My Claritystamp Mixed Media Workshop is looming.

The Day Before The Workshop

My Next Workshop at Crafters Companion Aycliffe Store is tomorrow, Saturday 17th August 2019

There are 2 places left – you can call the shop to book a place on – 01388 743763

I love to hold workshops for many reasons.  I love to teach what I know, what I have discovered and what I have taught myself over the years.  I also love to show people that all you need is some basic techniques to push yourself further.  It is obviously easier to teach beginners, not complete beginners because they wouldn’t understand a lot of what we do “YET”.  No, I like teaching people who are new to, Stamping, Paint, the Gel Plate, Inking ect.  One of the reasons for this is it makes life easy, there is so much to teach them that you couldn’t possibly run out of ideas in one workshop! Thats always a worry. In the beginning I used to throw in all sorts of ideas and techniques and leave very little left for the next workshop, (so I thought at the time).  If you teach people who are a little more “seasoned” they are harder to impress, and a lot of them are probably better than you at achieving arty loveliness!

 

So, how do I approach my Workshops now compared to before BT. (Before Training).  I have learnt so much from Barbara Gray and Maria Moorhouse about how to hold a successful Workshop. Well, before BT I used to turn up with all of my craft gear and teach everything I could think of to the one Lady who used to come along every week,  I miss you Margaret.xx  I wasn’t on any teams then, I didn’t know there was a whole “Craft Business” out there, or craft fairs or craft TV.  I just knew I liked Craft Magazines and I liked to teach.

Then after a spell of doing Free Craft Sessions in a Home for Dementia where my Mam was I decided that I might have something here.  Not only did the other Patients run to the tables when they saw me with my bags of cardastock and my Cuttlebug to keep my Mam occupied, but the staff used to sit down and join in too?

I got an opportunity to teach at Hobby Craft further down the line after a few failed attempts at setting up regular workshops in Cafes etc. By this time I was on the Claritystamp Design Team.  My first workshop was really well supported and even Lynne Hammond came to support me, which really boosted my confidence.  Also after this tester workshop Andy Duggan and his Mam Dorothy joined us. They supported me for a long time and moved with me when I moved my workshops to a Hut in Wolviston Village.

I had a great time in the Hut.  Called my Workshops “Clarity Mixed Media” and anyone who attended was part of my “Clarity Mixed Media Crew”.  I opened a Group with the same name on FB so we could all go in and chat privately about the workshops etc. My Sisters, Kids, Husband, Nieces and Brother-In-Laws, all supported me and helped out.  Our Pam was the “Tilly Lady” (on the Till) our Janet was the “Official Photographer” she has a real talent with the Camera, Our Margaret was the “Tea Lady” and gave a service above and beyond what was expected!!!.  At one point our Pam and Margaret gained the name Worker and Shirker!  We never quite knew which name belonged to who!.

Our Rachael and Sarah and Hannah used to help me out at my desk, how good is it to have an “Assistant” when you are teaching.   I felt really professional with all that help.  They would go around the tables helping people out too.  It was a real family affair and we all loved it. My Crew Members definitely got spoilt with the service my family provided and they all said how much they appreciated the extra attention.  

But there is only so long that you can carry on involving everyone in the family when they had their own life’s to live and other matters took over so they all started to “Hand In Their Notice” so to speak, ha ha.  I do miss those “Official Workshop do’s” in the Kings Arms!!!!

My “Crew Members” all got on really well and started going to other workshops together, and unfortunately/fortunately for them maybe?? some of them enjoyed those classes so much that they replaced mine for them, also there were clashes with dates etc. So my numbers dropped and it started to cost me money to put on my workshop so I had to give up my Hut.  I also needed a break, I was a little stressed at the time and was considering giving crafting itself a break.  But I had too much to loose so I decided to give myself the whole of Xmas and January off and then make some decision about the way forward. 

So after a few months rest!!! I decided not to run Workshops anymore.  Until, I got the opportunity to hold my Workshops at Crafters Companion in the Newton Aycliffe Store.  I was so glad of this because I needed to be around Crafters again to get me “BACK IN THE GAME” so to speak.  It has been a slow start, and I have moved my workshop days around a bit.  I wanted to hold them during the week so I could give full concentration and time to my Kids but obviously people work so it was difficult to get new workshop Crew Members.   I did have 9 on my books but they could never all attend at once.  This year I moved my workshops to Saturdays’ and Sundays’ to see if I could get more Crew Members, but unfortunately I lost some of my lovely Ladies who used to attend on a Tuesday.  I do miss them, especially Helen who always attended.

So here I am, Its Saturday tomorrow and I have my 8th weekend workshop coming up.  I have 8 attendees which is great.  Its been a long journey and has had its ups and downs but I am now in a place where it all seems to be coming together.  (Touch wood!).  There is nothing wrong with 3 people in a Workshop, its nice and cosy actually, but you still have to put in as much time, effort and money for three as you do fo 20 (yes I could easily teach 20)  I actually think the more crew Members you have the easier it is! When you only have a few people they do everything quicker so you need more content!!!!

Sandra Boyle travels all the way from Scotland every Month to attend!

I have a group of lovely Ladies who attend when they can and its always lovely to see them. Jean, Carol, Sheila & Vanessa.

Big Smiles all around. They enjoyed this project so much last month I couldn’t get them to stop. We made Home Made Wrapping Paper.

Everyone was so happy with what they produced.

My New Lady Gail – I got everyone to have a few goes so they could try out different colour-ways. I think this may be a future YouTube Video! What do you think Barbara Gray? Wrapping Paper, Card & Matching Tag.

Beautiful Work Vanessa, I especially love the grunge in the Pink version.

So, after all this time, 8 or 9 years of trying, succeeding, failing and succeeding again and with all the lovely compliments and knowing some people now attend because they have already seen what I do in my Claritystamp Youtube Videos, WHY do I sill get REALLY NERVOUS the day before a Workshop?  Actually not the day before, the WEEK before.  What pressure it is to hope that you are giving value for money to people who take the time and effort to attend and pay the money to come to ONE OF YOUR WORKSHOPS!!!!

SO, I have two places left for tomorrow, you can still book via Crafters Companion Aycliffe Store on the Number Above or on their Booking Bug System.  Hey I am already putting myself under pressure so it makes no difference if two more people attend ha ha!!.

Everyone will be waiting for my product list but its always the same!

Favourite Colour Paint – always include White and Black

Inks – Distress, Archival Black, Artistry or Adirondack – just a few of each.

Brayer

Gel Plate – Large or Medium

– Gel Plate Petites,

White Pen,

Black Pen,

Water Spray

Ruler

Scissors

Favourite Pattern Stencils,

Favourite Pattern Stamps – for backgrounds.

So what is new this Month?

Dee’s Friends Stamps – Faith, Joy, Hope, Brave either or all

– of Course if you don’t have any of these Items I always supply extras!.

Thank you for staying with me to the end, I know this is a long post but you could have a nice cuppa, or read a bit now, and a bit later?? Ha ha. I did have a few years of catching up to do.

Please like and follow – bye for now Sam Crowe x