Well, it was all fun & games until a few days ago when it happened...
I called her name and we met in the hallway... her face was full of achievement & excitement- when I saw the pen in her hand I knew what she was so proud of! :) Thank goodness she only colored on the pictures and not the actual page. (Sorry Beth gonna need a bit more time with this one :) I can't wait until I have my own creative space--but until then we will enjoy playing & making schtuff together.
This also reminds me why I adopted the phrase "Whoopsie daisy" when I drop something--her version of that makes me laugh! :)
A great solution for Miss Picasso's artistic expression would be a chalkboard wall. I picked up some paint yesterday and I want to frame a huge chalkboard & hang it in our family room. If you have any suggestions with working with chalkboard paint... please tell. :) Happy Friday!
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52 comments:
Whoopsie Daisy!! I love that. And whoop-sie-daisy is right girl! Yes, luckily it was only on the pictures!
So precious though that she was proud of her "scrapbooking" abilities, lol.
She is just too stinking adorable. I love that picture of her laying on the ledge.
I have that same photo saved in my files. I love it! I think she would have a blast with it. I guess the problem comes in getting them to know that they can only write on *that* wall, lol. My cousin tried that with her fridge {Lol, I know, but it wiped off, I guess?} and then her boys started writing on everything!! Walls, carpet, furniture, you name it, they wrote on it.
I wanted to do a chalkboard wall, and I've had the paint for like an entire year, but I'm too scared!! You go first! :)
Hi Lizzy,
I did that project 1-2 years ago to offer my girls another artistic outlet inside. I painted an area in our play/ craft room with magnatic & chalkboard paint that I picked up at our local hardware store. I did everything according to direction, however, it doesn't wipe and clean off as easily as the chalkboards I was used to in school. I framed the whole thing with molding that I mitered at the corners. I also applied a piece of molding to a 2" wide piece of wood that I attched on the bottom of the framed chalkboard wall to be used as a shelf for the chalk. Good luck.
So sweet. I think a chalkboard wall would be a GREAT idea. My Madi often hangs out in my little space, and she really likes to color, so I think that would totally encourage her artistically. And Avery looks so big now. Goodness!
how sweet and funny. i love your blog! my little girl is almost three and she sounds a lot like avery. lately, i've been letting her do her own scraping. i'll give her some paper, some princess stickers, & markers, & we scrap side by side. i tried letting her use scissors a few times, but that lead to her cutting some hair, so needless to say, no more cutting for her! i did a page on twopeas of "my little scrapper," if you want to check it out. i'm junglebarrya. TTFN, as tigger would say!
I believe there's even magnetic chalkboard paint, Liz, that would be so cool (a great place for papers/alphabet magnets/etc. rather than the fridge).
You have such a great outlook on the "incident" - not so sure I could have been as calm! lol
My suggestion with chalkboard paint is "don't let your husband touch it!" My lovely DH helped me and managed to get some of it on the table and chairs in the garden! We now have a permanent black splodge on the wooden outside table which will not budge!!!
How funny! Now you'll have something else to scrap about. ;-) I have a thing for chalkboard paint, I have it all over my house. . .I use it on flowerpots, jars, loves it. I used magnetic paint and chalkboard paint in my daughter's room on her double closet doors. She has so much fun drawing pics on the doors and hanging her creations on the doors. I also made a border in my dining/craft room right above the chair rail. The kids can write messages all the way around the room and we get so many comments about how cool it is. Can't wait to see the end result of yours! =)
I have one painted in my office area for daily schedules and artwork my kiddos drew....I suggest several coats of the paint. ***STIR WELL!!****I used the magnetic chalkboard paint. The surface needs to be REALLY smooth when you start. The more layers the better the chalk "sticks" and also the better the magnets "stick". That's all I know. Good Luck
Great attitude. Its times like those that my neighbors can hear me down the block. I need a little course in "Calm Mommy 101".
