Worcester Crafty Club

26/05/2026

Wishing Hayley Reynolds Gallery huge success in changing direction!! Will definitely be regular visitors🌟

After 14 years of working as a professional artist, over six years of teaching, and now entering my ninth year as resident artist of the Confetti Fields, I’ve been reflecting deeply on creativity, community, and what people truly need from spaces like this now.

Although the Hayley Reynolds Gallery only opened in December 2023, the creative journey behind it has been unfolding for many years — through painting, teaching, exhibitions, conversations and helping people reconnect with their own creativity and confidence.

The truth is, the traditional gallery model has become increasingly difficult. Footfall has changed, buying habits have changed, and like many independent creatives and small businesses, I’ve spent a long time trying to keep an old structure working in a very different world.

And perhaps most honestly of all… the silence around it has started to feel too heavy to carry alone.

I will always continue creating art — it’s part of who I am and always will be — and my paintings will absolutely remain at the heart of the space, still exhibited and available to purchase. But I’ve reached a point where original art sales alone can no longer be the main focus of my income in the current economic climate. Simply put… I can no longer afford life solely as an artist in the traditional sense, even with the additional workshops.

But somewhere within all of that uncertainty, something new has quietly been emerging…

Over the years I’ve realised that what people often come here for is much more than simply buying a painting. They come for connection, inspiration, creativity, atmosphere, encouragement, conversation and a chance to reconnect with a quieter, more creative part of themselves.

So over the coming months, the space will slowly begin evolving into something new:

✨ Hayley Reynolds Art House ✨

A more open, creative and community-led space centred around:
• workshops
• open studio sessions
• artist / practitioner collaborations
• seasonal gatherings
• painting, writing & creative exploration
• creativity for wellbeing and confidence
• and “The Quiet Work” of making, reflecting and reconnecting.

This doesn’t feel like an ending to me.
It feels much more like the beginning of a new chapter — one that feels more aligned with who I am now, and the kind of creative environment I want to build moving forward.

There is still much to shape and discover, but I wanted to begin sharing the journey with you honestly.

To everyone who has supported me over the years — whether by buying artwork, attending workshops, visiting exhibitions, following my work or simply encouraging me along the way — thank you. Truly. You’ve helped build something very special.
And perhaps…
the story continues. ✨

If this new direction speaks to you, and you’d like to follow the journey, attend future events or simply find out more about Hayley Reynolds Art House, please feel free to send me a message. I’d love to hear from you. I would love your support 🥰

The future is in our hands 🙌 we can either cave or strive…I choose the latter. This is not failure, it’s a levelling up x

*No changes will be implemented on mass until September and all gift vouchers can still be used for workshops/art 🙏 This will not change the Confetti Fields Exhibition and the gallery is still open! Tues-Sat 10.30-4

PS if you see me working somewhere else this time next year at least you can say to me “you tried” 😉

24/05/2026

Today is Angie Preece’s birthday so no better way to introduce her to all of our new followers.

Hiya, I’m Angie — the other half of Worcester Crafty Club 💚
I’ve lived in Worcester for 35 years now, so I suppose it’s probably time to call it home!
My kids are my cats… and my husband of course 😜
Before all of this, I spent many years working in catering and finance, so Alison and I actually come from very different backgrounds.
I definitely wasn’t the arty child at school — in fact, I’d probably have run a mile from anything creative back then. I always remember my mum struggling to sew a popper on straight, so naturally I assumed I’d inherited her “talents” in that department too 🤣
As a youngster, I loved my time in Ipplepen Amateur Dramatics and gave it my all, but once I became a teenager there were apparently far more important things to be doing… so the stage wasn’t for me after all 😅
I don’t sit still for long. I’ve cycled London to Paris for St Richards Hospice then a few years ago I got really into running. I spent a long time training seriously — lots of 10Ks and half marathons raising money for Breast Cancer Now, with the pinnacle being the London Marathon last year.
Running gave me amazing fitness and lots of thinking time on those long runs… but somewhere along the way I realised life needed a little more balance. And somehow that led me here — painting, snipping, gluing, creating, and even coming up with ideas of my own. Who knew? 😅
And honestly, it’s much more fun when there are two of you.
So how did I start?
Probably the same way most people do really… I just thought I’d give it a go — and I loved it.
That’s the thing with creativity. It doesn’t have to be perfect or amazing. If it makes you feel good, just do it 💚
The end result might be a bit questionable sometimes… but it’s yours, and that’s the best bit 😊
Angie x

