Are you Ticklish!!!

I am generally used to setting the homework not directly doing it. So after a vverrrrrry long day last Monday when quite frankly lost the will to live I was a bit deflated when I came home to be told that that we were going to make a Mr Tickle. After a very fortifying cup of tea and a much needed sit down ( a biscuit helped too) Sophie explained what she wanted to make. Oh and Yes parents are meant to 'get involved and help'.

The final line of the letter was' We can't wait to see what you come up with!' HHmmmm I bet. Anyway, the ball had already started rolling as Hubby had been to the local florist and got a very big balloon. It did take him some time to explain to the lady that he really did not want a little teddy bear put inside it, just the balloon please. Made me smile.

So using wall paper paste which we bought to put up some paper in Sophie's room we began to paper mache the balloon. Oh, did I mention that it had to be taken to school the following Monday and that the other class had had this info before half-term and many had already done their free standing model. I will not repeat what I said. So all week the kitchen table has been covered with ripped up paper, paste, then flour and water because it dried better. We just left it out over night had breakfast around it or in the living room and then carried on when we got home. ALL WEEK we did this. It included a trip to B&Q to get some grey spongy pipe lagging which we twisted and paper mached to try and get the bendy arms. really difficult the arms and it is the feature of this character too.

We had an awful moment Saturday night when Hubby accidentally knocked off one of the arms! Good job Sophie was in bed, we had time to fix it before she got up.

I brought back some orange paint then hubby bought some more which was a different colour so I took mine all the way back to school. (Was one of those weeks really). Sophie and I put the first coat of orange paint on him....

I tried to paper mache over a bowl to make the hat but only succeed it completely sticking it to the bowl and could not get it off again. Blast!! Time is running out. So off to my felt stash and we made a hat out of felt, stuffed it slightly and then stuck it on.

One of the best bits was using funky foam for the hands. Sophie sewed one of the hands together as we decided to make them double sided,and then we slipped them over the arms and attached them with double sided tape. We also used funky foam for his face using double sided tape.

He was finished at 6pm on Sunday. I would have loved to have gone into Sophie's school on Monday but I had to be at mine. Hubby went in and carried Mr Tickle very carefully. The judging takes place on Friday morning, so I will let you know the outcome of the model competition on Saturday.

So here he is in all his Glory...

We had such fun making Mr Tickle, having to think about what we were going to do, the arms were the hardest. Sophie was very involved at every stage and the look on her face when he was done was great. She loved every minute of it and wants to make something else...

Our homework for next weekend??

Putting down wood flooring in the hall. Ok, I can feel another Mr Men make coming on instead! How about Little Miss Trouble, Sophie?

xx