Monday Maker : Kumihimo Designs experts - Lesley and Wal from Offbeat Designs

Who hasn't heard of 'French Knitting'?

Well how about French Knitting WITH BEADS! Pretty clever.

One of the trademark features that make 'offbeat designs' easily recognisable.

Let's have a chat with Lesley:

 

Hi Lesley, firstly would you say you were creative as a child?

No, I wasn't.

Well you certainly are creative now, how would you describe your work?

I love to create distinctive designs. We also welcome Custom jewellery as well as Repairs and Workshops.

How has your work evolved since you started?

We started off with simple techniques, which we then constantly refined and updated by studying the work of successful designers.

And by participating in workshops at the Tucson Bead and Gem show.



Kumihimo Bracelet

Do you sell online or on etsy?

Not yet, but we intend to do so.

Where does your inspiration come from?

I'm always inspired by Creative design and Innovative use of colours and materials.

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

Yes, we use some Vintage beads dating from the 1940’s

Describe your studio?

We enclosed our balcony to create a secure workspace totally devoted to workshops and a workroom.

One of our Workshops in progress

 Do you have a favourite thing to make?

No, I just love to make anything that appeals to my creative fancy at the time.

How did your business name come about?

It is the same name we originally used for our interior design business – before the jewellery bug got us.

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

Our redesigned website with our new product range should be up and running.

And we are also excited about our new branding. 

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

Study your craft, pick a direction, then go for it.

Describe your typical creative day?

Simply put, Chaotic !

Do you have a favourite quote?

-  “ Jewellery can change an outfit more than anything else.  TRANSFORMATION, PUNCH, 

INDIVIDUALITY - is why you should wear jewellery”. - Iris Apsel - ( Famous New York Designer )



French Knitting Beaded necklace

What is your favourite handmade item that you have bought?

An original African Feather Headdress

Where can we find you online?

www.offbeatdesign.com.au 

How long have you been a member of BrisStyle?

About 12 months

How did you find out about brisstyle?

We did some workshops for Tracey from Side Street Vintage and Tracey recommended Brisstyle to us.

Why did you become a member?

It was an excellent fit for our business - designing and making jewellery, and teaching.

And lastly, my favourite question that I love to ask everyone, Why do you craft?

Because Design is our passion.

Thankyou Lesley and we look forward to seeing both you and Wal at a Brisstyle market soon.

 

Anita x

Monday Maker - Kirsten from Each To Own

I've been loving preparing the weekly Monday Maker interview for the BrisStyle blog. 

What an awesome way to see inside each member's head ( not literally of course ) 

Have you ever admired someone as you followed their creative journey and felt encouraged by their progress? I'm sure you have. 

I've followed the journey of Kirsten Devitt from Each to Own label for a few years now and have found her to be inspirational to any budding artist/crafter. Oh and she's pretty hilarious too.

Let's see what's inside her head.

Hi Kirsten and thanks so much for sharing yourself with us.

Were you creative as a child?
I think I was imaginative but not very creative.  I liked drawing but talking took up most of my time ;)

What was the first thing you remember creating?

It would have been kindy craft - probably a pasta necklace for mum.  I do remember having a cotton reel that my grandma put nails in for me and I did french knitting… for about two minutes then I went off to be a horse. No concentration span.

 

How would you describe your work?

Bright, colourful, lots of bold moves and some useful ones too.

What was the first thing Each to Own ever produced and sold?

Button studs!  Didn’t we all start there?  I used to just glue earring posts on things that I could find - vintage and found objects.  A tube of E6000 and a couple of brooch backs have launched many a crafty career, I dare say :)

How did you start selling on Etsy?

I had sold some things to friends and I really had (and still have) no idea about website building so Etsy was a perfect place to just take a deep breath and go for it.

Can you remember your first etsy sale?

I do!  A beautiful lady at Strathpine who is still a good customer to this very day.  And it went missing in the post and I replaced it so THAT was a baptism of fire!

Where does your inspiration come from?
Everywhere but mostly from looking at the shapes sitting around on my desk and moving them together.  

I get great colour inspo from mostly fashion and fabrics but there are only so many acrylic colours so it is a bit like colour haiku - you have to make what you have on hand work.  

I’m obsessed with finding new acrylics. I drive most suppliers here and overseas mad with my quest for new colours.

Can you tell us a bit about your workspace?
Messy, colourful, messy, fun but mostly messy.  

