Fun for everyone

First of all I have a layout to share. Craig and I had A LOT of fun (yes, I am shouting) on our four day cruise with Carnival this past July. I took a collection of the photos from our trip and put them into a double layout. The bubbling water effect was created by using a Sizzix die and Core'dinations ColorCore Cardstock (Vacation Blues).

Supplies: Core'dinations cardstock, Jillibean Soup ribbon, number sprout and corrugated alphabet, ProvoCraft/Cricut die cut letters ("bahamas" - Opposites Attract), Sizzix die (circles), Hampton Art letter stamps, Tsukineko ink, Making Memories sanding block, Xyron Sticker Maker (to adhere ribbon and die cut "bahamas"), other: foam layering tape.

Next, over the weekend I found a great recipe on the internet and made a huge batch of playdough for my new kindergarten class. Matt and Ema helped me and, as a reward, got to test drive the batch. Ema realized that by simply adding a googly eye she could make a "Bob" from the Monsters vs. Aliens movie. She then made a Mrs. Bob and many Baby Bobs. I have included the recipe below. And yes, that is Ema ducking down behind the Bob Family. She didn't want to ruin the family portrait.

How to Make Playdough

Step 1:

Basic ingredient ratio:

2 cups flour

2 cups warm water

1 cup salt

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1 Tablespoon cream of tartar (optional for improved elasticity)

Food colouring (liquid, powder, or unflavored drink mix)

Scented oils

This recipe can be doubled, tripled, etc.

Step 2:

Mix all of the ingredients together, and stir over low heat. The dough will begin to thicken until it resembles mashed potatoes.
When the dough pulls away from the sides and clumps in the center, as shown below, remove the pan from heat and allow the dough to cool enough to handle.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If your playdough is still sticky, you simply need to cook it longer! Keep stirring and cooking until the dough is dry and feels like playdough.

Step 3:

Turn the dough out onto a clean counter or silicone mat, and knead vigorously until it becomes silky-smooth. Divide the dough into balls for colouring.
Make a divot in the center of the ball, and drop some food colouring in. Fold the dough over, working the food color through the body of the playdough, trying to keep the raw dye away from your hands and the counter. You could use gloves or plastic wrap at this stage to keep your hands clean- only the concentrated dye will colour your skin, so as soon as it's worked in bare hands are fine.
Work the dye through, adding more as necessary to achieve your chosen colour.
If you use unsweetened drink mix for colour, test on a small ball first- it won't go as far as the "real" food colouring.

Step 4:

Enjoy your playdough! It's entirely edible, if a bit salty, so it's kid-safe.
When you're done store it in an air-tight container. If it begins to dry out, you can knead a bit of water in again to soften the dough back to useability. Once it's dried past a certain point, however, you'll just have to start over; thankfully it's not terribly difficult.