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Material of the Week 1/20-1/26

Pencils!
Their wooden nature makes so many things possible. They are not just for writing anymore though writing with a pizzazed pencil makes the job that much more fun.
I think tall tower or table legs, what do you think?

Our New Space

I am just loving our new CReATE space! Everything is just that much better here. The colors, the fixtures, the textures, the scene. It is a wonderful thing to be on the ground floor! Our paper tree can finally take root! Come in and see us, visit with us, create with us. If you are just passing by or dropping a gift of donations be sure to say hello. We are always so happy to see you.

 

M.FREDRIC Kids at Calabasas

They say that all good things must come to an end…
Our time ant M.FREDRIC Kids in Calabasas has come to and end. We have so enjoyed a collaborative flair with a mini in-store studio at the M.FREDRIC Kids store in Calabasas. Providing an opportunity for little ones to roll their sleeves up and get messy with eco makings and lots of glitter while Mommies shopped with dress-me-up ideas dancing in their heads.
M.FREDRIC contributed many everyday fashion industry items to help round out our fun and funky offerings with things like broken hangers, feathers, faux leather belts, itty-bitty shoe boxes, tissue paper galore, shredded documents and floppy discs from a back-up era gone by. What a great reminder that even businesses have things in everyday workings that can be re-invented and renewed.
Thank you for sharing a piece of your world with us M.FREDRIC friends. It has been great fun!

Win/Win

What a treat is was to have Westlake Elementary students at the studio today making class assigned projects! Two third grade girls worked with spirit as they developed Snowpeople for an Acrostic Poem assignment. One of the girls’ first grade sister had to make a character from a books she is reading, so Junie B. Jones came to life at CReATE!
It is a wonder to watch wheels turn as inspiration takes hold and gives way to innovation and a gem to share.
As always, these projects give all the way around, to the student, the school and the teacher who assigned them.
It’s a Win/Win!

Weekly Wow!

Plastic spools were the draw to Gavin’s eye. He spent a fair amount of time pondering his creative prospects to make one dinosaur, but when he saw the bright yellow spools he knew he had found the component he was looking for to make many! He had a blast developing his Dino menagerie into three fine specimens; a Stegosaurus, a T-Rex and a Sauroposeidon.  He was so clever in capturing their characteristics with the subtle elements of their features, a pine clone head, a plastic pliers head and a wiki stik jaw! All of this came to be when Gavin saw those simply eye catching spools.

Dinasours
Gavin
5yrs

 

Material of the Week 1/13-1/19

Reusable Bags!
Embellish these “blank Canvases” with your own personal flair to create eye catching, conversation starting carry-alls for groceries, toys, books and more!

Field Trips

We had such good times with field trip visits this week from Horizon Hills Preschool of Thousand Oaks and White Oak Elementary School of Westlake Village.
Creativity abounded for all ages as imaginations were explored and themes were developed.
While preschoolers explored sticky glue and cardboard concoctions , first graders gave California a bit of snow as they touched on a grade level theme to make anything winter. Needless to say, we had many snowmen, snow flurried homes, penguins and polar bears. Ah, to be a kid again…

Material of the Week 1/6-1/12

Mylar Bags make a fun shiny surface for covering, wrapping, decorating or embellishing…

Cardboard

Cardboard often makes it to the Weekly Wow post because it is so versatile. It’s moldable, build able, shapable and playable.
Bea and her mommy like to make little ladies like this at home all the time. I am told they have lots of puppet shows.
This is the stuff of life. In my view creativity is best expressed when it crosses the framework of our lives from one aspect like making “art” to human interactions like play, creating roots in or imaginative thinking and our memories.
To think a broad reaching concept can begin with a few bits of cardboard, some pastels or markers and a few dots of glue is just well, wonderful.

Puppet Dolls
Bea
3yrs

Material of the week 12/30-1/5/14

Plastic Bowls
Once food containers for microwave meals, now potential flying saucers, bird baths, or whatever you want them to be.