Upcoming workshops

Just a quick post to remind you of some of the great workshops we have lined up in the near future - some of them are fully booked already, but amongst those which still have some vacancies include the following:-

Creative Metal Clay with Sarah Lamb on Friday 13th March. Create objects in silver by simply modelling the metal clay using non-traditional jewellery methods. Sarah has great experience using this revolutionary silver clay, and it will be possible to create small pieces of jewellery by the end of the day. £49 (inc £20 materials charge)

Embellish to Stitch - a two day workshop by Pauline Verrinder on Wed 28th and Thurs 29th May - this has proved very popular in the past with new owners of Embellisher machines to help them comes to grips with all the wonderful work that can be produced by these machines. So if you've got one that you haven't fully explored, this is the course for you. Previous classes have been oversubscribed - so get in quick! £57 (inc £3.00 materials charge)

Another two day workshop of interest to those of you with Embellishers (but not exclusively) is

It's a Wrap! by Christine Benson on Friday 8th and Saturday 9th May. Using silk fibres and machine lace you will produce beautiful surfaces for quilting and embroidery from which you can go on to create a distinctive and unique scarf. £70 (inc £6.00 materials charge)

Then we have workshops being run by no less than three artists currently exhibiting with the Prism group at the Mall Galleries in London:

Machines Textures by Gina Ferrari on Friday 3rd April.

This is a machine embroidery workshop where you will learn more techniques for creating rich textures and combine them to produce a landscape style embroidery. This will develop techniques from a previous class but is also suitable for beginners, although students will need to be familiar with their machines. £32 (inc £2 materials charge

Layers in the Landscape - a Textile Approach by Amanda Hislop over the weekend of Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th April.

Taking the landscape as inspiration, explore the effects of layering papers, threads and found materials to form surfaces for stitch. Add texture and overlay washes of colour. Cut back and reveal textile and image, fragment and reassemblage. Explore the potential of this flexible method. £82 (inc £8.00 materials charge)

Colour and Paper - What If??! a three day workshop from Ruth Issett on Wednesday 22nd to Friday 24th April.

Explore the possibilities of working with colour and paper - build paper surfaces, add print, plus a variety of mixed media such as gesso, wax resists and acruylic mediums to give uniquely colourful finishes. A course for those who like to experiment and wish to expand and develop their knowledge with colour on paper. £115 (inc £8.00 materials charge)

To book a course, for more information about these and other courses, or to request a copy of the workshop programme, please call us at the shop on 01438 814946 or email us via our website

Textiles in Focus

We had a very busy and enjoyable weekend at the Textiles in Focus show in Cottenham, near Cambridge, organised brilliantly as always by Pauline Verrinder and her team. You can just see AVG up against the wall at the end!Pauline suggested/insisted that the organisers wear hats, which made them easier to identify! Here's Pauline setting a fine example

There were some great stands, including one run by the textile group Fibrefusion

And other by Fen Edge Textiles

Sharon Osbourne, frequently demonstrator (and visitor) to AVG was demonstrating her work

And in the main exhibition area, there was some fantastic work by the Sleaford Embroiderers, who amongst other things had a vibrant display of ATCs (Artist Trading Cards, for the uninitiated)
And then the beautiful and varied work produced for their Group Challenge "On the Waterfront"
And finally, last but by no means least, some really beautiful work from a group of textile artists known collectively as "Facets"

Textiles in Focus is a small but wonderfully friendly show, and if you haven't been, and live within reasonable travelling distance of Cottenham, I can't recommend it highly enough. There are dozens of 2 hour workshops to attend, and all the participants that we spoke to had really enjoyed them. The lecture this year, on Saturday afternoon, was by Mary Sleigh, author of African Inspirations in Embroidery.

If you didn't manage to get there this year, and would like to be added to the database to ensure you get advance notification of next year's show, contact the organisers via http://www.textilesinfocus.com/

Viv and Kevin have been up at the NEC in Birmingham for a few days with a stand at the Craft Hobby and Stitch Trade Show. Myself and Ann went up for the last day (yesterday) to have a look around and see what new products are available, with a view to stocking them at the Studios (watch this space!) Lots of lovely new books on the way - which were ordered on the basis of "will Pam buy this?" I hope she's been saving her pennies, 'cos there are lots to tempt her!

Towards the end of the day, after Ann and I had identified things for Viv to look at she went off the check them out. I had a text from her saying "meet me at the Efco stand" and this is the scene when I arrived ... William from Efco and Viv enjoying a beer and a laugh.

Meanwhile, Kev was still busy on the stand, here seen chatting to Margaret Beal. Please note, Kev is wearing matching shoes for once - apparently it's because it's a Trade Show and he needs to look professional!You tell him not to look at the camera, but in the end, he just can't stop himself.
Anyway, it was a successful show with lots of Trade orders - and with new stock coming to the Studios very soon.

Don't forget, AVG will be at the Textiles in Focus show in Cottenham this coming Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Hope to see you there!

New Workshop Programme!!

At long last, after much ado, and many enquiries, the time has now come (Fanfare please).....

YES - It's the new WORKSHOP PROGRAMME!!

Viv was sent to her room with NO SUPPER until she had completed the workshop programme. Even worse, we told her she wouldn't be allowed to go on holiday until it was done. So, it's now finished and should be winging it's way out to you as we speak. Have a look through, and I think you'll agree, it was worth waiting for! Some of the workshops get filled very quickly, as you know, so to avoid disappointment - don't delay!

