Scary...

Just a quick post about what I have been doing for the last couple of days.

This morning I took a box to the Post Office, containing this:

It's a paper mock-up of a Planner/Diary, which a friend asked me to make for her. 

It has space for a photo, a diary and a notebook.

I printed off some diary pages, just to give her an idea of the layout.  Once she's happy with it, I will complete the layout of the diary pages, print them and bind them into a book.

This is really just an example, made from paper, to give her an idea what it would be like and the chance to alter the design if she wants to.

I included this sheet of fabric and paper samples, so she can choose the materials she would like for the case and book covers. 

I hope she's pleased with this; then I will be busy making it!  I think I'll make some more diaries too, to put in my shop.  After all, once I've gone to the effort of making the diary layouts, I only have to print them off (double-sided, hem, hem...) and bind them inside some nice covers.  I might make one for myself too!

* * *

As if that's not enough to keep me occupied... I also sent an e-mail today.  It contained a spec for a one-day workshop, teaching "Papercrafts for Christmas" to 9-16 year-olds at DS's Saturday "Frontiers Club".  This is a club set up by the local Education Business Partnership, to give extra activites and learning opportunities to children who are on their school's "Gifted and Talented" register (because they are gifted in one or more academic subject/area, or have a special talent in the arts, sport etc).  J. goes to this for 7 Saturdays in each term.  They offer 6-week morning courses, with an all-day workshop (in a different subject) on the 7th week.  He really enjoys going and has tried all kinds of stuff, from art to computing, ceramics to science, writing computer games to table-top war games, masked theatre to magic! 

So, I looked at the prospectus and thought "I could teach a course.  I could teach papercrafts and bookbinding.  Icould make courses for kids, to show them some simple stuff that I like to do."  Back in May, I approached the organisers, asking if they would be interested.  I heard nothing and was a bit fed up about it.  Eventually I asked the club supervisor about it one Saturday morning and she chased it up.  Then I had an e-mail, asking me to fill in a complicated form and send photos of the stuff I would do in a one-day workshop... Apparently they start new tutors with a workshop.  Great. Try to decide what to do in only 4 hours... 

I admit I left it sitting in my in-box for a while.  I couldn't get my head round the form, with its "what will you teach in each hour" boxes and its "Learning Outcome" box for each hour.  I also wasn't sure about the content for a four-hour course.  I'd been thinking of stuff to keep kids occupied for 6 mornings of 2 1/2 hours each.  

I then had a reminder e-mail... I left it for a few days...  

So, this morning I pulled myself together and sorted out what I would do.  I couldn't just let it go; either I had to e-mail back and say I wouldn't do only a workshop; or I had to say I wasn't ready to do any course this term after all (having said I could... hmmm...); or I just had to pull myself together, put my ideas down on paper and send that form back!  

I filled in the form.  I decided on Christmas Cards, made with embellishments that the kids could create using rubber stamping and colouring, peel-off outline stickers, pre-printed pictures (like santas, christmas trees, cute reindeers etc), matting and layering etc -

This sort of stuff, like I made last year.

I also thought they could try some simple Christmas Decorations

I made these last Christmas.

I found some instructions for making decorations with sparkly pipe-cleaners and beads too, so I included pictures of those.

I did an afternoon course in card-making, for some of the ladies who live in the sheltered-housing where my mum lives.  The cards we made were similar to those above.  They really enjoyed it.  I think the same techniques would be very easy for children to do and we could just add in extra bits, depending on how quickly they picked it up.  The cards are quick to make and look good, so they should be able to make at least a couple each.  The decorations are a little bit more tricky, but not impossibly hard - they're all bright kids and they have to have something to challenge them. 

I hope the Club are still interested, despite my prevarication... It's only one day after all.  It might give me the chance to do a course in the Spring term - perhaps simple book-binding, or scrapbook making.  

Time Will Tell... but it's a bit Scary just now.  Wish me luck!