Drawing up cats!!

Today I would like to share my chidlren's drawings with you. I bought a card game from Rich Davis called Pick and Draw. The game is a tool to teach children how to use simple shapes to draw cartoon like faces. So after 30 minutes of our first game session, I went on to Rich Davis website and we watched his videos together. I figured it out that the game card can also be used to draw other cartoon like creatures. The kids got excited and they decided to try drawing cats from one of his videos. Here is the result:

DD4

DS6

DD8

Aren't these fun??

How do you encourage your children's creativity?? Even if you are not artistic, there is so much FREE stuff on the web that you should try your hand at it. Please share in the comments. :)

Blessings,
Tereza

Music and Dance Appreciation - Slavonic Dance no. 7

I am trying a different approach for our home education this semester. We are doing Math, Copywork, dictation and English, which depending on the age is Phonics, Grammar or Spelling, on Monday to Wednesday. We do Devotions and Bible everyday. On Thursday we are doing Music Appreciation and Friday we will be doing Games.


We began with this week's show found on Classics for Kids website.  I downloaded the Activity Sheet that covered Slavonic Dance no. 7 .  While the children (ages 8 to 18 months old) did some of the activities on the sheets, we heard the show. Then we discussed nationalism, Revolutionary War, Europe's old map, countries of Europe, freedom and dominion of one country over another. Once we heard Slavonic Dance no.7 I did I search on YouTube and we found different versions for the children's entertainment, like this one:


Guitar Quartet


Then we talked about Russian Dance and the children danced while we heard the music again. This time, my DD8 recorded the ups and down of the piece and we decided to watch Russian dancers dancing to it. We watched these videos:

Russian soldiers 1
Russian soldiers 2 - a more complete video.

Then we played the second video again MUTED and opened another tab and played the video with the Slavonic Dance no.7. The children were amazed how the dancers actually danced to the rhythm of the song.

The children enjoyed this time very much. Then because my DS6 is obsessed with computers at the moment, he talked about a game he is playing on PBS kids about Asthma and I explained to him what it really is and how one gets it. He was concerned that he might get it. So we watched this video about it and what happens to your lungs. Then I explained about allergies and the reason why we don't have cats: I am allergic to cats.

This is not the first time that we begin with one theme and end up with a completely different one. Home education is really an adventure. :)

Are you doing anything different this semester for your homeschooling journey? Please share.

Blessings,
Tereza

Webster's Pages journaling cards

So what do you do with the journaling cards or tags from Webster's pages?? This is what I made this past week before we began our new schedule for our home education.

Take Joy in Today is from a stamp set from PaperTrey Ink. I also used their buttons set stamp.

Take Joy in Today...

enjoy every moment....

BABY... Love grows in happy homes...


enjoy every moment.

This is a BABY card... have you noticed that it is the same journaling tag as the one used in the above card? But I used it for a different theme. How fun is that??



What have you been up to??

Blessings,
Tereza

More Beatriz Jennings

Hi everybody,


I hope you are enjoying this last part of Summer.

Today I have some cards to share. As I shared HERE I bought some Digital collages created by Beatriz Jennings. She is a designer and has been published many times on various magazines. Recently she began creating her own digital sheets that you can use on cards and even scrapbook layouts. You can find a link to her Etsy shop on her blog.

  

Here is a close up of that darling label she made. I created the card with a birthday or encouragement in mind, but once I was done I realized that it could be a Christmas card too!!

 

This is a baby card that I made using her scrabble letter digital sheet. They are adorable. I am completely addicted to them!!

As a background Daisy D's baby scrapbook papers. They are old but I loooove them. I save every little piece of scrap to use them in my cards or even in mini albums.

This rose bud is made of cotton t-shirts. In my house, I use our old, torn clothes as rags. Sometimes they are kitchen rags, wash rags and sometimes I tear up some strips and transform them into roses.

Even the leaves are cut from the fabric and then I dye them with distressed ink pads. So easy!

Let me know if you would like to see a demonstration. I might make a video of them.


I hope you enjoyed my cards today. I have more coming soon. What have you been up to??

Blessings,
Tereza

Reading list for July 2011 - The Boxcar children, Whole Heart ministries and more!!

Oh, WOW!! what a summer!! My parents were here and we moved into a new house and had so many projects going at the same time. I thought the children might slow down their reading time, but no! They are reading more than never!!

My DD8 discovered Magic Tree House, but after witches and what nots we decided that they weren't the best books for her. So we have tried The Boxcar children series instead and she loved it!!






























































































































































I also found Whole Heart Ministries and have ordered many of their books to read. I also read Loving the Little Years: Motherhood in the Trenches on my Kindle. It's a wonderful book with so much wisdom. If you find yourself overwhelmed with your little ones and discouraged this book is a must. It will give you new insight and lift your spirits as you look at your children with new eyes.

Happy Summer!!

Blessings,
Tereza

Julia's Memory Box

AS promised here is the video where I share the latest custom work I have made. This is a memory box I made for a Mom of 4 living blessings who lost a 20 week old baby girl. Although already a Mom of many, the loss of this baby created a gap in her heart. Her hope is that she will one day meet her baby again, in heaven.

This was such a sweet project and there are so many details.

I used Melissa Frances pearls, Prima roses, buttons and stamps from PapertreyInk and sparkles from WEbster's pages.

I used old Daisy D's vintage papers, Graphic 45 and digital sheets from Beatriz Jennings.

The box measures about 7"x7 and it is 4" deep.

As a gift for this Mom, I made her a journaling notebook that I added chipboard tiles that spell the word PRAY. I thought she could use it to jot down Bible verses, or her thoughts or even hearfelt prayers. My experience is that when you write down your prayers you can at a later date see how God answered them in a marvelous way.

Here is another close up and some details from the other sides.

I would love to hear your comments. :) and if you are a Mom who has lost a baby to a miscarriage or abortion and would like a memory box or a keepsake journal book, or scrapbook, I would be honored to work with you to bring your vision to life. Just email me.

Blessings,
Tereza

Another keepsake to remember a baby girl...

A few months back, I had another request for a memory box. As you might remember, I made this one for Little Phillip. The one I just finished is for Julia. Her Mom told me that she lost her precious baby and wanted to have a box to keep and treasure her sonograms and other keepsakes, until she meets her again in Heaven.

I will be posting more photos with more details this coming week and hopefully make a video for my Youtube channel soon.

Off to enjoy my Blessings, :)

Tereza