The Make Lounge

Make, Bake, Sew, Grow: Free June 11 Workshop for Makers

Are you an artist or maker with a germ (or gem) of an idea to sell your handmade items at Christmas time, but aren't sure how to get started?

Join Louise Kamara and Robin Whitmore on Saturday 11 June 2011 from 2pm - 6pm at the Barbican Centre for a free workshop on making and selling homespun indie arts and crafts. The aim is to encourage individuals who want to produce and sell housewares, artworks, clothes, speciality foods, jewels, potions and cards.

'Bring any images, sample or any ideas you have. This is a chance to meet other creative types for potential collaborations,' says Kamara, sustainable design curator of the Eco Design Fair and of Vintage Festival 2011.

This practical workshop is a great way to get involved in The Duckie Christmas Market, which will run from December 10-31, 2011 in the foyers and walkways of the Barbican to accompany the Duckie Christmas show in the theatre. The Market will showcase crafts makers, artisans, designers and thrifty retro hawkers.

To book a place on the free June 11 workshop, email Simon at the Duckie Theatre or ring 020 7737 4043.

A Grand Day Out: Mums, Mobiles, Kids & Cakes

We recently packed up our rolling pins and edible glitter and headed out to one of the many creative business events currently on The Make Lounge's calendar. This time around, we had the pleasure of working with Amplify on a day-long event with ThreeMobile, intended to give mums a bit of a fun day out while teaching them about the time-saving apps available to smart phone users.

Our ever-lovely instructor Louise (who teaches our Swirls, Sparkles & Roses and Figurines & Flowers cupcake classes as well as our Cake Pops workshops), held court for three hands-on workshops teaching simple but effective icing and cake topping techniques.

Grown-ups and little ones alike went crazy for the cakes. :) (Why does that not surprise us?)

If you'd like The Make Lounge to help create an unforgettable event for your company, please get in touch!

Future Beauty: Making 'Mini Me' Dolls at The Barbican

Just before Christmas, we gathered up heaps of scrap fabric, jars of bright buttons, lovely trimmings and other goodies and headed over to The Barbican Art Galleries in London.

The brief? A hands-on workshop to coincide with The Barbican's new exhibit, 'Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion', featuring the work of featuring such renowned designers as Issey Miyake, Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto.

Guests dropped in throughout the evening to create their own 'minature selves' using nothing but our raw materials and their imagination! Although some sought inspiration from the clothing in the exhibit for their 'dolls', others went creatively off-piste to fashion their original creations. Have a look!

To see more images from the evening, have a look at our Flickr collection here.

Craftacular Fun! Fashion a Fascinator with The Make Lounge

 

Summer is here and with that means two things: weddings and craft fairs, lots of them. Currently we are in the middle of hen party season which means plenty of fun on Saturdays for the team at The Make Lounge as swarms of merry makers get down to an alternative activity with us!

Fascinators remain a popular choice, for obvious reasons, and it's a variation on this workshop that we're happy to be taking on the road with us to promote our classes this summer, starting with this Saturday's BUST Craftacular held at York Hall in Bethnal Green, London.

The Bust Summer Craftacular is a real crafting highlight with over 60 vendors selling the hottest in handmade. The Make Lounge's own workshop assistant Chloe is especially excited about the free swing dancing class that will be happening from 5.30, and we're all keen to get in on the colour-in your own jewellery action at the Tatty Devine stand!

If you'd like to join our fascinator teacher Amy for a workshop, stop by our stand on the day and put your name down for one of the two classes. You'll need to be quick though, but with goodie bags for the first 100 through the door that's another good reason to set your alarm. Doors open at noon!

The Make Lounge at the London Transport Museum

The London Transport Museum (LTM) is one of my favourite places in the capital, so we were excited when they invited The Make Lounge to take part in a celebration of the 'Suburbia' exhibit, which explores how transport has shaped the suburbs. (The exhibit continues through 31 March 2010, for more details visit the LTM website)

The Make Lounge presented drop in 'make and take' workshops during the Friday night event. Throughout the the evening, visitors used iconic London maps and poster imagery from the Museum's collection to create a stack of handmade envelopes and a collection of fridge magnets.

It was great fun and we're pleased to be running another event in early February at the Museum. Watch this space!

Bust London Craftacular - This Saturday!

If you're in London this Saturday, you definitely don't want to miss the Bust London Summer Craftacular!

The Make Lounge is pleased to sponsor this fun, funky craft-astic affair, taking place Saturday 22 August from Noon to 8 pm at York Hall in Bethnal Green. (York Hall is directly opposite the Museum of Childhood; here's a map.)

Of course, we'd love the Craftacular even if we weren't sponsors, as there are so many great vendors, plus drinks, food, DJs and more. 

Here are a few of our favourite vendors (some of whose works we'll feature in The Make Lounge's shop when it opens in September):

Witty and charming birdy illustrations by Little Doodles

Lovely screenprinted textiles and other goodies by MrPS

Cute clutches and purses by Peppermint Twist, who is also teaching snap purse workshops at The Make Lounge this Autumn (sign up for our newsletter to hear about the dates first!)

Incredible embroidered and stitched pieces by Naomi Ryder (another of our newest teachers!) ...

and gorgeous recycled accessories by Uncommonly Beautiful.

And, in addition to all the other Bust Craftacular fun, you'll have the chance to win a £45 voucher redeemable for a workshop at The Make Lounge. :)