Workshop Creations and Flowerings Exhibition

This weekend I ran a workshop at Rural Arts, in the small Yorkshire market town of Thirsk. I had a bit of an early start and long a drive but somehow I got there on time even though Google sent me the wrong way down the M1!



Rural Arts in the Old Courthouse, Thirsk

 The workshop was great with a small group of friendly participants who were really rather nifty with their fingers. First they all had a go at mastering my stitching technique with wire, with great results, making pendants and earrings using wire and the rings and sliders that you find on bras.



Bra ring stitched with wires by Sarah at the workshop

 Then after we'd had a break for lunch I got out some more haberdashery, hooks, eyes, buttons, press studs and kilt pins and gave them a few more ideas and then everyone experimented with their own designs there were some lovely results.

Mixed haberdashery necklace by Amanda at the workshop

Everyone went home with several finished pieces of jewellery and in fact I saw one of them the next day wearing her handiwork with a matching top!

Alison made this bag charm combining stitched elements and old haberdashery

To top it all there were some lovely comments at the end.

"It was more than I was expecting - I'm so pleased with all the pieces I have made today"
"A new skill and a day of fun"

That's great because I enjoyed running the workshop too!

What a prolific lot and such a variety too.

Flowerings Exhibition at Rural Arts
My floral jewellery is also featured in the current exhibtion at Rural Arts, along with three other makers, Ruth Moore, Iona Calvert and Dionne Swift.

Looking down into the cabinet with my floral jewellery
The big piece is based on a passion flower.

Some Iona Calvert's ceramic birds displayed on a branch