Surprise

I got a really big envelope in the post today.

I am making plans what to do with it. It is not as gentle as superwash but I love the bright colors of the rainbow. 

The moving pictures - part II

I found another great book about "the moving pictures". For every picture there is a tutorial and once you make some of them more and more ideas come. The pictures are accompanied with poems.

I will try to make more one tonight. It all depends of my baby's sleep.

Knit meter

I have added up all knitting from this fall and winter and guess what:

knit meter

Yes, more than 2 km of wool yarn went through my fingers. I am so proud of myself. And the knitting season is not over yet. Now comes the season for cotton knitting or maybe crocheting. Can't wait!

Fabric stiffening spray

Have you ever tried making stiffening spray yourself? I have found a recipe and will try it tomorrow:


mix 1 tbs of corn starch with 2 cups of water and mix it until the starch dissolves.


It sounds easy. I have found many ideas on How About Orange. I'll be back tomorrow with my report how it works. 

"The moving pictures"

"The moving pictures"

Do you know this book? I think it is only in German. But you can understand what is it about. 

It is about pictures which move.

They are quite easy to make. All you need is some cardboard, crayons or colour pencils, scissiors (and "bag clips")

I am not much of an artist regarding drawing but here is my attempt:

the hand with the hammer is drawn separately and it is fixed with the clip

Can't wait the morning when my son discovers it. Good night :)

Christmas fair 2010

I would like to share a link to the official page of WS Ljubljana, where you can watch a movie about 

the Christmas fair 2010. 

The movie was recorded by high school pupils. Enjoy it:)

Homemade castle

We made a wooden castle out of the remains of the jutting roof. It is a larch wood, a bit redish, very pleasant and soft to the touch.

We added some knights and a cart with the horse from Ostheimer and Kinderkram. My husband made some missing equipment (shields and swords).

There is no "right" or "wrong" way to play with Ostheimer Castles or animals and therein lies the beauty of these wonderful wooden toys.

"Play is at the very core of a child's life. It is the way children learn about the environment, the people in their lives, and most of all about themselves. Toys are the tools of creative play and with the right toys, a child can have not only an entertaining, but an enriching experience." - Margarate Ostheimer

All larch small boards needed no further handling. Larch wood is one of our favorites since it needs no coating or oiling. It contains enough of the resin to remain healthy for at least hundred years, it may only loose a bit of the colour, but we grow grey hair with the years, don't we :) All the dryingracks and barns which are grey are made of larch wood.

All we are missing in this play is a princess ...

Marbles

Have you ever played with marbles? My dear friend from Holland brought us for Christmas this marbles house. 

More marbles you bring into house more points you get. 

Of corse you can make one yourself, out of shoe box, you draw some dwarfs' entrances or fairies' doors and the play can begin.

One of my childhood toys

This kind of toy is almost 200 years old, it is called the turning marvel or the wonder turner. 

We made it ourselves as kids. It is easy and fast to make. All you need is two round cards, a bamboo stick and glue. 

Draw two circles on a bright colour paper (help yourself with a glass), cut them out. 

Then draw a simple picture in the middle of one card.

Take a second card and hold both up to a light or against a window. Draw your second round card and draw the picture the way you want it to fit with the first picture.

Take the bamboo stick and glue both cards around the stick.

Spin your toy between your palms to see what happens. 

You can make changes by adding more to the drawings or coloring them in. 

Not many words needed

I guess it must have been Sunday, one lazy Sunday last February. My boy enjoyed the play so much ... 

Knitting my first cardigan

It's for my baby boy, but it's a lot of work. I will use 300g of wool for 6 months old boy.

I have foung a great ribbon at: AnneSvea and the wool is 100% superwash, the pattern is from "Baby Maschenmode" magazine.

I will be back with photos when it is finished. I am sure my boy will be happy to pose and show what is warming him during zhe winter.

And the lucky winner is...

It was not a computer drawing, it was an oldfashioned one, with names on pink paper:

and the lucky winner is:

Please send me your address and the colour of your window star.

Don't be disappointed, come back, there will be more giveaways, I promise :) and thank you all for participating.

The giveaway ends today!!

If you forgot to comment my giveaway, this is the last chance. Today at 8 p.m. CET the giveaway ends :)

Have a wonderful day!

Fabrication de bonbons à Berlin

I like this video very much. I wish I could spend one day in this candy workshop. Can you smell the sweet scented candies?


Fabrication de bonbons à Berlin on Vimeo

Beech masts' dwarfs

If there are many beech masts in autumn in the woods, the winter will be cold and with lots of snow. I found these beautiful big ones in our capital, under a beech tree which grows in front of the musical school.

To make the dwarfs you need wooden beads for heads (I picked quite big since the masts are big too), felt (I always use 100 % wool felt), thread and sewing needle, scissors and glue.

I cut the felt triangles for the caps and sew them. I always use blanket stitch.

and then glue them on the beads. The bodies and the heads are fixed with hot glue, it is more flexible.

Add some felt leftovers for collars of scarves and/or some bells on the top of the caps.

You can make a dwarf mobile, you can put them in secret places around the house and kids will have great pleasure discovering them, they are great if you make dwarf land (with natural materials like moos, branches and bark ...) and they are great for the seasons' table as well.

Please share some photos with us if you make some beech masts' dwarfs.