So cute! We have a couple of chalkboard walls in our house. Yes, definitely *stir well*! And definitely put at 3 coats on! We did 2 and it's not enough! When the kids go to writing crazy all over it, it chips some of the chalkboard off in little places. Drives me crazy! :)
But yesterday I came home and my little four year old had used the book "Alphabet Mystery" and a little of Grandma's help to write "I love you Mom" all by himself (pretty much) with little kisses (x's) all over the bottom and he was sooo proud! It was sooo precious! Chalkboards are so fun! And chalkboard paint is definitely addictive so be warned...and grab 2 cans!!! ;)
I used the chalkboard paint in my old house and was really disappointed. The chalk didn't erase like a typical chalkboard and even is we washed it, it just smeared around. I think the walls need to perfectly smooth to work correctly. Our walls had a bit of texture. We also used the magnetic paint with it, but the magnets never stuck - even after 8 or so coats of the paint! It was a really expensive experiment! Eventually, we just got a large piece of sheet metal and screwed that right onto the wall. We framed it in and it looked great. The kids had a great time with the magnets and we covered it with their artwork. Of course, they couldn't draw on it though... maybe a white board on the wall with dry erase markers when she gets older?? Kids love those! I haven't been brave enough for that yet. Good luck!
My dd was being way too quiet once in the scrap/playroom and when I went in she had rubbed my black inkpad into the carpet! I think the pictures would have been easier to replace:)
it is great that you are so laid back. I am not sure if I would have been as calm. My daughter is quite the climber and gets into stuff all the time and she isn't quite 2 yet. I don't have my scrap booking supplies set up any place at the current time so I haven't had to worry about that. But I would love to eventually have a space for it and I want to include my daughter in the process so that she doesn't see the room/space as off limits. Thanks for being a great role model! Love the chalkboard idea I might try that myself as well.
I was going to do a chalkboard wall with a magnetic primer underneath it. I bought the stuff and showed it to my sister in law. She wanted to do it also. I let her do it first! haha. It looked really cute, however it never looked like a clean pristine chalkboard again. You could always see chalk residue. I don't know how she cleaned it or if it would always be like that, but you might try a sample on a piece of particle board or something. I would also recommend the magnetic primer. It's kinda handy. Good luck and thanks so much for all of your inspiration!
My eighteen month old learned to climb up on my scrap space countertop at an early age as you can see here :0)
http://maryjo1997.blogspot.com/2008/12/seriously.html
I just try to go with the flow because like you said, sometimes it's the only way to get things done. But she's already drawn on those white cabinets with a black AC pen (thanks to Mr. Clean Magic Erasers!! it came off) and lost a few of my stamps. And she loves to dump my buttons and flowers all over, too. But I just think she loves being where mommy likes to hang out!
I think flexibility makes us better mommies :0)
There is seriously, like a whole series of posts on this blog about chalkboards and chalkboard paint. I'm sure that you can find some ultra-cool ideas there.
bedifferentactnormal.blogspot.com
That would be a cute idea!! I Would love to see pics when you are done with it! I Might do this for my son! HE is always writing on the walls!
Oooh that layout looks so cute! I can't wait to see it :)
Just make sure you do at least 2, if not 3 coats! It takes a lot to get it thick enough, but once you do it will be endless fun!
You're girls are so cute it makes it hard to get mad! :)
That's a great idea about the chalkboard paint. I've seen them use it on HGTV. Maybe you can check out the website for info.
Love your blog (I just found it!) and always look for your articles/layouts in the CK magazine first. Love your creations and your girls are beautiful. I have two little ones, too...just little boys. Do you ever teach at the CKC in Portland, and if so, what classes? Thanks for sharing all your ideas with us...
Liz,
My best friend painted one wall of their playroom with chalkboard paint. They had to put a lot of layers but it's fabulous. She "framed" the wall with bead board or bevel board. I am totally going to do that when we move to cali in a few months.
I do have to say that the only problem it presented was the colored chalk dust that got on the ground at the base of the wall...I suppose you could make a base like a real chalk board at the bottom to catch the dust and have a place for the erasers and such.
Good luck!
martha stewart has a whole thing about chalkboard paint on her website, incuding recipes for making it yourself in your color of choice. have been wanting to try for a while, but need to finish the basement walls first...
I have been hanging for a magnetic chalkboard wall for years...but we couldn't find the paint when we wanted it!
I embrace having the kids in my scrap space too...my 2yo DS took to a nearly finished mini with my stylus yesterday and scratched the heck out of most of the photos...thank heavens for snapfish, couple of bucks and a few days and it'll be as good as new :)
xx
You definately want to put extra coats of the chalkboard paint on whatever surface you choose! I did a panel on one of the doors of my computer hutch/desk - the other door I adhered corkboard too and I love it!
