Monday 23 November 2009

YHF Photo at The Tiny Gallery - Coming December 2009

As sad as we are to bid a fond farewell to Jennifer Nicolson and her hilarious post-it note exhibit, we are excited to welcome long-time friend of Made In The Shade (and husband to Made In The Shade gal, Carrie) YHF Photo to the Tiny Gallery this season.

From Tuesday 1st December until Thursday 31st December, YHF Photo (aka photographer Garry Maclennan) will show a series of work at The Maisonette in keeping with the tiny theme of the space.

We'll be releasing full details this week, but for now, we'd like to give you a sneaky peek at a couple of pieces you can expect to find in the gallery come December. Fabulous aren't they? All work will be for sale and Garry may have some extra exhibit momentos to offer y'all too. Keep the 1st December free in your diaries. We'll be throwing an exhibit opening bash for Garry at the Maisonette. Don't miss it



"Can we just nip into Primark?"
Photo by Garry Maclennan (YHF Photo)




"What're you doin' after this, Joe?"

"F*ck all".

Photo by Garry Maclennan (YHF Photo)



Central Station/Tiny Gallery Project! And the winner is...

We are thrilled to announce that the winner of the Central Station/Tiny Gallery project is...
artist Lindsay Grime.

Lindsay will install a collection of hand painted ceramic plates, tiles, tablets and cameos exploring imagery relating to the notion of 'Home Sweet Home' in The Tiny Gallery in February 2010.




Rather fittingly, Lindsay's inspiration for this particular piece of work comes largely from her granny's dining room. As Lindsay explains so eloquently, "One vast wall of my granny's dining room... was adorned entirely with china plates, collected over many years and each with a significance and history all its own – some precious, others populist; some flawless, others rendered whole by clumsily applied glue, oozing grubbily between the cracks. My installation would aim to examine this nostalgic aesthetic - redolent of family heirlooms, souvenirs of an antiquated domesticity - and conjure fragments of invented personal histories. Curiosity shops and the worlds of European and American folk art also inform my vision for the space, which I would veritably line with objects, creating an environment rich in domestic narratives and glistening with intrigue and neo olde wordly charm."




We are thrilled that our Tiny Gallery space appealed to Lindsay and we cannot wait to play hostess to her - and her fabulous collection of ceramics early next year.

We'd like to offer a big "Thanks!" to everyone who submitted proposals and we'd like thank all the guys and dolls over at Central Station for suggesting Made In The Shade take part in a joint project - 'twas a lotta fun! :)

To find out more about Lindsay in the meantime, please visit her online profiles:

www.lindsaygrime.co.uk

http://lindsaygrime.blogspot.com/

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Lindsayjeangrime

Thursday 19 November 2009

The Maisonette Welcomes...

... this week's group of fabulous Guest Designers!

Say hello to Michelle Aaron - owner of creative (and sometimes culinary) indie business, Covetables; trigger happy Gillian Hayes aka Dapple Photography and our guy Monty - the bike-mad brains behind innovative crafty enterprise Missing L:nk.


Covetables




Look at this 'lil fella! His little cousin, Brown, has moved into The Maisonette with us this week. He seems to have settled on the chair by our window. It seems he's made friends with Mitten Kitten by Donna Wilson. Y'all can take them home if you like? Brown needs a good home. He's huggable and loveable and highly covetable! Handmade pets. It's all the rage. Brown can be yours for a princely £15.00.



... And look at these purty aprons! These are designed and handmade by Michelle too. A prettier kitchen outfit you ne'er shall find. You can browse and buy work by Covetables until 7pm on Thursday 26th November.


Dapple Photography

We are thrilled to welcome photographer Gillian Hayes (aka Dapple Photography) to The Maisonette as part of our Festive Shopping Shindig this season! Like Covetables, Dapple Photography is another favourite of the MITS boutique shopping event. Gillian is showcasing a series of framed work at The Maisonette this week alongside her beautiful collection of filmstrip postcards. Prices start from just £1.50 for a filmstrip card and for a princely £25 you can own (or gift!) an original framed piece by Dapple.






Missing L:nk

Monty is the bike-mad brains behind crafty upcycling business, Missing L:ink. Monty reclaims unwanted bike chain, spurces it up all shiny nice and then fashions it into highly desirable fashion pieces and practical accessories. This week The Maisonette will be showcasing and selling a range of Missing L:ink keyrings and wallet chains. These make the perfect gifts - not just for keen cyclists, but for fidgeters and footerers! Have you ever played with a bike chain?! Therapeutic isn't the word... Keyrings cost £6.00 and wallet chains cost just £12.00. Grab 'em before they disappear again! You have until 7pm on Thursday 26th November to get your mitts on some Missing L:nk presents.




Keep visiting the blog in the next few days for more info on The Made In The Shade Festive Shopping Shindig! We'll be welcoming another group of guests on Friday 27th November!

Wednesday 18 November 2009

Making Your Handmade Shopping Dreams Come True

Ok - so we've dropped the 'boogaloo' part and replaced it with a 'shindig'. Sounds better. We have 'boogaloo' earmarked for other things... but regardless of what we call it, hell! I do believe we have ourselves a veritable Festive Shopping dream scenario set up for y'all at The Maisonette this year!


How so?

Well... Picture it.

1. You don't have to engage with potentially (probably) infuriating city centre/highstreet/mall
episodes involving crowds, elbows and toe stomping.

2. You can avoid the ordeal of having your wee ears assaulted by poor, copyright free
"Christmas music".

3. You will not be met with blank (or hard) stares - as seen on sales assistants in Run Of
The Mill Chain Store Ltd - when you ask where your gift was made, what it was made from
and who by!

