Easter Crafts

Happy, happy Easter! I love Easter days! There's always such a sense of anticipation - spiritually, obviously for me, but also perhaps that sense of spring, that the year has turned, of being the right time sow seeds, enjoy a few days of holiday...it's all about being re-created and re-creating.

On Saturday after the all-too-necessary evils of a bit of housework, and with my husband away for the day, the boys and I had a very creative day. We started with some wonderfully smelling beeswax candles, made in eggshells (following inspiration from Explore and Express and a tutorial from Magic Onions). The boys cut the wicks and J tied them onto bamboo sticks. T poured the wax pellets into an old baked bean tin (impromptu bain marie) and inspected their melting progress in a slightly overfull steamer.

Then we moved from melting wax to melting chocolate - a rather more popular choice - to make some little nests on a spoon - simple and fun - and with lots of tasting and chocolaty fingers along the way! We popped them in the fridge, while I told the boys the final part of the Faces of Easter Story.

 We headed out to the garden and woods to get all we needed for our Easter garden, which turned out to be quite an installation on our kitchen table! I was surprised but pleased that they enjoyed arranging the flowers, which J especially did very well. he also found the big rock to close the tomb. T put his clay bird in pride of place. Our wheatgrass has grown very well!

Finally, it was time to eat the wee nests, which were a big hit. It was a great afternoon, after all the activity of the last few days.

Now we are Six

School holidays start, and naturally, after weeks of sunshine, it instantly starts raining. Non-stop. For a week. Oh joy! However, nothing can dampen a birthday celebration and even the weather cheered up a bit too. Now at the grand old age of six, my boy really knows how birthdays work. First request was breakfast in bed (our bed, so everyone could fit in). Only a bit of chocolate spread on the pillowcase... And some very specific present requests...

"Mum, can you make me a SamSam costume?"

"Mum, can you make me a knight costume?" And a cosy velvet cape with a furry collar - wouldn't mind one of those for myself actually. Goes with the quiver that was also requested recently...

Naturally a superhero/knight needs a quest. And some friends to help. So after a bit of shield decorating, face-painting and dressing-up we headed out in search of dragon eggs - left carelessly all around the woods...

We got attacked by a not very friendly dragon hiding in the heather - it got enthusiastically bashed! Just as well, it had lots of goodies in his belly...

Peace restored, it was back a bit of cake. Despite my love of all things homemade, I have to say I find birthday cakes a bit daunting, well, the fiddly ones anyway. This one was no exception. Especially as the electricity was due to be cut for several hours the morning of the party, and I found myself manically trying to beat the icing whilst throwing cocoa powder everywhere, as I realised I only had 3 minutes in which to take a shower! Still it worked out fine, I got my shower, the cake was very chocolately and the kitchen is almost clean....

The party finished with a peaceful campout in the garden, a nice bottle of wine for the grownups and a cosy campfire. And the sun even came back out for the weekend.

Work in Progress

Every two weeks or so I go to this amazing craft group in Inverness, which provides a brilliant creche for tiny ones and the opportunity for people, mainly mums, to get together, make stuff, see some lovely people and get a cuppa with a slice of homemade cake! Could it be any better? And it's wonderful because I have learnt so much, had help with my novice knitting, started painting with acrylics, and got into doing mosaic. Sometimes I just take whatever I'm working on at home, other times I go and try out whatever I'm in the mood for. And today was definitely a mosaic day.

I have a plan to make some to cheer up the garden in the non-flowering times of the year..we'll see how far I get, but here's the start. And the weather was so nice later that I was able to carry on outdoors while the boys paddled and played alongside.

Bliss...

Watercolour

It's that time of year where Highland weather changes every few minutes. We've woken up to see snow on the mountains twice this week, yet my son insists on wearing shorts to school. Glorious sun. Pouring rain. Howling winds. It's all happening.

So we are having to snatch moments outside when we can. And when we can't, then bring the outside in.

Having the outside in, means you can see the rapid changes of the season right under your eyes. I don't paint very often these days, and I'm not terribly good at it. But perhaps it's the weather, or perhaps it's the delicate beauty of spring growth, but it felt high time to get the watercolours out. I love using pen and wash, because it is very immediate, and you are totally committed. No rubbing out, no painting over.


And best of all, my son wanted to join in. I have learnt it is important sometimes to offer the best paints, brushes and paper, as the results are so different. We had a lovely time, quiet and focused, a rare moment of just the two of us, a good counterpoint to a rather fractious morning!

Then we got a big roll of lining paper out and tried out all sorts of colour combinations, and ended up with our own watercolour rainbow. And then it was time to get our wellies on and grab the moment to get back out again!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Three little love birds for my three favourite chaps...a bit of wonderful nonsense. It's not often I see something and think I HAVE to make that now. But these wee creatures totally seduced me. Thanks mollychicken for a great pattern! They went down a storm at breakfast time, although they did appear to be showing some less than loving behaviour towards one another...ah well, welcome to the family.

Valentine's Day is a load of commercial rubbish really, but we send buckets of love to all the other members of the flock everywhere. May your day be filled with at very least, warm hugs and some really decent chocolate.

Today we also celebrate 9 years as members of L'Arche, so extra big love for all you lovely people!