UK HANDMADE: So much talent!
We’ve recently given the UK Handmade forum a bit of an overhaul to get the front page looking spick and span. It’s one of those things that’s been on our “to do” list for a while now so I am pleased we have finally managed to get round to it.
I had the pleasure of looking through some of the members’ work last night and was totally blown away by the sheer diversity of talent! I wanted to share with you some of the AMAZING handmade goodies I came across ~ you can see the actual featured items HERE and you can also visit the maker’s profile page if like me you like to know more about people (^_^). Follow me on pinterest if you want to see more:
DIARY: Montezuma Magic
That’s my nickname for our beautiful adopted Tabby point Siamese boy “Monty”, who is THE most loving and cuddly lad ever. It’s strange how, as you get to know an animal, you notice their little foibles just as you would a human friend. Monty has this quirky little purr which I like to think sounds like a little hamster hurriedly pulling at a pulley system which requires a bit of oiling lol It’s just the best sound ever. I’ve tried to capture on video to share because it’s just so sweet but haven’t been very successful (too much background noise and me doing worrying deep breathing lol). Here’s the video anyway.
Monty is missing a digit on his right paw (a run-in with a neighbourhood bully cat before he came to us), but this doesn’t appear to bother him at all and he just gets on with the business of being bloody marvellous!
Admittedly he isn’t quite as energetic as Maru & Luna, but the girls are 3 years younger as Monty is 9, which is about 63 in human years….he certainly doesn’t look his age but he does get on really well with my dad (similar age you see) and can often be found sleeping contentedly next to him when my folks visit…I like to joke that they are two sleep old men…bless them both (^_^)
We’ve made a few adjustments to accommodate our expanding feline family over the last few months; we have built a large cat run which occupies the courtyard between the kitchen and the conservatory (my office) which all three seem to enjoy and appreciate and was rather a fun DIY project for big dutch and I. Strangely, as we were building the run I had visions of interlinking runs all round the house and garden lol…mwahahaha I have plans!…better not tell big dutch about that yet though, he’s only just recovering from building this one.
The one and only thing that has been a bit of an issue is that Monty likes to do his number 1s outside and not in the litter tray (thankfully he does his number 2s in the tray!) which is fine when I can detect from his “please can you open the door mum” meows that he needs the loo so can give him access to the large cat run we built, but not fine when he needs the loo in the middle of the night and decides to go up the wall in the alcove under the telly lol So, our project for the weekend was to fit a cat flap to the stable door in out utility room so he has more freedom to come and go as he pleases. The cat flap even has an “In” and “Out” indicator thingmyjig which I thought was fabulously clever (sorry I am easily pleased).
I also asked my amazing artist friend Sabrina Thomas to make a portrait of Monty as he’s not a true Stassen until there’s an S.Thomas portrait of him hanging in our living room lol She very graciously obliged and did the most amazing job, capturing him perfectly!
So, on balance I’d say things are going rather well and Maru, Luna and Monty, whilst not quite at the snuggling together stage, all sleep with me at night and have agreed their various spots in the bed lol I’ve noticed a fair amount of nose kisses (cat greeting) between them too and the other day Luna was grooming Monty (until he got a bit jumpy and snapped) so I have hope!
I get lots of cat therapy each day so I for one am a happy camper (^_^)
DIARY: A Whole New World
Don’t worry, this post isn’t about me breaking into full on Disney songs but about my newly discovered love, or should I call it descent into yarn and knitting madness. I use the word “descent” deliberately, as it is indeed a slippery slope…one minute you’re just “having a wee go at this knitting malarchy” and the next you find yourself “oohing and aahing” in several different yarn shops in a day. Accompanied by my wonderful friend Becky of Chameleon Designs, who like some gleeful yarn elf lead me a merry dance into various yarn shops, I found myself discussing the exciting prospect of meeting Debbie Bliss with one shop assistant. I didn’t even know who Debbie Bliss was last month!! now I am all a fluster at the idea of her gracing a relatively local yarn shop in Guildford in October for a Q&A and to sign some of her books lol. Oh dear…..I think the transformation is well and truly complete!
