The Actual Meet the Makers Market!

Well, we finally got there and a fun time was had by everyone.  The Town Hall was humming with visitors of all ages getting stuck in and having a go at making and doing! The weather blessed us and enabled people to get a breath of air outside (in the smoke from the fires!) when it got too crowded inside. 

Here are a few pictures kindly taken by Lisa Allen, who was the duty manager for the day.  She did us proud, keeping everyone happy and running smoothly.  Thanks to everyone who took part and helped - it was a day to remember.

a lively crowd in the main hall

having a bash at frame drumming

Helena from Incredible Farm cooks fabulous pumpkin soup, yum

The Bakehouse share the secrets of sourdough bread

Cragg Vale Bunting for the Tour de France next year!

Kitty Couture Hats do felt brooches

Meet the Creature Kits

All packed in and ready to go

At the Meet the Makers Market we launched these creatures into the world. They'll shortly be available to buy in our online shop in kit form so that you can make your own.  Get sewing out there!

Preparations for the Market

 I know it's a bit 'after the event' but I thought it would be a little bit interesting to see what we got up to before the punters came a-streaming in on the day. 


 We decided to decorate the Town Hall for the Meet the Makers Market with beautiful banners of making and doing words, all designed by Amy and hand screen printed by all of us. Although we say so ourselves, we think they look cool!

And we asked Clare and Helen, the Green Willow Workers, to make us some willow hurdles to serve as a back drop to the stalls in the middle of the hall.  Here they are being tried out while we figure how to keep them in place.  On the day they more or less stood up by themselves, they were so proud.  (If you email us you can buy one for your garden instead of a boring old fence, approx 4' x 5' and a reasonable price).

Cheese Please Louise

lovely soft cheese with a hint of garlic, with creamy soft cheese for afters

Pex Tenement Cheese Company make fabulous organic cheeses in their dairy on the Todmorden hillside.  They use their own organic milk, from their organic cows who graze on their organic fields.  I know that beautiful hillside well but it took a town dweller to tell me something new about it. While walking through the lush grass she said "it smells of butter". That sums up for me what's so good about the cheese - from the grass, to the cow, to your plate.  The taste of Todmorden!

Carl will be bringing a range of cheeses to try and buy at the Meet the Makers Market at Hebden Town Hall  and his laptop with his informative and entertaining presentation about the company. 

Valley born and bread

final result!

It's all a blurrrrr of activity!!

Well that's my excuse.  The day I visited The Bakehouse they wouldn't stand still long enough for a duffer like me to take a photo!  

But the aroma as well as the industry was very impressive. They're making  Real Bread and it comes in many delicious varieties all organic.  As well as Better bred white and brown and variety breads like olive, Moor Ale, chocolate and currant (mmm) and bagels there's a range of sourdough breads - Cragg Crusty, Mytholmroyd Maslin and Royd Rye. 

Sourdough is a natural slow process for leavening bread and it's all a bit mysterious.  Never fear they'll be sharing the secrets with us at the Meet the Makers Market at Hebden Town Hall on October 5th. Sourdough starters and instructions on how to do it! And they'll have plenty to sample and buy.
yum, yum and again yum!

The Weavers Tale

Nicola with a beautiful cushion

Nicola Winters loves colour, pattern and variety and she loves weaving them together. After qualifying as a stained glass artist at college she found that the responsibility of all that breakable glass was not for her so she took her inspiration and planning skill, went from sharp to soft and took up weaving.

Now based at Northlights Studio in Hebden Bridge she plans to start offering workshops; a beginners day course, and a three day course for those wanting to go further and learn how to warp a loom.  Both will be reasonably priced and Nicola will only have 2 students at a time as it's engrossing work that demands concentration.  This is great news for budding weavers as courses in this dying art are so difficult to find.

At the Meet the Makers Market Nicola will have a loom with the warp ready for anyone who wants to have a go at making a little bookmark.  A simple twill design is planned, just like the famous Harris Tweed!  So come along to Hebden Bridge Town Hall on October 5th and get weaving.....

Soap Glorious Soap!

soap stamping

Back in 2008 Rob and Geoff of Calder Valley Soaps were working at Suma but were looking to move into manufacturing of some sort. By chance they were able to buy the business that was supplying soap to Suma. Since then they've gone from strength to strength, continuing to make bespoke soaps and building their own brand Elphin Soaps. that sells in shops from Lands End to Aberdeen. 

