kids – CraftyGuider

The Big Plan

I need a plan.

Working from home is wonderful, but having all of my life based from home means that work, kids, the business, volunteering, housework and down time all merge into one. If I switch the laptop on to update a record on the Guiding database, I end up also writing the agenda for the next WI meeting, seeing what is happening in Twitter, writing press releases to try and attract leaders for the local Brownie unit, checking another unit’s records to see if they managed to move Rainbow Maisy to the Brownie waiting list and looking up a random person on Wikipedia which leads to another person, and another and another. I’ll go into the Craftyguidelets’ bedrooms to quickly collect their washing and I’ll put their library books back in their bags, arrange the teddies on the bed, sort through the wardrobes for hangers, dig out all the used tissues, empty their bins, which in turn leads to emptying all the bins, sorting the recycling and so on.

Right now I’m supposed to be tidying up the office, but going downstairs to fetch the stepladder, I also collected my diary and to do list, and brought my laptop upstairs to check on my planner which has led to me thinking of a couple of blog ideas to note down, and I’d better check my emails, and there are a couple of corrections to do on the WI newsletter and eldest will be a Guide after Christmas so I wonder if she’s done enough to be awarded her Music Group badge as soon as she joins… See, I’m hopeless!

I’ve recently started investigating bullet lists and planners to try and get more focused, and with the extended Easter holidays ending next Tuesday, and therefore all my Guiding starting up again, a plan is needed.

Are there any methods that have worked for you?

Science with Sherbert

How to mix science with lollipops to appeal to Guides! This came from a leader training I attended several years ago.

To prepare, you need to boil a red cabbage in water and leave it to stand for 30 minutes. Then drain the liquid into a container to use as indicator solution i.e. something that will distinguish between acids and alkalines.

equipment: 3 clean glasses/jars, teaspoons, small plastic bags (one per person), indicator solution (cabbage water), 3 containers

ingredients: icing sugar, bicarbonate of soda, citric acid (available from your chemist), lollipops

The experiment relies on the fact that citric acid is an acid and turns the indicator solution red, the bicarb is alkaline and turns it blue and the icing sugar is neutral and leaves it unchanged. You don’t need much powder and indicator solution to do this experiment, and please make sure the Guides don’t drink the cabbage water – I suppose it’s edible but it would taste foul!

I found that the older Guides had some concept of this type of experiment from school, however the younger ones hadn’t covered it yet. It might require a bit of leader/young leader supervision.

The printable sheet to hand to the Guides is on the link below.

Sherbert

I have also done this experiment with my Brownie and Rainbow daughters. They didn’t quite grasp the concept of acids and alkalines, but did enjoy the way the different substances changed the colour of the solution and asked questions along the way such as what would happen if all three substances were added at the same time.

My battle with an Elsa dress

Do you ever find that there is something that is stopping you doing something? I don’t mean something physical like a broken arm or your sewing machine being away for a service for a few days. I mean something in your head that is usually completely trivial. A mental blockage.Like lots of people, I’ve been enjoying the Great British Sewing Bee on TV and getting inspired to sew. I have lots of dress patterns that I want to try, and some of them have gone as far as being packed in project bags with fabric and all the notions to complete them.However, I am being thwarted by an Elsa dress. Eldest Craftyguidelet wanted an Elsa dress last year, and we couldn’t get one. Now they are everywhere, but I have all the fabric cut out to make her one. Youngest Craftyguidelet has hers made already as she went to a Frozen party last year, but eldest is still waiting. No deadline so no dress.I have the fabric and pattern. It’s all cut out ready and sitting in my craft room. I’ve already made one so I know what I’m doing. I’ve even got the basics sorted for my overlocker. I’m just not making the dress.

This procrastination over the dress is stopping me making other things. It’s fixed in my brain that I have to finish this dress for my little girl before I can start on something else. All sorts of thoughts are going round my head about prioritising something for my girls over all the other stuff for me, about getting it completed and ticked off the WIP list. It is totally illogical and is annoying me and I’ve only got myself to blame.

