Wild Inks at York Guild of Weavers Spinners & Dyers
19th September 2026
As a member of the York Guild I was delighted to run a workshop for them on Saturday. They are based on the east side of York at Murton Park, home of the Yorkshire Museum of Farming. We had a really great day and the participants were full of enthusiasm for leaning about natural colour from grown and foraged materials. We made inks with buddleia, weld, elderberry, hawthorn and walnut and they were able to try some of my pre-made inks. The extra fun bit always comes when you modify the botanical inks to create amazing shifts and changes in colour resulting in the beautiful swatches and mark making you can see in the images.
Craft for Knaresborough Forest Park Volunteers
17th September 2026
I ran a lunchtime craft for the volunteers who turn up every Thursday. They help on various projects such as rewinding, planting, fencing and installing new compost toilets at The Garth which they are building to run community gatherings and workshops. As it is harvest season for the woad and persicaria tinctorial at the dye garden, both of which are grown for their indigo pigment, I decided we would get messy and do the fresh leaf salt mash method! This involves rubbing the leaves with a little salt and water again fabrics to get a green and teal blue colours. We are not really indigo dyeing, just taking a little shortcut that still results in beautiful dyes. We also tried processing some of the flax that I had grown at KFP and turn into cordage. It was lots of fun and I think the volunteers enjoyed the creative break from the tasks.
Open Studio Success
12th September 2026
Images from my first Open Studio event in Harrogate on Saturday. Welcoming visitors to look around my dye garden, witchy shed full of plants and paraphernalia as well as my studio displaying my textile and artworks. I had such a lovely day chatting to visitors about my passion for natural colour, plants and nature.
Announcing Open Studio
Saturday 12th September 2026, 10am - 4pm, Harrogate
I am running my first open studio event at my home in Harrogate. Visitors will be able to see my dye garden, dye shed, textile and artworks. Natural colour and materials are at the heart of my practice from the local landscape connecting me with plant and place. On display I will have natural dyed fabrics, wild ink works, embroideries and crafts. I am so excited to share the beauty of the natural world with others. In addition I am planning to have a dye pot on the go with small samples for you to take home as well as handcrafted artworks and wild inks which will be available to buy.
If you would like to visit please send me an email.
A Natural Dye Garden at Knaresborough Forest Park
July 2026
I have been trialling an exciting project this year on a revived chicken run which has been transformed into a natural dye garden. This process has been recorded with photographs since April when the dye beds were first built and young plants were transplanted from my own small dye garden at home. It has been wonderful to see the plants spring to life and grow so abundantly as well as a flax patch we have been growing. Right now in mid-summer, the garden is in full bloom and it seems like a good opportunity to share the progress so far which you can read on Knaresborough Forest Parks Journal Page.
Level 3 Forest School Leader Certification
September 2025
I embarked on this journey one year ago and I am so very proud to receive this certificate. It has been both challenging and rewarding in equal measure. I have picked up so many nature based skills and knowledge and feel equipped to lead groups safely in both indoor and outdoor settings in my wild art and craft workshops. All of these experiences, coursework and leading the fantastic participants in my six week course has really grounded me and informed my creative work. A big shout out to the incredible course run by Forest School Leader Trainer Lily Horseman https://kindlingplayandtraining.co.uk
Natural Colour Workshops at Hopewell Studios in Knaresborough
September 2025
I am delighted to announce that I am running a series of natural ink making workshops at the fantastic studios at Hopewell Farm on the outskirts of Knaresborough. In the first of these workshops in September, I took a group of participants out foraging for plants, bringing them back to the studio for processing and ink making. We experimented with mark making and colour modifiers to experience the beauty and nature connection of this whole process. Visit Hopewell Studio's website to book onto upcoming events.
Berry Ink Craft Stall at Knaresborough Forest Park
August 2025
On 13th August Knaresborough Forest Park and town came together to commerorate the 255th anniversary of the Enclosures Act and bringing 60 hectares of land back into community ownership. It was a beautiful day of crafts, activities and music held as part of the wider Feva Arts Festival taking place in Knaresborough that week and celebrates our natural heritage, green spaces and renewwed connection to people and the land. I was delighted to hold a berry ink craft stall for children and adults alike, to get their hands sticky and make colourful pictures and patterns using blackberries and simple colour changing additives. Fo more information visit https://www.knaresboroughforestpark.org
Natural Colour Talk at Harrogate Creative Stitchers
June 2025
I was delighted to speak about my work at Harroagte Creative Stitchers on June 28th 2025. My passion is natural colour foraged from my local environment that brings so much connection. It was really nice to share my process and artwork with the audience and I enjoyed the interesting questions and conversations about nature and well being.
