tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90310194549006127032024-03-13T15:16:41.617-07:00Plains Song StudioA blog about needle felting by a naturalist with one foot firmly planted in this realm, and one firmly planted in another. Currently I am finishing a collection of owls.Michelle Liebgott-Osingahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904575671458308524noreply@blogger.comBlogger192125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031019454900612703.post-60152420446667902802014-10-21T07:41:00.003-07:002014-10-21T07:41:56.877-07:00Well, I am writing my last post here, at least for my needle felt work. I have started my own website so that I can have a more official place in the internet world as an artist. On that page I have a portfolio where you can see my work, links to my etsy shop and facebook page, and a blog where I post updates about my current projects. I hope you come to visit! <a href="http://www.plainssongstudio.com/">http://www.plainssongstudio.com/</a><div>
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Michelle Liebgott-Osingahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904575671458308524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031019454900612703.post-28095481201577366212014-10-15T15:59:00.002-07:002014-10-15T20:19:48.417-07:00Needle Felted Barn Owl: Reflection<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_GCvQDH2WAE/VD7xb22BjiI/AAAAAAAAAYY/tDeB7C7-zmk/s1600/P1140788.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_GCvQDH2WAE/VD7xb22BjiI/AAAAAAAAAYY/tDeB7C7-zmk/s1600/P1140788.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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This piece is called 'Reflection' and is of a Barn Owl. Felting in all of those spots took a long time! The photo that I used for inspiration is the one on the right below. I am having trouble finding who took this photo, so if you know please leave it in the comments.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wRoCjEgVNJo/VD7wWuAl7BI/AAAAAAAAAXg/_AWXJq9MYF8/s1600/P1140773.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wRoCjEgVNJo/VD7wWuAl7BI/AAAAAAAAAXg/_AWXJq9MYF8/s1600/P1140773.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Pjz9FHWAX9k/VD7vcjNMVsI/AAAAAAAAAWw/wKxAlf5Q1kE/s1600/Barn%2Bowl%2Bin%2Bsnow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Pjz9FHWAX9k/VD7vcjNMVsI/AAAAAAAAAWw/wKxAlf5Q1kE/s1600/Barn%2Bowl%2Bin%2Bsnow.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a><br />
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My owl has his head turning slightly to the side because I wanted it to have a bit more motion than the owl in the photo. What do you think? Does it seem to have movement, or is it static? </div>
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I like how you can see that the wing is folded in these three photos...<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ixS1IyRw03E/VD7xMf2gNiI/AAAAAAAAAYI/o_lzGugYp-A/s1600/P1140781.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ixS1IyRw03E/VD7xMf2gNiI/AAAAAAAAAYI/o_lzGugYp-A/s1600/P1140781.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sLQsQPSi1cY/VD7xEjXvrvI/AAAAAAAAAYA/HwPs7nVSIAw/s1600/P1140779.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sLQsQPSi1cY/VD7xEjXvrvI/AAAAAAAAAYA/HwPs7nVSIAw/s1600/P1140779.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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And finally, here you can see the back, and underside....<br />
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Michelle Liebgott-Osingahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904575671458308524noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031019454900612703.post-3878366784045197212014-10-13T20:22:00.000-07:002014-10-15T20:20:16.441-07:00Needle Felted Little Owls<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This next pair of owls is meant to depict two Little Owl (<i style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;">Athene noctua</i>) chicks. The name 'Little Owl' is actually the accepted common name of this species, not just a cute way to describe them, although they are very cute!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I hope I got across how cute these little guys really are. </td></tr>
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I used multiple images of Little Owl chicks for both of these owls. They are about 10 inches tall, so they are a bit larger than life sized. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here he is from another angle. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cvS59QABJK0/VDxj8tswDhI/AAAAAAAAAVI/7yT529igtX8/s1600/P1150004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cvS59QABJK0/VDxj8tswDhI/AAAAAAAAAVI/7yT529igtX8/s1600/P1150004.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And here is the other Little Owl Chick....</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L753MHrVZHY/VDyUY3qYjtI/AAAAAAAAAWY/6AmbG0Nv9Og/s1600/P1150006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L753MHrVZHY/VDyUY3qYjtI/AAAAAAAAAWY/6AmbG0Nv9Og/s1600/P1150006.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And again from another angle. </td></tr>
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I titled the sculpture 'Vigilance' since they are both obviously looking at something far off. What do you thing that something is? Something good, or malevolent?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iX-udDJ4UOs/VDyUg4tef8I/AAAAAAAAAWg/2CaqhNZ5iUc/s1600/P1150002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iX-udDJ4UOs/VDyUg4tef8I/AAAAAAAAAWg/2CaqhNZ5iUc/s1600/P1150002.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Needle felt Little Owl Chicks</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gBzdrziCkaE/VDxj1lr5rNI/AAAAAAAAAVA/3ULqLYHSEwo/s1600/P1150003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gBzdrziCkaE/VDxj1lr5rNI/AAAAAAAAAVA/3ULqLYHSEwo/s1600/P1150003.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OJy4toyAWY8/VDxkKDpclrI/AAAAAAAAAVY/cg--NNmNO2g/s1600/P1150006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OJy4toyAWY8/VDxkKDpclrI/AAAAAAAAAVY/cg--NNmNO2g/s1600/P1150006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a> I really like this photo angle, showing the space between the two. <br />
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When I first conceived of this piece I thought of it as actually three little owls on a wall in window boxes. As it came closer to the show, and as I was working with them, I liked the dynamic of just two who were watching something from far off, instead of three. This photo below shows how I have them displayed in the gallery. The lighting is not the best there for photographs, but you get the idea.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Needle felted Little Owls. This sculpture is titled 'Vigilance.'</td></tr>
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<br />Michelle Liebgott-Osingahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904575671458308524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031019454900612703.post-69902088249447509052014-10-12T14:51:00.001-07:002014-10-15T20:20:35.406-07:00The SistersThis sculpture is part of the 'A Parliament of Owls' exhibition that is at the Burkholder Project until Oct. 31st. It is based on a photo of a group of sibling Barn owls from a raptor rehabilitation center. At first I wanted to have five owls, but after I started to make them having all five together was just too overwhelming, so I decided three owls would be better. <br />
