A reviewer from ALL IN LONDON, one the biggest on-line guide to London life came along to one of our I Made It Myself workshops this week to try their hand at making some jewellery from vintage pieces.   It was a lovely class with some gorgeous necklaces and earrings made over the 2 hours.   Click here to read the review  All In London – review

We know about April showers, but SOME sunny days would be nice too!  Well, with all these rainy days and wet weekends we're taking advantage of staying in and making things!!   So if you're tempted to learn something new here is what's coming up for May:

Vintage Charm – Jewellery Making

Learn basic jewellery making skills to construct you're own unique necklace or bracelet.  Delve into our treasure trove of vintage finds and pick pearls, charms, cameos, brooches and more.  Great fun, and you'll leave with a bespoke piece of jewellery. 
Wednesday 16 May 19.30 – 21.30
£45

Tea Cup Candles – Candle Making

If you love scented candles, learn to make own professional, long burning, scented candles.  Using the same techniques as Diptique and Jo Malone, you'll never need to buy designer candles again, they also make gorgeous gifts.
Saturday 19 May 12.15 – 13.45
£43

Heavenly Scent – Natural Soap Making

Learn how to make some luxurious and moisturising soaps made from all natural ingredients including essential oils.
Saturday 19 May 14.30 – 16.30
£42

Thank you to all of you who came to our Easter biscuit icing workshop – we had biscuit bunnies, chicks and eggs galore. And if you love your biscuits as much as we do, you'll be glad to know we have another biscuit icing workshop on Sunday  27th May in time for the Jubilee weekend. Whether you're going to a street party or staying at home, we say fly the flag for the great British biscuit!

In the workshop our talented teacher from Biscuit Village in West London gives a demo and step by step guidence to the techniques of colouring, piping and flooding using Royal Icing (of course!) – plus lots of tricks of the trade for some impressive effects along the way.  After two hours you'll be icing like a pro and will leave with your own beautifully iced Jubilee Biscuit Collection.

NEW – Natural soap making

New for Spring is our natural soap making workshop run by Spencer from the Hand Made Beauty Academy.  If you're thinking why make soap when its so easy to buy?  Spencer has some very good reasons, here's just a few of them.

1. You get to make, and then use some of the most wonderfully nourishing soap you will have ever tried.
2. You know exactly what is in your soap because you put it there; no hidden nasty chemicals.
3. Unlike commercial bars of soap which sometimes can leave your skin feeling a little ‘tight’ yours will be packed full of natural, nourishing and moisturising ingredients. Your skin really will notice the difference.
4. Your family, friends and work colleagues will be incredibly impressed with your new skill (and if they are anything like mine, they will be queuing up to buy it off you!)
5. You can fragrance your soap however you wish.
Saturday 31 March 14.30 – 16.30
£42 

As well as soap making, this is what else we've got coming up for March:
 

Cupcakes Galore- Cupcake Decorating
Learn piping and decorating skills for professional looking cupcakes.  It makes a great Mother's Day present; make them for your mum, or bring her along for a fun experience.
Saturday 17 March 12.30 – 14.30
£42
 

Vintage Charm – Earring Making
Learn the art of earring making and have fun transforming vintage beads, charms and chains into gorgeous new earrings.  (All vintage except the earring hooks which are gold and silver plated). From simple and chic to show stopping, everyone will leave with at least two pairs. 
Wednesday 21 March 20.00 – 21.30
£39

Heavenly Scent – Beauty Product Making
Learn how to make some sumptuous bath and shower products; a spa soak
and a wonderfully moisturising body scrub – all made from natural
ingredients including essential oils.
Saturday 31 March 11.45 – 13.30
£45

Make something special for Mother’s Day

It’s that time of year again to treat your mum to something special and nothing beats a handmade gift.  

 Cupcakes Galore

In the run up to Mother’s Day on the 18^th March, come to a cupcake decorating workshop and make your mum a handmade and delicious gift, or buy two places and treat your mum to a fun creative experience while indulging in some tea and homemade cake. Learn to pipe swirls, colour and make handmade decorations. You will leave with 6 lovely cupcakes in a beautiful cupcake box ready to give as your gift.

Saturday 17 March 11.30 – 13.30
£42

Alternatively why not give your mum a bespoke I Made It Myself voucher?  They are valid for 9 months so she has plenty of time to choose the workshop of her choice. 

It's still only February but we're already busy with our crafty hen parties.  Over the last few weekends we've had some lovely creative groups of hens doing workshops including biscuit icing (with a special request for owls biscuits!) and vintage style fascinator making.  Making something and getting stuck in with a hands on workshop works really well for hen parties as its a real ice breaker, especially if not everyone knows each other, and its something everyone can be included in, even the Mother of the Bride!  As well as being fun and social, it's also great value for money, a couple of hours of activity in a lovely venue, with a helpful teacher, gorgeous materials and delicious refreshments all for around £40 – £45 per head – ideal if people are on limited budgets.  We usually do an afternoon activity which means the hens can then continue their party into the evening…

.. is in our guest blog for the Darling Collective.   The Darling Collective is a one stop site listing their hand picked workshops in London, nothing corporate, nothing standard.  Click on the logo below to read our article. 

Hi there, and a belated Happy New Year.  We are almost through the gloomiest month of the year, and we're looking forward to a new season of creativity and crafts – kicking off with our Valentines Special for biscuit icing.  We don't know about you but we think when it comes to romantic gestures while roses and chocolates are nice albiet unimaginative, nothing beats a hand made gift – something that someone has put thought and effort into.  So surprise someone this February 14th with some hand decorated delicious treats!

Biscuit Icing – Valentine Special £42
Sunday 12 February 14.00 – 16.00
Learn the professional technique to icing biscuits using royal icing and make your own collection of hand decorated biscuits for a Valentine's gift from the heart!

Hope to see you there!

Well, that's all from us for this year, we've had a very crafty few months with lots of you, there's been handmade gifts including seasonally scented candles, beautiful vintage jewellery and heavenly scented bath products, we've been decking the halls with decorated baubles and hangings, making fresh rose wreaths, as well as creating all the wonderfully iced Christmas biscuits and cupcakes.  

Although we're having a bit of a breather now, you can still buy our gift vouchers if you're looking for a last minute pressie.  We can send out general gift vouchers or personalised ones for the workshop of your choice until the 19th December and if you leave it really, really late, up until the 24th we can email you an e-voucher ready for you to print out!

We've got more in store for 2012, some dates are up already on the web but we'll be sending out a newsletter in January with all the latest.

Hope you all have a very lovely Christmas and a Happy New Year!