How to make a mini watermelon charm out of rubber bands

Hello everyone! ~(\(・•⋁•・)(\~
Please read through the whole tutorial before attempting
The time has finally come for me to post a tutorial which will teach you how to make a mini watermelon charm out of coloured rubber bands, which is perfect for raising the summer spirit at any time of year!
This is an ideal first charm to make, as I try my very best to explain each part here for beginners. Sadly, I have no video, but hopefully you will be able to follow my picture guide.
After you're finished, the charm makes a great addition to keyrings, bags,pens and more- there are so many different ways for using them!

Without further ado, let's make watermelons! ⋀ℨ⋀

Mini Rubber Band Watermelon
For this tutorial, you will need;

➢Red loom bands
➢Green loom bands
➢Black loom bands (optional)
➢Any type of loom (I'm really sorry, but I don't think it's impossible to make one without a loom!)
➢A hook tool

Begin!

1. Firstly, make sure your loom looks like this; (all pins have to be in line with each other)
2. Flip your loom so it is in a vertical position, and the pins are facing downwards.

3.Grab a green band, and put it on from the top-left pin to the pin below.

4.Carry on putting bands in that pattern until the 7th pin to the left. Your loom should look like this;

5.Grab a red band, and place it from the 7th pin to the left to the 6th pin in the centre. Repeat with another red band, but this time from the 6th pin in the centre to the 5th pin on the right.

6. Place single red bands going up from the 5th pin on the right to the 3rd pin on the right.

7. Place a single red band from the 3rd pin to the right to the 2nd pin in the centre. Repeat for the 2nd pin in the centre to the top-left pin.

8.Put one red band on the second pin to the left to the second pin in the centre. Do the same for the 6th pin to the left to the 6th pin in the centre. 

9. Put a red band across the 3rd pin to the left, going from there to the third pin to the right. Repeat for the two rows below.

10. Put a red band from the third pin in the centre to the fourth pin in the centre. Keep doing that until you reach the 6th pin in the centre. 

11.If you want seeds, take a black band and find the pin you want it on. Wrap it around that pin 2-3 times.

12. Take a green band and wrap it around the 7th pin to the left 2-3 times.This is known as a capping band. Do this again on the top-left pin.

13. Take your hook and find the 7th pin to the left. Grab the green band at the bottom, unhook it then hook it back on the 6th pin to the left. Keep doing that until you reach the top left pin.

 (This picture is flipped, but you can still see the green bands)

14.Go back to the 7th pin on the left, and reach for the red band. Hook it on to the 6th pin in the centre.

15. Go to the 6th pin in the centre. Hook the first red band to the 5th pin in the centre, and then hook the second red band to the 5th pin to the right.

16. See the 5th pin in the centre? Take the red band at the bottom and hook it upwards to the 4th pin in the centre. Keep doing this until you reach the second pin in the centre. 

17. Grab the red band at the bottom of the second pin in the centre and hook it to the top-left pin.

18. Repeat what you did from the 6th pin in the centre to the 2nd pin in the centre, but this time from the 5th pin to the right to the 3rd pin on the right.

19. Once you reach the 3rd pin on the right, take the red band and the bottom and hook it on the 2nd pin in the centre. 

20. Almost there! Locate the top-left pin and push your hook through all the bands. Now, place a band of your choice (I chose black) on the hook, and then push the hook back up, still holding on the band you just placed. Place the end that you just hooked on the pin, but keep grabbing the band. Put the other end of the band on the hook, then take the end that you just put on the pin off the hook. Let go, and you have a slip knot!

21. Remove your watermelon from the loom. Take a deep breath...

You will notice two red bands sticking out at the bottom. If you would not like this to happen, place a capping band on the 6th pin in the centre and the 5th pin to the right while making the charm. 

Complete!

Well, this charm didn't turn out as well as my original watermelon. I think the reason for this is when I put a single rubber band over three pins- I think I should have put one rubber band over two pins. So, when you are making this, try doing that and I hope your charm works!

This is the original charm;

Darn, it moved. Either way, you can see it didn't have the same problem as the charm in this tutorial.

If I develop this charm, I will post an updated tutorial. Surely, this tutorial was tiring to make O_O

Very frustrating, too.

Oh well! ^-^

See you all tomorrow, but for now have a thrilling day and stay safe!

P.s My liver biopsy is this Friday :o

There might not be a post on Friday for that reason!

