Hama bead and cross stitch Easter egg designs

Today I am sharing some Easter egg designs which are perfect to use with Hama beads, or else they would also work really well for any cross stitch or other pixel art crafts.

These designs can be made using a square Hama bead pegboard, which most Hama bead crafters will have in their collection as it is easily available and comes with many Hama bead sets. They are a good way to make Easter egg designs if you don't have the specially shaped Easter egg pegboard (affiliate link).

To make my designs I used beads from a pastel mix of beads. I have used a slightly darker shade for the pattern so that the colours will show up well when printed. You need beads in pastel pink, blue, green, yellow and purple. But of course you can always mix and match with whatever coloured beads you have available.

The designs would also look good made up with the tiny mini Hama beads. You can see some of my mini Hama bead Easter eggs here where I have used a darker colour palette and used them to decorate some Easter nest cakes.

To make the designs you just need to lay the beads out on the pegboard before covering with ironing paper and ironing so that the beads fuse together. If you are new to Hama beads then you might find this post helpful - Ironing tips for Hama beads.

These Hama bead Easter eggs can be used for a range of crafts and I have a few ideas in mind which I will be sharing here shortly!

If you have enjoyed this post then you might also like to see some other Easter crafts using Hama beads. Some of these Hama bead Easter crafts are made using the Easter egg shaped pegboard.

Warmth in the air

I have really enjoyed the warm weather over the last few days. I know it's not summer yet, and the forecast for the coming week is pretty bleak, but the warmth in the air is a good reminder that spring is on the way! I've spent some time this week just sitting in the back garden with a mug of hot chocolate and my thoughts, and my outdoor runs this week have been lovely, it's such a change from dragging myself out in the January frosts!

The garden needs quite a bit of work to get it summer ready. We bought a jet washer to do all the paving slabs which very badly need cleaning, but I'm waiting until it warms up just a little bit more before I get started! The vegetable patch isn't looking too bad this year so there isn't too much weeding to do, but it all needs a good dig over.

Some of my strawberry plants didn't survive the winter but luckily plenty of them did. My lavender bush is also looking nice and healthy.

I'm never quite sure when to start planting out my vegetable seeds. Last year was a bit of a failure because the weather was so bad for months and they all either died or just went all stringy from being blown around. I'm hoping that we might see a bit more sunshine this summer and some warmer temperatures!

I do like this time of year, I'm definitely not a winter person!

Twenty questions bookish book tag

It's been ages since I took part in a blogging tag, but I spotted this one today over at Bubbablue and Me and I couldn't resist taking part! 

So here is a little bit about me and my reading habits:

1 - How many books is too many books in a series?

I'm not keen on a series as I don't like finishing a good book and then having to wait for the next one to be published (for example The Book of Dust Volume 3, where has it got to!) I've also been annoyed many times by picking up library books that looked like standalone reads but turned out to be part of a series full of references to previous books. Maybe three, but I'd rather wait for them all to be published and readily available before I read them!

2 - How do you feel about cliff-hangers?

I only like them if it's something open-ended that leaves you thinking.

3 - Hardcover or paperback?

Paperback for everyday reading as they are easier to hold and carry around. But if I really can't wait for the paperback to come out then I'll buy a hardback, and they do last longer so I have a few of my favourites in hardback.

4 - Favourite book?

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. Very closely followed by The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood and The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro.

5 - Least favourite book?

I really didn't like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. 

6 - Love triangles, yes or no?

Only if a nice character isn't ditched unnecessarily.

7 - The most recent book you just couldn’t finish?

The Autumn of the Ace by Louis De Bernieres. I picked it up in the library and it was a reasonable book but I didn't realise until I had started that it was part of a series (see question one!) and although it was working as a standalone book I was fed up of the many references to previous events and characters.

8 - A book you’re currently reading?

Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo. I spotted this on the returns trolley at the library and grabbed it, I always seem to get on well with Booker prize winners. The writing is unusual and rather disjointed with no capital letters and not much punctuation, but once you get used to it the style does work well. The book follows the stories of twelve different black women grouped into four sets of three which I believe will all link together over the course of the book. I've only read the first set so far but I'm enjoying it.

