Friday 18 March 2022

Quiz - Match 10 Cities to Famous Landmarks


Table Mountain

Here is a Quiz for your group to have fun with - 


As always, the quiz is aimed to create a background to stimulate reminiscing and chat amongst your group. All good factors leading to an enjoyable few hours over a cup of tea and a biscuit!

If you would like more quizzes suitable for the older generation, please have a look at my 41 x 10 Easy Quizzes in a printable eBook 

Quiz - Match Cities to Landmarks





Sunday 13 March 2022

Easter Egg Pouches - Templates and Tutorial

Easter Egg Pouches made with felt - Tutorial and templates
Easter Egg Pouches 

 

Easter Egg Pouches made in felt  Tutorial and templates





So easy to make -  these little felt Easter Egg Pouches can then be filled with Easter Eggs, chicks, bunnies or whatever you have on hand! 

We found all our little gifts at our local Poundshop!



What you will need...

Felt 

Embroidery thread and needle

Fabric glue or double sided tape

Easter eggs and other little gifts to place inside your pouches

How to Make...


Cut out two felt "eggs" and then cut the top third off one piece - like this...

Easter Egg Pouches made from felt - Tutorial and templates

Pin the two pieces together and using blanket stitch, sew around the bottom edges.

Attach a flower or a heart to the front of the pouch, using fabric glue or double sided tape. The yellow flower was one I had in my stash! But you can use my templates to cut out your own embellishments...

Easter Egg Pouches made from felt - Tutorial and templates

Here are flower and heart templates 

Hope you have enjoyed preparing your Easter Egg Pouches ready to fill with little surprises to delight children at Easter!
Easter Egg Pouches made in felt  Tutorial and templates


Friday 11 March 2022

Two Mother's Day Bookmarks - Printable

Two Mother's Day Bookmarks - printable
You will love these Mother's Day bookmarks 
(UK 27 March 2022)- it is something Mum will treasure and is long lasting - especially if you finish it off by laminating it!

You will need...

Thin card that will fit into your printer 
(Or paper which can be glued onto card)

Paints or crayons to colour in your picture

Laminating (sealing the bookmark in a plastic sleeve) will preserve the bookmark (optional)

Here is the link to download and print...

Thursday 3 March 2022

ACEO Watercolour Painting - Using White Paint!

 When I started out, trying my hand at watercolour painting, I was told and I read in my ever growing pile of "How To" books, never to use white paint...

Well I disagree!!

White gouache paint


I discovered White Gouache paint (an opaque water based paint) and I use it with my watercolours... 

Because it is opaque it can be applied over watercolours and can be used for highlights, snow and anywhere really you want a pop of white!

Just be careful to spread it out when applying, as thick clumps will crack - unlike Acrylics which dry hard giving texture.

Here are a few of my ACEO paintings using gouache white paint...

ACEO painting

ACEO painting

ACEO painting

ACEO painting





Give it a try - but most of all, enjoy painting these little bits of collectible art!



Monday 28 February 2022

14 Clever and Apt Anagrams - Just for Fun!

14 Clever and Apt Anagrams Quiz

I found this selection of very clever and apt Anagrams - have a go at them with your groups. I have supplied the answers if you get stuck...

One to get you going... "ALAS NO MORE Z'S" is "SNOOZE ALARMS"

Have fun with these!

Here is the link...

14 Clever and Apt Anagrams

If you want more quizzes please have a look at my eBook...

41 x 10 Easy Quizzes - Printable with Answers
 




Friday 25 February 2022

One for the Kids - Who Will Drive the School Bus?


A school bus to colour in and then chose who will drive the bus
Tom (age 5) decided that the DOG would drive the bus!

You can colour-in the school bus and because it is your picture, you can then decide, who is the Driver and where the Passengers are allowed to sit...

Have fun - especially as some of you are having a half-term holiday!

Who will drive the bus - printable and colour in




Saturday 19 February 2022

Mother's Day Placemats - Printable to colour-in!

 


In UK we celebrate Mother's Day (or Mothering Sunday, as it is also known) this year on Sunday 27 March

What better way to delight Mum, than with a Mother's Day Placemat - either on her breakfast tray or at the table, as she starts her special day...

I have designed Three Mother's Day Placemats ready to download and print.

So get out the paints and crayons and  colour-in the placemats, ready to surprise Mum on Mother's Day...!





  

Sunday 13 February 2022

ACEO Miniature Painting - Have you got the right brushes?

 

ACEO miniature watercolour painting - about paint brushes
A Warm Afternoon

Have you got the right size brushes for painting ACEO, miniature, watercolour paintings?

The only acceptable size for an ACEO painting of 3.5 x 2.5 inches - no other size will qualify! Thus they do fall into the "Miniature" category...

When I started painting ACEO's, about ten years ago, there were not many suitable fine, detail brushes available. The best on offer, I found, were the brushes sold for painting on model aeroplanes or military tanks etc.

But now I find there are more available...!

I use a Round brush size 10 for skies and under-washes, and then a size 6 and 4 to fill in the backgrounds of my landscapes.

For trees I reach for my Rigger to keep the foliage light, using different shades of green to keep it alive.

Then to finish off a landscape by painting in the details, I use my fine watercolour brushes - I really like the ProArte Masterstroke range - Sizes 1 to 10/0 

They are very reasonably priced and hold their shape well. 

Just make sure they are kept clean and left to dry standing brush-up in a jar.
 
While painting be careful not to leave the brushes in your water jar, head down or they will soon bend out of shape...!

For more about ACEO's look at my menu bar at the top of my Blog!

Enjoy painting your ACEO's...!

Farming in Africa

Winter Fields