The week 5 topic of the Farmgirl Blog-a-thon is “getting crafty”. I am all about crafty but something always seems to happen during the months of April and May and I do VERY LITTLE crafting! Maybe it is because things get so hectic at school, maybe it is because it is warmer and I spend more time outside. Last night was the first night I came inside before 8:30 PM and that was only because it was raining!
Of course I have my own crafting “business” through my website www.willowtreecreek.com. I make a variety of different things for that. I also make and sell Wine Glass Charms to the Orchard House Bed and Breakfast in Lovingston, VA! (In light of full disclosure I should mention that the Orchard House is owned and operated by my parents!)
Last summer I was filmed for an episode of “That’s Clever” for HGTV. The episode will air sometime in 2009! I made a toy tote and an MP3 player cover for the show.
I teach K-12 art so I am constantly doing “Crafty” things at school. My second graders are in the process of making Chilean Rainsticks right now as part of our year long look at “Art Around the World”.
Personally, 2 projects have been consuming my life in the last few months and I guess they fall under the category of “getting crafty.”
Project #1 – Prom “Lost in Paradise”
As Junior class sponsor one of my duties is to help the students prepare for the prom. That includes decorating and as the art teacher often includes MAKING decorations! Most of March and part of April was consumed with building things for Prom. Our theme was “Lost in Paradise” and the dance, along with a dinner baquet, was held in our school cafeteria. Here are some pictures of the things we made.
In this picture is the “Tiki Hut”. I designed it and the Agri Classes actually put it together. We painted it and added the grass skirts to the top. The plants at the bottom came in a kit but had to be assembled. I painted 2008 and the Hibiscus on the window in the background. One of the Juniors boyfriends made the surfboard. The little swimming pool held the drinks.
In this picture you can see the beautifully decorated tables. Each setting had a brightly colored imprinted napkin, a program which I designed on my computer and a little tropical umbrella. Each chair had a flower lei draped over it. I the center of each table were candles and little fish bowls with real live goldfish!
The waterfall kit was a pain to put together. It took a team of about 6 of us over 5 hours to assemble! You can see more of the grass kits in this picture as well as one of the four palm tree kits we built!
As the students came in they crossed over the “swinging” bridge.
Flowing from the waterfall was this river. It snaked across the cafeteria floor. We even added real rocks to the water! The Prom was REALLY nice but was quite an undertaking! I was very thankful to the 6 kids that actually showed up to help decorate!
Project #2 – Chicken Tractor
I have been wanting to get chickens for a while. I finally convinced my husband it would be cool and set out to build a chicken tractor. A chicken tractor is a movable chicken coop and hen house. It allows the birds to be “free range” while still confining them enough to protect them from predators (like my dogs!).
I built the chicken tractor almost completely by myself! I drafted my own design and then purchased all the supplies. I measured all the pieces. Learned how to use a skill saw and then put the whole thing together! My mother in law nailed the roof on the hen house because I hit my thumb with the hammer on the first try and got “gun shy” after that! The rest was done by ME!!! I am really proud of myself! All that I have left to do is paint the hen house, build a roost and get the chickens!
To learn more about the Farmgirl Blog-a-Thon please check out http://gardengoose.blogspot.com/.
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BE SURE TO VISIT THESE FARM GIRL BLOGS!!
Amy at: http://farmgirltales.blogspot.com/
Julie at:https://willowtreecreek.wordpress.com/
Heather at: http://heathersheartfeltstitches.blogspot.com/
Karin at: http://madrekarin.blogspot.com/
Bonnie at: http://beequilting.blogspot.com/
Luna at: http://blueballmountainspindleneedleworks.blogspot.com/
Virtual Farmgirl at:http://virtual-farmgirl.blogspot.com/
Laura at:http://2lmzfarms.blogspot.com/
Jenn at:http://primitiveewe.wordpress.com/
Peggy at: http://thesimplewoman.blogspot.com/
Denise at: http://homeschoolblogger.com/mominpa
Jessica at: http://bluegrassprincess.blogspot.com/
Frannie at: http://freedomvalleyfarm.blogspot.com/
Aunt Jenny at: http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/
Kay at: http://therusticcottage.blogspot.com/
Amy at: http://www.homesteadblogger.com/SimpleFolk/94259/
Karen at: http://edgehillherbfarmer.spaces.live.com/default.aspx?wa=wsignin1.0
Frannie at : http://abunnystale.blogspot.com/
GP at: http://fvclassic.wordpress.com/
Betty Jo at:http://bboopster.blogspot.com/
WillowTreeCreek Farm 