http://www.nga.gov/kids/zone/collagemachine2.htm

To all the Mum’s out there “Happy Mother’s Day”. This art was made with the National Gallery of Art ~ Collage Software. I’m sure kids of all ages will love this online collage program. Keep in mind you need to have the latest version of Adobe Shockwave.

http://blog.jilliantamaki.com/2011/03/penguin-threads-deluxe-classics/#

This is such a divine front cover. Jillian Tamaki is a very gifted and talented lady.

http://www.reggiokids.blogspot.com.au/

Please check out this inspirational website, for lots of fun ideas.

http://www.torontocityinmotion.blogspot.com.au/

http://www.nga.gov/kids/zone/seasaws.htm

Well it’s been a long time since I have posted anything on my blog. I have been extremely busy with Uni. I had a scout around this morning and thought I would post this. I have made this computer collage using the National Gallery of Australia See-Saws software. It’s fun for kids of all ages. You may need to install adobe shockwave to be able to use it. It is a program that allows you to use pre-stored objects to make a collage. you can even animate the images. Heaps of fun and easy to use.

It reminds me of Jeannie Baker’s beautiful collage work. Have you seen Jeannies latest book, called Mirror. I love the concept of this book. It is a book that compares 2 boy’s lives and the contrast between their lifestyles. One boy lives in Sydney Australia and one boy lives in a remote North African village in Morocco. The book is designed to open out from the left and right, so children can compare and contrast the differences.

Did you know one in 100 Australians are diagnosed with cancer before the age of 30?

In the last 25 years there has been virtually no improvement in survival outcomes for the 15-30 age group.

Cancer is the biggest disease killer of Australian teenagers.

In Australia your chances of surviving certain cancers decreases by 50% the day you turn 16.

Currently in Australia, if you are diagnosed with cancer over the age of 16, you are treated in the adult health care system.

Teenagers and young adults need specialised care in an age-appropriate environment.

DID YOU KNOW YOU CAN HELP. Just collect any old mobile phones from your family and friends and give it to YouCan.org.au.

The You Can Schools Program gives schools the opportunity to not only help young Australians survive cancer and contribute to a greener planet, it is also an easy way to get amazing educational products for free!

You Can Schools

It’s finally complete. My daughter added a few stickers a black outline and a bit more paint….What a great job she has done.

This is my 6 year old’s canvas. Her favourite or favorite (depending on which part of the world you come from) animal is a dolphin. This project is not complete yet.

Start by cutting out your shape. There are plenty of templates online. I printed the template out from the computer and put the special paper underneath and then she cut it out. To stop the template from slipping, you can use sticky tape or blutac.

Then work out a rough placement

Paint a canvas

and start sticking. you could use gel medium or modpodge for the collaging.

If you have not done collaging before ~ its easy. Just apply a thin layer of gel medium or modpodge, stick your item down and then apply another thin layer over the top. You can build up the layers, depending on what effect you are trying to create. Just let each layer dry first.

Then using pencils, paints, crayons or anything you like….finish it off.

now the basics are down, it is to be continued…..

This is a canvas my 7 year old daughter made. My Mum passed away last year and I thought it would be nice for her to make a collage to help her through her grief. We went on a hunt around the house and included some special papers in the collage. In particular we found an inscription in a book that my Mum had written to her, which has special significance. We scanned the original in, printed it out and then cut it up. It’s sort of like a patchwork quilt without the sewing…..Inspired by a children’s book Elmer the Elephant ♥

Use a cloth to help get the cloudy texture.

Use scissors to distress the edge. Just adds a bit of texture and interest.

Use a square hole punch to punch out the squares and then stick down with double sided tape.

Then turn it over and trim the edge to make neat.

Use Modposge or gel medium to stick it down. Apply a thin coat to the canvas, stick down and then apply another thin coat over the top.

Not a 100% done yet….more finishing touches to come ♥

Before

After

Recipe

1. Use some old shoes ~ make sure you clean them up.
2. Cut up some small strips of material or thin strips of paper and glue onto the shoes, using Mod Podge or Gel Medium.
3. I started at the inside top first. Then worked my way from the bottom up. If the shoes are ultra curvy you can snip some little slits to help mold the material around.
4. Using your Mod podge or Gel Medium, paint a small section at a time in a thin layer and then stick the material down and paint another layer. Work your way around the shoe. Don’t worry if it looks cloudy, it WILL DRY CLEAR.
5. I glued over the eyelets and was not too fussy about being to neat on the bottom edge, as I cut it off later.
6. Once you have covered the shoes in it’s entirety, let it dry.
7. Once dry, use your silent setter, hole punch or drill and punch holes if required. Trim excess, using a blade to make the bottom edge look neat.
8. OPTIONAL ~ Then spray with a clear FLEXIBLE varnish. It must be flexible, to enable your shoes to flex and move. Allow to dry for 24 hours. Take all necessary precautions, read and follow the labels. I wore a mask, at this stage, so I did not inhale the fumes.
9. If your shoes have laces, you can funk them up. I only had food colouring in the cupboard and some old white laces. So I used Pillar Box Red to dye my shoe laces pink. I then added some ribbon on the bottom and painted on some fabric stiffener to the ribbon, just to give it some extra durability.
10. I lined the soles with some 100% Cotton Drill Fabric.
11. MOST IMPORTANTLY HAVE FUN AND REMEMBER THERE ARE NO RULES, GO CRAZY. ☺

When I think of my children and my late Mum, I think of a Rainbow. A RAINBOW is a symbol of hope and light. Next time you look at a RAINBOW, think of someone you love. A RAINBOW is a spectrum of luminous coloured light, that appears when the sunlight catches the rain. It often comes in the calm of a storm. It is not tangible. We cannot touch it. And so the legend states, it has a Pot of Gold at the end. But no one knows where it begins or ends. Life is a journey…..Never regret the things we do….Just the things we don’t.

Above is a collage of precious papers, materials, old letters and maps etc… I have collected over the years…….. it has helped me to heal and aid the grieving process, after the loss of my Mum ♥♥♥