Forest School Log - Ice Mobiles

Ice mobiles

The week started out  with a frost, so I decided this week's forest school would make use of it. So we made ice mobiles. These are very easy to make and like all the other forest school activities can be easily done at home.
The children donned their wellies and we squelched and sloshed about looking for 'interesting things'. They mostly chose natural objects, leaves, berries, fir cones and daisies! It shows how mild it is to find daisies in January!!!

arrange your findings

These were carefully arranged in ice-cream tubs, but you could also cut down milk containers and use the 'tub' that produces. A large loop of wool (or string) was also laid in the arrangement and then water carefully poured over, just enough to cover the contents. Making sure one end of the loop was well down in the water and the other half is draped out of the tub.
My plan had been to leave them out to freeze, but the weather became milder and the rain started - again. So I put them carefully in the freezer. When they were ready, a quick dip in some warm water to loosen them and then they were hung on a tree to bob in the wind. The children loved them and so did I!
I thought I would add this to Handmade Monday this week, as something different to make!! Why not see what everyone else is up to?

 



Penguin post

Happy Handmade Monday!
The good news is that the sea stayed behind the wall last week-end and we slept safely. The weather has made it very soggy and muddy around here, but life has continued it's weekly round of school, dancing, guides and very little crafting for me. I am busy trying to do my tax return ready for the end of the month and any helpful advice would be very much appreciated!

penguins

I have redesigned the penguin key rings with Valentines and Mothering Sunday in mind, and the jammy dodger key rings are one of Folksy's Valentine gifts which is boost! I've got lots of ideas simmering away, and I'm having to keep them firmly at the back of my mind for now!
One thing I am struggling on is a 21st Birthday gift for my nephew - he's not likely to drive and an alcoholic theme isn't really appropriate either so again, any suggestions would be very welcome!

Getting crafty

I'm sitting here in a very wild and wet Somerset writing my blog, when I should be doing lesson plans, waiting for high tide this evening, and hoping the sea will stay below the sea wall!
I made Mr P-L a key ring for Christmas, based on the idea that I love him more than jammy dodgers. I did get a bit carried away and made lots, so those are now for sale in my Folksy shop.

I love you more than jammy dodgers!

 I was then left with all the little hearts I had cut out of the middle of my felt biscuits. So today, after forcing my children to write thank-you notes for their presents, I used the left over hearts to make some very simple thank-you cards of my own, to give to the children at school for their gifts they gave me.

I don't waste anything!

The lovely gingham printed paper comes from Mrprintables and I just glued the hearts onto the front. No where near as intricate as the ones you see on Wendy's Handmade Harbour, but I am pleased with them!

Simple thank-you cards

This week week I am planning to join in with Handmade Monday and catching up with everyone, so I will finish by wishing you all a very happy New Year.

Happy 2014

Three Little Maids

Dolly Mixtures

This week I have been busy cleaning - and feeling very virtuous. We didn't use the oven until today as I was determined to keep it clean for as long as possible!
I've also made some Dolly Mixtures, but with a difference as they now come with a teeny tote bag each, and in that tote ...

Cherry, Blueberry and Rosehip

a pretty dress!
I've had a lovely time making these, as I've been exploring the embroidery stitches on my machine to decorate the dresses (which can also be worn as a long skirt!). So they really are mixtures now, as they can mix up their clothes!

Blueberry

Making these has made my feel like spring might be on its way! I shall enjoy reading everyone elses blog over on Handmade Monday - I wonder if spring will have crept in there as well?
I shall leave you with a picture of work in progress - I'm loving these as well! You might spot someone's feet in the corner!

Mystery Knit Along

A couple of years ago I took part in a mystery knitalong on Ravelry to knit a mystery toy. Well, to be accurate I started it, I didn't really get along with knitting in the round with aran yarn, so I gave up when it got too difficult.

