Summer Boating (paper) on the River (paddling pool!)

Posted on July 24, 2013 by Abi

The summer holidays are in full swing and with a heatwave unlike any in living memory, parents are challenged to keep their children entertained, sun-safe, cool and happy! With 6-7 weeks of fun it’s virtually impossible to go out everyday, so how do you keep little ones entertained at home?………..

Origami and buckets of water!!

One of the simplest activities is paper boat racing. Kids must spend time planning their sea worthy vessels, constructing, decorating and finally racing them, it can fill up a surprising amount of time. Our first attempt was quite modest, there was no decoration or even coloured paper (because Mummy forgot to buy any, bad Mummy!)

We began with some incredibly serious folding, then the kidlets had to find a character to captain their ships to victory. We had:

‘Captain Toothy’ (a shark Lego man) and his first mate ‘Cooper Trooper’

‘Captain Galaxy’ (a Space Lego man)

‘Captain Confused’ (a Lego man with an Uruk-hai head and a Cowboy body)

The ships set sail to the rousing chant of ‘Don’t start it yet, I’m not ready!’ before embarking on a perilous sea crossing. The crowds (kids) cried cheers of encouragement as the boats neared the finish line. In first place……… (drum roll please)

Captain Toothy and his first mate Cooper Trooper!

However it was a short lived victory, Captain Toothy has the sea in his bones (plastic mould) and made a dive for freedom. As the captain always goes down with his ship (or the other way round in this case) so went the boat and first mate too.

To the victor goes the spoils (a double scoop ice cream).

A rematch has been scheduled for later in the week, this time with masts (straws) and sails. The bookies favourite is still to be announced 😉 although I understand that Captain Confused has once again changed personality and it is currently unsure whether he will be available to compete.

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If you plant a scroll, it will grow??

Posted on June 21, 2011 by Abi

A few weeks ago I wrote about a paper scroll I received from Nature Valley. The scroll told me to plant it, before you all start backing away from your screens, it told me in the sense that it had a written message upon it. So new gardening gloves in tow I dutifully placed it into a lovely terracotta pot and forgot about it.

Well last night I popped into the garden and I’m pleased to report, it’s grown shoots! I haven’t got the foggiest exactly what these shoots will transpire to be, but the point is, it’s grown! Who would have thought that paper could be so inventive. I may start writing all my notes on seed scrolls, a one woman mission to make the world a more pretty place!

Unfortunately we will just have to wait and see what these little shoots of green turn out to be. But I’m currently having a childlike sense of pride that this little scroll actually grew, as I’ve said before, I direct gardening I don’t do it personally.

I received this little scroll courtesy of Nature Valley. But I have found this site online, which sells all kinds of seed paper. I’d like to try out the seeded printer paper!

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A Venetian Paper Dream

Posted on May 26, 2010 by Abi

I’ve just come back from a short break in Venice, I’ve been before and the draw of the beautiful artwork, amazing architecture and to die for paper called me back. This time I stayed in a small town called Treviso, it has it’s own city walls and canals, and even though it is not technically in Venice, it’s beautiful in it’s own right.

Once again I couldn’t resist the many paper creations. In an earlier post I showed you how I used this to renovate some pine furniture. My favourite shop was hidden down one of the smaller canals, where the window is full with all manner of items made with this stunning paper.

I had to remind myself to rein in the spending though, as prices in Venice seem to have leapt since I last visited and this paper was now 9 Euros a sheet!

My latest project involving this indulgence was turning an old box file into a wall cupboard. It was an ebay purchase and thankfully made of wood. After sanding and treating the front and sides much like I had previous projects I glued on an old wooden ruler, two old keys, a paint brush and some buttons. It sounds a bit odd but I love the finished product and it is now proudly hung upon the wall.