Here is with the first of the Saturday craft workshops for 2015. By popular demand we have Sarah Ellis back ready to guide a small and select group through the basics of crochet. This session is for absolute beginners and those that think they've mastered a few stitches and are ready for the next step.

I'll be in the shop and no doubt looking over Sarah's shoulder to pick up some tips to make my crochet better too!

The session is 10.30 - 12.30 and costs £10. We're keeping the group small so you get plenty of support and tuition. All materials are included and you will end up with a few samples to proudly take home.

If you would like to keep up to date with new workshops as they are available c'mon over to the Facebook page Clever Betsy

Easter eggstravaganza is next Saturday 30th March
10-4 Corn Square, Leominster

FREE craft activities

Craft Summer School

It's been a resounding success and we will find a way to keep it all going.
Thank you to everyone who came along, got stuck in and made some amazing craft. 

You loved.......

the fantastic choice of materials
space to work in
mooching in the shop
making whatever you wanted
not having to worry about the mess
making robots, castles, cars, pets, cards, pictures, bracelets, flowers ...

So, what next? Ghoul School happens on Saturday 27th October. Be sure to book as places at both sessions are limited. Until then we will try and keep the scrap school set up and offer the space to groups or for craft parties.

Make and Take Away will be at Hobbycraft Hereford

on Sunday 30th September 11 - 3 demonstrating how to get started with feltmaking and needle felting. Come along and say hello, it's all free.

photo by Out There Design


For the love of wool - Saturday 20th October at Echo Workshops
10-4

Live Sheep
Spinning circle 10- 12.30
Feltmaking sessions with Make & Take Away
Weaving, peg loom, knitting, crochet
and much more......

Yarn bomb update

Well, one week on and no word back from the Council. I think they may have gone into risk assessment meltdown over the whole issue and I'm carrying on regardless as the whole event is going to happen. Besides which I have it on good authority that it has reached the ears of our most Senior Police Officer and he liked the idea - provided we didn't cover up any road signs. As if.

This week has seen a steady stream of customers to the shop asking for instructions about what is needed for the yarn bomb. Not sure where they are call coming from but it seems to be the brigade who rose the the challenge of making 2,000 scarves for penguins for the Rotary Club fundraiser last year. Great to recruit these lovely ladies and looking forward to the amazing work of art that will grace the end of West Street come Friday 12th October.

We have been joking about knitting a set of handcuffs and a ball & chain, just in case ...

Anyone got a pattern?

For the love of wool - Saturday 20th October 2012



Here is a link to Eventbrite for booking tickets

http://fortheloveofwool.eventbrite.co.uk/

The event is free but if you register we send you all the latest details.

Make and Take Away will be there offering drop-in sessions for feltmaking and needle felting.

Not so secret yarn bomb

Following on from the highly successful craft summer school I have been putting together some events for the autumn and beyond while we wait for the outcome of the lottery funding bid.

As we have lots of yarn based resources and skills it made sense to base an open day around this and so 'For the love of wool' began to take shape. We had a 'yarn bomb' window display earlier in June (International Yarn Bomb Day was 9th June) but we never actually got to bomb the town. It seemed like a perfect way to publicise our open day on the 20th October, I mentioned it to a few people and everyone was really enthusiastic, keen to join in. Within  a few days I had offers of live sheep, a time lapse photo shoot, You Tube video, knitters, support from the Leominster in Bloomers and a willing team of volunteers. Now its one thing to pop out under the cover of darkness to create annoymous wool grafitti but once more people are involved and you need some daylight to do the filming, it becomes another matter. 

Whose permission do you need? Let's start with no one. "But you might get arrested" said my boss. "All publicity" I said. However, being a good citizen and keen to keep my job I used contacts and asked the Town Council. They thought it sounded like a lot of fun and would be good for the town, "but it's not our decision, you'll have to ask Herefordshire Council" I fixed a smile as I felt my heart sinking.

Three departments later......no one has heard of yarn bombing and think it sounds like something that probably shouldn't be happening. One woman said 'well, of course you realise it's illegal' but couldn't actually tell me how. Is it vandalism? Trespassing?  "So what would happen if I actually just did it?" There was silence at the other end before she decided she needed to refer me to someone else, it was the Friday before bank holiday weekend and clearly not what she wanted to try and deal with.

