School's in

Julie Cunningham (left), of Sumner, shows off her creation from the Sustainable Skills Summer School in Oamaru, at the traditional paper-marbling course run by bookbinder Michael O'Brien (right).

The two-day course showed its full class of six participants the ancient method of paper decoration in the Western tradition, using carragheen moss.

Running from January 25 to February 9 are 30 courses covering music, art, photography, book binding, needlework, textiles, letterpress printing, poster design, fiction writing and leathercraft.

Self-sufficiency courses range from cheese-making, making herbal household products and preservation to keeping a cow, goat and bees.