Toni – CG Crafts

Summer is here…or is it?

July 23, 2024 ToniLeave a comment

Well it’s certainly warm isn’t it?

As usual, I have had all these plans to write a regular blog and they all go out the window as time evaporates around me.

This last year has been so busy trying to navigate teaching accredited classes for the ACL (19+ education – what a lot of people know as the old adult evening classes). I have learnt how to write a scheme of work for Silver Clay, administer evidence for the examiner and tackle the admin that goes hand in hand with teaching at a college – it’s been most time-consuming. Plus then all the usual prep that goes into writing lesson plans and preparing examples…still I survived. Plus my eldest daughter, Harriet has been doing her GCSEs and that has been stressful (although she works really hard, I just felt like I was taking the exams with her).

The new courses for the ACL are now online. I have a Tuesday day class in Basildon which is the Level 1 in Silver Clay and a Thursday day class in Colchester also a level 1 class in Silver Clay – if you search the ACL website for Silver clay they should come up with the following course codes:

Basildon link

Colchester Link

I will also be running a mindfulness art class running in Basildon on a Tuesday evening – more info as I find out.

The Seasons art classes have moved to a new location this term and once more we are on the move! Hopefully to a more comfortable location at Tiptree Community Centre, where we can offer tea and cake and lots of art. The new term will start on 2nd September or 4th September. They are 3 hour classes and the 14 week term includes drawing, oil pastels, watercolour, acrylic, mount work and an exhibition. To book for our classes contact 01621 8181593 mention that you’ve got the details from this website an that you’d like to book the Tiptree class., or take a look at this Facebook link

Toni’s one-to-one classes

My tailored classes are still running in my garden workshop. I offer dates to suit and can offer a discount per person if more that one person books. If you are interested in learning, or building on your skills in any of the following, do get in touch:

Enamelling

Silver Jewellery (silver clay)

Encaustic art

Feltmaking

Making glass beads

Other venues

I also have a few classes booked elsewhere.

Watershed studios, St Osyth – 01255 820466

Tuesday 13th August – Silver Clay jewellery at the lovely Watershed studio

Saturday 5th October – Enamelled Jewellery and kiln fired pictures at Watershed studio

That’s all for now with my updates. I’ll soon be blogging about my Silversmithing diploma, which I am starting in September, run by At the Bench Academy, I can’t wait to get started but I really do need to find that time machine to make sure I have the opportunity to fit everything in.

Meanwhile, I’m planning to have lots of fun with my girls over the summer, visiting friends, camping, and not thinking about those exam results.

What plans do you have for summer?

Hope to see you soon, Toni

Busy, busy, busy

May 1, 2024May 1, 2024 ToniLeave a comment

Sometimes it seems like I fall off the edge of the cliff in terms of updating the website, so I thought I would just pop on now and say I am still here, busily working on various projects and hoping to soon get a little time to add some new dates to the website.
Over the last few months, I have successfully run 2 accredited classes, which I wrote myself. My students were extraordinary – they had so many skills to bring to the class and so many ideas, that I found teaching them an amazing experience. I will share some of the pictures of their work in this post. I have also recently won an art competition that was close to my heart as it was about the climate crisis – I used a piece I made in my level 2 art award (higher GCSE level). Speaking of art, our 14-week art class at The Seasons (Tiptree and Witham) has just started up again and we have a record number of new students, we’ve just finished sketching and I cannot wait to get them started on oil pastels.
We are now at the serious end of school for my eldest daughter – as I write she is halfway through her Graphics exam (and enjoying it) many more exams to go though. Mimi is just about to do her D of E expedition.
So it is a time of stress, decision-making (which jobs are actually worth it) and hoping the weather gets better, so I can tackle the enchanted forest that is my back garden…especially as I have a few classes coming up in my garden workshop. Oh, and I need to get back to my writing work – this reformation piece isn’t going to write itself.
When you read all that back, no wonder I am tired. 🙂
That’s all for now, hope all is good with you. If you are interested in classes, do get in touch.
Toni x

2024 dates

December 21, 2023 ToniLeave a comment

Just updating the diary for 2024 so if you are after last-minute present ideas, or looking to take up a new skill next year, do get in touch. Prices listed on website are for 1 to 1 but discounted prices are available when booking 2 or more people so please ask about this.

