Category: Uncategorized

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Spoonflower Design Challenge – Family Recipe Teatowel

Chocolate Lemon Slice

So in our family, Chocolate Lemon Slice is an absolute treasure. It’s not exactly hard to make, but it’s time-consuming – and it gets eaten so fast! So it’s a special occasion treat. 
When I saw that one of the October Spoonflower teatowel challenges was about family recipes, I was thrilled! While we were at the family bach in 2014, I considered making a teatowel using a drawing of the lemons on the tree and mum’s handwritten recipe, but I never got further than a quick ideas board. This challenge was a great chance to revisit the design and make it work, as Tim Gunn would say!
Some time ago, while we were in Geneva, my mother chaired a Cookbook Committee for the American Women’s Club of Geneva. Although it was purportedly for American women, in practice, many expats from all over the world were involved – and my Kiwi mum was in charge! For those who know her, this will not come as any kind of a surprise. She’s the source of my organisational skills.

Chocolate Lemon Slice – the recipe

Base
 
1/2 cup (120g) butter
1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups (180g) flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
 
Cream butter and sugar; add egg, then beat again and add flour and baking powder. Press into a greased 10×14” (25x35cm) pan. Bake in a 350°F (180°C) oven for 15 to 20 minutes. When cool, cover with filling.
 
Filling
 
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup (60g) powdered sugar
2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
 
Filling – method:
Combine butter, powdered sugar, sweetened condensed milk, and lemon rind and juice. Heat until smooth and pourable. Cover base and leave until set. When set, cover with icing.​
Icing
2 cups (240g) powdered sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons water
 
Icing – method:
Mix powdered sugar, cocoa, and vanilla in a bowl. Bring butter and water to a boil and add to powdered sugar mixture. Beat until smooth.
Drizzle over filling and smooth out as much as possible – don’t worry if it’s a little uneven. Cut into squares to serve. Makes about 30 pieces.
 
The squares keep well in an airtight container – if they last that long!

The design

I took the original drawing that I did at the bach three years ago, redrew it on a larger scale (with finer lines), drew some extra lemons, and created a background.
Then, I typed up the recipe (another reason to have it on the blog, lol), coloured in my lemons, and tadaaa! Ready to go 🙂

Family Recipe teatowel – the brief

“Family traditions are especially present during the holidays as everyone gathers in merriment and celebration around the dinner table. For this week’s challenge, share a family recipe that is a yearly staple. Whether it’s Grandma’s famous casserole or the wiggly fruit jelly salad that mysteriously makes an appearance, we want to see what recipe completes your holiday traditions! Entries will be submitted at the Linen Cotton Canvas fat quarter size (27″ x 18”) but previewed during voting as a Spoonflower Special Edition Tea Towel (16″ x 24″). Submissions close October 3, 2017 at 3 p.m. eastern daylight time. Voting begins October 5, 2017. See official rules.”
From the Spoonflower blog

My entry

I hope that you will vote for my entry when voting begins! 
Here it is on Spoonflower now:
Posted on by — Leave a comment

Spoonflower Design Challenge – Block Print Teatowel

What does Kōwhai mean?

“Kōwhai (Māori pronunciation: [kɔːɸai] or [kɔːfai]) are small woody legume trees within the genus Sophora that are native to New Zealand. There are eight species, with Sophora microphylla and S. tetraptera being the most recognised as large trees. Their natural habitat is beside streams and on the edges of forest, in lowland or mountain open areas. Kōwhai trees grow throughout the country and are a common feature in New Zealand gardens. Outside of New Zealand, kōwhai tend to be restricted to mild temperate maritime climates.
The blooms of the kōwhai are widely regarded as being New Zealand’s national flower, although they have no official status as such.
The word kōwhai is also used in the Māori language for the colour yellow, because of the colour of the flowers.”
From Wikipedia.

