stuffed toys from a few years ago

Here's a couple of photos of stuffed toys I made back in 2005

Some sand and gem paintings

I've been neglecting my smaller craft projects so I thought I'd post some pictures of paintings made from coloured sand and gems.

The R Factor Quiz Show

I built a stage set and props for an environ -mental quiz show that has been touring primary schools since January. It has been received well so far and more successful than last years show. The CE participants brain -stormed in 2010 to construct an interactive and educational show themed around waste management, Water conservation, Energy saving and Climate change.

The Set was made from Reused and recycled materials. The structure underneath was made from old gazebo poles and clothing rails. The covering was left over dress lining and it was all finished off by strings of drink cans, some sequinz fabric and MDF board to hold the shape of the windows.

The Rubbish monster was sewn together from fur rags left over from another project and decorated using bottle caps, newspaper and cardboard.

The podiums were made from MDF sourced with recycled pulp and decorated with glitter. The buzzers attached were made from components off a board game.

Some schools will be participating in classes to create their own podiums from gathered materials that will be used during the show and then exhibited during their arts week.

Chocolate Factory at The Base ballyfermot

The week before I sat down to discuss a stage set and costumes. I wasn't sure what for but I got a brief for charlie and the chocolate factory (chocolate room) and the Gruffallo (kids costumes).

I made a set of 4 upright boards for the children to paint a scene on and provided a few costumes. The highlight of the show turned out to be the tree from the chocolate factory that was made of real sweets and a paper mache base. There were teeth marks on the marshmallows before the tree went on stage and I can't understand it because the tree was shut backstage in a hall behind a pile of guitars and a drum kit. After the show I went back to take the sweets down so they could be used for the show the next day but they were all eaten by the stage crew (not the children)! so I had to get more sweets for the second night. Luckily I saved them for the children that time. The candy canes were made from a length of waste pipe that I melted and bent then wrapped red electrical tape around to make the stripes. The base was a piece of thick MDF.

The gruffallo was just a couple of head bands with ears or a mask. They were made from a piece of galvanized wire glued between a folded strip of card. The ears or masks were made from card and felt and stapled to the head bands.

I gave the costumes to the children and donated the set to 'the Base'.