Have a very handmade Christmas and join in the 

'Small Business Saturday' - time to shop locally folks, and support all our fabulous independent businesses.

THE place to be Saturday 7th- Sunday 8th December for all your festive shopping. Our March Hare Collective Christmas Weekend is fast approaching. Handmade and truly beautiful gifts on sale; over 50 artists, designers and makers will be showing their work over the 2 days. Just to give you a taster, here are some of the delights on offer:
Vintage boxes by Tim Watson, luxury skin care by Royston and Hayes, vintage style homewares by Jumbleberry Handmade, brilliant posters by Upto20words, beautiful textiles by Anna Bird, handmade wreaths... in fact, a whole range of brilliant local art, craft and design! 

Help us spread the word- this is a unique Christmas Fair.                         Nothing mass-produced! Everything created with talent and love!

Our next March Hare guest blog is from photographer, Wendy Knipe. 

My name is Wendy Knipe and I trade under the names PhotoNameFrame and WeeKee Images (www.photonameframes.co.uk and www.weekeeimages.co.uk). 

All the work I produce is based around my photography; I have always carried a camera (my family are dedicated "snapshotters") and have recorded my travels and local nature in photographic form for as long as I can remember.

I love the architecture of East Anglia, from timber framed cottages to stately homes, village churches to magnificent cathedrals. I began to see that features of the architecture could create recognisable shapes - letters of the alphabet - and so the idea for PhotoNameFrame was born.

Having created an 'Architectural Alphabet', a commission for a different type of PhotoNameFrame led to me looking more closely at the gardens, woodland and forest of the region to find the alphabet in trees.  I love looking for 'my' letters wherever I go.

WeeKee Images (weekees is our childhood word for ears, but also links to my initials) was born out of the idea that my photographs could stand alone, not just as part of a NameFrame and so I started to produce, prints, greeting cards and lately fridge magnets and keyrings featuring a variety of my images. The greeting cards in particular are very popular, especially those, for some reason, that have "wicked" humour in their taglines!!

I do my own printing and work from my spare bedroom/ dumping room at home. My framing is done by the excellent Peter Richardson in Old Buckenham, Norfolk.

Five adjectives to sum up my ethos and work? : random, unique, organised, imaginative, humorous

March Hare Collective and the Gallery Highwaymans

Day One at The Gallery Highwaymans was great. Delicious food, mulled wine all on offer at the Festive Shop and Gallery. Cakes, soups, tasty delights, all made by the talented Juliet at The Gallery Highwaymans. Handmade gifts, workshops, children's craft area, free parking, free admission... so many reasons to head out to the Gallery Highwaymans, Risby, IP28 6QP this Sunday 10am-4pm. Help us spread the word.

March Hare Collective @theapex

Saturday 2nd November - The Apex, Charter Square, Bury St. Edmunds, IP33 3FD.

Next Saturday at The Apex sees a combination of the March Hare Collective and Sustainable Bury's, Green Fair at The Apex. Two fantastic events to visit in one place. 

                                           

One of our new members of the March Hare Collective has created this very wonderful March Hare Collective poster and we are delighted!

Here is some more information about upto20words as our guest blogger...

www.upto20words.co.uk

Rachel & Simon Gilles offer a personalised and completely bespoke service with their brilliant and contemporary designed posters. 

"The idea came from my day job as a freelance designer and a passion for typography on a daily basis. 

The only tools I use are me and my Apple Mac in the office at home.

The personalised posters seem particularly popular, and we've had some great feedback from customers so far.

Whenever I have an idea for a print I start scribbling related words down, and doodling any ideas for additional illustrations. We recently returned from a trip to New York, so I'm currently in the process of making this into a poster."

With a bit more time and the right facilities, I would love to start screenprinting some of my posters, which could open up a bigger variety of papers, colours and of course texture. Branching out from posters, I think possibly T-shirts, mugs and items such as tea towels could work well once we become more established.

     

Here is the other fantastic art workshops planned for the November event at https://www.facebook.com/galleryhighwaymans

Please visit www.thegalleryhighwaymans.co.uk 
or telephone 01284 810283 to make a booking.

Save the dates; Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th November

Free children's craft bag (subject to availability) and Christmas prize draw. Festive treats from the cafe all day with a wonderful woodland walk around the arboretum! 

