Etsy Craft Party at the VAC in Romford....

Yes it's true Etsy has finally come to Romford - I can hardly believe it myself and I bet there won't be any fake tan or hair extensions in sight! I can feel the Essex girl stereotype beginning to fade - at long last!

Anyway so The Visual Arts Centre, which is a gallery and workshop space owned and managed by the Frances Bardsley School for Girls is hosting a whole craft month starting off with a craft party tonight from 7-9pm.

From Etsy:
Throughout the evening (and the entire Craft Month) you'll have the opportunity to immerse yourself in the Craft Council's exciting new CraftCubes (walk-in installations with audiovisuals allowing you to explore makers' studios and processes) and get tactile with a selection of pieces from their Handling Collection dating from the early 1970s up until today. All ages welcome!

When: Thursday, September 23, 2010. 7 - 9 p.m.

Where: The Visual Arts Centre, Brentwood Road, Romford, Essex. Map.

What: Chat with fellow crafters, delight your senses in the exhibitions and keep your hands busy at the Craft Stations, which will include projects such as bookmaking, felting, jewellery making, crocheting and knitting.

How: Please RSVP to djh_fbs@yahoo.co.uk. Closest train station is Romford, easily accessible from Liverpool Street and Stratford. From Romford station, it’s a short walk or Bus Ride to the venue.

Who: Anyone and everyone!

What to Bring: Feel free to bring along any portable crafts you'd like to work on during the evening.

VAC Craft Month Full Programme Of Events — 2010

The courses and workshops are suitable for those aged 16 and above. An exciting programme for the underaged will also take place during October Half Term. Contact Deborah for more info (details below).

Short Day Courses cost £17.50
2 Hour Workshops cost £12
Prices include materials and refreshments.

Thursday, September 23, 7 - 9 p.m. — Free to attend!
Craft Month officially opens with an Etsy Craft Party!

Saturday, October 9, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
1) Paper making course.
2) Wire-wrapping techniques jewellery course.

Saturday, October 16, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
1) Bookmaking course.
2) Cupcake decorating course.

Thursday, October 21, 4 - 6 p.m. or 7 - 9 p.m. — Free to attend!
Beginner's How to Sell on Etsy workshop with AmityUK.
These workshops are intended for newcomers to Etsy, but Amity will also be happy to share the tips for selling successfully, which she's accumulated since setting up her shop in 2006.

Thursday, October 28, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. or Friday, October 29, 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Traditional Japanese paper-making course: Creative Landscapes.

Saturday, October 30, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. or 1 - 3 p.m.
Screen-printing Festive Cards workshop.

Saturday, October 30, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Finding Felt workshop: Simple felt ball purses with a festive twist.

Saturday, October 30, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. — Free to attend!
Craft Market. £10 per stall.

For more info or to book your place:

Contact Deborah Holland on 01708 477 368 or email djh_fbs@yahoo.co.uk

To see the full page click here
See you at some of the events....

Kirsten

Printing follow up.....

Here are the other prints I was working on which I finally managed to print up. It's so satisfying when you peel up the paper once its gone through the press to see the final images. Especially after spending hours bent over the lino carving it out. I love this blue printing ink I got recently. I tried to mix in some red to get a purple which didn't quite work but I did get this lovely plum colour instead. That's the other great thing about printing you never quite know what you're going to end up with. I'll be adding them to our Etsy shop soon, so keep an eye out for them there.






After spending a weekend on a boat I think that's going to be my next attempt on some prints. In my next life I am definitely going to live on a boat and be a hippy artist. It's so peaceful and calming, here is where Paul's dad lives, in a marina just outside Nottingham. So you can see why I am always trying to fit in a visit to the in-laws!

Kirsten

Do you value the arts? Support the campaign today!

It's a little late but i've just heard about the petition to save the arts funding so please quickly sign today if you can.....

If you are interested in the arts in the UK then you might be interested in signing this petition to the Government to try and prevent radical cuts to current levels of arts funding, which will decimate what has been one of the UK's chief success stories over the past 20 years.

The Prime Minister has pledged to take seriously any issue backed by a petition with 100,000 signatures. The DCMS meeting about the future of arts funding is taking place on Tues 14th September. So time is short.

The petition is part of a national campaign that is organised by a consortium of London galleries, arts organisations, and artists.

Please spread the word and share the link provided below via your forums, blogs, sites, and social networks.

www.savethearts.org.uk

If you're in Walthamstow this week end.....

Don't forget to catch the last of the E17 Art Trail this week end and pop along to the E17 Designers at the Asian Centre on Sunday from 2pm. There's a few new designers with new quirky offerings, see some of their great work below.

Kirsten

Well I am back and ready to begin.....

I have some good news first my baby passed 5 A levels and is going to St Marys University in Twickenham to become a primary school teacher. She starts in a few weeks when Pope Benedict XVI is visiting at the same time, how good is that?

Here's my baby - 17 years ago!


Also before I left I entered a competition at the William Morris Gallery and when I got home there was a letter waiting for me announcing that they've accepted my piece as part of their Inspired by William Morris exhibition.

I am so pleased so if you are around please pop into William Morris gallery.

Here are a few pics with details.....


Also at long last I have finished my quilt - after just a little mishap in the in the middle of making it, accidentally loosing it and then finding it in the boot of my car underneath some material! But here it is in all its colourful glory!
Sharon

30th Birthdays....

This year it was all of our 30th birthdays so to mark such a big milestone I decided I would make a print for all of my friends. The idea was to use some images from a daytrip we all went on to Beth Chatto's garden in Spring - yes we are old before our time, we even had a cup of tea and handmade cakes in the cafe and were the youngest there by a good 20 years!

I have finally finished the prints after all of their birthdays have come and gone but I think it was worth the wait - I only hope they do too!!

Here are the lino's that I cut out - I love this kind of lino it is so easy to carve through, would def recommend it to anyone who's new out there. I find it a lot better than the traditional lino but that's just my opinion.



and here are the results....
I printed them on various kinds of paper including my favourite, French vintage paper, taken from old books from Paris, and in various colours, although purple is my favourite.
I've also just put them onto Etsy so if you're interested then go to our Etsy store. for only £15 with free postage and packaging in the UK. I can make a custom order to the colour of your choice as well.


So from the success of those i'm now onto my next ones to build up a little collection. Here are the drawings so far and i'll show you the results when I get going.....

ooh if anyone can recommend a pen to draw straight onto the lino with i'd be very grateful, i'm finding biro's a bit stiff but when I use Pilot drawing pens I end up covered in ink!!