Paper Angels eight

I ran a short story telling and Christmas craft workshop at the lovely, Golden Treasury Bookshop in Southfields, London last Saturday to promote my new book Paper Angels. 

The kids were great and made some fantastic decorated hand made paper angels using my 'paper angels template' and some of the original rubber stamps I used when making the book.  

All angels featured, will be entered into my paper angels competition.

   Cathlyn

 Esther

James

 Kara

 Lotte

 

 Roma

 

 Grace

Paper Angels Seven

I will be visiting The Golden Treasury in Southfields to do a Christmas craft workshop based on my latest book Paper Angels. It's for children aged four to eight and is on Saturday 11th December at 3pm.

I will be reading from the book before getting everyone to make paper angels for their own Christmas trees.

The event is free but places are limited so booking is essential.

The Golden Treasury

29 Replingham Road

SW18 5LT

Southfields

London 

Here are two Paper Angels decorated by my children. Have you done yours yet, for my competition?

     

 Coco Pattern Paper Angel by Coco Cripps

Dennis the Menace Paper Angel by Oliver Cripps 

I just discovered that the Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood, where I am often to be found. Is running a story writing competition that sounds good fun. Part of the first and second prize is a copy of Paper Angels. The deadline is 31^st of January 2011. 

'Every Object Tells a Story' Competition

What do our toys get up to when the Museum is closed? Write a short story starring your favorite object or objects in the Museum's collection for the chance to win stacks of goodies from the shop!

Here is link to their site, for the full details.

http://193.62.209.133/moc/whats_on/win_win_win/every_object_tells_a_story/index.html

This is a celluloid Father Christmas face from my own toy collection, I have quite a few of these in different sizes, they are very old, Japanese, around 1920 - 1930. I used him for part of a Christmas card I designed a few years ago.

 

Celluloid Father Christmas Doll Face

Paper Angels Six

My family and I are very into Christmas. We like the ritual associated with the festival and it's because of this fascination, I designed and wrote Paper Angels.

Illustration from Paper Angels by Emma Calder

Since my children were both very small, they have always made all their own Christmas cards. If you look carefully at the night time spread (above) in Paper Angels, you can see some tiny little Christmas cards that my daughter made. Most years I scan in my children's Christmas creations and these came in very handy, when I came to do this illustration. I just popped them into the drawing using my computer. 

Christmas Cards by Coco Cripps at age eleven, 2007

In our house my children generally begin making their cards in October. That's weeks of concentrated activity after school, which I don't even have to supervise any more, I just provide the materials and the right sort of encouragement.

Between the two of them this year, they have made over 60 cards so far and below are a few of my nine year old boy's. I gave him glue, stickers, coloured paper and envelops bought second hand on a car boot fair and he used his own good quality colouring pencils. 

Christmas cards by Oliver Cripps age nine

When my daughter and her best friend were in year four or five they started a Christmas Card workshop every day at their primary school, this was a great success and meant that everyone got lovely home made cards instead of boring, shop bought ones.

So get the cotton wool and glitter out and have fun!

And here is a card I made with Oliver when he was two or three. It's a fold up card see if you can work out how it goes. Clue, you cut the rectangles out...

 Santa card by Emma Calder circa 2003

Paper Angels Five

I am a big doll fan and dolls did inspire me when I was creating my book Paper Angels. 

Russian Dolls Picadilly

Here are two photographs of some Russian dolls that I spotted in a shop in Piccadilly, London a couple of years ago. They have nice faces and beautiful hand painted decorations.

 Russian Dolls Picadilly

When I was designing the angels for my book I spent almost the most time designing their faces as I wanted their personalities to come across in a very particular way. 

 Illustration from Paper Angels

On the theme of faces, here are some Father Christmas scraps that I bought on the Christmas flee market in Stuggart, Germany.

 Father Christmas Scraps 19th Century

I love these serious faces, very different from most of the santas we see now a days. all cheerful, fat and jolly.

Paper Angels Four

I have been looking for the first paper angels that I made a few years ago. Unfortunately they haven't shown up yet. Instead I found these little fellows, that I made at the same time.

Santas by Emma Calder

All you need to make your own Santas are two circles, one for the face and one for the body. For the face could just use a circle sticky label if you have one around. Add arms if you want, but they look fine without. A compass and some pinking sheers would be handy but not essential. If you have cotton wool, other little stickers and sequins use these too. Be creative and when you have finished your decorations, pop some cotton through the hat and hang up from your Christmas tree.

Paper Angels Three

This is a short stop frame film, of an eight year old cutting and making up a paper angel from my book Paper Angels. See how easy it is. Don't forget to send me your own handmade paper angels for my special Christmas competition. Template downloadable from side of page.

Paper Angels Two

I know these houses are not Christmasy but, I was just so impressed by their craft, I had to add them to my Paper Angels Blog. They are made by my little boy's year four class, for their Tudor history homework project. Most are made with paper and cardboard and demonstrate a lot of hard work from the children, with lots of support from their parents. 

Although this primary school in Southwark, South East London, does often produce great work, this little display, was possibly the best I have seen in the eleven years I have been going with my kids to the school.

Their teacher inspired the children so well.