La Mammina

Sticky tape craft

Tilly and I made these dolls from toilet paper rolls very quickly this morning. Best of all we used Tilly's favourite craft medium - sticky tape. She loves the stuff!! These don't really show off her enormous face drawing talent of which she has become very skilled recently. Instead she opted for scarface princess.

This was truly a joint effort with Tilly doing the sticking down and suggesting the ribbon, being most specific that it had to go around their waists.

And all of this was really just so I had something to pose in front of my brand new sewing machine!!! I didn't have a whole heap to spend and this one fit all my criteria and was heavily marked down to boot. I've had a little play with it and it is sooooooo smooth compared to the old clunker that I had. The one step button hole is a real treat!!!

Oh and wish me luck. My Mum, who has been staying since 2 weeks before Frankie's birth, is going home today. There's going to be chaos at my place!!

Art Supplies and Unrequited Swaps

The gloomy weather is making me, well, gloomy. In any case, we're running out of indoor activities here, so this morning we went and bought some new art supplies. Tilly was very, very excited. I had hoped to save it for this afternoon, but she insisted we go straight home and try it all out.

I particularly enjoyed using the oil pastels. These ones are water soluble and so with the addition of a little water the colours blend together really well.

And now for the shame! A while back, (a very long while back!) I instigated a swap with Carol. She had left a comment on one of my knitting posts, mentioning that she didn't know how to knit. So I, ambitiously, suggested that I knit something for her daughter Peppy, and she could make something for my daughter. Well, in the time it has taken me to make something she has probably learnt to knit and decked out her whole family of five in jumpers, scarves, hats, gloves, woollen underwear and more! She has even fulfilled her end of the bargain with the most delicious offering for Tilly. And what is more, I haven't even had the good grace to photograph it and post pictures, singing her praises.

So, to remiediate, here is a link for you to see what she has done for me. I haven't actually posted pictures yet because of the foul weather. Both sets have been through the wash at least twice now, but the weather just hasn't been kind. This is the only shot I have managed to get - and it just doesn't do her work justice.

And look what Tilly found in the pocket...

Upon finding them, she whisked them straight off to her dolls house and popped them in the bath. Well, they had been on a long journey after all.

Boring Saturday afternoon

Tilly and I don't particularly love Saturday afternoons. Andrew works Saturdays (starts at 1:30pm) and we often feel a bit glum seeing other families out and about enjoying family time. Add that to the fact that it is the end of the week for us (Andrew's weekend is Sunday and Monday), tensions are a bit frayed and things can get a bit dicey.

Well, last Sunday we made this painting. It took us all afternoon. When Tilly woke from her sleep, we got out the patty cases and laid about a hundred on the table. Just the act of separating them from each other kept her occupied for ages. Then we painted on some, drew on some and stuck stickers on others.

We didn't have any paste, so we went out for a walk and some fresh air and got some paste.

When we got back, the patty cases had dried so, Tilly selected her favourites, pasted the backs and passed them to me to place up on the easel.

By that then it was time to roll out the pizza dough and make pizzas for dinner.

Every second of the afternoon was filled, and there was no time to feel glum! (Except for when Tilly had a tantrum because she wasn't allowed to sprinkle flour all over the floor, but even that was dealt with with good humour on my part).

So a simple craft project kept mother and daughter happy on a potentially miserable afternoon.   

Easter 2006

Here is my poor attempt at being a crafty mum! Tilly lo-o-o-o-o-ves a soft boiled egg and doesn't give two hoots about chocolate, so I thought I'd dye some eggs for her Easter breakfast. I had seen an article in Notebook magazine about using office supply sticky dots to make patterns on the eggs. Well, of course, they meant for when you dye them in cold water - not the bubbly boiling water- didn't they. I was most dismayed to see all my carefully applied sticky dots bobbing around in the water 2 seconds after I had put the eggs in. That was mishap number one. Mishap number two was that I tried to mix a nice purple colour in the dye, but used brown eggs - well, brown and purple just makes maroon. Not really the festive colour I was after! Nowhere near as classy as this little display at Little Birds. Or what about these grogeous, naturally dyed ones at Knitting Iris!

Not to worry. Tilly was very happy to eat the eggs anyway.

I know it is a bad flash photo, but Tilly rises early and there wasn't enough sunlight.