Toolerstone

Open Garden Mondays
2024-05-13 10:30 - 14:30, 2024-06-10 10:30 - 14:30, 2024-07-08 10:30 - 14:30 (Europe/London) | Toolerstone House, Norley Road, Sandiway, Cheshire, CW8 2JN, United Kingdom
We are excited to announce that we are opening up our gardens on Monday afternoons from 10:30 to 14:30. For a small contribution of £10 (book in advance on line) you will be able to come along, enjoy coffee and a cake (included in the price) and escape for a few hours in this lovely, green space.

There is a small gift shop stocked with artisan products from local makers. We hope that you may wish to bring a camera and get stuck in to some photography, or maybe use one of our portable ‘sketching’ chairs and settle down for an afternoon of art.
Simon, our Head Gardener, will be hosting garden tours and answering questions for any keen gardeners. In warmer weather feel free to throw down a picnic blanket and chill out under the shade of one our willows down by the pond.

Bluebell Woods Water Colour Workshop
2024-05-14 09:45 - 15:45
Allie will share her process for capturing beautiful bluebell woods landscape. Demonstrating different skies to set the mood, spring trees and how to capture a carpet of bluebells. You will have time to practise, explore and have fun with what you have learnt.
Join friendly and experienced Cheshire watercolour artist Allie. She will share her skills and give you guidance throughout your day, in the light and spacious studio space. All dates are suitable for complete beginners to intermediates. Includes art materials, a freshly homemade lunch and refreshments.

Pheasant Willow Weaving Workshop
2024-05-15 09:30 - 16:30, 2024-07-10 09:30 - 16:30
Join us for a wonderful willow weaving workshop and make a pheasant sculpture for your garden.
The willow Sarah uses is from the Somerset Levels and is a renewable and sustainable crop. It is the ultimate green product absorbing carbon from the atmosphere as it grows.
The sculptures are made entirely of willow. Sarah’s workshops are run at a steady pace and are suitable for beginners. You will be expertly guided through every step to create a wonderful sculpture of your own.

Summer Florals & Botanicals - A Water Colour Workshop with Kate of Essoldo Design
2024-05-16 09:30 - 16:30
In this workshop you’ll use the fluidity of watercolours to create abstract florals and botanicals inspired by the gardens at Toolerstone, learning how to create pleasing colour palettes and techniques to add texture and depth. Once dry we’ll work into these pieces with a variety of mixed media tools including inks, metallics watercolours, and paint pens to add sparkling highlights and added details and embellishment

Based on simple watercolour shapes, and featuring details in pen and ink, you will learn how to create your very own unique piece that you can customise with colour, lines and metallic inks. You’ll learn a range of useful skills such as colour washes, wet on wet, and wet on dry techniques, as well as a host of different mark-making options.

Summer Seascapes A Water Colour Workshop with Kate of Essoldo Design
2024-05-17 09:30 - 16:30
In this workshop you’ll use the fluidity of watercolours to create vibrant abstract seascapes, learning how to create pleasing colour palettes and techniques to add texture and depth. Once dry we’ll work into these pieces with a variety of mixed media tools including inks, metallics watercolours, and paint pens to add sparkling highlights and added details and embellishments.

Based on simple watercolour shapes, and featuring details in pen and ink, you will learn how to create your very own unique piece that you can customise with colour, lines and metallic inks. You’ll learn a range of useful skills such as colour washes, wet on wet, and wet on dry techniques, as well as a host of different mark-making options.

Lino Print Workshop
2024-05-21 09:30 - 16:30
Join us for a wonderful workshop where you will learn the basics of lino printing with our tutor Kirsty Hall. Lino printing is a very relaxing pass-time, creating print after print with different inks. In this workshop you will create a design of your choosing. It could be a wild hare, a fox, country scene, pattern or abstract landscape– the choice is yours!

Log Bottomed Willow Kindling Basket
2024-05-23 09:30 - 16:30
The perfect introduction to basketry & you will go home with an elegant basket made from beautiful willow & incorporating interesting traditional/contemporary weaves.
Working from a log section bottom the difficult job of ‘upsetting’ (putting in the upright stakes evenly spaced) the basket is already done for you. You will spend the day learning weaves & finish off with a chunky border. Handle holes or hazel handle may be attached if you wish. An easy start to learning the traditional craft of basketry. Please note for those who work at a slower pace there will be a simpler version of the weave/border.
Please note that this workshops assumes that you are able to move around the room/stand for periods of time & have good mobility in your hands/fingers. Should you need any assistance with this or need adaptations before the workshop please make us aware.

