Posts Tagged ‘craft’

London Art Fair 2012 Review: Part One

The London Art Fair is very much a mixed bag: loads of not very interesting art interspersed with some real gems... Read on to discover the best new talent and trends, from the likes of TAG Fine Arts, Danielle Arnaud, JaggedArt, Rebecca Hossak and Jealous Gallery.

London Art Fair 2012. Detail of Andrea Mastrovito’s Gulliver’s Travels.
You may remember from my previous blog that the launch of The Catlin Guide for the best graduate artists took place …

A Review of the Crafternoon Tea Club Christmash Spesh with Etsy 2011

Crafternoon Tea Club and Etsy put on a splendid DIY craft party with an ethical message – here are our highlights from the Bevenden Street event, held on Thursday 8th December 2011.

Illustration by Rebecca Strickson
On the evening of 8th December, close to 50 people of all ages came together for something resembling a drop-in DIY craft party – the Crafternoon Tea …

Vintage Tea Party, by Angel Adoree: Book Review

A cook book with a difference: Vintage Tea Party guides the reader through the whole process of putting on an old school tea party, with style tips galore amongst the recipes, and lots of wonderful illustrations.

Time for one final book review before Christmas. Tea and Cake, enjoyed in all their fashionable old style glory have never been more popular – I suppose it’s a retaliation …

Christmas Gift Ideas 2011: Eco-friendly, Ethical and Crafty Gifts

A diverse range of gifts for the ecologically, environmentally aware and craft minded in your life: from Kirsty Allsopp's aspirational range for M&S to an arts activist pamphlet from Platform.

Christmas gifts by Sinead O’Leary.
Just in time for a last minute eco Christmas round up before the Royal Mail goes totally pear shaped….

Firstly, I am a bit in love …

Lesley Craze Gallery: Christmas Late Night Opening 2011

Nestled on the edge of Clerkenwell Green, the Lesley Craze gallery is a must-go destination for jewellery lovers. I went along on their late night opening to see what new work they had on show.

John Moore anodised aluminium earrings by Janneke De Jong
It’s the evening of Thursday 8th December, a rainy night, and I’m peering through the windows of the Lesley Craze gallery with …

Analogue Books in Edinburgh celebrates 10 Years as an Independent Bookshop

The wonderful Julie Nicoll and Russell Ferguson of Analogue Books have been stocking my various publications for 8 years, and in 2011 they celebrate their 10th birthday. Here's a bit of history mixed with some top tips for imaginative gift ideas for Christmas.

One of my favourite stockists, Analogue Books of Edinburgh, celebrates their 10th birthday this year. I spoke with co-founder and owner, the lovely Julie Nicoll.

For those readers who don’t know …

Fashion Philosophy Fashion Week Poland Off Out Of Schedule S/S 2012 in Łódź: Olga Szynkarczuk

Olga Szynkarczuk's fabulous BIOmimicry collection was shown on Sunday 30th October on the Off Out Of Schedule catwalk: brilliantly inventive and on trend laser cutting, knitwear and futuristic shapes galore.

Olga Szynkarczuk S/S 2012 by Gareth A Hopkins.
I loved Olga Szynkarczuk’s show on Sunday. BIOmimicry featured plenty of neon fabrics mixed with clever textured knitwear, sheers and laser cut showpieces, …

Frieze Art Fair 2011: Exhibition Review

As Frieze Art Fair once again beckons to art lovers and billionaires alike, I ponder the trends and the meanings of art as we know it today... featuring neon lighting, craft-tastic installations and creations that belie our current spiritual deficit.

Salon 94 at Frieze Art Fair 2011.
It shouldn’t really be possible to deduce trends in the art world, should it? Yet that is exactly what I was able to do …

Renegade Craft Fair in London 2011 Review: Ceramic Design

Unique hand made ceramic wonders from Melody Rose, JimBobArt and Zosienka & Rosie. Discovered at the Renegade Craft Fair, held on the 8-9th October 2011.

Upcycled vintage crockery from Melody Rose at Not On The High Street.
Plenty of fab ceramic design at the Renegade Craft Fair last weekend. Here’s my favourites.

Melanie Roseveare – aka Melody …

Renegade Craft Fair in London 2011 Review: Illustration and Wall Art

The inaugural London Renegade Craft Fair took place on the 8th and 9th October 2011 at the Truman Brewery. Here's a look at some of the best illustration and wall art that I found, including The Bungaloo, Being Natalie, Julia Pott and upcycled wallets from Magic Industrie.

