Jen Wallace of Indie Fixx has announced that after a few years of much success, the shop is closing its online doors.

Indie Fixx’s success just proved to be too labor intensive for Jen and she’s decided she’d like to spend more time with her family and the good news is that everything in the Indie Fixx Shop is on sale from 10% – 50% off, and with no coupon code is necessary.

Double bonus is every order will receive a free Chocolate Bon Bon Soap while supplies last. The official last day of the Indie Fixx Shop will be March 15th or until the goods sell out.

Posted: January 23rd, 2009 under Events.
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It seems the fates have conspired against me. In my head, 2009 doesn’t start until April 20th. Life is on hold until all wedding/honeymoon stuff is out of the way. So, imagine my disappointment that I couldn’t take a cheeky weekend trip down South for either of these exciting events on the UK craft scene.

First off is the UK premiere of Handmade Nation as part of a series of events taking place as part of UK DIY this Spring in the North West of England.

The other exciting (if somewhat frustrating on it’s timing) is the first UK Maker Faire which will be held in Newcastle as part of the city’s sciencefest on 14-15th March. I would love to go down to that one but it’s the weekend before the wedding. Then again, everything will be done by then – won’t it?! 

Posted: January 22nd, 2009 under Events.
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Not enough hours in the day to even fold a towel let alone something as complicated as this but thankfully there are people in the world who have:

If you want to see more examples check out this post on the Design Llama.

Posted: January 20th, 2009 under Inspiration.
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THE KNITTING & STICHING SHOW 2009
London

The PFAFF® Art Embroidery Challenge is a truly global competition judged by an international jury. The works are created predominantly on a home sewing machine using either freehand embroidery or/and embroidery software.

“PFAFF Art Embroidery Challenge” is a biennially competition. The results of the competition will first be exhibited at: THE KNITTING & STICHING SHOW 2009 in London and will then travel to be presented in other places around the world.

PFAFF® Art Embroidery Challenge 2009
Theme: « LANDSCAPE – Let us travel »

GENERAL CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION

· This international competition is open for everybody.
· Each work must be entirely the original work of the person applying to the competition.
· Each participant may submit 2 works maximum.
· The works may not have previously been published, entered into any other competition, or have been used for promotional purposes.
· Permanent employees of VSM Group are not eligible.
· The official language is English.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

· All kind of 2 and 3 dimensional works of art will be welcomed : mural art, volumes, sculptures and installations. While we are expecting large works, we do not wish to receive patchworks and quilts.
· Freedom is given in dimensions however for technical reasons, the height of the works should not exceed 2.50 m.
· All materials may be used and all techniques, as long as they are accomplished predominantly by the use of a home sewing machine and using free-motion embroidery or embroidery software.

AWARDS
The awards will be presented at the Knitting and Stitching show in London in 2009. The winners will be invited to attend the show and personally receive their awards.

Grand Prize
One PFAFF® CREATIVE VISION™, sewing
and embroidery machine, and the PFAFF®
creative 4D™ Embroidery System.
(Retail value USD $ 10999)

Excellence Award:
One PFAFF® creative™ 4.0, sewing and
embroidery machine.
(Retail value USD $ 5999)

Fine Art Award:
One Quilt Expression™ 4.0, sewing machine.
(Retail value USD $ 2499)

CONTEST RULES
All entries must be created predominantly on a home sewing machine, using either freehand embroidery or using embroidery software – or a combination of the two.

All entries must be produced exclusively for the contest and may not be published or shown anywhere before October 2009.

You can ask rules and regulations by email to: jacqueline.govin@free.fr

Or by postal mail to:

PFAFF® Art Embroidery Challenge
Jacqueline Govin
3 rue du Rosey
F-27120 Fontaine-sous-Jouy
France

Download the Pfaff Art Embroidery Challenge Leaflet with request form on back.

Visit the website for other details: Pfaff USA

Deadline: May 15, 2009 (POSTMARK)

Posted: January 19th, 2009 under Events.
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After a weekend of various arguements with family over my lack of traditional elements in my wedding I am sorely tempted to get a wedding cake like this from Brighton’s own Choccywoccydoodah. That’d show ‘em!

Be sure and check out their website for some more amazing chocolatey treats. Nom nom indeed.

Posted: January 19th, 2009 under Inspiration.
Comments: 1

More info available here.

Posted: January 19th, 2009 under Events.
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The ever-inspiring UK-based crafts website Indie Quarter are looking for writers for their great Guest Blogger and Day in the Life of sections. For further details and guidelines check out their contributor page. Also all published Day in the Life of features will receive a free banner ad for one month. Yay!

