Holes Diorama

I was looking through some pictures today and found some from when Isaac did a project last year in 4th grade, but because I am a butt I didn't post anything about the project then, so I thought I would share his "Holes" diorama now.

I have never read the book "Holes", so Isaac directed all the things we needed for the project. (Apparently the story is about a boy who is sent to juvenile detention in the desert where he has to dig holes for an evil warden.)

 We started with a piece of wood that Paul cut 7 2" holes in for us, and then he added 4 little legs to the board in the corners so we could have it lifted off the table a bit. (Paul also drilled 2 holes for the trees to slot into) I sewed 7 brown linen bags so that we could hot glue them into the holes, as the pits. (Apparently in the story diamonds are found in one of the holes, so I added clear hot-fix crystals to one of the bags) After gluing the bags in place, and cutting the foam-core to size I pretty much turned the project over to Isaac to paint and finish. 
 Isaac used Fimo clay to make little lizards to place around the desert, after baking them he painted them the color they are supposed to be. The holes were built up with air dry paper clay to cover where the fabric was glued around the edge, and then to make the dirt piles.

 The same clay was used to make fake tree roots on the sticks Isaac collected from the backyard after some pruning was done. He hand-sewed the little hammock out of some net I had, attaching it to more backyard sticks.

 Isaac hand-painted the little warden cabin we bought ready made from the wood section of Michael's with acrylic paints, and filled the windows and doors in with cardboard. (I thought his brick chimney was pretty cute, along with the batting for smoke) The sandy ground is the result of pouring sand into wet paint, and then after shaking off all the excess, he sealed it all with a clear sealer.

 He made the trees by gluing model foliage to the backyard branches. The rifle is just a doll house one we bought (the warden apparently lay in a hammock all day with her gun while the kids dug holes?)

The background is one I made by photo-shopping a tent image to have more holes in front of it, and then he painted the rest of the sky, and all the foam-core-boards to cover the base.

I really like how this turned out (he was asked to share it on the morning TV announcements, and to donate it to the school library) but now I am a bit stuck for what to do with Emmie (she has this exact same project coming up in the next couple of months) since we probably don't want to copy Isaac's idea, but I am not sure if she can be redirected elsewhere.

Still Here

I haven't died, I've just been surviving midterms etc. Paul's home now, and he took a week of leave while I was on spring-break, and we got a lot done, but I haven't uploaded photos yet. It's terrible, I have the finished lamp, Isaac's side table, a painted sideboard, and about a million little things to blog about, and I just seem to not get my act together enough to get them posted (I think it's because I have all the best intentions of posting tutorials, but if I don't have the time to do the full thing, I put off doing the post all together.)

Anyway, last week Emmie came home in a panic that she needed a Pocahontas costume like yesterday (I knew she needed one, just never the date) and I made her this one in 1 hour 45 minutes the day she was in the school concert as Pocahontas.  

at the book fair after the 4th grade choir presentation

I used my pattern for her project run and play ruffle shirt for the dress, I just made it longer and straight across the bottom, and then I just sewed a straight piece into each armhole and cut them into strips once sewn on, I cut strips into the hem of the dress, and made pants like a nutcase (I just folded my fabric and guesstimated what I thought looked right, then I sewed elastic to the top casing.) I wouldn't recommend such a slapdash way of making pants, but I was down to the wire and went for it. The fabric was a faux suede so it didn't fray. The fur was some scrap faux fur I had from something, I just cut 3 organic shapes and safety pinned them all together. I happened to have the boots, and since she is now almost my size she was able to wear them with the Pants tucked into them.

I thought it would be funnier to do authentic Pocahontas, and either have her bald in a faux nude suit (which was what the original Pocahontas would have worn as a child) or in full 17th century English dress with small pocks (which is what happened to older Pocahontas.) Emmie wouldn't go for either, so she ended up with fakey slightly native American-ish thing. She was very happy with it anyway!

Today I went to the grad fair, and picked up my cap and gown (YAY!) and took a test for one of my 3, 1 credit classes, which is pass fail and you basically go in and take a test to see if you get the credit or not (no pressure there, I only NEED these credits to graduate.) It was a 1 hour test, with 40 questions, each with several parts. I was so worried I almost stressed myself into a fit! I was able to get 100% (I only needed 80% to pass) but man was I sweating it. I have another 2 tests in the next 2 weeks for these credits, and then I am down to just my art history class, my Anthropology class, and then my Fieldwork!

Midterms and Spring-break {photo of the day}.

This morning I overslept, got the kids to school tardy, was late to my fieldwork/senior internship, and had an all around harassing start to my day.

Now I'm sitting in class (having arrived 20 minutes early) knitting and waiting for my LAST MIDTERM EVER!!! to start. The house looks like a bomb hit it, and the kids ate $5 take-out pizza for dinner (since it didn't need cutlery.)





But fear not! Paul comes home this weekend, I will wash dishes and tidy tomorrow, and all next week is Spring-break, and Paul is taking the week off to hang out with me!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Thanks for reading!

Catherine

Living Room Fabric. {photo of the day}

So I think I have found most of the fabric I want for our Korean living room, I just haven't found exactly what I want for drapes yet. Our colors are teal, wheat, olive, indigo, cream, grey, brown, and a butterscotch color.



The leather is from the new side chairs we have already special ordered, the linen and crewel fabric are for couch pillows, the cut velvet is for chair covers, and I haven't decided about the sack cloth yet, I just know I want to use it, but it's too heavy for drapes.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Thanks for reading!

Catherine