I also was originally going to make them more realistic, but as I worked I liked the idea that this was more a sketch, an impression, of this group of Barn Owls. Sometimes it is important to remember that realism is not the ultimate goal, because there are other things that deserve expression as well.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7UJJpQ9SOOc/VDrrxKYM8tI/AAAAAAAAARE/wEaxC-NJkBE/s1600/P1150036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7UJJpQ9SOOc/VDrrxKYM8tI/AAAAAAAAARE/wEaxC-NJkBE/s1600/P1150036.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Needle Felted Barn Owls, 'The Sisters'</td></tr>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LPyb3mpBmos/VDru-sOGxqI/AAAAAAAAASg/vjmpZjpMg_Y/s1600/P1150048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LPyb3mpBmos/VDru-sOGxqI/AAAAAAAAASg/vjmpZjpMg_Y/s1600/P1150048.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-INAsmn5WeKs/VDrtotVT6SI/AAAAAAAAARY/6aQQaA6mgss/s1600/P1150040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-INAsmn5WeKs/VDrtotVT6SI/AAAAAAAAARY/6aQQaA6mgss/s1600/P1150040.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Needle felted Barn Owls from behind</td></tr>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z_jtG95Bqdc/VDrul413b-I/AAAAAAAAASM/7YqAbMppcsQ/s1600/P1150046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z_jtG95Bqdc/VDrul413b-I/AAAAAAAAASM/7YqAbMppcsQ/s1600/P1150046.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think they look better when posed above eye level, but it was difficult to get a photo of this in the gallery.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Needle Felted Barn Owl (Sister 2)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Needle Felted Barn Owl (Sister 1)</td></tr>
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Michelle Liebgott-Osingahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904575671458308524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031019454900612703.post-56027830929947129112014-10-09T12:04:00.004-07:002014-10-15T20:20:59.294-07:00A Parliament of Owls: Needle Felt Sculptures<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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I currently have an exhibition at The Burkholder Project in Lincoln, Nebraska that is entirely comprised of owls. Of course I couldn't resist and decided to call it 'A Parliament of Owls.' For those who are not in the know, there is a list of Standard collective nouns in English that is used to describe large groups of animals. One of these collective nouns is 'Parliament of Owls.' According to Wikipedia this tradition is something that goes back to the Late Middle Ages, and though it was originally considered whimsical and humorous, many of these terms are still in use today. </blockquote>
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Here are some photos of my own parliament. They are all needle felted from wool, over a wire armature, and have either polymer clay or resin claws, beaks, and eyes. Enjoy!<br />
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Michelle Liebgott-Osingahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904575671458308524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031019454900612703.post-7046620828582420782013-12-28T21:43:00.001-08:002014-10-15T20:22:08.085-07:00Polar Bear Tutorial Part 3 (Adding wool to fine tune the shape)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JTyEPVLl2es/Ur-7cMUfHyI/AAAAAAAAAP0/rp3L7gVetP8/s1600/IMG_3138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JTyEPVLl2es/Ur-7cMUfHyI/AAAAAAAAAP0/rp3L7gVetP8/s320/IMG_3138.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a>The next part is to add wool so you can fine tune the shape of the sculpture to actually look like a bear. This is where we left off last time, but with the wool tucked under and around.</div>
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Here it is after I have needle felted it a bit, and also compared to the sketch. Remember to always compare it to your source material so you stay on track!<br />
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Since I want to make this bear pose-able, I am making sure to felt the joints well. As you wrap, it can leave a depression between the joints if you are not careful. If you take care to remedy this, when posing the sculpture it will help with looking realistic. I move the limbs around as I am doing this so as to make sure that I have felted the wool enough to get it all to stay in place when the limbs are moved for posing. However, you actually don't want to felt it too hard if you want it to be pose-able. <br />
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After I felt the places where the wool meets in the joints, I lay a piece of wool over the joint to cover up where the wool meets from different sections. <br />
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Here you can see how the back leg looks after that wrap, and I am also beginning to add wool to the front leg. Again, begin the attachment at the shoulder joint in order to mimic realistic musculature.<br />
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Here is the result of the wrapping and needle felting around the limbs. In the second picture you can see that the nose is not quite long enough, so I added wool to extend it. Overall the shape is pretty much what I was going for at this point. Next I just added more wool to smooth it out and needle felted it all as evenly as possible, which you can see on the following photo. I am not posting all of the photos here because there are a whole lot of them. If people show a desire to see them, I will make up a full tutorial to sell in my Etsy shop.</div>
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Now that I am happy with the general shape, the next step is to add wool to mimic the direction of the fur and to add the details: eyes, nose, mouth, tail, and paw pads. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N6LzbtZdXuA/Ur-6JQsqZeI/AAAAAAAAAPQ/Mmn8jrz7LTw/s1600/IMG_3227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Needle felted animal" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N6LzbtZdXuA/Ur-6JQsqZeI/AAAAAAAAAPQ/Mmn8jrz7LTw/s320/IMG_3227.JPG" height="240" title="Needle felted polar bear and cub" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ylXTjkjfroU/Ur-6a2wvoLI/AAAAAAAAAPg/R-j0Q0xrjW8/s1600/IMG_3233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="pose-able needle felted animal" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ylXTjkjfroU/Ur-6a2wvoLI/AAAAAAAAAPg/R-j0Q0xrjW8/s320/IMG_3233.JPG" height="240" title="Pose-able needle felted polar bear" width="320" /></a>Here you can see my final polar bear and cub! I am very happy with how they turned out. I have since added another cub to this pair. Once I take better photos tomorrow morning, I will be putting them up for sale in<a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/PlainsSong?ref=si_shop"> my Etsy shop</a>. So be sure to check my shop, or<a href="https://www.facebook.com/PlainsSongStudio"> my facebook page</a>, to be able to see them better. If you make anything using this tutorial, I would love to see it! Also, please leave any questions, or criticism in the comments. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love that she can stand on her hind legs without falling over!</td></tr>
