Craft Activities Research Articles

Learning all about buses

In this simple craft activity, children can cut out and colour their own bus, add wheels, decide its destination, and choose the driver and passengers. The bus theme also provides lots of opportunities for additional learning, language and role-play activities

Functional analysis of late Holocene flaked and pebble stone artefacts from Vanuatu, Southwest Pacific

AbstractFunctional studies were undertaken on simple, un‐retouched flaked and pebble artefacts made from a variety of lithic raw materials, recovered from late Holocene (Lapita) sites in Vanuatu. Use‐wear and residue analysis of macroscopic and microscopic evidence identified a wide range of craft, subsistence and social activities. These include cutting, pounding and grinding of non‐woody plants; graving, drilling, scraping and sawing of soft wood; drilling shell and cutting and piercing soft elastic material such as skin. This is the first detailed functional analysis on a collection of stone artefacts from Lapita period sites.

La ferme gallo-romaine de Las Olivetas à Mudaison (Hérault)

In the plain of Montpellier, preventive excavations realized to the Claou de las Olivetas brought to light, after a punctual activity of Republican period, a small farm fitted out in Ist century AD, deserted in the 2nd and reoccupied in the late IVth century. Buildings, of low extent, testify of an activity of mixed farming associating vineyard and cereal. Several enclosures fitted out in the close environment of the establishment, as well as a pond, also plead in favour of a pastoral activity. The late reoccupation also testifies of a craft activity of boilermaking. Nine graves accompany the settlement of the IVth century and complete the image of this type of underestimated, secondary settlement of a domanial establishment or a seat of a small exploitation.

Waxing lyrical

Wax crayons are great to use in a variety of craft activities. Hilary White provides some inspiring ideas. (This article is adapted from The Arts and Crafts Handbook. Order from Practical Pre-school Books, www.practicalpreschool.com ).

Craft Revival in Haslemere: she, who weaves …

British craft revival workshops enabled privileged women to educate those less fortunate, from the ‘labouring classes’, to undertake professional training or supplement their income through a productive hobby. Such workshops also allowed elite women to further their own responsibilities. The craft activities undertaken at Haslemere, largely driven by two married middle‐class couples, provide a case study for investigating the aims and intentions of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century handicraft revival. Maude King and Ethel Blount held key positions in the industries, their mission being to transform the lives of local men, women and children by teaching them the value of handicrafts. Yet despite being activists in the craft revival, neither Blount nor King were involved in the local suffrage agitation. Their position can be read as reactionary, demanding a return to traditional rural life, working the land and self‐sufficiency, but at the time this was seen as a radical stance. Blount and King also eroded gender positions by advocating women’s participation in social progress, by adopting a public role and establishing a mandate for work beyond the home. Craft workshops, like those at Haslemere, sit at the intersection of ‘traditional’ and ‘modern’; in the postmodern era the promotion of ‘green’ issues, ‘consumerism with a conscience’ and what we mean by social progress are worthy of reconsideration.

Qu’est ce qu’une « belle » vannerie au sahara ?

Like so many objects made in the societies qualified as traditional, saharan basketry fulfil the numerous needs of daily-life and, in the same time, they are intended to bring an aesthetic pleasure to those who make them and those who use them. However, we must note that, unlike numerous other african productions such as pieces of pottery, weaving or even jewelry, basketry has rarely been studied by specialists of art anthropology or ethnology.In this text, we intend analysing the different aspects concerning the technicity about basketry through which aesthetic research appears in saharan basketry. We will analyse, too, the complex approach of embellishment of basketry artifacts, which is always an individual approach but which also fits into collective standards that govern the whole technical and craft activities in Sahara.

Errata

Despite the fact that there is ample ethnographic evidence for the Aboriginal use of animal skins, archaeological evidence for skin-working in Australia is rare. An integrated residue and use-wear analysis of the backed artefact component of stone assemblages from several sites in eastern Australia tested current hypotheses on Australian backed artefact use, and identified skin-working as one of a number of craft and subsistence activities carried out during the mid-to-late Holocene at Emu Tracks 2, an Aboriginal occupation site in central coastal NSW. At this site, backed artefacts functioned as awls, knives, scrapers and incisors, for skin working, and many exhibited evidence for hafting with resin. In this paper we present the evidence for skin-working and for the several functions which backed artefacts performed during this task association. This research makes an important contribution to our knowledge not only of backed artefact use, but also of site activities during a period of dramatic cultural change in the mid-to-late Holocene.

