It’s here! Directions through a Fairy tale (and other Poetic Adventures)

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By Julie Anna Douglas and Jools Wilson

10 fun, colourful poems lavishly illustrated with maps, plans and cross sections. Go shopping with a pirate! Find your way through a fairytale! Be scared in a haunted house!

‘Directions Through a Fairytale (and other Poetic Adventures)’ with words by Julie Anna Douglas and pictures by Jools Wilson.

With ideas section to inspire children to create art and poetry. You can also download free accompanying worksheets from http://www.joolswilson.com

Julie Anna Douglas has been writing poems for as long as she can remember and many of them have found homes in beautiful magazines like The Caterpillar, Ladybug, Spider and The Toy, in poetry collections published by the Emma Press and McMillan Publishing and online in The Dirgible Balloon poetry bank.

What they said:

‘An original mix of poetry and pictures (many of them maps) where children can explore a range of locations and be inspired to write about, and draw, their own special places.’
Brian Moses – poet and author.

‘Highly recommend to encourage young readers’ imagination. Fairytale lands, cities, gardens, rainforests, and more are all brought to life both poetically and visually in this stunning collection.’
Yuval Zommer – author and illustrator

Buy it here!https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1344988004/directions-through-a-fairytale-and-other?click_key=f5fb5f11da89d79754ae71e2ee1eea695fdeb058%3A1344988004&click_sum=834dc03a&ref=shop_home_active_1&frs=1

Products Out and About

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Spotted at the British Museum recently, my Neolithic and Mesolithic houses are on sale to accompany the World of Stonehenge exhibition.

If you’re not lucky enough to get to the exhibition you can buy the houses, and lots of other lovely products here.

Make a Paper Collage Angel

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You will need:

  • Card or stiff paper – cereal box card or other card will work fine.
  • Glue
  • Scissors
  • Fancy paper such as tissue, crepe, origami sheets, wrapping paper, old magazines – anything colourful. Or plain paper and paint.
  • Stick on jewels or other embellishments (optional)

Download the templates here.

Method

Cut out the main template, sleeves, hands, and feet from stiff paper or card.

Choose some paper for the angel’s dress and cut it out using the dress template.

Glue the dress onto the main template. You can add decorative trims if you want them. I glued some gold tissue paper to my dress and trimmed the bottom edge into points.

Cut out the face from paper and glue to the main template. Draw on the features. A small triangle of different coloured paper makes a good nose.

I cut out circles of pink paper for cheeks. You could draw these if you have a pink pencil.

Cut out the crown and glue to the main template. Check that it fits round the face before you glue. You many want to trim it. My crown is made of paper that I painted with watercolour and then glued tissue triangles to.

Cut out your angel’s wings. I used silver card for one of my angels and stiff white paper for the other. You can draw on or decorate them.

Cut out some paper to cover the sleeves and hands. Or you could colour in the hands with paint or pencil if you are using white card.

A good way to get a neat finish is to cut the paper a bit bigger than the hands and trim it after you have glued it on.

Do the same with the feet and glue them onto the bottom of the skirt.

Glue the hands to the back of the sleeves. You can add extra trims to the sleeves if you want them.

Place the wings and arms where you want them on your angel. One wing and arm are glued to the back of the angel. The others to the front. Decide where you want them and then glue into place.

If you want your angel to hang up you can add a string to the back with a piece of tape.

I hope you have as much fun making angels as much as I did!

If you have enjoyed my free content, please consider making a small donation to The Trussell Trust this Chrismas.

Make a Viking Helmet

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You will need:

Thin cardboard – cereal boxes would be ideal

or Silver and gold card

Glue

Stapler

Sellotape

Silver paint (unless you are using silver card)

Paint brushes

Scissors

Silver (or other colour) crepe paper OR fabric

Pens/pencils/paint for decorative details

Fabric ‘chain mail’ (optional)

Download and print templates here

Cut a piece of cardboard 6cm x 63cm. You may need to join 2 pieces of card if you are using cereal boxes. This is large enough for an adult size helmet. This is the main band around the base of the helmet.

Cut 2 strips of cardboard 3cm x 30cm. These are the cross pieces on the top of the helmet.

Cut out the template for the front of the helmet. Draw round it onto your cardboard and cut out the shape.

If you are using plain cardboard paint all the pieces silver.

Draw or paint any patterns you want on the flat pieces.

If you are using silver card you can draw patterns with the wrong end of a paint brush.

Wrap the strip off card around your head where you want the helmet to sit. It should cover the top of your ears. Mark where the card overlaps. Trim off the excess, but leave an overlap of about 2cm. Glue or staple the ends together.

Attach the cross pieces to the crown of the helmet using glue or staples. Attach one side of the first piece and try it on your head before attaching the other side. It should be just above the top of your head. Attach the second cross piece so that it just rests on the first in the centre.

Using the template, cut 4 shapes from crepe paper (or fabric) to fill in the top of the helmet. Glue or tape them into place from the inside. You may need to trim them slightly to fit if you are making a smaller helmet.

Attach the front of the helmet, lining up the nose with one of the cross pieces.

Glue on any other details as desired.

Cut a piece of net fabric approximately 25cm x 50cm. Tape inside helmet along back edge.