Today’s was a session of two halves…beginning with a review of textiles products made last week and bit of finishing off. Then the group moved on to some role play. After sharing their ideas about how the stand at Making Merry might look (fairy lights are a must) we moved on to thinking about how best to greet and talk to our potential customers.

Some students played the part of bored and distracted stall holders and others took on the role of browsing member of the public. In this way it soon became clear what not to do! There were some really insightful comments about what visitors to the stand might be interested in and why being too pushy could be very off-putting. Friendly politeness, allowing people to handle the items and the importance of being able to explain the process came high on the list of good customer service.

After a short break the students spent the rest of the session in the workshop working hard with the blowtorch, hammers and drills again. Before long there were pendants and bracelets taking shape and, despite the interruption of the fire alarm, the collection continued to grow at a healthy rate. Some students have chosen to make a range of one-off designs whereas others have perfected a technique and enjoyed getting stuck in to the production of multiples.

Sketchbooks were opened again for a review of Arts Award evidence and, with the final session on the horizon, some students took items home to continue perfecting their products.

Our final session before Making Merry will concentrate on finishing off and quality control.