Make 50: Week 13 - Wear Your Heart on Your Sleeve and Rothley Contemporary Crafts!
Something came to my head whilst walking the dog this morning so I knocked up a quick prototype. I was basically thinking about bracelets with heart on with photos in for a "Wear your heart on your sleeve" range and promotion, and I was thinking about a cufflink range for men with a similar idea. Then I thought I could combine the two by making a shirt cuff for a bracelet and having the heart as a cufflink fastener, so I duly learned to sew buttonholes!This is the prototype, though I plan to go charity shopping for old "real" shirt fabric, and make these to order with keepsakes/photos/stuff inside the resin piece, as well as some off-the-shelf ones. I used a heart piece I had lying around so I am aware the colours don't go, but what do you think of the concept- will it work?
The outside fabric is cotton, reinforced with interfacing and backed with felt. The cufflink is entirely detachable (so you can swap and change and design your own style within the range once it gets going).
Also, big news- I'm moving house! We are soon to pay the deposit on a part 13th Century farmhouse with pig sty and "cheese roome", with some milking sheds too, so I am planning on holding crafting workshops now that I have a designated studio and shop/showroom space as you enter the front door! The plan is for the house entrance to be via the courtyard at the rear and the shop to be through the front entrance. It's all very exciting! If you would like to teach workshops here (based opposite the old green in the large village of Rothley not too far from Leicester) on evenings and weekends every once in a while- or even a one off- in a contemporary craft for either adults or kids, please contact me with your project ideas, how long it will take and hourly wage. Once this gets underway I am happy to deal with the marketing and promotion of your workshop, and discuss material costs and extra facilities necessary.The sort of thing that I'm looking for is candle making, soap making, kids jewellery, silversmithing, felt jewellery, textile art, embroidery, plush toy making, eco crafts, simple homewares, bag making, tailoring and basically anything else you think I have missed off- I have resin casting covered though thanks ;)Now for a name, I'm toying with "Rothley Contemporary Crafts" but not sure if this is too boring, so accepting ideas for this too!