9 - Last book you recommended to someone?

Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez. This book is a must read for both women and men, a detailed look at how our world has been designed for men in ways that we don't even notice, ranging from the size of our mobile phones to how bus routes are organised in a city.  

Photo credit Ed Robertson via Unsplash

10 - Oldest book you’ve read? (Publication date)

If we are talking about old texts then I read some pretty old ones during my degree, for example The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer and lots of medieval German literature. 

11 - Newest book you’ve read? (Publication date)

It's difficult to work this one out as I tend to read older books, I had to look through my Amazon order history! I think the most recently published book I've read was Stolen Focus by Johann Hari, an excellent book about how the modern world has affected our attention spans.

12 - Favorite author?

Daphne du Maurier, Bill Bryson, Margaret Atwood, Kazuo Ishiguro, Haruki Murakami.

13 - Buying books or borrowing books?

A mixture of both. Mainly I borrow books from the library or from Amazon Prime Reading and I purchase new releases, non-fiction or reference books, and second hand favourites. 

14 - A book you dislike that everyone else seems to love?

The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje. I assumed I would enjoy it because it sounded like my sort of book, but I didn't get on with it at all. 

15 - Bookmarks or dog-ears?

Bookmarks always.

16 - A book you can always re-read?

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. I received a lovely hardback edition for Christmas and I often pull it out and read a random page or two.

17 - Can you read while hearing music?

Not unless it's a very simple book, I need to be able to concentrate. I can't read properly while the television is on either.

18 - One POV or multiple POVs?

I don't mind, but I'm not keen on being misdirected, I want to be clear about who I'm listening to. If it's historical fiction following multiple characters over different time periods I want to know dates and locations.

19 - Do you read a book in one sitting or over multiple days?

I tend to read longer books and unfortunately I don't have the uninterrupted time to read a book in one sitting! I can finish a gripping shorter book in one day if I don't have much else on, but more usually it's several days though.

20 - Who do you tag?

Anyone that fancies taking part!

Using my leftover diamond drills and dots for some Easter Egg crafts

I love diamond painting, it's a really relaxing and satisfying craft and I'm very proud of my completed projects. But once you have finished a piece you can end up with lots of leftover drills and dots, and after finishing a few kits the amount of tiny coloured pieces of plastic can be overwhelming! I hate the idea of just throwing them away, so for a little while now I've been trying to think of crafts that I can do using these leftover pieces. A little while ago the children and I made some simple pictures using leftover diamond painting drills, and with Easter approaching I decided to use a similar method to create some hanging Easter egg decorations.

I was originally going to use the spare diamond drills to cover some simple wooden Easter shapes, but to keep in the spirit of working through my craft stash I cut out some Easter Egg templates from white poster board and gave them a quick coat of pale yellow acrylic paint, punching a hole in the top for hanging. I used a pencil to make some simple outlines to help guide the placement of the the drills.

To stick the drills to the egg shapes I covered them with a thick layer of white PVA glue. You can also use double sided tape. I found that a thick layer of glue was needed to make sure that the drills stuck firmly and it also helps if you need to reposition the drills as it will stay wet for longer.

I chose diamond painting drills from my stash in pastel colours that went well together. The striped eggs are a great way to use up small quantities of dots, and for the background of the spotty eggs I mixed in the colours that I had in smaller amounts. Then I found some coloured twine to thread through the hole for hanging.

Here you can see them sparkling in the early spring sunshine! I'm planning to hang them on my homemade Easter tree for some fun seasonal decoration.

If you are looking for some more ideas to use up leftover dots and drills then you might also like these pictures using leftover diamond painting pieces. They are very simple to make and are a great craft for young children. We used them as greeting cards for friends!

Children’s craft activities that you can organise on a small budget

This is a collaborative post.

Finding entertainment for your children can be exhausting, especially if there is an age gap between siblings. A trip out would be nice, but the weather doesn’t always allow it. Also, you do have the purse strings to think about.

