Scrapbooking

**Bookable via our website ➡️** [https://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/events/console-table/](https://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/events/console-table/) **⋆⋆⋆** **Suitable for:** Absolute beginners. No prior experience in woodworking is required for this course. **About:** Learn traditional carpentry skills using a mixture of hand tools and modern drills to create a beautiful console table at the height of your choice. This is a twelve evening course to make an elegant console table for your home. The workshop is suitable for confident beginners and will teach how to measure and mark your work and how to use saws, chisels , planes as you construct bridle, mortise and tenons and shoulder joints. The design of the table can be altered in height to adapt to a coffee table, a small breakfast bar or hall table. The base is constructed in pine and the top is furniture grade plywood. These 12 evenings are a perfect starting point for many aspects of woodwork that will give you confidence to choose and replicate basic wood joints into other projects. Using a mixture of traditional hand tools and modern drills and saws, our experienced tutor will guide and inspire you as they teach age old techniques in carpentry. As you begin making wood joints traditionally constructed from seasoned pine, you will learn how to use and care for chisels, saws, planes and spoke-shaves. Maximum dimensions: Table top: 18mm Birch plywood – 80cm x 40cm – Base H82cm x W68cm x D33cm – overall table height 85cm

**Bookable via our website ➡️** [https://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/events/follow-on-woodwork-4/](https://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/events/follow-on-woodwork-4/) ⋆⋆⋆ Directed at those people who have completed one of our longer woodwork courses, or those with confident woodwork skills, we offer an eleven-day week opportunity to build an individual project. During this course, run by experienced carpenter/joiner/furniture maker Ruth Thomson, you will learn how to manage a practical project from sketching it, making a technical drawing, writing a cutting list, costing, marking out and construction to produce a piece of wood furniture. The group will visit a timber yard to learn how to select lengths of soft woods. You will learn the safe use and versatility of a router, a biscuit jointer, a jigsaw and other power tools as needed and learn when and how to make jigs to help fabricate accurate shapes. Using basic workshop machines including a bandsaw and a belt sander, as well as classic hand tools, you will cut and assemble and then learn how to sand, glue and finish your project to completion. We are happy to discuss your personal project if you already have something in mind. There is a size limitation due to time constraints and project storage. Call Alison on 0207 7607613 or send a photo or sketch to info@thegoodlifecentre.co.uk Each learner will pay for their own materials. We can take delivery of timber if externally sourced. Please note that we cannot handle MDF in the workshop as the dust requires special extraction and respiratory equipment. Plywood or solid timber will be pre-machined for you on our planer thicknesser and table saw.

London's Friendly Book Club's pick for April is **Evenings and Weekends** by **Oisín McKenna**. This city stops for no-one. Not the half-naked boozers, stoners, and cruisers, the hen parties glugging from bejewelled bottles, the drag queens puffing on hurried fags. It’s June 2019 in London and everyone has converged on the parks, beer gardens and street corners to revel in the collective joys of being alive. Everyone but Maggie. She’s 30, pregnant and broke. Faced with moving back to the town she fought to escape, she’s wondering if having a baby with boyfriend Ed will be the last spontaneous act of her life. Ed, meanwhile, is trying to run from his past with Maggie’s best friend Phil and harbouring secret dreams of his own. Phil hates his office job and is living for the weekend, while falling for his housemate, Keith. But there’s a problem: Keith has a boyfriend and there might not be room for three people in the relationship. Then there’s Rosaleen, Phil’s mother, who’s tired of feeling like a side character in her own life. She’s just been diagnosed with cancer and is travelling to London to tell Phil, if she can ever get hold of him. As Saturday night approaches, all their lives are set to change forever. It’s the hottest summer on record and the weekend is about to begin. Please only RSVP if you think you'll be able to make this event. **We host three sessions per book, you only need to attend one.** Everyone is welcome! Grab your copy and join us for a relaxed and engaging discussion.

