Summer...

Hello!

The image above sums up the summer for me because it is a peep at work in progress of a new collection of greetings cards coming soon called 'Home Is...' 

This summer has mostly been a delicate juggling act of entertaining our two girls whilst working on this new range.  With this particular design, the first has directly inspired the latter!...

Here's another little peep at how this collection is shaping up.  I'll be able to reveal all in September.  This collection will be available as wholesale greetings cards through my friends at the publishing company, more details are available on the Trade section of my website.  

I am also steadily releasing some of the designs as illustration prints, two if which, 'I'm In Charge' and 'Energy Saving Mode' are already listed on all my online shops (website, Folksy and Etsy)....

Of course it's not all been about work.  There have been plenty of days out, new experiences, birthdays to celebrate and fun to be had these past few weeks....

Whilst out and about there have been a few sightings of my cards in shops, like this one in Waterstones...

On the whole, it's been a laid back summer with plenty of sunny days to enjoy.  

Which has kept me nicely inspired and alongside working on the new greetings card range I've been tinkering with patterns, mostly on a summery theme.  

I have plans to develop some new patterns for gift wrap and fabrics so am steadily building up a stock of new designs to eventually add to my Spoonflower shop...

Starting with this one called 'Wild Strawberries'.  This design is already listed on my Society 6 shop so is available on all sorts of things from totes to t-shirts...

I also began playing with this 'Kingfisher' design, inspired by a watercolour painting I did earlier in the year...

It began as a simple line arrangement which I always intended to colour up.  Once I saw the line drawing, I knew I had to save that version too as I think this will make a nice version for fabrics when I come to order Spoonflower & Print Me Pretty samples soon...

Meanwhile, the colour version is already available on all kinds of everything over at my Society 6.

I hope you are all enjoying summer too!

Best wishes

Angie

Getting Creative with the Kids to Celebrate a Birthday & Make a Summer Den...

Hello,

I read yesterday that there's a survey that claims that the beginning of August is when most parents reach breaking point with the school summer hols, mainly due to running out of ideas of new things to do, or beginning to run out of cash.  I fully identify with this, like many, I am trying to find that delicate balance of spending precious time with family making happy memories, working from home & encouraging the kids to make the most of their hols without bankrupting us!

For a bit of inspiration, here's something we've done as a family that has proved to be loads of fun, cheap and cheerful and a great way to entertain the kids in the summer hols.

At the beginning of the hols we had a birthday in this house.  I came up with a pragmatic idea which I hoped could help me out on those days when I need a bit of peace to knuckle down and catch up on work, but would also serve to give our daughter a very happy birthday afternoon with her friends to enjoy, remember and maybe learn a few simple, crafty things that will help save them all from too many dreaded 'I'm bored' moments this holiday....

So it all began with me sharing my bright idea with my husband who then set to work on sourcing and building a Wendy House out of cardboard destined for the recycling.

I must confess, John did the work on this house whilst I sorted out all the other party stuff and planned and sourced all the bits for the girl's making and crafting afternoon.   

Didn't he do well!

We wanted to keep the house plain ready for the girls to make flowers and butterflies to decorate it and bring it to life...

The day of the birthday came and my daughter's friends all came round.  The weather was dreadful that afternoon, so we had everything set up in the playroom.  They loved it and it was a lovely, colourful thing to do on such a dreary day. 

I laid out plenty of coloured papers, scissors, glue and pens.  I showed them how to make basic paper daisies and butterflies by simply folding and cutting squares of paper, then decorating them however they wanted. We also made paper flowers with drinking straw stems, which the girls took home in their party bags...

Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, there was lots of laughter and little hands getting busy and creating - such a wonderful sight!

It all looks so much better for the decorations they all made and stuck on the house.

Best of all they got to play in the house and have the birthday tea inside...

There was a fair amount of 'craftermath' but it was certainly worth it for the broad smiles on their faces...

 Best of all, the Wendy House is still up and all the crafting bits and bobs seem to have been moved into the house and the inside of the house has had a makeover.  

My girl's have declared it their 'craft workshop' where they can be 'art ninjas!'

When I've been busy working, they've often popped inside their house to emerge a bit later with something new they have made...

Here's a peep inside the house today.  That handmade pen box has to be my favourite thing they've made in the house so far.  I love that 'Keep Calm and Just Draw' - those are very wise words from ones so young!

And all this from something destined for the recycling!

Have a lovely week

Best wishes