Wednesday 30 December 2009

January Mini Workshop...


Apart from our usual ready to make craft packs and all round crafty goodness we'll be holding another of our mini workshops at our monthly D.I.Y. craft night on Thursday 14th of January.
Please book on the night. A small £2 fee per person covers tutor fee,materials and tools.
Mini work shop starts at 9pm.
Ye Olde Rose And Crowne 55 Hoe Street E17 Walthamstow from 8 pm - 11pm
Free entry!

Have a stain on your favourite tshirt, a moth hole in your best jumper? Come
along and learn how needle felting can jazz up/ pimp your clothes in
minutes.
Bring anything top/ jumper/ bag/ hat that is made of NATURAL fibres
and we will provide the rest.

december event photos

thanks to everyone that made our year so fabulously crafty!
See you in January!


Tuesday 15 December 2009

Talk Back Telivision wants you!

Here's something you craft loving folk might be interested in. They've assured me that it's not all about DIY - in the Home Improvement sense but that they're also looking for people from an Arts and Crafts background to take on the challenge and provide another view and way of decorating...
sounds very interesting!


ARE YOU A DIY BUFF?


WE’RE LOOKING FOR PEOPLE TO TAKE PART IN AN EXCITING NEW
DIY TV SHOW. YOU’LL NEED TO HAVE:

AN AMBITIOUS design PLAN
SOME REAL DIY SKILLS
AND A ROOM YOU ARE DESPERATE TO TRANSFORM

WE’LL GIVE YOU THE HELP YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE OVER
YOUR ROOM IN JUST ONE DAY




We’re looking for contributors based in London



Interested? Get in touch ASAP

Email: DIY@talkbackthames.tv
Call: 0207 861 8007

Monday 14 December 2009

and the winner is...

Thanks to everyone that entered the VIRTUAL TOMBOLA. We are very happy to announce that lady luck has plunged her plump little hand into the Craft Guerrilla hat and the winner is... DRUM ROLL PLEASE ...
LAUREN TONES!
Sorry to everyone else that didn't win...better luck next time! There will be other competitions later next year!

Monday 7 December 2009

WIN some hand made Christmas goodies!

Because we had such a great time at our Xmas Craft Guerrilla we're feeling generous and in the festive spirit.
Craft Guerrilla held a TOMBOLA in aid of The William Morris Gallery and we made £90 which went directly to the GALLERY!
Thank you all for your generous hand made donations and for all the lovely people that spun the TOMBOLA.
LOTS OF HAPPY PEOPLE CAME AWAY WITH GORGEOUS PRIZES! BUT because it was such a success we'd like to offer you lot another chance to win BIG.
SO...We decided that we'd offer you a VIRTUAL TOMBOLA!
Send us an email to craftguerrilla@yahoo.com with the subject title "tombola" and we'll enter you in the competition. We'll then place your names in the TOMBOLA, SPIN and one of you will WIN!
WINNER will be announced next MONDAY the 14th.

GOOD LUCK!

Saturday 5 December 2009

Christmas Soupa Market!


Looking for Christmas gifts in the supermarket can be dull.

Looking for Christmas gifts in the SoupaMarket however, is anything but…

This one time only event will see members of Soupa sell their wares at the Old Truman Brewery’s ‘All I Want for Christmas’ fair on a collective SoupaStall. This lovely poster has been created by Soupa member Oscar de Castro to promote the event and details who will be providing the goodies!

Expect limited edition screenprints, T-shirts and cuddly critters – all unique and handmade by Santa’s Soupa little elves.

If you’d like to come along, then we’d love to see you. See the below/attached poster for details – and be sure to tell your friends!

*************************************************************

www.soupa.co.uk / http://twitter.com/okjo_soupa
*************************************************************

We are also adorning the Brick Lane entrance and stairwell to the market as an ongoing Soupa project - check out some pictures of our progress at: http://bit.ly/4qWfii

Friday 4 December 2009

Craft Guerrilla on NewsNight!

Thanks to the Edinburgh Craft Guerrilla and for the BBC for including us in their "make do and mend" feature on News Night!
Hoorah!!!

To watch it click on the link below:

http://bbc.co.uk/i/p92n6/

Thursday 3 December 2009

DECEMBER is a crafty month...


Hooray for December!
It looks like we're coming in for a CRAFT OVERDOSE but...let's face it we love doing things to extremes! Not content with hosting a Christmas Craft Guerrilla Market at the William Morris Gallery we're also back to hosting our monthly DIY Craft Nights at Ye Olde Rose and Crown in E17. This month...
we'll be hosting not one but two mini workshops!
There's the recycled Monster workshop. Bring an old tee shirt, a pair of wool tights or some nice clean socks and we'll show you how to make your very own creature!
There's a £3 charge to participate but all tutoring and extra materials are included.
Also bring along any unfinished embroidery. We have on hand an expert which will be happy to help you finish or start your embroidery project.
It's a great chance to get some great little gifts and the best thing is that you've made it!!!

Designer Makers Chrimbo Fair in N1...


Hi all.
Here's another great opportunity to sell your hand made goodness!
I hear they're still taking bookings but I'd get my skates on...
for T&C's visit their blog.

"The Designer Makers Christmas Sale will be a showcase of
art, craft, design, and making things. The objective is not only to get
people to come and buy from some of the best designer-makers and
creators, but also to bring people together for a unique selling
opportunity in support of the designer maker community. The location
has hosted many successful Craft selling events and other reputable
weekend events. It is in close proximity to transport (Euston) and
several buzzing local communities. There is a full licensed bar on site
and we plan to have available two food sellers.

Regular updates of event news and exhibitors:
On this blog http://www.designermakers.blogspot.com/
and within out Facebook group (London Designer Makers)"

http://www.designermakers.blogspot.com/

oh you lucky people...designer number seven!





Naughty Rutty are an eclectic and experimental label dedicated to hand made unconventional and quirky accessories for ladies.
"We want to reflect contrast between past and present, elegance and quirkiness and femininity and masculinity crossing the seasonal boundaries of fashion. We use a mixture of sources and recycle any and everything to create special details rather than mass produce ones."

