Teddy bear bed

This little teddy bed is made by sandwiching some wadding between two long strips of fabric then quilting it together with the sewing machine. Next you fold it into 3 leaving a bigger area at the top for the pillow. Bind the edges then attach a square for the pillow adding a bit more wadding to make it puffy.

Play dough printing

We had fantastic fun printing with play dough. It is very squishy and therefore  easy to press patterns into it and then print. My 3 and 8 year old loved it. Plasticine is also great to print with as a bit firmer but as we did not have any we tried play dough.

You will need.....
I batch home made or bought play dough
newspaper to protect your table and aprons
poster paint
paper
paintbrush
old plate or takeaway lid
Bits and bobs from around the house such as fork, stick, shells, cotton reels, old bit of card - anything to press into the playdough to make a pattern
We also did a bit of printing with an old sponge and carved a few spuds too.

When you have pressed the play dough into a shape or squidged it with a shell, gently dunk into the paint on the plate. Spreading your paint fairly thinly on the plate will mean that you don't get too overloaded. Next print onto the paper, as you go the image will change a bit due to the play dough being so soft - but I think this adds a rather nice random appearance.  We also printed with the side of a piece of card to get lines and a carved potato.

I have been a one person teddy bear handbag factory today. I am making them as the party bags for small persons teddy bear picnic party.  The details are cut out of felt and hand stitched on. The main part is made of 4 teddy shapes, sandwiched and then inside outed together. Just about room inside for a piece of cake, lollipop and little present.

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Printed off the lino fish and it came out really well - so far like the grey lino as much as the brown.

 

These sugar plaques are commissioned by Alain Roux of The Waterside Inn, Bray. Alain Roux makes the delicate plaques then I design and draw the image on them. They go out with the dessert trolley for birthdays, anniversaries or special occasions. The Waterside is the most wonderful restaurant - exquisite cuisine, formal yet friendly and a beautiful setting in the little village of Bray on the banks of the river Thames  www.waterside-inn.co.uk

Made some preparatory sketches for a mural for small persons wall. She adores merry go rounds so that had to be the central theme and also horses and ducks so they have been incorporated around the design.

I have always been a fan of the traditional brown lino that smells delisciously of linseed oil but it seems the only one available is the slightly less smelly grey. It carves pretty well, no crumbling and easy to make flowing slick lines.