Fresh Page

If there’s one thing I know about creating, it’s that each fresh page has hope in it. 

I like to think that each day on this planet is a fresh page, 

and every day we get to make our own mark on it. 

The more bright, beautiful marks we make, 

the more we inspire others to do the same.

Yes, times are scary. 

Those of us with small incomes, small makers, small businesses, 

(anxiously awaiting the publication of our first books, etc), 

these times will affect us in big ways.

 

But here we are. 

And today is waiting. 

A fresh page. 

With hope in it.  

Waiting to see what we’re going to do with it. 

 

Let’s do it, friends. 

Let’s paint up every single page we get 

with our best, most unique, most generous work. 

I can’t promise it won’t be hard or scary. 

But we can hold on to Light and Love 

and everything that’s good. 

And send our own expressions of it into the world. 

Bea and Jules, Day 4

Day 4: Snowflakes

Bea is impatient for snow. She really, really wants it to snow. 

So, she gets out paper and scissors. 

Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. 

She folds her paper into a nice, pizza triangle. 

Snip. 

Paper wedges drift to the floor. 

almost like snow.
The hardest part is knowing when to stop cutting.
Maybe Bea's snowflakes will give the sky a hint!

Snow Books!

The Snow Blew Inn - Dian Curtis Regan, Doug Cushman
Winter Bees, and Other Poems of the Cold - Joyce Sidman, Rick Allen
Over and Under the Snow - Kate Messner

advent friends

Here are the polar friends, nearly finished,

hoping to bring light and love

into the world.

They kind of make me feel like the party has arrived. 

See? They even brought candy canes and made cookies. 

 

I kind of forgot to make Christmas cards 

so these are going to be my tiny love and light-bringers.

And these.

Happy Advent, my friends.

May thankfulness, 

love 

and light 

fill you up

and bring you peace. 

Poet Tree

Apparently, it's Poetry Month.

Only, I've been a little distracted.
I skipped off to the city
for my local SCBWI meeting -
an art show,
a lecture from book-wise and witty
editors Mary Kate Castellani and Caroline Abbey,
and then a consultation and workshop with
art director, professor, and story genius Joy Chu.

This is the same Joy who guided me over the last two winters
in visual storytelling classes through the UCSD online extension program.

I'm still reeling with inspiration.
I could have listened for days. Months. Years.

Now I'm home, all bright and hopeful,
waiting for my brain to shape so many beautiful tips
and ideas into working order.
Time to let the front thoughts simmer.  
Time to play with poetry.

We started with a poet-tree.

The wildebeests and I cut out branchy trees and labeled each branch with simple word:
sky, go, sea, etc.
 
Next, we cut out dozens of leaves - in all flutters of color,
because it just looks more exciting that way.

Each branch grew rhyming leaf words:
sky = cry, my, pie, etc.


Because we like to make life even more thrilling, and sometimes complicated,
I thought it might be fun for the older wildebeests to thread their leaves on yarn.


Winnie added a button.


Pip used gold pen. She's really into gel pens lately.

And their finished masterpieces.

I'd love to meet a tree like this someday, shimmering with colors, yarns, and words!
I think I'd move in.


I'll share more poetry play next time.

Until then, here are a few favorites:

A Kick in the Head, An Every Day Guide to Poetic Forms - compiled by Paul Janeczko, ill. by Chris Raschka

The Random House Book of Poetry - edited by Jack Prelutsky, ill. by Arnold Lobel

Switching on the Moon - collected by Jane Yolen and Andrew Peters, ill. by G. Brian Karas

Chicken Soup With Rice - by Maurice Sendak

When We Were Very Young by A. A. Milne, ill. by Ernest Shepard

Now We Are Six By A.A. Milne, ill. by Ernest Shepard

Do You Mask Merry?

 
We like to masquerade in these parts.

Especially when learning our Pacific Northwest animals.

 

Especially when all fuzzed up about pumpkins and costumes.

 

I started with a few sketches, 

the kids made their own beautiful batches, 

and Voila!

Wildebeests, unite!

Need a quick costume this week?

I'm offering a few freebies for your personal or classroom use.

 

 

  {Please note that these images are my original art.
    They're not to be sold or passed off as anyone else's work.
    Thanks!}

To use, just drag the image to your desktop,
print on card stock,
color at will!

Crayon, colored pencils or watercolor work just fine.
We also tried gouache and acrylic gel medium, for hoots.

Birdie asked if she could change her name to Owly-Whoo.

When you finish all that lovely color,
cut out and fix for wearing! 

Our salmon puppet has a popsicle stick taped to his back.

 

Did you know sockeye salmon turn red when they spawn? I did not. 

The wildebeests told me. 

I guess this means they are learning something in the midst 

of my art diversions.

Yarn or ribbon is an easy tie for the masks.

Hey, anything for a party, right?
Anything for a printable, coloring, educational, masquerade party!
That's right. We mask merry around these parts.  

Happy hoots!

Books!

S is for Salmon - Hannah Viore

123 Moose! by Art Wolfe, ill. by Andrea Helman

Have You Heard the Nesting Bird? by Rita Gray, ill. by Kenard Pak

North - The Amazing Story of Arctic Migration, by Nick Dowson, ill. by Patrick Benson

A House in the Woods by Inga Moore

Leaves  by David Ezra Stein

Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson, ill. by Jane Chapman

Once Upon a Memory by Nina Laden, ill. by Renata Liwska

Kiss Goodnight by Amy Hest, ill. by Anita Jeram

A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd