Be Bop Declaration

MAKE A DECLARATION: Create your own declaration of -- anything! A declaration or manifesto is the first step toward future change. What do you want to passionately declare? And who can you get to sign your declaration? Try to get 56 people to add their own "John Hancock" -- or signature. (That's the same number of people who signed Thomas Jefferson's declaration.) Once you've reached 56 signatures, read your declaration aloud in a public place. (Add a photo to show us your signatures.)


I have packed up the signed decalaration certificate and will present it to Barry tonight on behalf of his jazz workshop students and chorus members.  I will collect a few more signatures before presentation, but here is a glimpse at what he will recieve:

We gratefully declare that

Dr. Barry Doyle Harris

is a blessing to and for the world.

We, the undersigned, are thankful to have his presence in our lives and his music in our hearts. We are inspired by his passion for the art of Jazz and his dedication, not only to his craft, but to music education, his friends, and his students all over the world.

My Childhood Street: a Pen & Penny Shuffleboard Game

Here is another one of my NYPL's Find the Future Game submissions.

It is a response to the quest called, A Voyage Round the Habitable Globe: "Victorian cartographers made history by devising some of the earliest educational games. Many 19th century game designers were actually cartographers, or map-makers. They saw board games as a way to inspire the imaginations of children while teaching them about geography and other cultures. The booklet that accompanied this game suggested that "as curiousity will naturally be excited by the scenes which present themselves, and the observations likely to occur, it is presumed that these -- will prove a continual source of amusement to young people of both sexes, and will furnish such a fund of geographical knowledge, as may prove equally beneficial in reading and conversation".


SHARE SECRET KNOWLEDGE: Your challenge is to pick a place you know well, but would be unfamiliar to most. It could be your neighborhood, your hometown, your school, your favorite park, or anywhere else you spend a lot of time. Draw that place as a gameboard. Include as much secret knowledge about the place as you can-- including characters you might meet, shortcuts you might take, sounds you might hear, and curious objects you might see! Upload an image of the board and include playing instructions. Find someone who's never been there, and play a round of your new game with them.

*********

My Childhood Street: a Pen & Penny Shuffleboard Game
by Laurie Early

Object: The higher up the gameboard "street" you can slide your pen or penny, the higher your score.

Winner: Players decide on number of points to secure win. My game suggestion is 250 points, or best of 5.

Gameboard: You can construct your own gameboard using Letter, A4 or Legal-sized paper divided into 12 horizontal sections, 3 of which are considered "behind the line" where pennies gather speed and pens are poised for action! The 8 remaining sections are labeled with assigned points as listed below. My board (see image below) is divided into 2 vertical sections, LEFT and RIGHT which mimic the sides of my childhood street.

If they'd like to try, players can "race" their pens at the same time, one on the left, one on the right (this is the way my 9th grade boyfriend and I played it during Social Studies class when the teacher wasn't looking).

GAME PLAY: (Note: You may need to tape down or otherwise affix your gameboard paper to your playing surface.)

Pen Technique: [Use plain paper photocopy of game sheet so it can be discarded after play]

• Remove cap from ballpoint pen (do NOT use permanent ink magic markers or "Sharpies" as these may slip and damage clothing and surfaces); if needed, activate the pen's ink on scrap sheet of paper (to make sure there is good ink flow); place the tip of your pen on the game sheet pen behind starting line; with your index finger firmly on the top of the pen, begin tilting the pen back towards you until you are able to push it forward up "the street"; Move the pen as far up the gameboard as you can until it falls; your points are determined by where the tip is when the pen falls (ideally you will see a line drawn by the pen as you pushed it up the street, when the line stops THAT is your point value.)

Penny Technique: [Use photocopy of game sheet on good quality paper if you wish to re-use]

• Place penny or other small coin behind starting line; place index finger on the penny and wiggle it up and down towards the line to build momentum; when ready, aim up "the street" and release; shout at the penny to make it go for a high score number, but, don't let your penny fly off the board entirely, that's zero points.

BACKGROUND: The Long Island, New York, street where I grew up during the 1960s and 70s was a pretty lively place. At the foot was a small beach leading out to Oyster Bay. During one "flower child" summer, all the hippies in my town handed out brushes and small pots of paint and we decorated all the large cement water pipes that emptied out on to the sand. We painted large peace signs and colorful flowers. In the 60s, naked teens intent on skinny-dipping would run past my house at night laughing loudly as they headed towards the beach. In the winter, the water would sometimes freeze over retaining the shapes of breaking waves. The ice would get so thick we could actually walk out and sit on a wave.

