Baby Cookies

I wan't to make some appreciation gifts for my kids teachers and bus driver. I also had been wanting to find a chocolate chip cookie recipe that tasted like sweet martha cookies at the fair.  I found this recipe and it worked for both! I was able to make bags for the neighbors too and sample plenty because 1 batch made soooooo many!

Felt Crafts

With left-over felt sitting around from an earlier project I wanted to make a pouch for my e-reader.  With some embroidery thread I quickly made some triangular designs and put a few stitches on the edges. If I had just a bit more material I would have made a flap with a botton to fastened it shut.  I also made a heart-shape bookmark which opens at the top so it fits the corner of the page. I saw this idea on Pinterest. The bookmark would have worked better if I had thinner felt material and  I should have put the closing stitches closer to the edge.  ~JM

Next time I will practice more and hope to do stiches like the ones below that I found on Pinterest.

Street Art

Graffiti is "controversial and expressive form that’s been conveying messages and transforming walls from ancient Rome to today. Rooted in social and political dissent and laced with a sense of danger, modern graffiti has exploded both as a raw and powerful street medium and in works that have made their way into galleries and museums" (Smithsonian).  

Ted-Ed describes the history on graffiti seen here.  The video asks is it art or is it vandalism? 

I visited Wynwood Walls when I was in Miami. It is a neighborhood filled with street art. 
(Click here for Wynwood Walls Info)

Wynwood Walls

I drew my initials in a street art style on paper.  I used this website for instructions on "how to draw graffiti names".  Some tips I learned:

• write your name in pencil or chalk
• turn the letters in blocks or bubbles
• connect some of the letters
• add feet and arrows
• create a 3-D effect
• blacken your sketch line
• add color
• set it against contrasting background

  -jm