WILD ABANDON FELTING
FRENCH ALPS felting holiday retreat – with meditation
June 2023- bookings now being taken
PRICES : £1100 – £1500 sharing or single rooms. (Please enquire 07817 378388)
LIMITED SPACES 6 – 8 people
- One week of beautiful felting workshops in a stunning chalet with simple morning Meditations, mindfullness for beginners and experts( https://www.chaletnantailly.fr) in the French Alps. Yoga also available.
- All meals are provided- Continental breakfasts with fresh French pastries, Homecooked lunches , soups , salads , charcuterie etc, In house French chef for delicious french cuisine dinners and wonderful patisserie.
- In the middle of the week you can enjoy the benefit of a beautiful local tour into nearby villages and the local town and also we will venture higher into the mountains to see the lakes. All accompanied by car but optional guided walks available.
You can enjoy the delights of a nordic bath under the stars or in the sunshine under the peaceful observation of Mt Blanc.
All workshops will be 5 hours with a three hour break for lunch and walks/rest
Day 1 – You will learn how to nuno felt for felt art using debra’s technique of “Wild Abandon”- a mindful practice of abstract art. This will be followed by making a journal cover out of felt and an introduction to art journalling to begin a creative journey, inspired by the flowers and fauna seen around the Chalet.
Day 2 – You will make a beautiful nuno felted scarf/shawl using finest merino wool and silk saris to wrap around your shoulders in the evening whilst drinking Pimm’s in the garden.
Day 3 – Tour of local area with possible hiking for those wishing something more strenuous or just amble around the local market and town with time to sketch and ponder French life!
Day 4 – You will make a beautiful handbag with a large selection of different fabrics laid into your felt , this will be the envy of all your friends and will last forever.
Day 5 – You will make a breathtaking piece of felt art- landscapes inspired by the fabulous views surrounding you all week.
Day 6 – Jewellery , Vessels. You can make a selection of beads for earrings, bangles and large rings all with felt.
In the evening we will dance to celebrate a fabulous week of co-creating !
- All materials and meals are provided (except Wednesday lunch and Thursday evening where we will sample a local restaurant)
- Continental style freshly baked breakfasts. Buffet style Mediterranean lunches and two course Dinners.
Transfers to and from the station in Albertville are also included- Flights are not included but flights will be to Geneva airport followed with a train journey to Albertville.I will post links soon.
( Please see below for more Information and below the Coll holiday,you can see pictures of the felt workshops which are the same format) –
Reviews
A joyful week in restful surroundings, which allowed for creative thinking, doing & being! Debra has a friendly approach & natural ability to share her felting skills at a pace to meet the needs of individual participants. The wild abandon out of the box thinking activity was an interesting experience that I enjoyed. The meals were wholesome & a lovely introduction to the local regional cuisine. My achievement of the week was leaving with a beautiful felted silk scarf and connecting with some inspiring & talented women. ??
What a wonderful week we had in the Alps, Debra is very friendly and easy to get along with, the course is well structured with lots of felting, meditation if you wish, a couple of hours free time in the afternoon and delicious meals. We had a day out at the local market and surrounding area and we went out for a meal one night. The Nordic tub at sunrise and sunset was popular too!! A lovely holiday.
A lovely venue high up in the Alps, good food, excellent tutor, learned many new techniques, Debra had moved the contents of her studio to France for the holiday and we had a very good choice of wool, sari silk and other items to make unique items. The pace over the week was good with some free time every afternoon and trips out to see the surrounding countryside The mindfulness sessions led by Debra for those who wished to attend each morning before breakfast were an added bonus
WILD ABANDON FELTING -with Meditation in the Scottish Inner Hebrides – ISLE OF COLL
NEW DATE s
2022 MAY 23rd-29th. FULL
2022 SEPTEMBER 5th to 11th £750-£950
2023 May TBC please get in touch to reserve place as they fill very quickly.
– Isle of Coll, Inner Hebrides, Scotland
– Reviews “
“I would like to congratulate Debra and her support team for providing such a wonderful artistic, soul satisfying, total experience.
The location, the accommodation and the hospitality was a true value for money.
Like minded participants completed the whole environment towards a memorable, rewarding experience.
Thank you.” Jane
“I was on the felting retreat with Debra on the Hebridean island of Coll this April. Let me tell you about it. Coll itself is a lovely little island unspoilt by tourists but with enough infrastructure to make it sustainable. I got there by ferry but with hind sight wished I had flown there from Oban, bearing in mind the luggage weight restriction and got the ferry back – with all my felt pieces. The house is just lovely, very warm and very spacious with lots of modern minimalist features. Debra makes sure that the island also benefits from her retreats, we had lunch at the local cafe and diner one evening at the local, newly built small hotel. For these outings we used a taxi service which enabled us the find out more about the island from the taxi driver- who was also a shepherd. All the islanders have multi jobs. A local woman was employed to give us our lunches and evening meals. These were both delicious and varied. She catered for everyone’s idiosyncrasies. We also had time on the beaches- white sand, what’s not to like! To start the day Debra meditated with us in the lovely sitting room with views on three sides, how peaceful! I dont know Debra manages to keep so calm and even tempered. I was probably one of the worst asking her to look at my work all the time – just because I was so excited about it. We had access to so much material and did such a variety of felting projects. I think I could have done anything I wanted but Debra’s ideas eclipsed any I could possibly think of. I made slippers and a nuno felt scarf as well as lots of other felt art projects. The retreat will stay with me, every element was just lovely. I can highly recommend it to anyone interested in learning or furthering their felting skills. Thank you so much Debra.” Jaquie
The isle of Coll is a small Hebridean island situated some ten kilometres west of Mull.
