Brush Party UK

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Before I start, I just want to make it absolutely clear that the last time I put a paintbrush to canvas was for GCSE Art, which was rather more years ago than I care to admit. I think I got a B which obviously wasn’t too bad, but i’m absolutely not a painter. I seem to remember my highlight was making a rat out of clay….

So when a friend asked if I wanted to go with her to a painting class I was slightly taken aback and a bit nervous, but thought why on earth not give it a try? Plus the class was held in a pub, and there would be wine. Sounds like a good night out to me!

In fact, it was a GREAT night out. I have to highly recommend Brush Party UK who have worked out the formula to a very enjoyable evening for anyone at any level to enjoy.

For your money, you get all the equipment, paint and brushes you need, the canvas, an easel, a bunch of other people to chat with and 2 instructors to talk you through the painting (they paint at the same time that you do so you can see what to try and emulate) and help you out at any point that you need a hand. You order your own food and drink. Plus we had a fabulous play list – we were painting and bopping to some classic tunes from the 90’s!

You’re shown what to paint (you all do the same picture) and techniques to paint it and you’re guided every step of the way. I was amazed that I could produce a whole painted canvas in 2 and a half hours, and that it looked ok and I thoroughly enjoyed painting it. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt that calm and relaxed on on a night out!

Each ‘party’ is a different picture, so you could go round a do a few of the classes and there seem to be lots organised particularly in the south of the UK.

Do head over to the website for more dates and times or follow Brush Party UK on social media.  www.brushparty.co.uk

I highly recommend these well organised events as a great way to try out something new, to bond with friends, the perfect girls night out, birthday celebration or hen do and you get to leave with something you are really quite proud of!

I’ll be going back for more.

 

I booked and paid to attend the painting class with Brush Party UK completely independently and was not asked to write this review. It is my honest opinion.

To craft or not to craft…

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Back in 2016 I was nailing life……At least i thought i was – Good job in media, fabulous family, little craft and cake hobby as a side hustle. Things were good. At least that’s what i was telling myself. In actual fact i was frustrated, stressed out and hating every minute of my work life balance- seeing my beautiful boys for about an hour a day before bed just wasn’t making me happy, childcare costs were huge and I was pregnant with number 3.

It was when i was on maternity leave later that year that i received the call that my role would no longer exist on my return and that i was at risk of redundancy. There is nothing in the world like post-birth hormones (my baby was 3 weeks old) and bad news to really send you over the edge.

I have to thank my wonderful mum friends who helped me back and made me see redundancy as an opportunity rather than disaster and one in particular who out of the blue one day suggested we had a little dabble at an Instagram page on parenting. So we did, and I totally loved it.

As the page grew, so did my confidence and we expanded it to Facebook and more recently Twitter and IGTV and I began to wonder if there was a way to make this into a career and reclaim the work life balance I craved.

And so i decided to retrain as a Social Media Marketing Manager.

A friend suggested the Digital Mums course and it seemed to tick all the boxes I needed in terms of flexibility to study, bearing in mind I’d had to stop all childcare and had to get my kids to and from school every day and had a very clingy 1 year old who slept badly during the day! Joining the course filled me with complete terror and gave me a massive dose of Imposter syndrome – you know that little voice that tells you you aren’t good enough? Literally all day, made worse by the fact I’d been out of the workplace for 18 months by this point and my brain had turned to mush.

The most challenging aspect of the course was dealing with my own massive confidence issues while simultaneously trying to find the 30 plus hours a week required to keep your campaign running smoothly AND then study on top of trying to keep my three kids alive, happy and juggling the homework and clubs and their needs as well as my own.

There were times I wanted to give it all up and run away and hide I’ll admit, but what really keeps you going is the strength and understanding of the other ladies studying with you. I found a group of amazing, strong women all in the same boat, all juggling madly, all trying to keep those plates spinning and they got me through. The hundreds of WhatsApp messages, the hilarious gifs, the pictures of glasses of wine, the chats, the egging you on when it all got hard were invaluable and I’m not sure I’d be at the finish line without them.

Thank you ladies! We did it.

So why the Craft Collective? I chose this subject because craft is the one thing I can do to feel calm and human again after a hard day. Not that I’ve had time to make anything over the last 6 months (!!) but sitting down to decorate a cake or make cards with the kids is like therapy, and I know so many others who have got through PND, depression and illness thanks to unleashing their inner Kirsty Allsop and I’m determined to spread that philosophy further.

I would recommend the DM course for anyone wanting to retrain in Social Media but absolutely make sure you have the time, and commitment – its not for the faint-hearted and it’s hard work.

