Fairy party-Giant paper flower how to

As part of T's fairy party, mum and I put together a load of paper flower of varying sizes and colours. They are fairly time consuming, but one or two a night didn't take up the evening and meant we had a decent supply by the party-to be honest, I only made 3 of them and then mum took the rest on!

You will need:

Tissue paper (absolutely loads of it!)
Thick paper/card plates (we used very think plastic plates which we cut down but that's just because we had them lying around the house)
Kirby grips or floristry wire
PVA glue (or stronger)

1. Gather together piles of 6 sheets of tissue paper (you need 4 piles of 6 for each flower-for smaller flowers, cut down the size of the sheets)
2. Start to fold each pile of 6 sheets as a whole into a concertina fold all the way across, so you end up with 4 folded strips.

3. Place the Kirby grip or wrap floristry wire around the strip about 2/3-3/4 of the way along.  You will have a short section and a long section.

4. Cut each end into a curved/slightly pointed shape (this will make the ends of the petals)
5. Start at one of the ends and open out like a fan.

6. Start to very gently peel up each layer of tissue paper towards the centre.

7. Repeat with the other section.  This will have created one quarter section of your flower.
8. Repeat with each of your 4 strips.
9. Place a fair amount of glue onto the top of the paper plate
10. Place the smaller section of each petal onto the glue to make the four quarters of the flower. The larger sections should be fluffed up to make the petals.

11.  If you would like to make a different coloured centre for the flowers, repeat the above steps With just one folded and cut piece of tissue paper.  I cut it into 6 small sheets and repeated the above except place the grip/wire at the halfway point so that each side is equal.  This can then be glued into the centre.

12. Once you get the hang of it, you can change the sizing/number of layers/shapes of cuts on the ends etc to give different effects.
13. We made stems for the flowers by covering bamboo canes and large sticks/branches with green tissue paper and then just taping the flowers on (the tape can always be hidden with tissue paper afterwards)

The Chagford Show

A day at the Chagford Show

Having to work in the morning, we didn't arrive until lunchtime, by which time the forecasted wind, rain and cloud has disappeared and we were left with a hot, sticky afternoon and two children inappropriately dressed.  So, first fail of the day, two children in proper trousers and a buggy full of coats, jumpers and raincovers. Gotta love the great British weather, although shouldn't complain about a sunny afternoon! 

We came to the show last year and I've gotta say, I just love it. So local and a really nice size.  I know that's a bit of a strange description, but we've ventured to the Devon County Show many times in my life and, although it's a good day, it seems to have lost a bit of its local charm and it is so big and busy, it is exhausting! Chagford is just big enough; easy to see everything with the babies and lots of local farms showing, and bands etc.

A quick stomp across the parking field and we were greeted by the dog show.  I just love this.  Less formal than the other shows I've seen, you just sort of rock up with your dog and register, although I'm sure some of those taking part take it very seriously but the kids love watching it. As my little one said in awe "ah, I've never SEEN so many dogs!"

Then it's the animals.  Family friends of ours show their gorgeous sheep, so we popped over to say hello and the kids could see all the different sheep and cows. This is always their favourite bit! T then spies the dreaded bouncy castle and spinning chairs.  Last year she was just a bit too small for the chairs, but this year was perfect (despite the man running them being rather odd and aggressive).  T loved it, our smallest (16 months) not impressed at not being allowed on that or the bouncy castle and that was the beginning of a rather stroppy toddler.  I tried walking away, distraction, snacks, every trick in the book but he's persistent, I'll give him that! He did go on the huge blow up slide though with me (this nearly destroyed me as I was also inappropriately dressed for the weather or any physical exercise for that matter!) The only thing I'd say is £2 per "ride" was massively excessive, although I think this is just what they charge now, seems ridiculously steep to me, and we left the area a good £14 lighter! At least the kids loved it! 

This was pretty much the beginning of the end. We attempted to stroll around the rest of the stalls etc but T was hugely overtired and the boy just didn't know what he wanted.  A whistle-stop-tour of the stalls and we were back in the first field. By this time, the local marching band was in full swing and the kids were engrossed! I seized the opportunity to grab a bag of those revolting but absolutely gorgeous mini warm donuts!! Always taste so good warm! Out went the diet as I devoured most of the bag! (They're just not the same cold!) 