-Queen Pickle

Art for you- Manga eyes, a person and random compilation no.1

Hello everyone!
First off, blog news;
*Now, your cursor creates beautiful rainbow sparkles every time you move it! Isn't it beautiful?
*My posts will now start featuring a wider range of symbols to help express myself, from 🍎 and 😱 to ☺!
*Can you see that? Don't tell me- yes, it's snow and I'm only testing it out right now. I am most likely going to remove it at some point and replace it with something summery, but don't worry- you can expect to see the snow again when Winter approaches! ♥
Well, I drew 3 pictures over the course of yesterday evening and today, so I'm going to share them with all of you in today's post!
I expect to post the adorable mini watermelon rubber band tutorial tomorrow, so stay tuned! 😊

Manga eyes- they come in so many different varieties and pictured above are just some of the ones I managed to come up with! The reason for this picture is that I have been using the same eye style for quite a long time now, so I decided to experiment with many different styles. They all came out much better than I expected them to!

On the other side of the page, I have decided to test out those eyes. Note this picture was quite rushed- I haven't even finished it yet! I probably won't, either 😅

Lastly...

The picture that was done yesterday evening...

Yes, all sorts of random stuff. A person, a pear, a patterned heart,water,rainbows... gee, even a bubblegum fish, green swan and a cat with wings! Please note this was my first attempt of drawing a cat like that, and I can do better than...well...that thing.

I guess that's all for today, but don't worry! I expect to post the tutorial tomorrow that will teach you to create a cute mini watermelon charm out of rubber bands, and later in the month you can look forward to summer snack suggestions, tips, art and so much more :D

Have a fantastic day everyone, and see you in tomorrow's post!

-Queen Pickle

Sunburn and heat...stay safe from the sun!

Hello!
Happy August everybody! ^-^
Today's post is yet another post with Summer tips, because there are some things in the Summer it would be really useful to have some tips and advice on.
I am going to post about staying safe from the sun, because even though enjoying the sun outside is fun, excess exposure without protection can cause problems. The most notable are increased risk of skin cancer and also sunburn, which is a painful condition that is quite common in the Summer months. With the sun shining down on us this month, we need to know how to stay safe and enjoy the sun without suffering from sunburn! :D

Follow the tips below, and you won't have red stinging areas on your skin again!

• Sun cream- Use a sun cream of an SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 15. For sensitive individuals, you might want to use a higher SPF. The SPF is clearly displayed on the packaging, so make sure you pick what is right for you! I currently use sun cream with an SPF of 50 before going out into the sun. Apply the cream to all exposed areas (usually arms, legs and face) before going outside into the sun for long periods of time, and apply it again after a few hours in the sun and after going in water. 
• Sun hat- Sun hats help a lot, to protect your head from all that sun. In fact, the sun's rays can give headaches if you stay out for too long, so if you know you are going to be out in the sun for a long period of time take a sun hat with you! You don't need to wear it ALL the time, but it's sensible to have it with you.
• Sun glasses- UV rays can also damage the eyes if exposed for too long, and it's why you have been advised since childhood not to look directly at the sun. Wear sun glasses to protect your eyes from the sun, but it's still not an excuse to look directly at the sun!!!
• Stay in the shade if you can- sure, enjoy your time in the sun, but be sure to take breaks in the shade frequently so you don't get too tired out there! It also reduces your exposure to harmful UV rays, so take breaks often and make sure to go in the shade!
• Hydrate! It's easy to get dehydrated in the summer, click here for hydration tips!
• Remember the hottest part of the day tends to be between 11am and 3pm.

Stay safe Pickles, and have a great day! See you all tomorrow!
-Queen Pickle

August plans for the blog

Hey!
As you most likely know, I am going on vacation on the 22nd of August (to be honest, we are leaving between the night of the 21st of August and early morning of the 22nd).
Today is the last day of July, and the month went by quite quickly. Sometimes, it feels like just last week when I was still in hospital... yet it's over a month since I was discharged now!

Anyway, my plans for August are;-
1-17 August;I am going to make the most out of it as this is the last of my Summer holidays at home. I can't take everything with me on vacation, so I am going to make the most out of London summers as there won't be another one for 12 months! Perhaps do a bit of preparing as well such as shopping, take advantage of the shops and buy myself little fun things for school,things to keep me busy, things for vacation etc. Autumn is good for shopping too, but Summer is great since it's so warm and I can enjoy a smoothie outside a café with some ice cream- you can't really do that in Autumn or Spring, can you? O_O Spring isn't exactly smoothie season yet... and don't get me started on Winter shopping. My face feels like it's about to freeze off, but if I'm wrapped snugly in 5,000 layers I'm *more or less* just fine.

