The 9th of September is Teddy Bears Day, did you know that? We didn’t until we saw it on the internet. How exciting! We are a bit late in knowing about it this year but hopefully next year we will remember and maybe our bears could have a party! Where did the Teddy Bear come from? We did a google search and found out the following: During the early 1900s, President Theodore Roosevelt was in office as President of the United States. He was a hunter. While hunting in Mississippi in 1902, he refused to shoot a small bear. The Washington Post picked up on this story, and made a cartoon of the event. Toy store owners, Morris and Rose Michtom, wrote to President Roosevelt for permission to call their stuffed animals “Teddy Bears”. Teddy bears became wildly popular. Their company went on to become the Ideal Toy Company, one of the largest toy companies in the world. (source) Important Notice: Teddy Bear Day is NOT an official holiday. Your teddy bear does not get the day off. He still has to do his job and be loveable and cuddlesome. What we would love to know is who has Built a Bear at Crafty Monkey. We would love you to share a picture of Charlie, our Crafty Monkey to our Facebook page so we can see what they are up to! #craftymonkey #BuildaBear #cambridgeshire #thingstodo #stneots #TeddyBearsDay

Well, what an amazing summer break we’ve had…or let me re-phrase that to ‘What an amazing summer, erm…time we’ve had!’ The monkeys in the studio have had very little in the way of ‘break’ time as many of you who have been in recently will have seen! We’re not complaining though, we like to be busy as it stops us from eating sweeties and complaining that we’re bored (does that sound familiar, mums?) So now that the summer holidays are coming to a close and our kiln has cooked its fair share of ice cream cones and cup-cakes (pottery ones, not real ones, that would have been messy), we shall be getting a well-earned rest as the children go back to school…albeit for about two days until the inevitable Christmas rush starts! Yes, I can hear your collective sighs as I type this, but I’m afraid it’s true- Christmas at Crafty Monkey starts early as folk clamber to get their little ones’ hand prints on baubles and mugs painted up for Grandad’s Christmas present. Christmas of 2014 surprised us by creeping up as the leaves had barely fallen off the trees, but this year, some baubles have crept into the kiln already…while we’re all still smelling of after-sun! The old saying that ‘Christmas comes earlier every year’, really does seem to ring true here in the studio as the popularity of handmade pottery gifts rises and rises. So, with that in mind, if you visit us again soon and notice that our shelves are lined with jolly looking Santa plates and snowman cups before you’ve even put your barbeque back in the garage; please don’t be alarmed! Please remember that although it is often fine to pop in on a whim at quieter periods, the run up to Christmas does get incredibly busy and we hate to have to ask people to either wait or return if there’s no free space. With that in mind, please call us in advance to book in- even if it’s just a few hours before you intend to come and we will do our best to accommodate you. Call Crafty Monkey 01480 219222 #craftymonkey #children #hand #myfirstchristmas #activities #personalised #parents #gift #ornament #foot #sunshine #holidays #goodbye #grandparents #stneots #tree #Christmas #handmade #headstart #prints #pottery #decoration #Baubles

That school holiday seemed to whizz by. It only seemed like yesterday that the whole six weeks of summer fun was here and now the children are back to school. For some of our younger customers it was their first day at school or first day at secondary school so a big event and it was lovely seeing seeing Josh, walk past my house all dressed up for his first ever day at Crosshall school. If you didn’t get a chance to bring your children in over the holidays then there’s always after school or Saturdays now the weather will be shifting to autumn mode, not that the summer mode was fully functional this year!!! We have just recently updated our stock so we have an even bigger range to choose from. Most excitingly and by demand, we now stock the Dr Who branded range which has delighted many of you. We have both Tardis and Darleks to paint and both of which come with their own set of stickers to decorate afterwards. We have also had lots of requests for owls so we listened and we now have a lovely range. Why not reward your children for being good this holiday, or encourage them in the back to school process by bringing them in to paint a pen pot that is all ready for those new stationery supplies to pop on their desk at home ready for the homework. But at the end of the day who really needs an excuse to come in to Crafty Monkey to paint something? Just come along for the fun and enjoyment of it, a lovely way to spend quality time now the kids are back at school. And then it’s Christmas but best keep the ‘C’ word quiet just for now! #craftymonkey #children #autumm #activities #holiday #foam #thingstodo #stneots #clay #schoolprojects #PotteryPainting

Today is the day where those of us who are in the ‘left handed minority’ get to have a bit of fun with our right handed friends and family members! The idea behind ‘International Left Handers Day’ is that right handed folk are asked to spend the day going about their daily tasks using their left hand to perform every action that they would usually use their right hand to carry out; such as cutting with scissors, peeling vegetables or using a mouse with their PC. By the end of the day, the ‘right handed majority’ will have encountered all kinds of inconveniences and difficulties as a left hander, which in turn brings the realisation of how difficult it can be for their left handed friends as they go through life having to adapt to tools and equipment designed for use with the opposite hand! We’re definitely up for joining in at Crafty Monkey, so we’re going to have a go at painting a design on a plate with our left hands (let’s hope it’s not one of your commissioned pieces 😉 ) We’re all for inclusion at Crafty Monkey, so for those of you reading this that happen to be a left hander- fear not, as you will find that life is made easy for you in our studio. We are fully equipped to accommodate your needs with a selection of left handed paint brushes and left handed bottles of paint…we even stock left handed stuffing for when you Build a Bear… Happy Left Handers Day! #craftymonkey #lefthanders #lefthandersday #lefthanded #thingstodo #stneots

