Crafty D.I.Y

Hi lovely friends,

If you are anything like me, Spring means it is time to create a new fresh feel around the house, dig into the fabric stash... :)

So what could we do to refresh our home a little...hmmmmm :)


Loving this gorgeous Floor pillow from Moda bake shop, very tempting is it?!

Image Source

Now, what about giving your lamp shade a little make over?
By Wilma blog has such a "easy peasy" option just using fabric and velcro...so clever!

Image Source

And now the "long term project"...
how about a rag rug for the kid's bedroom?
Craftaholics Anonymous (Is that name lovely :)) has a pretty version and tutorial here.

Image Source

So!!!!

The rug, the pillow, the lamp....

which one are you starting with :) hehe 

Have a fab Friday everyone ❤

{EVENT!} The Big Night Off!

Everyone deserves a night off, right?  A night off from art, craft, from the housework, from work and even the kids (if you have them!).  Well, this night is for you!  The Big Night Off is an event where you can relax, meet like minded people, pamper yourself and best of all, enjoy the all you can eat chocolate buffet! 

So be sure to mark the 3rd of November in your diary!  Tickets are normally $45.00 but because you are all loved you can enter the codeword "BRISSTYLE" you get $5.00 off you booking!  It's going to be a wonderful night, filled with canapés, drinks and dancing! 

Click HERE to book your ticket.  And be sure to check out the Facebook page for more information.  

<3 Amanda 

Crafty Biz Carousel ~ 27/9/12

Hello lovely creatives!

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

My picks for this week are:

• 5 Unusual Ways to Become a Better Speaker - on Inc. Now, most of you probably aren't speakers, but you can take these 5 lessons and apply them to blogging or vlogging, too!
• Pinerly - a new analytics site for Pinterest - on TNW. If you're serious about using Pinterest to market your biz, you'll want to check this out.
• Motivation: 5 Quick and Dirty Tips to Automate the Return of the Spark - on Prolific Living. We've all been there - the point where you just feel like you're lost your mojo. Farnoosh has some awesome tips to light you back up!
• Betsy Cross on Creating, Innovating & Rule Breaking -  on the Maven Circle. If you've ever wondered if you're 'doing it right' - read this.
• This week's video is a short one - Adam Ostrow: After your final status update - a TED talk. For those of us with an online business, especially, it's important to consider the digital self that we're creating. What will you leave behind?

Hope you enjoy these tips - if you do, please share this post with your peeps to help them out.

Jess xx
@JessVanDen

{FEATURED DESIGNER} DesignByFee

I first met Fee at the BrisStyle Twilight Markets and I immediately warmed to her.  Her smiley face and happy-go-lucky nature was a real joy to be near, especially when it seemed that Mother Nature was against us stall holders for a while!  It was her beheaded bunny hair combs that really interested me (I have always been a fan of little oddities), and those little bunnies were the start of something truly great.  From pouring resin and playing with clay, to tatting and making moulds, all of her products have a great deal of care and love put into them.  So sit back, grab a cup of tea and enjoy, this is the story of DesignByFee...

<3 Amanda 

How would you describe your work?

A mix of old and new, with a twist of geek goth culture thrown in for good measure. I love working with vintage fabrics and vintage crafting methods such as Tatting, but I also love making chunky Doctor Who inspired cameos, gothy rosary beads. I guess its just a retro-vintage-geek-goth mashup of all the things I like.

How did your Etsy shop come into being?

I had been collecting beads and trinkets for a period of time, in the hopes of one day creating my own jewellery. In January 2011 I lost my job for a period of 4 months due to the Brisbane floods, and with very little luck in finding other employment - I found myself with a lot of time on my hands. I started making simple earrings and brooches, mainly as a way to keep myself busy and posted the results on facebook. A dear friend and fellow BrisStyler, Nel from Quirkville suggested that I should open up an online store - and with demands from my Facebook friends, I took her advice.

Who or What inspires you?

