Be-gemmed Ribbon Bracelet

A free craft pattern I picked up last fall at Michaels' crafts. I chose soft lavender colored gems and an iridescent ribbon to complement. The self-adhesive ribbon was for embellishment. Quick and easy! Perfect small gift for a girl's Easter basket, sleepovers, birthdays, tea parties, etc.!

Supplies you'll need are listed below. I only made the bracelet not the earrings.

Note: Next time at port o' call, Cap'n Mad Ellen recommends and it might be a good idea to pick up a bottle of Fray Check for the ends of the ribbons. Tip: Also, it works really well before starting this craft project to use masking or adhesive tape and tape down the ribbon taut on the work surface. 

Cost: around $3 for the acrylic gems, spool of ribbon and self adhesive trim. Leftovers of said items will

be put to good use in future projects.

______________________________________________________________________

Toilet Paper Bunnies Easter 2014

A battalion of bunnies!

 Does the fabric for the bunny's ears look familiar? http://dadiddleycraftcraft.blogspot.com/2013/12/sot-flicka-dalarna-capns-log-8-december.html

http://tpcraft.blogspot.com/2011/04/cute-little-bunny-toilet-paper-roll.html

https://www.google.com/search?q=toilet+paper+bunnies&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=MwNIU67ECITCyAG-sYHgCg&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAg&biw=1221&bih=963#imgdii=_

Goodness, but this was a time consuming craft project! The Ebony Oyster crafty crew made 28 of these little bunnies to distribute on Easter Sunday. First day, paint the toilet paper rolls. Let dry. Second day cut out bunny ears (46 and few extra pairs for any crafty emergencies). Attached fabric, paint, or glitter to the ears. Let dry. Third day, add facial features. Fourth day, decorate the rest of the tp rolls including the attachment of tails. Fifth day, add any details/fix mistakes and pass Cap'n Mad Ellen's muster. Whew.



We used many craft items from our stash:

Bunny bums

-paint
-paintbrushes
-glue
-scissors
-scrap paper
-ribbon, lace
-loose glitter
-scrap fabric
-googly eyes
-yarn
-iridescent beading string (for whiskers)
-toothpick for painting small details (pupils, eyes, etc.)
-masking tape
-permanent marker
-sequins
-buttons
-mini satin hair bows
-mini pom poms for tails
-paper dots
-Q-tips (we cut off the cottony end and used them as bunny tails)
-1 small paper plate (I started using a paper plate to cut out bunny ears because we used up our tp surplus!)


Cost: $0


After glueing the ears to the rabbit body we reinforced the ears using masking tape. Don't forget to sign and date your bunny using permanent marker! 

Oops! Forgot to include a close up of our ven'rated Cap'n Mad Ellen's Babushka Bunny!

Time to swab the craft deck!

_______________________________________________________________________________


Pirate toilet paper bunny original design and crafted by Ebony Oyster media darling Miss Effervescent Ethel.

Paper Plate Toucan

Source: http://www.iheartcraftythings.com/2012/05/toucan-craft.html


"I can because I toucan!" quote from Cap'n Mad Ellen's pet toucan Billy Bones.

  Supplies:

-1 small paper plate
-scissors
-glue
-black construction paper for body and tail feathers
-scrap paper in yellow, medium brown (or golden), red, green or blue for eye
-watercolors (I would suggest using standard washable acrylic paint for more vibrancy. The watercolors were too pale. Pretty though.)
-black paint
-paintbrush
-1 large googly eye

Cost: no cost for us


Template: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1xd0e4Gb05tQm4xZlRMV1lTSnM/edit
(I traced the image directly off the computer screen.)


Look online for inspiration:

https://www.google.com/search?q=toucans&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=8U5NU-COKMfyyAGQz4HIAg&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ&biw=1221&bih=963
________________________________________________________________________________

Squiggle Art

http://www.creatifulkids.com/squiggle-drawing-for-kids/ via Tinkerlab

Need:

-pencil

-pen

-index cards (use the unruled side) or similar small pieces of white paper

-crayons or markers 

-child's imagination & creativity

 (I forgot to take a picture of one of the index cards for this next set.)

For the final squiggle art piece I gave EE a blank index card and instructed her to draw a simple and quick design or squiggle then make a drawing from it. 

