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LMB creativity and wellbeing at the Arts and Crafts Show

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5 image collage: Model Room Close Up, Embroidered landscape, Paintings, Card Close Up, Crocheted Wreath
Model Room, Embroidered Landscape, Painting, Butterfly Card, Crocheted Wreath.

The annual Arts and Crafts Show returned to LMB for 2024 and the standard was as high as ever. The exhibition was on display from Monday 17th to Friday 28th June, featuring the creative work of 25 talented members of LMB. As always, the show brought some additional colour and intrigue to walks through the atrium.

This year has been particularly diverse, boasting an impressive range of artistic skills including: painting, print, drawing, model-making, knitting and crochet, cross-stitching, embroidery, tapestry, mosaics, wood-turning, photography, jewellery-making, origami, textile design, card-making, and even metal detecting.

Organiser Ash Munday said: “Once again it was a privilege to help run the Arts and Crafts Show this year and see the amazing work displayed. It is always a joy to see people wandering through the exhibits and enjoying the creativity of their colleagues and I want to thank all the exhibitors for sharing their work.

“We had a number of returning exhibitors and it is great to see the progression of their work year on year. We also had a number of first-time exhibitors who displayed a range of work from beautiful paintings to embroidery, plus our first origami and coin collection!”

“A very special thanks goes to our IT Team for enabling us to show digital art and pictures from the show at Ares, and the Stores Team who helped with moving all the furniture needed for the show.”

The Ares Arts and Crafts show took place from 20th to 31st May as part of the monthly activities planned by the Ares social committee. The show featured artistic creations from six members of the Ares team, who are based at the offsite Ares facility, with photos then shared during the LMB Arts and Craft event in June. On organising the Ares display, Isabella Sansome said “I had a great time organising the Ares craft show, though honestly, I can’t take all the credit. Even with my greatest efforts, the craft show simply would not have existed without all the generous artists who submitted their work so I don’t want to downplay their efforts to contribute.”

“Overall, I am thrilled with how it turned out, people kept coming up to me to talk about the exhibit and how they didn’t know that our coworkers were so talented. I think it was a great way to foster positive feedback within the workplace and getting to know different sides of our coworkers.”

As an additional layer to the LMB show, contributing staff also had the opportunity to comment on how their creative hobbies have helped their wellbeing. Creatives commented on their inspirations such as trees and nature walks, as well as their appreciation for the peace and relaxation their practices provide. Others reflected on the sense of community crafting brings, with people generously sharing their handy tips and tricks with one another – something that the fortnightly LMB Craft and Chatter sessions aim to foster.

Crafting at the LMB has recently been bolstered by the addition of the Annette Faux Craft Library. Annette, LMB Archivist from 2001 until 2023 when she sadly died at the age of 57, was an avid crafter, active member of the Craft and Chatter group and organiser of the LMB Art show. Her extensive collection of craft resources has been given a new home at the LMB for anyone to refer to for patterns, information or inspiration. This is enhanced by a selection of crafting materials that have been donated for creatives to use.

Image of a small statuette model of an orangutang placed on a table. Other models are partially visible in the background out of focus.
Orangutan Model
Image of a small model bust of a male figure with long ginger hair with flowers and plants running through it. The figure is wearing plate armour.
Figurine Model
A close up of a printing plate of a forested scene, with black ink on the raised surface. Beneath the printing block are examples of the print, one on pink paper in white ink and the other on green paper in black ink.
Prints
A close up of floral embroidery on a canvas fabric. Includes a large pale pink flower and a smaller dark pink flower wit green leaves.
Floral Embroidery
Two pieces of jewellery places on a wooden table. There are square earrings with a speckled blue design on a round stand, and a sliver ring with a dark inset gemstone.
Jewellery
Knitted Garments
An embroidered landscape on a embroidery hoop. The landscape shows a blue and orange sky with a sun on the horizon. There are red, free, yellow, pink, blue, purple, and orange stretches of land receding to the horizon line.
Embroidered landscape
A framed rectangular cross stitch of a green dragon with flames coming out of its mouth. The dragon is framed within a stitched border of purple, yellow, blue and green design. An origami toucan and chameleon are placed on top of the framed tapestry.
Cross Stitch Dragon
A framed square tapestry of a peacock and fish. The peacock is blue against a white backdrop. The fish are green and yellow against a blue backdrop.
Tapestry Peacock
A profile view of a rabbit in motion, with mosaic tiles following the contour of the animal's shape.
Mosaic Rabbit
A wooden table with various knitted and crocheted items displayed on it, including snowman, bear, sheep, and VW campervan plushies, flip flop design keychains, headbands, and wall hangings.
Various Knitted and Crocheted Items
A view of half of a crocheted wreath. The design includes two chicks, eggs, a basket, flowers and bunting which crosses the circle wreath.
Crocheted Wreath
A white box frame displaying a Ortiz sardine can with crocheted sardines poking out of the pulled back lid.
Sardine Can
Two smaller square canvases painted in oranges, reds and yellows. One depicts a curled up fairy and the other is a curled up dragon. There is a third canvas which is square and slightly larger. It depicts a female figure dancing and holding a red umbrella with two birds near her.
Paintings
An A4 print of a forested area in black ink on white paper. There is a prominent tree in the foreground.
Print
Various items displayed on a table which have been produced via wood-turning. These include a variety of bowls and dishes in different types of wood.
Wood-turning Items
Various knitted items displayed on a table including a blue hat, scarf and gloves set, a red scarf, tea cosy, green and white fair isle jumper, lilac garment, and grey scarf. There are also hand-made cards displayed and a framed piece of embroidery.
Knitted Garments and Cards
A mannequin stand with a black and white garment on display in the foreground. Behind it, textiles samples are visible on a railing.
Fashion Textiles
Various items found through metal detecting are displayed on a table. They include coins, brooches, buckles and loom weights.
Metal findings
Close up of textiles patterns in various designs and colours.
Textiles
Close up of a jewllery box with visible hand-made jewellery including rings and necklaces with inset gemstones.
Jewellery
Six hand-made pens created via wood-turning displayed on a stand.
Crafted Pens
Origami Acorn in green and bronze paper in the foreground, with other origami creations out of focus in the background.
Origami Acorn
Origami rabbits in navy, brown and purple paper. An origami whale is visible out of focus in the foreground in turquoise paper.
Origami Animals
A close up of a green crocheted creature waving.
Crochet Figure
Jewellery resembling a dragonfly, created with cogs in various colours of metal.
Jewellery Dragonfly
Close up of a card designed like a box with butterflies on wire coming out of the top. The butterflies are created with different coloured and patterned card.
Butterfly Card
Several miniature model rooms displayed on a table. One in the foreground is of a kitchen space.
Model Room
A close up of the interior of a miniature model room. There is a miniature table with fabrics, scissors, cups, and yarn displayed.
Model Room Interior
Figurative painting depicting a man and woman seated on the ground back to back.
Figurative Painting
A digital drawing in purple depicting a portrait of a figure
Digital Portrait
A table in front of a blue pin board. The table displays prints, knitted and embroidered items, paintings and models. The pin board displays various photographs.
Ares Arts and Craft Show

Further references

LMB staff share their creative side at the Arts and Crafts Show
The LMB Arts and Crafts Show displays a variety of talent
A colourful welcome back for the LMB Arts and Crafts Show