&madelikes…

…something to look forward to at MCDC Manchester Craft & Design Centre!

after dark

Northern Quarter After-Dark is part of Manchester After-Hours festival, a one off evening of arts, culture & music taking place across the city on Thursday 15th May in conjunction with Culture 24 & Museums at Night.

Join us around the Northern Quarter from 6pm, for a nocturnal celebration of the best of creativity in our city, showcased in unique venues & in unexpected ways. 

Participating venues include: 
Manchester Craft & Design Centre, 17 oak street, m4 5jd
Matt & Phreds, The Bay Horse, Common, Twenty Twenty Two, MMU Unit X & The Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art to name but a few…

‘Once a place of hard physical graft, the Northern Quarter is now Manchester’s boho district for the hip & happening, where mill workers, weavers & market traders have been replaced by artists, designers, & independent boutiques. On this night the areas arts venues & galleries, shops & restaurants, pubs & bars will be mixing it up in one big cultural mash-up.’ – Creative Tourist

find out more  www.craftanddesign.com

i’d really rather show than tell so recently whilst having a conversation with our friend, hannah raeside at manchester craft & design centre, i was intrigued when she started telling me about instagram.

realising my late arrival at this particular party i decided better late than never & yet another techno hobby joins the list of my things to do. it’s rather like a modern twist on that traditional hobby – stamp collecting!

i do like the neat & organised symmetry of it all, so here it is, please, have a look if you like!

instagram no.1

http://instagram.com/madebyand

may day!

may day!

not a call for help but a marker in the year – may already & getting closer to my own personal ‘new year’ so i thought i’d make a kind of resolution &  revisit my little &made website & try to be a better blogger!

paper cut

hippity hoppity happy easter each!

half the year gone & the start of another busy month @&made!

in two weeks we have our next launch event @ manchester craft & design centre – you can follow this link & find more details here;

 http://www.craftanddesign.com/exhibitions/craftinghistory

along with my fellow tenants i am working on my exhibition piece which will be donated by &made for our charity auction in november.

but before that we aim to finish work on our new studio – no.21 – almost there now, complete two more commissions – already wip, plan & deliver a new workshop @ whitworth art gallery in three weeks, tweak our  plan for a tenant led workshop mc&dc in september, continue r&d on new work for the great northern contemporary craft fair in october – it’s nice to have a few surprises – & stay on top of stock levels for the shop!

i like to keep busy!

it’s been a while…

& no excuses just been really busy moving into a new studio, no.21 at manchester craft & design centre – the aim being the same – just bigger!

&made is open now, it’s not quite finished but thanks to francis, & all the hard work, we’re getting there. just think – next week we may even get a sunday off!

thank you

i think this will be my last post for 2011 – so i just want to wish all my lovely customers, stockists, exhibitors, suppliers, friends & my wonderful family a very merry christmas & a happy new year.

& thank you for all the support & encouragement you continue to give me at &made.

just as an after thought… i really think i should try harder with the &made blog – perhaps a new year revolution?

best new maker award

Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair 2011

i had a fab time & a wonderful compliment at GNCCF in october this year when &made was awarded the ‘best new maker award – presented to me by angela mann, one of the fairs originators & organisers. this is genuinely one of my proudest, personal, moments as my endeavours in the past have always been joint ones & always part of a much bigger concern. ofcourse i couldn’t do any of this without all the support & efforts of francis too – he designed, transported, assembled & built the stand with the help of our son, danny. i did my impression of someone in a panic…

…i’m getting to be quite good at that too!

this is a recent freelance job – costumier to two chips… 

work in progress

 …& an onion ring!

the brief was to supply one deep fried onion ring & wearing a chef’s toque, one sweet potato fry with butchers apron & one traditional chip wearing full chef’s whites.

everything went well until i tried to dress chef chip – he soon developed curvature of the spine & lost the will to live! i have to admit i did think food ads were fake but, believe me, this is real food wearing real costumes & i think the smallest scale work i’ve done so far.

& the finished ads - 

yes chef!

thanks must go to stevie dee @barrow model makers for offering me the work - i had such a lovely day with geoff, kate & vicki – i hope we get to repeat it sometime soon...

home sweet home

&made has a new addition to the on line shop this week –

this des.res has been designed &made from wood & spray painted white -

perfect for a small diy project, or some customised art work !