making sunshine

Today is chilly and grey, so this morning while Adelaide and I were hanging out at our community room with friends we decided to try and make a little bit of sunshine together...

Using a notary seal craft punch, I punched out circle shapes out of tissue paper. The tissue paper on hand was from a "warm" variety package: yellows, oranges, reds, and pinks. I think that they look great together - especially on a grey winter day! Once I had cut many circles, I put them in a little cup for Adelaide.

Then using some scotch tape, I attached some clear self-adhesive vinyl sheets to a window, sticky side out. I demonstrated a couple of times how the tissue seals would stick to the vinyl and then Addie immediately took over. She played with these little bits of sunshine for a good half hour! When she was done, I stuck another piece of clear vinyl on top to make a permenant suncatcher for our window. I think that it is so pretty, and she is very proud of her work too!

The notary seal punch I used is by Martha Steward Crafts and I bought it at Michaels. Ordinarily I find this store pricy, but I signed up for their mailing list on their website and every week or so they will send me a coupon for 40 - 50% off an item. If I ever plan to visit the store, I will print a few of these coupons out and use them by going through check out a few times. The staff never seem to mind and I've gotten some great deals this way!

The clear vinyl sticker I remember my mom calling mactac when I was a kid. I buy rolls of it at any dollar store, and I usually cut pieces into size and press them flat overnight under a big cutting mat. Ordinarily I am not attracted to plastics, but this technique is such a great way for little children to experiment with collage without having to get all messy with glue. And it is also a great way to preserve artworks, collages, leaves, and other found nature bits forever.

ps. Thank-you for your thoughts, advice, and concern regarding my previous post regarding Adelaide's eyes. Addie has her 2 year check up scheduled in 2 weeks, and so I have decided to keep a closer watch on her and get it checked out in-depth then. Your feedback is so thoughtful and kind, and I have found it amazingly helpful and so informative. I am so appreciative of every word of advice I received - Thank-you!