Bubble Bouquet

With Lauren Fry, Arts Educator

Introducing a creative triple threat, blowing bubbles: celebrating spring, and gifting goodness.

Bubbles create a sense of magic and wonder that never really leaves us, and what better starting point for a fun make? But bubbles are also super mindful. We often remind children (and ourselves perhaps) to ‘take a deep breath’ when they need to calm down or collect their thoughts — whether due to their over-excitement at sharing their news, or the frustration of a challenge that is tough to overcome. Deep breathing is essential to blowing good bubbles, making this painting process fantastic for relaxation and stress relief.

Bubble Painting is a fantastic process art technique with limitless outcomes, focusing on the experience; and exploration teaches children there is no right and wrong when making art.

Why not suggest a beautiful spring bouquet that can be gifted to a friend or loved one? The signs of spring can be fantastic inspiration for magnificent makes when we encourage children to look and notice the colours and textures of their surroundings transform before their eyes.

Top Tips

Materials:

For bubble painting:

Washing up liquid

Water

Acrylic/poster paint

Straw

White card

For Bubble Bouquet:

Scissors

Glue

Pipe Cleaners

Coloured Card

• The key here is definitely experimentation. I tried different quantities of washing up liquid, water and paint and ended up settling on a pretty even mix of the 3 ingredients.

• The first few prints may be very pale but the more bubbles you blow, the more the solution becomes thoroughly mixed and the colours therefore become more vibrant on the prints.

• When taking a print why not try scooping the bubbles onto the card and leaving them to pop on the surface?

Use a straw to gently blow bubbles until they overflow the top of the container.

Mix your washing up liquid, water, and paint in a cup or bowl. Only fill your container about a quarter of the way up, leaving plenty of room for bubbles.

Once your beautiful bubble paintings have dried, it is time to transform them into a magnificent make. Inspired by the flowers of spring, I have cut petal shapes from my prints and glued them together with pipe cleaner stems to create a bubbly bouquet ready to bring a smile to someone’s face.

To take a print, gently place your card down onto the bubbles. Then you’ll need to blow more bubbles. You can layer multiple prints onto one piece of card or use a fresh piece of card for each one.

Find out more about Lauren’s illustration work at studiowren.co.uk or follow her on Instagram @studio_wren

Handmade Jewellery Inspired by the Ocean …Made to be Worn Anywhere.

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Timi Eross – Bamboo Shoots Photography

Hungarian-born Timi Eross has been interested in photography for as long as she can remember. Eight years ago, just before starting a Masters degree in Budapest, she decided to spend some time abroad, and through a series of coincidences found a post as an au pair in Gurnard. “And this is where I met Tom,” Timi tells us, “Who is now my husband, daddy to our little girl, as well as my life and business partner too.”

Following six months travelling through Spain and Portugal in a campervan and five months in

Fuerteventura, the pair returned to the Island, where Timi began work as a graphic designer, web designer and freelance photographer. By 2018, having inspired each other to pursue their ambitions, Tom and Timi decided to work together, uniting their passion for photography and founding their own business — Bamboo Shoots.

“We both have our own photography niches. I love working with people, moving, and interacting with them, whilst Tom loves landscape shots, wildlife, droning, and videography.

Together we love working with the elements and creating aesthetically pleasing content, especially for brands to create their visuals and identities. Although we are both eager travellers, the Isle of Wight has been such an inspirational hub for us. We feel very fortunate to live on this beautiful island, be part of this community, and be settled with our family here.” bambooshootsphotography.com

Above:

Timi knows many of the Island’s most scenic and secret spots, as well as the perfect light conditions to capture them in.

Sisters Jo Chipperfield and Katy Brocklehurst are getting ready to tackle Mountbatten’s flagship walk again this May, with their mum very much in their thoughts.

The pair remain indebted to Mountbatten for how the charity cared for their mum in 2022 and they want to ensure other Islanders can receive the same in the future.

“Our beautiful, brave and courageous mum was moved to the hospice in February 2022, where she received the most amazing care we could have asked for,” said Jo.

“Someone’s son, daughter, mum, dad, sister, brother or best friend raised or donated money that meant our mum could be cared for in the best possible way – and we want to do the same for others.

“No-one knows when we, or someone we know and love, might need care from the amazing team at Mountbatten.

“But we can all make a difference when we Walk the Wight together.”

Walk the Wight — thought to be the largest walking event of its kind in Europe — takes place on Sunday, 14th May. Each year it raises hundreds of thousands of pounds to help Mountbatten deliver expert care and support to Islanders when they need it most.

This year, the sign-up process has been simplified so everyone pays a single-entry fee of £10 to walk. There are also new fundraising incentives, including silver and gold awards for people who raise £500 or £1,000 respectively.

Mountbatten CEO Nigel Hartley said, in the current climate, support for the event was needed now more than ever.

“We now look after around 2000 people on any one day and the need for our services is growing rapidly — we expect a 40% increase in demand over the next 18 months,” he said.

“As an independent charity, we rely on the generosity and kindness of our amazing Island community to fundraise over £10 million every year.

“With demand for our support ever growing and the cost of living at an all-time high, this figure will keep rising.

“While entry fees help to cover the cost of organising the event, it is your fundraising efforts that make the real difference to the Islanders we support, and we urge you to raise as much as you can in sponsorship.

“With every step you take and every pound you raise, more Islanders will face death, dying, and bereavement with Mountbatten by their side.”

There are several walks to choose from, including the epic 26.5 miles from Bembridge to The Needles across glorious Isle of Wight scenery.

For something more manageable, there are two Half Walks (12.5 or 14 miles), or the wheelchair accessible, pushchair friendly Flat Walk (eight miles), between Sandown and Shide.