Happy 18th Birthday

 

 

I have to share this one!

 

My son recently celebrated his 18th birthday, with a family trip to LEGOLAND, followed by a family BBQ. This is the Lego cake that his girlfriend's sister made...isn't it great?...it looks like him too!

  

 

Easter Cards

 

I cut out a stencil to create the sunray background, which the children sponged onto the card. Again I used wallpaper for the collaged hills, and newspaper for the cave. The children drew their own angel, and with a little help, made a twiggy cross. Then embellished with buttons and sequins.

 

 

The cirlces were die-punched for speed and ease. The twiggy cross was a little tricky - we had fun collecting the twigs. They needed a little help tying the wool - but that is a skill that they need to achieve.

30 cards later...For a year 1 class.

 

 

And previous Easter cards...I really should take more photos of the things that I make, but it's always rush, rush, rush!! The next cards were made with reception children, using printing, folding and collaging.

 

 

I used to use my Sizzix a lot. The thing about working with 60 children to produce an item over 1 or 2 days is speed and preparation. I'm always trying to use recycled goods for craft as it's:

1.  cheap 
2.  easily available

 you can get a bit carried away buying craft materials and it becomes expensive when working with this many children. So here, we printed the paper using a drawer liner from Ikea. It was plastic with dots on it. The children helped me look for letters in the newspaper, which were collaged and then photocopied. The bird and leaves are Sizzix cut outs, and the wing is actually the easter story, folded by the children into a fan - so lots of skills used here. I do take my machine into school and let then help when I can - they are just fascinated by it!

 

 

 

and some gift bags filled with little eggs as their treat....punched out shapes and collaged by the children, using up left over bits and bobs - yes there's that printed paper again!

 

I work with older children now, so I don't provide so many shapes, as their skills are better.

Father's Day Cards

 

I didn't have much time to think about these...but a lucky find in the kitchen cupboards led to these cupcake cases rosettes for Father's Day cards. Handmade paper sets off the background with spotty ribbon, simple idea and quite effective too. I managed to whip up 30 in 1 hour with the children.

 

 

Sewing on Card

I've used a wallpaper sample book and newspaper to create these sunny sunflower cards. Stuck down with a little glue, then sewn onto the card.

 

 

First Wedding Anniversary Card

 

This post is a little late, as it's nearly 2 years since the wedding.....but this is last year's card, simply made for a first 'paper' anniversary. I love sewing with paper and the reason I used newspaper is because my son-in-law was our local newspaper boy when my daughter met him.

 

 

 

I also made some larger hearts and sewed them together as bunting. Thinking cap on now for the second 'cotton' anniversary....

The kitchen

At last the builders have gone...

 

 

The kitchen - solid pine with beech worktops was from the Old Creamery, with a Belfast sink. The floor tiles were Egyptian Limestone from Narduzzo outlet. Wall tiles were Valencia from Tons of tiles (cheap Fired Earth!). Range cooker from Belling. I was hesitant about the wood surfaces, as friends had warned me that they go mouldy. So I purchased a Drainer tray. So far, so good, except for leaving tins on the surface, even for a couple of hours they leave a ring, so straight into the recycling with them.

 

 

 

Mum's Moira ware - she was given it about 32 years ago and they were old then!

 

The plate rack was from a Charity shop - lucky find...

 but we added the extra shelf and plate holders. Now holding my Denby plates

The table was from the Pumping Station. Light are from Ikea. Walls in Clunch, Farrow and Ball

Finger Puppet Mice

Inspired by.....Finger puppet on CBeebies

 

We made these in school last week, but I wanted to make some longer lasting ones for the role play corner.

 

 

I had a piece of grey wool blanket, bought as a bag of scraps from Melin Tregwynt

 

 

And contrasting cotton pieces

 

I've sewn them together with a zigzag stitch - I tried one first, face sides together and turning it around, but it wasn't quite right as the blanket was too thick.

 

Sewn into cones with a tail added in the seam, then turned around.

 

The ears: I cut the circles with my ever so trustee Sizzix, then used heat and bond to keep the pink in place, then machine embroidered the onto the grey.

 

The ears were hand sewn on, with embroidered eyes for safety. I folded over the tail and hand stitched in for extra strength

 

 

 

Twenty mice later...yawn...these will go in the pet shop tomorrow. See link.

 

Pirate bunting

I was asked to make some bunting for two little boys' playroom

 

 

 

I've used Laura Ashley gingham in red and blue

 

I've used a jute string to thread through the top, rather than my usual bias binding top

 

The reverse is a selection of Ikea and various vintage from my stash

 

 

Sizzix pirate skull, with heat and bond, then machine embroidered with a darning foot

 

 

I sewed the front of the gingham by machine, but did the reverse by hand so that the stitches were invisible for a neater finish

50th Birthday Celebration

Well my OH celebrated the big 50 yesterday - and as he's not really one for a fuss - I threw him a (sort of) surprise party. After much deliberation and many questions on how he would like to mark the occasion, we settled on an overnight stay and spa and a local 5* hotel, and a tea party at home for family. He chose Mexican food - so we went the whole hog with a Mexican themed party. We'll be taking a trip away when the weather warms up,

 

http://www.pinterest.com/pollyoconnor1/mexican-50th-party/

 

Yum...chocolate fingers fort cake

 

Sorry! (ssh...don't tell him).

Silver Wedding Anniversary Card

My brother and his wife just celebrated their 25th Wedding Anniversary. So I made them a card, again recycling as much as I could, using gift wrap and cardboard packaging.

 

 

 

Happy Anniversary!

Recycling

I'm a great believer in giving things a new life - whether it's buying second hand furniture or looking at every piece of packaging and thinking 'Now what can I make with this?' (My husband can testify to the hoards I have managed to ram into the shed). I use a lot of cardboard and packaging in my projects in my role as a teaching assistant. Making projects with 30 or even 60 children can be a bit pricey too....
I have access to used hessian sacks from my husband's factory, so these come in handy at school fete time..

 

Sweet little house keyrings.

 

I've used Cath Kidston for the fabric and machine embroidered using a darning foot - it allows a lot more freedom - takes a bit of getting used to, but is great fun. I've added East of India ribbon and a key ring.

 

Sold for £1.00 each - believe me that's the going rate at a fete!

 

Monster keyrings for the boys.