Friday, November 15, 2013

BEDROCK GLAM - A FUNKY FELT BEADS WORKSHOP



Today ' s workshop was such a delightful morning .
I spent it with the lovely Heather Pratt and three kooky krafters in the store.
We settled in drank our coffees( mine was a chai of course) and then to our surprise Heather handed out kinder surprise eggs!
WOW a workshop and free choocies.:))))))))))) My kinda workshop!
So we ate our kinder surprise choccies then Heather revealed her secret agenda....Ahuh!

She actually wanted us to to save the little canister the holds the cute kinder toys so we could use it in the workshop!HA HA

My little boy Hudson was extra surprised to score soooo many star was toys from our kinder surprise toys hmmm....bet hes now loving the fact that he had to come to work with mum ;)YAY Mum good one!

Heather demonstrated her new express felting technique and then it was our turn. So we then got ready to rub and roll our tiny felt balls into wonderful colourful delights.We were so surprised at how quickly they turned into fashionable beads."Look out #Emily green "
lots of soapy water and conversation about #kookykraftklub , craft mags and christmas of course !
A comfortable friendly banter revealed lots of similarities and connections...talk about 6 degrees of seperation WOw!!





We ended the workshop by talking about beading, construction of jewellery pieces and other felting techniques. All the Kooky Krafters were  happy with their creations and vowed to make everyone one for xmas!!



Very Wilma Flintstones don't you think? Guess these pieces will bring out the Bedrock glam  in anyone LOL
Stay tuned for our next #felting workshop and all our classes are listed on our teaching site www.weteachme.com/kookykraftklub

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Knotty girls in da house

Today , being the 26th of November was a fantastic day in the studio . 

We had the pleasure of having the knotty girls in da house !

The came in with their boxes of brightly coloured ropes , glass bowls and DIY kits . 
They set up their ropes for their workshop then they put out an array of bevies and mixed lollies to get the crafters mingling :) 


They demonstrated the complex series of knots then walked around and helped stretch , twist and tie the wonderful selection of plant holders in the studio . 

The crafters laughed and mingled as they made plans for completed pot holders . 
From homes for Siamese fighting fish to filling them with citronella candles for the garden parties . Their uses seemed endless ! 


By the end of the two hours they had finished the  bevies , devoured the strawberries and cream and 7 very happy crafters with completed colourful contemporary pot holders . 
#Macrame workshops will be running again in 2014 so follow our teaching site www.weteachme.com/kookykraftklub for more details or like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/kookykraftklub for instant communication on our studio . 

Saturday, October 19, 2013

My BIG project


My big project is the kooky Kraft klub . 
In 2011 I set out to use my textile skills and industry experience to create a creative space that incorporated a studio , an arts and crafts supply store. 

I set about researching craft in my local community . 
I started a free social craft group and began trialing some of my workshop ideas with them . 

I quickly realised that the vintage crafts were the domain of the older generation . 
The younger people of my community were not coming to my groups . 
These great crafts were being lost as these older folks passed away . 

It made me sad as I'm a great lover of all that is vintage . 
I wanted to show the younger generation the Beauty of craft . 
So I began Sourcing vintage , quality and unusual supplies for designers and makers alike to use in workshops . 

One of my first workshops was to teach people how to make sock monkeys - A very kitsch American craft . 


In the interim I had worked extensively as an artist for the Hobsons Bay City Council and met some amazing crafters   that I wanted to continue to work with . 

This gave  me the idea that I could incorporate them in my big project . 

I then began researching Social enterprise company's . 

I wanted to create a social enterprise that valued artisans . Particularly those working and preserving the vintage crafts.

After a two year of research , trialing and buying materials I took the biggest plunge of my life and launched the kooky Kraft klub ! 


The Kooky Kraft Klub is now a street front store in yarraville melbourne currently being managed by Me and my family .

 We sometimes draw on the generosity of our collective of local artisans to help run the store during busy retail times in the year ie valentines day , Mother's Day and especially the Christmas period . 

It is my biggest work in progress ( wip) or unfinished object (UFO) but I have faith that it will be the ride of my life with the destination an incredibly creative company recognised world wide !