May
26
to May 29
event, workshop, marrakech

Leathercraft Workshop in Marrakech

Get away and get crafty this May long weekend - with a four-day creative retreat in Morocco. As well as making your own bag, and stitching it by hand under the watchful eye of craftswoman Candice Lau, you will have the chance to visit traditional Moroccan tanneries to see where the leather originates, and truly see the story of your product from start to finish. All this at the beautiful Villa Magtafa in Marrakech, traditionally furnished villa with local cuisine cooked by our inhouse chef. 

 

Four day trip at Villa Magtafa in Marrakech, Morocco

Friday 26th May - Monday 29th May 2017

COST: £560 or £480 for a shared bed or room

N.B. Our shared bed will require you to share a double bed. We also have 2 rooms with two and three single beds. Please make your selection below.

 

"I have been working in leathercraft for the past 3 years and have honed my skills travelling across Europe, Africa and Asia. I was invited to visit Morocco with a dear friend a few years back and this was where I came to find my love, as well as Morocco's love for leathercraft. All across the souk and in amongst the narrow alley ways, I saw skilled craftsmen working at their craft. It was as though I have stepped back in time. It was truly an incredible experience for the sense. And that's what I'd like to share with my guests on this short course" - Candice Lau, founder 'Kuku Big Bag'

 

Price includes: 

  • Two days of workshop to make your own leather handbag

  • Pattern construction and learning the art of traditional leatherwork of hand stitching 

  • Your choice of leather

  • Trip to a world reknown Moroccan tannery

  • Stay in the beautiful Villa Magtafa, Marrakech (private room or shared with a friend) - www.villamagtafa.com

  • Bed, breakfast and lunch all included (half board)

  • All meals - locally sourced and cooked by in-house chef from traditionally cooked shared couscous, to tagines and more.

 

Price does not include

  • Flights and travel insurance NOT included. Closest airport is Marrakech

  • Dinner is not included. If you wish to stay in, we can arrange for the inhouse chef to prepare dinner at an extra cost.

  • Taxi to and from airport and town trips are not included,

Food

Guests need to arrive at the Villa Magtafa by midday (latest) on the morning of Friday 26th May, 2017. Candice will be there to welcome you with a welcome lunch of a traditional shared couscous. 

Breakfast is served from 9am which includes coffee, juices, pastries, and the typical Moroccan pancake. Lunch will include fresh local cuisine made by our inhouse chef.

You will be able to travel into the beautiful Medina in Marrakech to have your dinner. Or if you feel that you would like to have dinner in, we can organise for our chef to prepare a traditional meal inhouse.

Please notify us if you have any special dietary requirements. 

Itinerary

Friday 26th May: Arrive at Villa Magtafa by midday. A welcome lunch will be served at 2pm. After lunch, we will head into town for our tannery visit and an exploration of Marrakech famous souk. 

Saturday 27th May: Breakfast is served from 9am. We will have our full day of workshop under the canopy of our outdoor terrace. We will begin with the pattern making of your handbag, along with cutting and preparing the pieces for assembling. The workshop is hosted by Candice at from 10am til 6pm, with a short break for lunch. At the end of the day, guests can enjoy the pool and spa at the villa, or simply relax and enjoy the sun! 

Sunday 28th May: Breakfast is served from 9am. Our half day workshop begins at 10am. Your leather should be cut out and edges burnished, ready for assembling using hand stitching. After the workshop, you will have the afternoon free . Enjoy lunch at the villa, and spend some time in our private pool, and spa, or take a trip into town for more Marrakech delights.

Monday 29th May: The morning is your chance to relax, enjoy the local area, have a final swim in the pool, or an relax morning in the spa. Check out from the villa is at 2pm.

View Event →
May
1
to May 5
event, fair, Seoul, South Korea

SEOUL INTERNATIONAL HANDMADE FAIR 2017

We are so thrilled to be invited to participate in the Seoul International Handmade Fair 2017 organised by Living and Arts Creative Center (LACC). We will be heading over to South Korea for this amazing event which will be opened to public from 1st May till 5th May 2017. If you are there, please come and visit us at Art Hall, DDP, Seoul. 

View Event →
Apr
18
6:30pm 6:30pm
event, london, workshop

Leathercraft Workshop @ Corner Kitchen in Forest Hill

TICKET: £55 INCLUDES WORKSHOP, PIZZA & GLASS OF WINE

WEDNESDAY 19TH MARCH @ 6.30PM UNTIL 9.30PM

WE ARE TEAMING UP WITH CORNER KITCHEN TO BRING YOU A CRAFTY EVENING. NOT ONLY WILL YOU GET TO MAKE YOUR OWN BESPOKE PURSE, YOU WILL GET A PIZZA OF YOUR CHOICE & ENJOY A GLASS OF WINE!

TAILOR YOUR PURSE TO YOUR HEART'S DESIRE... 

