chRistmas wiShes & joLLy craFting for 2014

May you all have a wonderful Christmas, laughter with family and friends, stockings filled with treats and inspired for many design delights and crafteries in 2014 xxxx

HAppy aDveNt sUndAy 1sT

Hello and happy advent Sunday.

This post merrily follows on from the craftie posts we have been sharing.

My mini1's love opening doors and seeing pictures or chocolates but this year I have opted for a hide a gift and seek the bag kind of advent calendar instead.

The girls enjoyed the hunting and foraging and finding their striped bags of yellow and white with a bold pink dot and Dec 1 on it. 

Inside their treat bags were a hand made white ceramic hanging decoration, a paper heart with date on and joined together with best of British liberty print fabric. Yes I did slip into pink for the girls and blue for the boy and of course we couldn't forget a little choc and although I didn't make the chocs I did enjoy eating a few whilst making the decorations!

Happy advent my mini1's and to you too xx

chRistMas cRaftEriE #2

With nativity costumes being made, rehearsals and more tipples being poured into the puds and cakes me and minimini1 took a break to get cRafTy!

Minimini1 loved the task if foraging and sorting all the 'just right' pompoms and then we got going and made lots and lots of Christmas cupcake toppers.

Minimini1 couldn't resist making one for wHiTe chRisTmaS mOuSe tOo....

Yay it was spot on.....

we just added a forest!

Lovely day with the three mini1's running around the forest, picnic, fun and games on children's wooden sculptures followed by good kid ice creams!

sprinkles + washi + imagination = circus

It's Friday, it's fun and yummy too so roll-up take a peek and see what's in the mix for our circus party weekend....

Peep-po Circus.....

As in our last post we said all is go as the circus is coming to town....
Here is our latest in the planning and doing and thank you to poppa for help with construction and daddy for handy work with the jigsaw.....perfect peep-po holes!
We will soon be able to share the pictures of mini1's transforming from party peeps to lions and juggling balancing performers, we can't wait!

The boy and his crackin' sisters.....

So all has been go this week, both on the design front, mama front and crafty easter front of course.....there has been bonnets, hunts, outfits and tree making and this morning we rounded off with egg blowing and well I'll let the pcs speak for themselves.

Happy Easter to you all and may we wish you a yummy crafty one at that!

If you to would like a go
1.grab your eggs
2.wash and blow them
3.decorate
4.most importantly have fun fun fun xx

Think pink floaty yummy thoughts....

Oh and pompoms too.
Having my eldest turn 5 last week took me into the kitchen to create something girly but not princess character based (as requested!)
Mini1 has gone from yellow being her favourite colour to red and pink, so with that in mind I got colours together first and then the rest followed.
Pompom topper consisted of 5 pompoms in current fave colours and had to include a yellow one too, and 2 traditional pink stripe paper straws.
The cake itself was a rainbow of pinks which gave a fab ombré effect when we sliced our way through (little wow factor too). As for the finishing lashing of pink butter icing and marshmallows and a number 5 from a dear friend.
Here is how it went....

transformer tuesday #19

Really our time is getting more and more tight especially as mini1 has all day at her pre-school now and we don't have her help come Tuesdays when we are transforming. End of term madness plus new projects I've taken on on top of the already full day(s).

Today however minimini1 was keen to get out the paints and I had a whole load of boxes and such for the recycle bin so what better than pick one of them and add it to the paints, gluppy glue and make an owl or two!

The fun recycled object we saved from the recycle bin was a egg box and here is what we made of it!

transformer tuesday #16

Ok it's still Tuesday so this counts but i really didn't think I'd be posting today, it has been craaaazzzzyyyy.

I'm sure you can see this too by the very slap dash look of the super fast crafty transformer session. With oodles to do I didn't think I'd be TTing today but at breakfast the little lady pulled out a paper cup and said I'd like a pop up dolly please so 'Pop-Up Dolly' was hastily transformed whilst making breakfast, dressing, washing and attending to little ones and hubby and a dog.

For this look no time is required!!

Things you will need are:

- paper-cup

- drinking straw

- paper sweetie bag (fabric is great though if you have a free hand and time to stitch!)

- card and pens to doodle a face

- pipe cleaner and beads for arms and hands

- thread for hair

- tape

Pinterest..i love you..

