Sunny days....

We started work on a very special project this morning and hope to have it finished by this evening so that tomorrow, before the sun sets on our small part of the world, our "project" will be off to see the sun rise in a new place! Have I tossed out enough hints yet?

Sunprints!!!

These are the sample prints I made this morning with some rose petals, gardenia leaves, a shoot of grass and a coreopsis from our wildflower garden.

This is a super duper, fun, so-easy-even-an-un-crafty-mom-could-do-this project. Seriously! We are talking low effort, high yield!!! Here is how it works. First you buy a Sunprint Paper Kit. It comes with everything you need except a piece of cardboard but if you happen to purchase one of the Learning Calendars (which has so much awesome information), you will find a piece of cardboard slipped inside. Perfect! Or you could just use the box it was shipped in!

Then, in a darkened hallway (not pitch black, just away from serious sunlight), you layer starting on the bottom: cookie sheet (for stability during transport), cardboard, sunprint paper (blue side up), acrylic (comes in the kit and only used for flat objects that might blow away like petals and leaves). You can do without the acrylic is you are using 3D* objects that have some weight to them.

Take it outside. Place in the sun for 1-5 minutes until the blue paper turns almost white. Bring inside and rinse paper under gently flowing tap water. Let dry flat. THE END! That's all. You cut out the shapes you want and glue them to card stock.

The children have been running around all morning with a flashlight, picking out objects and checking to see if they make cool shadows (hence the need for the flashlight). I will post more tomorrow, after the journal is on its way.

Now go get some sunpaper and have a SUN-sational good time!!!

*Trial and error tip: You get the best results with 3D objects if you wait until around 11 or 12 when the sun is directly overhead! Trust me.