Posts by: Alison
Mudlarking and mosaics.
It has been a passion of the Craft Director at The Goodlife Centre for some time to collect small fragments of yesterday’s junk from the London foreshore. Some of these will be amongst the large amount of fragments added to the selection of beautiful glass tiles we use for... Learn moreThank you Alvin McMenemy
We are always looking for ways to equip our workshops as they are expanding. Vintage tools are often still in great condition and already have a lovely patina and history. These lovely marking gauges came from a well known auction site. After contacting the seller with a query I received this heart warming email. ‘Hi Again,... Learn moreA visit from a friendly local.
Simon Hughes MP and our own Alison Winfield-Chislett. The friendly face of Deputy Lib Dem leader Simon Hughes was a welcome sight at our open day. Simon had just topped up his distinctive yellow cab with bio diesel nearby and came to see The Goodlife Centre. Thanks for dropping... Learn moreUpholstery heaven
The Goodlife Centre is always on the look for kerbside oddments. This chair was spyed inside my co-op courtyard with a number for collection by the council. The seat was rather faded and the joints were rickety, but knowing that a simple upholstery replacement and some time on wood... Learn moreFlower power
Not to be confused with the refined discipline of Botanical illustration, our plant drawing workshop was a playful, clever and insightful evening led by Sheila Hardy. Some of us were rather bashful at the beginning but Sheila’s warm up exercises in charcoal helped loosen us up and enjoy ourselves.... Learn moreFirst ventures in wood carving.
Wood carving always seemed a bit daunting. Easy to gasp at the lace bow carved by Grinling Gibbons. ( What mother calls her son ‘Grinling?) or marvel at the oak ‘ linen folds’ in many churches, but other than that, you just dont see it about in these days... Learn moreWOW to Waterloo Women’s Network
The Goodlife Centre hosted the 29th Waterloo Women’s Network meeting at our space in Webber Street last night. Abigail Tripp and Julia Thrul who run Business Foundation days for people starting new enterprises attracted lots of guests and Julia Stafford from The Wine Pantry-London’s only Exclusively English Wine Specialist... Learn more‘Coming out’ as a craftsman.
There is a lot of snobbery about the hierarchy of Art versus ‘Kraft’, so i was thrilled to hear Grayson Perry, Turner prize winning ceramicist speaking about craft in discussion with Richard Sennet, author of ‘The Craftsman’. ‘ I was in the Art world where craftsmanship isn’t requisite. Then I had to ‘come out’... Learn moreMini Gardens galore
On May 1st, we had a great day celebrating the 4th Birthday of a fabulous garden nearby nurtured by Bankside Open Spaces Trust. The Goodlife Centre helped with the fun by organising miniature garden making with the children who came. Happy gardeners to be created mini ponds, fences and... Learn moreRunning rings around the ring.
A happy novice who attended the last ‘Wood revival’’ class has written. ’My sister didn’t notice that a vase had overflowed until she picked it up and the dreaded white ring of doom appeared on a pretty card table in the hall. -Jumping into action with my new... Learn more
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