In their own words - Alipink

Today my little darlin's you can find out even more about the delightful Ali from Alipink! 
Hooray, I hear you say!
She is a super-dee-dooper lady indeed, with a crafting conscience, an artistic view of the Gold Coast's future, and best of all, a huge love of creating! Read on my merry men, and find out for yourselves!


How long have you been in business, and what was the light bulb moment that made it all begin?I have been in business since late 2008.  Prior to then I was making and selling items to friends and friends-of-friends.  On-line markets such as etsy have made selling handmade goods more achievable for little businesses like mine.  Oh, and my children got a little older which gave me more time at the sewing machine.

What do you think makes alipink unique? When it comes down to it is is the fabrics that make alipink products unique.  alipink is part of the movement towards a more thoughtful use of resources.  I believe that by using beautiful and unique fabrics in products then this encourages 'mindful' use of these products.  Choosing to purchase a handmade item rather than a throwaway mass-produced item also fosters mindfulness.  It is great to see so many artists and crafters with the same philosophy.

What are you influenced and inspired by when creating? I am inspired by the fabrics themselves when I am creating - the size of the print, the colours and the need to avoid holes or marks often dictates the size and shape of an item.  I also love to browse craft books and magazines and have a growing collection of vintage craft books.  I don't really read blogs but I do pop in to check out http://www.meetmeatmikes.blogspot.com/, http://www.whipup.net/ and http://www.designspongeonline.com/ every now and again. 

When did you last create, and what was it?
The last major project I undertook was a coin quilt for my friend's new baby boy.  Each 'coin' was a different vintage or retro fabric in shades of blue, red and yellow.  I knew she would appreciate the time and effort that went into the quilt and I can imagine her little one choosing his favourite 'coin' when he is older. 

What will you be creating next?
I have four unfinished quilts in my sewing room at the moment so hope to be completing them over the Christmas / New Year break.

Where or how did you learn your craft? I have been sewing and crafting since I was a child. I can remember being taught to embroider and knit by my grandmother.  My mother is a great sewer and made all our clothes when we were children.  It was a while before she'd let me near the sewing machine though!  I bought my own sewing machine in my early twenties and have been developing my sewing skills since then.  I still knit and embroider and have recently learnt to crochet (thank you YouTube!).

What has been the best moment since it all began? What about the most challenging?The best part of alipink is getting positive feedback from customers.  I also love the nostalgia that my fabrics produce in buyers.  I often get comments like "I had sheets with that print when I was a child" or "My grandma had a table cloth like that".
The most challenging part is trying to make this venture self-supporting.  At the moment I can justify my expenditure as I have a part-time job but I am always conscious to avoid being a drain on the family budget.

What are your favourite materials to work with? Where do you source them? I love all vintage fabrics but am particularly enamoured with vintage bed linen at the moment as I have recently started quilting.  My fabrics are sourced mainly from op shops but I have kind family and friends who pass pieces on to me.  When I am looking for new fabrics I go to local online sellers http://www.ijustlovethatfabric.com.au/, http://www.voodoorabbit.etsy.com/, http://www.funkyfabrix.com.au/ and http://www.fabric4u2.com.au/.

Describe the Art/Craft community of the Gold Coast as you see it?It is constantly surprising.  I am originally from Sydney and moved to the Gold Coast about four years ago after a period of time in regional NSW and in London.  The Gold Coast is not all shopping malls, canal developments and bogans -  there is a diverse population here with a definite creative and environmentally and politically aware thread running through it.  I love living here!

What do you wish there was more of available for crafters and artisans on the Coast?
I would love the Gold Coast to host a dedicated handmade market.  There are lots of great markets here now and it would be great to be able to showcase artists and crafters without competition from mass-produced / imported products.

What do you wish for the future of art, creativity, and culture on the Coast? 
I can see the creative community growing here on the Gold Coast, especially through groups such as Crafty Coasters and The Hatchling Society Crafternoons.  The push against the giant shopping malls has begun! 

And what about the future for alipink?There are some new ventures ahead for alipink in partnership with other creative friends here on the Gold Coast. I am always looking for opportunities to reach new customers too and would love to be stocked in some local shops.  Hopefully 2011 will be the year that alipink becomes self-supporting.


