DIY Mobile revisited!

I'm so thrilled...I finally got this to work the way I wanted it to! Sans "whirring" noises! Enjoy :)



For more info, please see my earlier blog post.

Sock Pals!

Here's a couple of fun Easter break projects, suitable for small kids and big kids alike! :D

You can use an old sock (maybe its partner has been eaten by the sock monster?) to make a sock friend:


...or even a sock pet! Choose from snake, sock dog, crocodile and even a doggy draught excluder:


The possiblities are endless, if you have as many socks lying around that are no longer in a pair or have holes in them as I do. Check out the Pet Pooch Gallery too!

Merry Christmas!

This is probably the cutest version of "Sleigh Bells" I have ever seen or heard (found via those lovely Made in the Shade gals), so I thought I'd share it here. Enjoy!



A very merry Christmas to one and all! :)

Spooky Saturday!

With Halloween only a few short weeks away, here are some fun picks to get that party started!


Cute little Halloween Spiders by Diomo Glass.


I love these fun cupcake wraps by Bespoke Cards - they'd be great for adding a creepy touch to edible treats.


Send someone a spooky message with this card from Little Bird Too.

Now I just need to figure out my Halloween costume...!

The Big Draw

I recently found out about the Campaign for Drawing, which I think is a fantastic idea, and not just for kids. For one thing, I think it's a real shame that many people worry that they are just not 'artistic' enough to draw. I think folks should just have a go, and have fun...it can be quite liberating. It's also great to experiment around with different drawing materials - pens, pencils, felt-tips, markers, ink...and then there are all the different choices of drawing 'surface' - not just paper, you know. The list is endless!

The Big Draw is a celebration of drawing - for those who can, and those who think they can't - that takes place in October every year. There are lots of events taking place all over the UK next month, which you can find out about on the site.

The Owl & Lion Gallery/Boutique in Edinburgh is running some free workshops for children as part of the Big Draw - details here - including mask making, owls and other animals. All they ask is a small donation (which goes to their chosen charity, the World Wildlife Fund for Animals). Places are limited though, so if you're interested, I'd suggest booking very soon!

...and, just for kicks: here's an interactive, online version of that game we all play(ed) at school - Draw & fold over.

DIY Duvet!

Having been under the weather in recent weeks, I've had rather a lot of duvet days lately. So I thought I'd tell you about this fantastic idea for kids - or big kids for that matter!


What better way to stave off boredom than by doodling...on your duvet. Yes, really! It's called the Doodle Duvet:


This is a stroke of genius by Stitch Designworks - the 100% cotton duvet comes complete with a set of colourful pens using ink which washes out at 40°C. I also like the fact that it's printed to look like a sheet of file paper :)

Spice up your Saturday!

I'm busy getting ready, but I thought I'd take a moment to invite y'all down to the Summertime Hop tomorrow! Like any Made in the Shade event, it's sure to be a blast.



Featuring: WildKittens + WildCat Designs, tea, cake, craft, design, vintage goodness, a fun photobooth, goodie bags for early birds, Flora the Tombola, music from The Meat Men and much, much, more!

Petite Purls

All images: Petite Purls
I recently discovered this treasure trove of knitting, crochet and sewing projects, nicely packaged as an online magazine at www.petitepurls.com.


It's great to see such a nice collection of patterns (the majority of them by indie designers) aimed at children, including toys, clothes and accessories. In addition to this, they have a sprinkling of articles which would make great tea break reading. The best part of all? It's free to use, you simply print off a copy of the pattern you wish to make.


Petite Purls is published seasonally in March, June, August and November.

DIY Mobile

My other half recently found out he was to become an uncle, so naturally we wanted to give something cool to the proud new parents. The idea of a (home made) baby mobile came up, which we both thought was a great idea, especially as we didn't know if the baby was going to be a boy or girl just yet.

When I couldn't find a tutorial for the kind of mobile I had in mind (i.e. one with a motor, so it spins), we resorted to outside-the-box thinking. May it be noted that my other half is rather good at this kind of thing! Hence the idea to buy a pre-existing design and modify it.

This proved to be the easiest way to proceed, so we got a simple, inexpensive one which I could add my own toy shapes to in place of the ones the mobile came with. One of the benefits of this approach was that it provided a stable framework from which to start, and the clip/arm for attaching to the baby's cot. The last thing I wanted was for it to end up looking like a botched DIY attempt made with coathangers!

Well, it has now been gifted so I can share it with you :) Here is a little clip of it in action:



P.S. Do excuse the whirring...apparently my camera always does this!

Little Bruiser

I was more than a little thrilled to discover that one of my WildKittens scarves, the spearmint and chocolate skinny stripe, was recently featured on {KID} Independent, a blog for "your daily dose of indie style for kids."



The story was entitled 'Little Bruiser' - what a great idea for a style challenge! :) That little blue monster guy up in the corner is a sock puppet, (available in pattern form, by the way) from Danger Crafts on etsy - so cute.

Dreamy Mobiles

Wooden mobile by Sleepyheads

I've been thinking about making a mobile for a little while now, and have been keeping an eye out for any particularly cute, colourful and fun ones for inspirational purposes. Here are some of the beauties I found!


Dinosaur Felt Mobile by PinkPerch


Abstract Felt Mobile by Lupin Handmade


Crazy Monkeys Mobile by Susurrum

If you want to have a go at making one yourself, might I suggest this DIY tutorial for a felt butterfly mobile by the lovely Laura of Lupin Handmade.


Butterfly Felt Mobile by Lupin Handmade