Since we first published details about the newly launched Geneva Photo Club on our site back in April 2015, the association has gone from strength to strength! The demand for good quality photography courses, targeted at different levels of skill and experience on a range of topics in both English and French, has grown so much that they have just announced the launch of a whole new range of courses in Lausanne.
In January the organization will offer 4 different courses in Lausanne, with more already scheduled for February and beyond. So “beginners” living near Lausanne can now choose from half-day, full-day, weekday or weekend courses to help them learn more about photography and the software tools that professionals use to create amazing photos!
Sign up for one of Lisa's vintage plate jewelry workshops - or buy one of her hand-made bracelets here
Whilst everyone was moaning about the weather this summer, Lisa was laying the foundations for her latest creative venture - transforming broken plates into stunning, beautifully hand-crafted jewelry. With a few sample bracelets under her belt, she is now ready to launch her new vintage jewelry business, and invites you to share her love of jewelry-making by signing-up for one of her vintage plate jewelry workshops.
"Not only do antique plates look great with a beautiful slice of cake adorning them, but they look even better once broken and chipped", Lisa chirps as she speaks of her passion. "I started doing stained glass in 2007 and fell in love with it. The color and light that glass releases is so cheerful and fun. You can really let your imagination go wild." Many of her stained glass projects have other everyday objects incorporated to add another dimension, such as aluminum objects, watches, wood and shells, and of course antique plates. However, once the plates have been used, the remainder is usually trashed. Lisa is not one to throw out anything that could potentially serve a purpose, and one day decided to incorporate plate remnants into her jewelry.
Trial and error was overcome. She worked out how to cut the plates and sand them down to a smooth finish, how to adhere the plate pieces to metal, and how to make them all into a beautiful, meaningful object. The initial project was for herself - Lisa's first bracelet and matching necklace were born in February 2013 (photo above).
Are you stuck in a rut and fancy meeting new friends? Do you feel that you need to unwind more, maybe learning a new skill to take your mind off daily worries? If so, then you may like to try out a new concept that we just came across at knowitall.ch: hosting an Ikebana Party.
Organised by Geneva-based Yoshiko Kuwata Luebke, Ikebana parties provide an opportunity for participants to get together and meet new people, learning a new skill called IkebanaFusion. A modern take on the traditional art of Japanese flower arranging (see below for a more formal description), IkebanaFusion has been developed over several years by Yoshiko and combines the skills that she has learned since childhood, living in Japan, with more modern techniques inspired by other cultures such as those from Africa, Asia and Polynesia.
Yoshiko’s Ikebana parties are run along much the same lines as a Tupperware party. The hostess invites her friends and neighbours to attend lunch, dinner or afternoon tea, at which they can learn the new skill of Japanese flower arranging. Since the hostess incurs the costs of hosting the event, she can expect to pay nothing towards the teaching costs, and will in fact receive a welcome gift, a set of 6 wine glass markers, and invitation cards. Guests are expected to pay a small fee of Fr. 40.-, which is subsidised compared to the costs of attending a standard workshop at Yoshiko’s atelier in Geneva.
Special discount on Summer camps for knowitall.ch clients
If you’re interested in trying out a new activity either for yourself or your children, then the special discount recently offered by Versoix-based Atelier “Les Mains Habiles” to knowitall.ch clients may be just enough to tempt you in their direction!
Set up in 2007 by local artists Monique Robert-Tissot and Patricia Hurni, Atelier "Les Mains Habiles" provides small group lessons in pottery, mosaïcs, painting and crafts. Ideal for both children and adults, the lessons are very relaxed and are more family-focused than business-oriented. One client told knowitall.ch, “The atelier is 2 blocks away from Collège du Léman. This is very convenient for those of us who have children at CDL. I go there every Tuesday morning, and I must say I have enjoyed every class immensely.”