These hexi-puff blighters are the culprits for my assimilation as well as the wonderful Suzanne Stallard of knithappens and jelly, but seriously I have found knitters to be the most supportive, wonderful people and feel privileged to be in such good company!!
Determined not to be a one trick pony, I have also embarked upon another knitting project to do in tandem with the hexi-puffing…this project, unlike the dainty little puffs, involves HUGE knitting needles and Debbie Bliss’ new Autumn 2011 chunky yarn “Paloma” which I purchased from the lovely, friendly GillianGladRag shop in Dorking. I am loving this Paloma yarn, it’s soft and springy and wonderful against the skin…highly recommend it for chunky winter knits! Ironically, I am knitting this rather chunky thing for my gorgeous sister who lives in Melbourne in Australia lol I keep telling myself it WILL get cold enough for her to actually need it lol
I’ve been pondering what it is about knitting that gets people hooked in this way but haven’t managed to pin it down yet; my theory is that it has something to do with a sense of community and the slightly repetitive yet meditation-like process of knitting. I’d be interested to hear theories from seasoned knitters on this? I really thought myself immune to knitting but apparently not as I have to prevent myself from looking at Ravelry too much for fear I spot too many projects I want to try! If the Spring 2012 issue of UK Handmade magazine doesn’t materialise you can blame it on the knitting (^_-).
DIARY: Can Craft Change the World?
Today, UK Handmade took part in #craftdebate hosted by the British Museum on twitter; a discussion about whether “craft has a place in this digital age?” Previous craftdebates posed questions such as “What is the role and value of crafts today?” and “Can craft be used to change the world?” and this got me thinking about just that.
I guess I wouldn’t be expending my energies as part of the UK Handmade team unless I believed that craft can positively influence the world we inhabit. Having experienced a corporate life totally devoid of any creative outlet at one point in my life, in my humble opinion, people who “make”, “craft” or “create”, whatever you wish to call it, on a regular basis tend to be happier people…a little less stressed and consequently more likely to have both the emotional and head space to “give”, “care” or “share” more, because they aren’t all-consumed by the business of getting through the stress of the day.
I feel the act of making/creating something is intrinsically therapeutic. Anyone who makes will tell you that there isn’t space in your mind for other things when you’re making….creation requires focus and produces an almost meditative state of concentration, where all other stresses/noises/things going on in life fade into the background for a moment of sheer, beautiful, blissful peace and tranquility and oneness with yourself…you are connected to the essence of what makes you you.
Menno carving a Japanese “Hanko” insignia stamp in marble
Of course not ALL happy people necessarily go out and do things that have a major impact on the world, but each and every one of us impact the people with whom we come into contact in one way or another…and this is where the “happy” bit comes in for me….if you’re happy then your interactions with others are likely to be positive and have a positive effect on them…happiness is catching. Have you ever had a friend where you always come away from them feeling better about life, yourself, the world….I always like to think that you’ve caught their happiness (^_^).
Having recently attended the Thames Festival and seen the free craft workshops in action, I also think craft is a powerful tool for engaging young people and adults alike. Even the most distracted or disruptive child can become quiet, at peace and focused when working on making/creating something. This coupled with the sense of satisfaction that comes with producing something yourself is surely a powerful tool to re-engage even the most disengaged of youngsters.
Thinking back to my own school days, I wasn’t the most academic of kids in my year…I preferred spending my time playing sports or making art. Creating artwork/ceramics in particular gave me a sense of achievement and pride which helped to counterbalance the lack of confidence I felt in my academic abilities. It didn’t matter to me that I wasn’t the best artist in the world because it was just so wonderful to know that I had created something from nothing. I think the Crafts Council sum it up well in their comments on the Wolf Review, “Craft practice in schools has enormous educational value, encouraging creative thinking, innovative learning and contributing to learners’ sense of personal agency; research shows that developing haptic skills aids cognitive development.“
“river bed” hand-crafted ceramic dish
For me, confidence, like happiness, is a massively important thing (I guess each is a part of the other)…without confidence (the confidence to be who you are, to accept yourself, to show others who you really are warts and all) I feel one can become defensive, withdrawn, antisocial, aggressive even. I don’t mean the false-confidence of bravado, bullying, confrontation or aggression…to me that isn’t confidence it’s fear….but rather the quiet confidence inside that allows others to be as they are, that keeps one safe in the knowledge that it’s ok to be who YOU are…just as you are and that there is a space just for you in this world, as there is space for others.
