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!

Winter, Wildlife and Water Week

Winter, Wildlife and Water Week

 a few extra project events in a week of public events celebrating this cold season, the birds of the high hills and deep dales and the ancient springs and wells of the Peak District

Winter Stories

Tuesday 19th February

Capturing the cold with children's stories and traditional tales and turning the best bits of those or your favourite wintry scenes into pop-up story cards and paper sculptures

        

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

When? 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!

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!

Singing the Wells

Saturday 23rd February

A chance to enjoy playing with voices, stories, ideas and instruments.  Celebrating our ancient wells by singing stories, places, landscapes and water - to sing the Holy Wells of the Hills. No experience needed - just bring a sense of adventure and the readiness to join in! Led by musician and singer Jos Razzell

The end of this workshop will coincide with the Raven Walk so that we can join the procession and visit St Anne's Well

Where: Green Man Gallery, 55 High St, Buxton, SK17 6HB

When: 1.30 - 4pm. The workshop is free but places are limited: please email or phone to reserve a place: stoneandwater@btinternet.com, 07791 096857

The Raven Walk

Saturday 23rd February

4.30 - 5.30pm, meeting at Bath Road entrance to Pavilion Gardens

Join the Stone and Water crew at the end of this week of Winter, Wildlife and Water for a walk round Pavilion Gardens. Bring Friday's Ravens or flags, hats or masks and we will salute the rich and ancient waters of the hills and  the wild and wonderful birds of our wild and wonderful winds!

if you are under 12, bring a grown-up with you so they can join in too!

Meeting points; Green Man Gallery and then the Bath Rd entrance to Pavilion Gardens, 4.30

Duration: 1 hour maybe?

celebrate the cheerful birds of the Peak District skies...

...the fiercer ones can be celebrated, too!

Boggarts at Longshaw!

A Day of Boggarts

What day? Sunday February 17th 2013

When?

Session 1: 10.30 - 12.30 (needs booking - meeting at the Moorland Discovery Centre, Longshaw) 

Session 2: 1.30 - 3.30pm (no booking needed - meet at the Visitor Centre)

Where? Longshaw Estate, National Trust

Getting there: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/longshaw/

Useful link: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/longshaw/things-to-see-and-do/events/

Cost and booking

morning: price: Adult £8, Child £5 cost includes activities, soup & a roll. Booking Essential (through the Trust - use the link above)

afternoon: activities are free but car parking charges may apply (no booking needed)

Exploring with Stories here will join the bigger event at Longshaw marking the opening of their Boggart* Play Trail. Exploring with Stories will be on hand to tell some Boggart Tales and do a bit of Boggartt detecting - looking for signs of boggart life, adventures and mishaps….

In the morning workshop there will be Boggart stories, Boggart building and other twitchy activities

* Boggarts? if you're not sure then a word of explanation might help…Boggarts are the awkward cousins of the fairies. You'll have read Fairy Stories, we are sure and you will know that Fairies are often beautiful. Boggarts aren't. And that fairies are sometimes kind. Boggarts aren't. And that fairies sometimes grant wishes. Boggarts? Not a hope!

But Boggarts are exciting, naughty, lumpy, bumpy, hairy and stary….Boggarts are fun

Festive Explorings!

Christmas at Ilam Park

not many dragons in Ilam these days
but we can story a few....

Exploring will be at this weekend event on Sunday 9th December when we'll be telling stories, making little story sculptures and generally adding to the festive atmosphere

General details:
Dates and times: 8th and 9th December, 11am - 4.30pm

Venue: National Trust, Ilam Park

What else is happening:
local food, craft and gift stalls. Family activities and woodland grotto. British Christmas tree and log sales. Carol singing. Linches in the Manifold TTea Rood and BBQ

Cost: entry is free (car parking charges may apply?)

Further details: National Trust: 01335 350503

Link: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/peakdistrict

Apple Day - extra fruit!

Some extra photos of Apple Day excitements at the Dove Valley Centre, with thanks to Sue Blatherwick

Big Draw in Buxton Museum!

Revealing the world through drawing

Wednesday 31st October

Buxton Museum and Art Gallery

10 am - 12 noon

1pm - 3pm

Shells, fossils, wonders and marvels: join artist and storyteller Gordon MacLellan and make your own collection of drawings and prints using tiny treasures, wonderful artefacts and fabulous fabrics from around the world

This is a Big Draw event: part of the world's biggest celebration of drawing. Buxton saw a colourful draw on Saturday 13th in Pavilion Gardens. For our next pencil-driven adventure, come to the Museum on 31st and enjoy the latest exhibitions as well as our event. Look, peer, handle and maybe even sniff objects to handle: from African masks to ancient fossils, Australian seed pods to deep sea shells: a chance to draw, sketch and scribble your own set of pictures of a fascinating world. 

Can you draw your way around the world in 10 pictures? 
Or span the history of the Earth in 20? 
Or why not just pause in a busy day, take up a pencil and relax for a few minutes!

No booking needed: just drop in (but give yourself 30 minutes to work in so don't arrive right at the end of a session!)
Children under 8 years old need to bring a grown-up with them!

Free: materials supplies

Where: Buxton Museum and Art Gallery, Terrace Rd, Buxton, SK17 6DA

This isn't an "Exploring" event as such but it is the same team involved and we thought you might like to join in!

Big Drawings!

autumn leaves and big pictures!

autumn colours might get those fingers drawing!

Saturday October 13th

11am - 2pm

meet by the Bandstand 

in Pavilion Gardens, Buxton, SK17 6BE

Free

Materials provided

October is the month of the Big Draw so why not warm up your pencil fingers, wriggle those painting hands and give your art legs a shake down and join us for a Big Draw in the Pavilion Gardens

Inspired by the colours and patterns of autumn in the Gardens, we'll do a big picture in front of the Pavilion working on a long roll of paper with chalks and oil pastels

Everyone is welcome - you don't need to be "an artist" - enjoying autumn is enough for us to get you drawing!

Wet weather? we'll still work together but indoors and on a smaller scale - find us in the Conservatory!

Artists: Sarah Males and Gordon MacLellan are two of the leading artists from Exploring with Stories. Based in Buxton they both work to find ways of celebrating the places where people live, work and play.

early morning dew might inspire a scribble