Botanical Block Print teatowel – the brief

“Do you spend your weekends venturing to local botanical gardens, dreaming of the next oversized houseplant to make its way into your home? This week’s challenge will be the cure to your leafy green obsession. While you are not required to block print for this challenge, your entry should be inspired by the block printing technique. Find inspiration and learn more about this time -honored technique from block printer and Spoonflower designer, Rochelle New. Entries will be submitted at the Linen Cotton Canvas fat quarter size (27″ x 18”) but previewed during voting as a Spoonflower Special Edition Tea Towel (16″ x 24″). Submissions close October 10, 2017 at 3 p.m. eastern daylight time. Voting begins October 12, 2017. See official rules.”
​From the Spoonflower blog

​Kōwhai and me

The kōwhai is one of my favourite natives. Our place has at least a dozen trees planted around the house, attracting many wonderful native birds to drink the nectar and serenade us. I’ve played with different kōwhai designs over the years, but I’ve never got around to making anything. I have also played with lino cutting, but I have bad OOS and can’t handle the scraping.
I started out making a lino cutting for this challenge, then I re-read the description.
“While you are not required to block print for this challenge, your entry should be inspired by the block printing technique”.
I put down away the lino, and picked up a pencil. I’ve done enough lino cutting to understand the technique, and how to represent it – and I think it was quite successful!

My entry

I chose to represent the print as a honey-yellow on a black background, because the richness of the yellow demanded a black background, and emphasised the ‘hand-cut’ effect.
As always, ​I hope that you will vote for my entry when voting begins! 
Here it is on Spoonflower now:
Posted on by — Leave a comment

Spoonflower Design Challenge – calendar teatowel

I print my fabrics through Spoonflower, an amazing and unique service that allows designers to upload their digital designs and print short runs in a range of fabrics, gift wrap, and even wallpaper. Through their sister companies, Roostery and Sprout, designers can make their designs available as ready-to-sew patterns and homewares.

Spoonflower fosters a great community of creatives, and one of the ways that they do that is through their weekly design challenges. I have set myself the target of entering as many challenges this month as I can.

2018 Calendar Teatowel – the brief

“Ring in the new year with a favorite Spoonflower design tradition: Tea Towel Calendars. Celebrate 2018 (the year of the dog!) with a tea towel calendar design for the new year ahead. Need a little design kick-start? Find a 2018 calendar template here!* Entries will be submitted at the Linen Cotton Canvas fat quarter size (27″ wide x 18” high, landscape orientation) but previewed during voting as a Spoonflower Special Edition Tea Towel (16″ wide x 24″ high, portrait orientation). Submissions close September 26, 2017 at 3 p.m. eastern daylight time. Voting begins September 28, 2017. See official rules.”
From the Spoonflower blog

Subject matter

I’ve been following the posts of the ​Island Bay Marine Education Centre for some time now, and I just love all the photographs that they share. One of their star creatures is the magnificent Fabio the octopus. 
I mean, seriously. Just LOOK at him. He’s amazing. You can visit Fabio and all his friends every Sunday from 10am to 3pm until 17 December 2017.  The Centre will re-open on Sunday 21st January 2018.

Fabulous Fabio 

I had so much fun choosing and sketching portraits of Fabio. This is the final drawing – I love the movement that the tentacles give him – almost like a dramatic, Dracula-cape flourish. 
I combined Fabio with some elements from my Rockpool design range to create my colourable teatowel entry to the competition. The drawing’s the thing – I don’t mind at all where I place. It’s more a case of getting it done. 
Looking forward to seeing the other entries!
Posted on by — Leave a comment

Goody Vouchers II – the return

Picture

Our new Goody Voucher concept went brilliantly in August, so we’re happy to announce that they will be available again in September! All you have to do in come in the door, do the lollipop luck dip, and see if you have won a voucher! Then, hunt down your stallholder and claim your gift, treat, or discount! #simple
Picture

What could be on my voucher?

Freebies, discounts, treats with purchase, and more! Follow us on Facebook and find out! Watch this post…

What time are the vouchers available?

Come in the door between 10.30-11, and between 12.30-1, while vouchers last!
See you at Petone Winter Markets, 16th of September, 10.30am to 3pm!
Posted on by — Leave a comment

An interlude with Dora Papers

Meg Prebble from Dora Papers is one of our wonderful stallholders at Petone Winter Markets – but that’s not all she does! She teaches, makes, and has exhibitions, and her work is instantly recognisable. Let’s get to know her a bit more today.

