Our 2021 Creative Workshop Programme

Inspiring Art and Craft Courses in the Lake District at Cowshed Creative 

 - something for everyone

We are so proud to receive this award for excellent 5 star provision from student recommendation & verified by Craft Courses after running art & craft workshops in the Lake District for only 12 months 

★★★★★   The place was amazing – a beautifully converted barn in stunning surroundings.                                                                 Michelle, Student feedback on Craft Courses website

★★★★★    'Another great art course at Cowshed!  The venue is terrific, with a great welcome,                        tasty food & excellent facilities.' Steve Student Feedback on Craft Courses website

You can BOOK our courses directly through our secure payment system, but if you prefer to use a cheque or Bacs please 

2021 Workshop Programme by month:

 We are taking bookings NOW! 

May

Spring Flower Collage: Short Art & Craft Course

​Capture the delight of spring flowers by creating your own colourful collage. Gill will provide a range of pre-painted papers and explain and share techniques on how to create your own.  Using these lovely texture papers, you will cut and assemble your own striking image. Working with collage gives you the freedom to explore colour combinations and composition, allowing you to reposition motifs and play with form, to achieve a great result. 

17 May  10 - 12.30

£30  including tea, coffee and homemade biscuits

Monoprint with Gelli plates

Gelli printmaking is a form of mono printing where you take just one image from your plate. It’s fun, quick and messy, with magical results. There is no need for a printing press or any previous printmaking or drawing and painting experience. 

This workshop is an ideal introduction to printmaking using a range of simple techniques to create a collection of your own prints.

21 May    10 - 4.30

£75 including lunch 

Enamel Jewellery Workshop

Enamel is a decorative coating of coloured glass fused to metal.  It is a really exciting process  experimenting with coloured powder, stencils and sgraffito, then firing your own work to see how the glass melts to the silver or copper, with jewel like results. On this craft course you will create a number of  jewellery pieces using this decorative process

The perfect workshop for beginners, those with some jewellery experience and anyone who loves colour.

22 May   10 - 4.30

£75 including lunch

Spinner Ring – Silver Jewellery

Spinning rings are both contemporary and mystical. Created from two silver rings; the small middle ring spins around the wider inner band encircling the finger. The spinning motion is perfect for meditation and reducing stress. Join us to create a unique piece of silver jewellery that will be a joy to wear or make a perfect gift and learn a range of jewellery techniques in one day.  This workshop is suitable for beginners and more experienced makers 

23 May    10 - 4.30

£75 including lunch

Birds in Spring Collage: Short Art & Craft Course

With spring welcoming birds back to our gardens and fields, join us to create a collage celebrating their return. Gill will provide a range of pre-painted papers and will share techniques on how to create your own.  Using these lovely texture papers, you will cut and assemble your own striking image. Working with collage gives you the freedom to explore colour combinations and composition, and allows you to reposition motifs and play with form, for great results

25 May   10 - 12.30

£30  including tea, coffee and homemade biscuits

Understanding Your Camera Workshop

Take charge of your camera! This course is ideal for a budding photographer who is bewildered by the array of settings, tends to set the camera on Auto or simply needs a refresher. Learn how to use the controls, discover the elements for strong composition and how to review your photos effectively, to ensure superb results.  There will be plenty of opportunity to practice, explore the area and enjoy the amazing views.

26 May   10 - 4.30

£75 including lunch  

Water Colour Portraiture Course

A fantastic opportunity to explore portrait painting using watercolours.  Work with Sky TV Portrait artist Catherine MacDiarmid and gain expert insight and advice. On this workshop you will be guided through some different exercises covering colour and colour mixing, wet into wet, lifting out and expressive mark making, all with emphasis on gaining confidence painting watercolour portraits.

28 May  10 - 4.30

£75 including lunch

Stylish Tote Bags

Create a stylish tote bag in a day on this art and craft course. With expert step-by-step guidance, you will work from a pattern and learn how to cut out and stitch a beautifully lined bag with a pocket.   Choose from leather or faux leather handles or straps, for a really professional finish.  An extra special gift for someone or enjoy using it your self!

29 May   10 - 4.30

£70  including lunch  

June

Dry Stone Walling Course

Enjoy a great day out in the countryside on our Lakeland farm learning traditional dry stone walling skills from an experienced and friendly tutor who will explain the process. You will learn the basic principles; sorting stone, building foundations and helping to construct a section of wall, developing your confidence as you go. A great introduction to the heritage and ancient rural craft of building walls in the Lake District, using only the stone in the field, without cement.

