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Cross-Cultural Creativity Promoted through
African Folklore Embroidery- A unique After School and In-School Cultural Art Program
 
Imagine an after-school Program that is enriching, educational, colorful, relaxing, and stimulating, promotes good hand eye coordination and encourages creativity and use of imagination. Well at last a program that has all of these elements has arrived- African Folklore Embroidery. A unique needle craft and cultural art.
In the sessions, children experienced Africa by learning about the history and culture of the Ndebele Tribe in South Africa through African Folklore Embroidery. Many of the designs are inspired the by Ndebele tribe who are famous for their artwork. Using colorful African threads and beads against a black background, students embroider images of Ndebele life as they learn about the lifestyle and customs of this fascinating culture and community....

Because of the high cost of embalming the early coptic christians began to decorate their coffins with wax paintings of the deceased. The early Egyptians learned this craft from the Greeks. These famous paintings are called the Fayum paintings and you can google to see what they looked like.
I saw my first wax painting about 6 years ago and was facinated....

See the trailer shown here. It gives an overview of my watercolor DVD for beginners. To buy and get in touch with me go to...

Looking for a totally custom handmade gift idea?  Why not make a customized set of coasters.  I make mine with things easily found in your local home improvement and craft shop.
Supplies needed:
 

4x4 Natural stone tile (hardware/home improvement store)
Laser print or color copy (kinko's or office supply shop)
Clear adhesive caulking (hardware/home improvement store)
Glitter pen (optional**craft or office supply store)
2 part epoxy resin (craft store or TAP Plastics)
Felt or rubber feet (hardware/home improvement store)

Start out with a 4x4 natural stone/travertine tile.  I prefer the natural stone tile since it has rounded edges and looks more...

 
Weeks before Halloween, people already have their spooky decorations up in their yards, whispers are wafting through the air regarding what they are going to be for Halloween, and people are scaring up some great Halloween party ideas.
Halloween parties are often a time for family fun, and are not exclusive to adults or to kids. So, when considering gathering your ghouls and ghosts together, both young and old, keep the following top etiquette tips in mind: 

Check with friends before inviting: Halloween lands on one day each and every year, October 31. It’s a short season, and many people will be planning Halloween parties. Check with your friends and family BEFORE sending out party invitations to see if the date you choose runs into someone else’s party plan. If so, try to work out an arrangement so that both parties can still take place.
Leave party end time open. When you are hosting a family Halloween party, leave the finish time open-ended to accommodate your guests. Keep in mind that people who are bringing their kids will want to know when the kids...

“Buying your costume is one thing, but actually making it from scratch and having it look pretty good — that’s pretty kick ass!”
How I did it: Basically you have to have an idea from the start from where you can make your plan to create your costume. I came up with Kung Fu Panda.
Basic Tips on Creating a Halloween Costume:

Find a photo of what you’re trying to emulate.
Brainstorm ways you can use regular things to create the costume.
Go to the appropriate stores that are awesome for costume creation (i.e. Goodwill, JoAnn, etc.)
Learn how to sew or have a really good friend who who knows how to do that.
Construct...

It's time for the new school year to start. This means brand new shoes, sharpened pencils, fresh school supplies and cool book covers. As a kid, I lived for this time of year. Call me crazy, but I was happier in school than with all of that summer time on my hands. So, for me, I think time to celebrate this new beginning. If you are thinking along the same lines and want to celebrate this time of year with your kids, check out a few of the ideas and resources below:
If you are going to have a proper party with some friends, hand-deliver a fresh apple with a little tag attached that gives the details of the gathering. You...

Put this link into your brouser to read our...

Looking for a few new classic games to play at your kids’ parties beyond Musical Chairs and Pin the Tail on the Donkey?
Why not try …
Pass the Parcel 
Items needed: gift wrap, small present, music
This game is hugely popular in the UK and Australia! Wrap your prize in as many layers of gift wrap as you have kids attending. Have the children pass the parcel around to one another while music plays. When the music stops, the child holding the parcel must unwrap one layer. The game continues until the last child unwraps the final layer...

Ssaay has just been on summer vacation with me.  She is a King Charles Cavalier, and like many of her sort, she appears ditzy and slightly lost, as well as sweet and cute.  The sweet and cute are true qualities, but in Sassy's case, the ditzy part is an excellent front for getting exactly whats she wants, when she wants. One should not under-estimate her persistence.  If I make the mistake of pretending to ignore her, she rachets up the sound, the sighs, the hopeful looks at the door, or performs a lap dance in front of me....