From Brownies to Cadets, schools to WI ladies; we’re all about the group activities at Crafty Monkey! If you’re looking for some arty activities to inject something a little different into your session meetings, then why not give us a call to discuss what we can offer you? You can book a session to bring your gang along to the studio or if transport is an issue- we can come along, bearing all manner of arty bits, to your venue! We can have a chat about your requirements on the phone; we’re flexible yet full of ideas, meaning that you can either arrange to set a budget to let folk paint items of their choosing or you can opt to have everybody paint the same items and include a theme. If your intention is to tailor your visit to work alongside the curriculum or an award/badge- then we are more than happy to chat with you and decide upon an appropriate focus for your session. Remember that it’s not just pottery painting at Crafty Monkey– we also offer a range of other crafty activities including decoupage, foam clay and Build a Bear– so there’s something for everyone. We can also open out of hours for groups (minimum number of participants apply). Have a good rummage on our website and facebook page for inspiration as the possibilities for your group projects are virtually limitless! See you soon! #crafty #foamclay #rainbows #art #painting #guides #activities #buildabear #Groups #beavers #brownies #fun #WIladies #scouts #Decoupage #pottery

Have you ever tried your hand at decoupage? If not, then it’s time to get down to Crafty Monkey and give it a whirl! Decoupage is a lovely craft activity that couldn’t be easier to do, but the end results always look stunning. Simply choose the item that you want to decorate (such as a wooden heart shaped box), select our special decoupage paper from a range of brightly coloured patterns and get sticking! As you cover your item, you’ll see what a beautiful effect you have created. The final stage is to apply a layer of lacquer to give your new piece a lovely varnished finish. And voila! You’ll have created something for your mantelpiece or a gift for someone you love. With the summer holidays imminent and a whole lot of daytimes to fill, it’s the perfect craft activity to try out. And like pottery painting, it’s something that grown ups and children both love to do! A word of warning though- you may just get addicted! Just in case that should happen, we’ve got it covered as we have recently introduced ‘Decoupage take out kits’ to our shelves. Pop along to the studio and choose from a selection of papers, lacquers and of course items to decorate! We have some gorgeous bits and pieces for you to choose from, including picture frames, mini drawers, little bird houses and giant letters of the alphabet. We also stock Decopatch papers. Give us a call at Crafty Monkeys to get sticking! 01480 219222 #craftymonkey #children #glue #decorative #stick #activities #personalised #patterned #creative #holidays #Decopatch #kits #paper #adults #thingstodo #stneots #projects #special #Decoupage #craft #ornaments

I’ve concluded that, after many years of thinking about the speed at which the time has passed- it’s simply how quickly a year does fly by and we need to learn to embrace it… So, with that in mind; it may seem like you and your little ones were sitting in Crafty Monkey adorned in shorts and sun hats, painting all manner of holiday themed pottery…and now it’s time to start all over again! The end of the school term often brings with it, the beginning of parents tearing their hair out looking for things to fill the long summer days with. Most of you will know by now that at Crafty Monkey, we are saviours of sanity! Last summer, we saw many of our customers returning week after week to have a go at the different crafts on offer to their offspring (and many mums joined in too!). If your children have pottery painted until the cows come home, then why not ask them to try their hand at foam clay or decoupage? And of course, the infamous Build a Bear is not to be sniffed at as a summer holiday children pleaser! Do remember to give us a call to book your place in the studio- even if it’s on the same day that you intend to come, as the studio can get busy during the summer holidays. If you’re reading this and thinking that your children have already filled up your house with beautifully painted princesses and dinosaurs, then you can always be a bit clever and super- organised…it’s never too early to get the kids to sit and make the family’s Christmas presents! #painting #children #FoamClay #presents #BuildaBear #parents #summer #sun #activites #creative #holidays #dads #babys #fun #thingstodo #hats #dinosaurs #handmade #Decoupage #family #pottery #princesses #mums

We can’t quite believe that it’s our 6th birthday and we’re feeling ever so grown up! In terms of birthday gifts, we’re fairly low maintenance. We don’t require new bikes or musical princess castles. We don’t even want a cake*. All we want is to see the happy smiley faces of our lovely customers who continue to visit and support Crafty Monkey. Without you lot, we obviously wouldn’t be here celebrating our 6th birthday and we’re sending you lots of love (even though it’s our birthday and it should be the other way round, but we’re selfless like that!) Big thanks to you all…please come by and say hello and wish us many happy returns of the day! Love from all of the Crafty Monkeys XXX *This is a fib- we do want cake. Please bring us cake… #craftymonkey #crafty #birthday #art #painting #children #activities #gift #cambridgeshire #anniversary #fun #thingstodo #stneots #celebrate #birthdayparty #PotteryPainting

