lid. 
3. Then I let this dry overnight. 
4. Then I carefully applied the wood glue to small areas of the lid and covered these with my tiny stones.
5. These areas were approximately two inches in diameter. Let each area dry completely before proceeding to the next application of stones. Again, this will help prevent the surface of your lid from warping.

A few close shots of the surface of my gift box: left, is a side view, right,
a top view of the floral shell pattern.

More Ways To Use Boxes In Crafts:

• Fold and decorate a triangular gift box with two different designs . . . 
• Assemble a Disney Castle Jewelry Box from paper mache box and stickers
• Valentine Mailbox Links and Ideas for School Aged Children

How to Craft a Tile Mosaic Angel

The tiled angel that once hung in my 
mother's garden room.

   My children made this mosaic angel for their grandmother long ago. It once hung on the wall behind her African violet collection.

• Selection of mosaic tiles
•  glass marbles
• tiny mirrors
• seashells 
• Cement grout 
• Elmer’s wood glue 
• Plastic-like gloves 
• Old damp rags, paper towels, sponge 
• Sturdy prefabricated paper mache angel form 
• Bucket of clean water 

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. First you will glue your tiles directly to the surface of the prefabricated angel with Elmer's wood glue. Let the applied tiles dry over night to ensure that the glue has hardened. Do not check to see if the glued tiles have stuck to the surface permanently. Some of them will, some of them may only seem temporarily attached. The application of this step is necessary to help the tiles to stay in place before grouting them only. 
2. Mix the grout solution according to the directions on the label. 
3. Wear gloves if the label says that it is necessary. 
4. Gingerly apply the grout directly onto the surface of the tile work. Make sure that the grout does get pushed into as many of the cracks as possible. This is a bit messy. 
5. Wash your gloves thoroughly and you may put them back on or choose to remove them all together at this point. 
6. Be cautious about this removal however, some people do have mild skin allergies to grout and will develop a rash when coming in direct contact with it when its wet. 
7. Now your going to delicately wipe down the surface of your tiles with a damp rag or paper towel. You will be throwing these towels away. 
8. If you wish to rinse and squeeze out a sponge or towels as you work, keep an old bucket full of water for this procedure. 
9. Do not wash this contaminated water down a sink! Grout will collect in pipes and harden. You will need to pour this old water down a sewer pipe outside or simply find an area of your yard where you may dispose of it. Grout won't hurt an old leaf pile or the ground where plants are not growing. 
10. You want your project to look clean on the surface of the tiles when you are finished. The cracks between the tiles should also be completely filled with grout. 
11. Leave your mosaic project out over night to harden properly. 
12. If you see remaining grout on the surface of your tiles after it has hardened, you may go over the surface of these tiles with a light weight sand paper and damp sponge again. 
13. The color of grout you choose to use with this project will also make a big difference in it's appearance so think about it awhile before beginning.

More Angel Crafts and Coloring For Kids:

• DIY A Praying Angel Paper Wreath
• My Gingerbread Angel "Peace Among Men" plus 62 other angels for kids to color here.
• How to craft vintage cone angels our family The Belznickle Blog

Sketching With Crayons

       An unfortunate tendency in the use of certain materials that are particularly adaptable to the primary grades, is that of students and even teachers thinking that higher grades or mature work requires advanced materials. If wax crayons are used by the first grades or if a box of watercolors with only four colors are used in the primary grades, the pupil thinks it a mark of progress if the upper grades allow chalk crayons and watercolors of greater variety; and therefore will not use materials related to beginners. 

With wax crayons it is possible to sketch with simple equipment,
producing a sketch that will not rub off. Sample Alpine Church by
Pedro Lemos.

       This attitude should be discouraged, for after all materials have little to do with real production if the student studies correctly. One great artist said that he would use mud if it gave him the right color in painting. This may be also remembered by those educators who insist that pupils should not mix mediums. Just why some teachers should hold up their hands in horror over a problem that suggests the use of crayon and cut paper or crayon and watercolor has never been satisfactorily explained. We do know that artists from the time of the great masters to this date have used crayon and watercolor, oil-paint and gesso, pencil and watercolor, pen and ink and wash, etc. So why teach today in our schools that which the student tomorrow finds to be untrue in professional practice. 