Greetings cards: Branching out

Hilary White ends her series on cards by looking at some related craft activities.

Experiments with paint

Art and craft activities give us the opportunity to discuss work in progress, here are some examples.

On the Arts of Stillness: For a Pedagogy of Composure

On the Arts of Stillness: For a Pedagogy of Composure

OBSIDIAN BLADE PRODUCTION FOR CRAFT CONSUMPTION AT KAMINALJUYU

AbstractThe interpretation of craft activity in Mesoamerica has been hindered by difficulties in recognizing and defining the archaeological signatures associated with obsidian blade production and consumption. Theoretical advances and experimental approaches have improved our understanding, but few studies have investigated the role of obsidian blade production in craft activity using empirical data from archaeological assemblages. The present study addresses this problem by presenting an analysis of obsidian flakes and blades recovered from a workshop refuse context at Kaminaljuyu, Guatemala. Technological and use wear analyses suggest that core-shaping by-products in the form of irregular percussion and pressure blades were used in craft activity. Fine blades were underrepresented in the assemblage, suggesting that cores or blades left the workshop as finished goods. These analyses demonstrate that the actual behavior of artisans likely did not conform exactly to the dichotomous theoretical categories of production and consumption that archaeologists routinely use.

JEWELLERY CLUSTERS: COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF ISTANBUL KAPALICARSI AND WORLD CASES

Recently economic development approaches depending on the cluster concept have become an important and popular subject which is discussed frequently by scholars and economy politicians. Industry clusters which are presented as “success model” both in developing and developed countries have generally defined as: economic agglomerations characterized by spatial proximity, sectoral specialization, developed institutional structure and corporative identity; with firms sharing the same infrastructure, experiences and clients; where network relations increase the competitive advantages. Jewellery clusters have been a part of the discussions in the related literature with many different cases from different geographies due to the specialized artisanal production organization of the sector which is highly suitable for clustering. Kapalicarsi (Grand Bazaar) can be defined as one of the world’s oldest and largest jewelry agglomeration, being the centre of craft and trade activity for more than five centuries and deserves to do a research on. In this context, this article puts forward the structure and the dynamics of the Kapalicarsi Jewellery Cluster by a comparative evaluation with success cases of jewellery clusters which take place in the literature, such as, Los Angeles Jewellery Cluster, Bangkok Jewellery Cluster, Italian Jewellery Clusters (Arezzo, Valenza, Vicenza), Birmingham Jewellery Cluster (Birmingham Jewelry Quarter), Johannesburg Jewellery Cluster, Indian Jewellery Clusters. This approach helps to understand the characteristics, dynamics, differences of the jewellery clusters in general and Kapalicarsi Jewellery Cluster in particular.

How the all Fruits Salad Creates Sweeter Futures in Rural and Remote Mental Health

