Author: carolinewright201

After being a course leader and lecturer in Horticulture at Nottingham Trent University for nearly 20 years I am now working on a new venture in Limousin, France. In our plant nursery and garden school we aim to carry on sharing our passion for horticulture and natural crafts.
Specialist subjects include plant science, propagation, plant identification, specialist traditional and modern pruning and maintenance techniques. We also teach greenwood crafts, weaving, stained glass art and other crafts using natural materials.

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Come and learn how to use willow as a medium for sculpture and make a willow ‘Champignon’ garden sculpture.

This afternoon workshop runs from 1pm – 4.30pm on Wednesday 22nd July 2020 

You will learn basic basket weaving skills as well as ‘freestyle’ weaving to construct your mushroom sculpture which is made using a combination of these techniques. You can create either a ‘Field Mushroom’, ‘Morel’ or ‘Cèpe’ type, the average size is 40-50cm tall and between 30-40cm wide, using around 1.2kg of willow. All materials are included in the cost of the workshop as well as light refreshments. Cost 50€

Willow is a flexible material that is fun to work with but does take a little strength and dexterity. This workshop is suitable for beginners but those who have a little weaving experience may complete their mushroom sculpture a little earlier than those who have never done any before.

BOOKINGS ARE NOW CLOSED FOR THIS DATE, PLEASE GET IN TOUCH USING THE CONTACT FORM BELOW TO REQUEST EXTRA DATES
To book a place on this workshop you can use the online payment system below. Once we receive notification of your booking we will send you further details by email. If you have any trouble using this system or prefer to pay by cheque then you an use the contact form to check availability and request a booking form:

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IMG_0676Come along and learn the art of making animal sculptures out of willow. Make a majestic Stag Head to mount indoors or outside.

You will learn the basics of using willow as a medium for sculpture and create an impressive stag head sculpture over the course of the day.

Tuesday 22nd September 10.00-4.30/5.00; a light *lunch, refreshments and all materials are included: 70€ 

(*subject to changes in Covid19 regulations)

Willow is a flexible material that is easy to use for freestyle IMG_1677sculpture and you will be able to add your own personal touches to your stags head. You do need a little strength and dexterity to work with willow on a larger sculpture such as the stags head. We will support anyone who needs a little help to finish theirs off on the day.

BOOKINGS ARE NOW CLOSED FOR THIS WORKSHOP BECAUSE WE HAVE TO SOAK THE WILLOW FOR 6 DAYS, PLEASE GET IN TOUCH IF YOU WOULD LIKE US TO PUT ON AN EXTRA DATE  To book a place on this workshop you can use the online payment system below. Once we receive notification of your booking we will send you further details by email. If you have any trouble using this system or prefer to pay by cheque then you an use the contact form to check availability and request a booking form:

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Come along and make a cute piglet sculpture for your home or garden out of chicken wire. Friday 21st August 2020 10.00-4.00
(Contact us for group bookings/alternate dates)

The course will run from 10-4 and includes a light *lunch and refreshments (*subject any changes in Covid19 regulations) and all materials required to make your piggy. Cost: 45€ per person

This course is suitable for beginners and will teach you the basics of using chicken wire to make animal sculptures. Chicken wire is a malleable material that is easy to use but does take a little strength and dexterity for sculpture.

BOOKINGS ARE NOW CLOSED FOR THIS WORKSHOP – PLEASE GET IN TOUCH IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST AN EXTRA DATE

To book a place on the course you can use the payment options below. This uses PayPal as a secure payment system but you do not need to have a PayPal account to use it, card payments are also accepted. If you prefer to send us a cheque, or have difficulty using the online system then use the contact form below to check availability and request a booking form. You can use this form for all other questions too.

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20180519_134559808_ios.jpgLearn to use chicken wire sculpture for sculpture and make a cute hedgehog to display in your home or garden or give to someone as a gift.

This course is aimed at beginners and will teach the basics of making animal sculptures with chicken wire. The course will run from 10.00-3.30 on Thursday 6th August 2020. Cost: 40 Euros per person. A light *lunch is included (*subject to changes in Covid19 regulations) as well as all materials to make your hedgehog.

You will need to wear comfortable work clothes and you may want to bring some gardening gloves. Chicken wire is a malleable material but it does take some physical strength and dexterity to use it as a medium for sculpture. We can support anybody who needs  a little help to finish their sculpture on the day

IMG_0162If you enjoy this beginners course we also offer intermediate courses later this year to make chicken, owl, piglet and duckling sculptures for the garden.

You can book by using the payment options below.  We will send you confirmation and further information once we have received your payment. If you have trouble using this system or prefer to pay by cheque please use the contact form below to inquire about availability and reserve a place on the course, if we have places available we will email a booking form to you.

If you have any questions or comments about the course please use the contact form below

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Learn the basic techniques involved in making leaded glass pieces and create a small decorative panel that you could use as a suncatcher or small window. ** (Please note that we do not cover copper foil, glass fusing or glass painting)

This beginners course will take place over  two full days – 10.00 – 3.30/4.00 Monday 19th & Tuesday 20th October (bring a packed lunch) 

THIS COURSE IS NOW FULLY BOOKED PLEASE GET IN TOUCH TO REQUEST EXTRA DATES 

***(additional sessions may be needed if you select a more complex design for your glass panel) Cost of the basic course is 125€ excluding materials

Session 1 will cover an introduction to the different types of glass, lead came, solder, tools & equipment and some basic glass cutting techniques. You will then look at how to design a pattern for a stained-glass piece. If time allows we will start creating your design and begin making the piece. There will be various examples and designs available for you to use/copy/adapt and to give you inspiration if you want to create your own design. Your panel can be up to the size of A4. Bring along pictures and ideas if you wish. (note that some design ideas may not be suitable for a small glass piece) you will begin or continue putting together your design with guidance.