An Introduction to Meg

Kia ora, 
I’m Meg Prebble, I’m an artist and crafter who loves working with paper. I make a wide range of things – from mini book earrings to metre-tall pohutukawa trees, marbled papers and pop up cards. The two unifying factors are my ongoing fascination with the possibilities of paper, and the native bush and birds of Aotearoa NZ.

How did Dora Papers come about?

The origins for Dora Papers came from the earrings I made for myself. I’ve always loved working with paper, enjoying both quilling and marbling as a child. A few years ago I made a range of these wonderfully lightweight paper earring for myself, and it just made sense to share them with others. Of course I needed a name, and chose to recognise the woman who always inspired and encouraged my art and craft – my grandmother, Dora Bagnall. I’ve branched out a lot since those early days, and have continued to develop and refine my paper art techniques.

The Paper Art of Meg Prebble

I have an exhibition on! The Paper Art of Meg Prebble opens at Alfred Memelink’s Artspace Gallery in Petone on September 9th, and runs until October 8th. 
A range of my work will be on display, including paper plants big and small, life-sized bird paintings in watercolour and marbling, and marbled bird earrings the size of a thumbnail.

​What are you working on now?

Right now, writing this in the week leading up to the exhibition, I’m finishing the last few bits of work for it, with some cabbage tree branches to go. I also have a number of hot air balloons and dirigibles in various stages of completion currently cluttering up my table – look out for them at the next Petone Winter Market, September 16th!

What were the exhibition details again?

The Paper Art of Meg Prebble opens on 9th September, and runs until October 8th. At the Alfred Memelink Artspace gallery on the Petone forshore, which is open Tues-Sun, 10-5. I hope you stop by for a look, and if you want to say hi to me come to the opening, September 9th 2-4pm.

Where can we find out more?

Find Dora Papers on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/DoraPapers/
Find Alfred Memelink on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Alfred.Memelink.Artist/​
Find “The Paper Art of Meg Prebble” event on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/events/474401359583103
Or come and see Meg at Petone Winter Market – September​:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1790237141305899/
Posted on by — Leave a comment

A little light-hearted Halloween fun

Why Halloween in NZ, though?

So the other day, I noticed that craft shops here in NZ already have Halloween decorations for sale. One part of me rebelled – it’s an American tradition, and it’s not something that has ever been a big deal in NZ. But then I thought about the fact that I have an international audience, and Halloween is certainly fun. And when Spoonflower’s Vintage Halloween Design Challenge came through, I thought, “why not?”, and posted an Inspiration Competition on my Facebook page. I do these periodically to stop myself from getting too complacent – it’s fun to challenge myself to draw what people suggest, too!
Picture

A very small me, hollowing out an enormous pumpkin in Switzerland.
There were a lot of good suggestions, so while I waited for them to percolate through and see if a design came out, I decided to revisit an old drawing style from my secondary school years.

The days of the old school yard

I was lucky enough to attend International schools as a child – and it was a real culture shock to step back into the NZ school system in my second year of secondary school. It really felt like putting on the brakes – and art class was no different, although it seemed promising at first. In my first year back, we had a wonderful art teacher, Mr. Coke, who called me ‘My Good Man’ as his running dad-joke (my maiden name is ‘Goodman’). He was an excellent teacher. Unfortunately, we got another teacher for the next year. I don’t know what was going on with her, but several of the other students suggested that she drank. She certainly spent a lot of time in the back room, although I never remember her smelling of alcohol. It was a frustrating time – we weren’t allowed to go and get supplied ourselves, we had to ask her – and she would come back, a solid 5 minutes later, with something completely different. 
She was also not terribly inspiring. We spent most of our time with the uninspiring choice of glass bottles or gourds as a still life. It was School Certificate year, so we were very driven and busy, and our work was guided by the need to finish the year with a portfolio and workbook – so we had other distractions. 

Please – no more gourds…

Sixth form was internally assessed – and didn’t have a portfolio requirement. The pressure was off – but the gourds? The gourds were still there. It felt like month after month, we had nothing but them to work from – so I got frustrated, and started adding some surrealist touches to my (bored) painting. I eventually decorated my portfolio cover, and my chest of drawers, with these fairly silly, if somewhat menacing, designs.

