Homeschool Arts and Crafts

I homeschooled our son on a shoestring budget. His 3 public school experiences was rife with tensions because he was different and an easy target for bullies. So we brought him home to school in his 5th grade year. We were able to join a local monthly support group and I got involved in being educated to teach our son and other children, while our son had his social needs met by joining other families in co-op classes, field trips, and play time after school work for the day was completed. 

Later on, I was asked to join several panel discussions during the educational portion of our support group meetings. One topic involved time management and organizational skills. Now, mind you, I was diagnosed with ADD by Dr. Grace Ketterman when our son was of elementary school age and ADD people aren't known for their organization, but I was highly motivated to learn all I could about organizing myself, so I read everything I could lay my hands on at the time. 

One of my suggestions on my hand-out from the panel discussion was what I called a Bits, Bobs and Pieces Basket. It involved a rectangular laundry basket at my house then, but now almost all of my paper bits have ended up in transparent zip sandwich bags stuffed down into a metal 3 tier Ikea utility cart. I kept small containers of all sorts in the basket such pill bottles, cardboard tubes, construction paper, crayons, fabric scraps, felt, glitter, glue, paint brushes of all sizes, art postcards, potting soil, popsicle sticks, seeds & beads of all kinds, stickers, wire, woodies, and yarn. Sure came in handy when our son had art or science projects he was assigned to do for his school classes. 

So anyway, I'm compiling some of my educational arts and crafts posts together like I've done for the Church Craft  article and my Best Tips one. 

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Arts and Crafts Curriculum

Art Museum Field Trip (8/12/14) =

My husband's nephew is really into reptiles and Greek and Roman history and while he was up in the city visiting his grandparents this summer, we invited him to a day of museum and nature center field trip tours. He had never visited an art museum before, so we took him to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and spent several hours there. They have built onto the museum and have much more to go through then the last time we visited with our son back in our homeschooling days. If you decide to visit, be sure to grab a map at the door, because you can easily get lost in there! If you have ever visited a hospital and gotten lost, you will surely understand what I mean! *smile*

I was hoping to be inspired by all the great artwork because I had been invited to a shoebox card party. In the end, I made "happy mail" business-sized envelopes as sample/door prizes using one of Tim Holtz's techniques that he uses on his tags called "Wrinkle-free Distress." Sorry, I don't have a sample for you to see of the ones I made, since every one of them went home with new owners, but they were just like the tags using his second technique displayed in the video below. I also used similar stamps in black ink on the front and backs of the envelopes, then filled them with little goodies to use on cards. I believe everyone enjoyed theirs, 'cause I heard lots of oohs and ahs when they ripped them apart! *wink* It was almost like Christmas!

Tim Holtz's Wrinkle-free Distress Video

For your info, sometime ago, I posted a link list of Midwestern Art Museums. I haven't visited many of these, but thot I might throw it out there if you would be interested. I believe my hubby's nephew enjoyed himself and got lots of walking in. I poohed out after the art museum and the Mo. Conservation Discovery Center, so I sat in the car while they visited the Lakeside Nature Center. After all that walking, we were starving, so we went to a little Greek restaurant my hubby knows about and had some very good food. Afterwards he bought us a variety of heavenly baklava for dessert. All of it was so GOOD!

Button, Button (4/7/2010) = 

Recently, my hubbin and I visited a new Bass Pro shop and it was family day with lots of activities for children. I've made many of the crafts offered, but one caught my eye that I haven't done before and that's making buttons from deer antlers. 

Many years ago, before our son was born, we were members of a hunting and fishing club in the town we lived in at the time. They were big into historical reenactments too and I had a blast learning about the period items I could make like calico prairie dresses, shirts, and leather possible bags with beadwork. I felt my son for the first time when he kicked me in utero after several cannons went off at a rendevous. You know, boys and their toys! *smile*

This was a popular class - Christmas Cottage

Easy Peasy Tabs

Decorate a Journaling Jar

My First Signature Sewn Notebook

Paper Cutting Techniques

Sew placemats and other home décor for this Hospitality Unit Study

Paper Postcard Unit Study

Rainy Day Puzzle

Sewing patches to fabric from Scouting and Passport Programs

A Sunbonnet Card -- Laura Ingalls Wilder is a popular living history homeschool unit study. 

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

But I'm as snug as a bug in a rug inside! 

Decided it was time to put my scissors and paper trimmer to work!

The cardboard box contains two brown paper grocery sacks stuffed to the gills and overflowing with paper food and product packaging.

This is my word box.