That is why a craft activity can provide the answer that you need. There is no age limit on some of these projects, and the creativity involved will give each child a unique experience. What’s more, it is fairly inexpensive to break out an artistic activity. So, let’s look at some of those cheap craft activities that you can plan on a budget.

Drawer Organisers

Finding entertainment for a child is difficult; however, it can be more challenging to get them to keep their rooms tidy. Why not combine both tasks into one by getting your kids to create their own drawer organisers.

All you need for this activity is an empty box, such as a cereal box, that is small enough to slide into a drawer. The goal is to cut it into the box to create different sections for your child’s things. A drawer organiser is great for children that are attending primary school, and it doesn’t cost you anything. All you need to buy is the regular craft supplies that you will need for many of the activities in this article. These include tissue paper, cardboard, string, sequins, glitter, etc.

Ball-In-A-Cup

Ball-in-a-cup is a game where a ball is attached to a cup by a long piece of string. The aim of the game is to flick the cup so that the ball lands inside. You can buy these already formed but it is a lot more fun to make them.

You can purchase plastic cups from your local supermarket, and it isn’t hard to find a cheap plastic ball from a nearby toy shop. Your job is to help them attach the string to both objects successfully. Your children will spend more time playing the game than doing the crafting part; however, it is a good way to keep them focused on something for an hour or more.

Rock Painting

It may not sound it at first, but there is plenty of fun to be had by painting rocks. All it requires is a healthy-sized rock from your garden or the local park and some paint. The fun of this activity isn’t the painting part, although it does keep the kids occupied for a while. You can ask them to paint a message or funny creature with the kid’s name attached and then place them somewhere around the local neighbourhood. 

People from school or your neighbours will come across these rocks and relay that information to your child. You can even make it a challenge to see whose rock gets discovered first. This isn’t a time-consuming activity, but you can involve other parents and their children to make it more exciting.

Lego Prints

Every household has a box of Legos stored somewhere. It is a toy that everyone knows how to use, and your box is going to be filled with all sorts of odds and ends that other parents most likely donated. Lego is a fun activity for younger children, but it also can provide you with a chance to try something more creative.

The unique shape of each Lego piece makes them perfect stamps. Try letting your kids dip the Lego in paint and see what bizarre images they can come up with. Lego prints are great because they let your children get messy in a controlled environment.

Photo Albums

If you are looking for an activity that the whole family can enjoy, then creating a family photo album is the perfect way to spend an evening. Kids love nothing more than a bit of added responsibility, which is why you can let them choose some of their favourite photos and send them off to photo printing specialists. It could be a fun task for you and your children to find these photos together for the album.

You will already have tons of photos stored on your phone or computer, and you can use photo album templates through Photobox together to get started and add finishing touches. What’s more, every album photo will bring back precious memories, something you can all look back on together in a few years’ time.

Cardboard Instruments

Real instruments are made up of abstract shapes that are difficult to comprehend. However, a child will break these down into something that their brain can understand. Plus, it can be fun watching and learning about how they interpret these objects. That is why you should always let them try junk modelling some instruments.

All you need is a box of recyclable junk, such as cardboard boxes, plastic bottles, newspapers sheets, and tubs. Your child will have fun trying to mimic the intricate structures of a real instrument, or they might try and create their own. Furthermore, you can add some string to their list of materials to see if they make something that actually works.

Dinosaur Feet

The most effective craft activities are the ones that keep your children’s imagination ticking long after they have completed their task. That is exactly what can happen when you try making dinosaur feet out of tissue boxes.

You can use any type of box for this activity; however, tissue boxes are more effective because of the hole at the top. As you can imagine, this hole is perfectly sized for little feet. These boxes can be designed to resemble dinosaurs’ feet or any other animal that they can conjure. Again, all you need is some paint, and other craft materials, and your kids can stomp around the house for hours on end.

Conclusion

These are just some activities that you can roll out next time your kids have a few hours to spare. They require minimal preparation and supervision, so let your kid’s imaginations run wild. However, you will find that most of the fun of these tasks comes from the interactions you have together, so make sure to try and get involved whenever the time allows.

