In the Art Room: Pinch Pot Pets

Every time I go into the kiln room and see these little guys staring at me from the shelves, I feel like singing: I always feel like...Somebody's watching me. And I have no privacy, Whooooa, oh-oh (go get you some Rockwell here and be prepared to get your paranoid on).

Greetings from the land of Pinch Pot Pets! Last week my younger students completed glazing their clay animals (my older students are still painstakingly working on every minute detail of theirs) and I'm excited about the results. Our theme for this year's clay projects were cats and dogs as our students will be "selling" their work back to their parents for a donation to the local humane society. We're do-gooders like that. The kids love clay and really enjoyed this project. But I'm rambling. Check out this cuteness:

Aw! This looks like a certain orange cat that lives in my house! I wonder if this one plants herself on the table at dinnertime as well.

"Hmmm? Did someone say snack?!" I love the added detail of the collar and hair bow by this first grade student.

So just how did my wee ones complete these clay projects in half an hour art classes, you ask? Well, it wasn't easy. But I've found that breaking the clay construction up into two days helps. And having several parent volunteers on hand. Mostly to keep me in line.

In preparation, here's what's on each table:

• a clay mat for each child, purchased from The Clay Lady
• 2 cups of water and 2 toothbrushes
• 4 skewer sticks
• 1 piece of clay the size of a small orange per student

Other preparation included:

• One labeled ziplock bag per student
• a damp paper towel per student

 For the demonstration, I have the students gather around a table and I show them the steps to creating a pinch pot. Here's what I tell 'em:

• Roll your clay into a sphere and place it into the palm of your hand.
• Using your other hand, put your thumb on the top of the sphere and wrap your fingers around the back.
• Sink your thumb so deep into the clay that it looks like your thumb is wearing a clay afro. But don't go too deep and have your thumb pop out the other end because then you'll end up with a donut. And nobody likes clay donuts.

• That part they can do no problem. Thumb afros, they got that. It's the pinching-into-a-pot part that some struggle with. I ask them to imagine they are holding a cookie and show me what that would look like. They all hold up their fingers about 1/2" apart. I tell them that their clay should have that same thickness. And then we eat the imaginary cookie with a loud "crunch!" and "mmm!" before proceeding.

• After showing them a couple of non-examples of pots that are too thick or thin, I show them what a correctly pinched pot should look like. 
• At this point, the demo is over. I show the kids how to wrap their pot gently in a damp paper towel and place it carefully into the ziplock bag. They are not to seal the bag closed as trapped air inside will dry out the clay. Instead we simply tuck the bag underneath the pot. Like this, their project will stay damp for up to a week. But it might begin to smell a bit if kept longer.

• The following art class, I tell the kids that they may either create a dog or a cat. I introduce them to the idea that you can make anything out of clay with three things: a sphere, a slab and/or a coil. To illustrate that, I begin by using spheres for the eyes. 
• Note: all pieces of clay must be attached by using the toothbrush and cup of water. I tell the kids, if you don't brush your teeth, your teeth fall out. If you don't brush your clay, your parts will fall off. It kinda works.

• I demonstrate using the stick to add the pupils and eyelashes.
• A sphere pinched into a triangle is used for the nose.
• Coils for the mouth and skewer-drawn whiskers.

• I tell the kids that the parts of a face for a dog and cat are about the same. It's the ears that make the difference. Using a slab, or flattened piece of clay, the kids can create dog ears. Cat ears can be created by cutting the slab into a triangle shape.

• Some finished theirs off with a coil for a tail. 
• And that concludes the second day of Pinch Pot Pets! As the students finish, the volunteers and I wrote their names and teacher codes on the inside of the pot. Then I set them out over Spring Break to dry completely.

After Spring Break and many firings, their bisque-fired clay animals were ready for glaze. I like to use Mayco's Stroke and Coat. I gave the kids every color in the rainbow (which many saw as an opportunity to go hog wild) and told them my two glazing rules: don't glaze the bottom as the glaze will cause the project to stick to the kiln shelf; don't layer 15 different colors of glaze on top of each other. Because it will look like a rainbow exploded in a really bad way. However, if you want color, do it with patterns.