CG CRAFTS, Colchester (booking 07847 098849) or click here

Sat 30th March – Encaustic Art

Fri 19th April – Silver Clay Beginners

Sat 20th April – Enamelling Beginners

Fri 26th April – Enamelling Beginners

Sat 27th April – Silver Clay Beginners

Fri 10th May – Flamework (Making glass beads)

Sat 11th May – Encaustic Art

Fri 24th May – Feltmaking – needle and wet felting

The Seasons art classes

I teach a 14 week class covering Drawing, oil pastels, watercolour and acrylics. The class currently takes place at The Oaks Golf Course, Rivenhall Essex. Click here to find out more on our Facebook page or call 01621 818 593

19+ Adult Learning at ACL

I am now teaching weekly Metal (Fine Silver) clay classes at Basildon ACL

The Thursday classes are accredited which means they are funded if you meet the criteria, plus you get a shiny certificate at the end. The listings are a little confusing at present as the courses are quite new but if you are interested and can’t find the course let me know and I’ll do my best to help.

Watershed Studio, St Osyth – 01255 820466 or click here

Sat 16th March – Silver Clay Jewellery

Sat 29th June – Felt Making Landscapes using wet felt

Sat 7th Oct – Enamelling

Long term Creativity

October 18, 2023 ToniLeave a comment

Adapting
We now have two C words that we use with trepidation (well o.k there are more) and I apologise in advance for mentioning Covid and Christmas.

Since covid, we’ve all had to adapt, one of the things I have done is increase opportunities to teach longer-term classes. I love teaching one-day classes but the opportunity to help students build on their skills and reflect about their learning is really lovely for me as a teacher.

I do continue to teach one-day classes in fact the last 10 days have been truly unique in that I have taught Enamelling, Silver clay, Scratch coding, Oil pastels, Watercolour and Acrylics! I have been to Basildon, Witham, Waltham Cross and St Osyth! It almost seems like an opportunity to write a short story about a series of crimes that have taken place in seemingly unconnected places….

Art Classes in Witham
I love teaching the 14 week art class with Seasonsartclassestiptreeandwitham – these are opportunities to build on all those skills you may have never learnt at school – drawing (using grids, perspective etc), oil pastels, watercolour and acrylic – with tips and inspiration along the way. The classes are also an opportunity to learn in a lovely, friendly environment – often our students become friends who lunch after the class – we love that. The next term starts on 4th December, with a break for Christmas and New Year.

ACL Basildon
I am also delighted to be running weekly Silversmithing with Metal Clay classes at Basildon ACL. The accredited courses starting at Entry level (2nd November) and moving on to Level 1 and level 2, will cover a range of techniques such as building bails, embedding gem stones, applying patina and once we get to level 2 we will also look at some cross over skills to more traditional silversmithing including soldering. The non accredited courses will follow a similar pattern but do not offer funding opportunities, once the courses get more popular we hope to run an evening course too.

One-Day classes
I still offer one-day courses in Enamelling, Silver clay, Feltmaking, Encaustic art and Flamework, so if you are interested in any of those get in touch, this year as I’ve been busy getting used to teaching regular classes, I have tended to try to fit dates to suit as students enquire about them, I will add some more to the calendar for next year. This is where Christmas comes in…I’ve been told that classes make lovely presents, so on my website (if you so wish) you can signpost your loved ones towards gift vouchers for classes, or indeed buy for a friend – I do offer discounts per person on my classes if you book for 2 or 3 people (email me about this). Tailored gift letters are provided for you to pass on to the gift recipient.

I also run classes for other venues (if I like them).

The next class I have coming up is at Benchspace, Brightlingsea. Enamelling on Silver clay which is running on 28th October. This is an opportunity to design your silver clay jewellery whilst considering how to apply glass (enamel) to add to the design.