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<br />Michelle Liebgott-Osingahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904575671458308524noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031019454900612703.post-12076501165125402542013-12-28T21:25:00.003-08:002014-10-15T20:23:14.709-07:00Polar Bear Tutorial Part 2 (Wrapping the frame with wool)The next step is to wrap a little bit of wool around the frame. I tend to start at the limb attachment point and poke the wool with the needle after a few turns just to get it to stay in place. Then I wrap all the way down and around the foot loop. I felt through the loop, also to get the wool to stay in place. You don't have to felt it a whole lot around the wire as long as you anchor it down on the ends. Wrap the whole frame so that the when you add larger pieces of wool you can get it to stay in place as you felt it down.<br />
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After you wrap the whole frame, take larger pieces of wool and wrap them around to build up bulk. I use wool roving so that is why my wool is in strips. However you can do it with wool batts or whatever you prefer. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here you can see how I built up the body first, and am now adding wool around a foreleg. <br />
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When adding strips of roving to my sculpture, I first attach the strip from the beginning of where I want to start to wrap it. In the above photo I attached this piece at the shoulder in order to wrap it around the leg. By doing this I am mimicking the musculature of the animal, thus creating a more realistic end result.<br />
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As I am working, I keep my sketch close by so I can compare my sculpture to it. It needs a lot more wool at this point, but the general shape and proportion are OK.<br />
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Michelle Liebgott-Osingahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904575671458308524noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031019454900612703.post-74186653881451989632013-12-28T20:59:00.000-08:002014-10-15T20:23:36.578-07:00Polar Bear Tutorial Part 1 (making the wire frame) This is the first needle felting tutorial I have ever made so please let me know if anything is unclear. During this first part I will show you how I made the wire frame for these polar bears.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G-8Hk8xnLuw/UrKFATMFVUI/AAAAAAAAALU/mfFm6Jtmy-w/s1600/IMG_3235.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Needle felt polar bear" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G-8Hk8xnLuw/UrKFATMFVUI/AAAAAAAAALU/mfFm6Jtmy-w/s320/IMG_3235.JPG" height="240" title="Needle felted polar bear and cub" width="320" /></a></div>
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The large polar bear is the one that is being used as the example, but the baby was made in the same way. Because they have wire frames they are pose-able which adds a fun dimension to them as sculptures. Please keep in mind that the steps I show are not concrete and are only the way I happened to get from the beginning to the end. There are many ways that one could have gotten to the same place. Well, lets begin....<br />
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First I gathered the things I will be using: paper, pencil, eraser, ruler, wire, and wire cutters. The wire I used is 20 gauge galvanized steel wire that I got at the hardware store. Lots of people use jewelry wire or pipe cleaners, but I think that this steel wire is stronger and a whole lot cheaper. <br />
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Next, I found some source material to make sketches. I used a mammal guide book and a natural geographic kids magazine to draw some generalized polar bears. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: left;">This is the sketch I came up with. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hEx3i8hzENI/UrKDAfnNQII/AAAAAAAAAKw/dgBhcIIK03I/s1600/IMG_3096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hEx3i8hzENI/UrKDAfnNQII/AAAAAAAAAKw/dgBhcIIK03I/s320/IMG_3096.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the sketch with my wire frame pieces.</td></tr>
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After making the initial drawing I cut a length of wire to make the 'skull' and 'spine.' It needs to be twice the length that fits inside the drawing. Twist the wire to make the 'spine,' leaving a loop to mimic the skull. By laying it over your drawing you can predict how large you sculpture will be and also be confident that the proportions will be correct. Next I cut a piece of wire for the back legs. This wire needs to be four times the length of one leg, plus a little extra for the twisting. Bend it in half, which is where it will meet the 'spine.' Make a loop (which will be the foot) on each side and twist the wire back up toward the spine. Next you can attach it to the spine by twisting it around the spine several times in the spot where your drawing indicates the attachment should be. The front legs are made using the same process. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Rl9R8SYO9zY/Ur-tNRX2D-I/AAAAAAAAALk/YSqByawh82M/s1600/IMG_3099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="needle felt bear tutorial" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Rl9R8SYO9zY/Ur-tNRX2D-I/AAAAAAAAALk/YSqByawh82M/s320/IMG_3099.JPG" height="240" title="Needle felt bear tutorial" width="320" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Dn0LV0cbJV8/UrKEOlPN9xI/AAAAAAAAALM/Ko7kDOXrczE/s1600/IMG_3098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Dn0LV0cbJV8/UrKEOlPN9xI/AAAAAAAAALM/Ko7kDOXrczE/s320/IMG_3098.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is the wire frame I came up with for my polar bear. Good luck, and until next time!Michelle Liebgott-Osingahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904575671458308524noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031019454900612703.post-34125881181381887522013-03-18T23:01:00.000-07:002014-10-15T20:24:04.970-07:00Plains Song on Etsy<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tzWKBVVbZ7s/UUf_mK9u-eI/AAAAAAAAAJE/RJn0muh6g14/s1600/IMG_1072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tzWKBVVbZ7s/UUf_mK9u-eI/AAAAAAAAAJE/RJn0muh6g14/s320/IMG_1072.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a>I spent the better part of my evening setting up an Etsy shop so that I can start selling my needlefelt sculptures. I have a lot to learn about Etsy and selling in general, but getting this stuff posed is a start. I have a few rabbits and a lamb that I am hoping I can sell for Easter, and two of them are the ones pictured here. This is the link to my shop; go check it out! .<a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/Plainssong">http://www.etsy.com/shop/Plainssong</a><br />
