Christmas Card-Making Fun Party on 4 December

Makerhood invites you to its Christmas party! It’s a chance to come together, make Christmas cards for friends, family and local charities, have a drink and a chat to other locals. There will be lots of free home-made entertainment, too.

Families and all ages are welcome! Basic materials provided for the Christmas cards – bring your own too. Recycling is particularly encouraged. No prior skills necessary.

Featuring:

– Christmas card making the entire afternoon

– Festive DJs

– Music, comedy, and cabaret acts.

– The return Of The Great Makerhood Improvised Pantomime

– Games, competitions and surprises!
We look forward to seeing you there. Bring friends, partners, kids ++

Where and when:

Upstairs at The Dogstar, 393 Coldharbour Lane, on Sunday 4 December between 3 and 8pm.

Tell us you’re coming on our Facebook page: http://on.fb.me/sY1Uw4

Local Makers’ Forum

On Tuesday 29 November, at Brixton’s Living Bar, we will be holding our very first Local Makers’ Forum, organised in association with Lambeth Council to help local makers.

Local Makers’ Forum: Making a business out of making

Selling your work, or just starting off as a maker? Join us to discuss opportunities, learn from market experts and meet other makers and local businesses. All local crafters, artists and designers are welcome.

Doors will open at 6pm and the forum will start at 6:30pm.

Our venue, Living Bar, on Coldharbour Lane

The event

This will include:

Business aspects of making, including how to start off your brand, product strategy, sales avenues (markets, fairs, online, shops) and business expansion

Panel talks, plenty of time for discussion, and informal networking afterwards. Excellent chance to get advice, ask questions and meet fellow makers.

Free buffet!

Our expert panel

Alison Branagan, Creative Consultancy Alison guides makers, designers and artists on business strategy and enterprise skills, and is the author of “The Essential Guide to Business for Artists and Designers”. http://www.alisonbranagan.com

Alison Brannigan

Sinead Koehler, Crafty Fox Market Sinead runs the popular Crafty Fox pop-up markets, and is a successful jewellery maker under her brand Galavant. http://craftyfoxmarket.blogspot.com/

Sinead Koehler

Tim Sutton, Urban Art Tim is a prominent south London artist and the founder of London’s largest al fresco art fair, Urban Art. http://www.urbanart.co.uk/index.php

Mo Bacchus Mo designs high-end accessories – her work is a hit with boutiques and she is regularly featured in fashion magazines. Mo also runs fashion events in Brixton. http://www.mobacchus.com/

Anne Fairbrother, Brixton CornerCopia Anne (re)introduced us to the concept of ultra-local food which is the behind the hugely popular restaurant and food store she runs in Brixton Village http://brixtoncornercopia.ning.com/

Anne Fairbrother

PLUS: Product Surgery with Anita Thorpe, owner of the Diverse Gifts store on Atlantic Road in Brixton. Ask for feedback on your specific products or product ideas.

Diverse Gifts

Tickets
While the event is completely free, numbers are limited. Please book your free ticket on Eventbrite to tell us you are coming ( http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/event/2506988470 ).
Note: no need to print your tickets, even though Eventbrite says so!

UPDATE: All the tickets were snapped up very quickly. We will post a summary of the discussions on this blog after the event.

Meet the makers: Claire Mant

Claire Mant’s urge to go travelling meant that she had to postpone her plans to set up a glassmaking studio – but now she’s pursuing her creative dreams with Mantisglass

1. How did you get into making glass?
I started off doing stone sculpture in Australia. Then my teacher persuaded me to go on a glassmaking weekend. I was a bit reluctant because it was quite expensive, but I’m glad I did – I became hooked! I became good friends with the woman who ran the workshop so I used to go and help her out, and in return she let me put small pieces in the kiln. I started to sell these to friends, but I knew that if I wanted to make bigger items I would have to have my own kiln.

2. So you went off and did that?
Well, I also really wanted to go travelling, and I couldn’t afford to buy my own kiln as well as a visa to the UK! I figured that if I didn’t go travelling then, I might not get another chance, whereas I could always buy a kiln later. So I arrived in the UK about 10 years ago, and then it was another six or seven years before I could buy a kiln.

3. Was that in Brixton?
No, I was using a studio in Stoke Newington at first. But I was living in Brixton and working in Wimbledon. I had to leave work 15 minutes early to get to the studio and still arrived half an hour late – it was a real schlep. So when this studio in Morrish Road came up a year ago I jumped at the chance. It’s a real mixture of people – there are mosaics and costume makers downstairs and soft furnishings and upholstery next door. We opened the studios for Lambeth Open – it was a good way of getting to know everyone.

