Handmade Arcade Has Arrived!

This last Saturday marked the beginning of something awesome for the city of Exeter! With the launch of the all-new No Guts No Glory Shop and The First Ever Handmade Arcade, we sure as hell know how to keep ourselves busy! The day was a huge success, as locals and tourists came together and Handmade Arcade made it's mark as no ordinary Craft Fair. Thanks to all of you who stopped eating chocolate eggs and made your way down to McCoys Arcade to sample the delights of Devons talented makers and artists. If you missed the day or spied something you want to get your hands on, feel free to email us - or see the list of links to all the artists involved at the bottom of this post and get your hands on some unique locally made goodness! We are of course doing it all over again in just a few weeks time!

We had some great live sounds from the likes of the lovely Simon & Rhys, Sunday Skyclub and Some Sort Of Threat and a couple of great buskers who turned up on the day, thanks guys!

Screen Printing and Make and Take Workshops run by Bunyip Beads and Buttons were popular as ever, and Stacia Blake supporting Love For Fukushima, had a pop up shop filled with origami cranes giving demonstrations to raise awareness for her project.

Here's a slice of the action...

The weeks building up to the event seem like a mighty blur of sawdust and paint splashes as we strived to finish the new No Guts No Glory shop and get it full to the brim with exciting new specialist books, mags, zines and a host of handmade bits and bobs... We are super chuffed with the results, and the No Guts No Glory shop looks pretty happy with itself too :)

Thanks a lot to everyone involved in the set up, especially all the local independant businesses in Fore Street and beyond who embraced the idea of this project and have made it possible to bring something new to the area. A special thanks to friends of the shop who volunteered their time and much needed DIY skills to get the shop looking ship shape and help us run the show on the day!

If you missed the launch of Handmade Arcade and the No Guts No Glory shop, never fear -  the next one is just a few weeks away on  Saturday 5th  May. Mark your calendars, tell your friends, and join us in celebrating the abundance of local talent on our doorsteps.... we'll have music from the Zazou Cowboys and lots of other surprises ... more to be revealed next week when we announce next months talented crew...

If you think your handiwork may be good at the next handmade arcade please see the apply section on this 'ere blog and get in touch. We'll be announcing the successful applicants next week!

A final massive Thank you to the lovely Artists & Makers who graced the arcade with their wares on the day - Abigail McKenzie of the Marmalade Collective, Lize Meddings, Laura Jayne Weeks, The Preservation Society, Tabbytha, Mick & Emma, Laurel Coxon & Co, Nia Gould, Frances Matteson, Patrick Cullum, Ollie's Mum, and of course the great chaps from the Flying Post!

Be sure to pop down and take a look at the newly upgraded NGNG Shop!

Oh yeah, Handmade Arcade is on Twitter and Facebook too - follow us to keep updated with what we're up too :)

Hayley and Nath

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