Painting the Roses Red

This last Saturday Auntie Heather and Uncle Andy came for a visit to help get some things ready for the Small Person's birthday Party. She is having an "Alex in Wonderland" party.

The Small Person was on paper chain duty. We took bets as to how long she would manage before she got bored. It didnt take long.

The paper-chain making station. With coffee. My Coffee - very important :)

Mr Bogert took the Smaller Person out for a walk because we pretty much took over the living room. He even decided to pitch in when he got back (after making fun of Andy and telling him he was a good boy!).

Mr Bogert joins the painting crew :)

Here we have the process of making 4 white rose trees and 40 red roses all ready for "Painting the Roses Red Relay" and they will double up as decor.

The work room (sometimes known as the living room).

I started by sketching the outline for the bush part of the tree based on the Disney version of Alice in Wonderland onto a large peice of corrugated card. I actually had to stick 2 bits together making sure to only stick sellotape on the wrong side (because of painting the front).

The Smaller Person thought it was all very fun.

Everyone used this as a template to draw around to create 3 more trees. I also drew and cut out a rose shape based on the Disney ones. This was then used as a template to draw 8 roses on the trees and a further 40 roses on thinner card (cereal boxes) to be cut out seperately.

Drawing in the details with marker pens.

The basic leaf shapes were sketched onto the trees around the rose shapes, then all the detail is inked in with a black marker ( so that it will show through the paint).

All of the leaf area is painted with dark green paint, then an ouline of lighter green is painted around the leaf shapes and blended with the dark green to give the leaves some definition.

Painting the green base.

Painting in the leaves.

Working hard.

Finally the roses are painted white. Once these are dry, the lines on the roses are drawn back in with the black marker (but not the leaf lines).

Heather just starting to paint in the leaf detail.

Mr Bogert and Andy at work.

I drew the lines on the 40 seperate roses with the black marker. The Small Person painted them with red all over, while I added some deatial shadow with a darker shade of red. Once dry, the black line were added back in.

The Small person really enjoying the red rose painting.

Painted roses drying before black lines are added, and plain roses ready for painting.

Finished red roses.

Mr Bogert said the roses looked better without the black lines drawn back in and I agree, but once they are held against the tree, they look batter with the lines, so lines it was.
We will add the stem/trunks at a later date when we also add display velcro to the roses. Each person on each team will have a red rose to "paint" the white roses red before the Queen of Hearts (Auntie Simone)arrives and shouts at the Playing Card Guard (Uncle Anthony). First team to cover all their roses and sit down wins!

Stages of tree making (Heather, Mr Bogert and Andy with their trees) L-R: Almost finished apart from balck lines on the roses, Leaves finished just the roses to do, Outlines drawn, green base painted.

My finished tree.

I think we all did a rather good job. Well done us - thanks other grown up types for giving up the time to help. It is much appreciated! It's lovely to have wonderful friends.

(Still plenty more to do though...)

12 Years

That's right, twelve years today me and my Mr Bogert became a couple. I recall thinking at the time "well, if it doesn't work out, we only need to stay together until he joins the Commandos." which was his plan at the time (which changed considerably). Then I kinda grew attached to him :)

Mr Bogert when I first met him (with Anthony).

We have always celebrated the day we got together (even after we got married). We used to take weekends away or go out for big fancy dinners, then we had the small people so we could only manage a cinema date or a dinner at the pub down the road from us. This year, we don't even have time (or funds) for that, but it's still an important day. When Mr Bogert returns from work and the kids have gone to bed, we will have an in the house date night with a movie and maybe some hot chocolate :)

At Mr Bogert's 30th birthday masquerade back in March.

Mr Bogert is more lovely now than he was when we first met, and I'd just like him to know I appreciate him, even though we rarely have time to show it.

Family Newman at a friend's Silver Wedding Anniversary a few months ago.

I love you Bogert Man :)

(The last 2 images are courtesy of Peter Weston.)

Toddler Group Tuesday - Spots for Pudsey

Today we have been doing spotty dotty printing because it is Children in Need this Friday.

We started with a large white circle (a big spot!).

We selected paint colours in keeping with the Pudsey Bear theme: blue, green, red, yellow and pink.

We used all sorts of things for printing: Carrot pieces, potato pieces, sponges, cotton reels, and bottle lids. You really can use anything that is round, get the kids to help you find things!

You could start with teddy bear shapes instead of circles, you could print onto fabric with fabric paints to make your own Pudsey scarf.

I hope if you're in the UK you're showing your support. Alexandra's school is doing a take a bear to school day, wear spots to school day (like last year) and pennies for Pudsey, and we shall be watching all the antics on Friday night. Are you doing any fund raising? I'd love to hear about it if you are.

