Sneaky Art

I recently came across the book Sneaky Art: Crafty Surprises to Hide in Plain Sight by Marthe Jocelyn. It has some great ideas for creating things to hide around your house or in public places in sort of a pay-it-forward way, just to give a family member or even complete strangers a little lift.  It features ideas like leaving a lucky penny, below

creating a tag to tie on someone's locker or backpack,

or even this cute little cup dangler as a surprise on someone's morning coffee!

I plan on using these ideas for a teen craft class at the library in late July.  But meanwhile, I had coincidentally found these little gift tags on the discount rack at Michaels and started adding my own touches to them with stamps, gel pens, and watercolor paints.  They fit right in to the "Sneaky Art" theme, so I left some for the girls to find in the bathroom the other morning.

I had even left a few of these cup danglers around, some at the circulation desk and this one here at Youth Services.  I made mine with paper and glue-on plastic jewels instead of Swedish fish.

When I got into work Monday morning, I found this at my computer:

What a great pick-me-up from my partner-in-crime, Gail!  Just what I needed on a groggy Monday morning!  Then I went out to open the YS desk and I found this:

And another one on the opening checklist clipboard:

 Even in the supply drawer!  That Gail is too much!

It made me want to make a bunch more tags and notes to leave around the library, the house, even the grocery store!  It just goes to show you how easy it is to spread a little joy around. All she used was a printer and a pair of scissors and she made everyone who sat at the desk this week smile!  So go out and buy (or borrow) Sneaky Art and leave some love notes and little arty gifts for your family, coworkers, anybody!