30.10.13

Rip Curl Pro Portugal Greatest Moments (2009 - 2012)

Halloween Paper Bag Puppets - tutorial

Paper bag puppets are classic, so why not make some for Halloween? You can vary the faces from scary to happy, depending on the age group or sensitivity of your child.
Halloween Paper Bag Puppets
Supplies you will need for Halloween paper bag puppets:
  • Brown paper lunch bags
  • Acrylic paint in green, red, purple, black, orange and antique white
  • Construction paper
  • White paper
  • Glue stick
  • Scissors
  • Markers
First you will paint all of your paper bags with acrylic paint and let them dry completely. I used Americana paints in Cherry Red, Lavender, Jack O’ Lantern Orange, Antique White, Kelly Green and Black.
Next you’ll cut out shapes from construction paper to embellish your puppets.
Eyes can be drawn with a black marker on to white paper and then cut out. Alternatively, you can use googly eyes.
For mouths, glue the teeth onto the mouth hanging over the edge. Then trim by cutting around the outline of the mouth.
You can make simple clothes like Frankenstein’s jacket, Dracula’s cape or the witch’s dress from construction paper.
For the mummy, use a black marker to draw on lines to look like bandages. For the Jack O’Lantern, use an orange marker to draw on lines. Other embellishments you can include are bolts for Frankie’s neck, use a hole punch in purple paper for the witch’s nose wart, and use a marker to draw on noses and Frankie’s stitches.
Use glue stick to attach everything then have a Halloween puppet show!

26.10.13

Spider Serving Plate - tutorial

This Spider Serving Plate is so easy to make and I love the way it looks! It works best to make these over a period of 2 or 3 days so the glue can dry completely. 




25.10.13

Halloween paper chain pumpkin man - tutorial

Supplies for Paper Chain Counter:
  • art paper – cut into 30 strips, and extra for pumpkin face
  • scissors
  • tape
  • glue stick
1. Cut your paper into strips. I just used construction paper. I don’t suggest using cardstock paper, it’s a little more difficult to curl and tape the paper.
2. Form a circle with one strip and tape it closed. Loop another one through and tape, making them chain together.
3. Now decorate a pumpkin face for the main body of the counter using your paper, scissors, and glue stick. I stapled the arms and legs onto the paper pumpkin. You could tape or glue these on, but we need them to last for a whole month and staples are a little more durable.
Display your cute pumpkin paper chain somewhere visible for the kids (I used packing tape to tape him up on the door, it’s kind of heavy with all the chains).
On the first day of October, they get to tear off ONE chain, and so on until all you have is the pumpkin face on Halloween.
Your Halloween paper chain could be made into a ghost of white paper chains, witch’s hair with green paper chains, or even a cute garland paper chain under the mantel. Either way, it’s fun for the kids to watch as they get closer to the day of dressing-up and eating candy!

Prince George's Official Christening Photos Revealed


The Duchess of Cambridge reveals her son was "such a good boy" on his christening day, as a set of official photos are released.

In one shot, three-month-old George is wide awake on his mother's knee, arms aloft, performing for the cameras.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge hand-picked British photographer Jason Bell for the latest additions to the family album.


At her latest public engagement, Kate revealed there was relief all round that her son's famous lungs were kept in check.
"He was such a good boy actually, we're very lucky", she told one guest at the charity event.
"He's not always like that but I think he enjoys all the different people and I think there was lots of action going on. He gets ... slightly distracted."

The photograph showing the Queen accompanied by Princes Charles, William and George might seem like just another snap, but it has been more than 100 years since anything similar was published.

The last time was in 1894 at the christening of Edward VIII, at which the future King was cradled by Queen Victoria.
The Middleton family feature in one of the photos, with Auntie Pippa standing between Prince Harry and her brother James.

Royal photographer Ian Jones said: "These are a beautiful set of photographs. Very well shot in difficult circumstances very quickly.
"You have here key moments such as Prince William holding Prince George in a modern twist.
"There is also a lovely photo of the three of them together - great smiles and lovely laughter."

23.10.13

Prince George christened at Chapel Royal

The christening of Prince George has taken place in the Chapel Royal at St James's Palace in London.

