A FOREST stonemason will be turning her hand to a completely new material when she takes part in a competition in the United States.

The competition in Colorado will be the first time that Lydney-based Carrie Horwood will work with snow.

It will be the culmination of an exciting year for Carrie who celebrates her 10th anniversary as a mason based in the Forest and being honoured by the Worshipful Company of Masons.

Carrie, whose Cat’s Eye Carving studio is at Taurus Crafts, will compete in Breckenridge, Colorado at the end of January as part of the British team which has set itself the task of creating two fighting dragons.

She said: “We’re given a block of compacted snow and we have to create a piece from that.

“I’m really looking forward to working with a completely different material and getting inspiration from masons from around the world and using that inspiration when I get back here.”

Carrie was honoured by the Worshipful Company of Masons, one of the original City of London livery companies, with yeoman status for raising the profile of stonemasonry, her charitable works and organising stone carving festivals.