En route to the car, the sheep show was just starting which was brilliant. T (just 3) was transfixed as the fantastic presenter brought out various different breeds to funny music and demonstrated shearing. Really well done.

To quote Topsy and Tim, "and that, said mummy, was that!" Lovely afternoon, even with two fractious little people in tow, (thank goodness for grandparents and additional hands!) just wish we'd assessed the weather a little better! 

The Fairy Party and the start of the business

This year my daughter, totally against my initial ice cream idea, decided on a fairy theme for her birthday.  To be perfectly honest, I was hoping we could save that one until she was a bit older, but that was mainly because I thought she'd enjoy it more.  It was 3 months before her party and that is where the prep began.  I did some Pinterest and image trawling and came up with my general plan.  It was a smidge ambitious given the budget of, um, well zero actually, but with the length of time it was doable.

Job no 1: rope in husband to make daughter a house bed (technically not anything to do with the party, but it kept him in the workshop and busy and therefore I didn't feel too guilty about spending my evenings making wands and fairy headdresses!

Jobs no 2-400: prep prep prep!  Items on the agenda: toadstool cushions, flower wall, backdrop, paper flowers, tutus, headdresses, wand craft prep, pass the parcel, invitations and cake topper.  I enlisted my husband to make a top for the kid's play table so it could be used as their table for the party, I also got him to make a frame for the backdrop.

It seems like a lot, and to be honest it was quite a bit of prep, but in realistic terms it was done in the evenings, an hour or so at a time and certainly not every night. We are still battling a sleep adverse toddler so I only really get an hour in the evenings before he wants me to go up to him!

I've put a separate post with the how tos for this party as there are many!

Fast forward to the party and after weeks of pretty awful weather, we woke to the hottest morning of the year.  We relayed seemingly endless car loads up to the community orchard in our village (the one huge downside of not having a party at home, and one I'll admit, I was completely unprepared for!) flatly refusing this year to have the party at our house again! A combination of a tiny garden and a ridiculous amount of people meant our carpet was virtually ruined and I ended up with a houseful.  I do love having people over but not when you plan for everyone to be outside!

To be honest, the initial part of the prep was horrendous. Imagine being dressed inappropriately for the weather, roasting in a party tent, refereeing two children and attempting to drape and decorate at lightning speed. I was saved by family reinforcements mid morning, and in reality, there is no way it would've got done without them.

I collected the cake at the last minute, i.e when people were arriving and I was still cutting fruit for the wands when the kids were here.  Even though I left the cake to the last second, my marshmallow and white chocolate flowers melted within seconds, drooping and losing their petals and looking rather sorry for themselves!  I could barely grab a picture of them before they dismantled! The weather is just the one thing you can't really prepare for.

I have found a fantastic artist in Australia who has designed a "pin the wand on the fairy" game which seemed to go down well plus the obligatory pass the parcel.  The kids decorated wands, fairy houses and elf hats with paint, leaves, gems and feathers and seemed to love it despite the ridiculous heat. Simple wand prep how to on separate blog.

The party looked lovely and the kids had a brilliant time despite the ridiculous heat. It was at this point, standing in the tent, watching the adults sitting, chatting and drinking pimms and the kids running around in their tutus and elf costumes that I realised that this is what I love doing.  I'm definitely not a matching plate/food in perfect rows kind of party planner, but I think I'm starting to get the hang of the rustic, country style affair. So that's when it came to me, to start a business helping other parents throw parties that the children will love, and that more importantly means that the parents aren't stuck in a sweaty soft play centre for two hours on a sunny day or are left filled with dread at attending another children's party!  Yes, I know the thought of the prep is enough to bring most people out in hives, but that is where I hope I can help. I am championing the old school party games and am bringing back the children's party of our youth.

You can find me on Twitter https://mobile.twitter.com/GreatLittlePar1 Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/greatlittlepartyco/  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/greatlittlepartycompany/ and I now have an Etsy page https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/GreatLittlePartyCo?ref=hdr_shop_menu .  It's all a bit daunting, but this is what I love doing so I hope I can help you out! I supply themed party boxes which contain party essentials (plates, cups, napkins, straws etc) plus at least one craft and everything needed to complete the craft, party games and ideas, decorations and filled party bags with gorgeous handmade and unique items the kids will love.

