We ran our first Wagatabon tray carving course last recently. Brian (our resident spoon and shrink pot guru) and I have been wanting to organise this course for a few years. Our good friend Masashi Kutsuwa gave us permission to follow his making guide. Mas worked with us here in Scotland 2004-6 and was a great inspiration for many approaches in the workshop and now teaches full time in Gifu Academy of Forest Science and Culture in Japan. One of his earlier books on green woodworking is available online.

As part of a fundraiser for a documentary film about Tim Stead : Magician With Wood This was a donation reward for a place on a course where donors made not one of Tim’s pieces of furniture but one of their own InStead Stools! Hosted by Eoin Cox & the award-winning Big Tree Society using Ash and Elm, stools inspired by one of Tim’s early designs. Working in greenwood, old tools and in a traditional way at Tim’s first workshop in the late 70's at Harestanes, Scottish Borders.
It was a pretty intense day with a great mix of generously minded people who wanted to know a bit more about Tim, maybe pick up a vibe from the old workshop and hopefully absorb the material, tools and process of making. Exploring and examining the porous boundary between the skin of the wood and the skin of heir hands !!!
Tim always encouraged and Big Tree hopefully continues to encourage and inspire others to combine the head, hands and heart in a creative making process. Thanks to Mark, Jen, David, Bob, Alastair and Linda for putting in a great shift and generous donation to the film.
To follow the progress and get more info about this inspiring documentary by Beatrix Wood please have a look here  
​Big Tree thanks to Eilidh at Out-There Artisan for the unique and wonderful catering 

Last weekend saw the second of our beginners introduction and hands on experience to the dramatic technique of Raku pottery making and firing. What a fantastic two days we had under the superb tutelage of Douglas White.
Raku is a Japanese pottery firing technique, traditionally used by itinerant potters arriving, with their kiln and firing to order, and was often a social event.  So we tried to sort of replicate that as core to our course ethos and best practice. We spent two days working together, participating in wood preparation, kiln building, simple pottery making and the unique process of Raku firing. Pots were thrown on a kick wheel, slab built and coiled and sculpted, bisque fired, glazed, fast fired, then removed red hot, and plunged into sawdust next into water which produces beautiful, natural and unique results. Some amazing pots and fun was made !!!!!

​Thanks everyone. PS Douglas has some of his own work for sale in www.buydesigngallery.com or @douglaswhitepots

Never ceases to amaze us here at Big Tree just what talent lies out there ! You just keep on coming and making the most beautiful furniture and more. Thanks to you all for making our workspace such a great place to work in !!

Want to help grow and plant trees ??
 
The Big Tree Society have been growing trees from seeds collected locally for many years. It’s a tricky business and we’ve just relied on good advice from tree growing friends, reading up on it and frankly lots of luck. We want to improve our growing technique and expand the physical growing nursery area to bring on lots of new stock. The trees will either be used in our own Future Furniture woodland, Wooplaw Community Woodland or given away to community or individual projects. It will get more trees planted in the area.
 
Forestry and Land Scotland (previously Forestry Commission) have just been told they are to receive massive cuts in their budgets for 2024 onwards. So, no doubt that means fewer planting grants and fewer trees and hedgerows in the ground. We thought that we had better try and plug the gap at a local level by some direct contribution.
 
Working with Lothian Estates Forestry Dept we want to supplement the local environment around Harestanes with appropriate hardwoods. We would like to help increase biodiversity, add to the existing wooded landscape round Harestanes and make our area an even nicer place to live in and enjoy. We are not for profit and are doing this because we think it is the right thing to do. All this work will be undertaken on a voluntary basis and training will be given wherever appropriate.
 
There are various ways Big Tree Society friends and others could help. One way is to come along to our growing site at Harestanes, near Jedburgh and get directly involved on a regular basis. There are a variety of jobs that need doing all year round and some seasonal. You don't need any tree growing or gardening experience. In addition to creating a young tree nursery, we will need hands to collect and process tree seeds. Collecting and releasing the seeds out of the berry, pod, fruit etc can be a great family or group activity.
 
We have 2000 small native trees ready to plant out in the next coming months and we will have many other planting and growing opportunities here at the Future Furniture nursery site and other local projects. We’ve got a polytunnel up already, the beginnings of a huge composting system, our willow beds need cutting and more planted, we’ve got a hedge to be laid and hazel to be coppiced and two allotments to be knocked into shape. We’ve got a water collection system to be built into a new covered work area that needs building, so there’s plenty there to pick and mix from and will suit all ages and abilities. This site specific, supervised work will be undertaken during weekdays and at weekends.
 
If you'd like to learn a bit more about our plans and think you might like to contribute and / or get practically involved in this exciting project we would really like to hear from you !  If it's not for you or you're already committed to other projects, please pass this on to someone who may be interested. Please get in touch via email at [email protected]  Thanks !

We'd just like to say a massive thank you to the generosity of Big Tree Society pals and followers. You all without a doubt helped TrixPixMedia over the target line with your contributions. We are really looking forward to holding two day courses on making an "Instead Stool", planting up the Future Furniture nursery, restocking Big Wood at Wooplaw Community Woodland and hosting "Into The Woods" - a creative exploration course in multi-media. Another busy year and looking forward to welcoming many more new makers on our regular courses here at Big Tree. Thanks for all your support folks !!!   link to Tim Stead crowd funder here thanks. https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/tim-stead-magician-with-wood?tk=MTcwMTYxMTUwMTM2NzNkNDE1NTc3YmZjNmU5NDc0YzNlZmQ0NDZlYjE3MTUzMGQ1NWM%3D

The moment you've all been waiting for !!!! We've organised another year of making and learning for 2024. The most popular courses of stool and hedge chair making are up there, but so are a couple of old favourites that we haven't run for a couple of years. We've thought about how we can engage you all a bit more with the woodland around the workshop and the natural resource in terms of coppice and the furniture making potential. We've also asked two environmental / conservation enthusiast pals to lead a couple weekends of Woodland Wanders. (More on that soon) Our resident carving spoon and shrink pot guru has been given the go ahead from our Japanese ambassador to lead a wagatabon tray course - check them all out please. Remember there's a voucher option if you're scratching your head for a festive gift !!! Hope you will find a date that interests you - pass on to a pal !!

Where does the year go ? Well we are getting asked now for dates for next year. We will be putting these up on the website in mid October with a few new ones and some old favourites added in. We are very grateful to all you loyal followers, recent attendees, "repeat offenders" and local businesses for supporting and telling everyone about what we do here at Big Tree Society. Thank you all !
Here's some happy smiley faces for you !  

Well we've started ... so we had better finish! Lothian Estates who own the land where our workshop and gallery have kindly given us a piece of ground that has lain fallow for many years to use for community benefit. So we've got an enthusiastic group up and running to work it for future products, food, and enhanced biodiversity. We've had some help from some Big Tree pals who had done some work on boundary trees, ploughing the ground and getting areas levelled for polytunnels. The aim is to grow native tree stock on a small scale for planting out in the Borders and to create a bit of a forest garden. Maybe put in a few allotments as well.
We will grow more willow for basketmakers and bring on hazel trees to plant out for coppice products and to supply our local hedge laying team. We've bulked out old hedges and created new ones to soften the plots edges. This is going to take a while - watch our team transform the space !