Just a few more sleeps until The Handmade Arcade Games!!!

We’re getting even more excited about this Saturdays Handmade Arcade! NOT ONLY is it the Handmade Arcade games with all our friendly makers AND a whole load of retro gaming fun……

But….. we’ve teamed up with mighty new record label Blanket Records, who will be supplying us with some very talented young musicians from the area!

Run by the lovely Lewis, Blanket Records supports new music from emerging artists and give them some exposure as well as an outlet for their work – sharing our DIY ethos, they are also pretty excited to be part of the day! Come down and witness some awesome new music! We’re getting ready to listen to the freshly pressed vinyl that Lewis dropped in today – Aidann Sinclair – who has been compared to Nick Cave – he’ll be on at 2pm – make sure you don’t miss him! As well as a few surpise musicians from Blanket Records!

 The bandstand will also be a platform for Delve – who are touring the UK on a mission to play 250 gigs in 250 days! Come give them some support!

Also – be sure to check out The Coffee Club Collective they’ll be hanging tough playing games armed with an amazing amount of brilliant illustrated wares! Pop down and say hello! You’ll be glad that you did!

So, that’s your Saturday entertainment people! Come along and say hello – and show your support for Exeter’s creative culture!

See you then!

Hayles & Nath

The Handmade Arcade Games. More reasons to come and play next Saturday 1st June!

This week will fly by, and then you'll hopefully be enjoying the playful day that is Handmade Arcade!

So far we've got a terrifyingly good day lined up with..

Face painting, Hula Hooping, Hopskotch, Truckloads of board games and card games to play, Origami Corner, Draw on the Door Competitions, 80's classic movies, Atari gaming on the big screen, live music, Tuck Shop lucky dip sweet bags from Fizzy Wizzy Woo, Ice creams available from McCoys Arccade as well as an amazing array of local indie art makers!

Good Old Life!

Here are some more people who'll be joining us! Take a peek at our previous post to find out more!..

The marvelous Josie Maskell - illustrator, designer and maker currently studying at Plymouth Uni, We saw some of Josie's work at BABE this year then bumped into her once again at the Give Up Your Day Job Fair in Plymouth and were pretty impressed by the work! Come down on Saturday and see for yourself!

We are delighted to be joined by ol' familiars Guy Millon and Hannah Mumby organisers of the oracular spectacular that is Butterscotch Sunday - they'll be raising funds for local charity The Magic Carpet and hosting the magical Origami Corner! I'm not sure what they are making but you can bet your cotton socks it will be ingenious, wonderful and mesmerising! Also chat to them about their upcoming screenings of Mulholland Drive and Fantastic Mr Fox each with a sweet and salty Butterscotch twist!

The brilliant Spirit Forge will no doubt be on the hunt for a poker palying elf this week as they prepare to join us for the mighty games! We love you guys! Thanks for being there every time wth your fascinating array of wiccan inspired indie arts! Last month Abi painted some great watercolour pieces for the day - keep on the look out her little treasures!

The Coffee Club - are some wonderful peeps we met at Pick Me Up! They will be joining us in the little shop across the way! A marvelous pop-up shop full of inspiring illustration, wonder and amusement! I'm sure they will have some inventive games for you to play inside their little cave of joy!

Eva whom we met last month with her brilliant prints and cards, will be back again, hooray! Eva works at one of the city's super Cafes Cafe Espresso, a favourite place for an NGNG team meeting (that's just Nath and I by the by!)

Ruvina - the magical maker has many tricks up her sleeve, last time she put on a new guise as face painter for our star wars spectacular - this month she'll be taking on two sides as maker of bejewelled and beautiful brooches and gems as well as a painter of faces! a multi talented gem!

Garou will be joining us for the first time, Garou is a regular customer of Bunyip - the arcades little treasure trove full of beads and buttons - Garou makes unique, beautiful jewellery come and take a peek for yourself!

Sarah McDonald will be elsewhere this month, but she has made for the day some fantastic retro games inspired badges, clocks and prints! Keep a look out for them on the day!

Wow, this really is a fully packed Handmade Arcade - hope you can join us for fun and games next Saturday 1st June!

We've also got some great new things in the NGNG shop!

Hayles and Nath!

The Arcade Games! Saturday 1st June!

We've come back down to Earth, and are now getting excited for the next Handmade Arcade in less than two weeks time!

The sunshine is back (a bit) and it's put us in a playful mood! What better way to indulge our spingy feelings then to provide the perfect playtime in McCoys Arcade, with retro games, hula hoops and hopscotch! Top trumps and card games maybe even a spot of buckaroo!

Saturday 1st June will see McCoys arcade transformed once again into a reliably sunny atmosphere with live music from local artists as well as a bounty of brilliant and inspiring makers from not too far afield! Under-cover fun with home-cooked food and drinks available from McCoys Cafe, which even boasts a free cinema showing some 80's childhood classics and retro games galore!

This week I've been sifting through some rather lovely and exciting applications... Heres a peek of some refreshing characters you're likely to find...

