Wednesday 27 February 2013

Something for the weekend...

Need to find a good read for your Sunday breakfast but don't actually fancy a book? Well fear not bambinas and bambinos...have a look at our current favourite BLOG... www.mademoisellepoirot.com


Flourless mud cake!



Filled with inspirational ideas, recipes and beautiful photography. We're a big fan of Madame Poirot and we've been fortunate enough to have her at one of our fairs and so we can vouch for her talent as we've seen her work in the flesh. She's truly amazing and her blog...well it's a treat for the eyes and the soul!

Enjoy!


Tuesday 26 February 2013

New products to be added to our shop...

We love haberdashery....thread, string, buttons, pins and everything in between so come March and you'll be able to purchase a few choice pieces from our on line shop.

We'll be adding a variety of stock and because some of it is vintage or sourced in small numbers you'll need to be quick because we might not restock the same merchandise!

wooden heart shaped buttons..

bakers twine...

sweet heart pins...

Friday 22 February 2013

Friday's CRAFT CRUSH...

Friday is the day when we Guerrillas wind down, relax and chose a few of our favourite things! We love lots of things ranging from beautacious hand made goods, craft tutorials, cake & cocktails recipes to illustrations, music and lots and lots of great creative people... 
So this week we stumbled upon "Pretty Little Thieves" a beautiful blog featuring the amazing illustrations of California based artist Nancy Mungcal.
If you like her work then check out her ETSY shop too...believe me I would buy almost everything on there especially the cat plates! 

To see more of Nancy's work please visit her website: www.prettylittlethieves.com


Soft Gallery ©

cat plates painted on rescued china!

little paintings available through the Little Thieves etsy shop...
Soft Gallery ©

chikismiqui magazine ©

 Happy Weekend craft lovers!


*Nancy's work reminds us of dipping our toes in cool rivers on hot, sunny summer days where skies welcome dancing dandelion Pappus....

Friday 15 February 2013

Friday's CRAFT CRUSH...

We love Friday's because that's when we have time to craft! No work just play means we are very happy guerrillas!!!

This Friday our Craft CRUSH is a MAKE, a little bit different from our usual feature, so here you go a simple but very beautiful project...

as featured in the web site:  http://trishadeanevents.com
You can make this pretty chandelier with ready made/bought Papel Picado banners but I think they are easy enough to make plus this way you can choose your colour combo and paper!
Here's an online tutorial that shows you how:



Wednesday 13 February 2013

Tombola for a good cause!

As previously mentioned we are raising funds for the Celia Hammond Animal Trust!
Due to the major influx of abandoned animals this London Charity is having a difficult time looking after everyone and so we though we'd do something about it. In the grand scheme of things it's a very small gesture but we like to be actively helpful and if we can help raise a few pounds plus raise awerness then that's a step in the right direction!



So are you feeling lucky?
All you need to do is purchase a £1. TOMBOLA ticket which you can do by clicking on the pay pal button on the top right hand side of this blog page.

On offer we have 3 prize packages which consist of a selection of hand made goodies donated by a few of our designer maker friends. Below are a few snaps of the beautiful bounty you could win...plus more to be added as they arrive!

Check out the 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes...
Fascinator by La Dame au berét, Fedulab bag,paw pin and Cat phone case, knitted digestive cushion by Sarah Kerry, cat pin by Bel's world, cuff by Predominately print, pretty cat by Girl industries and hunny bunny by munano.



Sleep set by Sannapanda, Cat phone case and I love my cat & paw pin by Fedulab, illustrated bear pin by Bel's Art world, Tote by Vicky's world and a few haberdashery bits and a kit from us!


Panda tote by Sannapanda, Fascinator kit by Miss Millinery, pin by Bel's world, I love my cat brooch by Fedulab, haberdashery bits and two craft kits from us!


Designer makers include:
FEDuLAB
Predominately Print
La Dame au berét
münano
Sarah Kerry
Sannapanda
Bel's Art World
Girl Industries
Miss Millinery
Vicky's World
Katie's Bead Boutique
Just Can't Help it 
MunkiMake
and more tba


Tell all your friends and help a really good charity which does a fantastic service to many animals in need! We need to raise as much as we can!!!
Also if you can give a home to a gorgeous kit kat then maybe you can think about adopting one from the C.H.A.T.
There are quite a few lovely little chaps and chapettes awaiting a new home.

