speaking of mermaids

Speaking of mermaids, you've seen our animated book trailer with the dancing pirates and diving mermaid, haven't you?  If not, you can do a little jig along with my merry swashbucklers by clicking below...

And, in case you're interested, I'm giving away a few mermaid peg dolls which I created for my first book. You can find details about the give-away HERE.

mermaid give-away!

I've been cleaning out my garage and it's obvious that I have far too many peg dolls.  Hard to believe, right? It's not much fun keeping them in boxes, so I thought I'd share some of them with you.

 

While I was working on my first book Making Peg Dolls, I couldn't decide on the exact mermaid variation I liked best, so I ended up creating four sets of mermaid dolls (totaling 20 mermaids in all, by the time I was done). Thus, I have mermaids in excess.

If you would like one of my mermaids (or two... or maybe even three) to swim into your mailbox, please leave a comment below; and just for fun, you can mention what sorts of peg dolls you think I should include in my next book.  The contents of the new book are already decided, so no promises re: including your ideas, but I'm always curious to know where your interests lie!

I will choose two names via random drawing and announce the winners at the end of next week.  Good luck!

Comments are now closed -- thank you to everyone for joining in the fun! Winners have been chosen; congratulations to lucky #9 and #28.

mermaid grotto :: tutorial re-post

Last August I posted this tutorial for creating a mermaid grotto, and it was so well-loved that I thought re-posting it today might be a nice way to welcome summer... and please come back later in the week for a special mermaid surprise.

SUPPLIES
-- A medium sized box  (such as a large shoe box)

-- Some paper in greens and blues. I had this
    scrapbook paper in my cupboard, but any
    sort of colorful paper will be great.

-- Seashells of assorted shapes & sizes

-- A small cardboard jewelry/gift box.  My box
    measures 2 1/4 in x 3 1/4 in (5 1/2 cm x 8 cm).

-- Scraps of fabric

-- A glue stick and glue gun

-- Scissors

(NOTE: instructions for making mermaids and octopus can be found here in my books.)

STEP 1 ::  Cut the front off your box and cut away 1/2 to 2/3 of the top.  (I also glued the top of my box so that it is tilted up, but this is completely optional.)

STEP 2 :: Cover the inside of your box with ocean-colored paper.  Using glue stick to affix your paper to box will ensure that your paper will lie flat and not buckle.  

STEP 3 :: I added waves, some seaweed, and a fish to decorate the walls of my grotto.  Other things to add might be an octopus, seashells, coral, starfish, etc...   You can find endless ideas and images by searching online for clip-art.  Have fun making up your own sea grotto design!

I didn't cover the outside of my box, however, feel free to paint the outside of your box or cover it with paper.

MAKING A MERMAID BED 

STEP 1 ::  Cut a strip of fabric to fit around the edges of your box and affix in place with hot glue.

STEP 2 :: Use hot glue to stick seashells around the sides of the box (note: I am not usually a fan of hot glue, however, it is the best type of glue for holding seashells in place).

STEP 3 :: Cut some small pieces of fabric to serve as a mattress and blanket.

STEP 4 :: Tuck your mermaid in and sing her a lullaby. 

It's a nice idea to set the table with your best dishes when you are expecting a friend for tea.

If you ask nicely, an octopus is always happy to help set the table.

Shhh... the baby is sleeping.

If you are looking for a beautiful bedtime story for your own mer-baby, I highly recommend The Mermaid and the Shoe by K. G. Campbell.

Note: instructions for creating mermaid peg dolls can be found in both of my books, and the pattern/instructions for making the octopus can be found in my second book Making Peg Dolls & More.

tutorial :: mermaid grotto

A week ago Saturday I spent a wonderful morning at the library with a group of parents and children creating pirate and mermaid peg dolls, and that thing happened again. A child whispered to me, "Wouldn't it be fun to make a mermaid grotto?"

I said firmly to myself, "I don't have time to even think about it." But the suggestion was too irresistible...

SUPPLIES
-- A medium sized box  (such as a large shoe box)

-- Some paper in greens and blues. I had this
    scrapbook paper in my cupboard, but any
    sort of colorful paper will be great.

-- Seashells of assorted shapes & sizes

-- A small cardboard jewelry/gift box.  My box
    measures 2 1/4 in x 3 1/4 in (5 1/2 cm x 8 cm).

-- Scraps of fabric

-- A glue stick and glue gun

-- Scissors

(NOTE: instructions for making mermaids and octopus can be found here in my books.)

STEP 1 ::  Cut the front off your box and cut away 1/2 to 2/3 of the top.  (I also glued the top of my box so that it is tilted up, but this is completely optional.)

STEP 2 :: Cover the inside of your box with ocean-colored paper.  Using glue stick to affix your paper to box will ensure that your paper will lie flat and not buckle.  

STEP 3 :: I added waves, some seaweed, and a fish to decorate the walls of my grotto.  Other things to add might be an octopus, seashells, coral, starfish, etc...   You can find endless ideas and images by searching online for clip-art.  Have fun making up your own sea grotto design!

