If you have school age kids, chances are your summer is winding down like ours is and the weather is heating up. So, the more we're stuck inside, the more I'm hear complaints of "I'm bored". So, I went hunting throughout the Internet for some great ideas for crafts to keep your kids busy these last days of summer.

Kool Aid Play Dough
Try this cool colored dough you can make at home. Smells great, too!
Ingredients:
1 cup water
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup salt
1 packages unsweetened Kool-Aid - any flavor/color
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions:
Mix all the dry items, then mix all the liquid items. Blend together. Put in a saucepan on medium heat. Stir contstantly until the mix pulls away from the sides of the pan. Take the ball of dough and put on counter to cool and then knead until ready.

Shrinky Dinks (thanks to http://www.curbly.com)
Ingredients:
Clean #6 Plastic
Permanent Markers
Scissors
Aluminum Foil
Oven and Tongs or Oven Mitt

*Obtain a piece of #6 plastic (polystyrene). Most clear containers at salad bars, delis, and grocery stores will work. Just flip it over and look for a "6" inside the recycling arrows. If you ask nicely, they'll usually give you a fresh one.
*Cut any excess plastic away to make a flat sheet
*Draw or write your desired image or text on your plastic canvas using permanent markers. The total image will shrink to about a third of its original size, and five or six times its original thickness.
*Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees, and place a rack in the lowest position. Create a "tray" out of the aluminum foil by bending up the sides. Technically, you could cover a baking sheet with foil, but the thinner surface allows for more direct heat and quicker shrinking.
*Place your art in the tray, then use the tongs or an oven mitt to place the foil on the bottom rack.
*At first, for the first minute your art will curl up all crazy like. Then, it will flatten itself out. Once it is finished, take it out. If you have an oven door through which you can see, then just keep an eye on it. If your door is solid, open it just slightly (as you would do when broiling) after 90 seconds. Total time for a large piece (5-6" starting size) will be about 3 1/2 minutes.
*Using the tongs or oven mitt, remove the tray. At this point, it's still pliable, so if you want to flatten it more, or add waves or bend the corners, do so CAREFULLY within the first ten seconds.
*Now, you can do as you please. It's still cut-able, sand-able, drill-able, glue-able, and plenty more. Attach it to a bracelet, make a magnet or make a necklace.

Print out coloring sheets:
http://www.dltk-kids.com/
http://www.coloring.ws/coloring.html
http://pbskids.org/coloring/
http://abcteach.com/directory/fun_activities/coloring_pages/

Kool-Aid Painting
What you need:
* Several packets of Kool-Aid
* White construction paper
* Tape
* Ice cubes

What you do: Tape a large sheet of construction paper to the table or floor. Sprinkle the paper with Kool-Aid and hand each child a cube of ice. Instruct them to move the ice over the Kool-Aid powder, turning it to liquid. Keep "painting" until the ice is fully melted to make a sweet-smelling, watercolor masterpiece.

Summer Collage Placemat
Preschool kids love nothing more than cutting and pasting – which makes collages a perfect craft idea for them.
What you need:
* Summer-time editions of your favorite magazines
* Scissors
* Summery colored construction paper
* White craft glue or glue sticks
* Clear contact paper

What you do: Instruct your children to cut out pictures of what they like about summer and then glue them onto the paper. Cover the collage with contact paper (Mom will need to do this part) to make a fun and functional summer place mat.

Pet rocks
*Rock, Acrylic craft paint
*Suggestion decorations: yarn, wiggle eyes, markers, glitter glue, sequins, beads, pom poms, etc
*White craft glue
Start by washing your rock with warm soapy water. If your rock is jagged or has nooks and crannies, use a scrub brush to get all the dirt out. And decorate your rocks however you like using just about anything. If it will stick, use it!

Pet Rock Pig, paint a smooth oval shaped stone with pink acrylic paint and let dry.
Pet Rock Monster, paint a bumpy or odd-shaped rock green and let dry.
Cut ears out of felt to make a floppy eared puppy dog!
When projects are completely dry, spray with acrylic sealer spray.

Labels: crafts, family life, kid art

Beautifully placed under last week's classic poodle outfit, we find this lovely number:
I'm not even quite sure what to say about this. The outfit looks tasteful enough underneath, it was necessary to put flower petals all over your arms? In what world would this be stylish? Not to mention they went to the trouble to cut the petals out of "three subtle shades of organza". I can think of much better ways to use organza.

Labels: Tacky Craft Tuesday

As you all may know, I recently took a side job.

I took a job in addition to my regular gig as a business owner. I took a job being in charge of 40 foreign exchange students for a 3 week period. Three weeks of work and a bit of money...it would be fun! How much work could it be? Our company had hit a bit of a slump and we needed the money - that was 5 months ago.

In taking this job, I found that - almost no matter how bad it gets at the regular company - I would have been better off just continuing to work and working through the slump with our regular company. However, every negative experience can be a learning one.