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Michelle Liebgott-Osingahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904575671458308524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031019454900612703.post-10841510544609056222013-03-12T21:23:00.001-07:002013-03-12T21:23:51.365-07:00Spring Break<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q4vILI5eVyo/UT_974PxlnI/AAAAAAAAAIs/DuYZu0RgVhQ/s1600/IMG_0943.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q4vILI5eVyo/UT_974PxlnI/AAAAAAAAAIs/DuYZu0RgVhQ/s200/IMG_0943.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
Joseph is on Spring break this week. Yesterday he got pretty board, so I was kind of dreading what the rest of the week would be like. However, as it usually goes when I dread something it turned out pretty OK, and actually ended up being a fun day. While Tommy was at preschool, I took Joseph and Theo to the hardware store and craft store to get some supplies for my sculptures. While at Hobby Lobby we happened upon this set of three little sail boats.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Michelle Liebgott-Osingahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904575671458308524noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031019454900612703.post-88407712322857449542013-01-26T18:22:00.000-08:002013-01-26T18:26:00.414-08:00The Wind in the Willows; not just a story about Animals I am reviewing all of my previous posts and I wrote this a long time ago and never published it. I liked what I had written, so I decided to preserve it. <br />
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<a name='more'></a>I recently read the Wind in the Willows to my three and a half year old son one chapter at a time. The illustrations of this edition (by Inga Moore) are wonderful; they really capture an England of days gone by. Most pages have at least one small illustration, and there are quite a few two page paintings that I could melt away into. I think the illustrations in this copy are really what made it <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">palatable</span> to my young son; he loved it so much that he <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">immediately</span> wanted to begin reading it again the next day.<br />
I have read some <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">unflattering</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">criticism</span> of this story concerning the main characters being animals who interact with humans as though they are humans. I can see how this would affect the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">believability</span> of the story if this were all there was to it, but I argue that the animals in this story are really not animals at all, but are actually animal characterizations of people. What I mean is that the characters have traits that are common both to the species depicted and can also be found in real people as well. For example, Toad is an <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">aristocrat</span> who is really a complete fool in so many ways. In the end, someone even calls him Toady. Something that struck me was that Toad can't swim, and at first I thought," <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">what</span>, he can't swim!? He's a Toad for goodness sake!" But really isn't a way to see the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">aristocracy</span> as that they have forgotten how to do the most basic of things?Michelle Liebgott-Osingahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904575671458308524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031019454900612703.post-22551185061061444722013-01-26T18:16:00.001-08:002013-01-26T18:26:59.411-08:00changing playThis is another post that I just found that was a draft that I decided to keep. Joseph must have been about 2 and a half.<br />
<a name='more'></a>Just before Tommy was born, Joseph started to play differently. On the Wednesday before I went in to labor he was playing with his blocks, and asked me to make a library for his Little People family to visit. We also made some 'books' out of scraps of paper, and then he play acted that the Little People were going to the library in their cars and checking out books. We had just visited the library that day.Michelle Liebgott-Osingahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904575671458308524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031019454900612703.post-64895792015631214352009-01-30T21:54:00.000-08:002009-01-30T21:58:39.516-08:00When in Rains, it pours.I really ought to wright more here. I can't believe the last time I wrote anything was in November. Part of why I write here is that I am really bad at keeping a journal the last few years. Well, hopefully I am back now.<br /><br />Joseph fell in the bathtub tonight. He was standing on one foot washing the other, and then he just tipped. He had to get 6 stitches or so (I wasn't there, so I didn't see.) Poor thing.<br /><br />I had a car accident recently, and Tommy just had stitches on Monday. I am crossing my fingers that nothing happens to Jim.Michelle Liebgott-Osingahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904575671458308524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031019454900612703.post-22405502473847795022008-11-24T10:56:00.000-08:002008-11-24T11:09:44.582-08:00StudyLast Friday after I got my haircut, I was finally able to finish up with my study. I have finished sorting all of the books and found places for all of my knitting and sewing materials, and also all of my other things. It feels good to have finished this and its great to finally have a work room of my own after all of these years. Here are some photos.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SSr6NxO6qwI/AAAAAAAAAGY/EFmj2oBKJNI/s1600-h/IMG_1598.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SSr6NxO6qwI/AAAAAAAAAGY/EFmj2oBKJNI/s320/IMG_1598.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272301428251732738" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SSr6OpkmmnI/AAAAAAAAAGo/z_c4HjMkSds/s1600-h/IMG_1602.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SSr6OpkmmnI/AAAAAAAAAGo/z_c4HjMkSds/s320/IMG_1602.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272301443375078002" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SSr6ONi66ZI/AAAAAAAAAGg/k5kgwtrQqrY/s1600-h/IMG_1599.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SSr6ONi66ZI/AAAAAAAAAGg/k5kgwtrQqrY/s320/IMG_1599.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272301435851827602" border="0" /></a><br />This is a wonderful room for a study. I have had dreams of having a cabin where I could study and create, and so I love that the pin Oak branches outside look like they are hugging the room. When the tree is full of leaves it really shrouds the view of the street and so I fell quite separate from the outside world. Here are some photos of my view while I am writing this. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SSr6PNk4KXI/AAAAAAAAAGw/aFdN42yHVzw/s1600-h/IMG_1603.