4. Your friends and loved ones will be thrilled to receive a thoughtful, handmade, limited gift
over a copy-cat, mass produced, high street design. Times are tough. Invest wisely!

5. We will feed you free treats and pink lemonade. What more do you need?!

Now. If that doesn't sound like a dream, then I don't know what goes on in your subconscience at night! Sounds pretty darn swell to me! On top of all that - remember that we have a lovely cafe downstairs - AND an ice-cream parlour. AND pubs. Perfect combo.

From Friday 20th November, we're welcoming groups of Guest Designers to The Maisonette for special 1 week showcases. That means - every weekend, you'll be able to peruse and buy the work of different makers. Nifty, huh? We'll be posting info about each of our guests on our blog/website/social networking sites in advance so y'all will know what's going on and what to expect - we'd hate for you to miss your favourite maker!


Come join us. Get gifting!

Friday 13 November 2009

Central Station at The Maisonette

Incase y'all haven't heard (how could you NOT?!), this weekend marks the official launch of fabulous new online creative community, Central Station.

The Made In The Shade gals have been following the progress and development of Central Station for a few months now. We're so excited that the time has finally come for the e-community and fabulous creative resource to truly blossom and grow. Not only that, but we're super excited to be involved in the official Central Station launch weekend celebrations!

We'll be welcoming a group of Central Station members and their chums to The Maisonette on Saturday 14th November (that's tomorrow!) Visitors will be greeted with classy paper cups of pink lemonade, some homemade mini cupcakes AND they'll have the opportunity to meet and chat with the Made In The Shade gals and this month's Tiny Gallery artist - Jennifer Nicolson.

Best get our frocks on!

x

Goodbye Festive Shopping Weekender... Hello 4 WEEK Indie Shopping Boogaloo!

Yes. We are still very sad that our 2nd annual Festive Shopping Weekender will not be going ahead at The Lighthouse as planned - but we've pulled our socks up, turned our frowns upside down and pinched our wee cheeks til they're rosie and come up with an alternative plan to make sure y'all are able to shop handmade this Christmas :)

Oh yes... Forget the 2 day rush to buy all your gifts at the Made In The Shade Festive Weekender! This year, you will be able to shop when it suits - every bloomin' day between now and Christmas Eve if you really want! We've decided to host The Made In The Shade Festive Shopping SERIES at our new retail/gallery and social space, The Maisonette. 'What's that? what's that?' we hear you cry...

Well. It's all very simple really. Between Friday 20th November and Thursday 24th December we'll be welcoming a selection of your favourite Made In The Shade vendors to The Maisonette as guest designers each week! The upshot? You get to peruse and purchase a glorious pick of the best handmade gifts this side of Knitonia AND we get to support indie business by providing our vendors with a platform to showcase and sell their work. Everyone's a winner (baby). That's the truth.

We'll be announcing the Guest Designer line-up very shortly. You can get planning your gift buying and we'll get the pink lemonade on the go for your arrival! ;)

Remember - The Maisonette is open 7 days a week. We're working hard to satisfy your every handmade desire! Come see us!

Monday: 10am - 6pm
Tuesday: 10am - 6pm
Wednesday: 10am - 6pm
Thursday: 10am - 7pm
Friday: 10am - 6pm
Saturday: 10am - 6pm
Sunday: 12noon - 5pm

Thursday 5 November 2009

Page 4 Pin-ups: The Maisonette & De Courcy's in The Herald

Did you see it? Did you see it?

The Made In The Shade gals' new retail venture, The Maisonette, was featured in The Herald today! There we were, with our new friends & colleagues Justina and Allan from neighbouring businesses in the Arcade, peeping out from Page 4.

Would you like to read the little article?

Here it is.

If you think you might like to write a little something about the new space or if you think you might want to photograph some of our products for your shopping spread or gift guide - then please do just holler! Get in touch with Carrie at: press@wearemadeintheshade.com for info.

Wednesday 4 November 2009

Late Night Shopping at The Maisonette

Oh... what a dreary ol' week it's been. What's that Frankie? Weather-wise it's such a boggin' day? Yes, indeed fella.

We'd like to invite y'all to our very first late night shopping evening at The Maisonette. We're experimenting with late opening on Thursday evenings. We'll be open 10am til 7pm. So - you think you don't have time to come visit us? Well - you do! Hoorah!

Oh - and to celebrate our first late night at The Maisonette, we'll be offering customers who arrive after 5pm a special wee treat :)



We can't wait to see you!

Carrie & Clare
x

De Courcy's Arcade & The Maisonette - FRONT PAGE NEWS! :)

Well, whaddayaknow? If you pick up a copy of The Evening Times today, you'll see the faces of two very tired Made In The Shade gals and their new neighbours at De Courcy's Arcade staring right back at y'all from the front page!

Yes - 'tis true. The lovely Maureen from The Evening Times interviewed us, alongside the owners of neighbouring businesses Just... For You and Not Now Cato! for a piece on the re-opening of the upper floor of De Courcy's Aracde in the west end of Glasgow.

We're not entirely sure if Cresswell Lane is the new Covent Garden - and we're even less sure whether we want it to be, but hell - there have been worse comparisons! ;) Give us Brick Lane anyday!



You can read the article by following this link - but really, to get the full 'front page/double spread' effect you must buy a hardcopy of the paper! :) Clare thinks we look like NKOTB 'hangin' tough'. I'm Donnie. Clare is Jon. Obviously.

So. Huge thanks to the guys and gals at the Evening Times for their continued support. Come and see us at The Maisonette and support your local indie businesses! There's a revival going on down this little cobbled lane and y'all should be taking part in it!

Keep your peepers on the blog for upcoming events and special indie shopping opportunities in the coming weeks :)