THE LANSDOWNE HOUSE

THE FRENCH RETREAT 2027 IS LIVE

“Botanical Printing on Paper”, my new book will be published this summer, Pre order your signed copy !

THE FRENCH RETREAT IS NOW FULLY BOOKED, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE ON THE MAILING LIST IN CASE OF CANCELLATIONS OR BE MADE AWARE OF BOTANICAL PRINTING RETREATS IN SCOTLAND IN 2027 PLEASE EMAIL ME ON bettysbeautifullife@gmail.com and make sure to follow this blog to receive alerts when I open a new event.

The retreat runs from the 10th June 10am till the 16th June 9am and is residential. Arrival will be on the 9th June at 5pm at Carbonne station or directly at La Couech.

For those travelling from far I have organised accommodation on the 9th June evening and your evening meal is included. The pick up time from the local station (surrounding of Toulouse) is 5pm on the 9th June. I have also organised for a last night together on the 15th June night with included evening meal and we drop you off at the same station on the 16th at 9am. Further information is communicated after bookings are confirmed.

The French retreat is a one week residential workshop in Botanical printing on paper, and fabric of cellulose nature using local botanicals. In 2027 we will experiment with Screen printing using botanical dyes. It is taking place in the South West of France near Toulouse in an historical Farm house in the small town of Montbrun Bocage. A small group of 9 participants are hosted by our French host in their beautiful studio and dye studio. Together we learn about mordants and botanical to create botanical art.

The cost all inclusive (workshop, material, accomodation, food) is £1500, a deposit of £300 will secure your space. Two payments of £600 will be required in March and April of 2027. Transport costs for the Carbone pick up will be confirmed closer to the time and payment will be taken in cash on the day of arrival. A payment link is available below to secure the space.

Please read on if you are interested.

Botanical printing on paper is one of my very favorite sustainable technique to create wonderful prints on Art paper. Paper is a cellulose material and it takes the dye very well if mordanted like linen/cotton/hemp. It is a very versitile material and once printed you can transform it in many different items or simply display it as a mono print.

Over the years I have been teaching printing paper online and in person and during the Covid period I have developed an online course in 12 lessons which allows you to create a number of effects from a flat background to some more moody effects when boiled in a pot.

Once we resumed meeting in person I put together a 6 day in person retreat which I run yearly in the South West of France. It is a residential course perfect for beginners or more advance printers. During that week we take time to study via sampling how mordanting and dyeing affect the prints and we create a large body of work on paper, cellulose fiber such as linen to take home as well as some good robust notes for the future.

The retreat is off course residential and we are hosted by JF and his wife Krystel in their farmhouse not far from Toulouse but in the countryside. I only welcome a small group and the experience is very immersive but also very creative.

In the past years the groups of 9 participants have bonded very well and often they still speak in the whasap group after months in a really friendly manner.

The course is ran in a beautiful studio in the middle of the garden and the residence is in a family house (old farmhouse) with the rooms of an open gallery and a large dining room where we meet 3 times a day for meals. JF cooks for us in a true French style using only fresh products from the market. Gradually we just become one family and normal life gradually vanishes as no tv or news are brodcasted there.

We forage the local flora for our prints and on the sunday off we visit the local market to test the home made pizza and ice cream as well as mingle with the locals. It is the event of the are and a very fine event. On Sunday afternoon I usually set up an Indigo vat and those who want to do something creative can dye while others might rest.

This is not the type of retreat where we visit the area for some local shopping although I might introduce a trip to a local market this year.

The accommodation is shared rooms but as the building is an old farmhouse the rooms are huge and comfortable leaving enough space to everyone for me time. There is an outside gallery with comfi chairs to allow you to relax mornings and evenings, a large seating room where you can catch the Wifi and seat in the cool when outside is too hot and a reading room gallery where you can enjoy JF collection of classic books. Krystel is an artist herself and their home is full of beautiful textiles and books ready to be explored.

We have a pick up point at the local train station on the 9nd of June 5pm for everyone arriving by public transport as the drive to the farm is still around 20 minutes but it is possible to commute directly by taxi from Toulouse Blagnac airport. The course runs until the 15th June evening. On the 16th after breakfast we will drop you off at the same station back into normal life. Often I will take that train back to Toulouse myself.

