I’m always up for trying out a new Artterro art kit. And I’m always surprised by just how much creative potential is packed into a deceptively compact cardboard box (which doubles as a decorate-your-own frame, by the way).
A little like that stunt where clown after clown hops out of a miniature circus car, surprising and delighting you.
That’s kind of how I feel with Artterro’s eco art kits.
The materials in the eco art kits are luscious and beautiful—printed papers, batik fabrics, glass and wood beads, colorful embroidery thread, wool felt pieces, lace, and ribbon. And we always seem to have left over materials to add to our own art supply stash after we are finished with the kit.
I’m also impressed with the printed fold-out pamphlets that Artterro includes in their kits. They always seem to provide the perfect balance between:
- Inspiration (showing in-progress and completed examples of how others have used the kit)
- Guidance (giving us tips for using the materials)
- And creative encouragement (urging us to use the kit in our own way and giving us ideas for finding inspiration within and around us)
We recently had the opportunity to try out the canvas storybook kit, one I’ve had my eye on for quite some time.
The kit includes one well made blank canvas book, an assortment of plain and printed fabrics, needle and thread, a packet of beads and sequins, a palette of acrylic paint, and a variety of ribbons.
Maia decided to go with an under-the-sea theme.
We went to the Atlanta Aquarium (with friend Marlise) a couple of months ago and it made a big impression on her.
On all of us, really.
We loved the dolphins, whales, sharks, fish, jellyfish, octopus, seahorses, sea urchins, everything. But Maia especially loved the dolphins and the dolphin show.
Since then, she’s said she wants to work at the aquarium when she grows up and/or wants to work with dolphins. She’s been watching Dolphin Tale and reading about dolphins.
So her choice of theme for the book was not surprising.
Maia loved the fabrics, the colors, the paints, etc, and began assembling them into her ocean images right away. But she got a little frustrated with the sewing and the gluing and turning her vision into reality.
She asked me to help her and we ended up working on the book side by side, as a gift for the friend we went to the aquarium with. It’s not finished yet and we work on it a bit at a time, letting paint and glue dry before turning the page and starting the next one.
