Happy Days!

 How the sun makes such a difference.  Our first al fresco meal of the year.  Just Sophie and I whilst everyone else was at school or work.  But it felt so nice, there really is something special about eating outside, and Sophie obviously thought so too, as she ate really well!

Over the weekend I realised it was a good friend's birthday on Monday, and was initially going to try and find something in the shops, but then decided to make a phone cozy for her, as the one she had didn't fit her phone very well.  I am so pleased with how it turned out, I think I may make a few more ;) 

 Mr postman has been very busy too, I saw this badge on facebook as a work in progress, and immediately fell in love with it.  I was wanting a badge for my felt jacket, and just knew that this would be perfect.  It is from ScrapunzelPixie on Etsy.  And she has given me a code for 20% off if anyone is interested in any of her things there, just let me know and I can share the code.

 Another wonderful parcel was this BFL roving that was so very kindly dyed for me by Sarah.  I wasn't initially sure what I would make with it, but I think it is calling out to be navajo plyed to keep the changes in colour together, and then turned into a little shawlette.  Just got to findd me a simple pattern, because I don't think I would ever get the time to be able to concentrate on a lace pattern!!

 A surprise card in the post from a wonderful friend, which made my day.  Simple little gestures like that can mean so much.  Which reminds me that I really should put pen to paper that little more frequently.

 And then a custom made journal for me to write down my inspirations and ideas for craft projects.  Again from Etsy, a lovely lady called Helen at WickedFaerieGifts.  As soon as there is a break in this glorious weather, my ideas will be written down and planned out in this beautiful book.

These are a few things that have been making my days happy, I just thought I would share them with you.

National Exhibition

At last nights Guild meeting we were each given a 6 inch steel ring.  Why? Well, the Guild is having a national exhibition at the Weald and Downland Museum in July.  Each member can submit a piece of work that will fit within the 6 inch ring (the ring making up part of the exhibit).

So, what to do?  Apparently it can be three dimensional or flat.  So I bought an extra ring so I could experiment!  But looking at the ring I was so uninspired.  I mean, where do you start?  However, on the 30 minute drive home the ideas came flooding.  I first thought of a crescent, needle felted moon, with a star hanging within the ring.  I've since thought of a full moon, in 3-D with the dark side shown too.  But then my ideas became a little more ambitious (as they do!). 

I then spent a couple of hours browsing ravelry, and found some beautiful crocheted applique motifs, and thought of doing something along the lines of fairy tales, but then discovered the patterns were in chinese, or something similar.  But I now think I have decided on two themes.  For a 2-D creation it will be themed, "under the sea", and for the 3-D one it will be named "shhh" and is inspired by a picture by the very talented Jacqui.

I'm all for a challenge, and hope some others I know will be taking part.  Exciting times!!

Bunting

 An order completed.  An excited me, who cannot wait until morning to try and get enough natural light to take pictures (although if today was anything to go by there isn't much of the natural light about at the moment!)

 I hope that the recipient is happy with it.

 I have loved putting this together, and have ideas for the future along the rainbow theme.

Clay and paint

 Luke had some money to spend in a local craft store, so he bought a whole load of clay. He had an idea in mind that he had seen on Art Attack.  So when he got home he set to work, not letting any of us know what he was doing. 

 A pizza, with toppings that can be interchangeable, and it's own pizza dish to go in.  It just needs painting up now.

On the same trip to the art store, Mum picked up some paint it by numbers for Alec and Ethan.  Ethan finished his pretty quickly, and did such a good job.  We just have to find a picture frame now!

 And here are some of Sophie's creations.  She piles all kinds of paint onto the clay shape and we let it dry.  Rather effective, and I can guarantee if I did the same thing it wouldn't look as half as good!

Random Week

 Peas!  Our first harvest, and we just got enough for a meal!  Well, there would have been more, but they are just too good raw!  One for the pan, one for me!  Well, that was Luke's way of podding them!

 A birthday present for a girl in Ethan's class, hair slides and grips.  I hope she likes them.  Ethan is such a popular little lad.  Invited to so many parties, and this last one he was the only boy invited.  He took it all in his stride, and I am proud that he still enjoys playing with girls, when many at his age are only playing with children of their own sex.

 We have a bit of a family obsession/dream of hobbit holes at the moment.  Luke is creating one from scratch.  A papier mache balloon, some balsa wood and filler has so far created this.

 Ethan has been busy designing a hobbit hole too.

 With an inside plan too.

 And just to add to the random nature of this post.  I have some new storage for my unspun wool.  Still have half the alpaca fleece in a bag, but this should keep me busy for a while, and means there's a few less plastic bags dotted about the place!

Sophie's plans

Ethan had a birthday party to go to straight after school the other day, and I think Sophie was feeling a little left out.  Therefore, she decided it was her birthday, and she needed a birthday cake with candles on.  Well, I had to oblige her!  My excuse was that we were out of nice things to eat, so it would serve a dual purpose!

Once Ethan returned home, we sang happy birthday to us all as a family.  However, the candles got blown out by one individual (not naming anyone!), which upset the others.  The candles were relit, only to blown about by another individual (the idea was that we would blow them all out together ... how wrong was I!).  I think we had to relight the candles another 3 times to keep everyone happy.  Then we tucked in.  Very nice too!  Good idea Sophie ;)

 Then, this morning, in the midst of the chaos of getting everyone fed, washed, dressed, sandwiches prepared etc prior to getting out the house for 8.30am  Sophie decided she wanted to decorate a biscuit!  This takes a good ten minutes, as she has to do it all herself, no help from Mummy at all, and if I dare help as she seems to be struggling, we have a bit of a tantrum!  All tubes of writing icing also have to be used!  I was trying very hard to be patient, and giving her my attention without hurrying her.  The red icing went on first, and I commented that it looked like eyes and a mouth.  Sophie then decided to do white hair, black cheeks, a yellow nose and one more green cheek and a bit of green hair.  She knew exactly where they should all go, and I am so pleased that I took the time out to facilitate what has become her first recognisable piece of art.