I didn't cover the outside of my box, however, feel free to paint the outside of your box or cover it with paper.

MAKING A MERMAID BED 

STEP 1 ::  Cut a strip of fabric to fit around the edges of your box and affix in place with hot glue.

STEP 2 :: Use hot glue to stick seashells around the sides of the box (note: I am not usually a fan of hot glue, however, it is the best type of glue for holding seashells in place).

STEP 3 :: Cut some small pieces of fabric to serve as a mattress and blanket.

STEP 4 :: Tuck your mermaid in and sing her a lullaby. 

It's a nice idea to set the table with your best dishes when you are expecting a friend for tea.

If you ask nicely, an octopus is always happy to help set the table.

Shhh... the baby is sleeping.

If you are looking for a beautiful bedtime story for your own mer-baby, I highly recommend The Mermaid and the Shoe by K. G. Campbell.

pirates & mermaids

This morning I was at the library with a group of children and their parents making peg dolls. The theme was pirates & mermaids, and the enthusiasm of the gathered group was fun and exciting. Some families were so immersed that they sat at the craft tables for nearly two hours.  As you can see, the results of everyone's creativity was delightful.

Note: I believe it is very important to properly credit the work of all artists; however, due to privacy issues, I don't show faces or list names of children whose work I sometimes feature on my blog.  Please know that it is not out of lack of respect when I refrain from naming each individual artist, but out of consideration for their privacy.

mermaids

Here is what I created for the 
pegdoll swap I hosted last month...

Mermamas & mer-tots!

***

I will have a blog post showing dolls created by other swap participants soon, and the photos will also be posted in the pegdoll photo gallery.

Swimming Pool

Swimming pool from Alexandra Hetmerova on Vimeo.

A sweet little something for your enjoyment
(and it's appropriate for children, in case you were wondering!)

Southern Hemisphere Seasonal Exchange

No, I have not moved to the southern hemisphere, but this swap over at Rhythm and Rhyme has had me thinking about summer.

Southern hemisphere seasons are opposite northern hemisphere seasons so the the crafted items in this swap are connected to the theme of summer. At first I wasn't sure that, as a northern hemisphere resident, I could join in the fun, but when I read that the swap was open to everyone, my mind starting spinning with ideas. Around here, we kissed summer good-bye about 2 months ago. Now I'm surrounded by autumn foliage & pumpkins (and looking toward sparkling winter) so it's been an interesting challenge to think about summer-related projects.


I delved into summer by opening my copy of A Child's Seasonal Treasury by Betty Jones. These two finger-play poems sent my imagination dancing with sweet summertime seashore images.

The Golden Boat

This is the boat, the golden boat,
That sails the silver sea.
These are the oars of ivory white,
That lift and dip, that lift and dip.
These are the ten little ferrymen,
To take the oars of ivory white,
That lift and dip, that lift and dip,
That move the boat, the golden boat,
Over the silver sea.


The Sea

Here is the deep blue sea.
Here is the boat and here is me.
And all the fishes down below,
Wriggle their tails and away they go!

I grew up in Los Angeles a few miles from the ocean. Wide, warm, sunny beaches are a big part of my childhood memories.

Now I live in Northern California, 10 miles on a small, winding road from the ocean.

Northern California beaches are a far cry from the beaches of my childhood; Around here we dress in wool caps and pullovers when we head to the shore.

Our beaches are blustery and rocky, teeming with tide pools and wild life. My favorites are the soulful-eyed sea lions, ever present, basking in thin rays of sunlight on rocks nearby.


But, I digress. Returning to the topic of the swap... I'd been thinking for some time about making solstice lanterns from recycled glass jars, Mod Podge and kite paper. Instead, with summertime spinning my imagination, I began dreaming up seashore scenes.

I started by cutting shapes and laying them out on white paper.

Having the company of a curious kitty is always nice, don't you think?

After that, it was just a matter of brushing Mod Podge on my jar & applying the paper cut-outs. After it had all dried I gave it a second, all-over application of Mod Podge.

The little lantern looked like a mess while it was drying, but once everything had dried completely, the result was lovely!

Unfortunately, I didn't take any photos while I was creating this little water sprite... Now that her paint is dry, she has whispered in my ear that she is looking forward to testing the waters in the Coral Sea off the coast of Queensland (that's where she's headed!) She says the water around here is too chilly for her taste and she's longing for warmer climes.

As part of the Southern Hemisphere Seasonal Exchange we may send 5 items total. Not all of them are required to be hand made so I am including a beeswax votive (for the lantern) and two stones from our wild, rocky shores. I hope my exchange partner will enjoy bringing the seashore to her nature table.

Goodbye little water sprite. Safe journeys to you -- I wish you happy swimming in the sparkling Coral Sea, far from our misty shores...

Mermaids

This morning I woke up to find seashells scattered beneath me across the sheets. Had mermaids swum to my bedside secretly in the night to whisper songs of the sea in my ear as I lay sleeping?

(Or did Little Mr. B. curl up next to me wearing a sweatshirt with pockets full of seashells from an expedition to the beach?)