My entire street was on an incline bending slightly near my house and then proceeding upwards to almost a 60-degree angle near the top where it stopped abruptly in the shape of a capital "T" as it met a cross street. I always walked my bicycle up, even when I was in highschool, as it was way too steep for me.

We moved here from another part of town when I was in First Grade, around age 5-1/2. There were many houses at that time, but also large expanses of wild, undeveloped space. Eleven years later, when I left, there was no place left to build a house.

My gameboard reflects some of the houses and areas that made this block special. (The layout follows the actual right and left sides of my block as you walk up the hill.) I made my sample board using office supplies I had handy so it is quite basic, but you get the idea. (I tested the game out at my desk with a colleague and he commented that you can't be too forceful with the penny or it will easily fly off the board.)

LEVEL DESCRIPTIONS:

250 Points = TOP OF THE HILL - RIGHT - Finally at the top of the hill, I could jump on my 10-speed bike and ride over to my best friend Z's house. He had a fantastic yard, a house built for excellent hide and seek, a phone near his bedroom to use for prank calls, and plenty of 78s (records) that would entertain us for hours.

150 Points = The "Dark House" - I had an idea who lived in there, and the last name of the family contained the color "black" but I never really knew for sure, and never went inside or on the property (which was so thick with pine trees and other dark shrubs that you could barely see the house through the branches.)

100 Points = Swimming champ G's house. He was always up hours earlier than me as he had 5 AM swim practice, then came home, changed clothes, and walked to school. G used to walk to middle and highschool with me (when I wasn't riding my bike.) Wish I could say it was a pleasant experience, as he was a smart and interesting guy, but I mostly remember him spitting and blowing his nose a lot as we walked, and have forgotten what we used to talk about.

75 Points = Tall house at the top of a bunch of thick cement steps. I only remember visiting there once (other than on Halloween) when I was about 7 or 8 years old. I knew a Veterinarian lived there and brought him a sick bird I had found on the sidewalk. He was very gracious and took the bird from me and said he would see what he could do.

50 Points = The "Cat Lady's House" Nothing else to say really, every town has a lady who lives alone with about a hundred cats. I never went inside but you could see them sometimes as her dark house was totally screened in. She had a wonderful, thick wooden post fence around her entire yard - like something you could make out of Lincoln logs.

25 Points = When I was around 10 or 11 years old, I had a little crush on the guy that rented the house across the street. He was very cool and had long black hair and a big mustache. He sold automotive supplies, something called "Snap-On Tools" and I could tell when he was home by the big red and white van with the business logo on the side which he would park on the street. I don't think I ever spoke to him.

10 Points = Across the street from my house was a little house built into a hill. An older married couple lived there. Everyday when the husband arrived home he would let his wife know by honking his car horn as he pulled into the parking spot underneath their overhanging living room. Beside their property ran a cobblestone road (site of my famous bike crash, ouch!). The road leads almost perpendicularly upwards and flows straight until it reaches a tree in the center, then makes a sharp left. I used to climb up and sit in the middle of the tree and not be seen from the road because it had a recessed hollow.

5 Points = Former swamp area where "skunk cabbage" used to grow in abundance. Now a development of new houses has been constructed. Anytime it rains the new owners have to deal with basements full of murky water. I liked this area because the families always buy Girl Scout Cookies from me.

1 Point = BEACH @ THE BOTTOM BY THE WATER

*****************************************************************

250 Points = TOP OF THE HILL - LEFT - "X" marks the spot where I first realized (age 6) that I could write a song, that I could be a songwriter! (This is a very vivid moment and I remember exactly where I was standing when the thought arrived.)

150 Points = Open construction area behind my friend S's house that leads to a place we called "Spooky Park" a small dark area surrounded by tall pine trees. It was owned by the town and contained a maze made out of rectangular bushes that we would race around in. S's family was always traveling abroad and he once came back with a tale of a cool place in France that you would walk to at a certain time of the day but then water would come in around it and you couldn't walk back. (Later I figured out he was describing Mont Saint-Michel.)

100 Points = My friend J's house. J was going to be a child actor and was quite talented and very good looking. But unfortunately he fell and cut his cheek slightly below his eye and he was left with a small scar (maybe 1/2"). I think it should not have mattered to casting agents, but apparently it did and so acting was not his destiny. I also remember how cool and tough his Dad was - looked like a wrestler to me, had a bald head and a big aura.

