Dinosaur Art ~Bostik Challenge.

Arts and Crafts are very dear to me and I have always spent time with my two daughters throughout their life crafting. In fact my older daughter now has an etsy shop where she makes bespoke scrapbooks that she creates. My girls are now older  so I craft with my  niece Little M. For those who follow my blog will know we spend one Sunday a month that's dedicated to crafting, baking and doing fun things. We do this with the items that I receive in the Bostik craft box. This is the last challenge for 2019 and the theme is dinosaurs.

Little M and I had lots of fun with the bostik boxes, she always comes up with great ideas. This month she chose to make a dinosaur art picture to give to her little brother who loves dinosaurs.

What you will need to make the dinosaur art:

I sheet black a4 card
I sheet white a4 paper
I sheet green a4 paper
Bostik White Glue
Bostik fine and wide glue pen
Pencil
Scissors
8 inch piece of string
Dinosaur cut out shapes

How to make the Dinosaur Art

1. On the white paper draw some cloud shapes and cut out.

2. On the green paper draw some grass shapes and cut out.

3. Using the Bostik glue apply it to the cloud shapes and stick them in position at the top of the black card.

4. Using the Bostik glue apply it to the grass cut out and stick it on the bottom edge of the black card.

5 Peel the sticky back from the dinosaur shapes and stick them on the grass area.
6. Using a pencil mark two holes 1 cm below the top edge and 10 cm apart from the centre of the card.

7. Pierce the holes with the sharp pencil.
8.Thread the string through the holes and tie a
knot to secure to make a loop for hanging the picture.

To Pin 

You may like other  Bostik craft posts:

This craft is suitable for young children although, adult supervision may be required for using scissors.. If you like this project check the link below for more art and craft projects, that you can do with your children.

Kids Arts and Craft Videos
Kids Arts and Crafts Projects 

Christmas Napkin Holder ~ Bostik Challenge December

The theme for the Bostik Box this month is Christmas.We had lots of Christmassy themed crafting items in the box. My little crafting partner Little M came to spend Sunday with me, can you believe she is almost seven now is quite a young lady.
In the box there were lots of wooden christmas shapes so she made some tree decorations with the cut outs and Bostik glitter glue. After  this we made some napkin holders for little M to take home for her Christmas table as gift for her parents.

Equipment you will need for making 1 napkin holder:

1 piece Green stiff felt 18cm by 8cm
1  piece green ribbon 60cm long
2 pompoms
Bostik glitter glue
Bostik foam pads
Bostik white glue

How to make:

1.Using the Bostik foam pads stick the pompoms onto the ends of the ribbon.

2. Lay the green felt and stick the ribbon centrally on to the felt with Bostik PVA glue.

3. Using the glitter glue make decorative spots or swirls and leave to dry. This takes almost 3-4 hours to dry but you can cheat and use a hair dryer if you are in a hurry. (Children will need adult supervision to use hair dryer)

4. Once the glue is dry, place the napkin in the centre and fold the holder over it and tie a bow with the ribbon. You can make more to complete the set.

You may like other  Bostik craft posts:

This craft is suitable for young children although, adult supervision may be required for using scissors.. If you like this project check the link below for more art and craft projects, that you can do with your children.

Kids Arts and Craft Videos
Kids Arts and Crafts Projects 

To Pin

A visit to the Peak District ~YHA Castleton Losehill Hall

Photo courtesy of YHA Castleton Castleton Losehill Hall

As a student, I have spent many holidays travelling to different cities with my friends, since we were on student budget we used to perpetually stay in youth hostels. These were an inexpensive way to get overnight accommodation, meet other travelers and make new acquaintances. As I got older and secured a job, youth hostel became something of a distant memory as the holidays were always in faraway places and stays were in luxury hotels.

Recently I was contacted by YHA to see if I wanted to visit the Peak District and stay at  their YHA  Castleton Losehill Hall. Not having managed this for many years I jumped at the chance to rekindle my student days.

YHA Castleton Losehill Hall is situated in the heart of the Peak District National Park. It is a fully refurbished gothic mansion which is set within 27 acres of parkland and offers offering beautiful views of the Peak District.

YHA Castleton Losehill Hall is only a stone’s throw from Castleton village in the High Peak district of Derbyshire near the Hope Valley. It is only a 15 minute walk  from the youth hostel to the village.

