Monday maker...Britte & Markus look to the future

Part three of our Monday Maker special on Sternengasse. Today Britte tells us of her hopes for the

future.

What are your three most important advices to any upcoming crafter?

Just one: Do not lose courage.

Why are your pieces special?

The soon to be Grandmother!

Cause they are individually handmade with care, not made by CNC

so each piece has been carefully prepared & crafted by 

Markus and I.

In general what gifts or pieces do you like or dislike?

I like things made with love and character, things that give you a

special feeling when you handle them. Handmade gifts have the

warmth of the people that make them crafted into them with each

step. 

I dislike all others.

Can you tell us about a gift that you will never forget? 

My window sills are full of small presents and memories, but nothing

special. Each one gives me a special memory in its own way.

What do you have planned for the future?  

To become a grandma in December and create more toys and

decorations for everyone to enjoy.

Monday Maker...Britte & Markus, our wonderful Carpenter duo.

Today we meet Britte & Markus our talented woodcrafters!

(Sarah from u-ni-k has added some typical English grammar otherwise the words are all from Britte & Markus)

One of their lovely children's toy cars

Name: Britta Steinnökel

Year of Birth: 1958

Current City: Borgholzhausen in Germany

Company name: Sternengasse GmbH

How would you describe a typical Sunday?

Breakfast is commonly served on a breakfast board.
The hole is designed to hold a boiled egg.

We like to lie in, wake up slowly and have a leisurely breakfast with our family. Typically we'll do the things we like; read a book, ride our bikes, bake cakes or meet up with our friends & family for a chat over something nice to eat.

And here a quite obvious question: How did you become a talented crafts person / designer? What inspired you to do this?

When I met my husband, he is a carpenter, and I learned to love working with wood. Together we started to build wooden toys and eventually sold them at our local christmas markets. With our own children we learned to love the simple toys.

This beautiful rainbow maker twirls like a
seed blowing in the wind.

Its Fill-in-the-blanks time. So, please fill in the blanks:

I love nature because she gives us power and inspiration 

If I could live anywhere I'd live at my place, an old farmhouse in the country side

If I weren't a designer / maker I'd be a cook

People who like nature will like our creations.

Sneak peek at our next Monday Maker...

 
We've just received our latest order from the lovely Markus & Britte. They're also filling out our maker questionnaire to feature in our Monday Maker!

Here's a sneak peek at what you may see:

From the sustainably sourced farm they live on, as you can see, no part of the tree is wasted!












The designs are all from Markus & Britte themselves:

And each piece is hand carved by the man himself!











They've bought out some new products for 2014, and I LOVE them... but will not spoil the surprise for you. In the meantime why don't you head over to www.unikgifts.co.uk and take a look at some of their lovely work we currently have on sale.

www.unikgifts.co.uk

Old fashioned proverbs...

Squirrel by Beetroot Press

Anna recently asked my opinion on her new project (I'd been aware she was squirrelling away on something but had no idea what it was). While I gave her my honest feedback (I always give honest feedback - probably the reason why I don't have many female friends as sometimes honesty isn't the best policy), I also wanted to add 'practice makes perfect'.

Which made me think about some of the old proverbs that could be used in crafting!

Practice makes perfect

Well until you try something you don't know if you can do it, and it's nearly always impossible to do something perfectly first time... so you need to practice!

This is especially true for crafting, don't worry about it being perfect. Get stuck in and give it a go (until you do get it right)






What the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't grieve over

This is especially true of those that love and work with fabric! I'm in no way a seamstress (Anna is), but I love and appreciate fabric - especially old fabric (it's so soft because it's already been loved and the love kind of seeps into the seams of the fabric). So I collect pieces I find, and treasure them thinking I can 'do something' with them at a later date. Hmmm. My fabric hoarding is starting to overfill into a fabric mess.

If I didn't see the pieces of fabric, I'd not miss them. Keep me away from the latest batch of Shuktara blankets.






Necessity is the mother of invention

So very true for everything we make! I couldn't find a suitable, small, black and white toy for my newborn baby. So I turned to my knitting needles and made her one. Anna couldn't find a neutral memory box to collect the Naughties treasures; so she went out and made her own.

We couldn't find a website or shop that sold lovely, unique, handmade treasures...




so we went out and created our own to share with everyone else who'd been looking for alternatives to the mass produced pieces readily available:

www.unikgifts.co.uk

Monday Maker, Sarah's inspirations

Today we look at where Sarah Papworth of Beetroot Press finds inspiration for her whimsical wonders...and she introduces this wonderful new Bunny to the collection at u-ni-k gifts. 

