Sunday Sketches and Mad Hatter Parties

Good morning sketchers! Yesterday was our Mad Tea Party and we wrote a wee fairy tale collaborative; there were the 3 of us and 3 additional guest artists ages 9 to 12 who helped out with the story line and the art. Check it out in our last post. Today's sketches are from our tea party and in chalk and on the driveway - what fun!

We will also show you the teacher's gift tiles the children made using one of their past Sunday Sketches.. Enjoy our Sunday Sketches and thanks again to our host Sophie!

Cheshire Driveway Cat by T Moore age 13

Outer Planet Designs collaborative by TM CM CM CM & SB ages 9 - 13

Wonderland Castle by TM CM CM CM & SB ages 9 - 13

Children's June projects (see what we've done with some of our sketches!)

1 Teacher Gifts (made cards last month)
2 We joined the Mad Tea Party - yipee, so needed a couple sketches for that - the children sketched and then made chalk murals of their sketches

The children have been working on their monthly project. This month we are making simple teacher's gifts. This is what the children did with one of their Sunday Sketches. First they coloured in a sketch and glued it to a background paper. My son used his Sacred Eyes of Mary Sunday Sketch, from May - we like to get some mileage from our art! 10 photocopies of his sketch, 10 left over tiles, a little playing around and voila, 10 teacher gifts. Here's the instructions for this easy project and tile image transfer.

We had marble tile left over from bathroom renovations but you can buy them at any hardware supply Rona, Home Depot etc. You will see through the light parts of the image so pick the tile colour knowing this.

Wash the tile with soapy water. Let fry completely. Sand with sandpaper and wash again. Dry thoroughly. The washing is important to successful image transfer.


Photocopy an image - the children coloured one of their Sunday Sketches, we like to use our own art for gifts - with a colour laser printer, Staples has one if you don't. Ink jet does not work as well. Cut or tear image - ruffled edges look good as do rounded or torn coners rather than completely square.


Apply a layer of Mod Podge Mat Sealer; Wallmart sells it in the sewing / art section.


While wet place image face down and let dry for twelve hours - yes overnight!


Lightly wet tile and image under tap and gently rub off the paper. Do this gently and in a couple steps so most of the image adheres, but continue until the paper if gone. Let dry and remove any residual paper fiber with water. Seal with a 2nd layer of Mod Podge or other sealer. Rest tile in a small easle from an art supply store or on coffee table or drill hole and hang on wall. Very effective. Take this a step further and use crackle paint to age!

Originally we only had one June project, but then just last week we looked into Vanessa Valensia's Mad Tea Party button on Elena's sight and thought - ohhhhh, we have to do this!! Pretty late to start "We're late, we're late" as Alice said, but better late than never, we love having tea parties! So we invited over a few kids, ate, played, drank tea, played, came up with some fairy tale ideas, played, did some artwork on the driveway, did I say drank tea, ate cake, played some more, played with the camera and we put it all together for our own version of the Mad Tea Party 2010! Please do take a look! What a great idea! What a hoot! Coming in last minute was the best way, no stress, it was what it was and we worked with what we had! And we did our Sunday Sketches to boot!

Happy Sunday!

Mad Tea Party 2010

Our Mad Tea Party - A Fairy Tale
Our Mad Tea Party - A Fairy Tale
Our Mad Tea Party - A Fairy Tale


Meet the two Alices..



Everybody knows that Wonderland was once flat and black and shades of grey until Alice found the Hatter's mad tea party, and then all became colourful and round and filled with great joy - but I am getting ahead of myself, for here is the story..

Once upon a time, but not so long ago as that, Alice was going to a tea party; not just any tea party, but the Mad Hatter's Tea Party in the castle in Wonderland.


At first it wasn't hard to know which path to take, because Alice knew, as all good girls do, that it was the path with the magical tree, the one that Alice's mother had planted when she was just a girl. And there it was, the magical tree! Alice recognized
it because is was green and glowing


with black and white stripes, and stood bearing no fruit or leaves, next to the image of the mother herself. Yes, at first it was easy to choose the right path. But when Alice came to a fork in the road, she had to stop and consider, "who am I and which way do I go?"


Immediately the Cheshire Cat appeared on the path.

"Given to mother when she turns out the light,
with a hug for father when he comes home at night,
Given to your cat with a scratch behind the ear,
Calms a toddler, dries a tear.

What is it?" crooned the Cheshire Cat, grinning from ear to ear.

Alice knew that once she had solved the riddle,
she would know which direction to take.


"Why that's easy" said Alice "a kiss is the answer." Immediately the Cheshire Cat disappeared and Alice knew she must turn right for down that path she could see baskets and buckets

overflowing with pink kisses and they were growing in colourful abundance. So Alice continued skipping along, knowing that she had made a good choice because she felt very happy and joyous as we all do when we make a good decision.

As we do on our journeys, Alice soon came to another fork in the road, and immediately her way was blocked by the appearance of a rather large Caterpillar smoking bubblegum and lounging on a even larger mushroom.

"Found in dampness, shade and rot,
Red and white and polk-a-dot,
Eat one side and you'll grow tall,
Eat the other, not at all."

said the Caterpillar between bubbles.

