Contact – mary@creativethorp.com, or steve@creativethorp.com or phone 07949553029.

After a bit of a break over the summer we are gearing up for our Autumn activities and events. We start at the Wrest Park Craft & Design Festival on the 28, 29 and 30th August, and we’re then at the Ludlow Art & Craft Fair on Sunday 12th September. Then from the 26 to 28th September we are at the Norfolk Arts, Crafts & Design Festival. If that wasn’t enough, Steve is giving a talk at the Toddington Poetry Society on the 14th September. We’d love to see you at any of these events – and at any of our other shows later in the Autumn. Steve is also planning two brand-new poetry publications in the next few weeks – news here as soon as they are available. For more information on shows during 2010, please click the creative thorp show guide autumn 2010.

TRADE NEWS - We had a good show at the British Crafts Trade Fair in Harrogate from 11-13 April and enjoyed meeting old and new friends, but if you run a gallery or shop, and would like to stock our products, please download a trade catalogue from HERE and contact Mary on 07979906935 to discuss art sales and exhibitions.

The images above are from our stand at Grand Design Live. We had a great show and met some wonderful people (see below). For more images from the show click HERE view a pdf slideshow. We also had a successful and enjoyable trip to Harrogate for the British Craft Trade Fair, including a stunning drive through Nidderdale one evening to meet friends. Steve had a successful evening speaking to the Chiltern Writers Group, and Mary had a good show at Henley on Thames for the Craft and Design Experience . For more information on shows during 2010, please click creative thorp show guide 2010.

Here’s some grand designers and lovely people we’ve met at shows this year so far:

Elaine Johnson – wonderful conceptual textile art: www.elainejohnsoncreative.com

Deborah Elsaesser – a young designer producing sustainable furniture and bags near Cardigan: www.re-plydesigns.co.uk

Susan Jane Dunford – a metalsmith working with architectural miniatures:  www.susanjanedunford.com

Daisy Dunlop – a jeweller working near the surf in Cornwall: www.daisydunlop.co.uk

Alan Watson – creating beautiful and covetable upholstered furniture: www.weavewoodandwatson.co.uk

Rachel at Red-Ric-Rac – vintage style fabrics and gifts: www.red-ric-rac.co.uk

Mhairi Wild – lovely person, beautiful scarves inspired by Scottish coastal landscapes: www.mhairiwild.co.uk

‘M’ – As she says on her fab website – “My name is M. I make things”: www.theletterm.co.uk

Lucy Q – favourite mate from last years BCTF and just around the corner again this year!: www.lucyqdesigns.co.uk

Natasha Ferguson – talented young designer with a bright future in lighting design: www.nmf-designs.biz

And an honorary mention for Tara Badger, who makes aprons out of her lovely fabrics Her website isn’t quite up yet…

We’re very excited about 2010 – we’ve got a full diary of events this year. Our Spring schedule began with the Country Living Spring Fair in Islington , and continues (for trade customers and galleries) at the British Crafts Trade Fair in Harrogate from 11-13 April. We then have two shows in May – firstly we’ll be at Grand Designs Live at the Excel Centre in London from the 1-9 May, followed by the Craft and Design Experience show at Henley upon Thames. We hope to see you at one of these events – you’re guaranteed a warm welcome on our stand!

On March 25th, Steve had a successful reading at the Boxfield Gallery in Stevenage to support the launch of a new exhibition featuring a range of artists including Kim Major-George, whose images inspired his Life poetry pamphlet. He will also be speaking to the Chiltern Writers group on May 13th.

TRADE NEWS – As above we’ll be at the British Crafts Trade Fair in Harrogate from 11-13 April, but if you’re not going to be there and you run a gallery or shop, you can still stock our products! The 2010 creative thorp trade catalogues are now available for download on our Trade Page HERE.

Contact – mary@creativethorp.com, or steve@creativethorp.com or phone 07949553029.

At last the snow has melted and we’ve come out of hibernation – preparing for our Spring schedule. Notable events already in our diary include the Country Living Spring Fair in Islington from 24-28th March, and (for trade customers and galleries) the British Crafts Trade Fair in Harrogate from 11-13 April.
Mary still has an exhibition in the Tearoom at Waterperry Gardens until the end of January, and has work at Arteria with Gallery 23 in Lancaster. In the new year she has new exhibitions in the planning, and we will be publishing a fuller schedule of shows in the near future. Steve’s will be reading at the Boxfield Gallery in Stevenage to support the launch of a new exhibition featuring a range of artists including Kim Major-George, whose images inpired Life (see below). He will also be speaking to the Chiltern Writers group on May 13th.  Details of a new poetry publication will also be posted here soon soon!