Where do you find creative inspiration?
Anywhere and everywhere, but I find I am most inspired by nature, colour, texture and vintage textiles and printed paper goods/illustration.  I love going to antique fairs, shops and flea markets to see what gems I can uncover and get inspired by, whether it's the colour combination, a style of print or drawing, or the object itself.  Charity shops are good too for finding something unexpected or textiles to print on.  I go onto Pinterest quite a lot and look at blogs for inspiring photos.  Sometimes I may just sketch something random and new and that leads me onto something else and so on.






Which blogs or magazines do you read regularly and would you count as an 'inspirational read'?

I love to read Homes and Antiques magazine, they've re-vamped it from what it used to be, and they include latest trends and dates for fairs around the country.  I subscribe to Craftseller magazine, it is a simple mag which I was featured in a couple of times, it has a lot of other crafters and makers in there trying to start companies, or make things for charity.  Craftseller gives hints and tips to help you start and improve your small craft business which is handy, I also like the craft tutorials they include as it gives me ideas on what to make next.  I read a few blogs, visually I find tumblr very inspirational for images, there are a lot of photographers on there so I can spend hours just flowing through the pictures.  There are a couple in particular...'Bees like honey' http://beeslikehoney.tumblr.com/  for a gorgeous simple lifestyle that I would love to have, and Nest Pretty Things, also on Tumblr, for a girly look http://nestprettythings.tumblr.com/  .  I have a blog on there for Beetroot Press which, as of yet, I haven't shared with anyone, it's kind of like an ongoing mood board.  I also really like Lisa Jacobs' 'Market your Creativity' blog. http://www.marketyourcreativity.com/  I find Lisa's posts a powerful positive help to get me motivated to create and do more for my creative business.

What makes you different, what inspires you to create unique pieces?
I make what inspires me, rather than following specific trends; which I do in my day to day life designing for home and kids wear, so I wanted to create something different from the norm.  I'm not a fan of typical pink and blue products for babies and children, when I go shopping for friends baby's, a lot of the items on sale are quite predictable in this way, and I would rather have something a bit quirky and unique.  All of Beetroot Press' items I make are made from sustainable materials like linen and organic cotton and are not mass-produced.

What are your three most important advices to any upcoming crafter?

Don't wait until you have everything perfect, it is hard when most designer makers are perfectionists, but sometimes, just putting something out there to get feedback on is a very good idea, as it helps you develop your range on what customers like.  Show to friends and family first and get feedback from people you know will give you an honest opinion.  Keep trying, you may not get the right product straight away, but keep trying and adapting products to suit customers needs.

Why are your pieces special? 

They are lovingly hand-made, in Britain, mixing sustainable materials with traditional hand-printing techniques in my own whimsical style.  I only make small runs of the products so customers are always getting a unique gift, or treat for your home, that not many others will have.

     

Can you tell us about a gift that you will never forget? 

I was given my Granny's vintage summer dressing gown, which has the best bold and bright print, which hangs happily on the back of my bathroom door, looking pretty and reminding me of my Gran, who passed away over 10 years ago.  I think anything that is sentimental, or handmade is always a special gift.  Items which are family heirlooms and are passed down through the generations are particularly special, and these things do not need to be expensive, just something that reminds you of your loved ones that you can keep and treasure till it's time to pass on again.  If you don't have something like this, you can always start the tradition!  

What do you have planned for the future?  
I hope to grow the range with more designs and products like bedding, blankets, baby grows, drawstring bags and more wall art, cards and gift tags.  I will also be attending more fairs to get out and meet lots of lovely people and introduce Beetroot Press.
Sarah's illustrations and home wear are coming to u-ni-k very soon.
For more details on her lovelies please email us. 

unikgifts.co.uk

Monday maker - inspiration for Sarah Davies

Sarah - Inspiration

Where do you find creative inspiration?

In my Daughter, Kathryn. I love seeing how she plays with her toys and the imaginative world she creates for them. I also love Purl Bee and their amazing array of natural fibres to knit with. I have a Pinterest account that keeps me inspired at all the talented people out there.

Which blogs or magazines do you read regularly and would you count as an inspirational read?

The only magazine I read on a regular basis is the RHS garden magazine, and when I say “regularly” I have 4 unopened ones here looking to be read! I don't have much reading time as a Mum, maker and small business entrepreneur. I of course read the u-ni-k blog on a regular basis!

What makes you different, what inspires you to create unique pieces?