1 June  10 - 4

£75  including lunch

Raku Pottery  –   2 Day Course

Raku is a really amazing process that includes firing your own pots outside in a custom made ‘open’ kiln to create unique patterns and designs on your pieces. Raku firing is one of the most dramatic and daring ways to fire pottery. It was developed in Japan in the early 1550s by Zen Buddhists to create ceramics for the Japanese tea ceremony.

The first day you will develop hand-building skills to create a range of pots or models that will exploit raku glaze effects.  These will be dried and biscuit fired ready for you to experiment with glazes and oxides the following week. Chris will guide you through the stages

On the consecutive Saturday, prepare for an exciting workshop working with an outdoor kiln with controlled use of fire and smoke!  ‘Raku’ loosely means ‘happiness in the unexpected’.  The effects you can achieve can be stunning. 

5 & 12 June  10 - 4.30

£150 including lunch on both days 

Wildlife and Hedgerow in Lino Printing

Be inspired by the wildlife and hedgerows of the Kentmere valley and learn the skills you will need to cut and print your own unique lino design, creating a small edition of stunning prints to take home. 

With expert guidance, explore the importance of mark making and texture. After planning and transferring your design onto an A4 piece, enjoy the rhythm of cutting and interpreting your design into the lino plate.

You will learn hand printing and burnishing techniques and produce both one colour and multicolour designs by varying the inking up. If time, you can introduce chine colle (tissue paper collage) to your print as well.

An ideal introduction to printmaking for beginners and improvers.

6 June    10 - 4.30

£75 including lunch 

Oil Painting Techniques

Be guided by an expert through a variety of oil painting techniques, with an emphasis on experimenting with different approaches to mark making using both thin and thick paint, brushes and palette knives.  You will also develop your skills in mixing colour and tone.  Be prepared to go out of your comfort zone to learn new skills, refresh your approach and gain confidence with this wonderfully versatile medium.  A great workshop for both beginners and those with more experience.

Image: Student work

8 June

£75 including lunch

Willow Garden Structures

On this craft course, learn the skills to create your own willow ‘tipi’ garden supports that will stand you proud in your borders. 

These beautiful willow structures are the perfect natural addition to the garden providing support for a wide variety of flowering plants and veg; roses, sweet peas, runner beans, peas and miniature squash. Create your own contemporary look using traditional rural crafts skills.  No previous experience is required.

13 June 10 - 4.30

£75 including lunch

Mosaic in a Day Workshop

Join us for a fun and relaxing day learning the art of mosaic on this craft course.  Create a colourful plaque to hang on a wall, a trivet for those hot pots on your table or brighten up coffee breaks with your own mosaic tray.  You will learn about different materials and how to use mosaic tools, with lots of tips on design and pattern. Treat yourself to a great day out and take home an original mosaic of your own

15 May      10 - 4.30

£75 including lunch

Lakeland Landscape: Watercolour & Mixed Media

Enjoy the stunning views of the Kentmere valley and capture the natural beauty of the landscape and the fresh spring colour. The day will combine practical painting and drawing exercises in the art studio with opportunities to work directly outdoors focusing on fells and skies.  This workshop offers a great opportunity to develop your watercolour painting skills combined with pastel painting and drawing techniques.

19 June   10 - 4.30

£75 including lunch  

Drapes to Dungarees . Bespoke dungarees in a day 

Have you got an old pair of curtains that you love but are no longer in use? Come and learn how to turn them into a bespoke pair of dashing and daring dungarees, designed to fit your shape.  

This craft course will cover the whole process and you’ll leave with a new or honed vision for creative reuse. In this spirit; second hand materials are highly encouraged, but if you have your eye on a new piece of fabric that’s great too.

20 June    10 - 4.30pm

£ 70 including lunch

Indigo Dye & Shibori Techniques

Shibori is the Japanese art of indigo resist dyeing. In this hands-on craft course you will learn the basics of Shibori inspired folding, binding, clamping and stitching techniques.  Dipped in Indigo, you will create your own stunning patterns on fabric. Create a stash of samples, working up to a Shibori cushion or cotton scarf.  Perfect for the summer!

25 June  10 - 4.30

£75  including lunch

Fun Vintage Brooches

Spend the day making these delightful little vintage brooches, made from up-cycled pieces of fabric and lace, using whatever you can repurpose from around your home. Create a Selfie, celebrate a special friend or family member or make one up on this fun and creative craft course.  For beginners and up.

