i've been hard at work making samples for new summer classes...i'll be teaching these classes in san francisco at workshop sf and petaluma at stitchcraft. they'll be posting summer classes soon. if you want info on these are any other classes just email me nicoleATrandomnicole.com!
wallets, billfolds and checkbook covers
vintage inspired aprons
laptops, ipad & kindle sleeves
i recently teamed up with the H2 hotel in healdsburg to begin monthly craft workshops. i'll be setting up shop in this eco-modern hotel in april, may, june & july. we're kicking off these sessions with a vintage necktie dyed spring egg workshop this saturday. i want to give a shout out to robert mahar of mahar dry goods who taught a version of this class at my old shop the craft kitchen a few years ago. he used to sell the kits so you could easily make the eggs at home, but he's currently taking a little break from crafting. nonetheless you can still check out his blog, which is full of crafty wonderment! so if you're in sonoma, stop by the hotel for some spring crafting coupled with a sparkling wine tasting from J vineyards.
here's the low-down...
Apr 23, 2011
Green Room | 1-4pm
Free to hotel guests, $10 to outside guests.
Includes a tasting of J Winery Sparkling, kids accompanied by adults are free!
You’re hip to the green scene. you recycle. You try to eat local. You may even compost. But when it comes to finding a use for those heinous ties grandpa wore…you’re stumped. Well, not anymore. instead of shying away from the paisley and striped ties in the back of the closet or at the thrift shop, you’ll learn how to transfer the prints of vintage silk neckties onto eggs. Using this unique method you’ll imprint the intricate colors and patterns of ties onto the egg’s blank canvas as it becomes a lovely and unique object d’arte showcasing the prints of those forgotten ties.
“do you want a beer?” kelly asks me when i walk into WORKSHOP, her studio space on mcallister street for our meeting to discuss me teaching craft classes there.
“i’m okay. beers are like pringles for me when i’m in san francisco. it’s hard to have just one.”
we sit down and start talking about one of my favorite subjects…making stuff. kelly is not only the owner of WORKSHOP but also the founder of INDIE MART, an indie arts & crafts show in the city. she’s a woman who makes the crafty part of my heart go pitter pat…fast-talking, covered in tattoos, eyes veering towards the windows to check out the skater boys cruising by (the same way i passed the time in this neighborhood 16 years ago when i first moved to sf), hard working, community oriented and able to slip from sewing to silkscreening to carpentry in a single bound. in fact she’s designing and installing the new retail shop for the GANGS OF SAN FRANCISCO (the best line of tees ever, you may have received one from me last christmas when i broke the bank at their RENEGADE CRAFT FAIR booth) which coincidentally we were both wearing at our meeting.
she shows me the space…the big room with tables awaiting students, the darkroom for burning silkscreens, the annex room with more space for classes and some goods from indie designers. there’s a comfy couch, high ceilings, a row of chairs on a shelf and scissors stuck right into the wall…yes…i’m right at home.
after a little chatting, i change my mind and head over to the mini fridge wrapped like a pabst blue ribbon and pop open a tecate. business and booze are besties (did i learn nothing from watching mad men?)
at her studio, WORKSHOP, she and other veteran crafters teach a wide variety of workshops…screenprinting, rock ‘n’ roll sewing (learn to sew while listening to def leopard and use your skills to make a beer cozy), pie in jar (which got a mention in last month’s sunset magazine), how to make teas to cure a hangover, heavy metal aerobics, street stencil graffiti, bike maintenance, ginger beer brewing and so much more.
i’m ecstatic to say that i’ll be joining the workshop crew this summer to bring in some of my girlie classes into the punk rock diy foundation of creation that kelly oversees. so look out san franciscans for my transforming your tees, basic sewing, purses & totes, wallets & pouches, silkscreening classes and more this summer at workshop.