They're enthusiastic about the cold pressed process which retains the glycerin in the ingredients.  This process is 2000 years old and makes the gentlest soap.  (Apparently the mainstream soap industry sells the glycerin back to us in the form of moisturisers and creams!)  Rob and Geoff are meticulous in their sourcing and are always looking to improve their methods.  All products are fairtrade, vegan and cruelty free, and they're even moving towards replacing fairtrade palm oil with a blend of sunflower and coconut oil.  For perfume and colour they only use herbs, spices and essential oils.

At the Meet the Makers Market at Hebden Town Hall as well as buying some lovely natural products, we'll be able to see the soap being cut into bars and have a go at stamping a motif in a bar ourselves.  So come along and clean up folks!

mmmm..what's that beautiful scent?

throw me a pot!

student potters at work

Prospective potters alert! Edyn Culverwell, of The Old Stables Studio , is offering a rare opportunity - the chance to learn how to throw a pot on a proper potter's wheel. At her rather magnificent home studio experienced students and beginners alike can learn this esoteric and ancient art (and enjoy some lovely food, by the way).

Originally a Fine Art graduate, Edyn's political involvement lead her into community arts, where she concentrated mainly on screenprinting. These days though she doesn't feel the need to explain the meaning of her work, for her the process is enough - just making and more making. She runs evening and weekend courses for a maximum of 6 students or you can come with lots of friends and have a hen party or childrens party. And as I said before the food is lovely!

Edyn is bringing this portable wheel to the Meet the Makers Market at Hebden Bridge Town Hall on October 5th.  She'll move over and let you have a go if you ask nicely!

the cat that got the cream

Jane in her showroom

With a background in social care Jane has always been inspired by the therapeutic effect of arts and crafts. Her Nana Kitty, a smart and dignified lady who suffered for many years from Altzeimers, always used to say that 'the hat was the main part of the outfit' and this inspired Jane to start Kitty Couture Hats . An elegant hat can be a real confidence booster for a special occasion, and Jane has the answer for all budgets and inclinations. At her beautiful house in Todmorden she has a lovely showroom where you can buy or hire a stunning hat. And for hands-on types she's designed a range of lovely DIY kits that she'll be introducing at the Meet the Makers Market .

You'll be able to choose from four different pill box shapes that you can customise, or for beginners there will be felt flower brooch making.  So we're taking our hats off to Jane and inviting you to come along and meet her at the Meet the Makers Market on October 5th at Hebden Bridge Town Hall !

light my fire!

Emily's natural habitat?

I met Emily from the the Tinderwood Trust Forest School this week and I forgot to take her photograph! Doh! so I had to go out in the woods and take a photo of where you might find her.

Please click on the link and read all about the Forest School - I can't do it justice here. Suffice to say it's an educational approach that gives children hands-on experience of making and doing all sorts of things outside in the natural environment. Emily is bringing some exciting stuff to the Meet the Makers Market.  She'll be outside in the square at Hebden Town Hall whatever the weather lighting a fire!!! AND teaching everyone to light their own fire without matches!! (I'm so excited about this, I cannot speak.)  And there will be whittling of sticks so that you can put a marshmallow on the end and toast it!

I think what Forest Schools do just sums up "making and doing" - gaining confidence and a sense of achievement and pleasure in the process.  And I think you will see this in the work that our makers produce. See you there!

3 simple reasons to make and do

 

1. It's good for mental and physical health. When your mind and body are engaged it keeps all your systems tuned and ready to go.

2. It develops confidence. When you get skilled at something you know that you're capable of learning, and it encourages you to try new challenges. 

3. You get an end product that you can keep, use, give away or even sell. Something that will last and that has meaning and a story.

Drums in the Valley

Oxana and some delicious Cornholme community beans

Heard the sound of the drums and ever wondered what it felt like to make that sound? Now's your chance guys! Oxana, from the Todmorden frame drum group will be running a couple of mini workshops for us at the Meet the Makers Market on October 5th. Six or so people can take part at a time and sessions will last about 30 minutes. All you need to do is turn up, preferably early on, and say you want to have a go. No obligation, just fun.

Oxana, who is originally from the Ukraine, loves to drum and she says frame drumming helps her connect to "the sources of power and joy within herself."  Having listened to, and watched her drum for just a few minutes I thought it looked exciting, but soothing and gentle all at the same time. In fact quite enchanting! You don't have to be musical so I might even give it a bash (or should I say tap).