They'll be there on Sunday and we're very pleased! I'm hoping they'll have some gorgeous head gear for Christmas eve... a girl can't meet Santa without looking chic and doing her bit for the environment. We love the recycled accessories...I think that will give us extra brownie points and put us on the "NICE" list!

Tuesday 1 December 2009

not long to go now...

We're so excited!!! The Christmas Craft Guerrilla takes place this coming Sunday the 6th of December at the William Morris Gallery in lovely Walthamstow. It's the childhood home of the great man,the father of the arts & crafts movement and we're super thrilled to be there. I think he'd be tickled pink to see so much quality contemporary craft in his little home!
We're hoping to be beating off the craft loving public with knitted sticks! Come show your support buy buying hand made. BUT if you ain't in the shopping mood...do not worry,grab a seat and make your own at the craft corner.Still wanting more? Come try your luck at the tombola! Win a hand made prize and help the gallery as proceeds go straight to the WMG.
Also to be confirmed...we're hoping to have a local choir joining us for a little bit of seasonal singing. We're still waiting to hear but if they are joining us they'll be there at 2pm.
SO...what are you doing on SUNDAY?

Saturday 28 November 2009

oh you lucky people...designer number six!





Not long to go now my craft loving friends. We've been showcasing a selection of the designer makers we've hand picked to participate in the Christmas Craft Guerrilla. Set in the William Morris Gallery the father of the Arts and Crafts movement would be tickled in seeing this explosion of quality contemporary craft in his child hood home!
So we'd like to introduce:
Mary Kilvert, a freelance illustrator. She's the talented lady that made our beautiful Craftea Poster for the Art Trail.
Her illustrations are a little slice of her imagination, her love of nature and fondness of patterns.
From paper goods,illustrations to badges and pocket mirrors we know you won't be able to resist. I know I'll be buying a few!

To see more of please visit: www.marykilvert.com

Christmas SpecTATular!



Hey guys and gals.
Christmas can be stressful and expensive so why not get in some smart shopping? Second hand wares are the in thing. AND best of all I'm sure your Xmas present recipients won't receive anything like what you can find for them at this little ditty!

Saturday 21 November 2009

web site maintenance

Our web site provider is doing a little maintenance but we expect it to be back to normal real soon.
If you need to contact us email : craftguerrilla@yahoo.com

Friday 20 November 2009

Bust Christmas Craftacular!


BUST MAGAZINE CHRISTMAS CRAFTACULAR – SAT DECEMBER 12TH FROM 12 – 7PM
AT YORK HALL, 5-15 OLD FORD ROAD, LONDON E2 – NEAR BETHNAL GREEN TUBE

London’s hippest craft fair has Christmas shopping all sewn up with over 60 stalls selling handmade goods.

On December 12 you can shop, craft and make merry in Bethnal Green’s historic York Hall as New York-based women’s pop-culture magazine BUST hosts its popular shopping bonanza in London for the third time. Featuring the nations hottest craft talent!

From jewellery and clothing to home décor and cards, the BUST magazine Christmas Craftacular is the one-stop shop for the handmade and the unique. Shoppers will also be able to craft up their own creations in the DIY Den (conveniently positioned next to the bar) or sit down to tea and cake, all the while listening to DJs, including cabaret-style queens The Broken Hearts.


Entrance is £2 on the door, with free goodie bags going to the first 100 attendees.

DJs include: The Broken Hearts, Pamflet, Sheila B, Ci-Ci and Killing Fantasy.

http://www.bust.com" www.bust.com

"MAKING STUFF" crafty discount for our readers!



As you know we love making stuff! We've seen how popular our monthly events are and we too find it hard to resist making at every available chance.
If you too can't quite get enough of craft and love making things on a daily basis this book will inspire and get you crafting.
Filled with fun projects that use recycled and upcycled materials this book has gotten a well deserved big GREEN thumbs up from us! Courtesy of Black Dog Publishing you lucky people can get a 40% discount if you order your "Making Stuff" book through us! Quote "CG PROMO" as your email subject title when ordering by email: jess@blackdogonline.com
It's a great gift for a crafty friend,family member or even yourself. We all deserve a treat and there's nothing wrong in buying yourself something which will give you endless hours of creative pleasure!

We can't wait to try our hand at some of the projects and letting you know how we find it! We'll be reviewing to book real soon.
Happy reading and making fellow crafty people!!!

Tuesday 17 November 2009

oh you lucky people...designer number five!





Fancy & Fondant are deliciously decadent hand made prints by Chloe Langlois and David Newton. Beautiful screen printed cards and prints by this humorous and handsome duo.
These lovelies are new to Craft Guerrilla. We hope you like all the talented new designers we've hand picked to exhibit at the Chrimbo Market. These lovely people are a great example of the talent we've got in store for you on the 6th!

Friday 13 November 2009

Saturday is Crafternoon and Gale Force winds won't keep us away!!!


The November Crafternoon at the Old Queens Head sees us back upstairs in the gorgeous Victorian bar. Not only will there be all the usual Craft Guerrilla goodness of craft kits and tutors but we're bringing you the chance to swap your clothes with the amazing Mrs Bears Vintage Clothes Swap Shop so you can sort out your Christmas outfit as well as your Christmas presents! The Craftivism girls from the Craftivist Collective are also joining us for a "Climate for Change" mini workshop!

Not only are there clothes, craft and craftivism to help you look good, make good and feel good but the Craft Guerrilla DJs are back so that it all sounds good as well: Dawn Chorus / Masonic Boom / Annagrammatical / Handsome Betty and VAO aka the Handsome Twins. AND it's FREE ENTRY!

Seasonal craft kits will be for sale for a small fee (usually around £5) which contain everything you need to make your item. Kits vary each month but examples include tattoo heart badges, needle-felted mice, crochet bobble chains to decorate Christmas trees or felted heart Christmas decorations.

You are also very welcome to bring your own projects (that jumper you never get time to work on knitting, that crochet face cloth that you need to finish) and enjoy the music, food and drink in a craft-friendly environment.