**There will be options available from very simple geometric designs and ideas for complete beginners to intermediate designs if you want a bit more of a challenge or have some experience already. The cost of the materials and the tuition will depend on which design you chose.

Your panel will start to develop and you should be able to start cutting the lead and pinning your pieces together.

Session 2 You will continue to construct your panel, you should reach the point where you can solder your piece together and start the process of cementing. Those that have selected a more complex piece or who need extra time can book onto additional sessions if necessary. These additional sessions will incur a tuition fee of 30€ per 3 hour session. (on the two day course session 2 will be split over the two full days)

Places are limited on this course as we can only offer 4 places at a time. We will add additional dates when this course is fully booked. Please use the enquiry form below to request further details and booking information. (There is no online booking for stained glass courses)

We will also be offering more advanced & bespoke courses to create a small exterior window for your house, barn, outbuildings or garden.

For further information and booking please use the enquiry form at the bottom of the page or email us on lejardincreatif87@gmail.com **Note that the images on the gallery below are my own work and not necessarily examples of what can be achieved on the beginners course**

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Come along and make an owl out of chicken wire! You will learn the basics of building a sculpture using chicken wire and create a stunning owl sculpture for your garden or home.

The course will run from 10.00-4.00 on Wednesday 12th August and will include a light *lunch & refreshments (*subject to any changes in Covid19 regulations).

Please be aware that everyone works at different speeds and you may finish a little earlier or later than the scheduled time. Cost: 50 euros

Chicken wire is a fairly malleable material  and easy to mold and this course is suitable for beginners but some dexterity and physical strength is needed to work with this material over a day.

THIS WORKSHOP IS NOW FULLY BOOKED – WE HAVE AN EXTRA DATE SCHEDULED FOR THURSDAY 13TH AUGUST, PLEASE USE THE CONTACT FORM BELOW IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO JOIN THIS WORKSHOP

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Learn basic glass cutting and joining techniques alongside creating a beautiful garden ‘Suncatcher’. You will have a range of coloured glass to choose from and you can create your own colour combinations. Your Suncatcher will measure approximately 10 cm wide and 45 cm tall excluding the legs for inserting into the ground or a pot.

(*note that the feature glass pieces containing bee, dragonfly and flower images etc are made by a local artist and are additional to the basic cost – prices range from 3-5€ for 10cm x 4-6cm)

The workshop will run from 1-5pm on Monday 10th August 2020 and costs 65€ per person – this includes the basic materials and light refreshments.

Places are limited to 4 people per session. If you would like to book out a bespoke group session for you and your friends for 4 people please use the contact form to enquire about dates.

HOW TO BOOK A PLACE:

To ensure that this workshop does not get over booked we are not using the online payment system. If you would like to book a place on this workshop or would like further information please use the contact form below to request a booking information. You will then be able to pay by cheque or we can send you a PayPal request. 

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img_2023Come and learn how to use willow as a medium for sculpture and make this wall mounted sculpture of a Highland Cows head.

This workshop runs over a full day on Wednesday 26th August 10.00am – 4.30/5.00pm and includes all materials, light lunch and refreshments (subject to any new restrictions for serving food) Cost 65€ 

Willow is a flexible material that is fun to work with but does take a little strength and dexterity (and a bit of patience!) for making a large sculpture. This Highland cow is suitable for beginners as well as those who have some experience working with willow. Size of sculpture approx 40cm high x 80cm wide including the horns.
To book a place on this workshop you can use the online payment system below. Once we receive notification of your booking we will send you further details by email. If you have any trouble using this system or prefer to pay by cheque then you an use the contact form to check availability and request a booking form:

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img_3051.jpgThis half day workshop will cover basic growing techniques for a range of culinary and medicinal herbs and will also look at harvesting, drying, preserving and preparing herbs for teas, oils and preparations for natural skin care and well being, aromatherapy, potpourri, candles etc.

We will take a close look at 12 common plants that can be grown in the French climate that have useful properties in the home as well as well as being decorative in the garden.

(**note that this course does not formally cover herbal medicine or homeopathy but explores the use of common aromatic and herbal plants and botanicals, their properties and use in natural home made preparations)

Thursday 17th September 2020 1.00-4.00. 35€ per person.

To book onto this course you can use the online payment system below, this is a secure PayPal system but card payments are also accepted. If you prefer to pay by cheque, have difficulty using the online system or would like to know a bit more about the course please use the contact form below to check availability, request a booking form or more information.

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Learn how to make flower sculptures for your garden out of chicken wire. These anemone or daisy flowers look great among your border plants and can be left plain or sprayed for additional colour in the garden all year round! You will make a pair of flowers attached to a spike.

This afternoon workshop is suitable for beginners and is a good starting point for anyone wanting to learn how to use this readily available material for making decorative pieces. We supply all of the materials to make a pair of flowers on a single spike plus light refreshments.  Chicken wire is fairly malleable and easy to bend using pliers but does require a little strength and dexterity.

Thursday 30th July 1.00 – 4.30 – 40€ per person

To book onto this workshop you can use the online booking system below. This is a secure PayPal system but card payments are also accepted. If you have any difficulty using this system or prefer to pay by cheque then use the contact form also below to get in touch to check availability and request a booking form.

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