• No call back today but more support from 2 other craft shops in the town. Suggestions to link with the museum and Priory church, a donation of yarn and offer of machine knittng tuition, a bag full of knitting, a new customer just learning to knit and wanting to join in. All just brilliant. It's going to happen, I'm not taking no on this one.

How to make a pompom ice cream

Non-melting, calorie-free ice cream in any flavour you desire!

These were designed for one of the summer-themed windows at ECHO last year but have proved a real hit with people coming in to ask if they can buy them. We've included them in the summer window this year as well.

I'm not giving a full tutorial as basically you make a pompom using colours to suit your flavour and then we stuck them onto real ice cream cornets with pva glue. OK, they're not very durable but fun for the summer. We added flakes (pleated and rolled dark brown card), cherries (mini red pompoms), sprinkles (chopped up bits of wool) and some flags.

Craft summer school update

Yesterday was officially the last day for summer school but yet again we had a lovely group in who thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience and are keen to come back soon. 

Plans are well under way for Ghoul School happening on Saturday 27th October which will be at the end of half term week. We'll be offering Sew Spooky to make peg doll witches and cute zombies from 10-12 and then all out horror craft fest from 1-3 with fake blood and severed limbs. Can't wait to make the samples for that one!

Craft Summer School 2012

It's been an amazing 4 weeks at the craft summer school and feedback tells us we should continue to offer it as part of Echo Craft - Leominster's New Creative Hub!

Here are some of the amazing pieces of work, it been such a pleasure to watch the creativity flow.

Hobbycraft Hereford

Hobbycraft Hereford

A few weeks ago one of our regular shop customers suggested that I contact the new Hobbycraft store in Hereford as they were keen to have local crafters in to demonstrate in the store. So I did and its a great idea. They will provide a table in the store and any materials needed. You can show off your talent and sell any made crafts providing they use materials that can be purchased in the store.

I wasn't sure what to demonstrate but finally decided to show how to do feltmaking as it meant I could get my hands on one of GillianGladRags feltmaking kits which I have lusted after since seeing them at a craft show. Rachel came to help and we made our way through the Fiesta Fandangle bracelet and the Ickle Pickle Felt Bag. If you haven't seen Gillian's site it is a gorgeous colour-fest of wooliness, go and check it out here www.gilliangladrag.co.uk. The kits contain all you need, easy instructions and are the perfect introduction to feltmaking if you haven't had a go before.






It wasn't very busy in the store considering it was a Saturday but everyone who came to see us loved the felting










and the staff had a great itme too.

we both had a brilliant day and will be back at the end of September for another session.

Setting up the craft Summer School

We're getting ready for the craft Summer School which starts 23rd July for 4 weeks. So before it all gets totally crazy, I though I'd write a bit about how this came about.


We started running a few Saturday workshops for 8-12 year olds which were fun and the feedback suggested we should do more, but we needed more numbers.


Rather than trying to promote specific days and times the answer seemed to be to have a block of drop-in sessions in the school holidays invite everyone. A colourful A6 postcard has been printed and the local schools (except for one, which I won't name and shame) have been really supportive to help us promote the event by sending the cards home with the children in their book bags, hopefully to make it onto kitchen noticeboards and fridges around the county. Around 2,500 have gone out so far and I want to thank all of you who help get them delivered in time before the schools broke up.


Summer School is going to be great fun, there is junk modelling and card making, make & take projects plus a whole range of crafts will be demonstrated by staff and participants. The shop has been rearranged and right now the scrap is all tidy in labelled boxes which makes me very happy but I can't wait for the creative chaos next week. It could be a massive success, huge failure or anything in between. It will be fun, exhausting and I know that amazing things are about to unfold. 


The theme for the first week is Robots/Dr Who/Space/Aliens/Techy things, you can see its flexible! Then we're doing Circus, Animals and Seaside/Summer festivals or possibly anything really, our customers will decide. Someone gave me egg boxes today and they just have to be a crocodile...


So link here to the Facebook page and watch the fun begin.


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That's the way to do it!