4. Tell us a bit more about your work with glass.
I do fusing and slumping – this is known as warm glass. Glass blowing is hot glass, which requires hotter temperatures. I use three different types of coloured glass, which you can’t mix, plus window glass. The coloured glass is more expensive, as they use metals like copper to produce blue and gold for pink – pink glass is the priciest! A lot of research goes into it because the quantities have to be adjusted so that all the different colours of glass cool at the same rate to avoid cracks. The fusing takes place at temperatures of up to 850°C.

5. And why did you decide to join Makerhood?
A friend told me about it so I had a look at the website and joined two days later. I have my own website, but I don’t have PayPal and I’m no expert on marketing and promotion. I like the fact I can just upload photos and text and Makerhood takes care of all the payments and technical stuff! It’s also important to me to be involved in the local community, so Makerhood provides a fantastic opportunity for networking with other local makers. I heard about the opportunity for a market stall through the site and also got in touch with a photographer, Nicky Cast, who is going to take better photos of my products.

6. Can you give us your top tip for an unmissable Brixton experience?
I love having breakfast at the Lido Café. I usually go for the eggs Benedict, but last time I had granola. I hear they also do a mean burger, but I haven’t managed to get there in the evening yet!

You can see the full range of Claire’s work at http://www.mantisglass.co.uk/ and buy her wonderful glass creations at http://brixton.makerhood.com/mantisglass.

Claire is also running a one-day workshop on 17 December where you can learn the basics of fusing and slumping glass – see Makerhood for more details.

Meet the makers: Ray Stanbrook

Graphic artist Ray Stanbrook extols the delights of south London, especially the chocolate Baileys cheesecake at Brazas restaurant

1. The screen prints you sell – Brockwell Park, Ritzy Cinema, Brockwell Lido – are very much inspired by the local area.
I lived off Brixton Hill for 1.5 years and now in Herne Hill for 3 years. Most of the ideas for the stuff I do are generated by local people and places. That’s why I also love Makerhood – the idea of hooking up local buyers and sellers. I’m exhibiting a print of Brockwell Lido at the Lido – they’re going to put it up after redecorating. My Ritzy print was inspired by a competition they ran to celebrate 100 years of the Ritzy.

2. So you’re a great promoter of this area!
I’ve always lived around here, apart from one year I lived in north London. I spent all my time there explaining to north Londoners how great south London is – they have no idea!

3. What was your graphics training and background?
I’ve been a graphic designer for 15 years, since graduating from the Surrey Insitute of Art and Design in Epsom. I’ve worked mostly on magazines as well as posters, brochures and so on. I’m currently working for Camden Council – it’s always a surprise to be walking around the West End and suddenly seeing a poster or something I designed!

4. How did you get into screen printing?
I did some screen printing when I was at college, but now everything is digital – I just sit in front of a computer all day. Then I found out about Bainbridge Studios in West Norwood, about 10 minutes from my house. After doing a refresher course I can now book space to use the print studios and equipment there. All I have to bring is paper and ink/paint. For me it’s a way out, a release, from my day job. It feels really good to be using my hands and getting dirty, covered in ink!

5. You seem to like combining photographic and hand-drawn images.
That’s true. Sometimes I digitally alter photos or change them by drawing over the top. Then I have to decide which elements will be in which colour and separate out each colour. It’s very time consuming, as you have to wash the screen and recoat it for each colour.

6. So why did you decide to join Makerhood?
I was interested in selling locally. I heard about West Norwood Feast first and liked their approach and the fact that they were generating interest in the area. But I didn’t have enough work to take a whole stall. Then I found Makerhood through Twitter and went to a local meeting to find out more. I was attracted by the idea – and here I am!

7. Finally, what’s your favourite place or experience around here?
Brazas is great. It’s lively but relaxed and friendly, and I can always get a table. I love their desserts, especially the chocolate Baileys cheesecake. However, they seem to have taken it off the menu recently, so I’m campaigning for it to be reinstated!

You can keep up with Ray’s work on his blog. His colourful local prints and bags are available at http://brixton.makerhood.com/ray-stanbrook.

You can also see one of Ray’s prints on show as part of a Makerhood exhibition at the Lounge in Brixton until 26 November.

New makers

More makers are setting up stalls on Makerhood in the run-up to Christmas. Here’s an introduction to the latest batch.

