Ever Wondered What Goes on Behind the Scenes?

A comment that I hear from time to time is ‘You’re nice and quiet in here so you can relax’. It’s a lovely thought and I would love nothing more than to sit at the desk and stare at the side of the church opposite all day (or I could watch some paint dry very easily as I have the resources at my fingertips). The truth is that we’re always busy here at Crafty Monkey.

This time of year, believe it or not, is officially Christmas! Towards the end of September, we have many mums booked in to get their babies’ hand and footprints onto baubles (we love their organisation!) and mums’ group bookings become especially popular. By the end of October, we book our customers in back to back so that we can keep up with demand. We can eat lunch and have a wee in January- until then, we become super-human!

So, what goes on behind the scenes? Lots.

The most obvious thing is the production line. More than half of our customers will ask us to decorate their pieces for them. This means that every day, I have piles of stuff that need some love. Last year, I painted close to a million (give or take) antlers and red noses on footprint reindeers and I have written ‘Happy Christmas’ more times than Santa’s Elves have.

Our kiln is on most days during this period. Loading and unloading is something of a mammoth task and can take a couple of hours each way. It’s a top loading machine, meaning that we use heavy shelves and posts and it’s a bit of a balancing act…not for the faint hearted to say the least!

We then need to gather people’s orders together and organise them for collection. This is more difficult than it sounds as we have so much stuff constantly rolling in and it can get very hectic. We also struggle for space during Christmas as we are heaving with pottery and can’t fit it all into our usually ample window display space.

Other than that, we are packaging things up to post, dealing with the creation of imprints/outprints, painting commission pieces, receiving mail to be dealt with, ordering stock and battling with huge pallets when it gets delivered, keeping the shelves plentiful, answering the phone as it rings off the hook and attempting some form of tidiness in the studio. And the most time consuming and arduous task of all? Filling the little paint bottles up on the tables. If somebody could invent self-replenishing paint bottles, I’d be all over it!

That’s a brief synopsis of what goes on behind the scenes…there’s actually a lot more happening but I’d be here all day if I listed it all!

So that’s us until December 22nd. The rest of the year is similar but we’re slightly more time rich and we get to eat lunch. If you’d like to pop in and bring us a mince pie, we’d be most grateful. And if you wouldn’t mind liquidising it and feeding it to us intravenously, that’d be great…

Make a Gift Day!

 

Today is National Make a Gift Day and coincidentally it also happens to be one of our busiest days of the year!

We’ve had a very busy Christmas period as those of you who have been in over the last few months will know! 

As usual, baubles have been our best sellers with hundreds of hand printed festive beauties having passed through our hard working kiln in the last four weeks alone.

But we’ve also seen some other wonderful creations, including mince pie plates, Santa mugs and snow man tea pots. The loveliest thing for us is knowing that around 90% of the painted pottery leaving our studio is on its way to surprise a lucky recipient as a Christmas gift! There are many lucky mums and dads, grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends out there that are about to become owners of super cute baubles where tiny foot prints have been turned into reindeer or plates featuring a Christmas tree made from little hand prints. 

If you’re stuck for something special for a loved one- then there’s still time to make something at Crafty Monkey and have it ready in time for Christmas day.

 

Booking is essential at this time of year, so don’t forget to call us on 01480219222 to reserve yourself a table.

How to use silkscreens on pottery – a Step by Step Guide

We’ve produced some lovely items lately using silkscreen and we’re so pleased with the results that we thought we’d be kind enough to share our secrets with you in our step-by-step guide!

Here’s how we made our funky Lambretta plate!

 

STEP 1

Begin by choosing the base colour for your plate. We chose white because we wanted to give our plate a stripy background so used it as a nice light colour for our first application of paint.

STEP 2

Using a sponge, cover the plate in three coats of underglaze. You’ll need to work quite quickly as you don’t want the paint to dry out completely just yet.                                                                                                                                                    

STEP 3

If you’re making a stripy plate like we did, tear up some strips of paper and dunk them in cold water. If you wanted nice neat stripes then you can cut them beautifully, but we liked the idea of having a slightly rougher effect.

STEP 4

Lay the strips onto the plate to form stripes.

STEP 5

Using your second choice of colour, dab the underglaze over the plate, again do three coats. You could also brush the paint on, depending on whether you want a mottled or a block colour effect.

STEP 6

Carefully pull the strips of paper away.

STEP 7

Time to watch paint dry! Ensure your base coats are completely dry before you attempt the next stage.

STEP 8

Take your chosen silkscreen (in our case, a Lambretta) and lay it onto the plate, fixing it into place lightly with low tack masking tape.

STEP 9

Before using a silkscreen, you need to thicken the underglaze up. You can buy professional thickening agents, but we mixed in cornflour which is just as effective. It needs to be the consistency of toothpaste..