The family addiction

 Boxes in all kinds of places, stacked awaiting their contents to be spilled, and created.  From dining chairs, to corners of rooms...

 ...dining tables, bedrooms...

 and even kitchen window ledges!

 These role playing models (mainly WarHammer) are taking over the house!  Luke has been interested in them since he was about 7, even though the general earliest age of interest is around age 12.  He has been working his way through armies, perfecting his painting, and getting his head around all the game play strategies.  His book of choice is a rule book of one army or another.  One of his recent paintings is of this boar.

 Considering it is made of metal, you would never know, to me it doens't even look painted, just so natural.  He has got us all hooked on this.  Stuart has set up a local wargaming society which has been a roaring success, with geeks coming out of the woodwork left, right and centre!!  So now Luke has people he can talk to about this, who actually understand the passion, and the rules!  He has been introduced to new armies, new rules, and he is in his element. 

Stuart and I have also indulged a little, havnig both admired games workshop models from afar for many years!  We have been known to be sat at the dining table into the early hours of the morning, building models, filing them, painting them.  I am very slowly workig my wat through my wood elf army, these are some of the dryads that I have painted up.  It takes forever!  Whenever I see some of the armies that have been created, it really brings home to me how many weeks or even month and years these things take up! 

Having said that, it is a wonderful hobby, it is keeping Luke stimulated, it is creative, tacticle, and now has a wonderful social element to it, with the weekly group. 

Creativity

 For Christmas my Mum bought me a day course on wet felting.  So the other Wednesday I trotted off to our local craft centre, whilst Mum looked after Sophie, and spent 6 hours learning how to wet felt. There was me and 7 teachers who were on a teacher training day (now we know what they get up too!! ;) ), all learning how to produce a felt bag.

 We felted onto fabric, which ended up as the lining of the bag, and the bag was made without any sewing, just folding and more felting. 

 I am really pleased with the outcome, I have yet to attach the shoulder strap on, but I can see a few more of these being made over time, now that I know how!!  And I will be saving even more bits of scraps of material and wool for my felting supplies now!!

Other creativity that has been going on, WarHammer!  Stuart has set up a local warhammer group who will be having their first weekly meeting on the 4th April. So he and Luke have been busy creating a fort to aid their game play.  Already there have been quite a few people sign up, so fingers crossed it will get off the ground, and become a regular opportunity for gamers to get together, paint and have a game.

For Earth Hour, Luke very kindly made some candles with a beeswax kit he got for Christmas.  I think we may have to increase our amount of materials, as it is quite addictive, and the rate we go through candles, we need a steady supply.

 And look what arrived in the post these last couple of days.  I have been wanting to read Juno for a while, and from a quick glance through this morning it looks like a lovely magazine, with a wide breadth of articles.  Thank you Jacqui.
And this book.... wow, I think this is the first education book I have read where I am nodding in agreement from the first page.  The perfect book for a would be homeschooler who sits on the fence way too much!  Thank you Sarah, it's just what I needed!

Beautiful winter!

As I have been out and about these last few days, the first comment anybody makes is, "brrr, it's very cold isn't it!" But that is not the first thing that strikes me when I step outside, it is "how stunning!" "how beautiful!" and "how fragile!"

I couldn't help but take some photos of our neighbourhood, and how it is transformed by the frost.

These silver birch leaves remind me of a stained glass window, nearly translucent leaves edged with frost.

I have marvelled at how the frost has developed over the last few days.

The tree on the green has looked majestic in its frosty cloak.

And what better time to get around to doing one of our advent activites. Ice art.

Here's the tree in the front garden decorated with our ice art. I can see this becoming a winter long activity. So easy, and so effective.

The extreme weather has made me think how winter drives us all to our homes, how frightening those times must have been for our ancestors who were more reliant on the land for their food, and how stark these times would have been for them. How thankful this makes me that I have warmth, food, and a loving home to retreat to.

Hoping you are all keeping warm, but also seeing the beauty around us.

Snowy weather activites?

What do you do when you discover it has snowed overnight? Put on warm clothes, race outside and play in the snow? Not if your in this household!

Luke has spent the last couple of evenings making a gun out of paper, via instructions on you tube! So, he finished it off, and then demonstrated it. Paper bullets flying out under the power of his breath. He then discovered instructions to build a basic gun that fires elastic bands, rather effective too!

Sophie did venture outside, and discovered "Balls! Snow.....balls"

To be fair, the boys did eventually go outside, just before lunch, and have only just come in, just before tea. So I can't complain too much!

A bit of creativity

A few odd socks lying around the house, some bored children, some buttons from my Nan's button collection I inherited, and some lavender from last years harvest, what do you get?

Some hardworking children, some learning new skills...

A very heady aroma of lavender, plus a bit of mess...

... and some rather fragrant sock creatures to stuff into smelly shoes at the end of the day!

Then today, a wet rainy afternoon, and a request to do some WarHammer. Sophie was fast asleep, so I took the chance to have a go at painting some of the Wood Elves I have been collecting over the past year or so. It took me an hour to paint this dryad, my first attempt at a dryad, and I am so pleased with the results.

Not the prettiest of woodland creatures, but great fun to paint!

Luke helped Ethan paint one of his Orcs, and we had a wonderful afternoon. I even managed to paint the leaves whilst breastfeeding, I was quite impressed with my multi-tasking!

I will have to take some pictures of Luke's armies he has created. It really is quite something. He is a wizz at playing the role playing game too. Much too strategic for me, I just like the painting!