Here’s What Went Down at Our First-Ever Maker B-School
As our Re:Make conference-goers can attest, there’s really nothing like being in the company of fellow makers. Small-scale artisans make our world go round, and we’ll take every chance we can get to celebrate them! That’s why we teamed up with Blurb to put on our first-ever Maker B-School, a night filled with inspiring makers, tasty (and photogenic!) cocktails and a healthy helping of maker wisdom from some of the best in the industry.
Consider this your virtual tour :) First stop: Blurb’s station!
BLURB
We have MAJOR respect for this company. Using their tools, any maker (or regular Jane!) can publish a print book, magazine or ebook, and therefore make their brand that much stronger. Blurb has done wonders for the maker community, and we’re incredibly honored to partner with them.
CHRISTINE HERRIN + ADOBE
We’re all about hands-on project stations, and Adobe definitely delivered. They paired up with Christine Herrin, who makes seriously beautiful zines using Adobe InDesign, and provided inspirational booklets for all of the attendees.
Excuse us while we crush HARD on Christine’s designs — we can’t get enough of them.
LAMBERT FLORAL STUDIO
Next up is Sammy Go of Lambert Floral Studio (yay for maker dudes!) with a jaw-dropping, bountiful bouquet, some impressive knowledge of how to grow a business’s social community and possibly one of the most tasteful product catalogs we’ve ever seen. Can you bring your flowers to all of our events, please?
See what we mean by an impressive catalog? This thing is downright dreamy.
CRAFT + COCKTAILS
Ashley Rose Conway of Craft + Cocktails whipped up tasty piña coladas and spiked pink peppercorn lemonades all night, and also dished out some expert tips on cocktail photo styling. We’ve already been following her on Instagram for ages, so it was a real treat to get a behind-the-scenes look!
These babies were definitely Insta candy :)
ETTA + BILLIE
Alana Rivera, from the artisanal soap brand Etta + Billie, talked shop and shared best tips for building an authentic brand. We can’t decide what we like more: the marvelous fragrances or the tasteful, elegant packaging.
JOSHU + VELA
The team at JOSHU+VELA construct bags, wallets and accessories made entirely of natural materials, and they’re manufactured right here in SF — by them! It was a pleasure to have them showcase their brilliant products and share their perspective on brand identity. We’re itching to take a leather-working class with them, if they’ll have us ;)
PORTRAITS TO THE PEOPLE
How cool is this — Sarah Deragon of Portraits to the People used our DIY studio to provide headshots for the attendees!
After getting zhuzhed by a professional makeup and hair stylist, makers would get a chance to take a new headshot by Sarah, one of the top photographers in the Bay Area. Neat, huh?
THE FOOD!
Oh, did we mention the incredible food provided by SF favorite, Vive la Tarte? Tied for most delectable treat was this INSANE bacon-wrapped fig and an unbelievably satisfying creme brûlée tart — but we’re not playing favorites.
MAKER B-SCHOOL TOP TIPS
Didn’t make it to the stellar event this time? No worries! Lucky for you, our amazing designer Rosee Canfield compiled the makers’ top tips in a beautiful, printable card. Check it out!
Download it here and hang it in your work space!
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received about running your own business? Share with us on Twitter @BritandCo!
This post is a collaboration with Blurb.
Author: Maddie Bachelder
Photography: Brittany Griffin