German Glitter - Dreaming of Sparkles

This last week, I have been dreaming about "german glitter".  I recently was viewing The Vintage Farmhouse facebook page and they were highlighting german glitter.  If you have not heard of german glitter than just look at the below amazing items. This is not your ordinary glitter that you get from craft stores but ground up glass (for adults use only) and I have heard sprinkles like diamonds.  Check out The Vintage Farmhouse Pinterest Board for more ideas. 

Look at these amazing colours available in german glitter.  Snapy Crafty on Etsy showcases all the beautiful colours available.  Check out my favourite list "Glitter Sprinkles" for other inspirational items on Etsy that were made by using german glitter.

 

I almost wish it was November so I could start making christmas gifts using this amazing glitter.  When looking for buying options, I have discovered Meyer Imports trading from California.  They are import their german glitter from a small german family whom are Bavarian Glass Artisans. I just need to choose the colours that I want but it will be a very hard choice.  To learn all about how german glass is produced then read about it on Meyers Imports website.

Looking for a idea for a spring or summer project, below is a very clever idea of how to create beautiful tea light holders by using teacups.  Visit Meyers Imports blog "Everything Glittery" for ideas of how to use german glitter and a link for the inspiration for the below sparkly teacups. .

Tomorrow, I will post an idea of how to use german glitter for a Easter egg decoration. 

Handmade Bear Mask

At the First Mummies Club on February 18th, Helen Burridge presented the course 'Kids Costumes-The Homespun Living. The activity was to create a felt mask for our "little one".  My first thought was to create a LadyBug mask but I decided on a ... BEAR.

Little Ladybug loves to create a cave in Mommy's and Daddy's bed by tucking the blankets between the headboard and the wall.  Then we read "We're Going on a Bear Hunt" by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury.  Little Ladybug loves to yell "BEAR" when it gets to the part in the book when the family finds the bear.

Below is how I created Little Ladybug's bear mask

Mask Shape
1. Put 2 pieces of felt together ( would suggest pinning together to keep felt from slipping) and cut out a mask shape.  I decided to create a high forehead to create a more round face for the bear.
2.  I cut out the eyes at this time by folding the felt mask in half and cutting circles. (I had to do some trimming of the eye sockets later to even them up before sewing)
Ears
1. Cut out the brown ears.  I put two pieces of brown felt together and cut a half-circle shape.
2. Created the inner ear by using the brown ear shape to cut 2 pink ears the same size.  I then trimmed down the pink ear by taking approximately 1 cm off the edges of the pink ear.  (I used pink because it was for my daughter but a tan or light brown colour is another option.)
3. Sewed the pink ears to the brown ears.  I used a blanket stitch on 3 sides but on the edge that will be attached to the mask I used a running stitch.  I used a running stitch so that I could then put the stitches and create pleats in the ears. 
4. Sewed the ears to the front side of the back mask piece (If you ears are flat, you can also create
shape by creating pleats as you sew the ears to the mask)

Nose
1.  I cut a circle out of black felt that was a little larger than the nose shape I wanted to create.
2. Sewed a running stick around the circumference of the circle and then pull string to gather edges together.
3. I put a little piece of felt inside of the nose to help keep its shape.
4. Sewed the nose onto the front side of the front mask piece
Almost Done
1. Sewed the 2 mask pieces together.  Sewed around the eye sockets. I chose to pull the stitches tight in the eye holes at a couple points to create a slight gathering on the mask. 
2. You can either use elastic or ribbon.
If using elastic, sew 1 end of the elastic between the 2 mask pieces on one side. Then hold up the mask to your little one and measure how much elastic is needed wrap around their head. Sew the elastic between the 2 mask pieces.
I used ribbon and cut pieces of equal lengths of ribbon that will give plenty of length to tie behind
little one's head. I would suggest sealing the ribbon ends by flame or little clear nail polish to prevent fraying. (I chose to use ribbon because it is very possible that my husband and I will be requested to wear the mask.)

I am going to hide this bear mask in Little Ladybug's "We're Going on a Bear Hunt" book and surprise her when we read it tonight.

Little Ladybug wearing mask. We are going on a bear hunt. 

First Mummies Club - Feb. 18th

On February 18th, I had a fun evening with the First Mummies Club in Hemel Hempstead.  Lisa organised a fun evening with guest speaker Helen Burridge presenting 'Kids Costumes-The Homespun Living Way'.  Helen is an extremely talented and inspirational mother whom runs the business Homespun Living in St. Albans.  

Helen gave has some very inspiration advice on how to make quick and easy costumes for the upcoming school fancy dress days, book day, and nativity plays that our little ones will be soon taking part in the next couple years in school.   My favorite advice was when making capes (superheros, butterfly, or princess) to not put elastic around the neck but to make arm loops instead on each side.  She had an amazing suggestion that you could use an old embroider tablecloth as butterfly wings.  Cut into a butterwing shape, hem and then add elastic arm and wrist loops. 

The activity for the evening was to create felt masks for our "little one".  Read Blog on February 19th, 2013 to find out what animal I chose to make for Emma.

