Tandridge Handicraft Society Talk/Demonstration

I was invited to give a demonstration and talk on creative felting to the Tandridge Handicraft Society, an Oxted-based group who meet every Monday to share and practise their different crafts. Every month they also have a talk or demonstration on a different craft from an artist or tutor, so I was very pleased to be asked along to do just that. So I spent an enjoyable couple of hours this Monday demonstrating wet felting - but felting with a bit of a twist, the focus being on adding in other things to the felt as part of the process, ie fibres, wool yarns and fabric. It was great to talk to such an interested group of people (about 40 ladies), who asked lots of questions and seemed to enjoy hearing about this different aspect of felting. Thank you to everyone who came along!

New Clutch Bag Workshop

Had a great day on Saturday making embellished felt clutch bags with 3 talented felters. This was a new workshop and we were all really pleased with how well the bags turned out - as you can see!

If you would like to come and learn how to make these, just drop me a line for details and dates (email: natashasmartdesign@yahoo.co.uk).

Surrey Artist of the Year 2010 - Results!

Well the Surrey Artist of the Year was announced at an evening reception on 7 October. I didn't win, but I was very pleased to find that I'd sold a piece (the fossil necklace) and also that someone would like to commission me to make a bag along the lines of the lily journal I had made. Have a look at the New Ashgate Gallery website here (http://www.newashgate.org.uk/pages/event/295.html) for details of all the pieces in the show (click on a photo to enlarge) and which ones were sold. Overall it was a great experience to be involved in the whole event and make a small collection of pieces for a show. So thanks again to everyone who voted for me!

Workshops and their hidden surprises!

Attended an excellent workshop on Sunday with tutor Carole Waddle and 6 talented felters, as part of the International Feltmakers Association/Feltmakers Lacemakers Embroiderers Weavers Spinners Group (both co-ordinated by Joan Braganza). The workshop was entitled 'Hidden Depths' and was all about layering up different colours of fleece and then cutting back into it after felting to reveal new colours underneath. We used plastic resists to create pockets hidden within the felt (which we could again cut into to reveal new colours) and also to part-attach yarns to the fleece, so they were attached by their ends but were otherwise left loose or hanging where the resist was. Really interesting techniques, and we all enjoyed playing with the Norwegian fleece we used (bit different to the usual Merino). Photo here of the results - I've still got more cutting to do on mine, so I'll post some before and after photos once I've done a bit more.

And more hidden surprises when I got home that day. A lady called Sonia had attended a mini journal workshop with me back in June (see previous posting) but not had a chance to turn her piece of felt into a journal. Well once she'd got home she decided to make a sewing kit with her felt instead - and on Sunday she sent me the results as you can see here. Great idea - and it's always inspiring to see what other people come up with from the same basic idea or material.

Surrey Artist of the Year 2010 - Photo Update

Surrey Artist of the Year 2010 Update

Last Friday night saw the preview show for the Baines Surrey Artist of the Year 2010 exhibition, at the New Ashgate Gallery in Farnham (see my post of 17 August 2010). I was really looking forward to seeing whether all 4 of my pieces were in the show and how they'd been displayed, and also what the other artists' work was like. It was a busy night with lots of visitors, and the range and standard of all the work on show was very impressive - quite how the public and the judges are going to decide between them all (ie paintings, sculpture, glass, ceramics, textiles) is anyone's guess. Do visit the gallery and vote for your favourite artist if you can (the exhibition is on til 7 October, and the gallery itself has lots of other lovely work on display and for sale).

Alpaca Open Day

Had a great day on Saturday at the Alpaca Open Day, demonstrating feltmaking with alpaca fleece. It was a really busy day (over 1000 visitors), and there was lots of interest in the animals themselves (including other animals like the cute baby donkey you can see here, with alpacas in the background) as well as all the different things you can do with alpaca fleece, eg spinning, knitting and feltmaking. An interesting change for me as I've never demonstrated all day like this before, but I really enjoyed it and look forward to having another go next year. Thanks to everyone who came along and said hello, and also to all the visitors who collectively raised over £1000 for charity!