So readers, I’m going for it. This Elsa dress won’t beat me. And then I have some Liberty fabric waiting to be made into a blouse…

Guides do : Chinese Year of the Sheep

On the 22nd February every year, Girl Guides and Girl Scouts are encouraged to think about all their fellow Guides and Scouts around the world. The day is named World Thinking Day and was chosen because it was the shared birthday of both Lord Robert Baden-Powell, founder of Scouting, and his wife Lady Olave Baden-Powell, the first World Chief Guide.Another Guiding tradition is the donation of the Thinking Day Penny. It was suggested that as it was the Founder’s birthday, Girl Guides and Girl Scouts could send gifts in the form of a voluntary contribution. Olave Baden-Powell suggested a penny, and the money has gone to the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) ever since to support girls and young women around the world. Even though a penny could have got you much more in those days than now, we still collect pennies to donate to the World Thinking Day Fund. We don’t get the Brasso out and shine them any more like I used to in the 80’s though!For the international element of our meeting, the adult leaders had already chosen China as a theme due to the Chinese new year being next week. We then handed over to the two Young Leaders to choose some extra activities with the Guides, and then I was despatched to Hobbycraft with a list for the following week.As it is going to be the Chinese Year of the Sheep, I’d already decided to contribute this decorated cupcake idea that I’d spotted on Pinterest. See – all that procrastinating does pay off!I’m not sure how many sheep made it home in one piece, so I made sure I emailed pictures to the parents to show them that the Guides had actually done something!Another idea was making lanterns which turned out really well, especially with the battery powered tea lights in the bottom.Not so successful were the fortune cookies. I was a bit dubious when I was asked to provide ingredients, but one Guide told me she’d made them at Brownie Pack Holiday once. If a Brownie can make it, it must be easy. They’d obviously had more experience, or not used the recipe I found online. They tasted nice though and the Guides all swapped fortunes which they’d written inside.Our finale was our Chinese dragon. The Young Leaders asked for boxes and bottles, and I think the Guide parents took the opportunity to lighten their recycling bins this week. Not many were used in construction, but it had a head, body and tail, and every Guide managed to get underneath so a success!

If you think that you would enjoy being surrounded by icing, despairing over cracking fortune cookies and helping to engineer lantern bases, come and join the fun! Click here for more details.

That was the year that was ~ 2014

It was a great year for the shop. Craftyguider had it’s best year yet, and I raised a nice sum of money to put into the Guide accounts. I get to meet Theo Paphitis soon to collect my #SBS (Small Business Sunday) award, and I featured in Guiding magazine and the local press. However, I didn’t manage to launch a presence on Etsy, or learn about taking better photos.

I managed to make enough Christmas cards for friends and family, and sold handmade Christmas cards and tags in my shop for the first time. However I didn’t start in July as planned, and had a few late nights before craft fairs frantically making stock.

I handmade a few Christmas and birthday gifts this year, however I didn’t make as many as I’d planned to.

Q and A a Day I kept up to date with my Q&A a day diary (if you count the odd catch up sessions when I missed a couple/few/several days), however the Craftyguidelets didn’t do theirs.

I blogged more than usual, however I didn’t get into a rhythm and get all my ideas off the ground, especially more tutorials.

I worked hard to keep my local Rainbow and Brownie units open and helped to recruit new leaders, however I didn’t manage to get new units to open so that all the girls who want to join, can.

I have completed quite a few magazine kits this year, but not the one a week I wanted to. I have also tackled the magazine mountain and now say to myself that buying more magazines doesn’t make me happy, and the clutter makes me sad when I’m standing at the magazine display in the supermarket. However, the magazine hill is still there.

I haven’t learned how to procrastinate less, I’m still carrying some extra pounds, and the office is a bomb site.

I have learned an important thing this year though. I can’t (and shouldn’t) do everything. I don’t have to fill every available minute in the service of others or dusting the bannisters or attending meetings or making things for the shop. I need to prioritise my girls, my husband, my family and me. All the ‘howevers’ above have occurred because something else came up. A craft session with the Craftyguidelets, making Elsa dresses, going on family holidays, extra time at the park after school, a day out on my own to a craft fair as a customer, not a vendor.

Have a wonderful new year everyone, and I hope 2015 is everything you want it to be.

