Dusting down the shelves

The door creaks open...sorry about all the dust. If I find the kettle we could have a cup of tea. I brought milk. Probably best not look in that biscuit tin though.

It's been a while, much has happened. I have journeyed far and near through art education, teacher training, job applying and matters very real world, taxing and big. 

I am now a qualified teacher in charge of steering the nation's youth on the righteous path of art and photography.  A sobering thought.

Through all of this I did not stop making, this is one strong and primal urge. As if I didn't know. 

Projects have got a little smaller; they fit in with me rather than vice versa. Can I pick it up after a few weeks neglecting it? Does it fit in my bag? Can I do it during the hour and a half my daughter sleeps during my day off? If the answer to those questions is yes, then I'm in.

Stay tuned if you want to see some of the fruits of my labours.

Meanwhile, here's a photo of a poncho I made for a doll. She usually has a nice red dress on but a toy cat stole it. You know how cats can be.

I promise they won't all be like this. Pattern from the Ladybird of Crochet. 

Friends and family fridge magnets

Still on the theme of 'things to make whilst stuck at home with small spotty people' come these:

Friends and family fridge magnets. 

I recently saw this amazing thing in my local stationary shop:

Sticky magnetic tape. It may not look like much but my word, the exciting possibilities. 

At the same time, my older daughter's confidence in - and enjoyment of - drawing has noticeably increased of late. We decided to draw some pictures of ourselves and some friends and one thing lead to another. Before you could say Lesley Judd I was reaching for some sticky back plastic and the magnetic tape and these were born.

Just draw straight onto card, or back the paper with card. Cover with sticky back plastic, stick a smallish piece of the magnetic tape to the back and you have yourself a bespoke fridge magnet.

The artist and her baby sister. Not a bad likeness actually.

This would be me.

We made some as a gift for a family with a new baby:

Halfway through the drawing process it was decreed that this was in fact a family of aliens, hence the many red arms and legs. 

A great personalised present I think, after all who amongst us does not love a fridge magnet?

hot air balloon mobile

I saw this small but beautiful Alexander Calder exhibition recently and thought about making some kinetic art of my own. My head is still full of hot air balloons so: a hot air balloon mobile.

Also, chicken pox is currently raging though my house, so we are spending a lot of time at home. Therefore it had to something for (spotty) small and big hands to make together.

I wanted to make a mobile with five balloons flying around. I drew out a shape for the template and cut out ten on some thin card, one pair for each balloon. 

Then we drew on the balloons, cutting and sticking and having a fine time. I used some Japanese washi paper from my stash and glued it with a glue stick to the balloons. Each pair was done in the same way.

Then, I folded each balloon down the middle. Using a sewing needle and thread I sewed the pair together spine to spine.

Two pieces of galvanised steel gardening wire was bent around a skewer to make loops for the thread. Tying the balloons into the loops the mobile was complete.

With great joy I discovered this beautiful Swedish photography blog recently. Hilda has found a brilliant way to Help Japan.

If Carl Cox made pyjamas for his dolly

Just over a year ago now I made this doll for my daughter's second birthday. She came from Clothkits and was very quick and easy to sew:

I copied the pattern for her dress and made her three more so she had a little wardrobe:

She was much loved and adored. She and my daughter spent many happy days lacing daisies into each other's hair and swapping secrets. 

But then. A new doll was given as a present. And this one had a dummy, a bottle, a pink babygro and when you squeezed it's tummy it cried. All of a sudden dolly was dumped. So it goes. Kids: so fickle.

But, I have learned that toys come in and out of favour and this has certainly been true for dolly. Recently, her popularity has been given a boost by the purchase of this pyjama kit. I bought it for a Christmas present and made it up a few days ago.

I used my overlocker and my sewing machine just for the sheer hell of it. If Carl Cox made pyjamas for his dolly - and I like to think he would - his workbench would look something like this:

It went very smoothly. I got a little bored by the end but that is more to do with my limited patience as a dressmaker than the pattern. Less good was the Liberty bias binding supplied in the kit running out but fortunately I had some of my own.

