jo55, jingle

WOW and WOW again...very nicely done! jo55, I met my husband when he was teaching art classes. I never could master watercolor, I'm envious as well as being impressed. jingle, you really have done an amazing piece, I hope that you can get well enough to continue.
jo55, i am including the url for a website that I think you will enjoy a lot and might provide some inspiration. There is a man who decided to start taking pictures along a 1 mile stretch of a country walkway that was being refurbished in his area. He has been doing it for 5 years now, in all seasons and weather and has documented this one area to an amazing level. Makes one realize that we just don't stop and look around us very closely. Check this out sometime.
http://www.performance-vision.com/airline/index.htm

Ellie, I have several shell pieces that were put together in the shape of butterflies. I got them from a retired man who made extra money at a local flea market selling them. He also used to make little animals out of them. Your son already has an eye for this.

KimmyDawn
I used to do craft projects with one of hubby's aides when she had to bring her girls to work. I would pick up things at the local dollar store like foam shapes and plain vases and picture frames. We would sit and glue those shapes and create "our own" art. They would give them as gifts to Dad and grandparents for birthdays, Xmas and such. I let them do whatever design they wanted so they could see what worked and didn't work so they would develop an "eye" for their creations. I would also buy bags of beads at the craft store and we would make bracelets for gifts and once we made beaded decos for hubby's Xmas tree. They are now treasured items for us since the family moved to another state. Most craft stores have beginners kits, often on sale so you can stock up for rainy days and summertime fun. These will help both you and the children to develop confidence and the "eye" for creative works. It also lets you try different things and if you find something you really like their are guidebooks and sometimes classes at craft stores. One of the things that I like to do is personalize gifts. If you have a printer, get some T-shirt transfer paper and download things from the web. Many magazines and even printed companies have free downloads of designs or for the grandparents you could take something that the children colored and scan it into your computer and put it on a t-shirt or tote bag. I found some plastic glasses at the dollar store that you can put photos into and I downloaded pics of angels, sites that people told me they went on vacation, places that they had lived as children and made photos with my printer to put in them. I would give them a set of two or four glasses and everyone just loved the personal touch. I have a friend who buys plain tote bags at crafts stores and sometimes dollar stores and she paints designs on them or glues fabric cut-outs, or ribbons, things like that on them and gives them as gifts. You will be surprised at what you can do once you start. Keep it simple at the beginning. One hint...if you do try the iron on transfers to the T-shirts print your design on a plain piece of paper before using the more expensive iron on clear sheets to make sure it come out correctly and looks like you want it to.