The Upholstery Workshop

Today at The Amazing Blog we’re giving you an opportunity to escape to the country and learn another new creative skill. The Upholstery Workshop offers you just this, all set in the rural countryside on the Herts/Worcestershire borders.

The Upholstery Workshop is set in a 15th century red brick and timber farmhouse at Huntlands Farm, a rural retreat with wonderful views of the countryside. They have rooms to rent at the farmhouse from as little as £75 a night for a double bed – so you won’t have far to travel for your workshop!  Founders are Lucy and Stephen, Lucy Brodie holds a qualification with the Association of Master Upholsterers and Soft Furnishings having been trained in the use of modern and traditional materials and methods.

There are a choice of workshops either during week or at weekend workshops. We’re suggesting their two-day course where both traditional and modern upholstery techniques are taught. The course mainly entails working on small furniture project, such as a drop-in seat for a stool or a bed headboard; all incredibly useful for giving your home an uplift. On the curriculum you’ll learn anything from a simple furniture repair to handling fabrics and tools correctly, and the health and safety guidelines. It is recommended that you bring with you a piece of furniture, some tools (they will suggest what you need), an apron, your own fabrics.  You may also want to bring a camera to record the stages of your work among other things. Don’t panic if you haven’t any furniture to bring there are many local resources nearby to nip out and get some.

The course starts from £180 including home-made lunch and snacks. You'll benefit from seeing a variety of works be completed alongside your own project. They offer a reduced rate for accommodation at £60 a night and an extra £20 if your partner wishes to join you. The cost is not inclusive of the materials used and will be charged at the end of the workshop. See here to look at available dates and book your retreat and enjoy what the countryside has to offer. 

Handmade Oxford

We love to support artisan brands here at The Amazing Blog and Handmade Oxford is just the event to find unique and beautiful pieces from new craftsmen. The renowned contemporary craft design event organiser, Handmade in Britain, has launched a three-day fair at Oxford Town Hall to bring designers and craftspeople directly to the people. We think shopping directly from the wonderful designers who create our favourite pieces of jewellery or centrepieces for our kitchen makes for an incredibly special experience. Piyush Suri started Handmade in Britain over a decade ago with a mission to support design-makers and create a community where they can promote their work. We love supporting local and small businesses around here and this event has it all in one place.

This three-day showcase boasts over 90 design-makers, so you will be sure to find something to suit your individual style. Located in the heart of Oxford, visitors can enjoy browsing the stands of high-skilled and innovative designers who have perfected their various disciplines. Getting to hear the creator’s story behind their inspiration, process and creation of a certain piece of jewellery or ceramic set is a unique experience and definitely a nice change from shopping on the high street.

At Handmade Oxford you'll find everything from beautifully handcrafted jewellery (perfect for the upcoming wedding season) to ceramics, glass and silverware, furniture, woodwork and mixed media. Most of the designers do not sell their work on the high street, only in exhibitions and galleries like this one, so if you’re on the hunt for something special that will add a touch of style to yourself or your space, don’t miss out on this one.

We love a unique piece of jewellery, so we are thrilled to view the work from designers like Lucy Martin, who specialises in beautiful and colourful contemporary pieces that are sure to become your new favourite accessory. Isabelle Capitain combines traditional methods with new technology to create one-of-a-kind minimal pieces that are to die for. For the home, we look forward to seeing the incredible woodwork from craftsman just like Craig Narramore, a Hollywood prop maker. There is so much more to discover that we are overly-thrilled to see all of the designer’s work.

Handmade Oxford takes place from Friday, May 18th to Sunday, May 20th, so be sure to get your tickets now to ensure you don’t miss a thing. One day entry starts at £5.50 and three-day entry from £13.20 here or here.

OhLaLa Macarons - "Macarons and Martinis" Event

Here at The Amazing Blog, we absolutely love having a fun girl’s day out. What’s better than spending quality time with your girlfriends over drinks and yummy food? When we heard about the Macaron and Martinis Events from OhLaLa-Macarons, we knew it would be the perfect venue for our next girl’s day.

The Macaron and Martinis Events are designed by the talented team at OhLaLa, where you’ll be delighted with culinary excellence in a gorgeous venue with amazing people. Each event lasts for two and a half hours, and includes unlimited macarons and martinis. The company hosts public events, as well as hen parties for soon-to-be brides.

During the class, you’ll learn how to make your own macarons, since you’ll be able to take home a box of 12 designed by you. After you’ve had your fair share of sweet treats, you’ll get to go behind the bar for a lesson in martini making. You can even make your own recipe with the ingredients provided, and the bartender will name it after you and will give you a card with the recipe on it to take home. Talk about fabulous!

The next public event is on 28th March, and you can book your spot for it here. Ticket prices are £65 each. If you’d rather have your own private event with your friends, you can email the staff directly via the email provided on the bookings page of the site.