Buttons are bustin’ out all over the artroom!
The students and I have been extremely busy, and now all of my 3rd-5th grade classes are enthusiastically making buttons of various shapes, sizes, colors, and materials. They are all over the artroom in various phases…all of my spare tables look like they have sprouted button farms, with rows of cardboard and paper clip contraptions supporting buttons that have been recently painted or varnished. Keeping track of who made each and every button, and keeping them sorted by class has been quite a challenge, let me tell you.
The 5th graders are working with polymer clay with stunning results; I’m nearly done baking all the batches-no small task! Each batch gets 30 minutes at 275° in one of my 2 small toaster ovens. I don’t know how many batches I have baked, but before this project is over, I want to tally the total number of buttons created! The polymer clay buttons lose some luster after they have been cured; their surface appears dull. We use a water-based, indoor-outdoor varnish that dries to a satin finish to add just the right amount of gleam without the glare of a high-gloss sealer.
The 4th graders used Sculpt•it! air dry clay to create their buttons (as did the first button class, Mrs. Deaver’s 5th graders). They look stunning when painted with metallic acrylic paints. The buttons, I mean. (Not the students!) These buttons, too, get a coat of the satin-finish varnish after the paint has dried. We are currently in the midst of the painting and varnishing sessions.
Perhaps the 3rd graders are the most excited of all about making their buttons, which are created from shrink plastic. Many of them have never seen Shrinky Dinks before, and they watch in wonder and joy as I shrink each button individually with my heat tool. Using the heat tool (a.k.a. an embossing tool, which can be found in the rubber stamp section nearly any craft store) is far more interesting and viewer-friendly than shrinking them in the oven.
In addition to the buttons that have burst into being in the past few weeks, my classroom has another wonderful addition: a Promethean ActivBoard! It was installed the week after Spring Break. I was actually out of town that week, attending the National Art Education Association (NAEA) annual convention, which was held in New Orleans this year. (That should explain why I have those festive Mardi Gras beads hanging off my computer cart!)
The ActivBoard is an interactive white board that works in conjunction with a digital projector that is hooked up to my computer. I now have the ability to make digital presentations to my students, and as soon as I figure out the Promethean software and have a chance to develop some good lessons with it, I will be teaching with interactive technology! I am thrilled! In fact, today I finally had a chance to share this Stargazer Studio blog with some of my classes!
There is still much to write about, but I can’t write it all in one post. I am also frustrated by several unsuccessful attempts to post photos…I am determined that one day I will figure out how to resize the photos for optimum viewing. And when I do get that figured out, I have dozens of photos to share with you. I hope you’ll “stay tuned” and visit again soon! And maybe leave a comment…no one leaves me comments, and I would just love to get some feedback that I could share with my students!
17 responses so far ↓
Loved hearing your artnews! What are the buttons for? How was the conference? Did you have a good room -mate? Ha HA!
Hi, Jeryl! Thanks for checkin’ in! I missed you at the conference. I had some great roommates–but you have to go next year! I took some wonderful hands-on workshops, including one taught by our internet friend Woody Duncan. I also attended a session about quilts and community, and came home with wonderful resources to share with my students.
About the buttons…every student of mine is making a set; they will each donate one of their buttons to the Stargazer Story Quilt. Some of the buttons will be actually be the stars in a skyscape that features a fictional constellation of a leopard, our mascot. Most of the buttons will be incorporated into the sashing and border, which will feature the traditional pinwheel block.
Hi Mrs.Broady! I’m one of your art students. Today I rushed home and visted your blog. Now I’ve read almost your whole blog and I think it’s awesome!Who dosen’t?I can’t wait to see the finshed project .I hope I see it in our school hallways soon.It’s a great idea!
Yay–my first student comment! Thank you, Taylor! I’m so glad you visited and that you are so enthusiastic about the project.
Have a great weekend, and I’ll see you at Lotts!
Hey Mrs. Broady! I’m in fifth grade at your school. I loved the blog that you came up with. I thought it was absolutely amazing. Everyone enjoyed making the buttons for the school quilt. Who came up with the idea? By the way I love having you as an art teacher!!!!!! See you next Friday. Can’t wait to see the quilt finished.
Hi, Caroline. Thank you for the compliments. I really enjoyed teaching you and your classmates about polymer clay and seeing how each of you used the techniques to come up with your own designs.
