Wow! Thanks for all the comments and e-mails. So many wonderful art groups out there. And, definitely a strong interest in the art pen pal idea. 45 kids and counting! I'll post more about the art pen pals tomorrow, but for today, here's a little of what we enjoyed the other day.
Maia received a lovely card and drawing from a friend at school earlier this week in response to a get-well note she had sent. And with the card was wonderful selection of little treasures: shells, sea glass, embroidery thread, and an embroidery hoop. She was in heaven! I put fabric in the hoop for her and she loved trying it out.
We also made a new batch of playdough -- green this time. As always, I used the playclay recipe from MaryAnn's First Art. I toyed with the idea of trying a new recipe but in the end decided to stick with the one we know and love.
The tutu is one I just finished for Maia. It's a project that a friend started and handed off to me after letting it languish unfinished. I can understand why! The tulle was very frustrating to work with and the pattern instructions were hard to understand. I finally gave up on the instructions and winged it. It's not perfect, but Maia is happy with it. She's very into dancing these days.
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By the way, here's the playclay recipe (since several of you have asked):
[recipe updated 12/20/11]
Playdough Recipe
Ingredients:
- 5 cups water
- 5 cups flour
- 2 1/2 cups salt
- 3 Tablespoons cream of tartar
- 10 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- Food coloring
Instructions:
Mix water, salt, cream of tartar, and food coloring. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring regularly until mixture is hot. Add oil. Stir in flour a cup at a time, stirring in between each addition. Mix until playdough pulls away from pan and is no longer sticky (pinch it between your fingers to test). Dump dough on counter, let cool a bit, then knead.
We keep our playdough in a freezer bag at room temperature. This recipe makes a lot and lasts for several months!
