Crafty Girls: A Surprising Development

Last Friday at Crafty Girls, we made the Do-Si-Do book project from HOW TO MAKE BOOKS by Esther Smith (Potter Craft). It’s a very simple book project that gave the girls a lot of creative freedom. After making the basic structure of the book, I gave the girls access to my stash of leftover decorative paper, odds and ends from projects past. The sample Do-Si-Do book in the above photo was made by My Girl.

Only 4 Crafty Girls showed up for this session. I had known for days that it would be a small group and had been looking forward to it, mainly because I would not have to spread myself so thin. With a more intimate number, each girl would get a lot of one-on-one attention, which had been lacking of late. Because the group swelled to 10 Crafty Girls this year, each of our sessions always ends with someone not feeling satisfied with the work (besides me, that is). So I had a lot of expectations for this smaller group.

What I did NOT expect was tension. PCJL and Storyteller were really digging into each other and I just couldn’t get either of them to stop. Sadly, PCJL was better with the put-downs, which made me wonder if she spent time in the Brooklyn playgrounds of my youth. I half expected PCJL to break out with the “Yo’ mama’s so fat” jokes that still ring in my ears 30 years later.

PCJL had Good With Words and My Girl bent over with uncontrollable laughter, which egged her on until Storyteller couldn’t come up with any retorts. I tried to get the girls to focus on their project, and Good With Words made a valiant effort to change the subject. But this battle lasted for an hour. It was only when the doorbell rang and the first parent arrived for pick-up that the girls decided to stop.

Well, at least each of the girls finished the book project. But that unsatisfied feeling that I’m usually left with at the end of each session? It’s still there. Only now it’s for a different reason entirely. I do NOT want any of my Crafty Girls to be a “mean girl.” I may have to split the group up if this is where it’s leading.