Felt Great!

The meet-up on Saturday July 16th was led by Jackie Cardie who demonstrated felt making for us.  She also brought in several finished examples of her work to help inspire our efforts.

We were gently guided through the process (very useful I felt – oops pardon the pun) layering up Merino wool to create sheets of felt using her thrifty bubble wrap method. 

 
We all came away with several pieces we intend to turn into various projects and some of us managed to make seamless phone pouches out of felt as well. 

Just drying out before we transform them into something fabulous, like the crafty peeps we are.>>
 
A huge thanks to Jackie for her very accomplished and organised demo and her generous sharing of wool.  Jackie currently has work on display at the exhibition in the Coach House Gallery, Astley Park, Chorley but be quick if you want a nosey as the exhibition finishes next weekend. 

Also a big thanks to Ruth for treating us again, this time with her home-made white-choc cookies!  

Trying to pass off Jackie’s talented work as our own efforts (reminds me very much of Van Gogh’s ‘The Starry Night’)

If you are interested in seeing more of Jackie’s work, check out her blog.

In August and September we learn how to create Mosaic masterpieces.  More on this soon. xx

Saturday June 18th was a scrapbooking bonanza courtesy of Nikki (Paint Pots and Petals) who introduced us to a more refined version of a favourite childhood craft. She provided a feast of papers and adornments as well as ideas for layouts and colourschemes. We were a small gathering this month with a few regular faces missing but turned this to our advantage and spread ourselves out with gusto, as you can see...

Refreshments were kindly upgraded from biscuits to delicious home-made rocky road thanks to Ruth.

Things got even more exciting when Fay arrived with the Big Shot. There was much ooohhing and aaahhhing over this magic shape cutter which gave us even more choices for patterns and designs on our scrapbook pages. Paper, cotton, leather -  the Big Shot rocks!

Here are some of our designs in progress and some finished articles.  A HUGE thanks to Nikki for her demo and for providing so much material for us to use. Congratulations also on her apperance in Scrapbooking magazine. Very well deserved Nik! 
See you all next month x

Just wanted to share some photos of CCC's summer fair last Sunday. Let's get straight to our beautifully British preoccupation with the weather (even though our event was indoors) and acknowledge that it was not a scorcher. Is someone bringing the rain with them as they cross the Chorley border?!?
Anyway, footflow was steady and those that came to see us got a treat with some new faces (and fragrances, if they went upstairs for a bathbomb demo) and a new room. As usual our selection of makers was of a superhigh standard and buying local and handmade could not have been easier...

As usual, Kellie and Nikki from Paintpots and Petals kept the atmosphere lively with a vintage tea set raffle prize and 1940s attire. What would we do without you? x

Thanks to everyone who came along and to all our wonderful bakers, seamstresses, painters, sculpters, jewellers, graphic designers, card-makers, bee-keepers, photographers, alchemists and all-round creative makers.

We have quite a long rest now until our next craft fair so plenty of time to create over the summer months.

Our monthly meet-ups however continue unabated and on June 18th Nikki is running a workshop on Scrap-booking.
Be there or be square.

Bye for now x

And then the rain came....

 

Here we are, Saturday afternoon, full of optimistic anticipation for the day to come. Marquee lined with our handmade fused plastic bunting, stalls arranged ready for everyone to fill the following morning.

When Sunday came, unfortunately for us and the main event organisers (Royal British Legion & Chorley Council) who had done a phenomenal amount of preparation, visitors were up against the most awful wet and windy weather and understandably either didn't bother braving the rain at all or came briefly and then swiftly took their picnic hampers back home.
There's no denying it was not the day it had promised to be but that said, our marquee was a place of beauty and solace for the committed visitors who came to see us. The atmosphere, as ever, was friendly and jovial and despite low numbers of paying customers (a lot of people were drawn to our shelter as much as our arts and crafts) a good time was still had by all.

Here are just a handful of images from the day. Many more to come in future posts (and on members personal blogs and websites!).

The following week was our regular meet-up in Chorley which included a workshop on the very fashionable art of paper-cutting. The afternoon yielded some beautifully delicate pieces and will have hopefully inspired people to create some more designs which we may see at a future sales event. Craft knives at the ready... 

Sunday June 5th is our next craft fair at our regular venue - The Coach House, Astley Park. We are covering two floors again with over 20 makers, some of whom were with us at the Picnic in the Park, some who weren't. It will be a fabulous day come rain or shine!

Saturday 18th June meet-up will be a scrap-booking session run by Nikki from Paint Pots and Petals so don't miss that one. Contact Charlotte at silvermousey@yahoo.com or Sarah at decolalia@hotmail.co.uk for more details.

Back next month with more so bye for now x