search  current discussion  categories  tools & equipment - misc 

a plea for tools/cheap spources

updated wed 16 aug 00

 

Marcia Selsor on sun 13 aug 00


Lisa,
Welcome to the world of teaching without a budget. One thing you can do
for sponges is cut up a foam pad as found in a pillow/fabric area of a
crafts store. Cut up an old bamdoo rake and make some stick tools. have
them look for natural objscts while they're playing. -texture tools.
Can't think that you need much else for kids. They'll do the rest.
Marcia

"L. P. Skeen" wrote:
>
> Folks,
>
> I have a new job! I am the 1/2 time art teacher at an inner-city type school and have been working a week already - school goes back early in Forsyth County.
>
> I have a really humongous budget of $3.00 per kid for the entire year. Can you stand it? I can't. It's making me nuts. I assigned an "art kit" for each kid to bring - (total cost <$4) but many of them can't even afford THAT!
>
> Here's the plea: We have clay (earthenware) but no tools. Not even a sponge, if you can believe it. YOU have tools that you're not using - come on, ya know you do! I do. Lurking in the bottom of your tool box are wooden clay knives you bought but never use, an old wooden rib whose corner is worn down, or, you bought new tools but never got around to throwing out the old ones. I'm asking you to send those puppies to me. Just think - YOU get more room in the toolbox, and WE get to make stuff with clay. What a deal!
>
> Here's my address:
>
> Lisa Skeen
> 8406 Hudson James Road
> Summerfield, NC 27358
>
> Thanks in advance!!!
>
> L. P. Skeen www.living-tree.net
> Living Tree Pottery & Handmade Soaps
> Summerfield, NC
> "Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill
> and a laxative on the same night." -- unknown
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.

--
Marcia Selsor
selsor@imt.net
http://www.imt.net/~mjbmls
http://www.imt.net/~mjbmls/spain99.html
http://www.silverhawk.com/ex99/selsor/welcome.html

Jenny Lewis on tue 15 aug 00


Hi Lisa

You will probably be swamped with suggestions, but I was remembering
an evening class I used to do where we were always short of stuff,
especially money, so scrounging was the in thing to do.

There were never ANY sponges. In my local market there's a stall
selling foam sponge cut into various shapes and sizes for chair
seats, cushions etc. I went and asked the guy if he had any offcuts
he wanted to get rid of, and he gave me a huge heap of wiggly shaped
bits and pieces that were absolutely ideal. That first supply was
free, other times when I've asked again I paid a small amount, but
not much, less than a dollar equivalent.

What I haven't tried myself, but just thought about - places that
sell wood. Not long ago I bought a piece of plywood about 4 ft x 3
ft to use for a drawing board, and it was an offcut lying around, so
it was cheap. If cut up it would be at least half a dozen bats to
stand pots on.

Used cut-up credit cards, telephone cards, are great for ribs - if
you ask friends and relatives you will find yourself supplied for
years. Come to think of it, any other plastic bits and pieces that
people might have thrown out.

Sheets of plastic from dry cleaners: I rarely have my clothes
dry-cleaned (that sounds awful, what I mean is, I rarely have clothes
that NEED dry-cleaning! If it can't go in the washing machine, I
don't want it) but on the odd occasions when it can't be avoided,
winter coat or something, I ask the friendly dry-cleaner person if
they can spare any more that would have been thrown away.

Cheapest possible clothes pegs (those wooden ones with springs) make
great labels - each student writes his/her name along the peg with a
marker pen, then it clips onto the wrapped-up work, so no need for
people to go prodding and poking about when trying to find their own
works of art.

Good luck with your new "career"!

Jenny Lewis