STEP 10

Apply your underglaze by dabbing it on with your finger. You can also use small dabbing sponges for this if your prefer. Different colours can be applied to different areas of the silkscreen if you prefer.

STEP 11

Carefully lift the silkscreen to reveal your design underneath.

STEP 12

Your plate is now looking fab and is ready to be glazed and fired in the kiln!

 

Travelling Companions

How are the summer holidays going for you so far? Personally, we’ve been having a great time!

It’s been a busy one so far and our diary is looking a lot like the fun isn’t going to die down anytime soon. We’ve seen many familiar faces over the past few weeks and some of our local younger visitors have been coming to see us on a weekly basis! We must be doing something right!

However, this year, we’ve seen a big increase in children from far and wide as they’ve been brought along by aunts, uncles, grandparents and family friends as part of their visit to St Neots. From Norwich to New Zealand, we’ve made lots of new little friends! Some of these children look forward to collecting their painted pottery next time they see their loved ones, but many of them have been making things that they can take away on the same day. Our Build a Bear range is ideal for little travellers as they can make a little companion to pop into their suitcases and snuggle up with at night times…they can even have their own changes of clothes if desired!

Alternatively, our squishy, shiny putty – Foam Clay is another mobile option as the pieces will touch dry quite quickly meaning that the children can create until their hearts’ content and and take their items with them to admire forevermore. 

If you’d like to bring a visitor along to create a memory, give us a call on 01480219222…and remember, pottery painting isn’t just for kids! Grown-ups love it too!

Today is Superman Day!

It’s probably a little known date in the calendar, but yes, today is indeed Superman Day!
The general idea behind Superman Day is based around having a bit of fun and paying tribute to one of our best known superheros. So whether you fancy popping on your cape and lycra tights or taking measures to save the planet from evil, get your friends together and celebrate the life and times of the well loved fictional character (but please do not jump off buildings in an attempt to fly- chances are, you won’t be able to)

At Crafty Monkey, we are fortunate enough to have had a visit from the great man himself as he dropped by to try his hand at a spot of pottery painting. So, what did he choose to paint? Was it a bird? Was it a plane? Not exactly, he chose a gnome..we can only assume that Superman is partial to a spot of gardening when he’s not busy being a hero!

 

From Bare to Beautiful- a Pottery Make-Over

We’ve all seen the endless blogs, articles and videos on ‘make-overs’, but we’re used to seeing lackluster hair transformed into luscious locks and pale pallors brightened to supermodel standards.

But did you know that at Crafty Monkey, we’re the master of make-overs?

This poor old mug was feeling properly dowdy and under-dressed. Our idea was to turn it into a unicorn mug. I think you can see for yourself how happy the mug was with the results!

Usually, the client expects somebody to do their make-overs for them…not at Crafty Monkey! If you come here, we encourage you to do your own make-overs! One of our customers carefully applied this owl’s make up and now look at him!

‘I want to look like a princess riding a unicorn’, she said. ‘No problem’, we replied. She was merely a shadow of a thing- now look at her transformation!

If you’d like to visit us at Crafty Monkey and learn how to perform make-overs yourself, we’ll show you how, it’s easy!

Call us on 01480219222 to book…see you soon!

 

Crafty Monkey’s FAQs!

Either by phone or in person, we’re used to being asked a range of questions by customers or passers by. Some aren’t sure that they’ve got what it takes to come in and create and others don’t know what we do in here at all!

Below are a range of questions and answers to help you figure out what it’s all about!

I’ve got no artistic talent, can I come and paint?

Yes of course! We will guide you through and be on hand to assist you. You don’t need artistic talent as we have plenty of pieces (such as ornaments) that simply need the colour adding to them and it’s really easy!

My child is only a year old, is she too young to paint?

As long as your child can sit up and hold a brush- she can paint! It doesn’t matter what the end result is- it’s their very own artwork and you can cherish it forever! If your child is a small baby, come in and make something with their hand and footprints on! We also do other keepsakes to capture your child’s prints, such as Silverprint jewellery and imprints and outprints. 

What other activities are available at Crafty Monkey?

There’s plenty of fun to be had here! You can build your own bear, have fun with Foam Clay or create with decoupage.  We also run workshops from time to time (keep an eye on our facebook page for details). Adults evenings are on Thursday, by appointment.

Do you have a price list?

We don’t. This is because we have hundreds of different pieces of pottery and they are all priced individually. We often have new ranges of stock too. Everything has its own price and our studio fee is just £4, so it’s easy to come and browse and work out how much you’ll be spending. As a guide price, our average sized mugs start from £11.

Do I need to book an appointment to come in?

We always prefer it if you book. From October to December, booking is essential as it’s incredibly busy. The same goes for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day and school holidays. If you’re coming as a group, always ring and check that we have space for you.