#TBT

Given that, what with the Halloween design I was mulling, there were probably going to be pumpkins in my near future, I decided that it would be fun to revisit the fanciful gourds-with-faces motif.
So that was fun – and this design is now available in my Spoonflower shop 🙂

Halloween inspiration challenge winner

Now that I had taken some time to think and draw, I went back and read through the entries for my competition – and one stood out, both for originality and humour.
Of course, this was a must-draw, even if I couldn’t necessarily do the idea justice. I did a bit of research on poses, then got drawing. 
I used the colours from my new ‘Halloween Stripe‘ design, and leaves from my ‘Autumn Bouquet‘ range, and the jack-o-lantern pumpkin from the sketch itself.
This design has now been added to my Halloween series, and once our proofs arrive, it will be available for sale in my Spoonflower shop, too!
Posted on by — Leave a comment

August 2017 Petone Winter Market – part 2

A photographic tour

​When you walk around a busy craft market, you don’t often get the chance to take everything in. There are so many amazing things to see that it can be a sort of sensory overload. This feeling is why I always recommend that people take one walk all the way around first, then come back for a second, more detailed look. If you only go around once, there’s so much you can miss!

Round the outside

We’re going to break up our visit into manageable chunks. This post will cover the first 13 stalls around the outside walls of the hall (in yellow).

Wheat Bag Buddy

​The first stall on the left as you enter the hall is Monique’s Wheat Bag Buddy.
“Six years ago, I redesigned the wheat bag into the Wheat Bag Buddy. 

I have loved wheat bags for years. We all know how great they feel! There was just this one thing about them – you would get them in just the right spot, then you would move, and you had to start again. I thought there had to be a better way. And there is!!”

“Wheat Bag Buddy is so popular that I have had children & adults argue over who is going to use it next. I have friends in homes that love it when they go to sit outside in the cold. Animals love them as well! It has given so many friends & family enjoyment. 

All Wheat Bag Buddies are double thickness to help contain the heat, and I like to use new updated theme materials.” ​​

​Shop Nikkis

Next is Shop Nikkis, with fun, geeky crochet creations.
“I do hand made crochet- not your usual blankets and booties, though. Anything from science fiction and fantasy.”

Picture

“A geek hobby was born when I made my boss a crochet dalek in an attempt to get a pay rise ! Now my creation is only limited by my imagination- and the space I have in the spare room. Dr Who, Star Wars. Pokemon. Guardians of the Galaxy and much more crochet loveliness. I can also make things to order.”
You can find me on Facebook, here:
​https://www.facebook.com/ShopNikkis/

​The Sewphist

Working our way along the lefthand wall, the third stall is The Sewphist. Elisabeth loves to play with fabric, creating original stitched accessories to brighten your day!
​”I developed a love of fabric at a young age, and I’ve never quite stopped playing with it. When we bought our house, it came with a workroom, and suddenly my hobby turned into a business.
For the first few years I obsessively acquired fabric to use in my products, but gradually realised that I needed to be using fabrics that no-one else had. So I revived my long abandoned drawing skills, and relaunched my products using my own fabric designs. These days my business is a celebration of the beautiful environment we have here in Aotearoa New Zealand.”
Facebook Fan Page: facebook.com/thesewphist
Instagram: @the_sewphist
Website: thesewphist.com
Blog: http://www.thesewphist.com/blog/
Twitter ID: @thesewphist

In the Den

Next, we have Candice from ​In the Den. 
“In a nutshell, I’m a Graphic Designer by day and illustrator and printmaker every other waking hour, in Wellington.”
“I work predominately in monochrome, using bold lines and negative space to create custom illustrations that are used across mediums, including tattoo work. My style and compositions are inspired by flora and fauna and tradition print making methods.
My work includes custom Illustrations for prints, cards, colouring books, notebooks and tote bags.“​​
​To see more of my work and what I get up to, visit my Instagram profile @inthedennz or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/inthedennz/

​Button + me

Our fifth stall along the wall belongs to Jemma from ​Button + me. Button + Me is an online boutique where you can find something for yourself and something for the little ones. ​​
“I sell a range of products catered for both mums and little ones including silicone nursing/teething necklaces, bunny comforters, home decor, hand crafted wooden toy cameras, personalised birthday invitations and hand painted plates to name a few.”

