World crafts – Artisans Angkor, Cambodia

by Sophie // 1 May ’15

In Cambodia, I visited an organisation called Artisans Angkor, which has it’s own training development plan, workshops and retail outlets which help to preserve local craft techniques and provide a livelihood in rural communities. (Nowadays, there is great value placed on arts and crafts within the community, and every hotel boasts decorative work by local craftspeople.) I took a tour of the workshop facilities in Siem Reap and was impressed with the huge range of skills which are applied, the pleasant working atmosphere, and the high quality pieces which are being produced.

In particular, I was very interested to see how the intricately details metal trinket boxes are made. They are cut into a net pattern when flat, then the design is carefully punched in, before the piece is re-shaped and finished into a working box.

Painting tiny little dots

Punching details onto copper

Creating a tiled background

World crafts – wood carving, Thailand

by Sophie // 2 Apr ’15

Carving wood is a traditional skill which has been used for thousands of years. Yet most of us don’t seem to have the time or the patience to continue woodworking after our school years! Wood is a wonderful material to work with, and it’s uses are so versatile. Let’s get our thinking caps on about how we can use it in those upcoming DIY projects…

The images below are from a wood carving workshop I visited just outside Bangkok. Carving on this scale requires a steady hand, and plenty of time. The work they produce is simply beautiful. From tiny details on furniture, to large scale scenes, the quality is maintained. A plan is always made on paper first and attached to the work piece. The piece is then gradually chiseled and carved according to the drawing. Finally, finishing touches are made, before sanding and varnishing.

Delicate elephant carvings

Love placard

Carved scene in progress

World crafts – floating decorations, Bangkok

by Sophie // 1 Mar ’15

Loi Krathong is an annual festival in Thailand, when beautiful handmade decorations are lit with candles and set to float into the night. It is a wonderful time to visit, and the serene views of floating krathongs are breathtaking. The krathongs are often made from banana tree trunk, with banana leaves, flowers and other decorations pinned into place. The number of designs are endless. Everyone who loves crafting will make a selection, then set up a stall near a river, lake or canal to sell their creations.

I loved the variety of styles – from the traditional floral arrangements, to paper flags and bunting, to dough animals! It is exciting to see what will float along next!

This could be a great kid’s party idea, or just an unusual way to decorate your pond in the summer (although we wouldn’t recommend the dough option unless it’s something like “plane bread”). And for those of us with tiny gardens, then why not just create a floral or paper display just to decorate a window sill or table?

Flowers everywhere

An octopus krathong!

Floating decorations in the water

World crafts – mass manufacture, China

by Sophie // 1 Feb ’15

During my travels, I spent some time working as a consultant in China and visiting factories to assess their suitability for various products. Seeing how things are made in mass production is so important for becoming a better designer – it makes you realise how your designs can avoid being wasteful (both material and time-wise), and ensures you spend that extra time considering the details which allow for a smooth production. The same theory goes for even a small craft project – if you make a good plan before, and practice, then the final result will always be better.

I visited all sorts of factories – electronics, lighting, watches, plastics…. but I have chosen some images from textile factories which I think you will be most interested in. For example, the handbag factory, where every tiny part of the process is broken down for the production line, with each person working on a specific part or assembly, such as attaching the strap to the bag.

Seeing behind the scenes is an eye-opener which most people don’t have the opportunity to experience. I really appreciate the work put into every item I buy, and feel lucky to understand so much about how things are made!

Sports product in manufacture

Screen printing en masse

Visiting a handbag factory

Happy New Year and Happy Hen Parties!

by Becky // 13 Jan ’15

Hello everyone! Happy New Year! Hope you all had a good Christmas and New Year! Sophie and I had a good break and are ready to start an exciting new year at Makery Mill. Our children’s birthday parties have really taken off over the past six months; you can read some of the lovely feedback we’ve received here on Trip Advisor. We’re planning to also focus our attention on hen parties in 2015 as we think our workshops offer a fun and relaxing activity for the bride to be and friends. Our most popular hen party to date is the cupcake decorating class where I teach the hens how to make sugar flowers, sugar willies (!) and L plates and you each get to take home six decorated cakes. We also have some great craft classes – applique and embellishment where you make a keyring charm, button and paper crafts and fabric printing – you can find more information on all of these on our workshop page. Hens are welcome to bring along some bubbly to enjoy during the party and some music to get you in the mood for the evening.

We joined forces with Episode Hotel in Leamington at the end of last year and we’re really excited to announce that we are now offering hen party packages! If you book a party with us, we can offer you discounted rates on rooms, afternoon tea, lunch and dinner at Episode. Please get in touch if you’d like more information. We are also now offering cocktail packages in collaboration with SH Jones in Leamington. After one of our classes, you can add on a cocktail hour (or two!) where you can learn how to make lots of brilliant cocktails and sample a few! A perfect way to get in the spirit for a night out! Again, contact us to find out more…

Class D
Indian Block Printing – Make up case
Nature inspired button canvas picture

Becky

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