Why not commission our Crafty Monkey resident artists to create plates or other pottery for special occasions such as Weddings, Special Birthdays (18th, 21st, 30th, 40th, 60th, 80th), Christenings, Anniversaries (Silver, Ruby, Gold), New Born, Graduations, Teacher gift, Valentine’s or just a message of love & friendship. A gift like this will last forever in the hearts of your loved ones. We are able to personalise just about any piece of pottery you see in our studio – from the smallest tea cup to the largest platter. Whether you want to choose specific colours and designs for a bespoke decorative piece, or you want a unique gift with name and date of birth or any special greeting painted on -we are able to meet your needs. #craftymonkey #fathersday #painting #gold #decorative #weddings #friendship #teachers #birth #personalised #gift #silver #birthdays #creative #bespoke #anniversaries #newborn #love #Commissions #greeting #stneots #valentines #special #ruby #family #pottery #unique #graduation #Myfirsttooth #christenings

“Nobody can do for little children what grandparents do. Grandparents sort of sprinkle stardust over the lives of little children.”Alex Haley Here at Crafty Monkey we see lots of children coming in to paint Granny or Grandad something special for birthdays and Christmas etc but we also get Grandparents who treat their grandchildren to some Crafty Monkey fun. We have had lots of great comments from grandparents about how much they themselves have enjoyed the experience and how it’s a great place for them to spend quality and relaxed time with their cherished ones.  Some grandparents join in the fun and paint an item themselves while others enjoy watching their grandchild or grandchildren create their masterpieces.  I am sure they also enjoy the joy and contentment on their grandchildren’s faces. With the Summer holidays fast approaching, we have had an increase in Grandparents why not let the Grandparents bring your child to Crafty Monkey for a few hours. Not only will the children and Grandparents enjoy spending the quality time together but it gives you a bit of a break too! It’s hard to know what to do with the grandchildren sometimes, especially if they are an energetic bunch and your mobility isn’t as you would like it to be. Here at Crafty Monkey it can be a relaxing and calming activity whatever the weather and children and the young at heart can have fun creating something together. Here at Crafty Monkey we clear up the mess and Grandparents can hand them back at the end of the exciting day all tired and ready for bed. Win win situation all round! To book in with us us at Crafty Monkey call- 01480 219222 #craftymonkey #paint #children #masterpieces #grandson #activities #nanny #summer #keepsake #grandad #qualitytime #holidays #nan #fun #grandparents #stneots #special #family #relax #pottery #grandma #papa

Thankfully, our studio did not undertake a transformation into a real rainforest…that would have been a disaster for our precious art equipment! But rather, our studio was full of the sunny faces of a group of local school children eager to show us their excellent ‘rainforest’ themed ideas! The children from years 2 and 3 had been learning about rainforests at school and their latest mission was to paint a creature from the rainforest using a range of art techniques. Their teachers were wise enough to know that the Crafty Monkey team would be the right people to nurture the children’s creative minds! And the pottery painting commenced! Clutching the designs that they had lovingly created at school, each child was given a plain, square tile. Their aim was to transfer their beautiful pictures of colourful rainforest creatures to pottery…and the end results were amazing! The children used sponging techniques to start their pieces, creating a lovely mottled effect to reflect the weird and wonderful background scene of the tropical rainforest. They considered the colours that make up a typical scene and took small pieces of sponge to dab away to create their gorgeous green and yellow scenery. They then listened carefully and learned about different brush techniques and how to work with the special pottery paint to bring their animals to life in glorious technicolor! The children really enjoyed their pottery painting experience and took new skills (and maybe a new hobby) away with them. In the mean time, they’ve been waiting patiently to see their finished articles while the Crafty Monkeys were bustling away to get them glazed and fired. They produced some fantastic pieces of pottery and we’re sure that when they see them, they will be amazed at how their masterpieces have turned out! We were! Crafty Monkey love working with schools on projects whether they come to us or we go to them. We also work with PTA’s as we have some great fundraising ideas so get in touch if you would like to find out more! Call Crafty Monkey on 01480 219222 #craftymonkey #school #creature #painting #children #tropical #masterpiece #animals #ornament #monkey #glaze #Techniques #butterfly #experience #frog #new #rainforest #stneots #skills #fundraising #handmade #pottery #parrott #designs