The future. So whats next for the Ealing Craft Collective? There is no way I can just stop the campaign, I’m actually enjoying myself too much and now the pressure is off to hit KPI’s I can run it for fun and to support all the small businesses who have got on board and joined in over the past 6 months. Watch this space – there may be a rebrand soon!

In the meantime do check out my pages on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for both:

Www.instagram.com/ealingcraftcollective

And

www.instagram.com/buddiesbabiesandbiscuits

And if you need a fabulous, newly qualified, full of ideas social media manager, who is full of new found confidence and enthusiasm, or just a bit of help injecting some glitter into your sites, give me a shout – After all I’m a crafter and glitter is what we do best. 😉

Www.instagram.com/socialbysue

Sue

Suechaperlin@gmail.com

http://linkedin.com/in/sue-chaperlin-26839655

Competition T and C’s

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Competition Terms and Conditions

Please read these terms carefully before entering the competition.

Entering the competition constitutes an acceptance of these terms and conditions.

The promoter of this Competition is the Ealing Craft Collective

The Competition is open to any resident of the United Kingdom over 18 years of age

The Competition is closed to the Ealing Craft Collective and their close relatives and anyone otherwise connected with the organisation or judging of the Competition

Automated or bulk entries from third parties will be disqualified.

We reserve the right to exclude serial competition entrants who have entered more than 4 competitions in the last month.

There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter this competition.

Dates of competition The Competition opens on Monday 29th April at 10:00pm and closes Monday 6th May at 10:00pm. Entrants can enter at any point between these dates.

 

How to enter

To enter the competition on Instagram, entrants will need to like and follow Ealing Craft Collective and Buttonartbybecky, Pinkpumpkincrochet, Swirlybuttons, woodenitbenice_mrsk

and using the #ealingcrafty @mention 2 crafty businesses or friends in the comments they think would also like to win. Entrants can get one extra bonus entry by reposting on their stories or Instagram page.

To enter the competition on Facebook, entrants will need to like Ealing Craft Collective and Roundthetwistdesigns by Maria and @mention 2 crafty businesses or friends in the comments they think would like to win.

 How will the winner be selected & announced:

The winner will be selected at random from the list of entrants on each platform. Names will be entered into a random picker app as many times as they have qualified for entries.

The winner will be notified via DM on Instagram and Facebook within 14 days of the closing date. If the winners cannot be contacted or do not claim the prize within 14 days of notification, we reserve the right to withdraw the prize from the winner and pick a replacement winner.

 

Details of prize

The prizes for winning the competition will be:

Instagram:

a 12cm wooden handpainted ‘mermaid tale’ ornament

Hand-crocheted rainbow bunting

A pair of handmade vintage Czech glass button earrings

4 handmade gin prints

Facebook:

a bespoke piece of ‘memory jewellery’ made by jeweller Maria to the winners’ specification.

The Prizes are as stated, and they cannot be sold or exchanged for cash, goods or services.

The Prize is not transferable and must be accepted by the winner

 Marketing promotions

Ealing craft collective reserve the right to use the voice, image, photograph, name and likeness of the winners for publicity and in advertising, marketing or promotional material without additional compensation or prior notice to the winners. In entering the Competition, all participants consent to such use of their voice, image, photograph, name and likeness.

Copyright of any material produced as part of the competition is owned by Ealing craft collective Unauthorised use of the material produced as part of this competition, including reproduction, storage, modification, distribution or publication without the prior written consent of Ealing craft collective or, where applicable, the respective competition entrant, is prohibited.  Where you are able to submit any contribution to this competition you agree, by submitting your contribution, to grant Ealing craft collective a perpetual, royalty-free, non-exclusive, sub-licenseable right and license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, perform, play, and exercise all copyright and publicity rights with respect to your contribution worldwide and/or to incorporate your contribution in other works in any media now known or later developed for the full term of any rights that may exist in your contribution. If you do not want to grant Ealing craft collective the rights set out above, please do not submit your contribution to Ealing craft collective.

You consent to your first name and social media handles about you being disclosed on Ealing craft collective digital channels or other media if you win any Prizes under the Competition. Any personal data relating to participants will be used solely in accordance with UK data regulations and will not be disclosed to a third party without the entrant’s prior consent

By entering the Competition, you agree that Ealing craft collective may contact you in relation to the Competition.