**Bookable via our website ➡️** [https://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/events/upholstery-bring-your-own-chair-daytime-23/](https://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/events/upholstery-bring-your-own-chair-daytime-23/) **⋆⋆⋆** KEY PROJECT: RE-UPHOLSTERING YOUR OWN CHAIR. Suitable for beginners and fun for advanced learners. This workshop is led by Krasmira Nikolova, an experienced upholsterer. We provide the use of all upholstery tools and equipment including compressed air staple guns. Basic upholstery materials that you require for your project will be moderately charged on a pay-as-you-use basis and will be dependent on each chair’s requirements. We can advise you on the purchase of your top fabric and we have a lovely library of fabric samples to help make up your mind. The Goodlife Centre sells all the basic tools and materials for use on projects worked on at home. This is a fantastic chance to up-cycle and personalise a family piece you have at home or a junk shop find and a great way to immerse yourself into the wonderful world of upholstery. The course is suitable for both beginners and those who have a basic knowledge but little experience who wish to extend their expertise. **Choosing a suitable chair** If you are a newcomer to upholstery, there are a couple of pointers to help you choose a chair to work on. Choose something that has one or two flat planes – a seat and a back – as curves and arms are more complex and take longer to achieve. The chair on the right was completed in about 12 weeks. If you are a complete beginner, you could bring something more simple such as an upholstered footstool. More experienced upholsters can bring more complex pieces. Your chair can be traditionally built or modern, but be aware that some modern pieces have been constructed using machinery and are difficult to recreate by hand. [Click here for a detailed PDF of suitable chairs.](https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2r8UvbQtaH5RTVKUjlBdkhDX3c/view?usp=sharing) **Please email info@thegoodlifecentre.co.uk with a photo of your chair prior to the course so we can answer any suitability questions and advise if your chair is suitable**. We have very limited storage at the centre, so we can only store smaller pieces during the course. Please make sure the total dimensions are less than 1000mm high by 750mm wide, with a depth of 750mm. The use of tools and machinery is included. All materials will be charged at nominal rates. Some materials will not be kept in stock but can be ordered. Approved projects can be stored at the centre. We cannot offer additional time to work on your project outside of workshop times.

Kennington Book Club Pick #1: The Merge Thank you to all of you who have joined the group. For our very first read together, I thought we could dive into The Merge by Grace Walker. This book is set in a near-future world facing overpopulation and climate collapse. To address this society introduces a radical solution: merging two people into a single consciousness. But what begins as a bold fix quickly raises deeper questions about identity, love, and what it really means to be human. Looking forward to hearing everyone’s thoughts - I’m hoping this one should give us a lot to talk about. If it helps you to have something to focus on while you’re reading, you could think about: - Where do you draw the line between sacrifice and loss of self? - Who should have the power to make decisions like this? - Is this a solution… or a warning? Going forward we’ll pick the next read together at the end of each meet up. Happy reading! Rachael

Have you ever wanted to be that person who sketches in a gallery but you're too nervous to have people look over your shoulder? Yea, I've been there. It's intimidating. You feel like you're in the room naked. I've also been the person to sit and sketch and it's one of the most rewarding activities you can do. Just you, the artwork, and a bunch of people wishing they could do the same. Come and join me on the first Friday of the month and let's go to a gallery. These will be small groups and free of charge. We'll visit a new gallery each month, hopefully free ones and we'll do an hour or so of sketching, followed by a cuppa tea afterwards. Make sure you register so I can send you all the information a few days before the event.

April is the time for recycled reads! This means that books we voted on before but didn't make the cut now can be chosen again! The winning book is: * The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon Get it now!

**Bookable via our website ➡️** [https://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/events/willow-basket-making-54/](https://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/events/willow-basket-making-54/) **⋆⋆⋆** A classic craft with a contemporary flair. One day willow basket-making workshop. Before the invention of the plastic bag most shopping was carried home in baskets, and in Britain willow was one of the main materials used to make them. If you have ever studied and admired work by a basket weaver, this is your chance to jump in and give your hands a treat. Over one day, experienced basket maker John Page will guide you through the stages of making a gorgeous traditional shallow basket in English Willow. This is an excellent beginner project in 'stake and strand' technique resulting in a very durable and strong structure. In this small workshop, there will be plenty of guidance and background information on this classic craft. John also repairs harps and plays the organ. He is a patient and easygoing tutor so come and join us for a creative, relaxing day. Beginners welcome. The use of all tools and basic materials is included.