Recipe - Chocolate sponge with salted caramel sauce and popcorn

Today I have a delicious recipe to share for a chocolate sponge with salted caramel sauce and popcorn. This recipe was created by Chef Holly Taylor for Kindling Restaurant in Brighton. The dessert is dairy free, suitable for vegans and also has a gluten free option. It would make an amazing Mother's Day treat! 

This recipe was created by Chef Holly Taylor.

Photo credit Jo Hunt

To make the sponge cake:

Ingredients required

75g oil

35g good quality cocoa powder

220g dairy free yogurt e.g. soya yogurt

30g oat milk

2 tsp (10ml) distilled vinegar

150g soft dark brown sugar

140g self-raising flour (gluten-free self-raising flour will also work here)

¾ tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp table salt

Method

Line an 8-inch square cake tin with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 170C.

Place the oil and cocoa powder in a small pan and heat gently for a few minutes to help bring out the flavour of the chocolate, then set aside to cool.

Put the dairy free yogurt, oat milk, vinegar and sugar together in a mixing bowl or mixer and whisk until smooth. Then stir in the chocolate and oil mixture.

Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt together in a clean bowl. Fold into the wet ingredients, mixing well to avoid any lumps.

Pour into the lined cake tin and gently level using a spatula, being careful to avoid removing too much air from the cake.

Bake in the preheated oven at 170C for 20 - 25 mins, until risen and springy to the touch.

To make the salted caramel sauce:

Ingredients required

200g vegan butter alternative

250g soft dark brown sugar

125g golden syrup

Large pinch of Maldon sea salt

Method

Place all the ingredients in a medium sized pan and heat gently over a low heat, whisking until combined.

Whisk the sauce occasionally as it cools to ensure a silky texture.

To make the popcorn:

Ingredients required

A small handful of popping corn kernels

2 tbsp of oil

Fine salt for seasoning

Method

Heat the oil in a large saucepan on medium high heat. 

Put 3 or 4 piece of popping corn into the oil and cover the pan.

When the test kernels pop, add the rest of the popcorn kernels in an even layer. Cover, remove from heat and wait 30 seconds.

Return the pan to the heat and gently shake it as the popcorn starts to pop. 

Try to keep the lid slightly ajar or use a lid with a vent hole in it to help release some of the steam.

Once the popping slows, remove the pan from the heat, remove the lid, and put the popcorn immediately into a wide bowl. Sprinkle with salt and toss to ensure it is evenly seasoned.

To serve: 

Cut slices of the cake into long fingers. Drizzle with the caramel sauce and top with salted popcorn. Serve with chocolate sorbet or dairy free ice cream. 

Photo credit Jo Hunt

When everything collides

With the pandemic disruption of the last two years I had forgotten just how hectic life can sometimes be. So many things were cancelled that it has taken me by surprise to suddenly be so busy, made worse by the fact that the children are now in different schools and there seem to be twice as many things to keep on top of. 

Over the last couple of weeks I've found myself getting a bit overwhelmed. I'm an organised person, and I don't tend to forget things, but I do have a bit of anxiety about being late for things which I can't seem to control. So I spend a lot of time fretting that I'm going to be late for something important, like a music exam or an optician appointment, and then turning up ridiculously early and berating myself for getting into such a flap over it.

We've also had lots of things that needed sorting out recently - we lost a roof tile in the storm, fencing came loose, guttering needed a repair and our car broke down again. I hate gearing myself up to making a phone call then having to leave a message and wait for someone to call me back at an unknown time! 

It all plays havoc with my mental health and stops me doing the things that help me to cope. It's far too easy to pull out my phone and scroll aimlessly through the news and social media as a way of distracting myself, even though it makes me feel worse.

I know all the things that distract me in a positive way - avoiding the news, playing the piano, reading a good book, splashing some paint around in my sketchbook or writing in my journal. It's just a case of actually doing them! I'm hoping that the next few weeks will be a little quieter and I can look forward to the Easter holidays!

Photo credit Masaaki Komori via Unsplash