Cornish Craftwork Basketry & Alan Thomas Photography

30/12/2025

The very best English leather for the handles for my baskets by Bosorne Leatherwork ❤️

19/12/2025

16/12/2025

https://www.joathome.co.uk

https://www.joathome.co.uk/workshops

15/12/2025

Here we are at the end of another year. This year seems to have disappeared faster than ever.

I don't think I have had as many photographic outings as I normally have over the course of a year and to be honest, I have been struggling with motivation. Losing my Mam in the summer didn't help.

Looking back at the images I did take last year, this one of Roseberry Topping is one of my favourites for several reasons. First, this was probably my first outing since my Mam passed and it's of a place that she would know and I know well from when I lived close by, and second, it is a good subject for an image anyway and shows an iconic landmark that is familiar to everyone who lives in that part of the North East of England.

So, with a new year to look forward to, and new places to explore and photograph with our new van, here's wishing everyone a very happy Christmas and we hope the New Year is good one!

14/12/2025

14/12/2025

A lovely new willow basket handed over to Becs from Bosorne Leatherwork yesterday ready to work her magic with some beautiful hand-stitched English leather handles ❤️

Willow basket woven from Brittany Green willow from Somerset.Butchers' Hallthe Christmas Market in the Butchers' Hall in Tavistock. Lovely to catch up with lots of fellow former traders - there was a great buzz in the hall with lots of people about. A fabulous selection of locally hand-crafted treasures and gifts! 🎁 If you are in the area pop in - the market will be there all next week ❤️

07/12/2025

Another fabulous collaboration basket sold by Becs from Bosorne Leatherwork at the Tavi Arts Market yesterday ❤️

A lady treat herself to use it for her knitting 🧶

Beautiful English leather handles perfectly hand-stitched by Becs ❤️

Thank you Becs ❤️

06/12/2025

05/12/2025

✨🎄 It’s nearly time, Boscastle! 🎄✨

We’ve been watching the weather very closely all week — and we’re happy to say our resident forecaster has given a probable thumbs up 👍 that the rain should have moved through before we gather for tomorrow’s Christmas Lights Switch-On.

Here’s a quick reminder for the big night:

🛍️ Shops open until 6pm - visit and get stamps on your bingo card
🎶 Join the Boscastle Buoys and children from 6pm with carols
✨ Lights Switch-On at 6:30pm (approx! depends on the singing!)
🎄 Final carol with Boscastle School children straight after

🎁 More 'Shop Local Bingo' cards are available at all participating retailers — pick one up and get ready to stamp your way to mulled wine, mince pies and prizes!

🎵 Carols: Practice tonight! This is a community event, and your voices are a big part of what makes it so special. We publish the carols ahead of time so you can practise tonight and join in confidently tomorrow.

📥 Download or view them on your phone
🖨️ Print your own copy
📄 Or pick up a paper copy under the eaves of the Gateway toilet building
👉 Carols link: https://boscastlecic.co.uk/carols

💛 Bring some spare change - The Boscastle Buoys will be collecting for Cornwall Hospice Southwest — every coin helps, so please give generously if you can.

🎄 Boscastle — we can’t wait to see the village glowing once again. Wrap up warm, bring your carols, and let’s make tomorrow magical. ✨

04/12/2025

A festive bear in a cloche with mixed media... there's only one and won't be another, I have 2 Autumn and Winter themed mixed media pieces but only one Christmas themed and had thought it might be something I would continue with but have decided to go back to bears and dolls in the hope I may keep my little business going next year. Times are tough this year and many small businesses are closing their doors, social media is swamped with reels and AI generated content and small handcrafted businesses are buried somewhere underneath. I've been working at Bearlescent for 11 years now and this year has thrown so many curve balls that it's time to make some decisions about the future. Over 700 artist bears, around 50 dolls, hundreds of smaller items such as the pincushions, woodland animals and letterbox gifts plus my bear making kits later and instead of climbing I am now on a decline. Next year I will be making high end and hoping one last push will see me through but if it doesn't then I will be saying goodbye. Prices of materials have shot up and bears that I could make for £70 a couple of years ago are now £100 plus, if I priced for materials and my time at minimum wage a bear would be costing £600 plus and I would have closed my doors long ago. I work to recover the cost of materials stock but it's not a viable business, my items take too long to make it worthwhile. Social media is now a waste of time especially facebook where I don't even reach my followers, I feel like I am sharing my products with myself most of the time. If you read this post to the end thank you, that means you are still following me, please leave a like and hopefully small businesses like mine will continue to reach people that would like to see them. I'm looking forward to moving back to bears and dolls next year, I feel I have lost my way the past few years with the smaller gifts so it's time to go back and hopefully pick up again as a Bear artist, if nothing else I will have reached where I want to be as an artist and finish on a high. Thank you to all of you who have adopted bears and dolls over the past 11 years and for all the gifting with my smaller items, each and every one is very much appreciated.
https://folksy.com/find/item/8571336-Miniature-Christmas-artist-bear-in-cloche-glass-dome-display-teddy-bear-

04/12/2025

We had a lovely visit yesterday - it’s years since we’ve been to Boscastle. No idea why as it’s such a lovely place - with a beautiful artisan collective shop Sea to Shore. Pop along - lots of fabulous gifts ❤️