Teddy Bear colouring sheets

Unfortunately, I don't really get a chance to blog but sometimes I need somewhere to file away things I've created.

Like these teddy bear colouring sheets. I designed them for a toddler group I help run, but it's good to share.

Birthday teddy

Printable here

Christmas teddy bear

Colouring sheet for Christmas. Teddy in the snow wearing a Santa hat, mittens and a scarf. 

Printable here

As always, please only use for good not evil.

Yogurt bottle vases and Easter bunnies

On our trip to the supermarket, the girls wanted to try some of those yogurt drinks in little bottles. I was reluctant as I wasn't sure they'd like them, but it turns out they do.

The empty containers just screamed out to be decorated. So we dug out the Sharpies and the seven year old made a lovely rainbow vase.



Then both girls worked together to make Easter bunnies with paper ears and wool pom-pom tails.



That's their craft thirst satisfied for today.

Paper Flowers, a simple Mother's Day craft

It was my turn to bring the craft to our toddler group this week and the theme was Mothers, for Mother's Day. So I created a paper flower craft.



 It had to be simple because the majority of the group are two and three years old, so it's a basic glue stick and one piece of sticky tape make.

 How to make: I cut out flower shapes in a range of colours and sizes, some small circles for the middle of the flower, a leaf shape and a pipe cleaner for the stalk.


The flowers were then layered on top of each other and stuck with a glue stick to make the flower, the green pipe cleaner was stuck on with sticky tape and the leaves again with the glue stick.

I went a bit fancy with my test version and stuck another flower shape on the back to cover up the pipe cleaner but it didn't work with the preschoolers, as they weren't fussed about having a neat finish.

Anyway, as an easy under fives craft it worked fantastically, so I thought I'd share. Happy Mother's Day.

Vacation Countdown

Disney Vacation Countdown Chart, a photo by Snowfairy on Flickr.

Back in the summer I put together a countdown chart for our vacation to Florida.

It's a two week countdown or as it was known in our house "10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Mickey!!! "

I'm happy to share it, if you want to print it off for your own fridge.

Print here

Yum-Munch Cakes

Yum-Munch Cakes, a photo by Snowfairy on Flickr.

My cousin is a talented cake crafter and is just setting up her own business and asked me to design a logo for Yum-Munch Cakes.

This is the final design she chose.

Once again it reminded how I love the process of creating, the ideas, the challenge of battling with a design as it just won't work. If only I had time in my day to turn my hobby into a money making scheme...

Welcome to the home of the future

Welcome to the home of the future, a photo by Snowfairy on Flickr.

My brother has just moved to New York and this is a their moving house card.

Why robots? Because it is the home of the future, and also there is a too complicated back story why we are called Holbots.

Valentine's penguins

We had 20 minutes spare this morning before school, so we made a couple of Valentine's penguins.

Penguins are just the perfect creature for Valentines, it's cold, it's winter, they're cute and in our house they are purple.

Owls

I'm struggling to draw, my brain power has been reassigned and the connection between my hand and brain isn't working. But rather than worry about it, I've decided to channel my creative urges in different directions.

I've wanted a bag to stuff all the baby tights, it makes them easier to find. I quickly sewed together a spare piece of fabric to make a bag, job done. But creativity snuck in and that evening (while the baby was asleep) Tilda and I had a crafting hour, both creating owls collages.

I think Tilda and I need to establish regular creating/crafting time, as it was great to spend time chatting, making and bouncing ideas off each other, to give her some time and attention in our busy lives.



Tilda's creation

Panda by email

It was a friend's birthday and so I painted her a card with a panda, because of her purchase on a recent trip to Build a Bear.

But, as she lives in USA and I wasn't able to get it to her on time I sent her a virtual card (a storyboard of me opening the card) by email.

Sunshine, showers and rainbows

May sunshine and showers bring many rainbows into your life, a photo by Snowfairy on Flickr.

A small card for a little boy's baptism.

I found most Christening and Baptism cards quite solemn and serious, considering it's a happy event. I wanted an illustration that showed this is a joyous occasion, celebrating new beginnings and life. Lots of bright colour and a bit of fun.

Also it gave me an excuse to draw sunshine and rainbows.

