oplà minishop

Hello everyone, I hope you're all having a great summer or "back to real life" moment... today we have a nice presentation by Manuela, Manufactapaper. I found her jewels stunning from the very first moment I saw them. Hope you enjoy reading a bit more about her! I'm a bit sad because next week it's going to be the last week of my minishop, but I truly hope this experience can continue... fingers crossed.... but for now enjoy reading about Manuela and stay tuned. :)

My name is Manuela, I live in Sicily and I started working with paper around three years ago, when I started being interested in the creative possibilities of recycling paper and other materials such as tetrapack. 
I use different kinds of paper, from fine kinds of paper like rice paper, traditional printed italian paper (Varese), handmade marble paper from Florence, bookbinding paper with a "snake skin" effect, to recycled paper from magazines, old books, normal copy paper, tetrapack. My creative process has an aesthetical and ethical origin, I want to contribute 
to the change of meaning of contemporary jewelry: jewels are precious not because they're made of expensive materials,
but because they're the result of recycling, work, of the idea and the hand of the craftsman. 
Paper jewelry is a hobby for me, I sell my creations only occasionally and I'm satisfied with this situation. 
My style is modern and minimal, shapes are essential and geometric. 
I take my inspiration from what I learned about origami, adapting some of the origami modules to jewelry, following the idea of an origami that's not meant to be exhibited, but "wearable", I always take inspiration from nature looking for the same texture of animals' skin in the paper, the colors of the Mediterranean, and the sunshine of my island. 

today it's time to chat with Fabiola from archivio gotico. there are some beautiful garlands and postcards in oplà which she created - time to know her a bit more :)



Who's the creative mind behind archivio gotico?
The creative mind is basically me!

When did you start creating and how did you discover your passion?
Like many things, archiviogotico started by chance. I may have been grumbling at the traffic lights or gazing absent-mindedly at the computer monitor at work. Like many people, I have lots of ideas but rarely manage to put them into practice. I was probably – because I don’t really remember – thinking about vintage postcards and how nice it would be to make my own vintage sets based on a theme. I have a ‘theme’ mania, which started when I was a DJ in a local indie radio. I did themed programs with songs about any subject, from tea and toast to philosophy. There is also a bit of my childhood. My sister and I did a lot of drawing and messing about with paper because it was cheap and it offered a wide range of possibilities. My father worked in a printing factory and brought home a lot of scrap paper. We made our own comics and drew stories. They were all about pale girls, mansions, pavilions, boarding schools and treacherous events but they were often funny and had great characters. Archiviogotico probably started there.

Which are your favourite materials?
Definitely paper. Any kind. I’d like to use only recycled materials and one day I will manage to do that. I like finding old, yellowed paper in the office home supplies cupboard and I collect all the paper I can. In my town, it’s difficult to purchase good paper and there’s not much choice. I would have to purchase enormous quantities that I can’t afford. That teaches one to make use of what one has at hand.

How would you describe your creative process?
My creative process is always casual and a little chaotic, which is ok but a bit confusing. I have an idea and then starting looking through my box of paper cuttings and ephemera to see if I can find something that suits the theme I want to work on. I use a lot of vintage ephemera but never the originals. I scan the things I am interested in and touch them up with Photoshop. Then it’s time for printing, which I do on an ancient printer, and cutting. As far as postcards are concerned, I do a lot of research on copyright-free high resolution image databases. I’d like to do my own photos and am currently working on this. 

Where does your inspiration come from?
My weird childhood, my sister, ghost stories, windy days, books I read and re-read (E.A. Poe, Neil Gaiman, Herman Melville, Dino Buzzati to name but a few) and also from songs. Many of my postcard sets are based on songs. One of my favourites sets ‘I Often Dream of Trains’ is from a Robyn Hitchcock song.

What is craft for you? A hobby? Your profession? And are you happy with your current situation or would you like to change something?
Archiviogotico is currently a hobby. I work full time and don’t really have much time to work on new things. I’d really really like to be less messy and more organised so I can find regular time to dedicate to archiviogotico so I’m not particularly happy with how things are at the moment. I would like to learn more about printing, paper and bookbinding instead of just improvising. There’s a lot of improvisation in archiviogotico.

How would you describe your style?
That’s a difficult question. Eclectic, mostly. 

Do you participate in crafty markets/fairs or do you only sell online? 
Only occasionally and when there’s a fair nearby. I prefer to sell online. Selling individual postcards is not the same as selling a whole set with a theme and an identity. And I like packaging my work prettily and I can’t do that at fairs!

Overlapping
Overlaying
Overanalysing
Overviewing

Observing, obtaining.
Objective, obsessive.
Obscure until obliteration,
Oblique with obstinacy.

A site specific installation especially realised for Roodkapje's minishop basement. Using already existing drawings as a starting point to negotiate an intricate language of repetition and combination in an ever- evolving kaleidoscopic movement of zooming in and out.

An attempt to find the system that explains everything, the structure that subtitles all phenomena through repetition- until non-defined non-sense turns into non-plused non-description.

