Workshop report

I'm happy to tell you that yesterday's Pretty Little Birdhouse workshop at MinF was a big success.  I'm still on a high.  After all that stress preparing for the workshop, it was amazing when it went off without a glitch. 

The success of the workshop was in no small part attributable to the participants.  I'd forgotten how wonderful it is to teach a group of enthusiastic, talented, friendly people.

 Cherin

 Gertina

 

 

 Brenda and Chris

 

 Amanda

 Diane

I'm putting final touches to the print version of the workhsop notes.  The workshop will be available as a PDF download early this week.

Newsflash - Polymer Clay Easter Bunny Workshop, and Panda Progress

Good Monday morning everyone.  Wishing you a productive, creative week!
Here's a quick note to let you know that the proposed Easter Bunny Polymer Clay Workshop on 29 March has been confirmed.

Here are the bare bones details:
What:  A polymer clay Easter bunny.  Jointed or unjointed, your choice.  Easter eggs from clay if you want to.
When: Saturday 29 March.  Morning 9am to 12, OR afternoon 1 to 4pm.
How: Adults, beginners to advanced.  Sorry, no children.
Cost: R 60 per session, no clay included.  Bring your own clay, buy clay at the studio, or ask Megan to prepare a clay kit for you, additional cost R 100.  There are no workshop notes, you are welcome to make notes in class, and photograph the steps of the project as we go along.
The class will be limited to 8 persons.  There is a morning and and afternoon session, but you need to book as soon as possible to ensure your place. If you want to stay all day, book for both sessions and pack your own lunch.  Teatime treats served all day.

There is no workshop sample to show yet.  I've been thinking about this project, and some time in the night inspiration struck.  When I woke up this morning I knew exactly what we will be making.  As time allows this week, I will make and photograph samples.

Panda Progress
Fabric arrived on Friday afternoon, yippee!  I have not finished digitizing the pattern and writing workshop instructions yet, that is my main priority this week.  Homework kits for the workhsop should be ready on Thursday.

Workshops 2014

This is me, Megan.  Yes, the real me, I'm still around!  Having a holiday is rough, it's going to be real difficult to come back next week... I have much to tell though.  Expect many blogs from now on.

I've posted workshop dates for 2014 on the Tin Soldiers website.  Look to your right.  I have made a nifty photo link that will always be on the first page when you open the blog.  Now you don't need to print and save the workshop calendar.  You can click on it any time, all year, and see exactly what's happening in the studio.

January
28 Tuesday
Sew Along 9am till 12pm.
29Wednesday
Sew Along 9am till 12pm.
30 Thursday
Sew Along 7pm till 10pm.


February
3 Monday
Sew Along 7pm till 10pm.
4 Tuesday
Sew Along 9am till 12pm.
5 Wednesday
Sew Along 9am till 12pm.
6 Thursday
Sew Along 7pm till 10pm.
8 Saturday
Workshop for Advanced Teddy Bear and Doll Makers 9am till 12pm.
Polymer Clay Noses and Claws Workshop 1pm till 4pm.
22 Saturday
Modern Cloth Doll Making Part I 9am till 4pm.

March
1 Saturday
Teddy Bear Making for Beginners 9am till 4pm.
Workshop for Advanced Bear and Doll Makers 9am till 4pm.
3 Monday
Sew Along 7pm till 10pm.
4 Tuesday
Sew Along 9am till 12pm.
5 Wednesday
Sew Along 9am till 12pm.
6 Thursday
Sew Along 7pm till 10pm.
8 Saturday
Modern Cloth Doll Making Part II 9am till 4pm.
31 Monday
Sew Along 7pm till 10pm.


April
1 Tuesday
Sew Along 9am till 12pm.
2 Wednesday
Sew Along 9am till 12pm.
3 Thursday
Sew Along 7pm till 10pm.
5 Saturday
Workshop for Beginner Teddy Bear Makers 9am till 12pm.
Workshop for Advanced Teddy Bear and Doll Makers 9am till 12pm.
12 Saturday
Workshop for Beginner Teddy Bear Makers 9am till 12pm.
Workshop for Advanced Teddy Bear and Doll Makers 9am till 12pm.