Today is National Fairy Day and at Crafty Monkey, we’re more than well equipped to get involved! As many of you will know (especially those of you with little girls), our shelves are full of pretty fairies (and we even have some pottery ones). If you’re looking for a way to show your appreciation of our dainty little milk tooth collecting friends, come on down to Crafty Monkey where you can paint your own fairy from our selection. And for those of you that prefer to think outside of the box a little; there are fairy princesses and all things mermaid and doll related. Come by and talk to us about the prettiest fairy that you’ve ever seen…and if you haven’t, take a stroll down to the bottom of your garden, but don’t blink as you may miss them… Forest Sprite There was a little fairy Sat beneath a tree – Humming to her tiny self A haunting melody; Just a little tinkle Was all that I could hear Floating on the evening breeze High and crystal clear; Surrounded by a rainbow, Sparkles lit the air – Tiny wings did flutter Sprinkling gold dust in her hair; A tiny little forest sprite Had slipped the bonds of space, Perhaps a mere imagined thought Had brought her to this place; How sweet the sound she echoed Within this forest spot – Though I had never seen a sprite Her image now I caught; This tiny little fairy Sat beneath a tree – Humming to her tiny self A haunting melody. Linda Ori To book with us at Crafty Monkey – 01480219222 #painting #children #pretty #rainbow #gift #keepsake #flutter #craftymonkey #wings #friends #fairytale #fun #stneots #magic #sparkle #nationalfairyday #activity #forest #pottery #unique #wish

The end of the school term may seem like a long way in the distance, but before you know it, the summer holidays will be upon us (yay!) and you’ll be thinking about all the wonderful activities that you can get involved with at Crafty Monkey! But have you decided what you’re going to give to your child’s teacher as a ‘thank you’ gift? If not, then there’s no time like the present to put on your creative thinking caps. Teachers spend their lives getting hands on and creative with your children, so now it’s time to give something back and there really is no better place to start than Crafty Monkey. We can pretty much guarantee that you’ll find something for every kind of teacher here. We have items starting at £4 with no studio fee which proove popular, we have tea sets for the tea lover, latte cups for the coffee lover, cake stands for the cake lover and trinket pots for the… er…trinket lover! As most of you will know, our studio is bursting at the seams with a huge range of pottery and your creative gift doesn’t necessarily need to painted- remember that you can also decoupage your way into fashioning something lovely for teacher to display! Or perhaps you want to do a collective gift from all the teachers pupils – we’ve done lots of great plates, vases and plant pots where the children put a fingerprint on and their name, the fingerprints can be made into all sorts of things – a favourite is where a garden scene is created with fingerprints and inscribed onto the piece is ‘Thanks for helping us grow and bloom! We can help you with ideas if you pop in and see us at the studio, but we know that many of you and your children create fantastic things independently. From the elaborate masterpiece, to the downright barmy- we’ve seen it all at Crafty Monkey! However, our personal favourite teacher gift from last year has to be a dog bowl painted by a little boy for his canine loving teacher, on which he had inscribed the words ‘Teacher’s Pet’. Full marks to that pupil for inventiveness! #school #children #plate #teacher #pencils #project #activities #personalised #gift #keepsake #ceramics #craftymonkey #bespoke #happy #fun #stneots #class #handmade #pottery #thankyou #group #unique #drawing

Ever wondered about the process involved in making our splendid clay imprints? If you’ve had clay imprints done at Crafty Monkey, or indeed anywhere else, then you’ll be aware that it can be up to four weeks before they’re ready for collection. Read our step by step guide to find out why! STEP 1 First of all, gather your equipment. For the first part of the process, you will need: a. A happy baby b. Clay In fact, it’s not essential that the baby is happy, any baby will do. By the time we’ve pressed their little hand and feet into clay, we can quite often transform ‘happy baby’ into ‘utterly bewildered’ baby, but that’s just part and parcel of the imprint fun… STEP 2 Cut a lovely piece of earthenware clay with a wire cutter. It needs to be about 2cm thick and around 20cm squared, depending on the size of the child’s hands and feet. Roll it out beautifully, taking care to watch out for pesky air bubbles and general bits of fluff that may fly out of nowhere onto the clay. STEP 3 Hold baby in a peculiar ‘Superman’ type position and get those little hands and feet pushed into the clay, taking care to roll up sleeves and trouser legs beforehand. You need to press quite hard to get a decent imprint and although it may look like you’re torturing the poor child, it doesn’t hurt them as they’re being pushed into a soft surface (honest!) STEP 4 Check for any imperfections and smooth them out with a little water on your finger if required. Cut the clay into a shape. Most of our imprints are cut into a rectangle with rounded edges, but some people prefer a wavy or square shape. Use a sharp craft knife and finish by wetting your finger and running it around the edges to smooth down any bumpy bits. If the piece isn’t to be framed, then pop two holes in the top using the end of a paint brush so that it can be hung on the wall with ribbon or wire. STEP 6 Leave the clay to air dry on a flat surface for around 10-14 days. You can do other things during this time as it doesn’t need watching or petting, it just gets on with its own thing. STEP 7 When the clay has lightened and is completely dry, pop it carefully into a kiln and cook it! STEP 8 Anytime after it’s been removed from the kiln, it’s time to get on with painting it with pottery paint. This is the real fun bit and you wrestle with trying to get rid of brush strokes and get the colour even all over the prints! It’s a good idea to use two coats of watered down paint and then use a wet, very soft brush to get rid of any brush marks and even out the colour. Do this approximately a million times until it finally looks splendid. Decorate with a sponge border or whatever you require. Use a pottery paint pen to write the name and age and anything else you may want on there. STEP 9 Glaze the piece with specialist bisque glaze and pop back into the kiln for the second round of cooking! STEP 10 If the imprint is to be framed, then choose a lovely deep set box frame. Cut a piece of thick card and stick the imprint to it using specialist strong glue. When it’s dry, clean the glass of the frame and pop the imprint in and close the frame catches. It’s essential at this point that you undo the frame and do it back up again at least ten times owing to various bits of fluff and streaks on the inside of the glass. STEP 11 Pop your finished piece onto the wall, prepare to astound your visitors and lap up all the compliments about your amazing work of art! See our blog post on clay imprints and plaster outprints. #inprints #craftymonkey #keepsakes #gift #keepsake #earthenware #framed #cambridgeshire #PersonalisedGifts #kiln #toddler #gifts #baby #stneots #imprints #outprints #clay #handprint #footprint