During the week of the course we will cover:

Mordanting methods to suit cellulose and protein fiber
Dye extraction from plant based matter
Selection of leaves from the local ressources and some information to allow you to adapt to your area
Botanical printing on paper, cellulose both steamed and by immersion
On our day off (Sunday) you can visit the local market, organise your own lunch and an Indigo vat can be opened between 2 and 5 for anyone who would like to have a go. It is not an Indigo lesson and taking part will be followed by a communal cleaning session. Please note you have to bring your own fabric and resists I do not supply anything apart from the Indigo.
Finishing your pieces and neutralising.
This year I am introducing some Screen printing with botanical paste and discharge on linen.
You will be given information on a web-based support to take home.
A debrief at the end of each day.
A hands on sustainable approach and collaboration between participants is encouraged.
On the final day we will be setting up our work as a mini exhibition to share with the host and to review our learning.

You will leave with samples on fabric, paper, and some great new knowledge

This year I will introduce screen printing on vintage linen time..

I have calculated a fully inclusive price of £1500 for the 6 days (deposit is £300 to secure the space, then two payments £600 in March and and April 2027) , it even includes the odd glass of local red wine or freshly brewed apple juice from the orchard, that JF serves to compliment the meals. Accommodation and 3 meals a day, the commute from the train station will be settled in cash on the day to the driver (around € 15 to Carbonne, or € 25 to Toulouse Matabiau on the way back) but the workshop, the material and dyes are all included.

What you will have to fund yourself is :

Your sunday lunch.

Your commuting costs to and from La Couech.
Your costs if you would like additional food or drinks. The menu is European and is ok for vegetarians. For strictly Gluten free contact me as there might be an extra cost due to the high cost or food such as “bread” “pasta” etc… For any special diet please contact me there will be a small added cost to help our host.
Your snacks, we offer coffee and tea but no snacks, In the last retreat everyone brought different elements nuts, dry fruits, biscuits etc… and we had a communal table but this is Optional.
Any dye kit you might want to order from me or any additional material you might choose to bring in.

Below I have added a selection of photos from last year’s retreat to inspire you.

During the week our group becomes closer and as we focus on our technique the work we produce gets better and better but also we form friendship that will last and our vocabulary moves from everyday things to dye terms, names of leaves, effects, we simply meditate on our techniques. It is such a refreshing moment in this crazy world.

My retreat does not accept partners, nor pets because i want our group to feel the immersion and the closeness of a retreat but partners (and pets) can find something to do in the close by Toulouse and meet you at the end.

We share rooms and there are two tents in single occupency…. Our retreat is fully immersive and from the moment you meet us the day before we start to the moment you leave after breakfast the day after we finish you can live cash free. All is included including the local glass of wine.

If you want to find out more about the program and cost scroll below… If you want to reserve one of the 10 spaces please click the link below and make the deposit payment but … Watch out it is not refundable should you change your mind so think it through.

Payments are non refundable but I will accept a replacement for your space if you cant make it. Please contract a travel insurance in case you have an event to forces you to cancel.

Dates:

9 nd June 2027 – Arrival at 17 h

10th to 15th June inclusive Retreat

16th June departure after breakfast

Location:

Toulouse area.

Accomodation:

Shared rooms full board.

Food type (standard european, if you have a special diet please contact me to discuss at bettysbeautifullife@gmail.com )

PS PLEASE NOTE YOU HAVE TO STAND UP FOR LENGHT OF TIME AND WALK ACCROSS THE UNEAVEN GROUND OF THE GARDEN, YOUR ACCOMODATION WILL BE ONE FLOOR UP. IT IS NOT SUITABLE FOR YOU IF YOU MOBILITY IS IMPAIRED UNLESS YOU BOOK A HELPER AS AN ADDITIONAL FULL RIGHT PARTICIPANTS TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR MOBILITY NEEDS.

If you have any medical issues please email me before booking bettysbeautifullife@gmail.com including if you are using a sleeping machine for treatment of apnea. All rooms are shared and we need to discuss this prior to your booking being made.

Indigo Prints

I will be teaching this course with Plants and Colours as part of my “Shades of Blue festival”

A four-part workshop on creating marks and pattern making on cellulose material using Indigo dye and a resist of soya/lime.

Tuesdays 8th and 15th September, 20th and 27th October 2026 4-6pm BST/GMT

Join live, or watch the recordings in your own time.