So what do I think? Call me naive but I think that craft can change the world, because it can change people….and people make the world. Craft can play a part in influencing whether those people are happy and confident people who go out and spread positivity through their interactions. Change always starts from you outwards….we all have the power to change people and people have the power to change the world.
And to leave you with something rather nice, I came across this video the other day by a US-based artist who keeps a web-comic diary which I found wonderful.
NEWS: Craft Seller Magazine
Is it just me or is the concept of a magazine full of patterns for people to make things to someone else’s design and then SELL them TOTALLY at odds with the whole idea of being a designer-maker?
As a jewellery designer-maker myself, I know first hand the sheer amount of time and effort it takes to design and make something original, but that is part of the beauty of products produced by designer-makers: the originality of the design, time and attention to detail, the connection with the designer, the materials, the story and process you are privy to (which you don’t get from mass-produced stuff…not sure how that would go anyway “machine 1 adds rivet”….”machine 2 sews first seam” the mind boggles). Surely, all the above is totally lost if you are essentially a human sewing machine with no design or creative input making something to someone else’s design?
With regard to the “selling” bit I find it strange that any designer-maker who makes a living from doing what they do would AGREE to have their pattern published in a magazine which advocates their readers making and then SELLING that design to make money. Ah but here lies the crux of the issue, did the designer-maker actually agree or even know that the pattern would be published in this manner? It seems the answer is a resounding “NO“. Copyright is a tricky issue for many designer-makers particularly with the internet making it difficult to police protecting your images/designs etc. but I’d say this would be left of field for any designer-maker….I certainly never imagined a scenario like this! Disgraceful is the only word that springs to mind.
Anyway one of the actual designers who has found herself in this situation shares her point of view HERE go have a read; FOREWARNED is FOREARMED!!
Anyone affected by copyright issues might want to go and check out ACID “ACID (Anti Copying in Design) is a membership organisation, committed to raising awareness and encouraging respect for intellectual property within corporate social responsibility. The ACID logo is recognised as a strong symbol of deterrence. ACID accredited law firms have achieved £3million+ in costs and damages in 400+ settlements for members.”
I was recently interviewed by an amazing lady from Melbourne called Amanda Kelly who runs an inspirational website called Rumble Underground which operates around the ethos that “local is global” and showcases projects of interest from around the world!
Here’s an extract from the “about”section:
“It is a platform for people who are geographically diverse, to share ideas, music and art. We p r o v i d e a s p a c e for those who in the past, may not have had a chance to connect with like-minded people. This is a place to share creations & creativity, make connections, INSPIRE and enjoy the amazing things that we each contribute to the world.“
Apologies in advance for my nasal voice (I suffer from seasonal allergies) and my over enthusiastic use of the words “you know”. It’s quite long at around 45 minutes but I talk about all sorts of thing including the background to UK Handmade, my views on life and happiness, who inspires me…so please bear with the awful voice and have a listen (^_^). If nothing else I AM passionate about what I am talking about lol
Hope you enjoy it!
This Summer marked the inaugural Craft Trail at the Mayor of London’s Thames Festival; London’s biggest, free festival held each year to celebrate the wonderfulness that is “Ye Olde London Town”. My good friend Mary McDermott of We Make London was charged with the not inconsiderable task of putting on a handmade market as part of the festival and, true to form, did a stellar job indeed!
