Mother's Day and Teacher Appreciation Printables

While there's plenty of time to whip of a thoughtful gift, Mother's Day (May 10) and Teacher Appreciation Week (May 4-8) is right on the horizon. If you're like me you spend time searching for thoughtful gift ideas for these amazing people.

I had seen succulents in mason jars being used as centerpieces at a local restaurant, which gave me inspiration  to use this for gifts. I got even more fired up to when I learned from my friend Sherrie of the Art Resource Center how easy succulents were to care for. Just water once a month! I have a black thumb so this was a win, win!

Made nearly 60 Succulents in mason jars to give to teachers and staff during Teacher Appreciation Week

I try to give gifts that are beautiful yet practical and won't break the bank.

These printable gift tags paired with planted succulents gift make a fun Teacher Appreciation or Mother's Day gift. 

The Art Reource Center collected some of the mason jars, and  the rest were purchased from our local thrift store for 50 cents. The succulents, soil and gravel were FREE from Sherrie's yard. In total, I spent about $30.

Succulents can be found in any gardening store for about $3, but you could use any plant. Just make sure your container size is appropriate for the plant.


Make telling your teacher or mom "thank you" super easy with these 9 cute Thank You for Helping Me Grow gift tags.

Please share your gift idea for Mother's Day or Teacher Appreciation.One last thing, I would love for you to follow my blog via email HERE or Facebook HERE or Google+ HERE.

Art Masterpiece How Artists' Tell Their Story

While I have many hobbies and interests, my passion is art and getting students to think about feelings and expressions in art, and how do we get students to look at art differently.

In Arizona most public schools offer the Art Masterpiece program, sponsored by the Phoenix Art Museum. It is designed to introduce significant works of art to children and build an appreciation for fine art.

Art Appreciation is important not only in art, but in the real world to understand that communication does not just occur via spoken or written language, but that people can understand each other using other things. It's the exposure to all kinds of art that encourages children to see that expressions are something that is carried throughout time and art forms.

The Rabbi and his Grandchild by Mark Gertler

Each works of art tells us a story -something about the people, their attitudes or the mood of the art. It will be important for students to understand that they need to make the bodies and gestures of their subjects match the tone and mood they are trying to create in their artwork.
 

Getting children excited about appreciating art can be very challenging. Far too often they're more excited about the project than learning about the artist or the artwork they produced. How do you get children to look at art differently? What would encourage children to look up, down, outside, inside, close up, and all around?

John Brown by John Stuart Curry

Depending on the age of students, ask questions that  help prompt the discussion about the artists' work:

 

• What draws your eye first? 
• Where does your eye go from there? 
• Is there a certain mood projected in the artwork? 
• Where has the artist placed you, the viewer, in relation to the subject? 
• Do you see clues that suggest time and place? 
• Is there a sense of motion? 
• What gives you that sense? 
• What indications, if any, are there of cultural and/or historical connections? 
• What questions do you have about the artwork?

Allow time for observation, let students get up close and walk around if necessary. Afterwards, students can write a story about the time they were sad, scared, happy, etc...They could practice different faces or postures that they associate with that feeling. It would be a fun activity to have them act these out as a class before they begin drawing. 

Another fun activity would be to have students work in groups of two, each one draws five faces and give every one a different expression. When they are finish they swap papers and try to guess what the expression means.

I would love to hear about your projects. Please share your comments below.

TARTE AU CITRON: LEMON TART

It's hard to believe in Arizona we will be experiencing our first 90 degree day this weekend, (Yes, this is our spring!) Aaah, spring ... a time for sunny days, budding flowers, humming birds and, in our house, all things lemons. 

While I do make savory dishes with lemons, I do prefer baking lemon bundt cakes, and especially lemon tarts. I always bake at least one this time of year.

This tart by David Lebovitz is one of my favorites. A smooth, lemony filling in a sweet, buttery tart shell ... perfection. 

TARTE AU CITRON: LEMON TART adapted from David Lebovitz.

Make in a 9-inch or 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom

Ingredients

A pre-baked tart shell, cooled

Filling

1/2 to 2/3 cup superfine granulated sugar (adjust sugar if using meyer lemon)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits

4 large eggs

4 large egg yolks

1 cup fresh lemon juice 

grated zest of one lemon

Optional topping

1 cup sweetened whipped cream or creme fraiche.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, with a rack in the lower third of the oven.

