Growing Up Creative

#02 Newspaper Doll

 

I have learned this sculpting technique together with Zoe on Family Sundays at the LACMA, which if you happen to be living in the LA area you must check out. It was a rainy day (rare occasion in LA) so instead of doing messy pottery outside we were shown how to sculpt neatly with paper and masking tape inside the Greek and Roman gallery of the LACMA.

In the following tutorial I will share that technique with you, demonstrating how to make a doll. Keep in mind that with this technique you can sculpt anything you can imagine, it is physical and soothing at the same time. some background music is a plus. 

Although this technique is more suited for ages 6 and up, you can do this with younger kids with some assistance. Working the paper will strengthen the little hands and prepare younger kids for fine motor skills. the project can be as simple as a ball or as complex as a bust with curly hair.

A note about the masking tape:
I was looking long and hard for a biodegradable masking tape. I found a company in Australia that sells it. I couldn’t find any standard biodegradable masking tap in the US, but i did find Japanese colorful tape made from Washi paper that seems amazing for this project or anything else for that matter. 

Pardon my appearance as i am still unpacking.

You will need:

Newspaper
Masking tape
J.S. Bach: Goldberg Variations
Drawing tools

Optional:
Colorful magazines
Scissors
glue

How to:

Rip one newspaper page and crumple it into a ball

Place inside the center of a spread,
turn over and twist the newspaper around the ball to form a head.
Tape around the neck.

{{At this phase Zoe insisted me taking a picture of the amazing olives we got in the desert, she wanted to share them with you but only in virtual way, they are way too tasty to give away (she is very protective of her food). yes, we usually eat when we work...maybe next time I should remind her to wash her hands...}}

Use another spread and scrunch it the long way.
Place inside the spread tight to the head, this will become the hands.
Tape around the upper body, forming the shoulders and waist.

 

You may choose to end the doll in this phase, make sure you tape around the head, torso and hands. You may add a string on top, with some colorful beads. If you add wings to the back, you may just get a fairy…Hang somewhere special.

^{made by Zoe when she was 4 1/2 (with just a little help)}

Crunch another spread for legs.
Start to tape the figure, add crunched newspaper for extra volume where needed: belly, nose, heels, etc. tape over added mass.

 

Tape all around the doll.

 

Draw her facial features

^{doll by tali (with help from Zoe)}

Zoe said she will make the doll some cloth so she is not cold and naked. I will post it when she does.

You may also clip some images from colorful magazines and collage over the doll. 

I am looking forward to seeing your projects in the shared flicker photo pool.

Enjoy
tali

The Desert

When ever I go to the desert I feel very peaceful.
When I inhale, I know I am breathing-in energy, feeding my cells with creative input which is going to last for a long time (as well as clean air…).

It is a little bit like purging for me; I leave all the city clutter behind and take in all this pure natural inspiration.

This weekend we went to the Negev desert.
We found different shapes in the rocks, dug in the sand and built a small colony using twigs.
Ate good food, drank lots of Turkish coffee and tea and some wine.
Spent time with old friends, met new ones and took in the pure horizon with the big skies over our heads.

Some of my favorite desert escapes:
Bryce Canyon, Utah
Joshua tree national park, California
Palm springs - Indian canyon, California 
Anywhere in Arizona, really
The red sea desert, Israel

Any recommendations?

tali

Ruthi’s mom chocolate cake

Baking with Ori

 

I had a friend many years ago - Ruthie. Her mom was a math teacher by day and a wizard baker by night. Friday afternoon came and she would put on her apron and bake like there was no tomorrow. She shared 3 of her recipes with me and I am sharing the first one with you.

Ruthi’s mom amazing chocolate cake.
Note: This cake has only one spoon of flour which can be easily substituted with rice flour or matzo mill for Passover.

Ingredients:
200 gr (7 oz) bitter sweet chocolate
200 gr butter (a little less than 2 sticks)
1 spoon (more or less) Vanilla extract
1 spoon (more or less) Rum
1 spoon (more or less) Cognac 
¾ cups of sugar
6 eggs
200 gr (7 oz) crushed walnuts (optional)
1 spoon of flour
1 tea spoon baking powder

How to:
Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler.
After it is melted turn off the stove, add vanilla, rum and cognac.

In a separate bowl beat the egg whites, gradually add the sugar. Beat until egg whites are firm.
Add the chocolate mixture to the egg whites.
Add the yolks

Pour a third of the mixture into a separate bowl and put a side.

Add walnuts, the flour and the baking powder to the rest of the mixture.

Pour into a pan, bake in medium heat for approximately 20 minutes.
When it is done, pour the rest of the mixture onto the cake, and wait until it cools down before eating (if you can)

Enjoy.

The real treat for me nonetheless was not the cake but baking with Ori.