I think I differ from everyone else by thinking of the person who is going to want to play with my creations before I start any! Everyone else looks for a pattern and then probably follows that pattern to the letter. I start by thinking about the textures and feeling that would interest a small child, my squishies are especially designed to have different textures on each arm / leg to that no two are the same. I also think about how dirty play can become (mine has used her's to clean the floor!) but how heartbroken the little one can be in the time it needs to become clean again. So natural fibres like a bamboo / cotton mix is soft on the hand and can be machine washed & tumble dried. I think of all of these design aspects before even picking up my knitting needles!

Many of my designs have come from necessity, something my Daughter wouldn't mind wiping her mouth / dribbles with... the bamboo soft mice - something that could do the job, be easily washed and create a fun activity out of an everyday occurrence. Dribble mice were the obvious answer... squeak squeak... can the mice eat those crumbs?!

My little one had very sensitive skin, so wool was out. I had to look for alternatives, and I went to unravel at the Farnham Maltings, and hey presto... the really soft stuff was bamboo! Who knew?!

I'm currently making a bunny, one of the Bert Bunnies... because here at u-ni-k 

www.unikgifts.co.uk

Making it Personal

We are unique. 

By that I don’t mean our company. I mean us as individual people.

Even as tiny newborn babies, we are unique with our own personalities and agendas.
I still can’t quite believe how polar opposites my two children are.

I have a Wam Bam SamSam who climbs, runs, isn’t affected by new people or places and generally never sits still and causes chaos, whilst constantly saying “mummy cuddle plz”

Whereas my eldest is a babbling bossy boots, who reminds me a lot of my nattering Grandma. She draws, colours, scribbles and never stops talking but put her in a public space and she becomes mute, sweet and angelic…. she constantly tells me “I’m too busy Mummy!"

Every  baby born  has a personality. A “theme tune” so to speak. Then we give them their very own personal name to define them a little more. The newness of the name makes us smile, every time it is spoken. Then slowly, day-by-day the name is comes familiar and fitting.

Every child is unique. So we embrace that by trying our hardest to find things that are as different as every Mum and every baby. Something you haven’t seen before on the high street. Something that is totally unique and one of a kind. Something that will be treasured and kept forever. Something that grows with age just like our little ones do.

Finding makers that understand and believe in the same ethos as us is hard. But we dig deep and wait till we have that sudden lovely rush of excitement, or tremor of tears when seeing that perfect thing.

Our makers are just as unique and special as the babies they make for.

Their signature invisible cashmere seaming.

Their wobbles of whimsical porcelain.

Their beauty of the hand drawn line.

A uniquely hand forged heritage piece of silver.

Wonderfully cheeky stitches to capture a softie's new face.

The unique signature of letterpress print.

A sweetly hand stitched sari.

A perfectly printed fingerprint in a piece of silver.

A charming captured expression carved into wood.

These captured hand strokes, whether it be with knitting needles, pencil, pen, potters wheel or hand stitched are what make them unique. Keeping them precious and real.
Keeping them wholesome.
Wabi sabi.

 

Support handmade in 2013!
Keep the little crafty people busy.

Make sure you see our Monday maker’s blogs throughout the year, capturing the personalities of our makers and how they personalise what they make. Making personal things to capture smiles & personalities. 

#Supporthandmade  

unikgifts.co.uk

Monday Mentor: Handmade

A very strange Monday Mentor but equally very important!

HANDMADE = made with LOVE

Please help all small businesses. 

Please "like" 

unikgifts.co.uk

Image care of  http://www.facebook.com/myretablos

Highs and Lows of handmade...

We had a fabulous reception at the markets we took our u-ni-k gifts to over the weekend.

Young and old alike coo-ed over our knitted softies:

our wooden toys:

and the fabulous Shuktara blankets:

Lots of our Mibo friends found new homes and we said a fond farewell to snappy crocodile.

However, many people wanted to pay by card and have since found us online. They did this knowing that perhaps the object of their desire may no longer be available.

For handmade pieces are unique. No two are the same. A lady asked me if we had two of the same Shuktara blankets in a particular material... sadly not.

The highs and lows of handmade.

Monday Mentor, UKhandmade

UK Handmade is a design led online magazine committed to showcasing and promoting the best creative talent the UK has to offer. The term 'handmade' is now an indicator of quality, care and professionalism that is second to none and something we at UK Handmade wish to encourage and celebrate.

Artists and designers from across all of the art disciplines have a place here including photography, textiles, jewellery, fashion, art and design. In a time when people are realising the importance of spending quality time with the family, small businesses are being started from the kitchen table and becoming an integral part of our overall lifestyle. We want to bring back the skills of our grandparents, grow vegetables with our children, to make do and mend and return to an ideology that previous generations took for granted.

