Farewell Unwrapped!

Unwrapped has always been one of Made On The Left’s favourite markets so it was a sad day when we learnt that their market on Sunday 24th March would be the last ever. MOTL caught up with founder Ebony Frost to find out all about her inspirational work helping designers sell their handmade work to the public through Unwrapped designer markets since 2006.

Ebony Frost

Do you and the rest of your team have any formal training/experience which helped you organise and manage an event?
I have a degree in Mass Communication and 10 years experience in large-scale event organisation, so I think the combination of the two has been very valuable. Team members along the journey have mostly been PR grads with lots of enthusiasm and a passion for locally designed products, which is always essential when you have to put in long hours!

Unwrapped are passionate about showcasing the best in designer handmade in an outdoor setting. Why did you consistently choose outdoor locations? 

Perth has a great climate and I felt we should make the most of that (though this has backfired on me several times!). Plus the atmosphere is much more relaxed if you have space to browse and wander down the street. 

Handmade has experienced such a huge surge in popularity over the past few years, why do you think this is? 

I think people are always looking for something new and quirky to help shape their personal style. Magazines like Frankie have helped promote the independent designer ethos in Australia over the past few years and I think it’s a philosophy that fits well with a lot of people and it made sense that eventually there would be a backlash against the mass-produced products we see everywhere. 

Does Unwrapped have any predictions for the future of handmade in the Western Australia; do you feel it will continue to grow in popularity? 

I think we need to be careful to nurture handmade as an industry. It’s too easy (and a lot cheaper) for designers to take production offshore to increase their profit margins. So we need to make sure we are prepared to pay a bit more for something that’s been handcrafted. 

What do you love most about putting on Unwrapped events and what do you find the most frustrating? 
I love the feedback I get from first time designers – they get such an enormous confidence boost from the event!
I guess it becomes frustrating when people are critical of things that I can’t control (like the weather) and perhaps don’t appreciate that good events don’t just ‘happen’, they require hundreds of hours of hard work and sacrifice.

Organising such huge events at great venues such as Forrest Chase must be very hard work; what inspired you to have it there? 

The City of Perth invited Unwrapped to be part of their Christmas events program.

What are you most proud of in terms of Unwrapped’s achievements and why? 

I wanted to change the cultural landscape in Perth when I started Unwrapped and I feel like we’ve done that. We started the ball rolling and allowed other events to establish themselves in the same vein. I think there are way more options out there for young designers now and that was always the main aim.

What can we look forward to from Unwrapped for the last market? 

The last event will hopefully be the best yet! It looks like being a perfect sunny Perth day… we’ll have 60 stalls of your favourite designers, plus a whole lot of new ones. The theme for this event is ‘vintage’ so expect to see ‘old meets’ new’ influences throughout the stalls, plus a Laneway Art Gallery with some fantastic photography and art!

 

The last Unwrapped will be held in South Perth. 
11:00am - 5:00pm, Sunday 24 March 2013
Angelo Street, South Perth. Don't miss it!

Stallholder Profile: Spotlight on "Christobel"

Christobel was the winner of our "Best Stall Display" at our Winter 2012 market. Here we find out what goes on behind the scenes.

The Christobel stall at Made on the Left market

Christine Lovitt of Christobel was born in Dublin, Ireland and migrated to Perth in 1988 with her husband and three small children. She has worked as a lawyer since arriving in Perth and only when she changed to part-time hours in 2007 did she find the time to pursue more creative activities.

What inspires you to create?

Sometimes an idea will just come to me – other times I will see something when I am out and about which will give me an idea.

What materials do you use? 

Almost everything I use is pre-loved. I make paper sculptures out of old books, sheet music and atlases, journals using old books covers, jewellery using old bakelite buckles and buttons, cushions out of vintage leather and any other treasures that I pick up from time to time which can be put to another use.

What steps do you take to prepare for a market? 

First I clear my workspace, then I think about what time of year my next market is going to be and what seasonal things I can make. Then I look at what new treasures I have collected and work out what to do with them. Because I am always making things, one market kind of rolls into the next fairly seamlessly without having to say up all night making enough stock.

What’s your number one market tip? 

