I have had a very creative evening, I don't think! Hemming Kezzy's Air Cadets skirt and sewing on badges! YUK!!!!
By the way, just to let you know, Pauline Verrinder is coming back again next year to do another workshop for us.

Yesterday, today and tomorrow.

The last week of term at my school is activities week, and we had a local artist come in and, with the senior school children construct this shark from rolled up photo copy paper. It is about 18 feet long and the carcass looks like the inside of an old fashioned plane.

My class had another outing yesterday, only to the local park which is behind our school field. Mums, Dads Grans etc, were invited to come and join their children for the annual Teddy Bears Picnic. We were so lucky with the weather, we had balls and parachutes to keep the children busy and ended the picnic with an ice cream.

This statue in the park was created by a local artist and some school children. Everyone loves searching for all the creatures that are on the statue!
Today we celebrated Lesley's birthday, wearing the obligatory silly hat, (sister in law to Nickie) as her birthday is in the school holiday. It was a sad day for all the staff, as we said goodbye to 'our' children and wished them a safe and happy holiday. I'm back in school on Monday unpacking stock and getting ready for the new children starting in September.

I popped in to Craft Arena on the way to Basildon to get some Hemingworth threads and CPS. Retail therapy does lift the spirits!

Tomorrow it off to Fambridge, we have got Pauline Verrinder doing a 'Boogie with Books' workshop for us. I can't go to bed until the farmhouse cake for our afternoon cuppa has finished cooking.

almost done!

My reports are almost finished, thank goodness, They are taking me longer to do than usual, as it is only a few school weeks since I wrote the last ones. I am itching to get back to my sewing room and do some experimenting on my embellisher, ready for our Schoolhouse Arts workshop the weekend after next.

Sorted!!!

My methods and Health and Safety are typed, bags packed, all set for Saturday and my workshop. A change of venue from Fambridge to East Hannigfield. We should be back in Fambridge for our next workshop which is a felt making dabble day. I will post an image of the canvas tomorrow night all being well.

'Makeover'

Ten yards from home last night, my car was attacked by my soon to be new neighbour. Luckily my daughter and I were not hurt, just shaken. He admitted that he just didn't see me. I hope to get it repaired in the school holiday, as it means I will have a couple of days without being able to go out- Yipheee!!!!!





In preparation for the rust workshop with Myfanwy in July, I have managed to get some unwanted rusty items from school. The caretakers were very helpful, I should get some interesting patterns.
Last night I was round at Nickie's, she has a workshop on Saturday at Schoolhouse Arts and I am her 'gofer'. The workshop is on image transfer. We had lots of fun experimenting







My new piece for Sutton Hoo has now been machine stitched and I have started on the hand stitching.

Museums

There was still signs of snow as we made our way to Chelmsford Station to catch the 9.27 train to Liverpool Street. What an impressive building! My daughter had been given some money to spend which was burning a hole in her pocket so we stopped at the children's shop first. I found 2 books which I hope will prove useful for my project- Sutton Hoo. The on to room 40 to look at the exhibits, take photo's and TRY to draw. This is a bit of a problem for me, I wear glasses for close work but not for driving, watching television etc. The thing is when it comes to drawing objects from a distance of a couple of feet, I struggle with the fine detail. On my last visit to the opticians I was told it was not time for new glasses- I fear it will be a different story on my next visit to him. We were told it is best to draw items from first hand experience, but I will have to use my photo's instead. (Hope they are good enough!) I hope to start working on this project next week, after my visit to Sutton Hoo at the weekend,( quite fancy doing something based on the silver bowls I saw BUT there again I could change my mind).
A quick bite to eat and then we went to the Science museum. As it was half term it was very busy. Kezzy spent ages in the energy exhibition ( making children aware of our dwindling supplies of gas, petrol etc)- this had lots of hands on activities, though this is a very child friendly place to visit. Walking round this museum made me feel old, there were so many things exhibited that I had used as a
child or remembered my parents using!
We then walked along Hyde Park and up Oxford Street to see the Christmas decorations. Debenhams had the best display very child friendly, lots of action. When I worked in Wigmore Street when I was 16, Selfridges used to have the best windows. Their windows were still being dressed. A good excuse to go up to London again. We were going to go to Leicester Square, as my brother was filming at the Bond premiere but Kezzy was complaining about being tired and footsore, so we came home instead, which gave me a little time to play with glue and paper before bed!
Today I have sewn press-studs on Dracula's cloak to stop it falling off tomorrow night when he goes trick and treating (my grandson) and this. I have been working on it in my 'spare' time the last couple of days. It is for Schoolhouse Arts in January. A book with lots of pockets for photo's, memento's and journalling. Not quite finished, a couple more pages to embellish, but I needed to get something to Margaret pronto so she can get on with making some flyer's.

Found it!!!!

When I woke up this morning the sun was shining (though we had had a frost) just right for a day trip to Mersea. We got onto the Island just before high tide by the skin of our teeth. After a lunch of prawns bought from the local fishmonger it was time to go down to the beach- BUT- oh! what had happened to the sun? We had not been out walking for more than a few minutes when the skies opened, so I dashed into a local charity shop to keep dry. I have been on the look out for a Scrabble board for the last couple of weeks, I didn't mind if the pieces were missing, I just needed the board- and guess what? the charity shop had one (20p). So tonight I can at last start making the 'Blue Peter one I made earlier' book that we are going to be doing at Schoolhouse Arts in the New Year. We did not stay on the beach very long as the weather was bitter.

In fact it took my son an hour to get home from work ( normally a 15-20 minute journey ) because of this- SNOW!!!!!!!!!!!

Pauline has O.K.'d my postcard workshop for Textiles in Focus- I just need to think up a catchy title-duh!!!!!!!!

Off to London tomorrow, to the British Museum (looking for inspiration for the Sutton Hoo exhibition) and if we have time, my daughter has now chosen the Natural History Museum instead of Tate Modern to visit as well.

I have spent the evening at Nickie's with Margaret and Deb planing our next workshop for Schoolhouse Arts which is a dyeing day. Plans have also been made for new classes in 2009 - card making, a wall hanging, more postcards, a mermaid doll and another dabble day. Keep checking our Schoolhouse Arts blog for more details. Nickie had been very creative in the kitchen keeping us supplied with coffee and lovely home baked rock cakes.

Postcard workshop.

Today we held the postcard workshop at Schoolhouse Arts. Everyone was very keen and some arriving half an hour early!Debbie bought in a piece of work that she had made for the Etsy monthly challenge, and she won! Well done Deb!

Marion bought a piece of work that she had started at the 'Stitch to Paint' workshop. It is lovely to see work when it is finished, this was a great achievement for Marion, who does not like to get messy. Oh dear! Today was going to be another messy day!

Today's objective was to make two mixed media postcards, and as you can see from the photo's below everyone did really well. A special mention to Jayne and Doreen who had NEVER done F.M.S.(free machine stitching). Everyone painted, spritzed, sprinkled,zapped, burnt, stitched- hand and machine and made some wonderful postcards-or nearly postcards.The postcards will need a bit of hand stitching at home to complete them, and then they are going to be posted to Nickie, by the time they have been sorted and franked, they should be nicely distressed. Nickie is then going to take photo's of them as they are delivered and post them on her blog. They will then be posted back to their owners.

Debbie very kindly made lemon and chocolate muffins for our afternoon cup of tea. The lemon ones were delicious I was told, and I can recommend the chocolate ones.

I just managed a photo of the last tasty lemon muffin before it was eaten by, guess who????????

At the end of the workshop, Marion who does not like to get messy, said that she had had a great time and wants to come to another postcard workshop!!!!!