Oxana will also have details of all the sessions she runs in the community.

If you're wondering about the significance of the beans? Oxana works at the Old Library Community Hub in Cornholme and they've got beans (community beans taste better than supermarket beans)

Making Mosaic

Sakinah in her studio

Sakinah Haq has been making beautiful mosaic pieces for 6 years now and at the same time she's been getting herself an HND at Todmorden College.  She loves the idea of recycling and her mirrors, frames and wall pieces are all made using broken crockery and other found pieces. "People bring me the bits whenever they break something and I also love collecting beach glass. I had a particularly good haul of old pieces last year in Cragg Vale after the floods uncovered stuff that had been buried for years."

Sakinah has a space at Brooklyn Studios and is one of the organisers of Hebdenbridge Open Studios.  You can buy her work at Spirals on Market St, Hebden Bridge.

At the Meet the Makers Market Sakinah will be working at her table demonstrating how she puts the pieces together, and we'll be able to talk to her about her work and her methods. Looking forward to it Sakinah!

fitting it all together

The Longest Bunting in the World

only 5 miles to go!

 

 

Last week I met up with Sharon and Elaine, two of the masterminds behind the Cragg Vale Longest Bunting in the World attempt.  As part of the festivities before Le Grand Depart next year Cragg Vale Community Association are organising the sewing together of approximately 32000 flags (hope my maths is right).  Then they're going to hang them up all the way from the bottom to the top of the longest hill in England (Cragg Vale that is) - 5 and a half miles!!  Gulp!!  Thereby getting themselves into the Guinness Book of Records and a lot of recognition for the fantastic community that is Cragg Vale.  After all there's only going to be a world wide television audience of hundreds of millions in 188 countries!!  That's all.....

So....at their stall at the  Meet the Makers Market you'll get a chance to have a go at decorating some flags.  There'll be piles of flags and lots of lovely stuff - fabric paints and pens, ribbons, buttons and so on.  And if you're inspired they'll be only too pleased to show you how you can get involved.  It's a big task and there's already a team of people working round the clock getting it off the ground (and I'm hardly exaggerating here) 

We're really excited and we hope you will be too.  See you there!

Sew special

Helen at her trusty machine

Helen Brewster from Word of Mouth is coming to the Meet the Makers Market at Hebden Town Hall to set us on the straight and narrow with zips and buttonholes!!! (OMG I bet you wish you knew how to do them?)

Helen started sewing at 13, learning from her Mum how to alter, mend and make and improve on ready made fashion. She moved on to creating bespoke shirts and then 4 years ago set up in business based at Word of Mouth where she runs sewing skills workshops and sews to commission. 

Students of all abilities are welcome - she'll teach you how to use a sewing machine and a pattern or help you work out how to bring your vision to reality.  Magic!

stitch/knit/crochet, take your pick!

Helen in her shop of many delights

Helen of Ribbon Circus fame will be putting in an appearance at the Meet the Makers Market at Hebden Bridge Town Hall in October, when she will be sitting at her stall showing us how to make a start at embroidery, crochet and knitting.  

Her shop is a Crazy Cornucopia of Colourful Crafty Consumables and she's a Wonderful Wizard at Wicked Wheezes, a Tremendous Teacher of Tricky Techniques....

I could go on but you need to see for yourselves, elves....

Leatherwork

Rod Boyes of Pinegroveleather will be visiting us at the Meet the Makers Market at Hebden Bridge Town Hall on October 5th, giving us all a chance to stroke and sniff his leathergoods (oo sorry got a bit carried away there).

Rod has been making and designing things for over 25 years, from cabinet making to educational software. He's also a keen musician and when his wife Lou made him a beautiful leather case for his harmonicas it led him towards leatherwork and his specialism in musical instrument cases. But he also makes notebook cases, ebook cases and many other small items, many made in a style influenced by 50s jukeboxes and American Western mythology that he calls "nouveau retro". 

You can buy Rod's work from his website but you can smell it as well at Heartgallery in Hebden Bridge and  Leeds Craft and Design Gallery .  He'll also be at Great Northern Craft Fair the weekend after our market but he might be a bit tired...

Do you like these key rings?

   

Rod will be making them at the market.  Choose your motif piece and you can have a go at trying the riveting machine under close supervision.  See you there!