Then I saw in my side bar that Fuzzy Mittens was running one this year. I love Fuzzy Mitten patterns. I knit her bunnies. So cute in their little hoodies.





rabbits



with hoodies



I've also knitted a little teddy bear from one of her patterns - more are due to arrive soon!

teddy

So I have paid a very reasonable fee for the pattern - £1.70 and I eagerly sat and knitted the first part on Friday evening, whilst I waited for Pickle-Lily's leotard to finish in the washing machine, so I could hang it up to dry ready for Saturday morning. A new part of the pattern will be published every Friday for six weeks in total, and I'm really looking forward to knitting it.

Part 1 - part of a garment!?

I've also made some more felt birdhouses which I am very pleased with.

felt birdhouses

This week I am joining in with Wendy and Handmade Monday, so why not go on a blog hop and see what everyone else is up to?

Mixtures

It's been another busy week in the Pickle-Lily house - a mix of  school stuff for me, dancing for Pickle-Lily ( four times a week at the moment) , cadets and a birthday for Pickle (teenage son) and work for Mr P-L. It does mean that not much crafting has been happening here, and my fingers are feeling restless. One thing I know I will do this week is visit the other blogs on Handmade Monday. Pickle-Lily and I have a book to look forward to as we won a giveaway on Wendy's blog, as part of 100 Handmade Monday's. Thank-you Wendy!
I have done a lot of mixing today, as the bottomless pit (son) is home all day, so we have fruit tea bread, lemon drizzle and flapjacks filling the tins at the moment.

How long will these last?

Pickle-Lily is busy making nautical bunting

Ironing to be done

and the boys are watching the rugby, so quite a laid back day today.
When I have had a chance to knit, I've started making bunnies again. I use James Brett merino yarn that is just so soft, and this year we have yellow hoodies as well as lilac and green. I've also made some new dolly mixtures in pinks and reds, with heart fabric skirts and a heart on the their top.

dolly mixtures

The final mix was for the winners of the mini giveaway, a heart kit and an Easter egg kit
and the winners are

Twinkle Star for the Easter egg kit

and Ali for the hearts kit.

Congratulations!

A little giveaway

Heart kit

Happy Handmade Monday! I tried really, really hard to get round to everyone's blog last week (I don't know how Wendy does it), but I know I didn't quite make it so thank-you to everyone who posted on here. The problem is I get distracted, I read a post, I see another, I see one that looks interesting in a side bar and I'm off blog hopping!

I've also finally succumbed to pinterest! I realised that I've bookmarked so many interesting and inspiring things in my favourites folder, that I didn't realise what they were. So now I'm pinning them to my boards so I can see them all, and again it's addictive! I dare you to have a peek!

This week I haven't been busy on the making front - I've been to school (no snow day for me), I've been on a teacher's course and on Thursday I went to the craft4crafters show at Exeter. I had a lovely day morning there and was very restrained with my purchases. 

I have been making up kits ready for my first fair next Saturday, Heart kits and Easter Egg kits. I know it's early, but I am trying to be organised!  So I thought I'd have a mini giveaway...

Easter egg kit

A heart kit and a Easter Egg Kit - you can find out more about them here



How to enter

Follow my blog and then leave a comment to say you have done this. If you are already a follower (thank you) please just leave me a comment.

For extra chances to win you can....

'Like' me on my Facebook page and leave a comment on my blog and on my facebook page to let me know you have done this and say which kit you'd like.
If you already 'like' my FB page then please just leave a comment here to remind me!
If you would like to blog about my giveaway this will give you another entry. Again leave me another comment here on my blog.
I'd like to boost Pickle-Lily's own Facebook page, so for an extra entry, please 'like' her page and  leave another comment on here.
Please ensure that I am able to contact you. Pickle-Lily will pull all the names out of a hat on Friday 8th February. Good luck!

Winter Warmer

... and bottomless pit filler!
In my never ending quest to fill the bottomless pit that is my teenage son, this week I created -

Zap Pudding

This is a simple sponge pudding, like a steamed pudding that can be made in minutes.

You need ...

110g of butter or margarine

110g caster sugar

110g self raising flour

2 eggs



Before



Mix these altogether - the all in one creamed method.