All words, cut out from packaging, extra stamp offs and confetti wording go into this pencil box. I use them on artist trading cards (atc's), artsy greeting cards, my Documented Faith scripture art journaling pages, glue-book pages, etc. 

When I don't have a individual word I can use, I dip into my letter pouch and spell out the word I need. I've separated the letters into snack sized zip bags. I also have a few alpha stickers in the back. It looks more artsy if the lettering doesn't match. I also have some punctuation and numbers as well. 

I may keep some images for my atc image collection and if there are any leftover pieces large enough for atc's of packaging left, it will get cut up into atc blanks and put away into a shoebox that I keep for that purpose. 

A perfect job for a cold snowy day! 

Fabulous Freebies!

My current soapbox is to please find and use substitutes for those pre-1940s historical records that historians and genealogists such as myself use to document the stories of our ancestors. Former President Harry S. Truman said to learn about history, he read biographies, however, we cannot write or read them, if people destroy records while creating their artwork! 

Some of the records I'm talking about are the favorites of vintage grunge artists like accounting or ledger books, bills & receipts, old photographs and glass or plastic film negatives, handwritten letters or recipes, maps, newspapers, school reports, etc. Genealogists drool at the thought of another record to attach to their ancestors and there are websites scattered throughout the internet that love scans of old records. I know this because I have googled them researching my 3rd great-grandparents and have contributed to several. 

Tim Holtz (or your favorite vintage or shabby chic artist) has techniques and products that can transform your basic white or manila paper into antique looking works of art. You can also scan and print or photocopy old papers on your computer and then donate the originals to your local historical or genealogical society (most counties or states have one). You can also find reproducible, some free, images and papers online (check out Pinterest) to print off. And here are some of my favorites!

 Art-e-zine Vintage Images 

Aunt Annie's Printable Papers

Calendar & Planner Printables

Chronicling America Newspapers See if you can find an ancestor recorded in one of these newspapers before 1963, then you will have a newspaper article or ad for your heritage scrapbook. 

Clipart frames. 

Convert a Photo into Cross-stitch Patterns for FREE!

Coloring Club Database

Color by Number coloring sheets. 

Crafty Secrets Printable

Creative Art n Soul Printables

Dead Fred Photographs

Stuck for a doodle while sketch-noting? See the Noun Project website for help.

If you don't find what you are looking for at the Noun Project website, here's a Clip-Art Library website!  

Dover Publishing Sampler E-news

For Scrap-bookers: Birth Year Happenings

FREE Printable Coloring Sheets from Mary Engelbreit 

FREE Printable Coloring Sheets

FREE Printable Lantern Templates here! 

More FREE Printable Coloring Sheets from God's Fingerprints

FREE Pretty Things for You

Gabby Braun's Printable Legs

Google's Art & Culture (I've been adding art to my favorites!)

Graphic Fairy

Green Paper

Jason Liebig’s Flickr photos of his candy wrapper collection 

Marvy Uchida Coloring Sheets

Missouri Death Certificates. See if you can find an ancestor in Missouri between 1910 and 1970, then you will have a death certificate for your heritage scrapbook.  

MY FREE Printables -- Sorry! A Troll came along and helped themselves to an important document of mine that wasn't included in the deal, so at this time, none of my free printables will be available.  

Paint by Number Generator (off-site)

Also check out my Community tab on YouTube as I've added freebie's there also from other YT channels.  The video tab to the => right at the top of the page will get you there. 

From Splitcoast Stampers forum = Need a poem?

Pinterest: 
Paper: Ideas

Printable Ledger Papers

Printable Sheet Music

Printable Paper Dolls -1

More - 2

Ransom Note Generator (Printable)

QUILT BLOCK CHART

QUOTES:

"A picture is worth a thousand words." (Napoleon Bonaparte)

Shabbydabbydodah

Substitutes for old ledger paper. Print your own and coffee stain them.

Stampington's Dress Template

State Tourist Department Maps & brochures from local Tourist Offices or online. 

Tim Coffey Art Digi's

The Vintage Moth

Topsy-Turvy Doll w/ free sewing pdf pattern

Vintage Photos from the Missouri State Archives

A Paper Scavenger Hunt

I'm finally inspired to make some glue-book pages in my Documented Faith-book, so I'm going to be scouting around for images and words to fill the pages. I have a list here of things I'll be collecting. Hopefully I'll find enough to fill one page apiece!

In 2015 I challenged myself to look for Bits and Pieces of paper that I could use for artist trading cards and I found quite a bit in my home and craft barn that I'm still using from, however, the stash is getting low, so I've decided to challenge myself to find more, but not just in my house and craft barn, but to see what I can find outside of my home.