And suddenly I feel like I'm in San Francisco all over again. Super psychedelic, dude.

These two crack me up. The Eye-Popper-Outter and the Cheshire Cat.

Stripes and spots were a pretty big hit.

And there you have it! Pinch Pot Pets. If you'd like to see what my students created last year out of clay, you can visit here. Be on the look out for more clay posts within the next couple weeks as the kiln just keeps spittin' out these awesome little masterpieces. Until then, enjoy the rest of your week!

DIY: More Dip Dying and High/Low Hemline

There's something you should know about me: I'm a fads-hater. I ain't proud. But there are current trends that make me wanna punch a pillow (kinda wimpy, I know, but I've got soft delicate hands and punching hurts!). Case in point:

• Skinny Jeans on Dudes. Seriously? I don't know what it's like to be a dude but I can only guess that those are...uncomfortable. They make me uncomfortable. Shoot, I actually can't even wear those because the moment I get my leg half way in, I start to experience calf-claustrophobia. Every time I've tried on a pair, I have a near panic attack and can't get outta 'em fast enough.
• Yoga Pants as Pants. Ladies, for reals? Ya'll act like it's so terrible when our Walmart friends show up shopping in their sweats and slippers. To me yoga pants is just the yuppie version of the same thing. You just worked out? Awesome. Now go change your clothes.
• The High/Low Hemline. Didn't we do a varied length hemline like 5 years ago? So this one is now high in the front/short in the back? Yippie, I can flash my spider veins and ghastly white thighs for all the world to see...

World, you're welcome.

So, um, yeah, not only am I a fads hater but I'm also a big fat hypocrite. But I promise I didn't recreate this hemline simply because it's "in". I kinda had to alter it somehow or this dip-dyed DIY would have me lookin' like a wannabe hippie. And I gave up that look in high school.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's do the back-track boogie and start at the beginning...

 So a couple of weekends ago, when I was on my dip-dying bender, I decided to dye this 1990's Express rayon number that's been hiding in my closet since high school. Because I'm an idiot, I forgot to snap a photo of the dress before...but the one on the left is very similar in pattern, color and style. And, of course, a DIY of mine wouldn't be complete without a little Antho-spiration.

I began by actually reading the directions a little bit more carefully. Turns out you are to completely dissolve the dye in a small amount of hot water before adding it to the warm water dye bath (I used warm water because I was afraid hot would shrink the rayon). Not dissolving the dye completely and simply adding the powder to the dye bath is the reason I had a couple of dark dye dots on my shirt. Live and learn.

Or not. This is my version of a measured portion of non-iodonized salt. For more dying directions, you can see my first attempts here.

Originally, I had wanted only the bottom of the dress to be dyed. So, like last week, I double bagged the top of the dress and proceeded to slowly sink the dress into the yellow dye bath on on the left. I let it soak up to the waistline for about 5 minutes. Then I pulled the dress out about 5" and left the rest of it to soak in the yellow dye for 20 minutes. This helped achieve the gradation to yellow I was going for.

After pulling that out of the dye bath and doing the running-under-water-until-clear thing, I prepped a fuschia dye bath. I eased the now-yellow dress into that bath (see right photo) following the same routine: about 5 minutes of a soak to create a gradation and the bottom for 20 minutes.

And then I pulled a typical Cassie: I touched the top of the clean white dress with drippy fuschia dye fingers. So much for that double bagging. Knowing I'd never be able to wash out those drips, I proceeded to dye the top of the dress in the fuschia dye bath.

And, viola! One hippy-dippy-dyed dress. Now all I need are some Birkenstocks, some dreads and a couple showerless days and I'll be all set!

And that's when I decided that an altered hemline would update this dress a pinch. I figured I'd already taken this dress beyond the point of no return, why not hack into it and see what more damage I can do? Creating this high/low hemline is quite possibly the easiest thing in the world. Decide just how high you'd like the dress to go and mark the dress. Using a curved line reminiscent of an elementary school slide, stop just beyond the midpoint of the hem. Iron a 1/4" hem and stitch.

