Crafty Inspirations for the New Year

2013 art calendar by Makissima

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all team members and craft lovers. Anne-Marie of Handmade by Amo'r here. I'd like to share a few inspirational ideas for the start of 2013.

A NOD TO 'THE GATHERING'

One of the most significant happenings in Ireland this year is of course The Gathering, a year-long celebration of Ireland, homecoming events and the Irish Welcome. Perhaps we can come up with small ways we can individually, and/or as a team, celebrate with Irish Etsy people abroad?

Claddagh ring Irish language card by Irish Elements

For instance, I came across this team ‘Auld Irish Artisans’ on Etsy. They are a group of Irish and non-Irish Etsians who love all things about Ireland. A simple idea would be to make cross-team treasuries under the theme and tag of 'The Gathering' to extend a greeting to them. Anyone could do this as an individual member of the team at any time during the year. The more who do it, the merrier! (Don’t know how to make a treasury? See links below for help). 

seaglass fairy born from a crafty exchange across the ocean

Another idea might be to team up with Irish Etsians abroad for mini projects. In 2012 I have been fortunate to make ‘cyber friendships’ with Irish descendants abroad via treasuries, as customers and also through lucky encounters such as with American Irish girl, Joy of Seaglass Lass.  Joy sought some Irish seaglass and I got the chance to experiment with drilled pieces she sent me in exchange. To read about our crafty swap please see link at end of article. Perhaps it will spark ideas for swaps and projects between us and Irish Etsians around the world. Please do post any further ideas that may occur to you in the comments below!

Silver Celtic knot torc pendant by Claddagh Design

In terms of creativity, The Gathering may also provide inspiration for friendship bracelets, mementos, Irish gifts, greeting cards and so on. The possibilities abound.

NETWORKING

Having tentatively networked through the team forums, making treasuries, contributing to this blog, and via the few team meetings I have been able to attend, I have been lucky to find some crafty friends. On a  few occasions I have extended open invites for inspirational/cultural outings for a more relaxed, social meet-up with local team members. Born out of this, I have made two very supportive friends in Mo of Huggleknits and Heli of Heli Creations  and we continue to meet up ourselves on a regular basis for a crafty chat and a day out.

Mo & Heli at the National Botanic Gardens

We’ve had fun beach combing, hill walking, taking photos at the National Botanical Gardens and visiting places of cultural interest such as the Chester Beatty Library. We always come away with fresh inspirations, feedback on our newest creations and a helpful tip or two.  We also promote each other's shops when we post photos of our trips on our blogs or on Facebook. Hopefully in 2013 we will get to go a little further afield and meet other Etsy friends for a day out.

Hello Necklace by Fiore Jewellery

Sticking your neck out to network and meet up can be daunting but I've found it very rewarding.
Why not use the team forums and/or this blog to make contact with team members in your town or area in a similar way?  It's always good to make new crafty friends - and to promote each other too!

GET INVOLVED

On a larger scale, why not make 2013 the year to be more active in the Crafty Ireland team?  Please read the post below from our Team Captain, Sue, calling for volunteers. The roles are filling up fast so don't hesitate! Getting involved is a great way to network and to give something back. According to Etsy Admin, team members who are more active within a team tend to do better saleswise too!

Fleece for hand spinning or needle felting by FEONORcrafts

 JANUARY SPECIFIC

 January is the month for new beginnings, new hobbies, resolutions and early Spring Cleaning. It’s a good time to sell de-stash or set up that supply shop you’ve been thinking about. Why not match your needs to clear out overstock of supplies with someone else’s new hobby and sell your de-stash at a fair, but tempting price?

Garnet & Pearl bracelet by The Crystal Cavern

 The birthstone for January is the garnet, while amethyst is the birthday gem for February. 

Be Mine signed print by Amelie Gagne

Now is also the time to be listing and tagging for Valentines Day and St. Patrick’s Day will be hot on its heels.

Lastly, 2013 is the Chinese year of the snake. Let's hope it's not a slippery one, but a crafty one!!

Free your imagination brooch by Shiny Jane

Wishing you all the best for 2013. May it be a year filled with inspiration, imagination, fortunate encounters and crafty goodness!

RELATED LINKS
TREASURIES, ETSY HELP
SUPPLY SWAP ACROSS THE OCEAN
CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS
TEAM FORUMS

A Visit to the National Museum of Decorative Arts, Dublin

On 16th April a few team members got together for an inspiration-seeking visit to Collins Barracks. Home of the National Museum of Decorative Arts, the Barracks holds an impressive collection of decorative silverware, ceramics, furniture, fashions and other historical artefacts.