Practice setting up your stall at home beforehand so that you can perfect the overall appearance and not be stressed on the day. How your stall looks can make a big difference to how shoppers perceive your products.

What is your favourite part of the creative process? 

Experimenting with new ideas. For every new thing that appears on my stall there will have been an equal number that didn’t work out and ended up in the bin. I love scouring church fetes, Sunday markets and op-shops for old treasures and then the challenge of making something new with them.

What’s been your most popular item or line to date? 

My paper sculptures and my tiny plants in vintage teacups.

What is the most exciting thing that has come out of selling your designs through markets? 

The most exciting thing was getting an order from overseas for some of my paper sculptures which had appeared in a Sydney Morning Herald article on craft markets.

What advice would you give someone who wants to sell their crafts? 

Think about your brand and where it fits in the marketplace, then just get out there and apply for stalls at markets like Made On The Left. It is the best way to test your ideas and to get feedback.

What goals do you have in store for the future? 
Ultimately I would love to have my own studio space from which I could sell my pieces. My husband loves finding and restoring old furniture and both my daughters are very creative so it could be a family venture!

Thanks Christine!
xx MOTL team

Silk flowers workshop

creative industries short courses 2013 
art, fashion, jewellery, textiles and design technology

V0674 silk flowers for hats, bridal & decoration (B) Silk flowers can be used for your wedding bouquet, to trim your Melbourne Cup hat, for a ball corsage or a funky decoration. Students will learn how to make various silk flowers using traditional millinery methods; cutting out flower stencils and flower petals, cutting out leaves, tooling flowers and leaves, construction method and completing flower for desired use.   Course is suitable for a beginner level and all materials are provided. Commences: Sat 20th April Duration: 3 sessions Sat: 12:30-3:00pm Cost: $129  Find out more info   Download enrolment form here.

Street Artist wanted

The City of Vincent is offering a great opportunity for a local artist to paint a huge wall on Angove Street, North Perth.

The exciting public art commission aims to create an artwork that is reflective of, and valued by the local community, businesses and visitors to the area.

Artists and creative teams are encouraged to put forward their innovative and creative submissions that will enhance and enliven the street, bringing more life and colour to the street.

 The deadline is 4pm 25 March 2013. Late applications will not be accepted

To download a pdf containing more information click here.

Submit your quotation via email to: yvette.coyne@vincent.wa.gov.au

 For further information or queries please contact Yvette Coyne, Coordinator Arts & Creativity by:
Telephone: (08) 9273 6000   Fax: (08) 9273 6099   Email: yvette.coyne@vincent.wa.gov.au

Elizabeth Marruffo is an artist of Mexican and English heritage whose work uses traditional painting and crafting techniques to explore the lived experience of loss and displacement. Her work draws upon an elaborate collection of personal symbols, icons and totems to create tender and haunting narratives. In her most recent exhibition, Marruffo pulls focus on one of her most persistent totems.

Pup Pup is the Boss of the Stars sees the artist present a large installation that pays tribute to the dogs of our childhood.

"Mexican street dogs have been important in my life and also important subjects in my arts practice. The dog from my childhood was named Corazon, she had a black love heart shaped patch on the side of her body. Corazon means 'heart' in Spanish. She was the puppy of Twotwo, a street dog that my parents found and nearly ran over on a dirt road in Mexico.

I think that if you had a dog in your childhood, they often contribute really significantly to your earliest memories and they act as a kind of witness to the events that happen in your childhood. They contribute so much to your personal and spiritual development and are a way we can learn about love, nurturing and responsibility. Significantly, they are also often the first love of our life that dies."

Marruffo will be recreating the Canis Major constellation with hundreds of tiny needle felted dogs. Each one, suspended within a silver wire star, representing a childhood pet. These lovingly hand fashioned objects are each being sculpted from the photos and stories of contributors. Personal memories, loves and lives, being resurrected and celebrated.

People are invited to contribute their own stories and commission a sculpture on the artist's Pozible campaign.

Exhibitor: Elizabeth Marruffo

Exhibition title: Pup Pup is the Boss of the Stars

Dates:  31st May - 2nd June

Opening night: Friday, 31st of May

Address: Free Range Gallery, 339 Wellington St, Perth