Last week it was the shepherds and sheep. This week saw the arrival of wise men, cattle-a-lowing, sheep-a-baaing and angels, lots of them. They sing “Hallelujah” to the Leonard Cohen / X-factor tune in our house because Toby and Isabella love that song. Here are the latest pics of the Nativity. The star path is […] Read more...
All I want for Christmas…
This year, more than any I can remember, I am just sooooo excited about having two weeks with my lovely husband at home and all of us together, no work, no school. Just being together. I guess the first three Christmases of us being parents have been blurred by deep-boned tiredness and at last, that […] Read more...
Children’s Art Gallery
For over 3 years I have been adding the kids artwork to the dining room wall – from the first scribble and brushstrokes to handprints, the numerous collages and more recently, their gorgeous representations of people and animals. The trouble is that I was running out of wall space and it was looking messy, with […] Read more...
Mosaic picture frames for kids to make
This year I have been focusing on finding mosaic actvities for very young children to do – for fun and to learn some of the basics of mosaics (you are never too young…!). I have tagged them all under “pre-schoolers”, “children” and “craft” if you want to search the blog archive and the first 3 […] Read more...
Nativity Week Two
It’s been a good but tiring week as have been battling a chest infection. I had my second attempt at doing the Christmas Art Fairs on Friday. Looking back on these two experiences, I am still mulling over if ‘Fairs’ is one of the places where I will put my work out to the world. […] Read more...
Children’s Christmas Mosaics
Here’s a simple children’s activity for making some pretty decorations with a mosaic theme. I did this activity at an art and craft fair at the weekend and found that children from 3 upwards really enjoyed it and got absorbed in it. More mosaic activities for kids to make as presents coming up next week […] Read more...
Crazy patchwork and mosaics
I stumbled on this lovely new place last Saturday. It is a shop dedicated to patchwork and quilting, called The Wandering Line in Purley, Surrey. For a while, I have been thinking how nice it would be to have a very cosy, gorgeous blanket on the couch for us all to snuggle under when we […] Read more...
Pine needle jewellery and pretty things
When I was a child my mother taught me how to make necklaces from pine needles. Our recent holiday in the forest bought this back to me (oh how I love the smell of pine forests) so Isabella, Jules and I sat for an hour making things with pine needles. Here’s how you do the […] Read more...
Eco-dying your own fabric in 5 minutes!
One of the famous Liberty Print fabrics Last Sunday we went to one of our local ‘beauty spots’ that we go to lots. Merton Abbey Mills is a lovely permanent market near the river Wandle, based on the site of an old (now buried) ancient abbey and also the place where William Morris (founder of […] Read more...
Making mosaic suncatchers
This is a lovely toddler mosaic method we have tried out that has produced a beautiful suncatcher. Like the other mosaics in this series, it easy for little toddlers as well as slightly older children to do. You will need: a picture frame with glass (not perspex as it will flex and the nuggets may […] Read more...