Posted: January 19th, 2009 under Events.
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Scottish Arts Council Crafts Residencies – 2009
Cove Park
Argyll and Bute, Scotland
1st Three-Month Residency 4 May – 31 July
(open to Scotland-based applicants only)

2nd Three-Month Residency 1 June – 28 August
(open to all UK and international applicants)

In 2009 Cove Park will offer two three-month Crafts Residencies. Both opportunities are thirteen-week residencies funded by the Scottish Arts Council. The first will take place between 4 May and 31 July 2009 and makers/designers based in Scotland are welcome to apply. The second will take place between 1 June and 28 August 2009 and is open to all UKbased and international makers/designers.

The residencies provide the time and support for artists to focus exclusively on their own practice and ideas. The residents will be part of a changing group of up to 10 artists on site in any one week and they will be provided with a fee, research allowance, self-catering accommodation, private studio and access to a workshop, library and IT/computer facilities.

One aspect of the programme is to make new work and new ways of working available to a broader public. To achieve this the Crafts residents will be invited to take part in aspects of Cove Park’s public programme. This public programme will be devised in full collaboration with the Crafts resident and will be managed by Cove Park.

Fees
Resident’s Fee £5,200
Materials Allowance £750

Professional Development Opportunities
The Crafts Residencies include a strong emphasis on time for individual research and experiment with new ideas, forms and techniques.

The Crafts residents will form part of a changing group of artists, writers, performers and critics at Cove Park at any one time enabling discussion, interaction and sharing of ideas with practitioners from other artform disciplines.

More formally, Cove Park provides the following professional development opportunities for residency participants:
• a programme of artist’s talks and events which provide a focus to encourage
exchange, collaboration and networking amongst resident artists and invited guests.
• a series of monthly dinners with invited guests, including key individuals working
within the arts in Scotland and internationally.

Download the Crafts Guidelines

For further information please contact:
Sara Barker
Programme Assistant
Tel: 01436 850 123
E-mail: information@covepark.org
www.covepark.org

Deadline: 30 January 2009 (RECEIVE)

Posted: January 19th, 2009 under Events.
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Book Marks: Infiltrating the Library System, is an ongoing, annual series of free international distribution of bookmarks made by book artists, to help promote their work and to get the public involved with artists’ books.

Since May 2004, the Bookmarks series has visited 83 venues in Italy, The Netherlands, UK, Germany, Poland, Spain, Canada, Japan, Poland, Brazil, Croatia, South Korea, New Zealand, Cyprus, Australia, and the USA.

249 artists have contributed 24,900 bookmarks to the six projects so far.

Bookmarks VI has seen 45 artists contributing 4500 bookmarks from Europe, the USA, Canada and Australia.

The Bookmarks project series also aims to encourage appreciation of work in the format of the artist’s book. Participating book artists each hand-produce an edition of 100 signed and numbered bookmarks to give away.

Contributions are collated into sets, with one full set sent to each of the contributing artists and an archive set kept here for exhibitions. The rest are divided up into distribution boxes, which are sent to participating galleries, bookstores and libraries around the world, for people to help themselves from. Each venue also receives an archive set of bookmarks to share or keep.

Each bookmark is stamped with the Bookmarks project website, which directs the taker of the bookmark to this gallery section of the website.

The bookmarks for Part VI have been made from a variety of media: old library cards, recycled embroidery, papers, photography, digital print, screenprint, laser-cutting, photocopied, folded, cut and sewn. You can view the bookmarks online, read about how and why they were made, and contact the artists who made them via the links from the gallery site.

If you would like to join in future Bookmarks projects, please email Sarah for instructions at Sarah.Bodman@uwe.ac.uk and see below:

Bookmarks VII : Infiltrating the Library System 2009-2010 is already full with the maximum of 50 artists!

Bookmarks VIII : Escaping the Library System 2010-2011 – has a twist – this time, it will be Librarians only. Library staff will be making them rather than distributing them. Quite a few of our previous bookmarks makers have been librarians, so we thought we would ask them to infiltrate some other places with their own bookmarks. If you work in a library and would like to join, then please get in touch.

Bookmarks IX : Infiltrating the Library System 2011-2012 has places available.

The website contains full details: Book Marks: Infiltrating the Library System

Posted: January 19th, 2009 under Events.
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V V Rouleaux are having a clearance sale at their London warehouseon Saturday 24th January 2009, from 10am to 5pm.

There will be 50% off ribbons and trimmings, flowers and feathers, beads and braids, bespoke fabric and customised furniture, as well as embellished accessories and vintage bridal headdresses.

V V Rouleaux Clearance Sale, 6 Tun Yard, Peardon Street, London SW8

Please note that there is some limited parking available.

Posted: January 19th, 2009 under Events.
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