Fur, feather and flora , a watercolour exhibition

My colleague and friend Allie Pottinger is having an exhibition next week at Deans Rough Farm, Lower Withington, Cheshire. A sneek preview below:

The exhibition runs from Friday till Sunday, pop along as there are 41 paintings to see.

If you like Allie's drawings, please look at her website. www.alliepottinger.com.

Party bags

I find it very hard to find good, interesting but cheap bits and bobs to put in party bags, I do think it is a nightmare for many parents.

So I went for cococards bits and bobs instead, used my brown bags from ages ago, printed off 5 sheets of names and then used my lovely cutter and some ribbon to attach them to the bags. So all the bags had personalised name tags.

Then all the children have personalised note books and a pen each, and of course a little bags of chocolates. Hope they like it all, Jemima's party is this afternoon.

 

Greek baptism invitations

I have designed a few Greek baptism invitations lately and they all seem like they are going to be big joyous celebrations. I was so interested in it I looked into it and found that the baptism of a baby in a Greek Orthodox Church is a ceremony second only to marriage in its symbolism, it is a major event in the child's life.
The godparents play a vital part as in many areas they have to bring the white towels, white sheets, olive oil, baptismal undergarments, baptism outfit, a gold cross for the baby, martyrika christening witness pins and white candles which are essential parts of the Greek baptism ceremony.
When the ceremony is complete the child wears a pure white outfit, the ceremony is then followed by a celebration at a local restaurant or their home.

These are examples of martyrika pins that can be given to the guests along with boubouniera.












I was inspired to design the Greek baptism invitation below I hope you like it, obviously it can be changed to fit any celebration from a traditional christening to a naming ceremony or even for a baby announcement card and colours can be changed.

Click here for CocoCards website.

Diamond Jubilee party

Four days off in June, sounds wonderful. Is anyone going to have a party. I have just designed one invite and my friend Allie Pottinger is painting a garden party invite as I write this.
Just googled street parties and the eden project have a great website called the big lunch, it has party packs, ideas for games - games for kids, team games and much more. The sticky toffee game sounds interesting.
It lists why we should get involved, added an excerpt below form the site www.biglunch.com

• To stoke up community spirit – we call it ‘human warming’.

• To make the third of us who live alone feel happier, closer and friendlier.

• To show how local people can change a neighbourhood for good, forever.

• To conquer our natural shyness by opening our curtains, doors and minds and looking out for one another.

• To share stories, skills and tools, so we all end up richer in every sense.

• To discover common ground across age, class, faith, race and the garden fence, and to remind ourselves that charity begins at home, or at most, a couple of doors away.

So can we create the street parties of yesteryear. 

Coronation street party

Why not choose to celebrate with this gorgeous watercolour invitation by Allie Pottinger.

Moving house

How much do I dislike packing, at the start I find it therapeutic due to throwing so much out, but then the nightmare begins. When you have packed 60% of your belongings and just have the straggly bits left, which box does it go in, will it fit in the boxes, do I need it in the last few days before I leave - nightmare, nightmare, nightmare.
You would think I would be good at it by now, we moved from our little house to the family house in 2003, then to another house for 6 months only, then did the big move to France, we are now on a reverse journey missing out the 6 month house and back to our lovely family house -  only 6 days left in France.
Still need to shop, silly things like their flour it makes so much better cakes than ours, pastry in a roll and then wine, champagne and kirs of course.

Disneyland

The family went to Disneyland last week courtesy of Rêves, a French charity for sick children and wow we had a good time. My daughter was made to feel special at all times, we did not queue for anything, and if you have ever been to Disneyland you can imagine how good this is. We went on so many rides, met all the characters, even a special treat when Minnie Mouse and Snow White came to see my daughter in person.
After all the hardship over the last year and the sad, hard, scary days we have spent in hospital, this was a fabulous way to celebrate my daughters great health, a year to the day she was diagnosed with cancer.
So a big big thank you to all the people out there who give to charity as I can not begin to tell you how special and wonderful it was and a big thank you to Rêves and to Silvia Gaillard, who made our stay at Clermont hospital more bearable.

Mother's day

Mother: the most beautiful word on the lips of mankind. -Kahil Gibran

A mother is someone who can take the place of all others but whose place no one else can take - Unknown

No need to say anything else, have a good day