Puffy paint might be my new favorite thing

Puffy paint, has, for years been a craft supply that I always had on hand, but rarely used...(not sure why, come to think of it!). This summer, however, I have had some fun with the puffy paint on hand, and ended up creating some pretty cool projects. These all are going to take more than one class session, since drying time is a MUST , but the final product is well worth it. Instructions are simple. Using a pencil or marker, lightly sketch your design directly onto your piece. (I have used glass jars and canvas....the possibilities are endless). I then used white puffy paint to go over the designs. Allow to dry completely, and then add acrylic paint directly over the puffy paint. Two coats should do it! A quick spritz of a clear glaze on glassware helps add a seal...and it looks super cool!

The Art of Camp

Forty plus years ago, I was a little girl attending day camp.  I remember lining up at the pool practicing my kicks.  I remember a certain counselor who used to read us stories.  And I remember crying.  Day after day of crying.  Then one year, I went to overnight camp.  All I remember from that experience was a lot of crying.  I didn't like it.  My subsequent summers were spent taking art and drama classes at our local schools.  I was never much of a camper.  Surprising isn't it that a lady who has spent much of her adult life working in the camping industry, was a miserable little camper.

I think I was pretty unique.  The camps I went to were pretty nice, had great programming and made the majority of the kids happy.

The problem was, that I was not really like the majority of kids.  I was an artsy kid.  The outdoors.  The sports, the competitive nature of these camps was just not my cup of tea.

What these camps lacked were strong arts programs to grasp my attention, to engage me and make me, a shy, clumsy little girl, feel like I was welcome, like I was part of  a crowd.

Of course many years have passed, and the camp industry has very much evolved, and now there are specialty camps that cater to the Artsy Child (I recommend Appel Farm Arts Camp for kids that want to completely immerse themselves in a summer of creativity).    There are also strong art programs at liberal arts camps that teach everything from Digital Photography to Glass Fusing.  There are so many more choices now, and campers of all interests and talent levels are the beneficiaries.  I would have done so well...if only I'd been born a few decades later!!

I came upon this article about the importance of Arts Programming at camp and just had to share.


The Art of Camp: How Arts Programs Fuel Self-Expression and Youth Development | American Camp Association

From Pinterest to Reality

Working on our hand print dinosaurs

Like many crafty and creative people, I have found Pinterest, and fallen in love.  Deeply in love.  It inspires me, keeps me organized, archives my creativity and more.  In the off season, I work at a Paint Your Own Pottery Studio, and I collect ideas on Pinterest to inspire my customers who need a little creative nudge to get started with their creations.  It's "Short Attention Span Theater", which is perfect for me and my ADD...It allows me to network with other members of the Craft and Pottery Communities, and allows me to share my accomplishments with my friends and family.  I <3 Pinterest, and I'm not afraid to admit it.

So...many of us who use Pinterest find that, more often than not, we find amazing ideas, but rarely follow through on actually doing any of the projects that make our crafty minds salivate when we first see them.  But, I am pleased as punch to admit, that I have had some opportunities to bring these ideas into reality!

So, today I share with you, my lil' Pinterest Board, "From Pinterest to Reality" - These are Pinterest ideas, that I shaped into age appropriate camp crafts.  Perhaps not quite as polished as the original ideas, but beautiful nonetheless, as these are created by children between the ages of 2 and 12...enjoy!

Here's the inspiration and the reality

I'm Baaaa-aaack

I've been MIA for a while now, I actually took a break from being the Camp Art Lady and worked in Camp Administration...as much as I enjoyed the experience, I missed the opportunity to work with kids and arts and crafts and messy supplies! So I'm coming back to the fold, and working at a day camp this year, teaching Creative Crafting. It will be a very different experience to not go to sleep-away camp, but we are looking forward to it, nonetheless...in the meantime, I have a Pinterest account, which I have enjoyed pinning to...so feel free to browse here and there! :)

Paper Mache Mini-Mannequin

The Artful Crafter bring us this darling jewelry holder craft. Using a paper mache mini-mannequin, you basically decoupage the outside, add wire, and embellish as you like. This is a great camp craft, though, you will have to search hard for the paper mache mannequin base.

