What's new and fresh coming up ?!

Hello :)

It is time for news with the next BITM is only few sleeps away...

Today we are sharing what's new and Fresh this season with our talented creators!

Some fantastic news for the Whizzbangle fans!!
You can now indulge in some beautiful vintage inspired resin vases.
Ooh and the cherry on the cake is... that those beautiful vases are also featured in the latest issue of Cleo Magazine!
Congratulations Whizzbangle!

Image Source Whizzbangles

On the Ties and Whimsy side,  there is an awesome new collection of headband/ fascinators.
They are made from recycled leather and upholstery fabric and will be featured in the Undress Brisbane Sustainable runway tonight and at RAW Provocations on the 24th!
How great is that!!

Image courtesy Ties & Whimsy

With our dear Edward and Lilly another little bird told me that some new beautiful Jar cosies are going to make an entrance at the BrisStyle Indie Twilight Market on the 26th of October.
A little preview for you...

Image Source Edward and Lilly

And another fresh new shop will be making an entrance at our next BITM, it is called Danidot Designs, so be sure to go and say hello to Dani and check out in person her gorgeous creations.

Image Source Danidot Designs

Lots of fresh new Designs are coming to life this season, 

so stay tuned for more fresh news next week!

Sandrine x

Crafty D.I.Y

Hello :)

With Halloween around the corner it may be kids costume time :)Non!?

hmmm, let's take a look at some of the awesome D.I.Y costumes out there.

 You never know when you will be hit by an urgent costume request, don't you!  

Chicken you said?!
How cute is that version from Martha Stewart :)

Image Source

Oooh what a pretty little peacock costume here at the train to crazy!

Image Source train to crazy

And now for the serious "costume crafter", here is an adorable little penguin costume D.I.Y
at Make it and love it.

Image Source Make it and love it.

So much fun, aren't they :)

Did you bookmark them?

Remember... you never know when this "urgent" costume call will be coming :)!

Happy Friday!

Sandrine x

Crafty Biz Carousel ~ 18/10/12

Hello lovely creatives!

Welcome to the weekly roundup of helpful and though-provoking posts about running an online business.

• Why Changing Your Mind is Completely Okay - by Sister Diane on The Maven Circle. Oh wee - not this one resonated with me! I'm always chopping and changing - coming up with new ideas and projects, and walking away from those that don't suit any more. Good to know I'm in good company.
• Dirty Little Secret - by Tara Gentile. Is your business model scaleable?
• Big Failure, Big Success. 12 People to Keep You Going - by Danielle LaPorte. You may have failed. So did they. But then look what happened!
• Why Making Your Customers Wait is Bad for Business - by Megan Visser. A simple but profound story on why you shouldn't make your customers wait.
• Why No One Cares What You Think (and how to stop being so freaking boring) - by Jon Morrow on Copyblogger. A fresh take on what you should be blogging about!
• Finally, this week's video comes from April of Blacksburg Belle. It's 10 Questions to Answer Before you Create your Next Product or Service.

:: How to Sell Your Craft Online :: Session 1 Wrap!

:: How to Sell Your Craft Online :: It was a stellar crowd of over 100 local hobbyists and creatives who descended on Brisbane Square Library to find out new tips on taking their hobby to the next level.  Thank you to everyone who brought the first in this series of mini creative development sessions to life with your attentiveness, inspiring questions and engaging crafty conversation during the morning tea networking time. The lovely Amy from Brisbane Libraries captured the session here so take the time to explore the Library facebook page to keep up with all their crafty pursuits. Many thanks to Sandra, Emma and all the Library team for making these sessions a reality! Below is a snapshot of the session and details to book in for the next one...

:: Market Research - have you discovered your niche? First up were some handy tips and questions to help develop your creative niche to stand out from the online selling crowd. These included Finding your signature style  Striving for the perfect presentation  Developing a name for your business  How to be your own market researcher Brisbane Brown Owls courtesy of Sandrine Marsh :: Kindred Spirits :: Following this, we looked at the benefits of connecting with other like minded souls both online as well as throughout  Brisbane. Benefits of Craft Groups   Improve your and share skills    Help alleviate any sense of isolation   Connect with like-minded souls  Attend  group events   Learn from mentors   Discover your target audience   Attract more sales  There were also hot tips on where to find the best Supplies in Brisbane too! There are still two sessions left in this series before we start on some more intensive creative business focused sessions next year. I doesn't matter if you have missed the first session as we will recap at the beginning of each one. Here are all the details to register: ::  Taking your crafting to the next level (PART TWO) :: Learn how to market yourself, from branding to business cards, your business name, ABN, packaging and promotion. Learn a simple formula for pricing your work; know your basic rights with intellectual property and discover tips and tricks for photographing your wares. DATE: Saturday 3 November TIME: 10-11.30am VENUE: Brisbane Square Library, 266 George Street in central Brisbane COST:      FREE ::  Taking your crafting to the next level (PART THREE) :: In readiness for selling, this session will provide 10 tips for setting up your online shop, including the options of Etsy, Made it and Blue Caravan. Also covered will be social networking and using the media for promotion, including easy ways to keep statistics. There will also be tips on basic bookkeeping to help you stay grounded. Finally, this session will explore simple steps to get you started selling at markets with ‘Markets 101’. DATE:       Saturday 1 December TIME:       10-11.30am VENUE:     Brisbane Square Library, 266 George Street in central Brisbane COST:      FREE Bookings Essential - Call 3403 4166 Brisbane Square Library - Easy Access With King George Square Car Park, Roma St and South Brisbane Train Stations close by, it's super easy to get to Brisbane Square Library, no matter what your preferred mode of transport. In particular the King George Square Car Park offers super cheap weekend rates of $12 :: Discover Your Local Library :: Upcoming Crafty Events: Brisbane Square Library * Oct 27: Brisbane Brown Owls Oct 10:30am Indooroopilly Library * Nov 22: Meet Loani Prior - 6.30-7.30pm Brisbane Libraries on facebook Library events What's on your the Library e-newsletter We're really looking forward to kicking up our handmade heels with you all at these sessions. In the meantime, mark all the 2012 Creative Development Session and BrisStyle indie Market dates in your diaries and keep up with all the other BrisStyle action, via the BrisStyle Blog, Facebook and Twitter! Presented by BrisStyle Inc and supported by the Brisbane City Council