We're really excited to have Kezia return to the Arcade - she's the maker of some pretty incredible and unusual jewellery as well as printed bits n' bobs! Think tiny toy shoe earrings and dolls house delicacies you can wear - pretty rad if you ask me!

Alongside Kezia we'll have the lovely Erin whose fresh and inspiring take on jewellery making gives me goosebumps! she also has a very exciting collection of FRIDA KAHLO jewellery! I know she'll have one customer for sure :) So all Frida fans head on down and pick up some of this awesome treasure for yourself (basically, before I buy it all)

This month we'll also have some fantastic prints alongside original artwork by Robin Doyle, pick up a piece of original, affordable art! That's what it's all about!

Steampunk Jewellery by Ruby Horologie reconstructed wearable classic timepieces, ties in pretty nicely with Exeters one and only Steampunk inspired shop Velveteen at the front of the Arcade!


We'll also have an origami competition! Competing for the title of Grande Paper Champion! Decorate the Arcade and win a highly acclaimed and accredited title and maybe a cupcake or two! Come and check out Origami Corner and make your mark in the Arcade!

Also look out for the work of The Knitting Tent who will be transforming the arcade into a knitted paradise and spreading the word about Craft Army! A weekly hang out for makers wanting to Make A Difference right here in McCoys Arcade - come and see her to register your interest! She'll also be selling her knitted wonders and spreading a blanket of happiness!

Alongside these treasures will be hand spun, hand dyed and woven threads from the wonderful and brilliant Little Owl Crafts!

Fantastic hand fired glass beads and animals made by the steady and fearless hands of Miss Madeliene Bunyan!

More to be announced shortly, i'm also on the lookout for a few more people to join this months great tribe and to play music in return for cake and tea! See our Apply section to find out more!

Happy Making!

Hayley and Nathan

The Arcade Strikes Back!

No Guts No Glory, OMG Comics, Ambition Is Pitiful and a bunch of indie makers, illustrators and printers got together in McCoys Arcade this weekend for an awesome celebration of Handmade Arcade's - MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU!

Our decorations were looking pretty awesome (we haven't actually had the heart to take them down just yet!), McCoy's Cafe became the Death Star Canteen with an impressive array of galactic treats. And the Handmade Arcade Storm Traders had obviously been busy creating the most incredible Star Wars themed arts.

The day was busy from the get go, and some excellent sounds from Exeter based Mad Mash made for an incredible atmosphere - thanks so much if you took the time to be join us - we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did!

Here are a whole heap of photos we took on a day that was all things Star Wars... as always please do get in touch if there's anything you want to get your hands on :) 

Sooooo many animal friendly cakes!

NGNG's sister project Common Goals with some awesome tees for charity..

Sarah Mcdonald's Star Wars clocks, badges and cards were snapped up by Star Wars fans!

NGNG illustrator Philip Harris and his incredible work! He made some brilliant Greedo prints for the day which you'll now find in the NGNG shop.

Obi Wan...

Regular Handmade Arcader Ruvina came along and painted some faces for the day!

The brilliant Donya Todd and BIMBA COMICS!! Donya is also the maker of some pretty awesome earrings, she hopped up to Devon with....

NGNG artist Jack Teagle from Newquay with a selection of awesome prints, zines and original works!

Screenprints of the May the fourth be with you poster by Swansea based Foreign Eye now also available in the NGNG shop!

Jack Kirtley from Foreign Eye decided it was a good idea to drive down from Swansea at 4am, I think the following things are pretty relevant to his journey....

Ambition Is Pitiful's Rhys and Leah came to stay with us for the weekend, and chat about screenprinting and the like! Rhys makes some pretty cool tee's prints and mugs you can find in their online shop..

The vegan Star Wars cakes were Chewie....?!

The Spirit Forge got stuck into the Star Wars theme!

Star Wars Top Trumps!

 For some though, it was just an excuse to be a tiger...

Mad Mash trio came along to play their own versions of rock-a-billy tunes!

Exeter Local Records' Tom Matthews showing off the latest additions to the distro, which is always filled with new music from local bands...

Madeline Bunyan has been busy in her studio cooking up some new glass designs - in the form of flowers cats and foxes - she's a very clever little lady!

These gorgeous scrabble tiles were made by Gill Hopkins, they are each individually decoupaged and varnished to be strung onto chains! Such a great idea!

Darth decided to pay us a visit.  He was in the market for a new look - a No Guts No Glory t-shirt seemed a good place to start...

Little Owl Crafts and her great spinning skills - rumour has it it's not just sheep she keeps on the farm!

Eva who hails from France but now lives in the city, has been printing at the Double Elephant print studio and had some interesting images of birds and all sorts of things! She's raising money so she can buy more art materials and continue to make things!

Thanks to Hepzibah for bringing her brilliant illustrations on postcards and prints! Check out her Darth Mouse...

The next Handmade Arcade is on Saturday 1st June! Hope to see you there!

Check out what else we've been squirrelling away at in the No Guts No Glory shop on our other blog!

May the force be with you,

Hayles and Nath x