Whether you want to create a unique gift for someone special, have a party to remember for kids of all ages, or something a little more grown up for a stag or hen party, then pottery painting is the fun and creative way to mark an occasion. Perhaps you want something fun to do with the kids at the weekend or in the school holidays – there’s nothing to inspire creativity and artistic passion in a youngster like getting hands-on and making something which they can use at home to remind them of the fun they have had. It’s a great way to encourage kids to get their hands dirty and appreciate what they can do with their talent and kids love being able to paint something different and choose their own design for a piece of original artwork.Maybe you’d like to create a family treat to give to a loved one? How about a hand painted plate or bowl with a contribution from everyone in the family, whether that’s a personalized message or a tiny hand print. It’s definitely a great way to commemorate a special occasion and create a piece of original art work which is sure to provide years of pleasure and provide wonderful memories for everyone involved. So why not let loose and try some pottery painting – it’s a great way free the inner child in anyone and an opportunity to add a fantastically unique piece of crockery to your collection. You can paint a pattern, write something special or just go crazy and create something which reminds you of how fun it is to express yourself artistically. To book with us at Crafty Monkey call-01480 219222 #craftymonkey #crafty #school #painting #plate #pattern #memories #hen #activities #personalised #keepsake #create #cambridgeshire #creative #ornament #holidays #Techniques #party #kitchen #fun #thingstodo #kids #stneots #quirky #handmade #special #bowl #pottery #unique #learning

Did you know that if you come along to Crafty Monkey in a group of at least six mums and tots, you’ll all get a free studio fee? Lots of people take advantage of this offer and we’ve had many NCT groups and gatherings of friends who all have children and want to come and get Crafty together while saving money. There are two occasions in the year when this offer is especially popular to get making special gifts– Father’s Day and Christmas. If you don’t fancy tackling the Christmas list just yet, then why not come along and make something lovely for the daddies? And don’t forget to make a giant mug or a beer tankard for the grandad's (especially if it’s their first Father’s Day as a grandparent!) There’s loads to choose from and we’re experts at getting those clenched fists and wriggly little toes onto pottery! Take advantage of this great offer then book a session for you and your mummy friends now! #craftymonkey #children #giftideas #activities #personalised #keepsake #surprise #cambridgeshire #Groups #silverprint #dads #gathering #Easter #mumsamptots #friends #baby #stneots #NCT #Christmas #handmade #craft #PotteryPainting #mums

We’ve had some utterly scrummy Father’s Day gifts through the kiln over the last few weeks and they just keep on coming as every daddy loves a home made gift from their little ones! One design that has been popular this year is our ‘Cookie Monster’ plate pictured below. They’re ever so easy to make in a few easy steps , and we can even do all of the work for you if you don’t fancy trying your hand at painting the biscuits (but this is quite easy and we can show you how). It’s amazing what you can do with a simple blue hand print! There are all sorts of things that you can turn hand and foot prints into and we can help you with ideas or you can browse at images on line and come armed with inspiration! Some of the older children who wanted to paint their own pieces for dad have made some lovely items and beer tankards and over-sized mugs have been especially popular this year! There’s still plenty of time to book in and make something in time for Father’s Day, so call us if you want to make an appointment or have a chat about ideas on 01480 219222. #fathersday #painting #children #cooldad #present #activities #personalised #gift #keepsake #craftymonkey #daddy #handmade #special #family #pottery #handprint #unique #littlemonster

