Our Crazy Adventures at Larkswold and What’s Cooking This Weekend!

Hello, lovely crafters and curious visitors! It’s Melinda here, popping back into your Friday to reintroduce myself and my work wife/partner-in-crime, Emma. We’re the two slightly bonkers ladies behind Larkswold, where creativity meets chaos in the best possible way. If you’ve ever wondered who’s behind the mayhem, yummy cake, and occasional successes, this is your chance to get to know us a bit better.

Who Are Emma and Melinda?

Meet the Craft Duo

We’re not your average craft duo. I am the spark of wild ideas, the one who’ll suggest glittering-up photos just because “why not?” I’m the one who tries to keep us on track with a Gantt chart or new-fangled workflow process, but usually end up getting distracted by the next shiny thing. Emma is the long-suffering, grounded one. She is the one who will make sure your emails are answered, the workshops are in the diary and heck, not only that, but they are on the right day and spelled correctly. Together, we run Larkswold, a place where crafting isn’t just a hobby—it’s a way of life, even if it means a bit of work avoidance now and then.

Our Dynamic

• Melinda: The easily distracted one, full of enthusiasm but often sidetracked by new inspirations. I am focused on world domination with our little crafty business.

• Emma: The grounded one, full of creative ideas and a formally trained creative background, bringing a heavy dose of realism to the future of Larkswold.

Our Philosophy

At Larkswold, we believe that crafting is more than just making; it's about embracing creativity, exploring ideas, and creating an atmosphere where everyone feels welcomed and keen to return to try the next thing.

Google Review:

We thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon of arm- knitting with Emma and Melinda! Great tuition, fabulous cakes and drinks, a fantastic setting, and Emma & Melinda's welcoming approach, all created an all round relaxed and fun afternoon with friends .And with a beautiful, cosy, handmade throw to be proud of to take home at the end of the day, what more could you ask for? Thank you Melinda & Emma - we'll be back!

Our personalities clash and complement in equal measure. I am the dreamer; Emma is the reluctant realist who complains about everything - Ok I made that up - but I am writing the blog so she really does have to accept her role as the sidekick butt of my jokes!

But that’s part of the charm, isn’t it? Two crazy ladies making magic happen, one glittery mess at a time.

A Week of Trials and Tribulations

This past week has been a whirlwind of trying out new ideas and, admittedly, a fair bit of procrastination disguised as “research.” We’ve been trialling a brand new cyanotype workshop. It's all about creating beautiful blue nature prints. We are just finalising details with the tutor and then it's full steam ahead for you to be able to book. Can't wait!

While we were meant to be building the new website and putting more sessions in the diary, we found ourselves sidetracked by some very shiny distractions:

• Rhinestone book craft: Because who doesn’t want their journals bedazzled?

• Gold foiling eggs: Easter might be months away, but we’re ahead of the game

• Glitter Kicks - Well yes - Emma is buying up the world's supply of incredibly cute children's Dr Martens off Vinted to guild for examples, and I am in pursuit of orange foils which seem to be alluding me

• Glittering photos: Yes, we added sparkle to pictures. It’s as ridiculous and fun as it sounds

  
  

These little detours have been a great way to keep the creative juices flowing, even if they’re not exactly on the original agenda.

Billie the half Leonberger and half continental Landseer

No More Couch Potato

I managed to drag myself back to the gym this week. I've been fully embracing "wintering" but was in danger of becoming a great brown grisly, so off I went. My style is moan, whinge, complain about how much I don't want to go, then arrive and turn into a gym beast and love every minute. I have also taken up a little Pilates (well, that bloody hurts) and walked extra fast in the secure dog field whilst trying to burn a little energy off my dog Kanga. Kanga has a new friend called Billie who is a wonderfully behaved Leonberger Continental Landseer Cross who very politely carried a stick around whilst the "spawn of the devil hound - Kanga" tried to snuffle out some poor rodent under a log.

Sweet Treats and Artisan Cakes

Speaking of treats, Em and I decided that 2026 was the year of not doing everything ourselves. This strategy plays into our goal of working more of a 5-day week than a 7!

Holly, best known to guests as a wonderful crochet artist, is also an accomplished artisan cake baker. You will of course know that cake is an incredibly important part of the Larkswold experience - and we pride ourselves on being very Mr Kipling-esque in offering exceedingly good cakes. Side note: It hurts that Mr Larkswold will still buy Mr Kipling Bakewell tarts - Philistine!

Anyway - all the classics will be available this weekend from lemon drizzle which is both gluten and dairy free, chocolate brownies that provide all the food groups as longs as those groups are, butter, sugar, chocolate and yum; and finally coffee cake to give you the neccessary boost to get you through whatever terrible hard work you have to come to do in our studio.

Noisy’s Pie Predicament

Now, here’s a little secret: Noisy, our rather vocal cockerel, might just end up in a pie. He was kindly gifted to me when I needed to expand my flock of chickens thanks to Mr Fox and his fellow chicken-chomping otter friends. Noisy had been swaying between fine handsome protector of his flock and a kicking boxing s**tbag. He has returned to the latter mode and has been targeting his over-testosteroned cockerelly kick-boxing skills on yours truly. So if anyone needs a cockerel to protect their home from very nice vertically challenged craft ladies - feel free to message me and I can wrap him up and get him over to you post-haste!

Ok so he is indeed, very handsome - but he has to learn some manners or it's goodbye to Noisy!

What’s Next at Larkswold?

Well of course, love is in the air this weekend at Larkswold. We have 5 trillion candle makers, some platter painters, a fluffle of Ceramic Hare makers, a trio of block printers, some more than likely noisy silversmithers, followed finally by a full cathedral-sized window of glass fusers.

Whatever you are up to - have fun and we hope to see you in the studio soon.

Melinda

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