A New Year!

Happy New Year!

Hope 2012 is full of great new stories and adventures. I am posting today the gift I made for my Mom for Chrsitmas this year. Took me awhile to get it up on the blog but here it is. Throughout my childhood I experimented with Sculpey clay, a "Playto"like clay that can be baked and hardened. It comes in an array of colors, it is easy to use, and really great to work with. I used to make tree toppers, sometimes, angels and sometimes other holidaycentric characters for her. It had been over twenty years since she had received a new one and while the old ones are nice, they are... old. This year I chose to sculpt, for the first time ever, a snow elf.  I also made an outfit for it. I took photos throughout the entire process to share step by step what I did.  This is a great project to do with your kids letting them get there hands dirty, not too dirty though, and showing them a fun way to create!

Enjoy,

Tony

Step One:
I took a styro foam ball and wrapped in plastic wrap ad dusted it with baby powder so the clay would not stick. I then proceeded to layer the clay on the ball shaping his facial features as I went. The tools in the image are actually from my granfather.  he was an artist and made his own tools. 

Step Two:
I rlled out long thin pieces of brown Sculpey and layered it on two frame his face with hair. Once all of the sculptiing was complete I baked it, as decsribed on the directions, in my home oven.

Step Three:
Painting. I waterered down some acrylic paint and began layering it on the flesh tone to create depth. I also did this with a dark brown on the hair so it did seem so flat.

Step Four:
I screwed a wooden dowl to a wooden base. Then I took a foam cone, love Michaels!, and using tacky glue glue them together. Then I glued the head one. I had place a hole in the base of the foam core ball and affixed that to the dowl.

Step Five:
By first pleating the fabric with the iron, I fanned it out and hot glued it in place creating a ruff.

Step Six:
I took some scarpe leather and with embroidery floss whipstitched it together

Detail of hat with metal ball, button, on peak of hat.

Step Seven:
This is where I really got to experiment! I took some thin wire and glue it into some baked clay, gluing the clay to the foam form. This created my skeleton for the arms. Sadly, a stuffed animal was sacrificed int he making of this. I cut off its arms and legs and sewed them together to create the body shape. by wrapping some tee shrt fabric around him I created his underpiece. Note: I sculpted the gloves as I did the face.

Step Eight:
I dipped dyed white cotton fabric and by shirring it at the next created an oversized collar. I sprayed the fabric with glitter and sewed on some metall rings and stones for shine. Lastly, I found a tree ornament and glued it into his glove. Let the snow begin!

You Are What You Read- A great and easy way to give back this Holiday season!

SKY is super excited to be partnering with Reach Out and Read. With many synergies we both found it a great fit!

Reach Out and Read is an amazing non-profit thats goal is to get books into the hands of children by having Doctors prescribe books to children and encourage families to read together.

One of the programs they are doing is with Scholastic, the "You Are What You Read" campaign. Log onto http://youarewhatyouread.scholastic.com/adults/ and create your bookprint of five books that shaped and influenced your life. For every bookprint created Scholastic will donate 1 book to Reach Out and Read. A great and easy way to help foster reading and imagination with today's children. I am creating mine and the first on my list, The Neverending Story. I still reference this book today and will for many years.

Here is a clip of the kick off of the program with Whoopi!
http://www.reachoutandread.org/whoopi/


The CEO of Reach Out and Read Earl Martin Phalen wrote the below:

Henry Drummond once said, "You will find, as you look back on your life, that the moments that stand out are the moments when you have done things for others."

During this holiday season, as we give to family and friends, we must not forget children who are growing up in poverty, the homeless, and others who may not have the resources they need.

I was inspired when Academy Award winning actress Whoopi Goldberg took time out of her busy schedule to read to children at Bellevue Hospital. Her visit was part of Scholastic's One Million Bookprints for One Million Books campaign. Scholastic's new campaign invites readers of all ages to create a "Bookprint" at the online community, youarewhatyouread.com.

Scholastic is a partner of the early literacy initiative, Reach Out and Read, which has a site at Bellevue Hospital. As the CEO of Reach Out and Read, I was amazed when Whoopi Goldberg, an Oscar, Emmy, Tony and Grammy winner took time to read to our children -- and the impact she had on them and their parents.

This holiday season I challenge us as a nation to give to charities that expand the educational opportunities for children. Whether it's Reach Out and Read, Summer Advantage, Aim High, Higher Achievement Program, or your local library - we must commit to literary and academic support for the youngest members of our society.

If you can't afford to give, then read to a group of children or donate books to a local program. As Henry Drummond said, our most unforgettable moments occur when we give to others.

Best wishes for a wonderful holiday. 

During this holiday season create your bookprint and help to put a book in a child's hand. To learn more about Reach Out and Read go to www.reachoutandread.org.

Happy Holidays!

You Are What You Read- A great and easy way to give back this Holiday season!

SKY is super excited to be partnering with Reach Out and Read. With many synergies we both found it a great fit!

Reach Out and Read is an amazing non-profit thats goal is to get books into the hands of children by having Doctors prescribe books to children and encourage families to read together.

