Busy bee, news about next years willow sculpture activities – autumn /winter update

Posted on November 23, 2021 | Leave a comment

Autumn/ Winter update ( November 21)

I don’t know about you but I love the autumn and winter  the changing seasons are amazing and autumn and spring are definitely my favorite seasons

I am looking forward to my first willow harvest , I only have e a small plot so not enough to be self sufficient but there is something specials about growing and harvesting your own materials and I am looking forward to using them in some of my creations next year.

With so many changes it has been strange a year hasn’t it, I’ve been busy with workshops and activities. and I now have many activities and dates arranged for the first half of next year with more being planned  I already have people booking on and others buying a gift for someone special so the ways things are going its going to be a busy year ahead

I am really enjoying my time as artist in residence at Tudor House Museum in Southampton, having time out to experiment and create is really important and it is rejuvenating me with fresh ideas

I have also been fortunate to have been able to have been involved in some  great art exhibitions  and art  fairs this year this year if your interested in finding out more about these pop over to my other site https://www.jrolls.co.uk/

It is always great fun being outside teaching this year  and I have loved providing workshops at amazing outdoor venues such as Butser Ancient Farm however now that the winter is setting in I am glad t o be back indoors.

If you are interested in seeing some of my work I am showing some of my work at Westbury Manor Museum in Fareham  until the New Year, if your interested in finding out more pop over to my events page for more details,

It has  been great fun visiting  school projects again and  I have been out visiting local groups which is always a pleasure.

 

 

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New website launched

Posted on October 8, 2023 | Leave a comment

I am so pleased to be able to share that my new website is now up and running which means that you can now purchase my workshops and some of my artworks online rather than needing to arrange a bank transfer, phew its been a challenge

I will be adding more items as time goes on and no doubt will be making the odd tweak or two. I would very much appreciate your feedback to let me know what you think of it and if any part doesn’t work very well please do let me know.

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Take some time out and have fun creating a willow artwork with Jacquie from Willow and Crafts

Posted on July 4, 2023 | Leave a comment

If your looking for something different to do and have always fancied having a go at making something out of willow, then you might be interested in some of the willow-weaving activities that are taking place in the South Of Hampshire in the next couple of weeks.

honey bee willow sculpture

For those of you who have more free time in the week then how about making a willow woodpecker at River Hamble Country Park on Wednesday the 12th  or a buzzing bee at Queen Elizabeth Country Park on Friday the 14th?

 

 

If you fancy doing something a  bit more chilled then how about joining me to create a large flower which is lovely as a piece of wall art and enjoying lunch at the Lapstone a lovely pub situated in the parish of Horton Heath, Eastleigh located between Winchester and Botley, on Thursday the 20th.

If you are looking for something a bit more substantial and free at the weekends then why not join in the fun of creating a large bird such as a heron or a chicken or goose etc  in Portester on Saturday the 22nd

Whatever you decide to do you will have  a lot of fun creating your own piece of willow art

If  you are interested in finding out more check out this link

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Rag rug workshop create your own beautiful textile art in the heart of Southamptons medieval city

Posted on May 17, 2023 | Leave a comment

Rag rug weaving is a traditional craft that came about because of necessity and practicality as well as a lovely way to share and pass on a craft to others.

Today making rag rugs have enjoyed a revival with the desire to reuse materials, incorporate fabrics that are meaningful and find creative ways to make you can create relatively simple designs or push boundaries for making, depending on the method that you use it can grow quite quickly and is popular for those of us who love to play and experiment and has the advantage that you don’t need to be able to sew all though it can be useful for some of the projects.

For those of you who would like to have a go at creating your own rag rug Jacquie from Willow and Crafts based in Southampton Hampshire is offering a  Flower / garden-themed  activity at the beautiful Tudor House Museum and Gardens in Southampton

Under her expert guidance  Jacquie will guide you in the various techniques needed to create your own small rag rug, take inspiration from the beautiful Tudor garden, a magical place in the heart of Southampton medieval city or bring your own images to inspire your imagination, be it a beautiful flower or a buzzing bee, or a fluttering butterfly the choice is up to you.

At the end of the day, you will be able to take your work home and turn it into an array of items including a cushion, bag, or a wall hanging or give it pride of place and frame it for your wall as your own original piece of art.  you are only  limited by your imagination 

 Sunday 11th June 10.15 am -16.15 pm

£50 Refreshments and materials are included 

For more details and to book a place 

 

 

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Willow and Craft willow workshops Spring newsletter

Posted on May 5, 2023 | Leave a comment


This is always an interesting time of year isn’t it with everything starting to come to life, the trees are starting to fill out and new blossoms appear.

I love taking time out to explore and I am often out watching wildlife inf fact I am an avid follower of several Facebook wildlife groups,  always looking for lovely places to visit to observe our amazing wildlife, often it is on your doorstep where you see the most interesting things.

Over the winter months, I have been volunteering once a week to clear peat/heathland from invasive plants that dry out the soil, a potential danger in the summer if there is a fire.

