Kids play!

After a healthy start to my Etsy shop (a big thank you to those who have been brave and taken the plunge with me, I'm all sold out of owls and dogs for now, but there are some little hedgehogs available), I had to hot foot it out shopping this morning for packaging, and again this afternoon, with a rather large bag of parcels to post.  This also means a chance to go round the local charity shops.  One shop, in particular is excellent, and today was no exception.  A woolly jumper, which I've already felted in the machine, and a couple of pillow cases, which colour wise, go really well together.  I'm thinking... another felted bag and lining?!

I also bought a book on toymaking.  This is from 1979, and I was expecting it to be full of soft toy patterns, but on closer inspection, it has loads of ideas for things to do with cardboard.  With our two week holiday from school looming (I would say easter holidays, but given we've already had easter, I'm not sure what to call it!), I thought I'd share some of the ideas...

village playmat,

houses,

a skyscraper, Luke would have fun knocking that down!,

and a dolls house.

Looking through the book reminded me of two blog posts I lurked on earlier this week.  This one from Udder on making little houses, and this from Tiny Happy, with a fab idea for drawing a whole town, for a train track.

Before I finish and on the subject of kids, I must tell you about Lucy's patching.  She was seen at the hospital last week, her weak eye has improved and is working almost as well as the other, so no more patching (for now, anyway), she has been discharged and can now go to a normal optician.  Thank you to all the people who have contacted me about the eye patch tutorial.  I'm so glad to hear that it has been helpful, and can assure you, that patching does indeed work magic!

To celebrate, she asked that I post a picture of the tie dyed cushion she made at Saturday Art Club, it's even got little beads she's made sewn on.  Given this blog actually does have her name on it, she thinks of it as hers now!