Craft Camp! Etsy Craft Party 2013

The Craft Party took so much organisation and then was so much fun that I then had no energy left to tell you all about it!

So now I want to tell you it was AMAZING! We got together 50 of Brighton's crafty people to knit, stitch, glue, felt, make and eat cake and this eventually created an AWESOME window at Super+Super (blog post on this to come).

Welcome to Craft Camp! We spent the evening making merit badges, decorating tents and learning new skills.

I am going to show you some of  the incredible photos by Bob Prosser and the totally brilliant video he made for us... 

Crewdem - Toby, Cheska and I

Jacques with the cute little Mike Wazowski Pom Pom he made me

Etsy Face!

Deborah and Avnish knitting and Pom Pom making!

Party Bunting!

Awesome Brownies and Etsy Letters by Sarah Miss Cake

Craft Numpty... Jacques... let's mention he's repping a HelloDODO T-Shirt!

Toby makes a felted sad bear, and Jacques makes a very sprightly felted fox!

The party was mainly organised by Toby (i Like CATS), Cheska (Mooshpie) with crafting activities by Kate (Actually I Do), Karen (Karen Rao), and Suzie (Strix nebulosa Crochet). Crafting for the Community brought us all together and I hope everybody had fun!

We are are doing awesome and amazing things as a Team and it is keeping me very VERY busy as a Team Leader. If you are a Brighton Etsy Seller join our team, we are a friendly and unstoppable bunch at the moment! 

ROAR!

Pop Up Meet Up

HELLO!

I haven't blogged in forever because we have been CRAZY busy. However I have set myself the challenge of catching up on everything we have been doing over the last month in blog posts, so expect an extremely bloggy week!

As the name suggests we went to a Pop Up Meet Up at the beautiful venue which is the Emporium on London Road. Jacques and I headed down and arrived about five minutes before it all began, we sat with Cheska from Mooshpie and I commented on how we weren't late (for once) only to be given a skewed look because in the forty minutes previous they had all been networking... ooops.

It was a fantastic talk outlining what We Are Pop Up do, how they do it, and why we should be involved.

Jacques and I love these free meet ups and talks because you can learn so much from inspiring business owners, artists and designers whilst enjoying a beverage!

I wrote lots of notes, which isn't like me, I'm more of an absorb-er when it comes to information so I also drew a lot of different styles of typography... (I have photos on instagram of these things but my computer, my phone and dropbox are conspiring against me)

So We Are Pop Up was founded by Mike Salter who came down to Brighton with Abi Freeman I chatted to them both afterwards as we are interested in a Pop Up shop for designosaur and also as something that the Brighton Etsy Team could do. It was all very positive with Mike and Abi making us feel as anything was possible.

We Are Pop Up provides the link up between space and people that want space. They are currently working with Brighton and Hove Council and have placed 60 businesses in their first year! 

We were told about lots of great Pop Up's that have happened or are happening, which I'm going to tell you about...

Prop Store

Prop Store at the National Theatre

"Propstore is the National Theatre's unique summertime pop-up riverfront café-bar, built with sets and scenery from NT productions and filled with some of our favourite props.

Open every day from noon, it serves a selection of delicious street food, Meantime draught beer, Sipsmith spirits and English wines. Friday and Saturday nights mean DJs 'til 2am and a variety of exciting live bands."

Amazing huh?! I want to go. 

Little Green Pig

Little Green Pig Writing Project is a non-profit creative writing organisation for children and young people,  based in Brighton & Hove. Their plan is to create the Pop Up "Pet Emporium" for exotic pets, how about rainbow drops for your unicorn or grooming products for your dinosaur? We love this idea and we'd love to get involved in this project!

So basically a month ago we had an awesome time learning about Pop Ups, networking and drinking in an awesome venue... I LOVE BRIGHTON!

Oooo look I drew my signature, cool huh... (not really if you are called Bob Prosser, he's the only person I think won't be excited about this)

Craftaganza Live Talk - MIY Workshop

I'm Meme Dendy, little (sometimes annoying) sister of Karli. Karli has introduced me into the world of social media and now she's getting me into the world of blogging. So you lucky people get to read my first ever ever blog post EVER! 

Flyer from last nights talk (we didn't take any photos!

Last night I was thrown into the world of craft which my sister has become so accustom to. She very kindly took me along to a Craftaganza Live talk. I got to meet some of the people who I've seen so much about on social media and I got to put a face to the craft. 