Here's where you can find more of those truly scrumptious Alipink goodies....
Etsy http://www.alipink.etsy.com/
Facey www.facebook.com/alipinkbags
Web http://www.alipink.com/
Tweet http://www.twitter.com/alipinkbags

Thanks so much to the wonderful Ali for taking the time to share with us! What a gem she is! Tis nice indeed to find locals with the same creative, handcrafting ideals, perhaps this 'Gold Coast artistic Utopia' thing I keep rattling on about is not implausible after all!  Ali is on my side!

Be sure to check back tomorrow, to find out you can get your hot little hands on a FREE piece of Alipink treasure all for yourself! Nice, Thanks again Ali!

Love Hatch
..xx

Showcase Creative - Alipink

Well hello there! 
It has certainly been a while!  

Christmas makes everything so very crazy, and The Hatchling Society is no exception, so we have been on a little hiatus while the madness ensued.

But here we are again, stuffed to the eyes with turkey and plum pud, and ready to roll out the next year, and a whole lot of lovely and wonderful creative joys.

Today, my fine feathered friendlings, I have some more delightful handcrafter Gold Coast goodness to share with you, this time from the delightful Ali, from Alipink.  Mmmm scrumptious!

Coast local, Mama, Nurse, and crafter Extraordinaire, Ali does it all, and with such great gusto and talent that we feel the need for a swoon... aaaaah!

She creates pieces that are classic, functional, and beautiful to boot. She also has a love of retro designs, and takes joy out of re-purposing fabrics, which means each and every item she creates is either one-of-a-kind, or a limited production. Hoorah to being unique and individual!

So, step away from that pitiful Gold Coast mass-produced mindset, take a dive into the world of Alipink, and you can have yourself a little piece of unique, handcrafted, locally produced treasure.
Doesn't that sound just lovely!?

You can find all these gorgeous treats and more from Alipink online at:

Etsy http://www.alipink.etsy.com/
Facey www.facebook.com/alipinkbags
Web http://www.alipink.com/
Tweet http://www.twitter.com/alipinkbags

And if you are venturing to the big smoke, you can see the lady and her lovely wares in person at the BrisStyle Markets.  Loverly!

Tomorrow, we will be sharing an interview with Miss A. herself, so if you want some great inspiration from a crafty Gold Coast lady, check back. 

Aaaaand, on Friday, there might possibly some lovely treats from Alipink up for grabs, infact, I am quite certain that yes indeedy there will be!
Come back and win free stuff, it's handcrafted, and made locally, and simply just great!

Love Hatch ..xx

In their own words - Friends for Felix

This week is all about the wonderful little felty treasures made by Mel from Friends for Felix.
Today we share an interview with her, find out about her passion for crafting, her inspiration to create and her dreams for the artistic future of the coast.

Thanks so much for sharing with us Mel.

If you want to see the real life Friends for Felix goodies, you will be able to find them, this Sunday, at the Burleigh Arts and Crafts markets

How long have you been in business, and what was the lightbulb moment that made it all begin?
since mid 2010. After my son was born I was trying to think of someway that I combine my love of craft and the love of my son! (I teach drama classes with children by trade and was missing that creative outlet)

My lightbulb moment was in the baby changeroom at a local shopping centre at Burleigh where they have mobiles over the changetables. Seeing my son's enjoyment made me decide that that was what we needed at home. From there I realised that I could also create stuffed feltie toys for him. At the time he was little enough that I could sew while breastfeeding (no way I could do that now, he would want to join in!!!)

I had friends and family members tell me that I should sell my work so I got up the courage to make myself a facebook page. This weekend I am taking the next step and having a market stall at the Burleigh Arts and Craft markets.

What has been the most rewarding experience so far?Recieving orders from strangers and having people trust my craft enough for me to create custom orders for them. Getting positive feedback is very rewarding and witnessing other babies playing with my feltie toys is magical!


What are your favourite materials to work with? Where do you source them?
Three top materials are felt, ribbon and embroidery thread. Felt by far is my favourite. It is really forgiving, great to cut and no hemming!!  Good old spotlight at the moment is the source of a lot of my goods.

 I wish that there were some great local craft stores around my area. I also love to upcycyle/reclycle old fabrics. At the moment I am working on some stuffed toys created from old business shirt sleeves (still a work in progress)!

