15 Things to Do After Your Nature Walk

Just a quick note to let you know that the promised Nature Walk Bags are now posted here in my shop. You can read more about the bags and how people use them here. Below are photos of some of the new ones. My model was extremely accommodating this last photo shoot. Hooray!

Now, if you remember from this post, I am one of those product people. Just going for a walk for the sake of a walk is not all that easy for me. I need a purpose, even if I don't share that purpose with my kid. Could be exercise, could be getting to a particular destination, could be simply checking out the new house they're building down the road from us. With this need in mind, and figuring there must be others out there like me, I developed a list of activities to do after a walk with all the things a child has collected. This helps me get out the door, even if we don't end up doing any of those activities. I don't think HG needs any of this kind of help, but it's nice for me to know that if we want to, we've got a bunch of possible projects already thought up. Below is the list. If you have more ideas, by all means add them in the comments section!

1. Make leaf rubbings with crayons. Cut out the rubbings and use them for gift cards or frame them in multi-photo frames.
2. Sort the findings by color or shape or number. Make a little chart and tally them up.
3. Use Mod Podge to glue leaves to old jars. Add a tealight and watch the glow! Make a lantern by wrapping a wire around the top as a handle.
4. Paint rocks (or seashells)!
5. Make little sculptures with hot glue and the collected items. Add yarn or twine or felt or other materials to enhance the sculptures or to make people or animals (think acorn caps for hats, ginko leaves as skirts...).
6. Make a mobile with your findings. Hang items from an embroidery hoop or a twig.
7. Make placemats or coasters. Iron leaves between pieces of waxed paper. Be sure to use a towel between the iron and the waxed paper.
8. Glue items to wooden craft store picture frames.
9. Look up your findings in a nature book or online and make a little display with labels for each item. Use a shoebox or a shadow box frame.
10. Using jewelry wire and cord, make necklaces or bracelets. Wrap wire around the items and make a loop at the top. String the cording through the loop.
11. Write poems or stories about the items.
12. Press flowers to make bookmarks or gift tags or decorations. Glue the flowers to paper, then cover with clear contact paper.
13. Make a journal or book of pressed items. Keep the book for future walks, and record the items' names and where you found them and anything else you like.
14. Make bird feeders from pine cones and peanut butter. Add bird seed to the sticky peanut butter and hang outside a window.
15. Make pencil sketches of the items. 

And here's a final photo of HG wearing her own bag when she was about two. Now get yourself--and your kids--outside! 

New Explorer Bags Coming Soon!

Keep your eyes peeled for a bunch of new explorer bags coming to my Etsy shop in the next several days. I designed these for toddlers to wear across the shoulder, but they do work for older kids and I've even seen an adult wearing one. That particular adult said she'd use it for a small, easy diaper bag. They are intentionally very lightweight--unlined--so your kid can barely tell she's wearing it. They also have no clasps because little hands can get frustrated with those, especially if they are wearing mittens. I've been waiting for the Big Thaw before posting these, partly because photos taken of collecting bags when all there is is snow in the background doesn't really help people to understand the product.

When we go on walks we always take ours with us. I first made HG's bag because I was frankly getting rather tired of all the pinecones and rocks ending up in my pockets. Other small people like to just tote things around the house, like little cars or finger puppets. Slightly bigger people find that their ballet shoes and tutus fit just great. They are durable, washable, and, as always, feature some great fabric combos. 

Here's what a couple of customers have said about these:

"Arrived today and fits my 5-year-old perfect! I'm so happy her little "treasures" won't end up in my pockets or purse anymore. Thanks for this great product!"
"The nature walk bag is just the right size for small child. The use of colorful fabrics is imaginative and will encourage a child's curiosity about her or his surroundings. This granny approves!"

When I list all these bags in the shop I will write about some things you can do with your child after your nature walk. I find that reading other people's ideas for outdoor activities really helps me to get motivated to go outside, which we all should be doing more of with our kids! 

It's Official! I am an Artist!

I got the great news the other day that I am now officially an artist, according to the state of Rhode Island. Woo hoo! This year RI started exempting sales tax from galleries and artists across the state, which means that once you're certified, your items can be sold tax-free. It also means that the gain on the sale of artistic works (to use the Department of Revenue's wording) is also tax free--in other words, I don't have to claim any profits on my income tax. Right now I am deciding if they gave me the certification based on my winning arguments for why I qualify as an artist or whether it was because they saw that my sales in RI are so low that it didn't matter. 

This artistic works program came into being because the state is attempting to be known as a "State of the Arts," which is a fantastic and, I think, very appropriate goal. Rhode Island is home to one of the foremost art schools in the country, the RI School of Design, and the history of the arts in RI is also quite strong, from jewelry-making in Providence to textile milling in Pawtucket to the dozens of galleries in our oceanside communities. There has been for many years an exemption for artists in particular communities in RI, especially ones that have transitioned from industrial areas to artistic hubs. Now the law covers the entire state. Here is some more background on the decision. 

And here is the scintillating legalese, if you're interested. I have qualified under the "traditional/fine crafts" subheading. I am actually fairly surprised that I qualified as the people I spoke with on the phone at the Department of Revenue were quite discouraging. This is one argument in favor of the "she doesn't provide enough tax income for the state anyway, so let's just give it to her" reason for my qualification. But I don't really care about why they accepted me. I just think it's so neat that they did, since I am a completely self-taught traditional/fine craftsperson and my entire education and previous employment as been, shall we say, unrelated. 

Here is what I wrote on my application:

I consider myself an artist. I work in fabric and thread sewing mostly one-of-a-kind accessories for children, women, and the home. My items include art smocks and colored pencil rolls, handbags and belts, table linens and pillow cases. I use locally hand-screened fabric in my pieces and sell them on Etsy and at arts festivals, making each item one at a time. I personally craft all of these items and do not wish at any point to take on employees or to manufacture on a larger scale. Approximately half of my orders are custom requests and the remaining are either one-of-a-kind or extremely limited editions. The time consuming nature of my work and the limited availability of the fabric I use means I am unable to sew more than three or four of any one type of piece. The artistry and creativity involved in designing and sewing each piece is why I do what I do. My work would be far less valuable if I were simply tossing off dozens of a single product. My customers appreciate the fact that what they purchase from me will be either the only one ever made or one of a very, very few.

Here are some examples of one-of-a-kind items in my shop right now.

women's apron (comes with matching kid one if you want too)

child's nature walk bag or shoulder tote

kids play cape

youth apron