Making Uncovered: explore, learn and celebrate craft

Join us for a unique showcase of arts and crafts on 20 April at Brixton East Gallery.

Ben lathe small

As makers we spend a great deal of time alone, toiling away behind closed doors and largely hidden from view. Most of the time it’s not much of a problem; we’re happy doing what we love doing, producing things that hopefully people will admire or, even better, buy. But what a shame that the public, many of whom are inspired by the creativity and skill required to make a beautiful art or craftwork, rarely get the opportunity to witness that process in action.

Motivated by this idea, Makerhood has decided it’s time the hidden world of artists and craftspeople has its moment in the limelight. On 20 April we will be hosting Making Uncovered, a one-day event at the gorgeous Brixton East gallery that will give you the opportunity to experience first hand the techniques skilled makers use to produce their work.

We’re not quite sure what will happen when we bring a group of talented local makers together under one roof. Probably quite a bit of noise, maybe a bit of a mess – but also, undoubtedly, a unique and exciting showcase of the making processes that we rarely get to see.

Over a dozen different crafts will be on show. We’ll have willow weaving, traditional woodturning, African jewellery, embroidery, felting, soap making, painting, printing and much more. The event will be free, and there will be some paid-for workshops you’ll be able to book in advance.

And after a day of creative inspiration we’ll have a party to celebrate, talk, share ideas and spend time together over a drink. Expect wonderful bands, comedians, DJs and a pop-up choir.

The dedicated team of volunteers who are working hard to put on this exciting event are busy finalising the programme and will be back with more information soon. Meanwhile follow @makinguncovered and look out for further blog posts to find out more details as they’re confirmed.

We’re really excited about this event – it’s our most ambitious to date. We’re looking forward to seeing you for a day of creativity, inspiration and fun.

Craft showcases and workshops will run 11am- 6pm, and the evening event is 6pm – 10:30pm. Brixton East Gallery is at 100 Barrington Road, SW9 7JF – 5 minutes’ walk from Brixton tube.

Pictured above is Ben Willis, a green woodworker and author of this post, who will be showing his techniques at the event. The image below is from a Makerhood workshop.

The idea of receiving top quality work is usually enough to convince students to use our service, but we endeavor to provide them with maximum satisfaction, and for this, we offer several benefits and guarantees.

Meet the makers: Maya Kar

Rachel Stanners talks to Maya Kar of Bright Side, Dark Side about the inspiration behind her feathery fascinators and the changes she’s seen in Brixton

1. How did you come up with the shop name Bright Side, Dark side?
I wanted to set up a shop on Makerhood, and Bright side, Dark side was initially intended as a project with my partner, because I love light and colour while he loves camouflage and shadows. He is amazing at making clothes but in the end he didn’t have the time to get involved. But I kept the name as it also reflected two sides to my own work at the time – bright flowery brooches and fascinators, and subtler items in natural materials such as feather, shell & semi-precious stones.

2. So how did you get into making accessories?
As you can see, this room is filled with of bits and bobs I have collected over the years: stained glass, mosaic, fabric, etc, reflecting my lifelong love of making things, so I was prompted into action when Makerhood started up, and particularly when the associated opportunity arose to have a stall at the Brixton Makers’ Market in Station Road. I had so many ideas and materials that I wasn’t sure where to start, but I’d recently bought a bunch of feathers to help a friend make earrings, so I began with those.

To my surprise I fell in love with the feathers and making accessories with them. I like that they are small and easier to handle than large items of clothing. I love creating every one of them. Each one is unique! I like them to be a bit theatrical, but not too formal – I prefer creating items with an asymmetrical, organic feel to them.

3. What inspires your work?
Exploring! For example, I travelled extensively in Asia and North and Central America. I volunteered at the Wolf Park in Indiana and travelled on to Colorado. I saw the Grand Canyon and the Valley of Fire. During those travels I was really inspired by Native American culture, but I also layer the fantasy image of the mythical wild west onto the accessories. But travelling is not the only form of exploring – I love history and volunteer at the British Museum, so I gain lots of inspiration from artefacts and legends from the past.

4. Why did you join Makerhood?
I used to house-share with Kristina, one of the founders of Makerhood, so I was around from the beginning. I took part in the user experience tests for the website and I thought it was a great opportunity to be involved locally with something positive and creative. Since I’ve been involved I have really enjoyed the physical meetups, the markets and the maker’s opportunities. It’s also fantastic how easy it has been to set up my own online shop!

5. You obviously are creative in a lot of different ways – have you got more ideas for Makerhood?
I plan to set up a second shop in Makerhood selling Brixton souvenirs that are humorous and a bit contentious! As well as the opposite – photos of places in Brixton that are unexpectedly beautiful! I have many which make Brixton look like a little country village.

