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!

Craft Trail workshops....

Only a week and a half to go and we're raring to set down our knitting needles to craft with some fine people.
As part of the Thames Festival,The Craft Trail has been created to offer visitors the complete LONDON hand made experience!
We have a selection of designer makers selling directly to the public with Crafty Fox and We make London. They'll be dotted around the trail in two specific areas...just follow the map!
Craft Guerrilla will set up near City Hall with Sanna Panda, Cabbages & Kings, Creative Biscuit and a few other crafty people. You'll be able to see the best talent in printing, design, buy craft materials and supplies to sipping tea in the "Alice in Wonderland" café shop.
Craft Guerrilla will be offering two days of work shops hosted by guest tutors. Learn to make Dorset Buttons, Recycled Note Books, make your own wristie pin cushion, print your own little bird, learn to knit and much more!
Below is a schedule of workshops with more to be added on the day. To find out what we'll be doing follow us on twitter. We'll be popping up for a couple of GUERRILLA KNITTING sessions so keep your peepers firmly on Twitter!!!!
Thank you to our wonderful sponsors for helping us make the Work shop areas into a reality:
Etsy UK
Coats

Saturday 10th:
1pm - 3pm Dorset Buttons with Louise Batten (Price per craft pack tba)
1pm - 3pm Recycled Note books with Tatiana Woolrych (Price per craft pack tba)
3pm - 5pm Birdie Printing workshop with Zeena Shah (Price per craft pack tba)
3pm - 5pm Babushka Brooch with Debbie Daniel (Price per craft pack tba)

Sunday 11th:
1pm - 3pm Patchwork beginners with Louise Batten (Price per craft pack tba)
1pm - 3pm Paper Party Work shop with Rebecca Moyster (Price tba)
3pm - 5pm Recycled Note Books with Tatiana Woolrych (Price per craft pack tba)
3pm - 5pm Wristie Pin Cushion with Debbie Daniel (Price per craft pack tba)
*6pm onwards "CHECK TWITTER" (@craftguerrilla) NUDGE NUDGE, WINK WINK!

Links:
www.crafttrail.co.uk
Zeena Shah: www.zeenashah.com
Debbie Daniel: www.munano.co.uk
Tatiana Woolrych: www.facebook.com/thenewjumble
Louise Batten: www.etsy.com/shop/hellobattenberg
Rebecca Moyster: www.bibasteaparty.com

The CRAFT TRAIL at the Thames Festival

Time:
10 September at 11:00 - 11 September at 20:00
Location:
City hall between Tower Bridge and London Bridge

Craft Guerrilla will be setting down their knitting needles next to City Hall on the South Bank to bring you crafty folk a selection of workshops.
We'll be nestled amongst the trees in this little creative enclave with other talented creatures.

There will be lots to do through out the weekend and maps will be available on the Craft Trail website, on the day from helpers and from each Craft Trail area.
www.crafttrail.co.uk

Follow our Twitter account to get up to the minute "special" info...we'll be offering a few "guerrilla" sessions through out the festival for a little bit of subversive crafting!
Twitter: @craftguerrilla
Also visit our web site's event page to download your free "Guerrilla crafter" disguise!
http://www.craftguerrilla.com/page6.htm

In the City Hall area Craft Guerrilla will be joined by a selection of other designer makers, Cabbages & Kings, Creative Biscuit, Sanna Panda & Friends plus a few more yet to be announced.

But there is more... Crafty Fox and We Make London will also be there with a selection of designer maker stalls so plenty of shopping to be done too...
Wowzers now tell me there isn't enough CRAFT in the Capital!
We'll have you full up to the brim with crafty loveliness by the end of the weekend.

Craft Guerrilla be hosting workshops through out the weekend and we''ll be posting the full schedule asap. If you'd like to find out more on the day be sure to follow us on Twitter (@craftguerrilla) or visit or web site: www.craftguerrilla.com

CRAFT TRAIL: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Craft-Trail-at-Thames-Festival/184274978303187

Threads & Yarns....

