Monday, March 30, 2009

Art and craft shops


In the Gorey, Co. Wexford Byrnes on the main street stock art materials but I find the range limited and expensive, try the Bookstation down the road, Tesco and Lidil (when they are running art material promotions) offer good value in art supplies. All these places sell off craft supplies and bits and pieces to clear stock and make way for new products coming in. So if your around the town drop in and check what's on offer.
If your looking for an art shop near you check out your local http://www.mykidstime.ie/ for listings.

These are the places I recommend and purchase from
Premier Arts and Crafts, Greystones or Bray, Wicklow. For contact details http://www.premierartsandcraft.ie/ no online shop. Both shops in Bray and Greystones are excellent. They also stock great craft fun stuff for boys and girls that are excellent value and make good gifts.

Hopkins Toymasters, Wicklow Town. Established since 1850 so there is no building number you will find them in the middle of the main street, car parking for customers to the rear. Great shop worth a detour from the N11 or a trip all by itself. Toys, books, stationary, great craft and art supplies. They offer great value and will order products for you. Very friendly.

Evans, Dublin for map and address http://www.kmevans.com/ no online shop which is a shame but an excellent shop & they will deliver. They offer great value. I used to go there as an art student and still go there as an artist and teacher.

http://www.corkartsupplies.com/ good online shop. If your unable to get to an art shop and need supplies, have access to the internet and have a credit card this is the place for you. If you don't have a credit card you should check out 3V as an option for online payments. If you go to Cork make sure you check this shop our its great.

http://www.craftsupplies.ie/ Great little site. if you never buy anything from the site go look at the buttons - so cute, so cool!

Thrifty art supplies


You don’t have to spend a lot of money on art supplies to enjoy art!

If your kids like to cut and paste get them to make collages with a glue stick and a pile of magazines. Reuse old postcards, magazines, newspapers (great for cutting out words for kids that can’t write yet). Second hand shops are great for old magazines at affordable prices. The doctor’s surgery, dentist and local hairdressers are all good sources for these magazines when they are finished with their stock. Try to get a mixture of topics and avoid real trashy celebrity magazines.

A list of potentially useful items:
  • Newspaper
  • Postcards
  • Magazines, flyers, newspaper supplements – for colourful images and coloured paper for collages.
  • Cardboard from cereal boxes makes great card for art projects
  • Buttons. When recycling clothes cut off the buttons and keep them in a jar they make interesting additions to pictures- Lids. Twist top cartons lids like the ones used for litres of milk or juice cartons. Even the two litre milk cartons can be used. Jar lids can also be used.
  • Tissue paper. From new shoes boxes or wrapping. This can be used to paint on, layering over images and for making flowers.
  • Cotton wool
  • Twine or an assortment of wool and threads
  • Feathers
  • Straws
  • Ice cream sticks
  • Easter egg wrappers – great opportunity to collect different coloured foil.
  • Brown or white paper bags
  • Egg cartons
  • Toilet roll inserts

Commercial craft bits & bobs that kids like. Keep an eye out in your local stationary shop, local supermarket or book shop for when they discount craft items and keep a small stock. Or you can go to one of the on line craft suppliers and stock up.

  • felt pompoms,
  • googly eyes,
  • pipe cleaners
  • Glitter, glitter glue, glitter gel, sequins, sequin mesh - all colours
  • Stickers for younger kids, it can be old out of date supermarket promotion stickers, hold onto them. The kids can always colour over the original content.

Keep all the craft materials in a box including scissors, glue and tape.

Teach the kids to clean up as part of the activity that way you don't get left with all the clean up.

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Just "be" Workshop


90 minutes of fun exploring your creative, personal and spiritual development . Just "Be".

Well that's what a group of us did at Holos, Health and Well Being Centre in Gorey on Saturday 27 March. Do you know it? Just opposite Gorey's Theatre. Niamh has created a lovely space there. I really enjoyed facilitating the workshop.

So this is what we did
  • a deep relaxation,
  • followed by grounding work and a guided visualisation
  • we explored a series of colour based exercises using art materials
  • a fun surprising exercise called 'goal squares' gave everyone a different aspect to think about and accomplish for the next 2weeks to three months.
  • leading into the closing relaxation and a finsh to our workshop.

Thanks to everyone who came and for your feedback.
"Really enjoyed the morning. Possibly a 3 hour session would work well"
"Lovely and relaxing - I came in a bit lu-la! So calmer now. It has opened up my mind to what I need."
"Love it!"
"Great, really enjoyed the experience"

Friday, March 27, 2009

Kids Weekly Art classes


3.30 - 4.30pm: Tuesday and Wednesday at Ballygarrett Art Studio
The childrens pay as you go drop in Art classes at the studio on a Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon are going really well. Families of 2 or 3 kids are showing up. I know the stay and play price is great value. I have families coming from Camolin, Ferns and Blackwater. The cup of tea for Mums is a plus to.

The plan is to grow the numbers and then move to the Old School House across the road.

I'm always facinated at how children love to make things. Along with doing the typical painting, drawing and colouring I really like to show kids how to construct things. We've done construction with no glue only using string, cardboard and straws. Amazing creations were made including bats, fish and robots. Some of the younger kids learnt to tie their first knot.
This week we trialed the diamond pop up card activity the kids really enjoyed it. The details of how to make the pop up card will go out in the next www.Mykidstime.ie Newsletter you need to subscribe to the site to get the free newsletter.

Lots of fun and exciting things planned for the next three weeks see Ballygarrett Art Studio's Spring Programme.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Today of all days!

Yes I decided to start blogging. Why today? I found myself saying once to often I have this book or have you seen this great website. So while the website is a waiting to get started - soon to be work in progress here goes a blog!

One of the things I currently love about the web is that you can listen to great information and articles online or download them to an MP3 player and listen to them away from the PC.

I stopped listening to the Irish Radio stations last Novemeber I just decided I did not need all that negativity in my life. So I have been slowly finding interesting sites to listen to my favourite is www.hayhouseradio.com/. Its alternative radio thats for sure.
I don't agree or recommend everything on the site but that is the great thing about the web pick and choose - when your done move on.

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