75 Points = Memories of play-dates 60s style: Dressing up and playacting at one girlfriend's house, and watching my other friend who lived next door being tortured each morning by her mother and a big hairbrush--trying to remove sleepy-hair tangles before we walked to Elementary School together.

50 Points = Large rose garden and small house where a wedding was once held. I peeked at the reception and wondered if I would have as beautiful a ceremony outdoors. These roses always smelled so wonderful. In the hot Summer the tar near the curb at this section of the road would bubble up. Since I walked around barefoot all the time as a kid, I remember how much I loved popping the tar bubbles with my toes.

25 Points = Open wooded area with trees and flowers that was the scene of many imaginary role-playing games. Bushes were converted into clubhouses and caves. This is most vividly remembered as my magical "winter fortress" during the infamous "Ice Storm" of 1978. Shortly afterwards the magic woods was cleared away by developers and a boring 3-bedroom house was built on the lot.

10 Points = Watch the road and pay attention, because if you hit the bend in the road here you will be one of the select few who have driven into my driveway, yard, pets, or house, by accident. There are a set of turret-shaped pillars on either side of my driveway that were amazing pretend performance stages (once you climbed up on them), drivers never stopped to hear what I was singing, but that was fine with me. If you look closely up on the hill behind my house you may spot Muffy, my Flemish Giant rabbit. She escaped from her cage one night (left her tail behind) and lived on the hill for many years afterwards.

5 Points = Space edged by high bushes that is owned by my town and totally off limits! I never once stepped foot on the grass on this property.

1 Point = BEACH @ THE BOTTOM BY THE WATER

NYPL's Find the Future Game

The New York Public Library is celebrating 100 Years with an interactive online Find the Future Game.  The game quests focus on 100 artifacts in their NYPL at 100 Exhibition.  My daughter and I visited the exhibition during the "Celebration Weekend" and it was really a wonderful collection.  I encourage you to check it out in person if you can, online if you cannot. 

Below is one of my submissions.  It is a response to the quest called Cross Section of the Stacks:  "The New York Public Library made history by assembling one of the largest and most diverse collections of knowledge in the world. There are more than 88 miles of shelves in the New York Public Library. This image, created for Scientific American magazine in honor of the Library's opening in 1911, shows the Library's seven floors of stacks and basement. Today, the basement extends underneath Bryant Park, and the Stephen A Schwarzman Building houses more than 6 million books. 

MAKE IT MASSIVE: The Library's 88 miles of shelves represented a dramatic leap forward in scale for American libraries. Pick something you love and design a way to make it dramatically bigger. If you could super-size anything or anyplace, how would you do it? Include a diagram."

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If I had the power to create the ultimate spot for creating

it would be

THE CREATIVITY FACTORY!

I love creativity classes! I love art classes, music classes, writing classes, drama classes, dance classes, film classes, and any kind of thinking-outside-of-the-box creativity classes. I love classes for children, classes for adults, and classes that bring every one of all ages together.

At The Creativity Factory (TCF) classes in all creative disciplines will be scheduled around the clock and there will be small workstations and soundproof booths (with or without pianos) available for reservation by the hour. Each floor will be coordinated by a separate Academy Director and then managed by the TCF Creative Director and his/her staff.

*****

LAYOUT & CLASSES OFFERED: TCF will be housed in a huge 5-story warehouse with a large basement. Each floor will have a specific focus but disciplines will occasionally overlap because that what happens when you get creative!

Basement: NIGHT CLUB - Lobby/Coat Check-Office/Nightclub/Green Room/Coffee & Snack Bar/Storage/Rest Rooms - The performance area will be equipped with stacking chairs, folding tables, and a movable stage. There will be a retracted movie screen behind and above the stage, and a large concealed storage area behind that (for locking away the piano, drum-set, house bass, amplifiers, and other performance equipment when not in use.)

Activities: Nightclub (evening) events including jazz, cabaret, open microphone sessions, small movie screenings, private party space, and all kinds of rehearsals.

Classes Offered: Vocal Technique/Performance, Jazz Performance, Cabaret Performance and Film Studies.