May
3 Saturday
Teddy Bear Making for Beginners 9am till 4pm.
Workshop for Advanced Bear and Doll Makers 9am till 4pm.
27 Tuesday
Sew Along 9am till 12pm.
28 Wednesday
Sew Along 9am till 12pm.
29 Thursday
Sew Along 7pm till 10pm.

June
7 Saturday
Workshop for Beginner Teddy Bear Makers 9am till 12pm.
Workshop for Advanced Teddy Bear and Doll Makers 9am till 12pm.
14 Saturday
Workshop for Beginner Teddy Bear Makers 9am till 12pm.
Workshop for Advanced Teddy Bear and Doll Makers 9am till 12pm.

July
5 Saturday
Teddy Bear Making for Beginners 9am till 4pm.
Workshop for Advanced Bear and Doll Makers 9am till 4pm.

I'm adding this as a footnote, hopefully many of you will miss reading it.  Don't want to bother you with real life, but there's some crazy stuff happening lately.  Please don't be alarmed, as circumstances change we have to adapt, and change is not always a bad thing!  Be assured that I am as devoted to my crafty friends as always, and my enthusiasm for my work has not diminished one bit. 

Modern Annie - Cloth Doll Workshop

Please note that Tin Soldiers Studio will be closed between 17 December and 25 January. 

I'm working on a series of posts that are scheduled to post automatically while I am away.  Starting 1 December, 24 Days of vintage Christmas images and festive ideas.  I've been collecting them all year, and look forward to sharing them with you.

Over the past two weekends we had our first ever all-doll-making workshops at Tin Soldiers.  I'm wildly impressed by everyone's dolls.  Here are Dawn and Ina's nearly complete Modern Annie dolls.

I have workshop pics too, will see if I have a minute to post them this week.

Workshop dates November and December 2013

The year is galloping away from us, summer has arrived in full force, and I don't know which broom to choose to get everywhere I need to be fastest!

 

Here are workshop dates for the remainder of this year. 

23 Saturday
Advanced Doll Making Part II
9am till 4pm.
25 Monday
Sew Along 6pm till 10pm.
26 Tuesday
Sew Along 9am till 1pm.
27 Wednesday
Sew Along 9am till 1pm.
28 Thursday
Sew Along 6pm till 10pm.
December
2 Monday
Sew Along 6pm till 10pm.
3 Tuesday
Sew Along 9am till 1pm.
4 Wednesday
Sew Along 9am till 1pm.
5 Thursday
Sew Along 6pm till 10pm.
7 Saturday
Teddy Bear Making Workshop 9am-4pm.
9 Monday
Sew Along 6pm till 10pm.
10 Tuesday
Sew Along 9am till 1pm.
11 Wednesday
Sew Along 9am till 1pm.
12 Thursday
Sew Along 6pm till 10pm.
14 Saturday
Advanced Doll Making Part I
9am till 4pm.
16 Monday
Advanced Doll Making Part II
9am till 4pm.

After deliberation I have decided to to close the studio from 17 December until 25 January 2014.  This is going to be the kind of doors locked, lights off, no-one-answers-the-phone closed.  Yes, I know it's five whole weeks, I will miss you but there are things I need to get done.  This will not be a holiday.  And no, I don't know what you are going to do if you run out of bear making supplies.  Best stock up now! 

  

Photos - Roz Workshop 14 September

Our Roz workshop on 14 September was heaps of fun.  In no small part due to the talented and enthusiastic ladies who came to make bears with us.

 

Sometimes things were upside down.

 

 At times we had our feet up.

And got our ears pinned back.

Making a pin-up girl!

 

Wrung its neck...

The end result was a bevy of beautiful bears.

 

Time to go home, Roz.  We had fun today!

 

Workshop dates

I've been remiss in not letting everyone know what workshops are happening when at Tin Soldiers over the next few weeks.  With all the hours going into uploading products on the new website I haven't updated the Workshops page, or sent out a Newsletter.

