Artists Open Houses - Hummingbird Studio, Brighton

If you are visiting the Artists open houses in Brighton this month pay a visit to Hummingbird Studio. Open every weekend in May from 11 am to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday.
This lovely exhibition has something for everyone including some of Culli's woodturning.

Open studio

Our Easter Exhibition at La Verderie was a gentle start to the season with not exactly hoards of visitors but a steady flow.

John's beautifully renovated clocks were a great success, the bells, chimes and cuckoos echoed around the barn and garden all weekend. Judith sold loads of her lovely greetings cards and I did well on tea and cakes, having just discovered that with my new cooker I can finally cook scones!
We ended the weekend with curry for 16 of us on Sunday evening in the garden.

Christmas Open House in Brighton

If you are anywhere near East Sussex next weekend make a visit to this wonderful Open House, see here

wooden honey dippers

There are some gorgeous gifts for Christmas including paintings, textiles, woodturning, felting, jewellery and knitting.

Open Friday 13th, Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th December 2013.

Christmas Open House

painting by Pamela Slater

Our Open Studio at the beginning of November went well with lots of new visitors. We had the usual disgusting weather on the Saturday, leaving the car park opposite a sea of mud, but plenty of people braved the elements and tea, coffee and cream teas were readily consumed.

kilims for sale

the gallery at La Verderie

On the Sunday in a moment of madness I decided to do Sunday Roast in two sittings, so we fed 8 at lunch time and 17 in the evening, in between making tea and coffee and keeping an eye on the gallery!

Sunday roast

Next Open Studio dates - Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th April, see details here
The gallery at La Verderie is now a greenhouse for the winter.
The following weekend we were at Le Logis de la Courade for a Christmas market. Culli and I had the use of a huge barn for our 'art gallery' which was fantastic.

the gallery at le logis de la Courade

There were some lovely stalls selling homemade cakes, chutneys, honey, Christmas decs, soaps, cards, brocante and clothing, plus a pamper session offering Indian head massage - a great day out. I possibly spent more than I took as I ended up buying three gorgeous Christmas baubles ranging in size from large to enormous.

Christmas baubles

Hoping to persuade Vicki to organise another event next year.

Knitting and Crochet holidays in France

The dates for the next two knitting and crochet retreats at La Verderie are -

Thursday 20th - Tuesday 25th March 2014

and 

Thursday 27th March - Tuesday 1st April 2014

Cost for 5 nights: £325 per head (based on two people sharing a twin room) and £395 per head for a single room.

For further details email Sue

Come and join designer Sue Culligan at her home in the Charente-Maritime for a relaxing holiday, in some (hopefully!) warm spring weather.

The cost of the holidays includes transfers from Angouleme or La Rochelle to La Verderie, (£20 supplement for transfers from Bordeaux), full board, wine with meals, optional workshops and outings to local towns. All you pay for is your travel to France and any expenses incurred on outings.

You are welcomed into Sue and Culli's home as house guests, the comfortable old farmhouse can provide accommodation for up to 5 guests at a time in three single rooms and one twin room. There is a light and airy studio for workshops, a courtyard garden for enjoying the sunshine and comfortable old sofas to relax on in front of an open fire.

The delicious home cooked meals use fresh local produce and dietary requirements can be catered for.

The holiday is open to all skill levels, workshops are optional but if there is a particular technique you would like to learn or improve it is a good opportunity to try it out. Sue has a large library of knitting and crochet books and a stash of yarn oddments to play around with. If you are already competent at knitting and crochet you can share your skill and ideas with other guests. If you have a problem with a project bring it along for some help and advice.

Itinerary (can be changed to suit guests requirements)

Thursday - arrival

Friday - workshop on chosen subject in the morning, shopping and sightseeing trip to Saintes or Cognac in the afternoon

Saturday - visit to the market at St Jean d'Angely in the morning, optional workshop in the afternoon or just relax with your knitting and crochet project

Sunday - visit to a Brocante in the morning and a bit of sightseeing, optional workshop in the afternoon

Monday - day to finish off projects and go over any final techniques

Tuesday - departure

relaxing in the garden at La Verderie

the river at Saintes

Paella supper

the yarn shop in Royan

knitting and crochet sample

Christmas Open House

We are having an Open Studio at La Verderie the weekend of 9th and 10th November, open from 10 am to 4 pm on both days.

Come and stock up on your Christmas gifts - woodturning by Culli and Roger Slater, paintings by Suzanne Thorne, Pamela Slater, Doris Murray, Judith Ryde, Margaret Pearce and Don Thompson, textiles, knitwear, patchwork, embroidery, kilims, furniture, knitting accessories, Christmas cards and decorations.
For further details email sue

Supporting the Poppy Appeal

Open Studio in the Charente-Maritime

Yesterday was the first day of our summer Open Studio, we are open again next Sunday 25th August so come and join us and sample a lovely cream tea! Details here.

paintings by Pamela Slater and Doris Murray

It was a great day with plenty of visitors and some wonderful demonstrations of painting by Pam and Judith, woodturning by Roger and Culli and embroidery by Katrina.

the gorgeous ABC quilt made by Katrina Haigh

Summer in the Charente-Maritime

Bee's making the most of the sunflowers

August has been a lovely month at La Verderie, it has been hot and sunny with a gentle breeze. The sunflowers have been flowering all month but are nearly over now and BeBop has tested the maize and declared it ready to eat. 

We have been sailing every week at Royan and working hard on the house and gallery.

fishing huts near St George de Didonne

Fishermen off Royan

Culli's band, The Billy Whizz Band played a great gig at the campsite at Bignac last Wednesday, an idyllic spot by the lake.

We have had some lovely Chambres D'hotes guests and my old college mate Kim to stay and the first of the two summer open studio's was yesterday.