There are a number of localised Trail Guides for Art Weeks. I’m involved in the Banbury and Villages Guide which you can view here:

https://www.artweeks.org/festival/trails

This means that you can have a nice day out wandering from one amazing artist to another, enjoying the variety of art forms as you go.

For instance, local to me is a spoon carver and two spotty artists (art work is spotty, not acne). Then a little further up the road is Cool Contours which has several different artists and artistic forms. So, follow the Banbury and villages guide and have a lovely day out. I’m sure I’m not the only one offering refreshments, but my lemon drizzle cake is rather good.

    Site 191

I am getting very excited about Oxfordshire Art Weeks which is rushing towards us. I am opening my studio for the very first time so am working hard to create lots of lovely colourful glass for visitors to look at. My studio opening dates are 13th – 15th May from 11am to 6pm.

I am delighted to say that I am also exhibiting at Banbury Museum Shop from 28th April. I will also have some glass pieces in the window of the old Moss Bros shop along with many other artists. This means that some of my glass will be in the town centre too.

For more information about Art Weeks as a whole see the website: http://www.artweeks.org. There are 450 artists exhibiting during three weeks of the event so there will be something for everyone, but, come and see me first!

Here are a few of my beach themed pieces.

    

See you soon

I get my inspiration for patterns and pieces from many different sources.On a recent episode of The Great Pottery Throwdown one of the potters made a clock with many different textures and shapes as in patchwork. I looked up some patchwork patterns and decided to make a plate with this in mind. The plate is 15cm square and is most certainly colourful

I  am working hard to produce my beach themed pieces and so far have lots of beach hut fridge magnets, stripey fish and lighthouses. These will be on sale alongside many other pieces at craft fairs throughout the year.

My first craft sale will be in Towcester on April 1st and then it will soon be Arts Week. I am site 191 if you manage to get a brochure. They will be available shortly so if you’d like one email me at cosycreativecrafts@hotmail.com. I will be producing a 2017 brochure nearer the time so keep watching.

Happy Daze

I have been planning this year’s glass products and creating my workshop list. I decided that I would have a theme for the 2017 products which is – The Beach. Not everything will be beach themed but I am hoping to be able to make a nice presentation at Craft Fairs. I have just started creating gifts and decorative goods and am looking forward to sharing them with you.

Meanwhile, if you would like to have a go at making something with glass and would like to come to one of my workshops please see the attached document. The workshops dates are by arrangement as I can take two or three guests each workshop session. It is a fascinating craft and you can make very colourful and beautiful things. There is the opportunity to bring your own ideas and create something completely unique under my guidance.

workshop-diary-no-dates-v2

I will be exhibiting in Oxfordshire Arts Weeks which I am very excited about. My studio will be open from 11am to 6pm on May 13th, 14th and 15th so come along and see for yourselves.

 

Here’s wishing everyone a Happy New Year.  I am looking forward to lots of crafting and I hope that some of it will be with friends.

As readers will know I had a new studio in July. We spent weeks painting and kitting it out but it  needed a new front door. It was fitted just before Christmas and then needed painting urgently to protect it against the weather. So, in July I got up at 5.30am to paint the inside of the building before the temperature rose to 30C, in December I was painting in 3C and frost. Somewhat different environment but just as challenging! Anyway, it is finished now and looking glorious.

I will be posting my new workshops in the next week so get your diaries ready and decide when you’d like to do something creative and exciting in 2017

I’ve just held my first workshop that doesn’t feature my friends. Two very happy people made stained glass Christmas Trees, one multicoloured and one different shades of green. It was a very happy morning and I hope to hold many more workshops where folk can try out new skills.

One of my friends and fellow crafters  (we have our own Whatsapp group) gave me few more suggestions too which, along with a few experiments I’ve been crafting should increase the number of different workshops I can provide next year.