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SSr6PNk4KXI/AAAAAAAAAGw/aFdN42yHVzw/s320/IMG_1603.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272301453039905138" border="0" /> </a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SSr6POhv-jI/AAAAAAAAAG4/moROrmfca_k/s1600-h/IMG_1604.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SSr6POhv-jI/AAAAAAAAAG4/moROrmfca_k/s320/IMG_1604.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272301453295221298" border="0" /></a>Michelle Liebgott-Osingahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904575671458308524noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031019454900612703.post-38095758084160796842008-11-24T10:11:00.000-08:002008-11-24T10:56:18.392-08:00Next year's gardenBecause of the forward thinking person that I am, and also because of the success of this years garden, I can't wait to get started on next years garden. So, I decided not to. I prepared one of the garden beds with mulch and manure to get it jump started for next spring. I went to a horse stable to get manure, an Joseph came along to help collect it.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SSr3auIPuTI/AAAAAAAAAGI/MCCLl_SfuU0/s1600-h/manure3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SSr3auIPuTI/AAAAAAAAAGI/MCCLl_SfuU0/s200/manure3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272298352221862194" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SSr3Qh2fmnI/AAAAAAAAAGA/cNRtjvKe7qA/s1600-h/manure1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SSr3Qh2fmnI/AAAAAAAAAGA/cNRtjvKe7qA/s200/manure1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272298177127488114" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SSr3m5Wm-ZI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/uuNwVwEYNog/s1600-h/manure2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SSr3m5Wm-ZI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/uuNwVwEYNog/s320/manure2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272298561393326482" border="0" /></a><br />Tommy and Spot waited in the car.<br /><br />Joseph had a lot of fun. He really had a blast scooping manure; I guess its those Frisian roots, or maybe just that he is a four year old boy. <a href="http://www.coyotebones.org/chrono/2008_11/19/MVI_1538.ht">Here</a> is a video.Michelle Liebgott-Osingahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904575671458308524noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031019454900612703.post-71549555881118705452008-11-24T09:48:00.000-08:002008-11-24T10:11:06.955-08:00Leaves, leaves, and more leaves<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SSrqurJJitI/AAAAAAAAAE4/dgPUk11FRvs/s1600-h/IMG_1589.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SSrqurJJitI/AAAAAAAAAE4/dgPUk11FRvs/s320/IMG_1589.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272284401366567634" border="0" /></a><br />Today Joanne is here, so I was able to clean up all of the leaves. I hope that this will the last time, but we'll see. A couple of weeks ago we bought a yard vacuum because cleaning up the leaves from the pin oak in the front is a monster task. Here is a before and after picture of the tree.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SSrtasX_PKI/AAAAAAAAAFo/dAFT9tXQor4/s1600-h/IMG_1590.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SSrtasX_PKI/AAAAAAAAAFo/dAFT9tXQor4/s200/IMG_1590.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272287356634741922" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SSrti6K7MDI/AAAAAAAAAFw/FsFrTd_kNWU/s1600-h/tree.medium.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SSrti6K7MDI/AAAAAAAAAFw/FsFrTd_kNWU/s200/tree.medium.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272287497777000498" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> The <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">vacuum</span> grinds up the leaves and makes the piles about 10 times smaller in volume. I put a lot of the leaves on the garden beds as a mulch. Here are some pictures of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">today's</span> efforts.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SSrqwLOBJVI/AAAAAAAAAFY/HGssp2vHu_8/s1600-h/IMG_1593.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SSrqwLOBJVI/AAAAAAAAAFY/HGssp2vHu_8/s320/IMG_1593.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272284427156792658" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SSrqv6w2OGI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/HaiXj3AnyCs/s1600-h/IMG_1592.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SSrqv6w2OGI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/HaiXj3AnyCs/s320/IMG_1592.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272284422739474530" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SSrt_Xa2rOI/AAAAAAAAAF4/yF42PwAQWFY/s1600-h/IMG_1595.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SSrt_Xa2rOI/AAAAAAAAAF4/yF42PwAQWFY/s320/IMG_1595.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272287986664778978" border="0" /></a>Michelle Liebgott-Osingahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904575671458308524noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031019454900612703.post-61170978001041776322008-11-22T09:50:00.000-08:002008-11-22T10:43:54.610-08:00First Halloween in our New House<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SShSLTbxQRI/AAAAAAAAAEo/-viwyRa8ztg/s1600-h/IMG_1509.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SShSLTbxQRI/AAAAAAAAAEo/-viwyRa8ztg/s320/IMG_1509.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271553717985952018" border="0" /></a> We had a lot of fun on Halloween trick-or-treating in our new neighbourhood. We had more kids walking around that night than I have ever experienced. I had fun decorating the entrance with spiderweb, and we had a ghost that moved and made scary noises.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SShQ9fEkgkI/AAAAAAAAAEI/YC4oXVRZ20I/s1600-h/IMG_1505.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SShQ9fEkgkI/AAAAAAAAAEI/YC4oXVRZ20I/s320/IMG_1505.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271552381080076866" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SShSaW7aLrI/AAAAAAAAAEw/VadW5Ah6FzU/s1600-h/IMG_1507.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SShSaW7aLrI/AAAAAAAAAEw/VadW5Ah6FzU/s320/IMG_1507.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271553976622001842" border="0" /></a> Joseph was a fireman, but he really wanted to be a truck. First he wanted to be a tow truck, but I convinced him that a firetruck would be a really good truck to be (and a lot easier for me to make.) I was making an opossum costume for Tommy and me, and then on Halloween wear him on my back (Like real opossums carry their babies, but I ran out of time and so I wore my standard witch costume that I always have on hand. This year I added a lantern that I carried and that enhanced the otherworldly impression. Jim was a bat, and you can see his silhouette in the door of the outdoor photo.Michelle Liebgott-Osingahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904575671458308524noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031019454900612703.post-91291188198860187532008-11-22T09:21:00.000-08:002008-11-22T09:50:00.434-08:00Getting settledWe are finally getting settled into our new place. It has been tough getting it all together; the boys have been sick this last week so that has defiantly put a kink in things. Now Joseph at least is feeling better, so now things will happen a little faster again. Jim has been working on the fence. These photos are from the front. He has been working on the back this week but I don't have any photos of it yet. