#3 and final post of quiet book

last pages of the quiet book... 

i can remember buttoning items onto our quiet books when i was younger.  and what could be more fun than matching a fabric gumball to the button?

puzzles.  i think this was the 2nd page (well set) that i made.  there are 3 different puzzles to complete-flower, butterfly and heart.  each has their own pocket to be tucked into when not in use. i got the idea for the gumball and puzzle pages from 

http://craftychiclyric.blogspot.com/2009/07/girls-quiet-book.html 

zip, buckle and snap... all kids want to learn how to do 'big' things themselves.  

and then the cover.  i did this last cause i wanted to make sure that i made it big enough.  while had an idea of how big it needed to be, i wasnt sure how thick the pages would be laying on top of each other.  and that was the measurement i was concerned about.  i added about 2" to the final addition of the height & length (times 2) so there would be a bit of cover overhang. Then  i had to find the middle of the cover and the ribbon i used for the binding so that they could be sewn together and turned right side out.  

you can kind of see how i sewed the ribbon down leaving a channel for the binder ring to go thru.  then i put a ribbon all around the outside of the cover with magnets in the ends to close the book.  with the cover all done, it was time to loop the pages onto the binder rings and then thru the book binding.  

hope you enjoy your quiet book t!

sidewalk paint fun

i promise i haven't forgotten about my blog.  i've just been crazy busy.  some days its a tough choice between outside work or sewing.  if i am lucky i can get in both.

the other day, a told the kids that they were all going to take a square of the sidewalk and chalk it all up.  time got away from him, and he forgot all about it.  just so happened that i had been thinking about making sidewalk paint for the kids to try out on the same night.  it was a HIT!!!  esp with miss p.  we found out that regular paint brushes work better.  i got the cheap 50c, 1" brushes from the farm store.  the foam brushes just soak up the color.  for the most part everyone did a square, some did more.  you can really tell that p loves to draw & paint.  she did the most.  she has asked me when i am going to make it again.  

here is the recipe.  ready?  its pretty hard.

mix 1 c water with 1 c corn starch & some food coloring.  then go have fun! 

we also found out that you should stir your paint every once in a while otherwise the corn starch starts to seprerate & settle to the bottom.  

 p's designs

 a's anchor and foreign language (anyone know what he wrote?)

 z's large mouth bass

a & the girls having fun with the paint.  

p's artwork

almost everyday i get 3 or more pictures from p that she colors/draws/ creates at school.  and what to do with all this beautiful art?  she likes to hang it in her room.  when she moves down stairs we'll make her some art boards for her room.  and i have taken to scanning each one so that i dont have to save them all.  i cant imagine how many boxes i would have full of art work.  at the end of the year, i'll make a shutterfly book for her to have.