Our lovely friend Zeena Shah (of I heart Zeena) is currently working on a very interesting project which its subject we hold very near to our heart.

Zeena will be there as an artist by facilitated a craft workshop for this intergenerational project bringing together young people, the elderly and craft generating personal accounts of health and well being from the last 75 years.

She says:
"It was a great project to be involved with and I'm really looking forward to showing off all our hard work at the V&A Museum this coming Monday.
Do come along, there will be a host of workshops, fascinating and funny stories and interesting seminars and lectures too!"


You can find out more about the project and the Wellcome Trust here

May is Craft Month!!!

As we get closer to the end of month we look forward to the lovely,shiny and very creative new month that is MAY!
After the very rowcus and festivias shinnanigans of April we think that this is positively the best wedding/Bank Holiday(s) hangover cure...

Printing card and fabric work shop
5th of May 7.30pm - 9.30pm
To kick it all off we have a fab workshop featuring the splendidly talented Sarah Butler.
A 2 hour introduction to relief printmaking, learn to make your own unique stamp to be printed on card and fabrics. A skill you can continue at home!
Number of places available: 12
Cost: £15 [includes all tools and materials and you can make two stamps, two cards and some fabric prints to take home with you] Pre-booking advisable.

Felted Flowers work shop
13th May 7.30pm - 9.30pm
Ever fancied trying your hand at needle felting? I can honestly say, needle on heart, that it is so very addictive! Here's your chance to get started with a fab workshop by Gai. Make your own needle felted Flower Brooch/Pin in this fun and creative workshop. She's an amazing needle felting artist and she'll have you hooked in no time. Because May is Craft Month Craft Guerrilla have teamed up with our lovely friends at Creative Biscuit and so get on down and make something!
Learn easy one step free form needle felting. No applique moulds used to create your very own original piece of wearable art.
If you have never tried needle felting this is a good workshop to get started. Your kit will contain everything you need, foam pad to work on, instructions, wool, needles etc.
Number of places available: 12
Cost: £15 [includes all tools and materials and two cards to take home with you]
Pre booking advised.

Make your own owl work shop
19th May 7.30pm-9.30pm
We're very pleased to announce that Zeena Shah is hosting a very special and very cute workshop for craft month! I absolutely love her textile designs and here's your chance to make a gorgeous little owl to take home with you!
Print your owl, stitch & stuff and hey presto you now have your very own little plushie!
Number of places available: 10
Cost: £18 [includes all tools and materials and a very cute hand sewn owl to take home with you]

Jewellery Making/Wire Wrap work shop
26th May 7.30pm - 9.30pm
This is the last Craft Month work shop but it's a good one.
Learn a new skill or brush up on your technique at this fun and
very useful workshop with Jeweller extraordinaire Ellen Jones!
Students will learn the basic technique of wire-wrapping for jewellery making as well as an introduction to the tools and their usage.
The wire and components used will be either silver-plated or gunmetal, and there will be a variety of crystals, pearls etc. freely available to create your own personal piece of jewellery. By learning the wire-wrapping technique, students will be able to make charm drops and continuous chains.
All abilities welcome!
Number of places available: 10
Cost: £28 [includes all tools and materials and at least one piece of jewellery to take home with you]

East London Craft Guerrilla Crafternoon!
27th May 6pm - 9.30pm
Come celebrate the end of Craft Month with a fabulous "Craftea Party". As we bid a fond farewell to our lovely hosts Creative Biscuit we definitely leave with a full heart and so we'd like you to come and share the LOVE!
We'll be offering a selection of quirky and cool Craft Guerrilla signature craft packs which can all be done quickly and easily. Or you can take them home to do in your own time. In house tutors will be on hand should you need some help or some crafty tips.
It's what it says in the title: Craft,Tea and Party with a cocktail thrown in into the mix! There's a great selection of tea, coffee and delicious cake.
Cost: £5 - includes tea and cake
Small charge per craft pack.

