Newsletter December 2010


Dear Bear Makers and Friends

Thank you for sharing another creative year with me at Tin Soldiers Studio.
I seem to be doomed to hop around like the White Rabbit, chanting "I'm late, I'm late". Not a fraction of the ideas in my head got turned into tangible creations this year. Sometimes I feel really frustrated at how quickly time passes. Fortunately we are on the doorstep of a new year. How timely and welcome, a whole calendar that can be filled with scribbles and plans!
We are making some changes at Tin Soldiers. No more sewing circle, in future we will Make it with Megan! During the first week of every month we will get together for our regular sewing appointment. As always, you are welcome to bring your own projects along, and have the choice to participate in a class project.
I am going to miss our weekly get together, but hope that you will join in the online workshops, and receive an email with news and a short tutorial every Friday. The creators and crafters that are too busy for sewing circle, or live in faraway places will be pleased by the launch of online tutorials in 2011. At last you can join in the discussions and class projects! Read more about this in the Newsletter.
Our weekend calendar for 2011 is on the website already.
It has become tradition for the last Saturday of every month to be the day of our mini sale. 10% discount on all your purchases between 9am and 1pm. From 2pm to 5pm we host a short workshop. The January theme is bottle cap pincushions. If you haven't learnt to make these fun little things yet, join us and find out how easy it really is.
On the first Saturday of every month, we have a full day workshop. This is where beginner bear makers can learn all the basic techniques in one session and go home with a finished bear. This workshop is also for advanced bear and doll makers. Choose a project from the available list to work on, or spend the day with us working on your uncompleted projects. Details are on the website at Workshops.
I hope that I will see you often in the studio during 2011, and that I will be able to share my techniques and patterns with a growing number of crafters through online workshops.
May your creative dreams come true in 2011!
Megan

Make it with Megan
During the first week of every month we get together at Tin Soldiers Studio to work on our projects. Everyone is welcome, beginners to advanced, bears, dolls, animals, miniatures, clay.
A class project is available to persons wishing to participate, and will be announced in advance.
Morning sessions are on Tuesday and Wednesday.
These sessions run from 9am till 12, when the class is over, you are welcome to stay until 1pm to continue working on your project and socialize.
Evening sessions are on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday.
These sessions run from 7pm till 10pm. The studio will be open from 6pm for an hour of socializing and to give you extra time to work on your project. The cost per session is R 55 per person, your place will be confirmed on receipt of payment. There will be 11 sessions in 2011, this equals R 605. Pay for the entire year and get 10% discount, R 545 for all 11 sessions.
Some projects require additional preparation on Megan's part. If you are working on something that you need to paint or glue, or need equipment or materials to be prepared for the workshop, please remind Megan before the class so that she can get it ready for you.

 

Online Workshops
During 2010 Megan offered forty short tutorials in sewing circle, encompassing basic bear making techniques. This was a practice run for launching online workshops. Following the sequence of steps to make a bear right from the beginning, Megan will offer these workshops as an online sewing circle course. The workshops will be broken down into groups of 10 sessions , each with its own special teddy bear pattern. You will receive a weekly email with news about what's happening at the studio and a bear making tutorial. Megan will also offer personal assistance with your bear making project. You will have the opportunity to email photos of your work in progress, and ask questions. Each set of ten sessions cost R 250.
On offer later in 2011 will also be an online teddy bear design workshop, and an intensive tutorial series about creating teddy bear faces.

Weekend workshops
A short workshop is offered on the afternoon of the last Saturday of every month. This encompasses bear and doll making, clay sculpture and other crafts. See the calendar at Events for the workshop program.
On the first weekend of every month we have a full day workshop offering intensive bear and doll making classes. The workshop is limited to ten persons to ensure that everyone gets enough attention. As soon as ten persons have booked for the Saturday class, an additional workshop will be offered on the next day, Sunday.
A full day workshop is the ideal place for beginners to make a bear from start to finish, learning all the basic techniques. If you are an advanced bear maker, you can participate in the projects that are available, or just join us for the day to work on your own bears. The program and more details can be found on the Worshops page.

When attending a workshop at Tin Soldiers Studio
Tin Soldiers Studio is our workplace, and also our home. We like to think that the studio and classrooms, garden and animals all contribute to our customers' creative experience. By welcoming you to our home we make ourselves vulnerable to the behavior and attitude of lots of visitors. Please be considerate and adhere to the rules. We would like to be able to welcome you back in future.

In the studio: