Monday 30 December 2013

Happy New Year!

To all our splendid readers, friends and crafty collaborators we wish you a truly magical new year! We thank you for your support and for traveling with us on this amazing journey... and... next year we'll be back with lots of new ideas, renewed energy, more love and most of all lots of great positive creative energy!!!

So don't forget to take advantage of the new moon which graces our planet on the first day of the year which we hear brings a new slate to everything so whatever you have planned -or even thinking of taking up again!- make sure to make it BIG, special and amazing... just like you!

Lots of love.
X
Debbie and the Craft Guerrilla team



P.S.
Also if you order from our online boutique there is free postage on all purchases through out January so if you fancy doing some shopping please buy hand made! 


Tuesday 10 December 2013

Ho Ho... Holly molly don't let the Christmas Shopping madness get you down!

Because we're feeling the Christmas spirit and like to help our gorgeous craft lovers we might have the perfect solution for you and your Hand Made Christmas shopping. Every year I tell myself that I must start earlier... though it never works out that way! Usually it's a mad dash a few days before we head off to our families but... that's gotta change.
And as much as I love going to craft fairs, going to any fair in December is pretty crazy! Believe me it's not a bad thing that they are busy -we love that people are turning to hand made for gifts!- but for someone who's not a huge fan of crowded spaces and hates not being able to get to the actual stalls because there are so many shoppers... well, buying from an on-line retailer like ours is just perfect!
Totally stress free and we have a nice selection of items, all hand made and all top quality goods chosen for their design, quality and originality!
Ha, in that respect I got it easier as I can just buy my presents from the stock but it'll be just as easy for you too... promise!

If you'd like to order please be aware that we close* from the 22nd to the 28th as we'll be off in France for a well deserved rest and a catch up with family.
However if you do buy during that time we'll ship out any orders as soon as we return!

Happy Christmas everyone and happy shopping! If you decide not to shop at our on line boutique...then no worries... just make sure you buy hand made!!!


*on line only as the actual concession space in Walthamstow will be open until longer. Dates and times to be updated asap.


In the mean time check out a few of our favorite goods from our boutique:

From Christmas cards to...


Quirky soft sculptures (Gnarrly Bear... for kids and adults too! )


London A to Z illustrated Tea Towel...

Hand made wooden jewellery...

BMX brooches...

Hand illustrated badges...

Hand screen printed T's...


to quirky fun and fab illustrations and more!

You can visit our online boutique here... TAKE ME TO HAND MADE PARADISE!

Wednesday 4 December 2013

Heal's Christmas spirit!

As if I needed more reasons to love Heal's they've managed to make that sentiment even stronger. There, I said it... I love Heal's! It's more then a shop, a mecca for design and a purveyor of quality gifts it's also a great inspiring place which for me always conducted lots of creativity but now also offers crafting and taster events! Ah, paradise!!!

Tottenham Court Road shop

The formidable VV Rouleaux were there hosting a ribbon workshop. VV Rouleaux has been a long time crush... and I have spent hours in their haberdashery shop like a kid in a candy shop! I could easily spend a fortune in there and not because everything is super expensive but more because there is so much amazing stock. Easily it has to be one of the most gorgeous shops in LONDON... if not the world. Ha, us crafters love haberdashery shops so it's understandable that we should make such a statement!

So when we were invited along to a Ribbon Workshop we jumped at the chance... besides we love learning new skills!
Spools of thread in lovely autumn colours!

I never knew how much you could do with ribbon. I must confess that normally I use it for adding detail to a hem or in the more obvious use like bow making and gift wrapping!

So what was it that we didn't know about ribbon? We were shown by the amazing Annabel Lewis (founder of VV Rouleaux) and her trusted assistant Bridgette a few nifty tricks and amazing skills like rose making as well as ruffling plus a few trade secrets. Not surprising these two ladies were experts and shared with us not just their know how but their craft stash too!

Annabel Lewis


Bridgette teaches us how to sew onto straw bases!


The group was small but fun... wine flowed, minced pies were eaten, lots of chattering and we even had a celebrity in our midst- It was no other then the fab British Bake-Off Queen Frances Quinn who joined us at the table and may I say that she is not just a talented baker but a nifty sewer too!- and most of all beautiful things were made!


My first ribbon rose!!!

We learnt to make ribbon roses, use trims and flowers, shown how to cover hair combs and bands and make fascinatores.
Of course as a hat wearer I opted for a Victorian inspired fascinator... I think the Christmas spirit took hold and by challenging Dicken's my little beauty took shape!
Both myself and Myriam (La Dame au Beret) went for the super festive look though her offering looked  amazing and super Bling!

Fellow crafter's -Myriam- gold rose...

All in all it was a great event - I just hope they do more of these at Heal's!- in beautiful surrounding and with amazing tutors and friendly class mates. If you'd like to make your own check out the VV Rouleaux 's web site for materials or see the Heal's event page for further events.

Here are a few photos of the group in action...

Finding accents and accessories to compose a head piece...

work in progress...

Boxes of ribbons, beads, feathers and more...everything can be used to create!

Delicate flowers added to make a headband...

Lots of amazing festive pieces...

Happy makers creating!

And delicate flowers sewn to perfection...

The group...

Myriam's Bling Bling Gypsy Rose Christmas piece as she called it!

A very beautiful and sweet fascinator made by this lovely lady!

And Sarah is beaming with her's!

Frances and Gemma made awesome hair combs which actually perfectly accessorized their outfits! Well done ladies!

And here's my finished piece... which I'll be wearing this Christmas!



Thank you VV and Heal's for a truly magical evening!


Thursday 28 November 2013

Open for business...

Finally after almost two years in the making we've managed to get our on line shop started! We'll be adding to it as we go along so make sure to stop by frequently.
Because we like to keep things fresh we'll be adding to it and refreshing our stock whenever something catches our little beady guerrilla eye... plus with so much designer maker talent in our fine city we'll showcase lots of new upcoming designers to keep you lot buying hand made!



In our new web boutique you can find beautacious adornments for yourselves, your homes and your walls, a plethora of gifts to give plus a few crafty bits and pieces to get you making too.
So go on... pop by, have a browse, sit back, enjoy a cupper and do some shopping if you fancy!

Visit our boutique by clicking  here  don't forget to tell all your friends!

Hope you like what we've done and... happy shopping!

X

Debbie


 

Monday 25 November 2013

Knit some Christmas cheer...

The good people of the Waltham Forest Adopt team have come up with a very crafty bit of campaigning... "Close Knit Family" is part of the very clever campaign to bring awareness to adoption.
So if you can knit and fancy doing your bit then get making! We love this project and we'll be clacking our needles to make a few too... though I think we definitely need a pet dog and a cat to finish off the family!

"As part of  the campaign we are asking people to get involved and raise awareness of the importance of adoption by knitting dolls that we will distribute to local children."


To make the dolls please follow the guide pattern:

Please have your dolls ready by Friday December the 13th and hand in or post to:

FREEPOST RRGL-ZXTL-GZXZ
Close Knit Family
Waltham Forest Strategy and Communications
Waltham Forest Town Hall
Forest Road
Walthamstow E17 4JF


For further info, to down load the pattern and/or if you're interested in adoption then please visit the Borough Of Waltham Forest web site...

 

Saturday 23 November 2013

We wish you a crafty Christmas!

Here's some of our top hand made gift ideas chosen for craft aficionados and for those yet to be glamoured by hand made magic!

There's so much out there to entice you to part with your money but you know us we want to make this world a more hand made friendly one so yeah... we hope we can dangle the proverbial carrot -a hand made carrot of course!- to get you gifting your friends and loved ones with some fine, original and fabulous designer maker products.
We've found lots of great gift ideas for lovers of cute, for edgy rockers, for girlie girls and even something for those "difficult to buy for" boys!

Our beady eyes have been on the internet trawling through sites, blogs and web shops to find the best of  the best...

So please... take a peep and make someone's Christmas a very merry and crafty hand made one!


Cute...
Hey foxy! Fox scarf by Donna Wilson©
Beautiful hand made toys -and they're not just for kids- by Annapavlovna©
A little bird house for your soul... by Alice Ellis-Hayle ©

Edgy...
Tattooed Lumber Jack by Mimi Kirchner©
No need to get inked... swallow necklace by EllyMental©
Temporary Tattoos by The Aviary ©

Girlie...
And for a bit of relaxing... Eye Pillow by Margaret's Blanket©
Beautifully chic hand made underwear by Charm & Laundry©
Keeping rosy... heart studs by Wychbury Designs©


Boys...
Beardy Man Plate Donna Wilson©
Leather key fob at A Platform©
T-shirt by Ocular©

Tuesday 12 November 2013

Late nights at The William Morris Gallery...

Last week we had the pleasure of hosting a very special Craft Night for the William Morris Gallery, part of their "Lates" and to coincide with the Giles Deacon exhibition. Because of the fashion connection we came up with a few fun and fabulous projects for our guests to make!

The William Morris Gallery! ©photo by Sanna King
From clip on bow ties, cross stitch wooden brooches to pom pom head bands... they came, they made, they drank and they also danced!
For further WMG events please visit their web site...  www.wmgallery.org.uk

Making some pom pom head bands! ©Anna Kassman McKerrell

Cute!

Crafters looking serious... though I think they were just concentrating on their projects!

Cross stitch brooch and a very happy and accomplished crafter!

As part of the "lates" the gallery hosts events like these which also had a DJ... the music was awesome BTW!

I love how everyone really made amazing stuff...

Busy hands...



Ta dah... and a beautiful bow tie was made...

And a pretty cross stitch geometric design brooch too!

Plus we had our sewing expert Nicola Hughes teaching guests how to sew on zips!

And finally even the boys got in on the action. Suits you sir... suits you!

Thank you to everyone that came to make, the William Morris Gallery, Rebecca, all the gallery volunteers, the DJ, the CG helpers Hannah and Nicola as well as the very lovely Coats Crafts UK for their endless and generous sponsorship! We salute you!!!