Here’s a great craft activity and recycle lesson all rolled into one!  Kids appreciate recycling when they upcycle magazines into jewelry they can use!  Simply cut long, thin triangles out of magazine paper.
 Starting at the wide end of the paper triangle, roll the paper around a pencil again and again using a bit of glue as you go, making sure to add glue at the point end of the roll to hold it together (it’s OK if the glue gets on the rest of the bead, just be careful not to glue it onto the pencil). 
Once dry, remove the paper bead from pencil and now you have made a bead! 
You can paint beads with a coat of mod-podge to give a satin finish and an extra measure to hold it together.  Experiment with different papers and dimensions.  The length of the base of your triangle will always be the length of your bead. 
*Triangles with wider bases and shorter heights will make oblong looking beads; whereas triangles with narrower bases and taller heights will make more rounded beads.  Experiment with paper thickness, or glue two or three triangles together for thicker beads. You can also use wrapping paper, newsprint, funny pages, etc. to make your beads. You can can change the size of the opening of the bead by using toothpicks, straws, knitting needles, etc. Explore and have fun!

Alora C.
Sustainability Planner

Well, now all that was said is done. Art in the park on Sunday was better than I imagined.
When Covid hit- I shifted gears and made a bold move to close my studio doors and take my show on the road with mobile-pop up finesse. As I mentally worked my way through how all of this would happen, I knew I wanted to have art-in-the-park days. Days where we could all come together to create in the spirit of CReATE STUDIO’s drop-in creating days.
It was wonderful to see familiar faces and make new acquaintances last Sunday as creativity flourished. Sharon from Hearth 4 Art inspired kids to draw horses, honing their drawing skills while others made robots, time machines, paintings and more. As I surveyed the scene during our event, I found that the best thing that was happening was connections, friends met up at our event, kids befriended one another, parents and kids were co-creating.
We are a community, we need each another. It was so amazing to see the positivity of connectivity and creativity unfolding on a casual Sunday afternoon.
Thank you for joining us. Let’s do it again soon!

Regards,

Jemma W. Owner/Founder

I couldn’t be more excited for Art in the Park this weekend! I’m hoping to see your familiar faces — and some new ones too! It has been wonderful to hear fond studio memories from those of you who shared with me that you miss being able to drop into the studio to create!

Part of my vision when I transitioned to a mobile pop-up format was to bring my studio back to our community for open-ended art at the park, creativity and fresh air just go together! What better park than the one across from my old studio location- Bernice Bennett Park in Westlake Village.

Drop in anytime between 2 and 4pm on Sunday at Berniece Bennett Park (31800 Village Center Rd, Westlake Village) to create.  I’ll have my signature bins of inspiring recycled materials for open ended creating!  I’m also particularly excited that my friend Sharon from Heart4ART will be joining me to share some of her wonderful artistic techniques with you! This is a free community event ( any donations to benefit our non-profit, CReATE ON YOUR CAMPUS are welcome).
Drop by and share the joy of art with us.  We look forward to seeing you in the park! 

Warm Regards,

Jemma

Owner/Founder CReATE STUDIO

I am so excited to offer a free, family, creative event with my friend Sharon from Heart4Art. Ever since going mobile, people have told me that they miss just being able to drop into the studio and create — well here we are! We are creating a pop-up studio session just for you! It’s our gift to the community!  I’ll have everything you’ll need for open-ended creating with my vast assortment of recycled materials, Sharon from Heart4Art will teach some of her favorite art techniques.  So whether you’re looking for open ended creating or a little more structure, we’ll have options for your creative exploration.  We are just thrilled to share the joy of art, imagination and creativity with you! 
Stop by Berniece Bennett Park in Westlake Village (31800 Village Center Road) anytime between 2pm and 4pm on Sunday, July 31st and create.  Can’t wait to see you in the park!  

Jemma W.
Owner/Founder

During my themed camp week; Camp CReATE we’ll make art with sustainable art flair! Each day will include a guided theme with a recycled material base and plenty of time for open-ended creative expression with my collection of reuse materials too! No artistic experience necessary.

I’ve also got a full line-up of unique, creative and eco camps lined-up throughout the summer! Check them out here.

See you this Summer!
Jemma W.
Owner/Founder

Last year’s Eco Dollhouse Camp got rave reviews, so I’m doing it again at the Agoura Hills Rec Center. Design your own 3-story house – to decorate and fill with sustainable furniture!
I’ve got a full line up of unique, creative and eco camps planned for this summer! Check them out and join me.

I am so excited to be doing field trips again!
Creating with a class of students during a field trip really resounds the “Art Fun for Everyone” motto in my head! Next week I will be visiting Oakwood School with all my eco art materials to make Arthropods with 2nd graders! Giving students a unique art experience where they create a physical project that they come up with is applying the learning they have culminated over a number of weeks to flush out their animals- yes, Arthropods are animals! They’re thrilled to KNOW that they need certain components to make their creations real , a certain number of legs, eyes, and even body structure because they’ve learned all about them. What a creative hands-on way to bring that learning home!
Learning is listening, reading, writing and of course, making!

Learning fun, here we come.

Jemma W.
Owner/Founder

On Mother’s Day, I focus on play. I’m looking forward to spending the day with my family, where everyone else does the actual “work!”  I’m envisioning lots of outside activities — with plenty of room to run off energy and minimal clean up necessary.   Maybe we’ll fly a kite?  Or, take a hike — even if it’s just around the neighborhood!   Arts and crafts in the backyard.   A picnic lunch.  With my “To Do List” on-hold, this is the day I soak up why I wanted to be a mom in the first place.   To reconnect, to laugh and to wonder at how the baby girl I held in my arms is growing into her own.   

I hope you have a joyful Mother’s Day!

Warm Regards,

Alora C.

Sustainability Planner

Last Saturday I hosted a Family Art Day at CMATO – my fav local contemporary museum. Participants from age 4 to 80+ worked together to create three canvas cast-off collages using some of the CReATE collection of materials I provided. We glued and painted, explored and played.
It was so good to be together, talking trash (literally) and all things mother earth. Everyone was in-tune to the Earth Day message and talking about what we can do to help our planet as well as the fun and frolicking spirit that art moments allow. The common ground we shared for a few hours fed our spirits and the colorful canvases brightened our hearts.
I love that CMATO provides Family Art Days where art and connection are always intersected.

Jemma W.

Owner/ Founder

I am always amazed at how our earth regenerates itself.  How even after a devastating fire, the green returns the following year.  Or how after a strong storm, the next day will be bright and sunny; bushes that bowed down the day before, now standing tall.  I think, too, of weeds cropping up in sidewalk cracks.   Nothing seems to keep that life force down.  How resilient mother earth is!  How persistent.   This earth day, I’m thinking about ways I can be a little more regenerative, a little more life-giving.   Like, planting an herb garden, so I won’t buy herbs in plastic wraps or throw out half of a large bunch from the farmers’ market that I never seem to finish. In my backyard, I can just snip what I need.   I also think love has a regenerative property, that grows exponentially, like so many things in the natural world.  We humans need love to grow!  So, I’m going to work a little harder at spreading that love around.

Happy Earth Day!

Warm Regards,

Alora C

Sustainability Planner