Once again Alice knew that she must consider the riddle and then she would know which way to go. Alice hesitated, for she knew little about damp and shade and rot; but after a time, as life does, the caterpillar gave her a clue;

"Slice them on salad, fry them for tea,
stuff them, saute them, now think of me"



"Oh I see, it's obvious then isn't it" said Alice, listening to her heart, but the caterpillar was already crawling away through the grass. "The answer is a mushroom" Alice decided. Now Alice could choose the right path, which was actually the path to her right, with the very large mushrooms growing by its side.

"Right or wrong, right or left; in Wonderland these are the same question" thought Alice, and immediately it became clear that in Wonderland she must always choose the Right path to travel when she came to a fork in the road, for every time she make a choice she was in a different place altogether; and she really did want to make sure it is the right place, after all.

With this information Alice's journey became much easier. Whenever she came to a junction she simply chose what was right and soon she came to her destination all by herself for now she trusted her answer even before she heard the riddles.


In time Alice came to a grand tea party,


in a grand castle. Alice knew she was in the right place, for the


doorway was lit with little stars. Of course this was the Mad Hatter's tea party.


There were stacks of beauty and jars of sweetness,


platters of cake,


bubbles of great joy,


and all manner of exotic and lovely things. And without delay it began to rain teacups, for in Wonderland when someone finds their destination, that is what it does.
And shortly the Mad Hatter appeared.

"You have chosen well young Alice" flourished the hatter (and like the rest of us, it was clear that he too was really quite mad; but it did not matter, for a little craziness pointed in the right direction makes life quite wonderful). "Only those who choose that which is honourable and good and kind ever find my tea party, whether they be poor or rich, simple or cunning, sensible or even quite mad like myself!"


Mad as he was, the hatter was kind and friendly and good, and in the end Alice knew that that was what counted in Wonderland.


So Alice pulled up a seat, a golden throne next to her mother at the far end of the lace covered table and joined in the party
with great joy!


The End



story, set design and photography by tea party guests,
Outer Planet Designs


all art and ideas, tea party guests, in order of feet:



by TM age 13, CM age 12, SB age 12, CM age 10, CM age 9,

MH age 8 and LM 40-something

Please leave us a comment so we know you came by!


Many thanks to Vanessa at A Fanciful Twist for hosting this amazing Tea Party Art Gig! there are many more Tea Parties here so you can check them out all week! All year!

Cards and More Cards

group class card, I sketched the Dr Seuss trees,
children added their faces 2010

Loving art in this house as we do,

the magic tea cup, illustration

we tend to make most of our cards,

by T Moore age 13 (c) 2010

so we have been making cards all week;

by T Moore age 12 (c) 2010


Father's Day cards, teacher thank you cards,,

Father's Day by C Moore age 10 (c) 2010

grade class cards, ballet year end cards,

year end this, year end that..

Girl in Pink by C Moore age 10 (c) 2010

these are some of the sketches we drew for them!

Still loving Sunday Sketches!! Have a joyous,
adventurous and wonderful day!

7 Winners 11 Addictions

An award! The children and I are thrilled to receive our Art Award bestowed by the energetic and talented Eleni of A Pink Dreamer. Eleni's website is a going concern of art journals and drawings, care and kindness. Blessings!

It really is a changing world we live in, where we can connect with talent and soon to be friends from many countries, at our wee keyboards; perhaps, in time, this will be a tiny step toward tolerance and peace. Eleni, Thank you!

As tradition dictates I think it is our turn to list our addictions and to pass this award on to 5 (or is it now 7) other artists and, so here goes:

Five (ok 11) of my addictions
lattes and frappes
ok, not just lattes, food actually; good food, slow food, italian food, greek food, indian food, thai food, mom's food.. most food (oh and red wine).. did i say figs.. home baked bread

dreamy colours
barely there teacup blue, soft Italian yellow - those colours that affect you, make you flush when you gaze upon them

sleeping husbands
mine, when you can almost see the boy he once was, still is..
also his laughter, his smile, his all encompassing hugs

sleeping children
my children, when you can see where
angles wings have brushed their faces..
all children.. being a mother, a matriarch

eyes
when you can see to the other side..
where you get a glimpse of the soul

entertaining
friends in the hot tub.. more food

old things
linens, marble chunks, photos

beauty
art, creating, giving, receiving, daydreaming of

the written word
writing, prose, poetry, reading, language, thesaurus

movement
cardio, abs, running, hiking, skiing, dance,
most sports, my kids sports

joy
beauty, fun, flowers, fields of flowers, milk bottles of flowers, tulips.. anything i enjoy and i want more of

oops, i'm getting carried away.. more importantly..



