Sponsor Giveaway:: Carcoar Pottery and The Humming Alpaca

I'm so happy to bring you a giveaway from my new Sponsor Louise of  Carcoar Pottery!

Louse is a wonderful multi talented crafter, I asked her some questions about her crafting and beautiful shop to share with you all

Blue and green striped bowl made by Louise

*Louise, what are your favourite crafts and why?


The main craft I practice is pottery, but I like to spin, weave and felt also.  As all crafters know, there are no barriers, so I am currently learning how to weld as I want to make some outdoor furniture for my garden and I have ideas rolling around in my head that 'need' to be realised. I would love to be able to knit and I look on enviously as I watch people knitting creations out of their hand spun and dyed yarns. I think the act of crafting is so wholesome and fulfilling. I couldn't imagine life without making things. It is the actualising of thoughts from within.

Ashford "Country Spinner" spinning wheel 

*What inspires you in your crafting?

I grew up in a nurturing household, where the aesthetics of hand made items was highly esteemed. Gardening, both ornamental and vegetable, was a way of life. My mother, who is a painter and was an art teacher, gave me pottery every Easter instead of eggs (I wasn't too happy with that at the age of 9, although Mum tells me there were some eggs inside the pottery mugs), and by the time I reached my mid to late teens I had a wonderful collection of handmade pottery and an aesthetic ethos. My mother also likes collecting pottery for everyday use and it was only when I went to friends' houses that I realised that it wasn't what everyone else did. As a child, I could always entertain myself by making things and wasn't reliant on external entertainment as inspiration came from within. As an adult who likes to play with clay and textiles, and loves to garden and have my pet alpacas, chooks, dog and my wonderful husband nearby, I lead an ideal life. It has given me an awareness and a consciousness about the provenance of what we eat, wear and use on a daily basis. And on another level, by following in the ancient tradition of craftspeople it gives me a place in the continuity of humanity and being part of its rich tapestry.

One of Louise's rug weaving workshops

*What product in your shop are you most excited about at the moment? Tell us about it

In my pottery range, I am always most excited bout my most recent creations as that is where my head and heart are. I enjoy colour and lots of it. Rainbow colours ... such happiness!! Most challenging at
the moment is the solving of firing results from outdoor primitive kilns as I am looking for organic and random effects on clay. In the textile range, once again, it is what I am currently making. I always have a woven alpaca rug on the go and I have just started dyeing up wool for people coming to the next rug workshop. I love hand dyeing. Actually, I just love making stuff!!!

Colours of the dyes that Louise is generously giving away

Louise is offering readers the chance to win a sampler kit of "Greener Shades" Dyes Which contains 2.5grams of each of the Greener Shades colours!

A flower garland I have hand made with organic merino and Greener shades dyes from Louise's Shop

Here is some information about the dyes that can be found on the The Humming Alpaca page of her shop-

Greener Shades Dyes are a non-hazardous,non-chrome dye for silk,nylon & any animal fibre.

Formulated without the use of hazardous metals, Greener Shades provides all the wash fastness & light fastness of the traditional acid dye without relying on the metal compounds to achieve bright and beautiful colours. This advancement is now available to the home/studio dyer with the Greener Shades line of dyes. Greener Shades Dyes conform to the Organic Trade Association's standard for Organic Fibre Processing (with the exception of Greener Shades - Coral Reef Aqua)

 Everyone is welcomed to write a comment for an opportunity to win
*If you would like a second entry let us know what your favourite thing is in Carcoar Pottery shop in a separate comment
*Friends of bare feet and a free spirit will receive a third entry, just let me know that you are a follower in a separate comment

Good luck all!