A Moment of Silence

In honour of all the service men and women from the past and present, those that returned safely and unharmed to their loved ones, those that were less fortunate, and those that are still fighting or still have to return to war-zones. Remembrance, thanks and thoughts for their bravery, Lest We Forget.

Toddler Group Tuesday - Remembrance Poppies

After all the time off with exams and the smaller person's operation - we're back with toddler group Tuesday!

 

This week the toddlers have been making poppies for Remembrance day.

 

You need:
- Glue
- Red tissue/crepe/ordinary paper (different effects using each - but remember crepe paper runs!)
- Plain card
- Green felt/card/foam
- Black card/felt/tissue paper
- lollipop stick if you want to hold it or place it in the ground
   OR
- Safety pin or brooch back to turn it into a badge

 

1. First cut a small circle from the plain card to use as a base.

2. Cut a leaf shape from the green felt/card/foam and stick this to your circular base.

3. Cut petal shapes (like a heart shape) from the red tissue/crepe/ordinary paper.

4. Stick these all around your circular base, over the top of the leaf (the leaf should just be sticking out behind the petals now).

5. Cut a smaller circle from the black card/felt/tissue paper for your poppy centre. Stick in place.

6. Glue your lollipop stick to the back of your circle base, or tape your safety pin/brooch back in place if you are turning it into a badge.

All done!

Left - Poppy with felt leaf and double layer of petals.
Right - Poppy with foam leaf and single layer of petals.

I glued all of the lollipop sticks to the circular bases before toddler group to give them a start. It really depends on time and can get quite messy glueing on both sides at once (without allowing one to dry first).




Bases and sticks all glued up ready for toddler group with a finished example.

 

Remember, although this is a fun craft to do with children and also to make them aware of the cause that the poppy represents, it's good to show your support by purchasing and wearing an official poppy from the British Legion. Lest We Forget.

Remember, Remember the Village Bonfire

It's nights like these I love living in a village. We walked from home across to the field. We ate burgers and hot dogs, drank fizzy drinks and hot chocolate. The small person had sparklers and saw plenty of school friends, the smaller person played with glow sticks and saw his little friend Ethan. He also spent the entire bonfire trying to remove all of his clothes! (the number of times I had to search for socks or hats in the dark was unbelievable!)

What is so lovely about the village bonfire is it isn't too busy: there's plenty of space around the bonfire, and you're going to run in to lots of friendly faces who stop and chat for a while.

What made it even lovlier this year was Zack's Godparents Auntie Simone and Uncle Ted came and brought baby Ethan. It was Ethan very first bonfire night. He was fascinated by the bonfire, not so hot on the fireworks, but that could have been because it was past his bedtime by then. I got to chat with Simone about her course and have a catch up, the small person 'helped' Uncle Ted with Ethan's pushchair, and Mr Bogert was in photographer mode.

It wasn't Zack's first bonfire night, but he was very young last year, and he pretty much slept though the entire thing (even the funny part where a lady fell in the garden pond! - We were at a friends house last year and missed the village one.) That's kind of what happened with both of ours: Their first bonfire nights, christmases and New Year were all a blur to them (and Halloween for Zack). Too young. This year, the second year, it's all a bit more fun. Zack really enjoyed his bit of hot dog!

Lovely night. Now we're relaxing watching a film enjoying the evening, the small people are fast asleep and looking very sweet as they dream. Up early-ish tomorrow to take the small person to Sunday School whilst Mr Bogert and the smaller person get a lie-in.

That Time of Year Again

I was just looking back at some of my blog posts from this time of year in 2009. I had completely forgotten how busy we get once we hit halloween and beyond! How is it, every year is the same rush of crafting, buying, planning, organising and trying to be in 3 places at once, and yet I manage to blank this fact from my mind EVERY year?

Upcoming for your persual:
- Village Bonfire for Guy Fawkes (looking for bonfire kids crafts? Try these.)
- Mr Bogert's Uncle's 50th birthday party
- Village Chrsitmas Fayre (and possibly a craft fair elsewhere the same day)
- The small person's 6th birthday
- Various other birthdays (why did everyone have to be born in November? It's very inconsiderate.)
- Christmas toddler group craft (Christmas kids crafts? Walnut Santas, Pine Cone Angels, )
- Village Christmas Tree Festival (Past tree festival here.)
- The Small Person's "Alex in Wonderland" birthday party (You can see her pirate party here.)
- Visiting Santa
- Christmas Fancy Dress Pub Crawl (Previous fancy dress.)
- General Christmas posts (Past Christmas.)

See? How does all of that escape my mind? Why am I sitting here blogging? I'm far too busy.