Big Basketry Gathering 2012

News from Prue about the BA Summer Meeting

I have put in lots of details below…

The important questions that need answers now are:

Can you submit something to the exhibition via craft in the bay?

What workshops do you want to book in for?

What workshop/demonstration you can offer for the Saturday? Offers to Michelle

Do you have a business to promote in the marquee? Requests to Helen

Is there anyone who wants to organise a first and finest basketry display in the marquee for the day?

Do you want to join the camp at the botanic gardens to make the boar?

Do you have willow that could be given for the boar – or 4yr old rods to cut fresh in June for the bark workshop?

How can you help market the event?

Unless indicated then send answers to me – especially bookings for workshops – I will add some info about Terry Dunne’s workshops on the end of email – we have 16 spaces to fill!

Marketing - this is urgent

We need to get people booked into the workshops asap. A flyer will be out soon – but word of mouth is the best marketing – please to your part   

Timetable for gathering

Monday 18th June  - Hanging exhibition at The Gate in St Clears

Wednesday 20th  - Workshop for refugees and asylum seekers from Swansea at the Botanic Garden

Wednesday 20th – Saturday 23rd Camp at the Botanic Garden for Welsh makers – making large willow boar with Michelle Cain

Saturday 23rd BA Summer meeting 10 – 4.30 – lots of mini workshops and demonstrations – see plan below

Saturday 23rd 7.30pm  - BBQ and bonfire at Annie Hart’s house – Delacorse, Laugharne. Parking and basic camping on field. Bring bottle and musical instruments

Sunday 24th 11 am  - Private view of exhibition at St Clears – afternoon in Laugharne – Talacharn Trails and Tales at the Castle and Dylan Thomas’ boathouse…..

Workshops

Monday and Tuesday 25th and 26th June

Bark workshop with Terry Dunne at St Clears or Botanic Garden £75 for two days 

Tuesday 26th

Welsh Tea-things 10-3 basket with Helen Campbell at St Clears £35

Wednesday and Thursday 27th and 28th

Bark workshop with Terry Dunne at St Clears or Botanic Garden £75 for two days

Coracle making with Pippa Scott and Rob Ritchie at Laugharne £120 for two people making one coracle over two days plus £60 materials

Booking through prue@thimbleby.net and via flyer – out soon!

 

Plan for Saturday 23rd at Botanic Gardens

in the gardens – Michelle finishing wild boar

in the apothecary’s hall – exhibition of traditional Welsh Baskets

in the theatre – talks by Helen and Michelle +

in the marquee:

Demonstrations or Workshops

Jenny Crisp

Mandy Coates Rush work

Sue Johnston split willow

South Wales Basket Makers Group

Judy Hartley Recycled Materials

Michal Peacock Plastic Cane

Les Llwellyn cyntells (?marvin)

Tom squarework

Ada and Helen recycled

? Bee skeps

? Chair caning

? corn dollies

? coracles

kids corner – bubbles +

Sales

Cane workshop, BA Sales, who else??

For Sale table and raffle – need organiser….

Displays

sculpture from Cassandra, creel from Terry, I could bring a coracle…

Refreshments

Botanic garden cafe

Asking county WI to demonstrate welsh cakes and provide tasters…

 

Accommodation

Basic camping  at Botanic Gardens Wed 20th – Sat 23rd – let Prue know if you plan to come

Basic camping  Sat/Sun on field at Delacorse, Laugharne (Annie’s) – please let her know

Camping at Ant’s Hill Campsite (01994 427355) approx £20 per tent per night

Travel Lodge at Cross hands or St Clears approx £30 per night

Local B&Bs

Browns Hotel – reopening June in Laugharne

 

Useful Contact details

Prue Thimbleby prue@thimbleby.net 01792 521189

Helen Campbell 01994 419615 campbell-h@hotmail.co.uk

Annie Hart 01994 427728 annie.hart@ymail.com

Michelle Cain michicain@aol.com 01239 841406

Mel Bastier mel.bastier@btopenworld.com 07764 961095

BARK VESSELS workshop with Terry Dunne from Wexford, Eire

The workshop includes an illustrated talk of works made from willow and birch bark recorded and made in Finland in 2010.

Hands on sessions to include; Bark harvesting, stripping, drying, storing, soaking and working with willow bark.

Students will get time to try and relate the bark methods learnt to their own work.

Thanks for reading this far – send me a reply……!

best

Prue

–

Prue Thimbleby

www.prue.thimbleby.net

www.swanseastorytelling.com

www.talacharntrails.com

February 2012 Meeting Update

Round base practice

Round base practice was the order of the day for the February meeting along with eating a vast amount of cake, thanks to everyone who brought them.

