Behind THE RED DOOR...

The Red Door Studios are hosting a selection of "Jubalympic" sized events to tantalize and mesmerize the good people of London.
From Vintage/retro sales, group shows to photographic exhibitions...there's bound to be something for everyone!
Check out what our friends are up to in East Ham by popping along to this summer fiesta!

Celebrations kick off this Sunday...
Summer Exhibition 2012
Opening Event at Red Door Studios
Sunday 5th August at 1pm (Doors open 11am to 5pm)
Pop-up Cafe Open!

This opening event is to celebrate the 22 local artists who are exhibiting their artwork during our week-long Summer Exhibition – there will be refreshments, music and a few special guests to welcome the artists.

Venue: Red Door Studios

On Masterman Road
Rear of 120 High street South
East Ham, London, E6 3HW

For further info visit the Red Door Studio Face Book Page!

The William Morris Gallery...out with the Chintz!

I can hardly believe it but the William Morris Gallery reopens tomorrow! I was lucky enough to go to the private view last week and what I saw was amazing! It's been a long time coming and lots of money has been spent on the regeneration bringing the community a long awaited gallery fit for international visitors as well as a much needed haven for all people in our borough.

The Walthamstow Tapestry on exhibition now!

Apart from the beautiful tapestry by Grayson Perry the gallery has been transformed beyond recognition! And yes I did get to meet him, though briefly, but I did manage to get his photo and have a quick word with him in front of the Walthamstow Tapestry. What a charming and talented man!

Grayson Perry!

A smart extension houses a large exhibition space (this is where the tapestry resides until the end of September) and the tea room/restaurant overlooking the gardens.
On the top floor of the main gallery work shop spaces have sprouted up in the eaves though these weren't open yet but we hear they will be in use to teach school children and members of the community all sorts of craft disciplines. That's a big thumbs up from us on that one!

detail of the tea room's chandeliers and musicians in the new extension overlooking the gardens.

Like a dormant chrysalis that's woken up into a gorgeous butterfly The Gallery is now a lovely airy, bright and beautiful exhibition, educational and meeting space!
Before the regeneration it was nice and homely, in fact sometimes it felt like you've wondered into someone's lounge but it was pretty dark and lifeless. It's almost like it was one of those creepy rooms people leave untouched after their loved one has died...but not anymore, what they've managed to bring to it with the regeneration is a bit of modernity, life and oh yes open windows which means lots of natural light!

a bust of William Morris greets visitors.

It's definitely not chrome and mirrors, that would just be naff... But dare I say that it looks a bit Scandi?! Let me elaborate... Scandi (as in Scandinavian) in the sense that it's bright and clean but with a bit more of design, thought and a welcoming warmth which was achieved through the use of natural materials, the colour pallet and the general flow that takes visitors from room to room.
The large chunky wooden chest of drawers and hanging industrial lights in the back exhibition room wouldn't look out of place in a Swedish café but they serve a purpose rather then compete with the existing Morris & Co. pieces. There's also a bit of technology too by way of touch screens and interactive pieces which are there for people to use and touch unlike before when it felt like you weren't even allowed to walk on the carpet. Obviously you were but it almost felt intrusive having people trampling on them.
The new display furniture and fittings sit harmoniously and if anything showcase even more Morris' work by quietly sitting in the background doing their job letting the Victorian Arts & Crafts pieces shine in a totally new light.

Morris pattern on ceramic tiles.

Back exhibition room looking bright! Love the wooden chests and floors.

Now the pieces seem to breath a different life from what they did in the late 19th and early 20th century, they look contemporary and wouldn't be out of place in today's Arts & Crafts homes. The modern Designer Maker is different from the Victorian one but it's nice to see that good design is timeless and I would happily use Morris's designs in my modern home. I for one was totally inspired by the flooring in one of the small gallery rooms and will now tear up the carpet and try my hand at floor pattern painting.

Lino floor in Morris Pattern (I hope it's Lino, I might be wrong but it's definitely not carpet!) It's inspired me to paint my floors!

William Morris was much more then just a craftsman, an artist, a print maker, a designer he was also a socialist, a poet, a humanist plus a husband and a father.
In fact he was a formidable force which has left a legacy which we should all be proud of!