One of the programs they are doing is with Scholastic, the "You Are What You Read" campaign. Log onto http://youarewhatyouread.scholastic.com/adults/ and create your bookprint of five books that shaped and influenced your life. For every bookprint created Scholastic will donate 1 book to Reach Out and Read. A great and easy way to help foster reading and imagination with today's children. I am creating mine and the first on my list, The Neverending Story. I still reference this book today and will for many years.

Here is a clip of the kick off of the program with Whoopi!
http://www.reachoutandread.org/whoopi/


The CEO of Reach Out and Read Earl Martin Phalen wrote the below:

Henry Drummond once said, "You will find, as you look back on your life, that the moments that stand out are the moments when you have done things for others."

During this holiday season, as we give to family and friends, we must not forget children who are growing up in poverty, the homeless, and others who may not have the resources they need.

I was inspired when Academy Award winning actress Whoopi Goldberg took time out of her busy schedule to read to children at Bellevue Hospital. Her visit was part of Scholastic's One Million Bookprints for One Million Books campaign. Scholastic's new campaign invites readers of all ages to create a "Bookprint" at the online community, youarewhatyouread.com.

Scholastic is a partner of the early literacy initiative, Reach Out and Read, which has a site at Bellevue Hospital. As the CEO of Reach Out and Read, I was amazed when Whoopi Goldberg, an Oscar, Emmy, Tony and Grammy winner took time to read to our children -- and the impact she had on them and their parents.

This holiday season I challenge us as a nation to give to charities that expand the educational opportunities for children. Whether it's Reach Out and Read, Summer Advantage, Aim High, Higher Achievement Program, or your local library - we must commit to literary and academic support for the youngest members of our society.

If you can't afford to give, then read to a group of children or donate books to a local program. As Henry Drummond said, our most unforgettable moments occur when we give to others.

Best wishes for a wonderful holiday. 

During this holiday season create your bookprint and help to put a book in a child's hand. To learn more about Reach Out and Read go to www.reachoutandread.org.

Happy Holidays!

Elephants that paint! Every living thing is an artist!

I love elephants, or as Samwise Gamgee calls them Oliphaunts, and through digging I found that elephants can be taught how to paint, free hand! Naturally creative and intelligent animals, these gentle giants, if not forced can excel at the craft. I did not believe it at first but after much training and patience, from both the human and the elephant, many elephants can paint! They say that it is easy to see if an elephant will take interest to it our not quite quickly. It seems that the trainers tug on the elephants ear to guide them.  Still unbelievable!

As Issaraporn Kaewthanasawad, Managing Director -The Elephant Art Gallery, states:
"Although elephants are very intelligent and naturally creative, painting on an easel with a paintbrush in their trunks is not an activity that any have been found to perform in the wild! Therefore all the aspiring elephant artists first have to go to school to learn how to paint."

Don't you want to attend that school?!

"Elephant painting in Thailand began in 1998 when Richard Lair invited the conceptual art partnership of Vitaly Komar and Alexander Melamid to teach selected elephants at the TECC to paint. Elephants had done this before in over 20 zoos and circuses around the world, but this was the first time in Thailand and they were the first to bring this activity to prominent media attention."

To learn more about these amazing elephants check out, http://www.elephantartgallery.com/

You can also see the elephants in action at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=He7Ge7Sogrk&noredirect=1

A whole new meaning to working with a pencil

On a day where I was able to browse a little, I love when those moments sneak into the day, I came across an amazing sculptor/caver. Trained as a carpenter Dalton Ghetti picked up a pencil one day to challenge himself. Based off of his love for small living tings he wanted to create the smallest carving to his naked eye. The kicker is he doesn't sell the below amazing carvings.  He only gives them to friends and family. A true labor of love... and imagaination!


Check him out at:


http://www.daltonmghetti.com/

You really can do anything you put your mind to

Canada or BUST!

My wife and I just traveled to Vancouver, BC with her Mom for a Canadian adventure. Vancouver is gorgeous and our view from the hotel room got better as the evening progressed each night. We saw many things and met a lot of great family but I really am excited to share  the SKY top adventure we had at Capalano Suspension Bridge. It was just ridiculous and awe inspiring.  Built at the turn of the century it is full of heritage and the culture of the First Nation's people of Canada. The bridge was really cool but the coolest aspect was the TreeTop Adventure. They connected a handful of the tops of trees together with mini suspension bridges. The view was out of this world and deep down inside I felt like an Ewok from the Battle of Endor. I always dreamt about living there when I was a kid.  Even though they are really hairy it would be a great adventure!

Enjoy the pics! 

The view of our hotel. Stanley Park is towards the right.

Let the adventure BEGIN!

I get excited easily...it was really cool.

Me and my fellow Ewok, my wife.

SKY's the limit- The first post

So... this is my first post.  I am excited to be able to share with you inspiration, discovery, and tools to allow every child to unlock their imagination. 


Get a behind the scenes look at the creation of each seasonal story. Learn what brings each character to life and share with your child fun facts about each character, animals, insects, and more.


I am also really excited to be able to help empower kids of today. There will be "Unlocking Imagination" posts putting a spotlight on a child between the ages of 2-6. Starting a community where kids can share their hopes, dreams, hear about their heroes, and talk about adventures of their own will create a postive place for children to grow and be inspired.


Enjoy the ride!