Two Children
~ Spike Milligan
Two children (small), one Four, one Five,
Once saw a bee go in a hive,
They'd never seen a bee before!
So waited there to see some more.
And sure enough along they came
A dozen bees (and all the same!)
Within the hive they buzzed about;
Then, one by one, they all flew out.
Said Four: 'Those bees are silly things,
But how I wish I had their wings!'
I love paper crafts but, like my profound lack of dexterity with a needle and thread, I am incapable of folding a straight line or using those sliding cutting devices (that I own one, shows I have not abandoned hope!). This does create problems as I have three children eagerly expecting me to tutor them in creative pursuits, at the very least in card making, and I simply end up in a bigger mess than them and get all cranky. The expressions and general demeanour of the paper dolls above mirror those of my children while witnessing my misguided attempts to go all Martha Stewart on them.
However, thankfully there are clever and enterprising people who give step-by-step instructions and free templates online. One particular site is that of Marilyn Scott-Waters, a talented US book writer and illustrator, who has a website dedicated to paper toy-making with an abundance of free templates, including toys that move, gift boxes, paper dolls and maths and learning toys. Gorgeous illustrations and lots of whimsical inspiration. A visual feast.
Image by Marilyn Scott-Waters
