Q&A with "Marina's Ambrosia"

Tell us a bit about your business?

My name is Marina Herlihy and my business is Marina's Ambrosia. Marina's Ambrosia started out in 2002. I had been suffering for a long while with bad skin. Irritation, break outs, blotchy skin and small rashes and burning on the skin and it was very upsetting having to go to different doctors and trying different types of prescription creams. By accident when I was studying my Natural Therapies certificate I realized that it must of been one of the 100 different things i had been trying and using over the past 2 years. I made the primrose moisturizer in my determination to do it myself and create something that was comletely non toxic. Within a year the range grew and the customers came.

Since then the range has expanded to include 100% pure mineral make up and close to 100 eye shadow colours using the purest of mineral powders mined in Europe without titanium dioxide. Raw shampoo, conditioner and body wash are manufacturered by hand and sold in large 1 litre pump packs, 100% herbal hair colours and hair treatments have also been put together and we are now exporting these to the USA and Canada. The Cancer Support Assocation in Cottesloe have since gone through the products and approved them for use on people with Cancer and those whom are chemical sensitive. We also are very proud to have a 24K gold range also which is only avaliable to salons.

What inspires you?
What inspires me are the people that come to me in desperation and as a last resort and follow up with me a week later telling me how grateful they are to have found me. Helping people to get off the chemical roller coaster gives me a tremendous sense of achievement. I have parents whom bring their teenage daughters to me saying “if you want to wear makeup this is the only type of makeup you are allowed to wear” and the teenagers are so grateful that they can safely use the products with mums blessing because it is good for their skin and isn’t going to harm their skin.

As I am also a mum of 4 children and 3 of them happen to be girls, I can relax with the fact that when they are in at the age where they want to wear makeup and are starting to take a little interest in what they put on their faces, I have peace of mind that I have that covered and I am not challenged like a lot of other mothers whom are at their wits ends and cant find what they need unless they research for a long time.

What do you love most about selling at markets?
I am very much a people person and the one on one contact with customers is what I thrive on. Selling at the markets is a real buzz for me because I am taking my products directly to the people and they can get up close and personal with the products and speak directly with the manufacturer (being me) and I can answer all the questions that they have.

What new products are you working on?

I am always working on new product development. For the past 7 years I had been doing private manufacturing for many private labels and people wanting to start their own business label and they have a recipe without the knowhow of product making and I have been responsible for starting up over 20 new brands and many of which are now bigger brands and I have since moved them on.

The new product that I am currently working on is MR. Natural. Which is a mens range of products and I am aiming to make it a 3 step system so that it is quick, no fuss and easy to use.



What is your favourite product and why?

My favourite product has to be the primrose moisturizer because it was the first product in the range. The very first product which still is made using the original recipe from all those years ago. When I first made it and used it, I went to bed that night without the itchy feeling on my cheeks and that was when I knew I was onto a good thing. After a week of using my primrose moisturizer which I also used it as a cleanser too and added walnut shell to it to exfoliate and also used it again as a moisturizer, my skin started clearing up so very quickly that 2 weeks later I had perfect skin and you wouldn’t have thought I had any problems at all with my skin.

So for this reason I love my primrose moisturizer. It’s my baby and my favourite!

Re-Love Project Update 3

We're working hard to make our old school desk look new again, ready to be auctioned on 9th May in the Feast Watson Re-love Project! 

Here's where we got up to last time – the desk top has been detached from the base and all the surfaces have been prepped. 



In the last post we did glueing and clamping and lots of sanding. Let's look at the results! 

We glued and clamped the veneer that was lifting off the desk lid. Now the glue has dried, we have to sand back this area to make it smooth. We also have to fill the damaged edge areas using putty in a matching colour.



For the legs and body of the desk, we used an undercoat of Dulux 1 Step Acrylic Primer, Sealer & Undercoat which is rust resistant then gave it numerous coats of Dulux Spraypak Quick Dry in black over a few days, letting it dry between each coat. We chose this product as it would give a hardwearing glossy even finish and was quick (and fun!) to apply.



The next step will be for us to finish the wooden desk top and prepare for artwork and final paint finish.

We are all excited to see this desk start to come to life!

Stallholder Profile: Spotlight on "Osmosis Designs"

Today's stallholder profile is Annie of Osmosis Designs. Annie has been a stallholder at Made on the Left markets since the third one. Let's go behind the scenes!

Tell us a bit about yourself
I came from a creative family so making is in my DNA! In my time I’ve sold paintings, mixed media work, freehand machine embroidery, hand drawn embossed cards. Now, with osmosis designs, I’ve taught myself vector graphics so I can design pieces for laser cutting and etching. Each piece I make is hand finished, embroidered and assembled.

What inspires you to create?
Anything and everything, but most ideas have a basis in science – the natural world and geometric shapes

What materials do you use?
I use coloured acrylics and bamboo ply for my laser cut pieces and some of these have cross-stitch embroidery on them in either wool or cotton threads.

What’s your number one market tip?
My best market tip is to start as soon as possible and write lists. Tick things off as you go – list stock you need to make, things you need to buy, items you need to take with you etc. Plus be inventive in your display. You need something, either a product or a prop that people will notice and make them look longer at your stall.

What is your favourite part of the creative process?
The design stage – I work hard to make each design idea really work in reality.

What’s been your most popular item or line to date?
My positive/negative shape earrings where one earring is the bit cut out of the other (see picture) They have become my signature piece.

What is the most exciting thing that has come out of selling your designs through markets?
Meeting a wonderful group of like-minded people. There is something quite special about the craft community. They are so supportive and generous.