I am building a new light filled, clean, organised, breezy workshop down at our farm and intend on making that very messy too.

What is your favourite thing to make?
New things - I get sick of the old things very quickly, hence I seem to stick to seasonal ranges. 

I’m not sure why I have to make everything that comes into my head but I do.

How did your business name come about?
From opening my Etsy shop, realising that I could take the leap and leave work to do this full-time but mostly having to pay the overdraft I got for the laser cutter off ;)



What’s your top tip to others wanting to break into the handmade/creative market?
Start small and slow and start NOW.
Make what you believe comes from a true, original place from inside you. 

Stop watching telly and work days and nights.  Just work really hard.  

Let go of things that aren’t working and find a new way.

Describe your typical creative day?
After school drop off I grab a coffee and hit the workshop.  I fill orders until school pick up and then straight after the kid’s bedtime, and try and have a play around with new ideas. 

Daytimes for working, night times for dreaming and problem solving and creating. 

Do you have a Favourite inspirational quote ?
It is not really a quote but please watch Ira Glass’s video “The Gap” - it will give you all you need to create and keep on creating.  

What do you like to listen to while creating?
Nothing a lot of the time.  I am a person that really can’t concentrate on more than one thing at a time.  If I am listening to music or a podcast, my mind just goes off with those people and I’m not really present. 

I listen to the hum of the machines.  

I really love it when the cutter is doing a job and it gets into the rhythm or squeak of a song you know.  It happens every now and then and I love that.

What is your favourite handmade item that you have bought?
That is the hardest question ever because I love every handmade thing I own and I buy SO much handmade stuff.  It would probably be my Sharon Muir Mountain Bud Vase or my Laurie Melia “Smoking Ladies” - obsessed with ceramics!

Do you have any suggestions on how to get noticed by stockists?
I think that you have to really study up hard on whether they are the right shop for you and then approach them - the worst thing that they can say is no.  

I had never approached stockists until early this year when I did a mail out with a pair of earrings to 80 stores that I had researched around Australia and NZ.  I ended up getting about 10 new stockists from that - I’m not sure if that is a good strike rate or not.  Probably not!  Maybe I am the wrong person to ask! :D

How long have you been a member of BrisStyle?
4 years I think.

How did you find out about BrisStyle?
Through Etsy.

Why did you become a member?
I wanted to join an Etsy Street Team because I was a bit clueless and they were the Brissie one so they got me :)

Why do you craft?
I don’t want to go and work in the real world again!  No, in honesty, I do it because it gives me a really happy life :)



You can find Each to Own here:

http://www.eachtoown.com.au

As well as running her own business full time, Kirsten is President of BrisStyle.

Anita x

 

 

Monday Maker - Meet Huis Design

This week I have selected another newcomer to Brisstyle as our Monday Maker.

Meet Juliette Hooper and her label Huis Design.

Hi Juliette,

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

I was always drawing as a child and if I could get my hands on clay I would go for hours. My Dad is very creative; he has spent much of his life restoring antiques, and he is a painter, quite successful too.

How would you describe your work?

Bold, simplistic with touches of modernism and yet the timber softens the look and adds natural elements.

How has your work evolved since you started?

I was following a vintage vibe for quite a while so it started with a rockabilly feel. I am now developing and forever created my own look, I think through my love of the retro era and art deco, my work has evolved into a slight modern look.

How did you start selling online/ via Etsy?

It was a fairly natural flow on from the markets I’m doing, it’s so simple to use with the appropriate apps etc.

Who or what inspires you?

I’ve recently come to find Lisa Messenger, she is very inspirational. My sister-in-laws, they have their own businesses and have been a wealth of support to me. Buildings, nature, shapes, the all play their part.

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

I try to use only local timbers, and the waste from larger cut objects is always used in some way and all our products are painted with low VOCs.

Describe your studio/workspace?

It’s basically a 1200mm desk! Yes, I really should fix that! It’s surrounded with colour swatches, art and quote, things I love.

What is your favourite thing to make?

Probably my triangle necklaces, I can mix each one up with metal and spikey bead, they all start the same but once strung on leather the look changes for each one.

How did your business/shop name come about (if applicable)?

My mother is from Holland, huis means home or house in Dutch, I have plans to expand the homewares section of huis design and cross over into interior design.

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

At the moment we are looking into getting some pretty cool machinery set up and from that bigger scaled items will be produced, homewares etc. It’s going to be fun.