       I believe that a great many delightful possibilities remain to be discovered and developed in the use of the wax crayon and those crayons that are partly wax; and that these possibilities can be found by any teacher or artist that will use them in their work. To prove this to myself satisfactorily I gave a box of eight wax crayons to a well known landscape artist and asked him to see what he could do with them. Not only were his results very good but he became so interested in the results that he has used them ever since. This same artist, by the way, produces all of his fine watercolor paintings with only six colors in his box. Two yellows, two reds and two blues. His yellows are Gamboge and Chrome Yellow, his blues are Prussian Blue and Cobalt, his reds are Crimson Lake and Indian Red. 

       If we can secure greater possibilities with fewer materials our whole art education will be more productive as we reach points where more materials are available. It may be a strange statement, but nevertheless the work we receive at the office from the lower grades is of a much better standard than that received from the advanced grades, and I believe that it is the result of working with fewer materials and within limitations. Too many things to work with, too many values, too many lines, result in too much detail and over-done results. 

       With the use of wax crayons we have a material that is inexpensive, is easily carried for sketching, does not rub and therefore is fairly permanent, and with varying papers and renderings allows for many variations.

       Every material has a corresponding working surface to which it should be applied to secure best results. A rough or irregular surfaced paper is best for wax crayons. A smooth paper is not good for wax crayon as the crayon refuses to mark well and will not receive additional marks. The ordinary rough manila paper or rough white drawing paper is good. Light stroking of the crayon on the paper will result in the color being received on the surfaces of the rough projections of the paper surface. A second color pressed more firmly will color the lower portions of the paper and a vibrating quality of color is secured which can produce very pleasing effects. 

       In some instances the scraping of parts of the subject or the indicating of detail by scraping with a knife point produces good results. 

       This effect may be seen on the windmill of the color plate. An under color may be revealed by this method which will give an effect even more interesting than where there is no under color. In the use of very rough paper a sky quality of surface texture can be enhanced by spotting the open portions of the paper surface or remaining uncovered spots with a complementary or analogous color to the color first used. 

       The accompanying illustrations show the same subject sketched with different strokes and the results are well worth studying. A pad of rough sketching paper and a little or large box of wax crayons tucked into the vacation baggage this summer may yield a new avenue or opportunity for sketching. Why wait until a large, cumbersome box of paints and sketching paraphernalia be acquired? 

       The thrill of sketching is possible and good results, too, with the oft derided primary wax crayons. And the demand for these crayons has resulted in manufacturers producing them in varying palettes so that a considerable range of hues may be secured. But after all simplicity is the keynote to success with crayons, simple subjects, simple masses, simple colors and restful and satisfactory In the use of very rough paper a sky results will come. 

 The works of God are fair for naught

 Unless our eyes in seeing,

 See hidden in the thing the thought 

Which animates its being. 

Whoever yearns to see aright 

Because his heart is tender, 

Shall catch a glimpse of heavenly light

 In every earthly splendor. 

-Wilhelmina Seegmiller 

How To Embellish Flocked Easter Eggs

       Flocked Easter eggs are not always available for crafting with in local hobby supply. But when these are plentiful they make for a marvelous vintage display. These are light weight and are perfect for hanging on an easter tree tool. Below are several ways you can decorate them with trim, inside or out.

These flocked eggs have holes cut out to 
display a vignette inside.

Supply List:

• flocked plastic eggs
• soft fine Easter grass
• miniature Easter novelties
• lace, ribbon, rick-rack and bead trims
• transparent glitter 
• tacky white glue
• hot glue gun and hot glue