Lots of stalls that include;

Oily Rag - inventive and beautiful products made from oil cloth that include outdoor cushions, table clothes, bags and much more... Great prices on the day!

Festive Christmas Wreaths - these are one of a kind, handmade to make your Christmas really special!

Red Sparrow Crochet - amazingly intricate, wonderful colourways and contemporary designed crochet...

Kim Whittingham house portrait artist - commission a one off portrait of your home...

plus so much more local talent. 

A showcase of Suffolk artists, crafters and designers at The Gallery Highwaymans! 

One of the fantastic art workshops planned for the November event at https://www.facebook.com/galleryhighwaymans

Please visit www.thegalleryhighwaymans.co.uk 
or telephone 01284 810283 to make a booking.

Save the dates; Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th November

Our annual exhibition takes place at The Lounge Cafe, 2 Hatter Street, Bury St. Edmunds, IP33 1LZ from Saturday 14th September until Friday 25th October 2013. We have 10 artists exhibiting in a range of different mediums. A rare independent and supportive Arts Cafe, The Lounge is a unique place in Bury St Edmunds. 

Private View on Saturday 14th September from 6.30pm...

March Hare Collective Guest Blog - Naomi Brangwyn

All my work is inspired by nature - sea and landscapes, on occasions I sneak a beach hut into the panel, sometimes I'm inspired by a wild corner or a muddy patch.  Often the inspiration comes from the glass - lately I seem obsessed with the sun - I bought a large sheet of swirly red/orange/clear glass that just demands to be turned into a sunset.

I'm a professional glass artist of 12 years experience - over the years I've gone from evening class, to utility-end-of-the-kitchen to garden studio, I now dedicate the whole of the ground floor of my house to my art.  One room is filled with work bench (set high as I stand pretty much all the time), a huge range of glass, a wide selection of tools - grinder, glass cutter, foiling tools, soldering iron, an array of pliers for breaking glass and other tools for working metals (a regular appearance in my work). 

My second room makes a good display space for finished work, somewhere to put commissions when awaiting customer approval, storage for my teaching equipment, and a second teaching room when students need to spread out. Finally the all‑important utility area for washing panels, adding acid patina, polishing - and especially for the endless hand washing!

My glass work literally stands out - often built up with layers of glass, and sometimes with gaps between the pieces.  A range of prices for all budgets -suncatchers, wall panels, windows and doors.  Commissions regularly undertaken.

Delicate - yet robust - colourful - contrasting - layered

www.naomi-brangwyn.co.uk

http://www.facebook.com/NaomiBrangwynGlassArtist

Saturday 6th July - The March Hare Collective @theapex - 10am until 4.30pm

This Saturday 6th July we will be upstairs at The Apex, Charter Square, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk. A wonderful array of local artists and makers. This is our last March Hare of the summer 2013!

Our first ‘March Hare Collective Guest Blog’ is from Caroline Blake

Caroline Blake

www.carolineblake-art.co.uk

I would describe my mixed media work as “vivid nature”, as it’s all about colour which I make vibrant, pearlescent or fluorescent and I love to embellish with jewels and glitter. The paints are applied onto board lined with tissue paper which I crease in an individual way for every piece, giving a textured 3D effect. My latest obsession is to apply tiny beads to the crevices of the tissue to create an interesting terrain. 

I am a stickler for placing my gems and beads in the right places and will sometimes be seen hoovering my paintings if I am not happy with a stray bead.

The titles of my current paintings are rather tongue-in-cheek; I enjoy playing with the word "tree”, which is worked into the title.

I am a self-taught painter inspired by my maternal grandfather who was a member of the Royal Academy.

I am able to offer commissions and if you love particular colours I can create something personal for a special room.

Five adjectives that sum up my ethos and work are:

Vibrant

Funky

Contemporary

Striking

Bling

Well, May and June events have seemingly rushed by and our next big event is 

Saturday  6th July at The Apex, Charter Square, Bury St. Edmunds.

 

We have a free prize draw of wonderful art, craft and design direct from our collective and anyone can enter by filling in their name and e-mail onto a flyer and posting it into our collection point upstairs on the day. The prize draw bundles are set to go out after the summer! 

The collective continues to grow and so does our enthusiasm to promote the original and creative work of our makers. We hope to have some demonstrations running alongside the stalls as part of our future events. Watch this space...