I came up with the button idea over a year and a half ago. There was something in the newspaper (one of the educational “funnies”) about buttons, and after I saw it, I had a “lightbulb” moment–you know, when the imaginary light bulb starts glowing above your head due to a bright idea! I realized that buttons offer endless design possibilities in a tiny format…and I liked the idea of doing a project that involved all of my students. All of a sudden, it just “clicked!”
I applied for a grant from a local organization for the project last year (when you were in 4th grade), but my proposal wasn’t funded. I was extremely disappointed at first, but it was actually a good thing because it gave me more time to develop my idea.
At the beginning of this year I had the opportunity to apply for a bigger grant through the Tennessee Arts Commission, and I was better prepared because I knew exactly what I wanted for the project. I had been thinking about it for a long time.
Persistance and patience pays off! Sometimes when you don’t immediately get what you hope and try for, there is something even better that comes along.
I’m very glad that we got the grant for this year so that you and your classmates, and all the Lotts 5th graders, could be a part of the project. I will be very sad when you all leave me to go to the middle school!
Hey Mrs.Broady it’s Caroline Ward. I love your blog!!It’s perfect and I just really like it!!!!You are the best art teacher ever. Hope you get my comment!!!!See you Friday can’t wait!!!!!!!!1
I’m student at Lotts and the idea about this quilt is very creative. I loved making the buttons and i cant wait until the actual quilt is finished.
Hi, Caroline and Lauren! I’m glad that you two are participating and leaving comments.
The quilt is coming along beautifully… and in a a few weeks we will have it at school to sew the buttons on.
See you in class!
Hello Ms. Broady,
I am totally impressed with your button projects and your innovative approach to sharing your lessons with this blog and soon to implement the new evolving technologies. Thanks for the inspiration!
I am a retired art/technology educator and am launching a web site-virtual art rooms to share all of my lessons, visuals, and ideas in both traditional and digital media. I had the most incredible art students for thirty four years.
I too get frustrated in my attempts to get things out on the web when they are not yet optimized for the internet.
Check out my sites and let me know what you think and PLEASE comment as you stated earlier, nobody ever comments. I will be back to visit and perhaps we can share links to our blogs. Blessings,
Joan
http://www.artworkontheweb.com
http://web.mac.com/jmh5/_My_Virtual_Art_Room/Welcome.html
http://artworkbook.blogspot.com
Mrs.Broady,
Whoops, I forgot to mention that software like Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements will allow you to save images for the web.
Good luck, Joan
hey,mrs broady i cant wait to see how all the buttons turn out . it was really fun macking theme see you next monday olivia
Mrs. Brody,
I am so excited about the beautiful quilt! I think you are doing a wonderful job with your blog (I haven’t attempted it yet.) I know the students are having a great time making buttons and I hope all of the Lotts’ parents are proud of what a top-notch art program we are privileged to have at our school!!
oops! Mrs. BROADY (my spell check changed your name. )
Amy,
Wow very impressed ! When you told me a little about the buttons in New Orleans I had no idea of the big picture. Suzie
Richter is a long time (not old) dear friend of mine. We used to teach together at New Prospect Craft Center! It later became the Knoxville Craft Center at the Candy Factory.
How lucky you are to have her as your quilt artist; and she to have you for the comission!
Talk to you soon or see you at the TAEA Oak Ridge workshop.
Shelley
Mrs. Broady
I love the project. Thank you both for the vision and working with our children to help them appreciate that art is not only drawing and painting. As a lover of sewing and quilting I am so pleased to see this project. It is so amazing what you can do with cotton fabric, thread and straight seams. I can’t wait to see the addition of all the buttons! What a treasure! Please contact me if you need any help.
Jodi (mom of 5th grader)
Hey Lady,
Now that I’ve had a bit of breather from the quilt & I’ve read your comments about the buttons I realize we were all “burning the candle at both ends” to get as much done as possible with this quilt. I enjoyed meeting many students on May 2nd and proudly turned the quilt into the Smoky Mountain Quilters Guild for the exhibit this coming weekend.
I’ll tell you a group of women curiously unrolled the quilt & then exclaimed in delight about the color & designs with buttons. They asked me about the buttons and how you guys did them. I believe your Stargazer Quilt will be quite remarkable.
This project was stimulated & came to fruition because of Amy Broady’s vision & hard work. She deserves pats on the back, accolades, handshakes, hugs…. for inspiring us all.
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