Perth Zoo Friends

I wanted to share with you all an excellent gift idea, that little Miss EJ received for Christmas. We were lucky enough to receive a Zoo Friends annual pass from her gorgeous Auntie S. The pass gives us 12 months unlimited entry to Perth Zoo, with many other benefits as well, including free entry to Taronga Zoo, Melbourne Zoo, Adelaide Zoo and others.

We have already been more than half a dozen times this year, and it never gets boring as sometimes the animals you want to see may be shy or perhaps you will get a perfect day like the day we had today and get to see everything. We always pack a picnic so we are not having to purchase food when we are there, as they have excellent BBQ facilities and a large grassed area to relax in once you have worn your little ones out.There are always different activities and events going on through out the year, in fact we are looking forward to 'The Teddy Bears Picnic' which is on the 27th March.

Today Miss EJ and I decided to take my mum and dad with us to share this special time. It had been awhile since they had been and they were amazed at all the changes. They loved seeing Miss EJ so excited at all the animals and listening to her trying to say the names and do the animal noises, I think her Monkey impersonation would have to be the best! The African Savannah was the favourite of the day, especially the lions. I have attached a few images from today to share with you.

So if you are looking for that unique gift for a little Mr or Miss, why not think about becoming a 'Zoo Friend' just go to http://www.perthzoo.wa.gov.au/Get-Involved/Home-Page---Support-Your-Zoo/Become-a-Zoo-Friend/ to find out more information.

Getting Creative

I am constantly looking for gorgeous things that are oh so girly to add those finishing touches to Miss EJ's bedroom. To start with it was a lot of cream and white but slowly over time it has taken on a butterfly theme. With the most beautiful wall decals I found in pinks, turquoise and browns, a pink butterfly mobile created from paper, which I had my eye on the whole time I was pregnant, secretly wishing for a little girl just so I could buy it. One day I even found a beautiful quilt for her cot made from vintage style fabrics. Little treasures here and there that I am hoping will last a lifetime and one day hold special memories for her.

The one thing which I have been looking for the longest was a set of 3 canvases for her wall. I have spent hours searching the inter net, markets, and your everyday stores occasionally coming across something that would suit only to find it was over my budget. I wasn't after anything too detailed, in fact I was after simple, clean designs that were almost child like. Since I hadn't picked up a paintbrush in more than 15 years I was a bit hesitant at giving it a go. I am so glad I did as I think the final product looks fantastic, I got exactly what I was after as well as being within my budget and I found the experience rewarding as I love walking into her room and thinking to myself that I painted them!

So I thought I would share with you my tips and hints on how to make some for yourself, either for your little ones bedroom or perhaps as a great gift idea for someone else. I managed to make the three canvases for under $40!

You will need

A design idea - I just penciled this onto the back of an envelope

Blank art canvases - I used 3

Acrylic paints - I used just 4 different colours.

Paint brushes - you will need a couple of different sizes.

Pencil and eraser

Embellishment's - A great place to find these would be a scrap booking shop

Firstly I lightly drew the designs onto the canvases. I wasn't confident in drawing the E free hand so I found a font I liked on the computer, enlarged it, cut around it and used it as a stencil to trace around. I drew the cupcake and butterfly freehand but kept them very simple to make it easy, but you could use stencils for all of the designs if you don't feel confident enough to draw them.

I then painted the designs on to the canvases, using a couple of coats to get the colour I wanted to achieve. When I was happy with the pictures, I then painted the backgrounds in alternating colours so they all matched. Make sure you also paint the sides of the canvases to finish them off depending on the paint you use, you may need a couple of coats to get an even finish. You can spray the canvases once you have finished with a matte or gloss sealant to help protect them from the dust and dirt. Once I had done all of this I added some stick on crystal embellishments to add the finishing touch.

A few other ideas for your canvases if you are feeling creative would be to cut shapes out of fabric, glue them onto the canvas and then blanket stitch around the edge. Why not make a picture out of buttons and glue them onto the canvas. You could also create a stripey canvas by gluing different coloured ribbons next to each other. If you have some favourite fabric why not just cover the canvases. There are endless ideas for creating your masterpieces.

Why don't you have a go at making your own, we would love for you to share your ideas or even better still send in a photo of your creations.