memories | Outside The Lines

2013 is finally upon us, and accompanying it is the harsh reality of winter. Freezing temperatures, frosty car windows, and chilly houses are all aspects of wintertime. Despite its troubles, winter is a favored time of year. After all, there is much good that can be done with snow, the plentiful resource that winter provides us with. Just one of the many wintertime activities that can be enjoyed when snow is abundant is traditional snowman making.

Making the perfect snowman ranks high on the list of pleasurable winter activities and is perhaps equal to none. How can one make the “perfect” snowman? It’s easier than you might think. Here are just a few tips and tricks for building a memorable, snowy friend:

1. Find your snow — First, you will want to find the right type of snow. The snow you want will be fluffy, not too watery, and at least a couple inches deep. Make sure that the snow packs together fairly easily.

2. Locate a building area — Find a relatively flat area on which to build your snowman.

3. Begin building – Build your snowman by shaping the base mound of snow into a large ball. You can accomplish this by shaping a smaller snow ball with your hands and then rolling it along the snow-covered ground, which will cause it to enlarge. Top that with another ball of snow that’s a bit smaller. Finally, add an even smaller ball of snow to the very top (this will serve as the head).

4. Decorate – After your snowman is built, complete it by adding a carrot nose, a couple of lumps of coal for eyes, and a row of buttons or pebbles for a mouth. Don’t forget to throw a scarf around your snowman’s neck!

Find more snowman building tips at http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Snowman.

After your snowman is built, why not host a snowman competition for your neighborhood? Talk to some other parents in town and appoint a couple of judges. Have neighborhood children build snowmen; later, serve hot chocolate and refreshments for them to enjoy as the judges choose the best snowman on the street. That would surely be a cherished memory for many families!

If you love building snowmen, imagine how much you would love creating them in artwork. Segmation offers a snowman pattern set that features all different kinds of wintry scenes. Check out Segmation’s snowman pattern by visiting http://www.segmation.com/products_pc_patternset_contents.asp?set=SNM.

Coming soon: You won’t want to miss Segmation’s upcoming blog post about presidents and their artistic abilities. It may really surprise you to learn which of America’s leaders were also leaders in the arts, so stay tuned!

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• Photography Returns to Its Roots — https://segmation.wordpress.com/2012/10/23/photography-returns-to-its-roots/

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Be an Artist in 2 minutes with Segmation SegPlay® PC (see more details here)

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Do you recall your favorite childhood pastime? For many people, art making was perhaps their most loved activity. Some individuals have fond memories of drawing, molding play dough, and finger painting. More specifically, creating amazing paintings using paint by number kits ranks high on the list of favorite childhood activities for scores of people. Are you one of those individuals who has cherished memories of paint by number?

Amy, a woman from Indianapolis, holds her paint by number recollections close to her heart. She remembers growing up admiring two paintings of beautiful women that were displayed in her bedroom. “I remember staring at them so often and dreaming about their lives,” Amy commented. When she was older, Amy discovered that her mother had painted those pictures using paint by number kits. Though she was not as talented at paint by number as her mother, Amy still treasured those paintings that brought joy and life to her imagination.

Audrey, an individual who grew up in a farmhouse in Minnesota, recalls sitting at her kitchen table while painting ballerinas as a child. Audrey admitted that she is not necessarily an artist, but said that paint by number gave her the opportunity to become one. Her experience with paint by number was unforgettable as it allowed her to “escape into the world” of the ballerinas she painted. Audrey is grateful to have these priceless memories.

Another childhood paint by number artist, Karen, remembers with love the time her parents gifted her with a paint by number kit, the theme of which was covered bridges. Karen noted that the covered bridges she painted were only recognizable from a distance. In her own words, this was her “first awareness of how Impressionist paintings were made.”

How much do you enjoy paint by number and Segmation? Whether you love being a perfect painter, great digital artist, or have fond childhood memories of coloring inside the lines, your experience is unique. We want to hear your story in the comment section below. What does paint by number mean to you?

Sources:

Retrorenovation.com

mnpraireroots.wordpress.com

childrensmuseum.org

Coming soon: Read Segmation’s exciting article on how to easily make your own paint by number pillow. You won’t want to miss it!

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