The prince, third in line to the throne, was baptised by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The christening was private, with only senior royals, four members of the Middleton family, the seven godparents and their spouses among the 22 guests.
Prince George, son of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, was born in London on 22 July.
Duchess of Cambridge and Prince George
The Duchess of Cambridge carried her son out of the chapel after the christening
Prince George
The prince was baptised in a replica of a gown worn by Queen Victoria's eldest daughter
Queen and Prince Philip leaving after Prince George's christening
The Queen and Prince Philip attended the ceremony
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby with Bishop of London Richard Chartres
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby conducted the ceremony
Mike and Zara Tindall
Zara Tindall, who was accompanied by her husband former rugby player Mike Tindall, is one of Prince George's godparents
The duchess carried her newly christened son out of the chapel after the ceremony, and the guests then left for tea hosted by the Prince of Wales at Clarence House.
Attending a reception at Buckingham Palace after the event, the Queen told guests how much she had enjoyed the ceremony.
"It was very nice though, wasn't it?" she told the Bishop of London, the Right Reverend Richard Chartres, at the event for the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust.
Prince George was baptised in a replica of the lace and satin christening gown made for Queen Victoria's eldest daughter, Victoria, the Princess Royal, in 1841.
The duke and duchess chose two hymns, two lessons and two anthems for the christening.
The hymns were Breathe on Me, Breath of God and Be Thou My Vision.
Lessons from St Luke and St John were read by Pippa Middleton and Prince Harry, and the anthems were Blessed Jesu! Here we Stand and the Lord Bless You and Keep You.
The anthems were sung by the Choir of Her Majesty's Chapel Royal, which performed at the royal couple's wedding.
The ceremony took about 45 minutes.

The godparents, announced earlier, are:
Zara Tindall, 32: The only Royal on the squad, she’s been a close friend of William for their whole lives. She’s expecting a child of her own next year, so perhaps she'll soon be returning the “godparent favor”?
William Van Custem, 34: The youngest of the four Van Cutsem brothers. His niece, Grace,gained immediate international fame (at least on the internet) in 2011 when she adorably covered her ears during the Royal Wedding.
Julia Samuel, 54: A close friend of Princess Diana’s, she’s a therapist, mother of four and also helped to found a charity, Child Bereavement U.K., of which William is a patron.
Oliver Baker, 31: He’s a trusted friend of the couple’s from St. Andrew’s, and Kate lived in an apartment with his wife after they graduated college.
Emilia Jardine-Paterson, 31: She went to Marlborough College with Kate (and has known William since she was 19), and accompanied her on the now-infamous Ibiza trip of 2007 when Kate and William were briefly split up. She’s now an interior designer, and is reportedly helping the pair renovate their Kensington Palace apartment.
Hugh Grosvenor, 22: The youngest on the godparent roster, Hugh is the son and heir of the Duke of Westminster, one of the richest people in the U.K., which means George should be expecting especially swanky birthday gifts from H-Gros.
Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, 53: He was the couple and Prince Harry’s private secretary from 2005-2013, which involved assisting in planning their public appearances and schedule, and he’s said to have served as a “constant help and confidant to the young princes.” He now works part-time as Principal Private Secretary and Equerry.
Individual pictures of William van Cutsem, Julia Samuel, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, Emilia Jardine-Paterson, Zara Tindall, Earl Grosvenor and Oliver Baker
Prince George's godparents: (top row, from left) William van Cutsem, Julia Samuel, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, Emilia Jardine-Paterson, (bottom row) Zara Tindall, Earl Grosvenor and Oliver Baker
After the ceremony, celebrity photographer Jason Bell was expected to take a picture of the Queen and princes Charles, William and George together.
This will echo a 1894 picture from the christening of the future Edward VIII, showing him with his father, grandfather and great-grandmother - George V, Edward VII and Queen Victoria.
The picture is expected to be released on Thursday.




 TRANSCRIPT 

REPORTER: Britain's Prince William and his wife Kate broke set a royal precedent of sorts on Wednesday. They held the christening of three-month-old Prince George at St. James Palace, not at Buckingham Palace where royal christenings have occurred for generations. In 1926, then-princess Elizabeth was christened in Buckingham's private chapel. Her son, Charles, was christened in the music room in 1948. That's the same room where HIS son, William, was christened in 34 years later. The break with tradition didn't affect well-wishers who wanted to witness British history. 

THOMAS MILLS, CHAIRMAN OF THE BRITISH MONARCHY SOCIETY: "It is history today and it is also the day that Prince George is brought fully into the family firm as a member of the Church of England of which we know the Queen is Defender of the Faith and so will be Prince Charles and Prince William and one day Prince George." 

REPORTER: Only 21 close family members and godparents were invited to the christening — a sign the parents plan to closely guard the privacy of a baby born to be a king. William and Kate named six friends and one of William's cousins as godparents. That too was breaking new ground because royal dignitaries normally take on the ceremonial role. Observers say it's all part of their effort to portray a more informal, modern royal image to Britons as they face economic austerity in their own lives. 






(click on the picture)

Halloween interactive spelling game

You have 45 seconds to select as many correct words as you can.
See how many points you can score.

11.10.13

Word Hippo Online Dictionary & Vocabulary Resource




Word Hippo is an online dictionary/thesaurus which offers a wide range of other tools including opposites, rhyming words, translation, and lots more besides.

7.10.13