It's Happening at The Create Exchange

Remember going to the beach, the feeling of sand squishing between your toes, using your hands to smooth it , or build a sand castle? There's just something about sand that most people can't resist. Well, sand isn't just for the beach. It's a fun, versatile art supply.

Thanks to the generosity of Mt. Vernon artist Ruth Ipsen-Brown, we have an abundance of beautiful colored sand and we've had a great time playing with it this week, creating fun sand art.

Our projects were pretty simple. We used glue stick to draw on canvas then covered the glue with colored sand. By alternating glue then sand we applied one color of sand at a time to create a picture. When the picture is complete and the glue is dry it's a good idea to use a spray sealant to help preserve your masterpiece.

There's loads of things you can do with sand. It's even pretty simple to create your own colored sand. Need some more inspiration? Check out these links for some really great ideas.

www.artistshelpingchildren.org/sandartartscraftstideaskids.html

www.pinterest.com/explore/colored-sand/

www.pinterest.com/crayolasand/colorful-crafts-and-sand-projects/

We had some great projects this week. Thanks to everyone who participated! Here's our top 3 (actually 4 because we had a tie)

1. Colorful Hoop- Lindsay Marie Kleinmeyer's 7 year old daughter was inspired by our window display to create this colorful and fun hoop to hang in her own window. Well done!

2. Repurposed formula cans- Jasmine Selene came up with a great used for all those left over formula cans turning them into cute containers that can be used all over the house. Great job!

2. Fused glass pendants- Stephanie Atkisson Severin is a multi-talented artist, creating these beautiful fused glass pendants. Lovely!

3. Alcohol Ink Art- Peg Adkins Robinson used alcohol ink to create this wonderful art piece. So talented!