Drawing the Torah

A year long project…ready…set…go…

This post is inspired by my good friend Natasha, whom last year has taken on herself to tell her son the stories of the Torah in the most creative way. she got 2 rolling pins from Target's dollar bin, a roll of paper from Michaels'.

while She was pulling down her paints and brushes and a whole lot of resources from the shelves, her son was rolling out a long stretch of the paper, ready to start with a year long project of drawing the Torah stories. She was telling the stories and her son was painting, scribing, and asking questions, unveiling the Torah, one story at a time.

This project has just ended with the celebration of Simchat Torah, while OUR project is about to begin.

^{story of creation (by Josh)}

^{Cain and Abel (by Josh)}




Noah's Ark (by Josh)
 
How to:

Pick a DAY:
The first thing we did after committing to do this project was to schedule a regular day. We have decided on Friday afternoon.

Get your SUPPLIES:
Unfortunately I will not be able to stop by and get supplies at Michaels’, but I will pull out a roll of trace paper left over from my architecture days, I still need to get rolling pins, paints and brushes are no problem.

• A roll of paper could be trace (semi translucent) or white paper can easily be found at arts and crafts stores.
• Assortment of drawing tools
• 2 rolling pins or wooden dowels. Glue one end of the paper to the rolling pin to create a scroll.

Get your RESOURCES:
Telling the stories should probably be a mixed of reading from the Torah, reading stories of  the Torah written by different authors, poetry, and Midrashim which are stories that have been developed by rabbis throughout history to answer the often puzzling questions raised by the Bible in a form of a folktale.
Many times I read the stories to my self and later tell the girls the stories from my head, adding some hand gesture and a change of my tone of voice to emphasize and create drama.

I have had long discussions with Natasha about resources. Reading straight from the bible seems like not such a great idea for kids. We both felt that it is hard to find well written stories of the bible both in English and in Hebrew.

I have compiled a list of books that was recommended by Natasha and some I found my self in my MATZO SOUP AMAZON BOOK STORE.

If you have any other books to suggest, I will be very happy to hear about them.

Here are some websites that post a weekly parsha for kids you may find helpful:
www.akhlah.com (English)
www.mibereshit.org (Hebrew and English)
www.myim.co.il  (Hebrew)
www.aish.com (English)

One last thought before you let me go:
There is something very poetic and old fashioned about parents telling the stories of the Torah to their kids. Drawing in response to stories is a great way to have kids engage with the story while practicing their drawing skills (I wrote more about this in growing up creative). And spending time together as a family is a great Jewish value.

We are now ready to dive in. I invite you to join us on this adventure.

Thank you Natasha for helping and coming up with this great activity.
I am sure she is reading this, so if you have any questions for her or myself feel free to ask.


tali

Too much stuff

We have moved a while ago, and only this week we have finally received our shipping container. Now, all I can see is lots and lots of boxes, containing lots and lots of stuff; half of which I don’t even remember we had. The funny thing is that my family and I have been living without our belongings for a while and did just fine (although some friends may say different…).

Don’t get me wrong, I am thrilled to sleep on my bed and not on a leaking air mattress; the girls are more than exited to hug their long lost bears. The joy of lounging on my favorite vintage sofa (which almost everyone else hates) with buttons pushing down my back, sipping tea from my favorite mug is with no doubt priceless. Every box we open feels like its Xmass Hanukkah.

This week is a week of new beginnings, a new home, a new year, and a new kitten. 

Inspired by Rabbi Joshua Levine Grater article and The Story of Stuff (a movie), this year I hope to buy less and make more with what I already have. shop for closets (which I have non, quite pathetic for someone with stuff…) at the flea market, visit my local library before I log into Amazon, go back to sewing some of my own clothes now that I am reunited with my long lost sewing machines. I will also start posting Eco Kids Craft tutorials as part of my other blog - growing up creative.

This is going to be a great year.

What are your hopes for next year?

Shana Tova
tali

#01 Flowers expended to wall art using paper rolls

After much demand, I am finally starting a new feature on my blog: I call it Eco Kids Craft, which is a fancy name for craft tutorials made of recycled materials. The main purpose of these tutorials is to guide parents and educators through the phases of some easy craft activities that encourage recycling, creativity and making with what you have.

If you have been following my blog you should know that I tend not to put an emphasis on the final product, but rather on the process and the exploration. These are going to be no different. The tutorials will get you started by opening an endless world of creativity and imagination.

Thank you Shoshanna Strauss for the graphics.

Lets get going

You will need:

Toilette Paper rolls
Scissors
White glue
Stapler
Paint + brushes
Glitter
Laundry pins

How to:

• Crush paper roll

• Cut into approximately 5 equal parts don’t have to be exact

• place the rolls on a flat surface creating a desired  pattern. spend time trying different compositions and patterns.

• glue where rolls are touching, hold with laundry pins to dry. You may use a stapler as an alternative, what ever is easier. I find that glue is easier for the younger kids.

• You may paint and add sparkles. Sprinkle the glitter on the wet paint, this way it will sticks and you wont need any glue.

• You may expend the pattern in to an organic cell growth. The challenge is when to say STOP.

You may see some more examples for this project at the shared flicker photo pool. I hope you will upload yours as well, if you cant figure flicker out, drop me a note.

tali