6. You’ve lived in Brixton for almost half of your life. What do you love about living here?
I like that Brixton is eccentric and original, with a strong community feel. I find the types of people who are attracted to living here are often really interesting and unconventional. I’m proud of Brixton and I like that it has a bit of a bad reputation from the past but I am also really pleased it has changed. It feels a lot safer and happier than when I first moved in.

7. What are you favourite places in Brixton?
The quirky places like the Windmill and Brockwell Lido – I always feel like I’m on holiday when I go there! I’ve always loved the indoor market, even before it all changed – I used to take visitors there to see the giant snails in the African food shop and get a hit of its exotic feel. It had a wonderful feeling of stepping into another country. Last Valentine’s Day I went to Etta’s Seafood Kitchen with my boyfriend and we took a bottle of champagne to celebrate. It must have got shaken up in the journey because when we opened it sprayed everywhere! They’ve remembered me in there ever since!

You can see Maya’s delicate earrings and fascinators at http://brixton.makerhood.com/bright-side-dark-side

Meet the makers: Kim Winter

By Maya Kar

Kim is the creator of the eye-catching felts and indigo fabrics at Flextiles, as well as one of the three directors of Makerhood . Here she talks of the magical properties of felt and why she became involved in Makerhood.

1. What are Flextiles?
The name Flextiles reflects my flexible approach to the definition of textiles, as I use not just fabric but also paper, plastic and other unusual materials. At present I have two main strands to my work, wet felting and indigo dyeing. Wet felting feels an almost magical process… hot water, salt, and a lot of hard work transforms a light, fluffy substance into a very strong and durable but light fabric, with which I can create either two-dimensional scarves or three-dimensional practical or sculptural items such as iPad covers and vessels. I particularly enjoy producing 3D work, as I am interested in form and texture. I use indigo to dye items such as silk scarves and also combine it with my love of wet-felting by using it to dye small felt vessels. These play on the tradition of blue and white porcelain and through this I feel there is a connection with my Chinese heritage.

2. How did your interest in textiles develop?
I used to be a journalist with Which?, and when I went freelance I had more time for
creative activities. I used to knit, and then I discovered a course in creative and experimental textiles at Morley College and I loved it! I still do one day a week there. Morley is a great college and the course is a combination of taught sessions and working on your own projects. It allows access to facilities which are beyond the reach of many makers. It also enables you to spend time with other makers, developing ideas, and there is an exhibition to work towards.

3. What are your sources of inspiration?
Almost anything! I can just be walking along and see a plastic sign, curling at the edges, or the colour of a flower … it has made me see things in a different light. I’m particularly inspired by forms from nature, but living in Brixton, I have to be open to other influences.

4. So why do you live in Brixton?
I moved to Brixton 25 years ago, initially because it was cheap and on the tube, but I loved
it here. Brixton doesn’t care what anyone thinks of it! It’s multicultural and has
good transport links, and there’s always something going on. Waves of people of different
cultures come in and out of the area, so it’s constantly changing, yet it also has a great sense of community.

5. How did you get involved in Makerhood, and what do you like about it?
I happened to take part in an online survey about the proposal, and thought it seemed a
good idea as I had recently started creating my textiles. So I offered to help out with
interviewing makers and writing blog posts. It kind of sucked me in – and now I do all sorts of things along with Kristina, Karen, Andy and our core team of volunteers! Makerhood is all about trying to create links: links between makers, between makers and local residents, between makers and local businesses. One of the unexpected but exciting results of the initiative is the strong physical (offline) community which has developed. The website provides a focus (eg for discussions, organising events etc) and a showcase, so the online side feeds into the offline. Since I got involved with Makerhood I have felt encouraged to go out and sell my work, and we have a stall at Brixton market. In the past I used to use Brixton as a place to sleep between going to work, but nowadays I often see people I know when I’m out and about here – it has really made me feel part of the community.

You can buy Kim’s unique experimental textile items including dramatic indigo-dyed silk
scarves and colourful felt vessels at http://brixton.makerhood.com/flextiles.

Meet the makers: Rachel Stanners

After a bit of a gap, we’re resuming our interviews with Makerhoodies. In this first one, Rachel tells us why she switched from set and costume design to printing with Prickle Press – and where to get great-value flowers in Brixton.