Bettie Brazen is a Brixton seamstress offering deliciously kitsch hand-made vintage print pinnies, cushions, bags, bunting and book covers.

http://brixton.makerhood.com/bettie-brazen

Dia Batal‘s artworks are inspired by Arabic text in freestyle Arabic calligraphy.

http://brixton.makerhood.com/dia-created

Le Petit Type produces cards on an Adana 8×5 letterpress from designs that start on the computer and are converted to magnesium printing plates.

http://brixton.makerhood.com/le-petit-type

Trip Stylist designs ready-made and tailored day-out guides and self-guided walking tours around London and the UK.

http://brixton.makerhood.com/trip-stylist

Yoga with Chris offers CDs on relaxation and gentle yoga designed to help you focus on breathing, body and space.

http://brixton.makerhood.com/yoga-chris

Meet the makers: Rebecca Blow

How on earth does interior designer, painter and fascinator creator Rebecca Blow of BekyBoo Hat Designs find time to do everything?

1. How did you get into making hats and fascinators?
I’m an interior designer, but I’ve always loved dressing up and collecting hats. So I did a couple of hat-making courses at Chelsea and Kensington College and then started making them for myself and friends. Then I set up a stall on Etsy, and now I’m on Makerhood.

2. So you have an artistic and design background?
I have a degree in fine art, and an MA in interior and special design – I work full time as an interior designer. But I also paint – I suppose you’d call it abstract expressionist style. I should push my hats more, but I like painting as well – I’ve been at two painting exhibitions in the last two weeks!

3. What kind of hats do you enjoy making most?
I make hats and fascinators that I enjoy wearing myself. I get a lot of ideas from fancy dress parties – for example, masks with feathers, or a James Bond theme. The stuff I do feeds well into the current trend for vintage fashion, and I can also design custom-made hats. I enjoy working with different materials, like felt, straw, and silk flowers, though my favourite is sinamay, a natural straw-like fibre. I have three moulds at home, including one for a top hat!

4. Do you source your materials locally?
I use a lot of beads and recycled materials. There’s a charming shop in Clapham that I buy old jewellery from, and Brixton market stalls are great for fabrics. Of course, I also get a lot of offcuts in my job. I love recycling unusual items, like some antique metal roses I found – things that you know that you won’t see anyone else wearing!

5. What do you hope to get out of joining Makerhood?
I get a lot of interest from the US in my Etsy stall, but I like the idea of selling locally, especially from a market stall in Brixton. When Brixton Village was just starting up last year there was a shop that stocked my hats but they didn’t really sell any.

6. How long have you lived in Brixton?
I’ve only lived here for four months, but I was in Clapham for 3-4 years before that.

7. So what’s your Brixton recommendation for people who don’t know the area?
I love Brixton market. It’s a nice mix of young nerdy cafes and old Brixton flavour, with the meat stalls and fish stalls – a really good balance. I’d definitely recommend Okan, a place in Brixton Village that serves okonmiyaki, a kind of Japanese pancake or omelette.

Enjoy Rebecca’s beautiful hats and headpieces at http://brixton.makerhood.com/bekyboo-hat-designs

Meet the makers: Lucy Moseley

Designer-maker Lucy Moseley of Moseley’s Giftware suffers from chronic fatigue syndrome and chronic migraine, but loves creating jewellery, cards and knitting when she has the energy!

1. Would you mind telling us about your disability?
I was studying philosophy at Cambridge University three and a half years ago when I contracted chronic fatigue syndrome. I had to drop out for a while, but I went back and pushed myself to finish the course and graduate. Since then I’ve been trying to come to terms with the condition.

2. How has your crafting helped you?
I can’t go to work, as I would end up falling over! But I had always been interested in photography, so I started making cards from photos I had taken. Then I started making cushions, as I’ve always collected fabrics, which I buy from antique and vintage stores from all over the country. I’d also been making jewellery for six years, so I thought I’d try to sell some of it. Again, I buy gemstones on my travels, such as when I went to visit my sister in Australia on her gap year.

3. Does this talent come from your family or have you taught yourself?
My mum used to do pottery and painting, and my aunt is a designer-maker. And I went to a half-hour session on making jewellery. But most of it is self-taught. I had this idea that I wanted to make tea cosies that looked like bobble hats, though I couldn’t knit. So I taught myself!

4. Tell us the story behind one of your products.
Lavender bags are one of my latest products on Makerhood. When I was little, I used to make lavender bags for my family at Christmas, with their names embroidered on them. They always seemed to make people very happy, so I made some for my Makerhood stall. I use vintage fabric and lace and fill them with lavender from the same bush at my family’s home in Dorset that I used when I was younger. People seem to like picking them up and smelling the lavender. The first comment I had was “I want one – to smell instead of the smelly people on the bus!”

