August newsletter

Southern Hemisphere Feltmakers Convergence 2015

August Newsletter

Dear All

Five  weeks to go to fun, entertainment, meeting like minded people and new ideas.

Many thanks for your feedback, and letting us have your news and plans.

I am now receiving scarves for the scarf exchange – it feels like Christmas, getting so many parcels in the mail and I am enjoying the many styles and ideas that you are coming up with.

The program will be emailed or posted to you in the next 2 weeks. This will give you the opportunity to see the wide variety of options on offer, the tutors demonstrating and what to bring for any demos where you will have a chance to have a go at different techniques. It’s all looking very exciting.

Something important to consider:

Where will the next Southern Hemisphere Feltmakers Convergence in 2017 be held?

Do give this some thought to whether your area may wish to host the 2017 event. It would be great to be able to announce this in Auckland at Convergence.

Reminders to keep you all focused:

Scarf Exchange:

‘Reflecting 25 years of the Southern Hemisphere Feltmakers Convergences’.

To be posted to Raewyn Penrose by the 1^st September 2015

1366 Tiki Rd

Coromandel Town 3506 New Zealand

 These are going to make a spectacular display and you also get to take one (not your own) home with you.

Exhibition:  

This will be held in the Parnell School Hall, Monday - Thursday.  

Should you wish to participate in the exhibition, there will be a limit of 2 pieces per person, to be handed in at registration. Please include two small labels for each item with your name, email address, contact phone number whilst at Convergence, and price. Please attach one label to the item, and the other will be displayed alongside it at the exhibition.

If an item is ‘not for sale’ please indicate this on the labels. There will be no commission deducted for any sales.

We will have somebody in attendance on the Open Day to process any sales to the public – these will however, be taken away on the day but we will collect the funds etc on your behalf.

Please note that whilst every care will be taken, you will be exhibiting and selling at the Exhibition entirely at your own risk.

Fashion Parade:

This will take place on Thursday evening at dinner. Should you wish to participate in the fashion parade, there is a limit of 1 garment per person. You may model it yourself or get a friend to do so.

Open Day:

On the Tuesday 29^th September we will open the exhibition and traders to the public from 11 am – 3 pm.

Traders will have the opportunity to demonstrate their products. Remember that they will only be there on the Monday and Tuesday.

We have a wide variety of traders from books, fibres and accessories to add interest to the event.

The suitcase sale will also run from 11 am – 12.30pm on the Tuesday – later if you wish but there will be demos in the afternoon for registrants.

If you would like to be part of the suitcase sale and haven’t already notified us, please email us: shfc2015@vodafone.co.nz

Total cost of $NZ20 entitles you to a table and space to sell your wares.

Theme Days:

This can be an accessory, garment or whatever your imagination comes up with.

Monday       – Sunshine

Tuesday        –Sea / Sky Blues

Wednesday – Clean Greens

Thursday       – Scarlet Woman

Program:

This will be emailed (or posted) to you soon, including any requirements you need to bring for the classes.

PLEASE PRINT OUT THE PROGRAM AND BRING WITH YOU

Spare copies will not be available

Weather:

Our weather can be a bit unpredictable – it is so changeable at the moment,  one day cold the next lovely and sunny. At times you will be walking between the hotel and the Parnell School Hall across the road, so we suggest you bring a small umbrella or light rain coat with you. Hopefully it will be cool enough to wear our felt products! Layered clothing is probably the best bet.

Cameras:

 I’m sure you won’t forget these!

I think that is about all for the moment.

Looking forward to seeing you all.

Kind regards

Raewyn and Ian

SHFC2015 Venues

 (Click on the above image to enlarge)

All the Quality Hotel suites (6 floors) face North to the city and harbour. The hotel sits on 3 1/2 acres of pleasant grounds.
There is free parking at the hotel, and parking on the road is not metered.
The school hall is spacious and well equipped, and the Traders have their own
secure, lock up room/hall.
It's all very central, and the bus stop is directly outside the hotel to take you pretty well anywhere in Auckland - Parnell is a lovely part of Auckland.
A short walk down Gladstone Road is the Parnell Rose Gardens and adjacent park. 
Parnell village is about 10 minutes walk away, and the excellent Auckland Museum, Domain and enclosed winter gardens about 15 minutes walk away..

July 2015 Newsletter

Southern Hemisphere Feltmakers Convergence 2015

July Newsletter

Dear All

On 9th July Ian, Alison Smith and myself visited the Quality Hotel and the Parnell School complex to check out the facilities again.

We are delighted with our venues. The area is peaceful, attractive and got us very excited about the upcoming Convergence in just over 2 months time.

