NEW! Workshop in a Box

NEW! You can now purchase a 'takeaway' version of my felt-making workshop.

'Introduction to Felt-making: Workshop in a Box' is now available to buy online and at craft fairs. 

The box includes clear, printed instructions and all the materials and equipment you need to start making felt (just add water!). 

A great gift idea at just £19.50 plus postage. Contact me on my website to order one.

Arts Trail Ups & Downs

A mixed reaction to the first weekend of the Arts Trail here in Littlehampton. Saturday was quite a good day weather-wise and a fair number of people dropped in to my open studio, including a photographer from the local paper, so maybe I'll be famous yet!. It was interesting and fun, and worth all the preparation. I finished the day on a high and looked forward to more of the same on Sunday. Unfortunately the weather wasn't quite as benevolent and neither was the public. There were very few visitors and the day dragged a bit. On the plus side, I did manage to get quite a lot of felting done, so not all bad news.
Next weekend I'm only opening on Saturday, so hopefully the sun will shine, the people will be out and all will be well with the world. Fingers crossed!

Littlehampton Arts Trail

The new Littlehampton Arts Trail will be running over two weekends in May - 19th/20th and 26th/27th - with a wide variety of art available to view across different venues. The Arts Trail coincides with the Open Art Exhibition at the local museum, and also includes shops, businesses, cafes and restaurants, as well as private studios. I'm opening up my own studio on 19th/20th and 26th May and will be working in there as well as displaying a selection of photos, textiles and hand-crafted items. Leaflets are available around the town, or get in touch for more information.

My felt-making workshops are mentioned in the Fashion Sussex e-magazine this month - take a look. There are some gorgeous designs featured in it, all by very talented local designer/makers, and it actively promotes all things British-made, so grab a coffee and have a browse.

http://fashionsussex.co.uk/magazines/

Bright & Beautiful Weekend!

I know it's Monday morning and a bit grey and damp (well, it is here anyway) but what a lovely weekend it was!

It started well with a private viewing at Coopers Yard Studios, where Duncan Thrussell, Jacqui Sinclair-Clarke, Lisa Ridgers and Penny Alspaugh held an Open Weekend. It was great to catch up with some of the Arts-in-Action crowd and meet a few new people too, but the main attraction was the wonderfully diverse artwork from this talented group of local artists.

Saturday was my February felt-making workshop and I was lucky enough to spend the day with two lovely ladies who were keen to learn this addictive craft and made it a really interesting, fun day. They went away pleased with their 'makes'.....and probably ached all day yesterday!

Sunday was a gloriously sunny day down here on the coast and I walked along the seafront and river, taking photos in the sunshine and marveling at the crowds so early in the year. It could have been a weekend in May, it was so busy! I popped into the Look & Sea gift shop, to check on my photo-cards and deliver my new photo-magnets, which they will also be stocking this year.

Now, back to work....

Vintage Hermes Scarf

It's been a mixed weekend so far...some good bits, some not so good.
I received some long-awaited funding from Arts-in-Action to promote and support my felt-making workshops (good) and on one of my textile treasure hunts, I picked up a vintage Hermes silk scarf (very good), which will probably make its way onto my Etsy shop at some point. It's from 1993, so not quite old enough to sell there yet, but it will meet the 20-years-old rule next year, so I'll sit on it until then.
As for the 'not so good' - well, I haven't been in the mood to make much this weekend and I haven't sold anything at all - Folksy is very quiet and so is Etsy. I also picked up a vintage designer handbag that, on closer inspection, is obviously a fake...buyer beware...but at least I didn't pay much for it!

Vintage Hermes scarf  'Alfred Dedreux, Peintre du Cheval' by Zoe Pauwels (1993)

Wet Wednesday

It's a miserable, wet, grey day today here on the coast - quite unusual really, we're normally quite lucky with the weather. However, I've been busy this morning making some felt - it keeps me warm and is quite absorbing - and have produced a good selection of pre-felt pieces, in a range of colours, to be used in later projects.
For those of you not into felting, pre-felts are pieces of semi-made felt - the fibres have knitted together but the felting (or fulling) process has not begun, so the felt hasn't started shrinking yet. The pieces can be cut and felted together at a later date or can be felted onto another piece of felt to create a picture or pattern.
Check out my felting workshops on the Workshops & Courses page.

Felt-making Workshop

Had a fun day today at my first felt-making workshop of 2012. There were no beginners at this one, so we launched straight into nuno felt-making, which is hard work but very rewarding. With the heavy rain and buffeting winds outside, it was a great way to keep warm and work off some of those surplus Christmas calories! If you're interested in learning how to make felt, check out the details on the Workshops and Courses page of this blog and get in touch.

The Last Days of December

Well, that was Christmas...very enjoyable, very relaxing and lovely to spend time with family and friends.
Now it's back to preparing for the New Year and planning for 2012. I have some felt-making workshops to promote and run, some work to do on my online shops and blog, a new Facebook page to set up, lots of making to do and events to prepare for. I don't think I'll be bored in January!
I received some great craft books for Christmas - so no shortage of inspiration - and am now thinking about Valentine's Day, Mother's Day and the wedding season - I think it's time to put that beautiful vintage lace to good use. I'm also planning some colourful cushions to brighten up homes in the winter months and bring a touch of Spring and Summer to my Folksy shop. Don't forget to keep visiting to catch all the new goodies that I'll be adding to it over the next few weeks.