Craft Guerrilla tutors are on hand to advise on all things crafty and can help out if you've dropped your stitches or got your k2tog in a twist.

For more details see our website www.craftguerilla.com.

Hope to see you there!

crochet tutorial link...

Thanks to all the gals that came yesterday armed with tees to harvest some yarn!Our knitting/crochet queen wasn't able to make it so...you were left with me! Unfortunately my crochet skills are very basic so my attempts of crocheting in the round were...not quite up to scratch.
But as promised here is a link with a very simple tutorial.
I have to say it's helped me immensely and I can now crochet in the round...hooray!
Have fun!!!

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/crocheting-in-circles.html

But if you feel like you need a live tutorial come to our next E17 Craft Night at Ye Olde Rose & Crown on Thursday 10th of December and you'll have not one but two crochet experts to show you just how it's done!

Monday 9 November 2009

oh you lucky people...designer number three!




OK, I might be a little bit bias as I absolutely love
Moxie Beauty products.
I'm not sure how many Moxie perfumes I have now but I've lost count!They are all so yummy and special that I must have them all! *CUE evil laugh* AND now she's made solid perfumes in keep sake boxes...OH the temptation!
Hand blended using the finest ingredients this hand made company has been our top seller at the Craft Guerrilla summer markets. Cassie is an alchemist/dark fairy and has a rare talent! I'm so happy she'll be at the William Morris gallery...well I know it'll mean that I'll have to buy another scent which isn't a bad thing! Hmmmm...I'm sure she uses a cauldron to mix her perfumes!

Friday 6 November 2009

oh you lucky people...designer number two!




I love Edwyn UK! beautiful doggy inspired home wares made by Louise Brooker.
Not just a dog owner (Edwyn,I'm dying to meet you!) but also a talented designer maker based in sunny East London.
A huge hit at the Craft Guerrilla summer markets the return of Edwyn UK to our Chrimbo Market is very much an exciting one! Door stops, draft excluders,hand embroidered cushions,totes etc...All of it is so cute without being sickly!!!
I usually struggle finding gifts for my dear old pop but I got him a cute key fob for his birthday and as a genuine dog aficionado he was very pleased.
Come and meet Louise and see her beautiful hand crafted soft furnishings at the William Morris Gallery on the 6th of December!

Twitt twoo...have a gorgeous hand made Christmas!



Thank you to our new lovely friend Kate aka Little Doodles for her brilliant and "OH so cute you could almost eat them" little birds!
We love her work. Have a look at her portfolio...I'm sure you'll fall in love. I quite like Howard! Like him I too dream of Custard Creams!!!
Here's hoping she brings out a book of illustrations...

Monday 2 November 2009

OH you lucky people...







Here's a sneaky peek at what we have in store for you! Delectable, affordable and OH SO original contemporary craft direct from the designer makers. Where? William Morris Gallery When? 6th of December...at the Craft Guerrilla Christmas Market of course!
Our first Designer maker in the spot light is... NADIA SPARHAM
Walthamstow based ceramicist extraordinaire! Soft furnishings and prints are a lovely extra to this talented ladies offerings.

WMG Xmas Market Press release


Sunday 6th of December. William Morris Gallery, Forest Road, Walthamstow. From 11am - 4pm. Free entry!
We're absolutely honoured to host this years Xmas Craft Guerrilla Market in the home of one of the founding fathers of the Arts & Crafts Movement! The Water House, William Morris birth place,houses one of the most comprehensive collections of works by the artist. Here's the perfect opportunity to visit this beautiful venue and support your local community! As a craft collective we feel very passionately about William Morris and his life work. We see our selves as modern day "Craftalites"!
We've chosen the cream of the crop and personally selected a few of our favourite designer makers from jewellers,fashion designers, ceramicists, perfumers, artists and loads more! We think we've got it sorted and found some delightful hand made items that will make any Christmas extra special. But it's not all about buying we're also providing a D.I.Y. craft corner so people can sit,make their own and learn a craft skill. A CHOIR will be performing in front of the gallery welcoming visitors as they come in to the gallery with festive tunes to get shoppers into the mood (yet to be confirmed). The CRAFT GUERRILLA TOMBOLA will also be making another outing! In aid of the William Morris gallery we will be raffling off lots of delectable hand made goodies kindly donated by our gorgeous designer makers. Apart from being super talented this lot is also very generous. At £1 a go you really can't lose!
SO here is our press release so you can help us get the word out! Please let everyone you know about this great event...not just a craft market but also you'll be helping out this fantastic local gallery in need of much support!

Friday 30 October 2009

Christmas Craft market at the William Morris Gallery!


It seems to be quite fitting that we are hosting our Christmas Market in the home of the father of the Arts & Crafts movement! Situated on Forest Road the gallery is home to some stunning art work and we're very happy to be able to set up our event amongst the works of this fine British artist!

Come spend the day browsing through contemporary craft in these beautiful surroundings. Find extraordinary one off designer gifts, view one of the richest collections of Art & Craft in the country, try your luck at the Tombola and buy something you won't find on the High Street!
It's the perfect way to dazzle your friends and family with great,high quality, original Chrimbo presents bought directly from the designer makers! I'm sure Mr. Morris would be quite proud and most likely would have his own stall presenting designer items to the masses!!!

Also to be confirmed: Local Choir to perform a few seasonal tunes to get you in the festive spirit!

Sunday 6th of December
From 11 am to 4pm. Free entry.
William Morris Gallery
Lloyd Park
Forest Road
Walthamstow E17 4PP

Tel 020 8496 4390
Email wmg.enquiries@walthamforest.gov.uk

"The William Morris Gallery is the only public Gallery devoted to William Morris - designer, craftsman, writer, socialist and conservationist - and displays an internationally important collection illustrating his life, achievements and influence.

William Morris was born in Walthamstow in 1834. The Gallery is delightfully housed in the 18th Century Water House, Morris' family home from 1848 to 1856, and set in Lloyd Park in Walthamstow."

Wednesday 28 October 2009

illustrators brief...

