2 year without posting..

When I have a little time, I create little cuties..:) 

I miss making a lot of craft stuff. Two year without making any craft things. Do you think I can stand it? Of course not..LOL
Because of time...I tried to try another craft that are not so time consuming.
lately I am in love with hand stiching...:)

Let me introduces you with 10 gnomes...
Gnomes with large gumnut found on the way to my children schools with 20mm beads and felt.
I use viscose/wool blend felt.

And my owlet..:). This the pattern that I want to make for a long time. Infact it is easier than I thought. Find these website with easy to follow tutorial...
http://agataria.blogspot.com.au/2011/03/folded-owl.html
I used scrap fabric and probably make some more with my beautiful fabric that I collected.

 And I know I  could not stop creating cuties..:)

Birdies...:)

My course is taking my time lately. I have to go to class for 2 days and go to kinder for 2 days. But still I miss doing crafty things. One week before holiday my daughter become VIP week. In that week she showed and told about herself. One day of that week, she brought her favorites toys. She chose one of crochet doll that I made when she was in kinder and the bird house from last year Easter activity.

When I picked her up, her friend approached me and said," Lulu can you make me a bird like Reyna has?". Then I made her bird in her favourite colour. This is the size of the bird, my daughter, 5YO, holding them.

Then my daughter asked to make 2 more for her friends. She made the nest. As her classroom friends are 20. My friend said," Lulu, you will end up make 20 birds..." LOL 

Where are I up to?

It has been a while, I did  not update in my blog. I wrote a lot actually for my study. Now I am in my second semester now. How time flies...:). I just update you some of my project that I have been done in my placement in kinder. I really like the subject about children development and playing. My teacher said I passed the units..:). What a relieved...:).

This was art painting for 3YO with the props aboriginal works.

This one was for 4YO. It is almost similar with the modification that are appropriate with their age. 

It was fun that my children also help me to prepare. What a tango...:). My son help me to saw the paper roll I got the card board free from spotlight...:). My daughter helped me to sand the end of tube. I let them involved in this activity, so that they understand what I am doing at the moment in my study. I discussed with them about dot painting. When I said, " Do you think it will difficult to make such kind of art for kinder? " He said. " Mum...little children can make anything. ...".

And this is the result of the activities:

Aren't they beautiful art works? One thing that I remembered from my teacher. The activity is worked, when it comes in different result. Nobody is the same. Every child will have their own creativity!

There was another activity that I set up. I made moon sand and rocket ship from my children's Lego. I wrapped the lego people with aluminium foil. It was hard to find astronaut figurine in toys shop so that I decided to make by myself.

This all about planning, creating, observing and reporting the project.  It blended my knowledge as parent, enhancing with the knowledge from the course and putting it in practice in kinder as professional. What an experience...:)

Where is Dougie?

There was an email that I received last week. The doll that I sold last year in Wattle Festival has been traveled to the northern hemisphere...How exciting....:). M told me that his son, 2YO, lent him his doll to accompany him during his travel. Oh..so touching...:).The photo that he sent me as Dougie traveled to Finland, Estonia, Italy, Austria and Germany. 

 

My Crochet Vegetables are growing...:)

It is back to December 2010, when Norparrin :  Early Intervention Centre in MerndaVillage, needed some vegie for the home corner, I made these: 

That the pattern that I found in internet unless for the pumpkin. I made some to for my daughter, she was 3 YO at that time, she liked pretend playing to be chef. She still loves cooking till right now.

Last week, I was in charge for Vegetable Corner for my placement in Kindergarten. I helped setting up the table. I need props for this experience. I brought my bean sprouter tray. Children are curious about the sprout and touched it, asked me question.

Then in the end season I remember I have crochet vegetable that must be good for giving prop for children.
I still kept crochet vegies, but I it was not complete anymore, so that I made pumpkin, beetroot and carrot. It is growing...horray I made the pattern by myself for pumpkin, carrot and beetroot so that they are in proportion size with the other vegies. Huhuy...my vegetable collection are growing.

But one more homework for myself. The challenging thing is to make cabbage. Still cannot brake the code...:P. I found this picture : http://www.flickr.com/photos/olinohobby/6897116315/

 Hmmmm...I am still curious to crack how to make the cabbage.Later when I have more time to explore I will brake the pattern for sure. Meanwhile Luckily I found paper mache cabbage.

While preparing it, It brought me to memory in August 2011, when I sold my creation for Early Years Conference in City of Whittlesea with the support from teacher from Norparrin. So that's why I owe teachers in Norparrin soooo much. Without them, my creation will only stayed in my home.

I also provided a set of vegetables, then teacher from kindergarten was about to buy my vegie set. They came for several time and then decided not to choose my creation, they chose felt. I was heart-broken. But come on...It is experience, I should learn more...:).  Through my course I also learn what toy that are appropriate for creating experiences for children playing and development. I am delighted that it DOES make a tango with my hobby to create.

The real treasure for my project

It has been a while I am doing my course in Children's services. I wanted to share some.  I got assignment for making baby treasure basket. My teacher encouraged us to find natural material, everyday things, hand made, and open ended toys. Sounds intimidating at first. But she showed me sometime we just ignore the simple things that we have can actually sparked baby to play with them. Even she took us to the op-shop to find some materials that has to be valued.

Then I come with this basket.

These are the things inside:

1. Rag dolls, this one has made by my son and me when he was 5 YO on summer holiday when I did a lot of sewing together with him and his sister. It is very memorable. 

2. My first snake that will remind me of my first doll that being ordered by teacher in Norparrin in Dec 2010, that encouraging me to do craft during my spare time. I found this photo (  My daughter was 3 YO, My son was 5 YO). 

3. Treasure from car boot sale in Lower Plenty School : the wooden car toys. You can pull out the people inside. Tassel that I chained together. 

4. My kitchen treasure : measuring spoon becomes instant rattle, wooden bowl, spoon and rolling pin and spatula with silicone that I thought baby will like to chew.

5. My girl's lil mirror. 

6. My hand made lavender sachet for exploring sense 

7. Pine cone...Actually I asked it from my daughter collection.

8. Rattle, the fail mushroom project..:P  

Then I went to another garage sale for finding another prop for my other assigntment ( that I will tell you in other post). I found another treasure: Rain stick. I though I will include it because it is about music and cultural experiences. I got it only 2 dollar!

When I presented my baby treasure basket, she asked me to include my other creation. She loves the turtles that I made. Then last thing I put my coaster, that long time a go I brought from my country. When I smell it, the wood ( curly) is cinnamon. Wow.. it will be good instead of stacking coaster, baby also get sensory experience.  It should be 6 pcs in one box, It is too tight space in the boix, then I decided to put 5 pcs in box, so that giving more room for placing coasters in the box.

This is the last appearance of my baby treasure basket. I am curious about how baby will interact with my basket. I have to wait until I present it to playgroup couple weeks later.

When I talked with my friend, I said I mentioned that I did not spend a lot of money  ( less than 10 AUD) to build my basket, because I found and made most of them at home. Then she said, " I have to buy everything, I cannot make handmade. How much did you sell your snake? Please count what you made " Oh God...in fact sometime I forgot to appreciate what I have done. Thanks E for reminding me to appreciate myself...:)

Pirate has a pet..

Do you know that pirate has a pet?

Custom order from L. Pirate boy and Whale...:)
Thanks, L. Hope the baby will love them...and play with them..:)