ahhhh, that's better!

Why should concrete drainage pipes make me feel better you make ask? Nope, guess again. 64 rolls of wallpaper lining ready and waiting to make 32 puppets. The plan is to have the little darlings working in pairs with darling A lying on a crucifix of wallpaper lining while darling B draws round about them. I anticipate the hard part will be making these the tightly rolled 5.5ft bits of paper (aren't children TALL nowadays?) lie flat. Also the cross of paper will have to be glued together before they slump on top of it in a grumpy, pre-teen kind of way.

All this will be happening in a very modern primary school, totally open plan and ram jammed full of kids, teachers, stuff and only one sink. A distinct lack of space. The only floor area, which is what we need, doubles as a dining hall so tables will have to be removed before puppet making can commence. However, feel better now I've done a little prep and refuse to make myself anxious with the 'what ifs'.

One of my eco art fall back plans is to make plastic bag dream catchers as I did with a school last year. I have a friend who grows willow and allowed me to raid her garden. I've never worked with willow before so was guided by her when she told me to let it dry out and then resoak it. Where do you soak 60 6ft lengths of willow in a small flat? In the bath of course! How long does it take? 3 days...pheewwwww! So this year, no soaking. Cut, coiled, dreamcatcher frame done and dusted. My willow growing pal is currently in India but thanks to the wonders of modern technology I was able to ask her permission to go through the nightmare that is willow harvesting again this year. She assured me it was no sweat but reminded me to cut the willow close to the mail stump. .....I know what a male stump is........but a mail stump? Lamenting my ignorance in the ways of willow, I asked for clarification. Ooops, finger slippage, that would be main stump. Ahhhhhh, that's better.