365 Project: Week 13

Wow! What a week! It has finally begun feeling like spring!! The grass is starting to pop up, the ticks seem to be out in full force (Note to self: It's Frontline time for Bella!), we even had our first real thunderstorm! (Unfortunetely for my poor Altima, that thunderstorm came complete with golf-ball-sized hail...)

HUGE accomplishment for the week: I bisque AND glaze fired the bowl/basin that I made for my church's baptism ceremony this past Sunday. The bisque didn't go quite as well as expected... I tried to rush the process and *thought* the pieces I made were dry enough to survive the kiln. Of course, patience is a vital part of the ceramic process, so two of the three bowls completely exploded, leaving one lone survivor (thank God one was all I truly needed!) I glazed it up and it did it served its purpose well on Sunday morning! Although I was really stressed out meeting this super short deadline, I'm grateful for it. Without some sort of incentive to get out and make some ceramic pieces, I don't ever find the time! It gives me a great sense of accomplishment to know that I CAN actually do it (if someone lights a fire under me, of course :)

I also had three lovely visitors over the weekend! With the weather the way it was, we got plenty of hiking/geo-caching in, went to the park, played many rounds of 'Disney Scene-it', made recycled box books, colored Easter eggs... wow! No wonder it doesn't feel like I had a 'real' weekend! But was so much fun- I love having kids around to justify doing 'kid activities' like easter egg coloring and playing board games. (it's no fun at all doing those things alone!)

With Earth Day coming up, I hope you get inspired to make your own 'Recycled Art' as well (the kids LOVED the box books)! What a fun way to re-define 'junk'!
Check out Needle in a Haystack for a fun (& easy!) tutorial on how to create books out of recycled boxes. Thanks for the tip, Lisa! ALSO - if you can find it, check out THIS BOOK. It's full of instructions and ideas on how to make recycled books out of all sorts of crazy amazing things (like hot water bottles, window screens and old gift cards!) It is seriously one of the best purchases I've made in a long time. I'm getting inspired to make something just thinking about this book!  Enjoy!


STAY TUNED FOR A BIG, REALLY FUN ANNOUNCEMENT COMING THIS WEEK!! 
I CAN'T WAIT TO SHARE IT WITH YOU!