tons of rad silkcreens ready to go
the wall of scissors
my motto emblazoned on a hoodie
kelly in her richmond brawlers tee
the carville falcons tee i had on
it’s been way way way too long since i wrote a blog post…pretty much since i moved to the bay area to finish up grad school…i’m settled here now in sonoma, land of green hills & cows, sheeps and llamas lining the highway & lovely wineries & food that make you weep…now that i’m here to stay for a bit i’ve started making my way into the crafting world of sonoma-which is thriving. in the past few weeks i taught my first classes up here in the studios of two friends. the first class i taught sewing 101-machine basics and creating a pillow was at stitchcraft (nicole vasbinder of queen puff puff’s space) in petaluma. her space is teeny tiny but she has it so well organized that she’s able to hold classes and display and sell sewing supplies. if you’re in the area you must stop in for her selection of fabric, she’s handpicked the best of the best. the second class was at justine malone’s expansive yarn shop in santa rosa, castaway. if i was a knitter i would pitch a tent in the shop and try my hardest to live there. her selection of yarn, patterns and gifty items (including my craft kits & accessories) is mind-blowing. so if you’re in santa rosa, petaluma or sonoma county, check out my new schedule of art & craft workshops including sewing, screenprinting, hip handmade accessories, transforming your tees, soy candle-making, natural spa goodies and more! www.thecraftkitchen.com.
one of my dilligent students & the example pillow for the sewing class
the finished pillows--p.s. these ladies didn't even know how to thread a sewing machine just three hours before they finished these adorable pillows!
the example purse from the class at cast away
the finished pillows---these ladies were so creative!
one of my favorite classes to teach is the natural spa goodies class... most of the recipes started out in my old apartment in hollywood six or more years ago as my friend paige and i whipped up tons of lip balm and scrub as holiday gifts for friends and family. the recipes have grown since then and i've added new products to the line-up but i still love making all the goodies and using them!
i'm coming to LA to the URBAN CRAFT CENTER IN SANTA MONICA to teach this class and am teaching a few places in the OC this month too... check out the calendar for dates, locations and to sign-up...
here's what i made at saturday's class at idea farm...
red currant salt & sugar body scrub
lavendar salt & sugar body scrub
french lavendar linen and room spray
pear and pomegranate body spray
2 organic honey lip glosses
2 beeswax lip balms
2 oatmeal, lavendar & chamomile bath soak sachets
2 glycerin soaps with suspended thread and confetti
sage & pomegranate soy candle
cider soy candle
of course i love the decorating part almost more than i love making the stuff...
sometimes things come along that just feel right… that’s how
i felt when i started getting
involved with SEED people’s market.
when i closed down THE CRAFT KITCHEN in august- i was a bit
sad to see it go but more than that i was excited not to be dealing with
aspects of it that i didn’t enjoy…
the paperwork, dealing with vendors, knowing that i had to
be there, not being able to be there because i had a craft fair etc…, the
upkeep…
i was ready to let it all go and then… just when you think
you know where you’re going next… something in the universe puts a nail in the
road and it pops your tire and you’re paused and headed in a different
direction.
for me… that direction became IDEA FARM. being a part of IDEA FARM lets me do
all the parts of THE CRAFT KITCHEN that i love… teaching, finding teachers and
consulting on how to make it work.
that said… all the work the awesome people of SEED and i
have done to get IDEA FARM going paid off thursday night at the private opening
for friends, family, industry and press.
the space looked amazing and tons of people came out to support the new
venture. people filled the seed
space downstairs, listening to live music, eating amazing empanadas and salads,
drinking wine, and perusing the unique wares of local emerging artists and
designers. upstairs in the IDEA
FARM loft i set-up a ‘make & take’ craft workshop where people could drop
in, get inspired by examples and create their own artistic felt pins. at one point i looked around at all the
diligent crafting around the table, guitar and singing floating upstairs and
thought… i’m feeling very grateful for the nail in the road…
so… if you’re in the oc this weekend stop by Saturday or Sunday for the public grand opening…
the set-up for the 'make & take' felt pins craft workshop...
lexi lee of little bit & her friend james made tons of pins and james actually gifted his away to other crafters---
a plethora of felt to choose from
nina of handmade brigade & tacos & eggrolls along with her mom and sis joined in...
brooke of not quite vintage & jackie of voz clothing & art also came out to represent handmade brigade
marc b and his guitar set the mood
cynthia morehouse of cynthia morehouse jewelry sporting an insane beehive made a flower pin
brett of evocal , his lady and his mom bev came out to show support and made a collaborative felt art piece.
i set-up a little table featuring some of the rad things you can make in the workshops...