**Bookable via our website ➡️** [https://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/events/prepare-paint-206/](https://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/events/prepare-paint-206/) ⋆⋆⋆ Learn to decorate in one day, 10am – 5pm. All set to decorate one room… or perhaps your entire home? Brush up your decorating techniques by messing up our workshop, instead of your living room! Painting a room is a great way to transform your home interior, without it costing the earth. But it can be a daunting task and everyone wants to have that professional-looking finish. What’s the secret to decorating success? Preparation and practice. Our Prepare & Paint workshop is a very practical class. From clearing the space to cleaning up brushes, we will take you methodically through the whole process. We will guide you through the importance and process of preparation: How to fill gaps and blemishes to make the surfaces smooth and ready for paint. You will practice using different tools and materials, experiment with different qualities of brushes, and finally learn how to apply paint to where you want and not all over yourself. In the morning, each student will have a panel of ‘wall’ and woodwork to work on. You will learn how to select the correct tools and materials and prepare a room for painting, from cleaning the paintwork to filling small and large holes in the walls and woodwork. Learn what materials to use and how to apply the filler and how to sand the surfaces in preparation for painting. We will even show you how to prepare areas that have been damaged by water stains, flaky plaster, and lost areas of wood. In the afternoon, you will learn how to select the correct paint and judge the correct situation to use primer and undercoat and how to paint ceilings, walls, and woodwork. Get to grips with how to paint edge lines that are crisp and sharp. Delight in painting without drips or masking tape and learn how to select and care for a paintbrush. We will even show you how to clean a brush and a roller so that they will give you years of service. Brush up your decorating techniques by practising under the guidance of an experienced decorator, who can answer your decorating problems as well, so bring photos of the snags in your home and take away lots of confidence to tackle the tasks at hand. All personal protection, tools, and materials are included. Suitable for absolute beginners. Enjoyable for everyone. This workshop takes place over one day.

Let's Crop!

Welcome, readers! Our April read is **_Martyr!_ by Kaveh Akbar.** The story follows a young Iranian American poet grappling with grief, addiction, and the aching question of what makes a life meaningful. Drawn into an unexpected friendship with a terminally ill artist, he begins to confront faith, love, and the seduction of self-destruction. Lyrical, darkly funny, and emotionally piercing, the novel wrestles with beauty and despair in equal measure. It’s a story about longing—to be seen, to be forgiven, and to matter. Looking forward to discussing with everyone! We will meet at Zaftig Brewing Co in their event room in the back. We are welcome to bring in our own food, but **drinks must be purchased at the bar.** Happy reading! 📖

**This month’s Creativity Circle is very timely. We will be making our own craft snowflakes out of paper, coffee filters, popsicle sticks, sparkles and more! Bring the snowy season inside without the wet and cold. All ages welcome, show up as you can, bring a friend or a few if you would like to! Excited to see you there! Seats Limited. Held at the Westerville Public Library Meeting Room B.**

**Our May novel is: *The Quiet Librarian* by Allen Eskens** **This month’s book is set in the 20th century and mixes historical fiction with suspense and thriller elements. It also centers on women’s stories and relationships. The novel is 368 pages in print or 8 hours and 12 minutes on audiobook.** Hana Babic is a quiet, middle-aged librarian in Minnesota who wants nothing more than to be left alone. But when a detective arrives with the news that her best friend has been murdered, Hana knows that something evil has come for her, a dark remnant of the past she and her friend had shared. Thirty years before, Hana was someone else: Nura Divjak, a teenager growing up in the mountains of war-torn Bosnia—until Serbian soldiers arrived to slaughter her entire family before her eyes. The events of that day thrust Nura into the war, leading her to join a band of militia fighters, where she became not only a fierce warrior but a legend—the deadly Night Mora. But a shattering final act forced Nura to flee to the United States with a bounty on her head\*\*.\*\*

It feels like we just saw each other 🤷. Join members of the local design and UX community for our monthly breakfast. For May we’re stopping in for Rooh’s popup breakfast/cafe concept. You know someone is getting the lobster yuzu croissant, and that’s not even the prettiest thing on the menu!.

🌸 Mother’s Day deserves more than flowers 🌸 Join us for an elevated outdoor paint experience designed for creativity, connection, and unforgettable memories. ✨ Brushes & Brunch: Mother’s Day Garden Edition ✨ Beautiful garden vibes Brunch bites Signature refreshments Guided painting Soft music Luxury energy Whether you're celebrating your mother, your daughter, your friends, or simply honoring yourself — this experience is your invitation to slow down and create something beautiful. No painting experience needed — just bring your good energy. This is not your typical paint party. This is intentional. This is elevated. This is your moment. 🎟 Limited seating available to keep the experience intimate. Reserve your spot early https://www.eventbrite.com/e/brushes-brunch-a-curated-mothers-day-painting-experience-tickets-1987709930911

**We are expanding our creative programming opportunities with Queer Quills, a quiet writing and sharing space. Queer Quills features some prompts, supplies and friendly faces to help get some inspiration or feedback for your writing. Hope to see you there!**