Contact – mary@creativethorp.com, or steve@creativethorp.com or phone 07949553029.

After an eventful and exciting Autumn schedule of shows and exhibitions the creative thorps are looking forward to some downtime. Over the last few weeks we’ve met some wonderful people and had some lovely feedback about our work.

We’ve got a few more creative events to tell you about. First, this coming weekend, the 5th and 6th December, Mary will be at the prestigious Handmade in Britain Christmas event in Bath and Steve will be at the Swalcliffe Christmas Market in Swalcliffe Church on the 5th December. From today (1st December) and for two months, Mary has an exhibition in the Tearoom at Waterperry Gardens, and on 10th December from 5.30 p.m., Steve will be reading from his new poetry pamphlet life at the Cafe Bookshop at Cranfield University. Mary will also be exhibiting as part of Snug@23 at Arteria with Gallery 23 in Lancaster. We’d love to see you at any of these events!

Contact –

At a recent show we met Kim Major-George, an artist producing the most amazing spiritual collograph images. Steve and Kim got talking about Kim’s new exhibition, and a new poetry pamphlet Life was born: 22 new poems (read two HERE) and Kim’s stunning Buddha images on the front and inside! The resultant exhibition  at Hitchin Museum can be seen until the 31st October. In the Large Gallery  is Kim Major-George’s ‘Wisdom of Peace’ exhibition, and in the Small Gallery Steve has an exhibition of mounted and framed poems from the new  collection.

The new Life booklet can be purchased for £8.50 from creative thorp’s marketplace and makes a wonderful gift for this festive season. Click HERE to download a 2010 creative thorp’s Christmas catalogue including unique cards, and a special limited edition 2010 calender designed and produced by hand by Mary – or go the creative thorp marketplace.

click on thumbnail

Upcoming events – We’ll be at four large shows in the Autumn – the centrepiece of our schedule will be the Country Living Christmas Fair from the 11-15 November at the Business Design Centre in London. We’ll also be at the Abingdon Crafts Festival from 21st-25th October, the Art, Design and Craft Show at Newmarket Racecourse from 6-8th November, and Sparkle at Landmark Arts Centre in Teddington from 20-22nd November.

We are also attending the lovely Christmas Market at Waterperry Gardens on the 28 and 29th November, and on the 28th November we will be at the Crypt at St Michael’s Without in Bath for an Appletree Craft Show.  Mary will be exhibiting in the Cafe at Waterperry over December and January , and also at Arteria with Gallery 23 in Lancaster. Further details of these as soon as we get them.

Contact –

creative thorp’s  Autumn schedule of shows, exhibitions and poetry readings is building and details and dates are below.

On the 4th October we’ll be reading and exhibiting at the inaugaral Festival of Light in Hope Bagot, organised by the wonderful Utopia XO. There’s be poetry, music, good food, local cider and lots more from 4.30 p.m. Click HERE, or on the thumbnail below to view and download a flyer for the event – and please feel free to circulate to anyone you think might like to attend!

Don’t forget to check out what came out of our summer road trip up to Tighnabruiach on the Cowal Penisula in Scotland.  Steve did a well received poetry reading at the Tighnabruiach Gallery - click HERE to see the press cutting from the event; and two new images of the trip from Mary’s lens can be found in the Art Gallery – numbers 66 and 67. Poetry from the trip is being complied into a new box or publication – details soon.

Incoming Squall by Mary Thorp, 2009

Boats on Kyle by Mary Thorp, 2009.

Finally, this month we are at  Bristol Balloon Fiesta on the 6th to the 9th August and at the Wrest Park Craft and Design Festival over the bank holiday, 29th – 31st August. Steve is also doing a poetry talk and reading on August 20th at the wonderful Cafe Bookshop on Cranfield University campus. Click HERE for a flyer for the event.  

New editions poetry pamphlets published!

The latest two pamphlets in the editions poetry series have been published and have had a great response from readers and are selling well. You can order the full set at a special price of £28 for all four booklets from the creative thorp marketplace saving you £6 on the RRP of £8.50 per booklet.

The latest two pamphlets in Steve’s editions poetry series have now been published. This completes the series and the full set is available  at a special price of £28 for all four booklets from the creative thorp marketplace saving you £6 on the RRP of £8.50 per booklet. The booklets have had a great response at shows and in galleries, and we’ll be highlighting editions 3 and 4 on this blog and on the creative thorp website over the summer.