Describe who you imagine a buyer/lover of Friends for Felix goodies to be? I would love those who appreciate handmade goods, love all things cute, and be of any age. I would love for someone to buy a feltie or a mobile for themselves, not just for the children in their lives!

When did you last create, and what was it you created?
Things have been so busy of late in my house with our little man teething, my 'real' job, getting organised (and anxious! ek!) for our market stall and life in general that I haven't created any new pieces for a while. Last night I finished a new mobile. It is by far my favourite piece and given me a bit of a new lease on my Friends for Felix life! A mobile consisting of four little clouds, a smiling sun and a hot air balloon. Which got me inspired and then I made some little icecreams stuffed feltie toys that I finished this morning.

What do you wish for the future of art, creativity, and culture on the Coast? 
There are so many talented artists and musicians on the gold coast, it would be wonderful to see it become more and more popular. For more people to support local talent, there is so much of it on the Coast.
I would love to see a handmade-only store on the gold coast, wouldnt it be great to see somewhere like james st in burleigh? A kind of collective where artists could display their works for sale, maybe with a coffeeshop using local produce and supporting local live original music, a space for workshops with local artists - wouldn't that just be amazing! I can dream!!!

_______________________________________________________________________

Mel and the Friends for Felix loveables can be found in the following places

friendsforfelix@gmail.com - for orders etc
www.facebook.com/forfelix - to check out what is currently on offer
http://friendsforfelix.blogspot.com/ - if you want to read about what goes on behind the scenes in the Friends for Felix household!!!
_______________________________________________________________________

Head down to Burleigh beach markets this weekend and show your support for Mel and her little felt treaures, and don't forget to come back tomorrow for your chance to win some handcrafted special little Christmas treats from Friends for Felix!

Showcase Wednesday - Friends for Felix

Well hello there!  After a somewhat lengthy hiatus in which the Internet became a worst enemy and lots of curse words were thrown about, Showcase Wednesday is back! Hoorah!

This week, The Hatchling Society would like to introduce you to Friends For Felix, and the lovely Mel who is the bringer of life to Felix's friends.

Mel had always been a crafter extraordinaire, and when her darling little son Oliver Felix came into the world, Mel thought 'Wowee, I could craft like crazy, and get to spend my days with this little guy instead of trudging off to work and missing all the fun!'

 What a brilliant idea! And so, Friends for Felix began.

Mel hand crafts the most gorgeous, squishy, loveable little felt creatures as buddies for her little babekin, like this fine fellow....

and these little guys...

She also creates beautiful mobiles with birdies, and planes and all things whimsical...

If that is not enough, inspired by The Toy Society and Spreading Random Acts of Kindness, Mel packages up some of her little creations and hides them places for other people to find and take home and love all up.

What a wonderful Mumma little Oliver has got!

Aaaand, this Christmas, she wants your tree to be the fairest of them all, for she has created a range of Friends for Felix Decorations which are just scrummy, yummy, delightful!!

Mel and all of her stunning little creations will be appearing this weekend, Sunday the 28th, at the Burleigh Arts and Crafts Markets, which you can find out about here so be sure to head along and support her and her stay-at-home Crafty Mumma dreams.

If you would like to contact Mel you can find the Friends for Felix Facebook here, the blog here, and you can contact Mel by email here.

Be sure to come back, as tomorrow we will share an interview with this amazing lady, and on Friday, a little felt birdie told me there might just be some festive Friends for Felix treats up for grabs! Wahoo!

Love
Hatch ..xx

The First Annual Crafternoon Christmas Swap

Create a piece of crafty goodness, package it up, and send it to Hatchling Society HQ.  Come Xmas, your piece of Christmas craftiness will be sent of on Santa's sleigh to some other lucky participant, and you in turn will receive a handcrafted piece of Christmas joy. Hoorah!

How it works:
To keep it fair and fun for everyone, try to keep your item around the value of $20-$30.  We're pretty sure that you don't want to be the one who spends heaps of time and money creating something amazing only to receive an empty matchbox in return, so be sure to put in the amount and effort that you want in return.