Just like last time, I'll describe what I find, for one month. If you have followed me in the past, I like long posts, so come back to see what I've added to this one from time to time. Please feel free to make notes or print the list if you like as I understand the need for list reminders. If you would like to follow along and challenge yourself to see what you can find, list in the comments below what paper ephemera you found (be nice, no naked people or profanity please. I keep a family friendly blog here). The prize will be your collection of images and words that you've collected during your own scavenger hunt!

I've been watching many videos of glue-book collectors on YouTube and have some idea of the things they have been using to cut images from, so one of the first things I've done is order travel brochures from here and here  for inspirational themed places! I know about a few since I've written biographies about the people who lived or created them here.

Next I took a plastic shopping bag and went around my house, picking up paper items to put into it. I especially raided my husband's pile of stuff he pulls from his pocket at night and never throws away. I would have enough to do a two page spread (or more) if I used what I found there, but since I'm looking for specific kinds of things, I might not. So anyway, I'll be going through this sack, cropping and stuffing things into my Faith-book sleeves that have already been prepared to receive them.

Day 1.) Tonight, my goodie bag holds Cracker Barrel sacks my husband has been saving for me as I like the graphics on the outside; crinkled tissue paper from Christmas gifts that I've been saving for gelli-prints; a gold envelope; a Formica sample; a quarterly school district newsletter (good for both images and words for my word-bank); a Hershey's cookie sack; some prescription paper (good to use in place of text paper from books in mixed media projects); an old Christmas gift sack with deer on it; a coloring book page; 3 instruction sheets from Papa Murphy's Pizza (more text paper); packaging from crafting goodies with the price tags still on them; a package of Christian art gifts (magnetic bookmarks) with the UPC code still on it; receipts galore from my husband's stash (the question is, will any of them be from a Christian bookstore? nope); illustrated notebook page; some small calendar pages from 2015 (imagine that/smile); a security envelope; several address labels (two  qualifies with a candy cane and a heart on them); notes from girlfriends on pretty stationary (one qualifies for scripture & flowers of the Bible); some business cards (but not any from the places I want); 4 Bob's Red Mill oatmeal lids & vacuum seals; 1 cherry tomato vacuum seal (I thought these would make nice little tea bag folded type origami flowers if you had enough); and odds and ends of stickers from the store.

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Day 2: Okay, so I cleaned out my purse today. Knew I had some wads of paper in there, like “Bits of Honey” candy wrappers, Applebee’s Restaurant apple silverware wraps, two used stevia-in-the-raw envelopes (figured I could cut out the tiny leaves for a Tree of Life themed page), a used post-it-note with the words “Gratitude,” “Blessings,” “Happiness,” “Friendship” and Lady Liberty down in the corner. Some drinking straw sleeves (stripes) . . .

Next, I hung a sack in the kitchen, told the guys about my collecting challenge and ask them to throw in any bits that I might be looking for. We’re a former homeschool family, if that explains anything (smile) and as I moved around the house today, I added bits as I found them, like a cereal sack. We sometimes buy our cereal in big Malt-o-Meal sacks instead of the tag board boxes (there are circles, big letters and numbers, UPS code, a recipe, several logo prints, the mom word). I found a clothing tag made into a little pocket that held a couple of buttons. Have no idea what garment that came from so will be adding the buttons to my collection and have a cute little pocket tag. I found a company logo envelope with drink tickets in it from my husband’s company Christmas party.  I found a pad of paper with several sheets of used paper, so I ripped them off and cut out the logos at the top. Some packaging and junk mail cards with nice images and logos which yield a wreath, a bird & butterfly, a lace doily, a shelving unit and rattan patio chairs and the words “SPRING & SUMMER.” An old card with no envelope or writing inside, so that yield a UPC code, a “Just Married” car, and the sentiment inside. Another tag. Some coupon mailers and bubble wrap. Some doctor appointment cards. A teacup bookmark. 2000 Flushes Toilet Cleaner Package which gave me some large letters and numbers, the word “Blue” and a UPC code on the bottom of the box. A metal soda bottle lid which can be flattened in a Cuddlebug into something round. One of my business cards and a Precious Moments sticker. My husband brought home three cardboard tubes left over from the sticker labels that he uses in the warehouse where he works. And a church bulletin.

Before I forget, Stephanie has cute templates for a home sweet home scene here!