We also decided to make something to display as a group for the BA Summer Meeting at the Botanic Gardens in June. Flowers and insects were given the thumbs up so we’ll make a start at the next meeting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jo, Mary and Pleasure carried on with making their trugs with expert assistance from Les Llewellyn.

Welsh Basket Makers – South Wales, January 2012 Meeting

Meeting Update – Jan 2012

It was lovely to catch up with our group members and kick-off the New Year.  Judging by all the chat at the beginning of the evening, there’s lots we’ve got to look forward to!

The group agreed that as Mel is working on her own at the moment, now is definitely the time for the group to pull together and start working as the collective.  This has always been our aim, so now is the time for us to turn that vision into action.  There’s always lots to organise from booking the hall, setting up, clearing away, bringing along work for us to view and discuss, teas, coffees and cakes, taking photos, contributing to the blog etc. – so the more of us that can get involved the better.

 

Monthly Meeting – Forward Plan

We had a quick brainstorm and came up with some ideas about what we’d like to make and also about what skills we’d like to practice in the forthcoming months.  Our list so far is:-

• Round base practice
• Oval base practice
• Corn dollies
• Snails
• Small flowers (mini sunflowers)
• Gypsy flowers
• Random weaving practice
• Handle hospital – fix any problem handles
• Odds and Ends – a chance to catch up and progress or complete any unfinished projects
• Christmas Crafts
• Summer and Christmas social gatherings (More cake!)

We’ll develop these into a monthly programme which we’ll publish on the website and here.  Any more ideas are also welcome – as ever it’s our group, so the more of us that have input the better.  The idea is to concentrate on simple projects and tasks that we can complete during the evening.  We agreed that Mel has final say on what we’re going to do each month – she has to prepare the willow, so it’s her shout.  And definitely no plant supports!

Jenny Crisp Visit

Mel has been talking to Jenny Crisp about a visit to her workshop in Leominster.  This is likely to be a weekday visit for us to see her workshop, willow beds and drool over her wonderful baskets.  It also gives Deb the chance to continue her Jenny girl-crush.  More details about dates, information about what we’ll be doing and how we’re going to get there will follow on the blog as we sort things out.

BA Summer Meeting

Prue Thimbleby has shared her ideas for what might be included in the BA Summer Meeting.  As a reminder this is going to be held at the National Botanic Garden of Wales on 23 June.  Prue’s ideas so far include;

• an exhibition of basketry by Welsh basket makers (starting in the gallery at the Carmarthenshire Craft Centre, St Clears from 20^th June and transferring to Craft in the Bay, Cardiff from 2 August until  Sept 30)
• 23 + 24 June – demonstrations, mini-workshops and talks, evening BBQ and a private view of the St Clears basketry exhibition at 11.00 am
• Week 25-29 June – workshops with Helen Campbell – Welsh Tea Things basket and Pippa Scott – Make your own Coracle
• Prue is also in discussion with Terry Dunne, the Irish weaver, who may be able to do a bark workshop during the week

In addition to all the above, Prue is seeking funding for two artists in residence in the gardens in the week commencing 16 June.  The main focus of this will be to have a small camp of Welsh basket makers and to finish the week working with Michelle Cain to create a 4m high sculpture of a wild boar!  More information about this will follow once funding has been confirmed.

As you can see there is a lot going on and understandably Prue is looking for people who can do some of the work at the Summer Meeting and the other events in order to bring her vision to life.  Prue needs volunteers who can help with:-

• Someone to liaise with people like the can shop so that they arrange to come and sell their wares
• Someone to liaise with our basket making group in order to get the mini workshops and demonstrations running
• Someone to organise the first and best basket display
• Someone to do the marketing/press releases/BA magazine
• Someone to organise a way of people giving feedback – perhaps interactively???
• Someone to provide name badges, refreshments, welcome

Prue has also said that more helpers will be needed to do jobs if the residency comes off and passed on the message ‘Please don’t rely on other people offering – offer quickly for the job you prefer.’

Anyone interested should contact Prue on prue@thimbleby.net

Wool and Willow Festival

Wool and Willow Festival is on again in Llanidloes, 2^nd to 30^th June. If anyone is interested in organising anything for the group perhaps we can discuss it further at the next meeting.

Basketry and Beyond

Something to look forward to in the summer of 2013 – Basketry and Beyond will take place at Dartington in Devon, May 18^th – 19^th.

In spite of all the talking, cake eating and general catching up, we found time to get our hands on some willow too. Mel had brought along some beautiful golden willow, which some people used to make hearts, Les had a trug making group and some of us made some ribs for use in Welsh shoppers later in the month.

