It's no secret that crafty-inspiration can come at any time... including in the middle of preparing dinner. While chopping vegetables recently I sliced the end off the bok choy (some call it pak choi), and thought; it looks like a rose you could stamp with. Now, this thought has flashed through my head umpteenth times when I've been chopping this veg before, but this time, I actually set it aside with the intention of using it. Bok Choy is an Asian vegetable (although it's actually pretty mainstream these days), you simply steam it lightly and serve it up as a sort of warm-lettuce, put it in stir-fries, and so on. It grows in little bunches, and to cook it you can rip the leaves off one by one to separate, or take a short cup and chop close to the end where all the leaves come together (it can be a bit dirty) and toss this away.
This time I set the cut-ends aside and let them dry out on the kitchen bench overnight. They were still a little 'damp' the next day, but not enough to stop us crafting. The girls and I found 2 big preschool paintings Little Lotti had made two weeks that were green fingerpaintings - I thought they looked like grass - and with her permission (always ask first - or hide the evidence), we cut these into small panels and started to stamp.
Using red paint we dipped and dabbed. The results were mixed; as with all stamping it requires practice to get the 'perfect' impression, but the overall effect was great. Mimi was thrilled with her flowers 'growing on stalks' and had another go at a 'rose bush' while Lotti was content going her own way; 'my roses are all over the grass - see?' I could; can you?
I highly recommend this as a great way to show your children the joy of upcycling kitchen waste, turning it into a learning opportunity to discuss the food we eat, recycling, how one thing can look like another, and simply to have fun... but beware the red paint; whilst we stamped in the garage, the bathroom looked like a slaughterhouse while they were washing up... and don't even get me started about the embarrassment of walking down the street an hour later and finding red pant on your pants right about where your bottom is... hmmm...!
Chin up lovelies and stay crafty... and sane - it's nice to be back on line - I missed you all! x
