Category: Classes & Workshops

So Retro!

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A selection of handmade teacozies n bright retro fabrics made at Tuftydawn DesignsRetro & Vintage Fair.

The Retro and Vintage Fair at Quendon Village Hall on Saturday went rather well. I sold some of the crafts I’d made from vintage fabrics which was lovely, some clothes,  vintage tools and home wares and a rather fabulous chunky silver crucifix which I used to wear in my Goth days! It was the first time they’d had an event there and it was great- lots of vintage clothes. I was very good and only spent money on cups of tea!!

Crochet Classes

Crochet Classes have started up again in the Quaker HallPale yellow crocheted duckling on a green William Morris fabric background. and at people’s request we’re getting a bit Easter-ish already by making these cute ducklings. We may try some butterflies too..

My own crochet project (Frida’s Flowers) is also coming along well. It’s going to be a time consuming project but I’m in it for the long haul! Is anyone else tempted to race ahead to the next block before finishing all the ones in the set?!Several different crochet blocks from the Frida's Flowers blanket. I must make sure I go back to the beginning and do all the purple ones first before continuing with the blocks with all the colour changes!! We’ll see if I do…

 

Holiday Happiness!

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Holiday happiness is…

Well, holiday happiness is obviously having a morning lie in! Of course the sunny weather and crafting helps too!

Met up with fellow crafters in a local pub as our end of term get together- lovely to sit out in the garden and chat.

Kids craft classes has produced some great work – especially my home craft visits. Look at these two cheeky decoupage animals- really fun. Gino was especially pleased with the twisted paper tail on his hippo.

Painted model of a bird made of card, feathers and paint made at the Tuftydawn Designs studio.Nathan worked hard practically all day to make this fab Summer cushion. He had some experience of a sewing machine and got to grips with a different machine really easily. Rainbow striped cushion with pink ric rac border, hite felt clouds, sequin raindropsand a pink felt sun made at the Tuftydawn Designs studio.He also learnt how to tie a knot in the end of the thread, how to measure and assemble a simple cushion cover and he tried chain stitch. Phew! He needed his cushion for a rest!!

Other Kids Crafternoons this week include more decoupage animals, sewing and crazy bird models. Book if you want a place!

Other Art News!

This week saw the private view of the Further Ideas In Sculpture exhibition at Courtyard Arts Gallery in Hertford which I have three pieces in. Everyone’s work looked great and I think the many people that came to the private view were impressed. I was really pleased with how my work looked and enjoyed talking to people about it. I’ll try and put a little AV presentation together but meanwhile here’s a taster!

 

 

Back To Crafting

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Finally back to crafting!

Crocheted Frida's Flowers Hexagon in purple, cream and green yarn.

Feels like ages since I’ve been in the studio and it was nice to be back making. I’d spent two weekends on a paediatric first aid course which was essential to my usual job and actually interesting and fun!

In the studio I had a good clear up and felt better for it. I wrestled with my sewing machine trying to complete a piece of embroidery on some water dissolvable fabric. I decided to put it aside for a while because it was too annoying!

I also started on another Frida’s Flowers crochet block and that at least was ok. Not sure I’m going to finish the blanket for this Winter though!

Crafty Classes Mobile phone stand decoupage 1

We continued with some crochet on Wednesday night’s crafty class for adults and also got out a few other projects to finish off. Children’s class on Saturday was all about making Father’s Day gifts and we decoupaged some mobile phone stands which looked great when finished.

Peter Randall Page sculpture at the Gibbard Gallery in Harlow.

To add to the arty mix of the week, I went to the private view of the Peter Randall Page exhibition at The Gibbard Gallery in Harlow. It was really excellent and the sculptures were beautiful.

Vintage and Retro Sale

On Sunday the 26th of June I’ll be having a stall at the Henham Garage Sale Trail. I’ll be outside 9 Pimblett Row and will have lots of great items for sale from women’s and men’s clothes to housewares. Here’s a small selection of things on offer….

 

Arty Crafty Party!

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Arty Crafty Weekends!

Arty Crafty Classes

The arty crafty weekends started last Saturday where the children got stuck into some sewing at classes. They had to cut out felt shapes of their choice and sew them on to a fabric background and then colour the background with spray fabric paint and water. The sewing went very well and the children worked very carefully. The backgrounds were  experimental and very colourful- just like being under the sea!

 

Arty Crafty Party

Sunday was equally as arty and crafty. A fun time was had by all at a birthday party in Cambridge. I unpacked all the materials and things needed to make decoupage clocks and the children really enjoyed getting sticky and personalising their own. Amazing how everyone’s was different! Sunny weather helped the party along too as it was nice enough to play games outside whilst I whipped off the tablecloth ready for party food! Mmmm- pizza!

 

 Arty Crafty Classes.

This week in Arty Crafty Classes we continued the sewing theme, sewing elephants onto bags and adding sequins for decoration. Jaden had really got the hang of sewing and soon was able to sew the elephant on and add sequins all by himself! The end result looked great!Grey felt elephant sewn onto cream fabric with sequins and a button made at the Tuftydawn Design studio.Just a reminder that there’s no Children’s Arty Crafty Classes for the next two weeks as I’m on a training course.