The Craft Trail was essentially made up of 3 handmade markets found in different spots along the Southbank (Crafty HQ next to Tower Bridge, We Make London next to HMS Belfast and Crafty Fox in front of Tate Modern). The trail, which followed the contours of the Southbank from Tower bridge to Southwark bridge, was illustrated with a beautiful map designed and illustrated by Mike Hall; most definitely an exquisite work of art in its own right and something I shall be framing to put it up in my studio.
I felt that part of the success of the craft trail was the interactive feature, in the sense that the public could follow it along and get their maps stamped by each craft collective granting them entry into a prize draw and a free goodie bag to the first 50 to complete the task; I noticed quite a few early birds eagerly asking for their maps to be stamped keen to be amongst the first 50 lol Each collective also held some wonderful workshops getting kids and adults involved in needle felting, fabric accessories making and cross-stitch to name but a few things.
I think this was also a bit of a milestone in the sense that it was the first time (that I am aware of) that so many fabulous craft collectives: Sanna Panda & Friends, Of Cabbages & Kings, Craft Guerilla, Crafty Fox and of course We Make London have come together in such an interactive way! UK Handmade had a table showcasing the magazine in the We Make London area which was a lovely little area reminiscent of European artisan markets. There was an amazing turn out despite sometimes “touch & go” weather and it was truly heart-warming to see so many members of the general public taking a keen interest in our handmade love-in.
Karen Jinks (Creative Director of UK Handmade) and kind and supportive friend to UK Handmade Tiina Teaspooon took the first shift running our UK Handmade stall on Saturday, so I took the opportunity to visit the surrounding stalls of goodies and said “hi” to some familiar and not so familiar faces.
I was utterly blown away by some new designers, whom I have not come across before (lord knows why!!!), called Pretty Scruffy who make THE MOST AMAZING life-size patchwork sculptures of animals….I fell in love with the fox (must save up!).
I was also feeling “awfully British”, this being a celebration of our capital after all and felt myself very drawn to illustrator Jill Tytherleigh’s stall Jillty Drawings. She showed me an absolutely luscious hand printed sample cloth of something she is working on so I am really excited to see what she turns it into; I am hoping some lush home-wares like cushions to compliment the range of lovely tea-towels and aprons she already makes (^_-).
Our table neighbour was a lovely lady who had come down all the way from Yorkshire to sell her gorgeous Made At Green View handbags! Really beautiful, vibrant jewel-coloured fabrics mixed together to make some phenomenally eye-catching bags. She also runs some sewing classes if you happen to be up Yorkshire way; details of which can be found on her blog.
I took over table-manning duties on the Sunday which, despite dire weather forecasts, stayed surprisingly rain free although it was blowing a gale! At one point my magazine presentation boards almost took flight and I had visions of inadvertently paragliding down the Thames clinging beneath for dear life…that would have been a sight that the Thames Festival organisers won’t have included in their programme of entertainment!!
Anyway, I digress….my lovely friend Jenny came to keep me company behind the stall on Sunday and we took a stroll down to Crafty HQ which was right by Tower bridge to ooh and aah over the gorgeous wares on offer. Incidentally, we also caught a rare glimpse of Tower bridge being raised…yay!
There was ALOT going on near Tower bridge, with an array of food, film, music and everything in between on offer; a real festival/carnival feeling which was wonderful in view of some of London’s iconic landmarks.
Sanna Panda & Friends were located down this end of the Craft Trail near Craft HQ and, as expected, had a gorgeous array of goodies on offer. I spotted some of my personal favourites: Birdboxes and Bee Hotels by London Clay Birds (Dawn Painter), Plush cushions by Zeena Shah and Sanna’s own felted hot-water bottle covers!
Next to Sanna Panda & friends was Tanya Strikk’s stall Strikk Handknits packed full of knitted goodness and tactile yarns and next to her was The Miniature Knit Shop which had the cutest knitted hats and little socks for babies and littlies resembling little frogs and owls and other wee creatures! I can just imagine my friend’s little one looking the picture of cuteness in one of these little sets! (>_<)
I think it would be safe to say that the Craft Trail was a resounding success and that it was greatly enjoyed by the public; my only reservation was the distance between We Make London and the next stop along the trail, Crafty Fox which I found a fair trek…but perhaps that is just me being lazy. No doubt, the Craft Trail will become a regular fixture at the Thames Festival in the future which can only be a good thing in getting people to engage with their own creativity via fabulous work shops and also engage with designer-makers and the products they make.