And done. One style I exclaimed not three days ago that I'd never EVER wear now happily resides in my closet between my skinny jeans and yoga pants.

Warning: High/Low hemlines are not for windy days and grannie panties. Just sayin'.

Outfit details: dress: Express; shoes: Lucky Brand; bow belt: made by me, DIY here

As I was dying this dress and the one from last week, I realized one was made up of the cold colors while this was warm. I thought for sure they'd make great teaching outfits when teaching color theory...but I've since changed my mind on this little number. It's going to have to be a fun summer frock or beach coverup. I'm stamping this one "Not Approved for the Artroom". See, I kinda know what professional attire looks like. Fishnets, yes; high/low, no. 

Until next time!

What the Art Teacher Wore #63

Colorful Monday: The kids are glazing their clay animals this week (and probably next, they are so intent on painting carefully. I don't know what's gotten in to them!) and they are allowed to use every color in the rainbow. To illustrate, I dressed accordingly. sweater: Antropologie, found at Goodwill; dress: gift from a friend; turquoise tights and sparkly fishnets: Target; shoes: Softee; belt: Pinkyotto

In my book (which would be titled "The Annoying Ramblings of an Insane Art Teacher"), this week goes down as pretty stinkin' awesome. The weather was stellar what with super warm temps all week (I'm overriding that rainy Thursday because the other days made up for it). The kids were pin-drop quiet all week as they intently glazed their adorable clay animals. And, my favorite, the teachers and staff at our school were treated like royalty by the fabulous parents of our students. You see, it was Teacher Appreciation Week and, believe you me (is that not the weirdest saying ever?), me and my full belly feel very appreciated. Thank you, mamas and papas!

Because it was such a fun week, I thought I'd share with you the highlights instead of my flavor-of-the-week artist. Since I'm totally out of the techie loop, I don't have instagram so we'll call these insta-cam shots. Meaning I took 'em with my camera, downloaded them and posted them here. So I guess there was nothing "insta" about it. Okay, scratch that, these here are my gradual-cam photos. Enjoy!

I didn't post an "In the Art Room" this week because we are all in the middle of some project. Namely these here ceramic animals. This is an example by one of my fourth grade students. They were to create a dog or cat sculpture on a base with the freedom to add whatever they wanted to enhance their sculpture. I love the expression on this dogs face. I'm looking forward to seeing how they look when they come out of the glaze firing.

Professional Tuesday: So our school was going through something called an accreditation process and the big day was Tuesday. Knowing I'd have visitors in my room, I decided to tone it down just a pinch. Coral fishnets and matching shoes is professional, right? dress: Anthropologie, found at Goodwill; belt: Anthropologie; tights: dunno; shoes: Dolls by Nina

A fellow art teacher out of Connecticut sent me this amazing stash of vintage patterns! Can you believe this awesomeness? My fingers are itching to create that dress on the bottom right...thank you so much!

One Hot Wednesday: Seriously, at one point, we hit 80 this week. Which quickly dropped down to 40 but still, crazy! dress: vintage, Adjectives Market; bow belt: DIY by me; fishnets: Target; shoes: Dolls by Nina

My kindergarten and first grade students created their animals from an upside down pinch pot. I love how carefully this little artist is painting those wide blue eyes!

Here Comes the Rain Thursday: Tons of it. So I decided to bust out my new-to-me-from-San-Francisco coat and make the most of it. coat: Anna Sui, found at second-hand clothing shop Wasteland; dress: vintage, from St. Louis; boots: Hunter, ebay; fishnets: TJMaxx

So I have this standing date with the local coffee house and Anthropologie once a week. It usually entails me meeting up with a friend for tea, chatting it up and then taking the short walk to Anthropologie. I love this relaxing/catching up with buddies part of my week. I also love that I can now take photos inside of Anthro! Gonna have to make me a coupla these...

