Designer Mart at Cow’s Lane Workshop Series: Jewellery beading workshop with Jacinta and Carol from Trinket Box Saturday August 14th

New additions to Designer Mart 2010, Jacinta Hughes and Carol O’Sullivan have come together to offer original handmade jewellery, featuring intricate beading, crystals and gemstones, together with hand knitted shawls and scarves made using the finest Irish wool.

This workshop will teach you step by step how to make earrings and a beaded bracelet, giving you the skills to design and make your own jewellery.

It will be held in The Culture Box (Temple Bar Cultural Trust), 12 East Essex Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2, on Saturday August 14^th from 10.30am-1pm.

Cost: €30 (all materials included)

Email: trinket.box@gmail.com or phone: 087 6555806 to book. 

Portrait of a Designer Mart trader – Astrid Crafts by Lynne Baillie

ASTRID was set up by Lynne Baillie in 2009.  Inspired by the fashion of LA hipsters (Lynne spent 2 months in Los Angeles in 2008) and her love of design and making, Lynne noticed a gap in the market for some good quality, fashionable hair accessories in Ireland and decided to see what would happen when she put her mind (and hands!) to it. The result has been a very successful start to the ASTRID business selling hundreds of feathered hair accessories to boutiques, directly at Dublin markets and online.  

Everything ASTRID sells is handmade and individually created.  By looking at any piece Lynne makes you will instantly notice the quality difference that stands her out from the local high street stores who sell cheaply made mass produced accessories.  Anyone that cares for quality would choose an ASTRID product.  

ASTRID has had many requests for commission pieces, including bridal, bridesmaids and wedding guests match ups. If you are a bride who wants something different for yourself, or your bridesmaids, Lynne can make to whatever your needs are.

Her website www.astrid.ie is just being launched and through this you can order your very own Astrid piece which will be delivered straight to your door!

Each piece Lynne makes is different, so there is no need to worry that some other fashionista may be wearing the same as you at the next party or wedding you go to! 

With prices starting at just €16, what are you waiting for?! Get down to the Designer Mart every Sat from 10-5pm to grab yourself piece of creative style!

Check out Lynne’s website at www.astrid.ie. Lynne can be contacted on 087 9248666 or email info@astrid.ie. Facebook: ASTRID CRAFTS

Designer Mart at Cow’s Lane workshop with jewellery designer Ann Tyrrell

On Saturday 26^th June, Designer Mart at Cow’s Lane presents a bracelet-making workshop with contemporary jewellery designer Ann Tyrrell.

Choosing from a wide variety of gemstones, crystals, pearls and using sterling silver components – everyone will design and make their own bracelet. Cost €30. Duration 2 hours. All materials and printed instructions are included. A fun and relaxed class for all.

To book your place contact Ann Tyrrell on 087 234 6134 or anntyrrell@eircom.net

Designer Mart at Cow’s Lane workshop series kicks-off in June

We are delighted to announce that the Designer Mart at Cow’s Lane workshops kick-off again this June with a “Knit it Yourself” session.  Hazel Donnelly will start you off with basic knit and stitch techniques. 

Each workshops costs €35 for 2 hours tuition plus your own “Begin to spin kit”.  To book a place please contact Hazel on hazeldonnelly@eircom.net

Upcoming workshops with experts from DesignerMart at Cow’s Lane are as follows:

• Bracelet making workshop with Ann Tyrrell: Sat 26^th June
• Beading and jewellery making workshop with Jacinta & Carol: Sat 14^th August 
• Beginner’s drawing workshop with Irene Uhlemann: Sat 16^th October

For further information, times and prices please contact Eimear Chaomhánach at Temple Bar Cultural Trust on echaomhanach@templebar.ie

Designer Mart at Cow’s Lane takes place every Saturday in the Old City area of Temple Bar from 10am – 5.30pm.

Portrait of a Designer Mart trader – Hazel Donnelly talks about the art of knitting

I have been knitting since I was about 4 or 5 years old (40 plus years) – originally my grandmother taught me to knit and also then at school knitting and sewing were part of the curriculum.   My grandmother and two great aunts were fantastic knitters – at that time most people knit – all our school jumper were knit by these 3 ladies.  There were 5 girls in my family and we all got new jumpers for school each September.  You can imagine they were kept busy.   Growing up we all knit – our local hardware store had a wool corner where you could buy a selection of wool, patterns and needles.

In the early ‘80s I spent a year in Cork on a Weaving, Spinning and dying course and that is where my love of spinning came from.   I would not say I have much talent for weaving but spinning just enthralled me.  I bought my wheel when I finished the course and at the time could not see a viable business in handspinning. 

We moved to Canada then and spent 5 years there, my wheel came too.  Living in Toronto gave me a great opportunity to try working with other fibres and also to develop some of my design skills.  I took several courses in garment construction, design and pattern development.

Over the next few years I continued to be a hobby spinner and knitter.  I moved into HR and did a degree – still couldn’t see a viable business. 