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

If you love it, jump in.

Describe your typical creative day?

Do the school drop off and get into it, if I have a market coming up I’m generally working in the studio putting pieces together. I’ll check my email a few times a day and post at least twice a day on Instagram. There are always tunes playing and copious amounts of tea flowing.

What is your Favourite quote?

Follow your bliss

Music or movie while creating?

Music

What is your favourite handmade item that you have bought?

They are some very new stacking rings from Glass Rainbows, they are really beautiful. Denise is so talented.

Where can we find you online?

Instagram @huisdesign

Facebook   https://www.facebook.com/huisdesigns

https://www.etsy.com/shop/huisdesign

How long have you been a member of BrisStyle?

This is my first year, I wanted to join for a long time and have finally taken the step, and have found it so worthwhile for my business.

How did you find out about BrisStyle?

Social media

Why did you become a member?

Community support, to meet likeminded people, develop my knowledge and learn.

Why do you craft?

It just wants to come out of me, I tried to stop once but I just kept coming back to it. I think it’s built in, I love it and it’s fun. I like the way it makes others feel too, that’s a big plus.

Thanks so much Juliette, it was great chatting to you. Stay tuned for our next week's Monday Maker!

Anita x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday Maker - Joy of Luminescent Glow Candles

This week we interview Brisstyler Joy, from the label - LuminescentCandles 

Hello JOY  can you tell us a bit about yourself.

Were you creative as a child?
Yes I believe that I was.  I remember (when I was about 8) that I used to collect coloured sands when I was a child to make into colourful bottled arrangements to give away to friends and family. 

Do you come from a creative family? 
My father is a very talented creative woodcrafts man and he has spent most of his spare time over the past 50 years or so building beautiful pieces of furniture and boxes. 

How would you describe your work?  
I would describe it as a work in progress lol.  

I started making soy candles over three years ago and have just started to introduce some jewellery items.  

On a personal level, I would describe my work as  therapeutic as well as unique in some ways. 

How has your work evolved since you started? 
My work is growing all of the time, especially in terms of presentation.   

My packaging for example is a lot more professional looking than it was three years ago.  

Do you sell online? And how did you get started? 
I first started selling to friends, from my Facebook page, on online garage sales and at a local flea market.

Who or what inspires you? 
My suppliers inspire me because without them I wouldn’t be able to create and produce the items that I do.  They offer the pretty things, I buy them then come up with even prettier things.  

Do you reduce, reuse, recycle as part of your creative process? 
Soy wax is eco friendly in that it is not produced using harsh chemicals.  It is also a sustainable product derived from the soy bean plant, which is a totally renewable resource.   

Describe your studio/workspace?  
I currently use a spare bedroom as my work room.  At the moment I like to describe it as organised chaos, it too is a work in progress.   

What is your favourite thing to make?  
At the moment I am really enjoying making jewellery pieces and packaging them nicely.  

How did your business name come about?  
Here is the part where I admit that I am clearly somewhat insane because I have two businesses going on.  Crazy huh?
I started with Luminescent Glow, which recently got changed to Luminescent Glow CANDLE CO.  

I was quite content to meander along running this small (very small) hobby business when I accidentally stumbled across some lockets one day that had a little autism awareness charm in them. 

(I am a former sole parent carer of a boy with autism) Anyway, that was all it took for me to decide that I had to get my hands on them to sell.  So business no 2 arrived. 

To be perfectly honest, the name Luminescent Glow came about because after scouring the internet and registered business names page, it was the only name I could come up with that hadn’t already been taken.  

It has since grown on me though and is now recognised by quite a few people so it’s staying. 

Make A Memory Lockets And Accessories started just over a year ago. I chose that name due to these particular lockets being known as memory lockets. I decided that I could allow customers to create memories by adding little charms that reminded them of places or things that had happened in their lives.  

I now also make these lockets even more unique by designing the contents myself. 

Where do you see your creative journey taking you in the next 12 months? 
Hopefully with a little bit of luck and a heap more determination it will move past a hobby stage.   

What’s your top tip to others wanting to break into the handmade/creative market?
Don’t do it lol.   

Seriously though, it has been and still is a very rewarding pastime.  

It has given me a strong sense of purpose and allowed me to meet some very nice people who I am now proud to call my friends.   

