Makers Month: I am Acrylic Jewellery Making Workshops

Here's a selection of amazing things people have made in one of our workshops!

As I am sure you must be aware by now we are great lovers of I am Acrylic!  The Jewellery is so fun and the founders are so lovely too.  So we thought we would let them tell you all about the Jewellery Workshops that they are now doing to add to their workload.  Read on to find out some more.

Hi! We are Ruth Williams & Brendan Fan and we make quirky acrylic and wooden jewellery under the name I Am Acrylic!

We hand-cut all of the components for our jewellery on a mechanical fretsaw and realised recently that this might translate really nicely into running workshops, using hand-saws, to teach people how to make their very own piece of acrylic jewellery - and now we're hooked!

We enjoy getting all the equipment together for the workshops, including buying safety goggles, making bench pegs, getting lots of piercing saws and, most importantly, TONS of saw blades - as they snap quite easily!

We were a bit over-excited when all the goggles arrived! And we always swoon at all the pretty bits of different coloured acrylic waiting to be turned into something lovely!

We have an easy 3 step process for our workshops........You design it, cut it out with the saw, and then clean it up with files and sandpaper! Then we pop it on a chain for you to take away then and there! It's fun, easy and very hands on!

The 3 simple steps in the workshop and the finished thing!

We have run quite a few workshops now since our first one at BUST Craftacular fair last Christmas.

We've really enjoyed the more casual, drop-in ones, that we've run alongside our market stall at several events (BUST, Renegade, CraftyFox & Aspex) - there's no need to book and anyone passing by can just stop and have a go for half an hour or so!

We have also run longer, more involved, two hour long sessions with several lovely hosts (Knit with Attitude, We Make London, Mamahood and LOIS) and the results of these can be stunning!

When running these longer sessions we give people some advice for designing their necklace or keyring beforehand, and give them some examples from our range of the more simple or more complex things they could achieve!

A selection of our products as examples, showing a simple butterfly design or much more complex shape like the flower!

We have been really impressed with all of the designs that have been made in our workshops, and it's amazing how quickly people pick all the skills up!

It was lovely when you guys came and had a go during our drop-in workshop at Renegade this spring - you were naturals! We really hope you enjoyed yourselves as much as we enjoyed teaching you - it was fun, fun, fun!

H's anchor keyring - designed, cut and finished!



Sammy's sewing machine necklace - designed, cut, finished & worn!

One aspect of running the workshops that we've both really enjoyed, is the interest from young children - they love getting involved! - and even though we quite often have to risk our fingers to help them cut the shapes out - they have a great time doing it and so do we!

Brendan helping one of our younger makers sand the edges of a flower she was making!
(Photo Credit: http://marthalovesblog.blogspot.co.uk/)

We're getting super excited now about our next drop-in workshop that we're doing as part of the Crafty Fox Market event with the London Design Festival.  It's on the last weekend of September (26th & 27th) and is at an exciting new venue for Crafty Fox called Kachette in Old Street. The space will be decorated especially for the weekend by paper artist Little PaperVee - and we can't wait to see it!

They'll be loads of great designer/makers selling their wares there - with a different selection each day.

We'll be running the workshop alongside our market stall all weekend - it's free entry and the workshop is just £10 a go - and there's no need to book - you can just pop in!

Here's another brilliant creation from one of our workshops - a very appropriate, and very crafty, fox  : )

And finally, we absolutely love looking at our #iamacrylicworkshop tag on Instagram - there's a great selection of pictures on it that really give you a sense of what we get up to in the workshops!

Here's a selection from the #iamacrylicworkshop Instagram tag.

We LOVED dusting off our DT skills when we did the workshop at Renegade earlier this year and I think a bit of practice at the next event will hone our skills for sure!  We recommend checking out I am Acrylic workshops when you see them!  We just love the fact that they use old school methods to produce their work and help others to use these skills during the workshops.

Thanks so much to Ruth and Brendan for chatting to us.  We know they are off on their holidays for a well deserved rest and so have fun guys!  Check out their Instagram for Jigsaw puzzle related holiday snaps too!

