Gifts from South Africa

When my son went to South Africa this summer, I told him there were three things I wanted him to bring back for me as souvenirs. I wanted beads (to make jewelry, or that were already made into jewelry), and textiles (to sew into something-or-other like maybe a vest or a tote). I also mentioned masks, since I have a little crazy mask collection on a wall at home.

I received: the beaded elephant pictured above, and the lizard batik now hanging on my living room wall (pictured below - you can see how large it is next to a standing lamp and china cabinet). He totally forgot I ever mentioned masks.

I love both my gifts, but obviously there is nothing there to wear, or any raw material to make something I can wear. He admitted he didn't have a clue.

The moral of this story is: that despite my attempts to be non-sexist and treat boys and girls the same, and my insistence on equality, the hard truth is that there are still inate diferences. Sigh... Lots of boys (and men) do not "get it" when it comes to stuff like this. And despite our decidedly non-sexist family, and despite living in a house filled with artwork, jewelry, and my assorted crafty projects, I still can't trust either my husband or my son to pick me out jewelry, clothing, or textiles that I will like. Next time I know better than to ask!

But, with all that said, I must repeat: I love my gifts!!! And I'll append that statement with another: I love both my boys (the younger and the older).

Batik with Toothpaste??!!! What Fun! - by gr.5

Yes, these gorgeous 5th grade paintings, done back in the fall, are actually imitation "batiks" that were created using a resist of toothpaste mixed with Aloe Vera lotion (which I bought in the $1 store). No melted wax! According to the kids: Best Project EVER!!! And an unexpected bonus - while you are working, your art room will smell minty fresh :-)

We used design elements found in Victorian architecture for design motivation for these "batiks". Here's how you do it:

• First, tape muslin to a scrap of mat board. Either draw lightly with pencil on the fabric, or draw with a Sharpie on a piece of paper and put it under the fabric before taping.
• Mix together toothpaste and aloe vera in an empty glue bottle (hint: you'll want to clearly label the bottles to avoid mixups). Shake 'em up like crazy. Then trace over your drawing with the resist mix, and leave to dry overnight.

• Paint over the entire image with tempera - but do NOT use washable tempera. More concentrated or better quality tempera will result in richer color. Don't use white. Again, leave to dry thorougly.

• Put in sink and let water run over it to begin to loosen paint.
• Rub gently as the stream of water removes all the resist, and excess paint.
• Place on clean side of matboard to dry.If desired, touch up or add details with Sharpies.

Voila! All done!

I know many of you, especially in the south, are winding down your school year, so you may want to check back in the fall when my students will create a new batch of this crazy-fun technique. Meanwhile, here in NY, school's in session till almost the end of June. Still lots of teaching time left!