On the 18th of June we’ll be making Father’s Day gifts. Here’s a sneak preview!

 

 

April Showers..

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A Mixed Bag of Weather!

It has been a very mixed bag of weather in April- I’ve got caught in several April showers – of hailstones! Got quite soggy today too! The rain didn’t put everyone off from coming to craft classes though – as the picture shows! Boy creating a collage picture of a tree using newspaper at Tuftydawn Designs.

 Craft Class News.

It was great to catch up with my grown up (!) crafty friends too and we got started on the crochet mandalas. We’re using cotton yarn which I love as the colours are zingy and the yarn lovely to work with. I must admit to being tempted Crocheted mandala.to buy the lovely Classique Cotton pack for the stunning crochet along  Frida’s Flowers on the Stylecraft website. The pattern is downloaded every fortnight and is well worth a look.

I’m off to the Made London craft fair on Friday and hoping to get lots of inspiration for projects as well as catching up with some arty friends! I’ll keep you posted as to how it was.

Happy crafting!

Holidays Over?

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Are the holidays over?

Well not quite for me and those working in Hertfordshire schools!

Had fun last week on the crafty classes for children and everyone produced some beautiful work. The children soon got the hang of how to decoupage the paper elephants and enjoyed choosing additional embellishments- glitter glue proving very popular! A grey decoupage paper mache elephant with pink glitter glue decoration.

The decorating clocks workshop was great too and the results were very unique and colourful.Three house shaped wooden clocks painted in bright colours by children at Tuftydawn Designs.

Coming up on my next Children’s Crafty Classes on Saturday the 23rd of April we’ll be making Tree Collage Pictures.Picture made from twisted newspaper, tissue paper and paint by Tuftydawn Designs.

Changes to Class Times.

Children’s Arty Crafty Classes on a Saturday will be changing slightly. As from the 23rd of April the earlier class will be from 12 to 1pm. The 3pm to 4pm classes are the same. Sessions will be £7 pay as you craft or pre book for a block of 6 sessions at £36. Hope to see you there for some messy fun!

Keep an eye out for different classes for adults too!

 

Happy Easter!

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Crafty Birthday Party at Tuftydawn Designs.

Happy Easter Everyone!

Hope everyone had a lovely Easter weekend – I’d certainly been busy even before Good Friday!

My niece and her friends really enjoyed an arty crafty birthday party at the Tuftydawn Designs studio. They spent an enjoyable couple of hours painting their own fabric bags and decoupaged some picture frames. The kids also chatted about music and celebs I’d not heard of!!

 

Good Friday and beyond.

Good Friday was spent at Southwold and as predicted the weather was gorgeous! Al and I wandered around checking out the vintage and charity shops. I was very restrained and only spent money at the arcade! Easter Sunday was spent with family in Harpenden and Bank Holiday Monday again with family in Stansted.

We had lots of fun playing Easter games and although I won the decorating an egg competition my sister won overall! I’d made a special present for my sister of a ‘Whitstable Wish Box’ and she loved it. I really enjoyed making the miniature seaside scene- it turned out pretty well.

Elvis Egg Decoration.A hand decorated keepsake box with a Whitstable scene.

 

Craft Classes

I ran a crochet craft class on Wednesday evening as usual and the bears are coming along well. The Wednesday 8pm to 9pm class and the Friday class 10am to 11am for adults are going ahead this week. I don’t break up for half term until Friday! I’ll also be running  children’s classes on Saturday from 10.30 to 11.30 and 3pm to 4pm before I launch into my Children’s Easter workshops next week.

Have a lovely (short!) working week!

Time Flies!

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Holiday Time Flies By!

The half term holiday has flown by! That means I must have been having fun!

Certainly the children on my arty crafty workshops did- and they produced some really great pieces of work. The masks were made from Modroc (plaster bandages) and completed over two days. The Fishy Weaving Pictures were made from orange and lemon bags stretched over frames and collage materials added. Fab!

Modroc Mask by Rosie Modroc Mask Making

Fishy Weaving Picture
Weaving with recycled materials
Fishy Weaving by Alice

Fishy Weaving by Alice

 

Fishy Weaving by Chloe

Fishy Weaving by Chloe

 

Fishy Weaving by Erin

Fishy Weaving by Erin

 

Fishy Weaving by Megan

Fishy Weaving by Megan

 

 

More Vintage Finds!

I managed to pop to Blaxhall for a night away near the seaside. The Youth Hostel is very nice and a short drive from Snape Maltings, Southwold, Aldeburgh and Woodbridge. I picked up a few more vintage finds of course! A tiny Maurice Sendak book, an old dominoes game, a fabric baby book, a 70’s ‘Guide to Cake Decoration’ and some really bright Humpty Dumpty egg cups. A random selection but I couldn’t resist! I was on holiday after all..!

Vintage books & Games

Latest vintage finds.

 

Aligators All Around Maurice Sendak

Alligators All Around by Maurice Sendak

I’ll be posting details of new classes and craft workshops soon so keep an eye on my Craft Classes and Events pages!