The Quality Hotel is very central with city buses stopping outside. It is also very close to the quaint Parnell Village Shops (good news for those who love to get a bit of serious shopping in), French Market, beautiful Parnell Rose Gardens, Auckland Museum and the city.

The menus look great and I’m sure you will be well looked after by the wonderful hotel staff. You’ll enjoy the views.

Reminders to keep you all focused:

Scarf Exchange:

Reflecting 25 years of the Southern Hemisphere Feltmakers Convergences.  Post to:

Raewyn Penrose

1366 Tiki Rd  SH25

Coromandel Town 3506

 NZ

These are going to make a spectacular display and you also get to take one (not your own) home with you.

Exhibition:

This will be held in the Parnell School Hall. A limit of 2 pieces per person, to be handed in at registration.

Fashion Parade:

This will take place on Thursday evening. A limit of 1 garment per person – you can model it yourself or get a friend to do so.

Open Day:

On the Tuesday 29^th September the exhibition and traders areas will be open to the public from 11 am – 3 pm at the Parnell School Hall.

Traders will have the opportunity to demonstrate their products. They will only be there on the Monday and Tuesday.

The suitcase sale will also run here from 11 am – 12.30pm on the Tuesday – later if you wish but there will be demos in the afternoon for registrants.

If you would like to be part of the suitcase sale please contact Ian on email SHFC2015@vodafone.co.nz - $20 entitles you to a table and space to sell your wares.

Theme Days:

This can be an accessory, garment or whatever your imagination comes up with.

Monday       –    Sunshine

Tuesday        –    Sea / Sky

Wednesday –    Clean Greens

Thursday       –    Scarlet Woman

Program:

This will be emailed or posted (for those without email) to you in August with any requirements you need to bring for the classes.

PLEASE PRINT OUT THE PROGRAM AND BRING IT WITH YOU

Partner’s transport

To see local Auckland sights, public transport is probably the best bet, with car parking hassles, traffic etc in central Auckland. However, there are many interesting day trips that we can suggest to you within comfortable driving distance of Auckland. There are a couple of good rental car companies a short distance from the Quality Hotel. If a group of partners got together, you could hire a late model 8 seater Toyota Previa people mover for as little as $NZ75/day for 4 days. These are very comfortable and economical vehicles (we own one), well suited to day trips for a group. We can also lend you our GPS to find your way around - there’s a wide range of interesting things to see away from the city.

As an example, a day trip to the spectacular Coromandel Peninsula (where we live) can be easily done in a day, with plenty of time for sightseeing etc. There are also interesting things like Waitomo Caves, Hamilton Gardens etc. Even Rotorua, Taupo and Tauranga are not that far from Auckland for a day out. Closer to Auckland, there are also wineries to visit etc etc. – for say 7 of you, it’s only about $10/day plus gas.

Let us know if you may be interested in following up on this, and we can supply further detail and ideas.

Hoping for weather is a little warmer than it is at the moment we are really looking forward to having you all with us in Auckland.

Kind regards from the beautiful Coromandel

Raewyn and Ian

Taxi update
The best option to get you to and from Auckland Airport and the Quality Hotel in Parnell is Discount Taxis - discounttaxis.co.nz .You can pre book on line. The cash fare will be $35-40 total for up to 4 people sharing a car, or $45-50 total for larger numbers sharing a van. Credit card charging adds $10 to these fares. Their contact phone number is +64 9 5291000.

June Newsletter

Southern Hemisphere Feltmakers Convergence

Auckland September 27th -2^nd October 2015

Newsletter 5^th June 2015

Hello Everyone

Four months to go so I hope everyone is getting excited and looking forward to being with like minded people to learn and experience new and old ideas.

Final Payment

The balance of your payment is due 30^th June. You will be sent an email outlining what is still owing.

Please pay on time, put your name on the payment, and email us to confirm when paid.

If any problems with payment please contact Ian at SHFC2015@vodafone.co.nz

Theme Days

Each day will have a different colour theme for you all to show off your creations.

Monday            –Sunshine

Tuesday           – Sea Blues

Wednesday     – Clean greens

Thursday         – Scarlet woman

It should make a great show for each day – looking forward to all the creativity!!

Reminders:

Exhibition:

1 piece per person to be handed in when you register on the Sunday.

The Exhibition will be in the Parnell School Hall.

Fashion Parade:

1 or 2 pieces per person. You can either model it yourself or have a friend model your pieces.

Scarf Exchange:

This is an opportunity for you to create a scarf reflecting the 25 years celebrating the Southern Hemisphere Feltmakers Convergence.

