Lets Meet: Peas and Needles

Since meeting Lucy at the Mollie Makes Awards we have been wanting to have her on for a chat and so now the time has come - its like Christmas has come early!  So lets hear all about Peas and Needles and what she has got coming up.

Let's meet: Zeena Shah

Well hello there everyone, we have a treat in store for you today with our Let's meet feature.  We have been catching up with the very lovely Zeena Shah at events and markets for a while now and finally managed to pin her down for a chat.  She is one busy woman and so we are super happy she gave us a little insight into what she is up to and loving at the moment. So, over to Zeena ...

Let's meet: PupTart

We have been wanting to interview this months designer for so long, but she is always so super busy (well that's a great thing) and so we are really happy that Hannah managed to find a little time for us this month and tell us all about her business PupTart.

Let's Meet: Junk & Glitter

Hello and welcome back to Let's Meet.  We are freshly back from our holidays and of course we had a bumper pack of features for last month's Makers Month and so it feels good to get back to the routine.  Although of course we are busy planning our presentation for the Mollie makes awards for the Handmade Champion category!  eek. 

Makers Month: Lets Meet: Nylon Sky

It's a bumper crop for you this month as we have another Let's Meet for #makersmonth.  This time we had a chat with Jennifer from Nylon Sky.  We have admired her work for a while and so are super excited to bring her work to your attention - if you haven't seen it before now of course!

Makers Month Lets Meet: Hackney Potter

We wouldn't be able to have our Makers Month without our Lets Meet section that we run throughout the year and it just makes it extra special when its in this month too.  H has been obsessing over the ceramics that Hackney Potter has been making and showing on their Instagram page and so it only seemed fair to have a little chat with them. 

What was the first thing you remember making?

I’ve always been making things; ever since I was little I’ve been drawing and creating. My favourite thing to do as a little kid, was draw with candle wax and reveal the image with washes of black paint, the image appearing seemed like magic to me. Ceramics has the same effect on me now, when glazing something it looks nothing like it will when it fired, so when the kiln is opened and the final product is revealed its magical.

How did you find your creative side?

My mum always did activities with us kids, and TV was full of creative shows like, Smart, Tony Hart, Art Attack, Bitsa, Penny Crayon and Smarty Arty in Zzzap!! I can’t think of a time that I wasn’t trying my hand at someone thing creative, and luckily for me it was encouraged. It seemed obvious to me to do arts at college and university. After university I struggled to find time to be creative, 9-5 jobs really disrupted things. Until I found out about the drop in pottery workshop at Hackney City Farm, then I was hooked.

What has been your favourite ever make? Whether that be for your business or pleasure – tell us about it.

The marbled mugs I’m making at the moment are my favourite. Although the most recent make is usually the favourite. Then as new ideas develop, new things are made that replace the last as favourite. I never feel 100% satisfied for long, which pushes me forward and keeps me making.

What are your favourite ways to stay inspired?

I believe inactivity breads inactivity, and that creativity works the same way. To stay inspired and full of ideas you have to keep making, it keeps your brain ticking.

I am part of a shared studio space called Clay Collective and the other makers there are incredible, everyone is so different and it’s a constant inspiration. Going to exhibitions never fails to inspire, and Instagram is another great place to gain ideas; I’ve got a huge folder on my phone of screenshots that I look through regularly. Also it’s important to give yourself time to explore new ideas and possibilities.

Who are your favourite Designer/Makers right now?

I have so many favourites! The 11 other makers in Clay Collective are huge favourites right now; being able to see their processes, and watch work develop makes the end product more amazing to me.

The Hilma Af-Klint at the Serpentine is mind blowing, she was in an all-female collective called ‘The Five’ in Victorian Sweden, and made these epic works through challenging the spirits as a mystic. Her work was unseen until way after her death, and so it was only recently we discovered her work. Her abstract style pre-dates Kandinsky and other abstract painters. (exhibition on till 15^th May)

 On Instagram im currently loving:

https://www.instagram.com/ceciledaladier/

https://www.instagram.com/kaleyflowers/ 

https://www.instagram.com/melissaweisspottery/

What crafty item is top of your wishlist?

Everything on the bath potters website!

What do you like to do when you’re not working?

Watching films and videos online, hanging out at the studio and going to the pub with my boyfriend

Tell us a bit about what you have coming up?  any little projects you want to tell us about.

I have just been taking part in Pick Me Up Festival at Somerset House with Clay Collective, and that has really taken all of my attention for the last couple of months. I am next taking part in the Clay Collective open studio on 4^th and 5^th June, and the Independent Ceramics Market in Peckham on 17^th July, so please come visit me! 

Hackney Potter

www.hackneypotter.co.uk

www.instagram.com/hackney_potter/

www.facebook.com/HackneyPotter

Seriously you guys, you have to check out Hackney Potter's work, total love!  I just need a big house with lots of visitors to require use of ALL the beautiful ceramics!  ha ha.

Thank you for chatting to us Hackney Potter and hope you guys enjoyed this little delve into their world.

H,xxx

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Welcome to May Makers Month

Hello and welcome to our Makers Month and the first ever one in May.  We have been doing Makers Months in September for the past few years now and thought that twice a year would give us double the fun.  You can see Makers Month 2015 here and 2014 here.

We love to share what other people are up to and help you find some new makes to lust after, as these are always the premise of Makers Month.  We like to showcase designers/makers and ask them questions so that you can learn from their mistakes and opportunities.  We want to show some fun tutorials by other crafters, so that you get to see what other people have made, rather than us all the time.  We hope that being able to see behind the scenes of some of our favourite people, you get to learn more about them and love them just as much as we do.

We wouldn't want to spoil too much of what is coming up, but if you are new to creating your own work, you may want to keep your eyes peeled as there may well be some good advice to get you on your way and lets face it just being plain nosey into other people's lives.

We are also entering the Mollie Makes Awards this year for the Handmade Champion Award as we thought it was right up our street as sharers of all things pretty, crafty, design and general all round cuteness.  You can see our Pinterest board here if you would like to see it.  Fingers crossed.

Let us know if there is anyone you would like us to feature as we will keep them on our list for September.

Hope you enjoy this month and we look forward to sharing all the joy!
H & Sammy, xxx

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Lets meet: The Things She Makes

Hi again, its Lets meet time and this month we are having a chat with a fellow blogger, so lets see who it is.

Hello! I'm Sophie from the blog The Things She Makes, where I share the things I make, or at least attempt to!

What was the first thing you remember making?
I was really encouraged to make things when I was younger and had a real range of materials to work with.  I remember making friendship bracelets and pressing flowers a lot and I've always been a card maker - grandparents birthdays in particular meant that I would be making something, whether painting a picture or creating a trinket gift.  I also liked to sew - I had some brilliantly bad attempts at fixing my leggings.  But the first real make I can remember is a little air dry clay flower wrap with dried lavender inside that I made for my Mum.  She still has it!

How did you find your creative side?
I think it's something I realised early on - that I wanted to and enjoyed making 'things, rather than felt I had to do.  If you were to ask my family, I'm sure they'd say I've always been creative.  I get very itchy fingers if I haven't made something in a while and I have many post-it notes and lists of ideas - it's something that I've always done.

What has been your favourite ever make? Whether that be for your business or pleasure – tell us about it.
Usually it's trying out those projects that start as an idea and completely work - often for me, its the process of making rather than the final DIY!  I have been honoured to make the Wedding stationery for a few friends, but my Brother's Wedding stationery has to be my favourite make - I loved every minute of it and seeing it all come together on one of the most important days of his life was pretty amazing.
Otherwise, anything that involves glitter and using my glue gun is always a winner for me.

What are your favourite ways to stay inspired?
The blogging community is hugely inspiring - and so supportive.  I'm also a huge YouTube watcher, Instagram stalker and Pinterest browser.  Anything, a colour, technique, pattern or medium can spark an idea or help me find the solution to something that might not have worked out first time.  If I'm stuck in a rut, looking over the lists of ideas I've previously made or left over materials can usually set me off on a project but I think it's also important to recognise when inspiration isn't there and not force it - a little break can be all that's needed to recharge.

Who are your favourite Designer/Makers right now?
Etsy and Instagram are my favourite place to find new makers. I'm a huge fan of typography at the moment (stationery in general, always!) and it's something that I can practice easily whilst my craft stash is in storage.  My current faves are Old English Company, Violet & Alfie, Elsie & Nell, Sir Albert Co. and Skandi Design.

What crafty item is top of your wishlist?
I'm late to the party, but I've wanted, ummmed and aaahhhhed about an electric cutter machine.  I really need one for all the sweet slogan jumpers, t-shirts and bags I have designed in my head!  I'm still window-shopping on that one though.

What do you like to do when you’re not working?
Making something - whether small or a large project - is usually my favourite way to relax and if I'm not doing that, I'll be researching or planning for it.  I'm a big coffee drinker, so I love a coffee shop trip and I can spend many an hour walking around HobbyCraft.  Otherwise, I'm visiting friends and family - particularly hanging out my little nephew!

Tell us a bit about what you have coming up?  any little projects you want to tell us about.
At the moment, I am in the middle of my biggest DIY yet - renovating my new home! Expect lots of house-related DIYs on the blog.  The room I'm most excited to start is the office/studio space!

Lovely to hear from Sophie about what she is getting up to and hear more about how she stays creative.  You can also find The Things She makes on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, You tube and Pinterest.  So plenty of places to stalk her!

See you next month!
H & Sammy, xxx

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Let's meet: DaphneRosa

This month we have finally featured the lovely Kate from DaphneRosa.  Her bouquets are just plain beautiful and the perfect alternative to the usual flowers for your special day, especially if like H you have hayfever!  We caught up with Kate after another successful wedding fair and had a chat about what she is up to and what's next!

Let's Meet: Alice Tams

We are back this year with our Let's meet series and this month we finally got a chance to have a chat with Alice Tam's of Birds in Hats fame!  I have loved her work since the very first Renegade we ever went to and so it was a great chance to meet up with the woman behind the scenes. So over to Alice.

Let's meet yearly roundup

It's coming to the end of the year and not only that but it's the last few online shopping days to get items in time for Christmas and so we thought that not only would we do a round-up of all our great "Let's Meet" interviews this year, but also it might help with those last minute present ideas.

Let's Meet: Fall for DIY & We Make Collective

This month we thought we would have something a little different.  A fellow blogger and company owner, but I will let her explain all!

Makers Month: Let's Meet... East Wick

This month we thought it was about time that we sat down for a little chat with Roxi from the duo who make up East Wick (Hello Em!)  East Wick make Scented Soy Candles all handmade in East London and so perfect for our Makers Month and also considering Sammy has one in pretty much every scent, it is pretty much a firm favourite with us.

Anyway down to business!

Let's Meet: London Craft Club

This month we got to have a little chat with Sonia from London Craft Club.  We are going to a Friday Late at London Transport Museum next month where she will be making your Oyster card holder look extra special for their late night opening event.  But mostly London Craft club runs workshops and meet-ups around London and their new venue - see below.  They will also be at The Handmade fair, so plenty of places to find them.  So let's hear what Sonia has to say about our random questions!

Let's Meet: Lucy Alice Designs

This month we got chatting to another Bust Craftacular stall holder in the shape of Lucy Alice Designs.  She does the cutest little animal necklaces, we both ended up walking away with one, H an owl and Sammy a cat necklace, of course!  So let's get down to having a chat and a cuppa I think!

Let's meet... Wolf & Moon

This month we had a chat with Wolf & Moon who make the most amazing Jewellery!  H has a few of their necklaces and shared the love with Sammy for Christmas with a pair of earrings, so it must be good!  We sat down for a chat with Hannah to find out a bit more about her.

Let's meet... The Sewing Directory

We thought we would start off the year with a fresh start to our interview series with a new name and some new faces to learn more about.  So get yourself a cup of tea and a biscuit and lets meet Fiona from The Sewing Directory.