Groundhog Day Activity For Children

Reading Recommendation: "Bear Shadow" by Frank Asch, published by Prentice Hall. This is the classic story of the little bear who tries to escape his shadow. Might get the kids interested in reading his other terrific books too!

Science Activity: Give the kids a flashlight at night or in a darkened room and let them make shadows on the wall. They can work together to make the hand shapes look like animals or hold common objects in front of the light to see the images on the wall or ceiling. For added interest, see if they can figure out how to make the images get bigger and smaller by adjusting where they hold the light and object. Let them observe things on your windowsills when it is a sunny day to see how the shadows move throughout the day as the sun's position changes.

Art Activity: For this activity you will need to draw the shape of a groundhog on copy paper or card stock (you can also look for some clip art online). Let the kids color it, cut it out, and tape it to a drinking straw. You will also need a foam coffee cup.



Help the children cut a small hole in the bottom of the cup large enough for the straw to fit through. Cover the cup with brown construction paper. Insert the groundhog into the cup, putting the straw down through the hole. The children can now hold the bottom of the straw and have the groundhog pop up out of his hole and then go back down again by pushing and pulling on the straw.

Clean and Simple

Here are cards for a challenge called Limited Supply Cards. This is my favorite style!

Love Much

Worked on this card yesterday. The challenge was to use a sketch already created. The fun part here was chalking the edges of the flower (from the Martha Stewart Collection) to match the patterned paper in the background. I also like the pale pink vellum strip behind the flower. It was a fun card to do.

Ink Your Own Paper

For today's challenge, you were asked to use alchohol inkers to make your own background paper. I had never done this before but I like the way it came out. I used SU Bliss Blue and Forest Green. Next time I think I will wear gloves! LOL The little fish are silvered with Martha Stewart glitter. Thanks for looking.

Sending Awards Your Way!

I did a lot of visiting and it is so hard to decided to whom this award should go. We have such creative paper crafters out there. This time, I will be sending the Kreative Blogger Award to:

1.-Ashley

2. Becky

3. Cindy

4. Joanne

5. Rosie

6. Wendy

Congratulations and keep those cards coming!

Second Blog Award! Wow!

I want to thank Alfred, a wonderfully creative artist, for giving me my second blog award. For this award, I have to list six things that make me happy. It's such a good thing to review all the wonderful gifts we have been given so here are mine:
1. My terrific family which I love and enjoy so much.
2. Sharing my cards and scrapbook pages online with all my new friends.
3. Having time now in retirement to knit, quilt, and sew.
4. Volunteering with a Labrador Retriever Rescue Group in my area.
5. Really good chocolate and really good coffee.

I also need to nominate 6 new blogs for this award. Stay tuned for my new picks.

Backyard Friends

This scrapbook page was for a challenge to find unique ways to frame your pictures. For inspiration, I used photos of all the wildlife that I see from my windows. Living in the country provides me with lots of opportunities to see deer and turkeys who love to eat at my bird feeders. There are some bear around but none have found me yet...and I guess that's a good thing.

Thanks, Barb!

I just received my first Blog Award from a new blogger friend, Barb. I love her blog and have it listed as one of my favorites that I visit often. In order to receive the award I have to list 5 additions I have so here goes:

1. Coffee first thing in the morning
2. Doing the weekly crossword puzzles.
3. Buying great children's books.
4. Knitting or quilting while I "watch" TV.
5. Buying great stamps, terrific paper and beautiful emblishments for making cards and scrapbook pages.

I will pass this award onto five other bloggers. Visit their blogs and see why I enjoy stopping by:

1. Joni
2. Yuki
3. Felicia
4. Laura
5. Lisa

Car Safety For Children

Helpful information to keep your children safe inside and outside your vehicles are located at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. They also have rated car seats and locate sites close to your home where trained personnel check to see that your car seat has been properly installed.

Julie's Card

For Julie's challenge we needed to create a card with butterflies and glitter. That's such a great combination and so fun to do. I used SU Winged Things stamp and sentiment. SU ink is Rose Passion. The beautiful ribbon is from Home and More Classic Collection, the punch is from EK Success,and the glitter is from Martha Stewart.

Chinese New Year And Other Reading Topics

Additions to the children's winter reading list are:
For the hockey lovers- "Z Is For Zamboni" written by Matt Napier, illustrated by Melanie Rose, published by Sleeping Bear Press, Chelsea, MI. This is a wonderful alphabet book using all things related to the game of hockey. Especially helpful for enticing little boys to read!

For the animal lovers- "Winter White" written by Joanne Ryder, illustrated by Carol Lacey, published by Morrow Junior Books, New York. This is a beautiful fable set in the artic about a fox and a lemming.

To celebrate the Chinese New Year which will be celebrated on Jan 26th for the year 4707-
1- The fabrics of Fairytale, retold by Tanya Robyn Batt and illustrated by Rachel Griffin, published by Barefoot Books, New York. This great book teaches children about different fabrics told through fairytales from around the world. The one from China is called "The Silk Brocade." It is a nice introduction to Chinese culture.
2- "Daisy Comes Home" written and illustrated by Jan Brett, published by G.P. Putman's Sons, New York. In this story, children follow the adventure of a little hen, while seeing life in China.

Chinese Lantern Art Project
Using a 8 1/2 X 11 inch piece of copy paper, fold it in half lengthwise. Cut slits from the folded side about every inch or so stopping about one inch from the top. Open flat and fold in the top about 1/2 inch on both edges.



Form a tube and staple it on the top and bottom. When you stand it up, the middle
(along the original foldline) will bulge out forming the lantern shape.



Add another strip of colored paper or some ribbon, yarn, or string to make a handle. You can then hang it up. It can be decorated with pictures of your choice. Especially pretty is the use of gold metallic markers. Older children can even copy actual Chinese alphabet or symbols. Another option would be to draw a dragon, lion or anything of your choice on the paper after it is folded in half but before the slits are cut. I have also seen them done with double sided patterned paper which it lovely. Hanging several in a row to form a garland it just terrific.

Working with Complimentary Colors

This scrapbook page taxed my brain! I don't usually use complimentary colors (opposites on the color wheel) when I do any color work, scrapping, sewing, knitting or quilting. The charge was to make this page using only complimentary colors so here is my best effort. It came out better than I expected, but I don't think my taste will ever change this much!