Mushroom Match Up!

Here's a matching game I made up? Altered? Embellished? Expanded?

Mushroom Match Up! It has 2 levels. One for the 2 year old who is learning colours. The top of the small mushroom matches the dots and stem of the big mushroom.

As the child grows and begins to count and learn numbers, they can match the numeral and the dots, but still use the matching colours to confirm their answer.

And they look so nice and shiny.

Tomorrow, I will show you the pouch that i made to carry them in. All games need a pouch.

Have a good one,
Amanda

Waldorf Inspired Summer Swap!!!

Remember when I made 15 of these
for a spring swap?No? It was back in May.
you can read it here
So on Saturday, I finally received my swap items! (Canada post strike/lockout tribulations) And what fun it was!!

After supper, I handed the kids one thing at a time to unwrap. it was like Christmas.

A few things got jumbled in the box, so I looked up this One Hook Wonderpost to see what was what.

We had fun admiring the treasures and setting them all up. But sometimes, the bubble wrap is too tempting!

In a heat wave here. DH put in the air conditioner in my attic sewing room. I think I want to live up there. We will find excuses to hang out there during the day. If we ever stay home long enough. Not complaining, but I want to have a day of not watching the clock. It's summer for goodness sakes!

Have a good one!
Amanda

happenings and a pouch

Hi All...
how goes? Many sunny days spent close to water around here. I did get to sew tonight for a short time. This pouch, and 2 others not sewn/shown, have been in my head for a few days.
A little pouch for a boy who likes his Lego mini Figures and has trouble leaving the house without one.

Now it can be safely attached to his belt loop for hands free playing. The vinyl pockets can be for pictures, drawings, some ID. Anything that doesn't risk falling out.

I don't know about where you are, but my succulents are going crazy this year.

Look how tall that chick is. And flowering too.

We've not had a lot of rain or humidity lately. Could that be the right combination?

I think that combo has made my daughter grow too. She grew almost an inch in 2 weeks. Maybe that's why she's been so cranky. :} Good thing it's summer and she's wearing shorts and skirts.
A trip to the Art Gallery of Ontario.

A stop into Lee Valley today. Tonight, I cut and began sewing clothes for little Christmas Elves. Yes, you heard me right. Last year, I swore I would start Christmas things in the summer. It' s a perfect craft for parks, playgrounds and kid watching outside.

And a bit of a swing! I had to get off, it was making me motion sick. Lame eh?


Have a good one!
Amanda

a bird in the hand... and a parcel in the mail

Remember the Sew mama Sew giveaway back in May? Well, I won 2 giveaways. the first from Kickapoo Chronicles can be seen here
The 2nd, from
Oh Angelina! has been trying to get here since then.

This lovely linen printed pouch and crochet goodies were making their way from Australia, but got interrupted by the Canada Post strike. Now that the strike is over, it's starting to feel like Christmas here.
The crochet flower is very intriguing in it's making. i still haven't figured it out. Nice indeedy.
Thanks Angelina for the giveaway. It's going to be used for something special to be sure.

Around the same time, I signed up for a bird swap hosted by We Bloom Here
I finally received one of the birds from Tanja at Watermellish Another parcel from Australia. (sidenote: When I was a papercrafter, there was a community with a lot of stampers from England. Seems this Waldorf inspired, home schooling, creating back to nature kind of crafting has found me a nice community of Aussies. Kinda cool)

Here is her inspiration:
"Tanja (Australia) of the blog Watermellish says of her birds: [They] were inspired by the dozen or more families of Fairy Martins which live under our verandah. I made some wee birds from a modified Spool Bluebird pattern. I shrunk the pattern and changed the shape of the tail. I also designed, knit and felted a little nest for each of my swapees based on the bottle-shaped mud nests these birds create."

After such lovely packages, my son gathered up our little collection of birds sitting about.

I think it's missing a penguin.....

Have a good one,
Amanda

veggin'

Yesterday, we visited our "veggie Garden". Actually, some rows of veggies we were lucky enough to plant in someone else's veggie garden. Thanks Tia!

Much care and manure was given to this allotment. tee hee.
And many weeks later.. growth and food.

The peas were taller than the kids. so sweet and yummy to eat off the shoots.

And the radishes were ready.

We didn't mean to plant radishes, but the carrot seed package said to plant some radish seeds to help loosen the soil around the carrots and that you would see where you planted, because the radishes grow faster. Well, they took over the carrot patch.

And everyone loved picking them. Eating them, not so much.

Silly family enjoying the bounty of leafy greens. Some Calde Verde soup to be made for sure.