Mo, Heli, Chiara, Anne-Marie

Those who were able to make it on the day were Mo of Huggle Knits, Heli of Heli Designs, Chiara of Makissima and myself, Anne-Marie of Handmade by Amo’r.

This blog post is intended only to give you a taste of the collection as it is really well worth going along and seeing for yourselves. Apologies for the poor quality of some of the pictures procured from...erm...various unidentified sources.

Like any clothes-mad and crafty girls, we made a bee-line for the permanent exhibition, ‘The Way We Wore’. This is an interesting display following 250 years of Irish fashions and textiles from the late 18th to 20th centuries.

The outfits on display would have been worn by those who were relatively well off and who wore the latest styles.

The detail on this child's coat is simply amazing.


The ankle boots may be couple of centuries old but I wore a fairly similar pair as a kid in the 1980s!

The exhibit hightlights the importance of the fashion and textile industries to the economy. By the turn of the 19th century, Irish textiles such as lace and crochet were already well known and sought after internationally.
The middle and upper classes kept well up with the changing fashions seen across Europe.

The jewellery exhibit revealed a few surprises, especially the pieces from the 18oos. Though there was some use of semi precious stones such as agate and amethyst, 19th century jewellery artisans utilised some unusual materials. This could include bone, human or horse hair and bog oak.
In the early 1800s, black bog oak jewellery and accessories were made to target the tourism industry. I didn’t even know there was an Irish tourism industry as such back then!

The oak, blackened naturally by the acids in the peat bog, is lightweight and perfect for carving delicate and intricate designs. The jewellery usually featured Irishy motifs and symbols like harps and shamrocks.


Sorry vegans, but look away please. These delicately woven, 19th century pieces were made in Youghal, from horse hair dyed red.

I don't think I will be exploring this raw material myself. However, My imagination has been sparked. I for one, will be recycling and upcycling further beyond the beach glass I currently include in my own collections.

The strap on this amber bangle is made from tightly woven human hair! In the 1800s, mourning jewellery was commonly worn by the bereaved. It sometimes featured the hair of a deceased loved one to keep them near. Fascinating, though a little creeeeepy methinks.

This Victorian necklace, was made from 18th and 19th century watch cocks. And I thought the use of cogs, keys etc in Steam Punk jewellery was a modern phenomenon!

We also popped into the temporary exhibit on the work of Neilli Mulcahy. An Irish haute couture designer who ran her own Dublin salon from 1951 to 1969. We were particulalry enamoured by the bags on display.

I'm pretty sure my Mum once had a bag not unlike this one. It ended up in our dressing up box and I loved it.

Can I have this one please????

Neilli was renowned for her use of Irish tweed. She worked with local handweavers to produce lightweight fabrics in vibrant colours.

After a quick stroll through the Irish Country Furniture, Asian art and Out of Storage displays we had a good natter over coffee. There was so much more we didn't have time to see and may go back ourselves for a further look. We certainly got the inspiration we sought. I personally came away with a renewed determination to include more indiginous and recycled materials in my own work.

Watch this private thread for details of future, cultural, arty or craft-related team outings. If you decide to organise one for Crafty Ireland Team members in your own county or city, please take pics and share it with us!


Museum Opening hours: Tues – Sat 10am to 5pm. Sunday 2pm to 5pm.

Let's Seek Inspiration: Crafty Ireland Field Trips

Hi there, Anne-Marie of Handmade by Amo'r here initiating a new element to the team, purely for fun, inspiration and for networking purposes. How about getting together for informal, cultural or craft-related visits, locally and perhaps eventually, further afield?

After a busy winter and holiday season, I fell into a bit of a creative wasteland. Between New Year and March I was mainly listing a backlog of items I previously hadn't had time to photograph and did very little actual crafting.

Bright Idea Light Bulb Earrings by Nice Day Designs

However, after a short, flying visit to the Museum of Decorative Arts at Collins Barracks recently, I came away refreshed and bursting with ideas. Though I only had time for a quick overview, I found the furniture collections and 'The Way We Wore' exhibition particulalry inspiring. I knew I had to go back for a proper look soon.

That got me thinking that it would be nice to occasionally meet up with like-minded people to visit art or craft exhibitions etc, especially now, in the Year of Craft. So I thought why not introduce this as a social side to the Crafty Ireland Team and help keep our imaginations fired up?

'My Imaginative Mind' Print by Makissima

To get the ball rolling, a small group of us are meeting this Saturday, 16th April at the Museum of Decorative Arts. Meet up time/details are in this private discussion thread if any more team members would like to join us. You are more than welcome! Directions there can be found on the museum's site.