The prize draw will take place on the 31st of March!
For further info on this charity and their work please visit.... Celia Hammond Animal Trust.

Please note that the Celia Hammond Trust are no way involved in this fundraiser...we, Craft Guerrilla, are running it to present a donation to them after the draw.

Lets use the power of craft and help make the world a better place!
 
P.S. They also need cat toys for their guests so if you can use your crafty genius maybe you could make a few fabric mice?
Please send these or any cat toys, cat beds, pet food...or any other donation to the Celia Hammond Trust directly. Their address and details are available on their website. Thank you!

Friday 8 February 2013

Friday's CRAFT CRUSH!

Gorgeous , colourful and simple fab lamp shades by Ana Kras...


Wednesday 6 February 2013

Good things come in awesome packaging...

As part of the service we provide we work together with designer makers to achieve the best look for their products through branding and packaging. So in this little post we'll be briefly showing you how to achieve that hand made look through a professional, premium outer skin which will make your product sell and be an instant recognisable hit!

We think packaging is very important and personally I am a sucker for it having in the past bought a specific product not for the actual item inside but because of the pretty box which enveloped it! I know...dumb right? Well no... bear with me because I'll explain. When it comes to selling a product it's imperative that you not only sell the item itself but that you also sell a life style, tell a story or promote a look. And all this without loosing your product/company identity?

Larger companies do this through packaging. I'm sure you've all seen the 1950's Pin Up type packaging which certain cosmetic companies use for their beauty products. Well how many of you have picked them up just because you have a fondness for vintage style?
They've been really clever because as you know the glamorous vintage look is very much in vogue so it's no longer hitting just a niche market but hitting the mass consumer "BAM" right in the middle of their buying noggin!
The average high street shopper has picked up on this fashion trend through film, the cat walk, music etc. and you can see plenty of school girls with up dos, victory rolls and bandanas! Even mainstream pop singers are at it!

Beyoncé rocking the war time Bandana look!

Rihanna looking stunning with scarlet Victory Rolls!

It's all about going with the popular culture and let's face it... people like to follow what's popular!
Back in school who had the most friends? The popular girl!
You might think it's superficial but lets face it...we are all superficial to some extent! In this case it's not always what's on the inside that counts. That my friends really should be kept for when referring to people, treasure chests or chocolate covered raisins!

Benefit Cosmetics (High Street)


Haydria Perfumery(hand made)

But we don't want you to sell your soul over to mass consumerism or to Fashion (unless you really want to!) but we want to help you get your products looking as amazing as they can without losing their hand made integrity! Fashion comes and goes,that's true, but your products should always be stead fast in the quality stakes and though you can tap into fashion, tweak your labels accordingly to what's of the moment you should always have a solid base which shouts it's made by YOU! This my lovelies is branding!

So how do you get the professional look without resembling another High Street, Mass Produced product?
Look at your product and figure out what type of shopper you are targeting.
Make your packaging stand out, looking professional and looking like it's personal to you and your brand's ethos.
Don't just use an old bit of recycled brown paper nor spend a fortune on boxes or fancy paper either. You really don't need to spend thousands on it for your product to look awesome. You can achieve a great inspirational look on a shoe string budget...all you need is a bit of imagination and some clever crafting!


Printed paper bags and twine add a vintage touch to your hand made packaging. By using this type of packaging what does it say about the product? Old fashioned traditional methods? A love of green recycled materials? Or speciality product? All of the above and not a scrunched up pre used paper bag in sight... though these bags are made from recycled paper!

Printed Wax paper and black string has been used to make these products original and beautiful.

Though we totally believe in recycling and up cycling if you are charging a premium price then it needs to look the part. Use recycled or green made packaging instead of just ironing a bit of naff, faded old brown paper! You are competing with a sea of other products both on mass produced and on the hand made side so make it as enticing as possible. You really won't sell a gorgeous product, no matter how great it is if it's wrapped in an old tatty plastic bag!
Use the best possible raw ingredients/materials for your products because even though we are talking about packaging the product itself needs to be good! Without the quality product inside the outside will be only a fad and what you want is return buyers and a loyal following!!!