5. You’ve lived in Brixton for a year – how does it inspire your work?
I love the diversity and multicultural-ness of Brixton, and I miss the sirens when I go away! But the inspiration for my work comes more from inside me and from nature – so I enjoy walking round the parks like Brockwell, Dulwich and Peckham Rye.

6. And what appeals to you about Makerhood?
I love the fact that we as sellers can connect with our buyers. I really enjoyed meeting a lady who bought one of my hand-knitted tea cosies! It is wonderful to be able to showcase your talent in the local area, too, and you get to meet other people who craft and make things.

7. Finally, what’s your top tip for a bit of “hidden Brixton”?
Try Barnado’s charity shop for bargains. I’ve picked up some pretty dresses, including a ballgown, as well as knitting needles, kids’ craft packs and ink cartridges for 99p!

Lucy starts a jewellery course at Holts Academy today – we wish her luck!

You can buy Lucy’s lavender bags, Christmas cards, tea cosies, jewellery and scented candles at http://brixton.makerhood.com/moseleys-giftware.

New makers

Say a big hello to makers who have set up new Makerhood stalls in the past couple of weeks.

Bright Side Dark Side sells exuberant floral fascinators and jewellery inspired by nature and tribal arts, using feathers, recycled leather, shells & semi-precious stones.
http://brixton.makerhood.com/bright-side-dark-side

Community Technology offers refurbished computers and IT equipment, and is committed to promoting environmental and technological sustainability.
http://brixton.makerhood.com/community-technology

Alexandra of Aurora Aromatica, a mobile complementary therapist, is selling lavender and hops love-heart pillows to help you relax.
http://brixton.makerhood.com/aurora-aromatica-complementary-therapist

Rijole Bitata of Nera Phut Accessories specialises in jewellery and accessories made from a range of different materials, from fabric to semi-precious stones.
http://brixton.makerhood.com/nerua-phut-accessories

Tinker Tailor offers a mixture of handmade garments and customised vintage made by a Savile Row trained tailor from the highest quality materials sourced from English mills.
http://brixton.makerhood.com/tinker-tailor

Meet the makers: DK Darlington

Fashion designer Kimalie Darlington was shortlisted for Best Young Entrepreneur in the Lambeth Business Awards 2011. He tells us how hanging out in Brixton has influenced his style

1. How did you get started in fashion?
I graduated from the London College of Fashion and then worked for several fashion houses, including Paul Smith, Top Man, Helen Fairbrother and Sierra. But none of these companies appreciated my talent! So in 2009 I started my own clothing line for men, Young Fox, and in 2010 I launched Kimalie, my womenswear line.

2. How difficult was it to start up during the recession?
I put a lot of my own money into it, but I was lucky to get premises through the London Youth Support Trust, which also provides advice and support. It helped me apply for a grant from the Prince’s Trust. But with the economy the way it is, I decided to sell direct, online through my own website and organisations like Makerhood and Asos. I was stocked in five boutiques in places like Bond Street, but they take 50% commission and I can’t really afford that at the moment.

3. Where does the D in DK Darlington come from?
The D stands for Damion, my brother. I’m the chief designer and the company director, but DK Darlington had a better rhythm! I have a lot of interns to help me. One of the guys didn’t know what he wanted to do and helped me with design – now he’s at uni studying fashion! There’s just two of us who make up the garments.

4. So how would you describe the style of your clothes?
My clothes are about detail. I take a basic shape like jeans and add leather, or a shirt and add pleating. The menswear line in particular features a lot of leather. My target audience is young professionals who want to look smart but also have a touch of the street.

5. What are your main influences and inspirations?
I was born in Jamaica but I’ve lived in Britain since I was about 10, so I regard myself as British – all my friends are British. I live in Clapham and hang around in Brixton a lot, so I’m influenced by the urban streets around here and other areas like Brick Lane. But I get different inspirations every season – for my spring/summer 2011 womenswear collection I used a lot of blue, yellow and white to give a very girly feel.

6. So what appeals to you about Makerhood?
I just think it’s a brilliant idea, trying to get everyone in the area to buy local, and getting different makers in an area together to help each other. When I joined up there were cake makers and artists but no other fashion sellers. Now there are more fashion stalls and it’s great!

7. Finally, what’s your top tip for a bit of “unknown Brixton”?
Don’t be afraid to wander around the back streets of Brixton – there are some really interesting shops and cafés just waiting to be discovered. My favourite place is Take Two – a Caribbean restaurant that serves fantastic fish soup.

You can see DK Darlington’s menswear at http://brixton.makerhood.com/youngfox. He will be adding his womenswear line before Christmas. See http://www.dkdarlington.com/ for more information.