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DAY 3 = Today was a medical appointment day, so between the two appointments we stopped at a bookstore, Hobby Lobby and a thrift store. At Hobby Lobby, I found wallet cards, a sack of “World-Wide” Postage Stamps, a sack of chocolate coins, and several of those freebie tutorial sheets which had crosses on them and a store receipt from a faith-based business. At the thrift store, I was rewarded with two small 2017 calendars, several price tags, an Easter Note Pad in the shape of an egg, an old Precious Moments spiral quote book, 2 sets of Stampin’ Up brand rubber stamps (one sentiment in the round, wheels); and a book by Stephanie’s pastor, Rick Warren.

Also, Kim Victoria of Highlander Stamps has freebie printable's such as eggs, flags, costumes of the world, etc. here.  

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DAY 4 = Crafty Secrets has FREE reproducible's here. I saw the Serenity Prayer, a lamb, an angel, St. Patrick's Day illustration, among many other goodies. One of my Documented Faith friends wanted to know what the page would look like, so I sent her a link to Karin's Corner Easter spread on YouTube. Now mind you, a spread is two pages, whereas, I will only be collecting enough for one page.

So here's what I accomplished today. I had two teeth removed yesterday, so ain’t feeling real perky, but since it doesn’t take much effort to soak the backing paper from the postage stamps in warm water, as I was pulling them from the water and laying them face down on paper towels to dry, I noticed there were a few postmarks here and there, some of which were equally as interesting. As far as I could tell, there was no stamps from the Middle East yet, but I did see stamps from Canada, Korea, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. And I cut up a phone card (numbers, logo, upc code); clipped, saved poetry and recipes.

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Day 7 = Day 5 and 6 were spent cutting up the bits and pieces I have found. Today, though, I went through our junk drawer and pulled all empty battery packages out and actually threw some real trash out. I also collected some soup can labels and other packaging. And cut up the small calendar and glued each month into my Faith-book while I listened to the audiobible.com .  Two of the battery packages yielded an Energizer bunny which can go on my Easter page. The oatmeal package had five Quakers on it, two hearts, some wording and a UPC code!  The TV dinner packaging gave me a logo and two circles, a UPC code and food words. A kitchen paper tube (I mash them flat and wind ribbon or embroidery floss around them), a price tag, a paint chip, a pick-up reminder postcard from our local library came with a cartoon dino reading a book, and a logo. Got to the bottom of the sack and found a Nazarene Theological Seminary business card!

Almost forgot, Dover Publishing has a teacher/parent FREE sample  email newsletter that I signed up for. You can sign up here too. By the way, I received an email from Dover's Customer Service and they said "If you are using Dover coloring pages in any way other than personal use, you must ask for permission.  To receive permission to use any Dover products, please contact our Rights and Permissions Department via email at rights@doverpublications. com.  Please be sure to include the titles, ISBN number, page number, image, how it will be used, etc., and they will contact you with more information."
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4/3/2017 = Life gets in the way of the best of intentions sometimes. Sigh! Most of what I have is more of the same, but I did receive one of my tourist guides that I ordered.

So, let’s see, what’s new! Some “junk ads” that came with some new products we purchased – you know those extra papers that are folded up with the instructions sheets for other products you might like to accompany what you bought. A roll of cardboard from the postage stamp bag. Some clear packaging, a bike license plate frame (cute little rascal on the front, a logo, and an UPC code), one of those labels that “UNDER PENALTY OF LAW  THIS TAG NOT TO BE REMOVED EXCEPT BY THE CONSUMER” and since I’m the consumer, yep, I ripped it off! You betcha! Smile!

Next, I found three postcards, one of them from the Postcard people announcing the next one convention coming to town (I won't be cutting the postcards up, as they are unused and I might need them to send some happy mail to somebody). Then I went through my computer desk drawer. I have a bunch of used spiral notebooks that I formerly carried in my purse and I haven’t taken the time to clean them out. Now mind you, the drawer is a shallow one, but it's full, so nevertheless, it's time to clean out, so  some of the covers can be used to cover atc’s as backgrounds and then my handwriting can be used as mod-podge material on atc’s or journal pages as backgrounds instead of using vintage books and magazines! I found a tylonal box with an interesting background pattern on the inside of the box which I had saved in the pocket of one of those notebooks. Oh, and what a prize, I found a tuna can label with my name on it – DOLORES. Woo Hoo! And last but not least, I was going through some old appliance papers and found some papers for appliances that gave up the ghost a long time ago, so I thought that would be great for text paper too.

Also, I was hanging out at this website today: Historic Map Works: Residential Genealogy. They have wonderful old map reprints for sale.