This paper outlines evidence of efficacious outcomes from mixing people living with diverse mental health challenges and/or intellectual disability. The intention was to show how mixing up people who are differently challenged can be efficacious in (re)habilitation terms. Two separate experiences of sharing personal narratives were involved, along with creative expressions in music, art and filming, combined with group gatherings providing discerning feedback for each other on members' day-to-day progress. After 12 months of 'open urban tribe' gatherings in Sydney, where participants formed a community of belonging, the model was adapted for use in Alice Springs. The original group developed a cycle of interactive ritual rhythms, and these became a special feature of their self-help, peer support approach. The Sydney project modelled community-based rehabilitation, and that process then informed the processes initiated in a rural, remote location. Regular whole tribe gatherings 'in the circle' combined with mentoring 'aunties and uncles'. By sharing stories and giving personal feedback on their progress, participants developed skills and confidence in self expression. Relating to each other and the group, and sharing creative expressions (group craft activities, dancing, small group performing) added depth to the experience of participants. Stories and celebrations were filmed, along with meetings to discuss progress and reflect on how to improve our process of sharing together. Ways for individuals to work on improving their life experiences were shared across the group, which generated a combination of forms of inquiry: supportive, collaborative and appreciative. These were combined with reflexive qualitative ethnographic recording by the researcher, to report and reflect on the whole process. The original 12 month open urban tribe formation (May 2004-June 2005) in Sydney led to regular gatherings where participants sought to come together and celebrate their being with each other until 2007. From that model further work was undertaken in Alice Springs in early 2008, applying a smaller version of this approach to a new community group. The narrative testimony and witnessing in the first group formed one element of what participants called 'the magic', which they commented on throughout their time together. It was their way of just being together (what this author calls their 'metaphorical energetic presence' alongside each other) that carried the power of this tribe's interactions. Mirroring and feeding back messages to each other that they belonged, that they had an identity, role and purpose together, was a key influence on wellness. That they were seen and loved by all participants was a vital element in the dynamic. These combined to create an effect dubbed 'Working the Business of Life' (WTBOL), a group sharing process providing practical feedback on how to maintain balance in life. By giving everyone a sense of being nurtured in their day-to-day lives, WTBOL showed that people of mixed consciousness can assist each other's healing, growth and development. The value in mixing people of different challenges was that it created a rich field of exchange of their beingness, and mutual appreciation and support. Each had compassion for the other's challenge, and this helped their own process of growing beyond their own challenges. The process has now been successfully applied in Peer Support Training Workshops for Consumers and Carers (November 2008 in Alice Springs). Arising from this work, the All Fruits Theory (AFT) argues that mixing people of diverse consciousness, in contexts of trust and safety with each other, can lead to enriching personal acknowledgement and a sense of belonging. By sharing stories, joining celebratory activities, it is possible to generate interactive rhythmical ritual cycles of companionship, celebration, communion and contemplation. The project thus stimulated purposeful motivation and intention to engage in new activities. Individual and group social and emotional wellbeing were enhanced by participating. The author argues that these results show that, just as biodiversity is essential for ecological sustainability, 'onto-diversity' (i.e. valuing diverse ways of being and knowing) is what is needed in rehabilitation settings. When applied across cultures, ethnicity, gender, class and capability differences, these wiser ways of knowing can lead to more sustainable ways of being (i.e. what this author calls 'onto-diversity for suss-tainability', playing on the modern slang term for 'sussing things out'--meaning gaining better understanding of what's really going on).

Using the group as a support strategy for mothers of children admitted to Pediatric Intensive Care unit: an experience report

Introduction: A child’s disease and hospitalization causes worriness and anguish besides it mobilizes and changes all the family dynamic. Objective: to report the experience of working with mothers of children admitted into a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) using the group as an approach strategy. Methods: The experience took place from April to June of 2007, in a teaching public hospital, where 14 meetings happened lasting about 90 minutes each. Fifteen mothers took part into the experience although the number attending the meetings varied, often with three mothers by meeting. The group strategy had the characteristic of an open, operative and self-help group that used manual craft activities. Results: This group provided wellness, comfort and security sensations to mothers, configuring itself as a fitting therapeutic space for mobilization of feelings. Implications for nursing practice: The groug presented itself as a relevant strategy to improve care assistance in PICU, incorporating actions directed to the mothers, therefore unfolding care beyond the hospitalized child.

K34 地方都市における教材利用の工学教育(K3 技術と社会(工学教育・技術者倫理))

K34 地方都市における教材利用の工学教育(K3 技術と社会(工学教育・技術者倫理))

Accelerated solvent-based extraction and enrichment of selected plasticisers and 4-nonylphenol, and extraction of tin from organotin sources in sediments, sludges and leachate soils

Enrichment techniques have become an important feature in the trace analysis of oestrogen mimicking chemicals in the environment. Recent developments such as accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) have improved extraction recoveries in a wide variety of solid matrices including sediments, sludges and leachate soils. Such samples taken from the Irish Midlands Shannon Catchment region during the winter of 2004/5 and suspected to contain certain xenooestrogens or hormonally active agents were extracted using this technique, which was then coupled with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for quantification purposes. ASE was thus employed to both isolate and pre-concentrate targeted analytes using the minimum amount of solvent hence making extractions more conservational. Two simple, yet extremely sensitive liquid chromatographic methods were developed based on UV detection; one for phthalates and one for alkylphenols, with recoveries reaching up to 92.0%. Acid digestion was used for the extraction of the tin and organotin compounds with analysis by polarography. In river sediment, levels of up to 24.4 mg kg −1 phthalate, 1.14 mg kg −1 4-nonylphenol and 118 mg kg −1 tin were found. In leachate sediments, values up to 49.8 mg kg −1 phthalate, 1.57 mg kg −1 4-nonylphenol, and 36.0 mg kg −1 tin were determined. In sludge, values up to 174 mg kg −1 phthalate and 22.8 mg kg −1 4-nonylphenol were quantified. The highest value of tin (118 mg kg −1) was found present in an area of high leisure craft activity. Typical sediment levels of tin at other river locations ranged between 1.20 and 37.5 mg kg −1.

