Tea Party Update

We had a wonderful turn out for our final New Vistas Big Draw event, a Tea party with a paper craft workshop by Phiona Richards. 

Phiona showed participants how to create a brooch or a Christmas decoration out of scrap paper from magazines. 

We are delighted that Phiona has  been recommended for the Craft and Design Selected Makers Awards 2012. You can help her by placing your vote here

During the day we were joined by The Mayor of Corby, Gail McDade who was presented with a cake stand made by Cathie Shuttleworth and cushions created by Jennie Helliwell and Ros Stoddart. The presentation was made by Maureen Walvin and her Granddaughter Ellie. The gifts will have pride of place in the Mayor's Chamber.

Participants sitting amongst the Floating Columns

Paper brooch by Ann Leonard

Christmas Decoration by Allan Davies

Sample Boxes and Brooches

Sonia and Shula Hawes

 wearing their creations

There was also the opportunity for people to write their thoughts

wishes & hopes for future events / exhibitions in the Cube

    

Wonderful baked treats were made by Lisa Wilkinson 

and members of Back to Books

Just at the end of the afternoon Phiona taught Carole Miles how to twirl paper roses and Carole later went home to create decorations from old postcards for her Christmas Crackers. Many thanks to J Devereaux and Corby Borough Council for making this workshop possible!

December Photography Walk

Our December Photography walk explored Brampton Halt, Northampton and Lamport Railway and part of the Brampton Valley Way. Again it was a cold, crisp day, breezy, wonderful light, absence of rain. You can see the photographs from the walk here.

As it is chilly December you may like to read The Signalman by Charles Dickens you can also watch Andrew Davies 1976 adaptation for the BBC Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

A Tales on the Rails

Our first On the Right Track Story Telling event took place early in December at Northampton and Lamport Railway Station with a party of children from Priory Lower School in Bedford. Carole has worked with the school for seven years and was keen to bring the children out to explore the Northamptonshire countryside. Some of the children were wearing their very first pair of wellies and were soon to discover the delight of puddle jumping.

The first task of the day was to take a brisk walk, there had been rain earlier but barring the odd grey cloud the day way fine and the countryside still looked autumnal rather than wintery

A party of NLRS volunteers were working on the line

Someone found a ladybird hotel and the children decided to take it back to their Bug House at school

Here are some of the things the children asked Carole to photograph

After the walk we headed back to our toasty warm railway carriage

Where Allan began a tale that had everyone in the 

carriage joining in with sound effects and laughter.

Philippa checking her notebook

and playing with sock caterpillars 

Allan Davies

Gordon Titmuss - our Station Master for the day

and a man of many keys!

Just before lunch Carole produced socks and stuffing, pipe cleaners and fluffy pompoms

and everyone made their own caterpillar.

After a bit of a tidying up everyone put on their hats, scarves, gloves and coats the brave the chilly station platform. Before leaving, Philippa told us a fantastic story and many of the children were roped in to help.

You can see a clip of the story here

Thank you to everyone who helped to make it such a special day!

You can find out more about A Word in Edgeways here

Exciting End of Exhibition Event!

Tea With A View Part 2 - Saturday December 17th, 1.30pm until 4.30pm

Outside the Chamber and in 
the Weldon & Gretton rooms 
all on the 2^nd Floor of The Cube

Come and Join Us For a Tea Party and Paper Sculpture Workshop New Vistas Wider Horizons End of Exhibition Event
 

As a Thank You for all your lovely drawings made during our Big Draw Project, J Devereux, Strategic Arts & Cultural Officer has arranged for a Tea Party so people can collect, fill and try out their Cake Stands, collect their cushions, say farewell to the Floating Columns. There will be a selection of edible delights made by our lovely Lisa Wilkinson but we hope you will bring treats and eats of your own to share!

Carole Miles will be collecting thoughts and feelings about the exhibition space.

You can also take part in a paper craft workshop by the wonderful Phiona Richards - yes, as seen on

Kirstie's Hand Made Britain!

The workshop will run from 1.30pm until 4.30pm, people can stay for the whole time or drop-in & out.

The image above is of one of Phiona's creations that you can make on the day.

The workshops will take place out side the Chamber & in the Weldon & Gretton rooms all on the 2^nd Floor of The Cube.

People can bring there own paper(s) and/or books with which to make brooches, Christmas decorations, coasters etc.

You can find out more about Phiona and her work here:-

Phiona Richards

Freelance Artist

www.rarenotions.co.uk

www.rarenotions.blogspot.com

www.twitter.com/rarenotions

RSVP here 

On The Right Track Upcycling Projects October / November

Recycled fabrics were used for this sweet little project with Year 4 children who created Christmas inspired stencils to screen print onto vintage Horrocks flannelette fabric. There is a different image on each side, which has been embellished with sequins, sewn together and given a ribbon tie in order to make a gift bag. The bags are going to be filled with something home made and will be given to members of the audience when the children sing carols at a home for the elderly. The fabric had been given to Carole by a friend's mother, there is always something satisfying about giving something someone might have thrown away a new lease of life and fabrics have such a power to connect us with people, time and place.

Another winter project was to create a story sack inspired by the The Very Hungry Caterpillar book by Eric Carle, once again most of the fabrics were recycled - Carole has a lot of tiny scraps of fabric kept for projects like these and the calico bags were from a local scrap recycling store. They have printing on one side but applying a fabric panel over this soon disappears the problem areas. As some people had no experience with textiles and were worried about using pins at home with small children around, Carole suggested using small dots of fabric glue to keep things in place before sewing. Once the bags were completed participants could find other online resources to use in conjunction with their Very Hungry Caterpillar books. Link 1 , Link 2, Link 3, Link4, Link 5

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November Photography Walk

Our November Photography explored the Brampton Valley Way between Hanging Houghton and Creaton. Crisp day, wonderful light, rain left muddy puddle along the track, still plenty of Sloes on the top branches in the hedgerows. The Photo Set for the walk can be found by following this link