World Book Night Monday April 23rd

Last year Made in Newcastle were very proud to be a part of World Book Night. We had a fantastic day at our Grainger Street shop, with our makers creating items themed especially for the occasion. From bookmarks to canvas prints, we had a plethora off all things literary for our customers to enjoy. All washed down with tea and cake (from our good friends at Pet Lamb Patisserie) 

With tomorrow being World Book Night 2012, we thought we would show you just some of the things our makers have been creating on a literature theme.    

First up are two beautiful pieces for you and your home inspired by Alice in Wonderland from Nancy Pants.

Another piece taking inspiration both from Wonderland and the wider literary world, are these stunning necklaces by Gabby's Bazaar.

For all you budding authors out there, you never know when inspiration might strike you, so how about this gorgeous note book from Brittany Coxon.

Or if your more like me and can't remember anything unless it's on a list! Then brighten up your handbag with this great little notebook from Lucy's Happy Place. 

In need of a greeting card for a book worm friend or loved one? Then they will just adore this personalised vintage library card from The Spotted Sparrow.

All this talk of books has reminded me of two brilliant little projects that I really want to share with you. In fact the two marry together quite nicely. About two years ago a young man by the name of Luke walked into Made in Newcastle 1 (On Nun Street) and presented myself and my colleague with a bundle of books... bit odd we thought.. but all became clear, as he went on to explain that he was part of an initiative called Book Crossing.

The ethos behind the scheme is that you breath new life into once loved works, with the simple aim of connecting people through books. The idea is that instead of just letting your old favorites collect dust, you "Release" them into the wild to be found and loved by another reader. Be that giving it to someone you know, or leaving it somewhere for someone to find. Book Crossing is the act of giving a book a unique identity number, so as the book passes from reader to reader, it's journey can be tracked through the Book Crossing web site. There are currently 8995,204 book traveling through 132 countries. It's free to join and I have to admit I got a geeky thrill when I "caught" my first wild release whist on a day out in Wylam! 


With the increase in popularity of e-books and Kindles I was inspired to read about another "real" book loving scheme called the Little Free Library. Two years ago Todd Bol from Madison Wisconsin wanted to honor the passing of his late mother, a former teacher and book lover. So Bol built a miniature model of a library, filled it with books for anyone to take and placed it outside his home. From that simple idea hundreds of similar Little Free Librarys have popped up on lawns and in community spaces all across the globe.

Little Free Library website has some great examples of library's people have built, from simple crates to lavish log cabins. 


World Book Night 2012 is on Monday 23rd and Newcastle Library will have author Adele Parks reading from her latest book "About Last Night" and local actors "Spectrum Arts" will be performing "Shakespeares Greatest Hits"

Record Store Day April 21st

One of the first "independent" shops that I remember frequenting when I was young was my local record store, a tiny dark and often mysterious shop, full to the brim with vinyl and music memorabilia. A place where you can ask about the obscure bands you like and not be ridiculed. Or be informed of bands you've never heard of and even in some cases, find new friends to go and see these amazing bands with. Over the years these stores saw a demise due to the popularity of bigger high street brands and the increase in digital formats. But in recent years these gems of independent businesses have seen a revival. To this end "Record Store Day" was created, to celebrate the unique culture of record stores and it is the perfect excuse for music fans to come out and support their favourite artists and enjoy a day celebrating music with like minded people. 


So this got me thinking about the "music" inspired items that our talented Made in Newcastle makers have been creating.

I just adore this beautiful necklace with a real, working Swan harmonica from Gabby's Bazaar, decorated with an antique silver heart charm, a coral pink rose cabochon and two Swarovski crystals.

Serendipity Central makes these unique one of a kind bowls out of unloved vinyl that has come to the end of it's musical lives. She spend many hours tracking down these little gems, looking for the quirky, unique, retro and kitsch! 

How about a cute little card to let someone know your thinking about them? Then this Just a Little Note Card from Jo Sullivan is simply perfect.

I've saved the best till last, as a huge indie kid I absolutely love these fanatic cards from The Spotted Sparrow. Joy Division, The Smith and even a bit of 80's cheese... what more could you want! 

Record Store Day is celebrating it's 5th anniversary this year. Participating record stores in Newcastle include JG Windows,Reflex, RPM Music, and That's Entertainment. 

Rock is dead!... Long live paper and scissors 

Show some Bunny you love them this Easter

Woo hoo!! Easter is nearly here which means spring sunshine, egg hunts, chocolate, hot cross buns and spending time with loved ones.


So show some Bunny you care with some lovely crafty goodies from the creative makers at Made in Newcastle.


First up is a myriad of cuties from Gabby's Bazaar that have arrived specially for Easter!

Gabby's lovely decorations are made from salt dough, hand painted with acrylic paint and then varnished to protect their coating.


They are perfect for hanging on Easter trees, to decorate your home, or they can even be used to decorate an Easter gift!


These happy little cards from Lucy's Happy Place are a great way to wish friends and family a Happy Easter.

A fantastic way to spread some Easter cheer with cards that will almost certainly get a smile.


Spring is here, Easter is on its way. These happy little chicks from Brittany Coxon are guaranteed to delight.

Hand cut cute little chicks, which have hatched specially for Easter!


How about something vivid and colourful that screams Spring? These bright and vibrant cards from Serendipity Central will add a splash of colour to any recipients mantelpiece.

In true Serendipity Central style many of the cards have a 3D element to give that added textural dimension. All cards are one of a kind, so why not send something beautiful and unique.


If your looking for a gift that will last long after the last scraps of chocolate eggs have been demolished, the how about this A4 size print of Lucy's very cute and colourful "Bunny Balloon" Illustration?

The illustration is printed onto high quality textured fine art paper, which brings out the vivid colours and details in the image and gives it a tactile quality. It's ideal for brightening up a work space, bedroom or nursery and makes a fantastic present. Great for kids and big kids alike.


Right ... I'm off to make some Hot Cross Buns!

HAPPY EASTER

From all at

Made in Newcastle