The Dabble Sessions...with Iain Stirling

There are tons of things we'd like to do, but find reasons not to. Faced with a world of possibilities we respond with excuses like: "I haven't got time", "my phone says there’s a 40% chance of rain from 2pm" and "don't you need special shoes for that?".

At first direct we're on a mission to help people drop the excuses that stop us trying the things we've always wanted to do. And what better way to start than by having a bit of a dabble. Our Dabble Sessions brought together three masters from the worlds of graffiti, kirigami and meringue making to help Iain Stirling (and a group of keen first-timers!) find a new passion, or at least have some fun trying.

Three workshops. One day. Game on.

Rated as one of London's best foodie masterclasses by the Evening Standard, Meringue Girls is the delicious brainchild of founders Stacey O'Gorman and Alex Hoffler.

After swapping sweaty male-dominated kitchens for girl-powered yumminess in 2012, they shot to fame when Jamie Oliver's photographer David Loftus Instagrammed their meringues. Soon, private orders began to flood in and they've never looked back.

During their Dabble Session, the Meringue Girls gave Iain a crash course in meringue crafting. It's fair to say that some got the hang of it faster than others.

Next up: Paper Dandy. Crowned the Dark King of Kirigami by the Guardian, Marc Hagan-Guirey is a design director, author and paper artist specialising in the craft of kirigami, an origami variation that includes cutting paper.

In March 2012, Marc left his job as Head of Design at an ad agency to turn his childhood paper obsession into an adult hobby. After crowdfunding an exhibition to kick things off, his Star Wars heroes - director J.J. Abrams and producer Kathleen Kennedy - asked him to create a kirigami masterpiece set in a galaxy far, far away. There's no doubt Iain and our dabblers were learning from a master.

With Marc's expert guidance - Iain sliced, folded and bluffed his way to a kirigami classic. He may not be ready to give up his day job yet, but it's a good start...

Last but absolutely not least, it was over to legendary London graffiti artist, G-Man, and his band of spray can-toting scamps, the Graffiti Kings. Made up of graffiti artists, street artists, animators, filmmakers, illustrators, music producers, DJs and marketers, the Graffiti Kings have really branched out since first spray-painting the streets of London in the '80s.

G-Man's masterclass was all about the masterpieces. Armed with a selection of stencils, Iain put can to canvas and produced a... unique creation.