Handmade 2014

Overview

Handmade gifts are the best gifts. We heard it from teachers at primary school and our parents and our grandparents. Then they probably regretted saying it, since for Christmas one year, I presented my loved ones with rocks painted to look like frogs. But how cool would it be to give homemade gifts that are actually useful and aesthetic? Handmade 2014 is the festival where aspiring arts and craftsmen can learn new creative skill and celebrate handmade art. Don't be fooled by the ‘handmade’ thing; this is no amish playgroup. Handmade is all about using modern technology and state of the art equipment to produce some amazing results.

Attendees will be taught a range of new skills by experienced workshop leaders in a hands on lesson, where participants can take away their latest creation. There are also masterclasses on offer, presented by experts in their field, who will demonstrate their artistic process to educate audiences and allow festival goers to take away useful tips. The lectures at the event consist of talks by those successful handmade-veterans, who will explain their journey into and through the world of handmade art.

The event is separated into ten main categories, including heirloom, manmade, free range, remade, yarn, homework, world, stitch, taste and the silver jewellery workshop. They pretty much cover the lot, by way of handmade goodness. My picks for the festival include the coffee workshop by Jake Reilly Davis - because imagine how much money you would save if you could make coffee that didn't taste like tarseal. Also the masterclass with Tamsin Cooper on embroidery - she is basically a celeb after her battle with Trelise over the Cooper name, so cant miss that one. The dumplings workshop sounds pretty awesome - because dumplings are a very important part of life. And I should probably attend Colleen Pugh’s workshop on illustration for beginners so that I can work on my frog sketching.

My apologies to all my family and friends. You’re all getting handmade gifts this year. Rock frogs round two.