Once again our calls for assistance for illustrators have been fruitful. I told you before...they are a very generous,kind,talented bunch of people! So after our very successful 3rd issue of the Craft Guerrilla Craft Zine we decided that we'd like to share the platform once again and help out our illustrating friends to reach another audience...also it's pretty handy for us because we get gorgeous art work for our Zine! It's a win win situation!!!
The brief:
POSTER- A Xmas Craft Market, on Sunday 6th of December at the William Morris Gallery, Walthamstow. It will be a Craft market with stalls, a craft corner and a Choir (though we're waiting on confirmation on this so maybe have it on a separate layer which we can alter if needed).
We need something which illustrates the spirit of the Arts & Crafts movement,the brotherhood, modern craft,community,the holiday season and some how incorporate William Morris work...maybe a homage to his lovely prints?

Zine- it's our 4th issue! As it's tri monthly it will have to be quite varied and not just Christmasy! Also it's back to the usual low tech format of Black and White!
We'd need a cover...winter scene (with the prospect of Spring would be nice), craft,homeliness,nesting,hibernation etc. We also need images to illustrate a few articles on - Fashion,baking and craft (d.i.y. craft, making and mending ethos).

It's pretty free but I need a loose following of the brief.Remember it doesn't have to be all cute and fluffy...we like dark humour and want something pretty modern and vibrant though I am also a BIG fan of cute so don't hold back!
As a thank you you will receive a link on the Zine,our web site and blog plus we'll be happy to help you any way we can.

That's it my lovelies! Send your jpegs (300 dpi) to our e mail address: craftguerrilla@yahoo.com

Big craft hugs to you all!!!

Monday 26 October 2009

Volunteer your sewing skills to Crisis!


Crisis needs you in London from 23 to 30 December! If you can donate your time to this charity then please contact them through their web site: www.crisis.org.uk/volunteering.
or call them on 020 7426 3874.
The sewing and alteration service plays a vital role boosting the self-esteem of guests at Crisis Christmas by making alterations to their clothes and repairing their precious personal items in order to make them feel special and look fabulous!
Some tasks are simple, others much more difficult so we need a range of skills in the
sewing team. We are looking for people with skills ranging from professional garment-
making experience through to those who just love to sew to help us run the service this year. Even if you only have limited experience, you can help with the basic tasks such as sewing buttons on clothes and taking up hems – all tasks, however small, are important and really appreciated by our guests. So whatever your background in sewing, please sign up today.
And if you know anyone else who would like to volunteer for the sewing service,
please spread the word!
The service is open from 24 to 29 December inclusive. You have the choice of joining the team at our sewing service base for shifts from 1230 to 2030 hours or the mobile team that starts each shift at the sewing service base, then travels to other centres throughout the shift to provide a basic sewing service on site (transport is provided from the sewing service base and back before the end of the shift). The mobile team shift runs from 0900 to 1700 hours. We ask that every volunteer signs
up for a minimum of 2 shifts.
Thank you!

Monday 19 October 2009

Make November a month to craft!


We love autumn,not just because the leaves turn a beautiful shade of GOLD but because it gets us in the mood to knit. No more sweaty hands just lovely,lush yarn turning in to a host of usable and handy comforting items.Summer is such a put off for knitters. Wool and blazing heat do not mix!
And also with the run up to Xmas we're readying ourselves to bring to the good people of London great crafting ideas for all you lovelies to make and gift to your loved ones!And for those extra lazy people...you can buy a d.i.y. craft pack and give it to a crafty friend. Hmmm lazy or just smart? Because it's even less for you to do and because the best gift you can give is creativity we think you'll be on to a winner! They'll love you forever!!!

Next month we'll be hosting 3 d.i.y. events:
"Monthly D.I.Y. Craft Night"
Thursday 12th November at "Ye Old Rose and Crown" pub Hoe St. Walthamstow E17 8pm - 11pm Free entry!

It's official we're back in E17! Join us a Ye Old Rose and Crown ( Hoe St.) for a night of mid week crafting. It's a short hop and a skip from the tube station. We're back with the usual crafty goodness: D.I.Y. craft packs,in house tutors and guest tutors plus a few extras like one off workshops.

This month we'll be showing you how to up-cycle tee shirt yarn. It's a great way to recycle your unwanted tees and make something new...and just in time for Chrimbo too! Bring a few cotton jersey tees (fine weave works best) and we'll show you just how to harvest your very own yarn! After that you can either crochet or knit yourself a snazzy little something!

Free entry!Small charge per craft pack though you are welcome to bring your own projects and sit with us in this creative get together.


"Countdown to Christmas" Crafternoon
Saturday 14th November 2pm - 5pm Upstairs in the Victorian Saloon,The Old Queens Head:44 Essex Road.Islington, N1 8LN
Our countdown to Christmas craftavaganza is on it's way! A one stop event that will get you making gifts,loving the environment and even sorting out that holiday frock!Guest DJ's spin the tunes while the craft guerrilla gals get the yarn spinning in a whole host of seasonal craft packs ready for you to make or gift to a special craft loving friend! Mrs.Bears will be on hand with her trusted needle and thread helping you jazz up your swaps. Her cloths swap events are a great chance to get rid of your unwanted* clothing and swishing them for some "new" apparel. The Craftivist collective will also be with us offering you the chance to do something for the good of humanity in their "Climate for Change" mini workshop!See web site for more details: www.craftivist-collective.com

From 2pm to 5pm Upstairs in the Victorian Saloon.

*Please note: only good quality,clean clothing to be swapped. The swish operated through a "ration book"style voucher scheme where an item of similar item is swapped for another.A £2.50 charge applies to participate in the swap. Alterations and repairs available but subject to Mrs.Bears terms and conditions. Check web site for further information: www.mrsbears.co.uk

Telephone:020 7354 9993 for further information visit:www.theoldqueenshead.com



The Make Lounge Crafty Christmas
: Thursday 19th November 49-51 Barnsbury Street, London N1 1TP. From 6.30 - 9.30 pm (Pre-booking required)
Join the Craft Guerrilla girls for a night of Christmas themed crafting. We'll have new craft kits for you to make to give as gifts -and the kits make great presents themselves for a crafty friend or relation which means less work for you! There will also be kits for things to make your home look Christmassy. Needle-felted tree ornaments and snowflake bunting can nestle cosily alongside your knitted slippers while you craft away wearing your knitted arm-warmers to stop the winter chills. Well, who says you can't make a present for yourself as well?!

to book your place: call 020 7609 0275 or Email: create@themakelounge.com

Monday 12 October 2009

Chrimbo Sparkle! Jewellers wanted...

