Have we mentioned The Life Craft? It’s a new crafty shop in the West End co-run by GCM member Vonnie of Blottedcopybook. The Life Craft stocks all the materials and supplies needed to for you to carry on crafting and creating at home, from luxury yarn in fab & funky colours to sewing machines. They also run some brilliant workshops for all ages and skill levels, from sewing to knitting, screenprinting to jewellery making – all in a comfortable, relaxed and friendly environment.

If you make your visit this Wednesday evening then you can meet the Mafia at the same time. We’re having an informal social evening where you can learn more about the GCM and our members, or just bring along your current project and come for a crafty chat and some cake! We’ll be there from 6:30pm – hope to see you there!

If you can’t make it, hop on over to The Life Craft’s website to check out their extensive schedule of classes and workshops, and the online shop.

The Life Craft, 691 Great Western Road, Glasgow, G12 8RA‎

Big thanks to everyone who came along to our Zine Workshop last weekend at Welcome Home. It was a fun afternoon of talking, reading and making zines. You can read a report back from the workshop and see some of the zines people made over at my own blog.

If you couldn’t make it along then don’t worry, as you can join in the Zine Challenge. Sign up and pledge to make a zine by the end of the year! There’s also a Flickr group where you can share photos, ask questions, discuss zinemaking and promote your finished zines, and I’m currently making a Zine Challenge pack with an expanded version of the mini zine about zinemaking I gave away at the workshop.

Remember, zines are whatever you want them to be so don’t be scared and come join us!

(workshop photo by Jen Collins, Japan zines made by Emma at the workshop)

The Glasgow Craft Mafia has a zine workshop happening this Sunday.

Since the invention of the printing press individuals have published their own opinions in leaflet and pamphlet form but making zines (short for magazines and fanzines) became a mass movement in the 1970s inspired by the DIY ethos of the punk movement and the arrival of cheap photocopying. Zinemaking has now become an affordable way for artists and writers to self-publish their work

With sites like Etsy and Folksy bringing the DIY word to a new generation of creatives, there’s never been a better time to try zinemaking for yourself. Zinemakers and illustrators Marceline Smith (Asking For Trouble) and Jen Collins (hellojenuine) will host a relaxed and informal zine workshop at Welcome Home this Sunday for anyone who wants to find out more. They’ll give you the lowdown on zinemaking, answer your questions and help you make your own mini zine. You can also browse a selection of zines from the last 20 years or buy some contemporary zines and self-published books from Welcome Home’s special display.

Sunday, 8 August, 2010
Welcome Home, 19 Keith Street, Glasgow G11 6QQ
2pm-4pm
Free Entry

Hope to see you there!

We’re having a trunk show as part of the Hidden Lane Festival on Saturday 26th June from 12pm til 5pm.

Come along, meet our members, have a look at their work and get crafting!

This really is your last call to board the GCM fun bus to Dundee for the Handmade Nation screening tomorrow!

We can just about squeeze one or two last people in, so if you’d like to come along and see this great documentary about the craft uprising and meet it’s creator, Faythe Levine (who’s jetting her way over here to from the States as you read this!), not to mention a whole host of crafty guys and gals, then get in touch!

Email glasgowcmevents@gmail to claim your space now!

Handmade Nation is a documentary which examines the emergence of traditional craft skills into popular culture and how it’s slotted right in with the DIY culture of today to become one of the hottest topics that we all love.

Made by Faythe Levine, this is the first Scottish showing of the documentary which is accompanied by a book, Handmade Nation, in which the Glasgow Craft Mafia get a wee mention.

This is a must-see for any contemporary crafter and so we’re supporting our crafty Dundee friends by putting on a special field trip to Dundee to see the documentary and meet Faythe, who is introducing the show and doing a Q&A session afterwards.

Members and non-members alike are all welcome to join the trip which takes place on Wednesday 9th June and leaves from Glasgow City Centre around 5.30pm, returning later that night.

Non-members can book a package consisting of coach travel and ticket to the show for just £15 by emailing glasgowcmevents@gmail.com. Places are limited, so don’t delay!

GCM members, check the forum for your special discounted deal!

More information and a sneak preview of the film can be found here.

There’s plenty more in our events planner coming up though, so stay tuned for information coming soon!