Ground Floor: AUDITORIUM - Box Office/Office-Coat Check/Lobby/Reception Desk/ Light Food Service/Auditorium/Green Room/Dressing Room(s)/Storage/Rest Rooms - This floor will consist mainly of an auditorium with a large stage. The seating will be removable in order to use that space for other purposes. The lobby will also be open to allow for a variety of events and for large events.

Activities: Art Gallery, Lectures, Movie Screenings, Seasonal Arts & Crafts Exhibitions/Sales, Concerts, Dramatic Performances, and Community Theatre Rehearsals.

Classes Offered: Orchestra and Big Band Performance, Dramatic Technique, and Film Studies.

2nd Floor: ART FOCUS ON KIDS - Office/Open Workshop Areas/Classrooms of Various sizes/Library Wall/Art Supply Storage/Rest Rooms

Classes Offered: Basic Art Techniques and simplified (age-appropriate) versions of the classes offered for adults on the 3rd floor; Seasonal Arts & Crafts Workshops & Art Displays. (Writing Classes and other Creativity Workshops that do not require special supplies will also be held on this floor.)

3rd Floor: ART FOCUS ON ADULTS - Office/Open Workshop Areas/Classrooms of Various sizes/Library Wall/Art Supply Storage/Rest Rooms

Classes Offered: Basic Art Techniques, Paper Arts, Fabric Arts, Printmaking, Ceramics, Doll Making; Theatre Arts (costume making, set design, etc.); Seasonal Workshops & Art Displays. (Writing Classes and other Creativity Workshops that do not require special supplies will also be held on this floor.)

4th Floor: MUSIC & FILM - Office/Classrooms of Various sizes/Library Wall/Music & Film Supply Storage/upright pianos/Sound-proof Practice Booths/Rest Rooms


Classes Offered: Music Technique classes – all styles / all instruments. (Writing Classes and other Creativity Workshops that do not require special supplies will also be held on this floor.)

5th Floor: DRAMA & DANCE - Office/Open Workshop Areas/Mirrored Classrooms of various sizes, some with ballet bars/upright pianos/Library Wall/Dance Supply Storage/Rest Rooms

Classes Offered: Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Modern, and other Dance techniques; Scene Study, Improvisation, and other dramatic techniques. (Writing Classes and other Creativity Workshops that do not require special supplies will also be held on this floor.)

Expansion Ideas:

1. Rooftop Café – An additional party & performance space on the TCF roof.

2. If a satellite building becomes available, it will house the TCF Computer Arts Academy.

*****

OTHER THOUGHTS ABOUT TCF:

TCF students can attend for an hour, a day, week, month, or subscribe to an all-year or lifetime pass. There will also be regular and special events open to the public where admission tickets will be sold.

Some classes will be free, but overall tuition will be moderate and through generous corporate and individual donations TCF will offer full, partial, or work-study scholarships for those families who cannot afford to attend.

Classes and performances will reflect and conform to the seasons of the year and offer more classes for school-age children during the summer months, weekends, and local school vacation periods.

Every month TCF will feature at least one "Artist in Residence". I imagine that all TCF Academies will tailor at least one class around the work, style, or technique of this/these artist(s). For example, imagine creating a dance movement, violin solo, or poem based on the collages of Romare Bearden.

There will be a focus on creating art from non-traditional art supplies and there will be community outreach to gather donations of non-toxic materials from individuals and corporations. To use materials such as fabric, wood, and paper scraps, metal findings, architectural fragments, etc. that would normally wind up in the trash.

TCF will have instructors on staff, but will also welcome freelance creatives who wish to hold their classes at TCF as long as they make them available for TCF students.

TCF will offer some areas for use as private "creativity party" space and will have an Event Planner on staff.



International Rolled-Paper Dolls

A friend emailed me today to tell me she is teaching a children's class soon and to ask if I had any simple doll making ideas she could use.  She wanted a pattern that could be adapted to show the diversity of the human family.  I immediately thought of my old Creative Inspirations! project "No Sew Friendship Dolls" and sent her a convoluted link to the archived page.  So, here is the basic idea again--but a little easier for her to find.  This is not really my design, just my adaptation--it's based on some paper dolls my older daughter made about 20 years ago from a kit she got as a gift.  If you make some dolls please send me some photos, would love to see what everyone comes up with.