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SShDcsdAwEI/AAAAAAAAAEA/4WgxAR-ECig/s1600-h/IMG_1455.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SShDcsdAwEI/AAAAAAAAAEA/4WgxAR-ECig/s320/IMG_1455.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271537524085407810" border="0" /></a> Clearly from the amount of foliage these photos were taken a long time ago (probably a month ago.) Another thing we have been spending a lot of time on is cleaning up leaves, and there are A LOT. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SShDcQgt2uI/AAAAAAAAAD4/fDCysUUjm-g/s1600-h/IMG_1452.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SShDcQgt2uI/AAAAAAAAAD4/fDCysUUjm-g/s320/IMG_1452.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271537516584753890" border="0" /></a><br /> Here are some photos of the ground floor. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SShC2Ndq0uI/AAAAAAAAADQ/uKRgrSwcEw8/s1600-h/IMG_1474.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SShC2Ndq0uI/AAAAAAAAADQ/uKRgrSwcEw8/s320/IMG_1474.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271536862931636962" border="0" /></a> The kids reading area.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SShC3ykje2I/AAAAAAAAADw/23SnHq9OwV8/s1600-h/IMG_1478.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SShC3ykje2I/AAAAAAAAADw/23SnHq9OwV8/s320/IMG_1478.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271536890072496994" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SShC3Mpnl5I/AAAAAAAAADo/OjzHi89LPxU/s1600-h/IMG_1477.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SShC3Mpnl5I/AAAAAAAAADo/OjzHi89LPxU/s320/IMG_1477.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271536879893190546" border="0" /></a> The kitchen.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SShC2letbiI/AAAAAAAAADg/125Yazu52bE/s1600-h/IMG_1473.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SShC2letbiI/AAAAAAAAADg/125Yazu52bE/s320/IMG_1473.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271536869378453026" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SShC2Ya52nI/AAAAAAAAADY/E_Lg30q1CWc/s1600-h/IMG_1521.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SShC2Ya52nI/AAAAAAAAADY/E_Lg30q1CWc/s320/IMG_1521.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271536865872829042" border="0" /></a> The playroom. <br /><br /><br /> The playroom has actually changed a lot. We got a big fence divider so that Joseph can build with blocks with getting them knocked down. It has been very helpful because this way I am not breaking up fights every 30 seconds. <br /><br />I don't have any good photos of what the living room, upstairs, or basement look like right now, so those will have to wait.Michelle Liebgott-Osingahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904575671458308524noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031019454900612703.post-76379850320132602972008-10-13T21:45:00.000-07:002008-10-13T21:58:26.073-07:00AbandonmentSometimes I read things in the news that are so far from my understanding that I feel unmoored by them. Tonight I read a story that did just that. The horrible thing is that this is the third such story that I have heard about recently (they are all mentioned in the <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081014/ap_on_re_us/safe_haven">article</a>.) The subject is about the child abandonment that has been happening in Omaha since a safe haven law took effect in Nebraska. Now, in my mind leaving a baby is one thing (because at least that baby will not remember that he or she was abandoned,) but leaving a teenager? And as I said before, this is not just one isolated case, but the <span style="font-style: italic;">third</span> since July.Michelle Liebgott-Osingahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904575671458308524noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031019454900612703.post-91331518456139621032008-09-29T23:25:00.000-07:002008-09-30T00:02:50.626-07:00MontessoriI have gone back and forth on the issue of sending Joseph to preschool. Now it looks like he will be attending the Montessori school after all, at least he will if there is enough room. We visited the school again today, and I completed the application and surrendered the accompanying application fee, so I guess that makes it official that we are trying to send him there at least. <br /><br />He really enjoyed being there today, and tonight he told me that he wants to go back tomorrow because he didn't do all the things that were there. I really like this school; it really feels like a school, and not just a place to keep them busy. What is great about this is that it is not a school in the academic sense, but in a worldly sense. What I mean is that it teaches children to experience the world though there senses, and also how to best learn and accomplish certain tasks. They have stations set up like water pouring, rice pouring, painting, and clay. They do also have academic things available, like math and language, but the child can engage in these when he chooses. This school is really very close to the original Montessori method, and I think it would be good for Joseph to experience that. They stress being orderly and calm and it would be very good for him to be in such and environment. <br /><br />The last week or so he talks about how big he is, and he has said a few times "Look how big I am! I am big enough to go to school without you Memmy." He was so excited that he unhooked the gate on his own and got in the car so that we could go. I didn't know he was doing this, and so when I went looking for him, I got a real scare the at gate was unhooked. However, as we were getting in the car to go home after visiting the school, he said he was really to go to the school, but I have to stay. It was really kind of cute; I am sure he would be fine without me now though. He also seems like he is almost ready to give up his nap, and he is getting to be a little bit less dependent on me in general, so this is perfect timing in that sense. The last two weeks he stayed in the nursery during Mom's group of his own will, and he said that he really liked it and had fun playing with the other children. January is still quite aways away, so by then I am fairly sure that he will be ready.Michelle Liebgott-Osingahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904575671458308524noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031019454900612703.post-14275986594210724592008-09-26T22:08:00.000-07:002008-09-26T22:58:30.850-07:00Fun with HagglingThe past couple of weeks I have been stopping at yard sales and experimenting with haggling. My mother used to haggle for our Christmas tree, and while I was never embarrassed I certainly never thought that I could