Friday!: So good to see you!  I just realized that everything I'm wearing is new-to-me...meaning it was all purchased at thrift stores or second hand shops. Sweet! sweater: Anthro, found at Buffalo Exchange; dress: vintage, found at Goodwill; fishnets: Target; shoes: Miss L Fire, Anthropologie

Saturday was a packed day for hubs and I: we ate at our new favorite spot, Blue Fig; did our 8 mile hike; treated ourselves to three scoops of ice cream; and hit up two Goodwills. Which is where I scored these amazing records! I cannot wait to get these framed and up in my sewing room. Or bathroom. Not sure which.

DIY: Dip Dying Your Closet

Know what I hate about getting older? Old Lady Knees. Do they make anti-wrinkle cream for kneecaps? I heard you can reduce wrinkles with hemroid cream, do you think that would work on my knees? Knowing my luck, I'd just end up with butt-knees. Which, if I Ben-ifer-ize it, sounds like Buh-knees. And who doesn't love bunnies!? Okay, I'll stop.

Alright, so I totally thought that the dip-dying-fad-train had left the station until I was in, wait for it...Anthropologie (gasp of surprise!) a coupla weeks ago. And that's when I saw this super summery gingham blouse with a lovely violet dip dye. Suddenly I had visions of myself enjoying summer days filled with estate sales, lazy lunches and crafty afternoons in this lovely little button-up. That is until the $79 price tag bit me like a "It Ain't Summer Yet!" snake. At which point I turned on my heel, got myself to Goodwill, snagged this gingham Target blouse and dip dyed my own. Take that, you grouchy gingham (did I just have an imaginary convo with a shirt? I think I did).

 Since we're engaging in imaginary conversations, here's what I'm guessing Anthro girl is sayin' about me as she looks on in $79-less wonder: "Oh my gawd, Becky. Look at her shirt. It is so not $79. She must be one of those Anthro-knock-off girls." (Does this reference show my age? Not gettin' it? Go here.)

Turns out I'm completely addicted to dip-dying. Who knew? I found this to be a very easy, albeit messy, craft. I've now breathed new dip-dyed life into three garments  (I'll share the third next week). The key is using the best dye you can get your mitts on...

Please, I beg of you, do not use that grocery store dye! You can pick Procion dyes up in every color imaginable at Dharma Trading Company. You'll also need:

• Soda Ash (helps your fabric absorb and retain the dye)
• Non-iodonized salt Hit the grocery store for this one but read the label. Most salt is iodonized.

Beautiful Blue.

For the most clear and concise of dying directions, I recommend those on the Dharma website. You can find it here.

Because I was only dying part of the shirt, I had to go a different route that what was written in the directions. So here's how I went about my dip dye:

1. Wash your shirt. Because it's dirty and smells of thrift store. Or, if it's new, wash it to get all of those new clothing chemicals out that might prevent the dye from dying. 
2. Double bag your shirt. If you don't want any dye on the top of the shirt, bag it accordingly. 
3. Prepare your dye bath. You know, light some candles, pour a nice glass of wine...oh, wait, I said dye bath. In that case, dissolve your amount of dye in a small amount of water and add that to your large bucket of water. Pour in your measured amount of salt and mix until dissolved.
4. Add your shirt to the bath. Because your want a gradation of color, you'll want to soak your shirt in certain time intervals. For the top part, I soaked the shirt, for 5 minutes; pulled it out a little bit and soaked for 10; a little more, soaked for 20 and the bottom I soaked for 50 because I completely forgot about it sitting outside. 
5. Add the soda ash. Dissolve that stuff in a cup of hot water and add to the dye bath as your shirt is soaking. 
6. Rinse and repeat. Rinse that shirt in hot water until it runs clear. Then rinse it some more in cold water. Throw it in the dryer and, viola! Dip dying done!

Yay, shirt complete! By the way, notice the couple drops of blue dye near my right arm in the back photo? Oops. Did I say "double bag it"? Make the triple.

And since I had that big blue dye bath, I thought I'd experiment with this super old Forever 21 dress. My original plan was to simply dye the midsection using this vintage dress (third one down) as my inspiration.

So this time, I bagged the ends, folded it in half and let that soak in the dye bath for 30 minutes. When it was finished, I found it to be just a little boring. So I mixed up some fuschia dye and this time just soaked the ends. And what you see below is the result.