{FEATURED DESIGNER} Simone McCluskie - A Touch of Glass

A Touch of Glass is a fun play on words; it's a great name for an even greater online store and local designer.  Simone McCluskie is the brains behind A Touch of Glass, a Brisbane based business that specialises in, yes, you guessed it, glasswares!  These beautiful creations are like nothing you've ever seen before.  Simone confesses that she "very rarely [has a] set design in mind" before starting - which is incredible to me.  One of the things that attracts me to handmade and those who create is the idea of making something wonderful from nothing, and Simone does just that.  So sit back, take 5 minutes to yourself and be inspired by Simone's story.

<3 Amanda 

How would you describe your work?
I’m told my glass has a retro look about which would make sense as I’m very into the 60’s mod culture, but don’t intentionally set out to have that look.
I work free hand, very rarely having a set design in my head before I start. I just stand at my table, look at the colours of the glass in front of me and go from there. Sometimes a design may spring out of a piece of glass that cut incorrectly in the first place (that happens a lot) and that will then inspire a design.
All my pieces are unique, but I will make similar pieces in the clear range but even these will never be the same as I don’t measure strips or keep patterns.

How did your Etsy shop come into being?
I discovered Etsy from a work friend who is from the US and was then reintroduced to it by Brisstyle. When I joined you needed to have an Etsy shop. I think it’s a great site for getting a wide audience to see your work and I have a lot of US fans. I have only had half a dozen or so sales on Etsy, I guess because the shipping is costly but I have shipped to the US and received orders from the US to send to family in Australia.

Who or What inspires you?
I am inspired by the colours of the glass I use and as mentioned earlier I love retro styles. I also obtain inspiration my from little group of Brisstyle buddies as we all have the same highs and lows and it’s great to have that network of friends that really understand.

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

I have been known to remove glass window panes from recycle bins in the past but don’t tell the council.  People get very upset if something of mine breaks at the market but because of the nature of my work I can just re melt it and start again.  I plan to experiment with Pot Melts in the future which is putting lots of scraps together and see what happens when it all drips down and melts together. You do need to be very careful though as Glass is very snobby, it will only mix with it’s own type of glass.

Another recycle plan I have for the future is my husband beer bottles as an awful lot of those go in the bin each week and I feel this is an untapped source of material I am missing out on. I don’t plan to do the flattened bottles that are at most markets but you will need to watch this space to see what does transpire.

Can you describe your studio / work area? (you can provide a  pic for inclusion on blog if you wish.)
My studio used to be our dining table (not very Health and Safety compliant) it them moved onto a table tennis table (kids weren’t happy with this set up) so my husband has made me a table in our garage. The only problem is he’s made it for his height and not mine so I have to stand on a block of wood to work. It’s not very glamorous and the lighting sucks but it does for now. 

What is your favorite thing in the shop at the moment?
I love my new Union Jack platter mainly because it worked! When I first fused it, it spread to far and dripped over the edge of my shelf. I needed to cut the edges off and re fuse it. I then thought it was going to be too big for the mold but it has worked and I’m very happy with it.
I have a second favourite which is a candle holder that never made it into the shop. This was originally made out of left over strips, just playing really  but turned out like a piece of beautiful coral.

Do you have any other places that people can view/purchase your work? 
Online Store
Facebook
Twitter @simonemccluskie

Tuesday Treasury

Good morning,

It's a pumpkin flavoured Treasury this morning :)

Lots of bright and happy creations from around Brisbane.

Image Source Etsy

For more details please check the link to this pretty Treasury.

Happy Tuesday :)

Sandrine x

You're Invited!! :: Markets 101 :: Creative Development Session

We'd like to invite you to the next action packed :: I ♥ Craft :: Creative Development Session:: This will be the last session for 2012, so get set to celebrate a year of hearting Brisbane craft together! We'd like to thank everyone who has made these sessions come to life and to all the friendships and connections that have been forged through them. We're very much looking forward to seeing you all and having the opportunity to hear how far your creativity has blossomed throughout the year. So with no further ado here's your invite to the last exciting 2012 session...

Spunmud's vibrant market stall :: image courtesy of Sandrine Marsh ::Markets 101 :: If you are considering selling your handmade wares at a local market or are in need of a fresh new approach, then this session will put you on the path to achieving craft market success. DATE Saturday 17 November TIME 10 – 12pm VENUE St Augustine's Church Hall Racecourse, Road Hamilton COST FREE Bookings essential Book HERE PLACES ARE LIMITED SO BOOK NOW! Get into the :: Markets 101 :: spirit by visiting the :: BrisStyle indie Twilight Market:: Friday Oct 26,  King George Square, Brisbane City - 5pm-9pm Come along, meet the marketeers and soak up the market atmosphere... and get in some pre Christmas shopping while you're there! In the meantime, mark all the BrisStyle indie Christmas Market dates in your diaries and keep up with all the other BrisStyle action, via the BrisStyle Blog,Facebook and Twitter! Presented by BrisStyle Inc and supported by the Brisbane City Council