Here are some important dates at a glance:

Saturday 28 September - Clay teddy bears.
This is a workshop for beginners and advanced polymer clay crafters.  Cost R 120 including materials.  There is a morning session 9 till 12, and an afternoon session 1 till 4.  Book soon, the workshop is filling up fast!  I will have photos of our project on the blog soon.

30 September to 2 October - Sew Along on Monday evening, Tuesday morning, Wednesday morning.

4 October to 6 October - Centurion Craft Show. 
This is an exhibition of hand craft by artists who are also teachers.  Many of the exhibitors offer short courses and demonstrations at their stands.  It's a stunning event every year.  I will be offering some polymer clay and felt craft workshops this year again.  Will post photos on the blog soon.

Saturday 12 October.  All day bear making workshop for beginners and advanced.  This workshop is fully booked.

Saturday 19 October.  Roz needle felt workshop.  This workshop is fully booked.

26 October - Bearathon WAR day.
We are making teddy bears for Woman Against Rape.  There is a morning session 9 till 12, and an afternoon session 1 till 4.  Book soon, the workshops are filling up!  Come and make a simple teddy bear and donate it to the Bearathon effort.  Beginners and advanced bear makers welcome.  Cost R 100, includes a teddy bear kit and refreshments.  I will update the Bearathon page with information, and post it on the blog soon.

Saturday 2 November.  All day bear making workshop for beginners and advanced.

Saturday 16 November and Saturday 23 November.  Two full days of cloth doll making.  Aimed at beginners, I will take a very limited number of students in this workshop and cover several techniques hands-on.  Contact me for details.

Saturday 7 December.  All day bear making workshop for beginners and advanced.

Saturday 14 December and Monday 16 December.  Two full days of cloth doll making.  Aimed at beginners, I will take a very limited number of students in this workshop and cover several techniques hands-on.  Contact me for details.



  

Roz Workshop 13 July

Had another fantastic Roz workshop today!

Roz - Needle Felt Teddy Bear Workshop

Roz wants to dance with you!

 

This is a workshop for beginner needle felters. 

What will you learn?

• Needle felt a face, with eye sockets, and felted nose.
• Needle felt pawpads and foot pads.  
• Paint with acrylic paint and shading with pencils.
• Making eyelashes
• Double neck joint, and movable ankles and wrists.

Roz has a rather unusual pattern design and multiple joints (ten articulated points instead of the usual five).  This makes her extra posable and fun to play with.  She is made from batik dyed mohair, and the felting details are added with merino wool.  The pattern for her felt dress and instructions to make it is included.    
To participate in the workshop, you will need some skill as a teddy bear maker, basic bear making techniques are not covered in the workshop.
Here are a few photos I took while making the bear.  It will give you a little hint about how much entertainment you are letting yourself in for when making Roz.

First, get the bear together, and play with poses using all those joints.

Then add the needle felt details, and some paint and eyelashes to make her beautiful.

Finally, raid your stash for some funky felt colours and matching buttons, and make a simple-to-sew dress.

Here are a few photos of bears made at the sneak preview workshop we had last weekend. 

Workshop details:

• Dates available - 13 July, 14 September.
• Duration - 9am till 4pm, at Tin Soldiers Studio in Irene Pretoria.
• Cost - R 470.  This includes the kit and patterns, felting requirements, workshop notes, tuition, lunch and tea.
• Additional felting needles are available at R 18 each.
• This workshop requires pre-sewing.  You need to get a kit from Megan when you book for the workshop and do the homework.  Comprehensive homework instructions are included with the kit.
• The pattern and instructions for the dress is included with the kit, but does not form part of the workshop.  Materials to make the dress is not included.  You will need two 25cm x 25cm squares of felt in the base colour, and scraps for accessorizing.  Also some small buttons and press studs.

On the day of the workshop, please bring along the following:  completed homework, super glue, a foam block, small flat paint brush for acrylic paint no 0 or 1, watercolour pencils black and burnt umber, general sewing supplies.  If you do not have all of the above, or forget something, don't worry, you will be able to borrow from the studio stash.

