Tag: #artsandcraft

Wreath Workshop at Great Mountain Forest Features Rare Conifers

There’s nothing quite like getting into the holiday spirit by crafting your own festive wreath—especially when you’re working with fragrant greens foraged by the expert hands of the Great Mountain Forest (GMF) team. This year’s Holiday Wreath Workshop, taking place on December 6 and 7, is the perfect opportunity for crafters of all ages and skill levels to come together at the cozy Mountain House Barn, located at 200 Canaan Mountain Road in Falls Village. You’ll get to create a nature-inspired wreath that’s truly one-of-a-kind, featuring boughs from some of the world’s most unusual conifer species.

With two sessions offered each day—one from 9 am to 12 pm, and another from 1 pm to 4 pm—you can choose the time that works best for you. The workshop is just $40 per person, and all materials are provided, although it is recommended that you bring your own shears as well as your sense of fun and creativity! Tickets are available now at greatmountainforest.org/events

What sets wreath making at GMF apart is its storied past, rooted in forestry experimentation, adaptability studies, and a love for global biodiversity. Back in the 1950s, GMF’s Ted Childs and forest manager, Darrell Russ, an early member of the Exotic Conifer Association, began planting conifer species from across the globe. Their goal was to showcase non-native trees for students, scientists, and visitors, and to see which trees would thrive in Connecticut. These living experiments not only delighted students and scientists, but also were helpful to Christmas tree growers searching for new and adaptable varieties.

Shearing trees, 1977

Over the decades, GMF grew and sold thousands of Christmas trees—ranging from familiar white and blue spruces to lesser-known species like King Boris fir, Nordmann fir, and Meyerii spruce. Though large-scale tree production has ended, the legacy of those plantings lives on in some of the boughs available for this year’s wreath workshop, ensuring each wreath is truly one-of-a-kind. “We’re excited to share this living history with our community,” says Mike Zarfos, Executive Director of GMF. “Every wreath is a gateway abroad, crafted from conifers you simply won’t find anywhere else in Connecticut. It’s a wonderful way to celebrate both the holidays and our region’s forestry heritage.”

Workshop attendees will enjoy a cozy, collegial atmosphere—snacks, hot cider by the wood stove, expert tips from GMF educators and trustees, and hands-on help to perfect their creation. Participants will also learn how to care for their wreath to keep it fresh, discover the story behind the unusual greens, and take pride in a sustainable decoration: all materials are locally foraged and compostable.

About Great Mountain Forest
Great Mountain Forest (GMF) is a leader in forest stewardship. For more than a century, we have been demonstrating how sustainable management can protect biodiversity and support ecosystems. By serving as a hub for education and research, we are spreading the benefits of sustainable management so that communities across New England derive educational, economic, and recreational and health benefits from their forests—now and well into the future. GMF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit encompassing 6,300 acres of contiguous forestland in Norfolk, Canaan, and Falls Village Connecticut.

JanetLeave a comment

Valentine’s Day Gifts They’ll Fall in Love With @ Tina’s Baskets & Woven Art & Shop and Sip Event

This February Tina’s Baskets and Woven Art at Whiting Mills in Winsted is celebrating love in all its forms with a wonderful array of handmade baskets, bowls, woven wall hangings, and sculptures. These meticulously beautiful pieces of art are perfect to celebrate Valentine’s Day and the enduring bonds between close friends, family, and seldom-seen pals.

This amazing studio is filled to the brim with swoon-worthy art created by Tina Puckett, a national and international award-winning artist, known for her woven art and dimensional weaving. It is fun to visit a working art studio to explore this exquisite selection of thoughtful gifts that you’re nearest and dearest will be smitten with!

Not to be missed is the Second Annual Valentine’s Day “Shop and Sip” event at Whiting Mills on Sunday, February 11th from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Whiting Mills will be buzzing with activity with more than 20 art studios and artisan shops open and offering complimentary refreshments and treats, along with one of a kind gift items perfect for Valentine’s Day. To add to the fun, there will be live acoustic music throughout the day in this festively decorated historic mill building that is Instagramable.

While browsing in Puckett’s studio, and chatting with Tina as she weaves her magic, enjoy chocolates and champagne. If you are on the hunt for an unforgettable Valentine’s Day gift basket to fill with goodies, this is the place, a real artist’s studio in fact, to check out! Tina’s Studio is open every weekend in February from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. or by appointment, Shopping for your Valentine has just become easy because a gift from Tina’s Baskets and Woven Art shows your special someone that you truly care.

About Tina’s Baskets
Tina Puckett is a nationally awarded weaver of baskets and woven art who is the owner of Tina’s Baskets which is located at Whiting Mills in Winsted, Connecticut. Tina has been weaving since 1981 using hand-dyed reeds, bittersweet, and a variety of objects like beads or seagrass. Her work is showcased at a variety of galleries across the United States as well as at her gallery/studio where you will often find her weaving on weekends from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Custom orders are accepted and appointments can be arranged by texting 860-309-6934.

JanetLeave a comment

Basket Weaving Classes offered by Award Winning Artist – Tina Puckett At Her Studio

Tina Puckett, owner of Tina’s Baskets and Woven Art in Winsted, Connecticut is a nationally and internationally award-winning woven artist specializing in everything from intricate baskets and bowls to woven sculptures and wall hangings. Puckett has just announced that she is offering a series of year-round classes for teens and adults on Saturday and Sunday and on Monday and Friday nights. “There is a universal and enduring appeal of baskets and woven bowls. The sensation of making something with your hands from reeds and bittersweet vines is empowering, and I want to share that feeling in my classes,” says Puckett.

Learn from an award winning artist

The classes, which are suitable for all skill levels, are offered for up to six people as well as for individuals who want an intensive session. During the weaving session, Tina will share her knowledge about the history of basket weaving and what inspires her work. This hands-on experience provides participants with the basic techniques to create their very own basket or bowl, an understanding of this time-honored craft, as well as improving their understanding of the beauty of bittersweet and reeds. Among the many things that make these classes different is that participants will learn that weaving with bittersweet defines the character and shape of the basket or bowl transforming it into a woven piece of art.

Have fun making this bittersweet tray!

All classes take place in Tina’s atmospherically inspiring Studio at Whiting Mills in Winsted. Part of the fun of is to choose the type of basket or bowl you want to weave, your color palate, and how much time you want to spend weaving it. Participants can choose a class on Saturday or Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. or from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Classes are also being offered Monday and Friday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. All participants will leave the class with a finished basket or bowl to take home. All materials are provided including a piece of locally foraged bittersweet vine or a wooden hoop, and a choice of hand-colored, custom reeds. All classes are by advance reservation only and can be made by clicking https://www.tinasbaskets.com/classes

If you can’t make it to the studio, no worries, Tina is also offering classes via Zoom. Off-site classes are also available by special arrangement.

Learn how to make this colorful and useful basket

“I am excited to share what I know,” says Puckett. “It is a tradition that has been handed down through the centuries, in just about every culture around the world. Basketry weaving classes aren’t one of those things that are readily accessible to everybody, which is why I decided to offer classes year-round.”

About Tina’s Baskets

Tina Puckett is a nationally awarded weaver of baskets and woven art who is the owner of Tina’s Baskets which is located at Whiting Mills in Winsted, Connecticut. Tina has been weaving since 1981 using hand-dyed reeds, bittersweet, and a variety of objects like beads or seagrass. Her work is showcased at a variety of galleries across the United States as well as at her gallery/studio where you will often find her weaving on weekends from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Custom orders are accepted and appointments can be arranged by texting 860-309-6934.

JanetLeave a comment