Louise x

Poppies and Buses

After doing the Books About Town trail around London in the summer, the Craftyguidelets and I decided to sample the Transport for London Bus Sculpture Trail to celebrate the Year of the Bus. As one of the trails started and finished near the Tower of London, we took the chance to take Mr Craftyguider and mother in law with us to see the poppies now that the installation was almost complete.We had seen the poppies in August, but so many more had been added since then. It is such a stunning sight. It really brings home the 888,246 lives lost in WWI and has taught the Craftyguidelets a lot about the scale of casualties of the war.We got there as early as our travelcards allowed us from the sticks but it was so busy, we were advised to get off the train at Aldgate rather than Tower Hill. However, after lunch when we were the other side of the river, we looked back at the Tower and it was swarming with people. Even crossing Tower Bridge was hard due to the volume of people coming the other way.If you can get to see the poppies before it finishes, it is worth the trip. Just try going early!After lunch, we crossed the river to start the bus sculpture trail. The bus models have been painted by well-known and aspiring artists and spread over 3 trails along the river and in the City, around Westminster, and in the Olympic Park. Another trail will also open up before Christmas.Having looked for book benches in the summer, I didn’t find this as exciting. The book benches could be sat on and represented books that were mainly familiar to me and the Craftyguidelets. The buses were each labelled with a big sign saying DO NOT CLIMB.This Orla Kiely design was at least familiar to me.This placement was really great with Tower Bridge directly behind the bus. I wish the weather was as good as that painted on the bus though!This punk bus was outside St Pauls. Not sure of the connection there!This is the Kids Company bus with images of children sleeping on the bus to escape homelessness, and was painted by an ambassador of the charity.And this bus was the last on the trail representing the 24 hour nature of the city and the buses.I don’t think we’ll be back to look for the other buses. However, it was a nice day out and took us round several of the London sights, so it would be a nice guided tour along the river for a visitor in combination with a trip to the Tower.

The Paddington Bear trail starts on 4th November. I’m already excited by this one as there are bears designed by celebrities. I’m a bit disappointed that Bear Grylls has a Scouting bear and Girlguiding doesn’t have one. If we do visit it, I’m dressing the family up in Guiding uniforms and travelling to Heathrow to be photographed with it.

And then there are 300 owls to find in Birmingham next year. Surely Guiding gets first call on that!

Dear September

Where did our time go September? 30 days and it was all over!

You gave me glorious weather (mostly!) and lots of time in the garden appreciating the wonderful flowers still blooming their socks off. Considering that from February to April it looked like a muddy mess, now it’s landscaped and lovely.

My little Leprechaun turned Imp now has her Brownie Gardener badge for the hard work she put in sowing seeds, thinning out, weeding, watering and finally clearing away. Hopefully she’ll help again next Spring, and her grandparents want to hire her for her skills with a seed packet.

I achieved things, September. This pretty dress for Rainbow Craftyguidelet, some cards, some bunting, and even a tutorial for the book bags I made for the Craftyguidelets’ music lessons. Sales have been picking up with Craftyguider following a bit of promo work, and the big push to Christmas starts now. The Christmas shop is now open. I just need to fill it up a bit more!My Guiding life has started again. Guides and Rainbows are back, and once again I am juggling admin, trying to get as many girls as possible off the waiting lists and into units where they can join the fun, and trying to encourage more volunteers to come forward and help this to happen.I have also started Trefoil Guild which is like the WI for Guiding types. It was so lovely just going to a meeting for grown ups, not being asked to do anything, not being responsible for anything, not feeling guilty for not doing more. I just enjoyed the talk on the fabulous work of Guide Dogs and the puppy walkers. Finally something just for me to enjoy!WI planning has started again for our Handmade Christmas Craft Fair on 16th November. I need to get a shifty on for my stall!

But then just like that it was over September. 30 days of full on busyness and then phwoomp! October happened.

Autumn is here and I’ll be joining in with Miss Beatrix’s #BashSAD challenge to banish the blues of the shorter days. I’m also attempting to complete a whole month of the Fat Mum Slim #fmsphotoaday challenge on Instagram. My house is finally gaining some order after a summer of neglect, the kids are settled at school. Let’s do this October!

What was that? Half term at the end of the month? *sticks fingers in ears and pretends not to hear*

What are you up to this month?

My Autumn Garden

Last Spring, eldest Craftyguidelet planted lots of annual seeds for her Brownie Gardener badge. She cared for them, watered them, thinned them out, transplanted them, weeded and produced a fabulous display throughout the summer. This weekend, to finish her badge, it was time to pull all the spent flowers up to prepare the beds for winter.