With it’s roots in the heritage “Lan Yin Hua Bu” traditional method practiced in China for making blue and white cloth, during the Han dynasty; this technique is perfect for the artist who wants to work on small and larger projects creating strong prints on fabric. In the same way as the Eastern European “Blue prints” method it uses ferrous Indigo vats and guarantees strong contrasts.

In the four weeks we will:

Learn to set up a Ferrous/Mineral Natural Indigo vat and maintain it. There will a chance to create a graded scale of blues.
Learn about the traditional Soya/Lime Chinese method for blue and white prints.
Learn to make and use the Soya/Lime paste
Explore a number of applications from free hand painting to stencilling.
Explore multi blue simple pattern making.
Learn to prepare, clean and neutralise our material.

This technique is perfect for beginners in both printing with Indigo and Ferrous vat building or more advanced participants who want to consolidate their knowledge. You will need a small “messy” space to store and use an Indigo vat of at least 25 Litres (ideally 50 Litres is better). This workshop is only suitable for cellulose material (silk/wood are not suitable fabrics). Only small samples will be taught but some general advice about upscaling will be available.

PDF Handouts will be provided.

To book a space find your way to Plants and Colours website HERE

SHADES OF BLUE, The many lives of Indigo

“Shades of Blue”, the many lives of Indigo is an exhibition, celebration about Indigo, the pigment, the dye, the plants, the processes that gives the magical colour blue that has been capturing the imagination of many around the world by century.

During 5 weeks from 26th September, I will be offering knowledge, sharing with dyers and practitioners from around the work. Offering in person and online classes all related to Indigo.

“SHADES OF BLUE, The many lives of Indigo”, Opening 26th September at 2.30pm The Auld Kirk Museum, Kirkintilloch, Scotland (FOC, last day 29th of October) scroll below for all program (MORE TO BE ADDED)

The exhibition is about the journey of Indigo dyer and teacher Elisabeth Viguie Culshaw and focuses over the last 7 years. While discovering Indigo via a dark blue generated by a chemical Thiox vat, Elisabeth went on during the last 10 years discovering how and where this blue came from, believing that a dye pot that produced such a beautiful colour could not possible have such a terrible smell such as the chemical vat. She discovered earlier on that Natural dye pots using natural pigment or better composted fresh leaves smell of cut grass, come in all shapes and sizes and are made from many plants in many different ways.

Since 2019 she has been travelling the world to learn from comtemporary artisans and teachers the many way of Indigo. From fermented Sukumo in Japan to dark Indigo pigment of Mexico, from Michel Garcia simple 123 sugar vat to the complicated fermented vat rediscovered by Kencho Dekar masterdyer in Bhutan she has been looking at, tried to understand and connected many dyers. She has made her own choice with a vat popular in European traditional Indigo dyeing, The Ferrous vat after studying with French masterdyer David Santandreu.

As well as her exhibition, Elisabeth will be offering a program of workshops, one retreat and some online talks in an aim to share, teach, learn and connect about Indigo.

ONLINE TALKS, IN PERSON WORKSHOPS AND RETREATS

“SHADES OF BLUE” CONVERSATIONS, THE HISTORIC FERROUS VAT WITH ELISABETH VIGUIE CULSHAW

“SHADES OF BLUE” CONVERSATIONS, with William Ingram from “The Threads of Life Bali”, Indigo community dyeing and paste supply in Bali – 10th October – 2pm GMT

“SHADES OF BLUE” CONVERSATIONS, THE TAMARIND FERMENTATION VAT with Prach Niyomkar, a traditional Thai vat

“SHADES OF BLUE” CONVERSATIONS, THE 123 FRUCTOSE VAT WITH MICHEL GARCIA, An “opportunistic” vat

“SHADES OF BLUE” CONVERSATIONS – THE HISTORIC SIG VAT WITH DYERS JOHN WALKER (AUSTRALIA) AND PAUL HENRY (ENGLAND)

“SHADES OF BLUE” CONVERSATIONS – BHUTAN MASTER DYER KENCHO DEKAR

INTERNATIONAL MASTERCLASS IN INDIGO DYE – GLASGOW 1-2 OCTOBER 2026

Making Intuitive Shibori prints, Masterclass day workshop in Indigo in Glasgow

“Blue Prints”, Scottish residential retreat week of Pattern making and Indigo dyeing AUTUMN 2026

WORKSHOPS:

As part of “Shades of Blue” I will run a 4 sessions online print making course using a Ferrous vat and a resist to create prints on Indigo dyed fabric with Plants and Colors, find info below on the content and booking method.

Indigo Prints

The exhibition will open on 26th of September at 2.30pm At The Auld Kirk with a conversation about sustainable Indigo dyeing between Mann Craft dyer from Sakhon Nakhon thailand and Elisabeth. (FOC)

The exhibition will be opened from 26th till 29th October, FOC, Monday to Saturday 10 to 5 (with lunch break between 1/2), there is local parking, It is possible to come by public transport (Bus 89) from Glasgow… I am sure there is a bus from Edinburgh too. And there are many coffee shops in Kirkintilloch.

ABOUT GROWING JAPANESE INDIGO AND THE INDIGO PLOT

In 2022 The Glasgow Botanical garden offered her a space to grow Japanese Indigo and Woad in a tiny garden she called @ The Indigo plot. There for several years she grew two large beds that she shared comes the autumn in an exhibition “Feeling Blue” in the garden’s Kibble palace.

In 2026, The Auld Kirk museum in Kirkintilloch has offered her a space to share what she has learned in the past 7 years in a 5 weeks exhibition of plants, yarn, dyes, artwork and knowledge. The exhibition will be only partly about Elisabeth’s own work. It will be mainly a way for her to share what she has learned about Indigo with the general public and she hopes they will travel from far.

In 2026 The Indigo plot has moved just outside The Barony Hall outside The Auld Kirk and in a great box Elisabeth is growing with the help of the Museum staff 600 plants of Japanese Indigo with an aim to share the fresh leaves dyeing with the public during the exhibition. It is hoped that children will also be present to discover the magical blue.

Looking forward to see you there in September.

Love Betty xx

Protected: Atelier d’Ecoprint sur papier, Montbrun bocage – Juillet 2026 Cours prive

“Blue Prints”, Scottish residential retreat week of Pattern making and Indigo dyeing AUTUMN 2026

SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE TO BOOK A SPACE. ONLY 2 SPACES ARE AVAILABLE

It is my great pleasure to invite you to my 2026 autumn “Blue print” a residential week of Indigo dyeing and print making using resists. If you have been looking for an opportunity to spend a week learning to dye with Indigo and work with resists methods to create patterns this residential time is for you.

It will take place in my Glasgow studio between the 13th and 20th October 2026. Only 3 spaces are available.

Wether you have experience in Indigo dyeing or are a complete beginner you will be at ease as we will start with the very beginning.

In my lovely dye studio located in the West end of Glasgow, a small group of students will spend a week learning :

How to set up a ferrous natural Indigo vat, dye with it and maintain it.
Creating prints using two resists methods from South East Asia, Batik with wax and a Chinese Soya/lime resist.
Working on sample size pieces but be advised on how to upscale.
We will essentially work with cellulose.

The size of the group will be limited to 4 students to make allow plenty of personal attention.

The week is residential and accommodation will be within a few minutes walk in single rooms with ensuite facility. Breakfast and buffet salad lunch is provided in my place. (special diets can be accommodated). as well as a welcome diner to meet the rest of your team. All evening meals, meals on your day off and diner on the 20th of October are not provided. There are many good venues for food, around my studio area.

The West end of Glasgow is located near the University of Glasgow and features wonderful Victorian architecture, green parks and a great variety of cafes and restaurants with interesting cuisine at walking distance from our area. From French cafe to Moroccan local restaurant you will find there great diner experiences for the other nights of your stay.

During the week we will take a few hours off to visit the grounds of Glasgow University and the local park and you will have the last day off to allow a visit of the local area. Glasgow has plenty to offer and is only 45 minutes by train to the Scottish Capital of Edinburgh.

Typical week:

Arrival on 13th October with check in after 3pm, welcome diner at 6pm with introduction to the group.

Day 1: 14th October About the chemistry of Indigo , setting up a ferrous vat, making the paste resist of Soya lime.

Day 2: 15th October Testing the vat, applying the paste resist, dyeing tests of a range of blues.

Day 3: 16th October Starting dyeing your pieces and testing the range of blues

Day off to enjoy the week end farmer market and any other Glasgow based places. No meals will be provided on that day.

Day 4: 18th October Applying more paste, testing different pieces.

Day 5: 19th October Removing and neutralising. During the week… neutralising our prints in vinegar water.