I searched on etsy, and found one here.

I love this craft. It's pretty, it's simple and most of all, it's USEFUL!

Click here for full tutorial.

Great Web Site!

DollarStoreCrafts.com

ENJOY!!

Proud

Each summer, I get to take on new challenges, and this summer was no exception. My job, has morphed from simply teaching Arts and Crafts into greater responsibilities including costuming our camp play, special events programming and this.

Three years ago, on a whim, I decided to create a little movie for our end of season banquet. Traditionally, at camp, we celebrated the end of the summer with a "themed" dinner party complete with decorations, centerpieces and even tablecloths (a big deal in camp world!) Anyone who knows me well, knows I love to throw a party, and love good surprises even more.

The theme 3 years ago was a Fifties Soda Shop. "And let's make a movie, too," I thought. Before I knew it, I recast the iconic movie Grease starring members of our camp upper staff. We whipped up some costumes, created a script and somehow, my colleagues were ready and eager to participate. Blessedly, my "Danny Zuko" was so excited by the endeavor, he dove in and took over editing responsibilities. And so, our little production company was born.

Somehow, I'm not sure how, in four days in 2007, we produced a movie that thrilled, surprised and enthralled our campers. This summer banquet has changed from being an exclamation point at the end of our summer, to a favorite and beloved event for our campers and staff.

The theme we chose this summer was also reflective of a special era in our history. The Eighties. Amazing that a time that is so fresh in my mind has now become nostalgia. Defining the '80's of course, is MTV, the inspiration for our video.

For a creative person, there is nothing cooler than taking an idea and turning it into reality. I'm so proud of this endeavor and am so glad to share it with you today!


PS: If you look closely, you may even see the "Camp Art Lady" in this video...she's hanging out in a room with a Jukebox!

Camp Saginaw Banquet 2009 from Jason Darnell on Vimeo.

Setting up Your Camp Arts and Crafts Program

Seven years ago (!) when I was first offered my position as Camp Art Lady, I dove in eagerly, not knowing what to expect. Over the years, I've learned a lot of little tricks, that have been so helpful to me, and, lucky you, I'm going to share some of those tricks right here...right now!

1. Camp lasts for only 8 weeks, but planning your program is a year-round job. Expect to be researching ideas, materials and projects constantly.

2. The internet is your best friend. I am able to find inspirations and project ideas all over the internet. How budget friendly!

3. I look for inspiration in fashion trends and pop culture. I stalk ETSY for other crafters ideas and then look for ways to convert them to camp friendly.

4. My favorite products are: Aleene's Tacky Glue, Fiskars Scissors, Mod-Podge Decoupage Medium (please don't call it "MODGE PODGE"), Sculpey Polymer Clay. Accept NO Substitutes!

5. No need to plan projects for different age campers. Offer the same project to every age group, sometimes making adjustments for older children. It makes your planning simpler, and I promise you, campers always do well.

6. We see campers of all artistic abilities. Arts and Crafts is not Fine Arts. I'd rather keep projects simple, and allow campers to find success than make things so complex that they get frustrated.

7. Always plan projects in advance, and take the time to "work out" how a project is presented before you see your group. Inevitably, adjustments will need to be made.

8. Order Tempera Paints, they can be used for a variety of purposes. We also have smaller amounts of Acrylic Paint on hand for painting directly on wood surfaces.

9. Everything is better with Glitter. Seriously. Some campers will finish projects very quickly, and say..."I'm done!", but you still have lots of time left in your class session. Have plenty of glitter, gems, rhinestones, puffy paint available. Stretch your projects out with lots of embellishing!

10. I always try to have "back pocket" crafts ready to go. You never know when you get a rainy day, or a disruption in the schedule and you need a quicky little craft to present with little notice. Oriental Trading is a great resource for "decorate your own" type crafts that require very little preparation.

11. If you run an all Camp Tie Dye at an overnight camp...be wary of the LAUNDRY! You don't want campers ruining other laundry by throwing a freshly dyed shirt into the general laundry!

12. If wood projects or plaques will need to be hung up on the wall, make sure you provide the proper hardware for campers parent to easily hang them in their home.

