Today's Monday Maker is Robyn Stewart from Birdy and Clementine

Were you creative as a child/do you come from a creative family?

My mum was crafty and my Aunt was a painter but I only remember making mud pies.

How would you describe your work?

A little bit retro a little bit modern, feminine and complicated like me :0. I focus primarily on surface decoration as that is my first love and I like to wing it as I have a low boredom threshold'.

How has your work evolved since you started? 

I started a looonnnggg time ago with a big hiatus where I moved interstate and was the main caregiver for my gorgeous gals- they were my priority for many years. Now that I am an empty nester I can indulge my passions again . My work has changed firing temperatures and  am using new techniques but I look at my work from 20 years ago and I can still see similarities in the colour palette,the lustre used and the simple shapes although I was doing wheel work a lot more then and now I prefer to hand build and slip cast my original proto types.

How did you start selling online/ Etsy?

Ahh this for me is the big change... way back when you did art shows and sold face to face  now the online world is massive. It's great opportunity to have a global audience, incredibly exciting but alas my photography skills need a lot of work so I don't really have a presence there as yet. I have a shop.. it's rather sad only two items listed to date.

Who or what inspires you?

Colour, pattern and texture be it in the natural world or man made... life really - it's full of amazing things.

Do you reduce, reuse, recycle as part of your creative process? If yes, how is your art/craft eco-friendly?

I have solar panel assisted electric kilns which I fire predominately when the sun is shining. I prefer to keep packaging to a minimum and use recycled where possible.

Describe your studio/workspace?

I have two workspaces, actually that's a lie because if I need to commandeer the whole house I will! I have just done The Finders Keepers for the first time and I literally took over the spare bedroom and had work stations dotted throughout the house, nothing was sacred, the dining room ,the living room two verandahs... you get the picture. :)

Generally though I have a tidy area which is my studio upstairs (an enclosed verandah) where I do my hand building , decorating and lustering and downstairs where I slip cast , make a big ole mess and have my kilns

What is your favourite thing to make?

Right now I love love love making earrings. I treat each one like a mini abstract painting and enjoy where they end up.

How did your business/shop name come about?

A brainstorming session with my eldest daughter. I know I wanted Birdy (Robyn) and the Clementine was brainstormed from a bunch of 50's names as I feel my work harks back to that era (albeit in a lateral way)

Where do you see your creative journey taking you in the next 12 months?

I have so many ideas but I am currently time poor... more tableware, more jewels. I love a good cup and I used to specialise in teapots so I would like to develop that further.

What’s your top tip to others wanting to break into the handmade/creative market?

Well I feel like I'm still doing that myself but basically you need to take yourself seriously and do the work.As boring as that sounds everyday you need to do something that takes you forward and sometimes that ain't sexy.

Describe your typical creative day?

They are often long. I have breakky then walk into the studio upstairs and depending on what I am making I could be running up and down stairs all day between work spaces. I mix it up a bit otherwise the body protests so if I alternate fine and gross motor skills I find I can work longer. I tend to focus way too much on the making and very little on the marketing.

Music or movie while creating?

I have a very eclectic taste in music so it could be anything from classic to folk, funk. grunge, alternative, world, R &B etc

What is your favourite handmade item that you have bought?

So many... I  really appreciate and collect antique hand stitched fabrics especially from minority tribes in Asia.

Where can we find you online/stockists?

 www.birdyandclementine.com

How long have you been a member of brisstyle?

Almost two years

Why do you craft?

Because that is the true expression of who I am. Be yourself people!

Avril is this week's Monday Maker from the label Avril Bowie

Hello Avril,

Were you creative as a child?

Yes!  My siblings and I sewed, knitted and crocheted our way through Brownies and school craft stalls.  Crafting and making was always there in our lives.

And do you come from a creative family?

One grandmother was a talented painter and the other a tailor and excellent seamstress, my mother sewed and my father liked to dabble across a lot of mediums but his final one was leadlighting.  

How would you describe your work?

My jewellery pieces are elegant yet simply designed using beautiful big glass beads that pack a wow into any outfit.

How has your work evolved since you started?

I think it's becoming more colourful, which is nice.  

How did you start selling on Etsy?

A friend mentioned Etsy to me years ago, 2007 or 2008, and it sounded great.  So I signed up in 2009 but I really didn't use it to its full potential until a little while ago.  I've also set up my own online shop finally which has been a great learning curve that I had been resisting.  Looking back I now ask why did it take me so long to do that!

Who or what inspires you?