ALL handmade items must fit in an A4 size Express Post Satchel.  We do everything here at The Hatchling Society out of the goodness of our hearts, which unfortunately doesn't extend to forking out for extra postage for the suckers who didn't read the instructions properly. If your item is too big, it will be returned to you, which will not be all that cool for you.

Don't forget to think about how you'd feel if when you opened your swap pressie it was damaged or broken. Please, create, package and post with care and kindness.

All craft swap items Must, Must, MUST arrive at Hatchling Society HQ no later than December 10th!!!  If you miss the Xmas sleigh, you could single handedly be responsible for ruining someone elses Crafernoon Christmas Day, I'm sure no-one wants to be responsible for that now do they!! Raaaah!

What you need to include:
Your handcrafted Christmas Swap present (of course!) all wrapped in super Xmas style and ready to be ripped open with glee by the lucky recipient

A self-addressed, postage paid A4 size Express Post Satchel (make sure to get the one for Goods, not the one for Documents) don't forget to put your address on, as this is how Santa will know where to deliver your crafty Christmas treat.

Any info you would like to share about yourself, your craft item, or any creative endeavours/ventures you are undertaking.

Send all of this off to:  (by the 10th Dec, the 10th, the 10th!)
The Hatchling Society
9/105 Christine Avenue
Burleigh Waters, QLD, 4220


The Christmas Crafternoon Event can be found on Facey here, feel free to invite anyone who resides in Australia to participate.  If you are located outside Australia, feel free to organise your own Christmas Craft Swap, and let us know all about it.

Below is some inspiration, now go get your craft on!!!

IN THEIR OWN WORDS - WINNIFREDS DAUGHTER

This week's Showcase Local Creative is the lovely Jess from Winnifred's Daughter. 
Here you will find an interview with Jess, in which you will find out a little more about Winnifreds Daughter, what inspires and excites her creativity, and what life is like as a creative on the Gold Coast.

Thanks Jess!

What inspired you to start Winnifreds Daughter?
Having already studied and worked in various areas of the arts industry, somehow I have always come back to crafting.  Winnifreds Daughter is the outcome of my finally succumbing to my secret passion for all things snipping, snapping, sketching and stitching and harnessing that passion into an achievable business venture.

What are your favourite materials to work with?The entire process from selecting the pre-loved fabrics to attaching the product tag to one of my creations is a labor of love.  I troll local op-shops for beautiful fabrics and these, along with gorgeous buttons and lace are what make my products unique; once a particular fabric has been used up, there is no popping down to the shop for more and therefore, everything is limited edition. The materials that will run out one day are always the ones I love most- it makes them special.

How did you learn your craft?
The name Winnifreds Daughter came from a nickname my uncle gave to my mum when he was a child (he couldn’t quite say ‘Jennifer’ so he called her ‘Winnie’ instead).  I was keen to find a name that paid testament to the fact that all of my craft and sewing skills were taught to me by my mother.  Ever since forever she has taken my sister and I along to craft shows, gallery exhibitions and markets to get ideas for our creations.
 
Who do you imagine to be a buyer and lover of your items?
Anyone who squeals when a cute dog walks past, is partial to puddle stomping, still plays dress-ups, enjoys devouring cupcakes with white icing and loves all things one-of-a-kind and handmade. 

What has been the highlight for you since it all began?The most rewarding moment of the Winnifreds Daughter experience so far was when I posted my very first item in my online store.   That moment was the conclusion to a year of preparation and the beginning of running my very own little business which was extremely gratifying.  

What do you find to be the most rewarding thing about working within the Arts spectrum on the Gold Coast?
I have lived on the Gold Coast for about 12 years and in that time have been amazed at how much it has developed in terms of opportunities for artists.  Personally, being previously involved in photography, visual arts and film, I have found attainable avenues to get my work out into the community through local annual arts awards and gallery competitions.  Seeing your work hanging on a gallery wall alongside fellow creative workers is an enormously rewarding thing for any aspiring artist.

