I carved my first spoon in 2016; having always loved the infinite variety in wood grain, and having always been interested in craft and making, finding greenwood carving, and specifically spoons was like a homecoming. What gets me about spoons is their functionality – I’m interested in making beautiful things, but I’m even more interested if they’re useful too. I like repeating shapes and striving for repeatability and consistency – to some, that’s boring, but to me it’s how I go deeper into this particular rabbit hole.

Hello! I’m Anna Barker and I live near Macclesfield in Cheshire. My spoon carving journey started back in 2012 when I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Taking time off work to come to terms with this diagnosis gave me room to explore hobbies I was keen to try, one of these being spoon carving. This hobby soon became my passion and has helped me to keep active. I use the traditional methods of axe and knife for hand carving spoons, scoops and shrink pots, using sustainably sourced greenwood. I have learnt my skills from some top spoon and bowl carving practitioners such as Jogge Sundqvist, Barn the Spoon and Jane Mickelborough amongst others, developing and honing my skills at events such as Spoonfest, The Bowl Gathering and the Bodgers Ball. I have recently started teaching greenwoodcrafts and this year I look forward to teaching at The Great Scottish Spoonhoolie and Spoontown. You can find more details and information about me and my carving on my website, www.annabarkercraft.co.uk.

I am a coppice worker with eighteen years of experience working in several woods in Gloucestershire. I teach green woodworking at the GL11 Community Hub in Cam and have been a spoon carving tutor for the last six years. I feel really blessed to be able to work in such a beautiful environment. Though perhaps less so when the rain is dripping down my neck! It is a personal joy to pass on my skills to other people. There is a growing spoon carving community in the UK. It is a wonderful hobby whether you carve alone in the woods or in the company of like-minded souls. However you are placed: come to the woods, breathe deeply and create something beautiful.

I am a Dutch spoon carver and teacher. My main focus is teaching about spoon carving at workshops, craft festivals and other events. I also like to promote crafts in general by organizing the Masters of Sloyd webinars. My inspiration for spoon carving and crafts in general came from the Swedish concept of ‘hemslöjd’, a self-sufficient tradition of making beautiful and useable objects form locally sourced and sustainable materials.
In both my basic and advanced spoon carving classes I pay a lot of attention to efficient carving, functional design and decoration techniques. Because to me, spoon carving is all about making very intimate, functional and beautiful objects. But is also about having a plan and getting it done, so you can make more spoons and have more fun while doing it!

Mike Craig is a green wood carver and course tutor based in West Yorkshire. In his previous life Mike spent 15 years as a lecturer in Countryside Management and Wildlife Conservation with a special interest in woodlands. Mike started his green wood carving journey in 2009 and now runs spoon carving and green woodwork courses to help other folk start theirs. Mike
has been a green woodworker in residence for The National Trust and now runs courses at The Chevin Forest Park in Otley. He is a regular workshop leader at festivals including The Great Scottish Spoon Hoolie where he is known as ‘The Spoon Doctor’.