Who's the creative mind behind 'more?
Three girls who live in Venice, but come from different cities. 
Besides ‘more we work with contemporary art, photography, and the youngest just graduated in marketing. Our skills often complete eachother to discuss our creations, the choice of materials and then come to the realisation of the item. 




When did you start creating and how did you discover your passion?
‘more exists since around two years, it all started in a playful way: we wanted to wear original necklaces and not seeing copies on other girls. Then we found out our creations were really appreciated and started producing them for our friends. And then, through word of mouth, we managed to gather quite a good group of clients.   




Which are your favourite materials? 
We mostly work with glass blown Murano beads, and also with simple materials like terracotta, resin and iron hardware items. 




How would you describe your creative process?
Our creative process always starts with a visit to the Murano island, the most important city in the world for glass creations. There we buy glass beads (both blown and not). When we buy materials we do not think about how we will put together the necklaces.  When we meet to create together we fill the working space with all the materials and we try to combine them. In fact each of us has different tastes in terms of materials and colors to work with. 
This picture gives an idea of one of our typical creative meetings: 




   


Where does your inspiration come from?
A good chat with friends, a nice glass of wine and fantasy are our inspiration sources!


What is craft for you? A hobby? Your profession? And are you happy with your current situation or would you like to change something?
Our dream would be to only do this as a job, maybe opening a shop in the most beautiful city in the world, Venice! But for the moment ‘more is a hobby that allows us to spend lovely nights together, give free space to our creativity, and make women happy with our jewels.


How would you describe your style?
Let's say that our collaboration brings together different characters and tastes, but for sure our distinctive element is asymmetry. 
In our proposals there are balances that are not strictly related to a formal rigour, but we refer to a deep idea of beauty, which can be found in imperfection and in the dissonant power that can be generated by a form, a material or a color which brings armony to the whole. 


Do you participate in crafty markets/fairs or do you only sell online? 
Our main form of selling is word of mouth, but once in a while we also participate in crafty markets. 

Hi everyone! I know it sounds ridicolous but I interviewed myself for the blog. No need to say more, so here you are. :)


Who's the creative mind behind beejoux?
My name is Teresa and I am 31 years old. I am italian but I am based in the Netherlands since 3 years and a half. I work as a freelance curator for contemporary art and I have a slight obsession for cuteness and handmade stuff. Besides art, which is my biggest passion, I have always been into music and I recently discovered roller derby. These things make my life pretty exciting lately, in all possible ways :)
My passion for handmade made me try this adventure: the temporary handmade shop Oplà. So far it's been a lot of fun and I really look forward to seeing if it could be something for me to consider as a “real” business. 


When did you start creating and how did you discover your passion?
I think I have always been crafty, as far as I can remember. I started by crocheting with my granma and painted ceramics with my mother. But if I have to think about being conscious that I needed craft as an (almost) daily practice in my life, this happened around 2005 when I was studying visual arts and needed something playful to do in my free time. I started making lots of stuff with fimo when I was busy writing my thesis, to relax at night after a whole day of writing in front of my computer.


Which are your favourite materials?
Definetly resin and polymer clay. The possibilities with these materials are endless, especially when mixed with other materials like pigments, glitter, glass beads, and so on. Every now and then I get obsessed with something else, like crochet or shrink plastic, but so far my real long lasting relationships with materials are definely polymer clay (7 years) and resin (4 years). It's really exciting when you realise you improve every time when using a certain material. 


How would you describe your creative process?
I would say it's really random. Sometimes it all happens really spontaneously. I find a little figurine in a flea market or vintage shop and think about making a jewel out of it. Sometimes I make a plan, writing exactly what I want to do on a notebook. 


Where does your inspiration come from?
Art, movies, illustrations, cute stuff I see on the internet, songs, comics, nature, candyshops... the sky is the limit :)


What is craft for you? A hobby? Your profession? And are you happy with your current situation or would you like to change something?
I would say it's something more than a hobby, but not even close to a part time job. The time I spend on my crafty activity is not enough to make more out of it at the moment. And this is something I really want to change in the future, because I see a huge difference when I am able to dedicate some time to it. I create more, I sell more, and above all, I'm a lot happier. I sell online quite regularly, but not a lot. OplàMinishop is a great opportunity to deal with the handmade world in a professional way, not only with my own practice, but supporting other talented people. And I am loving every minute of it! 


How would you describe your style?
Playful, colorful, happy. With some vintage touch. 


Do you participate in crafty markets/fairs or do you only sell online? 
I participate in crafty markets throughout the year, but I started being really selective about it. My items are really cheap so I need to choose markets which do not require a lot of initial costs to cover and which I know can be successfull. I tend to stick with a few markets a year that I know well and that have always been successful. Being on a market is always a lot of fun, but especially in winter it can be pretty intense, so I prefer to choose carefully. 