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4/5/2017 = I've been ill, so haven't done much in the way of digging out papers. I received a get-well card in the mail today with a little coloring card with hearts on it inside and a Bible verse: "A happy heart makes the face cheerful." Proverbs 15:13. I have decided one of my glue-book pages will be hearts and this little card will be just perfect as a element on the page! Thank you Debbie!

And from the envelope, there's some washi tape that says "You are loved!" and a postage stamp as well. And I received another card yesterday from Myrna, a church friend, along with another postage stamp and an address label! Thank you Myrna!

I also found a heart shaped box that had chocolates in it that my sweetie bought me for Valentine's Day. I was thinking of turning it into a heart-shaped configuration cabinet like one of Tim Holtz' with the little spaces inside (it's 10 1/2" wide).  Too big for a glue-page I'm thinking.

And the guys brought home some Stewart's Orange and Cream soda in some cute little packaging. I may have to save that too, as the carrying case for the 4 soda bottles is pretty sturdy.  I also found an expired coupon and an old customer discount card, the kind you carry on your key ring.

On Pinterest, I have several boards for ideas using paper like crepe and tissue paper, kitchen, kraft, labels, paint chips, pharmaceutical, scraps, security envelopes, tea, tissue boxes and tubes and miscellaneous.

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4/8/2017 = My legs are encased in 4 layers of wraps for a week and we had company today, but I did find a website for you with some free printable's. It's called The Painted Hive.
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4/12/2017 = Tomorrow is one of my doctor's appointment in the next two days (total 3 & PT) and I hope to get the wraps off my legs as they are HOT and ITCHY! LOL! And driving me CRAZY! Son says I don't have far to go either! *smile!* But while I've been cooped up, I've been keeping my mind off my legs by watching YouTube videos, organizing a few of my playlists, and getting and sharing ideas of what to collect should I be able to get out and about this weekend! I've got a list made of places I'd like to go! I did find some printable pretties for you at this website!

Meanwhile a new pen-pal has sent me a scan or two -- one was a letter that his dad wrote his mother while he was on duty near the Holy Land during WWII. It was on hotel letterhead from Jerusalem! He also sent me some scans of a tourist guide that his father picked up while in the Holy Land with photos, like Via Dolorosa! How cool is that!

I almost forgot, I received a get-well card in the mail from our small group at church -- everyone signed it. It looked like a Thomas Kinkade card! I also soaked off the stamp and the return address label from the envelope! Thank you gals and guys!

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4/13/2017 = Wearing wraps again. sigh! But while I was at the doctor's I noticed over in the corner was a table of pamphlets, so on my way out, I picked up one of everything there. One was for a past event with hearts on it. One was a medical brochure to quit smoking (I don't smoke, but it was an accordion fold-out on heavy duty paper with a pocket at one end with one of those tissue thin Medication Guides inside -- ah! Stamp some butterflies in Stazon black on the text and I've got faux Tim tissue paper I can decoupage with!). Then we stopped at a Pizza joint to get some supper and my husband found a Little Caesars Activity/Coloring Book which he brought out to me. Right inside the cover was a NASA emblem in a circle and further along in the book was a page of flags from different countries.

Oh, and I was telling somebody about this website yesterday.

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4/18/2017 = Stephanie is always telling us to use what we have. In my case, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak and I haven't been able to get around to as many places as I had planned to go, so I mostly have the same-o-same-o, except for one thing. . .

I was sharing with my Documented Faith sisters today about a nifty idea for a glue-book page that I saw on YouTube here by Becky Gladhill. And Elizabeth sent me a favorite music video here and said, "Why don't you draw what you want?" (since I don't have the stamp mentioned in the first video). Duh! So I did!

So one of my first names can be "child of God" ("How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God." ~ 1 John 3:1). I wonder how many other good nicknames I can find?

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4/20/2017 = Found out yesterday, that I will be having surgery on my knee at the end of next month. Sounds like fun, huh? NOT! smile! Just hope it prevents me from falling down so much. I remembered this morning that I have a bunch of Vintage Valentines (hearts) I scanned and uploaded to Pinterest some time back and I have a whole board loaded with them that I've found here and there as well.

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4/22/2017 = I've got quite a bit of packaging to cut up. One was from a Russell Stover white chocolate Easter bunny package. Then we went to Michaels the other night and I found Me & My Big Ideas stickers on clearance with hearts, grateful wording, bless, loved by God, etc. Then I also picked up a couple of those craft sheets while I was there and a couple of them had Easter eggs on them.  Also a Michael's Camp Creativity brochure with quite a few images inside. Then afterwards we went over to Walmart across the street and I found two more craft sheets, one for an inspirational T-shirt with a cross on it and a Faith charm bracelet.