ECHO summer window
The idea for the ice creams came first and originally we were going to make an ice cream parlour but after some group discussions it transformed into a day out at the seaside. We made the punch and judy show based on a lovely photo found on Wiki 

Then we came up with the idea of sticks of rock. These were cardboard tubes wrapped in pink tissue paper and then clear cellophane. We added 'ECHO ROCKS' lables - because we do! A jar of pretty shells helped us make the word 'ECHO'.

How to make a bug hat

This is a really easy make. I've used it many times at workshops, it is especially good for drop-in sessions when you have to create something with the WOW factor that is ready to take away in a matter of minutes. If speed is what you need have the pieces cut ready.

You will need:

1 x headband approx 60cm long and 7cm wide

6  Legs (or 8 for a spider)

2  Eyes 

2  Antennae + 1 tongue

Form the headband into a circle, measure to fit around the child's head then staple to secure.

Bend all the leg strips into zig zags all the way along and then staple them to either side of the hat.

Now for the features;

Add some pupils to the eye circles using coloured pens or paper. We used some vinyl scraps which are easy as they are ready to stick.

Wrap the antennae strips around your

finger or a pencil to make them curly.

Staple the features to the hat. 


Variations;
This hat was a bug but it can easily be adapted for other themes eg fish/under the sea or add flowers/leaves.
For a longer 'make' get the children thinking about the design in more detail before they construct the hat. Use paper and pens so they can draft their ideas and discuss them.

How to make a stick insect - quick & easy to make

Ok, it's an insect on a stick rather than a stick insect but still an easy and quick make using scrap materials. When you've finished whirling it around, stick it into a plant pot or garden border for decoration.
You will need; a 30cm length of 5mm dowel or a stick, a pipecleaner, a selection of scrap bits and pieces. We used sequin waste, cellophane and some other spongy offcuts *

Bend the pipecleaner into a 'U' and place 2 pieces of cellophane for the wings, about 15cm x 10cms, plus the other decorative bits on top. Add some dangly bits for a tail. Now twist the pipecleaner ends so that it traps everything together (see photo). It's that easy! No glue, just twist together.


Use some string or yarn to fix the insect to the stick and away you go.


Variation: use some coiled wire to make a spring and fix to the dowel to make a pot decoration.(photo on left)


* Do you have a local scrap store? Ours is a 56 mile round trip to Church Stretton! - but it's still fun to go and see what treasures they have. 
Check out their website - Scrappies.

insect on a stick as a garden decoration

Insect on a stick

It was here all along

Funny how you have to go away to appreciate what you already have and see things in a new light, but that's just what happened last week. A mini-break in London promised plenty of new ideas and experiences. Living, as we do, a little off the beaten track in the rural depths of Herefordshire and not travelling too far or too often, I've developed a tendency for thinking that we're a bit of a backwater and lagging behind the times somewhat. Far from it! Although we stopped in lovely Notting Hill Gate (by Portobelllo Market) and went into lots of shops it was a little disappointing not to find anything with a WOW factor. OK, Liberty's was a bit wow and I wish it was closer so I could go more often, and I did see one or two ideas to adapt for the ECHO shop but ...... we already had very similar stock. Hurrah! bang on trend and a fraction of the price. Leominster is the place to be. 

Just wondering now where I can get a ton or two of wood panelling to recreate the Liberty's look.http://www.liberty.co.uk/?gclid=CMD__sm8pKkCFVJX4QodHgpptg

Easter bunnies

These definitely have the cute factor. Made at the ECHO shop ready for Easter

Countryfile comes to Leominster!

Blimey, first we get Wetherspoons then the BBC discover us and come to film the community orchard. Couldn't resist the opportunity to a) meet Matt Baker and b) get some publicity for ECHO so the Thursday team came up with the "Farm in a Box".

Using Jan Trewin's wonderful pom pom chickens/pigs/sheep we added a few new arrivals, created a brilliant gift box and there you go. Definitely a one-off, but I think they liked it.

Silk painting part 2 & 3

The silk painting course had been held over 3 mornings. We have all had a great time and hope to meet up again soon. Now we have learnt the basics everyone is keen to have further practice and maybe some studio time with a little supervision will be the best thing.

Here is one sample of the beautiful work.