My children adore Poppy Cat and already have a couple of board books so they were very happy to be sent two new paperback story books featuring their favourite animal and friends. Poppy Cat: Birthday Treasure and Poppy Cat: The Mystery Trail are two lovely books and a great introduction to Poppy Cat. The stories are beautifully illustrated and the perfect size for little fingers to examine and point out the details. These books have been designed to introduce toddlers to the idea of a story line. They are just the right length to keep my toddlers attention and he…
-
-
I’m on the look out for inspiration for our new home and finding plenty of it in craft books. I was recently sent a copy of Hand Knit Your home – 30 knitted projects for a modern home by Melanie Porter which is full of new ideas. Hand Knit Your home is a really interesting book as it presents a fresh perspective on decorating your home. The book is divided into three chapters and colour schemes – hot ideas, cool collection and pale palette. The projects are really inspired, ranging from a small flower vase cosy to a large floor…
-
I do so love being sent craft books to review and was lucky to receive a copy of folk art needlecraft – 35 step-by-step projects using traditional motifs from across the globe by Clare Youngs. I have recently been trying to improve my limited knowledge of stitches so this book arrived at a great time for me. It is full of lovely inspiring projects for the home, children and gifts, all of which can be completed in a couple of evenings. Some of the projects really appealed to me and have been added to my Day Zero craft list! I…
-
One of my favourite books as a child was The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. Did you know it was so popular that he went on to write 13 more Oz books? This was one story I couldn’t wait to share with the children and I have been able to thanks to a new, beautiful pop-up version of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. It has had a makeover at the hands of Stella Gurney, with illustrations by Lorna Freytag, and ties in with a new version by Disney. 2013 is the year of Oz with live action…
-
No not us, but Little Sis. For the last 15 months she has quite happily shared a room with us, but it’s time for her to go. Not that I don’t love having her with us but I want her to go straight into her own room when we move. Last year we had our spare room subdivided so she does have her own room. We just need to remove our guest bed and move her cot in. It’s been freshly decorated so it’s all ready for her. We moved her brother into his own room when he was 6…
-
I’ve been working on a couple of patchwork projects lately. As well as a Union Jack cot quilt, I’m also making some patchwork doll quilts for my daughter. I was really keen to get my hands on hand quilted with love by Sarah Fielke. The book is subtitled patchwork projects inspired by a passion for quilting and it’s a beautiful book. I think of myself as a pretty competent maker of patchwork, I’m not so confident at quilting. In Hand Quilted with Love Sarah Fielke encourages and inspires you to step outside of your comfort zone! The book includes 16…
-
We were sent a copy of Eco-friendly Crafting with Kids by Kate Lilley, who writes the hugely popular Mini-eco blog. I’ve been a fan of her blog for years, using one of her shadow puppet templates to make a Halloween tshirt for the toddler back in 2011. The book is as lovely and colourful as her blog and includes 35 projects designed for preschoolers up to and including the age of 5. The projects are split into themes: homemade materials, music, nature, recycling bin, paper and card, sewing and threading, science and a bonus section of boredom busters at the…
-
It’s been a long time since I did anything with my socks, except wear them. The one and only time I’ve made a sock monkey was back in 2008 but they are still very much in vogue. Sock Puppet Madness Take Bawston the ornery cat puppet, for example. He’s a baseball fan with a questionable temper, so watch what you say to him. A more friendly guy is Sebastian Metaphor. He may seem aloof with his hipster appearance but behind those sleepy eyes lies a heart of gold. If you are a sophisticated sort why not have a crack at…
-
Disney Junior’s brand new original 3D animation for preschoolers “Henry Hugglemonster”, will premiere on the channel next week on 8th February. The series follows the adventures of fun-loving, five-year-old Henry Hugglemonster, the middle child in a happy, close-knit monster family – The Hugglemonsters of Roarsville. The series was developed from children’s book “I’m a Happy Hugglewug” by Children’s Laureate award-winner, Niamh Sharkey, published by Walker Books. We were lucky enough to meet Niamh Sharkey last week and have a personal reading and art masterclass with her and a couple of other lovely bloggers. My toddler absolutely adores “Henry Monster” as…