I’ve been obsessed with pinning projects using hama beads lately. Hama beads come in three sizes and can be arranged on peg boards to make patterns. My toddler has been experimenting with Hama maxi beads (which are twice the size of normal beads) and that’s made me want to make my own things with the smaller midi beads. I haven’t used them since I was much younger but it’s fun! My Pinterest board is filling up nicely and I’ve already tried a few things. First of all I made a cute little Snow White for my daughter who’s just starting…
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We spent much of the afternoon crafting. My 4 year old loves to craft and he’s currently interested in making cards for everyone we know. Fortunately for him he was sent a little stencil kit from Meadow Kids which helped him create the perfect cards. He used the stencils, colouring pencils and paper to make some pictures of animals. The stencils were quite small but perfect for his hands. He was able to hold them down and draw inside them. Then we made cards using the paper and envelopes. Little Sis wanted to do the same as her brother so…
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One of my Summer projects was to have some fun with DYLON dye. Dyeing is a great way to give your textiles a new lease of life, especially if you want to be on trend with the latest colours. These days it couldn’t be easier, all you need is some packets of fabric dye, salt, a bucket and your fabric. Experimenting with fabric dye I was looking back through my archives and it’s been a while since I dyed anything. Some of my favourite projects include dyeing a blanket for Little Sis and dyeing vintage wool blankets. I’ve used the…
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Week 5 has gone past in a bit of a flash, we’ve enjoyed entertaining the family but unfortunately been ill too. An extra pair of hands with the children meant I was able to go to Camden for the DryNites Mums crafting event with Tamara Melvin and parenting expert Emma Kenny which was fab. I still need to put my upcycled lamp together and share it with you. My husband and I had a rare date night at our local Miller & Carter restaurant. I’ve been spending loads of time making things with the children which we love doing. It’s…
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This week I was invited to a really fun crafting event with former Great British Sewing Bee finalist Tamara Melvin. She has been working with DryNites to create a series of craft projects to bring some grown-up touches to kids’ bedrooms. She is aiming to help parents through the bedwetting stage of their child’s development by highlighting the importance of age-appropriate influences at night time. Created on behalf of DryNites, and with support from child psychologist Emma Kenny, Tamara wants to provide a fun way to normalise this phase, which affects almost 600,000 children every year. We met at Tea…
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This time of year (distinctly Autumnal!) makes me think of the Knitting and Stitching Show at Ally Pally. I’ve been every year since 2007 and I started blogging about my purchases from the Show. As there are just so many lovely to things to buy I have to be strict with myself so I blog my purchases and what I make to justify my purchases. In 2010 I bought a Clothkits doll cushion, Advent calendar printed panel, gingerbread man cross stitch and Union flag quilt pattern. I made everything except the Union flag quilt as I couldn’t find the jelly…
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A while ago I set up my own Etsy shop to sell vintage supplies such as Scrabble tiles and playing cards. I’ve had a couple of sales, and I have plenty of stock which needs to be listed. I really want to push my little shop to the next level so was excited to see a new book from Mollie Makes. Called Making It! the hard facts you need to start your own craft business, this book sounded perfect for me. I’m a huge fan of Mollie Makes. As well as my monthly subscription to their lovely lifestyle and craft…
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I was sent a ‘mystery’ art and craft product from Galt Toys range of children’s art materials in return for sharing a fun creative competition with my readers. We received 24 Chunky Crayons which are perfect for small hands (although they’re not suitable for children under 36 months). Every month Galt Toys host a fun competition where you can download a template and recreate a famous painting by the world’s most loved artists. This month they will be focusing on ‘Sunflowers’ by Vincent Van Gogh. You can download the picture from their website and let your children get as creative…
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I don’t have a particular project on the go at the moment. Last week I finished my maverick star dolls quilt for Little Sis. It was a bit of an impromptu make and now I don’t know what to make next. Instead of crafting I have been reading, mainly the new Quilt Now magazine and Mollie Makes blogging bookazine. I love the new quilting magazine and have been picking up some great tips from Mollie Makes blogging. I have a couple of subscriptions to craft magazines such as Mollie Makes and Love Patchwork and Quilting but I can’t help browsing…