Catch up #3 - Small person craftiness and ideas please!

Obviously I have been trying to stick to my plan for toddler group as much as possible and we haven't been doing too badly so far.

Last week we decorated fans for chinese new year (which doesn't start until the is Sunday - 14th February, but I needed time to include Valentine's cards too) and I had a few chinese dragon cut outs left over from last year, so we decorated those too. I must admit, the fans were far easier to cut than the dragons! I thought it best to make a flat fan shape to make it easier for sticking (and a pleated one would not have held it's shape once covered in wet glue or paint).

If you were to make this at home, you could decorate first, wait for it to dry and then pleat it. You could also add tassles to the end. Unfortunately these weren't an option for me because we only have 1.5 hours and most things go home still wet!

We used red and gold collage pieces from our collage tubs.

This week we made our valentines cards. I would have liked some pastel card to use as a base, but I need to restock our craft cabinet, so white it was. I used pink and blue half circles, pink blue and red cut out hearts, little "slices" of paper doily (which would have shown up much better on the pastel card) and heaps of pink and silver glitter. Glitter's always good :)

So we made lovely love bird valentines. Doily tails, heart shaped wings and plenty of floating love around them!

We're now into half term, so I get a break next week, and we've booked a play date with one of Alex's friend's from toddler group. It's good all round because I get to have grown up chat, and the small person gets someone to play with that can actually fit in her dressing up clothes with her!

I've been having a go at a few things from my mum's "the art of crochet" and so far have one fingerless mitt to chow for my efforts. I'm quite pleased with it and found it easy to make. NOTE TO SELF: MUST PRACTICE RIBBING IN CROCHET. Mine does not look so great!

The small person thought it was good, but I think perhaps they're a little too big for her.

Mr Bogert and I are joining in with the village Open Gardens which will be held in June (not actually opening our garden though. It's more of a health and safety nightmare situated in a wasteland than a garden!). Planning is already underway. We're going to have an exhibition for photoclub in the village hall and there's also a competition across the whole village for people to make scarecrows to put outside the front of thier houses.

We have been trying to think of a really good theme for ours and so far all we've come up with is The Simpsons or The Wizard of Oz. I think both would look great and be tons of fun to make, but both would involve making a 4 or 5 scarecrows! That's a few more than we would really like!

Do any of you out there have a better idea of a recognisable theme we could use (that would hopefully involve less scraecrows!). It doesn't have to be from TV, but needs to be recognisable to both old and young.

Installment #2 - CAUTION:Contains mild crafting

Twice in one day. I have much to tell. :)

Do you remeber way back when I mentioned something very exciting had come up but I couldn't say anything right away? Well now I can tell you (although now it's a little late thanks to our lovely internet connection). I was asked if my crochet hair bows could be in Inside Crochet Magazine! Woo hoo! Someone likes me!

First page of the spread.

Second page of the spread. Look! Look! There we are! Bottom left.

I ofcourse said yes, and the issue that is in shops right now has a feature called "things we like" and there I am! Well, actully, there the small person is, modelling my large aqua crochet hair bow. The very sad news of this is, I can't seem to get hold of a copy! If anyone has any idea where I might be able to find one, please let me know!

They did send me a pdf of the spread (jpegs of which I've posted above), but it's not the same as having the solid paper there in your hands to grin stupidly at.

I also have more new exciting news that you'll have to wait and see about in a few more weeks time! I hope you like being kept in suspenders! :)

Other crochet type crafting that has taken place includes this cushion cover I made for the small person's bedroom to match her new bed covers and curtains (that I still haven't finished). She loves it, I love it, Mr Bogert just about gets it, so it's all good. I love crocheting bobbles! I would cover all the soft furnishings in crochet bobbles if I didn't think it would look odd and people would think I was crazy.

Bobble front of cushion

Back of cushion showing pink star button fastenings.

As you may or may not remember, I helped teach my mum to crochet last year and then bought her a set of crochet hooks and made a roll to keep them in for Christmas. Well she's really taken to it and has started to collect "the art of crochet" and make the squares for the throw they give instructions for. It's going to look great when it's finished. I thought I'd like to have a go at making a throw the same design, so she's lending me each installment when she's finished with it. So far I have 2 squares, but would have had 5 if I could work out where I'd put my pink yarn. I found it, I thought "that's the colour I need", I put it somewhere ready to use and the house pixies hid it again! (It's probably with that elastic I never found).

Apologies for this interuption in services.....

I know, I know. Where on earth have I been? Mainly swearing at the internet (or lack of it) we seem to be back up and running (hope I haven't spoken too soon) although at a much slower speed. Yay to technology (again). Perhaps it just doesn't like me?!

Lots of things to show and tell to catch up. I thought perhaps it would be best to break them down into bitesize chunks. It'll stop me gettting confused and wandering off to a completely different subject. Trust me on this one or just ask Mr Bogert.

So first things first. Well done Bessy Bear! She did go through with the zip wire leap if faith across the shopping centre roof and we were all very proud of her. £45 raised by Alexandra and Bessy Bear will be handed in shortly ready to go to the NSPCC. We did however forget to take the camera, so the only picture we have is the one taken by the shopping centre staff that we was emailed to me this morning.

We had a little hiccup after the daring event. The small person insisted that Bessy bear needed the toilet an couldn't wait. I thought this was code for Alexandra really needs the toilet and can't wait, so told Mr Bogert we'd see him on the car park level above in a minute.

I found out that Bessy bear needs the toilet was not code for anything as I found myself having to hold Bessy bear above a toilet in pretend wee mode. The things parents do.

Anyway, we got to the escalator to take us up one level to where Mr Bogert was waiting for us, I had her hand tightly and I said ready, then I got on and the small person didn't. I tired to step backwards to get back to her, but had heels on and couldn't move fast enough, so I let go of her hand because I was going to pull her over. I then turned fully around to try to make my way back down the steps, and she decided to get on on her own, but out her hands on the glass/plastic siding that doesn't move and it pulled her over onto her bottom, but because the steps were still moving she couldn't get up and rolled, and to my horror she just kept rolling on the bottom steps. She started to panic calling out for me, I was completely panicking trying to get back down the steps and then a member of staff at the shopping centre ran over and hit the emergency stop.

Never before have I been so scared! My hands were shaking (and I even had a little cry when we got back to the car!) She was unhurt, but I just kept thinking what if her clothes or hair got caught in the steps? It was a horrifying moment that seemed to take ages, but in reality was just a few seconds.

Both the small person and I did recover from the escalator incident and so the week carried on. She took Bessy Bear and the certificate into pre-school last Thursday to show everyone and tell them all about it (bears in the air, not the other). She did such a good job she got a special gold star sticker award in her record book. She's extremely pleased with herself.

We also had confirmation of Alexandra's school place ready for September. She's got a place at our first choice school. (Yes Heather, it's St Nicks). Not sure what I'll be thinking in September when my small person leaves me to start school life. I'm not going to know what to do with myself!

We have also been drawing up a list of wonderful things to purchase for toddler group. I asked the mum's, childminders and nan's who bring children to toddlers, and I also asked the volunteers, especially Sheila, who used to run the group for many years. We chose things based on what needs replacing because it is old broken or unsafe, and also things that we don't have to offer the children. There were certain areas we were definitely lacking in (such as baby floor activity mats and role play items). Now I just need to type it up and see which is the most urgently required, then work towards the rest. That I do feel optimistic about.

So that's catch up installment number one. Come back for part 2 later today. There will be something I was ver excited about in that post!