What is the most Challenging?
Given that art (in any form) is subjective, the most difficult thing about carving out a career within the arts spectrum on the Gold Coast is creating art and craft products that are unique and distinctive.  There are a vast number of incredibly talented individuals living on the Gold Coast and therein lies the challenge of breaking through with concepts and creations that are crowd pleasing and memorable.  
Describe the Art scene of the Gold Coast through your eyes? 
The heart and soul of the Gold Coast art scene can be primarily found in the many arts and craft markets that take place every weekend of the month.  It is here that artistic expression takes on forms of all kinds and I adore being able to shop for beautiful treasures knowing that they’ve been created by hand and with love.  To me, this is the ultimate community-based art scene.

What do you wish for the future of art, creativity, and culture on the Coast?
As an aspiring artist and practicing crafter, my priority is to get my work out there where people can see it and any prospect of increasing the volume of creativity and artistic culture in the Gold Coast community is positive.  For me, the future of expanding and enhancing the variety and degree of artistic practices on the Gold Coast, lies in the avenues, opportunities and pathways provided for artists and creative folk to express themselves.  Ultimately, the more galleries we open, the more artists can get their art on the walls, the greater the number of competitions organised, the greater the number of aspirers can enter.  This is what I think needs to happen to turn the Gold Coast into the creative hub we all know it can be.

What about the future of Winnifred's Daughter?
My hope for Winnifreds Daughter is that it finds a place in the crafting community locally, nationally and internationally.  I plan to expand the product range and explore other forms of merchandise development and make my brand the best it can be.  As long as my creative juices are permitted to flow, I shall remain content.

* If you missed yesterday's Winnifreds Daughter post, you can find it here*

Contact Winnifred's Daughter here (Email)
Shop Winnifred here (Etsy) and
Become a WD fan here (Facebook)

Jess and her Winnifreds Daughter Creations are also attending the Pine Ridge Craft Markets, wich will be held on 13th November, Xmas shopping anyone?... All readers and supporters of The Hatchling Society have generously been offered a 10% discount from Winnifreds Daughter when purchasing from these markets, so be sure to head along and check out the wealth of creative talent the Gold Coast has to offer.

Once again a huge thanks to Jess for sharing with us, and inspiring us all to get involved in the growth of the Gold Coast creative community.

Much love
Hatch ..xx

SHOWCASE LOCAL CREATIVE - WINNIFREDS DAUGHTER

This week our featured Gold Coast creative is Jessica Davis, who is the brains and brilliance behind  online Etsy store Winnifreds Daughter.

At Winnifreds Daughter you will find a simply delectable range of 'loveables' all handcrafted by Jess in her home studio at Tallai, on the Gold Coast of course!

Jess has a great passion for items that are one-of-a-kind and unique, and this combined with her desire to create with and environmental conscience saw the birth of Winnifreds Daughter, and the cute to boot softies that make up the range.
Every single piece in the Winnifreds Daughter cache is one of a kind, and are all created using found materials, fabrics and embellishments. Oh joy, not only are they gorgeous, they all have a conscience too!

You can find the Winnifreds Daughter Etsy shop here and also on Facey here
And if you would like to contact Jess you can email her here

Jess and her Winnifreds Daughter scrumptious softies will also be attending the first ever Pine Ridge Craft Markets, which will be held on the 13th November.

Jessica has been very generous in offering a 10% discount to all Hatchling Society fans who attend these markets and hunt out the Winnifreds Daughter stall!  Thanks Jess!! Be sure to head along, see what is on offer, and say hi to Jess and her loveables, who are waiting patiently to meet you.

More info about the markets for shoppers and stallholders alike can be found here

Be sure to come back tomorrow to check out our interview with Jess, and find out what life as a creative entrepreneur is like at Winnifreds Daughter.

Til then, much love
Hatch ..xx

In their own words: Onceworn Twiceloved

Here my fine feathered friends, you will find some Q&A with the lovely Sue from Onceworn all about what she does, why she does it, and what life for her is like on the (not so sunny of late) Gold Coast

You can find Sue's
Etsy shop here:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/onceworn
Madeit shop here: http://www.madeit.com.au/onceworn

Darling Sue has kindly donated some handcrafted, upcycled, made with love goodness which will be up for grabs to one lucky blog reader tomorrow, so be sure to come back and check it out!

But now, lets see what Sue has to say....

What was the motivation behind starting up onceworn? Onceworn twiceloved is the outlet for my creative side, satisfying a passion for op-shopping, design and sewing.  It all started with needing a new handbag myself, and has just grown from there.  I make one-of-a-kind handbags and accesories from secondhand and vintage leather jackets and fabrics.
 