We love sparkly things...ooh yes we' are Magpies don't ya know...and because we've had so many requests for stalls at our markets by talented jeweller folk that we decided to host a very special event! A one stop shop where you can get all your jewels and holiday accessories event. A place where all you fellow magpies can come to and get that sparkle fill! You'll find a selection of great jewellery to suit all budgets and tastes.
Great for finding a special gift for a family member,partner,friend and even for your self. They say charity does begin at home!
This "Christmas Sparkle" night is a one off special shopping event at the Nags Head Pub in Walthamstow Village and will be set up by one of our core members under the East London Craft Guerrilla banner.
Date is yet to be confirmed.
If you are a jeweller get in touch with Ellen send a few jpegs of your work and she'll let you know.

Monday 5 October 2009

Craft is back in E17!


It's official we're back in E17 with our original d.i.y. craft night! After a short absence we've found a lovely new venue.
Our new home is The Old Rose and Crown.
A friendly and arty pub just a hop and a skip from Walthamstow Central tube station ( Victoria Line/ Train from Liverpool Street Station)! Thursday 8th of October from 8pm.
.
We're the original Craft Collective that brought d.i.y. craft packs to UK Craft Nights! Because we want Craft to be easy,fun and accessible we love bringing ready to make projects to the good people of London!
As part of our comeback we're feeling generous and because giving is good for the soul we're donating £1 from each selected craft pack in aid of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Lots of cute,pink,girlie d.i.y craft packs for you to make and remind yourself of your good deed!
Also as part of our mini work shops and "classes for the masses" we want our friends to be self sufficient so we're showing you how to harvest T-shirt yarn so you can get busy knitting or crocheting some fab goodies. Because it's almost "THAT" time of the year again we want to help you give your loved ones lovingly made presents without breaking the bank...and we think a hand made gift is so much more fabulous! Bring a couple of unwanted cotton tees ( fine weave with a bit of lycra works best! ) and we'll show you how!
From 8 pm onwards. Free entry. Small charge per craft pack.

Our other craft events:

Monthly "Crafternoons"at the Old Queens Head 2pm-5pm. Every second Saturday of the month!
Next Date: Saturday 10th October
A diurnal Craft Guerrilla monthly event at The Old Queens Head:44 Essex Road.Islington, N1 8LN .Now that Autumn is upon us we're meeting downstairs around the fire! We won't be roasting chestnuts but we will be showing you how to pick up a few craft skills! Not long to go to Chrimbo and we know how tough things have been on the old purse so...why not make your loved ones a beautiful hand made gift? Guest tutors, in house tutors, craft packs/projects or just bring your own! Fully licensed bar and great food menu! Telephone:020 7354 9993 for further information visit:www.theoldqueenshead.com

Monday 28 September 2009

Stitch it up!


Here's a great web site from a friend of ours! Alex makes gorgeous tapestry kits and yes...they are available to you good people to buy! What a fab birthday present or even,dare I say the C word, a CHRISTMAS gift?!
I'm itching to get my hands on one and re-try my hand at tapestry...wow I can't believe that I haven't done it since I was a very young Guerrilla.
Visit:http://stitchupdesigns.co.uk/
for details, purchases and other designs!
We think it's a winner!!!

Thursday 24 September 2009

Craftivist Collective...a date for your diary!


here is a fab event by a few friends of ours...

Protest Banner Making workshop by the Craftivist Collective @Spitalfields City Farm

Saturday, October 3rd, 2010, 12-2pm
Spitalfields City Farm, Buxton Street, London, E1 5AR
(between Brick Lane and Vallance Road, beside Allen Gardens) www.spitalfieldscityfarm.org

A collaboration between the Craftivist Collective the Farm's 3Rs Arts n Crafts group
WHAT:
Think of a word, a fact, a quote, a symbol that makes you stop, stand back and think about the world slightly differently if only for a moment. Then, get out a needle and thread and cross stitch this inspiration onto a scrap of material. Tie it onto a lamp-post, walk on and let nature take its course:

Craft + Activism = Craftivsm

Allow yourself to feel free to expose the scandal of global poverty, and human rights injustices though the power of craft and public art. As a group and individuals Craftivists do this through provocative, non-violent creative actions.

Bring along friends and family and spend two hours on a Saturday afternoon chilling out at Spitalfields City Farm, surrounded by plants and animals whilst chatting to like-minded people and creating your own mini protest banners on environmental issues to put up around the Farm.....What more could you want to do?!


WHO:
The Craftivist Collective is a new group set up to expose the scandal of global poverty, and human rights injustices though the power of craft and public art, through provocative, non-violent creative actions.

The aim of the Craftivist Collective is to join forces with people who care about the issues above and want to do something about them. You don't have to be creative or an experienced campaigner. They work together on projects to make people more aware of injustices in the world and encourage them to act to make the world a better place. www.craftivist-collective.com


Spitalfields City Farm is the nearest city farm to the square mile. Despite this, the farm is located in one of the most deprived and densely populated wards of Tower Hamlets (DOE 1996), although Spitalfields remains a vibrant and colourful multi-cultural area with strong community links.

The farm is a registered charity and company limited by guarantee, managed by a voluntary management committee drawn from its membership and elected annually.
Receiving over 18,000 visitors a year and spread over 1.3 acres of land owned by the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and Railtrack. The farm keeps a selection of farm animals and has developed growing areas in every available space.
Using the principles of Reduce Reuse Recycle, Spitalfields City Farm runs a fortnightly 3Rs Arts N Crafts group. The group meets on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month to share the projects they've made, talk about where they've got stuck, and to pick each others brains about what to do next. Sewing machine and coffee/tea making facilities available.
If you love making things, want to reduce your environmental impact and like the idea of hanging out at a city farm too, then this is the group for you!

