Camp News - Aunt TracyAnns Pet Rock

I'm on a roll.  Hope everyone is doing well today.

We got together, after I posted the rock hunting story, and finished our pet rock for Aunt TracyAnn. It has taken me a while to put the story together.

Ian had a blast.  He is so not used to having other guys to do things with.  He stayed with whoever was working on the project all the way through.

We started by washing and drying the rock so the paint would stay on it good.  Ashley wouldn't let us use the kitchen sink.  She said it was too dirty and belonged outside under the hose.

Sarafina offered to clean the sink afterward, but Ashley threw such a fit we said we'd think of something else.

Finally, when no one was looking we washed it in the water bowl Nana keeps on the floor for Reeces.  The girls all thought we were awful.
   
   




We painted the rock black.  Ian got
to do the painting.  Logan was with him to help if he had any problems. I picked only one to paint so we made less mess.
 

Have you guessed what her pet rock is?

Next, Brodick came up with the idea of putting 
sharp white fangs on it.  He used tines from a broken plastic fork.

Guessed yet?

And Ian wanted to add "blood red, dripping eyes," so it was up to him to get them painted on it.

 Pet rocks are more fun than we would have believed.


We bet you've guessed.  Not an easy secret to keep.

Brodick thought we should put the leash on it and tell her if it is just stunned and not dead she could lead it around and play with it.

I decided that meant we needed color on it's back too in case it got turned over.

 You're all sure what the pet rock is now, aren't you?


Logan put the spots on it's belly. 

And figured out how to put legs on it. 


I helped him with that.

And you guessed it; It's a big, black, dead

SPIDER!!
 

We made a pretty good team.

We took the spider and put him on the lap desk where Auntie TracyAnn sits and works.

 

Then, we covered it with tissue paper and put a note on it.  "Happy Late Birthday Auntie".  Her birthday was a few days ago.

 

We know she loved it, because when she lifted the gift wrap she screamed.  All of our sisters scream when they get something the like.

 

But, did you ever imagine a spider could remind you of a snake the way this one did?

We may do our own pet rocks, if the girls ever do them again. This was really fun.

 Have fun with your own summer projects.  It's good to be creative.

Camp News - Pet Rocks

Good afternoon

Back again, with more camp news.

The first project was picking out pet rocks and painting them.  None of our cabin (boys) were interested in pet rocks.

We went along in case the girls needed help with their projects or in case any wild animals came along and scared them.

You would be surprised what can scare a girl.  The other day a spider dropped on Aunt TracyAnn in the living room.  She screamed so loud the scared everyone in the house.  Nana told her she wasn't coming to find her spider because she was sure it was on it's back, feet in the air and dead from the fright of her scream.

Girls can be very silly.

We (the boys) had a great time.  We found some rocks for projects and one for Aunt TracyAnn a pet rock.  We haven't finished it yet.

We didn't paint out in the woods.  The girls were having fun painting and giggling, so we let them have the paint table to themselves.

NOTE: Their projects can be seen on The Bolton Girls Travel Journal blog.

We patrolled the area for scary things while we looked at the rocks for something interesting.
 
We were in an old dry creek bed. It was a great place for finding all kinds of rocks.

There was a stream nearby that helped keep it cool and sounded so great.

Everyone would enjoy another trip there some time.

Have a great evening.

FYI: I just found out we made Doll Diaries.  A post was done on us.  How about that guys?

Hunting for Trash or Treasures?

Kityee and Katyee are always looking for new supplies for their projects.

Recently, they learned that the local Habitat for Humanity had a place where they put scrap lumber and other building material that people could take for free.

One of the finds they came home with were the new flooring boards being used for one of our tables.  

They also discovered the flooring boards work well upside down to provide a different look.

The last time Auntie went for a counselor appointment Kityee and Katyee couldn't go.  Krystal chose to go to town with Nana and Auntie to see the materials site.

First, she came to a large plastic container with smaller scraps.  


Even after piling some boards to stand on Krystal wasn't tall enough to see to the bottom easily.  It was almost empty when she finished taking boards out.
  


It was surprising to her how much there was to look at and the amount of climbing around she had to do.  It took a lot of moving around to see it all and pull out what she wanted.

She found a large number of boards and scraps for them.

There are boards the twins have been wanting for bed frames.  Some of the scraps will work for their rock garden plans.  And some, who knows.  The kindling pile will get the scraps.


Her favorite find was the flat rectangular board with the routed edges that will be a great table top. It just needs refinished and legs put on.

Krystal said she wished someone had gone with her to share the adventure.  It would have been even more fun with a friend.

She wants to go again as soon as she can.  I think I would like to go with her.  

I can use boards for fencing and out around the barn and sheds.  It can be rougher than what the twins need.

She said one of the guys who worked there looked at her like she was strange, having her photo taken with a pile of scrap lumber.  Too bad, he'll never see how neat it turns out.

Do any of you have places you go for free building materials?  We could use more ideas.

Novya's Beadwork

Novya chose bead work as one of her classes for this year.  She is really enjoying it.

Her first attempt at bead work was a belt for herself made on a loom.  She has finished it and it turned out great.

I really want her to make me a hat band.  And I wouldn't turn down a matching belt.


After she finished the bead work, she cut a suede belt to go under it and the rest of the way around her waist.  She finished the edges of the belt and stitched the bead work to it using crochet thread around the outside of the belt.


Then, she created ties with beads on the end and attached to the front of the belt for securing it.

I asked her what she needed to make a belt.  She said, a bead loom, scissors, loom thread or cord, a small needle and lots of beads.  She hadn't counted all those beads and had no idea how many it takes.

After the bead work is done you need suede crochet thread, a strong needle and large scissors for a belt like hers.

She loves working in the music room while her cousins are practicing their instruments.  They play piano. violin. guitars and harp.  She gets a good variety of music while working in there.

She has her pattern leaned up against the piano leg and her beads and water beside her.  She's comfortable and ready to work.

She has started a new project now.  She won't let any of her siblings see it.  She says it's a Christmas gift and her family can't see what she's working on.  She puts it away when she leaves the music room.  Her cousins have been sworn to secrecy.

She starts by putting the strings on the loom and stretching them tightly.  After that she can add the beads.

There is a good video of how to do beadwork at the following address:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScjJsOIQP3w

I asked her if she had any dream projects she would like to do.  She said, some day, she wants to do a bead headboard.

That sounds like a huge project to me.

Rock Garden 6

We're just dumb boys until they need us.

While the paint was drying Krystal searched out Logan and I to help her take the bench to the rock garden.  

That is one well made bench.  We are short enough we had to really strain to get it up on the top level of the rock garden.  The rocks made it hard to carry to the gazebo base.  But, we finally got it placed where she wanted it.  As you can see Krystal was supervising.


Once it was in place she had us find Kityee and Katyee and sent them out to see how great it looked on the gazebo base.

They were speechless.  It sure wasn't what they expected to see there.  Kityee finally managed to say, "Krystal you've outdone yourself, great."  Katyee followed with, "Yeah, great."

Krystal was so excited.  After the other two girls left, she went into the house and got a bear.  She placed him on the bench.

She said she felt bad leaving him all alone out there.  But he looked so cute and she thought having him there would help get the new bench and the rock garden noticed by people driving by.

And a note for you guys out there.  The buck was in the back yard again today.  Logan and I could watch him all day.

Nana says he's a gift from God.