 Today’s #tinkersketch sketchbook challenge was “stencil.” Instead of using one of those plastic store bought stencils, I decided to make my own handmade, eco-friendly, nature loving stencils! Using real leaves! I thought I’d share my process with you as it may be a fun activity to do with your (older) kids during this spring or summer break. Supplies:
Have fun! And please share your thoughts, tips and experiences with this art activity!
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Only two more days left in the #tinkersketch sketchbook challenge! I have learned so much this past month by taking time for creating every day. More about that in another post but today I wanted to share my newest design with you and reveal how I was able to make time for the daily sketchbook challenge.
I grew up watching lots of TV as a child but as an adult, I have found that I just don’t need it. It seems there are so many commercials and not many interesting or entertaining television programs. I like to watch the occasional movie on the weekend and truly enjoy this time to relax. However, I find the daily TV programs easy to skip when you make it a habit to “unplug.” Imagine what you could do with this newfound freedom and time?! Just a few ideas:
Instead of being sucked into a mind numbing show, consider investing this time into something you love to do! If you’re already in the habit of living “unplugged,” congrats! How are you feeling? :0) I created my most recent design around this “unplug” concept to encourage others to give it a try and hopefully find more happiness and creativity in their lives. I drew this design on white sketchbook paper with Prismacolor markers. Have you tried making more time for creativity and fun by turning off the TV? Please share your thoughts about TV watching, unplugging, screen free living and other ways to better connect to the world around you and yourself.
 I have a confession to make. When it comes to our house, I’m messy. Utterly disorganized. I’d rather draw. Or play with the kids. Or volunteer. Or read books about decluttering but not actually do it. But there comes a point when even I get cranky looking at the piles and get tired of not being able to find what I’m looking for. So after reading many books about getting organized, I learned these things:
I went through our house and created a custom checklist by room of what needs to be done. Some rooms have a lot more work than others but being an artist, it is nice to have a visual overview of all the tasks. Today, I cranked up the music and tackled two major areas: the medicine cabinet and the attic which was not even accessible anymore (except with a bulldozer). It’s amazing how much stuff you can fit into a medicine cabinet over the years… I took 3 bags of expired medication, vitamins, ointments, etc. to our local police station which has a special drop box for recycling this type of stuff. Before you throw your old meds in the trash or flush them down the toilet, please check the resources for recycling options in your community as you would not want to get drugs into your local water supply. The attic contained lots of items worthy of donation. Now it is accessible and I have an overflowing bag full of kids clothes to donate. Yeah! I’m making progress! And in honor of Earth Day, I tackled all three R's: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. :0) What is your plan of attack when it comes to getting organized? Any tips for success you can share? 
Now I actually know how many sunscreen bottles and bandages we have!
 Hard to believe that we are already half way through April! I have not been posting and designing as much but I feel great that I have consistently worked on the #tinkersketch sketchbook challenge that I started on the first of this month, even while out of town! I waited to create yesterday’s challenge of object printing until today because that one proved a bit tricky on the go but I caught up again today completing two sketches.
What I have enjoyed most so far about this sketchbook challenge:
If you are doing the sketchbook challenge as well, I hope you are enjoying it as much as I do. If you’d like to see what I have created so far, please see my sketches at www.facebook.com/presentsoflove or instagram under presentsoflove. Thank you and see you there!  Happy April 1st! Anyone played a funny trick on you yet? Our daughter has been counting days for it to be April Fool’s Day so thankfully I knew to be prepared!
On a different note, a whole new month is ahead of us and if by now you have forgotten about your New Year’s resolution or never started one, this may be a great time to pick it back up or start a new positive habit. Spring is a wonderful time for renewal! This spring, my goal is to continue to add more creativity and art into my life. I recently found a great blog with a wealth of creative ideas and activities, many of them designed for you and your child to have fun together. Such a great find! Plenty of inspiration and creative projects to keep this family engaged and happy. I got especially excited when I found the TinkerSketch Sketchbook Challenge. Every day for the month of April, there is a prompt to provide inspiration. Participants are encouraged to share their daily sketches on Facebook or Instagram with the tag #tinkersketch so you can find a community of other creative souls enjoying this challenge. Being a busy mom, I love that it doesn’t have to take a lot of time. Just 5 minutes is all you need. In my earlier post, I mentioned I got myself a new sketchbook so I’m ready! Are you ready to join me in the fun? You can find more details here: http://tinkerlab.com/tinkersketch-sketchbook-challenge-instagram/ |
