Colour Me Beautiful

Some of you may know about CMB - it started around 40 years ago, and initially the idea was that every woman could be categorised as Spring, Summer, Autumn or Winter. If she wore clothes in shades from her seasonal palette, she'd always look stunning - bright and alert, never dull and washed out. The system has been refined over the years but you can still "have your colours done".  I knew quite a few folk in Leicester who'd had a consultation - with varied results. For some it gave them confidence when clothes shopping, others stuck rigidly to the "rules" - one became known as The Purple Lady.

I never had £60 to spare for such frivolity. And one's colouring changes with age anyway. 

But I do like colour, I love rainbows, I adore being in fabric shops surrounded by bolts of fabric in dozens of shades. I'm fascinated by Pantone's announcement each December of the "Colour if the Year" [2020 is Classic Blue"] And occasionally I find it relaxing to grab a handful of "pencil crayons" to colour something in.

I'm not terribly artistic, and  I don't produce beautiful journals like other bloggers. My friend Alison Yeates, a skilled Parchment Craft artist, does amazing colouring. But my output is sporadic and simple.

When I began this stint of Grandma's Nursery School with Rosie, Liz showed me some crayons she'd just bought online. I ordered my own set. I've been really pleased with them. They give a lovely depth of colour, and they are triangular in section. Comfortable to hold - and particularly good for developing pencil control in children. They're thicker than a standard pencil but come with their own pencil sharpener.

Rosie loves using them. They are Lyra Ferby crayons. Mine are a set of 12 basic colours - red, pink, peach, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, purple, brown, black and white. But other combinations and larger sets are available.

Rosie knew the order of the rainbow colours perfectly [well done, UCL nursery] These crayons are really satisfying to use. They cost more than a pack of crayons from Wilko or The Range. But the results are extremely good.  I would rather a child used these to colour than frustratingly thin poundshop crayons, or disappointing felt tip pens.

Have you discovered any good art/craft products during Lockdown?