Skip to content

Posts tagged ‘fibre arts’

Paper, scissors, rocked!

I don’t understand Paper Arts at all. Women taking perfectly good pieces of paper, cutting them into shapes and gluing them together to make something else…oh, OK. It’s kind of like quilting but with paper, right?

Truthfully, I think the entry level is more accessible, but the dizzying heights I have seen some people take it to are as skilled as any complex quilt.

Anyway, this past weekend saw Prue and I at the 2012 Wellington Paper Arts and Crafts Fair, at the Te Rauparaha Arena in Porirua (amazing venue!) presenting Made on Marion’s wares to the public. As the ‘wild card’, given we don’t really sell much paper craft stuff as such.

Prue (my right hand woman) and I flanking our domain

Foreground – our “make & take” table all set up. Prue showed dozens of people how to needle felt over the weekend, and many of them discovered a new hobby in the process!

The vista beyond our little corner of paperdise. I could spend some serious money on scrapbooking papers, they are almost as tempting as fat quarters!

Some of our pretties. So much colour – our new Riley Blake coloured laces look so pretty in colour groups with gorgeous grosgrain ribbons and other treats.

The Hairy Maclary cross stitch patterns drew a lot of interest and while we sold plenty, we’ve still got some in store. Ditto Mod Podge, which is rapidly gaining a following in New Zealand now. As it ought. I am particularly smitten with the new ‘sparkle’ version!

Prue was kept busy converting the paper lovin’ heathens to needle felting. My contribution was telling wide-eyed children about the secret mountain in the South Island where the multi-coloured sheep graze, which is where we get the coloured wool from… YEAH RIGHT!

We had a great weekend, met lots of new people and gave out lots of cards. It’s nice to get out and about with the ‘brand’ so to speak and I can’t wait until my next chance at Aethercon, the steam punk convention. A VERY different product mix will be going there! :)

 

Craft Classes

Until Christmas, it’s all about gift ideas and decorations! Heaps of opportunities to combine learning new techniques with producing beautiful, useable things.

Check out our Class Calendar for the exciting classes we have scheduled for you.

Christmas Stockings – just one of our fun and useful Christmas workshops!

Rare Yarns, a rare treat!

When Ruth Benge from Rare Yarns walked into the shop a few months ago and declared that she wanted us to stock their yarn, I said YES!!!!!

You see, I had already heard heaps about their shop, Cruella’s, in Nelson, and having felt the samples, I knew this was a product I wanted to stock.

Rare Yarns spin their yarns from alpaca, merino and mohair. Every yarn is developed to balance warmth, weight and elasticity to make a yarn that knits up beautifully, keeps its shape, and last for a loooong time.

So I spent three days in Nelson with Ruth and Vicki, learning about the yarn, the patterns, and about knitting. I am not much of a knitter, but I came away understanding knitters and knitting a lot more.

Gorgeous cools

Cool colours, so serene!

Fiery warms

Passionate warm colours; Ruth loves them too!

Knitted friends

Gorgeous knitted toys made up in the Rare Yarn Endare 4 ply.

We have created a little oasis of Rare Yarn gorgeousness in Made on Marion.

The yarns, some knitted samples, the patterns – and me, in there every chance I get, stroking the knitwear! ;-)

Switch to our mobile site