These are to be sent by the 1^st September 2015 to

Raewyn Penrose

1366 Tiki Rd

Coromandel Town 3506

 New Zealand

Traders:

Will be present for 2 days (Monday and Tuesday) in the Parnell School Hall, just across the road from the Quality Hotel. During this time registrants will have an allotted time to see what is available and how it works when traders will be demonstrating their products.

Suitcase Sale:

If you are interested in selling your wares and wish to be part of the suitcase sale please email me. Cost is $20 per table. This is an opportunity to show people what you are doing and also sell product.

Open Day: Parnell School Hall

The exhibition and traders will be open to the public on Tuesday plus the registrants will have the opportunity to be part of the suitcase sale during this time.

Registration:

Opens at 3 pm on Sunday 27^th September at the Quality Hotel. Signs will direct you.

Convergence finishes after breakfast on Friday 2^nd October.

Departure time from the Hotel will be 10 am.

Transport:

Taxis from Auckland Airport: the Quality Hotel has an arrangement with Discount Cabs – the fare for the cab Airport <=> Hotel is $45 CASH ONLY.

Program:

This will be sent out prior to Convergence by email and in a few cases by mail. Please print this and bring with you.

Weather:

In Auckland at this time of the year can be variable. Layered clothing is probably best for this time of the year. Also bring a raincoat or umbrella

Money Stuff: (Aussies only)

We held back the transfer to NZ of the payments that you Australians had made into our Toowong Westpac account until the exchange rate was the best possible in your favour. Transferring these funds in bulk incurred very little cost, and has so far saved you up to $A50-60 per person compared with you sending individual payments to us via the normal banking system. The $A has been relatively weak for some time vs the $NZ (for a change!), but our approach has squeezed the maximum value out of the payments you have made so far towards Convergence registration, and will do so in the future.

Help Please

I need someone who is familiar with computers and MS Power Point presentations to offer a laptop and services at Convergence for demos that will be using Power Point. If you can help please email me. SHFC2015@vodafone.co.nz

Any queries please contact me.

Regards

Raewyn

Newsletter 1/4/15

13^th Southern Hemisphere Feltmakers Convergence 2015

Newsletter March 2015

Hi Folks

It is all go now as we advance towards the 25^th Anniversary of the Southern Hemisphere Feltmakers Convergence of 2015.

Many thanks to all those who have registered and we still have a few places left for those who may be still be interested. We look forward to hosting you all and welcoming our Guest Artist Fiona Duthie from Canada.

Guest Artist - Fiona Duthie:

You will all be invited to take part in 4 daily demonstrations by Fiona:

• Tactile Metaphors: Art in Craft
• Composition of Felt-making
• Nuno Inclusions
• Felting over the edge

Fiona will also guide registrants through a 2 hour workshop creating a felt luminary (a small sculpture) to celebrate the UN International Year of Light.  She will be there to offer assistance and inspiration.

At the final night dinner we will all be photographed with our illuminated pieces.

Check out a recent interview with Fiona here:

http://craftcouncilbc.ca/blog/2015/01/artist-interview-with-fiona-duthie/

Demonstrations/ Tutorials:

Convergence is about the sharing of ideas and this is dependent on registrants offering their time to run/supervise sessions. We have had many offers so far so we look forward to a great variety of challenging topics. The detailed program will be sent out as soon as it’s formulated.

Fashion Parade:

Everyone is invited to be part of the Fashion Parade, where you can showcase your beautiful creations (maximum of 2 garments per person).

You can either model your own garment or organize a friend to be your model.

Exhibition:

There will be a display of participants work so please bring along 1 special piece to display and share with others. Hand it in at registration labeled with your name, price (if for sale) and phone number. The exhibition will be on display at the Parnell School Hall over the road from the hotel.

Traders:

This is always an exciting feature of Convergence. We have a wide variety of traders attending this year.

Suitcase Sale:

During Convergence participants will have the opportunity to sell their wares. Cost to participate will be $20, and will de added to your final registration installment.

Please send an email to SHFC2015@vodafone.co.nz if you wish to take part in this.

Exchange challenge:

At each Convergence some funds are raised to assist the next Convergence Committee’s initial funding. Many thanks to the Illawarra Feltmakers for funding from the exchange of sculptured items.

At the 2015 Convergence we ask registrants to create a scarf depicting the celebration of the 25^th anniversary of the Southern Hemisphere Feltmakers Convergence. These are to be sent to us prior to Convergence - due date 1^st September 2015 as we want them to be part of an installation in the registration area where we welcome you all.

