A Note to My Subscribers!!

Dear friends,

I want to let you know that you may receive a random post from the past.  I am uncertain why this happens but it seems connected to the revising old posts process.  The odd thing about this is it will randomly send something that I am not working on.  Go figure!

I hope this does not happen often.  I will be contacting blogger to figure out the issue.  I promise the redo will be worth the hassle as I make a complete index of my posts (like the back of a book).

I appreciate your patience as I upgrade my blog!

Sally

P.S.
Please watch for a few very special opportunities next week:

• First, I am going to offer a free one-on-one classroom management coaching session to 10 people.  Super uber cool.  
• Second, I will be posting a form for a special follower's forum.  This will be a new FREE members only site with special offerings, webinars and tons of freebies.  I was going to do this on Facebook but it appears it is not going to be the best venue.

Dem Bones

My kinders loved learning about bones. Here are some of the ideas I found online (links below) and of course, a Fairy Dust idea!

 I love this idea from Dilly Dali.  

For instructions:   Cotton Swab Bones

This would be so great to build as a class.

Instructions at:  http://pickupsomecreativity.blogspot.com/

 Super easy plastic fork skeleton!

Instructions at:  http://jennwa.blogspot.com/

Super easy and cute q-tip skeleton!

Go to:  http://larremoreteachertips.blogspot.com/

I love this idea!  Pasta Skeleton!

Instructions at: http://familyfun.go.com/

Paint a life size skeleton!

Instructions at:  Fairy Dust Teaching!

 

Print out a toddler sized skeleton!

At:  http://totallytots.blogspot.com/2011/11/letter-xx-is-for-x-ray.html

Good things are happening!

Dear Readers,

Oh my.  There is so much to tell you. 

• First, I will not be posting as often for the next month.   (You probably noticed I have slowed down).   I am revamping my blog.  I am creating new categories and links to my previous posts.   It seems like my blog has gotten a bit unruly to dive into.  I hope to make it easier to navigate the nearly 400 ideas in this blog!  User friendly is my battle cry!  (Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!!)

• Me oh my! I am over the moon on my next give-away.   Get this.  I am preparing a super amazing freebie - my personal teacher's notebook.  No joke.  It is going to be a 300+ page freebie.  It will be a free subscription.  You will receive a weekly download packed full of goodness.  Each week will feature a special theme or method of my notebook (each week is 10-15 pages worth of awesomeness). 

I absolutely adore giving away good stuff.  It is the best!

• I am also working on my fairy tale curriculum.  Super uber excited!  It is going to be quite extensive and have some very special bonuses I am so jazzed about.   The only downer is that it is taking me forever.  There are a few surprises in the pdfs that are taking a little technie knowledge and.  .  .

• Finally, I am moving my professional development courses over to a new web site.  I am designing it myself and setting up a wonderful site.  This site will have freebies as well.  It will have a membership site so when you take a course - you will have your own log-in.   The growth of my courses has created the need to get more high tech!

So needless to say - I am a busy bee!  What you can expect are 2 -3 posts about my upcoming My Best Kept Secrets of  the Visual Arts workshop.  It is going to a be amazing with over 100 pages of downloads.  You will have a master notebook of art.   It is a masterpiece!

Super big hugs!  I appreciate all your support and interest in my blog and courses. You bless my life over and over again.  I love doing this work with you.

Hugs!
See you soon!

Sally

Leaf Sewing!

What you will need:

Leaves, hole punch, child' plastic needles and yarn.

This one of my favorite fall activities!  There are two ways to do this!

Hole Punched Leaves

 Using a hole punch - make holes around the edge of the leaf.

Or let the children make the holes.  Magnolia leaves are very strong!

Let the children lace the leaf!

Needle and Yarn Leaves

 Thread a child's plastic needle with yarn. Push needle through leaf.

 Go around the edge of the leaf.

 Leaves that have been sewn.

So beautiful!

Artist Study: Willem de Kooning

"Light in August"  1947  

In a recent museum class I taught - we explored the world of the gray scale and the work of Willem de Kooning.   We looked at several examples of de Kooning's work and identified the values lightest to darkest (the gray scale).

STEP ONE:  Make your own gray scale tool!

 You will need a paint stick, gray paint chips and glue.

I like the paint chips with the little window.  It is just like a real

gray scale artist's tool!

Glue the paint chips on to the stick going from light to dark.

Ta da!  You have a gray scale tool.

STEP TWO:  Paint a gray scale painting. 

I gave the children black sharpies to draw a picture.

We used gray watercolor (watered down black).

STEP THREE:  Play "Musical Values."

Play upbeat music!

Using construction paper in the different gray scale values - the children

shuffled the paper to create a large swirl of values.

When I stopped the music - they had to stand on a value and name it.

Lightest, lighter, light, dark, darker, or darkest.

STEP FOUR:  Create your own de Kooning style painting.

I cut an old phone book and black construction paper into random shapes.

The children picked what they wanted and glued them down on white paper.

(watered down glue and a foam brush work well)

Next, they painted black abstract lines and shapes.

Here is a peek at some of the work of the class: