Little Lane Workshops was established in 2015 and is a family run art, craft and lifestyle studio on the Northern Beaches of Sydney and is the lifelong dream of husband and wife team - Carl & Sonia Stackhouse.
"In this day and age that sees us living life at a frantic pace, we need to make the time to just stop for a while, take a breather from life and be still and in the moment... it took a series of life changing accidents that left me in a wheelchair and told I would never walk again AND a spectacular nervous breakdown to make me realise this for myself. And so freshly armed with that realisation, I slammed the brakes on a twenty year corporate career with nothing more than a heart full of hope and a wishful dream that I myself could live a slower, more mindful creative life and create a place for others to escape the crazy race and indulge in some creativity for a while for themselves too."
Today, Sonia is not only walking... she is truly living her life's purpose alongside her husband Carl and a collective of incredible individuals who all believe that creativity is one of the best ways to calm the mind, re-energise your spirit and heal and there is no better place to do that than in the company of others in a safe, warm and nurturing environment.
"Consider our studio - a gym to exercise your creative soul and a little escape from everyday life." Sonia Stackhouse
Living the busy lives so many of us do, juggling family and work commitments etc, means that we don’t often afford ourselves the time to do something completely unselfish for ourselves.
Art and craft and the act of absorbing yourself in learning something new is a form of meditation in itself, therapy even and so Little Lane Workshops is built upon that principle, slow mindful living… even if it is for only a few hours out of your busy week.
We are very much about bringing community together - providing a place for teachers to teach, students to learn and friends - both new and old - to connect with each other.
Our studio is tucked away in Warriewood, our little oasis, with a very special energy and an atmosphere where one always feels comfortable enough to come alone or with friends and spend a few hours with inspiring creatives learning or refining new skills.
Our incredible teachers and creatives come from far and wide to teach their craft and our classes include macrame, resin art, weaving, traditional calligraphy, basket and sculptural weaving, shibori, meditation, and a wide variety of fibre art, painting and of course; everything in between.
We also run wellness classes and classes for 'the curious' which could be pretty much anything.
We cater for all ages through our open age workshops on weekends, and for the kids - school holiday workshops, after School Craft Club and birthday parties.
Aside from our scheduled workshops and kid's programs, we can also accommodate private group bookings for corporate events, baby showers, hen's soirees, birthdays and team building.
Just a heads up - we are partial to a good natter around here, with or without a coffee or a glass of bubbly and we look forward to welcoming you to our studio.
We are always on the lookout for new ideas and new creatives, so if you have something or someone to share with us, be it yourself or some other clever clogs, or if there is something you would specifically like to learn - then flick us an email as we would love to hear from you.
xx Sonia & Carl & the LLWS Gang
