My second attempt at a finished ‘drawing’ using my pyrographics pen. The pen is next to it to give an idea of scale.
I found the piece of wood in a charity shop with a transfer photo of a bird on it, I sanded the transfer and the varnish coating off, which made the wood a much lighter colour, perfect for the highlights on the squirrel.
Everyone should have a creative, productive outlet where they can express themselves and make their own mark and crochet is a great way to do this.
It can be used as a way to wind down and relax at the end of a stressful day, or to help relieve depression or anxiety.
You can make beautiful and unique items that are perfect gifts for your friends and loved ones, knowing they will not have been given a similar item by anyone else. You could even sell your items if you are business minded!
Whether you are a complete beginner or someone who has been crocheting for many years, there is alway something new to learn, inspiration can be taken from many sources and perhaps my new crochet course may be perfect for you…..
With 1 to 1 tutoring I can take you through the basics stitches, help you to read patterns or to help you to create something totally original such as my doily dresses.
Set in Christmas Cottage, a quirky 18th century property in Upton.
Starting on Thursday 27th April from 7 til 9pm.
Places are limited to ensure focussed attention and is priced at £7.50 per session and will last for 6 weeks.
Materials will be supplied, however if you’re working on your own project, please bring it along with you.
Refreshments and homemade cake will be included, as will be a relaxing atmosphere for you to explore this traditional pastime.
To book a space either email me on ninacamplin@aol.co.uk or call me on 07947 044013.
It feels like Christmas!
Look what arrived in the post today!!!
I had to go back to Swanage Railway Station today to put a coat of anti graffiti resin over the poster mural, mainly to protect it from the soot and dirt which comes off the steam engines.
About half way through my work a wasp did a suicide dive into the resin compound, so I thought as it had sacrificed itself I should make a piece of art from it, possibly to become a paper weight or pendant sometime in the future.
When I had finished rollering the rest of the resin over the mural I was offered a Footplate ride on one of the engines.
WOW! I loved it!
Even got to toot the whistle while I was there!
Originally painted in September 2003, this mural on the rear of the cottage at 19 Gilbert Road in Swanage had been quite badly stripped of paint by the steam from the passing trains.
It almost appeared as if the walls had been sandblasted, as a lot of the paint had been worn away. I have never known this to happen to any other murals that I have painted in the past, we could only contribute it to the steam from the engines as the trains pass very close to this house so many times a day throughout the peak season and the steam is quite acidic.
I had to hire a scaffolding tower from Sydenhams for the day, which was fun as they do not include construction or dismantling of the tower in their delivery, so I had to go beg for help from some of the railway workers.
The weather held out and I managed to get the mural repainted and scaffolding dismantled by late afternoon.
This was how it looked at the end of the day after a new coat of paint……
New painting for Purbeck Arts Week completed today.
Acrylic on recycled canvas board with distressed wood frame.
Reference taken from original photo by Allan Charlton.
I received an email this week from Bryan Trent, one of the workmen at Swanage Railway, saying he had some photos to show me that he had taken while I was working on the mural there. I asked him to send me copies and asked for his permission to add some of them to my website, which he kindly granted!
Thanks for the pics Bryan and for keeping me in cups of tea while I was working!
In November 2015 my sister and I started to make new items from recycled junk. At first I worked with a load of old jumpers and cardigans, which I cut up and hand sewed into new ones.
I then started to do a similar thing with old dresses and tshirts….
Whilst looking online for new ideas on how to customise clothing, I came across some gorgeous dresses made from antique and vintage crochet doilies and decided to have a go myself.
I had a few doilies that my grandmother had made, I then bought more from car boot sales and charity shops, but did not have enough to make a dress, so I decided to take up crochet again and make some myself, something I had not done for many many years!
This was my first effort…..
I then hand dyed it to make the over-all colour more lavender.
This dress is now available on Etsy at Lavender crochet dress
Some of my other creations are also available
ninacamplin.co.uk 