New Workshop Schedule Autumn 2012

New Workshop Schedule Autumn 2012

We are delighted to announce the new Crafty Alley Workshop schedule starting September 2012 in Cathy Giles new art studio in Castlemaine Co. Kerry. 

All workshops can be booked by emailing cathy@craftyalley.com or by calling 0866002173. We look forward to creating with you this Autumn. 

Full payment in advance secures place. All places are limited. 
No refund for cancellations however credit can be given towards other classes. 


Parent and Toddler Art and Craft Workshops

Every Friday Morning for 6 weeks from 10am to 11pm €50. Starts Friday 21st September 

Spend fun and creative quality time with your toddler in a relaxed environment. Let us worry about the mess and you can concentrate and creating together. 

Over the 6 week block we will use a variety of mediums such as paint, chalk, paper, beads, button and many more. You and your child will create a portfolio of art and crafts which will be a keepsake and the end of the course. 

Meet other parents and let your child socialise with other children in this unique environment. 

Children's Art and Craft Workshops

Every Saturday Morning for 6 weeks starting 15th September €40 per child 

Juniors age 5 to 7 - 10am to 11.15
Older children 8 to 12 - 11.30 to 12.15

Following on from the very successful children's workshops that were run in Killarney for four years, The Crafty Alley Shop is delighted to be now running these workshops from Cathy's new art studio in Castlemaine, Co. Kerry. 

The subjects that will be covered in this 6 weeks are Mosaic, Puppet Making, Silk and Fabric Painting, Life Drawing and Rock Painting



The Creative Entrepreneur - Starting and Developing a Creative Business in Ireland

6 weeks course commencing Monday the 17th September. 19.30 to 21.00PM. Cost is €75 per person. 

Designed by Cathy with her marketing, education and creative background this is a business course tailored to creatives. 

Over the 6 weeks crafters and artists will go on a journey to turn their talent and skill into a revenue generating occupation. We will explore marketing and business plans with an emphasis on social media marketing and getting online and craft market ready. This is an ideal time to prepare for what is the biggest selling period for handmade items - Christmas! This course hopes to motivate and inspire you to take control of your business. 

The Creative Journey 

6 week course commences Tuesday 18th September from 19.30 to 21.00
Cost is €60 per person 

This is not a painting and drawing class! This is a workshop to help unleash the creativity inside you. This workshop will take you on a journey to reconnent and discover your creativity in a fun, practical and respectful environment.This course will not only benefit your creativity skills but enhance other areas in your life such as goal setting, problem solving and interpersonal skills. This course will include activities such as mind mapping, collage, art journaling, altered art and creative writing but no prior skills are needed to participate in this course.

Beginners Knitting 
6 Week Course commences Wednesday 19th September from 7pm to 8pm
Cost is €50 per person which includes wool, needles and patterns to start with

We will cover all of the basics of knitting including pattern reading, choosing the correct wool and needles, cast on, knit and purl stitch, basic shaping and cast off. The aim of this 6 week course to complete a basic pattern from start to finish. 

Creativity and Coffee Mornings
Run every Tuesday morning from 10am to 12pm. €5 per person 
Commences Tuesday 18th September

This is a brand new and exciting project being set up by Cathy. This is a drop in creative morning. Bring your knitting, your embroidery, your sketch book, your journal and create with new friends whilst listening to good music and enjoying fresh coffee, tea and home baked healthy snacks. No need to book just turn up and inspire and be inspired. 

This is not a taught workshop it is a friendly, social and networking morning with creative friends. Adults only. 

Heavy hearts and closing the shop

It is with a heavy heart that I am writing this blogpost. We have decided to close The Crafty Alley Shop in Killarney. This has been one of the hardest decisions I have have had to make and has come about for many different reasons. We opened the shop four years ago not long after moving to Kerry. My passion was always creativity and when I moved to Kerry I decided I wanted a job that would allow me the flexibility to be a Mum, earn a living and pursue my own creativity. Our family has grown since with two more arrivals the youngest being just weeks old. It has been hard, too hard trying to balance the shop with family life and my own personal goals. It's a very very (and once more Very) tough time to be a retailer. The costs of running the shop are immense and a huge pressure and at the minute it just does not seem viable. Without a doubt the best part of the last four years in the shop have been the people, the customers, staff and colleagues and friends I have met a long the way. Communities and friendships have been created through the shop be it in one of our classes, groups or in the wide online artistic community. The part I always enjoyed most was being in the shop serving the customers. But as our family has grown in the last four years that's been the part which has been hardest to achieve. Even though I have been working mostly behind the scenes day and night on the shop I have missed being in the shop behind the counter. I have been lucky to have dedicated and amazingly creative staff to help me but it has come to a time where I have to concede to the fact that it is no longer financially or personally viable for us to continue on for now in the shop in Killarney. Instead I am going to enjoy every second of watching my three babies grow and try and create a working life nearer home. We will be putting our hearts, souls, brains and creativity into our online shop and community and I will continue to teach arts and crafts on a more adhoc basis as well as continue with my own art practice. So our last day of trading in Killarney will be Saturday the 18th February. Our shop closure sale will commence next Saturday the 4th February. We urge you to take the opportunity of our biggest ever sale to stock up on your paints, canvasses, needles, threads and craft materials. I will continue to keep the blog to journal the experience of closing the shop and create a new existence for the business. I have written this post very fast as I wanted you to read for yourselves why we are closing. I'll end it for now by asking for your support through the next few tough weeks and by saying thank you so much for your friendship, support and custom through the last few years. I still pinch myself when I think of how lucky I am to work with the most creative people in Kerry and beyond. Cathy