How inspiring: these Flow fans bring other crafters together and go wild with past issues of Flow.
Every now and then we come across them on Instagram or on the Flow Paper Lovers Facebook group: paper lovers who organize their own ‘Flow Craft Dates’. Like Sandra in her studio in Schoonhoven, the Netherlands, or Maria in her stationery store in Rome, Italy.
Flow Craft Date in Schoonhoven, the Netherlands
Sandra Nevels started her creative studio four years ago: De Werkbank (The Workbench) became a meeting place to celebrate creativity, and the Flow Craft Date is just one of the many evenings she organizes there.
“There are stacks of magazines and Specials lying on the table that can be cut up and torn apart,” Nevels explains. “It’s not a workshop, but we do inspire each other. One person makes a notebook, another makes a collage or does something with origami. By seeing others make something, you discover new techniques yourself.
“The idea for the Flow Craft Date arose when I noticed that it was difficult for some people to get started. And such an evening is good for you: it’s relaxing and you meet new people. The stacks of magazines and Specials have been donated by various lovely people and I myself have been a Flow subscriber for years, so there is a whole cupboard full of inspiring material. It’s ideal for those who do not have access to these beautiful magazines or for those who have a fear of cutting.”
Whenever Nevel organizes a craft evening, she shares it on the Flow Paper Lovers Facebook group.
Mood board afternoon in Rome, Italy
We’ve written about Paperness in Rome before on our blog. The owner of this paper store, Maria Boscarato, runs a Creativity Club there, where they discuss books about creativity, and she also organizes workshops. Recently the club came together on a Saturday afternoon to make mood boards.
“Sometimes I find it difficult to watch people sticking their scissors into an issue of Flow,” says Boscarato, “but then I remember that it’s precisely for this reason that I ordered them: I want people to pull the old issues apart without any guilt or hesitation, and to use the photos and illustrations to create mood boards. The mood board workshop was really nice and messy, and so much fun!
“We started with an introduction that covered mood boards and what you can do with them. I had created a Pinterest board full of ideas and instructions for inspiration. Then everyone was able to thumb through the old Flows to cut, collect images and create mood boards. Each board was different and beautiful. At the end, we voted for the best one—which was not easy!—and the winner received a Flow notebook as a prize.”
Want to craft too?
Fancy participating in a Craft Date such as this or organizing one yourself? You can find or share it on the Flow Paper Lovers Facebook group.
- Read more about the creativity club here.
Text Ilse Savenije, Translation Julia Gorodecky, Photography Maria Boscarato
