London Craft Week

LONDON CRAFT WEEK is a new annual event which showcases exceptional craftsmanship through a journey-of-discovery program featuring hidden workshops, celebrated makers, other lesser known makers and highly specialized skills alongside famous shops, galleries and luxury brands.

Founded on the ethos of making, LONDON CRAFT WEEK aims to introduce the talent, people and techniques behind beautifully made things to a wider audience. They will be able to experience craft not just as static branded objects in smart shops but understand the context of how they were made, why they are special and even have a try themselves.

Louisa Guinness Gallery (UK): THE JEWELLER AS ARTIST 1960-80

After focusing for 12 years on jewels by artists known for their painting or sculpting, Louisa Guinness has decided to expand and extend her business. She is delighted to announce the launch of "Louisa Guinness Treasures", a new corner of the gallery focusing on rare works by 20th century jewelers, with particular emphasis on 1960s and 1970s makers.

I am going to demo a process I use to ebonize furniture at the Lie-Nielson Tool Event in Peters Valley Craft Center, 19 Kuhn Rd, Layton, NJ 07851. The event will be Friday May 8, 2015 from 10am-6pm and Saturday May 9 from 10am-5pm. Admission is free and open to the public.

I will go through the stages of ebonizing and show samples of the process. I'll will explain how to make the solution with iron & vinegar, and how to prepare the wood prior to staining. In the discussion I will suggest which woods I prefers to to ebonize. In the demo, I'll show various techniques to apply the finish, topcoats that may be used & how to seal the furniture.

The audience is invited to ask questions & participate in the discussion.

Craft in America: California Handmade - State of the Arts

Craft in America is pleased to announce California Handmade: State of the Arts, an exhibition of innovative sculpture, furniture, textiles, jewelry and decorative arts by more than 80 visionary California artists.

Linking Our Lineage: eBook and Silent Auction Launch

Linking Our Lineage is a new ebook of jewelry and metalsmithing techniques created and edited by Victoria Lansford with chapters contributed by Nanz Aalund, Lessley Burke, Juan Carlos Caballero-Perez, Andy Cooperman, Ronda Coryell, Robin Gordon, Mary Lee Hu, Linda Kaye-Moses, Brian Meek, Dawn M. Miller, Chris Ploof, Jayne Redman.

Each artist wrote about their techniques exclusively for the 2015 SNAG Links project which is a fundraiser for the Society of North American Goldsmiths.

The links will be available for auction on SNAG’s website starting Thursday May 7, 2015.

The Observer (UK): Britain’s craft boom produces new model artisan army

Excerpt from the article posted on The Observer

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Annie Warburton, the Crafts Council’s creative programme director, said: “At one level our lives are increasingly virtual. The return to making and working with our hands is in part a reaction to that. There’s also an increased awareness of provenance. People are aware of the ethics of where things come from and how they are produced. Then there is the sense of wellbeing that comes with making things yourself.”

That importance attributed to making things with your hands may be under threat. The number of craft-related GCSEs taken has fallen by 25% in the past five years, and the number of craft-related courses in higher education fell by 46%. Warburton suggested this had contributed to the prevalence of people pursuing second careers among craft’s new model army.

Craft Research Fund – Exhibition, Project, Graduate Research and Travel Grants

ince 2005, The Center for Craft, Creativity & Design’s Craft Research Fund grant program has advanced and expanded research about craft in the United States. The program supports innovative research on critical issues in craft theory and history, explores the inter-relationship among craft, art, design and contemporary culture, fosters new cross-disciplinary approaches to scholarship in the craft field, and advances investigation of neglected questions on craft history and criticism.

Graduate Research Grants of up to $10,000 will be awarded towards research for a Master's thesis or dissertation relating to craft in the United States.

Exhibition Research and Project Grants up to $15,000 will be awarded towards research projects relating to the goals of the Craft Research Fund.

Application Deadline: October 9, 2015

Enamel on Steel – a weekend workshop

Posted by Melissa Cameron

Come along to Pratt Fine Arts Center in Seattle and learn how to use liquid enamel for steel and copper from one of the best in the north-west… ME!

Announcing the 2015 National Design Award Winners

How to Start a Successful Clothing Brand: Luck or Innovative Product?

“Why should people support domestic manufacturing?” Nearly every interview I take part in features that question, or some semblance of it. My answer to that is, you shouldn’t expect them to. If you aren’t saying something new or doing something unique, you need to re-examine your plan.

Featured Video:

RUUDT PETERS interviewed by Amani Boudargham