I am also teaching a silver clay day at the lovely FSC Flatford Mill on 2nd December.

There is around £60 worth of materials included in the course fee, giving you the chance to make 2 to 3 pieces of jewellery. We’ll be looking at two different techniques during this class.

Making a silver leaf using silver paste
Creating a piece of jewellery that incorporates fireable gemstones.
Adding patina (Suitable for beginners and improvers)

Next year I will continue to run classes for Watershed studios in St Osyth. The 2024 programme can be found here.

That’s my current summing up of classes, any questions please do ask.
Thanks for your continued support, Toni x

A quick update

August 9, 2023 Toni2 Comments

Life has, as usual got a bit busy, so I just wanted to quickly update you on forthcoming dates and news.

Firstly the most exciting thing is that Harriet is currently rehearsing and will be in a play at the Mercury theatre, next weekend (17th – 19th August). https://www.mercurytheatre.co.uk/event/myc-show-gogols-underdogs/

Secondly, we are now in our third season at The Seasons Art Classes in Witham. These are great classes for beginners, for those who lack artistic confidence, or for people looking for company whilst being creative. https://www.artclass-tiptreewitham.com/

Thirdly, I am now working with Benchspace silver school in Brightlingsea and my first class will be on Sunday (13th August). We’re hoping to run lots of follow on courses to build up your skills – if there is enough interest. https://bench-space.com/classes/

I have just completed the level 2 Art and Design course at ACL Colchester and we’ll be having an end of course exhibition at the minories pop up in the centre of town (18 Long Wyre St, near The Works) starting on 12th August. This is the link to the info on Facebook – https://fb.me/e/18Ts3dC2S

And finally, I am pleased to tell you that I will soon be teaching for ACL Basildon (once the paperwork is completed). This will be a Silversmithing with Metal clay course and will start with taster sessions but will hopefully move on to level 1 and level 2 certification – some spaces will even be funded. More info about that once we’re in action.

I hope you are making the best of the summer, if you are looking for weather-friendly ideas this is what I have coming up, and don’t forget, where I can I will also organise dates to suit. Hope to see you soon, Toni

www.cgcrafts.co.uk

CG CRAFTS, Colchester (booking 07847 098849)
23rd Sept – Silver Clay Jewellery beginners at CG Crafts FULL
14th Oct – Encaustic art at CG Crafts
4th Nov – Silver Clay beginners at CG Crafts

FSC Flatford Mill – (Booking FSC 01206 297110)
8th – 10th Sept – Silver Clay and Enamelling Jewellery weekend
2nd Dec – Silver Clay jewellery day

Bench Space, Brightlingsea (booking 07855 768017)
13th Sept – Silver Clay Jewellery – FULL
30th Sept – Enamelled Jewellery day
28th Oct – Enamelling on Silver clay

Watershed Studio, St Osyth
7th October – Enamelling day (01255 820466)

Essex Classes

May 9, 2023May 9, 2023 ToniLeave a comment

I am really excited to update you that the next lot of Seasons Art classes which will start at the end of July are being planned. The gallery shows a selection of what the students have learnt over the 14 week classes. Starting with drawing techniques we build up the basic building blocks and then move on to oil pastels, watercolour and finally acrylics before completing our time with a session to mount our pieces and then the exhibition – which is an opportunity to enjoy the work created over the 14 weeks. If you’d like to know more message me and I can pass on booking details or you can take a look at our website which will be available for bookings soon.

Classes coming up

Other Classes coming up
As usual get in touch if you’d like to book a class in my garden workshop or click on the links below to book directly with venues
CG Crafts, Colchester – dates and times to suit
Pink Parrot Pottery – Silver clay with embedded gemstones on Saturday 3rd June
Pink Parrot Pottery – Encaustic art on Saturday 15th July
EJ Art Creative, Woodbridge – Silver clay layered pendant on Saturday 24th June
FSC Flatford Mill, East Bergholt – Silver Clay day on Saturday 1st July
Watershed Studio, St Osyth – Feltmaking: creating landscapes using felting techniques on Tuesday 18th July

art classes, colchester classes, enamelling classes, encaustic, essex classes, Jewellery classes, learnsomething new, mindfulness, seasons art classes, Silver Clay, witham classes

New Course dates up

December 14, 2022 Toni4 Comments

Just a quick post to update you on my course dates until April. Just in case Father Christmas needs to know. You can book online here (or via venue if not CG Crafts).