Cost: we had everything we needed on hand so no cost. (A package of index cards will run you about US$1 or less)

________________________________________________________________________________

“Tom Sawyer the Pirate looked around upon the envying juveniles about him and confessed in his heart that this was the proudest moment of his life.”

― Mark Twain, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Accordion Pleated Paper Tulips

inspired by: http://prytulka.wordpress.com/2012/04/24/spring-tulip-cardsgreat-for-mothers-day/

Recently I found this inexpensive marbled *paper at JoAnns' Fabrics and Crafts. After using my 40% off coupon plus another 15% off my total purchase I got the paper for nearly a song.

Need:

-* the marbled paper was used for the tulips; plain green scrap paper for the stem and leaves.
-background paper for your tulip(s)
-scissors
-glue
-pencil
-markers
-crayons
-scrap piece of paper to make a tulip template or look online for a template (see link below)
-recycled greeting cards, newsprint ads or magazines (for decorating the picture) (optional)

Directions:



Draw a tulip pattern on a scrap piece of paper. Cut out. For tulip templates go here: https://www.google.com/search?q=tulip+flower+template&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=Zv5CU82RDsviyAHGvYHoDg&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ&biw=1221&bih=963

Use the tulip pattern to cut out tulips on color paper of your choice. Cut out a stem and leaves.


Take the tulip flower and fold in an accordion pleat (either narrow or wide pleats). Glue it to the background paper. Glue on the stem and leaves. With recycled greeting cards, images cut out of magazines, markers or crayons, add grass, clouds, sun, birds or other seasonal decorations if desired. Set aside to dry.

This is Cap'n Mad Ellen's sample piece:

Cost: Less than US$1
__________________________________________________________________________

Paper Plate Tiger

Source: http://www.dillydaliart.com/2011/04/tiger-spin-art.html

Effervescent Ethel has been learning about wild animals from this book: My First Sticker Encyclopedia Wild Animals and each day doing a very simple and fast animal craft to add to a Wild Animal book we're compiling. This craft uses items you probably already have in your stores:

-paper plate (we used a 6"size paper plate)
-orange, brown and white paint (mixed together to create the color of a tiger's fur)
-black paint
-glue
-scissors
-masking tape*
-yarn, thread, string or similar for the tiger's whiskers (or you can paint, draw or make whiskers using scrap paper instead) We used thin metallic craft yarn in a silvery-tan color. See this link: http://dadiddleycraftcraft.blogspot.com/2013/11/lion-brand-bon-bon-yarn.html
-pencil
-black permanent marker
-small scrap black paper for nose
-brownish/orange buttons for eyes (or you can use paper or permanent marker to make the eyes if your artist prefers)
-scrap orange paper for ears  (we used a scrap of specialty paper)
-salad spinner (Note: *used to tape the paper plate onto the bottom of the salad spinner with painted side facing up.)
-tee shirt
-baby wipes and towel for messes and spills

Cost: $1.49  (GrrrrArrrr!!! Cap'n Mad Ellen was out of black paint!)

DID YOU KNOW?

The tiger's stripes are a lot like human fingerprints. No two tigers have exactly the same pattern.

________________________________________________________________


"I named the tiger Jack"!

A Polka Dotted Donkey...a Blue Horse...

For these paintings Effervescent Ethel was inspired by Eric Carle's book The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse (which in turn was Carle's inspiration from and various interpretations of Franz Marc's painting The Large Blue Horse)



Marc's Blue Horse

Carle's Blue Horse

Carle's Polka Dotted Donkey

Carle's Pink Rabbit

Effervescent Ethel's Blue Horse (she wanted a blue saddle for her blue horse)

EE's Polka Dotted Donkey (she wanted to paint some green grass for the donkey to eat)

EE's Pink Rabbit

Need:

-large piece of white construction paper
-pencil for tracing
-paint
-paint brushes
-toothpick or similar for small details (eyes, mouth, etc.)
-baby wipes for spills
-old tee shirt to protect clothes
-water in a cup
-Eric Carle's book The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse or look online for the images from this book



To do:  Effervescent Ethel traced the animal designs directly from Carle's book then painted.

Cost: we spent no money on this art project



______________________________________________________________________