The Winners Are..
(drum roll here - check these web sites out.. really!)

heather at Audrey Eclectic
because she is a talented mother and artist:
reverieart.blogspot.com

krista at Poppyprint
because of her fabulous energy and giant heart:
poppyprintcreates.blogspot.com

vanessa at A Fanciful Twist
because i love her newspaper girls and her mad hatter tea:
afancifultwist.typepad.com

andrea at Vintage Bella Studio
because i love her cottage style and she gets vintage
vintagebellastudio.blogspot.com

suzi at Suzi Blu
because i love her authenticity and want to take her classes
suziblu.blogspot.com

sung-hee (regina) at SungHeeReginaHongISM
because i love her Goddess work
sungheereginahong.blogspot.com

tammie at Beauty Flows
because she is talented and even cooler,
she lives in a little cabin in the woods
beautyflows.blogspot.com


Congratulations to you all!!
your art, your blog.. YOU are fabulous!!


Now its your turn to make note of 5 fabulous addictions and award this to 5 other talents!

Thanx again! You are inspiring!
Thanx again! You are inspiring!
Thanx again! You are inspiring!

Felis Leo

Lion Goddess by C Moore age 10 (c) 2010

Just one of those crazy mornings when nothing quite turns out as expected; daughter wakes up sick, hair appointment canceled, second time in 3 weeks, i'll never get another for 20 or 30 days, my hairdresser is a bit of an artist, always fully booked. Long awaited

dance parent/teacher appointment changed too, I'll have to skip my run. Too many tasks falling behind. I've taken on too much, that's no change. Canceling on my husband (for coffee, not calling it quits!). Pinched nerve is causing huge grief and sleepless nights, I'm fighting something today too, sore throat, blah, blah blah. Then again if this is all i have to complain about; we've got it pretty good!

Katie Cat by C Moore age 10 (c) 2010

Time to cocoon for a day, an hour, whatever amount of time presents its self, of course there really is no time for that in June, but its going to have to be done, we've been pushing the envelope, I knew that.

The Lion Queen 2010

Sunday Sketches, loving it! I planned to draw the moon, but she quickly presented herself as a more feline creature. The Lion Queen, who is she? Is she wrapping her mane around her throat to keep the chill away, to take a day of rest and warmth and will herself to get better so she doesn't have to miss the school fair and ballet and

the shows she's been preparing for for months on end? Is she protecting her heart, flexing her resolve, building her strength, willing away possible disappointment? Is she my daughter, will of iron, hear her roar; or is she me, stubborn as a mule?

FeLion by T Moore age 13 (c) 2010

At any rate the children's sketches quickly moved toward the many faces of felis leo as well, and thus our culling of wild cats emerged from their lairs.

Happy a great Sunday!

June Rhythm and Routine

If you have not followed this blog before these monthly planning pages lay out a general structure for each month in our home; including a theme and seasonal table, a way to wake, a table candle blessing, a couple of projects and a verse for going to sleep. These are our goals, the follow up varies from great to imperfect but having the plan helps it to happen and helps bring rhythm to our days! We just keep on trying :-)


June Festival / Theme
No festival. Its spring! School's out at the end of the month! Yipee / Yikes!

Seasonal Table - Spring
Let the children go to it - seashells, special rocks, braided grasses. Pick a handful of meadow flowers or clip a vase of garden blooms. Use any special school projects and anything you've collected in your spring box from over the years!


Breakfast Verse
Flame Fairy, our default breakfast candle lighting verse, for now. We learned this in preschool at Waldorf.

"Flame fairy will you come and light our candle bright, with your guiding light. Blessings on our meal today."

Waking Song
The Proclaimers - I'm Gonna Be (we changed man to one and we make up our own verses all over the place. This is a highly charged, boppy song, perfect for mornings. The children picked it, they love it; daddy may be sick of it by the end of the month :-)

"When I wake up yeah I know I'm gonna be, I'm gonna be the one who wakes up next to you
When I go out yeah I know I'm gonna be, I'm gonna be the one who goes along with you
But I would walk 500 miles and I would walk 500 more just to be the one who walked 1000 miles to fall down at your door.

When I'm working yes I know I'm gonna be.. When I come home yeah I know I'm gonna be.. When I'm lonely yes I know I'm gonna be.. When I'm dreaming yes I know I'm gonna dream.."

Find full lyrics on Google of You Tube, but if you don't know the song, you may want to pick another!


Bedtime Song or Verse
Request for 500 Miles by Peter, Paul and Mary 1962
"If you miss the train I'm on, you will know that I am gone, you can hear the whistle blow a hundred miles. A hundred miles, a hundred miles, a hundred miles, a hundred miles, you can hear the whistle blow a hundred miles."


June Project 1 Year End Teacher Gifts
As always it is such a busy spring We are going with one project as so many are due at school, not to mention all those year end shows in theater, ballet, track finals etc. Last month we thought about our teacher year end gifts (we make something simple each year, but we have to make a few so it takes time). We thought about rock paper weights with one of our sketches transferred onto the rock but that's as far as we got last month; so now we're on it, but not paper weights, rather sketches transferred to a marble tile, that's what we will try next week. We'll post the results, promise!

And please, do a sun dance would you?!

Here Come the Teens

Cupcake by C Moore age 10 (c) 2010

It's official we have our first Tween!

Only my daughter and I managed a Sunday Sketch, and barely
- it must be June!

Happy Birthday Sweet Boy!

Star Baby by L Moore

XOXOXO