1. You studied set and costume design – so how did you end up making and selling prints?
In 2009 I was a year out of my MA in scenography for dance and was getting some odd bits of work as a designer while holding down a full-time job, but I wasn’t feeling particularly inspired by the work I was doing. At the time my partner was visiting from Australia and he bought a letterpress printer. Neither of us had done any printing before, but we loved it! Instead of being told what to do by other people, I could do exactly what I wanted. And it’s very tactile – I use sets of metal and wooden type, often really old. Some of the cards I have on Makerhood are made from vintage wooden type loaned from a shop called Mr Magpie in Brighton.

2. So you are now a professional printmaker?
Yes, I work from home, printing four days a week. Now we have a much bigger press, about 100 years old, made in the US. It’s a massive piece of equipment and weighs a ton – I’m worried about it falling through the ceiling into our living room below! Although I don’t have any formal training I’ve always done a lot of drawing, and I like to combine type and illustration. So I draw up designs, turn them into PDFs and then get them made into polymer plates for printing.

3. And how did the name of Prickle Press come about?
I wanted the name to be quite personal – something that meant something to me. Prickle is my partner’s nickname, because his surname is Burr. And Prickle Press rolls off the tongue nicely and is quite cute but with an edge – rather like my work! I like to create something that’s not too twee, that makes people think.

4. Why did you join Makerhood?
Last Christmas I did a market at the Living Room, and someone came round giving out flyers about it. So I looked it up but wasn’t sure how I could get involved at that stage. But then earlier this year I decided I wanted to meet more people in the area and get more of a sense of community, so I went to a volunteers’ meet-up. I really like the fact that Makerhood is creating a network of local artists and designers – working at home on your own can be quite isolating. And I can print bespoke business cards , so maybe I could also make new business contacts!

5. Do you feel isolated living in Brixton?
Not at all! I’ve lived here for five years, almost longer than I’ve lived anywhere else. I came back from Canada and my brother was living here, so I moved in with him and have no plans to leave. I think it takes a long time to feel at home in London, but I know where to find what I need here now. It’s changed a lot, but it’s quite exciting to see those changes.

6. So tell us about some of your favourite Brixton insider tips!
I’m a big fan of the flower stall outside Brixton tube – they sell the most affordable flowers I’ve found in London and always have some more unusual ones. And my favourite restaurant is Elephant in Brixton Village – the freshest, tastiest curry in London. If I could be guaranteed a seat I’d be there every Saturday evening!

You can buy Rachel’s quirky, limited-edition letterpress prints at http://brixton.makerhood.com/prickle-press

Makers in the Hood

This Christmas, Brixton giftshop Diverse is showcasing Brixton creative talent through its “Makers in the Hood” event.

There are 16 makers taking part, offering a wide range of hand-made products, such as artwork, toys, natural products, jewellery, accessories and more. The event runs until the end of the year.

Many of the makers taking part are members of Makerhood; in fact, the idea for Makers in the Hood came about because there are so many local makers wanting to sell their products through local shops.

Diverse’s owner, Anita Thorpe, says: “This is a ‘win-win situation’ for everyone, as many of my customers are looking for something unique and prefer to buy local if they can.”

In addition to having products for sale, each day one maker will have a special offer and be profiled in the Diverse blog.

You can read more about Makers in the Hood and see participants’ profiles by visiting Diverse’s website and blog.

Foxtrot Designs on Makerhood stall

A few weeks ago we ran a survey among our makers asking about how they had benefited from joining Makerhood and which benefits they valued the most.

As an incentive to get people to answer we offered free space on our stall at Brixton Makers’ Market on 8 December.

We can now announce that the winner is…Nancy Sealy of Foxtrot Designs UK! Nancy is based in Brixton and makes a range of handmade gifts using a wide variety of materials, including recycled leather, clay, fabric, yarn and more.

She also supplies beautiful ethical yarn – great if you’re into knitting, crocheting or any type of textile or fibre arts.

Tomorrow we’ll have a range of Nancy’s handcrafted earrings and buttons, as well as spectacle cases and purses made from recycled leather – all perfect stocking fillers!

We’re going to be very busy tomorrow, as we’re also giving space to the Brixton Society, which will be offering a guided tour of the market at 2.30pm. So come down to Brixton Makers’ Market on Station Road tomorrow and have a look!

Christmas party on 2 December

Get ready for Christmas by making cards to send to your friends and family, listening to live music and festive DJs, and having fun with some improvised games and pantomime!

Yes – the great Makerhood Christmas party is back, bigger and better than ever. This year it’s going to be downstairs at the Dogstar, 389 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, on Sunday 2 December, 3-7pm.

To whet your appetite, here’s a flavour of what happened at last year’s party.

We’ll provide materials for making cards, but feel free to bring your own – recycled materials particularly welcome. All ages welcome.