Origami

the prettiest paper pot

 

Sue Leslie, of AThousandPaperWishes will be folding paper for your delight at the Meet the Makers Market, Hebden Bridge Town Hall October 5th. Sue used to be a Maths teacher (but despite this she's not at all scary) and has made things all her life.  Textiles was her thing, but these days, especially since she made the decorations for her daughter's wedding, paper is inspiring her more and more.  From handmade Thai paper to the pages of the Beano, Financial Times, old books and maps she can't resist folding, twisting and sculpting paper....

Financial Times bouquet

Working in a large room in her basement Sue makes an amazing array of objects - roses, butterflies, earrings and bracelets, cards and boxes.  You can buy her work at Spirals and Heartgallery in Hebden Bridge...or come along to meet Sue and learn how to make a beautiful little paper box

boxes

 

and this is what she looks like

See... not scary at all!

Green Willow Workers

the little willow hut

Green Willow Workers are Clare and Helen, two sisters who started out as gardeners together 20 years ago.  After a few years they began "messing around" with willow and have gone from there to making domes, hurdles and baskets and creating living willow structures for schools all over the North of England, including the children's museum at Eureka.

They find their inspiration from traditional basketry techniques. Winter is the busiest time for them, planting structures and harvesting new growths from old structures. You can buy their work at the Great Rock Co-op at Blackshawhead on Saturdays and contact them at clarewells123@aol.com if you are interested in a workshop or a commission. 

And...you can come along to the Meet the Makers Market at Hebden Bridge Town Hall on October 5th where you chat to them about their work and have a go at making a simple willow wreath or wand.  See you there!

Made in the Valley managed to get a chance to catch up with Catherine Woodall about how she got started and her inspiration's. We also had chance to ask her about her involvement in the Festival of Making and Doing and Meet the Makers Market in October:

MITV: Tell us a little about your background – what path led you to what you’re doing now? 

CW: My father was an engineer and as I seemed to have inherited his mathematical, technical brain, it seemed natural to me to follow in his footsteps and study to be an engineer. But I also loved the Arts and creating and it took a good few years and several different jobs for me to realise that that was a big part of who I was too. I initially took classes in ceramics, which I still love, but once I tried jewellery making something just clicked. It was the perfect combination for me. I love the making and I love the designing. I even love the small and fiddly (which doesn't suit everyone!!) and discovered a wealth of patience which really was not apparent in the other areas of my life.

MITV: What’s your normal day like and where do you produce your work?CW: I work from home and have a workshop in the back room. Jewellery making is a pretty compact business so my making fits into one corner, my admin/marketing/dispatch into another and Mabel dog into a third (the door is in the fourth corner if you were wondering). It’s on the dark side of the house whose gloominess suits me fine. I don’t mean personality-wise, but if you’ve ever tried soldering in bright sunlight you’ll know why (you can’t see the flame or the critical colour of the metal).

MITV: What inspires you and where do you ideas come from?CW: Nature inspires me and, likewise, artists whose work are nature inspired, like the Arts and Crafts Movement at the turn of the last century. I quite often work off the materials or a solution to an issue. At college you’re always taught to start from an idea, an inspiration, then research and work it up to a finished piece. Sometimes, as I’m working, I’ll see the silver work in a certain way or get off-cuts in a certain shape and playing with this come up with a new piece. I don’t always get the time to work these up to a new range. I still do everything in the business myself, from the jewellery making to accounting, admin, marketing and sales, so my design work has to squeeze into the gaps. I have all sorts of prototypes lying around my workbench waiting for their day. There are probably a few more that haven’t even made it out of my design book…or even in my head yet!


MITV: Are you involved in any upcoming shows or events/ workshops/ shops? Where and when / how can we find you?CW: I don’t have any more shows planned before Christmas. It’s a busy time fulfilling Christmas commissions plus gallery and on-line orders so I tend to give the Fairs a break and start again in the Spring. I can always be contacted via my website www.catherinewoodall.co.uk and I have a little on-line shop on etsy (www.etsy.com/uk/shop/catherinewoodall) as well as selling through NOTHS (http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/catherinewoodall).

MITV: What work will you be exhibiting at Meet the Makers Market and what skills will you be demonstrating?CW:I’ll bring with me a selection of my current work including the leaf texture dishes and domes in silver. I don’t think I’ll be setting fire to anything (well, maybe just a little), but I’ll definitely be forming and shaping silver, drilling and beading.