18-21 August; Dedicate those three days to getting ready for vacation. There will be chaos, and time is going to be tight. Pack my suitcase with ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING I WILL EVER NEED, pack my travel bag with things I'm going to need in the car- so; snacks such as fruit( in containers of course, I can't stand brown mushy bananas or squishy pears), and things such as biscuits, pastries, you know- whatever I am going to find in the cupboards and fridge at the time. Oh and of course, if I'm going to need it I'm going to pack myself a portion of breakfast cereal. Also, I'm going to need some water, but no more than a litre, random essentials such as hand sanitizer, and of course entertainment- books, technology, magazines, notepads and maybe little toys. I won't pack TOO much, since I'm going to buy extras such as more food and magazines on the ferry and petrol stations.I'm also going to need to clear out my Kindle to install good apps and maybe buy some books, install just a few apps on my phone and I am going to have a few lists ready and a schedule for the day we leave. I'm not sure when our ferry is but I think it's going to be between 2 and 6am, so I'm going to have a very early night on the 21st of August which means every second is going to be precious. If it turns out I have some free time, I'm going to post here, and make the most out of the Summer in London.

I'm going to do a few 'tip posts', and other things like that. I know some of you go back to school in August, but I decided I'm going to save school posts for when I'm back. It makes more sense, since all students reading this blog would have most likely started by then (around 10-11 September)

So, the posts over the month of August are going to consist of;
Prior to 22 August:
*Summer-related posts- I'm thinking of doing a post on coconuts, something about summer fruits&treats, some recipes, fun activities, something on my garden, and perhaps a few tips such as staying safe in the sun and all that. Just all sorts of Summer posts are coming soon, so get ready!
*Experiences- when it's an exciting day and worth sharing my experiences, I will dedicate a whole post to that.
*Vacation- so, posts on things like what's in my suitcase, how to pack your travel bag well, etc. This will come closer to the 22nd of August, so don't expect a post titled 'My suitcase' on the 7th of August.

22nd August and after-
*My vacation! I am going to try my best to post daily, I'm sorry if I won't be able to :((
However, I am going to squeeze in as much of my experience as possible, including the things I am going to do daily.

Have a wonderful last day of July,and see you all in August!
-Queen Pickle

P.s; Did you know a new rubber band tutorial is coming soon? Check back on the blog often, as a guide to making a mini watermelon slice is coming! Bonus- the design is my original design ;)

P.p.s; I have a blood test tomorrow at noon *o*

The beach

Hello!
On Sunday, I finally visited the beach. I have a feeling we won't visit the beach again this summer because the 22nd is coming closer (check out the new countdown!) and we are going to get more busy, especially since we still need to do some shopping and our ferry isn't booked yet. Anyway, it was a fun day- except from waking up, of course.
We all woke up early in the morning, it was 7-8ish. I felt rather tired, but had some breakfast and quickly did a tiny bit of last-minute packing (you know, unplugging devices and packing food).
The journey was a bit boring to be honest, I looked out the window and got myself some fruit salad. We stopped by a car boot sale, where my sister got fries, my dad got a hot dog and I was just eyeing that food like O_O'
However, I saw a  loom kit for £13! I bought it, since it is rather good and for quite a reasonable price. It was a little cheaper than its eBay counterparts I was looking at the day before, which ranged from £14-17.
The loom kit isn't from the 'Rainbow Loom' company since I wasn't able to find that, but it's called 'Colourful Rubber Band DIY Luxury Kit Set'. It contains;

• 6,000 bands in a wide range of colours, including a few double-coloured bands
• S-clips (I'm giving up on finding c-clips; I suppose s-clips are better)
• A hook tool (I have another one but I think I need a stronger hook- the one that came with the kit is plastic and I think I was being a bit harsh on it lately)
• Mini Loom, came with the hook
• A loom board- very good and even though it differs a little bit from the Rainbow Loom, it's still very good.
• 6 charms though I'm not sure how to use them just yet.

Overall, the kit itself is very good. It's my fault some of the bands broke when I was making a panda- it was my first attempt of a charm and wasn't a beginner charm. Because it was my first ever charm, I looped a lot of the wrong bands which caused them to snap right off. They didn't fly off the loom though! Plus, I never used a loom before, so it's all my fault.
The kit I got had a broken peg on the loom- this has not affected me yet but I am going to use a very strong glue to glue it back on- it should stay.

Anyway, we continued our journey and finally got there! We laid out our stuff quite far from the sea, we had blankets and a beach shelter. We went to the toilet, and then we explored the beach. Here's some pretty fun stuff we did on the day!