H,xxx

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Makers Month: Make it: Dream Catcher

Autumn is my favourite time of year and normally it brings a level of calm into my life after the hectic-ness of the summer months, but I'm not feeling it yet! I thought a touch of re-styling in my bedroom might help to create that calming sanctuary I am needing right now. I was looking at dream catchers and just couldn't find one that I liked, so DIY it was. I wanted something very monochrome and a bit more chic so I used touches of silver in mine, but you could use anything you have in your stash to create your own.

You will need:- an embroidery hoop, a fat quarter of fabric, some scraps of leather or leatherette, some string and twine, drawing pins, scissors, a needle and thread.

Step 1. Cut 2cm strips diagonally across your fat quarter.
Step 2. Starting at the screw, wrap the strips around the hoop.
Step 3. Leaving the end attached, twist it around to make a hanging loop.
Step 4. Securing it by wrapping it around the screw.
Step 5. Take the drawing pins and push them into the back of the hoop, try and use an even number of pins and that they line up on opposite sides of the hoop.
Step 6. Take your string and start looping it around the pins.

Step 7. Keep looping the thread until you get back to the start.
Step 8. Go back over some of the pins to fill in the centre of the dream catcher.
Step 9. Cut out some feather shapes from the leather scraps.
Step 10. Sew the feathers onto the lengths of string and twine.
Step 11. Tie the twine to the bottom of the hoop at different levels.
Step 12. Add in some lengths of plaited fabric and more twine to give an authentic look.

And there you  have it, a beautiful addition to any bedroom wall. You could easily make it in your own colour scheme to match your room, or in a friends fave colours to give as a gift. I love how the hint of metallic in this makes it sparkle in the light. 

I love the idea of making a bunch of smaller ones to hang alongside this one now, to make a little collection on my wall.  These would also be a great project to do with kids, you could experiment with making different patterns with the string and add loads of fun things to dangle down like beads and sequins.

What crafts are you looking forward to getting back into now the weather is turning colder? What DIY's do you have on your to do list for Autumn? Let us know in the comments below.

Sammy xxx


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Welcome to Makers Month 2015

Hello and welcome to Makers Month!  We did this last year and had so much fun with it that we thought we would do it again.

H's Sew Photo Hop on Instagram

This month I have been taking part in House of Pinheiro's Sew Photo Hop which has been a month of Instagramming everyday.  It's been a challenge to find a picture for each day's word, but a fun challenge.  It's been great to see what everyone else was getting up to too.  Getting inventive with translating the days tasks into pictures shows all the sides of how I am creative as some of mine were not strictly sewing related.

So from the top left picture it all starts with the list for the month and then each days goes from left to right.

Day 1 - Hello (Introduce yourself) - Just me, this picture was from when I was working in London on the canal side in Kings Cross.

Day 2 - Can't/ won't live without - My sewing box from Sammy.

Day 3 - Colourful - This theatre was made by children at a local primary school for a project I run at work.

Day 4 - Work/play - The blog - always work and play!

Day 5 - Silhouette - My giraffe looks like a cat in the silhouette!

Day 6 - Pattern that changed my life - this purse I bought at a vintage fair which is pretty much the same as one I found in my late grandma's belongings!  We were clearly more alike than I thought.

Day 7 - Sew up close - Putting some darts in a dress to alter it.

Day 8 - Sewing playlist - My eclectic taste in music is always interesting.

Day 9 - Stash - Just a few of the fat quarters I have.

Day 10 - Would exchange closet with - Drew Barrymore, I want to be her!

Day 11 - Bucket list - I don't have one so found this quote instead.

Day 12 - Motivation - Writing notes and this quote!

Day 13 - Sewing space - My sewing space is also my dining room table and workspace in general.

Day 14 - Style - I love the Hoxton Hotel's style - totally me.

Day 15 - Secret corner of shame - underneath my dining room table/workspace is a world of non sorted shame!

