…do let us know if there’s a crafty topic you’d like us to cover in the future ;-)
The highlight of 2020 at Lark without a doubt was the addition of our two pawfect pups to our lives and to the studio. Gwen joined us earlier in the year as a shy rescue dog, she is now chief cwtch-er at the studio and features regularly on the socials. Tofu joined us as a playful pup a few months ago and is loving her new buddy Gwen!
Read MoreBeing in the midst of a lockdown in Wales and with the impending month long one announced in England, we thought what better time than to ask our Lark followers to give us their fave tv and podcast recommendations. So whilst you’re crafting - whether crocheting a festive Christmas blanket or working on a new project, these picks are great for keeping you entertained!
Read MoreAs you can imagine we do a fair bit of craft shopping, so this blog is going to be our top tips on online shopping for all your crafting needs. We have compiled some great independent online sellers as recommended by our Larksters! So get off Amazon and try our online suggestions, #supportsmall
Read MoreWhenever possible we try to shop in person and we’ve enjoy getting to know the suppliers in the following shops, we hope you enjoy visiting them too…
Read MoreHey, I'm Kaylee-Beth, in charge of writing the blog for today! I'm 15 and I've been doing work experience with Gemma over 5 days and I've enjoyed every minute. I've been to a few of Gemma's workshops in the past, so was very excited to start. I absolutely adore craft so being around all the colour and excitement of the studio has been great. Gemma has taught me a bunch of stuff and has definitely kept me busy.
Read MoreKath from Repair Cafe Wales invited me for a chat about how things are going with lock down and it was great to hear that they are also keeping people repairing rather than buying at this time with online fix tutorials, do follow them to keep up to date (Facebook & Instagram) and don’t rush to throw things away when we you are spring cleaning as their volunteers are ace and once the events resume you may be able to get it fixed for free.
Read MoreDuring lockdown I have made the most of not being able to go shopping by creating beauty products at home, they have been using mostly kitchen ingredients. I have really enjoyed the experience as you can’t really go wrong and the effect of the natural ingredients has often made products that I prefer to the expensive shop bought alternatives. Here I will go through some recipes for face & hair masks, body & lip scrubs and lip balms…
Read MoreThis weeks 'Ready, Steady, Craft’ challenge is to create natural beauty products, the idea came from recently trying some myself and liking them so much that I hope to continue to take them forward to the new normal way of life. The best recipes will be shared with Lark’s followers as they are a great way to spend lock down time & they make great gifts.
Read MoreIt’s been 11 weeks since we closed the studio, in that time we would have had some amazing workshops happening but feel hopeful that our team efforts to stay indoors will mean that it won’t be long until we can reschedule our workshops and invite you back for more crafty action.
We have been catching up with the tutors and thought we’d share a little bit more about them and what they’ve been up to…
Read MoreIf you’ve been keeping an eye on other peoples’ lockdown bakes, you may have noticed that a common trend seems to be banana bread. It’s not difficult to see why; they’re a winner with everyone and you can often mix them up with ingredients that you’ll easily find in your cupboards. My own recipe is a slightly healthier twist on the traditional, combining bananas with chocolate, oat flour and ground almonds to create a rich, fudgy and satisfying treat.
Read MoreHere at Lark we like to take full advantage of the great eateries Cardiff has to offer, so after having discussed our favourite places at length with each other, we thought we better start sharing our recommendations with everyone else! Each of use wrote a little something on our favourite spots for lunching and caffeinating around the city, so enjoy the read…
Read MoreOn a rainy Saturday afternoon, I left a desk full of scattered papers and books, pulled on my coat, and stepped out into the cold air. It was early November and I had just been accepted for a position at Lark Design Make. I met with Gemma the previous week and she had invited me to a macrame plant hanger class. It was the middle of a busy assessment period at Cardiff university, but I was eager to see what my new work environment was like. Little did I know that those two hours at the class would help fuel me with an energy, ambition, and optimism that I would take with me throughout my hectic week.
Read MoreAs you may well know by now, I’ve had the really exciting opportunity to be a contestant on this year’s Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas! ! It was an amazing experience being there as ‘Gemma, Lady of Leather’ and as I’ve had lots of questions about it, I thought I’d share how everything played out - It’s not every day you get to be on TV.
Read MoreWe may be a little biased, but nothing beats a good crafting session - it’s always a boost to have something you’ve made by hand, for some it can be a rare breather from a busy life, and ultimately, it’s just fun.
Read MoreHere is our list of all the craft markets you can attend this Christmas in Cardiff, which we will keep adding to as we find out more and more about what’s going on around the City…
Read MoreIt’s that time of year again – Halloween is over and the Christmas markets have begun to spring up in our high streets. Every advert you hear seems feature the light jingle of Christmas bells, and snowflakes have been slapped onto every shop window you pass. It’s how you know you have the go-ahead to start preparing for Christmas.
Read MoreIn this article you’ll read Gem’s story: her life before Lark Design Make, why she decided to establish her own crafting business and the stages she’s worked through to get her dream off the ground. To read about the behind-the-scenes for more fantastic independent local businesses in the South Wales area
Read MoreIt’s time for part 2 of our Christmas Craft Hamper project, and after making our blackberry gin, Christmas chutney and lipsticks for last month’s edition (click here for that blog post), we’re really excited to get stuck into the goodies we have planned for October into November.
Read MoreWelcome to Lark’s first ever blog post! We thought it would be a much more effective way to go into a bit more detail about our exciting Christmas Hamper Project and to outline just what we’re going to make for our own loved ones – and hopefully you’ll want to follow along as well.
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