Great job keeping your cool with Avery - it can be so hard to find the balance when the kiddos mess with projects that are deadline based! I know that all too well, but I will never change my "open door policy" with my kids - I'm so thankful that my creative job affords me the opportunity to stay home with them and I LOVE that my studio is right off the kitchen on the main floor with them in this house (in our old house my studio was in the basement and although it kept little fingers out of my stuff, I really didn't like the seperation factor!)
ventilation!!!! sheesh.. love the stuff and all.. but not so much that it will affect me forever!! :) love the emulation.. girls are the best!!
I did two huge chalkboards in our kids worship area at church. Lowes can lend some expert advice! Our chalkboards ended up being bright red and HUGE. The kids love them. Invest in a good vacuum cleaner- the chalk powder is a killer.
Hi Elizabeth, Tiff from Oz here. I know that you would most likely have replaced the photo by now but this has happedned to me HEAPS of times (my daughter is muchly the budding artist as well, seems to always black out faces for some reason though. Is she trying to tell us something? LOL!!!). Anyway if I'm in a hurry and can't replace the photo quickly then a baby wipe almost always removes the texta for me, pen may be different if leaves indents though. Just thought I'd mention if of any use, TIff :o)
I highly recommend the info from Martha. If you search chalkboard then go to 'Custom Color Chalkboard Paint' the recipe for making your own color is there. I also really enjoyed the calendar. I had it in my last house and just moved and am planning on doing it again! If you make your own I do have a few suggestions; use cheap paint that is thinner and works better after you add the grout. Also, there have been several comments about wiping off. I used a wet paper towel and you couldn't even tell the pink was chalkboard. My daughter is 7 now and is begging for it again in her new room--Good Luck!
M
oops I meant to include this----Here is my blog if you want to check it out--
everettclan.blogspot.com
M
We have chalkboard paint in my son's room on his closet doors. My suggestion is that you buy a good paint, not anything too cheap. (we have Benjamin Moore) A few coats is a must. And you MUST let it completely dry for the time the can says, a full day or more I think. We also used it on a puppet show stage for my daughter and I couldn't wait to draw something within the first few hours. I do notice that that chalk doesn't come completely off of the puppet stage, but it does in my son's room. One more place I used it is on the top of an old desk that is in my son's room. This desk was beyond "shabby sheik" as it was even a bit warped on top. I was going to throw it out, but I decided to paint the top black, which I didn't have. I ended up trying the paint and it ended up being so cool. Now when my seven-year old is doing his homework, he can doodle on the desk, or try out some math there. We bought those chalk "pens" like they use at Trader Joe's. If you are interested in those I will check to see what the brand is, totally cool colors that are bright and vivid.
We are on the same page today. The moment my daughter is quite, it means she's onto something mischievous! Today, she used a highlighter pen to color an altered tin (a project in progress)... I so wish I have a room of my own too... somewhere to create in peace but then again, I think we will still end up on the same room together, doing our own stuff. {lol}
I painted a chalkboard area in my kids' room. The paint came with directions, which I followed, and everything came out great. Good luck!
Love the chalkboard wall - may have to try that - don't worry about the little one in your room. So good to have the ability to reprint pictures and redo-it is amazing when they are creative. My 2 girls when they were little loved my craft room, I am a big quilter, sewer and now a scrapbooker - so I had special bins for them to sew with, plus they went in my stash. I had them take sewing lessons when they were 5 - 7 respectively and they continued for quite a while, I always made time to be creative and let them have fun painting Tshirts, stones, pictures, anything and everything. They are now 22 and 24 - one is an animator and an avid scrapbooker and has an amazing career in front of her, the other is a mommy - avid scrapbooker and starting to get back into sewing and quilting. Our youngest now is 7, he is not so much into the crafts but is starting to, and I love it - he keeps telling me he wants to make a quilt.
Enjoy it because before you know it they will grown and you will miss them.
Love your stuff.
Nicky from Canada
Kiddos. I know that mine LOVES to try and do anything I do. That includes walking in high heels and carrying my purse around. Hehe. I would freak out if I saw my little baby girl doing the same. I LOVe the idea of chalkboard paint. Someone at work told me it wasn't that great. But I don't care, I think I still would do it!
Hey Elizabeth, I've just checked out The Scrap Review and signed up, awesome and long overdue, the best idea that will benefit soooo many.
My little Betty (18 months) grabs my purses and does the same thing! She even shoves her sippy cup inside because she knows that has to go with us! Little girls who want to be their mommies are the best.
There's also white board paint. I always thought it would be fun to have some chalk board and some white board.
