Well it’s been quite the year.

When we moved into our new studio at the start of the year we never imagined it would be closed to the public for so much of it. Some of you may remember that our grand opening was on the 15th of March – the day before the entire country went into lockdown! Not to be deterred however we scrambled to launch our toolkit range. Initially designed to help our CSSJ students work at home these have been so popular that we now send them to budding jewellers all over the country!

As we prepared to re-open in the fall we held our breath as we launched our Crowdfunder campaign with our aims to broaden the range of classes we offer, upgrade our processes, and transform the School into a hub for environmental and ethical making. We needed have worried – our little school has the best ‘crowd’ that we could possibly ask for. We SMASHED it, obliterating our target in a mind-blowing 13 minutes to unlock matched funding provided by Creative Scotland. It was so successful that we are still sending out the rewards to our awesome funders.  One reward in particular – the cross back bib apron has been such a hit that we’ve decided to stock them permanently. They are currently on order with our UK supplier but please see our website if you would like to pre-order your own.

As we look forward to 2021 we are determined to keep hoping, keep planning, keep pushing through the challenges that Covid-19 has wrought. We are fortunate with the size of the new studio and the patience of our students as course dates were rescheduled and then changed again! It goes without saying that every course that we run is backed by our guarantee that we will reschedule or refund your booking should it be cancelled. Our gift vouchers are also now valid for a full two years so nobody misses out and we can see that you feel positive too. Our courses are overwhelmingly fully booked! We have added another new Beginners course just to cope with the demand. Scheduled to begin on the 11th of January…it will now begin when lockdown is lifted – TBC!

wood being carved into spoons

2021 also heralds the arrival of a new sibling!! The Central Scotland School of Craft is a new initiative coming to the picturesque city of Dunblane in Spring 2021. We are looking forwards to launching a comprehensive programme of craft workshops, ranging from one day to week-long courses, accessible for everyone from complete beginners to established professional makers. We have an impressive register of ‘A list’ crafters from all over the country lined up to deliver a range of courses with a focus on heritage & endangered crafts and skilled hand-making. Check out the raft of new offerings at https://www.scottishcraftschool.com/ or follow the new school on Instagram or Facebook

Mostly however I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your loved ones very happy holidays and a Happy New Year. Here’s to next year – I look forward to welcoming you to one of our studios!

All the very best for this exceptional Christmas,

Jo

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