Reader offer & competition!

Sorry we've been quiet for a while. We'll be back in action again soon. But for the time being, we have a fantastic offer for all our readers...

Black Dog Publishing are very kindly offering Craft Crunchers a 50% discount on purchases of 'Making Stuff' and 'Making Stuff for Kids'. Both usually retail at £16.95 so you'll be getting them for an absolute bargain.

If you're interested in purchasing one or both of these brilliant publications simply email jess@blackdogonline.com with your delivery address quoting 'Craft Crunch Offer' in the subject line by the 30th September. We can't think of a better time to get into making things, so get yourself one of these books and get involved!

We also have one each of these great books up for grabs in our latest competition! To be in with a chance of winning, simply send us a photograph of something you have made recently. The best ones will be put up on Craft Crunch and the top two will win a copy of either Making Stuff or Making Stuff for Kids.

Email entries to hello@craftcrunch.com - deadline 30th September 2009.

Rock 'n' Roll Tiddlywinks at the V&A this weekend

At a loss for something fun to do this weekend? Why not pop along to the V&A's annual Village Fete and join Lady Luck Rules OK for a game of Rock 'n' Roll Tiddlywinks?!

Lucky winners will walk away with an exclusively designed piece of Lady Luck Rules OK jewellery and losers will walk away with a cutie pie consolation prize. We love that it's a Craft Crunch friendly £3 to get in, too.

Who could say no?!

Fri 24th July: 6.30pm-10pm. Sat 25th July: 1pm-5pm. Entry: £3. Location: John Madejski garden, Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7

Andrea Garland in the Telegraph Magazine

Craft Crunch want to congratulate Andrea Garland on being featured in the 4th July issue of the Telegraph Magazine! We're not at all surprised that word is spreading fast about her divine balms in vintage tins.

Well done!

To peruse Andrea's wares look here or pay her a visit at Sunday Upmarket, off Brick Lane.

Craft Crunch is featured on Sepia Smiles

We're really chuffed that Roseanna Willis of Sepia Smiles has written a lovely piece on Craft Crunch on her blog. You can read it here:

http://sepiasmiles.blogspot.com/

Thanks Roseanna!

Frank: a space for British designers and makers

On a much needed Sunday out of London imagine our surprise when, strolling through Whitstable, we noticed a gorgeous shop with some very familiar bits and pieces in the window.

Out of curiosity we popped inside to discover that Frank stocks several products by more than one of the talented souls we've featured here at Craft Crunch. We noticed some of Buddug's earrings, brooches & necklaces, titiMadam's acrylic badges and Lucky Bird's greetings cards & keyrings.

We got talking to shop owner Mary Claire Smith and realised we had a lot in common. She opened Frank three years ago with the intention of championing the best of British craft and design and so far she's doing a great job! The shop is beautifully laid out & decorated and promotes home-grown talent as well as artists from London and further afield. We’ve discovered that Whitstable has quite a buzzing crafts scene with classes being held on the beach in summer and everything from chunky crockery to delicate necklaces being produced by some incredible talent.

We particularly like the little knitted dogs by Kate Erbe, local ceramicist Keith Brymer's 'typed' mugs, bowls and jugs, local jeweller Heidi Butler's cut-out jewellery and Ciara Healey's knitted bird coats (seen in the birdcage in the window).

You can find Mary Claire's shop, Frank, at 65 Harbour Street, Whitstable, Kent CT5 1AG. Some of her stock is available to purchase online at http://www.frankworks.eu/index.html or call 01227 262500 for more information.

To find out a little more about Lucky Bird, look here, for titiMadam here and for Buddug, look here.