do that. Well, that has all changed now. Recently I stopped at a yard sale and it just sort of happened. One afternoon I was driving around because after an errand both kids fell asleep in the car. I drove past a place that had a wooden highchair, and figured why not stop to see how much they are asking. I looked at it, and then walked around to see the other things because I thought it priced a little high. Then I saw a serger, which I have been wanting for a long time, but would never buy brand new. I sew enough to want a professional finish on my projects, but not enough that I want to pay full price for the machine. So I checked it out, and it was a good machine that the woman had just had serviced. Somehow I asked for a lower price on both items together, and the seller agreed. I guess what made the difference is that I didn't really need either, and I was willing to walk away. Then I went to another sale and saw a wicker settee. I really liked it, but I didn't want to get something like that without asking Jim first. I ended up going back the next day and asked them to lower the price. At first I was too low, and then we made a deal. Since then I am hooked. I don't really do it because of saving money, after all, these are yard sale items we are talking about (although saving money does help.) Really for me it is the social interaction, the guessing about what I should offer, and then the discussion that I like. Unfortunately most of the time the people here seem a bit surprised, think for a minute and then agree, so there isn't a whole lot of discussion. Either I don't go low enough, or they just don't know what to make of it. Too bad I don't live in the Mediterranean, 'cause there it is just par for the course.Michelle Liebgott-Osingahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904575671458308524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031019454900612703.post-88185157802163946952008-09-23T10:36:00.000-07:002008-09-23T11:25:16.183-07:00A Real Preschooler<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B000006HYU/sr=8-9/qid=1222194113/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=404272&s=video&qid=1222194113&sr=8-9"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B000006HYU/sr=8-9/qid=1222194113/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=404272&s=video&qid=1222194113&sr=8-9" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Joseph is really a preschooler now, at least in terms of behaviour and likes if not in school attendance. Lately we have been playing games in the evenings on Friday and Saturday nights, and he just loves it. We have even made up our own game using some vehicle counters that I have. It is not too complicated but Joseph likes it. The game involves trading, which being the social one that he is, this is his favourite part. I decided to get some more complicated games because the ones that I have are too simple for him already (I have some matching games, simple counting games, etc.) He is always wanting to add rules to make the game more fun, but usually these 'rules' are really just an extension of his fantasy having to do with ambulances, firetrucks etc.<br /><br />So anyway, I bought 'The Ladybug Game' and we just finished playin<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/517B160FQFL._SL500_AA280_.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/517B160FQFL._SL500_AA280_.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>g it this morning. It has a little story about how these ladybugs have to get back home to their rose garden after getting blown away by a storm. Along the way they meet a scary Praying Mantis, and some bossy ants who want the ladybug's aphids before passing. Joseph really enjoyed it, and so I guess this is his first real board game. I did have to help with reading the numbers, and I also made the rules simpler so that we never lost any turns or aphids. This will be fun for game nights and also snow days. Now I will have to try some other games. I Found lots of really neat Looking ones on amazon, so once in a while I will add one.<br /><br />Another change showing that he is growing up is that he is really into listening to chapter books on tape lately. He listens to 'Socks' and 'The Mo<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/515NAV7XV3L._SL500_AA280_.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/515NAV7XV3L._SL500_AA280_.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>use and the Motorcycle' by Beverly Cleary, and less often to 'Stuart Little' by E.B. White. His favourite is most certainly 'The Mouse and the Motorcycle' and he listens to it at least once a day. We also got the movie version from the library, and he also wants to watch that pretty often too. Where I can really tell that he is getting older is that during the scary parts in the movie, his eyes shine and he squeals with delight. The scary parts are like when Ralph, the main character, almost gets sucked up by a vacuum and once he gets chased by a cat. At first he wanted me to sit right next to him to watch these parts and he was totally on edge even though he knew the story from the book. Now these parts don't scare him so much but he still gets a thrill out of them.Michelle Liebgott-Osingahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904575671458308524noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031019454900612703.post-83777942107800611992008-08-28T22:16:00.000-07:002008-08-28T23:03:45.933-07:00State FairThis morning I took Joseph and Tommy to the Nebraska State Fair and we saw some amazing things, as it should be at the state fair. When we first got there we saw this sand sculpture.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SLeJEOHe_cI/AAAAAAAAABo/AxvOY94OG5s/s1600-h/IMG_1261.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SLeJEOHe_cI/AAAAAAAAABo/AxvOY94OG5s/s320/IMG_1261.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239807397070831042" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SLeJEuxbDsI/AAAAAAAAABw/h-p6UDPOgDo/s1600-h/IMG_1262.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SLeJEuxbDsI/AAAAAAAAABw/h-p6UDPOgDo/s320/IMG_1262.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239807405836668610" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SLeJFGBpb3I/AAAAAAAAAB4/OyFjo8avvps/s1600-h/IMG_1263.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SLeJFGBpb3I/AAAAAAAAAB4/OyFjo8avvps/s320/IMG_1263.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239807412078735218" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Having an art background I was of course totally impressed by this, but Joseph preferred the thing next door which was a big pool of water with people trying desperately to get their unwilling dogs to swim so that they could compete for who was the fastest, etc. We sat there for a while and watched while we ate our sandwiches. Through out the day this was the theme; the simplest things pleased Joseph, and I just went along with it. Its fun to see what gets a three year old excited.