More details on our Facebook page. We look forward to seeing you there!

Pop-up market in Brixton Village – sales opportunity for Makerhood makers

After the success of last year’s Makerhood pop-up market, Adrian Flower, the owner of Studio 73, is organising it again this year. It’s a nice chance for makers to sell their work in the busy Brixton Village in the run-up to Christmas.

The opportunity is open to Makerhood members who have an online stall on brixton.makerhood.com, and the focus is on supporting local creative work.

Visual art and design, paper goods, accessories as well as small garments are all very welcome. Food and clothing (except smaller ones like scarves) are excluded as they are not covered by the Studio 73 retail licence.

Dates: any Saturdays and Sundays in October, November, December
Trading times: 10am -5pm (set up at 9.30am)
Cost: £20 for half a table a day, or £30 for a weekend

Please contact Adrian Flower directly (email info@adrianflower.co.uk, mobile 07811 329 939) to book or if you have any questions.

We hope the market is a great success this year too!

Make and remake at the Lambeth Country Show

We are very excited about the Lambeth Country Show this year! It’s our favourite event in London by far – so much so that we launched Makerhood at the show last year.

This year, we’re teaming up with our wonderful friends at the Remakery to showcase the two projects and to encourage you to get involved in some very hands-on making activities.

So come and join in, meet some of your local makers and have fun while being creative! No experience necessary – we’ll provide materials, support and encouragement.

Location: Cultivate Area – between the Farm Zone and the Charities Area, Brockwell Park.

Art – Saturday 15 September, 2-4pm

With Elena Blanco (Makerhood)

Unfold the artist within you at this fun art workshop for all ages. It’s about celebrating art, community and life!

Making flower essences – Saturday 15 September, 12-2pm and 4-6pm

With Andry Anastasiou (Makerhood)

Need to relax, feel more courageous or clearer about your next steps in life? Come along to our mini flower essence workshop and take part in our interactive card game to help you choose a flower essence: ‘relax and let go’, ‘finding your way with goals ‘ or ‘courage’ flower essence blends.

Knitting and crochet – Sunday 16 September, 12-2pm

With Viv Moriarty and Karen Martin (Makerhood)

A drop-in knitting and crochet workshop – all ages and abilities welcome!

If you’ve been dying to learn how to knit or crochet, or if you’re an expert who wants to try something experimental, come and join us.

Tetra Pak wallets – Sunday 16 September, 2-6pm

With Emma Milne (Remakery)

Remade in Brixton is all about zero waste, and ensuring sustainable, wise use of all our resources. Want to learn how to make something useful from old packaging? Come along to learn how to make wallets from used cartons. They are beautiful and bright, very durable and make lovely little gifts!

See you there!

Perfect pitching

Does the thought of asking a retailer to stock your products bring you out in a cold sweat? Or do you want to email a journalist about featuring your work in a magazine but just sit there staring at a blank screen?

Then you must sign up for our Getting to grips with pitching workshops. These three interactive workshops are specially designed for makers with no or little experience of pitching to help you develop your pitching skills.

The written pitch
Wednesday, 26 September, 7-9pm, led by Kim Winter

This workshop will help you craft the perfect written pitch that will grab the reader’s attention and make sure she doesn’t hit the “delete” button. We’ll show you how to highlight your unique selling points and tell your story in the most appealing way. And we’ll discuss the importance of getting the tone right too.

Preparing to pitch to shops
Wednesday, 3 October, 7-9pm, led by Carole Mourier and Jane Doxey

So your product is ready and you’re raring to go and sell it to shops. But when you’re there, what do you say about your product and how will you present yourself?

This workshop will prepare you to successfully pitch your product to retailers, identify potential buyers, and present it in an engaging way. From packaging to questions and answers, it’s all about first impressions.

Pitching with confidence and calm
Wednesday 10 October, 7-9pm, led by Tanya Shoop and Andry Anastasiou

Have you noticed that some people seem so confident when pitching and selling, yet you just feel nervous? So what’s the trick? It’s all about preparation, learning how to manage nerves and working with techniques to create presence and confidence.

Explore how to present yourself with confidence when pitching to buyers or promoting your products. Learn techniques for managing nerves, good body language and staying grounded and energised. We will draw on and practise methods from the Alexander Technique and from a whole-person coaching approach.

We’re offering all three workshops for a discount price of £25, or individual workshops for £10 each. If you book early, you get all three workshops for just £20. You can book on Eventbrite, where you’ll also find more details on each workshop and the facilitators .

http://pitchingformakers.eventbrite.com/

See you there!

The lovely drawing at the top is by GOLDTOP.

The photo is from our Product Surgery event in June.