Painting cards in bulk

This week is the end of term and to say thank you to the volunteers at our under 5s group I painted a series of cards. The basic image is the same but due to the nature of painting and because I am unable to duplicate, each one is slightly individual. Whether a spotty dress or a heart dress, a tractor tshirt or monster.





Another series of cards painted this week, was for moving house/retirement cards. I had painted one for my brother who has just moved house, then was asked if I could put together a couple more for some people at the local school who are retiring and, or moving house.

Sketches from June

So much going on, but still finding time to make birthday / thank you cards, you won't believe how much money I save by sketching my own. Here are some of June's sketches:

Little Red Riding Hood illustration, for a 5th birthday card.


Peanut butter and Cucumber card
For my brother who doesn't really like birthday cards, but he really likes peanut butter and cucumber.


The family portrait thank you card, version number two.
First attempt was destroyed in a four year old's tantrum. But ended up being a nice end of the week shot for 7days.



End of term 'Thank you teacher' card.
Time to move up a year and a new teacher, so I think Miss H needs a thank you. School summer dresses are just the best.



July and August are full on birthday months. So much more to come...

A first birthday present

My lastest fairy painting, a little something for my cousin's daughter. We celebrated her first birthday a couple of weekends ago with a family party. It's nice to be able to give something individual and if they don't like it they can always use the frame for something else.

I also sketched and painted a little bunny card, because I like to try something new.

Preparing for Mother's Day

This week it was the toddler group Mother's Day service. The children are told a Mother's Day story, sing a few songs and then the children collect a small posy of daffodils to give to their Mummy.

Mother's Day is a perfect excuse for me to be creative, so here are the illustrations, gift tag and colouring sheets I put together for the event.

Illustrations

The story this year revolved around all the things that Mummy does for Teddy and so to say thank you he gave her some flowers.  I updated my previous teddy sketch to illustrate, these were then dropped into a PowerPoint and shown on a big screen, as the story was acted out.

Printable Mother's Day Gift Tag

Usually the Mother's Day flowers are couple of daffodils held together with an elastic band, but I though we could make them a little bit more special just by adding ribbon and a gift tags.
A pdf of the Mother's Day gift tag is available to download and print.

Colouring sheets

I also put together a couple of colouring sheets of Teddy and his Mother, just for fun.

Love hearts in love

I haven't drawn for two months. My desire to create vanished or perhaps my brain was busy thinking about other things so there was no room for creativity.

Today, I thought I should at least try and do something. So using a Valentines sketch from last year I set myself a goal to make a little something in illustrator, for no other reason than to prove to myself that my creative ability hasn't totally vanished.

Christmas cards 2010

As a creative person I can't let myself just go out and buy Chrismas cards, I have to make it into a project. Last year I painted individual cards with either a snowman, an angel or Mary.



This year though I tried to make the Christmas card process easier by getting a batch of photos printed and then sticking them onto festive coloured card. I sent these to family and close friends, as most of them have been swamped with my homemade cards.
But I couldn't help myself and as I needed a few more cards, I painted 25 cards of my little Christmas helper.

Going back to the 80s

My friends are celebrating their 40th birthdays next year and asked me, as a favour, to put together their invitation. They requested a Back to the Future front page and then something horrendously 80s on the back.

It's bright and cheesy but does the job, they were pleased and I got to use a Back to the Future font.

Snowballs

What do you get when you cross a pom pom and a paper snowflake?



Answer: A simple Christmas decoration.

Using large sheets of white tissue paper, I followed the Martha Stewart instructions for making pom poms but before moving onto Step 3 (separating the layers) I cut into each end of the strip, just like making a paper snowflake.

Top tip: don't cut too far towards the middle as the paper just rips when separating the petals out.

I use shirring elastic to hang them up as it gives them a lovely bounce when they are caught by a breeze.

So our first Christmas decoration is up and our house is full of large and medium sized snowballs all bobbing along. What can I make next?

Powerpoint nativity

While preparing some Powerpoint slides for a toddler's Christmas service I couldn't find the 'right' Nativity images. Which is just my excuse for putting together some of my own.

I didn't have too much time to spare, so using a basic body shape I changed their clothes and hair (taking inspiration from my previous attempt at a nativity) and hopefully created a set of characters who are simple, bright and cute.