She attacked the task with enthusiasm (once I’d dragged her away from a game involving every single toy she owns by the look of the playroom). After clearing a section of her allocated bed, she found this beauty hidden away.It made me think about all the other plants in my garden that were still flowering their socks off. This Fuschia is called Baby Blue Eyes. I bought some for eldest Craftyguidelet’s grandparents when she was born as she had the biggest blue eyes.The Craftyguidelets grew sunflowers from school as well as some 8ft tall monsters.This is my favourite plant in the garden at the moment. I first came across Stipa tenuissima when I studied at gardening college (an RHS evening course equivalent to a gardening A level). It is so touchy feely. I’ve got 2 clumps in my garden near the paths so I can run my fingers through it when I walk past.This Brunnera shows that you don’t need flowers to create an impact.And this Heuchera combines flowers and beautiful leaves.So go out and appreciate all that Autumn has to offer.

Simplicity 2828 – WIP Finish

2 years ago (or was it 3?) when Craftyguider was still starting up, I made a duffel bag for eldest Craftyguidelet’s PE kit at school. One of the mums at school saw it and asked if I could make one for her daughter. She wanted something in a dark fabric that would be quite hard wearing, so off I popped to the local habby and found this.
I love this navy corduroy with the embroidered flowers on it. I bought some for the bag and got a bit extra to make a dress for youngest Craftyguidelet.
I was taken by Simplicity 2828. I don’t think I’ll be making the fluffy hat somehow, but the pinafore was spot on. The Project Runway patterns enable you to pick different design elements to personalise your own creation. I didn’t want any of the ruffles or bows so I just did the basic square neckline dress. Earlier this year I got on and cut out all the pieces for an age 5 girl so that youngest Craftyguidelet could grow into it. She is now 5 and a half and tall for her age so perhaps she won’t have that long in it. My fault for stalling all this time! Note to self: don’t trace patterns or cut fabric until you are ready to make the whole dress!
Et voila! I love how it has turned out, and luckily little Craftyguidelet loves it too. It even goes over her plaster cast at the moment which is a big plus.
She was so pleased with it that she brought me a mini curlywurly from the chocolate drawer. What? You don’t have a chocolate drawer in your house? You are missing out!

So about 3 years after I planned to start the dress, it is now finished. Have you got any long term WIPs in your basket?

Book Bag Tutorial

The Craftyguidelets are very lucky to go to a school where they can have piano lessons during the school day. Eldest started last year, and youngest has her first lesson today.

During the summer holidays, eldest Craftyguidelet reminded me that I had promised to make her a bag to put her piano books in last year. This prompted youngest Craftyguidelet to ask for one too. As we were standing in the fabric department in John Lewis, I was cornered. I am naturally weak when it comes to resisting the purchase of fabric anyway, so I bought some lightweight black denim for the main body of the book bags. Eldest Craftyguidelet chose the nice Tim Holtz music fabric, and youngest Craftyguidelet chose the owls.

I was going to make book bags with a velcro fastening flap like their normal school book bags, but instead we compromised on a simple tote bag style (these bags were made the night before their lessons so I was going for the easy option!). My finished bag measures 41cm long x 30cm tall (excluding handles) so check the dimension of your books and adjust accordingly before putting scissors to fabric.

To make a bag you need:

* 1 piece of fabric 42cm x 46cm cut from main fabric
* 2 pieces of fabric 16cm x 46cm cut from accent fabric
* 2 pieces of webbing 45cm long

I’ve used a 1cm seam allowance unless stated otherwise.

1. With right sides together, attach one piece of the accent fabric to each end of the main fabric, matching the 46cm sides. If your fabric design has a top and bottom, ensure the bottom of the pattern is next to your seam line or your owls will be standing on their heads!Neaten edges and press the seams flat.

2. Prepare the hem for the top and bottom edges by ironing a small fold and then a larger fold to make an enclosed hem. I used 1cm and then 3cm.

3. Position the handle 14cm from each edge under the fold you have just ironed. Fold the hem back over the handle and stitch the hem closed close to the edge.

4. Fold the handles up and sew in a cross pattern to secure. Repeat for the other handle.OCD and perfectionist crafters look away now.It was late at night when I did this so my cross isn’t sewn to my usual high standards!

5. Fold the fabric wrong sides together (yes, wrong sides!), matching the hems. Stitch the side seams. Trim the seam allowances slightly.

6. Turn inside out and stitch again to make a French seam, making sure you enclose the raw edges fully.

7. Turn right side out and press.8. Marvel at the lovely bag you have just made in hardly any time at all!

You can use my tutorial to make bags for your own personal use only. Please do not reproduce the tutorial in any way without permission.