This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Instagram or Facebook or any other social network

Ealing craft collective do not accept liability for any damages whatsoever, including, without limitation, indirect or consequential damages, loss of profits, or any damages whatsoever arising out of, or in connection with the competition. Except in the case of death or personal injury arising from its negligence, or in respect of fraud, and so far as is permitted by law, Ealing craft collective and its associated companies and agents and distributors exclude responsibility and all liabilities, whether direct or indirect, arising from: any postponement or cancellation of the Competition; any changes to, supply of or use of the Prize; and any act or default of any supplier, which are beyond Ealing craft collective reasonable control. Ealing craft collective does not accept responsibility for any liability arising from technical incompatibility, problems relating to the internet, or technical difficulties of any kind and no responsibility can be accepted for entries not received for whatever reason. Ealing craft collective shall not be liable, whether in tort, contract, misrepresentation or otherwise for loss of profits, loss of anticipated savings, loss of goods, loss of use, loss or corruption of data or information, or any special, indirect, consequential or pure economic loss, costs, damages, charges or expenses. You agree to indemnify Ealing craft collective against all liabilities, claims and expenses that may arise from any breach of your agreement with Ealing craft collective. We reserve the right to change the Competition rules and these Terms and Conditions from time to time. If we do so, we will always have the most up to date terms and conditions on the Website and in the case of a discrepancy between these terms and conditions and those on the Website, the Website terms and conditions will apply. These Terms and Conditions shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes arising here shall be exclusively subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales

Pitshanger Manor- Ealing

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This weekend is the grand re-opening of Pitshanger Manor in West London and I was lucky enough to go along and have a look.

Pitshanger Manor, was owned from 1800 to 1810 by the architect John Soane. Soane intended it as a country villa (in then rural Ealing) for entertaining and eventually for passing to his elder son. He demolished and rebuilt most of the previously existing building except the two-storey south wing that he had helped to design with his first employer in 1768. Following a three year conservation and renewal project the Manor has been returned to Soane’s original design for the first time in 150 years.

The building is beautiful. The full restoration to bring it back to its 1800’s glory is amazing in every detail. The restoration team have left lovely details like sections where you can see how many layers of paint and paper there have been in the past as they tried to discover the original decorative colour and designs.

The Upper Drawing Room was hand painted from top to bottom with trees and animals to recreate the original decor and it’s a work of art! Apparently you have to find a wasp and a squirrel on the walls hidden in the design.

Im impressed that the designers have even managed to squeeze in a tiny lift so that all 4 floors of the Manor are accessible to buggies and wheelchairs although it is a one at a time tiny lift space! Ramps are at every doorway and the team at the Manor couldn’t have been more helpful in guiding me round with my pushchair!

The manor and gallery team have really thought about their visitors. There’s a children’s trail to spot the Soane’s favourite dog, some lovely interactive computer screens down low and building bricks and colouring pencils to keep the kids happy while you read up on the history of the Manor.

And starting on opening weekend, a host of activities for the family to enjoy from Bach to Baby mini-concerts, storytelling, Little builders creative play, Easter picnics and chocolate egg workshops to a wallpaper painting masterclass for the adults. Do check out the website for further details.

On the site of the old Ealing Library adjacent to the Manor House is now a fabulous gallery and exhibition space which will be the home to many artists and designers as they showcase their work. Until August 18th it’s the home of the work of artist Anish Kapoor. The sculptures currently in situ are wonderful and have been designed to echo the colours and shapes in the stained glass domes in the original building. The pieces are designed to be disorientating and constantly changing and they really achieve this while being mesmerisingly beautiful.

The Manor also has a lovely gift shop to spend in on the way out, and the Soane restaurant or Rickyard cafe for a relaxing cup of tea.

Please support this fabulous West London building and the team who have put so much work into creating a wonderful visitor attraction. And don’t forget it’s right on the edge of Walpole Park with playgrounds and loads of space to run around or sit and enjoy the views.

Pitshanger Manor is in Walpole Park Mattock Lane, Ealing London W5 5EQ.

The grand reopening weekend is 16th and 17th March 2019

https://www.pitzhanger.org.uk/

The Maker Station – Brentford

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I had the most wonderful accidental meeting with the two lovely ladies who have set up this amazing crafty venture. I was meeting some friends in a knitting group for a cup of tea in a local cafe (and being taught how to knit) when they came in to buy fabric from the cafe owner. We immediately started talking about craft-related materials and not long afterwards they very kindly invited me over to see what they were up to.

The Maker Station, Brentford is a co-working, hot-benching studio space for makers, artisans and creatives. Kal and Fay, the ladies who have recently put their hearts and souls into setting it up are fabulous, friendly and fun, and boy do they have some knowledge in all things crafty! We chatted over tea while they showed me the second-hand table and chairs they had stylishly up-cycled and the old horse hair sofa they were deciding how to bring back from the dead. They have a fabulous knowledge of fabrics and upholstery, sewing and design and have a clear philosophy that sending furniture to landfill isn’t an option when it can be transformed into something new and beautiful.