MITV: What’s next for you?CW: My jewellery making will continue to develop with new pieces coming out each year. These include working on a re-design of my cluster ball range so that it is made from recycled silver. I already make the little balls from scrap silver recycled from my own workshop, but I want to take it further and make the rest of the jewellery from ecosilver.Sometimes the development of a business is not just about making, so some future projects include marketing my wedding rings and re-designing my brochure. Upgrading my workshop is also getting higher on my list of priorities too, what with the mould on the ceiling and the moths eating the carpet! (It’s a glamorous life being a self-employed designer/maker...)

Here's the Made in the Valley gang, left to right: Amy, Katch, Sue & Rachel! Posing for press shots for the Festival of Making and Doing in October. Pip's the one hiding behind the sign!

We caught up with Anna Butler this week and asked her a few questions about her work and involvement in Octobers Meet the Makers Market at the Town Hall.

Tell us a little about your background – what path led you to what you’re doing now?
I’ve been interested in recycling/ upcycling furniture for many years ( I used to run a furniture recycling workshop for mental health day services in calderdale which involved teaching basic upholstery skills and various decorative paint effects on a wide range of furniture styles. I have an art therapy background and have always been interested in art/ design
Whats your normal day like and where do you produce your work?
I have a small studio space at Tod studios on stansfield rd in todmorden… most of my work involves refurbishing dining chairs/ light weight fireside chairs /stools and comes from commissions and through word of mouth . I also run stool workshops at the studios and out in the community where people can learn basic upholstery techniques

What inspires you and where do you ideas come from?
I’m particularly interested in recycling old fabrics and using them to design new covers using patchwork .. I enjoy the richness of colour/ texture you can get from using velvets/ tapestry and brocades . I produce individual designs to suit the type of chair and the customer’s colour scheme. I am very influenced by art deco colours/designs as these lend themselves well to a patchwork style.

Are you involved in any upcoming shows or events/ workshops/ shops? Where and when/ how can we find you?
I will be demonstrating basic upholstery techniques at the meet the maker event in hebden bridge on Saturday 5th October followed by a Basic upholstery workshop the next day on sunday October 6th from 1 till 4 where people can come along and learn how to upholster a footstool for themselves at Tod Studios on stansfield rd in Todmorden ( up on the left hand side of the street above whithams engineering works) This workshop costs £40 including stool frames ,all instruction and materials. (If people can’t make this one I will also be running this workshop again at Word of Mouth in hebden bridge on sat 30th nov from 10 till 2 ) Places need to be pre booked for both workshops.
Phone anna butler on 01706812422 or email annalouisebutler@btinternet.com

What work will you be exhibiting at Meet the Makers Market and what skills will you be demonstrating?
I will be exhibiting some recently Reupholstered dining chairs and footstools which will be for sale and I will be demonstrating basic upholstery skills to show use of tools and materials and to give people an idea of what is involved ….
Whats next for you?
I’m hoping to start running some chair workshops at the studios later in the year as people have asked for this when I have collected enough tools ! I’m also hoping to develop my upholstering skills through experience so I can take on a wider range of projects.

The 2013 Festival of Making and Doing!!!

Never held a needle? Longing to bash a hammer? Mystified by zips? 

Come and and meet the makers at our event in Hebden Bridge and have a go. 

It's free! It's fun! Watch this space to learn more......

Decoupage workshop (aka cutting out and sticking!)

Much fun was had last week by a group of lovely ladies indulging in a bit of mindless cutting out and sticking, organised by us at Made in the Valley.  

All was quiet concentration when a participant murmured " I feel so happy!"








And this is the work in progress - a set of masterpieces!

some snow was there...

and now its gone...
hurray!!!

More About Rachel

Up in her tower (otherwise known as Robinwood Mill) our very own Rachel Johns is busy establishing herself as a popular local artist. Six months ago she took the brave leap of leaving her job and making a living from her creations. So far, so good and she's hopeful for the future.

She takes inspiration from the stark environment around her in Cornholme for her striking black, white and red images, drawing with ink and a stick and embellishing with red thread on her sewing machine. If you visit the Staff of Life in Cornholme at the moment you will see a series she has made around the local myth of the Lady Sybil, featuring Eagle Rock which hangs over and dwarfs the magnificent Robinwood Mill.

This work is intense and emotional, so for fun she recreates her characters in playful little prints and pictures and makes vibrant cushions and book covers from vintage fabric. Which is good for her fans because she sells them for very reasonable prices!

Robinwood Mill

Rachel in her space