Ickle tings

The last stall against the left-hand wall is Leah’s Ickle tings – baby toys made from high quality cotton – their point of difference is the crinkle in their ears! Wabbits, meece and pusscats in a wide range of fabrics including some exclusive designs. Toys without noise – superwabbits, hobby horses, hobby unicorns and stick-o-saurus; Tooth fairy bags and receipts designed by a local illustrator; Kickmats/car seat protectors to save seats from muddy feet – all oilcloth; Bookbags in durable oilcloth.
“As a mum of 2, I left the full-time world and pursued my passion to make things. As my kids have grown, my product range has evolved. I handmake cotton toys for babies and beyond; I’ve introduced hobby horses (and unicorns and dinosaurs), tooth fairy bags and super heroes. I’ve also developed a ‘spin off’ product line with tinga-me-bobs. I make kickmats (car seat protectors) and book bags from sturdy oilcloth. I frequent various markets over the year and I supply a couple of retailers.”
Check out my website and find out more about me and my products, below:
​www.ickletings.co.nz

The Kokedama Hutt

The first stall against the far wall, below the stage, is The Kokedama Hutt with Denise.
“I started making kokedamas as a hobby about 18 months ago. From there it became bigger with friends etc wanting to purchase the kokedamas so I started making more and trying a wide variety of plants. I now sell the kokedamas at several markets throughout the year.”
You can find me on Facebook and Instagram, below:
https://www.facebook.com/The-Kokedama-Hutt-459037810964639/
https://www.instagram.com/the.kokedama.hutt/

​Libbydid

“I love to play with fabric and colour. Out of that passion came hair accessories, funky badges, balloon balls (the best toy for all age groups) and beeswax foodwraps (reusable cotton fabric treated with food grade beeswax to replace your plastic wrap).“
You can find out more about me on my Facebook page, here: 
www.facebook.com/libbydid

Lynne Campbell

“Hi, I’m Lynne, and you can find me and my stall at all three Petone Winter Markets.”
“I’m a nana who likes to knit but my grand-babies are all grown up… So this gives me an excuse to keep knitting!“

Serene Naturals

Next is Serene Naturals. Serene Naturals products are lovingly hand poured in New Plymouth, New Zealand. Using 100% natural soy wax and recycled cotton wicks making any environment feel cozy and relaxed. ​
“I make 100% natural soy scented candles. My mum is now joining my small business and we would be very keen to share our product with you. We sell soy candles, oil diffusers, soy melts, tealights and bath bombs – all natural products, and they smell divine.”
Find out more about me on Facebook!
https://m.facebook.com/serenenaturals/

SilverCircus Clothing

In the corner, by the window, we have Ange from SilverCircus Clothing. ​“SilverCircus started 12 years ago with making clothes for my daughter and friends at playcentre and is now my full time job.
I design, draft patterns, screenprint and sew mainly children’s wear.”
SilverCircus clothing specialises in Natural fibres, cotton, organic cottons, merino, wools, bamboo, linen and retro and vintage fabrics.

Creating wearable, comfy, practical children’s wear in Petone, Wellington NZ
2017 range includes
merino beanies and singlets, bandana bibs, sunhats, undies, leggings, phat pants, trousers, skirts, dresses, wool Paddington coats, pea coats, wool vests, rompers, cordorouy overalls, and more…
SilverCircus collaborates with local illustrator/artists Kieran Rynhart and Ruth Carr and screenprints their work on tees and hoodies.

Stockists- the Dowse Art Museum, MatchBox Gallery Cuba St, Wellington and K’Rd Auckland, Cool Store Gallery, Mapua Nelson.

Find out more about me here:
www.facebook.com/Silvercircusclothing

​Maria’s stained glass

Maria is next, with her beautiful glass creations.
“​I make ​ferns, koru, birds and custom pieces made to order.“
Find me on Facebook – Maria’s Glass Art.

Burnt Offerings

In the last corner for this leg of our tour, doing some live burning – decorating a rolling pin – is Ngaire from Burnt Offerings.
“I create unique, practical art pieces for everyday living, by etching glass, mirror, stone and burning onto wood. Most of my items are second-hand finds that I either etch or burn to give them a new lease on life. This also means you won’t find them elsewhere – they are unique, one-off pieces.”
Visit my website for more information:
​​www.burntofferingsnz.com

Carry on the tour!

