If you have wandered into this Exploring with Stories blog, then this project has finished but we are running a new project: Ancient Landscapes - visit us on the sister blog, Ancient Landscapes for more event, activities and general excitedness!
Stone and Water
Friday, 12 July 2013
Monday, 25 February 2013
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 |
Friday, 22 February 2013
Winter stories 2
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 |
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.... |
Wednesday, 20 February 2013
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
Among our younger participants, Narnia was a popular theme as a favourite wintry story
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
We made a number of these round stories. They work a bit as lanterns or maybe Table centres for Elegant Dinner Parties....
The Story of Naughty Nickerbox
The Lost Polar Bear Lantern
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
The Wardrobe |
inside The Wardrobe |
Mr Tumnus |
a cold winter night |
and the welcoming house at the end of the walk (the inside of the Winter Night card above) |
our sample story-lantern |
another view of the same lantern |
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 |
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!
Sunday, 27 January 2013
Fossils, Art and Inspiration
Fossils,
Art and Inspiration
Art Days for
Grown-ups
Sunday 10th
March and
Sunday 17th
March 2013
Dove Valley
Centre
nr Longnor
10.30 - 4
create our own ancient rockpools? |
These days are partly training for our
existing volunteers, training for possible new volunteers and also just days
for adults who'd like to have a go themselves. We have worried about the
wording of these - we want to offer days for adults and teenagers rather than
families - we do a lot of activities for family groups but sometimes it is good
for grow-ups to have some creative time that is just for themselves...
These days also mark the overlap between
the end of our "Exploring with Stories" project and the start
of the next phase of "Ancient Landscapes"
just drawing... |
Inspired by fossils from
local limestone and the rich landscapes of the Upper Dove Valley, we'll share
skills, ideas and techniques giving ourselves time to experiment and reflect
No experience needed -
just join in and have a go!
Workshops are free and
materials are provided but spaces are limited so please book a place (either
day or both)
Further details sent with
confirmation
Sunday 10th: crochet your own coral, needle-felt a fish,
printing fossils, small models of monsters
Sunday 17th: making tiny people, plankton cloths, casting
fossils, just drawing, fossil lanterns
Booking and more
information:
stoneandwater@btinternet.com
07791 096857
http://exploringwithstories.blogspot.co.uk
Tuesday, 15 January 2013
Winter, Wildlife and Water Week
Winter, Wildlife and Water Week
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! |
Wednesday, 26 December 2012
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/
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
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