Socialist banner. Morris was also a great socialist and a man of many layers, ideals and talents.

I am a long time fan and have lived just behind Lloyd Park so I know the gallery well as I have spent many an afternoon in there.
This was a long time ago when Craft Guerrilla was still just a little glimmer in my imagination but it was invaluable in my searching for inspiration and philosophy for the collective.
Morris was and still is one of my main "muses" and his ideals are one of the reasons why I started Craft Guerrilla.
Now it's come full circle...Craft Guerrilla were privileged to have been asked to curate a selection of Designer Maker items for the shop gallery. It's seams like we've also come home...
Thank you William Morris and hopefully one day there might be a Craft Guerrilla Gallery too!

Opens 2nd Of August 2012! For further information, opening times, exhibitions and details on how to get there please visit the WMG web site: www.wmgallery.org.uk

Wonderful, Wonder Craft...hey it's Wonder Hill!

Our lovely friends at Wonder Hill Market are on the hunt for quality stall holders for a couple of their summer fairs. In order to apply for a stall you must be a designer maker or  a purveyor of  tip top Vintage goods.

This summer they'll be touching down in London Bridge in a prime location to catch and capture those tourists! Oh yes it's going to be a Craftolympics with tons of gold medal type stuff!!! You see, by buying hand made...everyone wins!


Available dates: July 28th and August 25th (open 12-5pm)
Discounted spaces available as times are hard and because they are lovely they'd like to help. Get in touch via email and for booking:
 info@wonderhillmarket.co.uk.

The last one out turns off the light!

It's with great sadness that we announce the closure of our little shop in Wood Street Indoor Market. From the end of July we'll be packing up and moving on to what we hope will be greener pastures.

After 6 months of trading we've come to the conclusion that it's just not the right location for us!
We've had fun, met tons of really nice people, made some new friends and managed to introduce a few new consumers to hand made shopping by selling the fabulous designer maker goods we've had on offer!

Feed back in the majority has been positive so Craft Guerrilla know that this type of shop is something we'll want to do again.... heck we WILL do it again!!! That's a promise.

I'm still in love with the idea of being a "shop keeper" of all things hand made so if all goes to plan we'll be back very soon!
Having a studio, retail shop and a "Craft-Tea Shop" with sewing machine hire, serving home baked cake and lashings of tea is something we will relaunch in a brighter, bigger space... plus having a bigger shop area would be lovely too as we have so many talented makers and were always pressed for space in Wood Street!
Fingers crossed we'll pop up soon in a another place with better foot fall and better location.

In the meantime we'll still be operating as usual hosting our monthly DIY Craft Nights, Crafternoons and working with museums, galleries, hosting other crafty events and private parties! It basically means we're back to basics and doing what we were before having the shop so we're still around.
To keep updated join our mailing list: craftguerrilla@yahoo.com

Thank you all for your support and for all your kind words, it wasn't easy but we think all in all this is the best decision we can make at present.

Shop opening times and days until closure: Friday and Saturday only from 10.30 am to 5.00 pm
We close for good on Friday the 27th of July.

Shower curtain tutorial...

It's not a surprise that IKEA are the leader in home wares & furniture as it's also no secret that I have a long standing love affair with the Scandi flat pack giants! So in my never ending quest to find the perfect shower curtain I headed off to the large blue and yellow box off the A12. Yes I do have a thing about shower curtains and take finding the "perfect one" very seriously!
Usually I have no problem in finding things I like and easily deviate from my carefully written list...oh yes, you know what I'm talking about! No list means coming away with boxes of tea lights, arms full of photo frames and trollies filled with that stuff you sigh and mutter about at the check out with "I don't really need this but...." statements but still place them on the conveyor belt!
After many years of buying at IKEA and always finding the "perfect" shower curtain I was disillusioned with their current choices. Bland, functional and very austere... and just because we're in the age of austerity it doesn't mean I want a grey, plain, boring shower curtain in my bathroom Ikea designers!!! It is after all the first thing most of see in the morning!!! So I picked up a plain white £3.99 plastic "Eggegrund" curtain with the intention of adding something of my own onto it.
And so I did and here is my simple shower curtain tutorial...

