Explore Craft
craft
noun 1 an activity involving skill in making things by hand. 2 skill in carrying out one’s work. 3 (crafts) things made by hand.
verb make (something) skilfully.
— ORIGIN Old English cræft: strength, skill
- from the Oxford English dictionary
Many of us own craft, although we may not call it that. Perhaps a chair, a jug, a necklace, a scarf, a bowl, a kilt, a guitar, a glass flute, a tapestry, or a wedding ring. Behind each precious item is a person with an idea and the skill to bring that concept to life.
This person is a craft maker. A maker weaves, moulds, shapes, saws, solders, throws, knits, presses, sands, polishes. They may use traditional skills, cutting edge practices, heritage techniques or digital technologies. They could be concept driven or product focussed, a commercial entrepreneur or passionate hobbyist. They might have studied at University, as an apprentice, learned from a family member, at a nightclass, or on their own. The might work alone in a studio or form part of an urban collective. They may call themselves a maker, a designer, an artist, a product artist, or an artisan.
Whatever the differences in what, how, where or why they make, they are united in one fundamental way: they make craft.
Craft is crucial to the livelihoods of makers, it’s vital to the economy, it’s central to humanity’s past, present and future, and Craft Scotland are here to shout about it.
Craft is innovative, energetic, and inspiring. It is essential.
Meet the makers behind Scottish Craft
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Ceramics
noun • Ceramic: made of clay and permanently hardened by heat
Origin: from Greek keramikos, from keramos 'pottery'
noun • Pottery: pots, dishes, and other articles made of fired clay.
Origin: Middle English: from Old French poterie, from potier 'a potter'
- From the Oxford English Dictionary.
Since prehistoric times, humans have moulded clay into ceramic objects. Figurines, vessels, tiles, plates, and sculpture have been made over the centuries from clay, either on its own or mixed with other materials and then hardened in fire.
Pottery comprises earthenware, stoneware and porcelain ceramics. Makers shape clay using a variety of techniques, such as hand building, ‘throwing’ on a potters wheel, and pressing into a mould. The clay can be decorated, glazed, or enamelled, and is then carefully heated in a kiln to increase strength, set the shape, and harden.
Craft Scotland represent nearly 200 makers working in ceramics, across a variety of disciplines.
Craft Scotland Ceramics Maker Profiles
Glass
glass
noun a hard, brittle substance, typically transparent or translucent, made by fusing sand with soda and lime and cooling rapidly
ORIGIN - Old English glæs, of Germanic origin; related to Middle LowGerman Glas (brightness)
- from the Oxford English dictionary
Glassmaking as a craft is thought to date back to around 3,500 BCE as a glaze on vessels or beads. From the 16th Century BCE, glass vases were produced in Mesopotamia, hollow glasses and jewellery in Egypt, and the craft also evolved in Greece and China. When glassblowing was created in Syria centuries later, and as glassmaking techniques were subsequently embraced and adapted by the Romans, the variety of shapes and uses for glass objects greatly increased.
As the middle ages approached, processes were invented which allowed for the production of sheets of glass, stained or left clear and fitted together using lead strips, giving us stained glass. Over time, further techniques were developed to give us clearer, brighter, more resilient glass to use in windows, mirrors, and decorative pieces. With technologies invented to automate the production of glass vessels and sheets, and scientists investigating the chemical properties of glass, the craft evolved to include an indispensible industry.
craftscotland represent some 150 craft makers working with glass. Disciplines such as stained glass window making, glass bead making, lampworking, kiln-firing and glassblowing are used by makers around Scotland, in both traditional and contemporary ways.Craft Scotland Glass Maker Profiles
Jewellery
Whether decorative, artistic, functional or symbolic, jewellery has played an important part in world history, and the techniques passed down through apprenticeships and education ensure that it remains a significant craft.
From precious metals and gemstones to plastic and glass, the materials available for use in modern jewellery continue to provide inspiration for makers, which in turn offer the public beautiful, unique craft. craftscotland represent almost 450 talented jewellery makers across the country.
Craft Scotland Jewellery Maker Profiles
Metals, Gold and Silversmithing
The noble metal gold has the chemical element symbol Au, from the Latin aurum, meaning 'shining dawn'. The most malleable of the pure, precious metals, gold can be beaten, shaped, and easily alloyed with other materials, and doesn't suffer from tarnishing or oxidisation.
Silver, another chemical element, has the symbol Ag from the Latin argentum, with the root 'white; or 'shining'. Although it is harder than gold, silver is also a ductile metal, used in alloys such as Stiling Silver.
From coins, jewellery, ornaments, art, thread and even food and medicine, we have found uses for gold and silver for many thousands of years.
Millinery
MIllinery
noun • a person who makes or sells women's hats
Origin: late Middle English (originally in the sense ‘native of Milan’, later ‘a vendor of fancy goods from Milan’): from Milan + -er
- From the Oxford English Dictionary.
Hats have featured in societies from early human history. From use as protection against the elements, they evolved over time to comprise status symbols, religious attire, national dress, a mark of respect, a political statement, and a fashion accessory.
In early days, hats for women often took the form of veils, caps and hoods. It wasn’t until the late 17th century that hat making for women became a discipline of its own, with the evolution of the craft of millinery.
From bonnets trimmed with ribbon, fascinators finished with feathers, wide brimmed hats topped with flowers, brimless caps and lace, the styles and sizes of hats were limitless. While hat wearing in Western society declined after World War II, the craft of millinery continued, and craftscotland now represent practising milliners across Scotland.