  • CHOOSE YOUR COLOUR LEATHER & THREAD
  • LEARN THE TECHNIQUE OF SADDLE STITCHING, USING 2 NEEDLES
  • HAMMER HOLES USING A PRICKLING IRON IN PREPARATION FOR STITCHING
  • BURNISH THE EDGES OF YOUR CARDHOLDER
  • FINALLY PERSONALISE YOUR CARDHOLDER YOUR WITH YOUR INITIALS

SPACES ARE LIMITED SO BOOK YOUR PLACE NOW.

EMAIL: TEAM@CORNERKITCHEN.LONDON

View Event →
Kuku Big Bag @ OnBrand16, Amsterdam
Oct
13
10:00am10:00am
event, fair, workshop, amsterdam, conference, netherlands

Kuku Big Bag @ OnBrand16, Amsterdam

Join us in Amsterdam this October 13th as we launch 'Studio Candice Lau' in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Find out more about her workshop, a design workshop specialising in all things leather, see her latest collaborations in branded products and bespoke commissions. Find out more on: https://www.onbrand.me/16/

Join us in Amsterdam this October 13th as we launch 'Studio Candice Lau' in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Find out more about her workshop, a design workshop specialising in all things leather, see her latest collaborations in branded products and bespoke commissions. Find out more on: https://www.onbrand.me/16/

View Event →
Leathercraft Workshop @ South East Makers Club, The Arts House.
Sep
24
10:00am10:00am
event, london, popup, uk, workshop, SEMC

Leathercraft Workshop @ South East Makers Club, The Arts House.

To celebrate the final weekend of The London Design Festival 2016, South East Makers Club invites all design enthusiasts to head south and follow our trail through the creative streets and studios of South East London. The journey begins at the Job Centre bar in Deptford where visitors will be requested to “sign up” to become a member of the club (a club open to anyone with a passion for craft, design, materials, making and South East London). Issued with a club card and trail map, members will then experience design through an interactive, sensory journey spanning Deptford, Brockley, New Cross, and Peckham. The trail includes a host of workshops, exhibitions, public art installations, films and even a designer pub quiz hosted by our media partners, South East London Journal. Along the way, visitors will find an array of work by local designers including a ceramics exhibition ‘Clay Mechanics’ at Simple Shape, a bold, collaborative installation by Alice Made This, and ‘Words & Workshops’ at the Art House to name just a few.  Come and join Kuku Big Bag on Saturday 24th September at The Lewisham Arts House for a one off mini leathercrafts workshop at 3:30pm. 

To celebrate the final weekend of The London Design Festival 2016, South East Makers Club invites all design enthusiasts to head south and follow our trail through the creative streets and studios of South East London.

The journey begins at the Job Centre bar in Deptford where visitors will be requested to “sign up” to become a member of the club (a club open to anyone with a passion for craft, design, materials, making and South East London). Issued with a club card and trail map, members will then experience design through an interactive, sensory journey spanning Deptford, Brockley, New Cross, and Peckham.

The trail includes a host of workshops, exhibitions, public art installations, films and even a designer pub quiz hosted by our media partners, South East London Journal. Along the way, visitors will find an array of work by local designers including a ceramics exhibition ‘Clay Mechanics’ at Simple Shape, a bold, collaborative installation by Alice Made This, and ‘Words & Workshops’ at the Art House to name just a few. 

Come and join Kuku Big Bag on Saturday 24th September at The Lewisham Arts House for a one off mini leathercrafts workshop at 3:30pm. 

View Event →
Kuku Big Bag @ Design Junction - #LDW16
Sep
22
to Sep 25
event, fair, london, workshop

Kuku Big Bag @ Design Junction - #LDW16

  • Central Saint Martins (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS
In September 2016, designjunction in partnership with Argent, King’s Cross Development and University of the Arts London will move to a new and exciting long-term home – King’s Cross. This vibrant destination is set to become a new creative district and an international business hub for design in central London– where culture and commerce will come alive during the London Design Festival. Join Kuku BIg Big / Studio Candice Lau for the London Design Festival 2016 at Design Junction. Along with showcasing our latest work and collection from Kuku Big, we will be running drop-in leathercraft workshops throughout the weekend. So come around and learn to make your own product!

In September 2016, designjunction in partnership with Argent, King’s Cross Development and University of the Arts London will move to a new and exciting long-term home – King’s Cross.

This vibrant destination is set to become a new creative district and an international business hub for design in central London– where culture and commerce will come alive during the London Design Festival.

Join Kuku BIg Big / Studio Candice Lau for the London Design Festival 2016 at Design Junction. Along with showcasing our latest work and collection from Kuku Big, we will be running drop-in leathercraft workshops throughout the weekend. So come around and learn to make your own product!

View Event →
Tuscan Leather Workshop Retreat
Aug
28
to Sep 1
workshop, event, Italy

Tuscan Leather Workshop Retreat

(Image by Alun Callender)

(Image by Alun Callender)

Get away and get crafty this August - with a five-day creative retreat in Italy. As well as designing and making your own bag, and stitching it by hand under the watchful eye of craftswoman Candice Lau, you will have the chance to visit traditional Santa Croce tanneries to see where the leather originates, and truly see the story of your product from start to finish. All this surrounded by Italian countryside, eating local cuisine on a traditional Tuscan farm-stay. 