Before the makeover
Before the makeover
The idea is a simple one. To get creatives, artists, home crafting businesses and hobbyists to come together in one shared space. They both understand the frustrations of working from home on any craft – not enough space, not being able to leave things out, trying to juggle work and family, and becoming isolated working alone – and the Maker Station offers a solution to it all.  You can rent a workbench, a locker, machinery, a tool box, or just a seat and some wi-fi. They have meeting spaces, comfy sofas, areas to give presentations in to possible clients, even somewhere you can hang up and display materials and colours for a mood board or similar. The equipment is amazing – industrial sized sewing machines that can sew through the toughest fabrics, a huge table space to cut large pieces of cloth, and almost all the materials and crafting tools you could ever need, and of course, a lovely kitchen for all those much needed mugs of caffeine as you get firmly stuck into a project!

The Maker Station would be the most amazing place to do craft demos and classes. The space is fabulously accommodating and flexible enough to fit a large or small class in anything from sewing to interior design, jewelry making to flower arranging and everything in between. They have more fabric books than I’ve ever seen with the most gorgeous samples in which they can order for you,  plus ribbons, edgings, cottons, tools and more, and they have plans to set up an area of their space and their website where crafters can display their handmade produce for sale.

The building is right next door to the Waterman’s Arts Centre, with fabulous views over the river where the natural light just comes streaming in, and personally i can’t think of anywhere better to release those creative juices with like-minded people!

Picture by Heathcliff O’Malley
Picture by Heathcliff O’Malley
Picture by Heathcliff O’Malley
Above 3 photos by Heathcliffe O’ Malley.    @heathcliffom

For more information on the Maker Station, do contact Fay and Kal using one of the methods below:

 

All opinions are my own, i haven’t been paid to write this blog, however i did take advantage of a lovey free cup of tea! 🙂

Round the Twist Designs

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This week I had a lovely chat with a very local lady about her craft business.

Maria lives in Ealing and has just started up an Etsy shop for her handmade and very beautiful jewellery.

“RoundTheTwistDesigns came about when I started making jewellery whilst recovering from postnatal depression. I totally fell in love with wire work- it’s so satisfying when a piece comes together from a jumble of wire and beads into something beautiful. It’s a great way to re-purpose and recycle old pieces too. The nature of wire work also means that each item is always unique, a bit like humans!

I think creativity is ingrained in our nature as human beings. For me- feeding my creative side has been part of a healing journey.

I live in Hanwell and love the community here- especially the great bunch of mums who also help keep me sane! There is a great community spirit and people are really supportive of local businesses.”

Not only has Maria used craft to help in her recovery from PND, she’s also making her jewellery by using old broken jewellery that might have ended up in landfill, and working the beads and embellishments into her designs. Eco-friendly and gorgeous.

Do check out her designs on Instagram: https://instagram.com/roundthetwistdesigns

Or visit her Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/RoundTheTwistDesigns

The Crafting Quest

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Now the Ealing Craft Collective is up and running, I should introduce myself. I’m a mum of three gorgeous, lively kids, living in the London Borough of Ealing and i’m a secret crafter.

I mean not completely secret, lots of people know I make stuff, but I do it for fun and for me rather than making a living from it. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been there – I’ve had an Etsy shop (that i think cost me more money than i ever made! ha ha), I’ve made pocket money from making birthday cakes for friends and I save myself money every year making handmade gifts for family, but I craft mainly because it makes me happy and it’s challenging and it calms me down after a busy day with the kids.

Particularly after my first baby, and I think a few people I know have been through this, I felt like i’d lost my identity. I wasn’t me any more, I was a new person –  ‘Mum’, a weary, sleep deprived source of food, love and entertainment who did literally nothing for herself. Getting back into crafting in the few hours I had after my son went to sleep helped me to regain who I was again. Gave me a focus and a plan, and made me smile.

So here I am, wanting to find out more, particularly about crafting in my local area. What’s on, who’s doing it and why. Who’s trying to make money from it, or to improve their mental health with it, and can we help them. What’s on for kids, or knitters or cake decorators, and where you can go for info or supplies. And i hope to find some new ideas, maybe even start a new skill or group myself.

Please join me on the journey. Get in touch if you have info, or pictures or news or would like to start a new group who crochet down the pub every Tuesday. I’d love to help.

You can find me on:

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/ealingcraftcollective/

Twitter –  https://twitter.com/ealingcraft

and Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/ealingcraft/

Please join in, and happy crafting!

 

Coming soon…

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celebrating handmade and homemade in ealing

Welcome to the Ealing Craft Collective. A site dedicated to all things homemade and handmade in the London Borough of Ealing.

I’ll be talking to local crafters and businesses, trying out new makes and bakes and trying to encourage you to get involved and have a go. You can send me your crafting disasters or successes on Facebook, and i’ll be finding out the best groups and meet ups to join in with and maybe learn something new?

My aim is to get Ealing crafting and supporting local groups and businesses with a bit of fun thrown in.