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Purchase flocked egg blanks for a hobby store or dollar store outlet.
2. Draw the oval shaped window with a soft number two pencil and trace around a tiny stencil directly on top of the flocked egg.
3. Cut away the oval shaped window by poking open the flocked egg with a tiny pair of sharp nail scissors. Cut away all of the pencil markings as these will not be easy to remove with an eraser. 
4. Layer a thick amount of tacky glue on the inside of the egg with your finger tip. 
5. Sprinkle in a generous amount of transparent glitter. 
6. Tap the egg on a table surface to evenly disperse the glitter on the inside of the egg. Do this over a clean sheet of paper to collect all of the unused glitter and return it to the bottle it came from for future crafts. Let the glitter harden.
7. Next, glue inside of the egg opening some soft Easter grass. I used the cotton-like version of grass for this egg vignette. 
8. Then glue in the Easter novelty: a bunny figurine, a basket of eggs etc...
9. Trim the outside edges of the window with tacky glue and rick-rack. 
10. Glue on a ribbon, some lace and a pearl bead here and there.
11. Display your vintage eggs in an egg tree or basket.

After decorating the egg on the inside, I glued rick-rack, laces and bows to the outer shell

 and edges to cover flaws and to add interest to the surfaces of my Easter eggs. I used 

hot glue for this particular project.

Old-fashioned  flocked Easter eggs are covered with
rickrack and bright, bold laces. Use tacky white glue
 to adhere the bits of lace and trim.

How to make faux mosiac eggs using abalone shell tiles . . .

These egg when finished are quite heavy; they
should be displayed in baskets or in vignettes,
not on egg trees.

        Traditional mosaic eggs made from plastic manufactured eggs, grout, and tiny mosaic Mother of Pearl pieces from Michael's. These crushed tiles have been sold at Michael's for over 10-12 years and come in many colors depending upon the year. 

Supply List:

• large plastic egg forms for the local hobby store or dollar store
• crushed abalone shell tile
• wood glue or tacky white glue or hot glue if you prefer
• tile grout, white
• Mod Podge

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. When adhering the tiles to the egg shell rough up the surface of the egg with sandpaper and then glue on the tiles using a strong bonding glue. I believe that I used wood glue for these eggs. 
2. After the crushed shell has dried, smear on a tile grout and then use a soft damp sponge to wash away excess grout.
3. Let the grout harden overnight. Crafters may also use wooden eggs to replace the plastic ones if they wish.
4. Seal the grout with a thin layer of Mod Podge or something like it.

How to craft mosaic Easter eggs using egg shells?

Photo of the egg membrane being separated 

from the shell.

        First you will need to collect egg shells for this craft and the number of those egg shells will depend upon your love of the craft. I collected only enough to demonstrate the process. In order to keep your kitchen clean and bacteria at a minimum, soak the left over shells in a vinegar solution. One cup of boiling water, plus two tablespoons of any type of vinegar will suffice for a gentle soak. This will also help loosen the membrane from the inner shell. The membrane should be removed for several reasons, the first being that it will help keep the egg shells from developing an unfortunate odor and the second being that the shells will adhere better when glued to another shell's surface. Above is a photo of the membrane being separated from the shell.

        After the shells have been dried, break them up and soak them in dying solutions. I chose to do this with food coloring. This is the traditional recipe which includes a few drops of food coloring combined together with the ratio of vinegar and water that I have mentioned above.

Broken egg shells soaking in the vinegar solution.

        After draining and drying the shells on a paper towel, you may then glue these to either hard boiled eggs or eggs that have been hollowed out and cleaned in advance. I used white school glue for this process and then covered the surface of my sample eggs with Mod Podge. You could also paint a layer of clear nail polish over the eggs if you have no other alternatives on hand.

How the mosaic process turns out after gluing the mosiac
egg shell pieces directly onto whole eggs. These eggs are
hollowed out, but you could use edible hard boiled eggs 
for this technique as well.

 Easter by Marjorie Goldwasser, (8 yrs. old)
The grass is turning oh, so green.
Everywhere new buds are seen.
The Easter bunny is on his way,
To bring us eggs on Easter day.

Craft a very hungry caterpillar...

Caterpillar cut from crayon resist paper and leaf cut from construction papers

      Above is a caterpillar craft that I taught during my student teaching. Kindergartener's spent the first day of this project coloring abstract shapes, line and colors onto white paper with crayons. Then they painted with watercolors on top of their crayon designs.