Describe your typical creative day?
Do you really want to know?  I drag myself out of bed like I haven’t slept even though I’ve had a good 7 or so hours, down two cups of tea in quick succession then either hit the craft room or check emails and Facebook.  

On a really good day I might even get something done. 

Do you have a Favourite quote?
"You can make whatever you want out of your life, but first you have to not be afraid to try." 

Do you have a favourite CD to listen to while creating?
This might seem weird to some but I prefer (other than the odd bird chirping or dog barking outside) to work in complete silence.  

What is your favourite handmade item that you have bought?
Soap.  I know a local lady who makes high quality, addictively smelly, scrumptiously gorgeous soap. 

Where can we find you online?
 www.makeamemorylockets.com.au
www.makeamemorylockets.etsy.com
and also on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram as Make A Memory Lockets

How long have you been a member of BrisStyle?
This is my second year now, I can’t remember the exact date that I joined.  

How did you find out about brisstyle?
I found out through a friend

Why did you become a member?
Because BrisStyle is a high end quality market and I believe that the products I have to offer fit in with that level of quality. 

I also find other members to be friendly and helpful.

Why do you craft?
I have suffered a lot of adversity in my life so I craft as a form of therapy. 

Being able to show case my creative ability (I believe) is good for my mental health. 

I also get a small (cart wheels on the ceiling type) kick out of the positive feedback I receive from customers.  

Thanks so much for chatting with us today Joy, it was great getting to know a little bit more about your business. Anita x

 

Monday Maker - My Aunty Anna ( she's not really MY Aunty Anna )

This week I have selected Kate from the label 'My Aunty Anna' as our guest for the Monday Maker series. I met Kate via Instagram and was just amazed at her creativity in her everyday life. And also her prolific use of recycled materials for her work.
Would you like to meet Kate?

So tell us a bit about yourself  My Aunty Anna, 

Were you creative as a child? 
My Mum taught me to knit when I was about seven - I still have the first thing that I made, all weird and full of mistakes and holes. I was always knitting, sewing, embroidering, and just generally making stuff all through childhood and my teens. I stopped in my early 20s because I started to feel self conscious about being able to do all of those 'feminine' and 'domestic' things.

I started crafting again when I was traveling about 12 years ago, I found myself spending lots of time on buses and trains and feeling like I could be spending the time being productive. I bought some yarn and knitting needles in an op shop in the   UK and that was that! 

Do you come from a creative family?
Yes. Mum was always knitting, sewing, spinning, doing pottery etc. She still quilts and does mosaics and lead light.

I love the way that people of all ages, men and women, are now embracing these skills again and how it's being done in a way that empowers people.

How would you describe your work?
My spin at the moment is that I create community 
through craft. 

I do this by facilitating workshops and social crafting groups, installing communal craft projects at events and festivals (giant communal weaving loom, giant knitting loom, and other communal weaving projects), and by creating temporary interactive craft spaces where people come in and experience a colourful and tactile space and can also make something to add to the installation. 
Often the materials involved in the communal craft or temporary space have been donated or produced by others in my community - so there's a real sense of ownership and of having contributed to the project.





How has your work evolved since you started?
It's always changing. I'm always moving from one thing to another, and experimenting with different techniques and materials. 

When I joined BrisStyle I had this idea that I was going to make things to sell - and I do, but it's never been my main focus. I really don't like mass producing things - I don't enjoy making the same things all the time I have to be moving and changing what I'm doing. 

After doing one market I realised it just didn't feel like my thing. Maybe I'll do more of that when I find the time!  Often I feel like I provide an experience where people can take a break from the real world for a bit and take some time for themselves to be creative and hang out with other people - rather than creating a product as such.

Anouk - the next generation of crafter

Nature Wands

 Do you sell online? 
it's still on my 'to do' list :) 

Who or what inspires you? 
So many things. The obvious eye candy like Instagram and Pinterest trigger ideas, but ideas can come from anywhere. 

Often when I'm asleep or half awake some crazy idea pops up and I run with it. But I'm definitely inspired by retro and vintage crafts and craft books etc. 

So much of what we are doing really isn't new - these crafts and techniques have been around for a really long time. 

We think about the most recent craft resurgence in the 70s when we think of things like weaving and macrame but they've been around for much longer than that and across so many different cultures. The way we do these things now has definitely changed and evolved - different styles and materials, a real emphasis on upcycling, and even different motivations for doing these things because of how our lifestyles have changed and the influence of technology etc.  
But the crafts are essentially the same as they've always been and I have a deep respect for all the crafters and makers that come before us - it's like we stand on each others shoulders with those skills having been passed on from one generation to the next stretching back in time. 