For more info on the protest banner workshop, please contact:
Naomi at Spitalfields City Farm on Naomi@spitalfieldscityfarm.org or 020 7247 8762
or
Sarah Corbett at the Craftivist Collective on craftivist-collective@hotmail.com or 07969623446

Sunday 20 September 2009

Chrimbo Market dates...

First,thank you all that came to the Craftea Party. We had close to 300 visitors which is fab!!! Our events have once again proven to be highly original,popular and most of all...FUN!
We're proud of what we've come up with.From the onset we've been striving to give something NEW to the good people of London.Sure there are plenty of D.I.Y. Craft events/workshops but we were the first to offer ready to make CRAFT PACKS! We love glitter,glue and free form crafting but we thought that especially for beginners to have something already thought out and easy to follow would be less scary and get more people into crafting!
We love CRAFT and we want to make it as painless as possible!

NEWS:
HOT OFF THE PRESS...The Craft Guerrilla Chrimbo Market date will be announced shortly!

To apply:

Due to the popularity of the Craft Guerrilla markets we will be giving priority to our members to book stalls before anyone else. Bookings will be open until the end of October.
If you are a new to Craft Guerrilla Markets then we ask designer makers to email photos of their creations (or an web address that stocks your work) to our e mail address: craftguerrilla@yahoo.com
This is so we keep to our HAND MADE ONLY policy and strict quality control...only original,quality,hand made designer goods will be excepted!

If you are successful we'll then send you a booking form. Please remember that places tend to go quickly so ...get your skates on and drop us a line!

Saturday 19 September 2009

Bury St Edmunds...Craft Guerrilla visit!




The East London Craft Guerrilla Gals are hitting the road and will be spreading the Craft Guerrilla ethos to the craft loving people of Bury!
Fancy setting up your very own Craft Guerrilla? The gals will be in town at the Mason Arms pub from 7.30 pm on Friday the 25th of September. We'll hosting an informal get together and chatting to any interested parties giving you the low down plus we'll be sharing our crafty know how and manifesto! It's easy and all we need is YOU!!!

Saturday the 26th things get a bit more hands on...we'll be at the Bury St Edmunds Art Gallery hosting our very own diy Craftavaganza! It kicks off at 10.30 am and we'll be there until 4pm with our diy Craft kits and crafting skills. We'll be on hand should you have a craft conundrum or your knitting in a tangle!
Bring along any old or unused cotton tee shirts and plastic carrier bags and we'll show you how to upcycle some very useful material!

See you all there!

Monday 7 September 2009

Crafternoons around the fire...

The Craft Guerrilla Crafternoon is your monthly dose of crafty goodness on the second Saturday of every month. Autumn is drawing in and Winter will be fast on its coat-tails therefore we're moving from our lofty heights in the upstairs bar to bring our crafternoon around the fireplace. How lovely! Be sure to arrive early to nab your place by the fireside.

Craft kits are for sale for a small fee (usually around £5) which contain everything you need to make your item. Kits vary each month but examples include tattoo heart badges, needle-felted mice, fabric pears, crochet daisy chains and knitted poppy fascinators.

You are also very welcome to bring your own projects (that jumper you never get time to work on knitting, that crochet face cloth that you need to finish) and enjoy the music, food and drink in a craft-friendly environment.

Craft Guerrilla tutors are on hand to advise on all things crafty and can help out if you've dropped your stitches or got your k2tog in a twist.

For more details see our website www.craftguerilla.com.

Hope to see you there!

E17 Art Trail event... Craftea Party!


"Craftea party" Sunday September 13th from 2.30pm to 4.30pm Vestry House Museum Walthamstow Village

A celebration of two fine British institutes: craft and tea! We'll be touching down in E17 for The 5th annual Art Trail and hosting our very own tea party come Crafternoon.
We've been hosting D.I.Y craft events and Crafternoons for over a year now and we're so pleased to be hosting this little crafty shindig! So here's a call out for all you D.I.Y creatures and fellow makers!Here's your chance to enjoy some fine company and to join in the creative fun,have a pot of tea and some home baked cake with the Craft Guerrilla Gals and their Bakerette friends in this pop up tea party.Lots of great special edition craft packs for you to make on the day or bring your own projects and enjoy the creative vibe of this very fun and fab Crafternoon!

for more info visit www.e17arttrail.co.uk

Wednesday 2 September 2009

Craft Zines at the ready!

Photobucket

From Friday you'll be able to get your mitts on our Special Edition Craft Zine! To coincide with our Art Trail event we've launched it as a homage to all things Tea related and of course...craft!
So if you fancy getting the real thing get down to Beautiful Interiors in Walthamstow and buy yourself a copy. Otherwise it'll be available to download as a PDF from our web shop very soon.
Hooray!!!

Tuesday 25 August 2009

sew long good buy...this weekend!!!



Got nothing to do on the August bank holiday? The Craft Guerrilla boys and girls will be bidding a fond adieu to the good people of E17. Join us for our last summer market on Saturday the 29th of August. We'll be in the Beautiful Interiors shop garden for the last time this year. We are sad to go....SNIFF...BUT as we're weather dependent we can't push our luck and so far it's been kind to us.
As a THANK YOU to all our lovely shoppers we'll be offering lots of great discounts and sale items*. Get here early and grab yourself a hand made bargain!
It's going to be a crafty day filled with crafty goodness, great music, great company and the friendliest shop cat in the world! Also come have a cocktail or two with us. Our cocktails are legendary...the sort that tastes of sweet pop but packs a mighty punch!
BUT that's not all... because we love all things vintage and retro this "HAND MADE SUMMER" markets have been quite a hoot! It's been a kind of village fair meets design show. Lots of bunting, paper lanterns and great hand made items.Just like in the days when people made lots of their own stuff! AND so we thought we'd add another element of nostalgic FUN:
PLAY the Craft Guerrilla TOMBOLA and if Lady Luck is smiling down you might just win yourself a great prize! It's only £1 per go and there are loads of great hand made goodies and limited edition Craft Guerrilla craft totes to be WON!!!
From 10 am to 5.30 pm. Free entry. Free Cocktails from 11 pm.
*applies to participating stalls only and to sale ticketed items.

stalls available at 15 Minute Factory

Hi all.
there are a few craft stalls up for hire at this exciting 3 day festival in Brick lane.It's a great mix of art,craft and music!
Please contact them (e mail address below) and not us Craft Guerrilla. We're just passing on the info for some friendly chaps and chapettes!