Here's what I learned about myself:

1. I don't switch gears well. I need to be doing what I do best, which is running my company. I'm old enough that I'm not really searching for the "right" position any more and frankly trying out new jobs really just isn't necessary. Even if it's scary, stick to what you do best and build one business and don't get sidetracked.

2. I hate kids. Ok, that sounds strong. The position was with a bunch of teenagers and even though I adore my own kids, I have little patience for other people's children. I considered running a daycare at one point (for about 10 seconds) and never looked back. So, why did I think I'd like teenagers...no idea.

3. Be careful of positions that seem "flexible" and yet they have lost the last several employees before you. Basically the warning signs were all there with this job. No one ever stays, they didn't really care what my background was, and they hired me almost right after I called. These are warning signs. Beware. Ask to speak to the person who was there before you or maybe the couple before that.

4. I hate schedules. I like to make my own and control my own life. I worked for people for years and this is a necessary evil to most. However, I hate it and I'm not good at it. Frankly I'm amazed I lasted as long as I did.

5. If you have to get baby sitters and buy fast food or eat out...do the MATH! In the end, the money wasn't worth what I had to put out to accomplish the goals of the position. No way. Not even close.

6. If you feel like you really really really want to quit. Quit. It's just not worth it. Waking up every morning to go to something you hate is not worth the little bit of money that comes out the other side.

So, I'm getting myself back to normal, but this might explain where I have been...resting and recuperating. Oh! That's another lesson, it's also taken me a week to recover...there is NO WAY this was worth it! :)

Labels: business, family life, motherhood

You have all heard my whining (scroll to previous posts) so I won't explain whey "Tacky Craft" took a break, but hopefully I'm returning with a bang! This Lovely coat would appall even the biggest pet lover! Eeek! The only thing that would make it worse is doing it in the classic 70's orange and brown combo.

This item is from a 1970's Woman's Day magazine....and next week will be the lovely ladies outfit who is gazing up at the dog! Stay Tuned!

Labels: Tacky Craft Tuesday

I find a bunch of interesting things via craft, but I LOVE this idea with Little People Intallations:




Go check out the site, I'm sure you'll have your favorite, but what a wonderful, creative and artistic idea.

Labels: art, inspiration

I'm trying to work out if you can get post-traumatic stress disorder from just a regular (non-emergency related) job. No idea, but if you can, I have it. The bad part is I'm not QUITE to the "post" part yet. The visit from the French exchange students is a long and sordid story and frankly one I don't have the energy to deal with yet. The kids leave Tuesday, I hope to return to their families with some happy memories and all I can say is "it's over".

Needless to say I'm tired. I have projects to get done for Widget Inc clients (oh, yeah, the one that actually pays for me to live!) and then I'm taking most of the week next week off. I have to. I have no idea how to deal with myself right now, I can't sleep, I'm not hungry, I'm obsessive.

However, yesterday afternoon I just hung out with my kids and watched "Avatar", so I plan on a ton of that this week.

Labels: book review, family life

I ran across this photo and thought it was too funny and a bit too close to home! Our French exchange students showed up on Thursday and ironically the kid staying with us was one of two kids who didn't get his bags. This is an improvement over last year where the entire group lost their luggage. I guess I should be thrilled.

I just googled British Airways and luggage and I guess they have the worst record for loosing bags with an amazing 23 out of every 1000 bags lost. I guess the culprit is Heathrow airport which does an amazing job of loosing luggage. Wow! What a cool thing to be known for (ha, ha!).
On top of this, two years in a row, the same courier "Superior Delivery" (which is hysterical I might add) has been responsible for delivering the bags to us.

Last year our kid's luggage sat at the courier's office for 3 days. His message said "I have lots of bags to deliver. You can leave a message, but I won't return your phone call". This year, I asked last night if the bag arrived today whether it would be delivered because of 4th of July. I was assured that they worked 7 days a week. I took down the info and was assured I would hear today. Today we went out and enjoyed a day at the Cherry Creek Arts Festival and when I got back, no luggage....I decided to call.

I called and spoke to the immensely rude man at the location and he said "yep, he had the bag", it got here last night. He also said he didn't work today. I offered to drive out and get it and he said "that won't help you, I'm not working today, I won't give you the bag". I told him I was assured by British Airways I would get it and that I would call them and he said "go ahead". He was nasty, rude and I can't imagine what British Airways pays him for this service.

Anyone need a business? I bet delivering luggage for British Airways with good customer service at DIA is a GOLDMINE!

British Airways has apologized, assured me they'll "look into it". I told them I want the bags by tomorrow...think there's any chance I'll get them?

Labels: Denver, family life

**Photo removed - click on the link below to go see!


For all of you embroiderers and Crazy Quilters, I ran across this site through a post on the Crazy Quilting International board.
It's actually a show at the White River Valley Museum and a wonderful photographer that was wonderful enough to post the photos! I suggest you click through and go spend an hour or two....nifty nifty stitching!

Labels: Crazy quilt, inspiration