Grease four large cups or mini plastic pudding bowls (I got mine from Lakeland), put a large spoonful of jam or syrup or marmalade in the bottom of each one and then share the sponge mixture between them.

Cover with microwave film, and then

ZAP in the microwave.

Mine take 1 minutes 20 seconds in a 800W / E microwave.

Leave for at least a minute before eating as the jam is HOT!

You can substitute two tablespoons of flour for cocoa powder for chocolate pudding, and I'm going to added currants to the next batch.

After



Jam sponge with custard

I'm sharing this on Handmade Monday this week, I wonder if there will be any more yummy recipes on there? It is also the 100th Handmade Monday this week, so pop over to join in the fun! A big thank-you to Wendy for hosting every week.
Inspired by the snowy weather I've made some felt mug hugs ready for Valentines or Mothering Sunday, and I'm hoping to share them with you as a tutorial soon. I've also been watching the birds from the kitchen window and the bird feeder has been mobbed at times. I've discovered I am no wildlife photographer, as every time I've tried to take a photo, they've flown away! We have had some new visitors to the garden, a group of redwings, very pretty to watch.


redwing

As you can see most of the snow has now melted, leaving our lawn looking like a swamp, but more snow is forecast tomorrow...

a BIG thank-you

Valentine Owl

I want to start with a BIG thank-you to all you lovely bloggers out there who commented on my Railway Children post , with 15 comments and my post and facebook post that should be £34 donated to the charity!
I also need to apologise for not being round much, but as you may remember I was on jury service last week (and this week coming), and I was fairly incommunicado. The good new is I took my small pair of wooden knitting needles in, so I could knit when I was in the waiting room. I'm also hoping to try and visit all the lovely blogs on this week's Handmade Monday and see what everyone has been up to.
My 'Ta-dah!' this week is Valentine Owl. I had this idea buzzing around in my head, so early one morning I had to do something about it! It involved me drawing lots of lines on a page from an old exercise book, and then counting and rubbing out, and redrawing and knitting and then re-knitting, until Valentine was finished. I'm really pleased with him, and when Pickle-Lily went 'aww' I knew it had worked!
Have a good week!

Busy and a plea!



busy!


Recently I have been bursting with ideas!
Pin cushions for Valentines Day or Mothering Sunday - how organised is that!
These were inspired by my constantly knocking my pin cushion off the arm of the sofa and wanting something a bit heavier, as well as being pretty!
I've also been busy creating owls for Valentines or Mothering Sunday, some of which I can share today with you.

Valentine owls

With another idea I've very nearly finished the proto - type, but I am already seeing some things I want to change! It usually starts with me drawing on bits of paper at five in the morning, because I have an idea buszzing around in my head and it won't go away! Then I have to cut and sew or knit, until I'm happy with it. I usually get Pickle-Lily's opinion and if she goes 'awww' I know I'm onto a winner!

Flower pot pin cushions

I'm joining in with Handmade Monday this week, and looking forward to seeing that everyone else has been up to, and then on Monday I'm on jury service for two weeks, so it will be interesting! What I want to know is - can I take my knitting with me?
Before I go. I would ask a small favour of all you lovely bloggers. My last post was about a charity called Railway Children (helping runaways) and Aviva have promised to donate £2 to the charity for every comment, so if you could quickly post a comment that would be another £2 to Railway Children. I'm doing this as part of mumsnet. Thank-you!

90 cards

I know it doesn't look like 90!

This afternoon I made 90 Christmas cards for the children at school! I've always given the children homemade cards, and for my last 'full-time' class I knitted 30 little stockings. This year as I'm teaching three different classes I've made them all a card each. The pictures are from Dots and Spots wrapping paper, that I've cut out and stuck onto coloured card. I just love Becky's designs. Now I've just to write in the cards and do 90 envelopes!!!!

This morning Pickle-Lily and I visited our favourite garden centre - Cadburys, and it didn't let us down! Beautiful Christmas displays ...

Lovely things to buy - I loved the hyacinth basket.

