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One Day Basket Making Course in Manchester

Some spaces still, on the next one day willow basket making course in Manchester. It’ll be on Saturday 23rd February, and held at my new studio at Cakebread Workshop in Manchester.

We’ll be weaving round and oval baskets using a mixture of willows, to make a shape of your own design.

No previous experience is necessary!1-P1710307-1

New courses for autumn winter and spring!

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Vegan Christmas Pop up Fair

This Fri and Sat, 16th and 17th, I’ll be running a free workshop at Vegan Organic Network’s Fair in Manchester, at Cross Street Chapel, down the road from the Royal Exchange. There’ll be loads of food and vegan goodies, music and good vibes see ya there…

We’ll be making platters..space on the workshop will be limited, come early

Willow platter

That time again already..?

It’s been a busy year, here’s a recent piece of work, a commission by University of Manchester to launch their 10,000 Actions environmental responsibility initiative. It’ll be on display on Oxford Road opposite Manchester Museum until Christmas.

10000 Actions

Willow Tree Christ the King RC Primary School

Just finished…the leaves were made with pupils and I wove the tree directly onto the wall, it’s fixed into place with hooks, drilled into the wall, up a ladder in the rain…

Tree sculpture Christ the King RC Primary School, Manchester

Appearance in UPPERCASE Magazine 24

This is an exciting start to the year for me, okay I know some of you actually started on the 1st January. In October last year, UPPERCASE Magazine invited me to be featured in their new issue which is just out. I’m really thrilled, it’s a fantastic and richly inspiring publication, based in Canada, and featuring creativity from everywhere. This quarterly’s theme is ‘creation and modification of surface’, check it out here – you can subscribe and they also stock it at Paperchase.24-cherry.jpg  

 

 

Issue 20

New basketry and willow sculpture courses in Manchester Jan-Mar 2015

There are dates for courses I’m running Jan-Mar in basketry and willow sculpture. Living willow sculpture courses are held in winter during the dormant period. On these courses, we build a structure together and included in the cost is willow to make your own at home.

A new course for this year is making living willow numbers for the garden…

Living willow numbers - St. Hugh's Primary School, Oldham

Living willow numbers – St. Hugh’s Primary School, Oldham

Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair 9th-12th October

The Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair begins this Friday at the Old Granada Studios in Manchester, the preview evening is Thursday. There will some 150 makers ranging from jewellry and textiles to ceramics and glass, and I’m really excited to be taking part.

I will be exhibiting new baskets made from willow worked on stoneware bases, so combining two loves.

Stoneware crank base with inlaid and sponged slips, buff and self dyed buff willow

Stoneware crank base with inlaid and sponged slips, buff and self dyed buff willow

Fitchwork and border with dyed and buff willow

Fitchwork and border with dyed and buff willow

I’ve been dyeing willow with fibre reactive dyes, I like the inconsistency of not being able to dye the whole length of the rod.

Stoneware base impressed with doily, coloured with slips and glazed

Stoneware base impressed with doily, coloured with slips. oxide and glaze

 

Dyed and buff willow on stoneware base decorated with glazes

Dyed and buff willow on stoneware base decorated with glazes

The one above alternates the dyed and buff rods, but in some baskets the arrangement is less formal.

I’m also excited and thrilled that Uppercase Magazine have invited me to be featured in the January issue. Uppercase Magazine is a quarterly Canadian publication – a magazine for the creative and the curious, and a rare joy in these digital times. Uppercase have very generously donated a year long subscription towards the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair’s Charity Prize Raffle – be sure to enter!
And hope to see you at the Fair!

 

New Course dates for 2014

There are new course dates for January to March 2014, and if you wish to buy a place for someone else as a present, then you can now buy a voucher from my Etsy.com shop, which is ALittleBitMorePlease.

Prestwich Clough Day, St Mary’s Park, Bury New Rd., Prestwich – Sunday 12th May – 12 till 5pm

I’ll be running a Willow Weaving Workshop again at this year’s Prestwich Clough Day. It’s always a popular event with an interesting range of stalls and entertainment, so if you’d like to have a taster at willow weaving, feel free to come by the stall…