Wendy Ward was the speaker and she did a talk telling us all about how she got started and how she has ended up running her own business MIY Workshop. 

The talk was very friendly and informal, and not too long! It was also positive, making the process of going from crafter to business owner sound challenging but not unachievable. Wendy detailed the journey she has been through to get to the point she is now, talking about the low points and tough decisions along the way. 

I think the talk was particularly interesting if you shared Wendy's passion for her craft as she is clearly very talented at what she does, not only teaching but also designing and creating her own patterns. However I think the message and ethos she talked of is beneficial to any one trying to make the leap from doing something as a hobby to doing it as a real grown-up job and all that that entails. 

Photo from Wendy's website of Patten Cutting

It was a great experience and excellent for those of us who are a bit nosy (myself included)! It was interesting to hear about someone's craft, experiences and journey. It was a lovely, informal night out, nothing like the dreadful talks you used to get in school, also I'm pretty sure you were never allowed an Amaretto and coke during a talk at school.  

If I lived in Brighton I'd definitely be up for going  to the next one as it was mentioned the next talker could be someone who makes big things out of little things, which left me confused but interested! I'm sure Karli will update us all of what that talk entails. 

Amelia

(designosaur model/ Karli's Sister)

SPARKLES AND GLITTER!

Everybody loves sparkles and glitter, no?

WELL I DO!

and our latest products are made of the most sparkly stuff ever!

Our little dinosaur brooches have been vamped up and are ready to rave in five awesome glittery colours

Black with Gold Glitter

Red with Red Glitter

Black with Silver Glitter

Turquoise with Turquoise Glitter

Clear with Silver/Holographic/Rainbow Glitter
(yeah you can see the colour but I don't know what to call it officially)

You can get each dinosaur in any of the five colours, just select from the drop down boxes on Etsy.

So you're wondering what can I match this glittery goodness with?

I've done that fashion blogger thing of finding other glittery things for you, no need to thank me.

...well I started to do that, and then I got bored, so I found three glittery pairs of shoes instead. Let me know what you think of the shoes, and obvs the brooches.

Glittery Converse

Glittery Lazy Oaf x Kickers

Glittery-and-I-own-these JuJu Jelly Shoes

ROAR!

Karli

Etsy Craft Party 2013

YO!

The Brighton Etsy Team is hosting an Etsy Craft Party!

Say what? I don't know what you're chatting about?

OH! So the Etsy Craft Party is a global party held on the 20th June where Etsy buyers and sellers get together to celebrate craft and have some fun!

We are holding a Craft Party at Super+Super from 6.30pm and you are very welcome to come along. We have a limited capacity at the venue so you'll need to buy a ticket here. Don't worry it's not expensive, we just need to cover the venue and a few craft materials!

Super+Super

What are we going to be doing? I hear you say...

Well at the moment we are looking at Skill Sharing. We have a few Brighton Etsy Shop Owners who are willing to show you a craft they know. We aren't quite sure about the format yet but we can promise party rings, cake and smiles all round!

Right then, enough of talking to myself, see you on the 20th June, (you can buy a ticket HERE)

ROAR!

Karli x

Heroes in a Half Shell

COWABUNGA DUDES!

We've been wanting to make these for a while, we love Hero Turtles and from the likes and favourites we've had across facebook, twitter and instagram, it looks like you do too!

In reference to the Hero Turtles bit. It was Hero Turtles, when I was little it wasn't Ninja Turtles because apparently that was too controversial. Wikipedia it if you like, I'm telling the truth!

However, Jacques is going by Ninja Turtles for a few reasons, 

1) He's a boy and it's cooler
2) He can't remember what happened last week, let alone when we were five.
3) He'll do anything to make me look more crazy than I actually am.

Ninja Turtles, Hero Turtles, they look the same, so let me introduce you to:

Raphael is cool but rude (and also my favourite),

Michelangelo is a party dude, (Jacques favourite)

Donatello does machines,

Leonardo Leads!

Available in big necklaces (see above) and also rings and brooches, (see below). 

Rings and Brooches

The rings and brooches have mirror bandannas for that added sparkle! Totally RAD, right?

To prove how much Jacques and I loved Hero Turtles, here are some photos of us in hero turtle Pyjamas when we were younger... 

Jacques in Hero Turtle T-Shirt or Pjamas I'm not sure, with his mum, little bro Josh and big bro Jamie.

Me in my Hero Turtle Pyjamas

So represent the nineties and get yourself a Hero Turtle! Now available at Porta, 4 Bond Street, Brighton, and on Etsy HERE!