​Continue your visit by clicking one of the images below to see more of August’s stallholders.
Posted on by — Leave a comment

August 2017 Petone Winter Market – part 3

A photographic tour

​​When you walk around a busy craft market, you don’t often get the chance to take everything in. There are so many amazing things to see that it can be a sort of sensory overload. This feeling is why I always recommend that people take one walk all the way around first, then come back for a second, more detailed look. If you only go around once, there’s so much you can miss!

Filling in the gaps

​We’re going to break up our visit into manageable chunks. This post will cover the last 13 stalls in  the hall (in yellow).
Continuing from the last post, we will finish working around the walls, then go back around the stalls in the centre of the room.

Eildon Rocks Jewellery

The first stall belongs to Sandra, owner and designer of Eildon Rocks Jewellery. ​Eildon Rocks creates and sells handmade gemstone jewellery. All pieces are unique, showcasing nature’s beauty.
“I’ve always had a love for natural gemstones, intrigued by their history and the variety of colours, texture and patterns created by nature over time. I created Eildon Rocks about 5 years ago when I realised that I could make these beautiful stones part of every day life. All my pieces are unique, as often I let the stones take on a life of their own. Quite often the pieces I make end up very different to what I had in mind. Come and see for yourself!“
We also do commissions and are always interested in creating something special to meet our customers’ needs.
You can find out more about me and my creations here:
www.facebook.com/eildonrocks

Heysmartypants

Next, we visit Helene’s stall – Heysmartypants.
​All products are designed and printed in New Zealand using vivid, archival quality inks for longevity and papers made from sustainable forests.
“I’m a graphic designer by day – graphic artist by night. I LOVE all things connected with paper, and being able to illustrate and design my own range of paper goods – is just the best!”
“New Zealand’s unique native flora and fauna has always been a great source of inspiration for my illustrations and designs. I usually work in sets of 6 or 12 designs per series, that is then made into a range of posters, cards, calendars, colouring books and flash cards. I’m always looking to add new and fresh ideas to the range.”
Want to find out more? 
www.facebook.com/heysmartypants
www.heysmartypants.co.nz
https://www.etsy.com/nz/shop/heysmartypants

Fuxicos

The last stall along the walls is Naya’s Fuxicos – on the right as you enter the hall, on your left as you leave. 
“I handmake mainly Fuxicos (pron. “foo-she-kos” Brazilian word) or Yo-yo flower accessories and other felt & fabric crafts. All my products are hand-made and sewn using the best quality products in a smoke & pet free home.”

Into the centre

​We’ve completed our first circuit of the room! We will now reverse our clockwise loop, going back anti-clockwise, facing inwards towards the stalls in the centre.

​O Sew Crafty

Our first stall in the central block is O Sew Crafty with Toni and her fun, practical creations.
“I love the New Zealand fabrics and they form the basis of most of my products. I make hand towels, ‘tubes’ , bunting, tea pot cosies, needle books, stitching tidies, ‘sc’ats’ tooth fairy boxes, bookmarks etc. I’m always trying new products – some work and some don’t!“
“I did my first craft market in the UK when I was pregnant with my son who turns 30 this year. I am married to Tony and we have 2 children and 4 grandchildren whom we love spending time with. We also enjoy travelling and I like to walk most days – this is my ME time!“

jinglebugs and ​Make it

Jann, with jinglebugs and ​Make it, is the next stall. 

​Jinglebugs are felted wool goodies for children and home: needle-felted New Zealand bird ornaments; nests; hedgehog and ladybird pincushions; brooches; felt envelope and stamp play sets; felt and button hairclips.

Make it! are craft kits for cool kids: rolled candles; felted pictures and geodes; stamps; bunting.

