Learning a new craft the friendly way

When flicking through a friend's copy of the first edition of Molly Makes I came across a small advert for a knitting group that gets together over a cuppa somewhere in London (I think it was Liverpool Street, but could possibly be wrong).  It made me realise how fashionable and sociable crafting has become recently and how it would be nice to feature on my blog a few crafters who run small, personal workshops teaching their particular craft.  To kick start the post I thought I'd post a couple of links - first to this article I sourced from The Independent and also this comprehensive list of knitting circles which take place around the country in cafes, pubs and even cinemas!   It certainly screams out that you don't need to be a loney knitter (or crafter)!

The crafters that I'll be featuring over the next few blog posts are: Claire Mackaness of "Beautiful Things by Claire Mackaness", Jo Lucksted of "Jo Lucksted Ceramics", Mary Giffiths of "The Felt Works", Claire Davidson of "Patch Fabrics" and Alice Wright of "The Sequinned Sheep".


Beautiful Things by Claire Mackaness
Catch Claire here: Website; Folksy; Facebook

Claire is a professional craftsperson based in Brentwood, Essex making and selling gorgeous gifts from vintage or vintage inspired materials through her online shop and on Folksy.  Her items are also available to buy at a small selection of carefully sourced retail outlets as well as from craft fairs and vintage shows throughout Essex.

Claire offers numerous classes and courses teaching a whole range of crafting subjects from basic card making to more advanced craft techniques and sewing.  Arranged in a group setting or on a personal one-on-one, her training can take place in your home or workplace and be tailored to your needs.  Fancy having a crafty girlie night, hen party or baby-shower?  Claire's definitely the person to get in touch with!  

Here is a prospectus detailing all the workshops currently available - there's a large selection of wonderful classes - corsage making, crafting with your children, making a personal boxed canvas to name just three.  Also available are classes in social networking, something that's very important to many in today's world, especially those that sell online and need assistance in promoting their ideas and goods.