So now we are down to the final few days before Make & Mend festival, we thought we would catch up with some of the artists, creatives and makers that are going to make this Sunday a day to remember.
We asked each creative below the same questions; why they were excited about this year’s festival and why events like this are important to them. Many also ended up sharing why they loved last year too! So without further ado, let’s hear from them….
KLB Designs – runs painting and design workshops in a chilled out atmosphere for everyone from complete beginners to keen painters. Katie is running floral painting workshops….
Katie – “Last year’s was fab and I know this year will be even better!
Make & Mend Festival 2018 was an absolute colour fest and so much fun to be a part of. I'm really looking forward to running another floral painting class, we'll be using inks which are just an absolute joy to work with. I've always been a believer that art is therapy, I love the time painting gives me to switch off and inks are amazing for this. When using this particular media you can work in a really loose and freeway, there's zero pressure to produce a 'master piece' when working in inks as you can just watch it flow on the page and before you know it dreamy abstract inky florals appear on the page.
I'm double excited this year as I'll also be holding a stall in the market area, the items on sale will include printed and original artworks as well as paper and textile products with print designs created from my own paintings.”
Organised Chaos - makes home-made beautiful boho macramé pieces and home décor and runs workshops. Naomi is running macramé workshops and we’ve just added another one at 11.30am due to demand…..
Naomi – “I am hugely excited to be part of this wonderful event for the first time and can’t wait to meet lots of like-minded crafters. It’s great to see more creative events in our local area, encouraging people to try something different and giving exposure to lots of local makers.
Macramé really is a form of therapy (in my humble opinion!), and it provides a well-needed break from busy schedules. And if that’s not enough, you also get to make something beautiful for your home at the same time. My workshop is really accessible for all ages and abilities and I’m really looking forward to making lots of beautiful plant hangers and sharing this wonderful art form with others!”
Northern Loom - Uses traditional weaving techniques to produce contemporary wall hangings with colour, texture and shape at the heart of each piece. Sarah also runs workshops. As part of Make & Mend she will be doing a live weaving demo across the day which is part of our Big Makes.
Sarah - “I'm going to be doing a weaving demo all day and will be using a variety of weaving techniques to create a large, colourful textured weave – I can’t wait.
I'm looking forward to taking part in Make and Mend Festival as I love meeting other like-minded, creative people. For me, weaving is a form of self-care and a way of slowing down and connecting with traditional crafts in a fast paced, highly digitalised society. I love that Make and Mend is promoting this concept and encouraging creativity in so many different forms.”
Nicola Golightly is a Graphic Designer and Visual Artist who works across a number of mediums, but all of my work is connected to Design led methods, such as print, typography, image making and photography. At Make & Mend Festival, Nicola will be sharing the beautiful art of Cyanotype printing across drop in workshops, harnessing the power of the sun to create geometric pattern prints.
Nicola - “As part of the Make & Mend festival, I’m going to be delivering a drop in Cyanotype Workshop. Cyanotypes have featured in a lot of my work to date. It’s a process that takes time and patience, with beautiful results. I’ve used it as a method to process my own thoughts and tackle some pretty heavy subjects.
Cyanotype harnesses natural light to almost magically create an artwork. I’m looking forward to sharing the process of creating Cyanotypes. Having collaborated with event organisers and masterminds Rachel and Lyndsey on a great number of occasions, it’s great to extend this and offer something special to the mix of activities on offer on the day. I also attended Make & Mend last year and had such a fantastic experience. It was chilled, thoroughly enjoyable; I learnt new skills in calligraphy (amongst other things) and left with a true sense of calm! As a Mum of 2 and full time artist, there aren’t many calm moments in the week, but Make & Mend certainly offered that. I can’t wait to be involved this year and collaborate with those attending this wonderfully crafted event.
As a freelance artist/designer I really value collaborations, connections within the creative community, along with the support this provides. Through events like this, there is a heightened awareness of those working within this sector, a joined up approach and it highlights the individuals creating and shaping the creative landscape today. It’s an absolute pleasure to be involved and inspire others through this year’s festival.”
Namita Vijayakumar - is an artist that focuses on drawing, sculpture and installation. Namita is running a workshop in which you can learn how to make your own origami paper lantern.
Namita - “It's very exciting to be running a workshop at Make & Mend Festival 2019. It feels really special to be part of an event that promotes positivity through creativity. I think that creativity is something that is present in all of us - it's not necessarily about whether you're good at drawing or making something - it's about the willingness to try! Creating something with your own hands is a really rewarding experience and I hope that everyone can give it a go.
My artist practice involves different mediums such as drawing, sculpture and installation, and I often find the process of making my work intriguing and relaxing in itself. Recently I've been producing large paper sculptures that are illuminated by light, so I'm looking forward to showing the versatility of using paper in my origami lanterns workshop.”
The Crafthood - run modern craft workshops and events across the North East of England including Newcastle, Gateshead and Co Durham. At Make & Mend festival they are running brush lettering and knitted necklace workshops.
Kay & Sharon – “We are so excited to join Make & Mend festival again. Last year’s event was a blissful day of colour and creativity; we enjoyed it and loved the vibe of everyone learning new skills in such beautiful surroundings.
At every event we run we see the value of craft and creativity in the modern world. Too often people are in states of constant distraction and immersing yourself in a creative way can help you achieve a mindful flow and forget modern day stressors. There is also something about doing this en masse at events such as Make & Mend that fills us with utter joy, it is so feel good!"
The Hand-Painted Bindery - a small bookbinding studio based in Gateshead specialising in colourful, unique notebooks and stationery. Cloe is running a workshop on Japanese Stab Binding and will be selling her notebooks in the Make & Mend market place.
Cloe – “I am very excited to be a part of the Make & Mend Festival this year; it will be the first time I’ve attended this event and it’s also the first time I’ve stepped foot out of Newcastle with my business!
In this digital age, it can be difficult to find time to quiet our minds and relax. Craft has always been something I have retreated to; there is such satisfaction in focusing your mind on one task and coming away with something beautiful that you have created with your own hands; I thoroughly recommend it to anyone.
My business is centred on encouraging others to get creative. I hope that by bringing you colourful and beautifully crafted notebooks and journals, you will feel inspired to lose yourself in creativity as much as possible.”
Shepherd Illustration - produces intricately illustrated greeting cards and prints. Their illustrations depict wildlife, wildflowers and bones. They are delicately macabre but filled with romance. Lauren is selling her cards and prints as part of the marketplace.
Lauren - “I just can’t wait! I love to be around other northern creatives and without events like this I wouldn't be able to ever meet customers face to face and get critical customer feedback. Being a part of events like this gives me the confidence and ability to keep going.”
Plum Ginger Gallery - just the place if you are looking for vintage yet contemporary hand drawn illustrations, prints or that more personalised commission piece. Illustrator Sarah is selling her drawings, illustrations and prints on the day as part of the marketplace.
Sarah - “I love events like this as they allow people to come together and create...when you make something yourself you get a huge sense of achievement and it’s fantastic for your health and well-being. Without PlumGinger Art I don’t know what I’d be doing but this allows my imagination free reign and I love being able to do what I do. Sharing that with people and making them smile makes me happy”
Well our artists and creatives are excited for this weekend’s Make & Mend Festival. We are super excited and we hope you are too. There is still time to join us and to get tickets – plenty of workshop spots still available or if you just fancy coming along for the day without making an workshop commitments, our £10 entry only ticket is just for you and there is LOTS to do on the day as part of that ticket in our Big Makes section and not to mention the talks and yoga!
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