Current ones on offer are:

Full day: £60 per person

1. Stained glass panel, copper foil technique;

2. Mosaic stepping stone.

Half day: £30 per person

3. Fused glass coasters;

4. Upcycling bottle glass fusing.

All workshops are bookable by just getting in touch by email. My studio has room for up to three people, or two for the copper foil technique so we can arrange a mutually agreeable date.

Come and be creative.

 

 

Actually, it’s still the same brochure but without the typo. One of my friends pointed it out so I decided I’d rather publish it without the typo…your challenge, if you choose to accept it is to find said typo! No prizes though.

I still seem to be knitting hats which are short projects if nothing else. My daughter is the Forest School teacher and, whilst they have spare gloves, don’t have spare hats. I expect it is to do with the transfer of nits (sorry of you are eating your dinner…..why are you on your computer whilst eating your dinner?…) but all the children will have one of their own at this rate anyway.

On the glass front I am about to attend several craft fairs, sometimes two a weekend, so if you are in the area come and see me.

5th November – Towcester Town Hall

12th November – Witney Corn Exchange

19th and 20th November – Cool Contours, near Banbury. In conjunction with Oxford Arts Week Christmas

26th November – Thame Town Hall

27th November – Cropredy Art Group Exhibition, Village Hall

3rd December – Towcester Town Hall

4th December – fall over in a heap and get ready for Christmas!

brochure-aut-2016

I am creating lots of new goodies in my studio and am enjoying using my kiln. I will publish some pictures later.

I’ve just spent a challenging day trying to adjust to the gain of an hour. No matter how hard I try I’m always confused. I feel sorry for everyone with little ones as they have no hope of knowing why times are different.

However, I also created my Christmas Brochure and updated my Autumn Brochure for glass ware so the day has been successful. Doing this makes me realise just how many new things I’ve made over the last couple of months. If you’d like to buy from it or place an order please email me at cosycreativecrafts@hotmail.com

brochure-aut-2016 christmas-brochure-2016

I am about to take my glass pieces to a variety of Craft Fairs so if you’d like to see them for real I’ll put a list on facebook.

 

I’ve just counted up my knitting throughput and I’ve knitted two baby cardigans, one little boy jumper, 6 baby hats and one adult hat. Not bad a for about 6 weeks!

I seem to like knitting with multicoloured wool! The top two cardigans are from a brand of varied wool that come in loads of lovely colours – you never quite know how the finished garment is going to look because it depends on its size.

The hats shown are a pattern that one of my daughters particularly like as they have ear muffs. This year I’ve knitted one each in the same wool as jumpers – co-ordinated knitting for toddlers, wow, whatever next? The other two hats are similar colours to the first so that Mummy or Daddy can work out which one is for which boy. I have orders for two more because they get lost. I have knitted plain hats, bobble type for my other daughter’s little one but forgot to photograph them  before sending them off.

If you’d like some multicoloured garments for your little one the prices are:

6-12 or 12-18 months -£16 for the cardigan , £20 for the hoodie
2-3 years – £20 for cardigan, £25 for hoodie

Hats  – £8

If you would like to order please contact me at cosycreativecrafts@hotmail.com. Please state the item, age and colour preference. Payments are by Paypal

Meanwhile I’d better get knitting, still one and a half hats to knit!

 

Last Monday we had the Grand Opening of my new studio – hence the ribbon. Whilst there is still external painting to be done the inside is pretty well complete

I have also made a path of stepping stones that lead to the studio –  more of those another time

The space inside is generous – indeed 6 of us sat down to eat lunch (the only time we’ll ever do that). It is a light, bright space and is craft inducing. I will be moving my glass and stores around the Studio for a while until I find the best places to put things but that’s normal with any new space. If you’d like to come and see it I am holding an Open Studio on the 24th September when I will be demonstrating the copper foil technique, selling my glass gifts and providing refreshments with donations to the Oxford Breast Imaging Centre. There will be an opportunity to sign up for workshops too if you’d like to participate in being creative. If you’d like to come and join in the day please get in touch via cosycreativecrafts@hotmail.com.

More news coming soon