Calling all Mindful Hedonists!

Want to have an experiential night sipping on your fave drink of choice? Then “Classes with Glasses” invites you to an unforgettable series that offers an alternative to just heading to the local pub.
 

The SCW team has a chat with Laura Carrie, founder of Bustle Studios, to get the low down on Classes with Glasses and what she has in store for SCW.
 

Can you tell us about your Sydney Craft Week event, The Mindful Hedonist? 

Sydney Craft Week - Craft Up Late was the perfect opportunity for us to officially launch our brand new workshop program at Bustle Studios, 'Classes with Glasses - late night workshops, BYO drinks'.

We wanted to come up with a special event purely for this occasion which aligned with this years SCW theme of 'Mindful Making' but which also drew inspiration from all our very different workshops. It was a bit of a challenge considering we have over thirty different workshops ranging from Laughter Yoga to Organic Balloon Arches. After discussing it with all twelve teachers we came up with the idea for the Mindful Hedonist. Hedonism is all about the pursuit of pleasure (something we can all relate to) and our aim is to make all our workshops as pleasurable as possible. Not a hard ask with topics such as 'Wine & Cheese, how to make someone go gooey' and how to make a 'Sugar Unicorn Cake Topper'. As you can bring your own drinks to all our workshops it adds another layer of pleasure, what's better than celebrating your new skill with a glass of champagne!

We have brought a tidbit from each of the classes and turned them into a whirlwind one hour hedonistic journey through Bustle Studios. In addition to receiving goodies like a glass of sparkling wine on arrival, cupcake, watercolour illustration and even a seductively presented flower, you'll also get a tantalising taste of classes like calligraphy, knitting, screen printing, meditation and much much more! 

Sydney Craft Week's theme this year is mindful making. Is craft a mindful practice for you?

Oh yes! Living in bustling Sydney it's easy to get caught up in the hectic energy and forget to take time out to stop and focus solely on just one thing. There is something so calming about focussing on learning a new task like screen printing or calligraphy. Your brain has to concentrate fully on the project at hand, no thinking about annoying workmates or chores you have to do at home. As Shannyn, our knitwear teacher, says about her classes, 'These workshops are all about connecting with traditional, timeless skills and learning the benefits of knitting for your mind and soul.'

Do you have a guilty hedonist pleasure?
'A'?! I have plenty! Definitely wine and sugary treats so I'll be first in line at the Brown Paper Wine wine and chocolate class!

What have you enjoyed most about setting up a workshop program for the first time?

Definitely working with so many new workshop teachers. As Bustle Studios is a coworking office during the day I have worked closely with a few of the teachers already but this project gave me the opportunity to go outside my bubble and reach out to new people with a huge range of talents. I never realised you could make a face mask with Kombucha or that there is such a thing as edible bouquets!

What's the best thing about your studio where you run Classes with Glasses?

It's soooo pretty! It's a heritage listed terrace house and has such unique and beautiful rooms. We've decorated it with a mix of retro and vintage pieces to ensure people feel comfortable and inspired at the same time. Also being in vibrant Surry Hills doesn't hurt!


For more details on The Mindful Hedonist, and to get your tickets, check out the event here.
 

Also happening at Bustle Studios during Sydney Craft Week: DIY Screen Printed Patches with Mrs C and Me.