Feel Fabulous Fridays
2024-05-24 09:30 - 15:30, 2024-06-07 09:30 - 15:30, 2024-06-14 09:30 - 15:30, 2024-06-21 09:30 - 15:30
Our Feel Fabulous Fridays are all about taking time out for yourself in the beautiful, tranquil surroundings of Toolerstone House.
Book a class (or 2) and enjoy our Coffee Shop, which is open exclusively to those who have booked on to one of our sessions throughout the day. Have a light bite, a brew and enjoy the garden view. We will be serving from 9am until 2pm with last orders at 1:30pm. Please note that we will close at 3pm.
Please note that ALL bookings for Feel Fabulous Fridays need to be made directly with the tutors via the links provided in the details in the Event Details Tab.
We recommend you wear suitable attire and bring your own exercise mat.
If the weather is kind we will hold the classes outside on the lawn.
All classes are low impact and suitable for all abilities. As with all exercise please ensure you are fit & able to take part and if you have any concerns about this please contact the individual tutors as directed below.

Botanical Vase and Coasters Pottery Workshop
2024-06-04 09:30 - 15:30, 2024-07-02 09:30 - 15:30
Inspired by the beautiful gardens at Toolerstone we will be exploring nature to identify flowers and foliage that we will then use to create lasting impressions in clay. Using your imprinted clay your tutor will guide you through hand-building pottery techniques to create vases and coasters. You will then add colour to the surface decoration enhancing the botanical theme and producing a range of items that will look stunning in your home.
A bit more detail:
Pottery has the potential for infinite variability through clay type, form and surface decoration. From vessels to making art, humans have been playing with clay for over 20,000 years. This tactile medium is wonderfully forgiving to work with and 3 dimensional forms are quickly produced.

Hare Willow Weaving Workshop
2024-06-05 09:30 - 16:30
The willow Sarah uses is from the Somerset Levels and is a renewable and sustainable crop. It is the ultimate green product absorbing carbon from the atmosphere as it grows.
The sculptures are made entirely of willow. Sarah’s workshops are run at a steady pace and are suitable for beginners. You will be expertly guided through every step to create a wonderful sculpture of your own.

Stained Glass Summer Flower
2024-06-13 09:30 - 16:30
This one day course will teach you how to cut, shape & solder glass together in order to make a stunning stained glass abstract flower. Working from a tutor pattern, as a starting point, you will design & make a stained glass flower using traditional methods. You will be using pre-coloured glass which is produced in the same way as stained glass in a church. We will also be using lead, copper foil & solder & traditional hand tools alongside modern grinders & soldering irons. An easy, but intensive introduction to the craft with plenty of hands on activity.
Please note that this workshops assumes that you are able to move around the room/stand for periods of time & have good mobility in your hands/fingers. Should you need any assistance with this or need adaptations before the workshop please make us aware.
As a precaution, those who are pregnant should not attend the workshop due to some of the materials used.

Summer Floral Arrangement Workshop With Afternoon Tea
2024-06-18 10:00 - 15:00
Join us to make beautiful, fresh, summer-themed floral arrangements to decorate your home in our new Outdoor Classroom (weather permitting).
Our Summer Floral Arranging workshop is a 2 part class. In session one you will be shown how to create a classic summer table arrangement using natural foliage and early summer flowers. In session two you will create a hand tied bouquet.
The unique and beautiful style that is reflected in the stunning arrangements are taught in this step by step one day workshop. You will learn the skills to create unique floral displays. No experience is necessary as our tutor will be on hand to guide you every step of the way.

Heron Willow Weaving Workshop
2024-06-19 09:30 - 16:30
Join us for a wonderful willow weaving workshop and make an impressive heron sculpture for your garden.
The willow Sarah uses is from the Somerset Levels and is a renewable and sustainable crop. It is the ultimate green product absorbing carbon from the atmosphere as it grows.
The sculptures are made entirely of willow. Sarah’s workshops are run at a steady pace and are suitable for beginners. You will be expertly guided through every step to create a wonderful sculpture of your own.

Smart Phone Photography With Jane from Love Your Lens
2024-06-20 09:30 - 16:00
Join us in the glass room with our tutor, Jane, for a photography workshop with an emphasis on nature and summer. Jane will show you how to get the most from your smartphone.
Do you wonder how people take such amazing shots with their phones when you are looking at Instagram and Facebook?
We all know smartphones have great cameras and can supposedly do all these wonderful things but where do you even start with it?
How do you know what to do with things like composition, depth of field, and what to do when the light is tricky?
If you ask such questions then this is the Smart Phone Photography workshop for you. Jane will take you step by step through the day and you will learn …

How to use all your phone camera features.
How to take photographs of a wide range of subjects and how to cope with different kinds of light conditions.
How to compose your image creatively.
How to edit your photos to enhance them and make them stand out from the crowd.
Edit a chosen image with Snapseed

A bit more detail
You will have plenty of opportunity to practise your new skills in the beautiful gardens here @:Toolerstone.
The workshop is suitable for anyone & everyone who would like to do more than just point and shoot with their phone camera.
No experience is necessary as our talented tutor, Jane, will be on hand to guide you and answer any questions you may have. We allow plenty of time for our students to learn in our relaxing workshops. We will take good care of you during your time with us and we will be serving seasonal treats and refreshments as well as a delicious lunch.

