WE MAKE ON THE DAY....

What a great day was had by all! With workshops running throughout and the day, and the tuneful sounds of the Furies choir, we would like to thank everyone who came along and supported We Make and look forward to seeing you all at future We Make events.

We would also like to wish you all a fantastic christmas and wish you all the best for 2009

Here are a few photos from the day…

We Make Banner

Fur Will Fly http://furwillfly.etsy.com/

Ei! Kumpel http://www.eikumpel.com/

LittleChook http://littlechook.etsy.com/

ChickP http://www.chickp.co.uk/

Dainty Prettythings http://daintyprettythings.etsy.com/

Natty Jewels http://nattyjewels.etsy.com/

Notes http://notes.etsy.com/

What Katie Does http://whatkatiedoes.etsy.com/

What Katie Does http://whatkatiedoes.etsy.com%20and/StoreyShop http://storeyshop.etsy.com/

We Make Tote Bags

Designer Spotlight- Blackrose

Blackrose has a day job as a Training Consultant with a major Awarding Body/Examination Board, but still manages to find time to squeeze in crafting between this and a busy life. As a child she was always doodling, colouring in or cutting out shapes and people.

Val remembers fondly:
“My mother was always knitting, crocheting and sewing clothes for myself and 5 siblings. At the time she had a lovely old singer sewing machine with foot operator controller, but later got an electric modern one. I used to make clothes for myself ocassionally using simplicty, vogue and burda patterns up to probably the early 1990's. I also used to knit things which I never finished :)”

After various creative crafting endeavors over the years, Val then discovered Etsy last year and started making things to sell there. Recently she found out about Folksy.com and is also now on there selling her handmade delights.

At the moment all Val’s fabric creations are hand sewn and mainly aimed at women - to make them feel good inside, to comfort and encourage/motivate. Her best selling herbal pillows certainly do this!) Val says:

“I now know that being creative feeds my soul. I am so contented when surrounded by fabric, yarn and lots of buttons and embellishments. My boyfriend bought me a sewing machine last Christmas. (a lot more sophisticated than my mums old singer)....I need to get my head around the instructions and start using it!.”

Waiting for We Make Christmas?
Watch out for lots of fragranced wardrobe sachets and fabulous fabric brooches- great to wear with casual clothes or more formal outfits. There could also be some knitted scarflettes and maybe wrist cuffs too!

Can’t wait for We Make Christmas?
There are plenty of pleasing creation to check out at Blackrose etsy shop and have a browse at Folksy for some fabric brooches and spirit art dolls.

Designer Spotlight- Simply Scrumblicious

Mary and Gracie both have a passion for baking. They love making delicious cakes and chocolates. Mouth watering delights that are just Simply Scrumblicious.

Finding time in between their busy city jobs is a challenge in itself. They love using what spare time they have trying out new recipes and perfecting their favourites. Gracie is also a keen photographer which is perfect for capturing their delights.

‘The cakes we make vary, some are just old favourites; maybe with a twist and others have been delightful experiments evolved from flavours that inspire us, be it seasonal, or just a current hankering… Our cakes tend to be an amalgamation of different recipes and baking techniques, constantly tinkering with different ideas to get the desired texture and flavour. ‘

Mary was inspired by We Make London in June. She thought how wonderful it would be to have a cup of tea and a slice of cake while you are browsing and buying beautiful items.

Mary’s favourite cake at the moment is the Raspberry Almond cupcake as they are light and healthier so she can eat more than one.

Grace has preferences depending on her mood at the time, summer calls for light and refreshing – the mango raspberry charlotte cake had the zing to hit the spot, though when the nights draw in as winter looms, nothing beats the warmth of a delicately spiced carrot cake, with its velvety smooth cream cheese frosted duvet.

Waiting For We Make Christmas:
For We Make Christmas Simply Scrumblicious’ main focus will be on cup cakes and mini versions of larger cakes. One in particular is their mini cheesecakes. They will also be bringing a range of handmade chocolates consisting mainly of classic truffles.

Can’t Wait For We Make Christmas:
If you simply can’t wait till We Make Christmas to have a look at more of Mary and Gracie’s mouth watering creations then take a look at their blog http://www.scrumblicious.blogspot.com/. I promise you, its full of sweet toothed loveliness.

GOODY BAGS! COMPETITION TIME

GOODY BAGS! There will be a limited number of limited edition We Make Christmas Goody Bags available on the door for £3 each. These bags are reusable cotton Totes that you can carry round the fair and put all of your lovely purchases in.

They are filled with fabulous freebies supplied by the cream of the UK designer/ maker scene, many of whom are selling at We Make Christmas, and just as many who were not able to this time.

The bags themselves are screen printed on one side with the We Make Logo and the back has been designed and decorated by individual We Make sellers. There are almost as many designs available as there are bags so get there early if you spot one you want in order to avoid disapointment!