Music posters by John Vogl of The Bungaloo.
The Renegade Craft Fair obviously has some clout back in its home country of America, since quite a few of the stallholders had …

London Fashion Week S/S 2011 Catwalk Review: Leutton Postle

On the 16th of September 2011 the winners of the Vauxhall Fashion Scout Merit Award revealed their intricate new work at Freemasons Hall. Meet new knitwear designer duo Leutton Postle.

Leutton Postle LFW S/S12 illustration by Alia Gargum
Upon checking some of Leutton Postle’s previous work I became really excited about the prospect of going to see their first London Fashion …

Camberwell College of Arts MA Graduate Show 2011 Review: Designer Maker and Fine Art

Lovely Designer Maker craft from Chieh Ting Huang and Yaqi Zhao in Making_Makes_Me_Me. And an amazing Fine Art installation in the form of Rachael House's Feminist Disco.

Illustration of a feminist icon on a paper place at the Rachael House Feminist Disco.
Now for the best of the rest that I saw on a quick whip around the …

Power of Making at the V&A: exhibition review

The Power of Making celebrates the best of human imagination and creativity in craft: here's some of my favourite things I discovered, including an embroidered surgical implant and a baby created out of marzipan.

A hyperrealistic baby doll created by Elaine Colbert for ‘adoption’.
Yesterday I went along to check out the new Power of Making exhibition at the V&A Porter Gallery in conjunction with …

Mich Dulce launches her new Saints and Sinners S/S 2012 hat collection at No-One

A wonderful new millinery collection from Filipino designer Mich Dulce, hand crafted in woven T'nalck by the T'Boli people of the Philippines.

Mich Dulce S/S 2012 Saints and Sinners. All photography by Amelia Gregory.
Last night I went to the launch of Mich Dulce’s new hat collection, Saints and Sinners, which was held …

Central Saint Martins: MA Textile Futures Graduate Show 2011 Review

Exceptional ideas from Textile Futures graduates Jenny Lee, Andreea Mandrescu and Hao-Ni Tsai. With a little craft inspired Industrial Design from the Knitting Craftsman Jan Rose.

I had the most fun with augmented reality on Jenny Lee’s stand at the Textile Futures show at Central Saint Martins.

Her design philosophy is to ‘awaken the imagination, conjure …

New Designers 2011 Part One: Contemporary Craft Graduate Show Review

The best Contemporary Craft came from Ashleigh Williams, Sarah Bevan and Hollie Anderson at Hereford College of Arts who deservedly won Best Stand. There was also lovely stuff from Nottingham Trent University - especially Laura Matthews' upcycled acrylic rats.

Creatures, by Hollie Anderson, at Hereford College of Arts.
During part one a large part of exhibition space was given out to what is known as Contemporary Craft – which in …

Metric Collective Jewellery Pop Up Exhibition at 94 Columbia Road

The Metric Collective was set up by Emma Madden and Myia Bonner to showcase the work of up and coming creatives from all sorts of craft disciplines. Currently sited in Columbia Road until the 28th August 2011.

Jewellery by Myia Bonner.
Metric Collective describes itself as a ‘collective of thinkers and doers, designers and makers who use co-creativity to engage and empower.’

Pendant from The Diamond Collection by …

Contemporary Patchwork and Quilting at Papered Parlour with Cassandra Ellis

On Saturday 9th April I spent the day working on my very first quilt at the Papered Parlour in Clapham. It was a wonderful chance to upcycle some fabrics that I've been carefully hoarding for over 20 years...

Papered Parlour fabric blooms at the Quilting class. All photography by Amelia Gregory.
Since I went to the fantastic V&A quilting exhibition last year I have become somewhat fixated on learning …

Silversmith me: Jewellery upcycling workshop at the Papered Parlour

Grandma’s brooch with the broken pin is no longer confined to the jewellery box, but swinging on a chain in its new life as a necklace. The Papered Parlour’s silversmithing class is full of little histories given a new lease of life. With illustrations by Naomi Law, Madi and Avril Kelly.

Illustration by Avril Kelly
There’s something about coming out of the Tube in an area where you’ve never been before. I realise this is an extremely London-centric point, but bear …