Here's the blurb and info:

After its debut success in May (recommended in London Paper, 350+ audience) 15 minute factory is back as a three day mini-festival 25-27 September.

Hosted by Kiss Me Miss Me, 15 minute factory brings together new and cutting-edge acts blurring the boundaries between performance, art and music.

Held at the Rag Factory off Brick Lane, we expect September's event to be bigger and better than before with the outline as follows:

Friday 25th 6pm to 1am / Saturday 26th 1pm to 1am

KISSED: cabaret / burlesque / spoken-word / stand-up

MISSED: performance / acoustic / video
ON THE WALL: 2d work / video
OFF THE WALL: bands / djs / vjs

UPSTAIRS: interactive performance / make salon
roaming performance throughout
Sunday 27th 1pm to 8pm

KISSED: make salon / cabaret

MISSED: performance / acoustic
ON THE WALL: art market / craft fair
OFF THE WALL: art market / craft fair

UPSTAIRS: art market / craft fair


Expressions of interest should be sent to 15minutefactory@gmail.com including links or images.

Stall hire costs £20 for the day with no other charges or commission asked

Deadline for submissions: Monday 7th September though stalls will be allocated on a first come first served basis
Kiss Me Miss Me is the curatorial partnership of Katharine Fry and Jung Eun Yoo

Sunday 23 August 2009

And the winner is...

Lady luck has dipped her hand into our hat and the name that she chose was....
Esther Coombs! You my mighty fine and talented gal have been selected as the
winner and our Craft Zine will be the more beautiful due to your fab illustration!
Thank you, thank you, thank you and to all that have generously sent in their
submissions!
www.esthercoombs.com

Friday 21 August 2009

A BIG thank you to all our lovely illustartor friends...

We've had so many submissions for our craft-zine cover that I think we'll have to release it on a monthly rather then tri monthly basis!!!
So many talented people have come forth and offered their talents...I always knew illustrators were generous creatures but guys and gals,you have really surpassed all expectations.
Lots of grateful crafty karma's going your way!
The winner will be chosen on Sunday night (23rd of August) and because the quality has been so good we're throwing it to the lap of the gods.
Believe me it's getting more and more difficult to chose! So this way it's a case of Lady luck choosing who gets the honour.
We're putting names into a hat and pulling out a random entry. It's much easier this way because I really can't choose!
Also because of this we've decided that some illustrations that haven't made it onto the cover will be used in the Zine to illustrate articles.
So if you haven't yet sent in your illustration do so before Sunday evening.
All submissions will be posted on our blog...because we want to share our new friends talents,plus all entrants web sites will be linked on both our blog and web site and they'll get a special little treat as a thank you!
Once again thank you so much!!!

Tuesday 18 August 2009

Craft Crawl...

Have Wednesday nights been feeling empty over the summer? Fingers
twitching and you don't know why? Sounds to me like you've got some
needle-withdrawal going on. Fear not, the Craft Guerrilla have
finished their summer travels to other venues and festivals and are
back and looking for their new E17 home. Put The Needle On The Record,
the original Craft Guerrilla E17 D.I.Y. Craft Night, will be back this
autumn after our E17 Arts Trail "Craftea Party", but we need to get our
new venue stitched up.

Help us in our quest by bringing knitting and other small portable
crafts with you while we go on a crafty pub crawl to test out the
light, space and ambience.

When? Wednesday 26th August

Where? 7.30PM meet outside the Rose and Crown, Hoe Street. We'll
leave there for the Queens Arms, Orford Road at 8.20PM aiming to get
there for 8.40PM then move to the Village, Orford Road at 9.30PM.

What? Marks of out of 10 will be given for ambience, lighting,
willingness to accommodate us, ability to provide tipple of choice and
adequate room for a gin and tonic next to Charlotte's needle felting
pad. Craft, drink and be merry!

You can join us anywhere along the route and for those poor souls who
can't make it we'll be twittering the event live so you don't need to
miss out. Sign up to follow @craftguerrilla on www.twitter.com.

Hope to see you there!

With love from the East London Craft Guerrilla
x

Sunday 9 August 2009

illustrators needed!!!

We're super excited about hosting our E17 Art Trail event in September! Last year was really great fun. It was the push we needed to start our D.I.Y. craft nights. As well as the Art Trail being a great inspiration for people like us it's also a great opportunity to publicise your work and collaborate with others.
It's not only an event for locals because we've had visitors from all over the UK and abroad.Now in it's 5th year it's caused quite a lot of attention.There have been other Trails popping up around the capital and the UK.It's always such fun to participate in the Trail. As this years guest editor writing the introduction showed me just how diverse and plentiful the borough has become. The amount of original events and art work is absolutely awesome! It's a true hot bed of ideas!

Our "Craftea party" is a celebration of two great British institutes...Craft and Tea! We'll be hosting a tea party in the Vestry House Museum and visitors will be able to relax and make some CRAFT while enjoying a cup of tea and a slice of cake.
To coincide with the event our tri-monthly Craft-Zine will be on sale during the whole of trail in the E17 Art Trail pop up book shop and in several retail outlets in the area.
This special edition will be a super duper homage to all things TEA related and of course CRAFT. We're basically on the look out for any illustrator that would like to do the cover for us. Unfortunately it's unpaid work but we'll feature you in the Craft Zine plus include your contact details. Let me know if you are interested and I'll send you a design brief. e mail Deborah at: craftguerrilla@yahoo.com

Please note that before we except you we need to see examples of your art work.