Block Printing on Fabric Workshop (cushion cover)
2024-06-25 09:30 - 16:30
Join us for in our Glass Room for a creative workshop to learn the skill and art of block printing with our tutor, Albert Harvey. Block printing, also known as lino printing, is a relief print where the image is made by carving out parts of a linoleum sheet. The same technique is used with wooden blocks. In this instance you will be using lino to create your design.

Feel Fabulous Fridays
2024-06-28 09:30 - 15:30, 2024-07-05 09:30 - 15:30, 2024-07-12 09:30 - 15:30
Our Feel Fabulous Fridays are all about taking time out for yourself in the beautiful, tranquil surroundings of Toolerstone House.
** PLEASE NOTE THAT FEEL FABULOUS FRIDAYS WILL CONCLUDE ON THE 12TH JULY 2024. WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR TUTORS & GUESTS FOR THEIR SUPPORT **
Book a class (or 2) and enjoy our Coffee Shop, which is open exclusively to those who have booked on to one of our sessions throughout the day. Have a light bite, a brew and enjoy the garden view. We will be serving from 9am until 2pm with last orders at 1:30pm. Please note that we will close at 3pm.
Please note that ALL bookings for Feel Fabulous Fridays need to be made directly with the tutors via the links provided in the details in the Event Details Tab.
We recommend you wear suitable attire and bring your own exercise mat.
If the weather is kind we will hold the classes outside on the lawn.
All classes are low impact and suitable for all abilities. As with all exercise please ensure you are fit & able to take part and if you have any concerns about this please contact the individual tutors as directed below.

Seasonal Inspired Soap Making Workshop
2024-07-03 09:30 - 16:30, 2024-07-04 09:30 - 16:30
Join us in the Glass Room for our hands-on soap making workshop. You will learn how to produce traditional, natural cold process soap using a variety of techniques. The focus will be on autumn harvest, autumn fruits, woodlands (charcoals, tars, saps & bark) & opulent soaps for Winter Celebrations. Working in pairs, you will be guided through the day making a number of different soaps following tutor designed, tried & tested recipes. As the class progresses we will share the soaps we make with the rest of the class, each leaving with 20 different 50g soaps!

Coastal Lino Print Workshop
2024-07-09 09:30 - 16:30
Join us for a wonderful workshop where you will learn the basics of lino printing with our tutor Kirsty Hall. Lino printing is a very relaxing pass-time, creating print after print with different inks. In this workshop you will create a coastal inspired design. It could be a whale, sea bird, landscape, a pattern or abstract design – the choice is yours!
A bit more detail
In the morning session you will learn how to develop a design inspired by the sea or just bring your own ideas! You will be shown how to balance your design to create a strong composition and then how to carve your lino using specialist tools. In the second part of your day with us you will learn how to skilfully ink and print your blocks by hand and will experiment with colour. You will leave with a range of prints and hopefully a love of lino printing to inspire you in the future.

Introduction to Leather Workshop
2024-07-11 09:30 - 16:30
Our one-day leather workshop focuses on making premium small leather goods, such as a wallet, notebook holder, card holder or passport holder.
Join us for a wonderful introduction to leather in this workshop with Jason Stocks-Young of Diamond Awl. You will learn the core basics of traditional leather working techniques including marking & cutting, preparing leather for hand stitching, bevelling, burnishing and finishing. Make a leather item of your choosing and you can personalise it with your initials or you could choose the initials of a loved one as this would make a wonderful gift.

Summer Garden Water Colours Workshop
2024-07-16 09:45 - 15:45
Join us for a day of painting summer garden flowers and perhaps a bee or two. Allie will share her process for capturing florals including stunning roses and honeysuckle. She will demonstrate different ways to create delicate petals and characteristics of summer flowers. You will have time to practise, explore and have fun with what you have learnt.
A bit more detail
Join friendly and experienced Cheshire watercolour artist Allie. She will share her skills and give you guidance throughout your day, in the light and spacious studio space. All dates are suitable for complete beginners to intermediates. Includes art materials, a freshly homemade lunch and refreshments
