News & Updates
It's been a busy and happy three weeks , which we've spent at our daughter and son in law's down in East Derbyshire , preparing for the birth of our Grandson . It was nice to be there to welcome him into all our lives & be able to help out at home during the days before his arrival. On the 8th of August we were greeted by a beautiful sun rise at the dawn of a very special day, as we set out to take Mother & Father to the birth centre at Chesterfield a few miles away . The felting equipment was taken along (not to the birth centre) and I was able to just about complete 3 hares before we had to return for the Herdwick Doorstop class at Quirky Workshops Yesterday . Richard also managed to complete a cushion with Barn Owl design which is currently on Etsy . We recently bought some discrete embroidered labels to attach to our finished work , something we've been going to do for a while and have finally got round to doing . Thank you to Woven Labels UK who have a good choice of designs which you can personalise to your requirements and preview on their website. It was nice to be able to do our work outside in the warm sunshine and fresh air looking out to the East over the patchwork of wheat and barley fields between us and the M1 motorway which was far enough away in the distance of this scene so as not to impose upon it . A big thank you to all who came to the workshop at Greystoke yesterday and made it such an enjoyable day ! Again it was great to see some familiar faces again from previous classes , and at the end of the day we had a fine flock of Herdwicks to pose for the camera as you'll see on the workshop photo page . It was fantastic to be back at the workshop again yesterday , and it is always lovely to meet new , interesting and creative people , also to see familiar faces from previous classes , of which there were quite a few . I really appreciate that you have enjoyed previous projects and have returned once again . This time our efforts were being channelled into creating owls , with the aim of having a large owl , and a baby owl for each person to take away at the end of the day . We had a really enjoyable day with plenty of laughs , resulting in a superb "study" of owls There are some photos of the artists and their work on the Workshop Photo page . We were once again , at Annie's Quirky Workshops , Annie and Claire provided the excellent food and refreshments to keep us going, and we were yet again able to make use of the lovely Summer weather and enjoy the beautiful garden overlooked by the majestic Greystoke Castle . Thank you all so much for attending and hope to see you again another time . As you may be aware , that wool , as a natural and abundant fibre is much under used these days , particularly for it's insulating properties . In the centuries before thinsulate and goretex , man made plastic bubble wrap and polystyrene , these insulating properties were made full use of , for clothing , blankets , and anything else you could think of which needed insulating .
We tend to think of insulating things to keep heat in , but it is used to keep heat out as well . You can after all , use a thermos flask to keep your drinks cold in Summer , & also to keep your soup hot in Winter . We've just seen a great example today , of wool being used to keep the cold in ! This morning we took delivery of some venison and chicken from Graig Farm Organics . They are a family business and offer a really efficient service .We only tend to have meat once a week or so , and some times organic meat is not always available locally , though we do support our local farms and small businesses buying veg' and free range eggs from them where possible . Upon opening the cardboard box , as opposed to a polystyrene one , it was found to be lined with bags of WOOL! Great for someone who's business relies on wool Not only have we got our meat , but as you can see in the photo below, that there was also a challenge printed on the bags of woollen insulation , which I "felt" that I had to accept . So I made an owl from it , which I suppose should be called Graig ? The box of course will also be made good use of , as when possible , we keep packaging to ship our own products . The insulated bags are from a company called Woolcool . With the awareness that plastics and other synthetic materials don't break down once in the system , it makes sense that businesses are using an effective and available natural product like wool . It's been a while since the last update , but we haven't been idle since the last one .
