Colouring Page Painting: Cactus Wren on a Saguaro Cactus

Found out yesterday that Arizona's state bird is the cactus wren. Huh. News to me since I didn't even know states had birds. I mean, I knew they had birds, but I didn't know that they had bona fide, official, you-are-our-mascot types of birds. In Arizona, that office is held by the cactus wren.

What did I find out about this little creature? Well, in terms of diet, I share much in common with the cactus wren. I am an omnivore and so is she. I like to eat seeds, fruits - and yes - small animals, and so does the cactus wren. O' course she chooses wasps and frogs; I myself prefer quails and chickens.

Furthermore, according to the people who make Wikipedia, the cactus wren "forms permanent pair bonds AND the pair defends a territory where they live all through the year." Well, guess what? I do that exact same thing!!! I am amazing at territory defense and permanent pair bonding! You should see me. I'm like professional. I feel like Wikipedia took my life and put it under the cactus wren heading. The resemblance is uncanny.

So when I found out how similar the cactus wren and I were and are, I decided I needed to colour in a cactus wren colouring page like now. So I googled it and it literally took me 2 seconds to find it. Right HERE at Super Coloring! It was meant to be, I tell you.

And then I decided that colouring pencils just weren't good enough for my birdish soul mate. So I broke out the paints. Ya, baby.

A little while later, with the help of my paints and brushes, I had my very own pretty little cactus wren to hang in the kitchen to remind me that I and nature have much in common and are maybe even one and the same.

I hope you have a lovely Easter. I know the cactus wren and I will.

♥︎M

Guest Post: Quilt Block Colouring Pages with The Boy

Today's post comes to you courtesy of The Boy. I took the above photo and helped him scan in his blocks but the post-writing (minus the links) and drafting of the quilt blocks are his doing. (Note that he hasn't taken English in school yet. To date, all his learning has been in French.)  


Yesterday I was drawing and colering quilt blocs desines with instroctions that were in a little Booklet. In the frste plase, I fownd The Booklet (Quick and Easy Block Tool by Liz Aneloski) in my moms pile of iquipment nire the chare in the dining room bie the window.  I liked the Booklet bicause it hade detald blocs with a lot of pattrnes and shapse inside, and it hade 102 quilt blocs. I chose my 4 bicause they were cool.

The wons that I made were: Homespun, Jacob's Ladder II, Double Sawtooth Star and Paradox as you might see.

I traste some lines on a shite of paper like a tic tac tow borde (well, on some of them anyway). Then I divided the scwers into 2, 4, 6, or 8 spases. I aded diagonal, horazontal and vertical lines to make the shapse. Then I colerd them in diffrent colers. On some of them I used the colors that were alreddy in the Booklet but on Homespun I didint.

My favoret bloke is Paradox bicause it has my favoret ditalse of all the blocs. And it looks like a 3D X! I like douing this activity bicause I really enjoy lerning pattrnes and shapse. And I do like colering!

Thank you for coming. Cache you latter!

Ω The Boy

Previous quilt block designs by The Boy: here

Edible Art for Your Child and You

For your child:

Using a simple colouring page as your guide, very very lightly draw out the design on a clean, large piece of craft paper. For this project I chose the beautifully designed, free and downloadable crocodile colouring page by Kate of Mini-Eco. Pour out a few varieties of breakfast cereal, and let your child outline the design. Once complete, let your child eat it up.

For you:

Use the cereals to create a pretty mandala. Let the mandala arise organically without a pre-drawn design. Once complete, eat it up.

The craft paper can be saved and re-used for other projects.

Note: Thoroughly wash your hands before tackling this tasty craft!

Now do have yourself a fine day, and I'll see you soon!