It has been a while since my last cardboard discovery so when I first saw My Space on Inhabitots, my favourite stop for green ideas, I was truly excited. My Space by artist Liya Mairson is a pop up fully recyclable cardboard play area with multiple positioning options and a lot of scope for imagination play that kids are so good at. It is the perfect solution for children living in small urban places to have their own fold away play area. That’s right, after playing it folds away and easily disappears under a single bed or behind a door.

I like the white version that can be fully decorated by its owners…more fun for the little artists out there!   

I must admit I used to get stressed in the car, especially when I was in a rush to return home and although I was not the first one to strike I would definitely return the insults with interest. Becoming a mum changed my approach to how I respond, I usually have my son with me when I drive so I don’t allow myself the use of any unkind words. Setting a good example is my motto in all things and driving is no different. It is important for my son to see that I respect the road .

AXA Car Insurance have launched the  AXA Respect On The Road campaign to bring back respect on British roads. As part of the campaign they have launched a Facebook fan page, as well as a You Tube Channel where you can watch the very funny video featured here, which is acted entirely by 5 year olds imitating adult bad behavior on the road. The comic tone of the video does not want to take away from the seriousness of the issue, on the contrary the fun side of it really emphasizes how pointless certain reactions really are. In addition, AXA have taken to the streets of London in a black taxi for the opinions of the public in a series of videos called: ‘Cab Cam’ that are also available on their You Tube channel.

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We have printed T-shirts before as a fun activity, but none of our previous efforts resulted in anything you may wish to wear. This time we have been more organized with the design. Inspired by the graffiti style Alternative ABCs book, which I reviewed not so long ago, we picked a graphic that was cool and easy to make. We reproduced it on thick paper and I cut it out with a scalpel to make a stencil; this part must be completed by an adult as scalpels are more precise than scissors but they are also more difficult to handle. Once the stencil was ready we positioned it firmly on a simple white T-shirt that was in need of updating and Luca carefully traced the edges of the letter F of our stencil with a black marker suitable for fabrics. We coloured in the fire background with yellow paint and wrote the word flames with red paint with a trembling effect to give the idea of the moving flames.

To avoid the paint staining the back of the T-shirt we inserted an old magazine inside the Tee, which also gives a solid base to work on. The paint used here is specific for fabrics so it won’t leak in the wash, but acrylic paint does the same job and it is cheaper.  

When my son was younger he would be very enthusiastic at anything I suggested. Now that he is seven he wants to be the one to come up with the ideas, which makes me proud that he has become so creative but at the same time it requires a lot of tact to introduce new things.

Yesterday he decided to make a 3D drawing that started as a pop-up card and ended up in a fun stand up drawing of a clown with 3D nose and hair.

To make the nose he made a little ball with newspaper and shaped it with masking tape, which he then painted red. The clown’s hair is made of strips of yellow tissue paper glued on. A very simple art project that looks very nice in his bedroom shelf.

After two weeks of complete relax, eating ice cream on the beach and collecting shells we are back with a seasonal craft idea. As you all know by now we don’t regard popsicle sticks as rubbish, on the contrary we think they are great for making things. For today’s craft we made a picture frame with ice lollies, vinyl glue, sand and shells.

To make this frame you need popsicle sticks of the same length, a piece of cardboard, glue, scissors, sand and shells.

1. Attach two sticks together applying glue along the side of the sticks and join together; repeat four times and leave to dry

2. Arrange the 4 double sticks in a square; apply glue on each corner and leave to dry until the frame is solid

3. Cut a piece of cardboard to match the frame and attach the back of the frame to it with glue only on three sides; make sure you leave one side open to slide a photo through

4. Cover the surface of the frame with vinyl glue and pour sand all over it; lift the frame and eliminate the excess sand

5. Decorate with shells