Created

My poor husband indulges me endlessly with my crazy ideas! He supports me like crazy, but I have a feeling he feels like this more often than not…

So my latest idea comes from my desire to pursue my long forgotten love of drawing. I want to learn more about watercolor, especially with regards to painting nature. So I got it in my head a few weeks ago how great a little portable palette set would be. So off I went searching and scouring. Trying to find cheap, but questioning if they were any good. Then I stumbled upon “do it yourself” palettes. I found one I liked and off I went!

Here is the original post where I was inspired.

I’m incredibly pleased with how this turned out!

I’m well known for saving any little container I can. You never know when it will come in useful to store something! This is one I’ve had for ages, maybe since high school? I honestly have no remembrance of its origins. It has something to do with Coke because that’s what is on the inside, but otherwise I’m clueless! I’ve seen a variety of little boxes used, but I was looking for something compact, but not too compact, metal, and close-able. I don’t care it’s a bit banged up and dented.

So based on the idea from the blog post I found on pinterest I used hotglue to create a divided palette. I lined the bottom with tin foil because I wasn’t sure how well the glue would stick to the container. I made 3 layers total of my grid and had this sweet little palette when I finished.

I then filled in each compartment with liquid watercolor. You can see some of my colors are a little old, but I don’t care. I’m not trying to sell my art or anything. This is just for my own personal joy.

I read a fantastic article a few weeks ago about how people are getting away from artistic endeavors which simply bring joy because they are so concerned about perfection and mastery. I am choosing to enjoy art and painting without desiring to become a master!

Next I mushed the paint into the corners so it would fill the spots. I started with a brush to do this, but ended up using tooth picks.

Next I made little labels identifying the colors of my palette so I know what they look like and their names.

I painted the lid white, stuck on my labels, and glued in some bottle caps to make color mixing areas. It’s now sitting up on a shelf drying out because the idea is to have dry pigment rather than wet. I think it’s just adorable and I can’t wait to give it a try! It will be a few days while it dries, but I’ll post some art I create using this fun little tool!

Have you created something recently?

Our family has a traditional boxed curriculum we use regularly, but every few weeks we need to do something different. We need a change of pace so we don’t become too routine or bored with what we are working through. I love using unit studies for this purpose. I was incredibly excited to use two unit studies (Snow Unit Study and Pine Trees) from Creation Illustrated for my girls. Rose (12) and Beth (10) worked through these studies and enjoyed them very much! My favorite part of these studies was the Scripture study. I really like that there is a list of Bible verses for the kids to look up and see what the Bible had to say about the particular subject matter studied.

Rose (7th grade) – Pine Trees
Rose worked through the study on pine trees. She used the Fall ’17 Digital Edition of Creation Illustrated for her study. Throughout this study She learned about the intricicies of these majestic trees. Living in North Carolina this was the perfect time to study this particular tree. We are observing their rather annoying explosion of yellow pollen currently, but understanding them better makes it a little less annoying! The Bible portion of this study had Rose determine whether the reference was to a pine tree or a fir tree. The explanation of the Hebrew word was incredibly interesting and helpful in understanding the verses better. She loves learning about biblical languages anyway, so I liked this a lot.

Beth (5th grade) – Snow

Beth worked through the study on snow. She used the Winter ’18 Digital Edition of Creation Illustrated for her study. We love a good snowfall although it can we don’t enjoy it all the time. Beth really enjoyed all of the word activities and I was excited about the mathematics section. This is the perfect kind of study for use when we take a break from the ordinary because its interdisciplinary nature covers everything!

In the study Beth determined whether the reference to snow was being used figuratively or literally. That is a pretty advanced line of thinking for her, but she completed this section very easily.

In addition to learning the scientific information there is also mathematics, a word study, and a Bible study! The world is telling our children to ignore everything they may have been taught about the beginnings of time. We are scoffed and mocked as ignorant at best and deceitful at worst for believing in a literal Genesis account of Creation. We constantly weigh the resources available to us for world-view and perspective. We use many resources which do not hold the same world-view as we do, but when we find something that teaches science from the perspective that God is the Creator, it is golden. This magazine is beautifully crafted and scientifically accurate while maintaining the absolute authority of God and His Word. I highly recommend this new-to-us resource and am excited to see it available as a digital magazine! Here is a sneak peek at the spring issue!

Take a look at what my Crewmates have to say!

Tag: Created

Me and My Great Ideas: Portable Watercolor Palette

Snow Unit Study & Pine Trees from Creation Illustrated: A TOS Crew Review