Keep your over all look streamlined, timeless and cohesive. Have your logo, your company colours on everything from your business cards, web site, to your packaging. An overall "look" which is adaptable will help people identify your brand visually so next time they see it they'll know exactly what it is that you are selling be it a lifestyle product or an awesome hand made soap.

A selection of High Street soaps Savon de Marseille and Arc Brito

Berylune soaps...hand made and made in the UK. Lovely Graphic packaging not unlike the Arc Brito but definitely with it's own identifiable modern look!

So how do you keep that hand made look? 
Long gone are the days where knitted loo roll dollies and painted pasta shapes on card classified as CRAFT. It's an expanding, designer led, competitive market so your product needs to stand out and sell itself at a glance and that's where packaging comes in.
Today's designer maker is not only the producer of quality products but also the sales person, PR intern, the accountant, etc. etc. etc.
The modern designer maker has to wear many hats so if you feel like you can't quite grasp the packaging and branding side then that's where we come in.
We love packaging and we know the hand made market very well. With over 10 years of selling experience and 5 years of Craft Market management we feel we might just be the help you need to get your products noticed.
Get in touch! Our fees are competitive and we believe we can get you thinking of your packaging as an integral part of making your hand made company a successful business with a minimal outlay and without losing your hand made identity.

For this post we've chosen mainly SOAP and cosmetics because we thought they are a perfect example of successful packaging as many use it to great effect. I mean soap is soap right, they all pretty much use the same process and ingredients? Not exactly or "not just" should be the correct reply hence why we've chosen it as an example. Though quality varies there are so many brands out there so it's pretty much down to product and packaging and how that plays a huge part in it's success or failure. It is after all an everyday product which we all use and with so much choice out there...something has to set them apart.
For example a small Portuguese Soap company like "Arc Brito" who was on the verge of death suddenly after reviewing their packaging went on to become one of the worlds premium soap brands mainly through the beautifully designed art work which encapsulates their gorgeous soaps. They now sell their soap all over the world and in shops like Selfridge's, Liberty of London and Heal's. So it goes to prove that it's not just what's on the inside but on the outside too!!!











Tuesday 5 February 2013

Calling all animal loving designer makers!

We love Celia Hammond and that's not just because she is a fashion icon of the 1960's!
Celia has been a staunch animal activist since her early days when she was a super model. Horrified by the seal cull in Canada she vowed to never wear fur again and so her campaign work began.
We love kind people and we think that we can all make a difference hence why we are talking about Celia and her organisation.


She's an inspiration and after reading posts on the Celia Hammond Animal Trust Face Book page we were moved by stories of how they are dealing with huge numbers of abandoned animals in their London centres.
Since Christmas there has been a massive influx and they are having trouble dealing with all the new residents. Mainly these pets have been felines and some dogs too but mainly cats.
For what ever reason people have for giving up their pets it's not up to us to judge we are just happy to be able to put an idea forward to help this amazing charity!
AND so we've come up with the idea of doing an online TOMBOLA. Each ticket will cost £1 and all funds will go to the trust. We will have a first, second and third prize and every single item will be hand made because that's our other LOVE.
So if you fancy donating a hand made item then please get in touch. We'll add your link to the Tombola post as a thank you and if you can please add a link back to the TOMBOLA post that would be dandy too because we want to raise as much money as possible!!!

However if you are not able to donate an actual item to the tombola then maybe you can use your craft work. The Trust has requested toys for their animals like simple catnip mice.
A simple and soft catnip mouse for playful but shy cats might just be what they require to help them get back into tip top shape. Play is fun and we think these little kitties need some too!
Here's an easy pattern and when you're finished please send to the main centre in East London. Address details and other info available here.... Celia Hammond Animal Trust.
BUT if you can help even further then they are also looking for foster homes so get in touch with the trust if you are able and willing to take a little ball of fur into your home while he or she awaits a new loving family!
Also there's a handy list of items you can buy which is delivered directly to the trust via Amazon...



Deadline for receipt of donated items: Saturday the 9th of February. Please email us for our postal address via email craftguerrilla@yahoo.com

The Celia Hammond fund raiser Tombola will then be receiving donations by way of ticket sales from the 11th of February until the prize draw which will be on the 31st of March!

Please note that the Celia Hammond Trust are no way involved in this fundraiser...we, Craft Guerrilla, are running it to present a donation to them after the draw.

Lets use the power of craft and help make the world a better place!