I cannot believe my last post in here was back in February. So much has happened since then and its only now that I have the time to update this blog and I intend keeping it updated at all times, especially now that Craft2Distract is now running regular craft classes and I will be posting in here details of the groups activities/
In order to start up Craft2Distract my husband Andrew and I decided to rent an office to enable us to work towards starting up this group for people who suffer from chronic pain.
I had discovered that when I was crafting I was distracted from the constant pain I have due to Lumber Facet Joint Disease and I wanted to help fellow sufferers learn that they can take up a hobby and enjoy the experience which could be just the Therapy they need to distract them from the pain even if only for a couple of hours a day.
Our first office was situated in and old school building now named The Makers Village situated in Alloa,Clackmannanshire, which has been purchased by a local business run by the family of brothers known as The Mulraney Group.
In 2010 as part of the Council Regeneration project Imagine Alloa the Mulraney Group purchased the site and developed a number of studio spaces.
In 2011 Art'N'Mind (trading arm of Reachout with Arts in Mind) applied for funding to establish a training Gallery Bistro and in November 2012 the programme started trading.
Finally, in early 2012 a partnership (Art'N'Mind, Mulraney Group, Kingscavil Associates) was established to apply for funding to develop the site and provide a support infrastructure for the Creative Industries in Forth Valley and across the whole of Scotland. In late September 2012 Creative Scotland announced the success of the application.
Our office was very small and we needed to find space to rent to hold weekly crafting classes. We had visited the office in the Summer during a very warm spell and it wasnt till October we realised it was too cold to work in as there was no heating and the portable heater we brought in just didnt even take away the cold in our room. The other offices in this building were often empty with people preferring to work from home during the winter months and so there was very little heat in any part of the building. The Mulraney group were very good at moving us to a more suitable studio/ Whilst it was a much better place to work it was still too small to hold workshops for our group which had yet to be. We had met Angela Bearsden at a craft fare who set up an organisation which she named Resonate Together and was invited over to see the work being done there. We became regular visitors and ended up hiring one of the rooms to start our craft group classes. It took a few months for people to join us but soon we came to a situation that we needed a bigger room. Again the Mulraney Group offered us a larger room which is now our permanent home for our weekly classes. We now have 2 classes per week and starting an evening class. The moment I saw this room I fell in love with it. I just knew this was the right place at last to run our weekly classes and so Craft2Distract finally has a permanent Studio
We were also asked to organise craft work shops at another venue in the nearby town of Callander during their festival and so we have a fortnightly class there until October. If this is successful we hope to run classes there on a permanent basis.
The community of Callander has put together an exhibtion during this time and I was amazed at the beautiful work on show atThe StKessogs Centre.
These are jus ta couple of the beautiful felt panels on display. So much work has gone into each one it must have taken the makers a many hours to complete. I was very impreseed with the wok done. I had no idea such beautiful work could be made using felt and a needle althoughI have since discovered some of thiskind of work is donewith wetfeltin panels.
I admire these so much that I signed up for a workshop running in the centre during the Summer Fest. I will let you see what I make.
Watch this space for another master piece. Not! hahaha
This panel above is of Scottish Highlands with the hills and heather and the one on the right has writing For Auld Lang Sine
In the past few months I have been so busy with Craft2Distract that my work with Creating The Crafty Life was being neglected and I had to come to a decision whether to try and keep it going or give it up. Reluctently I gave it up but in the knowledge that the person taking over from me named herself Lady Anne is as passionate as I with the group Vintage Beyond.
I miss this group very much as I had been with it for several years and made many friends all over the world. However i will be keeping in touch with some of the members and I am now enjoying the work involved with organising craft classes.
And the story of how Craft2Distract was started is now up to date.
It is my intention to write up this blog regularily with infomation on the activities of this group and our plans for the future expansion.
Thats all for now
Happy Crafting
Lilian
In order to start up Craft2Distract my husband Andrew and I decided to rent an office to enable us to work towards starting up this group for people who suffer from chronic pain.
I had discovered that when I was crafting I was distracted from the constant pain I have due to Lumber Facet Joint Disease and I wanted to help fellow sufferers learn that they can take up a hobby and enjoy the experience which could be just the Therapy they need to distract them from the pain even if only for a couple of hours a day.
Our first office was situated in and old school building now named The Makers Village situated in Alloa,Clackmannanshire, which has been purchased by a local business run by the family of brothers known as The Mulraney Group.
In 2010 as part of the Council Regeneration project Imagine Alloa the Mulraney Group purchased the site and developed a number of studio spaces.
In 2011 Art'N'Mind (trading arm of Reachout with Arts in Mind) applied for funding to establish a training Gallery Bistro and in November 2012 the programme started trading.
Finally, in early 2012 a partnership (Art'N'Mind, Mulraney Group, Kingscavil Associates) was established to apply for funding to develop the site and provide a support infrastructure for the Creative Industries in Forth Valley and across the whole of Scotland. In late September 2012 Creative Scotland announced the success of the application.
Our office was very small and we needed to find space to rent to hold weekly crafting classes. We had visited the office in the Summer during a very warm spell and it wasnt till October we realised it was too cold to work in as there was no heating and the portable heater we brought in just didnt even take away the cold in our room. The other offices in this building were often empty with people preferring to work from home during the winter months and so there was very little heat in any part of the building. The Mulraney group were very good at moving us to a more suitable studio/ Whilst it was a much better place to work it was still too small to hold workshops for our group which had yet to be. We had met Angela Bearsden at a craft fare who set up an organisation which she named Resonate Together and was invited over to see the work being done there. We became regular visitors and ended up hiring one of the rooms to start our craft group classes. It took a few months for people to join us but soon we came to a situation that we needed a bigger room. Again the Mulraney Group offered us a larger room which is now our permanent home for our weekly classes. We now have 2 classes per week and starting an evening class. The moment I saw this room I fell in love with it. I just knew this was the right place at last to run our weekly classes and so Craft2Distract finally has a permanent Studio
We were also asked to organise craft work shops at another venue in the nearby town of Callander during their festival and so we have a fortnightly class there until October. If this is successful we hope to run classes there on a permanent basis.
The community of Callander has put together an exhibtion during this time and I was amazed at the beautiful work on show atThe StKessogs Centre.
These are jus ta couple of the beautiful felt panels on display. So much work has gone into each one it must have taken the makers a many hours to complete. I was very impreseed with the wok done. I had no idea such beautiful work could be made using felt and a needle althoughI have since discovered some of thiskind of work is donewith wetfeltin panels.
I admire these so much that I signed up for a workshop running in the centre during the Summer Fest. I will let you see what I make.
Watch this space for another master piece. Not! hahaha
In the past few months I have been so busy with Craft2Distract that my work with Creating The Crafty Life was being neglected and I had to come to a decision whether to try and keep it going or give it up. Reluctently I gave it up but in the knowledge that the person taking over from me named herself Lady Anne is as passionate as I with the group Vintage Beyond.
I miss this group very much as I had been with it for several years and made many friends all over the world. However i will be keeping in touch with some of the members and I am now enjoying the work involved with organising craft classes.
And the story of how Craft2Distract was started is now up to date.
It is my intention to write up this blog regularily with infomation on the activities of this group and our plans for the future expansion.
Thats all for now
Happy Crafting
Lilian
