Favorite Children's Books

This isn' going to be a long post, just wanted to share that I recently took a poll and asked what people loved to read when they were children.

They told me about their favorite books, series, and comics.

Although I was not surprised by the likes of Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, or Charlotte's Web by E.B. White, and A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle, I did get some answers that threw me for a loop. 

For instance, many people said they loved Edgar Allen Poe, even as a child. Now I was raised watching Frankenstein and Dracula so that was not a big deal for ME, but I had no idea that it was so commonplace across the board. 

A few other faves were Winnie the Pooh, The Giving Tree, anything by Roald Dahl, and the Bunnicula series. 

Here are some other's that were mentioned:

~ Nate the Great
~ Babar
~ The Diary of Anne Frank
~ Harold and the Purple Crayon
~ Pat the Bunny
~ Narnia
~ Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys
~ Stuart Little

There were plenty more, but rather than list them all, I'd rather hear what YOU loved as a child, and why.

Looking forward to hearing!! xo

Spicy Cinnamon Corn Art

Everyone loves pumpkin picking and the smell of fresh cinnamon cider in the fall.

Here is a fun craft for the kids--they get to show off their amazing artistic skills and make the picture smell delicious!

What you'll need:

A set of watercolor paints

6 Q-tips

1 paintbrush

Elmer's or other white glue

1 sheet of thick white paper

Your choice of spices (I used cinnamon and nutmeg)

First dip a Q-tip in water and yellow paint. Using dots, draw the shape of an ear of corn, then fill in the individual kernels with some yellow spots here and there, leaving room for the autumn colors of corn--orange, red, brown and black.

Use the next Q-tip dipped in orange, and make some more kernels, again, leaving room for the next color. I did red next, then brown, and lastly, black.

Then take your paintbrush and draw the corn husk around the ear in fall colors like brown, rust, gold or yellow, and a little bit of green since it is the end of harvest season. You can paint the sky and a bit of the cornfield if you like--or just leave it as is.

When the paint dries, take another Q-tip and dip it in glue. Touch the darker kernels with the glue. While the glue is still wet, sprinkle your spices on the glue and tap them around the paper until all the glue is covered.

Tap the excess into the trash.

Voila! You have a beautiful piece of harvest corn that smells like cinnamon cider.

I hope you have fun with this craft. Please send me any pics your kids make--I'd love to post them here and in the Out Of This World art group. Click for ART GROUP. 

Enjoy!! xo

Thanksgiving Art for Kids

We all remember drawing turkeys when we were kids by tracing our hands on paper.

This Thanksgiving lets do it a little differently! Instead of tracing our hands onto paper, lets draw turkeys on our hands. :)

It's simple: You will need--

1 non-toxic marker~this is used for the outline (I do not recommend Sharpies--although they are a favorite for drawing on paper, even the Sharpie website does not recommend using them to draw on the skin.) Read about Sharpies HERE. 

OR a liquid or pencil eyeliner in a dark color. 

If you like,  you can trace your hand first first and figure out what your turkey will look like before you transfer it onto your hand. (Remember, if you are right handed you will be drawing the turkey onto your left hand, so your RIGHT hand will have to be traced onto the paper--palm DOWN.) But if you decide to just WING it (no pun intended--wink) don't worry if you make a mistake, you can wash with soap and water and start over!

Your fingers will be the tail feathers, your thumb will be the neck and head, and your palm will be the body and wing of the turkey, just like our turkey pics from back in the day.

When you are done with the outline, you can color it with non-toxic markers or even watercolor paint. 

Please send me pictures of your artwork--I love to post it on my ART BY YOU page. Kids love to see their art there, too.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

P.S. I do not eat turkey~I would be more likely to be found giving one a big HUG. 

Here's a more intricate for the older kids:

Five fat turkeys are we--

We slept all night in a tree--

When the cooks came around, we couldn't be found--

So that's why we're here you see.

Make a FINGERPRINT MATERPIECE!

Today is a great day to get out the paints and make a beautiful picture with FINGERPRINTS!

All you need is watercolor or acrylic paint--and fingers :) Just dip you finger into the paint and press onto paper. You can do just one or dozens. Make bugs, animals, monsters, or anything else you can dream of.

Contact me when you are done and I will post them HERE.

HAVE FUN!!

Featured at the Eric Carle Museum of Storybook Art

Being featured at The Eric Carle Museum of Storybook Art was a very proud day. David Rowinski, author of The Open Pillow and I were guests for Special Story Day--David read the book and I did an art lesson. 

We signed the book of artists that had been featured there in the past--our names are now with Tomie DePaolo, Eric Carle, and many others. We were thrilled.

Please visit the Eric Carle Museum page: http://www.carlemuseum.org/

Scroll to bottom of page to see my illustrations in The Open Pillow, a children's book written by David Rowinski, that was featured at the museum last August:  http://www.carlemuseum.org/Programs_Events/Upcoming/#E1679



WHO LIKES TO COLOR?!

Happy Katie!!

Do you know a kid who likes to color?

They can join the Out of This World Coloring Club on Facebook! We aren't judging here--we have a few moms who are having a great time coloring our pictures too--but they are not eligible for the prizes during our fun contests--sorry moms!! (Click here for link https://www.facebook.com/groups/478108415587906/?fref=ts )

Jamie's awesome egg!

Pictures from the Out of This World Coloring Book Series are featured--and they have been AWESOME. We have had a striped bunny, a purple haired, candy loving girl named Francine, and a sneaky robot featured on our pages!

There are contests to win, pictures to color, and pages where you can find art drawn by YOU.

The last contest was during Easter, and Francine and the Spy Bunny was featured. The next coloring book will be PENELOPE'S GARDEN, and will feature a spell-casting witch and her friend Heather who can only talk in rhyme.

Penelope and Heather thinking about a spell.

I can't wait until the book is published so I can see all of your work.

I will post a new and printable cartoon to color every week--see on the right column under pages.

I hope you all have fun!!

See you at the club!

XO Dea



Taelor colored a terrific striped bunny :)



Coloring some special eggs.

JP was the grand prize winner of the last contest. Congratulations!!


JOIN HERE!

 https://www.facebook.com/groups/478108415587906/?fref=ts

Penelope's Garden Coloring Book~~COMING SOON!

Penelope the Witch in her garden.

Penelope the witch is visited by her friend Heather, a famous author who sells her books at The Black Hat Bookstore--and can only speak in RHYME!

After Penelope and Heather harvest the Love Heart Daisies they go and visit Wiser's Bookstore and talk to the old wizard Aleister Wiser to see if they can break the rhyming curse put upon Heather by Merlin hundreds of years before.

Will they be able to get the ingredients from the goblin who lives next door? Or will the creature that is growling in the bushes get them before they can run home to safety...

Read and color Penelope's Garden Coloring Book and join the OUT OF THIS WORLD Art by YOU Coloring Club on Facebook today. See your pictures posted and win fun prizes :) https://www.facebook.com/groups/478108415587906/?fref=ts