I think all that’s left to say is well done to the designer-makers that took part and a huge congratulations to the organisers on a job well done; particularly Mary and Julie….you deserve a holiday!!!
Ooh and I almost forgot to mention; thanks to my newly discovered love of knitting, I even managed to make a hexi-puff for the Beekeeper’s Quilt whilst I was sitting at the UK Handmade table (^_^) lol Behold!!!
DIARY: The Knitting Bug
I can honestly say, hand on heart, that I never in a million years pegged myself as a knitter; I certainly felt I lacked the patience if not the skill to ever become any good at it…or so I thought (^_-).
Enter one absolutely breath-takingly marvelous quilt pattern ~ The Beekeepers Quilt by Tiny Owl Knits (who is something of a celebrity in knitting circles I now know) which I happened across during my editorial duties for UK Handmade and everything changed. I can honestly credit this one pattern with turning me from a “never been interested in knitting” person to a “I really want to learn to knit” person. Behold its beauty below and you will see why I fell in love……….
On mentioning the fact that I had bought the pattern, a very kind friend agreed to show me some knitting basics and I was also very kindly taken under wing by the amazing Suzanne Stallard of Knithappens which was fortunate indeed, as I understood very little when I first looked at the pattern….dpns, increasing and decreasing, knit and purl…these were all foreign words to me lol
Having finally learnt enough knitting language to procure the correct needles and yarn I set about attempting by first hexi-puff! I watched a video on how to do a long-tail cast on and followed the instructions, but due to my pathological perfectionist tendencies, I unravelled what I had done each time I made any tiny mistake so, as you can imagine, it took me quite a while to produce something that looked even remotely like a puff. Even then, I did the increases wrong on one side so ended up with what looked like a knitted handbag…evidence below! However, I soon realised my error and promptly managed to get it right the next time round.
An then made another………………and another….IT IS ADDICTIVE – I definitely have the hexi-puff bug if not the knitting bug!
This evening I decided to take the plunge and join Ravelry so I can be amongst others who are also following Tiny Owl Knit’s fabulous pattern and my gosh there are a lot of us! I think this has literally taken the knitting world by storm…which doesn’t really surprise me given my first hand conversion experience at first glance from non-knitter to knitter.
The really great thing about this project is that you really do just take it one hexi-puff at a time and the kit you need is easily carried around in a handbag to whip out when you have waiting around time in waiting rooms, bus stops, on the tube etc etc. Personally also have found that knitting is a great antidote to the stresses of modern life.
So there you have it…I’m a newly initiated knitter and proud (^O^)
NEWS: The Concrete Market
I attended the wonderful inaugural Concrete Market last Sunday, organised by the inimitable Tina Crawford of Tobyboo.
Having watched the riots unfolding in London with dismay a few weeks ago, it was nice to associate Croydon with something other than the burnt out carcasses of sadly lost family businesses and smashed in shop windows. Despite the weather gods not looking too favourable on the day, there was a good turn out of folk steadily arriving at the iconic-looking Oval Tavern; a lovely wooden beamed traditional sort of place. The location was surprisingly residential. which was rather nice and just a stones throw from East Croydon Station and, for those of us that drive, the fact that it was a Sunday meant parking was free…always a bonus in my book!
A great big banner greeted us on our arrival and inside a mixture of eclectic stalls offering everything from stained-glass jewellery and stunning paintings to vintage clothing and children’s books! There were some familiar names and faces such as Emily The Pemily with her iconic designs and it was lovely to put some faces to products (I so often know the work but not the face!), for example, I finally met the lovely Jennifer Cairns who told me all about her fantastic kids book Katsina Qu’a for girls and boys which will be out soon!