The village has many public houses, independent stores, quaint tea rooms, Peveril Castle and the Blue John Cavern and caves. Blue John is a semi-precious mineral which also known as Derbyshire Spar.It is a form of fluorite with bands of a purple-blue or yellow colour. You can see it during a visit Blue John Cavern and caves.

The location is perfect for hiking in the peak district with walks up to Mam Tor, Win Hill and Lose Hill.

YHA Castleton Losehill Hall  is a really gorgeous place to stay. The building is a newly refurbished Victorian Gothic house. The building has rooms of all different sizes, going from two to three sharing to eight sharing. Most have en suite bathrooms and additional washroom facilities too.  

There are dining rooms, a fully furnished bar, a lovely lounge room with open fire where you can sit and relax and mingle with fellow travelers. On site are meeting rooms and tranquil spaces too, for those who want to relax on their own.  

There are also has separate mews that are available to hire for private parties that sleep up to 28 people and have fully kitted kitchens and dining facilities. There is plenty of parking, drying rooms, cycle storage, luggage storage and free wifi too.

On site there is a restaurant that offers breakfasts, lunches and suppers. YHA has recently introduced their supperclubs, which offers a communal dining experience with other travelers to encourage people to make new friends and creating a more enjoyable dining experience.

Supper clubs are a great way to start new conversations and discuss with fellow traveler's their day's activities and share interests and team up.

A two course meal starts from as little as £9.95, this includes a main course and dessert . They also cater for all dietary requirements such as vegetarian, vegan and gluten free. Since I am a vegetarian this was important for me and I can definitely vouch for the meal which was delicious and very filling and great value for money.

Breakfasts at the YHA Castleton Losehill Hall are plentiful with a varied choice of toast, pastries, cereals, and a fully cooked English breakfast with tea, coffee, juices and smoothies. It’s the perfect way to kick start your day before embarking on the day’s activities.

Whether you are a solo traveler or visiting in a group, YHA offers many activities such as guided walks, cycling and water activities.  It is the perfect place to stay, which is inexpensive too.

During my stay our group did a three hour escorted hike with my fellow bloggers, it was a terrific experience and offered so many wonderful photo opportunities. The hikes are of different difficulty degrees and you can opt how long and how far you want to walk to suit your ability. Whatever you do, you will not be disappointed with the views which are spectacular.

I will definitely be returning to YHA Castleton Losehill Hall for a longer stay as I think, I have only scratched the surface with exploring the area.

**This post is in collaboration with YHA.

Clear Desk -Clear Mind

Did you know that research shows that working in a bright, airy workspace that is minilamistic helps you to be more productive?

I recently changed jobs and have a new office space. It's important to me to have a small area to call my own. I appreciate a tidy work area that is organised and clutter free with basic essentials on it such as a pencil pot, a note pad, an in tray and a clear space for my laptop.

However the workspace we currently have is really small and there is not adequate room for two office desks. There are many times when there are two of us needing to share the same desk and there is a lack of privacy.

I have been thinking of several different ways to organize the office space so that two people can share it easily, but each can have their own little area.

After looking at various office suppliers, I came across this excellent desk screen divider, the most convenient  way to divide the desk so each of us has our own work area. I like the idea as the screens are portable, need no special fitting and you can move them around when not in use. There are many different designs and sizes of screen dividers to choose from to fit any size office space.

With my new desk screen divider in place I can have a private area to work in and arrange my half of the desk that suits my needs.

Did you know that having a clutter free clear space helps you to work better. Your mind can process information in a methodical way and it helps you to work more efficiently. 

There are also other ways to be more productive such as having a scheduler and a daily plan. Planning your day's activities ensures that you prioritise projects in order of urgency enabling you to complete on time.

I would love to hear from you about how you manage your daily schedule and keep your workplace organized. Do you do things differently?

Photos used with permission from Apres Furniture.

**collaborative post

Home renovations ~Laminate Floors

Home renovations are fun to do, but they can take lots of planning and research. Whether you are painting and decorating, selecting new furniture or deciding what type of flooring there are many factors you need to consider and these will help to determine your choice. 

When choosing flooring it is very important to compare the differences between carpets and wood flooring to help decide between the two. You will need to weigh a lot of factors such as do you have children, pets and what form of durability do you need to make your choice. If you choose to have a wooden type of flooring there  are solid floors and laminate flooring,  both have their advantages and disadvantages. It is worth considering Laminate flooring which is a less expensive choice if you have a tight budget.                                                                                                       

What is Laminate flooring?