You can find out more here:

www.facebook.com/jinglebugsnz
www.facebook.com/makeitactivities

Cotton & Clay

Michelle is next, with Cotton & Clay. 
“I have an online business selling handcrafted homewares, decor and lifestyle products sourced from small artisans in New Zealand and South Africa.”
Find me online here:
www.cottonandclay.co.nz
https://www.facebook.com/CottonandClayHandcrafted/ ​

L:uminous Distinctive Indulgent Soy Candles

Next to Michelle is… Michelle! from L:uminous Distinctive Indulgent Soy Candles. 
“I make hand-poured, distinctive Indulgent Soy candles and melts.”
You can find my Facebook page here:
https://www.facebook.com/LuminousSoyCandles/

Scarlett and Grace

The last stall on this side of the centre block belongs to Kylie with Scarlett and Grace.
“I started Scarlett&Grace just over a year ago in order to be a stay at home mum to my two girls and to also make my super skinny eldest daughter clothes that actually fit her properly. I love creating fun and funky clothes that stand out from all the other clothing in stores.”
I make funky harem pants, t-shirts, sweatshirts, dresses and underwear for kids. I’m also starting to make jogger pants for women, too.

Check out my Facebook page!
https://www.facebook.com/scarlettandgracenz/

Solly + Moss

The first stall on the way back around the central block is Solly + Moss. ​Emma gained her degree in Textiles back in the Cretaceous period and her children Solly and Moss don’t mind giving her time to sew as long as it’s dino-related.
Emma makes:
Hand stitched dinosaur tees/sweatshirts (baby – 6 years mainly, but orders taken for the grown ups.)
Number tees, also in te reo.
NZ map tees.
100% cotton baby bibs.
Wall decals.
​She has spent the last two years perfecting the art of hand stitching and patience, and loves seeing her work adorning little bodies out and about in Wellington.
Visit Solly + Moss on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sollyandmoss/

Little Duck Gifts

Next to Emma is Vicky with Little Duck Gifts.
“​At the moment, my passion is knitting! Somehow I have acquired quite a stash of gorgeous fibres, including super snugly merino wool and even a merino/possum blend. With a little patience something special emerges! I make beautiful bootees and hats for beautiful babies, plus a few other funky fashionables!“
​You can find out more about me here:
www.facebook.com/littleduckgifts

The Clean Collective

Next is Kylee from The Clean Collective, with her ​delicious gluten- & dairy-free food.
“I lead a gluten & diary free lifestyle due to intolerances, and I know first-hand how hard it is to find suitable snacks & treats – so I decided to start making my own. About 18 months ago I decided to share my products and knowledge of gf/df foods by starting The Clean Collective.”
“I make a variety of gluten & diary free treats including bliss balls, flavoured popcorn, flavoured almonds and baked items such as chocolate brownie, banana & coconut mini loaves and granola.
I can assure you that although they are gluten & dairy free, all products are very tasty!”

Visit The Clean Collective on Facebook for more delicious ideas:
https://www.facebook.com/thecleancollective/

Take A Moment Designs

Next to Kylee is Lora and Take A Moment Designs. Lora ​designs and makes graphic prints, greeting cards, notebooks, candles and keyrings.
“I am a graphic designer who is currently at home with her little man. I had always wanted to create a small business where I designed and made great gifts and stationery, and so that’s what I did.”
​You can find out more about what I make here:
​https://www.facebook.com/Take-A-Moment-Design-889817571125335/

Made Up Shop

We finish our second circuit with Jill and Made Up Shop. ​Made in a small home studio in Wellington, the Made Up wool wrap jackets can be bought off the rack or made to your specific requirements.
“Every woman should have a beautiful piece of clothing that makes them feel good. I’m constantly told how many compliments people get for their jackets, usually when a customer comes back for a jacket in another colour.”
“In an effort to help battle the disposable fashion culture, I also make toys and ottomans from recycled jeans. The ottomans are filled with fabric scraps from my own work and other local creators.“
I make:
Wool wrap jackets
Upcycled demin toys and ottomans
Vintage style head bands
and more 🙂

Find out about me here:
https://www.facebook.com/Shopmadeup/

The Outpawed Raffle

One very lucky lady won the raffle, filled with amazing prizes donated by many of our stallholders, and other wonderful people in the community, including:

And many other donations on the day.

Thank you for visiting! 

Feel like taking a second wander around? Click on an image to visit that part of the hall.
Posted on by — Leave a comment

My love affair with Ligne Claire

I love MS Paint. There, I said it.

