Milliner Margaret Woodliff & jeweller Claire Broome met as tutors on the CraftCourses platform and have gone on to learn exciting new creative skills from each other. After a recent bespoke workshop, they got in touch to tell us more about the experience.
Craft and connection… it’s a story we love!
Last autumn couture milliner Margaret of Margaret Woodliff Wright Millinery contacted local silver clay jewellery tutor Claire Broome of ToDotHandCrafted to learn about the art of silver clay. Claire is one of the leading silver clay tutors in the North East and the pair spent a lovely morning whilst Margaret learnt the basics of silver clay.
"As a couture milliner I wanted to explore the relevance that this interesting craft has for my work... My beautiful silver clay dragonfly is now destined to grace one of my new hats"
The two gold award-winning tutors then kept in regular contact over the winter and when a summer wedding invitation dropped through the post box, Claire realised it was the perfect opportunity to add a new skill to her creative palette. She decided to learn to make her own bespoke headpiece to wear for the occasion, and she knew just who to turn to for tuition!
Claire wearing her headpiece
- a delicate three tone vintage rose piece,
complete with silvery stamens.
Squeezing in extra workshop time around a busy teaching schedule is no mean feat, but Margaret created a bespoke one-day intensive fascinator making course that would allow Clare to complete her item in one day. All ready for the wedding!
“I didn’t realise that every piece is handmade and found this amazing and now appreciate the work that actually goes into the work Margaret does.
I loved the workshop so much... I would say the half day fascinator Workshop would be brilliant for a hen-do!”
A productive and sociable day was had, with the help of copious cups of tea and biscuits. With Margaret’s help and guidance, Claire discovered she was no longer daunted by millinery, and thoroughly enjoyed her day flexing her creativity in a new way!
Tutoring a tutor also gave them food for thought on their respective teaching techniques:
“It was interesting to see the contrast in teaching styles required for such different products, including the differences in the communication styles, reinforcing how important it is to have a really strong but intuitive communication style, and to be receptive to your students’ personal concerns."
We love to hear about tutors using the CraftCourses connection to develop new creative skills and forge new business relationships, in addition to building their teaching network. However high your skill level in your main area of creative endeavour, there are always so many new skills to learn! Margaret’s next project is to learn about clutch bag making in order to offer co-ordinated bag and couture headpieces… we wish her well with this.
What new creative skills would help you branch out? Get in touch or join in the conversation @craftcourses on twitter, facebook or instagram.