Day 6: 20th October finishing projects, preparing a show and tell. The workshop will finish at 3pm.

If you would like to stay another night I will communicate the hotel details and you can book yourself an additional night.

As this retreat is happening during the exhibition “Shades of Blue”, we will take two hours during the week to visit the exhibition in Kirkintilloch.

Unfortunately this retreat is not for you if you have mobility difficulties, my studio space in at the bottom of stairs and we will spend a good deal of time standing up. Apologies if that is your case, There will be other opportunities in the future that are more appropriate.

If you are interested and you have questions please email me bettysbeautifullife@gmail.com If you are clear and want to book a space please see below.

BOOKING PROCEDURE:

The cost of the retreat is £1700 inclusive of accomodation, breakfasts and lunches, workshop delivery and all material and equipment. You are responsable for the transport to and from Glasgow and food on the day off.

To book pay the deposit of £1000 using the button below or contact me if any issues.

The balance of £700 will be due beginning of September.

japanese indigo plants SOLD OUT for uk despatch

I AM SORRY IF YOU ARE REACHING THIS POST AFTER 11.45PM UK TIME ON 1ST JUNE, THE PLANTS ARE NOW SOLD OUT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST.

Persicaria Tinctoria or Japanese Indigo is an Indigo pigment yielding plant that bares pink flowers and grows in climate temperatures, it is very appropriate for UK climate.

Every summer I grow around 1500 plants in different locations to practise my learning, teach classes and offer the public some hands on experience with a blue producing plant.

This year I have germinated too many plants and i am making some available to any wanabee growers.

My plants are of the Senbon variety and have been germinated in groups of 5 to 10 seeds a plug. They were planted on 10th of April and have been transplanted into small compostable pots in good quality compost. They have developed roots and are ready for replanting in your dye garden, They will be growing up to 30 to 40 cms high and could do well to get fed with liquid feed nitrogeen rich during the season. They should be ready to harvest july for the first harvest and september for the second.

Please note I will not supply notes for process for blue with this plant.

One plug will give you 5 to 10 plants. To get a generous colour for fresh leaves methods on yarn a plug is enough, to explore pigment extraction you might need up to 5 plugs. To dye garments you might need around 100 plants that would be aboug 10 plugs.

COST:

The first plug is £10 plus shipping costs £5

For two plugs I will charge £15 plus shipping costs £5

For four plugs I will charge £20 plus shipping costs £5

For more please email me with your need and i will forward a link back with cost.

NO REFUND NO CANCELLATION OF ORDERS…

SHIPPING:

Plants will be wrapped in wet tissue to allow them to support the trip. I can only ship in mainland UK. I will aim at shipping beginning of week to avoid plants being stuck in the week end post.

PICK UP:

If you order a group of plugs and would like to uplife from my place in Glasgow email me and I will see if we can organise this.

I will not keep plants, These are sold on the basis of first come, first serve. … They are plants they keep growing we need them in your garden soon.

The size of a typical plant at 25th May 2026 is shown below

“Botanical Printing on Paper”, my new book was published this summer, order your copy !

I AM SO DELIGHTED TO HAVE PUBLISHED MY BOOK ON BOTANICAL PRINTING ON PAPER THIS SUMMER. FOR A WHILE I AM NOT ABLE TO SELL IT MYSELF DUE TO OTHER COMMITMENTS BUT MY LOVELY PUBLISHER WILL HELP YOU FIND A COPY SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO WAIT…

A hard copy of my new book “Botanical Printing on Paper” . 144 pages, over 150 photos, step by steps methods, 3 video recordings demonstring the techniques is available for delivery to the UK and overseas from my publisher CROWOOD PUBLISHER and associates.

UK AND EUROPE DESPATCH ONLY

CROWOOD PUBLISHER WILL SHIP MY BOOK TO YOU WETHER YOU ARE IN THE UK OR OVERSEAS… BUT FOR USA AND CANADA PLEASE SCROLL DOWN

USA AND CANADA DESPATCH

BLACKWELL WILL SHIP MY BOOK TO YOU IF YOU ARE LOCATED IN THE USA OR CANADA

ORDER MY NEW METHOD “PRINT ON BLUE” FOR A SPECIAL PRICE TO CELEBRATE MY NEW BOOK

If you are a blue lover… You will want to add to the book ordering my online method using Magnesium Acetate to create prints on Blue Background… Print on Blue is my new mordanting method allowing the wonderful blue background to your prints without using Indigo…. TO CELEBRATE THE LAUNCH OF MY BOOK I AM OFFERING ON THIS PAGE ONLY FOR £40 INCLUSIVE OF A VIDEO REPLAY OF A LIVE WORKSHOP… TO BUY IT SCROLL DOWN