And finally

Mel provided an update about our absent friend and we all sent love, hugs and huge positivity.

Next meeting 27 Feb details to follow by email.

Two amazing exhibition opportunities for this summer

Message from Prue Thimbleby

Two amazing exhibition opportunities for this summer

Hi everyone - as usual please pass this on to anyone who might be interested …..

Please email prue@thimbleby.net for a copy of the application forms

Wool and Willow festival in Llanidloes 2 – 30 June 2012

Craft in the Bay 12 August – 30 September

Please note that all work selected for this will also be at the Carmarthenshire craft centre at st Clears from June 17th to July 16th with a private view at 11am on Sunday June 24th – the day following the BA summer meeting

So you would need to post the work to me in good time for setting up that exhibition (by 1 June please) , I will then transfer it to Craft in the Bay for August 1st and you could arrange to receive it back from them at the end of Sept – if not sold! We will need slightly more work at St Clears than at craft in the bay as well as sufficient extra to replace any sold work. There may be a few American basketmakers who will be joining us for this exhibition – to show something different – otherwise it will just be welsh makers who are selected for craft in the bay – do submit something – dont leave it to others or the exhibition may be empty!

Lets show the world that basketry is alive and growing in Wales!

Best

Prue

BA Summer meeting 2012 update – January 2012

BA Summer Meeting comes to Wales

The BA Summer meeting is coming to Wales this year and is due to go ahead on the weekend of 23, 24 June 2012 at the National Botanic Gardens in Carmarthen. The event is being organised by Prue Thimbleby and she is busy arranging an exciting week of activities and exhibitions to show off the talents and bring together basket makers in Wales. Here are her updates so far.

Exhibition

We are setting up an exhibition of basketry by Welsh basketmakers. This will start in the gallery at the Carmarthenshire craft centre in St Clears opening by the Wednesday 20 June and running until 16 July. The exhibition will then move to Craft in the Bay in Cardiff opening 2 August  until 30 September.

Artists in Residence

I am writing a grant application with the Botanic Gardens for two artists in residence in the gardens in the week starting 16 June – the artists are Helen Campbell and Michelle Cain. Helen will include two community workshops in the week but the main focus will be to have a small camp of Welsh basket makers and to finish the week with a 4m high sculpture of a wild boar and a small exhibition of work using the gardens materials. The aim is to build relationships among Welsh makers and to share Michelle’s and Helen’s expertise. The bid will be submitted to the Arts Council of Wales on 27 Jan – if it is not successful we will have a two day camp with a scaled down version of the above.

Weekend 23, 24 June

Saturday

Demonstrations, mini workshops, talks at the national botanic gardens

Evening BBQ on the banks of the Taf – camping available

Sunday

Private view of basketry exhibition at St Clears at 11am

Week 25 – 29 June

Workshops

Tuesday: Welsh Tea-things basket with Helen Campbell

Wednesday & Thursday: Make your own coracle with Pippa Scott

Friday: The Cauldrons & Furnaces pilgrimage arrives in Laugharne by coracle across the Taf

Please send me any suggestions or feedback to prue@thimbleby.net

Welsh Basket Makers – South Wales, October Meeting

Lovely lanterns

October’s meeting saw us making lovely willow lanterns. After our tea, coffee, chat and – goes without saying – cake, we set about getting started with buff willow sticks, masking tape, cable ties, tissue paper and a bucket full or pva glue. Stars were the favoured theme and after a tiny bit of fiddling and general cursing everyone managed to piece something together. Would love to have seen them all lit up but there’s only so much that can be done in an hour or so!

 

Welsh Basket Makers – South Wales September meeting

September’s meeting on Monday 26 focussed on learning the corn dolly weave with five rods of willow. After half an hour of chat, it had been a few months since we last met, we got on with the task in hand.

Thanks to Leigh who brought in a variety of objet d’art including her lovely dragonfly, at least we could see what we were aiming for. To Lindsey also who brought in a beautiful round basket she had made using the corn dolly weave, something to aspire to.

It’s a little bit fiddly starting it off, gripping five spindly tips and anxiously waiting for the square to appear but everyone managed very well.

Leigh came up a little chant to remember the sequence of where to place the rods, for the life of me I can’t remember it, sorry Leigh you’ll have to remind me again!

In no time at all there was an array of bodkin covers, dragonfly bodies, hats, lovely little basket by Jill and something quite different from Sarah ‘h’.

Many thanks to Sarah ‘l’ for bringing cakes and to Liz for opening up. Next meeting is October 31st, same time and place, see you all then.