Rocking the UAE the handmade way this Christmas

Saturday, December 6, 20141 Comment

With the holiday season upon us, ARTE is pleased to announce that we are participating at the Market and Winter Fun Fest, an event put together by the fabulous folks at the Green Community. This in addition to our regular markets at Times Square Centre, RAK Al Hamra Mall and the Arabian Centre, Mirdif; making it so easy for you to catch up on your last minute shopping the handcrafted ARTE way at different locales around the UAE. At the Green Community festive event, there will be a Santa’s Grotto, a fashion show, dance performances and the lighting of the Christmas tree with carol singing. So, mark your diaries – Saturday, 13th December, 12 – 7 pm, and pop by to buy some colourful festive decorations.

Speaking of which, decorating is always a fun and festive activity. Making decorations are even more fun. That’s why the artisans at ARTE offer an array of handmade items to transform your home and entertain your family, friends and special guests like Santa Claus (and his Mrs.). Here are a few examples for festive decorative inspiration.

Wreaths by The Flowerful Project

Welcome guests to your home with these natural, fresh wreaths by floral designer Alisa Sokoliuk. Serving as door, window or table decorations, they bring the distinctive pine smell of a traditional Christmas tree to your home.

: Wreaths by Flowerful Projects

: Wreaths by Flowerful Projects

Images courtesy of Alisa at The Flowerful Project.

Knitted decorations by Marjan and Bahar

Iranian sisters Marjan and Bahar knit these nifty little tree decorations. They also have a selection of Santas in all shapes and sizes to fit into any nooks and crannies. You can view more of their knitted works here and read an interview with them on knitting for success.

: Marjan & Bahar knits

: Marjan & Bahar knits

: Marjan & Bahar knits

Textile and quilts by Tessa

For a warm and cosy Christmas feel, have a look at South African crafter Tessa Jahnig’s textiles and quilts. See her selection from wall hangings and stockings to dinner tableware to add a festive flair. More of Tessa’s work is available on her blog.

: Tessa’s textiles

: Tessa’s textiles

Christmas crackers by Wayne

Have some fun around the dinner table with these imaginative crackers by Wayne. Customize the colours, the words, the sizes, as well as the fillings, to entertain everyone. Wayne’s crackers also contain Whimsies by Wade (collectible figurines from the UK). They were even featured in the film “Harry Potter and the Chamber of secrets”. To read more on the history of crackers, see Wayne’s website.

: Wayne’s crackers

: Wayne’s crackers

: Wayne’s crackers

Nativity scenes by Miriam The Felt Lady

Iconic to a traditional Christmas celebration, every home needs a nativity scene. For a variation on conventional sculptures, Miriam Walsh fashions these intimate scenes from felt and wood. You can find more information on Miriam here.

: Miriam’s nativity scene

: Miriam’s nativity scene

: Miriam’s nativity scene

Once again, here are the dates for ARTE markets in December:

There are three more official ARTE markets before Christmas:

Friday 12^th December at Times Square Center, Dubai

Friday, 13th December at Green Community, Dubai

Friday 19^th December at Al Hamra Mall, Ras Al Khaimah

Saturday 20^th December at Arabian Center, Mirdif, Dubai.

Please visit our website for further details.

Images taken by Stephanie Neville unless otherwise credited.

We know what they did last summer

Friday, September 5, 2014

ARTE may have taken a short break during the month of August, but our artisans have been as busy as ever. We take a look at what some of the artisans did over the summer to refuel that flickering oil lamp of creativity.

Bright and Beautiful – Creative Fabric Ideas

Carla Bygrave, Founder and Designer of Bright and Beautiful did not have much time to create many of her popular bag creations, but her tote bag travelled all over the world with her. From Vegas to LA, from Cebu to Malibu beach, from Dubai international to London Heathrow, her large tote bag has bagged quite a bit of air mileage. She also captures colourful ‘craft wonderlands’ (as she calls it) where ever she travels, most of them heaped with fabric and wool that make us at ARTE-sans hunger for more of such craft shops in the UAE to whet our arty appetite.

Packed to the brim, the tote bag comes to Carla’s rescue at the airport while travelling.

The Bright & Beautiful tote bag is spotted yet again at Houston’s George Bush airport.

One of the many photos Carla takes of craft shops and shares with her fans. This one is at Michael’s craft wonderland in Pasadena CA.

Customized buntings and bags by Bright & Beautiful. Carla whipped these up in a matter of two days, before she got onto that jet and winged away to Scotland.

Like Bright & Beautiful Creative Ideas on Facebook.

