Sticky fingers
I enjoy every opportunity to get the scissors and glue out and get my hands on a practical project of some kind. Much of what I do is sitting at my desk using a computer, but from time to time, there’s nothing like the therapy of having sticky fingers. Over the years I’ve combined both skills and put together online projects for the groups I work with, small challenges to complete in a short time with just a few basic materials. I keep these projects here on my PC, for one never knows when they might come in handy!
Last week, a friend of mine - another Gill - called to ask if I’d run a small craft activity in our Community cafe. Avening WI were hosting the cafe that day, had bacon butties on the menu and Gill thought that a craft table would be popular. I looked through my folders and came across a small book I made a few years ago, for which I had all the samples, photographs and even a short video. That fitted the bill perfectly.
It’s an easy little book to make, but once you get the idea, the concertina construction can be adapted to work for all shapes and sizes.
These little books have just ten pages in and I cut the pages ready to use. The main process was going to be sticking things together.
Involving careful use of glue!
A bit of accuracy is needed too, making sure the pages are neatly lined up.
I thought I’d take along my corner rounder, which gives a pleasing finish to the end result. I also put a few rubber stamps in my box, finding that they raise a smile in such circumstances, especially the one which states “You’ve not seen anything quite like this before”
Old habits die hard and having spent a lifetime teaching, the “stretch and challenge” agenda is always in my mind. I always suggest a bit extra for those with imagination which in this case includes the idea of making some pages into “pockets” for secret notes. (Don’t glue them completely together).
Anyway, I loaded the car with this box of assorted bits and pieces, muttering as usual that in my next life, I’m returning as a Maths teacher, who doesn’t have to take half a studio’s worth of materials everywhere!
A happy morning was spent making books and those who liked the idea of making another one could have a copy of the short video I had uploaded to YouTube all those years ago.
Just in case you fancy having a go yourself, here it is.
The eagle eyed amongst you might also have spotted the book I made during the morning. It’s a little Valentine for my Hero, with photographs as pages and a secret message in a pocket. It now stands on his desk, guarded by the Lego gang.
Valentine’s Day last week prompted a second project to be found from my archive, to be made with my WI friends. More about that one in the next post.