READ BELOW ABOUT THE BOOK…

Create Colourful Monoprints on Paper From Nature

After years of researching and teaching Botanical printing on paper I am publishing a book this summer and I would like to give you the opportunity to order one of the 100 signed copies available. A comprehensive methods containing step by step features and links to short demonstrative videos it will take you through a complete journey from the setting up of your workspace to the creating wonderful colourful prints on stunning paper.

I have detailed in it the steps to take, listed my favorite vegetation for best results but also I am sharing with you the work of 5 artists who have worked with me or worked from prints made using my method.

Read what the publisher states about this book:

Discover the unique potential of using natural colour from plants in monoprinting Botanical Printing on Paper explains how to create vibrant, crisp monoprints using plants as a source of colour.

It offers a meaningful, sustainable approach that celebrates a true connection to place and season.

Written for artists, printmakers and crafters alike, it takes you on a complete journey from plants to printing on paper with clear step-by-step sequences, practical tips and in-depth instruction.

Publisher	The Crowood Press Ltd
Publish Date	28 July 2026
Pages	144
Language	English
Type	Hardback
EAN/UPC	9780719846823
Dimensions	246.0 X 189.0 X 15.0 mm \| 680.0 g

ELISABETH VIGUIÉ-CULSHAW is a colour artist based in Scotland. She specialises in growing and using plants as dyes and for prints. A popular educator, she teaches widely and leads international creative retreats.

100 indigo dyers needed for “Shades of Blue” exhibition

If you would like to take part please fill up this application form to the best of your ability and send it back to me using my email address bettysbeautifullife@gmail.com. Please use the subject “Shades of Blue”. If your system does not support Word, download the PDF version and print it, take a photo after completing the questions and send it to me. If you can not print, send me an email and type the questions and answers freely. I will attribute you a number in my email back.

Shades of Blue QUESTIONAIRE YARN DYERS Download

“Shades of blue” is my solo exhibition about Indigo the blue color in Glasgow Scotland in September 2026. It will last 5 weeks during which I aim to show processes, plants, dyes and art work and the shades of blue the dye give them.

I am looking for 100 Indigo dyers with an interest in yarn dyeing to take part in a collaboration. I want to create a color wheel of blues out of skeins of natural material dyed with Indigo dye. Cotton, Silk, hemp, wool and so on. I would be delighted if you would like to take part. You can be anywhere in the world, as long as you use Indigo, Anil, Kram, Hom, and dye yarn please join in.

WHAT I NEED, at any time before 30th of August 2026.

For each dyer I need one Indigo dyed skein only, I would like the blue to represent your favorite blue with Indigo.

The skein should be around 25 cm long (23 or 26 is ok but 30 or 20 is not) when double twisted (see the photo). It should weight between 20 and 40 gr. (I will not be able to use anything else unless you have cleared it with me before sending).

I will need from you some information for each skein:

The type of dye,

The plant if you know,

The process (type of vat)

The location where it was dyed and

The type of fibre.

Your full name and location, if you have a social media handle I will share it.

You will get a share in the exhibition and in an online presentation. I want to raise the maximum awareness about the dye and the colour. I am very interested about the relation between the plant and the colour. While I am interested in the heritage of Indigo for this project I am also interested about what contemporary dyers are doing and how we are all connected.

You do not have to be a renowned dyer or have dyeing community to take part.

The installation will show skeins in the exhibitions room featuring the range of color obtained.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE INTERESTED:

If you are interested download the booking form above, fill up your details and email it to me on bettysbeautifullife @gmail.com. I will return you a number to confirm your space. You then will need to send me the skein when ready anytime between May and end of August.

ABOUT THE LOGISTICS:

You will be responsable for sending the chosen skein to me but I will post it back to you at some point… I can not say when, if the installation is successful I would like to submit for other exhibitions. When I am completely done I will offer to return your skein this time at my cost. Or you can just indicate when you send it if you would like to donate it to the project. In this case at the end it would be sold locally to help funding the venture. I am a self employed artist and I do not benefit from grants.

