Last chance to visit The Garden House AOH this weekend!
Posted:24 May 2012
Last but not least, our final AOH feature highlights the wood workers, a fun (and slightly crazy) maker of flappers, a willow weaver, a jeweler, a maker of wonderful homeopathic skincare and positively your last chance to pick up a secondhand book or two!
Circus Kinetica create amazing and delightfully eclectic recycled wind and kinetic sculptures – including mobiles and flappers delightful for planting in the garden beds, as they catch the wind and the eye! www.circuskinetica.com
Ann Frith (artist and designer) and Simon Arnold (furniture maker) have teamed up to produce funky garden benches based on plants and animals, the benches are carved and painted. 
When working with wood Richard Keal aims to keep the making process as fluid and spontaneous as possible. Richard hunts for complementary shapes and hues – a curved branch for the curved leg of a chair. Sometimes the mark of the tool is important, or the obvious dowel or unusual joint – the touches that reveal what the wood has undergone to become the finished object. Irregularities are often an inspiration as they suggest questions that require solving in unexpectedly creative ways. www.kealwork.co.uk
Much Ado Books is an award-winning independent bookshop situated in Alfriston, East Sussex. Named Independent Bookshop of the Year in 2007, just three years after opening, they specialize in books by and about the Bloomsbury Group of artists and authors. At The Garden House they will be selling a wide variety of new and secondhand garden and garden-related books. www.muchadobooks.com 
Annemarie O’Sullivan’s passion is for all things woven, knotted and netted. She makes baskets, but also loves to transfer the traditional skills of basket making into larger woven forms. Annemarie’s willow wigwams, and woven willow balls make practical and sculptural statements in the vegetable and flower garden. www.annemarieosullivan.co.uk
Amanda Saurin is the driving force behind Wellgreen Lewes, a range of skincare is made in a beautiful historic house dating from 1542 nestling right underneath Lewes Castle. Top quality skin nourishment full of lovely ingredients without any additives, harmful preservatives or artificial scents or colours as much as possible locally sourced and selected for its freshness and quality. The flower-waters and essential oils are made by Amanda in her huge copper Alembic still – a truly stunning handcrafted delight! www.wellgreenlewes.com
Ian Swain collects and restores garden tools. He started acquiring and restoring more traditional equipment over 15 years ago when, while studying at agricultural college, he simply found many modern tools and gardening items unsatisfactory in use, and aesthetically unappealing. Most of Ian’s stock is from the mid 20th century, but he does occasionally have Victorian and Edwardian items. Their quality and design is often exceptional, and is unlikely to be repeated by modern items.
Emma Willcocks uses hand worked techniques in her jewellery making – mark making, hammering, impressing, etching and melting – processes that give her a sense of connection to people from other times and cultures, but also to the natural world. Emma lives in Brighton and is a member of Phoenix Brighton, an artist led studio group, where she has taught jewellery making and art courses.