step 1: Lay out your curtain onto a large table and wipe the curtain with some hot soapy water to remove any grease or dust. Leave to dry.

step 2: Choose a design. I opted to draw it first on paper and I'm glad I did so. I had an idea where I was going with it though I did slightly change the composition.
With a soft nib pencil draw your design onto the curtain.

this is what you need: Shower curtain (plain white) a design, a pencil and some permanent markers!

step 3: When you're ready and happy with your design use a permanent market and trace your drawing. I used Sharpies* though others are available. I got mine form Amazon and they were a really good price for a pack of 12!!!
I also chose to use a simple black outline for my design because I think it adds extra Kawaii cuteness to it.
*Please note: other brands are available...

step 4: colour in your design... I used simple vertical strokes for the look I was after... but it's up to you what you do! I also left a few "rain drops" plain IE without colouring them in.

 step 5: That's it. Hang it on your shower rail and enjoy a happy shower in the morning!!! Hope you enjoy making your own and please do share your photos of your creations!

And here's a very apt tune for your shower...

Summer Swisherama for vintage lovin mamas!!!

After a hectic year we thought we'd take July off and return in August to the Rose & Crown pub with a brand spanking new format for our DIY Craft nights!

Still based on the "Make Do & Mend" ethos, up cycling, recycling and self sufficiency but with a bit more added glamour! Also we'll be in the back of the pub in the Red Room and pool table area because we think a change of scenery is just what we need.

We'll still host mini monthly workshops with a guest tutor as well as introduce a few little extras like Swishing!
Yup, you've heard right, this is your chance to remodel your wardrobe and get rid of any unwanted frocks, separates, shoes etc in exchange for another pretty item of clothing!
It's a great way to recycle your wears plus we'll have Kirstie from "just can't help it" retro boutique showing you how to hem, alter and transform your new treasures to fit into your new retro loving wardrobe! BUT if you fancy the real deal the Frill Seekers Vintage boutique will be open as usual!!!

So how does the Swish work?
Everyone brings in unwanted clothing, handbags, hats, gloves, belts, accessories, etc. and shoes.  They must be clean and in good condition.
You will then receive a ticket so you can then swap for a similar category item during the swish. For example if you bring in shoes you can then swap them for a pair of someone else's shoes, if you bring in a vintage dress you can exchange it for another vintage dress, if you bring in a high street item of clothing you will be able to swap it for another high street item and so on...
You will have 30 minutes to look through, try and drool over the items and at 8.45pm on the dot we'll blow the whistle so you can go through the rails and grab your chosen item.
(Please note that bun fights will not be tolerated and in case more then one person wants an item we'll flip a coin or get you to arm wrestle!)
A small fee will be charged per item.

Vintage Pop Up Beautifying Station:
The gorgeous and perfectly coiffed Ginger & Greene will also be on hand at their pop up Beautifying Station where the Vintage Beauty Train will roll up to remake you lovelies into glamorous starlets!
No booking required but please ask the ladies for their coiffure/ Make up menu and pricing.

Guest Mini Workshop:
This month we're making knickers made from recycled silk scarves! Sarah Kerry will be on hand to show you how to make a pair of pretty knick knocks.
£30 per student though you must be proficient on a sewing machine. All materials provided.  6 spaces available. Pre booking required. More details including booking info to be announced.


Craft Guerrilla Craft Packs:
We're still offering ready to make craft packs but working on bringing you a new selection of glam projects! As usual we'll be on hand to help and guide you though for a small £3 fee you are welcome to bring your own projects.

And finally...
There will also be home baked cakes available to purchase...booze and cake? Well why not?!

Independents Day...

Celebrate "Independents Day" and shop local!

As part of Wood Street market we've joined forces with other retailers to bring shoppers the best in indie shopping offering a variety of special events, street food stalls, workshops (for kids and adults too), shopping discounts and live music from the 4th to the 7th of July.

Held through out the indoor market and in association with other local businesses we'll be showcasing why it's imperative to support local independents.
Look out for the campaign posters in local participating shops, restaurants and businesses! Wood Street Indoor Market 98-100 Wood Street E17 3HX From 10 am to 5.30 pm.

If you'd like to know more about our Shop Local campaign visit the official site: http://shoplocale17.weebly.com/