These dolls are made out of rolled strips of paper. They look like stick figures before they are wrapped with yarn and dressed in fabric scraps. I have made international dolls dressed in clothing representing Europe, Africa, Asia, and America. Parents and teachers can make these dolls very detailed to give as gifts or to decorate a classroom in an international theme. Children ages 8-12 can make them with very little assistance, and younger children can make them if an adult helps with the yarn wrapping, cutting and gluing. Both boys and girls enjoy this activity, sometimes creating real-life dolls and sometimes fantasy characters and superheroes. These little "paper-people" really come to life when they are dressed and topped off with some yarn hair.

SUPPLIES: Typing and/or construction paper, scissors, glue, crayons and or markers for coloring, a fine-point pen with black ink, yarn, clear tape, and small pieces of fabric and trimmings (like ribbon, buttons, etc.), wooden clothespins with a spring-joint (optional)

For each doll you will need one strip of paper 8"x2-1/2" and one strip 3"x 2-1/2". (It's easy if you cut your whole pieces of paper into 2-1/2 strips, then cut those strips into pieces approximately 3" and 8" long.)

If you are using typing paper, color one side (of both strips) with the chosen skin tone. If you are using construction paper which has an overall color you can add more color if you wish but it is not necessary. "Roll" and flatten the paper strips to about 1/3 of their original width (8"x3/4" and 3"x3/4") This does not have to be exact, but the two pieces should be about the same finished width. 

Fold the 8" strip in half with any "seam" towards the inside of the fold. With the fine-tipped pen draw eyes, a nose, and a mouth about 1/4" from the fold. Your "doll" will now look like an upside-down "V".

Place the smaller rolled strip, the "arms", between the folded of the longer strip about an inch from the top.  Lightly glue or tape the arms in place. Your doll should now look like a cross.

To add stability to the doll, you will need to wrap the body and legs with yarn. With a long piece of yarn, start at the chest and wrap the yarn over one shoulder, around the waist and back over the other shoulder. With a single strand of yarn, keep wrapping around the body, then wrap down--then back up each leg, until all the paper is covered and the legs are separated. Tie the yarn to finish, or glue yarn-end in place. (Wrapping the arms with yarn is optional.)

To dress your doll, cut bits of fabric and trim, fold them around the doll and glue them on. To make hair for your doll, wrap yarn about 10 times around a piece of 1" cardboard (or two or three of your fingers). This will form a small "circle of yarn strands. Tie the circle of yarn at one side and cut the yarn opposite from the tied point. (It will look like a bushy "V" with the tie at the midpoint.) Trim the hair to the desired length or arrange it in a style appropriate to the costume (like braiding). Place a dab of glue on the top fold of the dolls head and put the hair in place. Allow to dry.

To complete the doll, you may wish to draw hands and feet or shoes on your doll. In any case, it looks good if you trim the square ends of the arms to more resemble hands.

Finally, you may wish to glue the back of your doll to a wooden clothespin (with the doll's feet towards the clothespin's spring-joint). This way you can clip your friendship doll to a jacket, pocket, or lapel. Or, clip them to long flat sticks to use as puppets.

Alternatively, glue a magnet on the back of the doll or the back side of the clothespin, and stick your doll on your refrigerator as a handy message holder. Most of all have fun with your dolls..

Creative Inspirations! Revisited

Happy New Year!

I thought it would be a good time to start posting some updated versions of my Creative Inspirations! project ideas. (I designed these activities and projects and posted them to my now defunct geocities website around 1997 until about 2005.)

One of my resolutions for 2011 is to blog more frequently, and revisiting these projects will help me keep that promise to myself, and keep these ideas circulating a little longer in the intangible world of the internet.

Friendship Binder

This is a project which involves commitment, but if you wish to strengthen a long-distance friendship, cheer up a sick friend, or maintain strong family ties, it's well worth the effort.

You may be familiar with “monthly mailing clubs,” companies which send you a selection of craft project or recipe cards along with a large 3-ring binder and coordinated subject dividers. Each month an additional selection of cards is mailed for you to add to your binder. They continue to send you packets of cards until you either cancel, or stop paying them, *smile*.

My project follows that basic idea, but instead of crafts or recipes, the binder's theme and contents is tailored by you to suit the needs of the relationship with your friend or family member.

After you have decided on your format (theme) and subjects and gathered together all the supplies you will need, I have some suggested writing ideas to enclose in your first and subsequent mailings, so read on.

Supplies: 
A large 3-ring binder (with at least a 2" ring), preferably with a clear pocket on the front and side where you can insert personalized cover and spine sheets; a set of dividers with insertable or “write-able” tabs; colorful paper; pre-stamped postcard; hole-punch; markers and pens; and, a box large enough to mail the binder.