Our designers have really excelled themselves with these designs so as a thank you we are running a little competition. Here are the bags that each seller has submitted to the competition - the winner receives a free stall at the next We Make event. The winning design will become the special raffle prize bag, filled with an enormous amount of goodies!

Please leave a blog comment with the number of your favourite Tote. You have until December 5th to do so!

TOTE ONE: FUR WILL FLY
fur will fly etsy shop




TOTE TWO: MY APHRODITE
my aphrodite etsy shop




TOTE THREE: DAINTYPRETTYTHINGS
daintyprettythings etsy shop




TOTE FOUR: CHI CHI MOI
chi chi moi etsy shop




TOTE FIVE: CHICKP
www.chickp.co.uk/

TOTE SIX: DEBSMUDDLE
debsmuddle etsy shop




TOTE SEVEN: LAURAFALLULAH
laurafallulah etsy shop




TOTE EIGHT: LISA MARGREET
lisa margreet shop




TOTE NINE: LITTLECHOOK
www.littlechook.co.uk/




TOTE TEN: THE BIRCH TREE
www.thebirchtree.com




TOTE ELEVEN: SISILY LOVE
sisily love etsy shop




TOTE TWELVE: KALA ART
kala art etsy shop




TOTE THIRTEEN: HALF AN ACRE (ANNA)
half an acre etsy shop




TOTE FOURTEEN: HALF AN ACRE (RUTH)
half an acre etsy shop

Designer Spotlight- Chalk Hill Studio

Karen has always loved drawing, from an early age she has been making cards and pictures. Crafting is a way of life for Karen, not a hobby. Karen studied Illustarion and graphic design at college.

Karen also has a passion for books. She loves reading them, making them and designing art that may one day be featured in them.

‘I started making wedding stationery for a living as I had friends who were getting married and my brother helped me set up my first website. I was asked a lot for wedding albums to match the stationery so learned proper bookbinding. I’ve since left the weddings behind to focus on my own artwork but I still make the books. They’ve proved a hit with other artists as I can custom make them with their favourite paper.’

Karen uses simple techniques and spends hours on each design choosing the right colours and textures to create a story. Her paintings are a mix of acrylic paint, textured collage and image transfers.

Karen ’s business is two fold. She is an artist first and foremost and her website

www.karenjinks.co.uk is full of art and illustrations . This works as an online portfolio. Then she has her selling website www.chalkhillstudio.co.uk for my cards, books, prints and other pretties.

‘ I am trying to merge my skills more though and have recently returned to my design roots by creating patterns and designs that I print onto fabric that go onto my book covers. This is the most exciting thing I am doing right now. Trying to source unusual papers and fabrics has been the most difficult part of my job. By designing my own not only does this simplify the business side of things it also allows me to solidify my identity and become completely unique. From an artist’s point of view this is invaluable.’

Waiting for We Make Christmas:
Karen will be bringing some of her favorite books. This is one of her favorites made from Indian cotton rag it was the first book Kala made.

For We Make Christmas Karen is producing a new range of Christmas designs; cards and gift tags as well as a new range of books with their smart new fabric covers.

Can’t For We Make Christmas:
For a beautiful range of Karen ’s cards and books take a look at her online shop www.chalkhillstudio.co.uk

To see her stunning online portfolio of art and illustrations take a look at her website www.karenjinks.co.uk

Designer Spotlight- Littleclouds

Alison passion for making things flourished during her Art and Design studies at university. After her studies Alison developed he designs and style to make a career out of her passion.

‘My design process is quite organic & can be quite random, usually through drawing or imagination I come up with ideas that either get built upon & realised or put aside in my sketchbook’

Alisons website http://www.littleclouds.co.uk/ was a project while she was at university. It now follows the same design but offers a great range of her products.

Alison is also working on wholesale orders that will allow her work to be seen throughout Europe.

Waiting For We Make Christmas:
For We Make Christmas Little clouds will be bringing some of her best sellers including her brooches and badges and her cards.

Little Clouds is also making some Christmas goods, like stockings, Santa hats & little stocking fillers like stickers & transferable graphics.

Can’t wait for We Make Christmas:
Check out Little Clouds online shop http://www.littleclouds.etsy.com/. Lots of gift ideas and treats for yourself.

Designer Spotlight- Yumptatious

Emma loves to sew. Her items include bags, purses, brooches, sock monkeys and much more.

Emma wants her work to make people smile as well as fulfilling a purpose.

‘I make all my products in a flurry of excitement and enthusiasm! Working within the confines of my kitchen, I start with an idea but let the ideas flow: I quite often end up with a piece quite different to the one I intended to do: it's one the perks of working for yourself! I tend to make 4 items at the same time, which allows me to try out different ideas whilst stopping 'yumptatious' from being too sporadic! I prefer to use natural fabrics such as cotton and linen, sturdy fabrics that are wonderful to use but are tough enough to withstand day-to-day use’

Waiting For We Make Christmas:
Emma is currently working on some new brooches, perfect for brighten up your winter coats. Emma is also working on a great new range of aprons to protect those Christmas outfits while cooking your wonderful Christmas dinner.