​I spend a lot of time and energy defending my preference for MS Paint to edit and colour my images. I know, I know – I could get much greater depth of colour and realism with other applications that are designed to reduce the labour and simplify the process. But the thing is, the process is part of the pleasure – and I am already a really fast worker. The MS Paint stage of my drawing is my form of meditation – I can’t distract myself enough any other way than by focusing on those pesky pixels.
​
This guy gets it!

​I suppose part of my liking for Paint is the way I get the nice, flat colours, reminiscent of gouache. And the reason that those effects appeal to me lies in my upbringing.

Bandes dessinées

I grew up in Switzerland, New Zealand, and Belgium. As a result, I speak fluent French – and I have a passion for BDs (Bandes dessinées, or ‘drawn strips’). They’re not quite the same as ‘comics’ – which by their very name imply a humourous subject matter – and they have been treated as a much more serious art form. Many of the stories contained more layers than their translations, too, so it’s very hard to explain the cleverness of, for example, Astérix, to someone who has only read it in the dumbed-down English translation.

Ligne Claire

As expected, my style was strongly influenced by the BDs that surrounded me as I grew up, particularly Hergé and his ligne claire or ‘clear line’ drawing style. My standard drawing technique is to sketch in pencil then finalise and refine the design in pen, which is a very common sketch artist’s technique. I then use flat colour to give my images life. I rarely use shading of any sort, and I strongly object to cross-hatching.

Alphonse Mucha and Art Nouveau

Picture

One of my draft wedding invitation ideas
Another great influence on my style is the advertising artwork of Mucha. His strong, clear linework, and effective use of colour lends itself really well to stained glass – and the bold lines and organic shapes appealed to my ‘ligne claire’-influenced brain. Art Nouveau’s simple, beautiful complexity has meant that the style is still very much current today – people are still working in their own versions of the Art Nouveau style, and its enduring popularity suggests they are likely to continue to do so. 

Functional Graphics

Picture

An artwork that I did for the Felt Aid fundraiser after the first Christchurch Earthquake

I have trouble categorising myself as an ‘artist’, because what I create isn’t truly art for its own sake. I draw because the drawing will be useful – just as Alphonse Mucha drew to make posters, and BD illustrators draw to support a storyline, I draw because my images will become something more than lines on a page. They will be made into fabric designs, and printed to be sewn into all manner of useful and decorative things; they will be made into jewellery, to gladden hearts and add quirks to any outfit; they can be printed onto clothing and accessories to make a statement or bring a smile to a stranger’s face. I draw for practical reasons, and my drawings are always intended to be used. I suppose, rather than ‘art’, I would call what I do ‘functional graphics’.

So, what is my process?

I start with a piece of blank A4 and a pencil, and I scribble the basic outline. If I like it, I go over it in detail with the pencil, then again with my black marker. I rub out the pencil lines, then scan the image in crisp black and white. 
Once the image is scanned, I take it down to monochrome bitmap, to be sure to clean out any residual mess, and then save it as a full-colour bmp file, and start colouring. Once I have the individual elements of a design finished and coloured, I combine them into a single layout. I manually create and test the repeat until I am happy with it, then paste it over a variety of backgrounds, to create additional designs in the series. These designs are then uploaded to Spoonflower and printed as fabrics. I also make variations on each design to be printed as clothing and accessories on Redbubble (depending on the design, this can required up to 5 different versions of the same illustration per design page), and to print and use for jewellery.

Once the designs are finished, I release them into the world, and they hopefully give others the pleasure that they have given me to create. You can pop over to my design collection homepage to see which of my designs are available to brighten up your home.
Posted on by — Leave a comment

Tahitian Water Lilies

So many of my designs are inspired by photographs or comments that people make, and this one is no exception. My step-father is an amazing amateur photographer; combined with the fact that he and my mother do a great deal of travelling, this means that my feed is often filled with beautiful photographs of amazing places. These water lillies were in a small body of water outside Le Meridien hotel in Tahiti in August 2016.

The reflection of the sky in some of them, and the red wall in others, meant that I could easily see the opportunity to make a while range of colourways for the design.

Once I sat down and got into it, it didn’t take long to distill the essence of the water lilies from these photos.
After that, it was simply a matter of colouring them, and finding the right backgrounds. I made several new stripes and plaids in the process, which was useful!