Today we went out to eat with the in-laws and my husband's been collecting those take-out menu's, so I grabbed a couple more. This one was from a BBQ restaurant with a piggy on front. We also went to a Christian bookstore and I about cleaned out their clearance baskets. I found some name cards, some Veggie-Tale confetti (I've been a FAN for a long time -- our Sunday School room was decorated in Veggie-Tale), a package of love notes that are about the size of Project Life cards, a Passion of the Christ card with Aramaic script on it, a roll of heart washi tape from Illustrated Faith that was on clearance, some Duct tape with God's Girl Eternal Princess on it, a package of 12 Hello name tags stickers on clearance for 89 cents, Jabez Prayer stickers by Standard Publishing, two more packages of heart stickers by Illustrated Faith on clearance, Faith That Sticks stickers with a heart on it and some scripture, and a Illustrated Faith Bible Journaling brochure. And a receipt to a Christian store to boot! God is so good to me!

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4/23/2017 = Thank you, all for visiting me. Today we went to a used bookstore called Half-Price Books. All their 2017 calendars were on clearance for $1.00 and I also found a package of 6 paperboard coloring coasters by www.dcigift.com. My friend, Karen, contributed some paper bits too. I have a good start on at least one glue-book page which I will share as soon as I get it glued up here.

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4/28/2017 = I been working through Stephanie Ackerman's online Bible Journaling workshop and was inspired by some of her artwork for the middle of this heart glue-book page. My first one done! Now I need to find some egg-shaped stickers and washi tape, because I believe I have enough images to make another glue-book page. Should be a good time to find those on clearance since it's after Easter, right?  Can you guess how many hearts on are this page? 😍

The heart washi tape is Illustrated Faith by Shannon Noel. It is manufactured by Dayspring, a Hallmark subdivision.

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6/2/2017 = Today was a productive day watching YouTube videos for source ideas and wanted to add in a couple that I gleaned and thought of. I'm going to put on my thrift store list -- unused Christmas cards (after signatures are added, they become genealogical documents). I saw some "Tree of Life" collections of crosses and Christmas trees, so Easter and Christmas cards ought to be perfect for that!  We're flexing and stretching our creativity muscles to think of sources we can glean images from, so was enjoying the alpha letters I saw because I need to practice my hand-lettering and doodling and thought, I need to look on labels for those. Somebody had a Special K cereal box letter, so the light-bulb flashed! Another person had graffiti they had collected from magazines, but I have taken some photos of street art, wall dogs (building murals) and church art in my town -- have them here for show and tell (and most people laugh when I ask them where the artwork in our town is, so I was out to prove we had some! grin! ). My girlfriend, Karen, brought me some happy mail the other day and she had two little hands with hearts in the center of the palms that she got from junk mail. Since my heart page is pretty well done, she inspired me to think of a "Helping Hands" theme and I remembered that somewhere I have a tracing of my father-in-law's baby hand that my husband's grandmother made when he was small that I could scan and print out for that page.

7/16/2017 = Second glue-book page done! 

8/1/2017 = Have started collecting purple images, as purple is a royal color, right? 👸 But I found a seed packet glue book page by TheMeriAtelier that I just love also! 

9/15/2017 = Finished up a "Tree of Life" glue book page today. What I used most was used gift sacks I bought from the thrift store and some tutorial sheets from the hobby stores along with a leaf or two from used stevia packets. I'm still looking for a small manger which I can probably find on an unused Christmas card. 

11/17/2017 =

Eight down, four more to go. . .

A shout-out to my Documented Faith friend, Karen L. She sent me some friendship tea bags/tags, so I was able to finish up this Thanksgiving Tea glue-book page tonight. I really appreciate Karen, as she is almost always willing to help me in any art project I have going. I really like that about her. smile!

So until next time. . .

Paper Postcard Unit Study

Update: I'm resurrecting this old homeschool unit study as I learned that the second annual postcard show came to our area  June 23 and 24, 2017. Click here for more details!

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Our son needed a community service project to do. As I didn’t drive and he wasn’t of age, yet, to obtain his student driving permit, I scouted around to find something he could do from home. I devised a Paper Postcard Unit Study (ie card ministry) after a little study of my own. He read about the beginning of writing, the postal service and in addition, studied art history. And created art postcards weekly for a period of about 6 months to mail to church members and his youth group.

