Hey, Hey, HAY!

Kind of feel I'm getting into the swing of the kids' craft workshops now. Definitely learn something new every time I do one; like not to be ridiculously over ambitious with the making plans.... an hour disappears so quickly when you're crafting. No fun rushing and trying to cram too much in. With a bit of time and space kids start coming up with their own imaginative ideas, and that's what it's all about really.

Friday's workshop at the Hay Festival Winter Weekend was a lot of messy, sparkly fun. Such a lovely setting too, in Hay castle. The kids made little feathery lovebirds from 'Make Your Own Zoo' and to Christmas them up a bit, I attached a loop of thread so they could be tree decorations, and laid on the glitter and sparkles! The children also made homes for their birds - an egg box lid bank and a tissue paper streamer tree.... with a generous sprinkle of glitter and shiny stars of course.
Some splendiferous, creative making. Just lovely to see.

Afraid the pictures aren't great - it was quite dark inside, but at least I took some this time!

While I was packing up they were getting the room ready for a live band and dancing, and warming up the mulled wine. Wish I could have stayed!

Make Your Own Zoo, down on the farm!

I'm holding my first Make Your Own Zoo workshops next week! REALLY excited. A little apprehensive too, but mostly excited.

They're at Kate Humble's farm, Humble By Nature near Monmouth which is a pretty special venue.
Humble By Nature is the place to go to learn rural skills, like running a smallholding and animal husbandry, and there are cooking and craft courses too. Such a varied range of things to do, often with a bit of a twist! And the team are always open to new ideas; ones that share their values. Do have a read about how it all began, here. It's been quite a journey.

I'm doing three, hour long sessions on Monday, and they're all sold out which is brilliant. So, there'll be 10 children + parents coming along to each one, and my goal is to make it fun, and to send everyone home with as many animals as we can possibly squeeze into an hour!

I've done a bit of prep to keep things moving along, mainly painting pieces of cereal box card and cutting up egg boxes. Hopefully we'll manage a lion, giraffe or zebra, a penguin....

and, if there's time, a sheep! Definitely the right place to be making sheep. Might be a little ambitious though. I've been working on a few make your own farm ideas....

I'll let you know how it goes! Hopefully no hitches, because I've been asked to do a workshop at the Hay Festival Winter Weekend at the end of November which I'm so, so thrilled about. Can't believe it really. Another path that started here.