Mono Printing Children's Workshop at MAKERS!

We had our very first workshop aimed at children (with their adult!), where some fun was had with stencils and the technique of mono printing.

 Bristol based illustrator and printmaker Sophie Rae, ran the workshop for us with her unique blend of hand drawn / stencil combination mono-printing.

This made it really accessible and fun for the children, plus a really lovely technique to explore together.

Cutting out of stencils and overlaying of colours created some sophisticated card designs from our participants (age 6 upwards).

Beautiful original artworks to take home!

Sophie Rae's next Experimental Stencil Mono Printing Workshop (for adults) at MAKERS is on Saturday 19th April, 1-5pm and is very reasonably priced at £35 per person. You can book online here http://www.makersbristol.co.uk/makers-events.php

Bring your inner child! (or just let rip on something creative..)

Hen Party Buffet Workshop!

We had some creative customers looking for an unusual way to spend the day on a hen party.
So with some careful consideration and many an email, we worked out a wonderful day for them at the local Beatroot Cafe, with two concurrent workshops and a mega delicious buffet.

One half of the group opted to make fabric birds with artist Sallydove, using hand stitching and machine sewing.

The other half of the group chose to work with illustrator Melanie Wickham to make lino printed paper bunting and stationary. They spent a good deal of time quietly creating designs and then carefully cutting away at their lino with specialist tools. 

Then a mad printing frenzy broke out and they really got into some full on production!

We had a well earned break for lunch with a sumptuous buffet, catering for vegetarians and meat eaters which certainly equalled the workshops in creativity! My personal favourite was the falafel and roasted mediterranean vegetable sandwiches (not forgetting the cheese and chilli toasted bread-yum!).

Home made cake and hot drinks followed soon after, with hot chocolate brownie being a top taste!

The birds were completed with beady eyes and decorative stitching, with some choosing to add wire legs and others opting for the hanging bird variety.

One happy hen!

Best wishes for the wedding from MAKERS.

(Huge thanks to all who came on the Hen Party and the guys at Beatroot cafe and Kate Uzzell for sewing machine assistance and Melanie Wickham for being a lino-powerhouse!)

Fabric printing at MAKERS!

We have had a wonderful workshop here at MAKERS, run by Flora Arbuthnott.

Flora decorated the space with many examples of different types of fabric printing, and provided resource books for ideas and inspiration.

An Introduction to Simple Printing Skills for Fabric Workshop was a compendium of different methods of printing fabric, many of which could easily be replicated at home with basic tools (such as a window squeegee!).

Participants also learned how to carve their own lino blocks for creating repeating patterns. 

Amongst other techniques they also cut paper stencils for simple printing via silkscreens. 

Creative experimentation produced a wide ranging collection of prints on fabric and paper, with each participant taking home enough fabric to make a cushion.

Flora comes from a creative family, and her mum is renowned textile designer Vanessa Arbuthnott. You can see her work here http://www.vanessaarbuthnott.co.uk/

Flora is running another workshop for us on Sunday 30th March 2014 and you can book online via our website. 

Here is the link http://www.makersbristol.co.uk/makers-events.php

Come and join us!

From an ancient valley in Mid-Wales..

We have an interview with Sophie Jauncey, creator of Sophie Jauncey Jewellery on our featured maker page on our website- http://www.makersbristol.co.uk/guest-makers.php

She works from a Welsh village, forging beautiful pieces with an anthropological eye to their origins and intrinsic tales. This jewellery is living poetry for the body! She explores the marrying of ancient and contemporary pieces, weaving new stories in physical form.


Read who inspired her journey and how she starts her day, making these delicate works.

We have a range of her one-off pieces in our shop & gallery, in a beautifully re-purposed wine casket. We look forward to seeing you there..