There are many occasions during the year that Crafty Monkey can get very lively indeed. Christmas would be the obvious period (which starts in September here!) and of course we have back to back parties most weekends, not to mention the school holidays. But some of our liveliest times happen to be when we have groups of mums booked in who have taken advantage of our on-going ‘free studio fee’ offer for six or more mums and tots. More often that not, the babies are having a little shout and the toddlers are bouncing around enjoying the atmosphere while the mums have a good natter and a coffee. Sometimes one baby will start to cry and then the domino effect kicks in and the rest will join in and then it gets very loud! Occasionally,  the mums can get a bit worried that their babies are making too much noise, but we always tell them the same thing- we’re used to it and it doesn’t bother us one bit! In fact, we can’t tell a lie and pretend that all babies are thrilled about us painting their little hands; some of them do like to put up a little fight but don’t worry we more than experienced in getting a good print while putting your little one at ease. If you’d like to book in with at least five friends to save yourself some money, then why not book in to make something for Father’s Day? It’s a great way to socialise with your friends and their children while sorting out your Father’s Day presents in one fell swoop! Call us on 01480 219222 to book yourselves in before June 10th for collection before the big day…and don’t worry if you think your little one might wail…it’s all part of the fun! #art #fathersday #painting #children #noise #present #activities #personalised #gift #keepsake #Groups #craftymonkey #dads #nottoworry #pottery #occasion #mums

Weddings are one of the biggest days of your life and while the bride and groom are desperate to hang onto and cherish every moment they all too often speed on by and are over in a flash! Luckily, modern technology helps us record our special days with the use of cameras and videos but there is also the tradition of the guest book where guests can record little messages which you can later go back and read helping you to relive the wedding. While traditional guest books are still proving popular, brides to be are continuously searching for something a bit different at their wedding to make it extra special. There are several different ideas to replace the perhaps outdated guest book which perhaps gets put in a cupboard to gather dust and never to be read again. One contemporary solution to a guest book is a personalised signature wedding plate or a dish that will take pride of place on your wall at home for all to view. You will probably find it will become a talking point. It will provide you with a constant reminder of your happy day and of all your friends and relatives who helped make the day so special. Pesonalised signature wedding plates are very popular and add a novel touch to your day. You can get a bespoke design of your choice hand painted onto any size plate or choose from designs which can be personalised to you including the colour theme of your wedding. If you don’t fancy a plate on your wall then a big bowl on your dining table makes a great centrepiece, or perhaps a wine cooler. There’s a whole choice of pottery items that can be practical as well as decorative. Once the plate has been painted it will be glazed and fired in time for the big day. On the day guests can sign and write messages on it for you with a special ceramic pen. It will certainly make a great talking point! If you are a traditionalist and wish to stick to a guest book then you could still have a plate hand painted and personalised to commemorate your day. These also make great gifts so if a friend or relative is getting married and you want something unique, personal and different then consider commissioning a plate. Hand painted pottery is also a great idea for special personalised gifts for the wedding party such as gifts for bridesmaid or gifts for the best man, parents etc. We have a range of different pottery shapes from trinket boxes to wine goblets – something for everyone. Feel free to get in touch if you want a chat about what we can do for your wedding. #craftymonkey #art #painting #plate #commemorative #personalised #WeddingGifts #signature #PersonalisedGifts #platter #ceramic #signaturebook #uniquegifts #bride #stneots #wedding #pottery #bridetobe #KeepsakesGifts #commisssion

As you are probably already aware,  St George’s Day is this Saturday 23rd. Over the last few years, more and more people are acknowledging and celebrating this special day which is an important part of English custom. We’d be interested to hear if you’re flying the English flag and celebrating the day with a family get together! Perhaps you’re wearing a red rose in your button hole with pride? Why not book with us at Crafty Monkey to paint one of our pottery dragons? Crafty Monkey- 01480279222 #painting #stgeorgesday #princess #scotland #redrose #cross #flag #knight #Dragon #pride #pottery #England #british #red

Meet Coco, who occasionally works at Crafty Monkey and likes to help out by hoovering the crisps and crumbs on the floor after customers leave! Today is a special day for many of us animal lovers; it’s National Pet Day! Traditionally this is proposed as a special day where pet owners spend quality time with their animals and find different ways to show them how much they care! At Crafty Monkey, we have a selection of pottery pieces for you to paint that will appeal to every pet owner from dog and cat bowls to ornaments and embellished cups of our canine and feline friends. For those of you with more unusual pets, come and have a look to see if we stock yours…do any of you have a giraffe? And for something extra special- don’t forget that we also do paw prints onto pottery to create a treasure to keep forever! Pet day is also an ideal opportunity donate to your favourite animal charity, so dig deep into your pockets and show our furry friends just how much you care. #craftymonkey #painting #chairty #friend #personalised #gift #hamster #dog #ornament #horse #love #cups #fish #pet #nationalpetday #paw #cat #stneots #family #pottery #rabbit

Since 1967, on or around Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday, 2nd April, International Children’s Book Day (ICBD) is celebrated to inspire a love of reading and to call attention to children’s books. At Crafty Monkey we think that is a fabulous idea and know many of our younger customers enjoy book week at school. To encourage your child’s love of reading why not bring them along to paint their favourite character onto a plate, mug or practically anything. Children can either use their imaginations to make their characters come to life or we can help and show you how you can replicate an image from a book onto a piece of pottery it is a very easy process with amazing results. Come and try it for yourself. Find out more about the day on the ICBD website. #craftymonkey #school #painting #author #children #process #activities #petterrabbit #inspipre #keepsake #reading #cambridgeshire #creative #characters #potter #bookday #love #winnethepooh #books #imagination #thingstodo #words #stneots #handmade

