printing blocks

Some time ago I spotted these 2.5 " square by 1" sample insulation bocks and realised they would be a fab resource for printing with, stacking and sculpting or simply wrapping and decorating for the Christmas tree. AND it was HUGE bag for a donation of £4 at our local Scrap Store...the taxi cost me more to get them home.... At the time I was working freelance by delivering workshops to anyone who would hire me ! I worked with babies to a 92yr old from a wide variety of walks of life. This workshop was devised for one of my client groups. A lovely "can't do owt" group who with some no nonsense, matter of fact, "just get on with it" "do this", "do that", from me produced pieces they were proud of. Often they did not even get see what it was they were going to make until we were well into the workshop ! It worked well for this particular group as they could get involved in the moment and the process and enjoy it for it's own sake reducing the pressure.

I liked to use things to hand to prove that we don't need lots of gadgets and expensive equipment to get started or to get good results. Let loose in a famous artists studio will not make them (or myself) a famous artist.....but at the "kitchen sink" they can produce things they don't expect to be able to do and be pleased with the results. Here we have a knife and fork, two drinks bottle lids and a coffee jar lid. Just for fun spot what made which  marks.

We have a shop here which sells Acrylic paint for 99p and that is what we were going to use. It's cheap and  dries quick ! Just the one colour so there was no dithering over choices

This one has a gap in the middle to cover a notebook from the £1 shop with. 

I thought we would make at least two, and a practise one which we could cut up later and swop with each other for patchwork at a later date. Introduce colour in a limited way.. Later suggest that we could photograph them all together and they would look like a quilt and get everyone a copy of the photo. Try and get somewhere where they could be displayed as a group.

Introduce the idea of embellishing with a limited palette in a simple running stitch used in a variety of ways and by stitching through a piece of old fleece gives it a primitive quilted look.Odd balls of wool and crochet cotton is available in our charity shops for very little. OK it's not C&G  but it would have been fun and an introduction to another of their creative side which they insist they haven't got.

This what I was going to do.....until life decided it was time to start a new collection.....of illnesses....one after the other....treatments producing other problems.... drugs come with inbuilt side effects........ I had to retire.....I miss working and I miss this group in particular............ I now have a large amount of blocks for printing with or turning into Christmas decorations......along with all sorts of other resources.........
I think I might.......file this pack away and rediscover it at a later date and revive the memories of all the characters I have met......