When I think of my Mum teaching me to knit and her mother having taught her and so on, it's just mind blowing.

  

T-Shirt Yarn Tassels

 Do you reduce, reuse, recycle as part of your creative process? Always and as much as possible. 

I use a lot of vintage/retro materials. I op shop a lot - and always have so I have way too much stuff. People are always giving me stuff! 

It's also great to be able to make do with what you have and what you can find - it can make some crafts really affordable and therefore accessible to people. 

 For example, my large communal weaving loom is constructed from timber salvaged from building sites and the materials that are used for the weaving are donated clothing, linens, fabrics, bedding and other random things. I cut these into strips and create a type of yarn out of them that is used for weaving. 

Describe your studio/workspace?
Messy. Out of control. Mostly my studio just acts as storage and most of the making happens in my dining room :)

What is your favourite thing to make?
I can't answer this - certainly I tend to make things with fibre and yarn etc the most. So things like weaving, knitting, crocheting, etc are things that I always come back to. And PomPoms!


 How did the name 'My Aunty Anna' come about?
I spent ages thinking about this - I wanted a name that somehow suggested the past or things being recycled/upcycled/preloved, without being too obvious or using words like vintage or retro. I was on a weekend away with friends when one of the kids taught my daughter an old clapping rhyme called My Aunty Anna - I liked the alliteration and that the rhyme has it's own history, ( now and again I come across someone who knows the rhyme).

I also think the word 'Aunty' suggests an older woman and a link with a past time. 

As a business name it seems to be remembered and people identify me with it so I guess in that sense it's worked as a branding exercise.

Where do you see your creative journey taking you in the next 12 months?
I just don't know. I can't predict it. Probably doing bigger things, creating bigger spaces and installations.

I have some crazy ideas and I'm always up for a ridiculous crafting challenge. Everything just seems to be getting bigger at the moment - just in the last couple of months there was a 6.5 m tall knitted/macrame teepee that I made with a friend (Jennine from Fibre Arts Road ) a really big yarn bombing installation in my local area, and then PARK(ing) Day for BrisStyle last week - we had three parks so it was almost 18m long.

What’s your top tip to others wanting to break into the handmade/creative market?Join BrisStyle ;) find something that you love and something that you do well, and make it yours, make it unique. You'll be inspired by others, we all are, but try not to rip off the work of others even though there is rarely anything that is truly new or unique.Love what you do and own it, but realise that you have to work very hard to make it work. Think about your motivation for wanting to do it - is it money, or is it something else? 

Describe your typical creative day?Drop the kids at school. Work like crazy on whatever it is that I'm obsessed with at the time, ignoring things like housework, then pick the kids up again and try to tidy up a bit so it looks like I've done something other than craft.

  

Maths comes in handy when building a Teepee

What kind of music do you like to listen to while creating?

                          I prefer silence. I don't get enough of that. 

                          Do you have a favourite quote?
                         "It is what it is" - author unknown 

What is your favourite handmade item that you have bought?I have a lot of jewellery from local makers. One of my favourite handmade things at the moment is a bangle made on a 3D printer - a friend made it for me and I'm a closet science nerd so I love it.

Where can we find you online?My online life is mainly Facebook and Instagram. 

https://www.facebook.com/MyAuntyAnna

https://instagram.com/myauntyanna/

How long have you been a member of brisstyle? Maybe two years. 

How did you find out about brisstyle?

I've known Bel for a long time. So I've known about BrisStyle from the early days and visited the markets in their various locations. 

Why did you become a member?

Partly for the support that BrisStyle and it's members provide, and to support BrisStyle and everything it does for makers/crafters/artisans. 

Being a member of BrisStyle has given me opportunities to do a whole range of things -  workshops, presentations, markets, installations, and meeting a bunch of other creative people.

Why do you craft?

Because I have to. I have no choice, it's in my DNA. I can't help myself and have to always be making something, being productive and busy. Other people watch TV or read or whatever, I make. It also keeps me sane (ish).

Thanks so much Kate it was great chatting with you, Anita x

P.S Don't forget you can vote for Kate's amazing installation for BrisStyle as Part of BNE PARK(ing) Day, by heading HERE (voting closes at 9am Sept 21st)