Yes, we all dressed in red on purpose. It was Canada's birthday.


have a good one,
Amanda

another Maisie

Another Maisie to add to the pile of Maisie's I've made. ( doll comes from "More Softies Only a Mother Could Love")

It has been the gift to give to Neve's friends for their birthdays. This little girl requested something red and was quite excited when she saw what it was. She was in the know with the earlier birthday girls and their presents.
I usually give some hair clips and a little coin purse, if time allows. Guess there wasn't time for the purse this time.

Neve drew a picture on canvas with fabric markers. It is a cluster of toadstools and some gnomes. It's the first time she went outside of her people and rainbow themes. I have no idea what the recipient would do with it, but it was accepted enthusiastically. ( I can't believe I spelled that correctly the first time)

And here's the birthday loot all together.


nice first day of summer vacay. Busy weekend this one.
To all my Canadian readers...
Happy Canada Day tomorrow!
Amanda

Home Made Ice cream

This year, instead of sewing for the teachers and assistants, I decided to make home made ice cream. I use an electric ice cream maker we got at William Sonoma as a wedding present. I love it!

I use the basic recipe of 1 cup milk, 3/4 cup of sugar dissolved into it, then 2 cups of cream and 1-2 tbsp vanilla. Flick the switch for 20-25 minutes. The trick is the cream. I made some last week with whipping cream. Lovely. The stuff I made in the last 2 days was with table cream 18%. It was more watery when it froze, not as creamy, but still good.
These tags are Stampin' Up! stamps from years ago.

These stamps are from PaperTrey ink. I made different flavours by adding the ingredients in the last 5 minutes.
For cookies and cream, just let the kids have fun crushing oreos in a baggie. The strawberry was sliced and mashed with sugar to help it juice. The strawberry rhubarb was cooked down, cooled and added.

There are so many other flavours to make, but the trick is that if you have to cook anything down, it has to cool completely before being added. So it's a think it out thing, not a spur of the moment thing. When you feel like making it NOW, then it's cookies and cream, or vanilla bean. Oh, we have homemade vanilla that DH made a while back. Vanilla beans soaked in vodka for about a month. nice. the longer, the better. Then I scraped a pod into the cream as it was swirling around in the machine.

k, next up.... This basket was a steal at a yard sale for $2! I grabbed it and ran. It's a great size. I fit all the ice cream containers into it and then some.

And another tea pot cozy. I've made a few more colour ways. Fun Fun Fun. The designer that I got the sweater scraps from has offered more scraps twice now. I still have 3 bags, but I want to get more! Help me. Fun to figure out colour combos. I think this one is my favorite. This time, I used boiled wool suiting for the front and back. Hope it keeps the pot hot.


Whew, you still here?
School is out and I feel relaxed! We played at the sailing club until way past bed time. It's great to see them playing imaginative games. Tonight it was traveling to Portugal on the Hobie cat trampoline. But they came to the picnic tables to stay at a hotel. Hope the kids sleep in tomorrow. I know I will.

Thanks for stopping by,
Amanda

this past weekend

hello!
It's been awhile, but that doesn't mean I haven't been busy!
This past weekend, we went to Ottawa so DH could sail in an albacore regatta. Best part about this trip, I got to spend it with my friend from my undergrad days, oh so many years ago. Her daughter is the same age as Neve and they were the best of buddies.
On Saturday, we visited the Canadian Museum of Nature.
What a gorgeous building!

Here are some random shots....
dino world


hey, what's up there?

Pretty deep! Don't try this at home!

This is a 6 year old whale. It is 19 meters long. the adult can get up to 40 meters long! that's a lot of ocean!

Then that night, we went to a Drumming concert at my friend's church. We stayed as long as the kids could last. it was great.
Some Chinese dancers.

Samba Ottawa was an invigorating feast! busy people.

Then on Sunday, we went to Canadian Agriculture Museum
It was a working farm where they experiment with different techniques and procedures. For example, they had 8 breeds of dairy cows. A tractor museum with hands on things, and so many other exhibits.

Angora sheep. They were so used to being touched, that the mother pushed her head up to the railing for a little rub. Then her baby did too. I didn't touch though. I didn't feel like washing my hands. Again. lame eh?

A busy weekend indeed!

Canada Post is back to work! Yippee!!!! I'm expecting at least 5 packages. It will be like Christmas when it all comes in. I'll be sure to post.
Tomorrow is the last day of school. Lots of plans for the summer. Hope the weather co-operates.
Have a good one,
Amanda

roving butterfly bird mobile

G'day!
I took my love for the roving birds and butterflies and made a mobile out of them.

I made them mini compared to the regular size and tried to stay within a colour scheme.

The wind was having fun blowing them in a circle.

And watching them from below gives the eye view of the baby it's meant to hang for.

I'm still working on how to tie the top.

happy happy wings of flight!

have a good one!
Amanda