Etsy Design Awards

Happy September!  The Spring, in my part of the world, has started off beautifully and put an extra little bounce in my step.

Talking of September, have you heard about the Etsy Design Awards open to Australian sellers?  With prizes that include a trip to Etsy's headquarters in New York, a business coaching session with Clare Bowditch and coverage in Inside Out magazine, it's pretty amazing!

Entries close on September 12th.

There is a category especially for new stores, called "New Talent", so if you've been thinking of opening an etsy shop, now could be a perfect time.

If you're new to Etsy and are in the Brisbane area, BrisStyle have many great, free session filled to the brim with tips and tricks to get you going and running smoothly.

To Market, To Eco Market

This Saturday I'm off to the BrisStyle Eco Market and can't wait to pull out a lot of kimono pieces, going back to the roots of where this brand began, giving vintage kimonos a new life.  As well as pieces like my bamboo and fabric teapot and kokeshi brooches, I'll have my very last kimono embroidered crane and some kanzashi-style brooches.

Of course, if you're wanting to play with a bit of these gorgeous fabrics yourself, I'll have suitcases full of fabric pieces and full kimonos for you to rummage through too.

Massive Kimono Fabric Sale This Weekend

With the big moving date getting much closer, the BrisStyle Eco Market couldn't have come at a better time.  This Saturday, I'll be having a big sale on lots of gorgeous kimonos, kimono fabrics, Japanese cottons, Japanese papers, magazines and clearance jewellery stock that I can't take with me to the new studio.  I'll even have a large box of free fabric that needs a good home.

For the last hour of the market, from 1 to 2pm, all of the destash stock (jewellery not included) will be reduced to half price of the already on-sale prices.  

A sneak peek of some of the fabric that needs a good, loving home....

Hope to see you there!

Lucky Dip

Did you used to love lucky dips?  They were always my favourite thing about school fetes.  For tomorrow's BrisStyle Indie Designer Market I've decided it's time to bring them out again.

I've raided my little Japanese Otoshidama envelopes....

And have a bowl full of little goodies, slightly older stock that needs good homes, to pack into them.

Perfect little stocking stuffers and a surprise for both the giver and receiver. 

Eco Market Packing

The car is getting packed for tomorrow's BrisStyle Indie Eco Market and I'm very excited!

Here's a sneak peek of some of what is going with me....

I'm having a huge seconds sale.  Working with resin, sometimes I get a stubborn bubble or a speck of dust, but yet the piece still looks very pretty.  Tomorrow I'll have bowls of pendants, rings as well as a few hairclips, earrings and brooches....

As well as my bamboo teapot, kokeshi and origami brooches, I have a few, well let's not call them "old" girls, because no girl likes to be called "old", but rather some kokeshi with the older  hairstyle, they'll be on sale.

Also on the jewellery table will be a few of my new earrings, all made from recycled stainless steel and recycled silver.

And then we hit the fabric, lots and lots and lots of fabric...

There will be suitcases full of vintage kimono fabric pieces....

And another full of kimono offcuts that can be bought by the gram.

 I'll have full kimonos as well...

And be destashing some of my Japanese cotton fabrics and papers...

Now I just hope it all fits in the car!

Photos for Etsy

I really enjoyed the "Lights, Camera, Action" session I ran yesterday for BrisStyle.  All the participants were lovely and became involved adding some great interactive moments between my talking.  It was wonderful to meet so many wonderful, inspired people as well as catching up with some crafty friends.

Putting the presentation together, I had a lot of fun, hunting on Etsy for hours, finding good examples of photography to highlight points I wanted to make.  Here are a few...

I talked about using models to animate products and seriously, how cute is this photo below!  I swear I want to buy this hat just as much for the item itself as well as that tiny bit of hope that the baby might come with it....

Cotton Flap Mini Monkey Flap by citefuzz

The next few are all good examples of using very simple props in photos, with a real emphasis on props being there to help tell the story of what is being sold and to never distract from the product....

Here, simply a pretty white bowl to contain the button sweets works perfectly.   You can really imagine having them on your table for your next crafternoon with friends.

Peppermint Candy Buttons by andiespecialtysweets

At times, you can't always get a model.  Here a nice coathanger not only allows the scarf to hang nicely but also gives a sense of a neckline in the image.

Going Hunting - jersey handprinted circle scarf by barkdecor

 What a gorgeous shot for a spoon.  Spoons aren't necessarily something that you think about being interesting to photography.  The fresh produce makes you think of all the yummy things you could cook with that spoon and the composition is so sweet you just want to keep looking at the image.

LG Superior Servers : Slotted Spoons by ladiesandgentlemen

 And lastly, this adorable brooch.  It is seriously cute and could easily stand on it's own in an image, but the addition of the nest of eggs makes it even sweeter and whimsical.  This is an image I would happily hang on my wall.

Common Rosefinch Bird by sashakulakova

Are there any really good examples of product photos you've seen online?

