Project: Coloring is the best therapy…

Coloring, I've loved coloring since I can remember! Coloring doesn't judge, coloring understands, it helps you work thru some things that are rollin' around in your mind, that stuff you chew on for hours, if not days, weeks, and years on end. Coloring is quite meditation you can do in front of others, and not feel weird, or do in large groups. Coloring has been linked to lowering stress in adults, and people have started to pick it up again. I'm so glad to see this. I stopped coloring for a while, but now that I have children I color all the time. What we color changes everyday, and I have a whole Pinterest board dedicated to coloring. I kid you not.

Here's a link to my coloring board:

https://www.pinterest.com/kbartnick/coloring/

That's where this image came from. What I love about coloring is that there is NO WRONG WAY to color, you can't screw it up. Seriously, even if you go outside the lines, who cares, it's coloring. It's an expression of who you are, and that is a beautiful thing!

This is the start of Roo's version

So now that we've covered how cool coloring really is, I want to show you just one thing you can do with all those coloring pages that you've colored, and put to the side. Why not do something with them, something creative, and something that can bring other people joy? You'd be surprised how many people really do love handmade cards, or hand written notes. In this fast paced life we find ourselves living in, where we don't seem to slow down to create the kinds of deep relationships that seemed to be so easy way back in the day, because now we are so busy running around like crazy people trying to get everything done so that we can take some time out to relax…and maybe even color. See where I'm going with all of this?

This one was mine.

Plus coloring with little kids can be the best thing ever. I'll tell you that when little kids are happy they just OOZE Joy! Have you ever stood, and watched a little kid playing, and they were really in the zone? It's amazing to watch their little minds work, it's amazing to see what they come up with, so why can't we grown kids be any different? Teach our little ones to start creating things from their coloring pages to give to their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, and neighbors. Granted, with this project you need a little bit more than markers, crayons, scissors, and glue. But if they see you creating things, and being happy, you could inspire the younger generations to think more outside their boxes, and to start to think bigger, and to dream bigger! 

Pinterest has so many free coloring pages I just grabbed one from my stash…yes, I'm an admitted hoarder of data images. I doubt there is a 12 step program for that, but if there is, I'm long over due for going to therapy over it… wonder if they would have coloring books, and crayons in the therapists office? 

Our vintage Mac still runs like a champ!

With this I printed up two versions of this image, one black and white version to color, and the second one I chose a pink paper close enough to the little hearts I colored on the first version.

Think it's pink enough?

All I really wanted it for was for the tea cup and some of the little hearts. 

Nice color job on the tea cup, no?

Once I cut out the tea cup, and laid it over the white cup, good lord it stood out like a siren screaming to be covered up! Put some color on that cup! I also chose some bright green card stock to glue it too as well to give it some weight to the paper. It's hard to make something with flimsy paper, unless you are doing Origami, then the thinner the better.

Add some lifters to that cup!

After cutting out the cup, and some little hearts, I stuck some lifters on them all to give them more finished look. I also figured I'd add a little bit of darker green outline too. Make it pop a little more.

Can you imagine the fun you could have with little kids if you gave them two color pages that were identical except for the way they colored them, and let them go to town? You'd have two masterpieces that you could work with for twice the fun! 

Happy Birthday Card 

Even if you just have a regular coloring book, you, and your littles could come up with some great projects! OH! OH! Get some card stock, and some popsicle sticks, and make puppets with them! See what I mean…with a little thought, you could turn a boring raining day into something that they will remember for ages. Maybe that's what we will do the next time we have a down pour outside, and we are all stuck inside. Then you can get an old shoe box, and your puppets could live in there, and make tent forts, and put on popsicle stick puppet plays. Hell, that would entertain drunk adults for hours let a lone a bunch of littles. But, this is what I mean by coloring inspires great ideas…and they are YOUR good ideas that are just waiting to be discovered! 

Happy Coloring!