In time with the arrival of children and the need to be more flexible I started looking at the possibility of working part-time at what I love. There is a lot of interest in what I am doing and I am trying to meet this interest by taking patterns I have developed for handspun garments and tweak them to suit commercial yarns.

My preference is to work with wool – particularly when spinning – it has a lot of natural oil that makes it easier to spin.  There is such a variety of wool available with different textures and fibre lengths that it is hard to become bored with it.  I am also conscious of the carbon footprint of a lot of the exotic mixes and am a bit uncomfortable with some travelling from New Zealand – that in no way detracts from how lovely they are but…

Recently we were clearing out my parents house and came across an aran jumper I had knit before we went to Canada – it was a deep cranberry colour and I remember buying the wool from Kerry Woollen mills.  The jumper was still going strong and I would say it still has a couple of years in it.  It was a real pleasure to see the longevity of an item that was created 20+ years ago that retained its shape and colour after a lot of wear – it says a lot for the quality of wool and maybe a little about the skill of the knitter.

I tend to run out of handspun as the weather turns it is harder to get wool washed and dried and then I have to introduce some alternatives – this year it is cotton and mohair. I am looking forward to the spring weather – new fleeces as shearing begins. My plan this summer is to start custom dyes and that should be fun… watch this space.

You can meet Hazel and see her wonderful work every Saturday at Designer Mart at Cow’s Lane in the Old City area of Temple Bar from 10am – 5.30pm.

Designer Mart does Fridays!

Designer Mart at Cow’s Lane takes place every Saturday in the Old City area of Temple Bar and the good news is that during December this market will also run on two Fridays!

Now is your chance to pick up that extra special, unique hand made gift for that someone special this Christmas.  The Mart has a whole range of designs in jewellery, fashion, home ware, visual arts, photography and more.

If you haven’t already had a chance to visit Designer Mart on Saturdays then put Friday December 11^th and 18^th in your diary.

For a full list of Designer Mart traders visit http://www.templebar.ie/home_nav_32_m_3.html

Collection dates for Temple Bar Food Market

A selection of producers from the Temple Bar Food Market will be on Meeting House Square on Tuesday 22^nd and Wednesday 23^rd of December from 9am – 11am to accommodate the collection of fresh produce for Christmas.

If you have ordered fresh produce from one of our producers be sure to check collection details directly with them.

All three of our markets will run every weekend in the run up to Christmas with both the Temple Bar Book Market and Designer Mart at Cow’s Lane trading extra dates to make life a little easier for you!

Create your own gifts this Christmas at our Designer Mart December workshops

Designers from Designer Mart at Cow’s Lane are now enrolling for December workshops.  Sign-up now to learn a craft and leave with a handmade Christmas gift for you and yours!

Learn how to make your own jewellery using sterling silver, gemstones, crystals and freshwater pearls or create a unique gift with recycled leather as your raw material. 

Workshops will take place Saturday 5^th December, are 2hrs in duration and must be booked in advance. 

For further information or to reserve a place, please contact Eimear Chaomhánach at echaomhanach@templebar.ie

Designer Mart at Cow’s Lane takes place every Saturday in the Old City area of Temple Bar from 10am – 5.30pm

Artists from Designer Mart at Cow’s Lane come over all chocolatey!

The Temple Bar Chocolate Festival has launched and just about everyone has got the chocolate buzz including some of our hugely talented artists from Designer Mart at Cow’s Lane. On Saturday October 31st from 3 – 4pm a chocolate inspired fashion and craft display will flow through the Designer Mart stalls of Cow’s Lane in the Old City area of Temple Bar.

We have already had a sneak peak at the material produced by the artists for this years Chocolate Festival and these sweet treats are not to be missed! Ranging from unique designs using wools, leather, glass, beading and fabrics, you really will be amazed at the creativity that Chocolate can bring out in people!

Designer Mart at Cow’s Lane takes place every Saturday in the Old City area of Temple Bar from 10am – 5.30pm

This event is FREE and does not require tickets.

Check out a full programme of Temple Bar Chocolate Festival events here!

Designer Mart at Cow’s Lane – October Workshop Series

Following the success of the Designer Mart Workshops in July, we can announce 4 workshops to take place on Saturday 3^rd October to be facilitated by crafts people from Designer Mart at Cow’s Lane.

The price includes a full TOOL-Kit providing participants with all materials needed on the day.  Each participant will go home with a finished piece!

Classes are 2hrs in duration and there is a maximum of 10 participants per workshop.  To book please contact the workshop facilitator listed below.

Date: Saturday, 3^rd October 2009

Location: Music Hall (beside Queen of Tarts), Cow’s Lane, Old City, Temple Bar.

WORKSHOP Schedule:

For general enquiries on Designer Mart at Cow’s Lane please contact Eimear Chaomhánach in Temple Bar Cultural Trust at echaomhanach@templebar.ie