My biggest inspiration is my family, friends and fellow crafters. I am very lucky to have met so many wonderful and talented artists through the BrisStyle family, their work continues to awe and inspire on a daily basis.

Can you describe your studio / work area? 

Chaotic at best - my work table is generally cluttered and covered in a mix of half finished products and prototypes. I do try to keep it tidy, but I have a bad habit of wanting to make everything, all at once.

What is your favorite thing in the shop at the moment?

My favourite thing in the shop at the moment would have to be the Doctor Who Dalek Cameo necklace - I grew up watching Doctor Who with my dad from a very young age, so it has a little bit of sentimental value behind it. I also loved the process of making the cameo itself, from the hand crafting in polymer clay - to creating a mould and then moulding the final piece in hand coloured resin.

Do you have any other places that people can view/purchase your work? 

Online store

Blog

Facebook

Twitter: @designbyfee

Instagram: @designbyfee

Tuesday Treasury

Hi lovely friends!

Today a "Pretty in Pink" Treasury to cheer you up :)

I hope you love all those handmade creations as much as we do in BrisStyle HQ!

Etsy Treasury link here

Feel free to share the pink love with all your friends :)

Enjoy your day!

New Peppermint issue and a survey!

Hi lovely friends,

It is time to pick up your latest edition of 
the great Brisbane based Eco magazine Peppermint!

You will find this beautiful magazine in all good bookstore and newsagents
or you can also get your subscription here.

Here in Brisstyle HQ, we are so proud to see some of our fantastic members featured in this great issue.

So  a big congratulations to our amazing and talented Brisstylers.
Hooray!

Jetta's Nest

Sconnie and Jam

Ruby 2 Go Go

 Core jewellery

Planet Pickle

Evelyn Curtis Emporium

Also...

The fantastic Peppermint team is having a Reader's survey .

And for those few minutes well spent, you will go into the draw to win some amazing prizes!

So go and click here before the 29th of November, 2012 at 5 pm!

Happy reading and enjoy your weekend!

Brisbane Craft and Quilt Fair :: TICKET GIVEAWAY!!!

This year Brisbanites will once again be treated to Australia’s most popular craft event, the Craft & Quilt Fair when it returns to the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre from October 17^th to 21^st, 2012. 

The event is renowned for its world class displays, daily classes and workshops as well as inspiration and expertise from the Fair’s special guests.

The five day event will feature a spectacular mix of works including the annual 2012 Queensland Quilt Show boasting hundreds of exceptional quilts presented by the Queensland Quilters Inc. There will also be a selection of finalists’ entries from the 2012 AP&Q AQC Challenge where artists were invited to create a quilt inspired by the theme ‘What the World Needs Now’ – resulting in a highly eclectic range of interpretations. 

The Brisbane Craft & Quilt Fair will also showcase a host of diverse crafts including a selection of wearable artworks, with artists interpreting the theme ‘The Fairest of Them All”. 

Visitors will also be treated to the remarkable works by Australian artist, Cheryl Bridgart who has swapped paint brush for sewing machine to create exceptional artworks on paper.  Cheryl is internationally recognised and uses freestyle techniques to create remarkable “thread artworks”. They are not actually painted, photographed or embellished by computer, but rather created using only a sewing machine and her hands. Each creation can take up to 500 hours to create and has to be seen to be believed (artworks pictured).

Additionally, visitors will have a unique opportunity to buy up big from specialty retailers gathered from all over Australia with the latest supplies for crafty folks ranging from fabrics and buttons to beautifully embellished papers and tools.    

In all, the Brisbane Craft & Quilt Fair is an unparalleled opportunity to see inspirational displays, meet experts, attend workshops and classes and see, try and buy the best in crafts from stamping, scrapbooking, knitting, embroidery to sewing, quilt making, jewellery-making and more and the best new's is we have 10 double passes to give-away to the fair! Simply tell us in 25 words or less what display, workshop or retailer you are most looking forward to visiting at the show (don't forget to leave an email address so we can contact the winners). The give away is open till Monday 1st October and winners will be notified by Oct 2nd.