Whiteboard Animation: Don’t YOU want to give it a try?


 This was Kelly’s Animation project last year in grade 8.  I just noticed that the post wasn’t transferred when I moved to WordPress…so here it is again! If you’d like to encourage an aspiring artist…please like Kelly’s Facebook Page: Kelly Comics!  Click on the picture for the direct =&0=& youtube link! The music is pretty catchy…sorry, it might just stick with you for days. =) Do It Yourself Animation  All you need is a whiteboard, dry erase markers and an eraser or shammy …oh yeah, and an AWESOME artist like my 13 year old KELLY!! Is it just me, or is this awesome?!? This was so fun to do…I think I have a couple other kids who want to give it a try! We set up a tripod and camera pointed at our new Walmart whiteboard (about $13). Kelly just started drawing and I kept clicking the camera.  We loaded the close-to-500 pictures (@ the smallest resolution on my camera) into Windows Movie Maker and made each frame only 0.2 seconds long.  We added a quirky soundtrack and here it is! Can you share this video?  Wouldn’t it be cool if it went viral?

In 2011, Kelly produced her first animated feature: Adam-ation.  It’s all about what her little baby brother Adam does when we’re not looking!  This is our blogpost about Adam-ation and here’s Adam-ation on YouTube.

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A Collectable Correspondence from a Catholic Love Story

Bill and I met almost 21 years ago at my first Young Adult meeting at St Patrick’s Parish. He was leading the group…and I was just checking out the Catholic scene at home, after returning from my 2nd year in Architecture in a city 5 hours away.

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Kitchen Table Felt Castle

I’ve seen so many cool DIY forts made to fit the kitchen table that I just had to make one for my own kids.  This is a project I actually tackled a couple years ago, but my kids still play with it.  We’ve also been able to breathe new life into it, by adding IKEA felt tools…

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Knitivity…sorry if you don’t have an Auntie Ingrid!

Check out my guest post TODAY at CatholicMom.Com:
Sorry if you don’t have an Auntie Ingrid

Maybe you want to take a look at last year’s link-up of Homemade Nativities

or this year’s
Wooden Painted Saint Nativity Ornament!

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School Christmas Ornament Exchange

Two of our kids are attending a new Catholic school in the area and I thought it was such a great idea that they are asking for a Christmas ornament from each family to decorate the tree year after year. I had a quick look at ornaments at Walmart and the dollar store, but couldn’t find even one remotely religious Christmas ornament, beyond maybe a star or an angel.  I decided to take matters into my own hands…and pull out the supplies I use for my Wooden Painted Saints.

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Custom 3D felt Car Mat

Sometimes I just have to make something…with my hands …and Adam’s 2nd birthday this last week offered the perfect opportunity.  With left over felt from the Felt Castle Fort I made last year for Bridget, I just started cutting felt, beginning with an 8 track.  I knew I wanted houses, garages (pockets) to hold the little cars and a few things to make it different from anything I have seen.
I found a link for Homemade Car Mats and I liked some of the ideas I found.  I still plan to put a drawstring in the seam so that it can close and carry the cars.  A circular mat would lend itself better to the drawstring closure, but I think that this will work too.

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Family Culture in Ordinary Time

Build your own Family Culture and Traditions…and start during Ordinary Time!

Collect family artifacts and treasures: keep a collection of family documents, classic photos, newspaper articles, certificates, letters from the toothfairy or letters to Santa, programs from funeral Masses, graduations, wedding invitations, birthday invitations, letters of acceptance, report cards…even if they are photocopies of the real thing!  This is what we created our Family Treasure Chest for!These and other family-centric activities, crafts and traditions can be found in A Treasure Chest of Traditions for Catholic Families. Altered Collage Books Years ago, I was fascinated by the books Griffin and Sabine: An Extraordinary Correspondence. “Thus begins the strange and intriguing correspondence of Griffin and Sabine.  It is a story that is partly a romance, partly a mystery, and completely a work of art.  Each page contains a new card or letter…the complete correspondence tells an extraordinary story in an extraordinary way.” The whole book is packed with stamped letters and postcards, with striking images and artwork. As I began collecting special cards and letters for each of my kids, I decided I would also write my own letters to them: my goal is to write one for each child, at least once a year.  While I have probably missed a few opportunities…my collections of letters and cards are pretty neat, for each of the children. I was intrigued by the Griffin and Sabine book and began my own altered collage books: one for each child, in a story book that reminded me of them! 

 These books were filled with fascinating postcards documenting a correspondance in a cool book with postcards and letters in envelopes.
Altered Book Tips

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Handmade Ipod Nano Holder

Kelly loves the ipod nano that she received for her 13th birthday.  It’s just that it’s so cute and SMALL! That’s our Canadian quarter beside it…see how small it is?  It’s a little too easy to lose!  I thought I’d make her something to keep it a little more safe and visible! I made a little ipod holder out of felt.  I chose orange felt to match Kelly’s tangerine colored ipod nano. Sorry…I don’t have a pattern…I just made it up as I went along.  It was also night-time and I didn’t take any pictures.  I put the whole thing together while we watched The Mentalist.  Not bad for one hour’s work! For the open window of the ipod holder, I wanted to reinforce it, to make it extra strong to keep the shape.  Using the sewing machine, I sewed the white square of felt onto one of the orange pieces, before I sewed all the pieces together.  I used a tight zigzag stitch to make it really strong.  After it was secured in place, I carefully cut the inside square out of the white felt, and then the orange felt to reveal the window of the ipod nano.   I used the machine to sew the two pieces inside out, together with a third (white) piece to make a pocket for the earphones.  I sewed the white flap into the side seam with the machine…and just had to double check it before I sewed the other side seam.  I was just a little surprised that this worked! When I turned the felt right side out…it was just want I wanted! I like the chunky handmade look of the felt with hand stitches, so I reinforced all the edges (and the bottom of the earphones pocket) with hand stitches. I used the machine to reinforce the button hole…not so neatly. I didn’t mind reinforcing the earphones cable hole by hand. I wanted to get the right location for the earphones cable hole, so I did this after the rest of the ipod holder was sewn together. I was pleased at how secure it feels. Clearly, I am an amateur at sewing, but I think the imperfections are part of its charm!  (That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.)  I like the look of it and Kelly likes it too!  She now has a cozy home for her ipod nano and earphones.  I was inspired by these “mixed tape” felt cases.  These are infinitely more professionally made and available for purchase at this etsy shop. read more...for Equipping Catholic Families!

Last Minute Gift: Catholic Family Calendar!

Last Minute Gift:  all you need is a printer for a treasured family gift for
Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and Cousins!

The Build-Your-Own
Catholic Family Perpetual Calendar!
with Kelly Comics illustrations.

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Kelly Comics Family Calendar: easy Family Keepsake Gift for all your relatives!

The Kelly Comics Family Calendar is a PERPETUAL CALENDAR that you can print once, record your special family dates (birthdays, anniversaries, milestones and dates loved ones passed away).  You can make copies for family as gifts…and help everyone to celebrate and remember all the special family dates.  The best part is…this calendar is not linked to a specific year, so it can be proudly displayed, year after year!

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