Featured Craft Scotland Milliners
Mosaic
a picture or pattern produced by arranging together small pieces of stone , tile, glass, etc.:mosaics on the interior depict scenes from the Old Testament [mass noun] :the walls and vaults are decorated by marble and mosaic
The earliest forms of mosaic can be traced back thousands of years as shells and stones were used to create patterns. As mosaic evolved to include the use of specially coloured and cut stones (tessarae), the patterns also evolved to become an art form for master crafts people, as they created representations of geometric patterns, stories, people and animals. In Roman Britain alone, thousands of mosaics were created, with over 2,000 having been discovered to date. Modern mosaic makers use a variety of materials, such as glass and glass smalti, ceramics, stones, shells, and found objects. There are two main ways to create mosaics: either by using direct techniques - whereby each piece of the mosaic is laid directly into its final setting - or the indirect techniques - where the mosaic is created in another location and then carefully transferred or reassembled. source
Papermaking and Bookbinding
paper
• noun material manufactured in thin sheets from the pulp of wood or other fibrous substances, used for writing or printing on or as wrapping material. — ORIGIN Old French papir, from Latin papyrus ‘paper-reed’ Papermaking is an ancient craft, thought to have developed in China during the 2nd century AD. It differed in both creation and durability from the writing material that had been in use prior to its invention, such as papyrus (made from the beaten strips of the Papyrus plant), parchment (made from processed animal skin) or tablets of wood, slate, clay etc. Paper is made from the pulp of cellulose fibres, such as cotton, hemp, rags, wood and plants. The fibres are captured, shaped and drained through a mould and deckle, then dried into sheets. The different materials, methods and moulds used in papermaking produce paper suitable for the intended use, such as a writing or painting surface. craftscotland represent more than 100 Scottish craft makers working with paper today - from wallpaper and decor to stationary and books.
bookbinder
• noun a person skilled in the craft of binding books.
book
• noun a written or printed work consisting of pages glued or sewn together along one side and bound in covers. 2 a bound set of blank sheets for writing in: an exercise book. — ORIGIN Old English bōc, "to grant by charter" Early bookbinding techniques involved binding manuscripts together between hard surfaces, such as wood, to protect the written material within. Techniques evolved to include stitching materials together and utilising paper, but for hundreds of years, the craft of bookbinding was often the domain of religious orders. The invention of the printing press and changes in papermaking revolutionised the industry, but the craft of bookbinding still owes much to its history. Contemporary bookbinders use materials such as leather, paper and textiles as covers, and often combine historic practices with contemporary sensibilities. Becoming a skilled bookbinder can take years of learning and practice, and materials can often be expensive, but a love of the craft ensures that there are still talented makers creating unique, beautiful hand bound books in Scotland.Craft Scotland Papermaking and Bookbinding maker profiles
Textiles
textile
• noun 1 a type of cloth or woven fabric. • adjective relating to fabric or weaving. — ORIGIN Latin textilis, from texere ‘weave’. Textile crafts have a rich history. From weaving by early humans, the production of ancient cloths, the trade of fabrics along the silk road, the use of tapestries as status symbols, to the culturally significant Scottish tartans, the evocative past of textile crafts show how diverse the discipline is. craftscotland represent more than 400 craft makers working with textiles. We asked our makers – from weavers to fabric designers – how they trained, what they love about the craft, and where they find their inspiration.
weave
• verb (past wove; past part. woven or wove) 1 form (fabric) by interlacing long threads passing in one direction with others at a right angle to them. 2 usu. as noun weaving make fabric in this way. 3 make (basketwork or a wreath) by interlacing rods or flowers. 4 (weave into) make (interconnected elements) into (a story). • noun a particular style or manner in which fabric is woven: cloth of a very fine weave. — ORIGIN Old English: wefan - from the Oxford English dictionary The textile art of weaving involves interlacing two sets of threads or yarns: the warp (lengthways threads) and the weave (widthways threads). The warp threads are held tightly in place on a loom or in frames, allowing the weave to be threaded through and formed into the chosen design. While the industrial revolution changed the textiles industry through the invention of mechanical weaving, the ancient craft of hand weaving continues to be practiced today. The famous Scottish tartans used in Kilts are made of coloured threads, woven as both the warp and weft at right angles to each other. Find out more about tartan. In Tapestry, the weft threads hide the warp completely. Portions of the cloth are used as pattern areas rather than taking the weave from one edge of the warp to the other, allowing for pictures and designs to form.
felt
• noun cloth made by rolling and pressing wool or another suitable textile accompanied by the application of moisture or heat, which causes the fibres to mat together.
Knit
• verb make by interlocking loops of yarn with knitting needles or on a machine.Craft Scotland Textiles Maker Profiles
Wood, Furniture and Musical Instruments
Woodwork
• noun: the activity or skill of making things from wood.
Crafting with wood requires different methods of working, and produces different end results.
Wood working is an ancient craft. It has been, and continues to be, used in construction, in design, and in the arts. Buildings, boats, furniture, decorations, utensils, musical instruments – the list of products is long, and as diverse as the woods used. Hardwoods (such as birch, elm, oak and maple) and softwoods (cedar, pine, spruce) have different strengths and densities, producing distinct results. The properties of each wood and tree – from the grain and figure of the wood, to tree burrs, colours within, and wood fibres – mean that every crafted wood item is unique. Some wood makers work on their own, others in collectives or for larger companies. Traditional and contemporary techniques such as woodturning (on a lathe), carving, whittling, piercing, and sawing are used, as are finishing methods such as sanding, weathering, and varnishing. Craft Scotland represent some three hundred craft makers who work with wood - from boat builders and musical instrument makers to furniture and decor designers and jewellers.Craft Scotland Wood and Furniture Maker Profiles
After looking at all of these crafts I think Millinery and Booking binding look most interesting and I am going to research these more.
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