My former life...

I know I'm lucky, I have a rather fantastic support network around me, but I've learned, that realistically, it doesn't make the struggle of keeping two children alive any easier.  I remember that in the pit of a period of what I believe was post natal depression after my first, how I had longed for my career back, and there are times now when I catch myself daydreaming about the cut and thrust of my former life.  The truth is, no matter how wonderful the days are with my babies, I miss having something that is mine. I am jealous of my husband moving on with his career.  I know that is one of the worst things I could say as I am also desperately proud of him, but there is a part of me that wishes it was me.

As the big 3-0 looms this year, I find myself reflecting on the many years of education in preparation for a life that I will never have .  In the end, no matter what anyone says to you pre-children, mothers must make that choice.  Sure, there are those women who really do appear to juggle it all, but for me, it was a clear choice from the moment my first was born.  A seemingly simple choice between the career with the 80 hour week, the stress, the constant demands, the long days and sleepless nights (which I actually adored), doing the one job I had always wanted, and the other job.  The one that essentially requires the same and more from me but without the kudos, the bonus or the suit. The one that requires me to hold it together despite unrelenting tiredness, be forever covered in food, paint and bodily fluids and to seemingly endlessly be in a state of alertness, in case one, or more likely both, tries to dismember the other.  The one job that has you experiencing every spectrum of human emotion in a matter of a few minutes, or on some days, seconds, and probably the only job that is both terrifying and incredible all at the same time.   The one that no one really considers a job (unless they actually have their own) and the one that means that I will, for now at least, just be someone's mum.  I knew though, as soon as she clapped eyes on me after a long and bloody awful labour that I had to give her everything and I knew that meant a huge change to my plans. We were lucky to have that choice.

So for now at least, I juggle two jobs working for my mum and a company which, considering I have left 3 or 4 times and have changed my hours on a termly basis for the last 10 years, has amazingly stuck by me, and, for the most part at least, it works.  I have my babies with me everyday and neither has had to go to nursery or be with anyone except grandparents and us.  It's wonderful and inexplicably hard at the same time.  I am constantly stricken with mummy guilt, but I am finally realising that that is just part of the job description. 

So here we are, 3 years on and my oldest starts pre-school in September.  I could cry every second I think about it. I don't know where those 3 years have gone but I look at her and realise that every sleepless night, code brown, flooded bathroom and episode of Peppa and that every craft hung proudly on the wall, belly laugh and stress induced wrinkle has been worth so much more than a paycheck could ever have been.  So much more than all the kudos in the world. My beautiful girl is intelligent, witty and excited for the next chapter in her life and I couldn't be prouder to be "just" her mummy.

Farm Party Cake How Tos

If you've seen my other post, you'll see that I made pig and sheep cupcakes to tie into the cake theme as well as the main cake.  I think everyone assumes that you must have the best equipment to make cakes like this at home, well I use a wooden spoon and bowl..no fancy food  mixer in our house.  I sometimes use the hand mixer for a very quick blast to make sure all combined but generally speaking Tabatha is helping me so by hand is best.  These cakes are so simple, here are the recipes...

Pig Cupcakes

CAKE

6oz butter

6oz caster sugar

3 eggs

6oz self raising flour

ICING

5oz butter

10oz icing sugar

Pink or red food colouring

Tsp milk if required

DECORATION

Large pink marshmallows

Pink wafer biscuits

Raisins

Piping bag

1. Set oven to 180 degrees (fan)

1. Beat butter and sugar (never understood the "until creamy" bit, just beat them together for a couple of minutes if by hand, it should go slightly paler.  To be honest my best sponge tends to be the ones that were more rushed!

2. Add eggs and mix until combined-not very long and mixture will probably look a bit curdled/separated, don't panic!

3. Pour in flour and mix until just combined, this is where I tend to give it a very quick blast with the hand mixer.

4. Fill 12 cupcake cases about 1/2-2/3 full (this mixture should make 12 depending on the size of the cases)

5. Bake for approx 20 mins until tops look golden and skewer inserted comes out clean.  Remember not to open the oven door until close to end time as they will collapse.