Super easy and on-the-cheap craft. And I think it will be the perfect thing to wear when introducing the cool colors to the kids. Right after I slap that 'roid cream on my knees.

What the Art Teacher Wore #62

California Dreamin' Monday: Still had my mind in Cali what with all the bright colors and sunshine. I tried to make the most of it on this dreary weather Monday. sweater: Awesome, isn't it? And on the cheap too at Forever 21; skirt, turquoise tights: Target; glitter fishnets: TJMaxx; shoes: Dolls by Nina

Okay, I dunno what the weather is doin' where you are, but here it's finally divine. After a week of dreary and rainy days, I am just thrilled. So much so that I've even (foolishly) started packin' up my winter clothes and bustin' out the summer duds. However, there are some things in my disturbingly overcrowded closet that qualify as "spring wear." You know, like a pink wool dress or a long sleeved Easter-Sunday-esque frock. The kind of stuff that only works in April. So I decided to don those little numbers while there was just enough chill in the air for me to do so.

As for the artist I'm sharing with you this week, I have a confession: I've been feeling a little uninspired (read: lazy). When this happens, I like to flip through my art books that have pretty much been collecting dust since I discovered (read some more: became addicted to) pinterest. One of my faves has always been my book on the Finnish design company Marimekko. I thought I'd share my favorite designer from that company with you: Annika Rimala.

Annika Rimala: Can I just confess my secret girl crush on this amazing designer? I mean, everything about her just speaks coolness: from her bobbed hair to that awesome dress created from her designs. Annika Rimala worked her way up in the Marimekko company and was chief fashion designer for 20 years. By the way, if you aren't familiar with Marimekko, go here and be prepared to be slapped-in-the-face amazed. Image here.

Those Shoes with that Dress, What the What?!: Sorry, big hurry means big ugly. Don't get me wrong, I like the shoes, just not with that, that and that. In fact, when I walked into my principal's office to ask her a questions she screamed, " Ugh! Get out! Too much color, it's hurting my eyes!" Some people. sweater: vintage, thrifted; dress: Talbots, thrifted; tights: Target; shoes and belt: thrifted...wow! Almost entirely thrifted outfit!

Linjavitta dress, 1967 So my girl Annika is all about the bold patterns. Everything is big, bright and in your face. But in a happy way. She began at Marimekko in the children's department and I wonder if that influenced her design aesthetic. I also love that her design is a departure from the flowery and paisley patterns of the late 1960s. Her work looks modern even today. Image here.

Spring Coat Wednesday: I love this Anthro coat but it has such a small window of wear-time. It makes me super happy so I had to share it. pink dress: vintage, St. Louis; fishnets: Target; shoes: Fluevog

Everything about this photo makes me long for summer. Except the barefoot part. I've tender-bottomed feet. Image here.

Flowery Thursday: Have you planted any yet? I'm too afraid to. I just know we'll have one last freeze before the summer hits. dress: vintage, thrifted; jacket: Forever 21; tights: Target; shoes: Softt

 Gioia - Annika Rimala's Petrooli Pattern, 1963 How can you improve polka dots? By placing dots within dots. Genius. Check out this blog for an indepth account of Marimekko and Annika.

Favorite Color Friday: This color makes me happy. The color of a sunny day sky, a clear blue ocean, a fresh breeze, the super sour part of one of those red, white and blue popsicles you can only get from the ice cream man. dress: vintage, antique shop in TN; tights: Target; belt: Forever 21; shoes: Indigo by Clarks; poodle pin: ebay

Dress, 1963 Can I please have a golden yellow Vespa with an Annika Rimala vintage dress to match? Is that really too much to ask? Although the minute I'd try that no-hands, I'm-King-of-the-World pose, I'd slide off the tail end and wind up with a bruised bum. So forget it, bad idea. Just the dress please and thank you.

Oh! And by the way, thank you so much for all of your positive feedback on my last post! It was fun to try a different approach to my usual "In the Art Room" updates. I truly appreciated your kind words, they meant a lot.