To book for the workshop, email Megan at megbear99@gmail.com.

Ross became Roz!

It has been a busy fortnight here at Tin Soldiers.  With workshops almost every day, and preparations well under way for classes that I will be teaching away from the studio during the coming month, I have not had much time to play with my needle felt bear.  I tend to pick it up, do a little, put it down, get back and check my progress a day or two later.  Often I will undo what I did last time, and try something different.  Slow progress, but lots of fun.
During one of my absences from the bear, it changed its mind about gender all by itself.  I got there in the morning and Ross had become Roz.
Today I started making her a little dress.

 

I will post photos and details about the workshop in the next few days.  Workhsop dates are available:  22 June, 13 July, 14 September.   There's homework to be done.  If you would like to participate, please contact me for a workshop kit.

This week we acquired a new gadget.  An office paper shredder.  I intend to turn all that annoying junk mail into packaging material, and Henning is going to make paper bricks which are useful for lighting fires.   Right now the temptation is great to shred everything in sight.  It is fun to slide a paper in the slot, and watch the spaghetti roll out in the bin.  I could clear all the clutter on my desk in a matter of minutes... I just know that someone is going to be searching in vain for an important document soon!

Ross Update II

Ross is looking pale and not very photogenic this morning, probably because it is Monday...

Detailing is finished and I'm ready to start adding colour.  I also noticed something surprising about Ross this morning, but I will keep that for later...
Today I will continue working on Ross, and take the puppies to the vet for innoculations.  Thankfully Colani is doing well so he will be spared another trip in the car.
Also today, we are starting a two week cycle of workshops in the studio.  Things are heating up, even in the middle of winter!

Ross Update

I can tell from reader statistics that some of you are checking in every few minutes to see what's happening with Ross... here's a quick peek.

The first layer of felt is on!  I am busy adding detail.  I'm taking pictures for the workshop, and writing homework instructions as I go, so progress is a little bit slower on the bear than it could be.  The excercise running between sewing table and my computer must be good for me though.

Meet Ross

Meet Ross.  Right now this little fellow doesn't look like much, but he's getting more handsome by the hour.

Already he entertains me by striking poses as we work.

Now that I am finished with the basic design, only the fun parts remain - adding character!

I'm looking forward to showing you the finished bear.

Mechanical Mouse Polymer Clay Workhsop at JSME

On Saturday I taught a group of talented miniaturists at JSME (Johannesburg Society of Miniature Enthusiasts) how to make a mechanical mouse from polymer clay.  When you turn the handle on the side of the cheese, the mouse twirls around.

It was a laughing kind of day...

 With intense concentration at times...

When it became too stressful we had to go outside for a cheese break... 

 

Then it started coming together, and things were great!

I was watching all the time to make sure they do it right.

They tell me it was the first workshop ever where the teacher brought a stove...

Hmmm, we all know miniaturists are a bit strange!

JSME offers workshops on the first and third Saturday of every month at the Roosevelt Park recreation centre in Johannesburg.  They also send out a bimonthly newsletter, and organize the largest miniatures festival in the southern hemisphere.  If you are fascinated by small things, and would like to learn to make items for your own dolls house, head over to their website and join the club!

Miniature Mechanical Mouse

After a few false starts with the mechanical mouse project last week, I did manage to make a working sample.  I immediately realized that a picture would never do the little mouse justice, I needed a video to show you how it works.

My small success with the mouse mechanism pointed to a huge gap in my skills base.  I knew virtually nothing about video, and the thought of making my own YouTube video had never crossed my mind.  Thank heavens for Google and Nikon online help.  After some research I knew that I could film 30minutes of video with my digital camera, and that I could edit and smarten it up with the same software that Steven Spielberg uses for his movies.  In order to free up my hands , I unearthed the tripod that I bought a few years ago and have never used. 
Filming the dancing mouse was easy.  Editing the video was not.  After fourteen hours of studying the software and pressing the wrong buttons, I had forty seconds of workable material.  I am not considering a career in the film industry.
So here it is for you to enjoy.  I will be teaching a mechanical mouse workshop at Johannesburg Society of Miniatures on 18th May.  You do not need to be a member of the society to join in a workshop.
Later, when I have time, I will also publish the workshop as a PDF tutorial.
But right now, there are some other wonderful little distractions calling to me.  I will write about them in my next post.