In a medium-sized saucepan, heat the lemon juice, zest, and sugar. Have a mesh strainer nearby.

In a small bowl, beat together the eggs and the yolks.

When the butter is melted, whisk some of the warm lemon mixture into the eggs, stirring constantly, to warm them. Scrape the warmed eggs back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and almost begins to bubble around the edges and coats a heat proof spatula.

Pour the lemon curd though a strainer directly into the pre-baked tart shell, scraping with a rubber spatula to press it through. Smooth the top of the tart and pop it in the oven for five minutes, just to set the curd.(jiggle the pan; the lemon mixture should barely move)

Remove to a rack to cool completely, then refrigerate, until well chilled or overnight.

Serve it with whipped cream, creme fraiche, or fresh berries. You'll wish you had made two!

Weaving Projects for Everyone

Sorry friends, it's been a while. I have had major Internet issues for over a month. You see, all of our devices were able to connect to the Internet, except my desktop. Grrr. after going around and around with my neighbor (so called computer expert), Internet provider and dell - we finally discovered that it was my security software. I could have worked on my tablet, but it is not quite the same as my desktop with full functionality.

What about you? Have you experienced any tech issues?

Now on to happier things. I have a friend +Sherri Zeitlin, at the Art Resource Center, she is a weaving expert. She says anyone can learn how to weave - anything (even grass or leaves!) just use whatever it is you have on hand.  

Matchbox Weaving

Weaving is a great indoor activity and requires few materials. It is also great for hand-eye coordination, developing fine motor skills and creativity. You don’t need to invest in a large professional loom to learn the basics of weaving. You can make your own loom out of a simple piece of recycled board box (Most cost effective especially for schools. Has place to store weft materials designed to be removed from loom and finished with hand techniques.), paper-plate (excellent for younger children, but adult or older children needs to cut slits and warp, this was designed to remain on the plate), or recycled PVC pipes (Can be made in various sizes. Cost effective when looking to make more permanent loom).

Paper Weaving, This is weaving at its simplest.

Before we get started, let's get familiar with some weaving terms. In weaving, the taut lengthwise threads which are used to string the loom, are called the "warp." The crosswise threads, which are drawn over and under the warp, and with which the pattern is woven, are called the "weft." The little flat stick with which each row of the weft is "beaten" to make the work firm and even, is called the "beater."

Plastic Bag Weaving

Magazine Weaving, This is weaving at its simplest.

It is also important to note that the size of your loom, which will determine the size of your finished weaving.

 

Paper plate Weaving - Elizabeth Dunker

Hula Hoop Weaving - Disney Family Fun

Experiment with different kinds of materials and enjoy some weaving time!

Top 5 Post of 2014

At the beginning of 2014 I wasn't sure whether I'even be able to write five posts for the entire year much less one a month. The subjects are scarcer and take a little bit longer to appear than I had hoped, but I’m glad that they still interest you, my reader. I have been interested in finding out what interest you, so today I'm  going to share my top five post for 2014.

I will list here – in reverse order – the five most popular posts of the year. These have had the most Pinterest Pins, Facebook likes, and Goggle+. It's an interesting mix of topics. 

5. Upcycled Picasso Masks

A fun mixed media project and great way to teach about the famous abstract artist, Pablo Picasso.

A fun mixed media project and great way to teach about the famous abstract artist, Pablo Picasso

4. Mexican Wedding Cookies (AKA Snowball Cookies) with a Kiss!

These cookies melt in your mouth. They are great to make with kids as they love to chop the nuts and roll the dough in their hands.

3. DIY Mini Cupcake Stand

This mini cupcake stand is made from recycled wooden spools. 

2. Georges Seurat Pointillism with Upcycled Lids

Great group project, integrate sustainability and science with and art. Makes a great visual when students are learning about pointillism. 

and the most popular post....

1.Lemon Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

A soft, moist cake with a delicious light lemony flavor.

Thanks once again for spending time on Art Masterpiece Corner. Happy New Year, may you have an awesome year!

Gingerbread Men Cookies

Gingerbread men cookies is probably one of my top two favorite cookies to eat. Especially when they're slightly firm with a soft cookie center. The spicy dough is also perfect for constructing your own gingerbread house or cutting into seasonal shapes. But when I discovered these cookie cutters,

and this one my whole world changed. I mean, how cute are these? How perfect? 