Our next event on Saturday, May 4th promises a variety of wonderful designers. artists and crafters. The first Saturday of every month features 20 plus stalls all local artists from Suffolk showcasing their excellent work. Browse and buy from the community, supporting creativity.

Catherine Downes

My designs are by nature very clean and minimal but retain a very feminine quality with an almost "Calligraphy" like feel to them. I work in Sterling Silver and all pieces are designed and handmade by myself. 

http://www.fruitfarmfabrics.co.uk/index.html

The wonderful creativity from Caroline Davidson. Inspired by photographs and drawings taken from around her home, an old fruit farm in Suffolk. Bold, contrasting colours with strong repeat pattern combined with the unexpected make this work 

original and and a joy to have about the home. 

Saturday 2nd March is fast approaching. We shall be U P S T A  I R S and inside the Apex with 24 stalls. It promises to be a busy event with a grand variety of exhibitors.

Beaded Garden

Dizzy Dizzigns

Jason Lewis

The work from three of our exhibitors.

 Jane, of The Beaded Garden, hand-makes beautiful textiles and jewellery. Her use of colour and fabric pattern is such a joy and a little piece of sunshine to see you through the winter.

Shelley of Dizzy Dizzigns is a full time Silversmith, making striking and beautiful jewellery. She exhibits all around Suffolk in a variety of craft events and we are delighted to have her show with us when she can. Her jewellery is quirky, wearable and wonderfully unique. 

Jason Lewis is a printmaker working in Bury St. Edmunds. His prints often feature well known buildings from the local area as well as a range of repeated patterns in beautiful colour ways.

It is a wonderful opportunity when a a writer from a new Life Styles magazine for Bury St. Edmunds gets in touch and wishes to write an article about the March Hare Collective. I'll post up more information regarding the article as soon as I know. Such fantastic images have been sent over and I'll upload some over half term! Watch this space...

The wonderful work of Little Swift

LittleSwift

Dates for 2013

We will be at The Apex the first Saturday of every month from February.
 
Saturday February 2nd
     "        March 2nd
     "        April 6th
     "        May 4th
     "        June 1st
     "        July 6^th
August – Summer Holiday
     "        Sept 7th
     "       October 5th
     "       November 2nd
     Saturday and Sunday December 7th and 8th.

Have yourself a very handmade Christmas!

 

Saturday 1^st and Sunday 2^nd December

@theapex, Charter Square, Bury St. Edmunds 
Individual Art, Craft and Design
from the makers of the March Hare Collective. 
10am - 4pm / free entry / cafe and bar 

       October 2012

Saturday the 3rd November is almost here! We have one exhibitor stranded in New York and so Thames ART will be sadly missed this weekend. So, we have 22 stalls including art, print, craft, wood turning, crochet, stained glass, handmade food, jewellery...

All original work...

November promises to be very busy in the run up to Christmas. The collective continues to develop and expand with so much support and interest. The space and light of The Apex is the ideal venue for exhibiting with the gallery space upstairs. Currently there is a powerful exhibition upstairs celebrating Black History Month from the 8th - 25th October. 

Sept  2012

Our next event is Saturday 6th October.

The Christmas flyer is out. We have Saturday 1st  and Sunday 2nd December at The Apex with different exhibitors for each day. It promises to be a showcase of Suffolk's creativity and a real opportunity to support up and coming designer makers. 

Aug  2012

We begin the academic year with an event on 

Saturday 1st September 2012

@theapex, Charter Square, Bury St. Edmunds, IP33 3FD.

Come along with a flyer, add your name and e-mail address and enter our raffle draw! 

The prize will be hand selected from one of our fantastic designer makers. 

Our ethos is to support the handmade, great quality, creative and individual.

July 2012 

New flyer has started buzzing around town. 

As August just has to be sunny and glorious we are having the month off and so we will back in Sept! 

Bring a flyer, sign up and enter our raffle draw and we can update you on our events and happenings. 

June 2012

The next MHC @theapex is Saturday 7th July, 10am - 5pm. 

It promises to be an exciting day to be in Bury St. Edmunds as the Olympic Torch will be travelling through the town and there are lots of exciting things going on in Charter Square. To escape the crowds please pop into the Apex for some R&R and browse through Bury's answer to Spitalfields Market. We are full to bursting with a creative range of stalls, boasting some of the finest handmade goods in Suffolk. 