23/05/2026

Last night I was taken out for a surprise crafting evening 😊

A friend and I have started trying to buy each other experiences instead of “more stuff”… because let’s face it, most of us already have far more than we need 😅

We arrived at Julia Rouge in The Hopmarket for a Bubbles & Beads evening hosted by Radana Hruba and honestly, WOW — what a lovely night.

I’ve never made beaded jewellery before and had no idea just how addictive it would be 👀

Julia Rouge is such a lovely shop too — beautiful clothes and jewellery, all a little bit different and really affordable 💚

The bead selection was incredible. Glass, ceramic, every colour imaginable… honestly it was like being in a sweet shop.

After a LOT of decision-making, we finally got started 😅

Of course, it didn’t all go smoothly…

Rachel had forgotten her glasses, so we ended up sharing mine because neither of us could actually see the tiny beads without them 🤣

And if you’re wondering what could possibly go wrong with bead making…

Well…

The concentration in the room became INTENSE. There wasn’t much chatting… or breathing 😆

It was all wonderfully therapeutic until somebody accidentally let go of the end and beads exploded everywhere across the floor… followed by everyone in the room sharply inhaling at exactly the same time 😳

Yes. That somebody was me 🙈

Thankfully the end result is that we both now have lovely jewellery ready for our holidays this year ✨

I’d absolutely love to do this again and learn more.

Have any of you tried jewellery making before? 👀

Alison x

19/05/2026

Hello 👋

Since lots of new people have joined our page recently, I thought I’d properly introduce myself 😊

I’m Alison — one half of Worcester Crafty Club 💚

I’ve been a hairdresser for almost 40 years (next Wednesday!!) and I’m lucky enough to still have clients who’ve been with me for well over 30 of those years… which either means I’m doing something right or they just can’t get rid of me now 😅

I’m also mum to two gorgeous grown up boys, married to my very patient husband, and owned (rather than owning) by Monty — our cuddly, naughty and extremely lazy little Poochon 🐶🤣

Before Worcester Crafty Club, creativity found its way into my life in lots of different forms. For many years I sang with Worcester’s amazing vocal group Voices Unlimited and performed at theatres all over the place and made many lifelong friends 🥰

Then, because apparently I can never do anything quietly, I joined a ukulele group (knowing only a few chords) called The Ukappellas and absolutely loved performing with them too 🎶 and more recently a smallish (but growing) vocal group hosted by Anna Martin - Endorphins.

After stepping away from all that, I rediscovered crafting again after about 29 years — and honestly, I haven’t stopped since.

I’ve now done workshops in so many different mediums and if I had to choose favourites, painting, sketching and mosaics would definitely be up there 🎨

What I love most about all of this is that there isn’t really some grand master plan behind it all. Angie Preece (the other half of WCC) and I are just genuinely enjoying being creative, meeting lovely people and seeing where it all leads.

Because really… if you don’t try something, nothing happens 💚

Thank you so much for following along with our slightly chaotic crafty adventures — it genuinely means such a lot.

Much more to come……

Alison 💚

18/05/2026

Hayley is a dear friend of ours. If you like painting or thinking of starting look no further. Hayley Reynolds Gallery has taught us so many techniques over the last few years and introduced us to numerous different mediums. Would recommend the cafe on the Blackminster Park too 🍰 Newtons Bakery Cafe
Fabulous lady- Fabulous space- Fabulous day out 🌟

16/05/2026

🛸 Let’s talk about UFOs…
(UnFinished Objects 😅)

Surely I can’t be the only one who suffers from a bit of craft paralysis… or what I like to call “the can’t-start-it syndrome” 👀

You know the feeling:
✨ loads of ideas
✨ bags of supplies
✨ Pinterest inspiration everywhere…

