October already

Once again time has flown by and what was supposed to be a regular blog post is now a couple of months behind. In my defense we have been having a fabulous summer visiting umpteen castles, fighting dinosaurs, crafting, camping and having adventures. Then year 6 kicked in (first trip away from home, 11+, secondary school visits). Finally this week I feel like I am getting back to my to do’s to do list!

Photos from recent classes

Flamework – making glass beads class
Enamelling class
Needlefelting class

So I thought I would start by sharing the news that I am now a calendar girl – in case you’ve missed the announcement and red carpet affair!  I am really delighted to announce that my work was successfully submitted and I am now Miss December in the new PMC Studio Calendar 2019! Here’s a sneaky peak but don’t worry all work is appropriately dressed! 🙂 Copies can be obtained from The PMC Studio …or I think it might be available with an order if you buy your silver clay from them.

Speaking of calendars

Sssshhhh – Christmas is coming….


As it is getting to that time in the year when people start thinking about presents…oh yes! I just wanted to remind you that I offer craft courses vouchers, so if you are stuck for a Christmas present idea… you can either book on my website, or contact me directly. Either way I will send you a personalised gift letter with details of the chosen class and how to book a date to suit. Or perhaps you’d like to suggest to someone what class you’d like to take…

Classes are available in the following crafts – prices vary depending on whether you are booking a class for 1 or 2 but range from around £55 for a half day (Felt or Encaustic art) to £125 for a silver clay rings class. Do email me regarding prices.

Silver clay: Beginners. Rings. Using Syringe and silver sheet clay

Enamelling: Beginners and Further techniques, including cloisonne

Flamework beads: Making glass beads. Beginners and follow ups including sculptural animals.

Encaustic art: Beginners

Feltmaking: Wet felting. Needlefelting or both.

I can also do a general gift letter detailing what is available if you aren’t sure what a person would pick – I can do shorter taster classes if necessary.

What’s coming up at Curly Girly Crafts

I have a busy few months coming up with weekends virtually all booked here at CG Crafts until Christmas. Below are details of venues/classes with some availability.

  • If you live in the Sudbury Area I am teaching Enamelling on Sunday 21st October at Simply Handmade –
    book here
  • I will be helping the Guild of Enamellers again at ExCel during the Hobbycraft show in November – I think it runs from 15th to 17th November and I will be there on Friday 16th, come and say hello – the 30 minute taster session is only about £5!
  • Saturday 24th November and Saturday 15th December are currently free for students to book a class – get in touch if you fancy a Saturday class in any of the crafts I offer.
  • I am teaching at FSC Flatford Mill on 1st (Enamelling) and 2nd December (Christmas Feltmaking) – Booking page
  • I also offer weekdays for classes so get in touch if you’d like to book a date to suit – usually Tuesday, Thursdays or Fridays are best.  Price per person is reduced if more than one person comes.

And finally…I am doing a little bit of learning myself this term. I have just enrolled in pottery.  I’ll let you know how that goes.

Happy crafting and if you have any questions please do get in touch.

Toni

 

 

Where does the time go?

I am always amazed at how quickly time flies, especially at this time of year. One minute we are settling the children in after the summer holidays and the next minute, the planning for our families November birthdays and then Christmas events galore…it seems only moments ago I thought I had ages to get my prototypes made for Christmas fairs…to be fair for once I have actually made some Christmas themed jewellery but never in the amount I was planning….ah well there’s always next year!

I thought I’d share a few photos from some recent classes/events with you.

Last week I taught at the beautiful Flatford Mill (Constable country), we did a full day of Encaustic art and these are some of the resulting pictures. For next year’s classes at Flatford Mill see their website.

I also helped run some taster sessions at the Craft event at ExCel London, last Friday, resulting in some lovely enamelled pieces.

Plus there’s the classes in my garden workshop, recently I have done some Encaustic classes as well as a tailoring a class to a request for enamelling on silver clay and embedding stones.   I really love the clock, which was made using a mould and an old piece of costume jewellery.

Don’t forget all of these classes can be booked either on my website or by emailing me so that we can tailor dates and times to suit. Prices per person are reduced the more people that attend, a perfect excuse to bring a friend or two.  Gift vouchers are also available directly from me – I write you a gift letter, detailing the class and how to book.

 

 

Lots of lovely Fish beads

The last couple of weeks have been consumed with tennis in my household and a few little bits in between including two sports days at school (at least I’ll only have to do the Mum’s race once next year!)

I’m now tackling the garden before my silver clay students arrive next week and have to fight through the Forbidden Forest to get to the workshop!

Thought I’d share my glass fish beads that I made recently – any thoughts on what to make with them?

Creative students everywhere

Once again I have had a busy few weeks in my craft workshop, the most popular class at the moment seems to be silver clay – which is fab as I get to make pieces along with my students and so have had the opportunity to build my skills and try out new things – mainly inspired by the new Sue Heaser book on charms, which is on offer at the Works at the moment. I love Sue Heaser books, she is my silver clay inspiration!  I have also run several enamelling classes and even a combination of the two at FSC Flatford Mill, which is always a fabulous weekend combining crafts, cake and lovely Constable landscapes – it was even Constables birthday so we had a brass band accompaniment! Anyway enough chat for now I will add some photos of work done in classes and later this week I will post up the summer school dates which are booking fast!  Happy Crafting in the sunshine today. #Craftclasseswith Toni #Learnsomethingnew #Learnmagicalsilverclay #Creatingenamelledjewellery

 

Flaming Flamework day

What lovely hot weather today…what lovely weather to be doing Flamework…mmm maybe not but who doesn’t love a bit of Flamework? I had a lovely day with all my students, passing on the secrets of making glass beads and despite the heat some fantastic beads were made, we melted almost as much as the glass.
This morning http://laparkan.com/buy-vardenafil/ Michelle’s birthday group joined me to make some stunning beads, mainly using blues, greens and purples.

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In the afternoon Sue joined me; using her Christmas present voucher. That Teale blue was popular again, maybe it’s the sunshine making us pine for oceans of blue?

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Fab work everyone!