Family Outing

I'm very excited as this weekend the new members of my Origami family are making their market debut.  There are some wise owls, some sweet hummingbirds and bunnies,  a cat that loves to snuggle up and a cheeky little fox all waiting to find new homes.

They will of course be joined by the older member of the family, my origami cranes.

All of the brooches have been laser cut in sustainable-growth bamboo, then hand sanded and  hand coloured.

We'll be at the BrisStyle Twilight Market tomorrow night, the special event Fashion Week Young Designers Market on Saturday and Saturday night and then some will be going online next week.

If you're around, please pop by and say hi.

My Creative Space

Tea anyone?

Today it's all about the "eco" as I'm busily working on bamboo and vintage fabric brooches for the BrisStyle Eco Market this Saturday.  I'm putting the final touches on teapots, my Zen Garden Circles, and some Kokeshi dolls.  I promise then to finally get some in the Etsy shop next week!

Once I'm done with these it's on to ironing and pricing more fabric for the fabric sale...

If you're in town come down and say "hi" at the market, we'll be on rain or shine, all cosied up in the hall if need be.

For more creative spaces, Kootoyoo is the place to go.

BrisStyle Exhibition

If you take a wander down to the Brisbane City Library at the moment you'll find a little more than books...

There are some very sweet frilly pants by Tutus and Muddy Shoes...

Some of Jetta's Nest's fabulous paintings...

A rosy cheeked doll and scrumptious doily patchwork pillow by Moose and Bird...

Another gorgeous doll (and another gorgeous piece by Jetta's Nest), chilling out by a Moose and Bird pear.

Some stunning stitchwork by Edward and Lilly...

And well... I couldn't resist showing you a couple of my pieces...

A kanzashi necklace/brooch by myself in good company with a beautiful richly coloured resin bracelet by Strat Designs...

And a Kimono Crane hanging out with (pardon the pun) a couple of adorable Made By Maisie dolls, one of which happens to be the sister to a doll my little one cherishes.

There's still lots more to see.

The BrisStyle Indie Designers Exhibition is running at the Brisbane Square Library on Level 2 through July and August.

And for more BrisStyle goodness, we're going Twilight again on Friday 30th July.

The Weekend in Brief

It was a big market weekend last weekend.

BrisStyle's Eco market on Saturday had a great vibe, excitement about all the gorgeous, kind-to-the-earth pieces that were on offer.

Many kimonos and pieces of fabric found new loving homes.

This absolutely adorable owl, awake and wise on one side and sleepy on the other, by Nan's Garden, made it home with me. While I bought it for the little one, it's so lovely and squishy and its bamboo fleece is so super soft I keep stealing it from her for a cuddle.

I also came home with a stunning hand-felted scarf for myself from the delightful so very stylish Sandrine. Photo to come later when I'm feeling a little more photogenic...

Then bright and early on Sunday morning it was time for the Boutique Markets at Portside. Another great day, and this one I tried out a new stall layout. There's still a bit more tweaking to go, but I think it's getting there.

But mostly, it was a great weekend with loads of friendly people to chat to. Thanks to all that came by to say hi!

Weekend Wrap-up on a Wednesday

You know you're behind on your blogging when it's late Wednesday night before you blog about the previous Saturday...

Saturday found us at another fabulous BrisStyle BIDM Market down at St Augustine's Church. While Brisbane was enjoying a gorgeous sunny winter day outside, I was enjoying the cosiness inside the hall. My table continues to feel like a work in progress, but it is slowly coming together. And don't you just love the rich red stage curtain in the background, it reminds me of my old tutu wearing days...

A couple of new additions this time, a new display tree and some kimono fabric and resin hair-slides.

As well as lots of friendly customer faces to brighten the day, there were many a cheery BrisStylette friend to talk to and their wares to be tempted by. Just a few of my fellow indoor-mates (apologies for the small images)...

1. Pbyers Design

2. Made By Maisie

3. Retro Bird

4. RocknWrap

5. SM Boutique

6. Strat Designs

7. Hot Fudge

8. Cute As Buttons

The next BrisStyle market coming up is the Indie Eco market on July 10th, where I will be selling a large number of kimonos and kimono fabric as well as some of my handcrafted pieces.

For more Market Wrap-ups, visit the BrisStyle blog.

My Creative Space

How does your garden grow?

With MDF and power tools and paint pots all in a row.

My creative efforts today have been all about finishing my new hanging display for the markets.

There were flowers to bloom and grass to grow...

When it was all done, I couldn't resist taking it for a bit of a test run (minus table cloth and clamps). I wish I had more flowers, I like them scattered under the tree like I did here, but those blooms were already reserved for the second tree. Mind you, I had so much fun making them, I'll happily paint some more for next time.

Tonight I'm going to attempt to whip up some grassy hills and a few little ring displays. I can't wait to see it all under my red paper lanterns at the Twilight Markets tomorrow night!

For more creative spaces, head over to Kootoyoo.

Sneak Peek

... at some very little pieces that are making the debut at the BrisStyle Twilight Markets this Friday night.

Hope to see you there under the stars.