As usual, I have been out collecting wild garlic and early nettle leaves to eat.

If you fancy collecting your own   wear gloves for teh nettles chossing young tops to prep nettles which can be used similarly to spinch, remember to wash any foraged materials , wild garlic can be used similarly to chives. To prepare nettles simply scald them in hoiling  water to remove the sting  before using, they dont need much cooking.

I love seeing the trees coming back to life dont you and with the wood sap rising I must try to find the time to harvest wild willow bark for projects as well as collecting bramble stems whilst they are still tender before the berries come in.(You can dry branble despiked bramble stems and rehydrate them in boiling water and a later date 

I have also been collecting long dandelion stems on dry days as well as harvesting daffodil stems and leaves once the flowers have dried , they will be dried out in bunches ready to make with.

The first couple of months were very quiet as usual giving me time to recoup and sort things out I am not really a winter person and I do tend to hibernate a little at the beginning of the year, but that didn’t last for long as I was working on a large commission, and with busy times are ahead I thought that id share some of the activities and places where you will find me in the next couples of months.

If you’ve been busy making do let me know how you are doing if you are on Facebook or Instagram do ping me to share what you’ve been up to you will find me under the name of willowandcrafts.

willow fish on sticks

Public events

  • Beltane Celtic Fire Festival at Butser Ancient Farm on Saturday 29th April
  • South Downs Green Fayre ( at the Sustainability Centre) Sunday 7th May
  • Second Sunday Art Market Andover town centre I will be there making willow fish with visitors.
  • Winchester Art Market Sunday 21st May

Workshops

  • Willow owl workshop Sat 13th May Portchester nr Fareham ( just  place remaining)
  • Sunflower/large flower half day monthly make Thursday 18th May at the Lapstone Pub Fair oak Eastleigh.

Moon gazing / sitting Hare workshop Friday 19th May Queen Elizabeth Country Park nr Petersfield.

Willow deer head workshop 8th June Queen Elizabeth Country Park nr Petersfield

  • Create a flower-inspired rag rug Tudor House Museum Sunday 11th June
  • Create a sweet pea basket climbing/ frame monthly make June 15th at the Lapstone

As you will notice my monthly makes are now taking place at the Lapstone Pub in Fair Oak and include lunch as well so a lovely relaxing session and only cost £45 so a lovely way to relax and make and make new freinds

Anyway that’s it for now my summer newsletter will be created  in the next few months

Happy Making

Jacquie

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Monthly willow weaving half day monthly makes workshops new home in Eastleigh

Posted on May 5, 2023 | Leave a comment

It is always funny how things turn out for the best and a rethink is all that is needed

A couple of months ago I was offering a willow heart workshop for Valentine’s Day and one of the attendees suggested that I might want to offer workshops at his pub  the Lapstone Pub located in  Fairoak Eastleigh,

Well, I decided to visit and I was pleased that I did, as well as having a lovely space to work in the food is also fantastic and for people like me who dont eat a standard diet it was fantastic, so I decided to redesign my  monthly sessions to include lunch as well,

I then went on to offer a trial session where we made willow hearts  to  tie in with Mother’s Day and  attracted lots of interest So now my willow flower  workshop on May 18th is selling out fast

It is always useful to take time and rethink isn’t it

If you are interested in finding out more check out my workshops page

The Lapstone

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Willow sculpture art and workshop gift vouchers an ideal gift

Posted on November 29, 2022 | Leave a comment

Spoilt for choice? Let your loved one decide at their leisure with  one of my gift vouchers
?
£10, £25, £50 or £100 vouchers are available and can be used for full or part payment of any of the artworks or workshops to purchase 

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Autumn newsletter

Posted on November 14, 2022 | Leave a comment

Autumn Newsletter

This is always an interesting time of year isn’t it with the autumn days providing a mix of rain and lovely weather, it’s a great time to get out and about and do some foraging.

 

This is  an ideal time for collecting willow/ dogwood etc and other bendy materials to create with

, so whether you are able to go out foraging or have some friendly neighbours or are fortunate to have some growing in your garden it’s a great time for gathering materials such as these which will stay workable if you leave them outside for several weeks so if you have some growing near you why not have a go.

As usual, this time of year is pretty busy I have several Christmas workshops on the go and I’m attending several fairs and markets including

 

  • Chawton House Christmas Fair on the 26th and 27th of November
  • New Forest Makers Market in Lymington on the 3rd December and Romsey Makers Market on the 11th of December
  • Moors Valley Country Park Saturday 17th December

So if you in the area why not pop in and say hello?