the new neon sign that leads upstairs to IDEA FARM
amazing flower & leaf collage pins made by a happy crafter
not to play favorites but... this really was the best pin of the night!!!
we had our second class in our new space at SEED people's market at THE CAMP in costa mesa... we even have a name for the space now... IDEA FARM @ SEED! love it. the class was great--- students make tons of goodies and took them home in their cute new baskets...
they made... salt & sugar scrubs, chamomile & lavender bath sachets, essential oil spritzers, glycerin soap bars, soy candles, beeswax lip balm & honey lip gloss... and afterwards decorated their new treats with my selection of unique papers and vintage magazines...
getting all the supplies set-up...
don't you love the cool way they hid the storage cabinets with reclaimed wooden doors and wood painted with chalkboard paint!
pouring soy candles
finished baskets full of so many goodies
the new name & logo
HERE ARE SOME PHOTOS FROM SEED PEOPLE'S MARKET DOWNSTAIRS...
so love the stacked books at the register & chalkboard frames on the wall
the stairs to IDEA FARM upstairs where we hold all the classes
free internet with a lovely view of the patio
all the goods from local indie designers on display
cool station where you can pick your pot and plant and pot it yourself for only $5
instore cafe featuring treats from local indie chefs & bakers
music listening station
amazing book library
place to just hang out
after my little hiatus in september i’m back…
saturday afternoon we had our first class at SEED people’s
market in costa mesa at the camp.
if you haven’t been to SEED yet… drop what you’re doing, get in your car
and drive there. SEED is a retail
store that feels more like a permanent indie craft fair… a place where local
artists and designers showcase their wares. everything about the space is comfy and relaxing… couches to
hang out and peruse books, a music listening station, computers set-up with
free internet, a ‘café’ where local bakers drop off vegan and organic baked
goods and the best part… the loft upstairs where i’m spearheading a craft
workshop space. i set-up a
schedule for october and november classes that I just posted on the craft
kitchen website.
our first class was sewing 101- the basics of machine sewing and making a pillow. the students were creative and the pillows they sewed turned out amazing! two of the students were amrried couple stephanie and issac, both photographers and their work is incredible...
here's one of the pics from their portfolio of wedding photos that i LOVE...
the space is all set-up and ready to go... check out the cool way they hid the storage cabinets... reclaimed doors and panels painted with chalkboard paint.
seed people's market below and the craft loft upstairs
stephanie works on the composition of her bird applique on her pillow
stephanie and issac delve into the fabric bins searching for the perfect pattern for their appliques
everyone gets started sewing
stephanie looks on as issac sews the last stitches on his pillow
everyone's completed pillows...
julka, a grad student at UCI in research, showed up at the oc craft club a few months ago looking for material for her thesis. part of her thesis is about crafting and the internet so she came to craft club looking for crafters and thier views on etsy, selling what they make and thier experiences. i'm so lucky to have met julka... she a great addition to our club... with stories of living all over the world and her open postive attitude. she signed up for purses 101, hoping to make a clutch from some leather she'd bought ages ago. julka was a quick learner and by the end of class her simple yet chic leather clutch, complete with a magnetic snap, was done.
spent the day sewing and silkscreening with prances…
prances, random nicole fan and graphic artist from pasadena came up with some adorable designs for her silkscreen and pillow. she signed up for a full day of classes at the craft kitchen… we spent about 8 hours together crafting-here’s what we did…
built a one color press
learned all about inks, screens, burning a screen, preparing artwork, drying ink etc…
did some stencil printing
used water based inks to print on paper and on tees
went off site to my four color press and learned and practiced doing multiple color prints and drying with a professional flash dryer
then we started sewing…
i taught prances to thread her machine, wind her bobbin and all about the parts of her sewing machine… she also learned how to straight stitch and zig-zag stitch with varied stitch lengths and widths…
she sewed her first pillow complete with an adorable appliqué of a little bird…
can’t wait to see how she uses her new skills to create rad stuff!
cutting out the bird image for stencil printing
the image taped to the screen about to get set-up on our one color press
one print done!
two prints done!!
prances starts working on the four color press learning how to work with plasticol ink and get the registration right.
back at the shop we start print on tees using water based ink
prances does the first print perfectly!
moving onto dandelions...
her tees came out sooo cute!
then we moved onto sewing and here's her finished pillow!
