Learning new skills - Art

I love my job working as a Teaching Assistant in a local secondary school and I love being back in school learning new things, meeting new people and generally feeling like going to work Monday to Friday in term time is more than just a job.

We've been doing things outside of school in small and large groups, from Pottery Painting, to nights out and coffees after work.

I decorated a jug, we use it in the van.

And 'a very useful pot'

Before firing

After. It's now filled with bits and bobs for my granddaughter to 'find' on her next visit.

I've been enjoying art lessons in school with years 7 & 9. I support students in 3 lessons a week. Most of the time I help the students work on their pieces, show them what the teacher has asked them to do and help them with ideas. Occassionally I join in and work alongside the students showing them how to implement their ideas.

I had a go at drawing with a pen.

Then using water colours.

I've got a variety of projects on the go at home that I've started and just never finished. There are piles of sewing projects, a dolls house to finish painting, embroideries to start and complete. I've tried knitting, had crochet lessons, but I just can't get to grips with it.

There's a felting project on the go since 2020 and a tapestry I started in 1994 for my eldest child, he's 32 next month. Do you think he'll want it if I finish it?

What I've been doing during lockdown - Crafting

Last week I blogged about the gardening, this week it's all the craft activities I've been doing around the house.

I've got so many bits and pieces on the go, I'm starting to wonder if lockdown will be long enough to allow me to finish, especially as I'm also redecorating our family home after 9 years of tenants.

All the items I've made will be kindly donated/offloaded onto the Things, my great nephew, our grandchild and a friends twins.

I've turned child 5's old bedroom into a craft room

Used milk bottle cartoons to make Elephants

Used up old tins of paint in the shed, toilet rolls and sticks from the garden to make giraffes

Washed and painted stones from the garden

Recycled cans into plant holders to brighten up the garden

Made pom poms to turn into a rug for our grandchild

Attempted a jigsaw puzzle with help from the cat

Hung bunting up around the house I made a few years ago

Hatched a flamingo, that a friend gave me last year

Had a complete fail with papier mache

Had a felting kit gifted to me from a friend that I'm having fun with

Every week I post magazines and sweets to my mum, with a large stamped address envelope, so she can fill it with crafting items such as wool and ribbons and all she has to do is post it in the letter box near her home.

Have you been doing any crafts? I have limited abilities and limited resources, but I've had a lot of fun and it's amazing what you can do/make with things you have lying around the house.

I wish I had my sewing machine and over locker with me in the UK and my stash of material to make some more bunting, a new bed for the dog and get the curtains ready for when our furniture arrives at some point in the future.

My Sunday Photo - Week 31

I don't know about you, but despite not having a job or children at home, I always seem to be on the go and never really just sit down and enjoy our home.

5 months ago hubby and I went to Ikea to buy curtain poles, it was touch and go if either of us would come out of there alive after hubby called me a 'f**king psychopath' and we came away empty handed.

I went out on my own 3 months ago and bought the poles we needed, where they sat in the conservatory until hubby finally put them up yesterday.....it was a smooth process, this time I managed to keep my opinions to myself, although it was an effort to do so :-)

I spent most of the morning, hanging and re hanging the curtains until I got them just right, but due to  the way the room has been built, hubby couldn't get the pole any higher, so the curtains will have to come back down and be shortened and then re hung.

It's made a real difference to the room, keeping it much cooler during the day, apart from putting the step ladder away, we now finally have curtains up in every room, each room is how we want it.

Apart from keeping up with the housework, I'm hoping I will now just sit and relax more in the house during the day and finally get on with those little craft projects I've been collecting for the last few years.