Friday 7 August 2009

Saturday Crafternoon!



It's that time again...Saturday the 8th of August is our monthly "CRAFTERNOON" at the Old Queens Head.
It's our afternoon's crafting delight for all you creative folk!We know just how much you love to make stuff and finding work for those idle hands is something we like to do! We're happy to help you make stuff and try new craft disciplines...because we too are always finding new things to make...
Tons of great craft projects (ready to make DIY craft kits),guest DJ's, in house tutors,guest tutors and a whole lotta crafting fun!
You're also welcome to bring your own projects and commune with other crafty souls. Craft group meetings also welcome.
Free entry from 2pm - 5pm, Upstairs in The Victorian Saloon.

Wednesday 5 August 2009

E17 Art Trail Blog

It's not that long away...September is just a hop and a skip away and we're frantically getting ready for our Craftea party on the 13th! The East London gals will be making special edition D.I.Y. craft kits for the E17 Art Trail event to keep all you keen crafters and D.I.Y. divas in the making mood.
The Bakerettes will be making scrumptious cakes. Spatulas at the ready,there has already been discussion of cake recipes and all I can say is CHOCOLATE is a big part of the menu choice!!! All types:from Brownies to French tarts. Yum, but then I am partial to Chocolate!
I also hear there are some mighty neat little projects like felt Kawaii tea bags,hand embroidered tea tray cloths, knitted cup cakes and more to be announced! It's all about our favourite British institutes:Craft and Tea!
Also I've been invited to write the editorial for the Trail map. It was great fun to write about our "HOME" which is a very talented but sometimes forgotten corner of East London. YES,it is EAST LONDON,North East but hey...EAST IS EAST!!! We're mega proud to be part of it and the Trail which is now in it's 5th year. We hope it keeps going indefinitely!
Well done Chris,Laura and Morag!
Read the blog for up to the moment news and info.

Saturday 1 August 2009

indie tracks...

"Craft Guerrilla were thrilled to be invited to participate at this years Indietracks festival in Butterley, Derbyshire. It was a weekend packed full of indie bands, craft, cider and steam trains! Lisa and Louise put on a Craft Guerrilla 'DIY Crafternoon' in the workshop wigwam, debuting our new 'Mix tape' felt badge which went down a treat (thanks for all the lovely feedback Indietrackers)!It was great to see old friends and make lovely new ones."
Louise Batten
Here is what we got up to:

Friday 31 July 2009

Edinburgh Craft Guerrilla

As you know these crafty ladies have been with us for a few months now and their having a hoot up in Scotland in the Boda bar with their monthly d.i.y. craft night. Word is they serve lashings of cakes...a sugar rush for crafting!!!
Follow their adventures on their blog:
http://edinburghcraftguerrilla.blogspot.com/

Thursday 30 July 2009

Brighton rocks!

It's official we now have a Brighton Craft Guerrilla!
You are lucky folk people of Brighton...Expect the usual
crafty fun from our sister army. Our lovely friend Angela
Chick
has taken up the challenge and we know she'll do a great job.
She's such a talented lady and we have faith in her and her creative
spirit!
More details to come soon so keep those peepers peeled!!!
The blog will be active soon but in the mean time...why not join as a friend?
http://www.brightoncraftguerrilla.blogspot.com/

Wednesday 22 July 2009

More Craft shinanigans!!!


Our "Craftaholics" friends are hosting another craft fair at The Old Queens Head. Yes,that Queen's head! We love the Old Queens Head(it is our Crafternoon home) and our mates "Craftaholics"in equal amounts! Get down there on the Saturday the 29th and go get some crafty goodness!
It is on the same Saturday as our little shindig but we know that and lets face it London is pretty well connected alas Islington is just down the road from Walthamstow Village.So no excuses.
Here's your chance to overdoes on CRAFT and come to both!!!

PLEASE note that our August date is the last of the outdoor summer craft market season in Beautiful Interiors. Expect lots of great offers including,cocktails,raffles and discounts! It's the "Sew Long Good Buy" event,a chance for us to say "aurevoir mes petit pois" with some craft laden hugs and kisses!

Tuesday 21 July 2009

"Toot toot, get on board the craft train!"

The Craft Guerrilla girls are off to indietracks music festival to run a Crafternoon workshop (which we are thoroughly over excited about).
Follow us to Derbyshire for Indietracks festival and free steam train rides - tickets are still available! See www.indietracks.co.uk for details of how to book.

Shhh-de-chuff / shhh-de-chuff / Toot-toooot! Come on Ivor, we've got to get to the East London Craft Guerrilla gals to Indietracks!

Sunday 26th of July from 4pm at the craft wig wam.

Monday 20 July 2009

Craft Werk summer craft fair!



We love our Craft Werk friends and we wish them all the best for their fab summer fair!
Our taste buds have been tickled...we hear that Tatty Divine will be there with a lovely perspex ice cream cart!!!There's also a classic American-style lemonade stand while the people from Wills Moody beat the heat selling vintage goodies in their version of a yard sale and a seaside cut-out photo op area! OOOHHHH ice cream,lemonade,craft and a soveneir or two ...a recipe for a mighty fine summers day!

Saturday August 1st
1pm - 5pm

St Aloysius Social Club
21 Phoenix Rd, London
NW1 1TA

The social club is on the corner of eversholt & phoenix road.
...closest tube & train is Euston Station

Tuesday 14 July 2009

a sneeky peek of what's to come...








Like what you see? Well my lovelies it is our Hand Made Summer Craft Market Season and so we will be putting down roots once again in the Beautiful Interiors shop garden on Saturday the 18th! Join us for a free cocktail (or two) and shop till you drop in this oasis of hand made loveliness!Here's your chance to buy direct from the very talented designer makers!
From 10 am to 5.30 pm
Free entry
Beautiful Interiors
34 Orford Road Walthamstow Village E17 9NJ
T: 020 85090039
TUBE: Walthamstow Central (victoria line)
Train: Walthamstow Central (Liverpool Street Station towards Chingford)