T’Danes

T’Danes also travelled during the summer. Her favourite destination happens to Istanbul. “This city made me realise that that one time beauty stays a life-time beauty,” she says. This philosophy is incorporated into T’Danes beautiful pieces of work. No wonder they sell like hot cakes – after all, who wouldn’t want a piece of Istanbul beauty around her neck?

Photo by T’Danes encapulates Istanbul’s handcrafted inspiration through the power of recycling.

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Turquoise-ptember collection by T’Danes.

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Each pendant is a memento marking a special past event in someone’s life.

Doesn’t this ‘Marina’ necklace by T’Danes look awesome?

Like T’Danes on facebook.

Janys De

Spending time between India and Dubai this summer, Jan D’Sa, Owner and artist-designer at Janys De, started working on pocket squares to compliment her handcrafted cufflinks collection. Leaving the pocket squares and her cufflinks behind in Dubai, she went off to India and had a great time having the space to work on her fiction stories, doodle spontaneously and take insect and floral photographs to capture her love for nature. She says, “I did not travel as much as I would like to, but time spent on my parents’ garden-farm, dabbling in hobby photography, doodling and writing served to be a great introspection time where I travelled deep into my creative being.” We can be certain to witness her cufflinks collection steeped in this newfound creativity at ARTE.

Jan loves the time after the monsoon rains, where the raindrops sit immaculately on the flowers and leaves. Captures on her parents’ garden-farm.

Balancing the arthropod and the tear drop. Captured by Jan on her parents’ garden-farm.

Spontaneous doodling with her non dominant hand has become one of Jan’s favourite past times.

Handcrafted cufflinks by Jan in polymer clay and resin. The designs are made, following the intricate patterns in doodles created by Jan.

Like Janys De on facebook.

Dollie Day Dreams

Another artisan who has seen the world and has lived in different countries spanning South America to South East Asia, had a pleasant surprise waiting for her in the English Countryside. Maggie, Owner and Designer of Dollie Day Dreams, says, “I was re-introduced to the pleasure of picnics in the English countrysides, long walks and endless rows of gorgeous flowers. The weather was great to just wander off the beaten path and lose myself in memories of things that I miss when I am in Dubai.”

Her Dollies are well known collectibles that are quite the rage among ARTE’s visitors.

Flowers in Maggie’s mother’s English garden.

Maggie Tuite, seen with her Dollie creations on new ARTE posters.

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Maggie’s Mr.Bunny keeps her company when she makes her dollies. She says, “She likes my button box, thankfully, I caught him in time having a sniff and not a snack.”

The Diva Dolls sell like hot cakes at ARTE.

Don’t you love this doll Trapeze Artist – each Dollie by Maggie exudes her own character and personality.

Like Dollie Day Dreams on facebook.

Eva’s Cats

Bright and spunky Eva Yumshanova, designer at Eva’s Cats, spent time in the west of France camping with the family during the summer. Amongst all the expected camping gear you may find in camper’s backpack was (no surprise) threads and needles. Eva says, “I could not take my sewing machine, but I could sneak in some fabric, needle and thread. I zipped myself in the tent which made me feel I was inside a sleeping capsule of a star ship. I loved it.” It was in the midst of viewing the night sky, the milky way, breathing fresh air and pine trees, visiting Brittany and Le Croisic (known for its snail farms, salt plantations and more ) that her cat keychains were born.

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Eva in France, enjoying her ‘starship’ abode while piecing the cat keychains together.

Buy these cute cat key chains by Eva at ARTE markets.

A preview of some of Eva’s cats and dogs, foxes and camels.

Who can resist these animals made by Eva?

Like Eva’s Cats on Facebook.

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All Photos used in this blog posts are used with the permission of the artisans.

Hats off to the Milliner

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

For French American Nadege Brunacci, fashion is indisposable. So she takes it upon herself to handcraft each and every piece of art in the form of hats. You will never see the same hat, colour, stitch twice at Nadege’s stand and hand.

Nadege, the lady behind these lovely handcrafted hats.

The girl who grew up loving the styles of Coco Chanel and Audrey Hepburn, wants to recover that sense of ‘femininity’ so lost to women. If you want a hat, bring in your favourite dress, and she will stitch a hat just to compliment that dress. You can be sure that if a hat doesn’t suit you, then Nadege will say so and instead draw your attention to the hat that does suit your countenance, your style, your figure and also add inches to your frame (if you happen to be petite).

Visit ‘Hats by Nadege’ on Facebook.

ARTE, The Makers' Market

Tag: Handmade in Dubai