26 June  10 - 4.30

£70  including lunch

Seaglass Jewellery Course

Early summer is a great time to comb the coast for sea glass, that's been tumbled smoothe by the waves. Transform and recycle the subtle coloured pieces into jewellery that is perfect for summer.  On this workshop you will learn to use a range of tools and develop jewellery making skills, working with sterling silver alongside your sea glass, to create beautiful finished pieces of  jewellery.

27 June    10 - 4.30

£75  including lunch  

Colourful Anodised Aluminium Jewellery

Join us for a splash of colour in this exciting and playful process.  No experience needed, just enjoy experimenting with felt pens, stamps, paint brushes, inks and dyes to transform aluminium with beautiful colours and patterns.  In the afternoon you will learn how to create jewellery from some of your patterned metal and take home earrings, bangles, or pendants.  

28 June   10 - 4.30

£75 including lunch

Exploring with Your Camera

This course will help you understand how to use your camera more effectively and provide the opportunity to explore some of South Lakeland’s superb scenery at a photographer’s pace. The emphasis of the workshop will be on practical, personal learning in an informal, sociable and enjoyable setting. Ideally, you will have at least some knowledge of how your camera works, (that is not essential) and  a wish to develop your skills

30 June   10 - 4.30

£75 including lunch  

July

Arranging Flowers : 2 in 1 day

Pressed Flowers and a Hand tied Fresh Bouquet

Learn how to select and prepare fresh flowers for pressing throughout the seasons.  In the morning you will perfect this fresh and updated art using a flower press which is yours to keep. An abundance of local pre-pressed flowers, hand-made papers and materials will be available so you can create a range of pressed flower art-work including pictures, cards and gift tags 

After lunch enjoy using local & seasonal flowers to create a stunning bouquet. Learn how to choose materials, consider more unusual ‘ingredients’ and discover how to bring different elements together to achieve a natural look, considering colour, texture and shape. A great workshop to celebrate the Lake District!

1 July     10 - 4.30

£70 including lunch

Expressive Portraits in Oil Paint

Learn to paint quick and lively oil portraits in this one day workshop that focuses on expressive oil portrait painting techniques.  With expert tuition from Sky TV Portrait artist Catherine MacDiarmid, you will be guided through a series of exercises exploring a variety of oil painting techniques, use of different painting brushes/tools and different colour palettes.  It is designed to challenge your practice and broaden your approaches to portrait painting. 

Working from a model in the afternoon will enable you to put those skills into practice with a portrait from life. 

3 July  10 - 4.30

£80 including lunch and model in the afternoon

Lakeland Landscape in Gouache and Mixed Media

Enjoy the stunning views of the Kentmere valley and capture the natural beauty of the Lake District landscape and the early autumn colour, using opaque water colour gouache.  The course will combine practical painting and drawing exercises in the art studio using with opportunities to work directly outdoors focusing on fells and skies.  A great opportunity to develop your painting skills and explore a variety of mixed media techniques.  

4 July    10 - 4.30

£75 including lunch

Printed Table Runner Inspired by the Sea-shore

Learn how to combine your own carved lino block with stencils to create a fabulous linen table runner inspired by the sea-shore. On this workshop, you will plan out a design on paper, cut your own stencils to use with fabric paint and learn to carve a small lino block to combine together onto sample pieces of fabric.  Once your confident with the process, bring these skills together to stencil and print  your own table runner.  Perfect for summer dining

8 July    10 - 4.30

£70 including lunch

Bountiful Baskets - 2 Day Craft Course

Learn a traditional rural craft and make your own timeless round basket with a handle. A course for anyone who likes to use their hands, enjoys the smell and creaking of willow as they work on their woven basket and wants the satisfaction of creating something unique with lots of practical uses. 

This two day course will equip you with the skills to make a truly original basket and provide you with the confidence and ability to work on further baskets at home.  No previous experience required

10 & 11 July   10 - 4.30

£150 including lunch both days

Silver Clay Jewellery Course

Silver clay is an exciting medium that appeals to both jewellery novices and more experienced craftspeople as it requires little by way of equipment, and responds beautifully to the imagination! This putty-like clay contains tiny particles of silver, water and binders, which is fired on the day of the workshop, bonding your design into a finished piece of pure silver, ready to take away. Silver clay lends itself to texture, 3D forms and experimentation. It can be rolled, moulded, stamped and will retain fine imprinted detail

24 July.     10 - 4.30

£75 including lunch

Seaglass Jewellery Course

The spring is a great time to comb the coast for sea glass, that's been tumbled smooth by the waves. Transform and recycle the subtle coloured pieces into jewellery that is perfect for summer.  On this workshop you will learn to use a range of tools and develop jewellery making skills, working with sterling silver alongside your sea glass, to create beautiful finished pieces of  jewellery.

