Spore printing adventures....

(Spoiler alert... it didn't work out in the end with the gorgeous results that 5 Orange Potatoes had...) 

We attempted to make mushroom spore prints, and while our results may not merit any long lasting works of art, we had Fun!  It was something new, and unheard of for my babies.  "Brand new project" that's always a great lead in with my adventurous art lov'n naturalists. (turns out 'naturalist' is actually a philosophy, not just a nature lover, as I am using the word.  It is also a much better choice of term than 'naturists', which I first had, that means a nudist.  I am not positive, but my children could be a mixture of both)

We started with the find....  

Then I gathered the materials...

Ava was our forager (I could trust her to wash her hands, and not put them in her mouth)..

Cyrus was the plate holder/ collector.... (if there is one thing these little guys love its titles)

Careful ovoid the upset ant colony...  (this photo can't show just how angry this tiny army were)

We set our mushroom caps on different shades of paper, covered them with lids and glass pans, and waited...

We did get one to leave a mark, its not exactly a "spore print".  I am not really sure what you'd call it.  Its kinda a sticky mess that dried over night.  The mushroom that made this mark was past its spore time, already decomposing.  Its more like a mushroom splat, than a print.  A mushroom rorschach perhaps?  I see a lady standing in front of a sunset.  (maybe you have to be here)

This project started with inspiration from 5 Orange Potatoes. Her site was down so I had to use directions from trusty ol' Martha, and later from the experts to discover where I went wrong.   I had great advice along the way, and it turns out my mushrooms were just to young. (and possibly not even the right kind).  And you know what?  It didn't matter.  It doesn't matter.  We really did have fun.  The required hour wait lost their attention anyway.  Next time (now that I am practically an expert myself) we will have all the same fun with the added newness of making the actual prints!  For my little ones all it really takes to remember an awesome time is being together, outside, exploring.  A complete success!

Thank you to The Magic Onions for bringing us together each and every Friday!