Laminate flooring is constructed of high-density fiberboard and covered in a hyper-realistic decorative layer. It is hard wearing and very versatile. It comes in several colors and designs such as light, medium or dark. There are also many colors to choose from such as marble, mosaic and stone effects too. Many brands come with a water resistance and antimicrobial coating making the floors more suitable for everyday use.

What are the advantages of laminate flooring?

Laminate floors are hypoallergenic, they are easy to take care of. They can be vacuumed, swept, and mopped to keep fresh and dust free. They are relatively cheaper compared to solid hardwood floors and can be fitted easily as the panels are tongue and groove style and click together to create great results when laid on underlay. The floors look smart and stylish and can be fitted in any part of the house.

What were the disadvantages?

If the laminated floor is not treated correctly it can warp and scratch easily, so it’s important to choose a well-treated hard wearing design.

When deciding on the pattern of the laminate flooring, a lot of companies offer free samples so you can match the colour and style within the comfort of your home. Whichever colour or style you have in your home, you will find that the design options found in laminate flooring are enormous and there is lots of choice to suit all tastes.  

   

 All pictures are used with permission provided by flooring superstore

When deciding on the pattern of the laminate flooring, a lot of companies offer free samples so you can match the colour and style within the comfort of your home. Whichever colour or style you have in your home, you will find that the design options found in laminate flooring are enormous and there is lots of choice to suit all tastes.  

   

 All pictures are used with permission provided by flooring superstore

**Post is in collaboration with flooring superstore   

Blog Props from Athens and Gran Canaria

As you know I love collecting food props and I have a lot in my collection such as these floral collections, brass plate  and Mexican props collection. Recently I have not written about my collection of blog props in a long time, this is not because I have not been collecting them, but because I have tried to curb my obsession as I am running out of storage space.

Those of you who have such an obsession will know that it's addictive and very hard to stop walking past a china or home ware store and not pop in.

Anyway, I do allow myself to prop hunt when I am on holiday and on my recent trips to Athens I bought two beautiful stoneware plates and found some great aged spoons in the local flea market and a pretty little single serve frying pan in the supermarket.

The plates and bowls are great for food photography as they have a dull finish and when clicking food photos there is no reflection or shine on them.

You can see how I have used the bowl and plate  in the photo shoots for my Carrot and Zucchini ribbon salad.

We also travel to Spain a lot as its only a short flight, booking through Villa Spain is a easy option. This time we went to Gran Canaries, I found some amazing hand painted plates at the local market. Made from terracotta, each plate is hand made and painted in vivid Canarian style and colours. Funny enough, I discovered a hook on the back of them so I was mistaken when buying them as food plates they are actually wall plates. I don't mind, I am happy to use them in food photos.

You can see how I have used these plates in my recent black corn salad blog post on my food blog.

I will definitely be looking for more props during my upcoming  visit to the Peloponnese Southern Greece this November.
Do you have an obsession for collecting things? How do you control it? Do share your ideas in the comments below.

Engineered Wood Flooring - A Flooring Option

We all have different choices in our home décor and one of the most important things we have to consider is the type of flooring we should consider.  Many of us have carpets, some have laminate floors, some have vinyl and there is also the option of wooden floors too. I love wooden floors especially as there is so much choice in styles, colours and finishes. They come in a range of prices to suit all budget can be affordable.

There are many choices in wooden flooring such as, vinyl, laminate, parquet, solid and engineered hardwood flooring. One popular choice is solid wood but it can be expensive, an alternate choice is engineered wood flooring as it is less costly than solid hardwood flooring. Engineered wood flooring has many advantages, it provides stability and resistance to variations in temperature and moisture.

It is well suited for installing underfloor heating and can be fitted either using tongue and groove or click lok fitting system. Engineered wood flooring is generally made from three layers.  A real hardwood top layer and two base layers of soft wood. The three-layer construction enables the flooring to become stable and durable. The top layer of floor can be of any choice of hardwood, colour and finish. It is possible to stain the wood, have a raw finish, hand scrapped, oiled, lacquered or distressed.

Engineered wood flooring offers great choice, variety and it can be more affordable but it can have its pros and cons like any product. I would highly recommend that you look into which type of which flooring best suites your household needs when deciding on the colour, style and floor type.

 All photos in this post are used with permission 365 flooring

**Collaborative post