Anyway, a good tip would be to make sure your walls have a really good drywall job before using it.
How fun! Chalkboard paint is great. I made 700 chalkboards for my Laurel project to send to humanitarian sites in Africa once upon a time.
After you paint take a medium grit piece of sandpaper and lightly scratch the paint just a bit. The chalkboard paint is generally too smooth on it's own. It needs to be just a little bit rough for the chalk to really take hold. Think the difference between using sidewalk chalk on the sidewalk vs. a mirror. Good Luck! Love your blog!
Been there, done that with now 3 grown kids...I painted a youth meeting room with chalk paint a couple of years ago. Great idea because it keeps kids of all ages busy but you will have to occasionally wipe it down with a wet rag because it dosen't wipe very well with a chalk board eraser. Also, make sure you paint about 2-3 coats or it will wear away after a while. One more thing...I have been crafting for about 30 years and when my kids were little and I would want to do some crafting (sewing, stamping, painting, etc), I would have crafts just for them that they would be allowed to play with only while I did my crafts (counting and stringing buckets of buttons, sewing with kid safe plastic needles into plastic cross stitch cards, etc) They were only allowed to play with these when I did my crafts so they didnt get sick of them and I would rotate them also. Give it a try. Good luck.
I made J come look at that picture from Domino. We now both want that wall. And that room. Hee!
You know I think your girls are just beautiful, as are you.
xo
you have plenty of comments here. you don't need another one...but i too have had the scribble on the scrapbook page happen more than once, with different children. yikes...one page belonged in one of said child's own book...and i left it for her to see when she is older...and to remember.
also, i have done 2 chalkboard walls this past year and they were not anything special to do. i think each took about 3 coats of paint...my kids love them! and...i painted straight on the wall.
You got so lucky! Calvin got a hold of a layout once and my luck wasn't so lucky lol.
We also have a LARGE chalk board in our home. I placed it in the boys room. We just went to the local teach supply story and it came with a cute frame. I repainted and mounted it to the wall. My boys love playing with it. lol just keep an eye on 'moving hands'. I found Calvin's art work on the bath room wall.
I've used both the chalkboard paint and magnetic paint - and they are a BIG hit with all the kids! (I even did two Sunday school classrooms!) BUT . . because the chalk creates so much dust - I would definetly do it in a room that isn't a high traffic room - and I definitely wouldn't do it if anyone in the family has allergies!
I knew something was going to go down with that Avery and your scrappy supplies... It is too funny, since it was you and not me, and she is so stinkin cute....
I knew something was going to go down with that Avery and your scrappy supplies... It is too funny, since it was you and not me, and she is so stinkin cute....
I love that idea, I loved it so much that I just blogged about my own today! I did my own magnet/chalkboard last week. It was easy and the girls love it!
We have a fireplace store and as such we get lots of "wagon wheels" filled with gas line. I took the wheel and made a table for my son when he was about Avery's age. One side I painted and stenciled and the other had the chalkboard paint. I loved it because it gave him a table to draw on and do other crafts and such on and he loved it as well! We still have it even though he is now 7. He doesn't want to let it go just yet. Good luck! I used a spray paint since it was just a table. But it worked great using several layers. I think I used three, but it erased well and washed up perfect after each use.
Ah well! Foiled by Avery! I'll have to have a chat with that little giggler the next time I see her. Handoff is tomorrow...so as soon as you can... :)
I love that Whoopsy Daisy...only I added...Whoopsy Daisy, don't be crazy, pick it up for you make me crazy! My kids loved that and we have started saying it now to our grandson. I love little rhyme things. I make them up for everything....Fun stuff ~ being a mom is the greatest.
Louise
I love looking at your blog! I hope you dont mind if I peek in every now and again. I actually went to your high school and am a few years younger than you. I love the idea of a chalkboard on the wall too. My two year old would go nuts! I found a really cute idea off of this blog: http://littlebirdiesecrets.blogspot.com/2009/03/chalboard-paint-ideas.html
Maybe it might give you some more inspiration. You are pretty creative though, I dont know if you need much more inspiration. You get me thinking new home projects and craft projects everytime I gander at your blog. Thanks for keeping my creative juices flowing.
I painted over an existing chalkboard that was worn down... so it was a smooth service and I still had trouble with it wiping clean. I would spend the extra money on peel and stick chalk board tiles. You will be disappointed with the hardware stuff.
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