• The sea- I couldn't swim in the sea because of my liver :( However, at least I still got to paddle a bit which was quite fun ^-^ The sea was warm, but the seaweed was problematic. Eww. My sister had a lot of fun splashing around everywhere, but eventually I got bored :P 
• Shells- I collected a lot of shells and it was quite fun looking for them! Some of them were very big, some were pretty, and some were common but if I add a splash of colour and decorate them a bit then they will look a bit better ^o^
• Grill- We got a portable barbecue en route and then had some sausages on the beach. We then had some of my mum' homemade apple cake, and the whole meal was quite nice. 
• Ice cream- Of course, we all ordered some ice cream to cool off a little. Yum ^-^

I also wrote random messages in the sand, because I'm awesome like that.
Overall, it was a great experience! I look forward to my next beach visit, even if that is next year.
By the way, yesterday I visited an art store called 'Hobby craft' and I LOVE THAT PLACE! :D
I managed to walk out with a sequin art set (in progress), a 3D wood puzzle of an owl (next in line after the sequin art), two packs of those plastic eyes, some stickers and pom poms. A few things that are pretty much essentials.
Bye bye and see you all tomorrow ^-^
-Queen Pickle

More photos from my adventures in Central London

My adventures in central London

Hello everyone!

On Saturday, my mum suggested we should take random buses to random places and see where we end up. Because I like buses, exploring and I really needed to go somewhere, I also saw the opportunity to perhaps buy myself a little something and eagerly accepted the idea. So, I decided I'm going to lead everyone off to Central London >:D When we got out of the house (my two sisters, me and my mum) we discussed which bus we should take first. We settled for route 77. When we waited for the 77, it suddenly came off the bus timetable! So, we waited for the next one and hopped on. The route was rather long, but it was fun seeing some new bus stops. It was fairly boring and quiet for quite a lot of the journey, but then it started to get more busy. We got off at Waterloo, the last stop. It was busy! It was so crowded, buses were EVERYWHERE, shops, traffic... wow. We searched for another bus stop and my sister decided we should take the number 4 next. We took it, and went a few stops. We went on so many buses, I don't even remember all of them XD I know we went on the 73,25,8,4,11... there might have been a few others I forgot about. Central London is huge! When we got off the 4, we saw that the 11 stops at the bus stop we were on! I always wanted to take the 11, so I was really glad. First, though, we went to McDonald's- my sister did, anyway. She got herself a happy meal and then we went to a Sainsbury's- I bought myself some pineapple chunks. We waited for the 11, and I ate my pineapple. When the 11 arrived, I just about managed to stop myself jumping into the bus. I eagerly pressed my Oyster card on the card reader and was quite amazed- the bus was so different from your average London bus! It wasn't like my school bus, it wasn't like an ordinary route such as the 270 or the 264.It was... INCREDIBLE. Anyone who takes this bus to work should consider themselves lucky x3 There are so many tourist attractions it passes through! After we went on the 11, our day consisted of looking around shops (I saw a loom kit that cost £20 in a shop where everything was quite expensive, so despite some pretty cool things there I didn't buy anything) and deciding which bus to go on next. It was so much fun! I only bought myself one thing- a Warrior Cats book (Into the Wild). I never read that series, so I will start it once I get through my school library books and two other books I bought earlier. I know I didn't buy much, so next time we do something like this I'm going to buy more things. After going on buses,looking around loads of shops and buying things,we were eventually quite tired, so we decided to come back home. I had no idea how, until I saw a 73 that went to Victoria. I quickly figured that if we could get to Victoria, we can catch the 44 back. So, I told my mum and hopped on the next 73 that we saw which went to Victoria. I checked on my phone and noticed there weren't too many bus stops left. We got off at Victoria, and waited 12 minutes for the 44. Eventually, it came and we sat down. The traffic was rather bad, but eventually we got out of Central London and the rest of the way was better. We then went home, and it was a great day! I'm hoping to do something like this again, as I really like central London. My mum says we might, so I'm looking forward to that. Vacation is drawing closer and closer, and I can say I'm busy enough! The time is going quite quickly now. I took quite a lot of photos- you can see some of them below. I'm going to updated the London Buses page after I finish this post, though I didn't manage to photograph EVERY BUS I SAW. However, I can do that next time, right? ^-^
Tomorrow, I'm going to post about my day yesterday, which was a LOT of fun too! I didn't take my phone though, so no photos :(( Maybe my dad can send me a few?
I will see XD

This is the 77, not the one we took though. I took this photo when I was waiting for the 77 to Waterloo.

A 270 from the bus stop we were waiting at.

The 264 bus!

Here's a 44, not the one we took. 

The 333 from the bus stop were waiting at.

More photos in my next post, which has some exclusive photos of the interior of the 11! XD

-Queen Pickle