Family Learning Out of This World.....

Last week Havering Adult College had a Family Learning festival with the theme 'Out of This World'. There were lots of creative and scientific workshops planned and I did a morning of creating your own 'out of this world' costume, where the very sweet girls chose fairy wings. We had very creative and imaginative fairies including a Christmas fairy and a protector of the Unicorns fairy.

and then in the afternoon we did some marbling madness using the Marbling 4 Fun paints which are perfect for kids as they are non toxic and so easy to get everyone started.......

Everybody did amazing creations, some of the patterns and colours used were not only beautiful and inspiring but looked like planets and the galaxy. Marbling is a very addictive, calm and enjoyable process to do not only for the whole family but also for any adults out there in need of a little me time!

Lots of fun was had by all and the adults all went home with happy children, what more could you ask for!

Gotta love....

having a little sister, especially one that is in full time employment and enjoying spending her money which means fun times out! So this time she had a spare ticket for a glass of champers and a sharing platter at Tower 42 Vertigo bar, don't mind if I do, even if I wasn't the first choice of guest but who's quibbling when it's free! 

First stop for a little bit of culture was to see the poppy installation, Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red, at the Tower of London which I have been meaning to go and see for ages. So off we set on a day in half term, just when the sun was setting over the city which was beautiful to find it absolutely crowded. We squeezed through to take a few pictures.....

The vast scale leave a big impact and they really do seem to ooze out of the Tower like blood. It was just a shame it was so busy as it would have been nice to experience it with some peace and calmness. 

We then walked towards Vertigo Bar taking in the sights of the city including Lloyds and the gherkin, which has a little cute Lego model outside at the moment. I love walking around the city especially the East End, I love its narrow streets that are filled with beautiful and unusual buildings and its higgledy piggledy feel. 

Here's hoping she's feeling generous again sometime soon!

Printing night.....

I'm going to be at this event with my trusty printing press, lino tools and equipment for you all to have a little go and maybe make your own little designs. Do I dare say it and tell you Christmas is approaching so you can even print your very own Christmas card!

So come along and enjoy a night of local artists and crafts peoples, have a go or just come and enjoy the atmosphere!

Malevich at the Tate Modern.....

A friend of mine offered me a free ticket to the Malevich exhibition at the Tate Modern so we packed up the kiddies, jumped on a train on a very wet Monday and headed on down to check it out. I wasn't too familiar with his work only knowing that he was a revolutionary Russian painter but on first entering there were familiar signs and similarities to the Russian Constructivist's.

I found it one of the most inspiring exhibitions I've been to in a long time. His images made from pure geometric forms reminded me of Marcel Duchamp's work but more vibrant and seemed to shout from the walls. These were also a great hit with the kids especially trying to work out what we could see in the pictures, Eloise thought she could see firemen everywhere!

He is probably most famous for his black square, above, which I thought sounded a bit ridiculous but it was incredibly moving and emotional.

 

His suprematism room was also incredibly powerful as each painting seemed to be teetering on the edge of collapse.

"Art should remain a spiritual activity"

After an emotional roller coaster from the exhibition we then went to Tas Pide, near Shakespeare's Globe, for some lovely meze where my little ones created their own work of art on the table cloths with the food!

Gotta love......

 a bit of peace! Especially in a house with little ones whose new favourite habit is slamming doors! So I finally got round to finishing a door stop I have been meaning to make, killing two birds with one stone; firstly to stop slamming doors; and secondly to make something from Poppy Teffry's "Free & Easy stitch style" book.

I got the book as a Christmas present a few years ago from my mum and have finally got a little free time on my hands (thank goodness for playschool!). 

So here's the doorstop I made.....

I wanted to try out screen printing using wax printing paper. So I drew my design onto the paper, cut out using a craft knife and stuck it down onto my screen. I then set out about a few test prints on calico and once happy I went for it on my material which to be honest wasn't the best choice. I used an upholstery fabric which I'm not sure had been treated as my paint bled slightly as you can see in the pics......

It's a great immediate process and great for people like me who are time limited and want to get something finished quickly. So no waiting around for images to be embedded onto screens and hardly any cleaning up, bonus!

Family holiday.....

after being invited to a friends wedding in the South of France we decided to take the plunge and attempt our first family holiday abroad and travel by aeroplane. We survived, coming back in one piece and with both children so all in all a successful trip!

We rented a static caravan in a little town called Biot, known for its glass blowers, which the girls loved to watch, and just down the road from Fernand Leger's museum and house.

I love the way art and sculptures are dotted around everywhere you go. Just outside our campsite was this amazing mural on the wall made from porcelain.....
 

 Beautiful gardens and streets in the town of Biot......

 Our little lady trying to catch up to Daddy and big sis....

The wedding was as beautiful and scenic. Starting with the service in a little chapel in Gourdon set among the mountains, about an hours drive from Nice (a little scary driving along the narrow mountainside roads but completely worth it). This was the view from outside the chapel overlooking the mountains towards the sea...

The happy and beautiful couple....

Sightseeing in St Paul de Vence. Our little ones can't resist a cat, strays are even better as they come for a stroke : )

Sampling the local ice cream, we worked our way through a lot of amazing flavours....

More public art sculptures and a game of boules in the background. It's such a relaxed way of life and definitely made me want to learn French and re-locate

 

Our last day was spent soaking up some culture at the Fernand Leger museum.... to be honest I didn't know much about Leger but his big bold eye catching designs won me over. Plus the museum was large and airy with plenty of space for the kids to run around so it was a stress free time to soak in the artwork and sculptures.

 

this very cute picture was taken just before they ran up some private stairs and they look so innocent!

and some more sculpture and water displays in Nice....

Although we had a great time I don't think we'll be attempting it again any time soon : )

Baby and Children's Cards.....

Just to let you all know that our best selling baby cards are now on our Etsy store.

It seems like it has taken me forever to finally put them on there but at last it means you can get to our goodies without having to track us down at craft markets!

Please click here to go on over to our Etsy store.

It brings back lots of memories as the foot was my niece's Maisie, the hand was Eloise's as a little baby and the teddy bear was drawn for Eloise's little friend Finlay.