sliprail: Volunteering

So there I was, just over a week ago, thinking I hadn't done much (ie anything) towards end of year formal. There's not too many more formals left in me. Would you like a donation towards decorations? Yes please. Would you like some help with those decorations? Oh, yes please! So, what will we do? Whatever you like. Oh. Ok. So how about this idea? Or that idea? Yep, all sounds great.

Ahhh, I have a (short-term) project. It's a bit early, timing wise, but it's a project nonetheless.

So the kids had picked a Casino Royale/James Bond theme and invitations in the colours of metallic silver, black and purple were sent out. The teacher ordered centrepieces - a 30cm high martini glass for each table, filled with purple jelly balls and lit by lcd/led (?) lights.

So I thought I'd make some table decorations for the martini glasses to sit on and to attach to the walls on the staircase; order six big lots of helium balloons for the floor and stage; make some silhouette cutouts of James and Flame Girl and buy some posters from ebay to put on the toilet doors. The tricky bit is to not play up the whole casino angle too much - after all, "it is a school formal, not a poker night".

So, this is where I've been for the last week. Every spare moment has been spent, when not at work, at the table, cutting things out. Many, many things.

First, you design and make a prototype of your centrepiece "cards". Then you cut out 225 of them. After number 6, you're bored but you persevere.

So they all look like this.

You must keep all the little offcuts; they will be invaluable later.

You leave your mess all over the floor - after all, it's going to be you that cleans it up, so what does it matter if the floor is messy. Then you remember that the pest man is coming to spray, so you clean it up.

Then, because you're so anal, you take a ridiculous amount of time positioning nine of your cutouts so that a) they all touch and b) they're all even. A challenge. Then you sticky tape them together.

This is the view that the kids have had of me all week. G is away in CQ again. Then the really fun bit starts. Your thumb will be so sore you can hardly touch it.

You trace and then cut out 225 of these little suckers.

Then you attach a "suit" to each "card" in the "pack" - and voila - you have a table centrepiece that measures approx. 65cm across. The glowing martini glass will sit in the middle and (hopefully) reflect off the metalic cardboard. Fake gold coins will be scattered across the table if not too tacky (no casino chips).