Given Crafty Monkey, April Fools’ Day is one of our favourite days of the year! There’s no telling what we might get up to today! We’ve seen some great ones over the years, including giving the kids Oreos for a treat having replaced the filling with toothpaste and setting your workmate’s stapler in a bowl full of jelly. However, my particular favourite has to be the one where you pretend you’ve taken a phone message from a Mr Lyon and then give the victim of your prank the number for the local zoo! #crafty #activities #monkey #cheeky #fools #april #prank #fun #joke

Lots going on at Crafty Monkey at the moment, not only is it Easter Holidays – Yipee!  (We love a busy studio and seeing all our lovely customers and meeting new one’s) – but we have a couple of fabulous new members on the team who have been picking up the ropes and have brought with them buckets full of creative and arty talents! We do have other new developments too – we have finally pulled our fingers out and started an Etsy shop, it’s early days and we’ve only added a few things at the moment but we’ll be adding new things all the time so please do visit again.  Also we will shortly be introducing a whole new line of items – I can’t tell you just yet what they are but we have been getting crafty and creative and are pretty excited so watch this space! We’ve also been freshening up a few of our social media headers – well at the moment we’ve just done the Facebook Page one, let us know what you think! But that’s not all, we are finally, after so many of you have requested it, going to bring back art and craft workshops for kids and also for adults so keep your eyes peeled for these. The workshops will cover all sorts of arts and crafts.  Probably the best way to find out about these is to like us on Facebook and subscribe to our mailing list (look to your top right and you should see the subscribe box to pop your email into). If you have any ideas of workshops you would like us to put on then please do not hesitate to let us know. Right, we better head off as lots to do but will be in touch with exciting new developments soon so stay tuned! #ideas #crafty #art #shop #presents #artsandcrafts #spring #cambridgeshire #studio #monkey #holidays #Easter #facebook #new #gifts #workshops #header #stneots #etsy #mailing #Crafts #list #PotteryPainting

Easter is nearly upon us and here at Crafty Monkey, we are putting together our kids Easter workshops schedule and thought we would share one with you that you can do at home with your children! Now, I’m sure you know eggs are a very special symbol of Easter so, to keep all your child’s eggs safe, we thought what better than to get them to make their own Easter chick where they can store all their yummy yummy chocolate eggs? Below are a set of instructions on how to make a cute Easter chick! We hope you and your child enjoys this project and wish you a Happy Easter! What you need: What you need: A flowerpot Yellow,orange and black acrylic paint A pack of multi-coloured feathers PVA glue Orange shredded paper Paintbrushes Scissors Yummy choclate eggs! Instructions: 1. First, paint your flowerpot a nice bright yellow! Apply two coats and let the paint dry. 2. Cut a small triangle out of the orange paper/foam. Using PVA glue, stick this onto your flowerpot. This is your chick’s beak! If you don’t have orange paper or foam then you can paint an orange triangle for a beak onto the flowerpot instead. 2. Cut a small triangle out of the orange paper/foam. Using PVA glue, stick this onto your flowerpot. This is your chick’s beak! If you don’t have orange paper or foam then you can paint an orange triangle for a beak onto the flowerpot instead. 2. Cut a small triangle out of the orange paper/foam. Using PVA glue, stick this onto your flowerpot. This is your chick’s beak! If you don’t have orange paper or foam then you can paint an orange triangle for a beak onto the flowerpot instead. 4. Now, on the yellow paper/foam, draw two wings. Cut these out and using PVA glue, stick on lots of feathers; they can be any colour you want. I chose yellow and orange! 6. If you want to add more feathers to the chick, this is the time to do it! Make sure that all the glue is dry before carrying on. We have placed feathers in the top of the pot. 7. Take the shredded paper, and pop it inside the chick, to make a comfy bed for all your delicious Easter treats! 8. Put all the yummy chocolate eggs inside your chick and they will be kept safe! #craftymonkey #art #paint #children #chocolate #glue #project #beak #stepbystep #activities #yummy #keepsake #orange #feathers #holidays #paintbrushes #Easter #personal #draw #plantpot #chick #yellow #DIY #make #kids #stneots #handmade #howto #flowerpot #Crafts #craft