There was a little of the cotton gingham left so I made her a teddy in matching pyjamas.

I cannot say what the future holds for this doll but for now things are secure.

a social experiment bag

A collection was growing:

one of these cars is doin' its own thing

Meanwhile, I found this piece of material in a car boot sale in North Wales this summer. I loved the bright colours, the Richard Scarry-esque hive of activity and the nostalgic Americana Ed Ruscha-kind of vibe about it. If such a vibe exists. Which I doubt. But what to do with it?

Well, perhaps it was time to give the collection a home. And, along the way to think about some of the nature vs nurture questions that being a mother to two young daughters (what do you mean you don't want to wear trousers anymore??) makes me ask myself.

Will there be no toy cars in my life? I read an interesting interview with the theatre director Katie Mitchell on this subject, she calls it 'the pink age' and that it is to be celebrated.

Back to the racetrack. I thought it needed backing, ballast for it to lie flat enough to be a proper playmat. So I found some black needlecord and sewed it to the back. Then, I bound the edges with bias binding. To keep back and front together I also added a few tiny hand stitches so as not to disturb the lovely print.

I wanted it to be portable, and so made a little bag. Just what this house needs, more bags. I got these little teddies from a neighbour's yard sale. He also sold me the gingham which had a lovely tea-towel cotton grade of strength and thickness.

Cars go in the pocket, track in the bag and we are ready to play.
 

I cannot honestly say this had as warm a reception as the time I made my daughter a doll. There was also a funny moment that I did not manage to capture on camera where she wrapped it around herself like a dress. But, we shall see. I am learning that toys find favour at all sorts of unexpected times. So I live in hope. A hope tinged with realism.

Cereal box marble run

This has been a great addition to the kitchen:

I love marble runs. An early childhood memory is the one belonging to my cousin Eliane, a great wooden skyscraper of a thing. So it was with great excitement that I read this post at Made by Joel, and had to have a go.

I added another slope to our marble run and folded the card up on one side to create a lip to stop the marbles falling off. We also did a quick decoupage/papier mache-style decoration on the sides by brushing diluted PVA glue over torn up bits of paper from the saved special bits of paper drawer. Embrace the inner magpie I say. The tearing-up and gluing bit was fun for Eva to help with.

I have dreams of adding a fully-functioning Alpine ski scene and a steam train with working station. But this will do for now.

Playdough

My older daughter is only two, something I have to remind myself of when we are discussing the finer points of how exactly mermaids go to the toilet, or whether rabbits like rain. 

When it comes to crafting I have to really hold in check the part of me that dreams of a rosy glow afternoon of mother and daughter making side-by-side. Whilst this does happen more and more, it is still very fleeting. I hope the fleeting minutes will stretch as she gets older, but I know the worst thing I can do is force it. So I try to play it cool. 

This project is perfect for the here and now. Rich with creative possibilities and great for very small hands. 

I think the addition of glitter gives it a great inter-galactic look.

Tactile, cheap, colourful, a bit smelly, and easy to adapt.  Who does not love playdough? Mother and daughter very happy. 


Of all the recipes I have tried, this is the best. My thanks to Ella and Rosie of the Paint Pots Art Club for it, and for many happy and messy Wednesday mornings.

Playdough recipe
200g plain flour
100g salt
300ml water (this should include any food colouring)
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tabs oil


For the microwave:
Stir all the ingredients in a bowl. Microwave on full setting for one minute. Stir. Cook for  another minute. Stir. Cook for two more minutes. Take the mixture out of the bowl, let it cool and knead well. 


For the stove:
Place all the ingredients in a pan. Cook on a low heat whilst stirring constantly. When stiff remove from the heat, let it cool and knead well. Be sure to put the pan in water to soak immediately.