Anyway, as it is now done, Viv has been 'un-grounded' and has been permitted to go off with Kevin for a week in Luxor. (On the basis that, if the Pyramids won't come to Knebworth ....)

I'm sure we all wish them a great holiday - they certainly deserve it.

What other news??

Sadly, there will be a couple of shows missing from the calendar in 2009. We have recently learned that there will be no Fashion and Embroidery Show in Harrogate this year. Also, there will not be a Knitting and Stitching Show at the NEC, although you will, of course, still be able to visit AVG at the K&S shows at Alexandra Palace, Harrogate and Dublin (oh, and Kevin says to tell you that there are some great plans afoot for Harrogate and Dublin this year).

In the meantime, and much nearer on the calendar, there is "Textiles in Focus" at Cottenham in Cambridgeshire, on 20th/21st and 22nd February.

See http://www.textilesinfocus.com/ for more details.

As usual, Viv will be running a couple of workshops there on the Friday and Sunday.

I think that's all the current news - I hope to be able to show you some of Viv and Kev's holiday photos when they get back.

Pictures from Dublin and farewell to Stuart

As promised, and after only minor nagging, I managed to get the photos that Viv took of the Knitting and Stitching show in Dublin. We thought you might be interested to see the process of building the stand!
Kev, Ruth and Chas on the day they arrived, followed by the bare bones of the AVG stand -

Starting to set up the products -
And the finished thing! -

Ruth directing operations as her exhibition is built -And then taking time to relax, once it's all looking beautiful (no paparazzi please!)This lady is a new AVG friend - she helped on the stand at Dublin. I'd love to tell you her name, but Viv hasn't written it on the photo and (surprise, surprise) Viv isn't answering her phone. Oh well, Mystery AVG friend it is then.
Ruth ran a couple of Learning Curve classes, on the Thursday and Saturday, so here's a selection of her students hard at work.

Looks very inspiring, and as if a good time was had by all.

Then, back at base - I think I mentioned that Stuart is leaving us to go off to work at an exclusive chocolate shop in Piccadilly, so we had to have a little send off for him. Here's a picture of the team, plus wayward balloons. Good one of you, Kevin!

And then a proper one with the balloons under control -

Sadly, Stuart has had to have his ponytail cut off for the new job, so Viv has made him a pretend one from Merino wool, which she clipped to the back of his sweatshirt.

We're all sorry to see you go Stuart, but wish you very best wishes and good luck in your new job! xx

Christine Benson's Workshop

I thought you might like to hear about a recent two day workshop called 'Elizabethan Elements' run by one of our regular and popular tutors, Christine Benson. The following account comes from one of our most regular workshop attendees, Pam Oliver, who also supplied the photos.

What a wonderful time was had by the lucky people who attended the Christine Benson class on 11th and 12th November.

Christine's work is always beautiful, and uses silk in all of it's forms - this time she produced amazing work based around the theme of the Elizabethan times.

Under Christine's guidance, we were able to learn how to begin to do this ourselves, using the Embellisher, (a machine for needle felting), silk fibres, beads, water soluble fabric and more.
The class was a dream and everyone was so excited with their results. I urge you to look out for future Art Van Go workshops with Christine Benson - you will not be disappointed, but be aware - the class fills up quickly! P. Oliver
Thanks Pam, for the words and the pictures - it certainly seemed that everyone on the workshop had a good time.- and we look forward to contributions from other workshops attendees in the future!

First of all - BIG apologies that there hasn't been an update on here for a while. It's been so busy with the Knitting and Stitching shows - Dublin and Harrogate.

This is only the second time that AVG have been to Dublin, they went to the very first Dublin show over ten years ago but haven't been back since. Viv and Kevin packed up the van and set off at some ridiculous hour on Monday 27th October, to catch the ferry from Holyhead at 2am, bound for Dublin. (No, none of US know how Viv managed it either!)

They arrived and after finding their accommodation, unloaded the van on the Tuesday afternoon, then went to the pub with Ruth and Chas (Ruth Issett took her exhibition to Dublin) where they had a very traditional Irish meal and several pints of Guinness.

They set up on the Wednesday in the bitter cold - you may remember we had snow over here then - and in fact Ann had to battle with Arctic conditions to get in to open the shop! Meanwhile, back in Dublin, having finished the show set up, it was off to a very up-market Burger restaurant for proper handmade burgers and lots of wine - can you see a pattern forming here?

There were a few teething problems the first day - mainly around having to contend with exchange rates and Euros, but nothing insurmountable, and the lovely part was the really warm welcome that Art Van Go received. So many people came up and said "We're so pleased you've come" that Viv and Kev felt really appreciated and they were begged to "come back next year"

Generally the show was smaller than the other K&S shows, with fewer traders, but everyone was really friendly, and were so pleased to be able to get supplies that they normally find difficult to source.

Another bonus at this time of year was the real 'Mardi Gras' spirit around in Dublin - they really go to town with Halloween. So obviously, that means more Guinness and even more wine.

If we can work things out with the organisers, we really want to go back to Dublin - and we have some big ideas for next year!

Viv and Kevin want to say a really big "Thank You" to all the people they met, who made them feel so welcome, and they say it feels like they have made a whole bunch of new friends.

I was going to put photos of the show on here, but as Viv is still in Harrogate at the moment and hasn't been able to supply any - I am afraid I am just going to have to leave you with the only one I have available. Says it all, really.