A Net in Time

Curriculum and book reviews, faith, homeschooling and more!

Art Books

Plastic Canvas: Cars and Trucks

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The other day (couple months back) I was out kicking around and saw some plastic canvas creations.  They were rather well done and it spurred me on to see if I still had any plastic canvas around.  I found some, but no yarn or thread to do it to be found, and then well.. life got a bit hectic.  

In the process of packing/unpacking I found this plastic canvas book and tucked it away with my arts/crafts books.   Ergo, when I was searching for an art book for today I stumbled upon it and since it brings back happy memories for me why not! 

What happy memories you ask?

I remember sitting with my mom and a group of girls learning how to do plastic canvas.  I still recall the peals of laughter rolling around the table, the conversation lightening quick, the questions and answers, the fights over who got the yarn next and can you pass me the scissors.   

After I earned the badge, I found myself continuing to work with plastic canvas, cutting, shaping, learning new techniques.  Then college came along and life got busy and I set it aside.   I still look back at this crafting skill with fond memories.  And I keep my limited supplies around but I honestly don’t know if I will ever get back into it.

THOUGH…

This book with the cute cars intrigues me.  Wouldn’t they be fun to make for a little boy or girl?

Plastic canvas cars and trucksAfter learning how to make wheels we are taught how to make seven different vehicles

  • big rig
  • pickup
  • bluemobile
  • antique coupe
  • yellow sports car
  • pink convertible
  • gasoline tanker

Plastic canvas cars and trucksWhat do you think?

Good toys for girls and boys?   Fun to make you think?   Perhaps I should get re-inspired. 🙂

Crafty Ideas from Junk

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crafty ideas from junk

Crafty Ideas from Junk is a book I pulled from my art shelves.   It’s not a large book by any means but has a number of fun crafts in it to delight your budding artist.   (or simply a child looking for some way to occupy their time) Games, robots, necklaces and plant holders are just a few of the activities waiting to be discovered.

crafty ideas from junk

Each craft/activity comes with a needed supplies list.  Some are more loose in their requirements than others, as well as instructions following. I found that some of the directions left me a bit confused as to what I was to do first or next or just how to accomplish the task at hand, but that gives the opportunity to do some problem solving, which is a great part of doing crafts isn’t it?  To have to figure some of it on your own.   Helps make the craft or game more your own.

crafty ideas from junk

One of the things I would like to do with a Co-op class sometime is to have a “make games for your siblings class”.  I look at the instructions above and think… this would be a great game to older kids to make for their siblings.   What do you think?

crafty ideas from junk

More than 25 crafts, games and activities fill the pages of this softcover tomb by Myrna Daitz.   Children will find themselves encouraged in their efforts to keep themselves busy.   I like this little book and it will rejoin the others on my shelf. Perhaps in the spring I’ll actually host a “Make a gift for your Siblings class”.  Would be fun don’t you think?

crafty ideas from junk
Crafty Ideas from Junk
Myrna Daitz
Exley Publications Ltd
48 pages, softcover,
art book, elementary, craft, art

 

Building with Paper

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Building with Paper

Building with Paper is a neat book that gives you specific projects in working with paper.  

You can build a Paper Town, Bridges, Boats, Castles & Forts, and a Stadium. 

You get clear instructions

building with paper

With excellent drawings

building with paper

Each Section is clearly delineated with a face page.

building with paper

My thoughts:

My son went through a period where he was constantly building things with paper. I had him look through this book to see if it was good and he said “yes, I would have liked this book two years ago”.  It teaches not only the folding and building, but how to put the pieces together so they hold together well.   Papercraft boat anyone?   The one in the book looks like it would float well and possibly even hold a small figurine making for a lovely play time that you make yourself.   It would be fun to do as co-op class don’t you think?  Building a castle together?  HA!  that would simply be a hoot!

We Inspire Me

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You know how creative people like to have others around them? Well actually how most people like to have some type of support system? We Inspire Me: Cultivate your Creative Crew to Work, Play and Make by Andrea Pippins is all about reaching out to the people in your life now, or those that you cultivate, in order to help you work, play and make.

Although this book focuses on building your CREATIVE community, the lessons contained within the pages are for anyone who just wants to expand the number of people in their lives. we inspire me
About the Author:

Andrea Pippins is a designer, illustrator, educator, and author currently residing in Stockholm, Sweden.

What Do You Get?

we inspire me

Andrea Poppins brings together stories, essays, illustrations, advice and tips related to the importance of building and nurturing one’s creative community.   It is important to surround yourself with people that want to see you excel and thrive.  This is not a how to book, this is a tips and suggestions books with stories to inspire you to make connections with those around you. 

As you turn the pages you will notice the bright and colourful designs.  You’ll find a mingling of pinks, browns, yellows, and blues. The title pages are clearly delineated with a write up telling you what’s important in this section.we inspire me

Each individual who tells a story is enabled to do so with interesting fonts and important lessons.   

we inspire meLessons span topics such as sharing stories about dealing with mental illness, to how to find people with common interests, different formats to bring people together, how to celebrate each other’s creativity and more. 

we inspire meI was talking with Lisa the other day and she was telling me about different groups that she is part of.   Her accountability groups and mentoring groups and such like.   Some she paid to be part of, and others she chose to start.  And I have to admit, as an introvert, trying to figure out how to start a group and be able to chat with different people about ideas is difficult, even if it is on-line.  It’s so easy to get lost in the conversation whether it’s in person or on-line.  I don’t quite get how one does it.   Books like these help. 

I don’t think a tribe of one or two is what this book is calling for though eh?   A tribe implies more than just one or two. I can see the advantage of having a variety of people with differing skills as part of your group, and how it is vital to inspiring one’s own creativity.  We can inspire each other. 