(hope I don't get into trouble for pinching this map from their website....)

We hope this is just the first of several crafty outings. As members can't come up to the capital every time we organise something here in Dublin, I would really love to see this happen at a local level around the country. Perhaps this will inspire you to organise an afternoon out in your city or area. Any team member can organise something similar by simply starting up a private team discussion on Etsy.

Map of Ireland Paper Sculpture by Little White Dog

In addition to permanent museums, galleries, craft markets etc, this year there is a plethora of exhibitions and events on to celebrate the year of craft so you're bound to find something within travelling distance. Oh, and bring your cameras and please do let us know how you got on!

Opportunity for Artists with an Irish Flair

Irish Fireside Blog and Podcast is planning an ongoing feature of Irish-interest artwork and is looking for independent artists.

Each week, Artist's Eye on Ireland will be showcasing an artist whose work represents or is inspired by Ireland. It's pretty straightforward and there is no charge associated with this feature. Submission guidelines can be found on the A Call for Artists page.

Check it out!

New members join the team

Another batch of stunning talent to step on board this week. There is a bit of an art theme this week too.

I'm continually delighted that there is so much interest in the group and also impressed every week with the variety and expanse of talented artisans out there. Here are this week's delicious debutantes:

• Top left: Original Mixed Media Collage Painting by Jolie Dennison of Jolieart
• Top right: Painting of Dingle, Co.Kerry Ireland by CraftyV
• Bottom left: Champagne Victorian Inspired Silk Bolero by Bonzie
• Bottom right: Print, Dia De Los Muertos, (Dead End Job) by MariposaVintage

Click over to their shops and say hi, leave some hearts and love and of course, welcome to the team!

The Craft Nations Unite Map needs you!

The Craft Nations Unite map needs some Irish input. Craft Nations Unite is an open collaboration mapping tool for artisans worldwide. We need your help to spread it & share.


As you can see the Irish section looks a little, um, minimalist, to put it politely.

To add your mark onto the map, you need to:
- log into your Google account
- after you have logged in you will see an EDIT button is visible above the text and to the left of the map
- Click "Edit" then add your placemark, add you text and photos from the placemark
- and make sure you click "Save" & "Done"
- then logout when finished

Easy peasy. Let's use Ireland as a proverbial pin-cushion and get loads of markers on there.

****UPDATED with some HOW TO instructions!! ***
On the map page, you log in top right (see the red boxes on my markup). Once you are logged in your account name will appear in bold like mine has so you know you're logged in.

The EDIT button will appear on the left hand column of text on the page. Click this to start making your mark.
Once you've done your thing, make sure you click DONE and SAVE. And then log out again top right corner.

Hope that helps!

Introducing Sorcha Gillett

Hi there, my name is Sorcha Gillett. I was born in Dublin, in the month of October, making me the typical daydreaming libran that I am :) I now live in the South West of France with my lovely boyfriend, where I design girls surf prints for Rip Curl. In my own precious free time I live to paint and stitch. Mum always says I was a magpie of a child, hoarding all that was bright and shiny and silky and soft. My treasure chest grew with me. It inspired me during the years I spent studying fashion and printed textile design at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin. After graduating it supplied me with the materials I needed while working as a freelance illustrator and handbag designer in both Dublin and France. Now it forms the basis for my first collection of one-off art pieces. My unique style incorporates transient inks, powdery acrylics and the gems, crystals, vintage leathers and antique lace I have accumulated over the years. Inspired by the animated beauty of wildflowers, I have threaded these elements together to capture the precious moments in a young girls life that mark the beginning of the end of girlhood. Please click on the movie window below to see a painting come to life from stitch to finish, turn it up loud, the song is the best part ;)



Now let me introduce some of the ladies! All the ladies delicate features have been hand-stitched in embroidery thread, their hair is appliqued leather and their backgrounds and flower detailing are antique fabrics from my treasure chest. All my ladies come in purse friendly prints, which are available in my etsy shop. And now especially in time for Christmas gifts, my prints have a buy 2 get a 3rd of your choice for free deal! Visit my website to see more lovely ladies.

Clodagh

Goodbye

Molly

Marla

Lily

Ava

Kate

Clementine

Conor Kissed Chloe

Fall's First Kiss

And now here's a little surprise... if you would like to win a print of your choice from my shop then pop over to my Dandelion Daydreamer blog, click follow this blog, or click add on the facebook link and then comment here and let me know what lucky lady you would like for your home sweet home. Thanks for looking everyone :)