Every now and again it’s lovely to share our skills with others so I thought that I include a link to a willow fish tutorial that I made on youtube a couple of years ago, its great to do with others I even have one made with paper straws as well https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcDg-pco0qg

On the topic of interesting things to watch I thought that you might also like this one about making seagrass baskets https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcDg-pco0qg

Events

I also thought that I should mention that I have a few places remaining on my workshops before Christmas:

  • Christmas stars evening with a meal 1st December 6 – 9 pm at Bay Leaves Larder in Chandlers Ford
  • Willow penguin workshop 10th December in Chandlers Ford Community Centre
  • Christmas rag rugs on the 8th of December

 Next Year’s activities

New workshop course

I am going to be starting a regular monthly willow weaving course on the first Thursday on the month, this will be a progressive course aimed at beginners and those with a little experience, at the end of each session students will be taking materials home to practise This course will be taking place on at Chandlers Ford Community Centre nr Eastleigh from January to August. on the Third Thursday of the month from  11am – 3pm If you are interested in attending then check out the information on my willow weaving page 

Stand alone workshops

I have also listed below the workshops that I will be offering until the summer which include willow and textile activities. I will be adding more dates in the New Year for rag rug workshops and other outdoor activities focussing on foraging and woodland crafts.

Dates for next year 
Date Area Topic Price
Sat 4th Feb  5  hr workshop  11- 4 Hamble Le Rice, Southampton Peg loom workshop £50
Thursday 9th Feb Romsey New Forest Rag rug hearts £65
Sun 12th Feb 10 – 4.30 Wickham Fareham Willow hearts £60
Sat 25th Feb 10 – 4.30 Chandlers Ford Easteigh Willow obelisks and dragonflys £65
Sat 11th March  £80 Portchester Fareham Hare workshop £80
Sat 25th March £65 Wickham, Fareham Bee workshop £65
22nd April and 23rd April weekend Chandlers Ford Eastleigh Weekend willow workshop more details to follow £150 + materials
Sat 13th May Portchester nr,Fareham Owl workshop £70
Sat 21st May Burley, New Forest Farmyard birds £75
Sat 24th June  £80 Burley,New Forest  Fox workshop £80
Sat 8th July Chandlers Ford Eastleigh  to deceide
Sat 22nd July Portchester Fareham to decide

 

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Christmas willow weaving workshops

Posted on October 29, 2022 | Comments Off on Christmas willow weaving workshops

I’m busy offering a variety of willow weaving workshops this year from the traditional Christmas decoration activities as well as a number of large sculpture-creating stag/ reindeer heads at the  lovely village of Burley in the New Forest and willow penguins in Chandlers Ford near Winchester

For details about my  workshops please visit my new website 

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Living willow hearts

Posted on February 14, 2022 | Leave a comment

First summer

I am busy creating my living willow hearts again this year 

Such a lovely present for someone you care about or lovely treat that keeps on giving

My handwoven hearts are great for those of you that loves the idea of having a living willow plant but doesn’t have the room to grow one .  individual in size and shape,

I sell them in dormant form unrooted in the spring  (and these can be posted at that stage) as well as when they are growing . Once they are on leaf which is usually from May onwards so I only sell these locally as they are to fragile to post ( see below for more details)

I create hearts from two different strains of willow ( details below) each costing £25  + delivery if needed . if you wish to find out more simply follow the lkink to  my shop 

 Flanders red which is a  quite a study willow with  yellowy green bark  with an attractive red blush at the tips as it aged the old bark changes to a reddish/rust colour bark it may develop green catkins.in subsequent years

 Brittany green is a fine willow with  red/ purple / green bark with dark green oval leaves , it tends to have   yellowish  buds and may develop greyish catkins. In its dormant stage it takes on a pink / red tings .

Plant sizes 

The plant sizes vary and will be approximately- 100cm -110 height   please note if you want me to post the plant to you  I will need to reduce the height to just under 100 cm to allow for postage ( if you wish me to send you the larger size the postage cost is doubled)

If you prefer a different size please contact me to discuss

Aftercare

The plants can be grown in pots  -The soil needs to be kept moist throughout the year this option makes it easier to move the plant to different locations and find the one that suits it best You will need to water it regularly especially in the first few months and when there hasn’t been very much rain/ the soil is dry.

It is designed to be kept trimmed and stay a similar size  maybe , if you wish to plant it outside  do not plant  it near to walls or water pipes.as the roots will spread underground.

What to expect

Each plant is provided with aftercare instructions including how to maintain its shape once it is established.

The plant will start to develop buds in the spring usually April onwards and will be in leaf by the early summer, it will shed its leaves in late autumn.

Delivery

  • Collection – free from my home located near to  Southampton Airport  or I can deliver locally or send by courier

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Spring summer willow activities taking place in Hampshire

Posted on January 14, 2022 | Leave a comment

I have been busy organising the spring / summers willow sculpting workshops , with some new and familiar venues  starting with some local workshops in Chandlers Ford and Hedge End ( Near Eastleigh) and Shawford near Winchester)   with some further afield at Wickham ( near to Fareham) ,   I am also retuning to Butser Ancient Farm ( near Petersfield) again in the summer

I am really pleased to share that I am  also running a workshop at  Tudor House Museum in the old part of Southampton

If all goes well I will be returning to the Anvil Theatre in Basingstoke this year  as they are planning to restart their workshop program and I will be back in the New Forest again in the summer

Its always worth keeping a check on what I am doing I regularly post on Facebook and Instagram

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