The setting up, opening and first weekend in Oplà were so busy that time was just flying. and tomorrow is time to open again! I am really lucky because I have enough friends around me to make these experiences so great. Friends who helped me to set up and keep calm during the pre-opening, friends who came by to say hello and keep me company during opening time, and last but not least, friends who bought items from the shop. 

these days when I was at home I could not help keeping an eye on the street to see if the postman was coming my way. and everytime he rang the bell, well, it was a bit like xmas for me. the items I received so far are all amazing and really beautiful! and today the real work started... I went to get the shop keys this morning and started decorating the window (work in progress style!). I am now going back to start putting the shelves on. Luckily I have two lovely friends, Kathrin and Katharina, who are not only helping hands, but also give me nice tips and keep me in a good mood ;) I am a lucky girl indeed! 

I just came back from my holidays. I was in Berlin at my brother's and then in Italy to celebrate my mom's 60th birthday. I had a great time, and although I'm happy to be back and looking forward to finally open Oplà next week, I'm a tiny bit depressed by this after-holiday feeling.
But...to cheer me up...look what I got in the mail yesterday! 

Hello everyone
first of all, thanks a lot for all the enthousiasm around Oplà. so far I got so many nice feedbacks about the invitation card, the blog, the facebook page...it makes me even more enthousiastic about this project! July 20th is slowly approaching and there are SO MANY things to do... but I'm happy to say I'm on schedule and I'll be able to keep working on holiday as well...so no panic! 
Today I would like to start introducing to you one of the designers who will exhibit and sell in Oplà: PeekaBoo cornershop. Enjoy!



- Who's the creative mind behind peekaboo cornershop?
All creations of Peekaboo cornershop  are made and designed  by myself ,Stefano  by the support of my girlfriend, Roberta, that helps me to arrange the online shop and to find and develop new  ideas.
This project was born two years ago to follow my passion for the crafts and jewellery.


- When did you start creating and how did you discover your passion?
I started to make jewellery many years ago. When I was in Italy I worked  as a  jewellery designer for many companies using 3D softwares .Two  years ago ,I moved to London and I've  started to create bijoux using shrink plastic, polymer clay and other materials.
My  passion was born twenty years ago,in fact I studied jewellery making at  the  Institute of Art  In Tuscany,Italy.


- Which are your favourite materials?
My favourite materials are shrink plastic,polymer clay,some fabrics,ceramics or glass .I also love working with  gold , silver and steel.


-How would you describe your creative process and Where does your inspiration come from?
My creative process first of all  is visual, I like to draw inspiration from colours, attractive shapes and all the contrasts that come from nature,landscapes or through the different expressions of people....
The melting pot of London  is really ideal for that!


- What is craft for you? A hobby? Your profession? And are you happy with your current situation or would you like to change something?
My craft creations at the moment are also my work .Currently,I'm working as a market trader at Greenwich market of London. I'm very glad about this job,the market is an exciting environment to show and sell the hand-crafted products. 


- How would you describe your style?
I could describe my style like a fusion of design and different suggestions,
Is like a fun game ,a world of shapes and different stories that mix and fit each other.


- Do you participate in crafty markets/fairs or do you only sell online? 
Yes, I participate in many  craft markets,expecially in London,(Camden town market,Sunday up market,Backyard market and the Greenwich market).
This 15th of june  I also  taken part in a jewellery fair at Greenwich market.

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follow oplà on Facebook!!! the page will be updated regularly with images from the designers, news about the shop and updates :) 

...and here they are, just printed! I love how they came out! and I am so glad I managed to find a printer that always listens to what I ask and spends time to make proof prints and choose colors with me. So, for the moment, 400 flyers are ready to be spread, starting from next saturday at Bazar Bizar, the artsy market/event in the south of Rotterdam. I can't wait to put a smile on people's faces with these amazing flyers...

here we are with the cutest invitation EVER! I feel so lucky to be able to collaborate with the most talented people around....here you are, front and back, with all the useful info about the shop, opening times, and the designers... enjoy! 

Hello everyone. My name is Teresa and I am a creative restless mind. I moved to the Netherlands from Italy 3 hears and a half ago and since then I was so lucky to make a living out of my biggest passion: art. I've been working as a freelance curator for contemporary art, collaborating with different institutions and realising a lot of projects I truly loved and engaged with. 
Lately I felt the need to experiment also with my second biggest passion: craft and handmade.
I've been wandering in the crafty and handmade world for the last 7 years, both creating items myself and supporting other people's handmade work. 
I like getting lost surfin' the internet checking handmade websites, handmade shops all over the world, spend entire days sitting in craftymarkets, meeting other creative minds, and so on. 
Finally, thanks to Roodkapje in Rotterdam (click!) I managed to get a small temporary store to sell handmade stuff I love. 
The idea of running a shop has been on my mind for a long time now and I can't wait to start this new adventure. I will be selling handmade items by a bunch of talented crafty people, and the shop will be filled with illustrations, jewels and accessories realised with different materials and techniques. Stay tuned in the next weeks for all the information, dates, and interviews with the designers. 
Follow my blog and support handmade!