<br /><br />Later on we had fun trying to milk the fiberglass cow. They fill it up with water from an opening in the top, and then you pull the teats to get the water to come out. This is supposed to be like milking a real cow, though I don't know how accurate it is of course, since I have never really milked a cow. The guy in the blue shirt in the background seemed to have experience and also that it was a pretty good model. Doesn't Joseph look like a perfect future farmer?<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SLeJFscT1OI/AAAAAAAAACA/qsjmFeWqqhI/s1600-h/IMG_1264.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SLeJFscT1OI/AAAAAAAAACA/qsjmFeWqqhI/s320/IMG_1264.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239807422391112930" border="0" /></a><br /><br /> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SLeJGEnkCDI/AAAAAAAAACI/wOBoIuIxYjg/s1600-h/IMG_1266.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SLeJGEnkCDI/AAAAAAAAACI/wOBoIuIxYjg/s320/IMG_1266.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239807428880762930" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />In the same pavilion this guy was sculpting a block of cheese. Once again, I thought this was pretty neat, but Joseph didn't really get it.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SLeKXWI0GGI/AAAAAAAAACg/FM-YreRZLfA/s1600-h/IMG_1267.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SLeKXWI0GGI/AAAAAAAAACg/FM-YreRZLfA/s320/IMG_1267.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239808825153034338" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Finally, at the end of our visit we went to the exotic animal petting zoo. This was Joseph's favorite, along with the birthing pavilion where there were animals (pigs, sheep, cows, chicken, and mice) who were about to, or had very recently given birth. The petting zoo had all kinds of animals for which one could buy feed and give to them with little shovels. <br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SLeJhzpEGLI/AAAAAAAAACY/T2_44YG4PZY/s1600-h/IMG_1268.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SLeJhzpEGLI/AAAAAAAAACY/T2_44YG4PZY/s320/IMG_1268.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239807905359993010" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />We had so much fun that we are going to go again and this time we might actually see a show or two, and maybe even shuck some corn. After all, it wouldn't be the Nebraska State Fair with out corn shucking, now would it?Michelle Liebgott-Osingahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904575671458308524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031019454900612703.post-36471499292434988312008-08-25T23:01:00.000-07:002008-08-25T23:20:47.444-07:00New HouseThe time has finally come; we are buying our first house! I just checked the realtor's website and the photo isn't there anymore, so I can't post any images of it. Perhaps I will go take a photo to post it. (Ha! Another good excuse to drive by!)<br /><br />I will miss our wonderful landlords and neighbours, but not the mice that are quite populous here lately. This summer I was feeding the birds, but as things got busy lately I stopped, and so now we have a bunch of fat, hungry mice rooming around. At first they were only outside, but now we see them inside too from time to time. Trapping them is easy because they are so fat, but Jim has to be <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">sneaky</span> about it because Joseph has lately gotten sensitive about mice and what happens to them.<br /><br />Which leads me to my next topic. Lately Joseph has been listening to Beverly <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Cleary's</span> Mouse and the Motorcycle, and he really loves the main character. It is amazing how good his attention span is; he listens to the whole story (two hours worth) everyday. He doesn't listen to it all at one time of course, but he does listen to it in order. He loves it so much that he will just lie on his floor listening too it. Thinking about this gave me the brilliant idea to try listening to it with him when it is nap time. Lately he is so <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">obstinate</span> about falling asleep, but he really, really needs it, and his lack of napping is quite painful for all of us at dinnertime. So my plan is that we can listen to the story together at quiet time while lying in bed, and maybe, just maybe he will fall asleep. Brilliant, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">isn't</span> it?Michelle Liebgott-Osingahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904575671458308524noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031019454900612703.post-64839103078249383322008-08-19T23:14:00.000-07:002008-08-19T23:59:36.835-07:00Friedrich Froebel and BlocksI'm not sure what got me started, but I have been studying the origins of Kindergarten lately. The inventor of Kindergarten, Friedrich Froebel, had a very different idea of what Kindergarten should be from what it is now (at least what it is now in America,) but his ideas are still very useful. His method involved giving children a series of twenty "gifts" and occupations that all would build on each other. The early gifts were mostly some combination of blocks that related to each other mathematically, and the occupations would be arranging the blocks, and later on other materials, to make harmonious and aesthetically <em></em>pleasing arrangements and constructions. Maria Montessori was greatly influenced by Froebel, and so that is why Montessori programs include physical math. Froebel thought that children should do these types of activities from the time they were what we would call preschool age until seven or eight years old. It is a shame that contemporary Kindergarten, as well as the later lower elementary school years, are so focused on academic learning. There is definitely something to the idea that if a child plays with unit blocks, then they will intuitively understand math at a much deeper level later on, and so this argues against the worksheet and drill type instruction that is so common nowadays. Interestingly, it seems that many successful architects, as well as other creative types, went through Froebel Kindergarten programs.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SKu9In2YinI/AAAAAAAAABg/poD5LC6VLyc/s1600-h/IMG_1231.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SKu9In2YinI/AAAAAAAAABg/poD5LC6VLyc/s320/IMG_1231.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236486947582020210" border="0" /></a><br /><br />So, all this theory led me to buy some standard unit blocks, and Joseph really likes them. I haven't had too much time to play with them with him yet, but I am really looking forward too it. I do think that our set is pretty basic though, so I am sure that I will be buying some more complicated shapes sometime in the future. You can't build a very interesting road without curves, for instance, and roads are what Joseph likes to build.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SKu5zQB0ABI/AAAAAAAAABI/eTqtYajW-f8/s1600-h/IMG_1202.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zvpQ2-DUlFs/SKu5zQB0ABI/AAAAAAAAABI/eTqtYajW-f8/s320/IMG_1202.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236483281875370002" border="0" /></a>Michelle Liebgott-Osingahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904575671458308524noreply@blogger.com5