Who do you invisage as a buyer/wearer/lover of your items?
I design things that I like to use and wear myself.  I see onceworn appealing to women who like something unique and quirky, but still practical, well designed and well-made.  I hope that the fact that I am re-purpposing things that might otherwise be thrown away is also a drawcard from a sustainability point of view.  My bags come with a tag showing the original jacket that they were created from so you can see what they started out life as.
 

How did you learn your craft?
I have sewn on and off for my whole life, making lots of my own clothes and things for our home.  My mum taught me to sew when I was really young.  She's the best seamstress ever, and has way more patience than me.  She tolerated many a tantrum when the sewing machine chewed up the cotton and jammed!  
 
What is the best thing you have found to repurpose?
I recently came across my best find ever, a vintage steel grey-blue full length leather ladies trench coat for $10!!!  It would make the most beautiful bag, and I won't lie, I'm tempted, but there are some things that are perfect just as they are.  I can't bring myself to cut it, so I'm going to wear it in winter! 

 
Describe the art scene of the Gold Coast through your eyes? I've only been on the coast for 10 years, but over that time I have definitely seen the arts, crafts and design scene on the Gold Coast grow, slowly but steadily.  There are new markets showcasing handcrafted items, and arty, different shops and galleries popping up all the time.  There isn't really one spot where these types of shops/galleries and venues are concentrated here though, like in alot of major cities, and that makes it difficult for them to get discovered.  I love it that blogs like The Hatchling Society are able to give these people and places the exposure they deserve, and I'll certainly be checking back in regularly.
 
What do you dream for the future of onceworn?
I would love for onceworn to become a full-time job and have more time to create. I have alot more ideas for things I'd like to make, homewares and other things.  If I could sew full-time it would be great!  

Be sure to show your support for this wonderful Gold Coast lady and her wares, and from The Hatchling Society, a great big THANKS SUE!!

If you, or someone you know would like to be the Showcase seller (or even the one asking the questions) you can contact us on facebook here or by Email contact.hatchling@gmail.com

Don't forget to share and be a part of the creative uprising of the Coast

..xx Hatch

Showcase Wednesday - Onceworn Twiceloved

This weeks local artisan is the lovely Sue from 'Onceworn Twiceloved', a fantastic local crafter, who finds and repurposes vintage and second hand leather items, and gives them a whole new life, and a whole new somebody-to-love. Just like this...

She inherited her love of sewing from her Mama, and her passion for re-purposing began at the tender age of 5 when said Mama unpicked and resized a dress of her own to fit her darling daughter.

Sue never knew quite what she wanted to be, and has dabbled in everything from Zoology to Computer Graphics, but like so many, the call to get creative took over, and this, combined with her lust for all things vintage saw the beginnings of onceworn. 

Her focus on creating beautiful yet sustainable items makes them all the more delightful, and her self-confessed perfectionism means that every item is finished to a superstar quality.





 Sue's gorgeous wares can be found in the Onceworn Etsy Shop, http://www.onceworn.etsy.com/, which is consistently updated with new and delightful treasures, and also on madeit www.madeit.com.au/onceworn

Seller Showcase - Buttons Dior

Buttons Dior specialise in one of a kind, unique, quirky and beautiful clothing and accessories for all ages.
Every single item is handcrafted with attention to detail by the amazing Nic Dior, often using vintage fabrics.

Nic realised that her obsession with beautiful vintage buttons was beginning to rule her life, with thousands of boxes of  said buttons taking over her craft space.  What else is a girl to do, but share them with all of course! And so, Buttons Dior was born.

Daddy's Boy Singlet

White Crochet Singlet

Ranging from Infants through to Adults, Buttons Dior features something for everyone who likes to look unique. From singlets and skirts....



Through to adorable and whimsical Button Dolls...

Pepper Button Doll

And delightful button Accessories...

Buttons Dior can be found here on Facebook, and you can contact the lovely Nic by email at buttonsdior@gmail.com

She is a very busy lady indeed, as she is also Mumma to three little Babekins, AND the heart and soul behind SraoK but there will be more all about that to come at a later date....

Show your support

With love, Hatch