Wonderful Weekday Workshop

Today has been pretty good for me.  I woke up and the sun was shining and as night falls it is shining, albeit sleepily, still.  I ran a workshop in the most stunning location yet, Chaffeymoor Grange at Bourton inWiltshire.  The workshop was part of a reward / chill-out day for the dedicated and hard-working staff of a well-known local company geared towards helping others (I will post the name of the company if given permission).  The group was made up of staff from all departments and the mood was relaxed and jovial, lots of banter and laughter interspersed with intense moments of silence and concentration.  I LOVED IT, and what made the whole thing even more enjoyable for me was the very clear pride each individual had on their face at the end of the session.  Real delight and surprise at what they had created out of simple driftwood and debris from our very own beaches.  And the clincher for me??? "I wonder if the other groups had as much fun as we did?".  "I hope not!"  says I...

Busy Doing Nothing...

Half term is nearly over and what a busy time it has been...doing not very much really.  Well, not very much in the way of my Driftwood and Debris work.  The Diamond Jubilee and my children have taken priority, as they should, and it has been a ball!  We have begun to decorate the Wendy house (inside) in a jungle theme (my eldest came up with the idea) which has involved copious amounts of paint, glue and coloured paper.  Naturally, this is a much bigger project than it first appeared and we have a way to go before it's done - still, it is looking good so far.  The weather has been...changeable, but my girls have been bonny throughout.  We went to the Hay Festival and attended a talk by Francesca Simon, the Horrid Henry author, we bar-be-cued, we planted up a new herb bed, we went for tea and cake, we visited my mother's farm (always fun), we walked the dogs (a lot), we danced, we sang, we joked, we laughed, and yes, there were some tears (but not too many) and we celebrated our lovely Queen's Diamond Jubilee!  It's been a good half term!



There's Debris and then there's DEBRIS!

If you must use a syringe (for whatever reason) please use it responsibly - that is all.

Please take your litter home with you!

You Live and (hopefully) Learn!

I took part in my first 'Craft Market' last weekend and ended up out of pocket and somewhat disheartened by the whole affair.  I had spent the previous couple of weeks frantically making mirrors, sunbursts and hearts and managed to deplete my hard-sought stocks of shells and wood in the process.  I was stupidly nervous too but did, at least, have my six and a half year old daughter Daisy as my stall companion - she was a star (naturally) and helped with the setting up and putting away of all the stock.  She has an eye for display and was a real help in arranging the stall - particularly the decoupage hearts which I had made in order to have some attractive, yet cheaper, items on my stall.  Sadly, the weather was not on our side and the footfall was negligible.  On the plus side I did get some great compliments on my work and invaluable advice from fellow stallholders. 

What I have learnt from this experience is that I need to plan ahead...way ahead.  I checked out the Bath Christmas Market (already fully booked) and our local Cuckoo Spring Fair (I am on the waiting list for 2013) - given the current weather forecast I am not too miffed about the Fair!

My workshops work - they are fun and I do not end up out of pocket.  My clients get completely engaged in the creation of their own work of art and the atmosphere is relaxed and slightly magical.  I generally end up in awe of the people I meet and happy to have cheered up someone's day - THAT is a GREAT feeling!

That said, I have not given up on special events.  I am sure there is a market out there for my 'stuff', I just need to find it!

It's all in the Timing!

Never mind stocking up on petrol and water - what next, really?!  It's the Easter holidays and I have been ferrying the kids to and fro, buying school shoes and doing a spot of Spring cleaning, gardening, and the like.  My driftwood workshop is currently doubling up as a seedling nursery, until the weather is kind enough to let them move to the greenhouse outside, so I am having to be 'creative' with the space I have left.  I am rapidly running out of space, especially since I've had to 'pot-on' the first batch of seedlings that were rapidly outgrowing their little cells.  My poor stepson's bed is now covered in baby plants - luckily without him in it!  I will have it all fresh and lovely before he next comes to stay...

What has become apparent, with all this re-organising of space, is that I am extremely low on materials and, while there are no immediate workshops in the offing, I do need to build a few stock items for a couple of 'events' I plan to attend - the first of which is in just 2 weeks time.  I am awaiting delivery of some base heart and circle shapes but have little to decorate them with - time is going to be tight and I need to get my skates on collecting, making and creating.  Nothing like a bit of pressure to get one going!

So, having been away last week when the weather was stunning I had planned to take a trip down to the coast one day this week.  Today (this morning at least) is lovely but I have to wait in for a recorded delivery (typical) so I am pinning my hopes on a favourable weather window tomorrow since the forecast into the weekend is not pretty.  Fingers crossed I can replenish my supplies tomorrow when I will be ably assisted by my two girls! 



A bit of fun!

I was busy making up some samples today when my youngest daughter wandered in and asked if she could join in.  I figured she could use a shape I'd decided not to use and so she was let loose on the dolphin!  A few minutes later the 6 year old came in and decided she'd like to decorate the anchor.  Then, together, they created a pretty little star and embellished it further with some colourful beads left over from a jewellery-making session yesterday.  Daisy (the 6 year old) declared today to be one of the best days of her life (she had a birthday party to go to later in the day too) and wished that every day could be as good.  Who'd have thought sticking bits of wood and shells to some MDF could be so much fun and keep the little ones quiet for over an hour!  What clever little girls!



The Shape of Things to Come?

I've run a few workshops now and it very soon became apparent that some of the participants would like to make something similar to the mirrors but not necessarily the same!  Something that would marry nicely with the mirror and carry on the Driftwood theme.  With this in mind I have commissioned a few 'shapes' which I will adorn with driftwood and shells and whatever else I may have to hand.  These 'shapes' will form a new arm of Driftwood and Debris and hopefully generate new and further business for my workshops and the odd craft fair/event as the year draws on.  Thus far, I have put together a pretty little driftwood heart (pictures below) - this should be relatively easy to re-create in a workshop environment and have a universal appeal.  Other creations to follow soon!
 

Driftwood Heart adorned with Oyster, Razor and Cockle Shells

 

Dridtwood Heart (Back)



Driftwood Heart (Front)