"Crafty Update" Hat......

Greetings on a wonderful Sunny Sunday.

As I step up to the mike wearing the "Crafty Update" hat I pause on the first step..... What information do I have to pass on to the eagerly awaiting audience? Not really sure of my facts yet. I have done some trawling through various web sites and twittered like an inquisitive robin - but still not sure. So how do I proceed?

I need your help!

Calling all CraftyIrelandTeam crafters..... I am proposing to post a weekly update of whats coming up around the country, like a Calendar of Events. Also it will have a list of the latest giveaways etc. from your shops. I am especially interested in any classes/courses both short and long that our wider audience might be interested in. So get the thinking caps on and contact me please. For the moment just get in touch through my shop http://www.huggleknits.etsy.com/ I need to learn a bit more about using blog/web/email/twitter/facebook to sort out a more direct link.

Looking forward to hearing from you all.

Cheers

Mo

aka Huggleknits

Trade Secrets...Limerick Suppliers

Hey there this is Ruth from Nice Day Designs and Nice Day Supplies, and I'm gonna show you a couple of my favorite supplies shops in Limerick. I buy an awful lot of my supplies online but nothing beats going to the shop and having a browse around a lovely supplies shop. The fact that I can see and touch things always makes me buy more. I work in quite a few diciplines, from making handmade cards, painting, sewing, and felt crafting. So I'm really glad that I have these two local shops just 5-10 minutes walk from my house.

Firstly there is this darling shop M-Sign that is on Mallow St in Limerick city centre. My first memory of this place is when I first moved to Limerick, and I walked down with my list for college clutched in my hand. They were so helpful and nice, I felt like a kid in a candy store. I love the work that Toni and Mary do, they are both so lovely, it's the kind of service you dream of getting in every shop. Their main focus is supplying materials for the art college students, and also for schools. They have a good range paint, pens, card, brushes and miscellaneous tools. Only the other day I picked up some great small canvases, and great scissors that cuts some funky shapes.

M-sign offer 10% discount to students, their email address is msign@eircom.net, and they open 9-5.30pm Mon-Fri and 11-1pm on Saturdays.

My second port of call is 'Silkes-One Stop Stationary' which is on Catherine St. right in the city centre. It has three main things that it sells: art supplies, teaching aids/crafts/supplies, and office supplies. There range of crafts covers a wide range of paints, canvases, card making supplies, sketchbooks etc. This is a really handy shop to go to if you have lots of different things you need to get. I quite often need to get office supplies for the business and it's great that I don't have to go to another shop to get staplers, envelopes etc. It is a pretty large shop, and it's not unknown for people to spend nearly an hour in there browsing through all of their goodies!

I'm always asking for really awkward things in there, in bulk amounts and the staff are always very helpful. They offer a 10% discount for students and teachers (not including the stationary) and they also sell online,check out there website here, and they are open 6 days a week.