How You Can Help Raise Funds to Replace Missing Brampton Valley Way Mosaic

Since we have had no sightings of the stolen mosaic panel but lots of great support and comments about the pleasure the way markers have given we are attempting to raise funds to create a replacement. This Autumn Local Giving are Running their Grow Your Tenner Scheme where for every individual donation of £10 Local Giving will match it with £10 and if you Gift Aid there will be an extra benefit to your donation! The campaign launches 14th October 2014 and finishes when the match fund runs out or the 31st January 2015 - whichever comes first.

You can support Back To Books by visiting our Local Giving Page HERE your £10 can help to fill the empty space left on the Brampton Valley Way and will bring joy and inspiration to walkers, runners and cyclists who regularly use this great community asset. You can read about the original project here. We hope you can help us make this a reality!

Return Shednologists!

Margot Norris nipping and tucking

Sonja Wilson deep in concentration

One of the best aspects of this project has been to see the excitement, pleasure, satisfaction and relaxation it has brought to all the participants. There have been so many interesting conversations, much shared laughter and a real sense of community both in the shed and out in the community venues we have visited. For the most part we have been lucky with the weather, even when it has been overcast or wet, people have come to take part. We really appreciate all the extra hours our Artist / Project Coordinator Carole Miles has put into the project to make it such a success! She also brews a mean cup of tea!

Frost Completed!

Carole spent the weekend completing the frost panel

Saturday

Sunday

Thursday

What a Difference a Day Makes

Maureen Walvin and Grey Gibson continued the work on the Puddle Jumping panel. Predictably enough, the weather changed once again, the day was punctuated by heavy cloud and intermittent showers. 

but we stayed warm and dry

with a plentiful supply of tea!

Both found that mosaic making reminded them of 

their own experience of painting and quilting

and said the process was surprisingly relaxing.

Grey brought the gift of some much needed green tiles 

which added contrast to the areas they were working on. 

We are sure that the children from Priory Lower School

will be delighted when they see their puddlesome

adventure captured in mosaic form.

Stevie Way Panel continued in the Studio

Here's a progress report on one of the panels begun at Stephenson Way and continued in Carole's studio.

Shusha Walmsley came to help

and found the experience

relaxing and engrossing!

The panel also took a trip to Alstonefield were Carole was involved in a walking residential.

The completed panel then returned to her studio and is now ready to grout.

Litchborough Back To Books Group Panel

We made a welcome return to Litchborough Village hall to meet with some of our members at the other end of the county who wanted to take part in our Brampton Valley Way mosaic project Marking A Fine Line.

It was fantastic to meet up with members who had taken part in Invisible Threads, Felting the Landscape or who  

had come on some of the photography walks of 2012.

Mosaic making was a new art form to most of the group

but they were soon nippering tiles and applying them to their section with gusto!

A brief lunch break

It was another enjoyable day in a beautiful part of the county with a fantastic group of people. Many thanks to artist and member Sonia Hawes who contacted the participants and booked the hall on our behalf. Sonia always makes sure that people in her area know about our events, is a keen walker, social historian, gardener, writer, reader, workshop leader who has a huge passion and commitment to the countryside and the arts! You can find out more about her activities, workshops and adventures here

The panel is off to a flying start!

Stephenson Way Art Group Panels

It is always wonderful to be able to include members of Stevie Way Art Group in Back To Books projects, it is such a welcoming, well run group of active, engaging people. The group meets on Mondays between 11.30 and 1.30 at Stephenson Way Community Centre, Corby. 

The group is organised, on a voluntary basis, by the very wonderful Arts Facilitator Ann Leonard and supported by the equally wonderful Susan Shier. 

Ann has been a key participant in many Back To Books projects, including Invisible Threads, New Vistas Wider Horizons and On the Right Track. 

In her capacity as Office Manager at AES Europe, Ann enabled us to protect the saplings planted in the Jubilee Wood at the Old water Tower in Brigstock in 2012 by providing (along with her colleagues) the stakes and mesh.

During the legendary Stevie Way Art Group Christmas Party participants were all keen to help with the Brampton Valley Way Mosaic Way Markers so on June 10th 2013 artist Carole Miles hired a room in the Community Centre and invited the group to drop in and begin work on two new panels.

We had a spacious, room to work in, regular top-ups of tea and coffee and a marvellous buffet lunch provided by the group.

Three generations

Our youngest participant was very keen to explore all the colours in the tile box!

The conversation is always lively and the laughter abundant, there were some new visitors as well as regulars and everyone was made to feel right at home.

The image that was the inspiration for this panel can be seen here

and the image for this panel can be seen below

After an intensive day of mosaic making both panels are well under way and we would like to thank all who took part for making it such an enjoyable experience. 

The full Flickr Set from the day can be viewed here