I was particularly taken with the work of artist Viv Richards who creates the most beautiful coastal paintings using a mixture of collage and painting techniques (my photo doesn’t do her work justice!).
I also loved the recycling ethos behind the work of stained-glass artist Muna Zuberi, who turns discarded pieces of glass into beautiful sun-catchers and ornaments, as well as producing larger display pieces and some gorgeous stained glass jewellery!
There were some striking papercuts for sale from Ant Design Gifts, which I thought would make great wedding or anniversary presents for those people you just aren’t quite sure what to get, as you really can’t go wrong with these!
Unfortunately, largely due to the rain I expect, the lovely outdoor space to the rear of the Oval Tavern wasn’t fully utilised, but it’s good to know there’s scope to fit even more lovely stalls selling gorgeous handmade goodies for future events! Concrete Market is a wonderful way to bring the handmade, designer-maker, indie touch to Croydon and I for one will be looking forward to the next event!
Well Done Tina & Co.
I made a couple of mid-year resolutions this year…firstly, that I was going to pull my finger out and sort out my health, which means tackling the weight issue (getting there slowly but surely…7kg less of me now) so that I don’t feel so anti-social; and secondly, that I’d organise some relaxed, casual, local meet-ups so that I can actually get to know some friendly, creative, supportive people in my local area…even if it’s just to have a quick coffee and a chat (nothing too heavy).
Don’t get me wrong, I feel immensely privileged to do what I do, I have daily contact with some of the most talented and creative people in the UK yet, ironically, sometimes I also find myself feeling utterly isolated from the real life creative scene. Editing, organising, managing and even content management admin tasks are all things that I do enjoy because they appeal to my business brain, but I have come to realise that, to maintain a healthy balance and remain inspired, I also need to counterbalance all that solitary work with being around real, live, creative people and immersing myself in that special vibe that infuses the air when enthusiastic, creative minds get together and start bouncing ideas around.
So, to uphold my second mid-year resolution I have started to organise UK Handmade Surrey local meetups. If I’m honest I am a bit of a wuss when it comes to these things so I have to back myself into doing them…so the first meetup was just a simple coffee morning at my house. In truth, I wasn’t even sure if anyone would be interested, but that inaugural meetup welcomed 10 local designer-makers and creative business owners into my home.
See the stunning work by glass artist Becky Fairclough below! 
You can check out everyone else’s amazing work here: Chameleon Designs; LAM Designs; What Katie Threads Next; Apple Juice Gifts; Magpies Laundry; Calladoodles; TobyBoo; Dawn Bevins Designs; Bonkers About Buttons and Holly & Green (no website yet). It was so refreshing to sit and chat and look at people’s work and actually be able to touch and feel it…really inspiring and reaffirmed why I do what I do (^_^).
LUSH embroidered clock by LAM Designs below!
I returned equally inspired yesterday from the second meetup, kindly hosted by Clare Callahan at her gorgeous shop Calladoodles on Carshalton High Street. It was a stunningly beautiful day with blue skies and sunshine and the conversation and tea flowed as we had a bite to eat at the local cafe and I met more inspiring people who create, photograph, write, consult and many things in between.
Clare kindly introduced me to some of her talented friends: photographer and owner of fabulous handmade blog h-made, Kellie Spicknell which will hopefully result in some exciting h-made:ukhandmade collaborations which are in the works, marketing and business consultant and all round guru Zoe Hannam and lady with her finger on the artistic pulse of Brighton, Nicki Shipley of Big Bead Boutique. My friend Yvonne of Fine Beaded Jewellery came along with me too which was lovely as well as the uber talented Mary Kilvert (just take a peak at her LUSH town house wallpaper below and I NEED that sheep mug lol) along with her lovely photographer and writer friend Clare Kelly!
For me, it’s not that I don’t already feel that I am in the right place, doing what I am meant to be doing, but spending time with such talented, creative and, more importantly, supportive people really hammers it home. There’s nothing better than a chat and exchanging ideas with like-minded locals over tea and cake to feed the soul!
