EnCOWNter Captured!

Today I stepped back and managed to get some photos of our bovine friends. Walking among bulls. They have access to a number of adjacent fields on tumbledown farm through which a footpath runs. 

If you hide your hands they are happier to come close but still very wary. We move slowly among them. 

Mike enjoyed being used as a post for a head rub. I believe there is no higher honour. 

Tangle Art and Drawing Games for Kids: A Silly Book for Creative and Visual Thinking by Jeanette Nyberg,

Look at this Fabulously fun book cover! We recently acquired a copy of Tangle Art and Drawing Games for Kids because we enjoy being creative together, and as it happens, a good giggle too!

We have enjoyed playing some of these games on a rainy evening, or after we have been active all day and its nice to be sitting down together. There are games you can play on your own, the way all those grown ups do colouring and tangle art nowadays, and lots of group games that we like a lot. We found we could also adapt some of the one person games to family fun,  by simply swapping your papers before the interpretation bit to add that extra challenge!

Playing together in our family are a 65 year old male, a 45 year old very yummy mummy, and girls of 10, 10 and 8. I know ... time really flies by! This blog is almost 9 years in the blogging!

No one who can make marks will have any trouble having fun with this book, we have shared a couple of our results here compared with those in the book! My imagination really felt stimulated and i can see how playing these sort of pen and paper games can keep children's imaginations alive! 

Grab a copy of Tangle Art and Drawing Games for Kids: A Silly Book for Creative and Visual Thinking by Jeanette Nyberg, published by Quarry Books (£12.99). and share your drawings too!

Catch a Tiger by His Tail!

You can now look forward to another full sized costume appearing ... Tail first! I bought nice thick webbing and a strong clip. I prefer tails to be very securely attached to the body and never to the fur of the costume - people do tug them!

So here is a strong but also comfortable belt. A tube of Sherpa fleece provides the padding esp if you don't wear much under your fursuit. Fur is very warm!

The tail has been attached with extra strong thread and here I am wearing it. For more bounce, wear the tail upside down!

Hooked on collage?

Time to paint the porch which has always been original bricks. But now that the house is painted, demanded a makeover too! 

An inexpensive set of hooks has been used for children's coats, but I couldn't bring myself to put it back on the wall without a makeover of its own, so I covered it in cute paper. 

A wash of gold guache adds a special something and looks aged. 

The edges of the paper have been sanded. Difficult to photograph but looks superb! Try it next time to are altering furnature and so on ...

The plated hooks are gently worn from use but that's fine for my purposes and I screw them all back on with glee!

Finally back on the wall! Hooks that make me happy and suit all the little coats that get hung here ...

A fun repair!

Of course little slips happen to us all, especial busy crafters! And today I was cutting some thick card with such gusto that I took a slice at my table cloth too!

But I have the best girly-pink duct-tape ever, so I snipped put a little pink shape to stick across the hole!

Then I used some other pieces to repair the cuts that Mary added to the edge of the table cloth one fine day!

School of fish!

Today I am going into school to help Mary's class make some fish for Weymouth carnival this year!

I love collage, so we will be working with magazines and glue. 

I am going to be 'the rainbow fish' and give each child a glittery shimmery scale, fin or eye! I will make sure I share some of the results!

Sometimes, I find out how much fun happens ...

"Since I got the rat bag I wear it every day and EVERYONE talks about it! I have had young men, old men, smart women, scruffy women, old and young, children, parents, hipsters, grannies, hip hop people, goths, punks, business men, bouncers at clubs, all come up and ask about it, pat it, beg me to tell them where I got it, I have never in my life been so famous through an item!

"I've given them your website but honestly you should go global!! Seems no one can get enough of the Ratbag! Thought you'd like to hear that!

"Lara x"

Jingling Johnny again!

While the sun shone, mike made some recycled discs from bottle tops collected from a Weymouth Pub ...

Tap tap, gently round, until each bottle top is flat!

Cat made comfy, grippy handles by carefully gluing on braid. The end of the braid is secured with a small tack first ...

One instrument is covered in scripture, and varnished, and the other stained with ebony stain. They have brackets fitted below the handles, and check out the musical topping on the black jingling johnny!

They make a good noise already!

Both are ready here for the application of some chest-expander springs! The size difference might be to do with our size differences, but might also be to do with playing sitting or standing!

And dog bowls? what? This is looking crazy and fun! More later!

Refresh 2012 ... Out and About!

Playing in the sand at church on the beach!

Catching up with Friends, old and new ...

Being inspired ... Andrew Palau

Hanging out in the girly tent...

rocking the beach, after dark!

a touch of clown chique!

Taking advantage of the free Wifi...

Watching others play very silly beach games!

Hoola-hooping Mummy!

Daisy took this fun picture of me!

I love Sundays!

We love to see our friends, and play!

We like bath night ...

We love to play with out pet rats - Matty and Smudge!

Daisy and Pepsi!

Froggy Alterations ...

 This was Mary's Idea for a second talking frog - the first being a leap-frog ''Lilly'' she owns. The voice recorder was found on ebay (one cold have some great fun with this!!!)

Happy Diamond Jubilee!

Today I made ....

Cornbread ...Yummy!

Added the tail to a monkey ...

And let my friend play with my pins!

Goat Doll - finished!

Socks Away!

Today was my sock monkey workshop at the WAND women's day event!

Some very bright socks were transformed into cheeky primates before our very eyes!

Here is mine!

And here is one who's picture was just sent to me by his proud creator!

To