 

Five day trip to the Tuscan village of Impruneta

Sunday 28th August - 1st Sept 2016

COST: £980

 

Leather bag
Impruneta
Hotel Bellavista Impruneta

Price includes: 

  • Pre-trip guidance on designing your bag - at an evening (6-9pm) workshop in East London on 17th August
  • Stay in the small historical Tuscan town of Impruneta, 30 minutes south of Florence.
  • Private ensuite rooms at the Hotel Bellavista Impruneta
  • Bed, breakfast & dinner all included 
  • All evening meals - locally sourced and cooked by in-house chef, with produce from Bellavista’s own bakery, vineyard and sausage factory
  • Trip to a Santa Croce tannery - a part of Consorzio Vera Pelle Italiana
  • Leather selected from our tannery visit.
  • Bus transfer from Florence centre to Impruneta on arrival and departure
  • Bus service from Impruneta to tannery

 

Price does not include

  • Flights and travel insurance NOT included. Closest airports are Florence or Pisa.

  • Lunch each day is out in the town of Impruneta (approx €10-€15)

 

Craftsperson Candice Lau - image by Alun Callender

"I have been working in leathercraft for the past 3 years and have honed my skills travelling across Europe and Asia. But it is in Italy where I have found the most appreciation for the art; using century-old techniques and working with beautifully tanned leather. This is where my love for the craft grew. But outside the workshops, life has also led me to an Italian husband who shares my creative enthusiasm and instilling in me a love of the Italian lifestyle; at its heart, family, food and art. And that's what I'd like to share with my guests on this short course" - Candice Lau, founder 'Kuku Big Bag'

Itinerary

Guests need to arrive in Florence town centre (exact location TBC) by 4pm of Sunday 28th August. Candice will be there to welcome you to take us back to Impruneta and suggest short local walks and host a welcome meal. 

Breakfast is served from 8am at Hotel Bellavista Impruneta and includes coffee, juices, and pastries.

Dinner is served every evening from 8pm and includes 3 courses of Italian cuisine which normally comprises of a first plate (prima) of pasta, a second plate (seconda) of meat or fish, and a dessert.

Please notify us if you have any special dietary requirements. 

 

Sunday 28th August: Pick up from Florence and bus transfer to Impruneta. A welcome meal will be served at 8pm.

Monday 29th August: Guests will visit the tannery in the morning. After lunch, they will return to Impruneta and assist in setting out the workshop, and start laying out their patterns and leather, ready to be cut. 

Tuesday 30th August & Wednesday 31st August: The workshop is hosted by Candice at from 9am til 6pm, with a short break for lunch in Impruneta. There will be breaks throughout the day, free time before dinner to relax, or take a short walk around the surrounds of the village. 

Thursday 1st September: The morning is your chance to relax, enjoy the local area, take a short bike ride, visit the vineyard, or make any finishing touches to your bag. Check out from the farm is at midday. 

Agritourismo01
Agritourismo
View Event →
Make your own leather purse at Heal's Modern Craft Market
Apr
8
12:00pm12:00pm
event, london, uk, popup, workshop

Make your own leather purse at Heal's Modern Craft Market

  Master the old fashioned method of saddle stitching and burnishing by creating your own leather purse with Kuku Big Bag. Choose your colour, thread and design before stitch and finishing by debossing your initials onto the piece. Book your place here: https://www.heals.com/kuku-big-bag.html#

 

Master the old fashioned method of saddle stitching and burnishing by creating your own leather purse with Kuku Big Bag. Choose your colour, thread and design before stitch and finishing by debossing your initials onto the piece. Book your place here: https://www.heals.com/kuku-big-bag.html#

View Event →
Feb
20
3:00pm 3:00pm

Make a wallet with Kuku Big Bag @ The Hoxton, Amsterdam

hoxton_Amsterdam.jpg

Suitable for beginners wanting to test and try their hand at leatherwork using naturally dyed veg tanned leather. You will work from an existing design and pattern to create a wallet with 3 card slots and a coin purse. Learn the basics of traditional leathercraft from saddle stitching, burnishing, securing rivets, and construction. You will finish off the workshop by personalising the wallet by embossing your name/initials with a letter set.

View Event →
Jan
26
6:30pm 6:30pm
popup, event, workshop

Make a purse with Kuku Big Bag @ The Hoxton, Holborn

If your new years res is to learn a new skill then what better way to start than with a leatherwork workshop?

Get stuck in with the ole’ fashioned methods of saddle stitching and burnishing after picking your own colour, thread and design with Kuku Big Bag. Then limber up those fingers with a glass of wine to make a handcrafted purse you definitely can’t get on the high street.  

 

View Event →