Recently

Over the last few weeks I have been busy making things for a variety of reasons. The first is Golden Time on a Friday afternoon. We made pompoms, my intention being they would make their pompoms then make something out of them. Making the pompoms was more challenging than I had thought-lots of tangled wool and help needed. I decided to make a load so they could have extra ones to make something with. Making pompoms is one of my least favourite craft activities. boring and repetitive. Especially when I need to make loads. Using them to make other things is much more fun.I did a few sample things, and this acorn lady was one of them. Her hair is the result of a pompom gone wrong. Her skirt is two pompoms squashed together. The original idea is from pinterest.

The butterfly and caterpillar are puppets for the groups at nursery, to make it slightly more exciting lining up for group time. I appliqued the butterfly. A stick fits in the back of its body so it can be made to fly. 

Pompoms were the obvious choice for the caterpillar!

 He has a cardboard tube as a hanger-finished with a shimmery wax and buttons. 

Arty Party had a space theme this time and the kids made some great things as usual. Below is a selection of one person's work, including the astronaut she made to go on her orrery. I helped by making his black helmet glass (a small piece of black tissue paper) and showing her how to fix him onto the sun.

This is the aftermath of Golden Time! I took my hot glue gun in to enable the kids to finish stuff then take it home. I think they liked that best. They all made good things, including two cats and a ballet dancer.

My latest obsession. I happened to see a thing on Create and Craft TV about Indian Bead Looms. I have not heard of these before, though I can't understand why. I ordered one as they are only £6.99. If you want a craft where the results look as if it was very difficult to make, but was in fact totally simple, then this is the one for you! The most time consuming part is the initial stringing up of the loom, then the process of making the results into something neatly. I have made a bracelet for me, one for Andy, and a pair of earrings. This was a strip to try patterns and is not anything yet.

 These are the earrings before finishing. 

This is my bracelet. 

Hopefully this week will be good. Hope yours is too!