Crafts
Those crazy cats at Stitches and Hos:
On Friday night our knit graffiti faction struck at the heart of a Birmingham suburb. We met after night fall and covered 48 safety bollards surrounding a roundabout in a rainbow of knitting.
There are photos of the dastardly deed here and a slideshow of photos from Sparks68 on Flickr.
Northfield Ecocentre recently announced the launch of their ‘School of Green Living’, which will offer a series of workshops aimed at making sustainable living easier and fun.
Each of the workshops cover a practical skill aimed at beginners and will be run by experienced professionals. On offer at the moment they have;
Fibres to Felt – Saturday 5 February 2011
Cycle Maintenance for Beginners – Saturday 26th February 2011
Scrapbooking – Saturday 5th March 2011
Spring Foraging Food Walk – Tuesday 15th March 2011
The programme is due to expand, including courses in gardening, food, sewing, crafts, transport and home energy, so keep an eye on their website for updates.
Places for these can be booked online or by calling 0121 448 0119
Craftspace‘s mobile exhibition unit, Curious About Crafts, will be visiting Harborne this Saturday, accompanied by Mrs Smith, who’s on the hunt for areas of Harborne that are in need of a little extra love an attention.
Mrs Smith, a keen knitter and sewer, began her interventions whilst out on her daily walks. She started to notice things in the street that looked a little forlorn and in definite need of a bit of a boost.
Armed with woolly hats for the railings, cushions for bus shelters and jolly outfits and accessories for statues, she’s been keeping her neighborhood warm and brightening up everyone’s day by earning herself a reputation as the Banksy of the crafts world.
Now she has plans to spread some of her skills across Harborne, and wants some suggestions of woeful public spaces in need of her attention when she returns next year.
A ballot box will be at the Curious About Craft touring unit parked on Harborne High St, on the corner of St.Johns Rd, next to Sainsbury, where visitors will also have the opportunity to get involved in some crafts on the day.
You can also post you suggestions to the Craftspace Facebook page and Twitter
Celebrating a a year of craftism, Craftspace are holding a free day of crafty activities on Saturday 4 December in the Gallery at The Custard Factory from 1 – 5pm.
Activites include pin badge making, t-shirt printing, sweet graffti, DIY gaming, giant drawing with pins and a few festive activities including pom pom snow balls and greeting card printing.
The day is aimed at 16-25 year olds, so you get stuck into craft making without feeling you should be there with a child, plus there’s free lunches if you take a copy of this flyer.
Just a quick one to tell you about some more Christmas fairs going on over the next few weekends. Since I’ve already mentioned a few, I may as well be consistent. Plus, I like the decorative flyers.
THE SoURCE are hosting their eco gift fair at Moseley Exchange tomorrow from 10am – 4pm. Entry is free and they’ll also have a cafe area and home baked cakes, see the full list of stallholders on their blog.
The Barber Institute‘s Christmas Craft Fair is next weekend, 4 December from 11am – 4pm. Along with the usual array of gifts and artwork, they’ll also be holding a free family crafts workshop, making cards and decorations, plus Christmas storytelling throughout the day.
Light House are holding their renowned Festive Flair on 11 December from 11am – 4pm. Take a look round the selection of local talent selling their work and gifts, with a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie. Entrance to this is also free.
Also in association with Festive Flair on the same day, is the Queen Vic Designer Maker Festive Fair at Wolverhampton Arts Gallery. Kids will have the chance to meet Santa, plus there’s storytelling, free family craft activities and a local choir performance throughout the day.
How2crafts are a Birmingham based publishing company currently residing in the Jewellery Quarter, who’ve put together this series of step-by-step books on various crafts, including soap making, printing, jewellery and felting.
Designed to expand over time, craft makers are invited to contribute images of what they’ve made using the books, to the website. Collected images will be put together in a ‘readers appendix’, offering inspiration for other readers.
Currently on sale in the We Are Birmingham shop, they’ll also be at the Kitchen Garden Cafe’s Christmas fair on 30 Nov, and in Kings Heath on Dec 13. For a bit less, you can also download the ebook over at www.how2crafts.com
BXL are organising a Christmas Spectacular at The Square, behind Oasis Market in Birmingham center, on Saturday 4 December from 12am – 4pm.
They’re looking for designer makers to join the current rundown of activities and attractions lined up for the day, including choirs, face painters, storytellers and reindeer. Stallholders will be given an opportunity to sell their goods at no charge to themselves, in a perfect location to catch festive shoppers.
To take advantage of the Christmas Spectacular, contact Chris Bishop on 07919 887 122
The Crafty Muthas are holding a Christmas craft fair on 20 November at St. Mary’s Church Hall, Bearwood from 10am – 4pm.