I’m sure that we monkeys in the studio aren’t the only ones who have had a right old grumble about the harsh winter weather. There really have been some bitterly cold days and the winter seems to have lasted a terribly long time this year! So, I’m sure you’ll join us in welcoming the arrival of spring time and embracing warmer days and bluer skies (maybe…) At Crafty Monkey, we are more than ready to dash some colour into the new season as our shelves are lined with pieces of pottery that are perfect for celebrating the springtime! Last year, many of you snapped up figurines from our cute garden creatures range and our kiln was packed full of butterflies, bumble bees, ladybirds, snails and frogs (we left them an air hole), so with that in mind we’ve made sure that we have stocked up on plenty of larger than life critters! The arrival of Clay Foam last year meant that these little chaps were ultra-popular as children made a grab for the items that they could squish and squash lots of bright colours onto and take home the very same day. But as these little garden creatures tend to cause a bit of chaos on the shelves when the shop closes each night, we have the bosses of the garden on the shelf above them, keeping a watchful eye; namely the gnomes! Last year we had a group of four sisters here who created a family of gnomes for their mum and dad’s wedding anniversary by painting a gnome each- a big Mr and Mrs Gnome and two little ones. Their folks were so pleased with the colourful additions to their garden that they came along to see what Crafty Monkey was all about for themselves and painted a pair of plant pots. They even had a go at decorating them with fingerprint creatures after we showed them how easy it was to create them. Whatever spring related creative idea you may have, give us a call or pop by to find out what we have in stock as we have virtually everything you could want to give as a gift or to decorate your home or garden- from spring chicks to blooms on sticks, the goodies are piled high. We look forward to seeing you in the new season…if only to duck out of the rain for a while… #craftymonkey #butterflies #painting #bunny #fingerprint #FoamClay #birth #bumblebees #spring #creativity #egg #studio #garden #cup #season #duck #gnomes #happy #colour #stneots #flowers #bloom #pottery #Chicks #ladybirds

We’re all big slushy softies at Crafty Monkey and love nothing more than a spot of romance! That said, there’s nothing more fitting that the fact that it’s ‘World Proposal Day’ to make us gush and get all silly. We’re fortunate enough to have been party to several marriage proposals…sadly enough nobody has asked to us come along to a romantic dinner and jump out of a giant cake with an engagement ring, however, we have commissioned a few of pieces of pottery for customers who wanted to pop the question via a plate or a bowl decorated by our own fair hands! We’ve also had a fair few people create their own ‘pottery proposal pieces’. Happily, if you wish to propose to your other half, you’re not restricted to one day of the year, but it’s a lovely sentiment to celebrate that special date annually. If you’ve got any proposal stories, from slushy to outrageous- do share them with us on our Facebook page as we love to hear about a happy ending! #crafty #painting #engagement #world #personalised #gift #ring #monkey #marriage #married #proposal #painted #20thMarch #propose #stneots #celebrate #marry #novel #worldproposalday #pottery #handmade #day

Hooray! It’s almost time for the Easter holidays and we’re as excited as ever about the prospect of our chocolate eggs! We’re sure that you too are fulls of the joys of spring about the Easter celebrations and all that they entail- including a couple of weeks with the children at home! Well, we can’t predict what the weather will be like, but whatever the weather, our doors are always open at Crafty Monkey for fun filled crafts! We’ve got plenty of Easter themed stock in including pottery bunnies, chicks and egg cups that are currently sitting waiting to be painted or have brightly coloured foam clay squashed over them! Or why not come and rescue one of our lovely rabbits from the Build a Bear range and fill it with love (or stuffing!). Whatever you decide to do, be sure to call us to book in because as ever, we’ll be busy with people getting their fill of Easter craft fun! Call us on 01480 219222 #painting #bunny #paint #children #chocolate #activities #personalised #BuildaBear #gift #rabbits #keepsake #daffodil #spring #egg #craftymonkey #fingerprints #holidays #Easter #chick #food #fun #baby #celebrate #flowers #fingers #pottery #basket #craft #lamb #stuffing

Spring is in the air (kind of !) and it’s this time of year when we look forward to seeing baby lambs and chicks are popping up left right and centre! At Crafty Monkey, we’re more than familiar with the wonder of new life as we have so many brand new little babies coming to see us. One of the most popular keepsake choices for new parents (and gifts for their family and friends) are imprints and outprints. If you’re not familiar with these, then come by and take a look at our examples as we’ll sure you’ll be impressed. They can be presented framed and ready to hang or unframed to pop on a stand on your mantelpiece for all to admire! Give us a call on 01480219222 to find out how you can bring your new little life’s hands and feet to life! #inprints #mother #fathersday #children #babies #tiny #hands #footprints #memories #newlife #treasure #personalised #parents #duedate #gift #keepsake #spring #cambridgeshire #feet #craftymonkey #handprints #love #new #little #baby #life #stneots #imprints #outprints #family #plaster #unique #Chicks

Did you know that the 10th of July is Teddy Bears Picnic day? At Crafty Monkey we were very pleased to hear this because we have lots of lovely bears just waiting to go for a picnic. Do you have a favourite bear? We couldn’t possibly choose ours as we love them all. So will you be celebrating the picnic day? We would love to know. If you have made one of our bears or animals, why not share a picture on our Facebook page so we can see what they are up to and how they are enjoying life with you and most of all we would love to see your teddy bears enjoying their picnic. Why not book with us today to build your very own bear! Call us at Crafty Monkey on 01480 219222 #bear #activities #personalised #BuildaBear #keepsake #animals #party #food #picnic #teddy #fun #kids