      On the second day, students then traced around giant leaf stencils and cut them out of green construction paper. Then they cut elliptical shapes from their decorated papers and assembled these onto their "leaf frames" with paste. The last step was to add eyes and line details to their caterpillars and leaves with a black magic marker. 

Supply List:

• a large sheet of green construction paper for the leaf cut-out
• white construction paper for the wax resist process
• brilliant crayons
• tempera paint or watercolors
• a green marker

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. To make the caterpillar of many colors, color stripes on the white construction paper. Leave  space between the stripes without color.
2. Then use watery paints to layer over the wax crayon to fill in the parts of the uncolored areas. 
3. Cut out many oval shapes from this paper to make the caterpillar.
4. Glue the ovals together to shape the insect's pudgy body.
5. Add eyeballs and nose.
6. Cut a giant green leaf from the construction paper. 
7. Use a green magic marker to make veins in the leaf and cut out a few holes where the caterpillar has nibbled away at the leaf!
8. Add some prickly hairs growing from the top of the caterpillar's back if you wish.

 "Two girls A.R. and G.H., ages 9 and 11, took my puppet workshop. After graduating from the advance level they performed The Very Hungry Caterpillar all on their own without any help. A.R. plays the caterpillar and the butterfly. G.H. handled all the props. They did this video in one take, I am so proud of them!" from hagley productions

Paint and Design a Giant Egg With Watercolors

         This giant, bright colored Easter egg was painted using a soft camel hair brush dipped in watercolor paint. First the student used a black marker to draw her whimsical butterfly, fish and flowers. Then she painted in her picture with bright, festive colors. I have discovered that very young students produce marvelous watercolor paintings but grow apprehensive about the resulting finished product as they age. This is because the younger an art student is, the less inhibited they are about "how" their artwork looks. Their inhibitions are the unfortunate result of growing old, I'm afraid...

watercolor painted egg

Supply List:

• giant sheet of white construction paper
• watercolor set
• a soft camel hair brush among several other sizes to try
• one black permanent ink marker
• pictures of fish, birds and flowers to work from

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Cut white butcher paper or construction paper into large egg shapes. The teacher may wish to do this step in advance or not depending upon the age of the students.
2. Give the student black permanent ink markers to draw with. You may want to cover their tables with newsprint for this step and also give them aprons. Some young students get a little enthusiastic about using these markers where they shouldn't so keep an eye on the process to avoid disasters!
3. Teachers can hand pictures of what students can draw on their eggs around the room too. Things like insects, birds, symbols of Easter etc...
4. After drawing with permanent pens, collect these.
5. Now give each student a watercolor set and a small jar of water plus several kinds of paint brushes to fill in all of the white areas.

Sponge Paint a Giant Easter Egg!

This egg painted with sponges.

     This giant Easter Egg sponge painting requires young students to use unconventional tools in the act of painting. Sponges are easy for little hands to manipulate and these hold all kinds of sticky, messy paints made from inexpensive mixtures that kindergarten teachers can quickly shake together without investing large sums of cash in a art project. Small children do not generally produce art that will be kept forever by anyone other than their parents so, it is important to use materials that may be expendable but also fun to work with. The key to developing student performance in art is repetition and inexpensive materials ensure that the activity is repeated frequently.

Supply List:

• one large sheet of pastel colored construction paper
• tempera paints mixed in pastel colors 
• simple sponges cut into geometric shapes
• cover tables with paper wherever this activity takes place
• give young students aprons to where
• each student should have at least several trays of paint to dip sponges in while they work

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Precut large egg shapes from pastel shades of construction paper.
2. Mix tempera paints for students in advance
3. Set up large tables for young ones to work at. Cover the surfaces with newsprint; perhaps, even the floors. Put paint trays within reach of painting activity.
4. Children my dip sponges into the paints and print the shapes on their paper Easter eggs. 
5. Encourage them to fill the areas, make patterns, and try different paint colors!

This video, from Nuttin' but preschool, demonstrates an excellent step-by-step process for making homemade "tempera" paints. However, if you are an artist, you know that actual tempera paints used by professionals include an egg binder. So here is an old recipe for high school students.