ROAR!

Karli

Sunday!

So I had the day off on Sunday, and we tried to cram in as much as possible, so this is going to be a bit of a day in the life of post. With lots of pictures. Here goes!

This is what I wore, new glitter jelly shoes which I got for my birthday but this was the first weather appropriate day to wear them. They are awesome and I got LOADS of compliments. However I'm not a heel wearer and wearing them for 10 hours with tights (slippy feet) made my feet hurt, so I think I want flat ones too!

The Unicorn ring is obviously designosaur, and the rainbow ring is the HEAVIEST ring I own, I also wore a Minnie Mouse crop top, so I couldn't have been more 90s if I had tried...

designosaur Unicorn Ring and Me and Zena Rainbow Ring via Porta 

We headed up to the AT Open House which is just beyond Queens Park and it was AMAZING! Honestly, it was AWESOME, go and see it. If you really really can't see it, read on and live through me...

This looked amazing! You had to put your hand on it, turn the crank and then you got a fortune  print! I didn't do it because it was £10 and having recently got all of my other prints that have been piling up, framed, I didn't want something else to get scrunched up in the cupboard waiting for a frame.

I love this! I think it's the simple colours and that it says BERT in the middle. I also have a bit of a soft spot for pharmaceutical art as I did my GCSE on Pillboxes (the title was 'Safely Enclosed' - best not to ask)

Bert Ibertprofen - Screenprint

Delicious Industries pop up on my twitter feed and I love these awesome prints. I think I need this one, but as I said before... PENNIES! I think it was very reasonable sold framed though... so I'll see if I last May without it ;)

Delicious Industries - Screenprint

Jacques has a T-Shirt with a bear similar to this one on, it was bought in Brighton and we were told they were designed by the people selling them but we don't remember them mentioning Claire Scully, so I'm not sure. More research needed!

Claire Scully - Bear - Archival Print

We watched some poetry, sunglasses were needed because it was sunny but also because HelloDODO led us astray again, and we were all a little hungover.

Hello DODO repping designosaur! Narwhal necklace and Dodo Brooch (links to necklace as the brooch isn't currently available on Etsy)

Hello DODO, new designs and some of the classics!

Everybody's favourite Print... 

More Hello Dodo

Jam and Ali (Ali is holding Vegan Cake which she was very excited about eating!)

There was much more that I didn't take photos of, so definitely go!

When we were having breakfast, because our flat is on Grand Parade, we saw all the buses and trucks going down to Maderia Drive for a London to Brighton. I LOVE the fonts, badges and styling on the faces of the trucks, and vintage cars are just so much more interesting to look at than modern cars. They were less about streamlining so they had awesome shapes! We wandered along and I stored some inspiration for a rainy day!

           

           

           

           

Ollie (our friend) said this one looked like Brum's Dad...

Jacques has been researching Brighton Festival events, and this was one he read about, he was particularly overexcited when he spotted this... but then immediately underwhelmed. You can read about it by following the link.

Under the Shadow of the Drone

As we came to the end of the trucks, Jacques pointed out that Fishtail Neon was open, I was so excited because we always come past when it's closed. I took some snaps, but the man, who I presume is the artist Andy Doig, was making something with a big flame and some Neon tubing so I didn't want to chat (distract) him too much!

It's amazing there, I begged Jacques to buy me a light but he said no. Again. Life's so unfair.

Oh yeah, Jacques works at Brighton and Hove Plastics and they cut some of the plastic for the big box type lights, it's amazing all the cool people he gets to work with!

Fishtail Neon

Andy Doig - Fishtail Neon

Fishtail Neon

We had a nose around the Makers Boutique Gallery on the seafront too! Checked out some more Hello DODO, and as you can see some of another of our favourites, Beetlecherry! Go and have a look next time you need a bit of shade on the seafront.

Makers Boutique on the Seafront

Then after a longer stroll to Hove Lawns, an icecream, a Pint and a tasty Sunday Lunch we headed home, past the clocktower which is COVERED IN CLOTHES!

Kaarina Kaikkonen clothes the clocktower

This post is long, and big, and it took FOREVER for me to link everything to the appropriate places because I HATE reading things on the blog and being like, I WANA KNOW MORE, or WHERE CAN I GET THAT and not being able to find it. So I hope you appreciate it. Let me know if this is too long or if you don't care what I did on Sunday.

ROAR!

Karli