This book talks about that though, how an introvert who prefers stick to the quiet things, can push past that to attend events that lead to friendships.  It’s good to do that eh?  To take that risk and try it something new out. 

Some of the ideas I ran into:

Wine Tasting, Team sports, paint night, go out for brunch with at least four people, throw an event that YOU would be interested in, bring a business card to a meeting (maybe 5-7) and make a goal of passing them out before the night is through and you can start a neighbourhood project… perhaps you need a new park or art centre?  Who knows the people you will meet along the way.  Might be your new best friend or just the person you need to inspire you to greater heights in your life.  You just never know if you don’t take the chance. 
we inspire me

 

We Inspire Me: Cultivate your Creative Crew to Work, Play and Make
Andrea Pippins
Chronicle Books
152 pages, hardcover
Creative, Teamwork
Reviewed for Raincoast Books.

disclosure

Things to Make and Do

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As you can see from my image, my copy of Things to Make and Do is a bit battered and stained.  Although this small book doesn’t have any many crafts in it as some do, I like it because it has projects in it that I haven’t found in most other craft/art books.  Let me take a moment to tell you about this helpful book.

Things to make and do, main image

What do you get?

Produced by Scholastic Services, this almost 80 page book contains about 40 projects.  These range in difficulty from easy (book marks) to hard (prickly vase).   Well written instructions help the maker complete their projects well. Part of the author’s goal is to help the young makers design and create projects they may be able to sell.  To that end she enclosed a small section at the close of the book to assist them in their endeavors (things to do). 

Table of contents, book things to make and do

The Nitty Gritty

Illustrator Ethel Gold provides simple drawings to guide the maker in their projects.  Some of the projects look remarkably simple, but their complexity is see as you go through the steps to make them. The projects use items often readily found around the house, I didn’t run into anything I didn’t know what it was.

Things to make and do - sample project

I have to admit, I did need to research what crafting wax is. I’d heard of it before but wasn’t sure what it looked like. Now I know more eh?

 

I mentioned a couple of the projects to my lad and he thought they sounded good to make.  “That could be helpful mom” and “do you think something like that I could sell?”   It’s good to raise an entrepreneurial lad you know?  

Things to Make and Do - sample project

This project made me think of  how my mom likes to make cards. Designing them well for each person, the pride she takes in giving something personal to others.   It’s cool to see and this project would be a good first step in helping a new generation learn the skill of card-making. 

Things to Make and Do

 

 

Things to Make and Do
Linda Beech
Ethel Gold (illustrator)
Scholastic Book Services
80 pages, softcover
Crafts, Projects, Make it
 

Hands Around the World

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Do you ever struggle with helping bring about cultural awareness?   Hands around the World is filled with 365 creative ways to help build cultural awareness in your students and to help us respect one another around the globe. There are activities for every day of the year.

hands around the world

So why am I talking about a cultural awareness book on my art day?  Well.. you see, often part of building awareness with each other is engaging in crafting or art projects with each other.  Reading the poems or seeing the crafts that people around the world make.  Whether it’s a japanese wind sock, or colouring a flag, making a puppet so you can put on a puppet show of a native story, or even making a Batwa story mouse.   There are so many ideas floating around the peoples of the world, why not build on them together?

hands around the world, contents

What do you get?

365 ideas, one for every day of the year.

Ideas vary in their ranges: recipes, stories, activities, crafts, games, physical activities, and more.

Learn new skills such a folding napkins, making a homemade toy, acting, or putting on a cultural sale.

hands around the world, ideas

My Thoughts:

I love the sheer variety of tried and tested ideas presented in this great Kids Can! Book.  Susan Milord does a great job of providing some very unique ways to help children from a variety of cultures connect with each other.  It’s good to see how other people do things, to learn their history, and to discover how we express ourselves within our cultural heritage. 

hands around the world, how to

hands around the world, book coverHands Around the World : 365 creative ways to build culture awareness & Global respect
Susan Milord
Series: Kids Can
Williamson Publishing
160 pages, softcover
Elementary, Cultural awareness, Heritage,
Art, crafts, cooking, dance, activities
Where to find.

Bright Ideas: Seasonal Activities

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I grew up with Bright Idea books floating around with things to do with children.  Published in 1984 they have been around a spell.  This particular book, Seasonal Activities, is filled with not just craft ideas, but with different things you can do with children throughout the different Seasons of the year.

Seasonal Activities by bright ideas

What do you get?

Seasonal Activities is divided into Four sections along with a reproducible materials section.  128 pages filled with over 150 activities to do for children 5 to 11. 

Each page lists the age range geared for, most often 5-9 or 7-11, with some variation, the type of activity, the size of group needed, and the supplies required.  Each activity was previously published in the Scholastic Magazine, and as such has been tried and tested.  Simple black and white illustrations dot the pages.

Seasonal Activities by bright ideas, sample page

Even though my lad is 13 years old, I found activities that I will be modifying to use over the coming year as we study Canada and the wars.  Things like travel study guides, radar mapping, cleaning barracks and more.  Do they need to be adapted sure?  It’s all part of the learning right?

Seasonal Activities table of contents

My Thoughts:

I love the sheer variety of things to do.  From kite-flying to building a collage.  There are things to delight and entertain any number of curious, creative 5-11 year olds. With some modifications, they could even be used at hands-on, stem projects for older students as well. 

seasonal activities book cover

 

Seasonal Ideas

Bright Ideas
Scholastic Publications
Softcover, ages 5-11,
crafts, activities, seasons

Found on Amazon.