Write it, Draw it, Show it

I'm delighted and excited to be involved (in a very small way) with a brand new website for creative young people:-

Write it, Draw it, Show it

 A special place where young people are able to showcase their talents in a safe and secure environment.  Whatever their creative side; be it writing, poetry, art, craft, design, handicrafts, photography, sewing..... you name it - it can be included here. 

To give you a little more information, here is the Who, Why and How direct from the site -

About

Write it Draw It Show It  is a showcase website designed for children to submit their creative work. A concept by two mums who had run out of space to hang up pictures around the home and had a draw filled with A4 paper, with their children’s stories on, never seeing the light of day.

Now, with a little guidance from parents, kids can email stories, interviews, articles, art work and reviews to

Write It Draw It Show It and beam with pride as their work gets displayed for others to see.

Who?

The Write It Draw It Show It team consist of Ruth and Kelly. With six children between them, they are  both self employed with a smidgen of technical skill and bundles of energy.

Why? 

Art work and creative writing always takes some time and such care to do (and clean up) and it seems such a waste that most creations end up discretely hidden in the bin. With our children’s love of technology and no other website that specifically showcases the creativity of children, Ruth and Kelly decided to create one of their own.

How?

Simply send your child’s work to the email address below and we will upload it to the site.

You can find guidelines of how to submit work here.

share@writeitdrawitshowit.com

Is Write It Draw It Show It safe to use?

All personal details are removed from the site and children use a nickname or alias to which their work is credited. The only other information we need is their age (the number rather than the date of birth) and some details about the piece of work they are submitting. Any content that reveals personal details will be removed and we won’t accept photographs of children or locations.  There will be no comments on the pages or email addresses revealed and the only way of contacting an author will be via our team email address.

We insist all children and adults read our safety guidelines before taking part.

***Logo Competition***

Write it, Draw it, Show it is currently running a logo competition, as the site is keen to ensure children are involved right from the beginning.  If you know a child who would enjoy designing a logo, please do take a look at the site and get them to send an entry in.  How marvelous would that be?... to have your artwork featured as the main logo of a website!

Alongside the opportunity to showcase creative talent, the site is also about helping the creativity process.  There will be articles on how to be creative and improve on those talents. 

Members of the creative online community are signing up to take part to help youngsters nurture their skills, and hopefully encourage them to take part in new activities.

Isn't it a wonderful idea?  You may have noticed a request via Twitter in the last few days.  If you would like to be involved in some way, do please visit the site and get in contact.  

I am to be involved on the "Get Inspired"page of the site.  I have volunteered to come up with regular craft or sewing projects, that will appeal to young people - simple projects that are possible to complete with a minimum of help, time and expense.  I have also offered to provide answers to any sewing queries that may crop up from time to time.

I wish Ruth and Kelly every success with this wonderful idea.  I very much hope that those reading this blog will help spread the word, and encourage children they know to become involved.  I'm sure a bit of blogging and twittering will be received with delight and thanks.

Tip.... Summer holidays coming up!  What a great way to keep the kids occupied :)

Starting off gently with the making process - (running it all past my highly opinionated 12 year old daughter!)  Here is my first make it project ......

Jewellery Hanger

A quick and simple make

What you need 

A clothes hanger  - (I've used a smooth plastic one, but a wood or wire one would work too)

A small amount of fabric - (I've used a pretty tiered skirt, age 3 - which I bought at a car-boot sale for 50p.  I often find pretty fabrics this way, for a fraction of the price of buying new). Or perhaps someone in your home has a pretty garment that is past it's best, and they may be happy to donate it to you?  Worth asking!

PVA Glue - I used ModPodge, but any PVA Glue will be fine

Pretty Hairclip (or a piece of ribbon, or a fabric strip to tie in a bow)

Don't worry if you haven't any fabric - how about using pages from a glossy magazine that you've finished reading?  Pretty wrapping paper?  Scrapbooking papers?

I love to be able to re-use items that would otherwise be thrown away or re-cycled.  Rather than re-cycle, I like to up-cycle and create something new.  The best bit with doing this is I get to have something completely different to anyone else - and I can say I've made it!  Even better - it costs hardly anything.

The How to

First of all - and most importantly, make sure that the area you are crafting in is protected from any glue spillages.  If working at a table, cover it with newspaper.  I worked on my lap using a tray, which I put inside a plastic carrier bag first.

Get cutting!  All you need to do is cut your fabric into strips.  There's no need to worry about them being perfect and all the same - it's not going to matter.  Try to keep them about an inch wide (2.5cm).

This will be easiest to do with sharp scissors, so be very careful.

Now for the fun, messy bit!  Do be careful with the PVA Glue.  It does peel off your fingers easily when it's dry - and is strangely enjoyable to do, but whatever you do - make sure you keep it away from your eyes and mouth!  

Smear glue onto the clothes hanger, and also onto your first fabric strip.  Do a little bit of the hanger at a time otherwise it will be sticky chaos.  Holding one end of the strip firmly against the hanger, start wrapping tightly around, making sure you are working your way along.  Press down firmly as you go. Don't panic if your fabric is looking all white and horrid - PVA glue dries clear, and will give it a nice protective finish. Continue adding strips until you are happy with how it looks.  Mine has several layers - I carried on until I had used up all the strips I'd cut.

Here's where you can be creative and do your own thing.....

You might like to glue a bit of ribbon around, or scraps of lace.  What about pom-poms, buttons or bits of broken jewellery?  This is your creation - you can make it however you like.

Once you are happy with how it's looking, set aside and leave to dry.  I hung mine up over a door-frame so it wouldn't stick to anything.  Depending how many strips you've added, it could take quite a while to dry..... so you've plenty of time to tidy up your crafting bits and decide which necklaces you want to display.

As a simple finishing touch, I clipped on a flower hair-clip to the middle.  Looks pretty, and I can still use it if I want to.  If you haven't a hair clip, I'm sure you can think of other great ways to decorate.

A ribbon or fabric strip bow?  A small cuddly toy tied on?  A paper flower?

Now all you need to do is add your jewellery, and find somewhere special to hang it. And one more thing!........

 Don't forget to take a photo and post it to Write it, Draw it, Show it - you know we want to see

Have fun creating - there will be another project soon,

bye for now - Jan, Cajame Creations