Instant Art!

Quick note on the music...since summer is winding down (sniff, sniff), I decided I would put my top songs from this summer on my playlist for a while...so no relation to the post, in case you've enjoyed the usual relation I've had between my posts & tunes!  Some of the words may be a bit crazy, but these songs have made me want to jam out while driving...

Anyway, I've spent the last couple days going through the MOUNDS of stuff the kids and I've been piling up to save for their memory boxes & scrapbooks...and it is a good thing I'm into recycling, because all I'm truly doing is making up for all the trees my kids have been killing with their artwork and "books" they've made.  But in my opinion, so worth it!  Some of their drawings & stories are just too funny and they will be so fun to look back on when they get older.  I hate just putting stuff away for someday, so I decided to frame some of their special pieces for around the house.  I love having kid art EVERYWHERE!!   Annie took an art class after school on Tuesdays this past Spring, and her creations were beautiful, so I really wanted to make them special for her. 

 I got the idea from a friend to go to Michael's and get their "fundamental" framing frames...SUCH a bargain, 2 11x14 frames for $6,

(mats sold separately)just perfect for this kind of project!  

Jack didn't produce nearly the amount of art that Annie did in preschool...he was always too busy playing in the trains/cars/blocks center, typical boy, but he did do some.  This one, his teacher had taped a fish on paper, then he painted the stripes, so I simply cut it out.  

Then framed it with a white/red mat...voila!  Instant art!!  When he has a free moment, I want him to sign it, so his signature can be on his art...you never know!

This was a painting of "Shamu" that Annie did on canvas at her art class...

Poof!  I love the way the mat makes it really look so professional & museum quality...

Annie used chalk to make this portrait that she titled "Pretty Owl".  We were so impressed with it!  It was on 8 1/2 x11 paper, and I had a hard time finding a pre-cut mat & frame to fit it, so instead of going way over budget with doing a custom...

Wes came up with the idea to run over to Kinko's, and color copy it by shrinking it to an 8x10, so it could fit...

in this beautiful wood frame that I fell in love with and that was 40% off, also at Michael's.  So, now we have it on our entry way table & I think it looks great!

After Annie's dance recital, pictures still to come I promise, we went with our family to Market Square downtown.  There was a caricature booth there, so we decided to have the kid's sketches done.

Jack's turned out too cute!

Annie's was great too!

Sam wasn't at the dance recital, for reasons you can imagine a 3 year old boy not to be, but Maggie, our niece, had a picture of Sam on her phone, so the artist was able to do his from that.  I didn't want them to go to waste, so for $6 I bought a frame for each, then $6.99 for the black mat for each...here's how they turned out!  

This piece was chosen as Annie's signature piece by her instructor, and was actually made into notecards for us to have when the semester was finished, but I really wanted to frame the original too.  

My beautiful artwork ready to hang...now where to find the perfect spots!!  I definitely need more wall space to hang everything I wish I could.  "Honey, are you busy?  You may want to bring a hammer & nails..."

I can always use more ideas on how you sort & store all your kiddo's momentos from their childhoods...please share!!!