Can’t Wait for We Make Christmas:
Check out Yumptatious online shop http://www.yumptatious.etsy.com/. Its full of pretty items that are just perfect for those extra special gifts.

Designer Spotlight- All The Fun At The Fair

Just off Carnaby St in Kingly Court, All the Fun of the Fair is a sweetie shop for knitters and crafters full of yarn, haberdashery, buttons, vintage finds plus lots of quirky hand knitted and hand made items.

Buzz loves finding everyday objects and recreating them as a fantastic knitted piece. Buzz will spend alot of time finding the correct colour wool to make the item very life like.

‘When I decide on what everyday object that I think needs knitting, ie a knitted pumpkin! I then spend an awful lot of time on getting the colour right. It is often in the most humdum of places that the colour might leap out at me, ie a colour of some packaging whilst out shopping.’

Buzz’s creations are quirky, bright and fun.

Waiting For We Make Christmas:
All The Fun Of The Fair will be bringing some of their most popular designs from their Carnaby Street store. Including their more tea vicar tea cozy. Buzz loves to see who buys it and who its for and loves the ironany of her selling it as her husband is a vicar.

All The Fun Of The Fair also have a fun range of knitted tape measures. These will make great Christmas presents.

Can’t Wait For We Make Christmas:
Why not take a look at All The Fun Of The Fairs website www.allthefunofthefair.biz or you could even treat yourself to a trip to their shop Unit 2.8 Kingly Court, just off Carnaby Street.

Designer Spotlight- My Mum's A Hippie

Monique’s world is a happy world when she is crafting. Inspired by the vibrant and vivid culture of Latin America Monique’s work is both intricate and fun.

Monique works with adults with learning disabilities, helping them learn and express themselves through art and crafts.

‘All the students are here because they want to be here and it is lovely to see people get excited about being creative and making.’

Monique’s work appeals to both Fine Art lovers and Craft lovers. Combining both drawing and sewing adds to the uniqueness of Monique’s pieces.

Waiting for We Make Christmas:
Monique will be bringing some of her best selling work like her gramophone images and her intricate hair pieces and brooches.

Can’t Wait For We Make Christmas:
If you can’t wait to have a look at Monique’s wonderful work have a look at her Folksy Shop www.folksy.com/shops/mymumsahippie

Desiger Spotlight- Storeyshop

Storeyshop is made up from Helen’s Beautiful hand cut personalised greeting cards, sock monkeys and Rebecca’s paper covered frames and hand painted cards. Helen’s freelance graphic design also is a big part of Storey shop.

‘I design magazines and other print graphics from home which is great as it means I can sew handmade monkeys or cut personalised greetings cards too. I love it when a card order comes through and I can stop designing for an hour or two and get scalpelling!’

Helen loves bright colours and loves the contrast of white against bright colours. Helens designs are neat and intricate; she spends along time on each one making sure they are perfect.

Helen’s love for bright colours also shows in her sock monkeys each one made to perfection.

Waiting For We Make Christmas:
For We Make Christmas Helen will be bringing a fabulous range of her sock monkeys. They are just waiting for a new home for Christmas.

Helen will also have her wonderful personalised cards. Each one has a special message and meaning.

‘I think people like the fact that they can choose their message and create a completely unique card made specifically for their friend or relative. They also make nice keepsakes for the future, especially the new baby cards with the new arrival's name and date of birth.’

Helen is also working on a brand new range of little jewellery boxes.

Can’t Wait For We Make Christmas:
Storeyshops online shop www.storeyshop.etsy.com is full of cards, bags, boxes, frames and sock monkeys.

Designer Spotlight- Jaemeekae

Amy is a wonderfully skilled photographers. Inspired by light and the effects it can create. One of Amy’s techniques which often intriques people is here Light Trail shots.

‘The camera is set up on a tripod and the shutter is held open for around a minute for each shot. This gives time for the dark background to burn into the sensor... while I (or a willing volunteer) run around in the freezing cold pointing a torch at the lens. Because the person holding the torch is comparitively dark, and is moving quickly, they don't show up on the picture. It's a fun thing for anyone to try.’

Amy’s style is quite unique. She always works in high contrast and high saturation. Amy mainly works in colour very rarely in black and white.

‘I love the gritty urban aesthetic, throw in a bit of dilapidation, or a bright neon light, maybe a light trail. Sometimes I also like things to be a bit more serene or contemplative and I'm trying to get going on some documentary stuff that will be more involved. Basically, I just like to experiment and try different things and see what happens!’

Waiting For We Make Christmas:
For We Make Christmas Amy is working on smaller prints. Her aim is to make her art affordable to all.

Amy also has some lovely still life pictures, travel and interiors pictures

Can’t Wait For We Make Christmas:
Amy’s website www.amygoodchild.com is host to a wonderful selection of her photo’s there is also some clever photo manipulations and paint and draw pictures.