COME weekend and Brantwood’s historic rooms will be bursting at the seams with some of best crafts people from across the region selling and demonstrating their creative wares.

More than 40 stalls will be dotted throughout the former Coniston home of John Ruskin, its Severn Studio and the newly renovated Coach House Loft, during the irresistible art and craft showcase, displaying jewellery, textiles, pottery, woodwork, original artworks, prints and cards, baskets, bowls, pots, and clocks as well as homemade Christmas puddings, cakes and preserves.

And running alongside will be craft demonstrations such as swill-basket making, spinning, and raku-fired pottery.

Among the many taking part in the Winter Craft Fair will be skilled stained glass artist, Debbie Copley, who as well as showing her work within the house will be unveiling a stained glass panel above the doorway in Brantwood's newly refurbished Terrace Tearoom and Restaurant, fitted prior to fair.

Each piece of glass is hand painted using traditional techniques and fired in a kiln using hand blown tatra glass; then joined using traditional leadwork techniques.

Debbie explains that she was commissioned to create the panel by Brantwood director Howard Hull after he saw her work at last year's fair.

"It was down to my keen interest in using birds in my artwork that Howard asked me to come up with ideas for the cafe," adds Silverdale-based Debbie. "Howard wanted this panel to be inspired by Ruskin's book on bird lectures Love's Meinie.

"I visited Brantwood and we chatted things through way back in the spring. With the panel being situated in the tea room I decided upon a domestic scene, with blackbirds twittering on the rowan tree branch and hungry wee baby thrush being fed by mum, nestled in the Scot's pine."

The Winter Craft Fair opens at 10.30am, closing at 5pm on Saturday (November 11) and 4pm on the Sunday (November 12).

A park and ride mini-bus service will be running between Brantwood and Machell’s Coppice car park (just south of Brantwood) throughout the weekend, providing ample car parking throughout the event.