Plastic (not) Fantastic


It’s not all woodwork here you know!
Looking back to this time last year, Martin spent a week in London, working with Groundwork London & young folks at Pembury Youth Centre in Hackney, who hoped to reduce their estate’s reliance on plastic bags.

Used bags were gathered from home, streets, shops and the tops of windblown trees, and a giant rustling troll took shape, ready to parade the streets. The drums beat their rhythm as the beast lumbered on, & youngsters gave out fabric bags they’d designed to residents as an alternative.

After a week of pure sunshine and stillness, the procession (and a scaled down monster, lest it blow clear away!) battled through gale force winds and freezing rain, with raised spirits non the less! In many ways that ugly stomping plastic creature changed our lives, we’ve a lot to thank him for (but that’s a story for another day)…

Getting some relief

A wonderful day spent this weekend with talented members from the Rufford Arts Society, all relative newcomers to the craft. Precise mallet blows resounding regular as clockwork resulted in some beautiful, tactile and ambitious relief carvings. I came away inspired too, by the willingness to experiment, general fearlessness and good humour! Even their practice peices turned into wortks of art.

Wonderful day, great tutor, great tools and materials -Loved it! Hope we can do another day…

Can’t wait for spring!

When we’ll be back out on the Learning Land at the Iona School. Each month there’ll be another opportunity to learn, to make, to shape & create with wood.  Follow the links to find out more about making a stool, shaping a beautiful spoon, & creating your own decorative wood carving, or download the PDF. Book right here online, or get in touch.

Iona Poster web

The year turns again…

It must be winter, we’re sat beside the roaring fire whittling this year’s elf population, while the stragglers from last year look on in horror or delight…

If you’d like to meet any of these firendly fellows you’ll find them, us, and a load of handmade bowls, spoons, puppets, toys & more besides for sale at some upcoming markets.

Collect a gnome of your own from our shop if you can’t wait ’till market day.

Growing pride

The young folks at Newtons Walk School worked hard this summer; designing, digging, sawing, hammering, fixing, building.

From a jungle of a school garden, has grown a circle of seating, a hide-away den, good friendship, teamwork, new skills, trust and pride. We’re certainly proud of them all for what they’ve done, and look forward to their ideas for what’s to come.

Martinmas

It was this time last year that we first stepped out to show and tell at the Martinmas Fair in Lenton, and we were back again yesterday, somewhere in the middle ages…

Under the shelter of our hovel and the autunm mists we whittled and warbled on about medieval woodworking, making spoons & bowls with axe and knife, turning on the lathe, decorative carving and and the rest. As usual we didn’t get a chance to wander and see anything else, but from our little pitch we could enjoy the spectacular bird display, the twang of sinew and the drone of the huirdy gurdy drifting over the green kept us jigging and the delicious Small Food Bakery filled our bellies up!

There were so many friendly folk, a pleasure to meet, share and talk, dedicated young apprentices too, helping with the splitting and turning… Hope to be back next year.

We Make Our Way