From 2014 Willow Basketry events to new adventures in 2015

2014 started very slowly as we had a very cold and long winter. 

This photo is from March 30th and some of the willow field still has snow drifts more than 1 meter (3-4 feet) deep. We were getting anxious to harvest the willow before it all started to grow again.

March and April are usually the time for workshops creating living willow structures in pots. Because of the winter dragging on and on we only managed to have a few sessions, but we had a lot of fun.

I haven't been good at remembering to take photos during workshops. I have to get better at that to save the memories of some wonderful hours with great people eager to learn and excited about their creations.

Several workshops took place here during the year where I had the opportunity to share some of the basket making techniques that I have learned.

For the third year in a row we were fortunate to have Anne Mette Hjornholm here from Denmark to teach 4 wonderful days of classes.

Just three weeks later we had two more of Denmark's talented willow artists visiting.

 Ane Lyngsgaard and Eva Seidenfaden taught 3 days of exciting classes.

The Southwestern Ontario Basketry Guild (SOBG) of which I am a business member, held a wonderful "Willow Retreat" at the Michaelite House Retreat Centre in London, Ontario

I had a great group of students making baskets on a Catalan base.

In August I also had the pleasure to visit The Branch Ranch to teach a week of classes. A wonderful place with great people and lots of fun.

We always end the year with a few winter/Christmas workshops that are fun and relaxed with emphasis on making smaller decorative items. We did have 3 sessions, but these two ladies were tough. They made it here in a severe snowstorm - all the way from Wisconsin and New York - while the other participants registered for that class (from Ontario)  cancelled because of the snow. 

Just as last year at this time we are now waiting for the snow to melt so that we can start harvesting our willow. Hopefully that will happen within the next 4-6 weeks.

In the meantime we have the first workshops of the new year 2015 this week, Wednesday and Thursday and more will be scheduled for the next few months including a few Living Willow sessions in March and April.

In addition to a few speaking engagements, workshops off site, a week long  series of classes at Haliburton School of Art and participation in Port Colborne's first Art week I am looking forward to once again welcoming Ane Lyngsgaard and Eva Seidenfaden to teach classes here in June and Anne Mette Hjornholm to teach here for the forth year in September. 

Watch out for my next newsletter with information about the upcoming classes.

Words and photos by Lene Rasmussen,Willows.

December willows

Running late seems to be the thing for me in December. This week I finally made my winter planters - just have to ad some lights now.

Inspired by a customer who bought some willow globes from me for her planters, I have placed globes on top of a bed of greens in my planters at the back door. My customer has added strands of lights to her globes and it looks beautiful at night - I may just do that also, if I can find the time for it before Saturday that is. 

For the front door I have used lots of curly willow and dragon willow branches for a look similar to last year.

So far this winter we have only had a couple of days with snow. When we get the snow, however, it always gets caught by the willow in the field and I end up with large, deep drifts of snow among the willows - snow that doesn't melt till long after all the other snow is gone - and I scramble to get the willow harvested before it goes out of dormancy again and the bark loosens from the rods.

This year we have put a snow fence up hoping that most of the snow - if we get a lot - won't get caught up in the willows and I will be able to harvest earlier.

I could harvest at any time now, but am waiting for some frost so that it isn't so wet and muddy in the field and we can bring out the tractor to transport the willow to the barn.

The colours of the willow in the winter always amazes me, so diverse and vibrant.

Today is the shortest day of the year - we're on our way towards spring!
Wishing all a wonderful Christmas and a very Happy New Year.

Words and photos by Lene Rasmussen,Willows.

Christmas Markets

Thank you to everyone who visited my  booths at The HandMade Market and The Artful Treasures Christmas Show during the past two week-ends.

It was fun to participate and the positive feedback from visitors who purchased items or showed interest in future workshops has been very encouraging.

In addition to the bird feeders I had produced a few baskets, mini hanging planters, willow globes and some Christmas items such as angels, stars, "twisters" (for use in outdoor planters), Christmas trees and wreaths - and it was a pleasure to talk to people about my business.

I am looking forward to participating in future markets - in the meantime: Look out for postings about planned workshops.

Words and photos by Lene Rasmussen,Willows.

2011 Christmas HandMade Market

I have been busy preparing for the market, making
Baskets

Angels

Garden Globes

Wreaths

Stars

......and a few other things - come see me there!

Words and photos by Lene Rasmussen,Willows.

Christmas - Jul countdown

Jul, the Danish word for Christmas, is pronounced as the English word Yule and is of the same origin. But the Danish Christmas traditions and how people prepare and decorate their homes are very different from what I have seen in Canada.
The "Advendt Wreath" is typically the first sign in the home that Christmas is approaching. To me it has always been a part of my Christmas preparations and the first of four candles was lit on Sunday November 29. Yesterday we had two candles lit, three next Sunday, and all four will be burning on the last Sunday before Christmas. The tradition originated in Germany in late 1800 and it was first seen in the Southern part of Denmark around World War I. During World War II it became a new Christmas tradition in all of Denmark.
At the top are images of my wreaths from other years and this year I have made a more untraditional one.

I cut a branch off one of my Curly willows and twisted it into a wreath. Then I tied small bundles of red eucalyptus to it using a gold thread and placed it on a large platter made from pewter. I placed four block candles in the middle and I was done.

During The Second World War people began another tradition, the "Calender Candle". The first ones were "homemade" by drawing numbers 1-24 on a thick candle. In 1942 the first Calender Candles for sale by the Danish candle manufacturer Asp Holmblad were produced and today many different styles can be found. As I cannot buy the Danish candles that I like here, I use to buy a couple when I visit or have someone visiting here bring me one. This year I didn't have any, so I made it myself. It sits on the kitchen island on a plate with some homemade stars made from golden paper strips and willow.

On the kitchen island is also my cute little Danish "Christmas troll" that my Danish girlfriend sent me a couple of years ago along with some nice poinsettias in a traditional red colour.

For the livingroom I purchased a new 2009 variety Ice Punch which lights up nicely with it's white sections on the leaves.