How do you like the new look of the website ? Richard was kept busy yesterday with that . Hopefully you'll agree it's a bit cleaner looking & easier on the eye . Couldn't resist a witty pun with the page title above by the look of it , too ! Been busy also with workshops since I last wrote . it was nice to see both new and familiar faces at these . I'm always grateful for the opportunity to run the workshops and meet so many interesting and creative people and it's always enjoyable . Last month was Woolfest at Cockermouth . Among my wool purchases was some Ryeland which I found nice to work with , and some Shetland bought from Alice & Ruth at Woolclip . It was also nice to see Gary & Maggy of Norwegian Wool who supply us regularly with their beautiful quality wools and an excellent prompt friendly service. Finally managed to get some items replenished in the galleries too , which in some cases had sold out . There's an owl workshop at Quirky Workshops on the 19th of this month , and we are on standby for the birth of our Grandson any time soon which will see us heading down the motorway for a few days . Looking ahead farther , the August workshop is booked up , however there are places available at one of the workshops in September , which is the owl workshop at Fobbles . See the diary page for details . Richard also finished a new cushion to addto the range yesterday . A red squirrel design which at present is on the ETSY shop, but might be going to one of the galleries on our way to meet Grandson . This past month has been a roller coaster ride! It began with an emergency appendectomy which resulted in my workshop being rescheduled to this month, after that experience things can only improve, and they did : )
I visited Rheged's Knit and Stitch show with my mother, again a dual purpose trip making a delivery to Blue Poppy in Appleby The Knit and Stitch show was very busy with lots of wooliness to see, I spotted Eden Gotland Sheep stand and wool was purchased even though a project for it's use hadn't been planned : ) A trip to stay with our daughter in Yorkshire usually combines deliveries en route, this time Thornthwaite gallery and Viridian gallery, Keswick were our drop offs, so our car was packed full for the journey. We often stop for a coffee at Thorpe Farm, Barnard Castle on the A66 so we called in and found they have moved into their larger building which is fab! all new and comfy seating with great coffee. Our next trip took us back to Yorkshire for my first workshop with Artison staying in the historic town of Masham with it's galleries and breweries, yes two breweries in one town! Black Sheep wins just because it has a better name than Theakston :D I met some very creative folks at Artison, attending many courses that is offered, I was warmly welcomed, well fed and many sheep were made. The trip was rounded off with old friends and a visit to Bowes Museum at Barnard on our way home. The many times we have passed and never made time to visit Bowes, it was a real treat, crammed full of history and we got to see the famous Silver Swan do it's thing. We are going through a very busy period this month, orders need to be completed and four workshops running! Starting with Herdwick doorstops on the 12th May at Quirky workshops in Greystoke , there are a few places left as I write this. The next workshop is May 19th, Owls at Fobbles, Holmrook, again a few places may still be available. Back at Quirky workshops on May 28th for hares and finally back to Artison for more Herdwick doorstops May 31st. So, an exciting month ahead, lots more crafty folks to meet, if you are attending one of my workshops I do look forward to meeting you very soon ! March certainly has been mad about hares! Pictured left is one made at this months workshop by Sally, it was a long day for the students some had travelled quite some distance up to Quirky workshops, the weather wasn't favourable but thankfully everyone got home safely through the snow . The next hare workshop with available spaces is on Sunday 9th September, Diary 2018 The hares have also been in demand in shops & galleries this month so more stock is now being created. On a trip this week to Santon bridge Craft shop we had to stop the car, luckily Richard had his camera and captured these wonderful Cotswold sheep (please correct me if I got the breed wrong). We do like to get out for our daily walks, it's good to stretch your legs after sitting felting then you feel like carrying on with your work feeling refreshed, inspiration often comes from these walks, Richard spotted a tree creeper , then on another walk along the old wagon road leading out of town, we spotted a couple of ravens nest building, what an unusual sound they make, they looked quite impressive with the backdrop of the cliffs.
After dropping off "Alec" & "Bracken" , the two new hares at Viridian Gallery in Keswick we had a walk on a cold and windy Sale fell on the way back home. We were also lucky enough to see a Stoat in it's pure white Winter coat ! Oodles of wools in yummy colours!
Making up my kits, the wools above are for the Woodland Wuzels, lots of rusts and earthy colours too but I got a little carried away with my favourite, purples. I also have natural plant dyed locks, mixed in with the lovely purple/pinks. Etsy shop I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Masham earlier this month for the Open day, meeting lots of crafty folks and having the opportunity to talk to artists about their work, so much talent. I'm afraid I didn't take pictures, too busy chatting! A trip away is good to recharge the batteries, we also took the opportunity to visit our daughter and son in law, the soon to be new parents, this summer is going to be very exciting as we will be new grandparents!! Another project that has kept me busy this month is Paddington & Wellington, a commission, I don't do many commissions due to time, but I did enjoy this one very much. Artison Open Day
Masham, February 11th is Open Day. I am lucky enough to be travelling to this beautiful area and meeting lots of crafty folks. I believe there will be lots of tutors, creative things to see and buy too. If you are able to go please come and say hello, it would be lovely to meet you. Annis. An impressive parliament gathered on Saturday at Sooz in the Shed. Many feathery creations were made at my first workshop of 2018. The group did exceptionally well needle felting their individual owls. Pictured above are all the owls with some of the ladies, others are kneeling to prop up their owls in order to gather them together for the photos.