13. Of everything your campers do at camp, Arts and Crafts projects are the only thing they get to really share with their parents. Their work is very tangible evidence of their parent's summer financial investment, not to mention, an enormous source of pride for everyone.

14. Be flexible! If there's one thing I've learned in my years at camp, is that no day is typical or predictable. We always have surprises, and the way we respond to those surprises defines us.

Happy Crafting!

Yummy!

I'm a sucker for anything to do with fake food. I came upon this lovely little website, PincStuff.com. She has great photos of adorable jewelry projects made from polymer clay to look like fake food.

I thought I would share with you for a little yummy inspiration!

Popsicle Sticks? Okay!

Anyone that knows me, knows I have a personal dislike of Popsicle stick crafts. Given that I'm the Camp Art Lady, I should really love them, just like I love glitter. But, alas, I don't, I think stuff made out of popsicle sticks looks weird, and unattractive, and who wants that lying around the house?

But yesterday, I received a wonderful suggestion for a super cool, super pretty, super fun craft, made out of the dreaded popsicle stick. I'm so excited about it, I'm offering the link right here.

Thank you INFUSEDgoods!

More Bottle Cap Fun

I have been inspired very recently by Kathy Cano-Murillo, "The Crafty Chica". Her spirit and sense of fun, not to mention her great ideas, have been so helpful to me.

She recently posted a great project for Bottle Cap Magnets. This is a winner of a camp craft. Cheap, easy, and hard to mess up.

I made a similar set today, to try it out, and here they are:
I attached the cute little graphic (I got these from Jelly Bean Lab, an Etsy merchant, and printed them on my computer) with ModPodge to the back of flat backed glass marble.The whole marble then gets glued to the inside of the bottle cap. I filled in the open area with glitter glue, and then embellished the glue with tiny li'l seed beads.

A good magnet goes on the back, and these'll dress up any old boring refrigerator.

I love it when things work out!!!

Jagged Necklace

I'm working so hard trying to complete my programming and projects, that I lost track of time today, just in time to miss taking my daughter for a check-up! Oh no! (I guess I'm not going to earn the Mother of the Year award this year) . We've already rescheduled for next week, plus I found this wonderful project idea along the way.

This would take at least 4 days to complete, and is really more appropriate for our older campers, but the end product is really, really pretty!

Click here to see full tutorial on Beadage.net

Personalized Name Plaque

The kids are back to school today, so that means I'm back, looking for new fun ideas for my campers. I came across this one today, on the PLAID website (which is chock full of sweet inspiration).

Full instructions can be found here.

Stamp-a-Pin

Envirotex Lite is one of my very favorite products. Pour it on any project, and it gives a clear resin-like finish. Colors POP...and it just gives a very finished, professional look to your crafts.

I came across this little project for pins made with Rubber Stamp. It seems simple enough. Stamp a design onto card stock, color it in, cut it out, and then watch magic happen by adding Envirotex Lite with a paint brush.

Click here for project instructions.

For the Real Girlie Girls

I actually really think this is a great little craft, appropriate either in a jewelry program, or a general arts and crafts program.

Decorate silk flowers with rhinestones and beads, and then attach to a barrette, for a stylish hair flower.

I love to shop at Walmart, where I always find super cheap silk(ish?) flowers.

Project directions can be found here.

Great Resource

I always have my eye out for websites with great tutorials and ideas. Here's a new one I've found. Enjoy!

www.cutoutandkeep.net

Sparkling Beaded Candleholder

I've been holding on to this one for a couple of years (no kidding!), and I think this is the year we're going to do it. This is a great way to use up random beads that we've acquired over the years.

Votive holders can be purchased fairly inexpensively through Candles 4 Less.

Instructions for this project can be found here.

Polymer Clay Pens

I love crafts that are useful. Here's an old favorite of mine, that fits the bill perfectly!

Click here for HGTV tutorial.

More Chihuli Inspired Art!

Last week I posted a beautiful project inspired by the renowned glass artist, Chihuly. I came upon this project today, which is another lovely option inspired by the same artist. Enjoy!

Initial Necklace

(Oh, how I love to find new craft websites! Crafty Chica is my latest favorite!)

This initial necklace is made with polymer clay, which is then painted with a metallic paint.

So adorable!