And as a treat I'd booked an ice-skating session for P, which she loved!
This week has seen the last Christmas fair, and I have one order to post tomorrow. I've got a full week at school, but in between times I'm making Christmas gifts and reading all the lovely blogs on Handmade Monday. So now to write 90 envelopes!

Ice skating at Cadburys

Little Robin Red Vest

One of our favourite Christmas stories is a lovely picture book by Jan Fearnley called Little Robin Red Vest, and a few years ago I made a story sack about it and collected a few robins!

This inspired me to create a little robin decoration and pin badge for Pickle-Lily to make to give to her friends and sell at the Christmas fairs she comes to with me.

Cut two brown felt circles - whatever size you like, and a red felt circle. We used sparkly red felt on ours. Cut the red circle in half and sew it onto a brown circle across the diameter.

Then sew a yellow felt diamond shape on for a beak.
Add two eyes. This one used 4mm black beads - these are shiny but fiddly. P used two black brads - very easy.

We pinned a loop of ribbon and cut two sail like shapes from the brown felt for wings.
Finally the robin was sewn together with a little stuffing inside, the stitches holding the wings and ribbon in place. I used blanket stitch, P did simple running stitch.
For badges we left out the ribbon and sewed a brooch pin to the other brown circle before the robin was sewn together.

Little Robin Red Vests

I am very happy to be able link in with Wendy and Handmade Monday this week and am looking forward to visiting all the other blogs on there. It will be like visiting old friends.

More Geekiness

Happy Handmade Monday!!
After an absence (due to Sunday craft fairs) I can at last join in with Handmade Monday again and say hello to all the fabulous bloggers out there. If you would like to join in, please go and visit Wendy's fabulous Handmade Harbour page for all the fun.
I am now back at school, so crafting has slowed down - although the ironing mountain never seems to diminish! This week I have worked on some more 'Computer Geek' ideas. Last year I struggled for gifts for the men in my life, but after the success of the computer geek cushions I've added more to 'the range'!
Introducing ...



key - rings

 and ...

Note books

I'm rather hoping I can get away with giving these to all the men in my life for a while! They're also for sale in my Folksy shop, but no sales yet.
A short post as I have to get back to the ironing :(
Have a good week!

Swanning around

Another week has gone by of the summer holidays - I can't believe it!
It's been a busy week, even though we haven't gone far. Son is back in a boot on his ankle and the weather has been rather wet here in the west.
On Friday Pickle-Lily and I decided to carry on with her swan hunt. The city of Wells, to commemorate the Queen's Jubilee created a swan trail of 60 very large swans, decorated by local artists and schools, and over the past months P has tried to see them all.

We have managed about 50 so far, they are all very different and we both have our favourites. If you do get a chance to visit Wells it is a great way to explore the city.

I also seem to have spent a lot of time cutting out - both felt and fabric, and making a lovely mess all over the floor!

P has helped by using the big shot to cut out lots of gingerbread men for me to use in the new kits I am creating for Christmas, and I couldn't help make some decorations as well!

 I know it seems rather early for the Christmas, but I just couldn't resist them!

I'm linking up with Handmade Monday again this week, and looking forward to visiting the crafty blogs on there. 

Have a lovely week! 

Gingerbread Men

Geek cushions

Can you guess what it is yet?

Monday 23rd is Mr PL's birthday and Pickle-Lily and I hatched a plan, a very cunning plan for a present. Some time ago Mr PL admired the computer key cushions on Walden's sofa in 'Two and a Half Men' tv programme. So P and I have made him some!. We used grey wool mix felt from John Lewis to make three envelope style cushions and I cut out Alt, Ctrl and Delete from black felt and blanket stitched them on.



Computer key cushions

So a great present for any computer fan! We have now decided that we can make one for Grandad for his birthday and that you could use text speak as a teenager gift!
I will visit all the other blogs at Handmade Monday this week, so why don't you? I'll be announcing the winner of the Surprise, Surprise giveaway in the next couple of days, it is open until midnight on Mr PL's birthday.