Optional Supplies:
Decorative stickers ; a pen/pencil case made for 3-ring binders; top-loading sheet protectors; photo album sheets made for 3-ring binders; and maybe a new pen, pencil, eraser and other basic supplies to give as an additional gift.

Choosing a Theme & Subjects: 
There are many reasons why you might want to create a binder for a loved one. I was initially inspired to construct a binder with the theme "Keeping in Touch" for a brother who lives in another state. I wanted to write to him more and I felt this might be a good way for me to motivate myself each month. I had lots of stuff collected that I wanted to send to him anyway, and this gave me a creative structure. For his binder I chose very general subjects:

• Letters (from me of course),
• Inspiration (inspirational sayings and stories),
• Humor (jokes and comics I've been collecting),
• Articles (interesting and serious stuff) and
• Miscellaneous (which of course covers anything unexpected I find.)

A young boy in my community was sick for many weeks so I constructed a Get Well Soon binder with the theme of Pirates because that’s what he was into at the time.  I decorated the binder cover sheet with a collage of underwater scenes, pirate treasure, etc., and on the side I wrote his name in large golden letters.

Under one of the subject tabs called Read It! I included some pirate stories and facts. The other subjects and materials were chosen to cheer him up while he rests in bed: Letters (from me and around the world as I posted a request for mail on the internet), Funny Stuff, Arts & Crafts, Puzzles & Games. I tucked sheets of stickers and other small gifts in the binder's inside pockets.

Other themes [and subjects] you might choose are:

• Favorite Hobby [Articles, What's New, Photos, Tips & Techniques, Famous People (with same hobby)];
• This is Your Life [Scrapbook Items, Interviews with Family & Friends, Photos: Funny and Significant, Favorite Hobby, Occupation];
• Bon Voyage [Letters, What's New Back Here (at the office/home/community), Local Photos];
• Welcoming the New Baby [Parenting Advice, Articles, Baby Humor, Funny Baby Photos];
• Pen-Pals (Get to know my hometown/Country) [Tourist Info, Local News, Community Activites, Community Photos];
• Happy Birthday & Holidays Send initial package on birthday and update each subsequent holiday for the next year [Cards & Letters, Holiday Games, Crafts, Holiday Humor];
• Memories for My Child, or Grandchild [Memories of My Childhood, Memories of your Parents, Memories of You, Photos].
• Fun Stuff (for young children) [Pictures to Color, ABC's, Shapes, Colors, Animals, Stories].
  
  The variations are endless.

Contructing your Initial Package: 

You will want a binder with a design that suits the person or theme. If you cannot find one already decorated, there are solid-colored binders with clear plastic covers and spines on the market now which allow you to insert sheets of paper on the front, back, and side of the binder. You can decorate these sheets any way you choose before inserting them.

Type or write the subject categories on the tabs for the subject dividers. Place the subject dividers into the binder.

Gather at least one or two items for each of your chosen subjects and punch holes in them or insert them into top-loading sheet protectors which already have a 3-hole edge. Place them in the binder under the appropriate category. I get a lot of things off the internet, but the public library is also a good resource. You may already have interesting magazine articles and newspaper clippings saved that you can photocopy and hole-punch. For kids, you can write out instructions for games you liked to play as a child like hangman, ghost or Nim. Photocopy family photos or scrapbook pages you have already created.

Include a self-addressed and pre-stamped postcard with a request that your loved one mail it back to you to confirm their receipt of the binder and that they tell you about any specific things they would like you to keep an eye out for. My young pirate friend requested information on all sorts of games and crafts that I had never heard of. I used the internet to locate information about them.

Letter of Explanation & Other Enclosures

Write a letter to your loved one explaining your gift, theme and subjects. Let them know that you will be sending them more items to put in their binder weekly or monthly or on holidays (whatever time commitment you want to make.) Place this letter first in the binder so it will be read upon opening. 

Other ideas:

• Write an essay about your loved one in any style you choose.
• Write a haiku poem about their sense of humor, their smile.
• Write a note recalling a funny story about them or about a moment when your felt particularly close or proud to be their friend/parent/sister--include a photo of the two of you together.
• Create a crossword or word search puzzle listing words that have meaning to the two of you, or attributes of the person such as: generosity, kindness, wit, etc.
• Create a questionnaire that they can fill out and mail back to you in a Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope (SASE)--include questions like: What do you wish you could do that you don't know how to do? What are you good at? What do you wish you were better at? What's your favorite time of day and why? What's your favorite color, food, book? If you could travel anywhere in the world where would you go? Why?

