Monday 29 December 2014

Zentangle Inspired Art


A friend of mine introduced me to the art of 'Zentangle'. I haven't drawn or coloured in anything for I don't know how many years!  I love being inspired so I thought I would attempt to have a go at this type of art.  For my first piece and as of today my only piece I decided to do something that represented 'Karima's Crafts' so that was my beginning piece of my artwork. Basically Zentangle means you just draw as you go without any planning and see what you come out with. Apart from using the words everything else was just drawn without any prior pattern designing. I found this hard as an organised person myself, but I just let myself relax and go with the flow! I am quite happy with the final outcome. I used a variety of different pens for this piece of work.

This took me a good few hours to finish and was quite therapeutic and I think this would be a good piece of art to do to release stress! So next time I am stressed I might start another piece haha!


Much of Zentanlge Art is just black and white but I wanted something bright and colourful.

To learn more about this new art-form here is a link: https://www.zentangle.com/

I also have a good artist friend who also does some similar type of designs which also helped inspire me especially regarding using colours! She has her own website which will show some of her work is http://www.yezarck.co.uk/



Wednesday 24 December 2014

Decorated Money Box using Glass jar

glass jar money box

My 7 year old daughter wanted to have a money box to keep some of her pocket money. So she decided to make one herself using a glass jar with a lid and some crafty materials.

At first she wrapped the jar with coloured tape (similar to washi tape). Then she covered the lid in coloured tape too.  Then she used many of her sticker beads and felt to decorate over the tape.  I think the colour combination is brilliant - very bright and jazzy.  Now she needs to remember to actually fill her money box!




Monday 15 December 2014

Bread and Butter Pudding Recipe


bread and butter pudding recipe

I made this lovely Bread and Butter Pudding today as I had been away at the weekend and on my return had plenty leftover bread which was now out of date but still OK to eat. I decided not to waste the bread and make a yummy dessert with it instead.

Ingredients:

  • 8 slices of bread
  • Butter to spread on bread
  • Large handful of sultanas
  • 100g of Sugar
  • Teaspoon of cinnamon
  • 500g of Milk
  • 2 Eggs


bread and butter pudding recipe


Instructions:

Step 1: Pre-heat oven to 190 celsius
Step 2: Grease a baking container
Step 3: Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a container
Step 4: Mix the 2 eggs and add to the milk
Step 5: Place the slices of bread (buttered and cut in half) on the bottom of the baking container.
Step 6: Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon over the first layer
Step 7: Sprinkle the sultanas over the first layer.
Step 8: Place a second layer of bread, sugar mix and sultanas
Step 9: Place a third layer of bread, sugar mix and sultanas
Step 10: Pour the Milk and egg mixture over all of the bread evenly
Step 11: Leave the bread to soak up the milk for about 15 minutes
Step 12: Place the baking container into the oven and cook for about 30 minutes.

 My children had this all finished before the night was over - it was delicious!


Monday 8 December 2014

Modelling Clay Crafts


My girls had great fun with the modelling clay at the weekend. We have never used this before and had wanted to give this craft a go! The girls really enjoyed making their designs and painting them. We mainly used the air drying clay which was easier - we bought the make DAS which is sold locally. The photos I am showing are the designs made by my youngest daughter. My eldest daughter will be making her own blog post on her own blog later in the week I think insha'Allah.


The photo below shows the girls both working on their designs. I used a cheap pink shower curtain to cover the dining room table because last time the paints were out they ruined my table cloth! We used acrylic paints to paint the clay models once they had dried.





Tuesday 2 December 2014

Winter Themed Cards



Our family don't celebrate Christmas but living in a majority Christian country means that everyone around us seems to be celebrating. I stopped sending out Christmas cards many years ago. Now that we have started homeschooling we have come across many other families who are not Muslim but also not Christians either, some are atheists and some believe in other things. This year it was asked if those who don't particularly celebrate Christmas would like their children to send other similar children some non-Christmas cards. It was decided a winter theme would be appropriate, so my girls have been busy making their cards to give to their homeschooling friends.

My 7 year old decided to give her cards a snowman theme. She used cut up pieces of felt and glued these to the cards. We used blue card which seemed to help make the snowman more clear. She can't wait to give these to her friends.



Monday 24 November 2014

DIY Doll Clothes Hangers


My 12 year old daughter wanted to make a Dolls Wardrobe for her little sisters dolls clothes. She made a really good one from just an old shoe box! However she needed some miniature clothes hangers to put into the wardrobe. That part of the task was put down to me!  Here is how I made these from 2 paper clips and part of a drinking straw.


Requirements:

2 paper clips
cut off part of a drinking straw.

Instructions:

Step 1: Using small pliers/or jewellery making tools open up 2 paper clips.
Step 2: Attach the two coat hangers together, twisting to secure to make one long piece with the tool.
Step 3: Cut off a small piece of straw and insert the wire into the straw.
Step 4: Make sure one end is longer than the other and then bend the wire (using pliers) into a clothes hanger shape - look at the main photograph which shows the steps to do this.

The photograph below shows the completed show box wardrobe with the clothes hangers being used to hang the clothes. Here is the link showing how she did this. http://www.slhcrafts.com/2014/10/diy-dolls-wardrobe.html





Saturday 22 November 2014

SLH Crafts - Sea Glass Necklaces



My young daughter who has the blog http://www.slhcrafts.com/ has recently started making Sea Glass Necklaces after she was inspired by another crafter and then getting a lesson on how to do it from another craft lady not long after. We then found out that we live next to one of the most famous Sea Glass beaches so we had the Sea Glass right on our doorstep and din't even know it before!