The MHC @The Lounge

The Summer Exhibition is hung and it is a varied and exciting display. 

It will remain on show until the 28th July 2012. 

May 2012

Our next event shares the Diamond Jubilee weekend!

Big event in the Arc, Charter Square with the March Hare Collective in The Apex from 10-5pm. 

We also have an eclectic exhibition at The Lounge, Hatter Street, Bury St. Edmunds, IP33 1LZ. Exhibition runs for 6 weeks from the 16th June. Private View on Saturday 16th June, cafe and bar facilities from 6.30pm - 9.30pm. 

April 2012

Another wonderful MHC@theapex...

Our next event is Saturday 5th May;

 we have 20 artists and crafters and it promises to be a creative boom!

Bury St Edmunds Artist and Crafter Community

Our new postcards will be available to collect at the next event on Saturday 7th April @theapex, 10-5pm. 

Suffolk's answer to Spitalfields...

Meet the makers and support the local economy. Keep the pound local and encourage home grown talent!

Next event is Saturday 7th April

10am - 5pm

@theapex, Charter Square, 

Bury St. Edmunds, IP33 3FD

We had a fantastic first event in the foyer of The Apex!

Next date for your diary is Saturday 3rd March 2012

10am - 4pm.

    

    The calm before...

February 11th February is almost here...

Find us @theapex for more wonderful designer makers. 

The Apex. Charter Square. Bury St Edmunds, IP33 3FD.

Sarah Rhodes 

The wonderful work of this jeweler is simply breathtaking.

Just thought people may like to take a look at some contemporary jewellery in the UK. 

www.sarahrhodesjewellery.com/

MARCH HARE @theapex 2012

We are delighted to be running a monthly Pop Up Shop and Gallery @theapex. We will be situated in the foyer with a wonderful range of our local designer makers.

Dates for the diary: Saturday 11th February

                                    Saturday 3rd March

                                    Saturday 7th April

                                    Saturday 5th May

                                    Saturday2nd June

                                    Saturday 7th July

                                    Saturday 1st September

                                    Saturday 6th October

                                    Saturday 3rd November

                                    Saturday 1st December

MARCH HARE @theapex 2012

Thank you to everyone who exhibited with the March hare Collective 2011 - the collective is growing and the synergie between the artists is creative and exciting. Thank you to everyone who comes along to support the artists on the day! Our mailing list is growing and we hope to have a regular presence in Bury St. Edmunds in the new year. 

We are pleased to announce that Mrs D. Whomes won our December raffle. 

Watch this space for our up-coming events for 2012!

Christmas Angel by Amazi.  Make us Suffolk's No.1!
A new song in aid of clean drinking water projects in Africa.
It's available now to buy on iTunes and Amazon
Or listen and pre-order CD's at http://www.rsvptrust.co.uk/christmasangel

 

 

4th November 2011

We are delighted to be able to have a number of exhibitors in the Foyer of the Apex, in addition to our usual high quality and eclectic mix of art, craft and designer maker.

Just a note that Rio B, wonderful button jewellery will be taking part in our next 

March Hare Collective 

@theapex on Saturday 3rd December. 

In the mean time they can be found at Lavenham Farmers Market 10-1.30pm on the 4th Sunday of every month. Also on November the 5th, Jimmy's Farm from 10-2pm. 

Next March Hare Collective will be at 

The Apex,

Saturday 3rd December 2011. 

16th October 2011

Thank you to everyone who took part in the Collective over the weekend and also to everyone who visited! We had another very successful exhibition and it is a delight to have such a hub of creativity including the fantastic musicians that played on the Saturday. 

It is our pleasure to announce the winner of our raffle is Ms Northeast. Included in the goodie bundle are some tickets to use at The Apex in addition to some fab MHC crafts.

1st October 2011

The count down is on! We have a fantastic selection of designer makers , crafters and artists. We also have a very exciting raffle - just enter your details on the flyer to enter the draw.

Included in the line up are; Red Sparrow Crotchet, Heirloom, Lizzytish, Rojo , Fruit Farm Fabrics, Pomegranate and Bird Studios to name but a few! 

See you there...