Easter Egg Hunt With Cranham Scouts (by sarah)

Wednesday evening I organised an easter egg hunt for the Beavers, Cubs and Scouts. The Beaver leader organised games and Alaric sorted out camp stuff with the parents.

I put chocs and chicks and stickers into plastic eggs.

I also made dairy free chocolates for the children with special dietry requirements.

We had a campfire for the Scouts and their's was done in the dark after the two younger sections had gone home. I had rabbit and duck marshmallows for toasting, hot cross buns of various varieties - again toasted on sticks.

Then I had creme egg splats and as it is Nation Science and Engineering Week and I had gone in to help with their astronomy badge a few weeks previously I created a came called Splats for Facts. They loved this game even though I had inflicted The Little Chicken Song on them all whilst their egg trail was being laid (some of the eggs where in the trees!).

I ended the night by telling Jean a Horice The House Dragon story - it was a continuation of one I've been telling her for a while but off course all made up on the spot. To my amazement I ended up with a group of teenagers all sitting around listening to it and even those I thought weren't listening were as they answered questions about what the story was about to those who arrived back a bit later from the hunt. They seemed very impressed that it was made up of the top of my head

It was a lovely evening and I took video of the fire and played with my camera in the hope of using the footage for something arty later on!

I took lots of low light level pictures of trees

An Artsy Cheltenham (by sarah)

Yesterday I went into Cheltenham to meet with one of the directors of the Cheltenham Poetry Festival to sort out what I was doing for the festival. I was already doing the Slam but I'd suggested I could take some photos of the events with my new camera.

They loved the idea and I have scored my first ever press pass. Last year with the old camera I took photos of events I happened to be at and some of the artists then used the photos I had taken for their websites and profile pics and what have you so this seemed a logical step forward. I may also be performing at a couple of other events at the festival.

I am also working on a new novel project so spent the afternoon working on that resulting in only 10 pages being written - I think I am out of practice!

I then wondered around in the twilight looking for low light level type photos to take

I really like the way this one above came out I sort of want to draw him now.

I love stone statues in strange lighting.

There is a sad manic-ness in these horses again they make me want to draw them.

Today is also the last day of the Science-Art Gallery at Centre Arts so I shall be in there from 12:30 till 5 pm so if you're kicking about do pop in. It is the arts cafe and there is tea and cake

Molecular Knits (by sarah)

As part of the Science-Art Exhibition and to celebrate National Science and Engineering Week I wrote up the pattern to my knitted Bucky Ball. I illustrated it with photographs of the process and took them into the weekly Knit and Natter group that meets at Centre Arts in Cheltenham every Wednesday.

This resulted in a triumph for Science Communication - I ended up explaining what atoms and molecules were to a lady who did not know. And on top of this I now have a pattern written up I want to add in some Bucky Ball facts and then release it on Etsy and possibly in other places too (it is already 4 pages long! Though that is with instructions on how to knit oxygen and hydrogen atoms too).

Centre Arts is also knitting a poem for The Cheltenham Poetry Festival which I've been too busy to knit any of. I got to see the title line whilst I was there

Ammonites (by sarah)

I Am An Ammonite is a poem written by Marcus Moore as part of the Cotswold Water Park Trust. I feel very lucky that they all said yes to it being illustrated and placed in the Science-Art Exhibition at Centre Arts in Cheltenham. The poem is on canvas and I attempted to make it seem as if it was in a sea full of ammonites and also a sea turned to stone - all at the same time.

This week is National Science and Engineering Week which is why this week is the week of Science-Art being shown. If you get a chance do pop down - it is only there until Saturday.

If you wish to read the poem you can see it on here on Marcus's blog. And yes I took a wonky photo.

Molecular Jewellery (by sarah)

Part of the Science-Art Exhibition at Centre Arts in Cheltenham are these lovely pieces of molecular jewellery made by Lizzy Burns. I met Lizzy a couple of years ago at the Cheltenham Science Festival and was honoured that she agreed to be part of the display