Creative Sprint Day 17

Create or alter a postcard and send it anonymously to someone in the mail (snail mail, not email!) Don't forget to document it before you send it off.


I altered a postcard I received from my friend Rachel with the 2nd layer of a sugar skull napkin (also from Rachel, she's a very generous friend!) along with my leaf "hat" from Day 13 and some washi tape.

The recipient of this card is my first mail art friend who I didn't even know as a mail artist at first!  There are many strange coincidences in life if you open your eyes to them. If you have a chance you should visit Heebee Jeebee Land check out what goes on there and maybe even participate in the mail art calls!

I can't wait to see the reaction on the Heebee Jeebee blogpost when this card is received!!

Secret Squirrel
xoxo
Char

Creative Sprint Day 16

Make a gift for someone and give it to them.

The gastrointestinal nastiness has spread to me now... I spent most of my day wallowing in my own misery while trying to be present for my Kai Baby, who has bounced back to his normal energetic self.  I decided to nap with him this afternoon and I'm sure I fell asleep before he did because the last thing I remember was him patting my head and singing "Rock a bye baby" to me.  It was the sweetest thing.  Despite the crud, I've been looking forward to making my gift all day.  Thank goodness he fell asleep at a decent time!

The "gift" I made is an etegami.  Etegami is a Japanese folk art; it's also mail art.  Etegami is characterised by: Debbie the Etegami Guru's informative post

the tools of the trade

I've had a care package I've been meaning to send to my friend Aya in Japan for a few months now! I wanted to include a note so etegami was the perfect thing to make. We shared an office together in NYC.  Our time working together was probably the best period of time at that company for me, and though that time and place was so long ago, so far away, and we are in completely different places than we were in our 20's, we are still friends and that makes me happy.  We always pick up right where we left off and I appreciate her so much!

"I wish we could have tea together"

Happy giving

xoxo

Char

Creative Sprint Day 15

Carry something with you all day, preferably something you've made, and document it in a variety of locations.

It's HUMP DAY for the week AND for this project! Yay, everything is downhill from here.

This pretty much sums up my week so far...

My friend Rachel shared this graph on her facebook feed a few days ago.  As my week became crazier and more stressful, I kept thinking of it and just had to share it.  I'm pregnant, hangry, my husband's deployed, my kid got hurt and now he's sick, and I'm freaking tired= CRANKY.

I had to run to the store to pick up some sick kid essentials today; another thing that makes me cranky is this state's unofficial motto of "California, where you're the only driver on the road".  My husband came up with that shortly after we moved here from Japan (where their motto is "Nice, nice, nice, polite, helpful, kind, nice") and we were ran off the road on an interstate!  So I grumbled "F you, week.  F you, sickness! F you everything that isn't the way I want it to be".  Made a finger flipping the bird, and continued on with my day.

Come along with me, bird finger. (kitchen)

Off we go to the store (driveway)

I didn't get chocolate milk, but I got dark chocolate ice cream bars instead! (on the road)

"Mama, Kai have it, finger?" (in the store parking lot)

See you later parking lot

Fitted with a bobby pin since I'm not walking around with my card case for the rest of the day.

I'm wearing this for the rest of my life!

Lets make tomorrow less cranky, I hate being a Negative Nancy.
xoxo
Char

Creative Sprint Day 14

Learn something new. Ask a friend to help you do something using a technique or skill they are good at.

I had the heaviest sinking feeling of dread when I saw today's assignment.  I did not want to see anyone today, as I spent last night tending to an unwell toddler after he painted his bedroom with vomit.  It was on the carpet, seeped into his pillow, on every single one of his 6 stuffed animals that he sleeps with, on his blankets, on the wall, in between the mattress and his bed frame...  Vomit session of epic proportions which resulted in a massive amount of laundry and additional clean-up to do today.  We had a curried coconut chicken and wild rice casserole for dinner so it was visually horrifying too.  I also know how to do everything and I hate asking for help.

Actually, I know how to knit but I don't know how to crochet so with the handy dandy internet, emails and text messaging, my friend Cari assured me that she could show me how to make a simple crocheted heart.  She's a self taught hooker who makes newborn outfits for friends out of the kindness of her own heart of gold (Get it? Huh? Crochet hook? Hooker?  Hooker with a heart of gold? Ha ha ha ha ha).

A cutie Dino outfit made by Cari

So here is my evolution of heart making.  I followed the same instructions for each of the three things in the picture below:

For reals...

The result was better with each successive try and now I'm thinking I can be a hooker too!

Third time's a charm

Happy Hooking

xoxo

Char

Creative Sprint Day 13

Make a hat or something to wear on your head. Get a photograph of yourself wearing it in public.

The only thing I was going to leave my house for today was to take my baby boo to his toddler art group (Other than walking to the mailbox and letting Kai play on the jungle gym for a little bit later this afternoon).  Today's theme was "Bug Explorers.  The kids made sponge paint caterpillars, hand print bumble bees, and they also got to play with some real live ladybugs in the grass.  It was a fun time for all.  Knowing what we'd be doing today, I wanted to make a bug hat to wear at the park.

All before Go-Time I made hash browns, perfect over easy eggs, supremed some oranges and sliced my finger, showered, got Kai dressed and ready to go, packed our bag, made a watercolor leaf hat, searched for and found my car keys, and snuck Kai's praying mantis into our daypack.

Praying Mantis & Watercolor Leaf

The back....

My buggy hat at Ward Canyon Neighborhood Park

hunchback caterpillar

Bee Dance

Kai examining ladybugs

A special thank you to Cari for taking a picture of my buggy hat.  I also can't stop myself from mentioning: my Day 8 made it on ALR's Week 2 Highlights blogpost!

Hooray!
xoxo
Char