Friendship and Workshops

At my last workshop, the attendees were made up of a group of friends, a 2 mothers and daughters, a husband and wife, a pair of best friends who don't see much of each other, the workshop was bought from one partner to another as a christmas gift.  I also ran the workshop with Sue Welfare, which as you may well know, is a friendship I treasure.   

I could look across all my workshops and tell you the same story which makes me very happy to organise events which bring friends and partners closer together. Throughout every workshop there is evidence of kindness, creativity, ambition, thoughtfulness, warmth and a marvellous bond between between women.   There';s a sense of sisterhood, being with other people who get you in a way that's utterly magical.  

Sisterhood is all about having each other's backs through thick and thin, no matter what life throws our way. It's like having a squad of cheerleaders rooting for you, ready to offer a shoulder to cry on or a high-five for your victories.  But it's not just about support. Sisterhood is also about laughter, mischief, and making memories that'll last a lifetime, inside jokes that only we understand - I send exactly the same birthday card to a friend every year, its our joke. It's about embracing our quirks and celebrating what makes each of us fabulously unique. This weekend I went to see Bonnie and Clyde at the Theatre Royal in Norwich with one of my closest friends, for her birthday, I'm going on a mammoth walk with another one of my bestest friends to celebrate our birthdays. It is so much fun to celebrate friendship and closeness and to do things together rather than buy stuff…

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At every workshop, everyone supports each other. Nobody has ever melted anything or set alight something they shouldn't have. Also every person is nervous of the flame when soldering, but friends stand next to each other when its time to solder, they encourage, they support and they praise. They listen, they encourage and they help, if one finds stamping easier than the other, they offer to show their technique, they share the tools. Often during a workshop, conversation turns to things which have happened during the week or month, anyone holding a hammer is encouraged (especially with the leather mallet) to hammer out the frustration from their world and most people joke about who it is that is the inspiration for that hammering!

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Women who come on workshops often find that they have a mutual interest in crafting, or maybe it is reading, or knitting or chatting about the myriad of courses they have done, perhaps they recommend other courses, or they talk about other friends who they think might be interested in other workshops. It is a small community here in Norfolk but it can also be a lonely one, there are many people who leave a workshop having arranged to sign up for another one with people who they have met and chatted with.

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So I am planning new workshops at the moment, as so many of them have been booked by groups of friends and it has given me such joy to run them. I am looking at new projects of wire writing, simple pin brooches and more of the favourite stacking rings and bangles.They will be up soon on my website, but also I always tell you about them in my mini mail, so do sign up here https://clairehowardjewellery.myflodesk.com/ if you want priority notice! In the mean time, there are spaces on my Stud earrings workshop on 1st June and stacking bangles workshop on 13th July.  Why not take a few moments now to browse the Workshops tab here on my website and see what takes your fancy?

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Every workshop is an opportunity to cherish and nurture this bond that connects friendships. After all, life's too short not to surround ourselves with fabulous people who lift us higher and make every moment sparkle with joy and camaraderie.

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PS Did I also mention that there is always cake!

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