Mother's Day Gift + Rhyme

It's such an honor to make an "Artist-in-the-Schools" visit. I arrive in my polka-dots, with all of my surprises ready to share with excited, eager students. In the process I get to observe amazing work and then share it with you here. 

Take a look at Mrs. Jones' kindergarten room where I visited yesterday. They are gearing up big time for Mother's Day on the horizon. 

Mother's Day jingle piggyback tune for circle time fun!

These little beauties were laying just inside their door and were in the process of being assembled for the keepsake of the year. I asked Mrs. Jones for the 4-11 and she called the little glass bits, "blobs" (that's a professional term I'm sure.) She said that they're the kind of blobs that are meant for around a plant. Got it? Ya buy 'em in a mesh bag. These are probably about 2 inches across.

Kindergarten Mother's Day Gifts: Photographs 'framed' in glass with magnet!

Once the children's photos are all ready and she has her collection of glass blobs, the photos get trimmed to 'fit' the specific form of the blob. The two are then attached to each other with a very thin layer of glue. YES. You put the glue on the top of the photo. As you can see the glue dries clear. The very final step is the addition of the magnet on the back. [Editor's note: just saw these 'blobs' at my Dollar Tree in a mesh bag, among the craft materials... then I made a tutorial in time for Father's Day: click here to see it step-by-step.]

What a great addition to any refrigerator!! KEEPSAKE!!!

It was tricky to photograph these gems -- with the light bouncing off of the glass and the flash yada-yada, but you'll have to trust me, they are glorious!! 

Photographs of child applied to clear glass baubles for Mother's Day

Seeing all of the children's photographs and thinking about magnets, it reminds me of this idea I saw earlier in the year. LUV LUV LUV this one folks! Pin it now as a prompt for your launch of next year -- or for use in your summer program. (I have this photo name identification game in this previous article here on Best Practice in Preschool.)

Children's photographs as magnets + children's names on magnets = Name recognition Activity!!

Back to Mother's Day. I'm thinking that all of those cute little hand print flowers I see everywhere would make super-duper cards for the occasion. Here's a variation that includes the student's school picture. ***Notice the fine motor activity on snipping the grass below the blooming flower.... perfect integration of fine motor skill development, mid-project. 

I just LUV that sort of attention to detail. 

Spring bulletin board of floral handprint keepsakes -- with school photo included

Here's what they looked like on the bulletin board! 
I'm wild about the student written title above the paintings!!

You never know when you're going to need a little poem about handprints. Here's the one that was being used in Louisiana for Grandparent's day keepsakes during my winter visit in their midst. I think it could work equally as well for Mother's Day card inserts. 

Handprint poem for special occasions memento

Here's one more project underway in the kindergarten rooms 

of two of my favorite peeps: Mrs Price + Mrs. Jones.

This seems like another way to teach kindness and responsibility to me! 

Mom gets a bouquet of flowers filled with sweet gestures of caring!

Like a coupon book of LUV, only on flowers.

Hope my post today helps with your planning.
I've got an awesome gift to give my mommy.
I just hope that it gets delivered on time!

Go priority mail! 

Fast forward-into-the-future! 

In 2013, I pull allllllll of these ideas into one RoundUP!
(Yes! You can now click the picture!)

Also in the future I have an amazing RoundUP of Quilts! 
(Click this picture to leap over there!) 

Next year, I write an ode to my mom and it includes 

this 'subway-art' printable. 

(Click the image below to read my heart-felt thoughts for moms.) 

I have a new post with some additional Mother's Day ideas. 

There are additional finger-print flowers with a rhyme and a cute little handprint poem.

Click right here!

  

Even further into the future I've decided to write my own little poem for Mother's Day art + cards. 
zoom further into the future by clicking here. 

Mother's Day Gift

Here's one more off into the further future with an A.DOR.ABLE little ceramic keepsake!!! Click here for that one. 

Ceramic fingerprint keepsake

                                           -- Debbie -- 

Note from the future! I am NOW a shop keeper over at TeachersPayTeachers where I am adding my songs in zipped files that include an Mp3 version, plus support materials as Pdfs and PowerPoints. Please follow me so that you'll know when I add new goodies! Here's an example of what's included for my favorite, "Pollywog." 

Fine Motor Work for "Pollywog" Song

Added to Sunday Showcase!

Fine Motor on Friday: Part 12

IT'S FRIDAY!!! FINE MOTOR FRIDAY!!!!!

Welcome back to the continuing series! 

Today's post starts with a glorious piece of "trash." 

My sweetie brought home this Cadbury treasure after the Easter holiday season, finding it's choco-goodness in the mark-down bin at his favorite coffee haunt. 

It took us a while to polish off the goodies. 

He actually had the container hidden from me all week --

doling out treats for good behavior. 

Eventually he put the container into the recycle bin. 

That's when I finally discovered it!!! 

LUV'd the color!! LUV'd the size!! LUV LUV LUV the potential!!!

I went hopping to my 'studio' in search of doo-dads that would nestle happily into the miniature, bright-purple tray. 

It just so-happened that I had a couple of baggies of hand crocheted buttons 

-- in two colors -- from some yard sale along the way. 

Then I went searching for containers to display the buttons: IKEA bowls from the kitchen!!! PERFECT!!

I cut up a dollar store green placemat to fit inside a bright box lid. 

VOILA!!!!!! 

A simple spoon can scoop up the buttons, deposit them and then retrieve them again to be placed back in their color-matched bowls.

Just in case you don't have baggies filled with crocheted buttons........ 

The whole concept works equally well with garden variety PomPoms!

This time I'm using a 'jumbo-sized' straw folded in half as 'tweezers' to manipulate the fluffs.

Of course Iyou know I prefer the razzle-dazzle shiny PomPoms!