Pre class we sometimes have a little warm up stabbing out a felt picture or a 3D shape. I seem to have collected quite a few samples of work left, pictured above are some of the first attempts at needle felting, i think they are wonderful! Does anyone recognise theirs! Next workshop... Mad March Hares !! See you at Quirky !! Deliveries are under way for Christmas. It is a very busy time here at Handfelted but we are finally getting our stock in the shops and galleries! The reindeer are due in Viridian Gallery, Keswick tomorrow, this year they are much larger, last years reindeer were quite popular at Viridian. Hares will follow soon.
Santon Bridge craft shop and tea rooms have also taken delivery of snowmen, robins, santa and our new range of felted soaps which we are excited about, handmade soaps scented with Jasmine & Ylang, Lavender essential oils, Sea Breeze also unscented for those who are sensitive to fragrance, the soaps are then felted in soft merino and gift boxed. Gallery 2 in Windermere have felted owls in stock but shall also have some hares hopping down there very soon! The last workshop of this year is this coming Friday at Quirky workshop in Greystoke. We are making hares and I look forward to meeting the group for a busy felting day. Places are available for classes next year, please go to my workshop diary page for dates if you are interested. I do appreciate it when your creations are shared and I thought it would be nice to start sharing on this page. The first picture is from Marion, who attended one of my hare workshops then made this lovely hare at home . The Wuzels were made by Linda from one of my kits bought from my online shop, I think they are fab!
If you have any pictures of Handfelted Creations and would like to send them to me I'd love to share them here. Annis. Another doorstop class at Quirky workshops went well, the group were a chatty happy group and made a great job of their sheep as you can see below. This weekend brings another group together at Greystoke to make hares. The hare class which was introduced this year has been booked up so next year we will be holding more classes. My herdwick cushions are back, I have been wanting to make more and have made a slight change to my design.
Using herdwick wool kindly grown by Beatrice, a local herdy, her light grey colouring works well on the grey hares.
Lots of woolliness once again at Woolfest this year, I came away loaded with lots of lovely fleece, now they all need to be washed ! I have closed my on line shop but that's not to say you can't still order from me, just contact me and I can take your order and I will keep my Etsy and Folksy shops supplied also. I am selling mostly through my galleries and shops but I'd like to keep my work available for folks who can't reach these places, so this seems to be the way forward. I find Etsy and Folksy excellent ways to sell and they have some wonderful handmade items.
My gallery has images of my work please take a look, if it isn't available through Etsy and Folksy I'd be happy to take your order. Many thanks Annis. A wonderful group of ladies joined me at Quirky Workshops in Greystoke at the weekend to make their own needle felted hare, they all did amazingly well as you can see above. It was quite a long day but the sun was still shining at the end of the day so the hares posed for Annie in the lovely Tea garden ( thank you for the sharing the images Annie)There are more photos on my workshop pictures page here
Mad March hares but the year will continue with the madness as we introduce and make Izzy & Lizzie in our workshops this year, this will be a LOT of fun I'm sure, all the lovely wools are now stocked ready to work on, I can't wait!
Rusty the squirrel was introduced this year, he was made by request and is now available made to order as they take quite a long time to make , Viridian gallery in Keswick and Gallery 2 in Windermere have one each in stock also after that they may need to be ordered. I don't take on a lot of commission orderes but I have just completed one for a returning customer, he is called Mac and is a little Jack Russell, this was worked from photos, a excellent supply of all angles ensured I hopefully got all details correct for Mac, he is now gone home to meet the real (and ever so cute) Mac. There will be more workshop dates added soon to the Workshop diary and new venues, hopefully covering areas making it easier for all folks interested in needle felting to attend. Please keep checking my page for updates . I look forward to next weekend for the first hare workshop at Quirky workshops, if you are going I shall get to meet you very soon and see the returning ladies again from my doorstop class. Annis. |
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March 2024
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