Tuesday, 26 July 2022

Painting Wild Flowers with Wet Watercolours!


This is a very exciting way to paint wild flowers, as you never know what you will end up with!

As you are painting watercolours "Wet on Wet" (wet paint on wet paper) it does its own thing - great fun and easy to do, so very suitable for your groups. 

And you get great results, even for the "un-artistic"!

You will need...
Watercolour paper (as you are wetting the paper, you will need watercolour paper - anything else won't work!)
Watercolour paints
Brushes
Black pen - waterproof ink. (I used Staedtler Pigment Liner 0.8, but any similar will do)

Get ready...
Mix your paints before you wet your paper.
I mixed green (2 separate shades - one darker)
Flower colours - I mixed Yellow (2 shades) and Crimson

Wet your paper by brushing over with clean water.

Wait a few minutes and then using a large brush, wash on the lighter green with upward strokes and feather the top edge. 

While still wet, apply the dark green - let some of the light green show through.


Next - check if your paper is still wet - if not then re-wet the top of your picture. (careful not to go into the green area)

Then apply the colours you have prepared - just load the brush with paint and then touch the paper and the paint will spread by itself.

Put different size blobs of the different colours - in random order (these are wild flowers - not planted in rows!!)

Lastly, take your brush and flick (hold the brush parallel to the paper and tap it sharply, with your finger, just below the bristles) small blobs of paint randomly over the whole picture. 

Do this with all your different flower colours.


Let it dry thoroughly (I use my hair dryer on low heat to speed up the drying process)

Once the paint is dry, take your pen and draw in your flowers. 

Try to draw freely - don't be too precise - the paint is not precise, so the drawing too must be "Random"!

To make it look natural, have some flowers "side view".



Scribble in grass at the bottom, over the green area. Stand back and admire your work...!

Have fun!

Wednesday, 8 June 2022

Make a Felt Wall Hanging - Sunbonnet Sue, Bunny and Flowers! Printable Templates!

Felt Sunbonnet Sue, Bunny and Flowers Wall-Hanging
 

Some years ago I purchased the Sunbonnet Sue pattern and I have now decided it was time to create a new Felt Wall-Hanging - Sunbonnet Sue, Bunny and Flowers -  which you can all make at home or with your groups!

About Sunbonnet Sue - Bertha Corbett Melcher is credited as a creator of the Sunbonnet designs. She illustrated children's Primer books in the early 1900s. Her book, “The Sunbonnet Babies” was published in 1900. In this book she depicted girls with their faces hidden by their bonnets.

I have given you a tutorial of my Sunbonnet Sue Wall-Hanging, but you can add or take away any of the embellishments - have fun and be creative...!

You will need...

One A4 sheet of felt for background

Scraps of felt for Sunbonnet Sue, Bunny and Flowers

A string of daisy trimming - or whatever you have 

Buttons for flowers and bonnet

Cotton wool tail and googly eye for bunny - 

Fabric glue or double sided tape to attach tail and eye

Embroidery thread for stitching

Ribbon and a wooden dowel to hang 

How to make it...

Print the pattern / template of Sunbonnet Sue and Bunny and Flowers

Sunbonnet Sue Template

Bunny and Flowers Template

Cut out your Sunbonnet Sue, Bunny and Flowers from your felt

Taking your A4 background felt, turn over a hem of about 2cm along the long edge and stitch down

Felt Sunbonnet Sue, Bunny and Flowers Wall-Hanging

Turn your A4 felt over and attach Sunbonnet Sue one layer at a time, using a small running stitch, finishing with the bonnet

Felt Sunbonnet Sue, Bunny and Flowers Wall-Hanging

Attach the bunny, again using a small running stitch
 
Felt Sunbonnet Sue, Bunny and Flowers Wall-Hanging

Attach the flowers, by stitching them to the background with a button in the middle of each one. 

Attach a cotton wool tail to the bunny and an eye, using fabric glue or double sided tape

Stitch the daisy trim along the top as in the photo

I attached a button on the bonnet as well as a few single daisies from the daisy trim scattered around.

Felt Sunbonnet Sue, Bunny and Flowers Wall-Hanging

Slip your wooden dowel into the top channel, tie on your ribbon and you will have a Sunbonnet Sue Wall-Hanging to make everyone smile...!


Wednesday, 11 May 2022

Four Platinum Jubilee Place Mats - Free Download, Print & Colour-in!

If you are joining in with the Platinum Jubilee Sunday lunch (5 June 2022) - at home or in your street - why not prepare Place Mats for you and your family and guests!


Here are four different Platinum Jubilee Place Mats - get out those paints or crayons and get the kids or your groups busy!


Enjoy the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, wherever you are! 
Four days 2 - 5 June 2022...

70 YEARS - God Save the Queen!

Monday, 2 May 2022

Jubilee Bunting to colour in - Free template!



Platinum Jubilee Bunting to download, print and colour in

Just a short while before the UK celebrates our beloved Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee - 70 years on the throne! 

Platinum Jubilee Bunting to download, print and colour in
What an amazing achievement for us all to celebrate... 

So get your groups or children together and prepare some Jubilee Bunting! 

Here is the link to download and print your Jubilee Bunting...


       Enjoy and celebrate!