The Venue:
Creative Biscuit
61 George Lane South Woodford, London E18 1JJ

Please contact and book your place on the workshop with Creative Biscuit directly on: 020 8532 2824

POM POM necklace work shop...

Our lovely East London Craft Guerrilla member A Alicia is a very talented designer maker and she'll show you how to make a fab necklace which you can wear with pride...after all it will be your handy work!

"Ever fancied making your own jewellery? Well here's your chance to design and make a gorgeous, on trend, pom pom necklace to add to your summer wardrobe, at this A Alicia workshop!
I'll be running the workshop on Saturday 30th April from 1pm-3.30pm, at Create Boutique's lovely central London space: http://create-boutique.co.uk/
The lovely ladies at Create Boutique have let me offer you a special discount so you can book the workshop for £35 instead of the usual £40 - just mention this email when you book.
Places are limited, and booking is essential - to book or for more info email: info@create-boutique.co.uk

In the workshop you'll get to design your own pom pom necklace using a range of fairtrade organic wool, vintage ribbon and vintage or handmade beads. Once you've chosen your colours and materials, you'll learn how to make wool pom poms and how to assemble your finished necklace - then it's yours to wear and enjoy!

Hope to see you there, and feel free to pass this email (and the discount) on!"

It's your WRITE!

IT'S YOUR WRITE! A CELEBRATION OF THE SELF-PUBLISHED
Thursday 07 April 2011, 6 - 9pm
V&A Museum of Childhood
FREE EVENT

Lindsey German will be talking about her career as the UK’s most prominent female activist.
Cool indie band Planet Earth will lead a workshop on protest song writing.
The Women’s Library will share highlights from their collection of women’s zines dating back to Riot Grrrl.
Illustrator and designer David Janes will discuss his political portrait series, 650 Gargoyles.
AND Publishing discuss the wave of book piracy hitting emerging countries and explore text manipulation.
Interventions from The University for Strategic Optimism and Climate Rush.
Plus the It’s Your Write Book Swap and The World’s Largest Knitted Poem courtesy of The Poetry Society.
Craft Guerrilla will also be there with our lovely and talented friend Zeena Shah from "I heart Zeena". She will be captaining the Craft Guerrilla work shop for us.
This event is part of the "Papered Parlour" series at the V&A Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green.
It's such a great venue and I'm so glad it continues to open its doors in the evening for such great interactive events.
Come down and have a peep and a print!

"The Hive"...Introducing the Robin Collective.

Craft Guerrilla and Violet Iris invite you to check out an absolutely bee-autiful event next week called "The Hive", an experiential pop-up to be held in a derelict shop on Leather Lane in the city.
We're absolutely stoked to be able to collaborate with the Robin Collective to bring you some ace workshops.

Our very own power house of craft Violet Iris will be providing the Bee-balm and Candle making part of the Craft Guerrilla workshops on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Plus there are some many other wonderful things happening...Venom cocktails, an indoor garden -bees included-, honey tasting and honey based booze.
Open til 10pm every evening next week...Bee there!!!

When?
Opening 20th March, 2011
10:00am to 8:00pm daily

Where?
56-58 Leather Lane Market, London, EC1N 7TJ

Sponsors: Etsy UK

*interested crafters and tutors please contact the Robin Collective directly.

Workshops galore...

Join the good people at The Create Place in Bethnal Green on Friday 25th March for a 'Posh Card making' workshop...and it's just in time for Mother's Day!
Make 2-3 cards, sip tea and nibble on cake... or bring a bottle... what better way to start the weekend...?

Learn to heat emboss and iris fold (and other posh titles to impress your friends!)
Details of workshop and images of what you could make here:
http://violetiris.weebly.com/workshops.html
Bookings at www.backtobasicsartsandcrafts.blogspot.com