Cloud on TV

Finally the long-awaited interview with Cloud (the co-star of our new book "Foggy") is on TV! You can watch it between kids programming on Knowledge Network, or find it at http://knowledge.ca/program/cartographies-shorts. The interview is one of a number of shorts from cArtographies: a documentary directed by Brian Johnson, produced by Leah Mallen (Twofold Films), and commissioned by Knowledge Network.

Ocean Globes

We are back!

A few months ago we came across instructions for making snow globes on minimega (see the original instructions here). We recruited two young artists, Aiza and her brother Huxley, to try out the craft (along with their very cool mum, Vera).

They did a beautiful job! They made a Snow Globe and then another piece called an Ocean Globe, which is a really lovely idea and makes the whole project feel summery.

We used baby food jars — if you know any new mums, there's a good chance they will have lots. They seal tightly and are a cute little size. Adding a bit of food colouring to the water makes it nice and blue. Maybe you could add some tiny little fish, or some coral.

Here is their beautiful Snow Globe, if you would like to make a tiny piece of winter in July:

Just a little extra note: to soak labels off of jars, using hot water and dish soap with baking soda, overnight, allows you to completely slide the label off with no scrubbing.

Brown Owls

We've been taking a bit of a break due to summer colds, but we'll be back soon with a book review and some snow globes.

In the meantime, here are some owls we've come across recently in our travels:

Owls and nests by the K 1/2 class at Charles Dicken Elementary and a brown owl cardigan adapted from the Owlet pattern by Kate Davies.

Edited to add one more owl, this time one for Auggie, with button eyes:

Reed Boat

After working on Foggy, we've collected many different schemes to make a boat. Over the summer we'll be posting a few more.

Here is a very cool boat made out of a reed leaf. Would you like to make one? Take a look over here...

We'll be posting more again next week.

(Image from Lap(fen)lander's Natural Lore blog).

Puppet Theatre

Here is a beautiful weekend project for the kids.

Bloesem Kids and June crafts have put together templates for a puppet theatre to colour in and download. Find the links here. We made ours using a shoe box, which made it very stable and easy to use.

This is very inspiring!

You could take pictures and use them to make a book....

The Teachers' Holidays

The Teachers' Holidays(PDF link) was written and photo-illustrated by the children in Division 1 and 2 at Charles Dickens Elementary after reading Foggy.

It begins: One June morning, all the kids in Karen, Jen, and Wendy's classes were looking forward to summer. The kids began to imagine what the teachers might do on their holidays....

moustache day

There are many ways to make a good moustache if you cannot grow your own. You can draw one on with face paint, you can buy a wooden one on a stick from collage collage, or a plastic one from a kit from dandelion kids.


If you want to make a very realistic moustache, Martha Stewart has very thorough tuturial, which is probably the best one available online. You can even get a tasty chocolate moustache and eat it when you have finished wearing it!


Here is our method (PDF template). If you cut this out of stiff paper, it should clip right to your nose. If that doesn't work (or if you'd like to use felt instead) then just attach it to a string or elastic and tie it around the back of your head. No one will recognize you....

If you happen to have the actual ability to grow a real moustache, you can grown one for charity with Mustaches for Kids.

(top image from Regional Assembly of Text)