Periodic Updates:
Remember to set things aside to mail to your loved one. You don't want them staring at an empty binder now do you? If you travel often-- save postcards, travel brochures, and other interesting souvenirs to mail. Each month, write a poem just for them, about them or about a special event that month.

  

©1998 Laurie Early

Catalogs (Online and Offline) as Inspiration

I had not planned on making my own holiday cards this year. Actually, I have not created holiday greeting cards for my personal use in quite a while. But about a month ago I was browsing the Oriental Trading catalog online and I was inspired to give a small gift to my friends, fellow chorus members, and colleagues at the company where I work. This "little gift" idea, and subsequent online order, sparked an onslaught of creative activity that consumed my evenings for several weeks in order to make my self-imposed December 15th deadline.

This was a pattern of catalog inspiration and creativity that stems back to several years ago when I worked for a non-profit organization at the United Nations. Part of my work-year revolved around celebration planning for various holidays. I designed many small trinkets and gifts for my co-workers as well as seasonal decorations for the physical space.  Whenever I could not think of an appropriate gift (that fit my very small non-profit budget) I would turn to the Oriental Trading catalog for ideas.  Nine times out of ten I found something that fit the occasion.

This time I was inspired by the flat, red plastic, mysterious, "FORTUNE TELLER - Miracle Fish" which is sold by the gross (that's 12 dozen, or 144 individual fish in their own flat white sleeve with instructions.) I got one in a Christmas stocking as a child, and they are fun!  The fish is placed in your flat palm and depending on the heat pattern you generate the fish will curl up or flip over or move it's head and tail.  Each one of these movements corresponds to a characteristic you might have such as being passionate, or fickle.   (I was to learn that many people have NEVER seen them before and they were perplexed as to how they work.)

After deciding to buy the fish as a gift, I thought it would be a good idea to distribute each one in a card of some kind. In the same catalog I found sets of blank white 4"x4" note cards with coordinating blank envelopes. I ordered those too. I believe I was very sensible up until this point - but then.....

I saw some tiny soft plastic goldfish, also sold by the gross, I had to buy and give those out too! Ah, but I did not want to put these 3-D plastic fish in the envelope, that would be bumpy. But the catalog inspiration continued and soon I saw they sold box-making template sets and one pattern included in the set was in the shape of a Chinese take-out container - perfect, I thought, I will shrink the pattern down on the photocopier to make it small enough for the tiny fish. (I added the template set to my online shopping cart.)

As I continued to browse through the catalog web pages, I thought about how how I would decorate the card, what color scheme I should use, etc. I tried to remember if I had ever carved an image that I could stamp onto the 4x4-inch cards, no, I had no hand-carved fish stamps in my collection. 

So, I decided to carve one and use a simple, crisp, reliable, black ink. The Fortune Fish was red (a color that is supposed to bring good fortune), the cards white, and the ink black, I did not want to add any other colors, so that became my color palate. Into the shopping cart I tossed a roll of red and black crepe paper streamers to cut into 4-1/4" strips to wrap around the Chinese food containers, I would secure them with a little stacker made from the fish stamp - that would complete the theme.


Everything arrived pretty quickly and I had my carved fish stamp all ready. I stamped it onto white paper, scanned it into the computer, reduced it, and printed several images onto cheap sticker paper, and cut them out leaving a little edge of white around them. I manipulated and duplicated the image in Photoshop for the card front and added a square red patterned background. I printed these out, cut them into approximately 3" squares, and glued them to the front of each blank card. I manually stamped each envelope flap with the fish image as well. Inside each card I added a clear sticker with my message "Wishing you good fortune,today and every day ahead."

The containers took a long time to make. First I needed to try many sizes and I finally shrunk the pattern down to make a container 1" x 3/4" x 1-1/4" (flap closed). After cutting them out, they each needed to be scored along the fold lines and a little slit cut on one of the closing flaps. The pattern called for holes to be punched but I disregarded that and stapled the sides together using a mini green frog-shaped stapler I bought at Pylones (#10 staples).