Gingerbread Ninja Cookies adapted from Good Housekeeping

Ingredients

3/4 (1 1/2 sticks) cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup agave syrup or honey
1 egg, beaten 
1 tsp. vanilla
3 1/4 cup sifted all purpose flour
1 tsp ginger powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cloves
Optional raisins, chocolate chips, candy pieces, frosting

Royal Icing

1 1/2 Tbsp. meringue powder
2 cups of sifted confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)
2-3 Tbsp. warmer water
Optional assorted food coloring

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and spices. Set aside.

Next in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Mix in beaten ed egg, vanilla, molasses and honey. Gradually add the flour mixture; combine on low speed. (Scrape the sides to incorporate the last bit of flour.) Divide dough in thirds; wrap each third in plastic. Chill for at least 1 hour or overnight. Before rolling out, let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. If after refrigerating the dough feels too soft to roll-out, work in a little more flour.

Roll chilled dough between two sheets of parchment or wax paper.

Heat oven to 350°. Place a dough third between two large piece of lightly floured parchment paper or wax paper. Using a rolling pin, roll dough 1/8 inch thick. Refrigerate again for 5-10 minutes to make it easier to cut out the cookies. Use either a cookie cutter dipped in flour to cut into desired shapes. 

Transfer to an un-greased baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake until crisp, but not darkened, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Let sit a few minutes and then use a metal spatula to transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Sift together 3 Tbsp. meringue powder (oh, BTW, I have often left this out and icing was just fine, it just won't harden) and 1 pkg (16 oz.) of shifted confectioners sugar (powdered sugar). In a bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat confectioners' sugar, meringue powder and warm water until stiff peaks form, about 5-7 minutes. If icing is too thick, add a couple drops of water. If icing is too thin, add additional confectioners' sugar, and continue beating until desired consistency. Tint icing with desired food coloring. Fill pastry bag, decorate as desired.

Put royal icing in piping bags or small zip lock bags.

Cover counter tops with plastic wrap for easy clean up.

Baking cookies are a great social activity for kids and adults. They (the kids) love to measure, mix and with the right cookie dough, use a cookie cutter and use their creativity with decorations.

Why bake typical gingerbread men cookies, when you can bake ninjabread cookies! Hiya!

Mexican Wedding Cookies (AKA Snowball Cookies) with a Kiss!

Although the name implies that its made specifically for weddings, nothing says Christmas like Mexican wedding cookies. You may know it as Russian Tea Cakes  or snowball cookies. The Russian cookies are often made with hazelnuts, while Mexican cookies typically call for pecans. You could use anything from almonds to walnuts. 

The toasted nuts are mixed into an un-sweet butter cookie base, baked in little balls and then rolled while still warm in powdered sugar - they melt in your mouth. They are great to make with kids as they love to chop the nuts and roll the dough in their hands. 

After the cookies have cooled a bit, you roll the warm cookies in powered sugar.

This year I have been making cookies with a twist and added Hershey's Dark Chocolate Kisses to our Mexican wedding cookies.  

These cookies would be great for Valentine's Day.

Mexican a Wedding Cookies, adapted from Joy of Cooking

1 cup fine to slightly coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts or other nuts ( the Oilier the nuts, the softer the cookies)
1/2 lb butter, softened
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 c all purpose flour
1 package of Hershey's Kisses, with the wrapper removed
1/3 cup powdered sugar, for rolling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Place nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes, or until lightly brown and fragrant. Once the nuts have cooled completely place them, along with 2 tablespoons of the flour from the recipe, into your food processor, fitted with a metal blade, and process until they are slightly coarse to fine but not powdery or oily.

Next in the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and 1/2 c sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the remaining flour and salt and beat until combined. Stir in the nuts. Cover and refrigerate the dough for about one hour or until firm. 

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Press about a tablespoon of chilled dough around each Hershey Kiss, covering well so that the entire chocolate kiss is covered. Pat smooth with your palms and flatten slightly into a mound. Place mound on prepared baking sheet; repeat with remaining dough and kisses until gone. Place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Be mindful to not over handle to dough as the warmth from you hands melts the butter.

Kids love to form the dough.

Bake at 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) for about 12 - 15 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies start to brown. Rotate about half way. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 5 minutes. Roll the cookies in powdered sugar until coated.

They keep well for up to two weeks in a tightly sealed container, and freeze well too. You'll want to make a double batch, one to give away and one to keep for yourself.

What about you? Do you bake for the holidays?