Just a few months back I set myself up on Pinterest I must say it has to be one of the best things I've ever done (in this cyber kinda world that is).

I log on in a morning 'pin' from those I follow, do sourcing and such myself throughout the day or when I have those lose yourself in inspiration moments and 'pin' my finds. It opens up a whole new world and not only am I grateful for such inspiring people and finds but also thrilled by seeing my follower numbers climb, it feels good to know that I'm sharing and it's liked and inspiring to my followers as those who share with me and make me happy. 

Thank you pinners and followers and long may we all pin :)

Here is a snap shot of some of my boards

Here are a few of my recent pins

good morning moustache

With Fathers Day just one week away I thought these fabulous Etsy finds would be fitting and fun, I'm smiling and I'm sure Dadda and Pa-Pa will be too.....

A little DIY required with this decal from Me & My 3 Boys it's super useful as every chap has that change that is just screaming out for a pot to pop it in to (snip at £2.99)

Silli Creations you can create an array of things...soaps, candles, cakes..... all for the special 'him' with this silicone mould

Freaky Fleece can help make dadda/pa-pa comfy and relaxed on fathers day (& have that treat yourself feeling too) with these great cushions...love them, find it tricky just picking two!

Isabells Umbrella has this print which I really like but for a different forth coming event! 

transformer tuesday #15

The last TT was some weeks back now, but I know how much you all like them so here we have one using a firm favourite of all the recycling materials..... a cardboard box.
Big thank you to Mini1 for doing most of this I just assisted with the cutting and threading of ribbon.

There are no step by step images as it speaks for itself and hoots too ;) but your list of tools are:
- a box (with all sides in tact and removed top and bottom
- sharp scissors
- gluppy glue
- paint
- papers / foils / other decoration
- pen
- ribbon for shoulder straps

.......beep beep, coming through!

plic ploc wiz

When it comes to iphone apps for the mini1's I try to find ones that are educational and fun but also with good design and illustrations. I find toca boca has a great range and we have a whole iphone page of them i think, still the hair salon is a favourite - not quite sure how educational this one is but great illustrations and fun!
Well today I'm pretty happy with my new app find it's from plic, ploc, wiz.
There are 2 main areas of play; create and play. Create is fun as you can move the shapes around the screen, multiply them and erase them and build up to create your own illustrations. If you don't want to create then play and move and place the shapes as if you're having some sticker puzzle fun.
The simplistic illustrations in the gallery and those you can create are really sweet and the colour palette i like too, so we have a winner....my turn now!

Looking for a house.....

Ok, so we're house viewing but not moving.
As some may know minimini1 is approaching her 2nd birthday! wow where has that gone? and I'm on the birthday present hunt, last year I believe I came good with this gift with thanks again to Sisters Guild and Molly-Meg.
This birthday is tricky, with a big sis just turned 4 we have lots that they share and rooms that sometimes feel full and what more could they want, well as with every girl there is room something so I thought it's never too early to start a little one interested in home decor and furnishing so what better than a garden house. I had thought of the whole adventure park thing as the garden would take it but the only problem is it is fairly a no go when it is really raining, at least by going down the house with swing or slide route you can still see them enjoying the outdoor whilst in!
Well show me the finds I hear you say, and please let them be less than four figures I hear hubby say!
Here we go and fab prices too :) from £259.99

wicken toys

sheds world

activity toys direct

shed store

fun playhouses

chop chop kiddies

I'm not sure if you're anything like me but I have things that match, thinks that mix match in a lovely eclectic way and then these bits that are the same but horribly different, I'm talking about the mish mash of kids cutlery we have accumulated over the past 4 years, and I'm guessing there will be more!
Well I'm thinking of taking this in hand and purchasing several sets for age 18 months plus and 3/4 piece sets so we can match and munch in a fashionably chop chop eat up style.

Here are some of my findings:

Eden Project £8

Gense's four piece animal set £40.99 at All Modern

Raacke at KidsModern has this simplistic three/four piece set 48-78 euros

Alessi Agli ordini, thermoplastic resin £11 

Japanese Funfam in bamboo and possibly my fave despite not really being able to buy several sets!!...table manners kiddies :)

hAppy eaSTer

Up a tree collecting carrots! walking a pompom tightrope, egg hunting or spending time with loved ones, whatever easter has lined up for you have a really jolly yummy fun one. xx