Dates for your Diary

One problem I never have when waking up in the morning, is wondering what to do today.   It is a privilege to live a life dedicated to creative endeavours.  There is also the adventure and challenge of dealing with daily life, I’m sure you know exactly what I mean.  Just yesterday the dogs treed a troupe of monkeys in one of the big bush willows behind the pond.  I spent quite some time out there admiring the monkeys and wishing I could understand the comical curses and sign language they were hurling at the dogs.  Then I distracted the dogs with a snack and a walk so the monkeys could make a safe escape.   It was a few hours till I got back to work.  All that time I was supposed to be at my sewing table but what the heck, we only get to live this one life!

You will find a small Newsletter with Sew Along dates and Saturday Workshops for the second quarter of 2013 as a PDF HERE. 

We also have an all day bear making workshop on the first Saturday of every month.  This is great for beginner bear makers, and for those who want to spend a stretch of time with their works in progress.  

It would be lovely if you join us at Sew Along, or one of the Saturday workshops.

Not on the calendar, but happening soon:

Saturday 27 April 9am till 12.30pm 
Polymer clay play.  This is not a workshop.  I am busy making dolls house food and clay pins at the moment.  You can copy what I am doing, pick a project from a book or magazine, or just bring your clay and make whatever you feel like.  I will be available to answer questions and to assist if you get stuck.  This month the studio has acquired a dedicated clay oven, what luxury!  I’ve tried it out and it is working beautifully.  I’m eager for you to help me put it to good use :-)  Cost R 55.

Saturday 27 April 13.30pm till 16.30pm
Sew Along.  Bring any project that you are working on, bears, dolls, beading, crochet, whatever, and sew along with us. I will be available to answer questions and to assist if you get stuck. We will also have a sort discussion about pandas, and I will show you how to alter a one-colour bear to incorporate two or more colours.  Cost R 55.

Wednesday 1 May 9am till 12.00pm  and 13.00pm till 16.00pm
Polymer clay play.  This is not a workshop.  I am busy making dolls house food and clay pins at the moment.  You can copy what I am doing, pick a project from a book or magazine, or just bring your clay and make whatever you feel like.  I will be available to answer questions and to assist if you get stuck.  This month the studio has acquired a dedicated clay oven, what luxury!  I’ve tried it out and it is working beautifully.  I’m eager for you to help me put it to good use :-)  Cost R 55 per session.  There will be tea and biscuits all day long.  You are welcome to stay for the day, just bring your own snack for lunch.

Coming in June
A mohair teddy with needle felted face and paw pad details.  This is going to be an advanced workshop, and will incorporate many techniques apart from needle felting.  It will be a full day Saturday workshop, or complete the bear in two sessions on a weekday.  If you are interested and would like to put your name down for a place already, you can let me know.  More details and pictures available soon. 

Nellie - Scenes from the first Workshop

On Saturday we had Nellie workshop number one.  There have been lots of enquiries about the workshop, I will announce dates for January 2013 soon. 

In the quiet moments before the first ladies arrive, I'm always a bit nervous that I've forgotten something.  Fortunately the important things were all in place.

Once the workshop got going there was never a quiet moment.

Contemplating the next step...

Oh, no!  Someone lost their head!



As usual, by the end of the day I was so engrossed in finishing touches to the bears that I completely forgot about the camera and never took a picture of the completed Nellies.  As soon as someone sends me their photo, I will add it to the blog.

Puppy Love - Another Workshop

Last weekend we had yet another Puppy Love workhsop.  This time the weather was beautiful and we could work outside.

Some new breeds showed up at this class, note Elizabeth's German Sheperd on the right.

And some can not be identified as any breed at all, but darn, how cute!

Here is Phillys' completed Dalmatian puppy from the previous workshop.