The installation will be covered by insurance and the cost of a lost skein will be reimbursed at at level of $10/each.

WHAT YOU WILL GET OUT OF THIS EXPERIENCE:

You will be part of a great family of Indigo dyers and of a large installation in show for 5 weeks in my solo exhibition and later travelling to a range of venues.

Your name and details will be presented together with your process if the details about the installation.

I will aim at organising a zoom call in October so everyone can meet everyone and I will share the installation in situ.

Thanks in Advance,

Betty xx

From seeds to Blue, growing Japanese Indigo in Scotland for dye

My name is Elisabeth Viguie Culshaw I am a natural dyer based in Glasgow and I am in love with the color blue.

This is the first post of my Indigo growing season. For the next six months on a regular basis I will be writing about growing and using Japanese Indigo in Scotland. I will describe my process and give useful tip to those who would like to try their hands at growing their own dye plants.

I usually run this as a paid course but I have decided this year to open my knowledge and tip in a FOC blog post way to allow more want to be growers to catch up. I will be sharing regular photos of the result on my Ig page @bettysbeautifullife make sure to give it a like if you would like to keep up. The posts will naturally stop end of September at the end of the season and the opening of my “Shades of Blue” Indigo exhibition in Glasgow.

Elisabeth with Mann Craft Tamarind traditional vat in Northern Thailand 2020

I have been working with Indigo for many years. Before the Covid crisis I travelled the world to learn from Masters and plants in the East. But Covid trapped me at home and I decided to start growing my own small crop.

After some research my choice was for Japanese Indigo. I found a grower in Norway and my thinking was that Scottish weather and light level would not be worse. In 2021 I grew my first crop, 600 plants in a new grow box in the middle of my Glasgow Urban garden.

When the world was in chaos with the biggest health crisis of the 21st century I sat in the garden waiting for my plants to grow.

I found that growing Japanese Indigo connected me deeply with the seasons, the color blue became very connected to the plant.

In 2022 I started growing in The Glasgow Botanical garden 1500 plants of Japanese Indigo or Persicaria tinctoria in two ordered bed at the top of the garden. In 2026 I will be growing for the 5th year. In September I share the fresh leaves with the pubic.

Fresh leaves workshop and sharing during the “Feeling blue” exhibition Glasgow 2024

In 2026 I will be presenting “Shades of Blue” a month long exhibition about “Indigo” the plants, colors and processes. The Auld Kirk in Kirkintilloch (Scotland) will be hosting me. Together we are growing Japanese Indigo plants in a box just outside the entrance door of the museum. We want to inspire the visitors to look at growing their own dye plants.

Growing Japanese Indigo in Urban Glasgow in 2026

In this ongoing blog I will be sharing my growing journal for 2026. If you are interested about growing you will find here my notes and best advice.

Every week I will post about my development and in the summer I will share some recipes for using the leaves for color.

APRIL – WEEK 1:

April is the beginning of my growing season, in Scotland the late spring means the soil does not warm up for several months after the new year and it is possible to have frost well into March.

As a general rule I germinate my seeds indoors in trays in seedling compost because despite the extra cost I feel I get a much better rate of germination that way. I usually plant around 1500 plants in drops of 5 seeds in small cubicles. In my experience Japanese Indigo plants are very sociable and like to grow in groups. I have experimented with groups of 10 but as they mature in their individual pods they draw too much food from the compost and tend to grow leggy. 5 is my favorite number.

I plant to germinate for several beds. One grow box (1.5 x 2.5 m) in my own garden (part sun/shade, fresh compost with addition of liquid fertiliser during the season), two beds (1.2 x 5.5 m in the grounds of the Glasgow Botanical garden,) the soil is clay rich and while I add compost and manure every year the plants are never as well developed as my own space. This year I am also growing for a 1.2 x 2.5 m box outside The Auld Kird in Kirkintilloch. In total I am germinating 1515 seeds this year.

In April I plant the seeds and they will take around 10 days to germinate. After a few days once the second set of leaves have opened I will transfer them into small pots and start hardening them. Around mid to end of May they will be ready to plant outside and at that time the ground will have warmed up.

In other areas (South of England), Europe or USA the germinating will have been done in March but for me it is essential to keep an eye on the weather. So for me April is a great month.

This week I identified some small trays in the shed, made of plastic I bought those several years ago. I fill them up with soil, pop 5 seeds on top of each cubicle and dust a small layer of compost.