But we are realists too; in order to live like this in today’s world we need to be financially self-sufficient. An increasing number of online selling venues are allowing makers and designers to sell their goods with very little set up costs and as a result handmade items are not only experiencing a renaissance but a whole new community of small businesses are working together to promote and support the handmade movement.

UK Handmade is at the heart of the movement, providing advice and resources to its members as well as collaborating and connecting with businesses to further the handmade cause for the benefit of all through the online magazine, website and forum.

UK Handmade Porcelain by Helen Beard at u-ni-k gifts

See the on-line magazine here

Today we use our Monday Mentor Blog to thank Anna and her team for supporting creative people with little business's and for being passionate about what we do.
We have our small business on the UKhandmade directory, we have written an article for the website and also have had our baby wear featured in a Eco baby wear article.

Thank you for allowing us, the little people, to have a voice and for supporting us all.

We appreciate you.

What you do is marvellous!

Thank you

9/10th perspiration, 1/10 application!

There's a reason why athletes train for years, months, days ahead of the Olympics. It's the preparation that they need in order to produce a winning result.

The same applies to handmade gifts, there is preparation and years of training prior to actually starting the tasks that actually produce the object of your desire. The process and rituals that are then followed through to make the actual end product? Well it's more like a Decathlon than a 100m sprint!

A not quite finished rabbit

Take our lovely bobbing rabbits made by Markus in his converted horse stable. (A cute video of one hopping about my kitchen can be seen on our facebook page http://www.facebook.com/unikgifts)

First he has to go out and find the wood to carve. Markus passionately believes in wood and chooses to use wood that either he has sourced himself or that come from a source he trusts. All his wood comes from sustainable sources.

Wood needs to be prepared before it can be carved. You can't just start whittling away at wood that is sappy, or old and gnarled. So his wood sits for just the right about of time.

Markus will then study the wood for some time, he lets the wood speak to him like marble speaks to a sculptor. Where possible he'll follow the natural lines of the wood, keeping it's natural warmth and beauty in the carving.

So it is only after all this time that he knows what the wood will become. He works slowly and methodically  using his hands, knowledge and skill to create a wonderful little rabbit.

He will then let this rabbit sit for awhile, as he has to make the rabbit wheels for it to 'bob along' on. One wheel has to be slightly larger and elliptical than the other to produce the characteristic 'bob' of a rabbit hop. Of course Markus knows this because he has spent years watching rabbits and making these wheels to try and capture this movement perfectly.

When the wheels are finally added to the rabbit, it must once again sit for a while to let all the parts settle. This is when he will finally look at his lovely creation and critique it as only the maker can. There is no one more harsh than a creator on their creation.

If he's happy then he'll add the shoe string pull that children pull to make the bunny hop hop.

The rabbit will then be tested to ensure that it meets CE standards before being put in a box and sent to us here at u-ni-k.

Here he is on my kitchen floor

It's a kinda magic...

Although a picture says a 1000 words, it is very hard to show the quality of handmade goods in a photograph or two. You could have the perfect light, the best model, the most up to date megapixel digital SLR and a sales copy that should cause people fall at your feet begging to own one, but you still would be missing out on that one to one touch experience that really shows the quality of the goods.

I've tried, and come woefully short, to explain the softness, the sheen and touch-ability of the Nyoki bonnets and booties. There's something in the handmade process that doesn't carry across through pictures or words, but pick up just one little bootie and the feeling is universal. You want to pick it up again right after you have put it down. It's hard to let go. The same goes for the Shuktara blankets, the knitted Micies, Squishies, and Softies – they have a need to be loved. Probably because they are made with love, by people who care about them.

Our less cuddly pieces are just as irresistible; the wooden Markus Kempe pieces exude a warmth on an emotional level that just speak to your inner child. They make you want to sit on the floor and go brrrrmmmm or clip clop depending upon which toy you pick up. You're already half way through an adventure in your own little world by the time you pick up a piece. It's almost as if there's some kind of invisible mini you whispering into your ear.

Actually, it's magic. The magic of handmade. The love and care that the artist or creator puts into each of their pieces is the same kind of love that a parent gives a child. So the hours spent making a handmade piece weaves each loving minute into the material, breathing warmth and love into it. The finished product is not only made of cotton or bamboo or wood, it's seeped in love and it is this magic that you feel on an unconscious level.

Like the fairy who brought Pinocchio to life for Geppetto, our handmade pieces cast their own spell over people. It's just a shame that unlike the world of Harry Potter, our website doesn't have the ability to let you touch and feel our pieces using some kind of magic... Perhaps we'll find a way to bring these lovely pieces to you... [watch this space].