What advice would you give someone who wants to sell their crafts?
Try to develop your own style with whatever it is you make. That style can be a theme, a colour scheme or a variation of something that nobody else has done. Be original.

What goals do you have in store for the future?
No specific goals – just to keep making and developing my ideas.

Thanks Annie!
xxx MOTL

Crochet for Beginners class

Calico and Ivy in Mosman Park are offering Saturday morning crochet classes. Learn how to crochet granny squares and make them into a blanket! 
They also have classes to learn how to crochet hexagons or flowers; how to knit socks or shawls; patchwork and group sessions. For more details, see the Calico & Ivy website.

	NORTHBRIDGE O-DAY - THIS SUNDAY! Northbridge is OPEN this Sunday for O-Day with over 100 things to do, see and collect around the 'hood. From backstage tours to treasure hunts, to workshops and performances, O-Day lifts the lid on all things Northbridge. Get adventurous, get creative and get very busy - how much of the O-Day program can you complete? Explore the massive FREE program at the Perth Cultural Centre, Northbridge Piazza and everywhere in-between. Stumble upon curious delights as you browse designer markets, grab a tasty treat from one of the delicious food stalls, hunt down your free magnet set and pick up some new tips and tricks from one of the many workshops. Dance in the dark, learn some circus secrets, yarn bomb a Vespa scooter at the Montage Pop-up shop or beam yourself into a movie on the big screen... who knows where you will find yourself. Fill in your O-Day guide throughout your adventure, collect stamps as you complete activities and once you have enough points visit the info booth to get your free souvenir book bag. When the sun goes down the fun is not over, party on at one of the many O-Day after parties! Download your O-Day Guide here or pick it up on the day from participating venues. Northbridge O-Day is bought to you by City of Perth, Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority and OnWilliam.

Made on the Left July market applications open!

We're looking forward to our third market at the State Theatre Centre on Sunday 28th July, 11am - 5pm and applications for stallholders are now open. To be eligible, your products must be made in WA.

Apply here: http://www.madeontheleft.org.au/july2013-application-form

The website has a limit of 2mb per image so do be aware of this when sending in images - if your images are too large the application won't go through! Also make sure they are not too small as we want to be able to see your work. There are plenty of online image resizing websites if you don't have access to image editing programs. If you are not sure your application has gone in, email us at applications@madeontheleft.com and we'll check for you.

Categories such as jewellery are always very competitive so the quality of your photo could make the difference between being accepted and missing out.

It is possible to apply for a double space - let us know if this is of interest to you.

Applications close 30th April so don't dilly dally!

Q&A with "A Story Of"

Tell us a bit about your business

Everything you buy has a story.  Whether it has come from a factory or handmade; if it's recycled or completely new; the people who have made it.  All these things make up the story of an item, and that's what A Story Of is about.  I create a little over half of the products on my website myself in WA, using things like vintage plates, recycled leather and local wool.  I also collaborate with some fair trade artisans in Thailand on designs and source yet more that have been designed and made by groups working with women at risk.  I try to make the stories of my products accessible and help people to feel the heart in what they are buying. 

What inspires you?

All sorts of things - a good book, movies, architecture... I get most inspired, though, when I travel and get to know different people, cultures, and the arts that are a part of them. 

What do you love most about selling at markets?

I love meeting new people - sellers and customers - finding out what they're upto and what they love about handmade items.  I also love to see the huge range of work on display.  WA has some amazing creativity to offer!!

What new products are you working on?

I'm just starting work on our first clothing collection, actually!! I want to collaborate with artisans in Thai hill tribes and use their traditional fabrics in modern designs.

Apart from that, I'm always working on new jewellery ideas, playing with different bits and pieces I can recycle. My most recent thing is using leather from belt offcuts, and I'm starting to get into cutting wood from naturally fallen branches.

What is your favourite product and why?

I do love working on my necklaces made from pieces of vintage plates. Finding the plates in op shops or receiving broken ones from friends which I can give new life to. They already have such a history, I can only imagine what their stories are!! I love being able to add my own paintings to make them into something new people can enjoy and feel good wearing. Each one is so unique with different pictures and character.

Business name/your name/website

Candice Tout from A Story Of

www.astoryof.com 

Re-Love Project Update 2

As you may know, the Made on the Left team has been invited to participate in the Feast Watson Re-Love project . We will be bringing an old school desk back to life with a lot of love and hard work. We've finished the planning stages and the muscle work has begun! We've got some pictures to show you our progress (bulging biceps not included). 

So far it's been all about sanding – the metal desk tray had areas of rust and flaking paint and the wooden desk top was uneven and peeling. To make things easier, we detached the wooden top from the metal body. We then used glue to stick down the veneer parts that were coming off and clamped it down to get the best effect. 



Tune in next time to see us prepare the surface ready to paint!

SELLERBR8 Art Markets call for stallholders

Calling all artists, designers, craftspeople, stylists and gourmets.

There is still a very small amount of time to be part of the SellerBr8 Art Market at Mandurah’s 2013 Stretch Arts Festival - applications close Wednesday 10th April 2013.
Creators of high quality, handcrafted goods and produce are invited to apply.

Where: Mandjar (Festival) Square, Orsmby Terrace, Mandurah
When: SAT 4th & SUN 5th MAY 2013, 10am – 4pm each day
Cost: A 3m x 3m space outside is $90.00 incl GST for one or both days

For more information and to download the application form see www.mandurah.wa.gov.au/13204.htm or contact the market coordinator on sellerbr8@gmail.com

For more information about the Stretch Arts Festival Mandurah see http://www.mandurah.wa.gov.au/stretchfestival.htm