How long will it take for my pottery to be ready for collection?

Your pottery will be ready a week after the day you finish it. If you’re in a rush to get it back, we may be able to get it ready within three days for an extra fee of £3.

Can I do something to take away the same day?

Yes, you can do foam clay, build a bear or decoupage and take your creations home the same day! It’s also possible to paint ornaments in acrylic paint (not recommended for young children).

I need a special gift for somebody- can I get a commission piece made?

Yes, give us a call or come and see us and show us your ideas so that we can give you a quote. Alternatively, you can order a gift from our website where you’ll find a range of designs to choose from.

Is my baby too young to have handprints done?

No. We know that some studios have age restrictions, but we don’t! Our youngest customer was three days old…if you can beat that, we’d be happy to accommodate!

My baby won’t open his hand, does that mean I can’t have a print?

No, we have ways and means!

Do you sell refreshments? 

Yes we have hot and cold drinks and a range of small snacks.

Do you have baby changing facilities?

Yes, our bathroom is equipped with a changing station and mat.

Can I have a party at Crafty Monkey?

Yes, we’re party experts! We have a range of party packages for all eventualities- from kiddie’s birthdays to team building outings. Contact us or check our website for more info.

I am astonished that you managed to get my baby’s handprint. Are you magic?

Yes.

Do you sell knitting needles/gold plated buttons/fishing equipment/wallpaper?

No.

Do other babies make this much noise?

Yes. We are immune to it, don’t worry!

 

Do your Bit and Ditch the Plastic!

Unless you’ve been living in a cave, you’ll be aware of the current concerns about the amount of plastic that the UK currently produces and wastes every year.

The plastic bag charge has been in place for almost a year now and has had some considerable bearing upon usage and wastage. The government are now currently addressing the issues surrounding the remaining production and disposal of other plastics.

275,000 tonnes of plastic are used each year in the UK. That is around 15 million bottles per day which are classed as ‘single use’ and then thrown away. Between eight and twelve million tons of global plastic waste ends up in the ocean and this is obviously a huge threat to our ocean wildlife.

While a long-term solution is being debated by the government, what can we do to do our bit? Well, obviously, plastic bottles and coffee cups are a fairly big deal in terms of our disposable receptacles.

This affects all of us and we can all make small changes to help out. We can help you to do your bit for the environment at Crafty Monkey as we have a range of mugs and cups for you to choose from. Come along and paint one, collect it a week later and ‘voila’, you have yourself a ‘forever mug’ and can feel a bit chuffed with yourself!

Call us on 01480219222 to book yourself an appointment and take a small step towards ditching the plastic and saving our seas!

While we’re on the subject of being more environmentally friendly, another way is to use planet friendly utility companies for your electricity and gas and don’t think that it will cost you more.  There’s a new company out there called ‘Pure Planet’ – they bring you fresh, clean energy for less than the price of power that pollutes. All their electricity is renewable, created by water, wind and sunshine and their gas is carbon offset. You win. The planet wins.  What’s more if you sign up to them through this link then you will get a £25 Amazon Voucher! Worth seeing if you can save yourself some money while gaining some great Eco Warrior points!

 

 

If Painting be the Food of Love…

The quote doesn’t quite work as well as the original, I know that, but like music, art is a great creative stimulant and you may just find that a pottery painting session with your other half is an ideal Valentine’s activity!

If painting as a couple isn’t up your street, how about making a lovely treasure with your baby’s hand and footprints?

We’re absolutely certain that every mummy and daddy would love a piece like this as their special Valentine’s Day gift.

If you’d like to put your heart and soul into personalising some pottery for somebody you love, drop by the studio and we’ll show you how!

Housewarming For The Kiln

It seems that everybody’s on the move at the moment. Chances are that you know somebody who has recently moved or is about to move. But what do you get your loved ones for a house warming gift? Many people are already set up and simply moving from one home to another and have everything they need already. There are only so many sets of decorative glasses that you can fit in the cupboard!

That’s why we’re lucky enough to see a whole plethora of ‘New Home’ based creations at Crafty Monkey! The lovely thing about DIY gifts is that you can create fantastic bespoke pieces to give your family and friends something that’s above and beyond what they’d usually expect to receive.

Many people like to paint plates and personalise their own ‘New Home’ design, which is great to pop on the wall for all to admire. However if you’re looking for a simpler gift, then we have plenty of bits and pieces that can be simply embellished by your own hand. From oil burners, soap dispensers, vases and pots in all shapes and sizes; we’ve got all the cute adornments for every mantelpiece and beyond!

We also paint commission orders, so if you don’t wish to do it yourself- pop along and chat to us and we’ll do the work for you.

Happy House Warming!