Crows, Ravens and Wells

the fabulous Christmas Present Parrot, rarely seen but never forgotten!

We shaped birds….in card with fluttery bits, as hats with beaks and sharp staring eyes and as (sometimes frustrating) origami

a lot of our bird hats had a slightly demented air..(practice version)

Among the glue, tape, sticky bits and streamers and moments of anguish when that *!@** paper will just not fold the way the book says it should, we built the birds we know from our gardens and the hills around us and from our own hopes (parrots and penguins)

a proud Fluttery Bird Builder

if you have an origami Crow on your shoulder
are you a Pirate or maybe a wise Wizhard?

Through the day there was also an ongoing thread of excitement over the Waxwings that have been roosting in one set of trees beside one garden in one street for the last week or so

practice model, crow hat

Winter stories 2

Continuing the adventures revealed in Winter Stories 1, here are some more images from our event in Buxton Museum on Tuesday 19th

The adventures began with our sample pieces - pop-up cards and these circular story-lanterns. As a company we talked about our favourite wintry tales and then simply plunged in.....So take a deep breath and jump into our snow-drifts of stories

WINTER BOOKS TO RECOMMEND
The Dark is Rising, Susan Cooper
Weirdstone of Brisngamen, Alan Garner
The Snow Elephant, Penny Dale,
The Snowbears, Martin Waddell and Sarah Fox-Davies
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis
The Snow Queen, Hans Christian Anderson
Winter Woolies (this is a book one young reader loves from his school book box...we're not sure who the author might be!)
Moominland in Midwinter, Tove Jansson
The Arctic Adventure, Skye Waters
Carrie, the Snow-cap Fairy, Daisy Meadows and George Ripper

what would you add to this list?

Ella's story

Ella's story:

Once there was a girl called Ella. Ella wanted a doll for Christmas. It was Christmas Eve and the family had put out milk and mince pies and a carrot. That evening when they came home, Santa came and ate and drank. When he had done that he put the presents out. Ella got a doll. Then she played with it and had a lovely day.

I love the golden tree and its shadow in this one

outside...

...inside!

another outside, inside pair

the snowman lives in a world where colour belongs to the trees....

Winter stories 1

Tuesday 19th February. The first event of our Winter, Wildlife and Water Week, and a lively day of mess, glitter glue and laughter was had at Buxton Museum

We took our "favourite bits of winter" (as avery loose theme) and worked stories around them, adding in polar bear, penguins, wolves, mammoths and occasional hibernating trolls as we went

This will work best with pictures and snippets from stories. Another set of pictures will follow later

a cold polar scene

a winter forest with bare branches and evergreen trees

 This was a family event and it was good to see parents quietly getting on with their own designs

Among our younger participants, Narnia was  a popular theme as a favourite wintry story

The Wardrobe

inside The Wardrobe

Mr Tumnus

 the young man who made this  worked with such care and concentration that none of us had the heart to whisper that Mr Tumnus was a Faun (2 legs) and not a centaur

a cold winter night

and the welcoming house at the end of the walk
(the inside of the Winter Night card above)

 We made a number of these round stories. They work a bit as lanterns or maybe Table centres for Elegant Dinner Parties....

our sample story-lantern

another view of the same lantern

Naughty Nickerbox!

 The Story of Naughty Nickerbox

In a village far far away, there was a goblin called Naughty Nickerbox. Naughty Nickerbox was a thief because when he saw something he took it. So everyone in the village started to hide all these things so Naughty Nickerbox starved to death. Naughty Nicker was too old as well (he was 123) as starving so he could of died of old age

Granny Winter

 The Lost Polar Bear Lantern

There was once a baby polar bear who had lost its Mum. he wandered round struggling in the snow when he met a penguin. The polar bear told the penguin about getting lost. The penguin just laughed and walked away from

the polar bear who wandered off in the opposite direction. Just then he noticed a figure in the distance. He ran up to the figure and saw it was his mum and they live happily ever after

There is another event on Friday!

Raven Day

Friday 22nd February

Celebrating the crows, ravens - and other birds - of the Peaks - making bird mask, fluttering birds on sticks and even origami birds to sit on fingers or shoulders

Where? Buxton Museum and Art Gallery, Terrace Road, Buxton, SK17 6DA

When? 2 sessions, 10 - 12 and 1 - 3, free, open public sessions for all the family (children under 8 need to bring a grown-up) no booking needed, just drop by and join in!