It is a holiday destination for many, especially those seeking peace and quiet and who enjoy nature and the natural beauty of the Hebrides. It boasts the sunniest climate in the British Isles and has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. The quality of the light, the ever-changing cloud and seascapes and the raw beauty make this an inspirational venue for any artist. With only 200 permanent inhabitants Coll is a true get-away-from-it destination.
I am offering a week of full board incorporating 6 varied felting workshops. We will be staying in a luxurious Hebridean hideaway surrounded by wild inspiration (click here to see the accommodation) plus daily meditations with an introduction into mindfulness. Simple Yoga sessions may also be a possibilty for those wishing to do so.
The week will include breakfast, lunch and evening meal (excluding last night and one lunch where we will dine out – price not including these meals) prepared freshly by an in-house chef. Those who like an alcoholic drink (or two) will be asked to contribute towards this.
I want your holiday to be a mix of inspiration, relaxation or motivation depending on what you want to gain from the experience.
DAY 1
Arrival on Monday morning on the early ferry from Oban (see Getting There below). You will be collected and driven to a stunning location near to one of an array of the most beautiful beaches in the world!
Welcome lunch while we get to know one another and you will be given a beautiful assortment of fibres wools and silks and a journal with pens / pencils etc. There will be an opportunity for a short walk to the beach, all weathers produce stunning light.
WORKSHOP 1 – – Wet felted Journal cover – (3pm- 5.30pm)
In our first felting session we will make a lovely journal cover. You will be encouraged to fill your journal with sketches, poems, private musings, sea shells, in fact anything at all inspired by your stay or that makes your heart sing!
We will have an optional meditation class at 6pm to introduce you to my mindful way of working which I hope will both ground and inspire you.
After aperitifs, dinner will be served around 7pm and there will be plenty of free time afterwards to unwind with new friends or there are plenty of warm snug spaces in the house in which to retreat .
DAY 2
Optional meditation at 8am followed by breakfast.
WORKSHOP 2 – WILD ABANDON Felt Art (10am-12.30pm lunch then 3pm-6pm)
I will teach you how to nuno felt incorporating all kinds of delicious fibres, silks and wools into your felt. Your first piece will be abstract. This will then be used later in larger pieces of Felt landscapes hopefully inspired by the Island. A long lunch break will give you the opportunity for a walk (or swim!) or a good rest.
DAY 3
Optional meditation at 8am followed by breakfast.
WORKSHOP 3- NUNO FELTED SCARF/WRAP (10am-12.30 lunch then 3pm 6pm)
I will show you how to use nuno felting again to make clothing, in this case a scarf but she can advise for future clothing pieces. You will use finest Italian chiffons , sari silks and merino wool.
DAY 4
Optional meditation at 8am followed by breakfast.
A morning of free time to discover the Island either on foot or we can go on a tour with lunch at a local restaurant.
WORKSHOP 4 – 3D wet felted VESSELS and FLOWERS (3pm-6pm)
An introduction into working with resists.
DAY 5
Optional meditation at 8am followed by breakfast.
WORKSHOP 5- FELT HANDBAG (10am-12.30 lunch then 3pm 6pm)
I will teach you how to use 3D resists with no sewing to make a strong but stunning shoulder bag which will be the envy of all your friends.
DAY 6
Optional meditation at 8am followed by breakfast.
WORKSHOP 6 – FELT SLIPPERS or FELT ART choice (10am-12.30 lunch then 3pm-5pm)
Dinner at the only PUB on the Island where there is delicious sea food and often live traditional music.
DAY 7
Breakfast and departure for a midday ferry crossing.
PLEASE email me if you wish to know more – [email protected]
Prices
£950 for single occupancy
£750 for twin room share
A deposit of £250 will secure your place ( these are refundable if cancelations occur up to 45 days before departure.)
Balance is due 30 days before departure.
PLEASE NOTE-
THIS IS ISLAND LIFE AND WEATHER DEPENDENT -HOLIDAY INSURANCE MUST BE TAKEN OUT FOR TRAVEL DISRUPTION IN CASE OF FERRY CANCELLATION WHICH MAY CAUSE A DELAY IN DEPARTURE FROM THE ISLAND. Warnings are ISSUED in advance and all precautions are taken, meaning we may have to leave a day earlier if your travel is dependant on connections – in the case of this happening any workshops missed will be carried out at Debra’s studio OR VIA SKYPE in the near future. – THIS IS RARE- DEBRA DOES NOT ACCEPT ANY LIABILITY FOR TRAVEL DISRUPTIONS AND EXTRA COSTS.———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
WILD ABANDON FELTING in the FRENCH ALPS JUNE 2023
PRICING
- £1100 for twin room share
- £1500 for single room occupancy
- Limited spaces up to 8 depending on sharing rooms – (4 Double rooms for single occupancy and 2 rooms for two sharing.
- NON felting partners welcome POA
- 30% non refundable deposit (please take out holiday insurance to cover you for cancellation due to illness) If you have to cancel before 60 days to departure I will transfer your place to another course if I can fill the space. 70% balance due in April.
One week of beautiful felting workshops in a stunning chalet ( https://www.chaletnantailly.fr) in the French Alps.
Arrival – After you have settled into your rooms, we will do a small meditation to ground ourselves followed by Cocktails and delicious food.
PLEASE EMAIL ME FOR MORE INFO…….
I also offer weekend and week long wellbeing retreats in the Lake District -using different aspects of felt making to bring about wellbeing. Please contact me for dates this year.
I use techniques to reduce anxiety, both personal and work related.
My background is in Psychology and I have a huge interest and experience of wellbeing and anxiety reduction.
The retreats offer Felt making, mindfulness/meditation techniques, yoga, nutritional and psychological advice and are held in my studio and around the Lake District.
For more information please contact me directly and also please visit my wellbeing website www.theartofwellbeingretreats.com