Together with other local artisans, bakers, designers and makers, they’ll be selling their handmade gifts and unique pieces ready for the festive season. Take a look at the Crafty Muthas blog to get an idea of the treats they’ll have on offer.
Along with that, the Crafty Muthas hold a monthly get together every 3rd Thursday at The Bear Tavern from 8pm.
So if you like their style and fancy hanging out over a drink, slice of cake and some bunting, check out The Bearwood Tapestry. Their next meeting is this Thursday, 18 November – “Be there or be a Granny square!”
Wondered where all those felt monsters in Victoria Square appeared from or why skateboarders around the Custard Factory have been dressed in mysterious costumes based on Morris dancers?
It’s all the crafty work of Craftspace, who’ve been popping up around the city centre inviting 16-19 yr olds to express themselves through a series of activities led by professional artists.
The intention is to create a collective who will then go on to organise their own interventions throughout the city and develop ideas based on their own issues.
The project will continue into the autumn through Arts on the Move, a adapted vehicle which will host an exhibition of craftivism and travels to 40 wards in Birmingham.
Only question is, can I pass for a 16-19 yr old and join in?
This news is good news. Creative Open Workshops are going to open a weekly handmade arts and crafts market in the city centre:
The new Handmade Market will be located at the award-winning Bullring Markets, along Edgbaston Street, from St Martin’s down to Debenhams, every Saturday and Sunday [...] We plan to roll in the launch of the Market will just 30 artists, with others joining every month.
we’re now looking for high-quality local artists, illustrators, photographers, designer-makers, crafters, etc. to join us! All work displayed at the Market must be handmade, and made by the artist.
Read this post for info about how to get involved with that.
The Source Spring Fair brings together stallholders offering local vintage, flea, fair trade, vegan and green goods. It’s taking place at Moseley Exchange on Saturday 22nd May, 10-4pm, and it’s free to have a mooch around.
THE SoURCE aims to spread the sustainability message and promote quality, local sourcing and fair trade.
I have no idea if there are stalls still available, but if you’d like to have a stall yourself they’re priced at £10, payable on the day. Questions can be fired at Louise Palfreyman on louise.palfreyman@gmail.com.
Lady and Small are the craft-y duo who made the lovely Christmas cards for our wonderful, cherished CiB Supporters (come for the cheap advertising, stay for the extra perks).
Anyway, in return for their handmade card assembling skills I showed them how the internet works. They’ve since turned into some of the most amusing writers in my RSS reader. For example:
Inspired by Frisky and her corsetted partners in crime (you know, Dita Von Teese, Bettie Page, etc) Me and Lady are getting all serious about burlesque – making accessories obviously not sitting in giant champagne glasses in our best knickers. Honestly, what do you take us for?
I know what you’re thinking, ‘but Small, Lady talks about designing for chaps and now you’re scaring us with your burlesque frippery’.
Calm yourselves, our world is a world where tweed and leather walk hand in hand, skipping gently down the road together until they find the nearest cocktail bar. At this point, leather slinks off towards the stage to bust a few moves while tweed blushes in the corner.
Don’t worry, we know what we are doing.
A Crafty Beer is a monthly social meet-up devoted to all things craft. If you’re into oil painting, drawing, sewing, knitting, cross-stitching, or jewellery making, or just fancy being inspired over a pint, you can pop into The Victoria pub on Wednesday 27th January, 7pm-11pm.
In honour of the New Year this month ‘A Crafty Beer’ hosts the ‘Everybody’s Skint Special’ where pub-goers will be trading skills and ideas to help save the pennies, replenish those empty wallets after the Christmas break and beat the recession blues.
The group – which is run by current and former Birmingham City University students Katie Moran and Hannah Hilton – meets every third Wednesday of the month and you can keep up to speed with A Crafty Beer via the Facebook group and Twitter account. Alternatively, send your enquiries to ellie_rance@hotmail.com.
Craftspace are holding a Craft Collective event aimed at encouraging young people from inner-city Birmingham to develop their interest in craft. It’s taking place on Saturday 23rd January, 12-6pm, at the Vaad Gallery in the Custard Factory. Craftspace explain more:
The project will focus on ideas of guerrilla craft, DIY Craft and Craftivism – with a view to developing a young people led craft collective which will then organise a series of interventions throughout the city.
We will recruit a series of makers to engage with young people We want young people to develop a shared interest in making, to have a voice/express opinions and to explore theirs’ and other’s creativity.
Young people that attend will then be invited to apply to be part of the collective where they will work along side makers over a period of months to plan and deliver the city interventions. Craftspace are also hoping to secure a regular base at the custard factory.
For more information, there’s a Facebook event page, the Craftspace website, and the e-flyer below.
