New tutor on the block

We're very excited in the Ministry of Craft office to have a new jewellery course and a fantasticly talented new tutor on board - Melissa Keith- Jopp. Having given up teaching art full time to pursue her passion  for all things creative, Melissa is now working on developing her resin jewellery and contemporary glass engraving business - Jopp Design, as well as tutoring adults and children in a wide range of creative pursuits.

Focusing a lot of her creative work around the ethos of upcycling, Melissa has devised our newest course - Mix & mould: Resin jewellery in March. She'll be teaching our customers how to preserve some of their favorite miniature treasures in resin and then turn them into a pieces of gorgeous and very wearable jewellery. We're loving her work and can't wait to see the 'makes' from the course.

Chloe Owens - the free machine queen

January for me is always a time to 'catch up on craft' reading the issues of craft magazines that have dropped through the door that I haven't had time to read over Christmas and also to make a new list of projects I want to get done before the light nights come back round again.

I couldn't help notice Chloe Owens mentioned in a couple of my issues. Her work is original, kitsch and a combination of free machine embroidery, applique and hand embroidery. As well as scooping a feature in the very inspiring Mollie Makes she's also got a book out - All sewn up - (available to pre-order now at Amazon). She's the perfect Free machine embroidery queen - and just in time to inspire those of you who are coming on one of forthcoming Free Machine Embroidery and applique courses. Happy viewing ! SS