17 July 10 - 4.30

£75  including lunch  

Silver Jewellery - Earrings and Pendants

Focusing on a range of jewellery making techniques, the workshop is designed to develop your skills, explore surface pattern and textural possibilities and encourage you to create your own silver jewellery designs. Expect to make pendants or earrings that are tactile and unique as every pass through the rolling mill is different, and every hammer blow brings exciting changes to your piece. This workshop is perfect for complete beginners and those with some experience.

25 July.     10 - 4.30

£75 including lunch

Indigo Dye & Shibori Techniques

Shibori is the Japanese art of indigo resist dyeing. In this hands-on art and craft course, you will learn the basics of Shibori inspired folding, binding, clamping and stitching techniques.  Dipped in Indigo, you will create your own stunning patterns on fabric. Create a stash of samples, working up to a Shibori cushion or cotton scarf.  Perfect for the summer!

29 July  10 - 4.30

£75  including lunch

August

Dry Stone Walling Course

Enjoy a great day out in the countryside on our Lakeland farm learning traditional dry stone walling skills from an experienced and friendly tutor who will explain the process. On this workshop, learn the basic principles; sorting stone, building foundations and helping to construct a section of wall, developing your confidence as you go. A great introduction to the heritage & ancient rural craft of building walls in the Lake District using only the stone in the field.

26 Aug    10 - 4.30

£75  including lunch

September

Hand Building and Raku Firing – 2 day course

Raku is a really amazing process that includes firing your own pots outside in an ‘open’ kiln to create unique patterns and designs on your pieces. Raku firing is one of the most dramatic and daring ways to fire pottery, developed in Japan in the 16th century 

Day one is dedicated to making, with an emphasis on clay forms that exploit raku glaze effects like crazing, copper flashing and contrast of clay body to glaze. Students will be guided through hand building methods, developing slab, pinch and coil techniques so they can complete large pieces as well as bird and animal forms.  These will be biscuit fired ready for you to glazing the following week.

On the consecutive Saturday, prepare for an exciting workshop working with an outdoor kiln with controlled use of fire and smoke!  ‘Raku’ loosely means ‘happiness in the unexpected’.  The effects you can achieve can be stunning. 

4  & 11 Sept  10 - 4.30

£150 including lunch on both days 

Drawing Local Wildlife in Mixed Media

Join us on a traditional Lakeland farm to develop the basic drawing skills you need to draw animals confidently and to observe animals in their natural environment.   You will have plenty of opportunities to observe, sketch and photograph animals on the farm and experiment with water-  soluble brush pens.  The workshop will cover steps on how to draw animals using simple shapes and lines, the concept of gesture drawing combined with observation and some basic animal anatomy.

27 Aug 10 - 4.30

£75  including lunch

Mosaic in a Day Workshop

Join us for a fun and relaxing day learning the art of mosaic on this craft course.  Create a colourful plaque to hang on a wall, a trivet for those hot pots on your table or brighten up coffee breaks with your own mosaic tray.  You will learn about different materials and how to use mosaic tools, with lots of tips on design and pattern. Treat yourself to a great day out and take home an original mosaic of your own.

5 Sept      10 - 4.30

£75 including lunch

Colourful Anodised Aluminium Jewellery

Join us for a splash of colour in this exciting and playful process.  No experience needed, just enjoy experimenting with felt pens, stamps, paint brushes, inks  and dyes to transform aluminium.  In the afternoon you will learn how to create jewellery from some of your patterned metal and take home earings, bangles, or pendants.  

12 Sept   10 - 4.30

£75 including lunch

Drapes to Dungarees . Bespoke dungarees in a day 

Have you got an old pair of curtains that you love but are no longer in use? Come and learn how to turn them into a bespoke pair of dashing and daring dungarees, designed to fit your shape.  

This craft course will cover the whole process and you’ll leave with a new or honed vision for creative reuse. In this spirit; second hand materials are highly encouraged, but if you have your eye on a new piece of fabric that’s great too.

18 Sept     10 - 4.30pm

£ 70 including lunch

Silver Clay Jewellery Course

Silver clay is an exciting medium that appeals to both jewellery novices and more experienced craftspeople as it requires little by way of equipment, and responds beautifully to the imagination! This putty-like clay contains tiny particles of silver, water and binders, which is fired on the day of the workshop, bonding your design into a finished piece of pure silver, ready to take away. Silver clay lends itself to texture, 3D forms and experimentation. It can be rolled, moulded, stamped and will retain fine imprinted detail