Day 16 - Tiny vs Big - Loved this shot at Waterloo station - everyone looks so small.
Day 17 - Proudest Achievement - My friends, my own place, my work and my nieces.
Day 18 - Sewing resolution - To actually make up the patterns I have.
Day 19 - Boldest Fabric - This used to be my Mum's dress, now a skirt.  Love the print.
Day 20 - Learning & Practicing - I love to learn new skills, this was Espadrilles attempt at The Makery in John Lewis, London.
Day 21 - Shades of summer - Bubble friday always happens at work in the summer, makes the summer.
Day 22 - Last thing I made - I made this papercut for work as I am doing a workshop on it.
Day 23 - Favourite sewing technique - I love a straight stitch.
Day 24 - Worst part of sewing - Realising your bobbin thread is no longer there after doing a whole set of stitching!
Day 25 - Behind the seams - The first dress I ever made! Simplicity Pattern 3833.
Day 26 - Labour of love - My sari from my brother's wedding 8 years ago to be made into the Anna Dress.
Day 27 - It's been a while - since I had seen my nieces - now rectified!
Day 28 - Trims & Haberdashery - Bias binding and zips from Sew Crafty.
Day 29 - Eye Level - Making some frozen inspired cupcakes for my niece's first birthday.
Day 30 - Favourite Era - I love the 1960's and 1970's so please don't make me choose!
Day 31 - Last thing I bought - This massive crochet hook for using with my Wool and the Gang t-shirt yarn.

There is a bonus play for tomorrow too of Buttons or Zippers!  Let's see what I get up to then.  Which one to choose!?!

Did you do the Sew Photo Hop?  How did you find it?  I loved checking out what everyone else was doing
and there are so many great new sewers out there to follow on my Instragram.

Hope your having a great Bank Holiday Monday - even if it is a little soggy!
H

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August Favourites

The weird weather month that was August is almost over and that means two things. One that our annual Makers Month is nearly here again and two that is is officially Autumn, my favourite time of year. Lets dive in to some more things I have been loving over the past month

I have been loving this home made granola that I saw on Lily Pebbles blog/vlog. I have never been keen on shop bought cereal, and although I like porridge and granola, it is expensive and usually has dried fruit in, which is not my fave. I have been making myself a batch once a week and having it for breakfast and an occasional snack too.

I have been spending a lot of time on everyone's favourite Pinterest recently, trying to streamline our blog account and build up my shop account too. Head over an follow our blog account or Sew Crafty  too keep up with all the best crafty pins.

In between pinning sessions I have mostly been chained to my sewing machine and I have been loving it. I have been working on a super secret project which has kept me pretty busy, but I hadn't realised how much I missed sitting and sewing.

To anyone who has followed this blog for a while will be aware of addiction to stationery, in particular stick notes, well this month is no different and some of my fave places ( Paperchase and W H Smiths ) are doing a great job of keeping me in supply of really cool note taking equipment.

Hope you are all looking forward to a epic bank holiday weekend, Have a good one what ever you have planned.

Sammy xxx


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How Blogging Can Help your Handmade Business - Feature in Craftseller

If you head down to your newsagent this weekend, don't forget to pick up the October issue of Craftseller magazine, not just because it's a great crafty mag, but you may see an article with some familiar faces.

We were asked a few months ago to weigh in on the subject of how having a blog can help your handmade business.  Something we love to talk about!

The piece by Karen Dunn includes some other amazing Girl boss bloggers, the lovely Kat and Kat founders of Blogtacular, Camilla Westgaard from the Folksy Blog and Alice Tams from Birds in hats.  I know we are biased, but it is well worth a read if you are in any doubt as to whether blogging is for you and your brand.  Spoiler alert.  It totally is!

As if you needed another reason to head out and grab a copy there is also a great interview with Amanda Overs of I Can Make Shoes, who's workshops have been on our wishlist for ages.  Definitely on our Christmas list now!

We would love to know if you have a handmade business or brand and how your blog has impacted it, or if you find social media and blogging just a bit overwhelming?  What have you learnt about yourself or your customers via your blog?

Sammy and H xxx



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