She has been sharing some photos of her latest creations on her blog and is also doing a giveaway on her facebook page!  She is looking to reach 500 Page likes on her Facebook Page and then she will give one lucky follower a free Sea Glass Necklace made personally be her.  So please pop by her facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SlhCrafts and show your support and you may also be lucky enough to win a free necklace!



I love the designs my daughter makes and she is also making jewellery with other things, not only Sea Glass.

The lady that fist inspired my daughter to make some jewellery has a facebook page which shows her designs - you can find her here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Agharta-Jewellery/1412628229007135?fref=ts The photo below shows some of the lovely designs that she does.


The kind lady who gave my daughter a demonstration on wire wrapping also has a facebook page, you can find her designs here: https://www.facebook.com/surfandsilver Have a look below at some jewellery she made - I love the red!









Monday 10 November 2014

Painted Hedgehog Rock

painted hedgehog rock

This weekend the girls wanted to do some painting with rocks they have collected on their numerous excursions! There was one rock that I thought looked like a hedgehog so I decided to paint a hedgehog design onto it. I think it turned out quite good. here is a close up of the original rock below.

painted hedgehog rock

I used acrylic paints on the rock to make the design. I also used some acrylic paint pens for a more detailed design. I coated the rock with one coat and then used the hairdryer to dry it quicker. Then I painted another coat and dried that with the hairdryer too. Then I used the pens to draw the spines of the hedgehog.

painted hedgehog rock

Below are some designs that my 7 year old daughter did on the rocks.


My 12 year old also did some painting but she wishes to keep her designs for her own blog over at http://www.slhcrafts.com/




Monday 3 November 2014

Personalised Pincushion Tutorial


My 7 year old daughter wanted to make a gift for a friend of ours who has just had an operation and is resting at home. She decided on a pincushion and then decided to personalise it with the letter E. We chose a simple square cushion design as this would be the most easiest and quickest for my daughter to make!

Requirements:

  • 2 pieces of different coloured felt (or other fabric if you wish)
  • A needle and some embroidery thread.
  • Stuffing


Step 1: Cut out two square shaped pieces of the same coloured felt (this is the top and bottom of the cushion)
Step 2: Cut out the required letter, making sure it is smaller so that it fits inside the square shape with some spare space.
Step 3: Stitch the letter onto one of the squares. You could make little star designs like my daughter has done too.
Step 4: Place the other square piece underneath and then stitch around three sides attaching the two pieces together.
Step 5: Place some stuffing into the cushion.
Step 6: Then stitch the last side of the cushion making sure the end id#s fastened securely.



My other daughter also wanted to make a present for our friend, she designed a lovely vanilla candle. We wrapped up all the presents including a handmade card and took it around to her house today!






Monday 27 October 2014

Crafts by my 7 year old


My 7 year old has been busy this last month making some crafts at home and also at the library. I shared some of the library ones not long ago, but I thought I would share some of the others she has made recently. I hope you like them. The ones above were made an an art class that she attends with other home educated children.



The two photographs above were made at a free crafts class at the local library.



The two photographs above were made at home. The cut picture was made so that the cut out parts also made a picture!


The photograph above shows her colouring in a page in her new Islamic colouring book I recently bought for her.

Below is a photograph of the library crafts she made which I posted about a few weeks ago.


The Eid post I wrote a few weeks ago also included some art work by my 7 year old daughter. I have shown those below.



As you can see she has been very busy lately with her crafts, I think she is trying to get a name for herself like her mum and sister, she has already asked if she can have her own blog too! I have told her to wait a while but it may be that another Heraoua family member may become a blogger too insha'Allah.



Monday 20 October 2014

Coconut Chocolate Macaroons Recipe

coconut chocolate macaroons recipe

I was looking for a healthy recipe to make some healthy treats and came across a no-sugar macaroons recipe which i adapted to my ingredients. I originally made these healthy but my children wanted them a little sweeter so afterwards I added chocolate to decorate them!

Ingredients:

1 cup of Dessicated Coconut
2 tablespoons of Almond Powder
1 tablespoon of Coconut Oil
1 egg white
Chocolate to decorate.
Optional - You could add some sugar.

coconut chocolate macaroons recipe


Instructions:

Step 1: Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees.
Step 2: Whisk the egg white until white and fluffy texture.
Step 3: Mix the dessicated coconut and almond powder together (add sugar if using).
Step 4: Add the egg white and coconut oil and mix all together.
Step 5: Add the mixture into cake moulds or you could just squash them together in your hand and place onto a greased baking tray. I like the mould option as they all stay in place!
Step 6: Place in the oven for about 10 minutes until slightly golden.
Step 7: If you are going to decorate then place some melted chocolate over the top of the macaroons when they have cooked and are still in the tray. Allow the chocolate to set - I placed the mould into the fridge to speed things up!
Step 8: Once the chocolate has hardened remove the macaroons from the mould and place chocolate side down on a plate.
Step 9: Using some more melted chocolate you can drizzle some over the the top of the macaroons and allow the chocolate to set again.


I am a coconut lover so I really did enjoy these made the no-sugar healthy way. I only added the chocolate at the end because the children wanted them a bit more sweeter!



Tuesday 14 October 2014

Library Crafts


My girls recently went to our local library where there was a free craft session being run by a local charitable organisation. My daughters' both had great fun making different crafts. Today I will share with you some of the crafts that my 7 year old made. I can't believe how many she made in just one session!