…and absolutely no idea where to begin 😂

To make matters worse, Angie Preece is away on holiday this weekend, so I’ve been left to my own devices… which usually means starting three more projects instead of finishing the ones I already have 😅

This weekend I’m determined to tackle a few of mine because honestly, they’re mounting up in the corner of my craft room and I swear some of them wave at me as I walk past 👀

Please tell me I’m not the only one…

Who’s got crafty UFOs lurking at home?
And realistically… what are the chances of them ever being finished? 😂

Angie & Alison 💚

13/05/2026

A couple of weekends ago, Angie Preece and I headed off to Devon to a workshop we fancied and decided to include a sea glass hunting afternoon at the beach 🌊

We went to Woolacombe — Barricane Beach to be exact — heading over to the right-hand side of the large sandy stretch if you’re looking out towards the sea 👀

The descent down to Barricane Beach was also quite entertaining for two slightly clumsy ladies carrying bags, snacks and unrealistic expectations of finding treasure 😅
But we made it!

Now… we imagined ourselves coming home with pockets overflowing with beautiful sea glass treasures.

Reality was slightly different.

We didn’t actually find huge amounts, but honestly? It didn’t matter one bit. We still had such a lovely day wandering along the shoreline, chatting, laughing and enjoying the sea air 💚

And let’s be honest… one of the best bits of any beach trip is the packed lunch. You really can’t beat sandwiches on the beach 😅

A few people have asked us where the best places are to look for sea glass, so here are a few places we’ve either tried or heard good things about:

🌊 Portishead — not too far away and lots to find there
🌊 Charmouth — very good apparently
🌊 Seaham — the absolute jewel in the crown… although quite a long journey for us! 🌊 Harbour Beach, St Ives — especially in the grittier areas where we found lots of tiny pottery pieces and small glass A few things we’ve learned along the way:

✨ Check after high tide
✨ Look where shells and pebbles gather
✨ Tiny pieces are often the prettiest finds
✨ And don’t rush…

Half the joy is just being by the sea and seeing what turns up 🌿

Do any of you have a favourite sea glass hunting spot? We’d genuinely love to know 👀

Angie & Alison 💚

10/05/2026

Today was our second — and final — morning at The Silk Shed… although we’re pretty sure we’ll be back again soon 💚

We’ve had such a fantastic morning, making new friends and sharing lots of chatting and laughter along the way. Thank you so much Tracy, Jess, Catherine, Rosanna, Natalie, Ivory, Clare, Margaret and her lovely daughter Sarah for joining us today 💕

We just happened to make a few sea glass pictures too 👀✨

Everyone got so involved that some people didn’t even manage to eat their cake… and that’s saying something 😅🍰

In fact, we were all enjoying ourselves so much that we completely forgot to take many photos today — and some of the ladies had already gone home before we realised we hadn’t even taken a group picture 🙈

It really was such a lovely atmosphere and great fun was had by all. We just hope everyone enjoyed it as much as we did 🌿

Angie & Alison 💚

09/05/2026

Today we held the first of our two Sea Glass Picture Making workshops at The Silk Shed… and honestly, the venue was simply perfect 💚

Charlotte, the owner, could not have done more to help us — she was absolutely golden!

Nine lovely ladies joined us, in no particular order …. Diane, Claire, Deb, Leslie, Julie, Harriet, Vicky, Clare and the lovely Sally 💕 and… within minutes of everyone arriving, Angie Preece and I looked at each other and said how lovely it was hearing all the chatting and laughter. This… this is what it’s all about 🌿

Everyone soon got stuck in and although we’re always saying it’s not about perfection and more about enjoying the process… WOW 😍

The artwork they all created was absolutely incredible. I normally only post one or two photos, but today is definitely an exception because we’ve been completely blown away.

The two and a half hours flew by 😲

There was tea, coffee and cake too… so really, what’s not to like ☕🍰

And the best bit? We get to do it all over again tomorrow 😊

The sunshine has really been the cherry on top ☀️

Perfect venue and perfect company 🥰

If anyone is looking for a lovely venue to hold workshops or meetings in the future, have a chat with Charlotte at The Silk Shed — I’ll pop the link in the comments. If you’d like her phone number, just message us directly.

Angie & Alison 💚