Sunday 11 July 2010

Put the Flags Out! Freebie and Contest

Flag Day!

Hiya! I hope you're all well and happy. "Long time no blog" I hear you say! I'm sorry for my absence, I've been getting over winning the Feeling Stitchy contest!  Yes it's taken me this long... winning something is rather a shock to my system, you see.  Oh and catching up on things that I've been meaning to do for a long time... like making some little printable flags for sandcastles!

The beautiful Carbis Bay... ahh, what I'd give to be there right now...
A couple of years ago, I made a few little flags for sandcastles on the train down to our holiday destination, the lovely Carbis Bay (pictured above) near to St Ives. If you like Cornwall, I thoroughly recommend a visit as the beach is wonderful, the sea so clear and there's some great walking on the easier bits of the coast path (I'm a real pussy when it gets a bit steep and rocky!). Anyway, here's some pictures of those flags in action:







Since then, I've been meaning to make some for you good folks to download and print out... Finally, I've gotten around to it!  I think this would be a good activity for children to keep them occupied when you're packing for your holiday. Then again, you might want to make yourself a little flag and wrap it around a pencil.  Click on the images or links below to download the flags (you have a choice of ready coloured, or blank for you and/or your little 'un to colour in)

Summer Pals' Sandcastle Flags - ready coloured
Summer Pals' Sandcastle Flags - blank for you to colour in


Joey's Dream Garden Sandcastle flags coloured in version_ not for commercial use


Joey's Dream Garden Sandcastle Flags_ outlines version_ not for commercial use

I made them with our little long-term visitors, Little Tiger (who else??), Cotton Carrot and Bunny Giraffe in mind. Of course, the ever modest Little Tiger demanded a flag with his "beautiful" fizzog on it and nothing much else... Cotton Carrot didn't really mind as long as there was a carrot featured somewhere; so I've put lots of carrots coming out a happy sun to reflect her sunny disposish. And Bunny Giraffe, the most musical and rhythmic of the pals, gets a singing bunny in a rainbow of music! Which he's very happy with. :-)

Health and safety note: please ensure young children are accompanied by an adult when using sharp scissors, and please keep craft knives out of their reach. If your youngsters are using bamboo skewers, please cut off the pointed end for them first.

To make the flags, you need:
A print of the flags
Scissors
Glue
Clean lolly sticks (or bamboo skewers, cut in half, or pencils)

Here's how you put them together
1. Download the sheet you want, and print it out. If it's the blank ones, colour them in and decorate if you wish.


2. Cut out along the dotted lines.

3. Get your stick ready. Apply glue to the back of one half of the flag.

4. Place the stick on the centre of the flag.



When I used a lolly stick, I decided to position it halfway up the flag, as it's quite short.


5. Fold the flag over and make sure that both sides line up neatly. You now have a double-sided flag, ready for some sandy constructions!

Unfortunately, I'm not going to the seaside this year... (sob!) But because I still want to see LOTS of sandcastles with these flags in, I'm offering a prize to the most impressive and imaginative sandcastle bearing one of these flags!  If you want to have the chance to win an exclusive Joey's Dream Garden brooch, here's what you need to do:

1. Make at least one of the flags
2. Make a sandcastle (it doesn't have to be on a beach; in a sandpit would do if, like me, you can't get to the seaside)
3. Take a photo of your creation
4. Add your photo to the Flickr group http://www.flickr.com/groups/sandcastleflags/ - if you've made lots of flags and sandcastles, please add as many photos of them as you wish! 

The closing date is Monday, 13 September 2010, 00:00 on Howland Island (i.e. GMT -12 hrs; click here to find your timezone's equivalent time:  http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html ) and I will contact the winner via Flickr soon after.

UPDATE 14 JULY: Blogger is currently having technical problems, meaning people sometimes cannot leave a comment. If you cannot leave a comment (please try first, I love getting comments!) please e-mail me and tell me what time you tried to comment. My e-mail is jramone@toucansurf.com.  Thanks!

Take care in the sun (and the sea, if you're going to the seaside!)
and Have Fun!
Joey x

6 comments:

  1. Joey this is fabulous! Thank you for sharing your talents with us all. I am going to download the flags now and get them ready as we are going to the seaside and will definitely be taking pics for you.
    hugs
    Claire x

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hey Little Tiger
    I am glad to see you are on a flag. Don't get too proud and say 'THE WHOLE WORLD HAS TO MAKE ONE' but I definitely am. My sandcastle is going to be THE best. TIGER EMPORIUM is already taking shape in my head.
    Elliot

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks, Claire and Elliot! I LOVE the idea of Tiger Emporium, and Little Tiger is currently drawing up plans for it! You've started something now!

    Joey xx

    ReplyDelete
  4. I really love this idea! When we're at the seaside the kids always end up using random bits of seaweed or twigs and crisp packets or something like that for flags!! These are so much cuter, we're definitely going to make these - thank you :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Your Summer Pals look so happy - I hope I get chance to join in and have a holiday this year (all be it last minute if I do!)

    If not I'm sure I can make a little sandpit in my back yard and have a go :D

    See you tomorrow for lots of crafty goodness!!

    love

    Louise
    xx

    ReplyDelete
  6. Well in the end we kind of did this! We took leftover party cupcake flags to the beach and used them for sandcastles..

    http://anjistarking.blogspot.com/2010/09/holiday-and-camping.html

    ReplyDelete

I love to read your comments, so please go right ahead! Thanks in advance for your message. :-)

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