We came up with several techniques that could be used to make his art postcards. Note that postal regulations have changed - art cards must be flat to send by regular postcard rates; bumpy cards must pay extra postage. These were some of the techniques he employed to design his cards with: applique, blow markers (watercolor markers - like air brushing), calligraphy, collage (magazine cutouts, stickers, etc.), color me (black & white), comic drawing, construction -- paper engineering, crayon rubbings, crosswords or word puzzles, glitter, graphing, ink blotting, mosaic (bits of colored paper), painting, pen & ink drawing, pressed flowers, rubber stamping, scratch pictures, silhouettes, spin painting, sponging, stenciling, stickers, watercolor (be sure to spray w/ a fixative), string or marble painting, and so on.

To get started in a similar study, see my unit study below:

Vocabulary:

acid-free, advertising cards, artist, comic, commemorative, deltiology, ephemera, First Class Mail, lithography, linen, mechanical cards, note, novelty, paper engineering, photo-chrome printing, postmark, postal stationery, postcard, stamp, topical, viewcards

Related Scripture for Memorization/Penmanship Practice:

Exodus 31:18; Exodus 32:15-16; 2 Kings 19:14; 2 Chronicles 2: 11; Esther 9:30; Psalm 119:103; Proverbs 15:30 & 16:24; Proverbs 25: 11, 25; Ecclesiastes 12:10; Isaiah 52:7; John 1:1; Acts 15: 30-31; 2 Corinthians 3:2-3; 2 Corinthians 10:11; 2 Thessalonians 2:15 & 3:17; and 2 John :12.

May Read About:

Read an encyclopedia or books on advertising cards, the alphabet, biographies of cardmakers/illustrators (Sam Butcher, Betsy Clark, Mary Engelbreit, Kate Greenaway, Bessie Pease Gutman, Holly Hobbie, Charlotte Spiers), cachets, card companies (Ambassador, Gibson, or Hallmark Cards), card poets/verse (Helen Steiner Rice); Christmas cards, ink, mailboxes, Mother’s/Father’s Day, parchment, paper, papyrus, pencils, pens, Pony Express, postcards, postmarks, the postal service, printing, printing companies (Currier & Ives), rubber, rubber stamping, stamp collecting, trading cards, Valentine cards, vintage postcard collections; value guides, woodblock printing, writing, envelope history, and so forth.

Did you know that Abraham Lincoln had a copy book or scrapbook in which he kept sayings/quotes/poems that he liked? Did you know he wrote at least three poems?

Interesting Books:

1. Addressing for Automation: A Study Guide (Grades 5-8) (free from US Postal Service)

2. A History of Valentines. By Ruth Webb Lee. New York; 1952.

3. Ambassador of Sunshine. (abt. Helen Steiner Rice 1900-1981). By Ronald Pollitt & Virginia Wiltsie. Published: 1994. OR: In the Vineyard of the Lord. By Helen Steiner Rice as told to Fred Bauer. 1979.

4. Art Postcard Books from Dover Publications, Inc., 31 East 2nd Street, Mineola, NY 11501-3582

5. Bessie Pease Gutmann: over 50 Years of Published Art. By Karen Choppa. 1998

6. Centennial Handbook of the First Issue Postal Card. By Charles A. Fricke. 1973.

7. Child-Size Masterpieces.(series) By Aline D.Wolf (curriculum using Art postcards)

8. Gift of a Letter. By Alexandra Stoddard. 1990.

9. Holy Cards. by Barbara Calaman & Sandra Dipasqua. Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 2004.

10. Mailbox Ministry: Greeting Cards that Share the Faith. Sue Banker. Morehouse Publishing, Harrisburg, NY; 2009.

11. Mail Memories: a Pictorial Guide to Postcard Collecting. By John M. Kaduck. 1971

12. Mary Engelbreit: The Art and the Artist. By Patrick Regan (b. 1952 - ?)1996.

13. Postcard Collector Annual: Commemorating 100 Years of the Postcard. By Deborah Lengkeek. 1993

14. The Alphabet Makers, by Hyatt Moore, The Museum of the Alphabet, Waxhaw, NC, 1991

15. The Complete Guide to Greeting Card Design & Illustration. By Eva Szela. North Light Books, Cincinnati, OH; 1994.

16. The Encyclopedia of Antique Postcards. By Susan Brown Nicholson. 1994.

17. The History of the Christmas Card. By George Buday. Omnigraphics, Detroit, MI.; 1992.

18. The Picture Postcard & Its Origins. By Frank Staff. 1967.

19. The Rubber Stamp Album. By Joni K. Miller & Lowry Thompson. Workman Pub., 1978.

20. The Scrapbook in American Life. By Patricia P. Buckler, Katherine Ott, & Susan Tucker.

21. The Trade Card in Nineteenth-Century America. By Robert Jay. University of Missouri Press; Columbia; 1987.

22. The United States Postal Service: An American History (1775-2002) (free from US Postal Service)

23. Valentines: A Loving Remembrance. By Jean P. Favalora. Lark Books, 1995.

24. When You Care Enough. By J. C. Hall. (1891-1982). Published: 1979, reprinted 1992

25. Here Lies Kansas City: A Collection of Our City’s Notables and Their Final Resting Places. By Wilda Sandy. 1984. [Joyce C. Hall (1891-1982) of Hallmark Cards].

