Turners Retreat Community Showcase: Winter Submissions

Providing an additional platform to showcase your handcrafted work.

Every month, we share a theme. Makers from all over the country are invited to create new work or share photos of existing work that relates to the chosen theme of the month. The theme for November 2022 was 'Winter' as we approach the festive season!

The maker of each submission was also in with a chance of winning a £25.00 Turners Retreat voucher! A member of our team selected one piece as our winner. The work made by that maker will be our ‘Featured Piece of the Month’ and will be shared with our Mailing List subscribers by email and on our social media pages.

View the submissions sent in to us during November below and support fellow makers by following their social media pages. Let's help eachother grow!

If you would like to take part in the next theme, click here to find out how to enter!

Prize Draw Result

This month, our team member, Becki, has chosen our winner. Becki was presented with images and stories of each piece. No names were included as some entrants have entered and won in previous months and we wanted to keep everything as fair as possible.

Words from Becki: "The piece I've chosen as our winner this month is just so much fun and full of character. Penguins on skis, what's not to love!? A great piece and a fantastic icy and wintery photo too!"

We're pleased to announce that David Gibbs' penguins have been chosen as our Featured Piece of the Month - congratulations! A £25 Turners Retreat voucher is on its way to you by email, and your work will be featured on our social media feeds and in our e-newsletters during December.

Featured Piece of the Month: David Gibbs

Maker: David Gibbs
Craft: Woodworking

What inspired this piece: I have a particular interest in automata and this very simple example shows three waddling penguins enduring the harsh winter conditions in Antarctica.

The waddling motion is produced simply by sliding the parallel skis that form the base to which the penguins are fixed.

The materials I used included a sycamore spindle for the bodies of the penguins and laminated veneer for the skis. The bodies of the penguins were carved by hand using different knives, rasps and Mirka Abranet (wonderful stuff). They were then finished using Chestnut Products, including acrylic sealer and spray.

David does not currently have any social media links.

George Bello

Maker: George Bello
Craft: Woodturning

What inspired this piece: Just believed that this Christmas Tree Decoration would be fitting for the Christmas Tree. I used a wood lathe to turn the piece along with various wood turning chisels. Decoration is turned in two pieces; a top from hard maple and bottom from cherry. Finish is a Cyanoacrylate adhesive finish applied in 12 coats while lathe is turning. Cardinal is a metallic bird I found at a card shop.

George does not currently have any social media links.

Rabanda Crafts

Maker: Charles Ward
Craft: Woodworking

What inspired this piece: My wife and I have a tradition of buying a snowflake decoration for every Christmas we have been together. We aim to collect a winter blizzard. We have 17 so far. I decided to make one instead of fighting the crowds in the shops. It is made from ply using the scroll saw. Blades and abrasives were purchased from Turners Retreat - a lot of fiddly sanding and finishing was required before it was stained and finished with sparkly Mod Podge!

Find Rabanda Crafts Online
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Chris Doy

Maker: Chris Doy
Craft: Woodcarving

What inspired this piece: I was given a cherry log about 18inches high and 10inches in diameter, and was inspired to carve the penguin to make as much use of the available wood as possible. The penguin has puffed up his feathers to keep warm in the winter wind, consequently he looks on the large size (it needs two hands to pick him up). All natural splits and shakes were retained (and a couple of buried nails) and filled with a wax stick. It is sanded to 400 grit (abranet) to show off the beautiful grain and to encourage people to stroke him. The finish was teak oil (Liberon) and a wax polish (applied with wire wool 0000). Some shaping was completed with a square and a round microplane rasp.

Chris does not currently have any social media links.

Kate's Kuality Krafts

Maker: Kate Kitchin
Craft: Woodworking

What inspired this piece: With the dark nights drawing in and lots of snow hopefully on its way nothing says winter like a winter woodland with a cute snowman complete with his own hand knitted scarf (yes, I can knit too!), top hat and ‘carrot’ nose! Handcrafted from solid Oak and finished in natural oil bought from Turners Retreat.