collage poetry for kids

I'm trying something different with the kids this summer. I did not sign them up for any day camps like I usually do. I realized last summer that I was doing almost as much running around, picking up and dropping off for camps, as I was during the school year. It didn't feel like much of a summer break when we still had to be out the door by a certain time, and the kids weren't available to do anything spur-of-the-moment. Plus, I was tired of them coming home from camp with stupid "crafts" made from that sticky-back foam from the big box craft store that comes pre-cut into shapes so you don't have to think to make something.

So we kicked off the summer with a trip down to my parents for art "camp" in Mom's studio. Both kids had a good time making sculptures out of wood scraps and found objects. 

No, they did not get to use the chop saw!

Mom was working on some collages that Emma latched onto right away.

Rosemary Luckett

Something about the cut-out words makes the phrases more spontaneous. I liked them a good deal myself and think some version would be cool in her Etsy shop. Right now they are in book form.

Rosemary Luckett

Emma immediately wanted to try her hand at the word collage poetry.

It's actually the perfect craft to do at home or school. All you need are magazines or junk mail, scissors, paper, and a glue stick. It's even more fun than those refrigerator magnets with the single words. Cut out some random partial phrases, single words, and words like "and" and "the".

She came up with these delightful random mini-poems.

I think I like that last one the best.

pennsylvania lavender festival 2011

Today was a perfect day for a trip to Provence. Well not Provence exactly, but a reasonable facsimile a few hours away in Fairfield, Pennsylvania. Willow Pond Farm was hosting it's annual Pennsylvania Lavender Festival this weekend.

My festival-loving mother & sister-in-law had it on their calendars way back in January.

Dana swears she did not wear the purple shirt on purpose.

We were looking forward to the pick-your-own lavender event. They handed out clippers and let us have the run of the two acre lavender field.

I went a little crazy with the picking. I plan to hang it up to dry. Maybe make some sachets...

Over 100 varieties of lavender are cultivated on the farm as well as other culinary and medicinal herbs. This is the first year I am trying some in my garden. I have a hot dry slope where I think it will do well.

 

The owners, Tom & Madeline Wajda, also maintain an extensive demonstration garden.

Madeline's culinary training in Paris really came through in the lunch fare. No pizza, hotdogs, or sodas like at most festivals. Everything on the menu had a touch of lavender in it: the focaccia bread and jelly in the goat cheese & turkey sandwiches, the iced tea, the lemonade,

the cookies,

and the ice cream made by Bruster's. I had the black raspberry with lavender- oh baby! You wouldn't think it would go together, but it does. I was worried it might taste like soap, but the flavor is subtle and tasted like it belonged in everything we tried. I picked up some culinary grade dried lavender to try out in a recipe or two at home. I'll be sure to post the results...

clover market, june 2011

After the disappointment of a rainy Art Star show, I lucked out and was able to nab a spot in a lovely local show in Ardmore, PA this weekend called the Clover Market.

It's a smaller 60-vendor event that has shows one Sunday a month during spring and fall.

freshvintage

Unlike a lot of local shows, this one has a definite point of view: vintage! If you know me at all, you know I'm a sucker for vintage.

freshvintage

My neighbors down the aisle, freshvintage, showed up in a Tastycake truck and unloaded a perfect little 1940's homestead.

Poppy & Bean

Just the sweetest mismatched china & silverware ever from Poppy & Bean. Colleen's vignettes remind me so much of my cousin's wedding in Vermont and her selection of vintage clothing looks like it's right out of Brooklyn.

Brandywine View Antiques

Some awesome salvage from Brandywine View Antiques. They had so many great corbels and accent pieces with patina. I was sorely tempted...

Cherry Acres

At first I thought this large trough-like piece from Cherry Acres was some kind of African artifact, but turns out it's a dough bowl for makin' lots of bread. Totally American.

Circa Dee

I was actually too busy to venture beyond my aisle, but my husband is very good with the camera and went sight-seeing for me. What a cool scale from Circa Dee! I feel like I'm back in Lucketts, VA.

Salvation Nation

And some fun vintage broaches from Salvation Nation.

a lovely, little shop

Even sellers of new items, like this quirky jewelry from a lovely, little shop, displayed their products with vintage flair.

Kristen Solecki

All the vintage was rounded out by a sprinkling of modern, but handmade things like these original prints from Kristen Solecki which definitely have that indie feel.

Real Fruit Jewelry

My kids were enthralled by this jewelry made from dehydrated fruit coated in resin by Real Fruit Jewelry.

Marie's Soap Co.

Enticing handmade soaps tied up with string by Marie's Soap Co.

Cool belt buckles from joeyfivecents displayed in old narrow drawers of some kind- from a sewing table, maybe?

Not sure who's bucket this was, but my husband sure knows what I like. He ought to by now, I guess. It's our 13th wedding anniversary today!

And here he is minding the booth for me. Would you buy a onesie from this character?

The next Clover Market will be on Sunday, September 18th. See you then!