 
Helen is about to go on maternity leave but she has several very interest courses starting in May - June 2014.  Booking workshops now.

LadyBug Home Business Cards

These are my first business cards/marketing for LadyBug Home & Designs.  I picked my favourite buttons and just sewed them on. Wish me luck!  I also did my first Etsy coupon offer to the ladies of First Mummies Club.



ETSY Shops
Made by LadyBug Home
LadyBug Home and Designs (Supplies)

Little Ladybug's Favourite Books

My Daughter and I have a traditional like many parents to read endless books before bed.  It is hard to limit my daughter to a handful of books to read before bed but a couple of our favourites are: "What the Ladybug Heard", "The Singing Mermaid" and "Sugarlump and the Unicorn" written by Julia Donaldson and Illustrated by Lydia Monks. 

While I was pregnant was my daughter, my sister gave me the book "What the Ladybird Heard".  During my pregnancy, I would often read this book to my unborn child and enjoyed the story of "the ladybug said never a word" until the night when she saw "two men in a big black van, with a map and a key and a cunning plan" to steal the fine price cow. The book is very easy to read and Emma has lots of fun finding the ladybird on each page.  Lydia Monks' illustrations are very clever how it uses photographic elements to add texture to the illustrations but our favourite part is the glitter.  Glitter elements are used on every page and just add a very special feeling to the book.  Emma loves to run her fingers over the glitter and follow the ladybird as she flies through the book. 

Once we have finished with "What the Ladybird Heard", we then read "The Singing Mermaid" where we meet "Mermaid" as she joins Sam Sly's circus.  There is more fun glitter elements and the rhyming words flows off the tongue.  Recently Emma has noticed that several characters from "What the Ladybird Heard" are also in the "The Singing Mermaid".  She keeps yelling "cat" every time she discovers the orange cat that keeps the mermaid company at the circus.  I look forward to taking this book the the beach during this summer and see if we can find the singing mermaid.


Another fun book by Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks is "Sugerlump and Unicorn".  This book is equally easy to read and the illustrations are as charming and fun as the other books.  This is the story of Sugarlump that is rocking house until the day when he wishes that he could trot.  The magical unicorn appears and grants him his wish.  As Sugarlump continues to wish for a different life until he finally finds the life that makes him a happy horse.  The reason that I always chose to read this book last is because the surprises that you can discover within the illustrations.  Since this book is also illustrated by Lydia Monks there are several character from "What the Ladybird Heard" and "The Singing Mermaid" that can be found in this book.  I smile when Emma finds the Ladybird, farmer and prize fine cow.  You turn the page and there is Sam Sly and the Singing Mermaid. 

There are several other books written by Julia Donaldson and Illustrated by Lydia Monks that I look forward to sharing with Emma in the future.

** This is not a sponsored book(s) review. 

New Adventures

Almost a month ago, my current employment contract was terminated.  It was not the best start to 2014.  The previous 7 months had been filled with pregnancy sadness and disappointments so being unexpectedly being unemployed was not helping my positivity level for 2014.  I quickly moved onto my other goals for 2014.

During the beginning of January, I was trying to work while trying to complete my 1st module of assignments for KLC School of Designs.  I enrolled in the Open Learning Course for Interior Design over 10 years ago and then my husband very sweetly paid more money to update the course materials a couple years ago.  Shortly after the birth of my daughter in 2012, I got an email from KLC that to continue on the course I must complete the 1st module of work by February 1st, 2014.  It was a very fair deadline but the last 2 years I focused on spending time with my family.  On New Year's Day 2014, I officially started working on the course work.  The new unemployed status meant that I could spend 2 weeks focusing on KLC.  I cried tears of frustration a couple times in that 2 weeks and a few technical pins may have been thrown across the room. My daughter had a hard time understanding why Mommy was locked in her bedroom for the whole weekend and why she could not make circles on my Mommy's drawings. My husband kept my daughter feed and entertained. We all survived the 2 weeks of non-stop KLC focus.  It was a very challenging experience but I was honoured to meet and correspond with a group of inspirational fellow students that were also trying to make the deadline.  I was very excited and rather nervous when I hand-delivered my portfolio on Monday, February 3rd to KLC in Chelsea Harbour.

Now that I started, I am committed to continue with this course.  Look forward to posting my graded Module 1 in the next month and working on the next assignment. Deadline goal .... June 1st, 2014.
https://www.klc.co.uk/InteriorDesign

First Mummies Club - Feb. 4th

Last night, I spent a fun evening with the Ladies at First Mummies Club.  The First Mummies Club happens fortnightly in Hemel Hempstead and is organised by very talented Lisa.  The "February 4th Event", we focused on creating darling Valentine napkins. My napkins were fun way to practice different hand stitching (running stich and satin stitch).  Unfortuately the satin stitching took me so long that I did not get try the blanket stitch and lazy daisy stitch.  

I met some very inspiration women and I can't wait until the next First Mummies Club.

 
Below is Lisa's examples for the Valentine Napkins.