The trays are resting in my growing room. I live in Urban Glasgow and while I have a great garden shed, I dont have a green house. For me growing dye plants has always been a temporary activity and I believe in trying to as much as possible using what I have to make this work. So to that effect I use a room in our flat which has a great very large window with mid day sun and a lot of light. This works like a green house. A large table just behind the window acts as growing table and end of the summer a drying table. The temperature indoors is around 20 degree which is great for this germination to take place.

My green trays are resting on top of a plastic small tray. I can water the seeds quite happily. In good time the grown seeds will be transferred into small compostable pots in group of 5 and those will rest on the same table until they need to harden outside.

This year I have a new tool… a watering bottle made of a recycled bottle. I am always on the look out for a fine watering can for my seeds and I found just the thing. An old plastic bottle that was in my recycle bin happen to be keen to help. I heated a sharp knife on one flame of the cooker and used to pierce very sharp and small holes.

After planting the seeds I covered the whole bed with some plastic sheeting. I know it sounds a little strange to work with plastic on eco techniques but the plastic covering the wet earth will heat up when hit by the lunchtime sun and will create condensation which in turn will keep the soil humid and warmer. This will “fake” a green house effect. It will help the seeds feel they are in a warm climate.

The general temperature of the room is between 16 and 17 degree centigrade and I keep an old thermometer in the corner of the window. But at lunchtime the sun hit the window as this room is south facing and the temperature rises above 25 in the cubicles.

As a general rule I do not believe you need to purchase sophisticated, and expensive tools to perform a task. You have to understand what you are trying to achieve and trouble shoot with what you have around you.. that is the real sustainable way.

When deciding to grow semi large scale (i think 1500 plants is semi large scale) I made the conscious decision not to create a stash of items that would ultimately end up in landfill. Some garden tools had to be purchased but I did not built an expensive greenhouse, I did not buy a lot of compost, and so on.. Year after year I reuse the same green trays to germinate the seeds. I think this is the right way. You may not realise that you have at home many many things you can use for this. Take a look around. There is great satisfaction to make do with fewer items and achieve the growth of plants.

I hope you can join me on my journey of growing plants for blue. If you are in the UK I suggest contacting George at Bailliwick in Guernsey. Find her on instagram under Bailliwick. For now she supplies the best seeds.

On this note, I do not produce my own seeds. The growing season in Scotland is very short and often it freezes in the autumn too early for seeds to mature. I focused on producing seeds in 2023 and the growing from them in 2024 was of poor quality. I came to terms that I would be ok with buying seeds years after years. I feel blessed enough to be able to grow.

On my next post I will share more detail about my set up, some information about soil, fertilizer, way of planting, about my timing and my climate.

Please be aware if you are a beginner that every soil is different and will give a different result. Be patient, be grateful and learn to accept what nature gives you.

Good luck.

Betty xx

About the Indigo diaries – 2026

New blog Journal in 2026 – The Indigo diaries

2026 comes as a special year for me. After several years of research in growing Japanese Indigo (Persicaria Tinctoria) and Woad (Isatis Tinctoria) at The Indigo plot in Scotland and in Vat making and maintaining I have decided to open some of my experiments and their results in a regular blog. Under the tab “The Indigo diaries” I will be posting two posts a month detailing my activities and giving some recipes.

After consideration I have decided not to offer an online group about growing Japanese Indigo, Compared with the previous year the original response was very low and I think help is available in many places. Offering an online group is creating a large workload for me and without the support of many I can not justify the time I would spend on this. Instead I will blog about it and if you follow this blog (see the subscribe button you will be able to find the posts informatives.

Solo Indigo exhibition in the Autumn 2026

It is my pleasure to announce that I have been invited to have a solo exhibition about Indigo by EDLC at The Auld Kirk in Kirkintilloch, The opening will be on the 26th of September at 2pm. It will run until 29th of October (Opening hours Tuesday to Saturday 10 to 5pm)

The Indigo tour Thailand 2027

I am planning a 14 days retreat focused on Indigo in Northern Thailand in 2027 for a very small group of Indigo lovers, it will focus on Indigo growing, harvesting, vat making and using, if you are interested please email me on bettysbeautifullife@gmail.com

THE COLOURS OF THAILAND – Discovering the colours and fibers of Thailand tour – 19th Nov – 3nd of Dec 2026