Tailored Classes

Any classes listed for CG Crafts can be tailored to suit, so if you want to do a specific technique do ask – these may be subject to a slightly increased materials cost if needed.

January

Sat 14^th January – Silver Clay – CG Crafts FULL

Sun 15th January – Encaustic art – CG CRAFTS FULL

Sat 21^st January – Enamelling Class – CG Crafts

Sat 28^th January – Silver Clay – CG Crafts

February

Sat 4^th February – Enamelling – CG Crafts

Sat 12^th February – Silver Clay – CG Crafts

Sat 18^th Feb – Enamelling – CG Crafts

March

Sat 4^th March – Silver Clay – CG Crafts

Tues 7th March – Enamelling at Watershed Studio – Focussing on Sgrafitto and Swirling

Fri 10^th March – Encaustic Art – CG Crafts

Sat 11^th March – Felt – CG Crafts

Mon 13^th March – Silver Clay – CG Crafts

Fri 17^th March – Enamelling – CG Crafts

Sat 18^th March – Encaustic Art – CG Crafts

Mon 20^th March – Enamelling – CG Crafts

Mon 27^th March – Encaustic art – CG Crafts

Thurs 30th March – Flamework – CGCrafts FULL

Fri 31^st March – Flamework – CG Crafts

April

Sat 1st April – Silver Clay – CG Crafts

14th – 16th – Jewellery Making at FSC Flatford Mill – Enamelling and Silver Clay classes in a lovely historical setting. Available for residential and non residential.

Fri 21st April – Enamelling – CG Crafts FULL

Sat 22nd April – Enamelliing – CG Crafts

Regular Art

November 30, 2022November 30, 2022 ToniLeave a comment

No matter what my good intentions are, something always gets in the way of writing regular blog posts! Well here is an update on what has been going on in the past month or so.

In October I started teaching art for The Seasons Art Classes – Witham and Tiptree. It is a 14 week foundation class in art and covers the basics of drawing, pastels, watercolour and acrylic – the course Manager, Tyler and myself cannot wait until week 14 which is exhibition week – it is so lovely to watch student’s confidence grow in these classes. It is also quite a challenge for me to use a flipchart to demonstrate – I’ve never taught such a big class before. If you are interested in learning more, get in touch and I can pass on the details.

I’ve also continued to teach my specialist craft classes at home which includes: enamelling, silver clay, feltmaking, encaustic art and flamework. I gave a talk to a lovely W.I group about ironing – well encaustic art ironing, and I managed to drop off some new handcrafted cards and jewellery to Dedham Art and Craft Centre – if you’ve never been do go, there are plenty of unique presents to be found.

I’m still in the process of updating the website for dates next year, but don’t forget if there is a suitable date listed you can always buy a gift voucher and contact me to organise a date to suit.

Anyway hopefully, I’ll update again soon. Happy Crafting, Toni x

New dates being added

October 12, 2022 ToniLeave a comment

Just in the process of adding dates for 2023. Anything you’d like to see on the programme? Do let me know. Dates are on the class dates page and will be slowly added to booking pages over the next week.

Read all about it in The Standard

September 28, 2022 ToniLeave a comment

I’m still trying to find my feet again now the girls are back to school and to be honest, after nearly two years, I am struggling to adjust to not teaching at the Dementia art group every week. It was so lovely to see the impact on the clients and also it was just good fun, anyway here’s an article that was written about my work at Tapestry Care. The article appeared last week in the Evening Standard. Link to article. If you do know of any elderly groups who may benefit from some of my art sessions, or any other groups come to that, do please get in touch. I can do regular classes or one-off sessions. Happy to discuss budget. I do still offer my more specialised classes too but they aren’t always suitable for groups with a variety of additional needs. Email me.