How did my 2022 craft challenge go?
At the beginning of 2022 I committed to trying 12 new crafts in the year.
I wanted to set a few parameters while making it fun and achievable so here were the aims that I had back then:
I will attend a class
I would like to support local artists and crafters by attending a craft class where possible.
Although I live in Edinburgh this isn’t always as easy as it might sound. I’ve done some research and there are a couple of courses I’d like to do but you really need a car to get to them (I don’t have access to a car). So I hope to be able to find things each month that I can get to easily.
I aim to try one craft per month
This is where possible. If a class I’m booked onto gets cancelled or postponed I will do my best to do the next available option. That may mess with my streak but that’s fine. While I hope to do one per month, my overall aim is to do 12 in a year.
I want to try crafts that I haven’t done before
I’m not planning on doing any jewellery-making courses! But if I find something I haven’t done before that I’d like to do then I am not going to set too many rules!
I also want to try them for fun and curiosity. It may be something I continue to do at home. Or it may be a great workshop experience but not something I plan to do at home.
So how did I do?
I made it! I went to 12 craft workshops this year all taught by talented artists in Scotland. Here are some details and a fact about the workshop
January - Soap Making
Arienas Collective, Edinburgh
We made cold processed and melt and pour soap. I still have some left from 12 months ago!
February - Slow Stitched Hand Embroidered Scarf
Arienas Collective, Edinburgh
I adored this workshop. The scarf came as a kit and I really loved finishing the scarf off at home
March - Weave a Tartan Scarf
Coorie Creative, Stirling
I really want to get a loom! This was a very mindful craft and I could see myself carrying it on
April - Watercolour for Relaxation
Arienas Collective, Edinburgh
I have continued with the techniques taught by Lou at home. Very restful
May - Embroidered Motifs
Central Scotland School of Craft, Dunblane
Taught by Chloe Patience. We briefly shared a studio in Edinburgh with other creatives
June - Chocolate Heaven
Edinburgh New Town Cookery School, Edinburgh
I do love to bake so this was a fantastic workshop to try
July - Artisan Bread Making
Edinburgh New Town Cookery School, Edinburgh
I hadn’t made bread before and it was great to try new recipes
August - Paper Marbling
Central Scotland School of Craft, Dunblane
It was so fun to experiment with different colour combinations. I have loads of marbled papers now and I need to decide what to do with them!
September
My workshop for September was unfortunately cancelled. Luckily I found two to do in December
October - Design Your Own Perfume
Ladies Love Fragrance, Edinburgh
Trying out different scents to work out my likes and dislikes was fun
November - Letterpress Printing
Arienas Collective, Edinburgh
This is such a great craft but I learnt always to check your punctuation!
December - Wood Burning Baubles
Edinburgh Craft Club, Edinburgh
Pyrography was enjoyable because you could experiment with mark making. I did end up smelling of smoke! But I loved the results
December Bauble Marbling
Edinburgh Craft Club, Edinburgh
It was lovely to experiment with colour and the result was really effective and looked great on the Christmas tree
Here are some answers to questions I’ve been asked about my challenge
What was your favourite make?
I really enjoyed trying them all. If a measure of whether I enjoyed it is that I have done it at home then it’s probably watercolour for relaxation. I completed my hand-embroidered scarf at home and was disappointed when it was finished. I would like to give weaving a go again and would like to get a loom
How did you travel?
I don’t have access to a car so travel can be an issue. There was one workshop I wanted to attend but was unable to get there on public transport.
The majority of my courses were in Edinburgh where I attended workshops in four different locations. For the weaving workshop, I got the train to Stirling and the workshop was very close to the station. The same goes for Dunblane where I took two workshops.
Is there anything you’d do differently?
I really enjoyed the challenge and was glad that I left it open. My September workshop was cancelled and I wasn’t able to find another one in September but I was able to do two in December so it worked out fine.
One thing I would do next time is take more photos! I did a lot of video because I’ve been a bit obsessed with Instagram reels this year but that meant I didn’t have that many photos for blog posts etc. So a mix of both is good
Are you doing it again in 2023?
I won’t be doing the same challenge again although I’m sure I will attend some workshops as I love trying new things. I haven’t decided on a challenge for 2023 so I’ll wait for inspiration to strike!
Where did you attend workshops?
I attended workshops with the following providers
Arienas Collective, Edinburgh - Soap Making, Hand Embroidered Scarf, Watercolour for Relaxation, Letterpress Printing (this is also where I teach my jewellery workshops)
Central Scotland School of Craft, Dunblane - Paper Marbling, Embroidered Motifs
The Edinburgh Craft Club, Edinburgh - Wood Burning Baubles, Bauble Marbling
Edinburgh New Town Cookery School, Edinburgh - Chocolate Heaven, Artisan Bread Making
Coorie Creative, Stirling - Weave a Tartan Scarf
Ladies Love Fragrance, Edinburgh - Design Your Own Perfume