junk journals . . .

 I decided to take some of the paper "stuff" I keep and make some simple Junk Journals.

What do I keep . . . old calendar pages, my grandkids artwork, bags, cards, envelopes, doodles, bits and an pieces of this and that . . . JUNK!

Using washi tape and duct tape I just make a simple journal that I can write in and add to later.

It all starts with one little bead . . .

 Jake and Kasey wanted a dream catcher to hang in Avery's nursery.  (No Avery yet, but very soon.)

I don't  think I would have ever made a dream catcher otherwise . . . and I'm not sure if I will ever make another one . . . although I do have some ideas.  

 All the beads on the table inspired Lily to make a necklace.  She spent the night this weekend . . . so we painted . . . and beaded . . . and read . . . and stayed up late eating popcorn and drinking root beer.

Fun Night!

I've been folding these cranes from old book pages . . . hoping to get enough to fill up a tree this coming Christmas.  I have over 200 so far . . . I think I will have enough by December.  

origami obsessed . . .

I just keep folding . . . when maybe I should be doing other things, but sometimes this is exactly what I need to do.  I have probably made about 400 paper cranes the last couple of weeks - most of them for the kids at the school where I work.  I am not sure how they caught on . . . but for right now these kids like paper cranes and I enjoy all the kids . . . so I will keep folding.  I also have plans to make some ornaments and have enough cranes made out of old book pages to decorate a Christmas tree this coming year.  I seem to be a little origami obsessed. 

more paper cranes . . . .

 Charlotte wanted to color with me  - so we worked on coloring some origami paper. 

 She had to leave before her sheet was finished . . . so that paper crane is yet to come.

  I can't wait to see what her crane looks like once she is done and I get it folded.

 I used some watercolor pencils on my sheet .  I colored it rather quickly and 

dabbed it here and there with a wet paint brush . . . then had to wait

for it to dry before folding a crane.  I like how it turned out . . . but then,

I always like how paper cranes turn out.  

I have been a little obsessed with paper cranes this week!

paper cranes . . .

It was a cold and rainy weekend . . . perfect for being inside and getting online to list my Shabby Charlotte dolls.  Instead . . . I folded paper cranes.  I will get the dolls listed soon.
 I seemed to have had origami paper all over the place . . . so decided to get it all back in order.
After looking at all the beautiful paper I just felt the need to make some cranes.
Happy Monday!

coloring . . .

Richard found this wonderful origami  paper that you color.

Now I just want to color and fold cranes . . . 

. . . and paint . . . and sew . . . and take pictures . . . and make dolls.  

I have a head full of ideas these days . . .  hoping to make it a creative new year!

new paper . . . folding paper cranes

New origami paper . . . means fold paper cranes.  I am still working on completing my 1000 paper crane project . . . 326 more to go.

  It is taking me much longer that I anticipated, but I am getting closer.  

Peace ~ Love ~ Cranes

April doodles . . .

I enjoy the tea . . . but I think I like seeing what the tea bags say even more . . . 

I still have a group of students that come get origami paper and paper cranes from me nearly every day during the week.  Sometimes they bring me cranes . . . or other things they make out of paper.

This little guys probably comes by my desk more than anyone . . . 

He came in to show me this finger puppet he made out of paper yesterday!

This is so great! - and it makes me smile.

paper chain and christmas charlotte . . .

I meant to post pictures of the paper chain that Charlotte and I made before now . . . and then I didn't get very good photos of it, but most of the fun was making it with her and talking to her while she was handing me the strips of paper.  She would get bored and I was left making paper chain by myself for awhile.  To be honest it went much faster then, but it wasn't nearly as much fun.  She would eventually wander back over, climb up next to me, and ask me what color I needed next.  The chain was long enough to go around the living room and the dining room . . . this may just be something I will do with her again.