October 26 Meeting

Wednesday, October 26, is our next meeting.

We will be assembling our smash books and creating a Halloween project.

Brownies MUST bring their covers to the meeting.  If they did not finish, bring it anyway, they can finish it even after the book is assembled. 

Parents, you may want to consider having a glue stick or tape runner available at home so that the girls can "smash" things into their books.  We will demonstrate using their smash books at the meeting tomorrow.

Click on this link Smash Book to see more about the concept of a smash book and our inspiration for this project!

See you tomorrow!
Kristi and Liz

1st Meeting 2011-2012

Our first meeting is October 12

The girls will be making a smash book.  Basically the girls will be making their own journals.  The intent of the "smash book" concept is that people don't get caught up on making the perfect journal, the perfect journal entry....rather the focus is on getting your thoughts, feeling, emotions down on paper quickly and painlessly.  The "smash" part refers to quickly gluing down a souvenir from the day (ticket stub, receipt from shopping, photo, newspaper clipping, menu, etc.) and then writing/journaling about it.  Girls could write, draw, glue, stickers, etc. to embellish their journals.   We will provide the materials (chip board covers, assorted papers, stamping supplies).  Girls will choose their papers for pages, decorate and organize.  We will bind the journals with a zutter binder.  Our intent will be for girls to start to journal about their brownie experience.

If you want to learn more about the smash book....feel free to google or use this youtube video on making your own version of the "smash book" like we will be doing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9oV9akW-fo

We can't wait to get the troop started up again.

School Year 2011-2012

Welcome back Troop 419 Families!

We finally have a schedule and I think you will be pleased.  Initially we were told that we would not have access to the art room as it was a classroom for the 2/3 split.  We were told we would be able to use the cafeteria in the evening (after extended day was finished).  Fortunately for us, things changed.  The split was dissolved and the art room, while still not being used as an art room, is now a split support room and we are able to use it once again for troop meetings after school.  If you see Mrs. Smith, our wonderful principal, please share your appreciation with her.  I think she would enjoy knowing how helpful this decision was to continue our troop with the number of girls that we are used to having!

Brownie Troop meetings will be held on Wednesday's (dates listed below) immediately after school.  Pick up time will be 5 p.m.  PLEASE be on time.  Both of us leaders, have activities after the meetings.

October 12 & 26
November 9- and one Saturday of fun, date to be determined.
December 14- and one Saturday of fun, date to be determined.
January 11 & 25
February 8 & 22
March 7 and one Saturday of fun, date to be determined.
April 18 and one Saturday of fun, date to be determined.
May 2 and a Saturday for our very important Bridging to Juniors Ceremony.

Some changes for this year: 
We will be providing a snack at each meeting. 
Our troop will consist of just third grade students.
Meeting dates are Wednesday instead of Tuesday.
Meetings end at 5:00.

Any questions please feel free to call us.
Kristi  631-0692
Liz 499-8885

July Art Workshops

July Schedule

All workshops $5/person

Please RSVP  kristiwodek@gmail.com

July 15  10:00-11:30 a.m.  Clay Pinch Pots

July 21  10:00-11:30 a.m.  Make a tile and a fun & funky mask

July 26  10:00-11:30 a.m.  Paper Making:  make paper to use for cards and books

Coming in August..........  glazing the clay pieces and tie dye

4th of July Parade

BIG THANKS to the girls that were able to participate in the Cherry Festival Junior Parade. 

Not shown in photo:  Courtney and Ally Leatherman, Maddy Jenkins, Molly Gaines

The girls waited Very patiently. 

The parade started an hour late due to a truck in the parade breaking down.

We made it!!!!!!!  Treats were waiting for the girls at the end of the parade.

This is the sash that I created for the American Girl (or any similar size doll). 

I have a couple left, e-mail me if you are interested.  kristiwodek@gmail.com

Tie Dye

Tie Dye Session

Thursday, June 30

10:00 a.m. - Noon

$5/tie dyer

I will provide rubber bands, dyes, rubber gloves, instructions for rinsing/washing.

YOU provide up to two articles to tie dye (t-shirt, pillow case, leggings, handkerchiefs, socks......trust me we have dyed a lot of stuff in our time!  Check label.....you want 100% cotton or something close to 100%. 

We have had success dying things that have spandex. 

Technically the dyes will not take to anything but cotton,

but you want something that your child will want to wear again and again!)

Also, since you will be playing with "dyes" wear old clothes, it is a very messy process.

Siblings welcome!

Girls will be on their way to earning the Art to Wear Badge

....thinking about a Henna party for another activity for the Art to Wear Badge later this summer!

Bubbles!!!

I promised I would share a super fun bubble recipe and here it is.

Homemade Bubble Solution

(note:  I have researched a couple of recipes on line, tried them out and this is a good compromise solution.  You will have to tweak on your end.  Note to self....windy days make this a challenging activity!)

12 cups purified water

5 cups of uncolored and unscented dishwashing soap

(this is darn near impossible to find.  I have tried dawn and palmolive)

1/2 cup glycerin (I found a bottle for $7.99 at Meijer in their pharmacy/health section)

Bubble Wands

2 wooden dowels

2 eye screws

4 washers

Cotton String

Drill a hole in the end of the dowel.

Screw the eye hook into the hole until it is secure

Cut two pieces of string: 

For large bubble wand:  100" and 70"

For medium bubble wand:  70" and 35"

put 4 washers on the long piece of string

(this will act as a weight...it will make sense when you start making ginormous bubbles!)

put the ends of both pieces of string through one of the eye hooks and tie a knot.  Do the same on the other eye hook.  Now you should have one long string and a shorter one that runs from one dowel to the other.

Just an FYI... a neighbor has asked Davis to make a bubble wand, so he is in the business to make bubble wands.  $5 per wand if you would rather just get one done.  They are easy to make, don't get me wrong, we just have a neighbor that doesn't want to fiddle with it.

How to make Giant Bubbles:

Take your bucket outside (I store my solution in a smaller container and

then pour into a plastic tub for bubble making time)

Put the end of the dowels in the bucket and the string should be submerged.

Bring both ends of the dowels up from the bubble solution, together until about chest high.

Then separate the dowels by pulling them outward so the string makes a triangle...pointing down. 

The washers will weigh the center of the bottom string down.

Step backward quickly so that the air goes through the bubble solution

between the dowels and makes a bubble.

It may take a couple of times, but have no fear you will be wowing yourselves with gigantic bubbles.