Tuesdays With Rita: Art Journal, Hand Prints

When I was in kindergarten our teacher had us spread our hands on a black sheet of construction paper and then she flicked white stuff all over the page leaving our hand prints to stand out.

This is one of my most vivid childhood memories. Maybe because my mom had those prints throughout her life and I saw them many times. I don't remember what the "white stuff" was, it was thicker than paint, and kind of stood up on the paper.

Those prints have disappeared but the memory is there.

Last year when I went to spend a few weeks with our grandsons I took some things with me to do crafts along with the supplies to work in my travel art journal.

One day I was looking at the pile of felt and decided to trace the boys hands. After cutting out they fit nicely into my journal.

 This year I made sure to stick a piece of felt in my book to do it again. A new "tradition" is born.

The boys stood still better this year and were excited to see their hand prints take a place in my journal.

Art journaling has made a big difference in how I look at things. I notice and keep the little things in life . . . and also keep better track of those times that tend to slip by, like children growing.

Who needs those fancy kits they sell in card and craft shops for making hand prints. A piece of felt and a marker work just fine. And they fit right in there with the photos, pressed leaves and flowers, tickets and receipts that will keep our memories alive for years and years.

Some day the boys will look back on these hand prints just like I did my prints on black construction paper.

What memories can you create for the future?