Misty : Cool Projects : Eco-Rama ECO-RAMA STEP F : Creating A River Hi! Your Crystal River scene couldn't be one without a river! So let's make one. Like the sun, air and earth, water is a vital element for life. That's why you find lots of plants, animals, bugs, and people around rivers. In this step of your EcoRama, we're going to use my secret rain painting technique to create your beautiful Crystal River. This would be a perfect time to use the handmade paper you made with Synapse or visit his Cool Project section to make some now. Or, you can use regular white paper. Stuff you'll need: Trash Treasures: handmade paper or regular white paper newspaper or drop cloth clear plastic wrap or cellophane (optional) Other stuff: water color paints paint brush falling rain (or misty water from a squirt gun, or spray bottle) glue scissors Instructions: Cover your painting area with old newspaper or a drop cloth so it doesn't get painted too. Paint one sheet of paper blue. This sheet will be used for the river water. While you're at it, you may want to paint other sheets different colors, like green, brown, yellow, etc. These sheets can be used later to cut out trees, flowers, butterflies and other things in your EcoRama. You could also mix colors on the paper. Use your imagination! If you happen to be doing this on a rainy day, you're in luck! Put on your rain gear and take the blue paper outside. Let the rain drops fall on it. It's just takes a few moments for rain to create wonders on your paper. If it doesn't happen to be raining where you live, use a spray bottle, or squirt gun, to drop water on your paper to create rain. Carefully bring the paper in to dry. See the interesting designs the rain created. If you like, you can do the same rain painting technique on your other colored sheets. When your paper is completely dry it's ready to add to your EcoRama. Cut the blue paper to the shape and size of the river you'd like in your nature scene. Glue it down inside your EcoRama. Once you have your river in place you can cover it with wrinkled cellophane or plastic wrap for a more realistic water effect. When you are ready to continue, click on Bloom. She's just bursting with creative ideas to help you!