Collaborative Heart Project Fundraiser

I am going to be a part of this great idea/fundraiser - from Hands on as We Grow.
You too can have the opportunity to participate or simply donate $5 to recieve the ebook collaboration when it is completed. All proceeds will go to the American Heart Association.
Most sites participating will also host giveaways - Kreative Resources will be posting our own giveaway in February for this project.
Here is the link for Hands on as we Grow with complete details on this event.
I will keep you posted here for the ebook release and other give aways!

Snowman melt

So how long will it take for a snowman to melt? Pretty fast - especially if it's indoors! LOL

It had snowed in the morning - but it was quickly turning to rain.

We have had a weird winter. So the snow came indoors before it was all gone.

We could have gone outside but our playground turns into a muddy lake! :(

We started to build a snowman.

It sure was cooooold!

Everyone chipped in!

We used up all the snow.

Almost done!

It needed a hat!

Ta Da!!

Oh dear it started to melt!

Hey where did our snowman go?

Snowy Bulletin Board

I decided to make the tots into snowmen for this bulletin board.

I tried to keep it light and bright. The photo really doesn't do it justice.

The boarder is actually very silver in colour.

Light Box

I already have a light box so to speak - however it is on an upright angle so we are limited to what we can do on it.

We really like it – but there is so much more that can be explored on a flat table. However to purchase one is quite expensive. I have seen many cool light tables created by some of the great bloggers out there, but I tried to make one and I didn’t like my results – so I have now created one of my own designs.

I started with an old drawer I got from the reuse centre.

 The ugly front needed to come off…

…and so did the slider! Thanks handy hubby! J

Then I marked the inside of the drawer where I wanted mini shelf brackets to go. These are going to hold up my Plexiglas.

 Then hubby drilled the holes.  

 In went the brackets.

The first piece of Plexiglas I broke while cutting it to size! L

However a very nice man at a Plexiglas company donated a new piece! J

Clear is NOT a good choice for a light box so….  … I covered it with white tacky paper.

 It worked out awesome!

Then the sides needed to be addressed – they were yucky!

Even the drill holes could be seen – and not avoided.

So I covered them with tacky paper as well! This time wood grained pattern.

I popped in a tap light for now – but there will be a stronger one in later – but the overall look is awesome! J

The entire light box cost me:

-          $2 for the drawer

-          $5 for the brackets

-          $8 for the broken Plexiglas (next time I will just beg for free to begin with)

-          $2 for tacky paper.

For $17 I got a cool light box! So what do you think?

Update: So here are the lights I settled with - they are very bright and work great. I still have to secure them in the box. They are from an Ikea light system - I got it at a reuse centre for $2. So the entire light box is still under $20.

These are 25 watt bulbs.

It has an on off switch.

It produced a lot of light!

I am NOT endorsing the company where this product is sold - but this light socket would work awesome as well - they are sold at most craft stores to go in Christmas decorations etc. They have an on and off switch as well.
Darice-Cord-With-Light-White

Didgeridoo and a drum too!

So today I decided my hunt for classroom resources would lead me to some didgeridoos, and it did!

The bonus was an African drum!

Some African hand drums!

As well as pencils that resemble the drums above - they can actually be played.

I love the hand painted designs on these as well.

Here they are - the didgeridoos

Now I just have to learn how to play them!

I like the designs!

I traded my 70's record albums for all of the above! I was happy - my records will find homes where people love and desire them and my kids will have fun at school playing these!

Not to be Overlooked

When I go into thrift shops - or go to garage sales etc. I go with a list of items in mind to purchase. 99% of the time I find what I am seeking. Today I wanted to get a few more instruments for my music chest. I ventured over to the bagged items and saw some broken castenets inside. Most people would pass them up - but I also love to refurbish and restore things.

They needed new elastic ties - the elastic they use is a thick fabric coated type - Hum where to get that?

Then it came to me - hair elastics are exactly the same!

I cut off the metal centres - strung them through the holes in the castanets and put a bit of glue on the ends so they wouldn't fray. They turned out perfect!

So for $1.99 I have two new sets of perfectly fine castanets.

I also found these cute mini brass cymbals - I will change the ribbon when I find a nice one.

I'm not sure how to play them - I'll have to check that out!

They were $1.99 as well.

These are about 3 inches around.

Update: I did some googling and I found out that these are cymbals used in India for folk music and dance.

How to play Manjeras 

Inspired by Design

I love to wander around in dollar stores - especially if it's a new one I haven't been in before. New treasures seem to surge forth! :)
This week I ventured into a dollar store that was not a chain store - so new items were to be found.

In the housewears isle I found this self adhesive paper with a great 'wet' look!

I had to buy it!

It screamed rain tube, so that's what I set out to make.

I used a tube from a roll of tinfoil - some tinfoil and rice.

Cardboard tubes from inside tinfoil or plastic wrap etc. tend to be thicker and stronger.

I love to use them over TP tubes for this toy. It's more durable.

First I took some tinfoil and twisted it up to fit the length of the tube - leaving about 3/4" at each end.

Put it inside the tube.

Cut your adhesive paper to cover the entire tube, but don't put it on yet.

Cut 2 circles to cover each end of the tube - about 3/4" wider than the opening.

Cut a few slits - 3/4" from edge to centre up to the width of your tube.

Peel off the paper backing from the adhesive paper and centre it over the opening of one end of the tube.

Fold the edges down one section at a time - they will overlap a bit.

It will look like this.

Fill tube with about 1 1/2 " of dried rice.

Don't over fill or it won't sound like rain.

Then cover up the other end of the tube and cover the entire tube with the paper you cut to size.

And here it is - a rain tube! :)