I grab a lot of inspiration from other creative mediums like textiles, textile patterns, ceramics  and even architecture.  Looking outside of my medium gives me huge amounts of colour inspiration and design elements that I can ponder on for days trying to think how I can utilise it in my glass work.   I collect a lot of fashion and interiors magazines for inspiration. And I mean a lot. One book case shelf broke and 2 more are threatening to go.  Oops.

Do you reduce, reuse, recycle as part of your creative process? 

I've recently learnt that my small glass chips can happily go into resin work, so I'm collecting the smaller bits in jars for future projects.  My larger beads and broken bits get donated to a friend's plant pots to dazzle them up.  And also I've found someone needing colourful shiny glass bits to decorate a sculpture in a mosaic style.  So that will be great to offload the numerous containers taking up space in my studio. 

Is your art eco-friendly?

I've recently installed solar panels so I make sure I make during the day to take advantage of them.

Every little bit helps.

Can you describe your workspace for us?

I have a purpose built home studio with ventilation and safety built in which is great.  I get the morning light in my studio which is lovely and lights up the glass so it's easy to get distracted with the colours at that time of the day.  Right now it's tidy and I'm loving it this way.

What is your favourite thing to make?

I love making hollow beads.  I can't stop making them.  Big glass beads can be heavy so making them hollow lightens up their weight.  And I love big beads.  A bonus to making transparent beads hollow is that the light passes through the bead and highlights the clarity and colour of the glass.  Pure beauty.  Distracting, but very beautiful.  :D

How did your business name come about?

I use my name as the business name as it seemed creative enough as it is!  

Thanks, Mum and Dad!

Where do you see your creative journey taking you in the next 12 months?

I'll still be creating and designing new pieces. The possibilities with glass are almost endless, so I'll be there thinking up something new.   I think I'll be even more colourful. And I'll definitely have bracelets in my line up by then.

Do you have a top tip to others wanting to break into the handmade creative market?

Make sure you're paying yourself as well as paying for your materials when pricing your work. It's nice to make something that you love, it's even better when you're getting paid for it.

Describe your typical creative day?

After dropping my daughter off to school, I'll get changed and jump into the studio and start melting glass to take advantage of that time that she's away and to take advantage of the natural light.  I might take photos of finished pieces or beads in that time too.   Once my daughter is home again I'll clean beads, string necklaces or do computer work so she's not in the studio with me.  I try to fit it all around her, so I may even do some computer work after she's gone to bed, too.

Do you have a favourite quote?

I love the one that's plastered on the underpass on McLachlan St in Fortitude Valley.  The more I think about it the bigger it gets.  I love how "it" can mean anything to anyone at any given time, changing the perspective on whatever you're thinking about.  I never tire of that one.

Do you like to listen to Music or watch movies while creating?

I like Podcasts best because I found that listening to music while making beads is detrimental  as I start wiggling or singing the words and that just throws the flame around and I can't keep the beads in the flame. So podcasts it is.  I love getting wrapped up in a good story.  Hello, Serial and Undisclosed. I ruined 5 beads one day because I was so focused on that story and not on the flame melting the glass.But usually I'm listening to Radio National segments - The Science Show is a favourite. This series, Plants: From Roots to Riches from the BBC is a good one.  It made me want to become a botanist!Jess Van Den at Create and Thrive is a good Aussie crafting business podcast that I'll listen to.  

So it's a mixed bag really.

What is your favourite handmade item that you have bought?

Oh, that's tough.  I bought a Tiff Manuell clutch recently.  I love her paintings - they make me happy.  I have a small selection of gilded ceramic pieces from Jennifer Orland and Bridget Bodenham in a cluster with a Liana Kabel sparkly resin vessel on my desk that I love to gaze dreamily at when I'm supposed to be working.

Where can we find you online?

You can find me:

 - www.avrilbowie.com

 - etsy.com/shop/AvrilBowie

 - instagram.com/avrilbowie/

 - www.pinterest.com/avrilbowie/

 - facebook.com/avrilbowieartist/

How long have you been a member of BrisStyle Avril?

3 years

How did you find out about BrisStyle?

I found out about BrisStyle through the Etsy newsletters when they mentioned a Brisbane team.

Why did you become a member?

Because of the shared information and the helpful community.

And my last question, which is always my favourite one to ask is, Why do you craft Avril?

I craft to express myself artistically and technically. Glass is part craft and part science, so it ticks all the geeky and arty boxes that I need. The beads become my canvas and also my personal science experiment. A total win win situation for me.

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with us today Avril.

Anita