26. Splitcoast Stampers Postal Poetry Thread

27. Philatelic Genealogy
28. Raphael Tuck and Sons Database of Postcards

Music:

The Letter (1967). Written by Wayne Carson Thompson and made famous by The Box Tops and their singer, Alex Chilton.

Field Trips:

1. Greeting Card or Printing Companies:

2. Hallmark’s Visitor’s Center, Crown Center,  2500 Grand Ave, Kansas City, MO.

3.  Mary Engelbreit, St. Louis, MO.

4. Gift, Card, Rubber Stamping, Scrapbook, and Stationery Shops

5. Postal Museums Collections

6. National Postal Museum at the Smithsonian 

7. Postmark Museum

8. Post Offices

9. University Libraries and Archives (Post Card and Letter Collections)

10. Art Museums

11. Post Crossing; an online postcard swapping site.

Holidays:
#NationalCardandLetterWritingMonth -- April

National Postcard Week = first week in May.

Timeline:

3000 BC = Courier Runners

1500 = Semite Clay Tablets

1000 = Phoenician Alphabet

190 = Parchment & Egyptian Papyrus

50 = Cuttlefish Ink

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105 A.D = Chinese Paper

500 = Chinese/Japanese Stencil

635 = Quill Pen

740 = Wood Block Printing

1040 = Movable type printing

1400s = European Woodblock Printed Cards

1450 = Gutenberg Printing Press

1466 = Master E.S. from Strasbourg New Year Greeting Card

1565 = pencils

1639 = US Post

1683 = London Penny Post

1690 = 1st US Paper Mill, Germantown, PA.

1700s = Engraved or woodcut printed advertising cards; Rubber Eraser

1775 = Benjamin Franklin, printer & 1st US Postmaster General

1792 = Color printing

1799 = Scraps (die-cut glossy printed paper images)

1829 = Harvey/Thompson Anniversary card

1834-1896 = William Morris design era

1839 = Goodyear's Vulcanized rubber

1840 = Postage stamp; Sunday School Scriptural text & reward cards

1841 = Crayon By Currier & Ives

1843 = Lithograph Printed Cards

1851 = Warren de la Rue (1815-1889) invented envelope-making machine

1856 = Chemical dyes

1858 = Street Letter Boxes

1860 = Pony Express

1861 = Brass US revenue mechanical wheel hand stamp; Lipman postcard; 1 cent postal rate

1862 = Printed playing cards; Mourning Cards by L. Prang & Co.

1873 = 1st shipment of rubber stamps from US to Peru; 1st US Postal Cards; typewriter

1875 = Louis Prang's US Cards

1884 = Excelsior Stamp Pad; fountain pen

1890 = Sign Markers (alphabet stamps)

1893 to 1918 = Postcard's highlight era

1900s = Arm & Hammer Baking Soda Wildlife Trading Cards

1902 = Kodak Photograph Cards

1911 = First Marking-device Trade Convention, Chicago, IL.

1911 = Marking Device Association

1912 = Kewpie postcards by Rose
1912 = Joyce C. Hall of Hall Brothers publishes his own postcards of Kansas City sights.

1918 = Air Mail

1928 = Voter stamped hands

1930s = Louis Waynai's hand-stamped Bible

1938 = Bethlehem, PA. Christmas postal cachet

1950s = Correspondence Art; Xerox Photocopy

1953 = White House Christmas Cards

1958 = Dial-a-Phrase stamps

1963 = Zip Codes

1967 = Polymer clear stamps

1972 = All Night Media

1974 = Hero Arts

1974 = International Stamp-Art Exhibit, Paris

1977 = Rubberstampede

1979 = Dee Gruenig/Posh Home Parties

1983 = Posh Impressions Rubber Stamp Store

You might like to see these too!:
Club Posh
Dee Gruenig & Posh (YouTube Playlist)
Fave Crafts. 

Originally published on blog: Jan 3, 2011

updated 9/26/2020. Compiled by Dolores J. Rush