Seasons greetings: Making cards

Hilary White provides a seasonal craft activity for you and your children.

Stone Bead Technologies and Early Craft Specialization: Insights from Two Neolithic Sites in Eastern Jordan

What social groups were involved in Neolithic craft production? What was the nature of early forms of craft specialization, long before urban economies evolved? One way to look at this is to investigate manufacture of Neolithic prestige goods. Seasonal camps in Wadi Jilat (eastern Jordan) revealed unusually detailed evidence for manufacture of stone beads: debris, blanks, finished beads, and tools for drilling, sawing and abrasion. The material is 'Dabba Marble', a metamorphic rock of which the major source is nearby. This article describes lapidary technology at Jilat 13 and Jilat 25, equivalent in age to the Pre-Pottery Neolithic C (PPNC). Mineral-chemical characterization data on Dabba Marble are presented. These sites raise issues about early craft specialization. These beadmakers seem to have been master craftsmen/women. We suggest that these sites illustrate a particular form of 'site specialization', namely sites located in remote territories and focused on special materials and intensive production of prestige goods. However, these craft activities were also embedded in hunting, herding and, perhaps, ritual, as suggested by figurines and pillars.

Retired People's Experience of Participation in Art Classes

The role that different activities play in contributing to retired people's wellbeing is not well understood, a situation that needs to be addressed now that a long period of retirement is becoming the norm for millions of people in western societies. Research carried out over the last decade has explored some aspects of participation in various activities, such as exercise, but only a few studies have explored retirees' own perspectives. This qualitative research used phenomenological methods to explore art class activity as experienced by six retired people living in the community. The participants' perspectives were explored using unstructured interviews. The data were analysed using a phenomenological approach, as outlined by Van Kaam (1959, and described by Streubert and Carpenter 1995), and the participants then confirmed the findings. Painting added a special dimension to the particpants' retirement: it gave satisfaction, challenge, time transformation, a sense of achievement, productivity and a boost to confidence. These results confirm and extend previous studies that link creative activities to wellbeing, including those that reveal how positive emotions contribute to health. Actual attendance at an art class was also seen as valuable, because working in a group was experienced as an inspiration and an opportunity to be encouraged by and to learn from others. The activity and the socialising seemed to be equally important aspects of attending an art class, which supports Wilcock's (2007) latest theories of the benefits of belonging. This research may contribute to the justification for participation in art or craft activity within the community, in occupational therapy practice or in settings such as residential homes, by providing further understanding of its meaning and value for retirees and its potential for promoting their health.

Determination of priority carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in wastewater and surface water by coacervative extraction and liquid chromatography–fluorimetry

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the European Union (EU) have set restrictive limits for priority carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (CPAHs) in surface waters (EPA 3.8 ng L −1and EU 2–100 ng L −1) in order to protect aquatic life and human health. Currently, methods meeting these sensitivity criteria are not suitable for routine analysis of CPAHs. Here, we present a simple, rapid and low-cost method for the routine monitorization of these pollutants in aquatic environments based on their extraction with coacervates of decanoic acid reverse micelles in the nano- and microscale, and determination by liquid chromatography–fluorimetry (LC–FL). The method involves the stirring of filtered aqueous samples (36 mL) with 4 mL of THF containing 70 mg of decanoic acid for 5 min, its centrifugation for 10 min and the analysis of 20 μL of the resulting coacervate containing the CPAHs by LC/FL. The method is robust, the extractions being independent on salt concentration (up to 1 M), temperature (up to 60 °C) and pH (below 4). Besides, the coacervate prevents the CPAHs from adsorption onto the surface of containers during sample storage. No clean-up steps are necessary and the method is matrix-independent. The quantification and detection limits of the method ranged between 0.4 and 3.5 ng L −1 and 0.1 and 1 ng L −1, respectively, for the seven priority CPAHs. The method has been successfully applied to the determination of these pollutants in raw and treated sewage from three mechanical–biological treatment plants, two rivers and a reservoir with frequent motorized recreational craft activities, all of them located in the South of Spain. Recoveries for spiked samples in the range 2–30 ng L −1 were between 88 and 95% with relative standard deviations from 1 to 7%. CPAHs were present in wastewater influents at concentrations in the range 3.9–37 ng L −1, while the treatment at the WWTPs studied reduced their concentration in their respective effluents in a percentage near 100%. Three CPAHs were present at quantifiable levels in Guadajoz river (1.8–6.6 ng L −1) and six in La Breña reservoir (1.39–4.8 ng L −1).