Latest news from Green Aspirations
Welcome to news of all that’s been happening over the last couple of months. It’s been a busy time, with workshops now well under way, our very first event celebrating basket making, and the beginning of the show season. Read on to find out what’s been going on and how you can join in the fun.
What's on
Wee Skelfs
We had a great time over the spring holidays with our Skelfs. They’re a creative bunch, making everything from giant toothbrushes to viking dens! It’s always great to see what the Skelfs get up to, as they’re left to explore the woodlands - and their own imaginations. Booking is open for the summer, with the club running for the last 3 weeks in July. The middle week is nearly fully booked, so make sure you don’t miss out!
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Craft workshops
Workshops are now in full flow, with a great range of crafts now available, covering blacksmithing and basket making as well as the whole spectrum of green woodworking. We try to create a safe and fun space for people to learn new skills, giving you the opportunity to try our different tools and techniques before you invest a lot of money. As Paul says, ‘We buy all the tools so you don’t have to’ (that’s his latest excuse!). Find out more
Volunteering
Volunteering is also a regular date in the diary, both on our site and at Kirkton Wood, nr Aberfoyle. It’s a great opportunity to get outside, meet like-minded people, and learn new skills, all while doing good things for your physical and mental health. We run sessions weekly on Fridays and monthly on Saturdays, and we’d love to see you there!
New product alert!
Thanks to one of our lovely volunteers, we’re now making charcoal from whisky staves - and it’s amazing! Made from oak - and soaked with the good stuff - it burns hot and long and has an amazing smell. We’re looking for product testers, so will provide a free bag to the first 5 people who send us an email with the subject line ‘Show me the charcoal!’ - in return for some honest feedback. And, you can still buy our original charcoal online!
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The Great Scottish Craft Hoolie
After the success of the Great Scottish Basket Cases - our first weekend celebration of basket making - we’re now full steam ahead for the Great Scottish Craft Hoolie. We have a great range of traditional crafts already lined up, with more to come! Workshops are taking place over 3 days in August and tickets are available for the whole event, or single days.
Out and about
This is the time of year where we start taking the show on the road! We’ve been out at the Drymen Show and in Aberdeenshire for the North Scotland Garden Show, where we’ve been selling stuff and demo-ing some skills. We’re heading to the south side of Glasgow for our next outing, for the Jackton Craft Market on 1 August. Let us know if you there’s a market or event you think we should be at!
Let’s get crafty!
One of the ways we achieve our social aim - to reconnect people to their landscape - is by sharing traditional crafts, and our weekend events give us the opportunity to expand beyond our own set of skills and welcome other trainers from other crafts. In May, we welcomed a huddle of basket makers and weavers for a wonderful weekend of workshops, making baskets from willow and hazel. With 5 guest trainers, there were lots of different approaches to weaving on offer, from back creels and arm creels to square trugs, split hazel baskets, berry baskets, and bottle holders. We had a great group of both experienced basket makers and beginners, which led to lots of skills sharing, great chats, and even some singing around the fire!
Our next weekend is the Great Scottish Craft Hoolie, an extravaganza of traditional craft workshops running for 3 days in mid-August. So far on the line-up of crafts we have:
Leather working
Spoon carving
Miniature foraged baskets
Wood figure carving
Shrinkpots
Metal working
And more to come!
We’ve changed the way you book for these events, responding to your feedback, so you’ll now buy a ticket for the weekend or day you want to attend, and book workshops separately. Most workshops will be priced around £30, although some may be slightly more depending on materials and prep time. This money goes straight to the tutors, so it’s a great way to support them.
New for this year - you can screen print your own T shirts! We’ve teamed up with a new graduate artist, Katie McKain, to create this great logo which you’ll able to apply to Tshirts and tote bags, with the help of the wonderful Mobile Print Studio. We also have another Tshirt design, to be revealed soon!
As usual, we’ll be offering a catered ticket, with local produce cooked over charcoal produced on our site. And participants can stay on our woodland site, either in a van or in one of our lovely camping spots. We have a wood-powered shower and composting toilets on site.
These events support traditional crafts, give exposure to other crafters, and help us support our range of activities throughout the year. Tickets are on sale now, so get yours today!