Norfolk Craft Fairs and 10% Discount!

Here's a list of the craft fairs I'm booked to attend this year so far:

20th May - Swantonosaurus - A Dino Day of Family Fun! 
10am-4pm
Part of the Norfolk and Norwich Festival at Swanton Morley
Facebook event and more info

10th June - Reffley Community Hall Craft and Gift Fair, King's Lynn.
11am-3pm
Facebook event and more info

28th July - Norwich Makers Market, St. Thomas' Hall Earlham Road.
11am-4pm
Facebook event and more info

10th November - Norwich Makers Market, St. Thomas' Hall Earlham Road. 11am-4pm
Norwich Makers Market Facebook Page

I hope to see you at some of these events.  If you do come to an event print off the voucher below or mention that you've seen my blog and get 10% off any item or order!

Norwich Makers Market - Success!

Hello All,

First of all a quick reminder that the King's Lynn Craft Group meets this Thursday 19th April at 7pm at The Winch.  We will be making cards, paper bird houses and learning how to use a couple of different diecut machines. It's free and everyone is welcome.

The weekend just passed I attended the Norwich Makers Market,  this was one of the best organised events I have attended to date! Rosie (the organiser) could not have done more!  Unfortunately this does mean I do not have any more fish mobiles and I am down on a few other things too - the origami flower earrings were especially popular.  I will just have to get making ready for my next fair on May 20th at Swanton Morley, which is Dinosaur themed!! (My other half is very excited about this as he has an obsession with dinosaurs!)

At this Dinosaur event there will be Erth's Dinosaur Petting Zoo.  Their Facebook group can be found here. It looks AMAZING!

I will be showcasing some of my dinosaur products, like my origami dinosaur mobile, and showing people how to make an origami dinosaur!

In other creations I have made a Sunburst Necklace out of music paper (from when I used to play the Viola!).  This necklace is one of my favourite designs and is created from 64 pieces of paper!! It can be bought on my ToSouk shop for £20.

And finally I would like to share with you my first attempt at a needle felted animal - a snail! I also tried to make a tortoise, but this was not as successful!! 

Needle felting is very addictive I have found, I need to be careful as I have quite a bit of uni work to do and currently it's being neglected!

Bye for now! I'm on the hunt for crafters to interview, so if you are interested then please leave a comment below.

Inspiring Interview... Little Massingham Forge Crafts

This month’s interview is with Little Massingham Forge Crafts. I hope that you find this crafter as inspiring and interesting as I do.  I have known Claire of Little Massingham Forge for a couple of months through our local social crafting group (Craft Group King’s Lynn) and her work is beautiful.  One of my many favourite pieces of her work is this stained glass windmill:

·  Hello! Please introduce yourself … ‘What’s your name and where do you come from’!?

My name is Claire Moogan and my partner in business (and in life) is David Lowe. We are both from Doncaster in South Yorkshire and moved to Norfolk in October 2011 with our one year old son to take over a small forge.

·  Tell us more about Massingham Forge Crafts. When and how did it came about and what do you create?

After being laid off at the start of the recession and spending many months trying in vane to find new employment, we realised that we had become fairly stagnated. We had slipped into a life of expected rejection from potential employers. We decided that finding a job wasn’t going to happen fast so why not retrain? But retrain as what? All industries seemed to be suffering, so we asked ourselves “what have we always wanted to do?”  That was easy to answer….become self employed! David had always dreamt of becoming a blacksmith and I of working with stained glass! So that is what we did.

We create a number of different items in a range of mediums. As well as glass and steel, I enjoy working with wool and fabric. We make useful items such as decorative steel hooks and glass windows; but also make purely decorative and sculptural items from both materials - often working together with mixed media. We are both Pagans and will respectfully make any custom made orders, from metal wands and black mirrors to dowsing rods and bent hand made horseshoe nails.

·  What inspires you and your designs?

Nature inspires our designs the most but we also take inspiration from the past. We enjoy replicating historical designs or taking interesting aspects and expanding on them. We try to keep with modern trends and fashions but put our own unique twist to items often making them a little quirky.

·  Tell us what your favourite creation to date is…

My favourite creation at the moment is the Gothic pipe stand inspired by Victorian graves. (a little morbid I know but I like all the same!).

          

David’s favourite creation to date is a nature inspired rose candle holder.

·  Please can you share a tip or piece of advice for fellow crafters?

Do what you enjoy not just what you think people want you to make. If you truly enjoy making something then that will shine through in the quality of your work! Also network like crazy, you never know what interesting people you may find, or what useful information they may be able to give you.

·  Do you have any other hobbies or dabble in any other crafts?

My main hobby away from the forge is crochet. I find it relaxing while sat in front of the TV on an evening.

I have been known to dabble in felt also.

·  How can we find out more?

Twitter: @MassinghamForge

Facebook: Little Massingham Forge

Web: http://www.littlemassinghamforge.co.uk/

ToSouk Shop: www.tosouk.com/people/shop/LittleMassinghamForge

·  And finally… do you have a favourite quote / saying?

“If what you’re doing is not your passion, you have nothing to lose.”

Thank you!