The Glass Community web site has published a great article on ergonomics for the glass artist. It’s something a lot of glass workers might not think about but your body is your most important tool, besides your creative mind, and you must take proper care of it. Where you work and how you use your tools can contribute to problems due to repetitive movements. It’s important to work sensibly and to take breaks regularly. I know when I’m making beads for more than an hour straight my shoulders get bunched and my hips may cry out for a break. And don’t forget to stretch. It will relieve the tightness that builds up and it feels good. So take care of your body and you’ll be able to work for a long and happy while.
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Rainy Day Craft Projects for Kids
It’s said that April showers bring May flowers, but where I live the rainy season definitely isn’t over when April is. These crafts inspired by rainy days are great to make when the weather is awful, or they’re just cute crafts to decorate a classroom for spring.
This little paper umbrella from Easy Peasy and Fun is made with folded paper circles, so if you’ve got a round craft punch the prep on it will be pretty fast. Make them full all around or leave a flat space on the back for hanging on a wall. You can also add raindrops to the edge if you like. So cute!
The Pinterested Parent has a printable umbrella template that kids can decorate, cut out and tape or glue together to make an umbrella. Ths would be fun to do in a classroom and see how kids choose to decorate their umbrellas in different ways or using different media like paint, crayons or colored pencils.
Play with oil pastels and watercolors with this rainy day art project from Projects with Kids. This one looks like so much fun I kind of want to make it myself! There’s a lot of fun techniques in this one, including using pastels as a resist, painting with watercolors and doing blow painting with a straw.
I love this raindrop suncatcher project from Pre-K Pages, too. This one might be best to do with a small group or one on one since it includes using a iron. This technique is a great way to use crayons that are broken or have lost their paper, and you can use other colors and shapes to clean out your craft closet.
Or use the rain as part of your art, like with this project from Nurture Store. Start this project when the rain starts falling, and let nature collaborate in your art!