6. Allow cakes to cool on rack.

7. Beat the butter until soft and manageable.

8. Add icing sugar and use wooden spoon to work in to butter.

9. Once combined, use the hand mixer to beat for at least 5 minutes.  The icing will get lighter the more you beat (you may need to add a teaspoon of milk if it doesn't combine properly and stays crumbly)

10. Add a couple of drops of pink or red food colouring until the icing is a piggy colour.

11. I use disposable piping bags, but works with either (you just may need a wide hole nozzle - technical term, to put inside of you are not using a disposable bag).  Fold the top back on itself about halfway down to the tip.

12.  Hold the bag with your hand inside the fold and fill the piping bag with the icing.  The fold will stop you getting covered in icing

13. Unfold the top of the bag and give it a jiggle to work the icing down to the tip and get rid of any air.

14. Twist the open end so that it firmly pushes the icing to the tip and you can hold onto the bag.

15. Cut the bottom of the piping bag so that a hold approx 1-1.5cmacross is made. Doesn't really matter too much.

16. Pipe into the centre of each cake giving it a big of a wiggly as you squeeze so that the cake is covered with icing (you could just cover with the icing by hand with a pallet knife and not bother with the piping bag)

17. Cut the link marshmallows in half across there middles so that they remain circular but not as fat/tall and place each half in the centre of each cake to make the pig nose.

18. Put two tiny specks of pink icing on the marshmallow to create the nostrils.

19. Cut two flecks of raisins to make the eyes and the wafers into tiny triangles for the ears.

Sheep Cupcakes

**Exactly the same ingredients for the cake and icing as above...follow instructions above

You will also require a bag of mini marshmallows-preferably all white but doesn't matter too much, I just hid the pink ones underneath as much as I could.

You will also need:

12 big marshmallows

Black food colouring

Modelling paste or fondant icing

1. Once the cakes are cooled, place the large marshmallows in a heatproof bowl and place on top of a saucepan of simmering water (or use a banmarie if you have one), stir until melted - it will be really sticky!

2. Use a knife to make a circular hole in the top of each cake and put a spoonful of the melted marshmallow into the hole

3. Mix the mini marshmallows-the majority of the bag, into the icing and spoon it onto the cakes.

4. Colour a small ball of fondant/modelling paste with the black food colouring and roll into small balls

5. Push down to flatten the balls into a head shape

6. Use two small flattened balls of white fondant/paste to make the base of the eyes and a tiny speck of black pressed onto the top for the eyeball.  Use a tiny amount of water on a brush to stick the pieces together.

7. Place the heads onto the sheep bodies and there you have it!

Farm Party Craft How To's...

These are crafts that any mum can easily set up in an evening for next to no money.  The two crafts were stained glass chickens and cotton wool sheep.  Both so simple but the chicken in particular looks great and is a nice thing for the kids to take away with them.

Cotton Wool Sheep

1. Find a sheep silhouette online and print off if you, like me, draw like your toddler.
2. Use a sharp pencil to draw around the sheep with the coloured piece of card behind it, this will imprint the outline.
3. Draw over the outline with a black marker but leave the legs - just the body and head.
4. Cut out some little rectangles from black card and use a chalk pen/tipex/white paint to colour a small section of each leg as the hoof
5. Set up the sheep for the kids with a bag of cotton wool balls, 4xlegs each, some goggly eyes  and some Prit Stick

Stained Glass Chicken

1. Find a simple chicken shape online and print off.
2. Trace onto card and cut out.
3. Use this template to trace the outline onto sticky back plastic/contact paper.  You need to make sure that you do one chicken facing each direction-I.e trace one side and then flip over template and trace again.  This is so that when you cut them out the two sticky sides of the pieces will stick together.
4. Blue tac one of the chickens, clear side down and peal off the paper from the sticky surface.  The sticky side will be face up.
5.  Have the children tear of small pieces of different coloured tissue paper and stick them onto the chicken covering the whole of the sticky surface.
6. Remove the paper from the sticky side of the other and place in on top of the tissue paper so that it is sandwiched between the plastic
7. Trim off any excess tissue paper from the edges

Animal Jigsaws

1. Find some animal outlines online (simple work best) and print off.  They need to be one to each A4 sheet
2. Place a piece of coloured card underneath the printed page and trace the outline with a sharp pencil.
3. Use a marker to draw around the outline created on the card
4. Cut the card into 4/6 jigsaw shaped pieces.