Into each container I placed two small sheets of red tissue paper, one colorful plastic goldfish, and a tiny rolled fortune I made by photocopying fortunes I had collected (Yes, I keep them in a special mini-drawer labelled "fortunes"). There was a small flaw in my reduced pattern that I did not see until I tried to close the containers - the slit was too far from the edge to ensure a flat top when closed. (I will adjust this if I make these containers again.) I compensated for the error by adding a small piece of double stick tape to the top - this held it closed securely enough to add the two bands of crepe paper I had pre-cut, and the small fish sticker which camouflaged the seam where the edges of the crepe paper met. The sticker would not have been strong enough to hold the box closed and keep the crepe paper in place.

After adding a friend's name and personal message inside each card, I tucked in a Fortune Teller fish, keeping it flat, and then carefully tucked this into an envelope and wrote my friend's name on the outside. I distributed the cards with a randomly chosen container. At the office they were placed on desks early in the morning. I also mailed them in small cardboard boxes to friends, and I plan to hand out the rest to my other friends at my next chorus rehearsal. I will pull the containers from a bag or basket when I hand them their envelope.

Overall the response to these 2-part "good-luck-fortune-fish cards" was really good. It made a lot of people happy and added something interesting to their day. Some of them had never seen the Fortune Fish before and did not know they needed to remove it from the plastic sleeve before holding it flat in their outstretched palm. Some people did not even know there was a fish in the white sleeve, it's THAT flat, and they thought the colorful fish was supposed to move and were disappointed when it didn't. I explained that they got a card with a red "fortune Fish", and a container with a "fish and a fortune".

My next blog post will be in 2011.  So I would like to wish you Season's Greetings and a New Year filled with good fortune!

The Possibilities in a Walnut Shell

I remember making all sorts of things from nuts and shells as a child, including a little bassinet, fully equipped with a tiny pillow and a tiny blanket that was glued down on top of a little paper mache mouse figure to make it appear as if it had just snuggled down for a nap.

About 17 years ago I planned to make some "Sleeping Mice" holiday ornaments to give as gifts. Yes, 17 years ago, and I spent some time carefully opening walnuts and removing the nuts, making sure they were unbroken and had smooth edges. I placed them in a paper bag and packed them with my craft supplies. And, then we moved, and moved again, and again. Every time I saw that bag of clean walnut shells I remembered that I wanted to make them into ornaments, and when we finally moved into the apartment we have today, I took some time to have another baby and I put a bunch of supplies in a back closet never to see them until my husband pulled them out three weeks ago. It hit me, make these shells into ornaments or throw them away - if I pause to think about the money we spent moving and storing things I'll bet these are the most expensive walnut shells I've ever purchased.

I thought about making the little sleeping mice from my childhood, but the idea just did not make me happy enough to invest the energy into it. I would have to buy paper clay, or some other sort of supply item and that would not fulfill my self-imposed restriction of: no more supply purchases until I use up 80-90% of what I have accumulated and chosen to save. (I feel I should mention that before we made that first move 17 years ago I donated two 33-gallon trash bags full of crafts supplies, fabric, batting, etc. to my older daughter's Elementary School, so I have had my moments of major supply purging - the walnuts shells were not included, too much time and effort had already been expended on them, yes, I will admit I was emotionally attached to them.)

So, a couple of weeks ago I made a list of all the things I could do with my rediscovered shells. I thought of making hinged ornaments out of the shell halves I was able to match with their original partner.  (I have not yet started making those.) But, I was left with ten halves that did not have a match, and I decided to make small sailing ships out of them.  It took me many days to sketch out a design that I liked and to pull together things I could use during the construction process. I used balsa wood to create hand-cut decks which I then covered with a layer of golden tissue.  I cut bamboo skewers and painted them gold to become masts. I did not want to totally gild the ship's shell hull, so I lightly applied gold buffing cream instead.

Over 3-4 days, I designed the sails trying several types of material (paper, plastic, foam, tape, etc.) and cutting different shapes for them.  After deciding to use fabric instead of paper, I settled on using silk or felt sails edged with highly reflective glass beads (the kind they use on the dividing lines when paving streets to delineate lanes, shoulders, and crosswalks.)  I liked them, they were very satisfying to make, but I still felt they needed something to make them more fanciful, so I created small hanging tiles to decorate each sail.  They are small slices of wood covered in tissue and then adorned with sequins, beads, or rhinestones.  I think they add a bit of fantasy to these sweet little holiday sculptures that each tool me HOURS to make.

Design copyright 2010 Laurie Early