LUV LUV LUV getting to spend the day in kindergarten!!

This was umpteenth return visit to Scioto Darby Elementary!! 

When I arrived the students were engaged in writing and illustrating their own picture books. They were SO excited to share their work with a 'real' picture book illustrator!

How awesome to have the same rhyme from the children's journals also hand-written by the teacher! 

I LUV a building that features children's handwritten work! 

This writing was GIANT sized on the bulletin board in the hallway.

Here's some insight into the minds of the second graders. 

If you're looking for the first eleven installments of the series: click here!

-- Debbie --

REMINDER!!!

I am hosting a give-away of a set of all three of my picture books to a lucky winner. 

So far there are 30 entries -- so the odds are in your favor. 

Scroll down to yesterday's post for the rules or click right here. 

Proudly linked up!

Butterflies Soaring High!! Give Away

OH HAPPY DAY!!!! NEW MILESTONES!!! 
NEW SEASON!!! NEW ART!!!!

"Soaring High" spring-time bulletin board of children's bright symmetrical paintings

As promised......... it's time to celebrate! It's time for a party!!
The butterfly is the perfect image for my emerging from darkness. 
It took me 3.5 years to gain my first 100,000 blog page views.
I had my second 100,000 blog page views in 3.5 months!


Welcome, if you're new here -- that says a LOT about moi!

Symmetric Butterfly Paintings for Spring: folded with color!!

Just as exciting as that progress in views, is the reaching of a new milestone: 
I have now surpassed the 1000 follower threshold as recorded by Facebook in their Networked Blog Follower list! Can I have a whoop-whoop?!?!?!?! Can I have a 'wow' she is indeed persistent (even if she is slower than the average butterfly.) 

How often have I said something on here about taking baby steps? I am the winner in the baby-step subdivision and category of  life  blogging! I have sooooo much to learn, but in the mean time I just keep eeeeking away. No kidding over time it amounts to progress! Forward movement. Advancement. 


Momentum turns a corner and away we go! Spread your wings!

Let's celebrate!!!! I would like to celebrate and reward my growing readership with the opportunity to win a SET of all three of my picture books: 
"You're Wonderful" + "Tall Giraffe" + "Red, White and Blue." In fact I will sign and personalize each book for the winner!!! 


The contest will be open for the coming week. There are three ways to enter. Leave a separate comment below for each of these three possibilities: 

1. Officially follow my blog: choose FB or GFC
2. Officially follow my Pinterest collection 
3. Officially follow my Facebook fanpage 

You MUST leave me your email address in your first entry so that I can contact you for your snail mail address should you be the lucky winner. [You must live in the United States to help accomplish the shipping easily.]

***If you already are doing each of these three 'follow' methods, you are entitled to tell me so in three separate comments. If you are outside the US and want to enter and donate your winning set of books to someone inside the US that's especially kind of you and would be appreciated by the recipient. 

I can't think of any more fine print. This seems very self explanatory to me -- but that doesn't mean it makes sense to you, after all I'm still learning. The drawing will be next Thurs evening, May 10th. I will choose a winner at random with one of those high tech number generator dealies.

***Thank you to everyone for your support, encouragement and participation. Special thanks to my fairy blog mother, Charity at Teaching Blog Traffic School for holding my hand + pushing me forward! Thanks to Hosanna Lutheran Preschool for their inspirational spring projects.


I'm not trying to be trickie...... 
Click here to follow my Pinterest collection with over 5000 followers. 
Click here to follow my travels and collection of goodies posting on my fanpage. 

                                     -- Debbie -- 

Linked up

Earth Day Letter

Earth Day Letters written by Elementary School Students, Garden Elementary: Venice FL

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY!!!!

Sierra Club Billboard photographed at the Airport in Time for Earth Day Celebration

[I'm pretty THRILLED to be giving the KEYNOTE today in Louisville for the Kentucky Head Start conference!!!!

Twill return to lots-of-words as the week unfurls further.]

Happy Hump-Day. 
                                           -- Debbie -- 

Earth Day Collaboration Art Project

Here are links to earlier Earth Day posts this spring. 
Collaborative Art Project on a Pool Noodle (click here)

***I have just become an Amazon Affiliate and when you click from my blog to go shopping you support my retirement! Here are some Earth Day picture books. ENJOY! 

OH MY HAPPY DAY SAKES ALIVE!!!!
We just hit 1001 Networked Blog viewers thru Facebook!!!!!!!!! Come back tomorrow and I'll have a happy give-away to celebrate!!!! Come back for a chance to win my picture books!!!!

Color Plus Creativity Equals

HAPPY MAY!!!!! Let the colors burst forth!!!

Color Plus Creativity Equals "Color-a-tivity" (from the mind of a 3rd Grader)

Those Aprils showers are in the process of giving birth to May flowers. 

Today is my day to kick off the new month over at PreK+K Sharing, on our now 6 month old collaborative blog. It was just last week that a third grader asked me the question, "Where do you get your color-a-tivity?" My article over there is filled with the colors of children's art. 

Over here I thought I'd address the same question, the question of the origination of my color-a-tivity, by sharing this weekend and my time spent in and around Panama City Beach. Our visit with family and friends was spent with my reflecting on my color-a-tivity and where it comes from.... or maybe more accurately how I am inspired by color.  

Let me just say: I LUV LUV LUV this piece of art.

New-sis + moi at Blue Giraffe Gallery

Yes. I took that picture!!!! I could look at it all day long!!!

                                              -- Debbie --
Turns out that I get LOTS of my color-a-tivity from the beauty of the world around me. Thanks so much to our dear 'new' family......... Allen's sister and husband, Dianne and Jim -- who gave us such a happy weekend of color!