Please send to

Raewyn Penrose

1366 Tiki Rd

Coromandel Town 3506

New Zealand

Registrations commence at 3 pm on Sunday 27^th September at the Quality Hotel – Parnell. At this time please present your Exhibition pieces.

Hotel check in from 2pm onwards, check out by 10am on final day.

Please note: if you wish to book additional accommodation at the Quality Hotel, before or after Convergence dates, please let us know.

The following has been copied from the Registration Form FYI:

Payments:  We have set up 2 Convergence bank accounts, one in Australia and one in NZ. Australians can simply pay into the Australian account, and we will transfer funds over to the NZ account in blocks, as and when required. You will be credited at the exchange rate that applies on the day, but no other fees will apply. NZers can pay directly into the NZ account. Please contact us regarding payments from other countries.

Within the payment deadlines (see below), you can make payments as often as you wish, however, you must advise us of each payment, plus include your name in the reference field with the deposit so that it appears on our bank statement.

Bank account details are as follows:

In Australia:               Westpac Toowong  BSB: 734061  A/c No. : 669405   Mrs Raewyn Penrose

In New Zealand:       BNZ Coromandel Town   02 0304 0036707 025    SHFC2015

• Your deposit was due no later than 31^st March 2015 - $400 ($A or $NZ) for registrants, plus $300 for partners accompanying.

• Final balance due no later than 30^th June 2015 – we will advise you of the amount outstanding.

• If you cancel your registration up to and including 31^st May 2015, you will be refunded everything you have paid less a $50 cancellation fee.

• There will be no refund of fees for cancellations after 30^th June 2015. You can either arrange somebody else to take your place (and advise us of the new details) or, if we have a waiting list, we will do our best to find a replacement person. If we are able to do this, you will be refunded all monies paid to date less a $100 cancellation fee.

• If you fail to check in on the arrival date specified, and cannot attend all or part of the event, no monies will be refunded.

• We strongly recommend that you take out travel insurance to cover any unforeseen circumstances.

Update newsletters will continue at later dates.

Any queries please contact Raewyn or Ian at SHFC2015@vodafone.co.nz

Own room options - 2 b/r suites

If you want to have your own bedroom/room at Convergence, we are offering 2 options. 
At the Quality Hotel, you can nominate a Std King suite - $1320 total registration cost. 
Also at the Quality Hotel, there are 4 x  2 b/room suites which have one double bed in the second bedroom - this bedroom can be single occupancy, or perhaps a couple who want to share with 2 others in the other bedroom (additional cost for partner would apply here).
Single occupancy of this bedroom in the 4 x 2 b/room suites costs $1145 for registration. 
In the 2 bedroom suites, maximum occupancy is 4 people, minimum (as above) 3 people.

Extra days accommodation

If you want to book additional days, prior to or after Convergence at the Quality Hotel , please indicate the dates on your registration form. We will organise this for you with the hotel, and you pay us directly for the extra days. The room we allocate to you for Convergence will be the room that you will occupy for your extra days, and assist both us and the hotels in coordinating our planning. (We will probably be able to book extra days at a more favourable rate anyway.)

Convergence Guest Artist

We are pleased to let you know that we will have Fiona Duthie from Salt Spring Island, BC, Canada as our Guest Artist at Convergence 2015.
Fiona hasn't attended a collegial type of event like Convergence before, is delighted to be involved, and is much looking forward to it..
View her work on her website/blog at http://www.fionaduthie.com - her wonderful designs, techniques and creative use of colour.

Final registration forms for our 25th Anniversary Convergence have been distributed to as many people/organisations that we can think of.
We have already had many returned - we have 180 places available, and it looks as if there is more than enough interest to fill these quite quickly.
On the form, when you choose your preferred room options please enter 3 (1st, 2nd, 3rd) preferences to assist in room allocations. If you are registering for just yourself use 'Pref A' column. If your partner will be staying at the hotel with you, please use the 'Pref B' column to record your preferences, and enter your partner's name in the right hand column.
If you know people who you want to share a room with, enter their names - if you don't we will just allocate someone we feel is suitable to share with you.
It isn't mentioned on the form. but there will be a 'suitcase sale' option at Convergence, where you can display and offer your products for sale - cost $20 for those registered. We will be in touch later about this.
Please get your registration forms to us as soon as you can - even although deposits are not due until the end of March (registrations must be with us no later than Feb 28th), rooms will be allocated on a 'first received - first served' basis.

Regards & a very happy 2015 to you all

Raewyn Penrose
shfc2015@vodafone.co.nz 
1366 Tiki Road, SH25, Coromandel Town 3506, New Zealand
+64 7 866 8880