All work and no play is a recipe for disaster. It’s a bit like starting a crafting project after 9.30pm at night – it’s destined to end in tears. So for September’s Crafty Business here in Christchurch we’re kicking back and keeping it social with the Crafty Business Happy Hour (or two).
Grab your latest scheme and come along to Board of Design at 16 Bedford Row at 7pm on Monday 6 September for some crafty company and a glass of wine. It’s also a great opportunity to bounce a few ideas off some like-minded crafty souls. Got a knitting problem that’s winding you up in knots? Can’t find a stitch in time to save those other nine they keep talking about? Well you might just find the answers to that and so much more at this month’s Crafty Business.
Monday 6 September, 7pm onwards at Board of Design, 16 Bedford Row. See you there!
Rolleston Community Market is turning one, and they’ve come up with plenty of ways to celebrate. As well as the usual array of stalls selling fresh produce and handmade goods, there’ll be balloons, a bouncy castle, face painting, a $2 raffle with prizes drawn every half hour and 200 cupcakes to be given away!
Head out to Rolleston Community Centre this Sunday 29 August from 10am till 1pm, say hello to Rose of Rose in Thorns and Adrienne of Revived in NZ and check out the selection of organic produce, cheese, bread, meats, fresh flowers, candles, clothing, children’s toys, jewellery and art.
The friendly folk at Kraftbomb are celebrating its 2nd birthday this weekend – this Sunday marks two whole years of craft, cupcakes and good times every month at Grey Lynn Community Centre! Nestled amongst the cosy collection of crafty goodness you’ll find such talented people as Trixie Delicious, Birdspoke, Ruby in the Dust, Zooshii, Cheek Pinchy, Purrsie, Zippitydoodah and many more – it’s well worth a visit.
I went along to Kraftbomb last month and had a fabulous time, so I can give it my personal recommendation as a lovely way to spend a Sunday morning. And you should definitely sample some of Fred’s amazing lemonade – it’s exceptionally good. Head along to Grey Lynn Community Centre at 510 Richmond Road from 11am till 2pm on Sunday 29 August.
Congratulations Karla and City, and happy birthday Kraftbomb!
Daffodil Day is coming up and this year it’s a special one: it’s the 20th anniversary of the Cancer Society’s major annual fundraiser. To mark the occasion and help raise funds for this very worthy cause, Elizabeth of Zippitydoodah has designed a special limited edition vintage zippitydoodah daffodil, for which all proceeds from sales will go to the Cancer Society on August 27.
Zippitydoodahs are quirky brooches and accessories made from unwanted or vintage zippers, disassembled and hand sewn into quirky items. These little treasures have been featured on C4 Cleospace and spotted on an episode of Shortland Street! They appeal to a wide variety of people so make a great gift and each brooch is handmade, so no two are exactly the same.
Get that oven fired up and those beaters ready – Cupcake Day for the SPCA is back! This year’s Cupcake Day event will be held on Monday, 30 August. Last year, Cupcake Cooks raised over $130,000 for SPCAs across New Zealand – this year they want to do even better, and you can help! Register to become a Cupcake Cook on the website at www.spcacupcakeday.co.nz; you can register as an individual, business, school or team, and the money you raise from cupcake sales on Cupcake Day will go to help animals at your local SPCA.
The SPCA is New Zealand’s oldest and most respected animal welfare organisation, and relies on donations and volunteers to do the awesome work they do. If you’re not a baker, you can still lend your support by buying cupcakes from Cupcake Cooks in your area. If you’re in Wellington, Deb of Boocraft is going all out with Deb & Sam’s Cupcake Extravaganza – you can order their cupcakes online for delivery on the day! You can even make a donation by buying a virtual cupcake.
Generous crafty types around the country have also been helping out by knitting puppy jumpers (super cutely modeled below), so most branches are now well-stocked with those, but there is a need for small blankets. If you’re keen to help out and have some yarn to destash, you can drop blankets in to your nearest SPCA branch. The perfect size is 40 x 40cm.
It’s Crafty Business time again and this month we’re getting snap happy. Photography is a stumbling block for many small crafty businesses and good photos are essential for online selling, so although we’ve done this topic before, it’s one well worth revisiting.
We’re going to set up a makeshift home studio using simple, inexpensive equipment, and we’ll look at how to compose a photograph and get the best out of your camera. Professional photography is a bit beyond the reach of most of us when we’re starting out, but we’ll learn a few tips and tricks that can help you brush up on your product photography until you can afford to hire a pro!
We’ll need some products to test out our wee photography studio, so bring along some of your work to model – whether it’s tiny and sparkly or bulky and textured, we’re up for a challenge!
Have a think about what type of product you’ve had trouble photographing. What aspect of photography do you find most difficult? Post questions or comments on the Crafty Business blog or on the Facebook wall and we’ll do our best to cover them on Monday (and follow up with notes here, for those who can’t make it along).
So, come along to Board of Design at 16 Bedford Row, Christchurch, at 7pm on Monday 2 August and join us for crafty company, business support and a glass of wine. And feel free to bring your knitting…
Devonport Craft Market is on from 10am till 3pm this Sunday at the Devonport Community House, 32 Clarence Street. What could be a more lovely way to spend a wintry Sunday than a hot chocolate at the Stone Oven and some crafty shopping on the North Shore? Featuring such lovely people as A Little Vintage, Cat Taylor Design, Cotton Kiwi, Glennie Knits, Krafty As, Kute Kiwi, Lilys Make Believe, Sandra Waine, Sew Funky, Songbird Designs, Zippity Doodah, Karric, Resurrection and heaps more, Devonport Craft Market will be a haven of crafty goodness on Sunday – if you’re in Auckland, go check it out!
Voting is open for the People’s Choice NetGuide Web Awards, and we want to get Felt in the running for Best Trading Site – that’s the best New Zealand-based site for buying, selling or trading goods. We’re taking on the big guys in this category, so Felt really needs your vote! Head over to the voting page and vote Felt.co.nz for Best Trading Site!
