Bizzy Feature: Getting to know Lark Design Make
We’d like to thank Bizzy for featuring Lark in their Blog - you can check out that post and their other blogs here
Written by Ellen Hill
Edited by Sazz Belger
Designed by Ellen Hill and Justine Young
Lark Design Make is a craft shop and workshop in Roath. We spoke to owner and workshop leader, Gemma, to get to know more about the business and the people behind it.
What is Lark Design Make all about?
Hey! We’re Lark Design Make, a small Cardiff-based business offering craft workshops (online at the moment!) and usually from our Roath studio, along with a craft shop! The faces behind the business are Gemma, Owner and Workshop Leader at Lark, and Sophie, Creative Assistant.
When did it all start?
I lived in New Zealand in my early 20’s and took a day trip to a small town and visited a craft venue for a day of stitch work. I instantly thought that I’d love to do this for a living!
I always kept it in the back of my mind but ended up taking the ‘sensible’ route of becoming a secondary school Design & Technology teacher when I returned home. After 4 years of teaching in the UK I decided to take a teaching post in Kuala Lumpur, and two years later I took a job in Shanghai, China. Shanghai is such a vibrant city and everyone has a side hustle and is chasing a dream so I soon got swept up in that and worked part time in a fab craft workshop called ‘Craft’d’.
I learnt so much about how to each in that environment rather than the classroom and I soon knew I had to return home and create a craft workshop to share my love of crafts and build a community.
Five years later I came home and was ready to start. It started with a van; I drove around South Wales doing events and parties. It was a bit more stressful than I imagined, so I was thrilled when a studio was available at Cardiff MADE in Roath, which is my favourite part of Cardiff!
I got to work decorating my space; it’s totally rammed with colours and ideas and I absolutely love it there. It’s allowed me to meet some amazing people, I feel very lucky!
How has COVID affected your business?
COVID has meant the business has had to do a 360. We initially adapted workshops which we thought would be easy to run online but have since added most of the crafts we offer into an online Zoom session with a crafty kit sent to attendees’ homes! We’ve also had more time to put into our shop, creating lots of new DIY kits to keep our customers busy and also developing our packaging for the full Lark experience!
How would students be able to enjoy Lark?
We encourage anyone and everyone to come along to one of our workshops – we have a range of crafts on offer; whether you’re a still beginner, or you want to perfect a skill you’ve already started learning.
Our online workshops are super affordable, and we send a craft kit to your home for a range of classes from Jesmonite coasters and plant pots, to crochet headbands and snood making.
We also run a free weekly zoom craft night where you can come along with a craft of your choice for a natter! (Check out the website and Instagram to find these)
Tell us more about the dogs!
Gwen is a rescue dog from Many Tears rescue who came into our lives early 2020. She loves nothing more than a cwtch on the sofa and playing with her doggie friends in Waterloo park.
Tofu is Sophie’s 6-month-old Lhasa Apso pup who is obsessed with Gwen and lots of treats.
What are your favourite local businesses in Cardiff?
We love a ‘working lunch’ or coffee break. Some of our favourite eateries are Eartha on City Road, which is also an amazing plant shop, and we love Penylan Pantry for coffee and cakes.
For gifts we’d recommend Cardiff MADE which also happens to be where our studio is based. They sell some great pottery, art and jewellery and have made some big changes to their business during lockdown to make everything available through their website!
For craft supplies I rely a lot on Crafty Sew & Sew on City Road and the Cardiff Indoor Market – both are closed at the moment but we look forward to having them back soon.
